Twilight's Final

“Alicorns don’t breed true, right?”

Celestia finished her sip of tea before she nodded. “Unfortunately correct, even on the rare occasions there are male alicorns, and Star Stalker was the last to date. It’s not quite a true tribe, like earth pony or unicorn.”

Twilight shrugged unhappily, her own tea ignored. “I thought so. Otherwise Luna and Star Stalker would have had lots of alicorn foals, and you would have been able to take a lot less time from each, and---”

“Indeed,” Celestia interrupted, her expression briefly shadowed. She reminded herself that Twilight did tend to get focused on the intellectual aspects of a problem to the exclusion of all else, and that she was terribly over-worked, besides. Being so casual about consuming the life from one’s nieces and nephews was only a little bit rude, perhaps, in this context.

Her student hadn’t noticed. “So we're really still unicorns?”

“Genetically, anyway. Though I hardly even think of myself as a unicorn, after all these years.”

Twilight remembered her own tea long enough to set it back on the table in Celestia’s study. “OK, so, we’ve discussed time travel...”

“Which never works. The travelers simply become incorporated into the past events.”

“Starswirl’s spell.”

“I cannot use the Elements, and even if I could, that spell drives its subjects to near-madness.”

“Renewed fusion.”

“Far too risky.”

“Human artifacts.”

“It would appear that they did an excellent job of cleaning up after themselves, unfortunately.”

“Signalling humans for help.”

“It’s been tried. They either no longer care, or something else has stopped them. When I sleep too well at night, I have but to ask myself what -- or whom -- that might be.”

Twilight pondered that, briefly. “And thanks for that cheerful thought.”

“My apologies. You’ve examined the book on the spells used to ascend my sister and I?”

Her student nodded uneasily. “That book makes my skin crawl. I tell myself that it’s just me knowing what the spells were used for, but I’m not sure I believe me.”

Celestia pressed the conversation more to the point. “Did you find anything useful?”

“Oh, sorry. It might be possible to transfer your solar ability to another without using Starswirl’s spell.”

At this, Celestia’s brow raised, not daring much hope since Twilight had not mentioned it earlier. “I thought you said we did not have enough power, even with all the unicorns and alicorns combined.”

“Necromancy,” Twilight said matter-of-factly.

Celestia shivered in spite of herself. “No. We wander too close to that already.”

“I wasn’t recommending it, Princess, I just wanted to know if you had any ideas that might help us find something more, well, palatable.” She pulled a set of notes from the larger stack she’d brought.

The solar princess hesitantly looked over the notes as they talked. “Please continue.”

“The only spell I’ve come across that might work would require the sacrifice of a powerful mage. Someone of your level, Luna’s, Trixie’s, or mine. Someone in their prime, as well. At that moment, your cutie mark could be given to somepony else.

“That lucky pony would just give us a little bit of hoof or mane or such to focus on, and end up an powering the sun, and an alicorn besides. The unlucky pony that fueled the spell instead, well...”

Celestia’s silence stretched as she read, on before she shook her head. “One life consumed to lend my ‘gift’ one more lifetime. It would be the same cost as alicorns pay today.”

“No, Princess. The death in the grip of that particular spell would be, well, extremely unpleasant. Subjectively, like being torn apart and burnt to ashes, while conscious to the last. A lot less pleasant than old age.” Other than a touch of somberness, Twilight’s voice was without much inflection.

Celestia put that down to the horror of the spell itself. “Please leave me your notes, and I will see what I can do.” She then turned an appraising look upon her student. “I heard that Spike has returned to Ponyville.”

“For a time. He wanted to go see the running of the leaves, but I gave him the whole month off, instead. He was pretty bored just hanging around. This will give him time to catch up with his friends there, too.”

“‘His’ friends?”

“Sorry, I meant our friends.”

“Did he want to go alone?” Celestia asked, too innocently.

Twilight shrugged. “I can’t take time off to go watch leaves fall off trees, Princess. In fact, I’ll be able to get more done without the distraction of my little brother underhoof.”

“I do worry, Twilight. I've never seen you look as tired as you have these past six months. It’s been months since your friends have visited you, as well.”

Twilight grimaced. “I’m sorry I don’t have time to chat with them, but there are only so many hours in a day. Generations of future alicorns depend on me, to say nothing of you and your sister. With all due respect, your Highness, you of all people know how important my work is.”

“Of course I do. Make no mistake, I appreciate all you have done, and all you are doing, but there is more to life than my sister and I. You need to live it.”

“I will. I’ll take a very, very long vacation after I’ve got this figured out, I promise.”

