"So, none of you have been here before?"
"Ugh! Heavens no! Just look at it - it's dreadful!"
Six little ponies trotted down a path through the dark and ever-intimidating Everfree Forest; this was, in fact, its natural state. The recent addition of eternal night, however, had likely only served to exacerbate this condition. The ponies were kept on edge with the various sounds and, occasionally, the lack thereof. Normally, none of them would likely wander into this place, however, they were on a mission, and this mission was of the utmost importance.
"And it aint natural," added an orange coated mare in a stetson hat, "folks say it don't work quite the same as in Equestria."
A lavender unicorn mare quirked a brow and looked to the farmpony in confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Without missing a beat, a cyan pegasus with a mane of many colors hovered above her friends, grinning. "Nopony knows! You know why?"
The orange mare simply gave a growl at the pegasus. "Rainbow, quit it." She had, clearly, not had a good day, and the teasing of what might be their only hope of survival was high on her list of things not helping at the moment.
But Rainbow Dash's impish grin did not subside. "'Cause everypony who's ever come in has never come OUT!"
Just then, the ground they were on gave out and crumbled; Fluttershy, the only of the two pegasai not flying, quickly hovered above the chaos, and she and Rainbow Dash watched as the rockslide sent the other four ponies plummeting in a frenzy of screaming and digging and hoof flailing in an attempt to stop their descent. "Fluttershy! Quick!"
The two ponies took off in an attempt to save everypony they could; Rainbow Dash placed her hooves beneath Pinkie's forelegs, lifting her to the air and out of harm's way, while Fluttershy bit onto Rarity's tail, stopping the fashionista's descent towards an untimely demise. Applejack made quick to bite onto a root that had so happened to be sticking out of the ground, coming to a stop herself. Twilight, however, continued to slide towards the edge. Her hooves dug trying to get any footing she could, but finding no success in the attempt. Eventually, she finally stopped, but only after most of her body was over the ledge. Twilight's hooves kicked and dragged uselessly against the side of the cliff, trying to get up, trying desperately to pull herself from the terrible situation she found herself in, but it was no use.
"Hold on! Ah'm-a comin'!" called Applejack. Confident that her momentum had slowed enough to safely make the rest of the distance, she let go of her root and slid the rest of the way down. The orange mare reached her hoof out for her friend's; she was so close she could taste it. Twilight's expression visibly grew relieved.
Just when the small bit of cliff the unicorn had a hold of gave out.
Time seemed to slow down. Applejack's eyes wide as she pressed forward, her hoof reaching desperately for Twilight's, the unicorn's own hoof seeming to be forever just out of reach, trying to grab back. Slowly, though, it grew more distant, and the mares' eyes met, locked in a deep and terrible sense of horror. Applejack could only stare into those pleading eyes that seemed to beg her to do something, anything to save her as Twilight continued to fall away from her.
"RAINBOW DASH! FLUTTERSHY!"
The two ponies were still occupied getting their other two friends to safety. Rainbow set Pinkie on the safety of the ground and looked up at the sound of her name. Her rose eyes had averted just in time to see a lavender figure drop and hit the ground. Her jaw fell wide open, the sound of Rarity's blood curdling screaming drowning out any noise they might have heard otherwise.
*******************
With Rainbow's help, Applejack had made it down towards the ground below the cliff, the other ponies having rushed to the unicorn that lay there, looks of horror etched into all of their features. Precious life-fluid poured from her nose and mouth, her body seeming to lose color. Silence permeated the group as they looked upon her.
Three ponies' expressions grew relieved as she slowly opened her eyes, just a little. But two did not; Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie both let out helpless whimpers.
Those eyes weren’t focusing.
".... Girls....?"
The word came from her lips on a tired, raspy voice, barely above a whisper. Applejack smiled a bit, hope filling her at the sound of Twilight's voice. "We're here Twilight, don't ya worry! We're just gonna gather ya up an' get ya t' Ponyville Hospital! We'll try this again another time, but we gotta get y'all outta the forest soon n' get ya some help!"
Twilight simply smiled a weak, tired smile. "... No... go on without me... Nightmare Moon.... she has to be stopped..."
