Disclaimer: All MLP:FiM characters belong to Hasbro and DHX Media. I do not own any of them except my OC.
Okay, so a LOT of time has passed between the last chapter you read and now. Let me fill you in a bit. So obviously, after the wedding, me and Twilight went on a glorious honeymoon to Rainbow Falls since that was our first getaway together and we thought that would be the perfect place to go. After we got back, life settled down a bit. We were still preparing to ascend to the throne and that took a while. When we finally got on the throne, I made a few changes right away. The first thing I tackled was the unproportional sex ratio in the country. It was really bad. The ratio of male to female was like 1:8. That's how bad it was. So, I made a bunch of drastic changes to try and fix it and I eventually got it back to where it was supposed to be. There were some that didn't like the changes, but most of the citizens understood why I did that.
They knew that because the sex ratio was propritonal again, there was no reason to form herds. Some didn't want to give that up, but I just ignored them. Not everyone will follow the rules. The next issue I tackled was Equestria's military. Now that I'm Commander in Chief, I make all the calls for the military. I strengthened Equestria's borders and retrained the Royal Guard to be able to respond to threats a lot better and not look like a bunch of wimps like they did in the show. Speaking of threats, for a while, Twilight thought that it was wrong to imprison Cozy Glow in stone. I dismissed the idea and told her she was crazy. Everything Cozy did was unforgivable in my eyes. So, for the longest time, Twilight tried to convince me that Cozy could be redeemed, but I didn't listen to her. Twilight had released Cozy from stone and began to reform her. Every time Cozy showed progress, I didn't believe it and thought it was another one of her schemes. I was extremely doubtful at the time and you couldn't really blame me. But I should have shown more support for Twilight. It wasn't until that one day, Cozy Glow got hit by a poison dart by an evil creature that was meant for Twilight and got hurt. That's when I realized Cozy would never turn her back on us. She sacrificed herself in order to protect Twilight from getting killed. After that, I forgave Cozy for my hatred towards her and started treating her nicely again. I also apologized to Twilight for my neglectance.
After that, not that much happened. Eventually, the real Grogar had returned and that was a challenge for all of us. He was honestly one of the most sinister creatures I have ever seen. He was the first real creature that had the same kind of power level that I had. Every time I got a hit on him, he would grow stronger because Fluttershy in the corner was terrified of him and fear gives him power. So, in a way, she was kinda screwing us over because every time she was scared out of her mind, it would wear the rest of us out who were trying to fight him. It took a while, but I finally knocked some sense into Fluttershy and we were able to finally defeat him. After that, it's just been a whole bunch of royal duties. I spend a lot of time in the military and doing Day Court so that Twilight can have more time to focus on the School for Gifted Unicorns or whatever it's called. I'm getting old now, so bear with me here. I'm basically the solar ruler of the land while Twilight is the lunar ruler of the land. Let me explain. So, of course, I raise and lower the Sun every day and I take care of most of the business that's involved with that.
Twilight on the other hand, raises and lowers the Moon every night and she basically does dream walking. I know Luna did that for the longest time, but I insisted that her and Celestia just relax in retirement and let me and Twilight take care of all of their responsibilities. Luna was hesitant at first, but after very strong convincing, I got her to agree. Some other life updates worth mentioning is that I finally went back home to visit my younger sister. She was doing well and it was quite the story to tell her. I also finally seeked out Hannah and finally forgave her after so many years of bitterness and hatred towards her. Also, I had to embark on a crazy journey between alternate universes of MLP:FiM where I had a relationship with my other friends. The most difficult ones to go through were Rarity, Fluttershy, Luna, and Cadence. All of those were extremely difficult. But, I eventually fixed the balance and returned to my realm where I'm married to Twilight. Oh, one more thing worth mentioning. Throughout the years so far, I've been called to different places around Equestria where battle sights happened. I would stop those potential wars and share the gospel with them. In fact, I would spread the gospel to the entire country. There was a lot of doubt at first and tons of creatures questioned me, but I pushed through anyway. Even my own wife was doubtful, but I eventually brought her to faith as well.