Celestia smiled at Twilight. “Perhaps that’s a discussion best saved for another day. In the meantime, I received the most marvelous cake from Fillydelphia yesterday. I intend to have two slices tonight, and, by royal command, I intend you to have some as well.” She closed her eyes briefly, her horn glowing. “I don’t believe I’ve ever been able to convey how much you mean to me, my faithful student.” The door opened, and a formation of cake, plates, and silverware floated in. After very exacting cakesliceomancy, a serving set itself in front of each of them.

“I have never felt unappreciated, Princess.” Twilight took a bite, then recoiled with a small cry of pain.

“What’s wrong?” her mentor asked with concern.

“Ah mub ab... Sorry. I must have hit my tongue with the fork.”

“Pretty well, too, it would seem.” Celestia pressed at Twilight’s lips with a glowing napkin, then showed Twilight the blood that had soaked in. “Your tendency to over-achieve should not extend to self-impalement," she chided. “I’m afraid that does it. I’ve never known you to be so clumsy with telekinesis. You’re exhausted, and you’re too exhausted to realize it.” Celestia set the napkin down, and her expression firmed. “I am having your schedule for the next week cleared. Go back to Ponyville and spend time with Spike. See your friends.”

“But--”

“But nothing, Twilight.” Celestia’s tone was somehow both gentle and clad in iron. “I’m speaking as both your sovereign and your friend.”

Twilight ducked her head. “Yes, Princess. I can assure you it isn’t necessary, but I’ll do it. Under protest.”

“That’s my faithful student!" She caught the younger's eyes. "Twilight, never forget how proud you’ve made me. And take the rest of the cake with you. Share it with your friends, and please give them my very best regards.”

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She put the cake in her icebox, distractedly. It’s not so much that I mind the break, really, it’s just that it means I can’t keep trying to crack this very perplexing problem. I think I actually care more about solving it because it’s annoying than for saving my own life. The thought brought a quiet chuckle as she trotted up to her bedroom. Now I really know why she sent me to Ponyville. I’m as crazy as they are.

The chuckle ended as climbed into bed, realizing how Celestia must feel. It’s been nagging me for eighteen months, but it’s been tearing at her for 40,000 years. I can only image how desperate she must be. And her a powerful mage, as well, not used to finding problems she can’t fix.

Her eyes, just closed, shot open in realization. A powerful mage. In her prime. Damn it!

She bolted up, her mind churning furiously. My notes. My blood! Damn it, I knew I wasn’t that clumsy with a fork! That wasn’t another pat on the back at the end. Damn it to Tartarus! That was goodbye!

There was a flash of light, and she was gone.

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Sand and salt, sprinkled on the stone floor, surrounded her in arcane patterns and phrases even she couldn’t recognize. A golden glow, her glow, wrapped the rune-etched knife floating before her. Twilight, forgive me for laying this burden upon you. And Lulu, forgive me for leaving you. You always were the strong one, even if you’d never admit it. I’m so glad you’ve found friends.

The teleport's pulse of magic in the room was only slightly more palpable than the desperation. “Princess, no!” Twilight focused all her will against the scene before her, but her spells just splashed around the bubble Celestia had already established.

“I’m sorry, my faithful student,” Celestia turned to her, and the sorrow in her voice has genuine. “You’re strong, but yet inexperienced. You can’t stop me, but you don’t have to see this happen. We both know this will be ugly. Leave me. Please. As one last favor, remember me as I was.” She heard hooves behind her, and realized too late that Twilight had made another stop on her way, and remembered one pony's ability to arrive undetected, in shadow.

Luna’s body collided with her sister’s and sent her sprawling to the floor. The dagger bounced across the room before a dark aura grabbed it and shattered it with astonishing ferocity. Standing atop her sister, the alicorn of night looked angrier than Nightmare Moon ever had. “‘Tia! How dare you! How dare you even think of doing such to me!”

Celestia didn’t try to move or ward off her sister in the slightest. “Twilight’s younger, Lulu, and she might...”

“Use not that name!” A single tear from above splashed onto Celestia’s muzzle. “You have forfeited it! I have never been so hurt, and never been so disappointed in someone I loved! I would liefer you exile me to the moon for another thousand years, nay, ten thousand, than believe you would ever leave me alone in so cowardly a manner!”

Twilight crept up. “Luna...”

“No, Twilight, leave me be! ‘Tia, in all our thousands of years, even when I was beyond reason itself, I have always thought better of you!” Her hoof stomped the floor next to her sister’s head, sending chips flying. “Even if I could forgive what you were doing to me, what you would do to your student gives the lie to everything you have held dear!” Another stomp, and the stone beneath her hoof cracked.

