Twilight's Legacy
As dictated by: Princess Celestia
"Hey Celestia?" A young yellow pony called out to the alicorn next to her.
Celestia just happily looked next her acknowledging the colt's existence.
"What was the student before me like?" The colt happily asked. Celestia's face frowned as she reminisced about her past, then Celestia turned to the colt.
"Why do you want to know dear?" She asked sadness in her tone, the colt just shrugged.
"I want to know if I was better than her, I guess." He happily chimed back, not noticing the sadness in her mentors voice.
"Well the student before you was the famous Twilight Sparkle..." The colt's eyes lit up.
"Really Celestia! THE TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" Celestia nodded
"She was studious like you, and really loved books about the only way I could get her away from the book she was reading was to bribe her with another more rare one." Celestia laughed remembering all the books she had brought Twilight.
"So I'm better at obeying then right?" He asked inquisitively Celestia just nodded again "Yes!" He let his joy escape his mouth. "What else was she like Celestia?"
Celestia's eyes grew at the question then shrunk back remembering everything she could about her passed student. "Well she was probably one of the hardest working students I've seen, with probably the most raw magic. That made her special in my book."
"What about you relationship?" He suddenly blurted out.
With each question Celestia's voice dropped another octave lower from happy "We were almost sisters near the end, but when she was your age she was just another student."
"Another student? You mean like you thought she was just there because you offered her the position?"
"Well yes, she always seemed distant and off in her own studies, she never really talked with me unless it was about her latest homework."
"When did all of that change?"
Celestia looked up at the ceiling then back down to her student. "Around this time of year, almost seventy years now, we were in the chariot garage and I was explaining how to levitate objects..."
"Twilight you just cant rush this, no matter how hard you try your magic can't do what your body's not ready to!" Celestia yelled at Twilight.
Though Twilight wasn't paying any attention she was to focused on trying to lift one of the royal carriages. Suddenly Twilight flew back from the carriage her horn burning white from the exhausting workout.
"I told you Twilight you cant rush your magic it's like a cutie mark." Celestia said in a nagging tone.
"BUT HOW CAN I LIVE UP TO YOU IF I CANT PERFORM SIMPLE MAGIC!" Twilight snapped back in tears. Celestia was taken back by Twilight's statement she then realized that Twilight was serious about impressing her, and desperately wanted to.
"Twilight, my dear student..." Celestia said trying to keep herself from grinning a proud grin "If you just keep practicing and keep studying, then you've already lived up to all of my expectations, and I can see you want to go even past them." Celestia picked up Twilight with her magic and set her down on her hooves. "Come on Twilight we can discuss this more after a nice hot shower and feeding Spike." Twilight slowly raised her head until she met Celestia's comforting expression then she smiled.
"You're right Princess." Twilight mumbled while wiping away a few more tears.
Celestia walked next to her student on their way to Twilight's room. "Please Twilight when were alone you can call me Celly." Twilight laughed a bit then agreed.
"So that's when you knew you two were going to be friends?" The yellow colt asked, Celestia nodded "What happened after that?" He said eager to hear more.
"Well after that we went to Twilight's room and I talked her well into the night."
"About levitation?"
Celestia laughed "No, about some of the guards in the palace, and where Twilight constantly got her highlights. You know icky girl stuff."
The colt pretended to gag only make Celestia laugh more. "So that's all you two ever did practice and talk about icky stuff?"
"No, if you had read that chapter on Equestrian history like I told you to, then you would know the next big thing we did was stop Nightmare Moon. That was probably our next milestone, shortly after that last party Twilight came up to me to see if I was okay. That's when I learned what hardships she had faced, and how she truly was my best friend."
Twilight ran up to the chariot about to depart "Princess are you sure your okay?"
Celestia giggled a bit "Better now than ever now that I have my Luna back, thank you again for saving her and me."
Twilight halfheartedly smiled, "Thank you again for letting me stay with my new friends I promise it won't hinder my studies on how blue food coloring effects the reproduction cycle of grass!"
Celestia just stared at her student knowing something was bothering her "Twilight is something still bothering you?"