I was able to bring most of the country to faith and many of them started living the Christian lifestyle. Of course, as you would expect, there were those that rejected the gospel and continued to live their sinful lives. I brushed it off and moved on to the next creature. Something worth mentioning is that, every year at the Festival of the Two Sisters, which was renamed that from the Summer Sun Celebration, I would hold a concert and sing Christan songs to the audience when the Sun had just been raised. It was always a great experience and I look forward to it every year. But now, here in the present, me and Twilight have a big issue to tackle together. There was one problem that raised a lot of concerns which was representation in the country. Sawtooth Waves made a video about this and made me start thinking. So, when I became King, I represented all other cultures in some sort of way since now your average citizen isn't just a pony.
So there, Sawtooth. I solved your problem for you. I am their representation. So now, you can put the idea to rest. The problem that I had with that theory is that it seemed like he was trying to make Equestria into a democracy. In case you haven't noticed, Equestria is not the United States. The United States is a democracy. Equestria is an absolute monarchy which was what America fled from. Yes, we do have Equestria's best interest at heart, but this is how Equestria's government has been for thousands of years. America has only been around for over 250 years at the time I'm sitting here on the throne. It's one of the more recent countries in the world. Yes, we're starting to spread friendship, but we shouldn't turn Equestria into a democracy. I don't see the use in that. That's why I became their representation so that no one tries to follow what the Colonists did in the late 1700's to form America. I don't want that happening. But now, let's focus on the current issue. Me and Twilight were in the throne room and the latter was talking to somepony about something regarding education. That's not my field, so I don't deal with that. The door opened and Spike said "I got here as soon as I could, but Friendship Ambassador is a full time job these days."" Oh yeah. Twilight wanted to address this problem to me and Spike, so she called him over here from somewhere else in Equestria. "Making peace between the Abyssinians and the Diamond Dogs has not been easy." I bet it isn't. Those creatures do not like each other whatsoever.
Oh, one last thing. Twilight now looks like Celestia and I grew a lot as well. I'm just about two inches taller than her, so it still works. Also, my crown is different, but we'll talk about that later. Anyway, Twilight said "That's why I picked you for the job." See? What I'd tell you? The pony holding the scroll walked away and both Twilight and Spike went to hug each other. "But I'm glad you could come." After they broke apart, Spike gave me a hug as well because we're still bros and it's nice seeing him again. Me and Twilight flew over to our thrones and Spike sat down in his spot next to my throne. Spike asked "So, what's the emergency?" You're about to find out. Twilight said "Ever since I took over Celestia's school, my focus has been on teaching magic. But now, my top student has missed the most important lesson of all." Accepting Christ? "That's important too, Zach, but not in this context." "Right. Sorry." We've talked mentally a lot more these days so we could bring across issues without others hearing us.
Spike asked "What do you mean?" You'll see. Twilight said "Let's just say it'll be good to have my royal adviser and my husband by my side." There ya go. Twilight looked at me and we shared a kiss because you know, you can. Spike said "Ahem. Don't do that in the throne room. That belongs in the bedroom." What? It was just a simple kiss. No make out session or anything. Geez. Me and Twilight pulled back and our faces were red in embarrassment. Suddenly, the door opened and Gallus said "Your Majesties, she's here." Good. Yeah, Gallus is Captain of the Guard now, so whatever command I give him, he gives it to the other soldiers as well. Twilight said, "Send her in, Gallus." Gallus opened the door and it revealed Luster Dawn with a nervous smile on her face. Luster walked up a little bit and said "Your Majesties." Oh please. Don't give me that. You're Twilight's student, so you don't have to be so formal. Twilight said "Luster, I may be the Ruler of Equestria, but I'm still just your teacher." She is right. I said "No need to be so formal with us, Luster. You're basically part of the family here, so it's fine." Luster said "Right. And you've been wonderful. I've enjoyed every moment at the School of Magic. But I'm just not sure it's the right place for me." Okay. Please elaborate. Twilight just watched and said "I see." Luster continued and said "And it's not the work. I could spend weeks in the library doing research. It's just that… there's a lot of focus on making friends." It is important, Luster.