Celestia defused her sister’s anger perhaps the only way possible, with a sob, and then another. Her head lifted to plead with the other. “I’m sorry, Lu... Luna. It was for Twilight. Don’t you see? She'd take risks with herself that she never would with us. And... We’re taking too much from her.” At Luna’s confused expression, Celestia laid her head back upon the ground as if suddenly weary. “We’ve always given them the years they would have had from birth. Always. But now we’ve taken all her years from her. She studies, she charts, she calculates, and she already feels our burden as if it were her own, but she doesn’t really live, Luna. She’s left behind her friends, her family, everything, why? For us? No. For me!”

Celestia’s voice was now a whisper of self-loathing. “This was always too heavy a burden to lay upon her. We’ve already taken her life, Luna. We took her life when we enslaved her with our own burden. All that we’ll be doing years from now is ending her misery.”

Luna, the ebbing fury having left her shaken, took a step back and turned away. “I would not be able to lose you and survive. I have missed you enough already, big sister.”

“I’m so sorry, Lulu. I never meant to hurt you.”

Luna stepped closer again, and nuzzled. “Never do this again, sister, and it will be as if forgotten.” But she looked at Twilight Sparkle, and her glance was clear. Can we trust her now? Can we protect her?

Twilight sighed and closed her eyes. “There’s another way,” she quietly said.

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They were sitting quietly now. Celestia was more composed, and Luna was pressed up against her side. Twilight couldn’t guess which one was supporting the other.

“You found it,” Celestia prodded.

“I found something,” Twilight said. At Celestia’s expectant silence, she continued. “It’ll work. I know it’ll work. You know Smith’s Countercausal Conundrum?”

“Of course. Not quite time travel, but seeking to change something in the past. It’s just a curiosity, though, Twilight. It never works.” She paused then; even she’d underestimated Twilight before. “Wait, are you saying you found a way to make it work?”

“What was it you said to me once, sister?” Luna asked. “Three rules of being a reigning princess. Always be careful of colts with cameras; if you must sing in the shower, don’t use the Royal Canterlot voice; and never, ever underestimate Twilight Sparkle.”

“I, uh, didn’t get it to work,” Twilight said with infinite chagrin. “Well, kind of. But mostly no.”

Celestia smiled with patience she truly didn’t feel. “Please, explain it in your own way.”

Twilight reluctantly did. “We can cast Smith’s spell at something several tens of thousands of years ago. The cast will fail, of course. It always does with that spell, and normally you get unchanneled spell potential uptime of the cast, sometimes with disastrous consequences. In this case, though, what we cast it at back then still exists now, and happens to channel power of such magnitude as a matter of course. Six such things, actually.”

“The Elements of Harmony.” It wasn’t a difficult deduction to make.

“The very same,” Twilight said, her voice full of misery rather than triumph. “The potential from the spell is deep, already capable of profound changes, and it should arrive at now with the ability to switch one cutie mark, one special talent, through a modification of Starswirl the Bearded’s spell.”

“Twilight, I’ve never before been so impressed by your talents. How did you come up with this?”

Twilight shrugged. “Luck, really. I was thinking of the years and years of trying that seemed to be ahead of me. Well, ‘failure’ and ‘years’ just clicked.”

“So I will exchange talents with one of the bearers?”

“Almost but not quite, Princess. That’s where the research into the old spell the unicorns used comes in. You have two cutie marks, really. Kind of. They never erased your old one, they just gave you a new one, right? Well, then, the old one is probably still there, unexpressed. We’ll just switch the one we want to somepony else, but their old gifts will be intact if they’ve already found them, or latent otherwise. Since your impressed talent did not cause the same inner conflict Starswirl's spell caused the bearers, there should be no issues with this, either.”

“Twilight, all I can say is ‘thank you,’ but those words are profoundly inadequate to express how grateful I am for what you’ve found for my sister and me.”

“Indeed,” Luna said. “Twilight, you have my deepest thanks as well. If there is anything I can do for you, anything within my power, you have but to ask.”

“More time,” Twilight pleaded. “I’m sure I can come up with something better. Something that wouldn’t...”

“Something that wouldn’t mean our eventual ends,” Celestia finished for her, gently. “Which is why you never mentioned this way before. But another day we give you is another day we take from you, and neither of us wants to do that." She looked at Luna, and received a firm nod. "Twilight, we’re ready.”

“But I’m not!” Her expression hardened. “And this is one royal command I’m prepared to refuse. I’m sorry, I really am, but all I want is more time. Is that really too much to ask?”

Luna cut off her sister’s response. “Twilight,” she began, her voice weary. “Your lifetime will see the ascension of another alicorn. We might be able to give you longer by giving her less. Would you have us do that?”