The second Celestia mentioned it Twilight blushed. "It's just I'll be here and you'll be with Luna I was wondering if... Never mind Princess." Twilight hadn't noticed that Celestia had stepped off the carriage and was in front of her, suddenly Celestia threw the pony equivalent of a hug around Twilight.
"It's no bother Twilight, I promise I'll think of you everyday, and write regularly if you don't, the last thing I want is for us to grow distant, I leaned that mistake." Twilight blushed but then hugged back barely holding in tears like she did when she first went to stay at Canterlot.
"I love you Celly, I promise I'll write and be the best I can!"
Celestia smiled "I know you will Twilight, now please go enjoy the rest of the party with your new friends."
Twilight broke the hug and took a couple steps back now smiling, Celestia stepped back on the carriage and eyed her student then gave the order to go. "TRAVEL SAFELY!" Twilight suddenly yelled, as she watched them turn into nothing more but a dot on the horizon.
The room that both Celestia and the colt were in was quite you could almost hear a feather hit the ground, suddenly the silence was broken by a question "Will I get to do something like that?" Celestia raised a brow as if asking for more information "Will I get to go on a long field study on the miracles of something?"
"Oh!" Celestia thought hard for a second "Well we do need to learn more about friendship with griffins so if you want maybe later you could." The colt smiled barely containing the yes that burned to be screamed. "Any more questions about Twilight?" Celestia asked trying to change the subject.
"Well I guess so..." Celestia let out a sigh of relief then looked at her student "I remember reading about this one time Twilight put a hex on the toy you gave her back when she was a filly, I've wanted to ask but never got the chance. What was that all about?"
"Well I think it was a kind of homesickness, she seemed to calm down once I arrived. In truth I had been waiting for her to do something like this, I was starting to get that Empty Nest feeling, but when I saw the dedication her friends showed and how they fessed up, what sort of princess would I be if I ripped her away from them?"
"A mean one?" He asked not noticing it was rhetorical.
"Yes, I guess a very mean one, that's all I really know of that episode of hers. But the next time I saw her, well really saw her was at her mothers funeral, I felt sick to my stomach that day it was then I realized how much I had influenced her life, and that's when I felt like a monster."
Celestia and Twilight walked into the funeral hall dressed in black none of the paparazzi were allowed in though, immediately they were greeted by Twilight's father just looking at his eyes they noticed his lack of everything vital.
"Oh Twilight thank the princesses you made it! She would have wanted you to be here." He hugged his daughter but Twilight didn't hug back she seemed dissented almost as if this was a stranger, she looked at Celestia who managed to hide her shock, Celestia just stood there watching the horrible family reunion. Eventually Twilight gave a small hug back to the crying stallion. A few minutes passed of his mourning and Twilight's unknowing consolation, before anyone said anything again. "I'm sorry Twilight, I'm sure you want to see her, please she in that room, I'll be with you in a minute I need to sit down." He walked towards the door they had just come in though, no sooner had he left then had Twilight turned to the princess with almost a happy look on her face. It scared Celestia more than Nightmare Moon had ever hoped to.
"Twilight lets go to the hall to pay our respects, then we can leave if you want to." Twilight nodded and walked to the room her father had pointed out.
Along the left side of the room were hundreds of pictures of the family though only one small section had Twilight, the rest were of the couple or with friends, on the other side of the room there were chairs a mare and colt sat at the back staring solemnly at the casket. Celestia sat next to them and told Twilight to go pay her respects. Twilight did so, she awkwardly walked up to the casket and stared inside if for a long time, not moving, she didn't even look like she was breathing. After a few minutes Celestia walked up next to Twilight a pin in her mouth for her mother, but when she got up there Twilight just seemed to be examining her more than mourning, Twilight silently talked to herself in a happy tone. As if she was talking with her friends, Celestia pined the ribbon though the mares final dress then looked at Twilight "Twilight are you okay?"
Twilight's head shot up to the princess she responded in that happy tone again "Yes princess I'm fine I was just examining her choice in coffin and dress. Very suiting."
Celestia wanted to shake Twilight it was as if Twilight didn't know her own mother. "You do realize that's your mother right Twilight? It's fine if you cry in front of me it shows no weakness or anything, except love."