Rarity's eye shadow was trailing down her face as she stepped forward, a stern look on her face. "Dear, we will NOT leave you in this dreadful place! We absolutely refuse to! What kind of friends would we be to let you sit around just... surrounded by who knows what!? You could get hurt... more... and... and..."
Twilight's expression became blank. Everypony's became visibly more fearful the longer she was silent, and just then, she smiled. "Friends....?"
Rainbow Dash was wearing a big grin, that seemed forced, and yet, sincere in it's message. She spoke in a voice with a slight crack, betraying the sadness her expression tried so desperately to hide. "Of course Twilight... we're your friends... and you’re our friend... and friends don't leave friends behind! Especially not friends like us! Now, don't try to talk us out of it, because Equestria will be here tomorrow, we're getting you to a hospital!"
Twilight's smile grew slightly as tears began trailing down her face. Her voice seemed even quieter than before. "... You... really think of me as a friend...?"
Pinkie smiled a bit, trembling. "Yes.... you're our friend... maybe even our bestest super fantastical friend ever..."
Twilight gave a weak laugh, more tears flowing. ".... thank you... girls.... I couldn't have hoped for better friends..."
Everypony smiled and tried to rub the tears from their eyes. Just then, they heard a soft sigh, and they stared at the unicorn before them who suddenly lay very still, simply staring at them.
"Twilight...?" Said Applejack.
No response. She just continued to stare at them, a smile on her face.
".... Twilight!"
Still no response.
Applejack's eyes went wide. She gently nudged the lavender unicorn. "Twilight! Wake up!"
Silence only returned. Fluttershy, visibly shaken and clearly on the verge of breaking down approached and put her hoof to Twilight's neck. A short pause, her eyes widened just slightly, before her face scrunched up into a bitter expression and tears freely flowed from her eyes. She gently placed her hoof over Twilight's eyes and slid the lids shut, before slowly returning to Rarity's side.
Everypony simply stared in disbelief as Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around Rarity and wept into her shoulder, the fashionista's expression slowly switching from disblief, to shock, the despair, before she buried herself into Fluttershy's shoulder in return. Pinkie Pie mouthed a few voiceless words before she openly broke down. Applejack, staring down at the unicorn, solemnly took off her stetson and placed it against her chest and bowed her head, a few tears dropping into the earth below her. Rainbow Dash was trying her hardest to force back her own emotional reaction, but it was a losing battle, and as hard as she tried to simply look angry, it couldn't hide the glistening wetness in her eyes.
The five ponies gathered around their friend in a semi-circle and wept into one another.
*********************
Nightmare Moon watched from a short distance away, grinning at her work. Truth be told, she had hoped to gain power without having to spill blood, but she couldn't be picky; if it weren’t worth pony lives to conquer Equestria, she might as well hang up her helm and accept the fate of being forever in the massive shadow cast by her sister. Much like these mares, she was on a mission, and she would do what she had to to succeed, even if it meant a few ponies' lives.
Her attention shifted somewhat when a bright flash illuminated the area behind her. Luna grinned without having to look, already well aware of what to expect. "Hello, sister..."
The response came in a voice that held anger, deep anger that was barely being held in check by a mare trying to keep calm; oh how she loathed that voice. "Luna... what have you done...?"
Nightmare Moon turned to face Celestia, that demon like grin never leaving her face. "I have done as you, sister. I took action in order to assure my own victory. I took action MYSELF, unlike you. Surely you couldn't have expected any less from Equestria's TRUE ruler?" Celestia's expression was still steeped in anger that was contained by centuries of practice. Nightmare Moon, for all her power, could not remember the last time she had seen her sister in such a state; even her own betrayal had simply left Celestia more sad than mad.
"Unlike you, Celestia, I do not have to send other ponies to do my bidding," she began with a sound of pride in her voice. "Unlike you, Celestia, I have the guts to do what must be done." She trotted to her sister, staring the solar princess in the eyes, pride shifting a look of great contempt. "Unlike you, Celestia I do not need the elements of harmony to fight my battles for me! I do not need lesser ponies to fight my battles! I do not need trinkets to succeed! I do not need YOU!"
Celestia's expression never changed. "You would kill just to serve your petty needs? Is this really how far you've fallen, sister?"