Twilight continued to look defiant, but could only answer one way. “No.”

“Even to have more time to find an answer? To save future alicorns? Wouldn’t your life be more important than hers?”

Her defiance broken, the younger alicorn could only answer, softly, “I could never ask for that.”

Luna smiled, sadly. “And would you demand more such decisions of us?” She waited with all the patience of the night itself for an answer.

“Celestia was right,” Twilight accused, eventually. “You don’t play fair.”

“I am sorry, Twilight. I truly am sorry.”

“I once told my friends that there were no such things as curses. I was wrong, wasn’t I?” It was a question that needed an answer from no one in that room. “I’ll do it. Give me a month to work out the spell's details and notify the bearers.” She glared at Luna, though she knew it wasn’t really her fault. For the moment, it just felt too good to be angry. “Did you lie to me about the alicorn?”

“I did not. In fact, when she does come along, I am going to suggest a name for her. ‘Hope’ would be good, don’t you think?”

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“Sweetie, could you be a dear and get those other boxes down from the coach for me?” Rarity asked her sister.

“Sure, just give me a couple days,” the younger unicorn said as she eyed the stack. “Seriously, how are we supposed to carry all these up to our room?”

“Let me help,” a male voice answered, before he picked up several.

“Spike! It’s good to see you again! All settled back in?”

“Yep. Are you staying here at the castle, too?”

“Princess Celestia was kind enough to grant us some guest quarters.” At this note from Rarity, a shadow passed over Spike’s face. It was quickly covered, but Rarity asked, “Spikey, I know it’s none of my business, but isn’t this a long time to hold a grudge over the move back to Canterlot last year?”

Spike shook his head. “It’s not that, Rarity. And I can’t get into what it really is, sorry. I gave my word to Twilight. Can I ask you a question, though?”

“Of course.”

“Why all the bags for one night’s worth of clothes?”

Rarity smiled delightedly. “I can answer that in our room.”

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Once they were alone, Rarity answered, “I’m sure you know we’ll have a new princess soon, one Celestia will be sharing duties with, and it’ll be one of the bearers. That must have been why you were called back early a couple weeks ago, right?”

Spike set down the bags. “I can’t say. At least, I’m not sure that I can.”

Rarity threw a mock pout at him. “Keep your secrets,” she teased. “I must say, I’ve rarely been so excited! One of my friends, a princess!” She thought, and laughed. “Again!”

“Probably,” Spike responded. “Twilight said it could be a close relative of a bearer, in which case it would almost certainly be a sister.”

There was a quick sound which might have been a small sonic boom, and Sweetie Belle was suddenly beside Spike. “Really?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant and fooling no one.

He smiled apologetically at her. “Probably a bearer herself, though. Sorry, Sweetie Belle.”

This only dampened the young unicorn's excitement down to something seismologists couldn't quite pick up. “I can tell Apple Bloom, right?”

“Yeah, all the bearers and their immediate family know. Applejack was allowed to tell Caramel too, after their wedding. That was a beautiful gown, by the way, Rarity. Too bad Caramel couldn’t find the ring.”

“You heard Scootaloo got her cutie mark?” Sweetie Belle interrupted with what was, after all, important news.

“I did. Sorry I couldn’t make the cutecenierra. Anyway, Rarity, you were saying?”

“I’ve created a magnificent coronation ensemble for each of the bearers, if I do say so myself, and, let’s see, who else was that who might get it?”

Sweetie Belle harrumphed with all the drama her heritage afforded her.

Rarity ruffled her sister’s mane and started unpacking. “And the mothers and sisters. I hate to sound immodest, but I honestly think this is my finest work to date. No matter whom the Elements choose, I’m ready!” She turned to Spike, curious. “I suppose that given your feelings about our princess, and given that she’ll be able to spend more time away from Canterlot after sharing her duties, you’ll be at least a little happy to see this happen, too?”

To this, Spike realized he had no answer.

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“You’re really sure about this?” Twilight asked her mentor as they stood before the great door to the palace courtyard.

“Twilight, I’ve been waiting for this virtually all my life, and in my case that’s been a very long time indeed. I’ve had to do terrible things, sometimes to friends, with no end in sight until you showed it to me. Is there any way to convince you how much I want this? How much I need this?"

“I don’t think so,” she said frankly, shaking her head. “I feel like I’m doing the same terrible thing, but to you. I still don’t know how you can forgive me.”

“The same way you forgave me,” Celestia answered. “That took me a long time to accept. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re being a little stubborn as well.”

Twilight actually smiled a little at that, reluctantly. “Maybe I had a very good teacher.”