Twilight looked back down at her mother than back up at her teacher "I know, and I thought I'd be a wreck by now but I just cant find it, I know it's my mother in the coffin but it feels like she's not there."
Now Celestia wanted to throw up she now knew why Twilight was happy at her mother funeral she never got to know her, all her life she was in the castle or Ponyville, only once or twice since she joined Celestia's school had she seen them again and that was back when she was a filly. So Twilight had replaced them with her, Celestia was now Twilight's mother and father figure.
"Can we go now, Princess? I don't like the look every ponies giving me." Celestia nodded and they left almost running.
"And that's why my student I make you go spend time with your family I don't want to deprive you of them like I did her." Celestia choked out barely holding in those sour tears she cried that night in bed.
This time her student picked up on his teachers sadness and tried giving her a happy thought "Princess what about that royal date Luna and Twilight had, one-hundred-thirty years ago?"
Celestia looked at the colt took a deep breathe and regained her composure "Yes, that night that was a fun night, Twilight's studies on friendship came to a close after a tragic indecent with one of friends. So she came back to the castle, by then she was a full mare, still having yet to have proved it with a stallion. One day I guess she just gave up on stallions seeing as how there all stuck up in this town, so she asked me if she could have Luna for the night, I would've said no if I had known that she was asking for a date."
"Twilight you should know you don't need to ask me to spend a night with my sister, you both do live in the same home after all." Celestia laughed as they walked towards Luna's room, Twilight was now about half as tall as Celestia from the bottom of her hooves to the tip of her horn.
"Great I promise we'll be back in time for her to lower the moon!" Twilight said jumping how Pinkie used to.
"Good now if you'll excuse me Twilight I'm not used to being awake during my sisters hours so good night." Celestia turned down a separate hall towards her room.
"Good night!" Twilight called down the hall towards Celestia.
"The next morning I found Twilight asleep outside my door her eyes were a puffy red evidence of her crying...
"Twilight what happened?" Celestia said running over to her student.
Twilight lazily lifted her head up and looked at Celestia. "Things didn't go well last night, when I tried to seal the deal as my books told me Luna slapped me, then called me some things I hadn't even heard of." Celestia looked at her student confused and piteous of her.
"That's when I realized what had happened that night. Twilight took Luna out on a date and tried to well make a move on her, and Luna obviously rejected her." Celestia let out a small laugh "She knew how to slip even the biggest things past me. Anyway after awhile, Twilight finally just flat out explained it to me..."
"Oh Twilight I didn't realize that what you meant." The tears that had come back up during the discussion had once again fallen and Twilight was now sprawled out on the floor in front of her mentor. "If I had known I would have told you shes well... Homophobic." Twilight eyes wanted to cry again but she was to tired. "Look I know this probably hurts Twilight, but you still have me, and Rainbow Dash, and somewhere Rarity's hiding." Celestia forced her smile.
Twilight kept her head down "I guess your right, Princesses I just really thought it would go well."
"Well Twilight now that I know your... Preference, in ponies if you cant find another mare. I'll think about escorting you to a dinner." Celestia was not really for mares but she knew Twilight wanted to hear somepony wanted her.
"That's how the night went, once Twilight finally explained the night it was pretty funny, turns out in Luna's fit she ended up creating one of those old time pie fights." Celestia laughed as did her pupil.
After a few minutes of Celestia explaining that night the colt spoke up again "So who was the mare who took out Twilight?" Celestia suddenly blushed
"Well as I said she wasn't good with stallions, turns out she was worse for mares, one day after concluding out studies she asked me if my offer was still valid. I knew I couldn't say no, it didn't help that entire study session Twilight kept bring in adult drinks, That you cant have yet! Anyway, I accepted her invitation and we set a place to meet outside of the castle, a quaint little pizza place.
5 years after Luna and Twilight's date
Celestia landed by herself in a dress she had Twilight's friend Rarity make for her a few years back. She walked inside finding it dimly lit, the second anypony realized she was there they bowed and a gray pony with a large Bass started playing a low key song. "Princess I'm glad you made it!" Twilight called from one of the tables in a center of the room. Celestia took a deep breathe then calmly walked tot he table and sat down in it's small chair. "Sorry, they hadn't expected royalty so they hadn't bought a chair for either of you."