Never ever underestimate the power of friendship here in Equestria. Spike said "If that's your problem, you've come to the right place." There's more to it than just that, Spike. Luster said "But that's just it. I don't want to make friends." Spike was shocked and said "What?!" Me and Twilight raised an angry brow at him and he backed down. In the past, I would have had the same reaction Spike did just now. But over the years, I've learned the value and importance of patience and listening which is something I struggled with for many years. Instead of jumping to conclusions, I take the time to listen and hear the full story first before I make a judgement on something. It took time, but now it's become second nature for me. That removes a lot of stress from Twilight on her part, and makes things a lot easier. It also makes Twilight happier as well since I've grown and matured over the years because she knew that was a struggle for me and now, I don't really have that problem anymore. Anyway, let's move on.
Twilight said "So, you'd rather leave the School of Magic than make friends?" Just raising the question so we can get a full understanding of what's going on. Luster said "I was hoping to set up an independent course of study. I want to accomplish as much as you both have someday." I see. That's a very bold claim to make, Luster. Spike said "It'll be hard to do that without friends." It is tricky to do that, but you do raise a good point Spike. However, let's listen to the entire story first before we make any judgement. Luster still seemed skeptical and said "I'm not so sure. Friendship looks like more of a distraction than anything else, and ultimately, a waste of time." Hmm. How interesting. Very bold claims being made here. Spike couldn't believe what he was hearing and said "What?!" Me and Twilight stared at him, but we paid no attention to him and let Luster continue. She said "I know you and your friends accomplished a lot together, but that was so long ago, and as far as I can see, you both rule by yourselves now." On the throne yes, but we're all ruling together in some shape or form. It's just not in the way you think, that's all. Spike took offense to that and said "Uh, hello?! Royal Advisor right here!" We didn't forget you Spike, so chill. Luster said "And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. In fact, I think it's better. Plus, if friendships ultimately fade, why even make them in the first place?" I'm glad you asked that, Luster.
Twilight looked at her and said "You know what, Luster Dawn? You're right." Spike was losing his mind and said "WHAT?!" Will you calm down?! Let Twilight explain first before you lose yourself to your emotions. "Friendship is more trouble than it's worth?! This is your top student?" I extended a paw out in front of Spike that basically said "Let Twilight do her magic and just watch." Believe me. Twilight knows what she's doing. She flew out of her throne and I flew out of mine as well. Twilight said "Friendships take work and there's no guarantee they'll last. They can be complicated. They can be messy. And they never go the way you plan. Friendship is a hard thing to navigate. I remember the first time it might not last forever." Yeah, I remember that story too. Let's take you back in time. It was right before the coronation and there were a ton of boxes everywhere. Spike had the checklist out and Twilight was running around like crazy. He said "Twilight? Uh, I'm pretty sure that's everything." You know Twilight though. She's come a long way since then.
Twilight said "I'm just doing a final check, Spike!" Yeah, that was the third time she did that. Spike said "But we did a final check of every room. Twice." He is correct. Twilight came out and found something. She said "Ah ha! See? An issue of Power Ponies. Now, aren't you glad we triple checked?" I guess so. Spike said "Thanks, but I already read this one. I don't need to take it to Canterlot." Twilight wasn't taking no for an answer and said "No, no. You love Power Ponies! We're taking it!" If you say so, Twilight. She ran into the library and put it into one of the boxes. Spike came in and said "Really Twilight. We don't have to bring the comic. I'm not even sure how much longer I'll collect them. A lot is changing and I am getting older." That might have been bad timing, Spike. Twilight turned around and said "Just because things change, doesn't mean you leave everything you love behind!" It's true, but we'll make time. Twilight groaned in sadness and face planted her head into one of the boxes. Spike looked at her and said "You're still not worried about ruling Equestria, are you?" I don't think so Spike. Twilight lifted her head up and said "No. I know it took some time, but I've never been more ready for anything in my life. Just because I'm ready to sit on the throne in Canterlot, doesn't mean I'm ready to leave Ponyville." That is true and I know how that feels. She picked up the newspaper and looked at the cover. It's depressing, I know.