“Touche’. And you’re not killing me, not by any reasonable definition.” Celestia slipped a hoof beneath Twilight’s chin, bringing her gaze up. “Quite the opposite -- you are giving me life, my old life, back. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I’ve been able to look forward to a single morning without knowing that I’m taking that day from another pony. I’ll have several decades at least, probably more than a century, and now I can actually look forward to it, all thanks to you.”

“Shouldn’t...” Twilight knew it was a mistake as soon as she started saying it, and, as per the usual custom for anypony in such a situation, rushed it out before she had the time to be more sensible. “Shouldn’t it be Luna who goes first?”

Celestia’s expression flattened briefly, but settled on something more poignant. “I know you mean well, Twilight, but no. I have to do this first.” If only because I can pull rank with you. She smiled broadly as she opened the door. “Come, my faithful student. We should do this quickly, for both our sakes.”

They exited the room to be joined by Luna in the courtyard.

“Sister,” Luna greeted Celestia. “Twilight.” Twilight couldn’t remember seeing the lunar princess so nervous, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

“Luna,” Celestia said, smiling at her sister. “You are ready?”

“I am, sister. For the record, I will even wager twenty bits on Trixie Lulamoon.”

Celestia fought down a laugh. “You’ve got to work on your sense of humor if that is a joke, little sister.” She paused a little, then said, “It’s going to be Sweetie Bell.”

Twilight gave them both a dirty look, then realized, They’re not making light of this. They’re scared too, and there’s no reason to make this any harder for them. She spoke up shyly. “Sorry, it’s going to be Applejack. She’s really become the heart of the group. OK, maybe Apple Bloom.”

“We’ll see,” Celestia said, sharing a furtive grin with the other two.

They took their places, with the bearers aligned behind Twilight, and Celestia in the middle of the courtyard. Twilight gave a quick, questioning glance at them over her shoulder, and the bearers all silently indicated readiness in their own way. She saw Celestia ready, and Luna and the bearers’ relatives off to one side. She took a deep breath, then exhaled gustily. “Girls,” she said, barely audible, “It’s time to begin.”

Necklaces and tiara swiftly lit with arcane potency. Twilight focused upon them, and laid the channeling spell as her own eyes began to glow.

The radiance from the Elements swept from the bearers, through Twilight, then rushed to envelop Celestia, wrenching both a quick gasp from the solar princess and a glow from her own eyes. Wind rose, whipping manes about and driving the pennants above the courtyard into a frenzy as torches guttered out around them. The afternoon sky itself dimmed until the scene was lit solely by the cascading streams of brilliance from the Elements themselves, looking more like rivers of liquid light than their usual glow.

The channelling spell primed, Twilight had but to use Smith’s spell. She looked over at Celestia, who looked back at her student, pleading silently.

Twilight swallowed and closed her eyes as she fought back tears, shouting this, a spoken spell, over the wind,

“From now to then,
From when to when,
To days long past,
Let change flow fast.
History, attend to me!
Let it be done! Allons-y!

The rainbow hues connecting the eight started to bend and buckle as though driven by the wind, before swirling about them like a thing possessed and throwing crazed, multi-colored shadows over everyone. As the rebound from Smith’s spell fully hit, the mass of interwoven colors leapt upward like a fountain until it towered over the castle walls themselves. The wind died suddenly and the tower of light collapsed in a sound-swallowing hush, spilling itself over the entire courtyard as the bearers concentrated, each with their own silent plea.

Ah ain’t got time for all that there princessin’. Mah kin would be great at it, though! Much obliged.

I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you, although the Royal Guard barding would end up rather smashing. All of my real dreams are coming true now, the dreams of inspiration and design. I believe that Sweetie Belle would not mind a cutie mark, hint hint!

Not me, please. Um, if it’s all the same to you... I never liked crowds.

Thanks, but no. Trixie has finally gained some marvelous friends, and would rather have them than any crown. Also, Trixie’s hat has so much more style!

I can’t be held down to Canterlot, I’m touring soon! More than that, I’d go crazy having to deal with all the politics. Besides, awesome as I am in so many ways, I have to admit, you really do need someone with a more level head.

Omigoshomigosh! I wonder who it’ll be? Not me, I hope -- babysitting the Cakes is enough. Babysitting a whole country is too much, even if it pays more. Wait! I could declare an Ice Cream Day, couldn’t I? Wait! I could make every day Ice Cream Day! Wait! What about the cupcakes? Wait! I could declare every day Ice Cream and Cupcake Day! Woops, no, not since that movie. And that’d leave donuts out, and Donut Joe would be so sad. Wow, who knew that just running a country would be so complicated? I think I want someone else to do it, after all.