"It's fine my dear student, as long as I get to spend time with you, I'd sit on a plank of rusty nails." Celestia grinned when Twilight blushed. "and Twilight please while were like this refer to me as Celly."
The waiter gasped as he walked in and saw the two, apparent of what was going on he did his best to cool down and calmly walk to the table and set the pizza and fires down.
"We realized it's not royal by any standard..." The waiter chimed trying to hide his excited voice "But we hope you enjoy it, on the house." He smiled then bowed and walked away.
Celestia took a slice of pizza and started small talk with Twilight, and before she knew she was in a uproar of laughter, and the pizza was long since gone. "But, that's not the best part Celly, when Rainbow opened the door the bucket fell tipped over scaring Fluttershy so badly that she screamed and broke Dash's new set of goggles!" Celestia and Twilight started laughing again tears at both their eyes. The waiter suddenly came back, his eyes heavy with sleep.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you two Princess but would it be alright, if we closed up it's nearly two in the morning." Celestia looked at him shocked not so much as he was kicking them out but at the time she had been here laughing, talking, sharing secrets with Twilight.
"Of course sorry to keep you all up so late!" She said as Twilight stood, and thanked the man too.
They left quickly, and were standing on the empty streets of Canterlot, admiring Luna's night. "Twilight tonight was great I didn't know all of that, but I'm glad I do, maybe we can do it again some time?" Twilight nodded.
"Er Princess would you mind if I come up front with this? She said blushing a bit. Celestia shook her head giving her the go ahead. As soon as her head stooped moving Twilight put her lips on the white alicorn's, and for the next few minutes they stood like that, Celestia not sure of what to do, and Twilight lost in her own fantasizes. Eventually the kiss broke.
"Yes Twilight I know we'll be doing this again very soon." Celestia smiled at her student still lost in her mind.
"EW!" The colt cried out "Princess I thought that wasn't very adult!"
Celestia smiled at the colt, and his naivety "If you don't want to hear that kind of story don't ask for one." Celestia let a small laugh out "Care to hear just a bit more?" The colt didn't move just got prepared for more. "We continued seeing each other first more privately but eventually we went to the Grand Galloping Gala as a couple, and that set all of Equestria into a frenzy some a lustful few a hateful, and it let mare and mare marriages increase by at least seventy percent. Though with all good things come the bad end of it. We later found, your sisters favorite wonder bolt also had feelings for this mare."
"You don't mean?" The colt asked
"Yes, Rainbow Dash I'm not sure why she didn't come forward and at least tell her feelings to Twilight, but she didn't. Spitfire found her a month after the gala in her bed with bottle of alcohol and enough pills to kill even me. That's when our friendship was kind of strained, and when our relationship ended."
Celestia and Twilight walked into he funeral hall, the second they were in, they noticed the pictures everywhere, of Dash and Spitfire, or the whole gang, it looked like they had at least 200 pictures from every show they'd preformed at. For most of them Dash looked happy, up until they started performing outside of the nation of Equestria. They waited a bit but heard no noise so they saw themselves in.
Even before the had entered where Rainbow's casket lay Twilight had been crying. For awhile Celestia thought it very good, that at least she had allowed Twilight to make such strong connections with friends. Though once they entered the room Twilight seemed to stop crying out of respect Celestia guessed.
"Celestia," Twilight began "Where will she go?" The question startled Celestia yes she had created the world, and sun and other planets but she could never figure out where the souls of her subjects hid.
"Twilight, that is the one question I can't answer, I'm sorry." Celestia saw tears begin to form again, but she kept them in her eyes for the most part.
"Could you please come up with me to the casket?" Twilight asked grief riding her voice. Celestia nodded and they began to walk up.
Twilight reached the coffin first, and looked inside for a long while she was silent taking in every last detail she could of her friends body, the way a feather bent, the direction her pelt lay, the wonder bolts goggles that lay next to her, her trademark rainbow perfume. All of it what ever detail she could see she tried to memorize it. Finally after ten minutes Twilight spoke up again. "She looks so peaceful and relaxed. Almost as if she was sleeping on one of her clouds again." Tears began to form in her eyes and again she started crying.