"When we were all fighting to defend Equestria from Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow, I was too busy to think about it. But now, it's all happening at once!" Time does that to you. It sneaks up right behind ya sometimes that it takes a while to absorb it all. Spike looked at the newspaper and asked "What is?" Everything. Twilight said "The coronation. Moving. Leaving our friends." Yeah, that is pretty sad to think about. Spike said "I thought we'd all be ruling Equestria together." In some sort of aspect, yes. But it isn't what you think it is. Twilight said "Of course we will, but it won't be the same. They all have lives here. We're moving away, and they're not and I can't help but feel like we're leaving them behind." I can see why you think that. "What if we all just drift apart?" Okay. Time to talk to Twilight. I came over next to her and said "Listen Twilight. I know we'll all be heading in different directions as the years go on, but change is going to do that. However, that doesn't mean you'll drift apart. As long as you maintain them and not let small things get to you, you'll be fine. I know how you feel. I feel the same way." Really. I do feel the same way.
"But I know things will turn out alright. Even if the rest of our friends are not there in Canterlot, you still have me, your husband, and Spike as well. The two of us aren't going anywhere any time soon. Friends come and go, but family lasts forever. So what I'm trying to say is, no matter what happens, we'll always stay together." Twilight smiled and said "Thanks, Zach. You always know what to say to comfort me." I try my best. Spike said "He's right. Maybe talking to your friends might help your stress. They might be feeling the same way." Twilight smiled and said "Thanks, you two. Sometimes, talking to a good friend is all it takes." That's right. We went off to Sweet Apple Acres and Applejack was going through and organizing crates of apples to ship off to Canterlot. Twilight was confused and I rolled my eyes. "So you're not worried about how things might change with me leaving in Canterlot?" Applejack said "Of course not. Change is natural. Like the seasons. That's just life on the farm." But we're not talking about your life, you dimwit! I could obviously tell that was a lie and Applejack was trying to surround herself with stuff so she doesn't sound like she's worried. That's quite foolish and not very reassuring. Twilight said with sadness "I guess so." You didn't even bother to question it. But to be fair, there's not really much you could say regarding that. All you can do is absorb it and move on.
Applejack turned around and said "Anywho, Ah really need to get these boxes packed and sorted. There's a lot more work now that the folks beyond Equestria are coming to the coronation too." Uh huh. Twilight was sad and we moved on to Pinkie. We were down in the party planning cave and Twilight voiced her concerns about life after the coronation. Pinkie blew that off and said "Worried?! *spits out saliva* No way! Unless you're talking about the coronation. Because then, yes. Obviously, the cakes are handled, but there's the whole rest of the party to stay on top of!" That is true. "Honestly, I'm not convinced Gummy really took care of the fireworks." How are we supposed to know that? How are you supposed to know that? My gosh. Twilight said "Well, what about after the coronation? Don't you think things are going to be… different?" I think so. Pinkie said "Well, since I'll be in charge of all the Canterlot Galas from now on, I'll have to go there a lot more. So, I guess that's different, but I don't think I'll mind!" That doesn't really help Pinkie.
Twilight was still sad and said "No. Of course not." You're breaking her spirits you guys. My gosh. We went to the animal sanctuary and the birds did one last rehearsal for the coronation before leaving. Twilight was amazed and Fluttershy was happy it went well. She said "Wonderful work, everyone! Couldn't be more ready. Josephine, if you and the rest of the doves leave now, we should all arrive in Canterlot at the same time." The doves left and took off for Canterlot. "Eloise and Huber, you should go too. I know it's a long way, but don't worry. I'll bring plenty of snacks to restore your energy before we perform." Ain't that far from the case? Looking back on it, I understand what happened. But at the time, I didn't think anything bad would happen. I did know something would eventually boil over, but I thought it would be at the coronation in Canterlot. You'll see later on. "Everyone else gets to ride since the trip's too much for your little wings. We'll need everyone in tip top shape for the coronation." I see. Fluttershy closed the cages and looked at the both of us. "I'm glad we got the chance for one last rehearsal. Everyone's so excited. But I can't imagine anyone's more excited than the both of you. Moving to Canterlot. Being crowned. I can't think of a single bad thing about any of it. I facepalmed internally because I cannot believe how stupid Fluttershy is being right now. It's like she's suffered memory loss or something. It's ridiculous and it's driving me nuts.