Twilight remembered that her eyes were closed, and, opening them, looked for Celestia. She found the princess lying down and breathing hard. Twilight rushed over, as did Luna, while the small crowd made a dismayed sound.

Celestia looked smaller, somehow. Still gasping, but more slowly now, she struggled to lift her head. “Did it... Did it work?” She stretched her forelegs in front of her. “It worked.” She looked at Luna, smiling exhaustedly. “It worked, Lulu. We’re free. After all this time, we’re actually free.”

Luna smiled back, in full view of her subjects and yet completely unashamed of her own tears. “It worked.”

Celestia got to her hooves, unsteadily. At Twilight’s look of concern, she chuckled. “I think my legs are a little shorter. I’ll need to get used to that.” She looked into her student’s eyes. “I’m fine, Twilight, really. In fact, I’m the best I’ve been in almost too long to remember. And I know I’ve said this before, but... I’m so proud of you. So very proud!”

“And grateful,” Luna added. “Twilight, I know this hurt you deeply. We can never thank you enough for shouldering this burden with us, and we owe you far more still for helping to end it.”

“Should I call you ‘Sweet Sunshine’ now?” Twilight asked, at a loss for anything else to say.

“I think of myself as ‘Celestia’ now, it’s been so long.” She looked at Luna again, and there was a hint of concern in that look. “Am I still that to you?”

“No,” Luna said. “Don’t be stupid.” Then she moved closer, to give her sister a gentle nuzzle. “You are ‘Tia, of course,” she said softly. “And you are my big sister, no matter what size you are.”

Celestia nuzzled back, swallowing the lump in her throat before she trusted herself to speak. “Luna, I know we never talked about it, even over all the years. I want you to know, I never would have. You understand? Never. I couldn’t have, no matter what the cost.”

“I know. Even in the very depths of my madness, I always knew that much.”

The two sisters shared another nuzzle, then Celestia hesitantly looked back at her flank. She smiled beatifically at the sunflower cutie mark she saw. “Gardening, after all,” she said very quietly, before her gaze turned upward. “I hope it really is never too late to learn.”

“You are really all right?” Luna asked, because she had to. “That spell seemed to take much energy from you.”

“I'm fine, little sister. In truth, I believe the worst part of the spell was Smith’s poetry.”

Twilight had, characteristically, latched onto another problem. “Wait. You’re up, you’re OK, and everypony else is still making uncertain-ish noises.”

Luna and Celestia looked at each other, and then back at the crowd where some ponies were helping another one up.

“Oh, hay no!” The voice was definitely royal canterlot, and, to the utter astonishment of all, definitely male.

“Oh, come on!” came an immediate response in Apple Bloom’s distinctive drawl.

The crowd parted to let the three through, to where a very unhappy alicorn stood with a coat that now blazed red and orange like a sunset, and a very golden, very heavy, very awkward yoke.

Prince McIntosh (the First) glared about at the crowd. “So help me, the first one to call me ‘Princess’ gets sent to the moon.” A quick stomp of a rear hoof let everyone know the proposed method of conveyance wouldn’t be teleportation.

Rarity was holding her head in her hooves inconsolably. “Twelve dresses. Twelve! Magnificent! Dresses!Whatever did I do to make the world hate me soooo?”

Applejack patted Rarity comfortingly, then left Caramel to approach her brother. “Are you alright?”

The prince sighed and, unable to stay mad at the naked concern in her voice, rolled his newly royal eyes and smirked. “Ah’m fine, A.J. Go on, y’all, get it over with.”

Celestia stepped forward, silently, then bowed. Everypony else present, save Luna, followed suit, though Applejack couldn’t quite contain a grin. She whispered to her brother, “I reckon we forgot one o’ the Elements is laughter.” He answered with a snort.

Twilight, after the reflexive bow, continued to look dumbstruck. “It never even occurred to me. I mean, stallions. Um. Oops?”

Celestia shook her head. She whispered to Luna, who looked at Applejack, smiled, and nodded. “I think I know part of the reason, anyway,” Celestia explained. “It might have been Applejack after all, but I think the Elements didn’t want to endanger the foals with the transformation.”

It was Applejack’s turn to look thunderstruck. “Foals? You mean...”

“I’m sorry, Applejack, perhaps I should have been more circumspect? You are due to receive a blessed event.”

“Foals?” asked Applejack again. She looked back at Caramel, who was frozen in place, albeit with a grin so wide it must have hurt.

“Foals,” Celestia confirmed. “Plural. One learns to see the signs.”

Apple Bloom, off to one side, muttered darkly about life’s unfairness and looked at Sweetie Bell. “That’s it. You. Me. As soon as we get back. Race car driving.”