"If you were really Rainbow's friend... You wouldn't be crying right now." A voice came from behind Twilight spun around and looked at the voices owner, it was Spitfire. "Rainbow never cried, and she never let any of her friends cry, so this shouldn't be any different." There really wasn't much hint of sadness in Spitfire's voice if anything it sounded angry.
"I'll mourn her in my own way." Twilight said though her tears
Spitfire took a step forward "Of course you will, you always went against her wishes you never encouraged her, but though it all she loved you, and now her finale show and you wont even cheer."
"Spitfire ple-" Twilight tried to speak
"You weren't there for her tryouts, you weren't there for her party, her first show, you didn't even show up when she broke her wing. You just sat pretty hiding behind our Princess like the coward you always were." Twilight couldn't prove her wrong on any points, or even defend herself she just stood there crying. "But I was, I was with her every step and yet she still loved you more, she only saw me as her friend. You ruined what I waited for, you made her wait for what she hoped you'd be her best moments and you took it away from her!" Celestia stood unsure of what to do "Say what you have to then get out of here, I don't want to ever see you face again, for what you did to her." With that Spitfire turned around and walked away.
Twilight though fell to her knees and started bawling, Twilight's head ran with thought's unsure of what to do next, her emotions, the speech she had just received. But one thing rang in her mind, hiding behind Celestia. She suddenly snapped and yelled at her mentor. "THIS ISYOUR FAULT! I WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE IF YOU HADN'T CALLED ME BACK TO THE CASTLE. RAINBOW WOULD BE ALIVE RIGHT NOW AND HAPPILY FLYING!" Celestia recoiled at the sudden snap.
"Twilight if I would have know it would turn out like this I wouldn't have called you back to me." She tried to defend herself but to no avail Spitfire's words had take their toll. Because Twilight didn't listen she continued to sit on the floor crying. Celestia decided to give her some room so she left the funeral parlor and stood in the reception area, until Twilight galloped past her and into the outside tear filling her eyes. Celestia chased after her, but she didn't find the mare, until a month later, when she found out the Ponyville library had their old librarian back.
The day after the news Celestia sent Spike out to Twilight, to keep her safe and well.
"That was the last day of our relationship, I never quite got a clear answer as to what really happened in Twilight's head but I knew it was bad enough that she figured I was a evil princess." She finished off the chapter stored in her head.
The colt sat next to his mentor watching tears flow down her cheeks. "So that's the end then?" He asked hoping it would bring closure for his mentor.
"No, my student- there's one more chapter to our story, one I wish I could have changed, more than any other," Celestia took a deep breathe trying to calm herself down but to little effect. "Our last chapter is my students passing."
It was late afternoon, when Celestia finished meeting with royals, and concerned citizens, when she received a scroll by dragon mail. It was a insignia she recognized all to well. Twilight's she opens the scroll only to find tear stained paper and messy handwriting.
Dear Princess Celestia
I regret to inform you, your student Twilight Sparkle has passed in her sleep. The funeral will be next Saturday, in the dusk. Also there is a message for you in the Library you need to read.
Spike
Celestia dropped the scroll, and just stared into space for a few minutes before she said to the guard next to her. "Please ready my things, and cancel all meetings, I have important business I need to attend to in Ponyville." The guard nodded and rushed off to do what he was told, though now alone Celestia looked at the floor and began to cry.
Day of the funeral
It rained that day, no birds sang, no insects buzzed, not even the wind made a noise the open grave was silent. Mounted above the large hole was Twilight her coffin open.
Celestia was the only one beside the reverend and Spike there, empty chairs scattered the small tent. Along the plastic walls were pieces of white cardboard with pictures on them, starting from drawings she had kept as a filly, to the picture of them kissing at the gala. Happy, sad, confusing memories flooded Celestia's head. As she looked though her teary eyes at the pictures, once she had made her way around the tent at least five times she stepped up to the coffin, and looked at her tired, old student all sense of youth long since gone. Though she looked happy almost as happy as when she first could do magic. Celestia reached around to the pack she was carrying and put in a picture of Twilight and her friends, as well as a note.