Nightmare Moon laughed. "Please! In case you hadn't noticed, this is a war, not some petty sibling rivalry!" Luna placed a hoof on her chest. "I did nothing less than was necessary to win, and nothing more either! If the only way to assure my victory is to kill one of the potential Elements, I'd say it's a small price to pay for the bloodshed I could be causing, would not you agree?" She looked away. "You know very well that if I wanted to I could have razed that entire town to the ground, and it would have made conquest that much easier for me!"
Celestia did not respond. At first, this made Nightmare Moon proud, feeling she had finally made a point her sister could not deny. But her gaze... that piercing, judging gaze... Nightmare Moon's eye twitched and she felt her own anger seethe. That was not the look of a pony who had been beaten at her own game; that was the look of a pony who had decided she knew better, and Nightmare Moon knew that Celestia did NOT know better.
"You're the one who sent ponies to find the elements!" she finally shouted. "I did what I had to do! You know as well as I do that you could have simply done all of this yourself, had you not been too cowardly to do what has to be done!" She prodded a hoof onto Celestia's chest. "You're the one who sent commoner ponies to their doom, to face a power far greater than their own! You knew what I was capable of! You knew that the odds were against them getting to the elements before me; I could have been in that castle the moment they stepped hoof in the forest!"
Nightmare Moon grinned. "Your negligence has killed, sister. You may judge me all you like, but you cannot deny that that mare's blood is just as much on your careless hooves as it is on my own!"
There was something in Celestia's face that changed... a hint of pain that, much like her anger, was being held in check, although Nightmare Moon could see it clear as day. For all her cruelty, Nightmare Moon could not help but feel a trace of regret seeing the hurt that lie behind that mask. Much as she hated her, Celestia was still her sister.
But wars are won on blood, not kindness.
"You're right..."
Nightmare Moon's eyes widened, unsure of what she had just heard. "What...? I am?"
Celestia's expression did not change. "Yes... you are. This is my fault... and young Twilight Sparkle's death is on my head..." Celestia bowed her head silently. Nightmare Moon did not know how to take this; she was right? Was Celestia actually agreeing with her? The two hadn't agreed in so long that she didn't know how to process it; she was happy, she was angry, she was confused.
She didn't know what to feel as she stared at what she knew to be a grief stricken Princess Celestia.
Another bright flash, this time illuminating her vision. Wide-eyed, Luna stared at her sister as she raised her head back up, their gazes meeting, Celestia's hard as stone, but letting only one tear free. That was the tear of somepony who had just done something terrible.
"... And now.... so is yours..."
Nightmare Moon feared looking. She had wondered that if she didn't, if it would be as nothing happened. Still, slowly, she let her gaze shift downward, towards the rest of her body. To her surprise, a massive hole had been burned through her chest, still smoking with the smell of burnt flesh and bone. She reached a trembling hoof over it to see that the burn was so great not even blood was flowing. Slowly, she let her gaze shift back upward, towards Celestia, disbelief burning in her eyes.
"But... I'm.... Nightmare Moon.... the most powerful...."
Celestia turned around, that mix of emotions; hate, love, regret, seeming to flow throughout both her words and actions. "Don't kid yourself... I have always been stronger..." Nightmare Moon fell to the ground with an unceremonious thud. "... I could just never bring myself to destroy my own sister until now..."
"But Luna died a long time ago, I see... all I was dealing with was a demon who had taken her likeness..."
For the first time, Nightmare Moon truely felt powerless. She could only watch as her sister trotted to the edge of the cliff and took flight. Nightmare Moon reached a hoof out, feeling a thousand years' worth of hate, of anger and rage disappear, replaced with a desire she had long forgotten.
The desire for her sister's compassion, if not her love.
Her words were weak and tired, scratched and forced, and utterly filled with fear and sorrow.
"Sister... please... I... don't want to be alone....again..."
Tears filled the Nightmare's eyes as her words fell to the winds, or were ignored, she could not tell which. Her hoof fell to the ground lifelessly, and slowly, her body seemed to turn as if to ashes that scattered to an invisible wind, leaving trails of black, until the only thing they left behind was an alicorn mare of not even half her original size, eyes wet with tears, staring into the nothingness, her pleas unheard by the only pony that held any meaning in her life.