“Got it.”

Twilight smiled at Celestia, surprised at her own relief now that it was over. I guess the pressure is off, with the deed done. “Did I win?” Celestia shook her head and walked away. “Hey,” Twilight called after her, “I was close!”

“Close? You took two guesses and missed with both!” Celestia mocked over her shoulder, before facing Big McIntosh. “You’ll have duties, you know.”

“Duties Ah’ve got neither hide nor hair o’ how to do,” he said grumpily.

“We won’t throw you in unprepared, Big Mac. I will be announcing that you will be taking over my duties with the sun and a few of Luna’s duties, and Luna in turn will be taking the brunt of my sovereign duties.” She grinned at him. “I think my little ponies will allow me a working vacation after 40,000 years.”

The stallion relaxed somewhat. “Much obliged for y’all’s help.”

“Hey,” Applejack said with sudden dismay. “What about Sweet Apple Acres? If Ah’m with foal, and Big Mac’s off in Canterlot playin’ politics, we’re gonna have real trouble runnin’ the place.”

Celestia opened her mouth to say something. She then closed it, and looked at Luna expectantly.

Luna threw her sister a look of gratitude. “Ahem. By royal proclamation, Sweet Apple Acres is now a royal agricultural study site. You will be compensated for your work with salaries similar to your current income, and at a time of your choosing the property will revert back to the Apple family.”

Applejack nodded her acceptance and thanks. Big Mac nodded as well. “Much obliged again, ma’am.”

“As for the politics, Celestia has always been too indulgent with the gentry in any case,” she said with a small, dark grin. “And Prince McIntosh, you will henceforth call me Luna.” She then turned. “Celestia, Twilight, please follow me.” She looked over her shoulder. “You too, McIntosh. You will be able to talk to your family soon, I promise.”

As they left the crowd behind them, Celestia looked somberly at Big Mac and Twilight. “When Luna is freed as well, the full truth can come out. Now that we know we can transfer the Elements to other worthy bearers, as Trixie received hers, and with the aid of Twilight’s new spell, we can hand the solar and lunar duties down to successors through the generations. I’ll explain shortly, Big Mac. I will also ask you to keep this a secret for now.

“At which point we will step down and turn ourselves in for a trial.”

Big Mac stopped in shock. Twilight wasn’t the least bit surprised, but she wasn’t happy, either. “Princess, surely you can’t be serious.”

“Never more serious. There has to be one.”

Luna nodded firmly. “One thousand, one hundred, and seventy-two alicorns, Twilight. Innocent ponies sent to an early grave.” She sighed. “Together, we are the most accomplished serial killers in recorded history. No matter the cause, that cannot be simply swept away.”

Twilight objected, “That’s not fair! You had no choice! We’d all be dead, everyone, if you’d stopped.” She took pity on Big Mac, who was staring at them and, frankly, looked like he might bolt at any time. “For the last 40,000 years, they've shortened alicorns’ life-spans to sustain themselves, but without them the sun would have grown too cold to support life on our world.”

The big alicorn took it in all at once, and nodded shakily. Then again, Twilight thought, for him a shaky nod is practically a burst of wild hysteria for somepony else. Maybe the Elements knew what they were doing.

“Ponies would understand!“

“Ah think they would, Twilight, but it’d take time. A trial’d give ‘em that time.”

“You’ll be chief diarch at the time, you know.”

He shook his head. “Wouldn’t be fair to just decide that mahself. Wouldn’t look good, neither. Ah can suggest a sentence, though.” At Twilight’s expectant look he said, "40,000 years community service.”

“Retroactive,” they finished together.

“In the meantime,” he said with a small, wry smile, “Celestia, please don’t leave the planet.” He shook his big head as realization set in. “Dagnabit.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked worriedly.

“Ah’m already doin’ politics.”

“You will have to do more, soon,” Celestia said. “My new status will be an unprecedented shock to ponies everywhere. They will need reassurance from you that the sun is in good hooves.”

“Eeyup. Anything else Ah need to know?” Big Mac asked warily.

“Of course,” Celestia answered. “More than anypony ever can know.” She fought down a smile upon seeing Big Mac’s almost comically miserable expression. “Most importantly, though, remember that you have friends you can rely on.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

There was a knock at the door of Celestia’s new room. Big Mac had wanted her to keep her old quarters, but it was an uncomfortable reminder to her. Luna had claimed Celestia’s old quarters, instead. Luna understood. Luna always understood.

“Come in, please.” Of anypony who could’ve walked through the door, this one surprised her. “Spike?”

He couldn’t quite meet her eye. “I’m not intruding, I hope?”