My dearest Twilight Sparkle
It has been a long, fun, confusing journey for me and you. I have let you down more times than the years I've been alive, I've taken things from you, I treated you badly for the longest time, and for that I'm sorry. But my curse of immortality has finally made me pay it back, as I place this note I look at you and remember all our fun, and love. We had a bond stronger than most ponies can ever dream and I'm thankful for that, but now that you are gone I'm not sure what to do anymore, besides write this small insignificant note. I guess what I'm trying to say to you is I love you Twilight and I'm sorry I never got the chance to really express it. I just hope you can forgive me, and maybe see all your friends again, weather or not I'm there I don't care, just so long as your happy and finally can have what I took from you.
Thank you for all you taught me as well, though I'll never find another stallion or mare like you again maybe I can take what you taught me and make our land a better place.
Please rest in peace my love.
Forever yours:
Princess Celestia
As soon as she lay the note she began to cry again, and couldn't stop she sat down in a chair and tried to calm herself down. After twenty minutes of crying it began to die it down to a whimper, and the reverend began.
"We are gathered here today, to remember a mare, who will go down in history as the kindest you'll ever find, she shared something with everyone here today, whatever it was, love, compassion, or anything else she shared it. Never again will the sun rise on her, but it will shine on the deep gash she left in our hearts and minds, and with every new day that sun shines we can allow her spirit to take us on journey into making this land a better place, with the numerous lessons she taught us. So I commend her spirit in the name of the sun, moon, and sky above to live with those she misses and to help her find her way home back where she wants to go.
If anyone here has a few words to say about her please speak up so she can hear them too and take them to her new home."
Spike stood and moved to where the reverend stood, and the reverend sat down.
"Celestia you know me, and I'm not good without her dictating my speech but here I go.
Twilight was my mother, friend, and family, when I was growing up she was all I had without her I would've perished but she hatched me and molded me into what stands before you today. She saw it fit to leave her creation and let him stand alone and form in his own way. It will be hard, but Twi know I can do it and will do it for you. Just know that I'll miss you everyday and night, I love you Twilight."
Tears began to form in his eyes and he returned to his seat. Celestia stood next.
"Twilight, I said what I needed to in the note, but please just know that like Spike, I'll think of you everyday and that I'll miss you more than I miss my parents, and again I'm sorry for everything I took from you, I'll be sure to keep Spike safe as well, don't forget about us but don't worry either we'll manage."
Celestia sat down next to Spike and hugged him the best she could. The reverend stood again and continued with her last rights, and finished the ceremony. Even though he was finished they all stayed after the decorations and tent had been removed and the grave filled they stayed until the moon was in the sky, both Spike and Celestia went back to the library and dried off and shared stories about her, a few of Twilight's new friends came in and talked too, but they didn't stay long.
Spike remembered the letter and fetched it Celestia opened it, inside was her last friendship lesson.
Dear Princess Celestia
I have learned a important lesson on friendship, when you lose a friend and can't gain them back your mind will strike at those closest to you. Much as I did, I never meant those hurtful words or my actions, I just wasn't thinking please forgive me.
Your faithful Student
Twilight Sparkle
P.S.
Please take care of Spike, he'll be lost without me I never let him mingle with other dragons.
Celestia put the note down and thanked Spike for giving it to her. They sat there for a few more minutes before Spike went to bed.
Celestia stood, and walked for the door when a book fell off the shelf, she turned around and there stood a vision of Twilight smiling weather or not it was really her Celestia never knew but it stood there smiling. "I forgive you Celestia." It said then faded away. Celestia fell to the floor crying again.
She woke up the next morning on the couch,
Celestia's head was covered by her mane as she cried. The colt cried too "That was beautiful!" he suddenly yelled. They stayed like that for a few minutes before they calmed down. "I hope one day I can share feelings like that."
Celestia smiled the best she could "I know you will, I know you will." The colt smiled and hugged his mentor and she hugged back. "Your path isn't set in stone yet so make the best of it you can little one."
Authors notes:
Sorry it's not FlutterRage everyone but I've been working on this one for awhile and I thought you might like it, It's loosely based off of "To Be a Alicorn" I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I promise I'll get working on FlutterRage again soon.
Also if you liked it a lot a submission to Equestria Daily wouldn't be chastised.
Time Line is Part 2 it's weird I'll have instructions below.