***************************
The five ponies could barely bring themselves apart. From each other. From their lost friend.
Applejack sat her stetson back on her head and gave a rattled sigh, turning to the other five ponies. "Girls... " Everypony looked to her, eyes all wet and puffy, fur matted from tears. "... Ah... Ah know... this is a terrible thing... an' I understand we all wanna do so much... but.... we've come so far... we gotta get goin'..."
Pinkie Pie sniffled a bit, unable to take her eyes off Twilight. "But... she's our friend... and friends don't leave friends behind... we c-can't betray her... we can't fail her again..."
Appeljack choked a bit as she spoke, rubbing her face. "... She wouldn't want us t' sit here... when we could be goin' up there n' gettin' th' elements... n' savin' Equestria... if we jus' sit here, we'll be failin' her... we gotta.... gotta..."
Applejack's eyes grew wide as she looked up into the sky. Everypony, curious and, somewhat fearful, turned around to see what had so enraptured the attention of the farm pony. Princess Celestia herself was descending from the sky on gentle flaps. She landed before the five ponies, a look of dread and urgency on her face.
"... May I please see my student...?"
The ponies, without a word, simply parted from each other. Once more, silence ruled as Princess Celestia's gaze fell on the broken form of her prized pupil, who lay on the earth before her, still and motionless. Her heart sank, and, ever so slowly, she trotted forward until she reached Twilight, where gently eased herself to lay on the ground before the small unicorn.
Celestia could only stare, the stinging in her eyes growing at the sight before her. She gently leaned down to nuzzle her student, carefully, gently, as a mother might a sleeping foal she wished not to disturb from slumber.
"... I'm so sorry, Twilight Sparkle..." said the Princess, a slight scratch in her voice as she spoke.
Twilight did not respond. Celestia knew she wouldn't, but, she would be lying if part of her didn't hope against hope that her words might encourage some remaining life to burn back into existence. She could only stare at the unicorn in an equal amount of silence. She could sense the truth she hated to admit - there was no life left in Twilight Sparkle.
"Sorry for what...?"
Rainbow Dash stepped forward, her words slightly scratched as well, a sign that she had been holding back her own emotional responses. The young pegasus' expression held a stern look of fear, of sadness, and of pent up anger. Celestia slowly turned to face the pony addressing her. She could not blame the anger she felt burning in those eyes. She did not think she could even blame it if the young pegasus were to attack her in a fury.
"... This is my fault... " she said, quietly, forlornly. "... I could go into detail... but... when you sum it all up... I sent Twilight Sparkle.... my precious student... to Ponyville, so she could make friends... and so she and those friends might awaken the Elements of Harmony... and use them to free my sister from the demons that plague her..."
There was yet another collective silence. Everypony simply stared with expressions mixed between horror, understanding, and... was that... judgment?
But one stood out among all of them.
Rainbow Dash stood, seemingly tall among the other ponies, her expression nothing short of furious.
"What!? You did this!?"
Celestia bowed her head and closed her eyes without response. She wanted to say she didn't do it herself, but she knew that she didn't have to. She could have stopped it, and she didn't.
"You sent our friend to her death!? You got Twilight Sparkle killed!?"
She wanted so badly to remind them they wouldn't even be friends had she not sent Twilight. No... that would be wrong. That would belittle Twilight Sparkle herself. She deserved so much more... so much more than Celestia now felt she could have ever offered her.
Rarity bit her lip, tapping Rainbow with a hoof. "D-deary... I-I-I don't think--"
Rainbow swatted Rarity's hoof. "No! I don't care!" She pointed an accusatory hoof at Celestia. "I don't care if you're the Princess of Equestria! I don't care if you ruled the whole world! You killed our friend! You sent her on some mission to find some mystical... element... things! And for what!? So you could be on speaking terms with your sister who, apparently, after 1000 years of time-out, was still angry enough to re-attempt something she failed at centuries ago!?"
Once more, the Princess did not respond. The four mares looked at their friend, horrified, almost certain she was digging her own grave. But Rainbow Dash genuinely did not care.