“Spike, I take it you’re ready to forgive me?” she asked hopefully.

“No,” he said, surprising her again. “Well, I swore I wouldn’t, you know. And the dragon code says I can never go back on a solemn oath.”

Even one taken as a child? she wondered. She waited for him to proceed.

“Maybe, though...” He stopped, and started again, eyes fixed on his feet. “Maybe you could forgive me?” At the silence that followed, he nervously clarified, “It’s not against the princess code, is it?”

The head laid upon his shoulder suggested it wasn’t. “Spike, you must believe me when I say that there is nothing to forgive. You were looking after your sister. I can’t blame a child for choosing his family first, even if the whole world suffers for it.”

He suddenly threw his arms about her neck. “I swore I wouldn’t cry, either,” he told her, his voice thick with the effort of an oath very nearly fulfilled. “Knights don’t cry, do they?”

“Knights?”

“Twilight said Luna owed her a favor.”

Celestia very carefully did not chuckle. She could and did beam with pride, however. “She chose well. Knights don’t cry, not as a rule, no. Your brother has mentioned ‘liquid pride,’ however. I think that could be mistaken for tears by those less versed in knighthood.”

“I think this is liquid everything,” he choked out.

“I think that fits, Spike,” she murmured. “I think that fits just fine.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Four years later...

The tower of light collapsed, washing over the bearers and the crowd. Celestia, Big Mac, and Twilight rushed over to Luna, who was already starting to stand.

“Finally,” she said, looking far more at peace than Twilight had ever seen her.

Twilight looked back at the crowd, and saw them clustering where the bearers had stood. “It’s A.J. this time. I hate to say I told you so.”

“No you don’t,” said Big Mac knowingly from his higher vantage point. “‘Sides, it’s Trixie.”

Somewhere in the crowd, a shout of triumph erupted in Rarity's voice. "I have the perfect gown!"

“I knew it.” Luna smiled at Celestia and Twilight. “‘Lulamoon.’ I would have thought it obvious.” Her smile shifted into a grin. “I believe payment is due.”

“That bet was for last time,” Celestia objected.

“I did not say so when the wager was made!”

Twilight walked over to a dismayed Trixie. “Are you alright?”

“I am, I think.” She looked around her. “Could you all give us a little room, please?” The crowd suddenly found other things, such as the stonework, to be of uncommon interest.

“What’s wrong? I mean, you really are ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ now. I thought you’d be ecstatic, Trix. This is your dream come true!”

“My dreams have changed. Twilight, I didn’t want this. I didn’t want to have to leave Ponyville.” She sighed miserably. “Once again, I don’t seem to have your strength.”

“So, don’t leave Ponyville.” At Trixie’s look askance, Twilight explained, “You’re the junior diarch, now. Luna was always able to roam further afield than Celestia, and, if there’s an emergency, Ponyville’s not that far from Canterlot as the alicorn flies.” Twilight smiled. “I’ve had a few years since I moved back to Ponyville to get over my little jealousy problem, and, well, we can handle other details as they come up.”

Trixie smiled back, relieved enough to joke. “Shared custody? I can get Fluttershy every other Tuesday.”

Twilight laughed and gave her friend a hug. "Trixie, may I ask you a question?”

“Ask me anything.”

“Have you noticed something, well, different about your speech?”

“Such as...?”

“Never mind, Trixie. It’s not important.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“They accepted Big Mac’s suggestion,” Twilight told them after she’d entered the rather well-appointed chamber where the prisoners were held.

“Which you backed,” Celestia noted without surprise.

Twilight shrugged. “As did Trixie and Cadance. I think everypony is still in shock, but, really, what could they do? If you hadn’t done what you did, nopony would be around to do the judging, and they all knew it.

“Frankly, I think in the end everypony decided there just really wasn’t a right answer, and accepted the least complicated one instead.”

“So we are free to go, then?”Luna asked formally.

“According to Big Mac when he approved the sentence, yes. Released without prejudice. You can even run for office, if you want.”

“Big Mac said all that?” Luna wondered.

“Well, what he actually said was ‘eeyup,’ but it was the way he said it.”

“So they decided to give elections a try? We tried them centuries ago. You can guess how they went,” Celestia said.

“Elections for domestic ministers, for now. And I take it two ponies who always had the answers kept ending up in office?”

“More or less.”

“I believe I am more comfortable in the role of adviser now,” Luna said thoughtfully.

“And I believe I am more comfortable in the role of tending my garden,” Celestia said with a fair degree of mirth. “But if the ministers decide to appoint us to positions, I will serve, as I’m sure my sister will. In any case, I will always be there for my little ponies.”