"All my life, I was told you were a just and loving ruler, who was kind to her little ponies, who was selfless, who would never ask anything of somepony you weren’t willing to do yourself!"
Her wall was breaking. Tears visibly ran down her cheeks, but that anger did not leave her eyes.
"... That you held the Summer Sun Celebration every year, to remind Equestria how much you loved and cherished us! That you viewed each and every one of us like children, and that you protected us with your own blood if need be! And then... and then you send my friend to do your dirty work... a pony in her prime who never antagonized anypony, whose only crime was reading too many books, straight into danger... just because you wanted to save your sister!?" She spat the last word out, the rage in her eyes seeming to boil over.
Rainbow was torn between anger and sadness. "I d-don't care how you spin it... that's... that's just selfish..."
She couldn't take it anymore. Rainbow closed her eyes tightly, the fury leaving her face, replaced by the expression of a mare suffering great loss. The tears began to flow more freely, her will to hold back having vanished.
"... She never hurt anypony... she never did anything wrong... and she had so much to give... I... I wanted to be a Wonderbolt... to be a national hero of Equestria, and to do shows for the Princess herself..." She felt the tremors increase. "... What dreams did Twilight have? ... What dreams will she never...... never...."
Fluttershy approached Rainbow Dash and put a hoof on her. Rainbow, without another word, slowly wrapped her hooves around the butter pegasus mare and hugged tight, burying her face into her friend's chest, the sounds of her choking and moaning muffled as Fluttershy gently stroked her mane, her own visage betraying a threat to break down into tears; she was being strong for her friend now. The ever timid Fluttershy was putting aside herself just so she could give her lifelong friend a stable platform to cry on.
Celestia bowed her head sadly, turning back to face Twilight.
"I deserve your hatred..."
This shocked everypony, save for Rainbow Dash who was still busy with unleashing pent up emotions. Celestia's voice was tired, sad, and worn, showing the age that her body refused to betray.
"... Indeed... it was selfish of me... I... I had hoped that it was justifiable, seeing as it would mean saving my sister..." Celestia's lip seemed to tremble as she spoke, her eyes never leaving the lifeless body before her. "... But I had never imagined my sister would never go this far..." Celestia nuzzled Twilight once more.
"That was damn foolish of ya..."
Everypony turned to Applejack. She was visibly uncomfortable with speaking out of line, but she did. She knew she had to say something, otherwise it would eat her up.
"... With all due respect, Your Highness... you sent a pony who, if Ah understand correctly, had never had combat experience, straight into th' mouth-a madness..." She rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof, making sure not to break visual contact with the Princess. "In mah opinion... that was like sendin' a foal fresh from 'er crib t' fight a full grown stallion with all th' strength of mah brother Big McIntosh, but none-a th' moral or restraint..."
Celestia placed a gentle hoof on Twilight's forehead and brushed some of her mane away from her eyes. She remained silent, staring down at the face before her, every second causing her heart to twist just a little more. "... I know that now... I... was hopeful.... but...." She shook her head. For the first time in what felt like centuries, she didn't know what to say. She felt another tear roll down her cheek as she decided that nothing more needed to be said from her side. She was guilty, in her own heart. She could no more justify this than she could justify Nightmare Moon's attempt to conquer Equestria in the first place.
Celestia gently scooped Twilight's body into her hooves and held her close, cradling the smaller mare as a mother might a foal. She began to rock back and fourth, humming what sounded like a lullaby as she held Twilight in her grasp. A tear fell from her, landing on the lifeless unicorn's cheek. Everypony could only stare at the sight before them, bowing their heads in respect, save for Rainbow Dash; caught in a torrent of bottled up emotions, she continued to unleash her sadness into Fluttershy's chest, who continued to comfort her longest time friend.
****************************
It was a clear day in Canterlot, not a cloud in the sky. That had been intentional; as much as Celestia felt that Twilight deserved a rain-filled sky for all her own sorrow, she knew that Twilight would have wanted it to be a lovely day, so she asked that the weather patrol make sure that not a single iota of bad weather would mess up this day.
Masses of ponies sat in the castle garden, staring at the very front, where stood a podium, behind it, an open casket, and inside, a lavender unicorn mare, dressed in a beautiful burial gown designed by none other than Rarity herself.
Princess Celestia approached the podium first and bowed her head, taking in a breath. She wore a dress much like her regal gown, but it was all black, and she wore on her head the ceremonial crown instead of her more 'casual' wear. She cleared her throat, and tried to speak so all could hear.
"Mares and Gentlecolts... today we are gathered here to bid farewell.... to a beloved student... a daughter... a scholar... but above all... a friend. Somepony whom the whole of Equestria is a less brilliant place without..." She took a breath, trying to remember every word she could. This was for Twilight.
"... She may never know it... but I think I speak for all of us, when I say that Twilight Sparkle has changed the lives of everypony she has ever come into contact with..." a tear came to her eye as she said this. "... and though she herself would claim that she was no expert on the subject... she has taught us all something about friendship... about love..."
Princess Celestia looked behind her, into the casket, at the small form. Images and memories were not merciful; much as she knew what lay in the casket was a mare, she could not see her as anything more than a foal. The little filly she had, not so long ago, accepted into her school. She could not bring herself to say it around her parents, but the Princess had always felt almost like a mother to Twilight. She let out a sigh and turned back to the audience.
It seemed that centuries of practiced stoicism threatened to fall apart as the solar princess' lip trembled. She could not help but look at all the faces; all the ponies that she might have been just as willing to sacrifice just so she could save her sister.
It hurt so much to know that it took the death of her beloved student to understand just how little she valued her little ponies.
"... She made friends... the kind of friends you keep for a life time... and she had family who loved her... it breaks my heart to know that she could not see those friendships grow... that she did not get all the things a mare deserves in life... love... families of their own..."
Celestia couldn't bring herself to look at Twilight's family. Even her own Captain of the Guard; she wondered if he knew? She could not blame any of them if they hated her. She had effectively killed their loved one.
"... I... would give anything to fix this... just to see her open her eyes... but... I cannot..." She spoke barely above a whisper these words.
Celestia had to be strong for Twilight, as she tried to be for her.
"... She had given me some of the best years of my life... watching her learn... watching her grow... I was so... no... I am proud of her..." She took a deep breath and tried to recompose herself. "... It is with a heavy heart that I must see her off... but... I hope she knows that she will always be in my heart... always... and in the hearts of everypony who she had ever known..."
Celestia sighed and stepped back to take her seat. She couldn't take anymore; she could feel her seems coming apart. Sitting on one side of her were the five friends Twilight had made in Ponyville, and on the other side, her family, as well as Princess Cadence. Twilight's mother cried into her husband's shoulder; Cadence and Shining sharing a similar moment. Eventually, Spike approached the podium, the little dragon's eyes puffy from having cried.
"... Twilight... was the best... the only friend I ever knew..."
****************************
Cadence approached the chamber doors and stopped in front of two guards. They saluted her and parted, opening the door for her. It slowly creeked open, yawning as a gentle dusk sunlight poured out from the room. Cadence slowly stepped in to see Princess Celestia lying on her pillows, a solemn expression on her face as she stared down at the empty spot that her student would occupy at times. It felt so cold... so wrong. She sighed a bit, the emptiness inside her just seeming to grow the longer she stared at the empty space.
"Princess Celestia...?"
The elder Princess seemed to snap to reality, looking up to Cadence and smiling. It was a smile that held no happiness, however, and Cadence could see this. "Oh. Hello Princess Cadence... thank you for coming on such short notice..."
Cadence nodded and stepped forward. "It's no trouble at all..."
Celestia sighed and looked toward her window, out at the sun. Her room was not dark; Celestia did not believe hiding herself in darkness would be paying proper tribute to Twilight, instead letting the sun come in and warm the room. At times, she could almost pretend her student was in that warmth, offering her some peace of mind.
"... Cadence... I won't beat around the bush... I'm tired... and I've decided that I shall step down from my throne..."
Cadence's eyes went wide. "Wha... but... but Celestia... what..."
Celestia held up a hoof to gesture for silence, which Cadence complied to. "... I've ruled this country for a thousand years. A thousand years, and I was still foolish enough to send a pony I held as dear as one might a daughter to her grave..." Celestia couldn't take her eyes off that spot. "... it forced my hoof... I had to kill my own sister as a response... something that... had I just done from the beginning... Twilight would still be with us..."
Cadence said nothing. What could she say?
"... I want you to replace me. Not immediately... perhaps in a few months... but... I have learned that I am not fit for the throne." Princess Celestia looked to Cadence. "... You... ponies love you. You inspire compassion, kindness, harmony even... I have given my little ponies hope, but I am no more than a symbol to them. They need somepony who they can truly look up to... somepony who truly can do what is best for them..."
Cadence stomped a hoof. "Princess Celestia... do not belittle yourself! You're better than that!" Cadence stepped closer to Celestia and looked down to her. "Ponies love and respect you! You do give them hope, but for a thousand years, you have also lead them through ages of prosperity!"
Celestia couldn't look up to Cadence as the smaller alicorn continued her rant.
"Yes... you've made mistakes. But ponies often forget that despite your age, you are still just a pony yourself, no more infallible than the lowest pauper of the poorest town in Equestria! Sometimes, I think even you forget this, and when you do, it weighs down on you that much more!" She pointed a hoof at Celestia. "You cannot talk of these things! You cannot step down just because you're sad over the loss of Twilight Sparkle! It's disrespectful to you, AND it's Disrespectful to her!"
Celestia remained silent. Princess Cadence reached down and put a hoof on her chin, and raised her own face to look back into her own eyes, which were becoming misty.
"Yes... Twilight is gone... it's horrible, and we're all heartbroken... but you couldn't have known Nightmare Moon would do what she did... you held to a belief she followed the same rules you did... you did your best, hoping for Twilight's success because you wanted better. You wanted the world to be better..."
Celestia lowered her gaze again. Cadence stood tall again. "... all you did was ask Twilight Sparkle to go to Ponyville and make friends... she took it upon herself to find the Elements of Harmony. You may have intended it for her, but you never told her of it... " Cadence's voice cracked some as she spoke. "Even if you had never sent her to Ponyville... you know her well enough to know that as soon as she heard news of Nightmare Moon's return... she likely would have done the very same thing... only then, she could have been alone..."
Cadence forced back her emotions. "... She could have suffered the same fate, but with nopony to make it easier on her..." She looked to Celestia. "And don't give me that whole 'you could have stopped Luna' deal. Yes, you could have. From what I know, it would have been easy for you... but you know as well as I do, the easy way out is not always the right way..."
She placed a hoof on Celestia's shoulder. "... You wanted a better world for everypony... you cannot blame yourself for having the best intentions..."
Cadence turned and slowly made her way out. "... Look into your heart, and you will see it is true, Princess Celestia... if you do feel you're unfit for the throne, then by all means, step down... but do not use Twilight's death as an excuse."
The door closed shut. Princess Celestia stared up at the door, and then averted her gaze to her hooves. She had a lot to think about...
**************
Applejack trotted into town, pulling her apple cart behind her. It was shopping day, which meant that plenty of ponies were going to be in town, which meant that today was the day to make some bits to support the farm and family. She had decided to take a detour on her way though, stopping by the library. While she might stop there to check out a book once in a while, today she was stopping for another reason.
She stopped a short distance in front of the library and looked up. Standing before her was a tall statue of a unicorn mare, standing on her hind legs, a smile on her face, and a six-pointed star adorning her flank; she held in her mouth a book, the book itself carved with the bust of a unicorn. At the base of the statue was an engraving.
Never stop learning, and never stop believing in the magic within yourself.
Dedicated to the memory of Twilight Sparkle
prized student of Princess Celestia, and hero of Equestria.
Applejack looked around as she noticed other ponies were there, admiring the statue with her. Her friends; ponies she once was little more than acquaintances with. Ever since that day in the Everfree Forest, they had decided to cherish every moment with one another, and had become the best of friends. On Pinkie's suggestion, they started gathering every once in a while at this statue to celebrate the life of the friend they barely knew, but loved all the same.
And so, here they were, together with their friend, in spirit, in front of the Twilight Sparkle Memorial Library.
THE END
Author's Note
Might edit this later, not sure. Too lazy for now. Hope you enjoy it!