Twilight laughed nervously and said "Yeah, me neither." I know you don't want to say anything Twilight, but you need to speak up and address this problem you're having. Twilight's ears drooped down and me and Spike comforted her. Anyway, we moved to the Wonderbolt Headquarters up in the sky and waited for Rainbow to be free. Rainbow said "In three, two, one, and…" they did the routine, but Soarin and Spitfire crashed into each other and fell from the sky. Rainbow dashed over and grabbed a cloud they could land on. Spitfire looked at Rainbow and said "Look, Rainbow Dash. I know this is important to you and we all want the routine to be special, but are you sure it needs to be this complicated?" I don't think so, but Rainbow tends to go over the top with these things. Rainbow said "Of course! And I know we can pull it off. Sorry Twilight and Zachary. I don't have time to talk." That's fine by me. I'm not complaining. "We got a lot more work to do before the coronation." I bet you do. I'll leave you to it then. Twilight sighed in sadness and we moved on to Rarity.
Twilight told Rarity the same thing and the latter said "Darling, change is an integral part of fashion." We're not talking about fashion, Rarity! We're talking about post-coronation life! Get that in your thick skull, you dimwit! "I myself would consider opening boutiques for non-ponies. Things must evolve or they'll become stale." That is a good point, but you're missing the whole idea, Rarity. "For example… *opens curtain* I was just struck with an inspiration to change my design for your gown by including the webs of these Star Spiders." Those creatures are extremely creepy if you ask me. "They glow for a short while after their span. They won't have much time to weave the sash, but the effect will be dazzling!" Whatever you say, Rarity. "You see darling, change can be fabulous if you embrace it!" You're not in our position, Rarity, so you can't really tell us that at all. Twilight headed out and went back to the castle. I followed her back and sat next to her staring in silence. No words needed to be spoken. She needs me right now and I will provide as her husband. The door opened and it was Spike. He said "Starlight's supposed to come over soon." That's nice. I really don't care right now. There's a much more pressing matter right now than that. "There's a little something we wanted to give you before we leave." That can be saved for later. The awkward silence killed it for Spike and he went over to us. He saw the comic and picked it up. "You know what? I think you're right, Twilight." On what though?
"I should take my comics to Canterlot. Can't leave the Power Ponies behind." Twilight didn't really care and said "I don't think the Power Ponies care, Spike. Just like all of our friends." Oh believe me. They care all right. They just don't want to admit it for certain reasons. Spike hugged Twilight and I heard Applejack say "Alright Twilight, are ya ready?" I don't know. Are you? The rest of our friends appeared and I rolled my eyes. They still are blind to the truth are they? My freaking goodness. "We all wanted to see you off, but there's still a lot to do." Yes, we know that! You don't need to tell us that! Spike seemed confused and asked "Aren't you coming on the train?" Nope. They're probably going to make excuses. Just watch. Applejack said "Ah gotta go with Big Mac so we can go over our packing list or we won't know who gets what deliveries." I see. Rainbow said "And I'm going to meet the Wonderbolts so we can go over the routine one last time." Uh huh. Pinkie said "I'm going with Gummy. He said he knows when the fireworks display starts, but does anypony really believe that?!" I don't.
Fluttershy said "And I still need to pick up food for the swans and doves who flew ahead to Canterlot. If I don't get them fed, they'll be too pooped to perform." If you say so… FLUTTERSHY! Don't give me that ridiculous fake smile. It's all bullcrap. All you're doing is making up excuses. I'm over it. Twilight got up and said "Well, I'll be living in Canterlot alone. Might as well take the train alone with my husband as well. Bye I guess." Ouch. We started walking out, but Rarity ran in front of Twilight and stopped her. She said "Oh, you won't be travelling alone darling. I'll have just enough time on the train to weave the Star Spider sash for your gown. But we should leave now." Rarity pushed Twilight out the door and into the hallway. "There's no time to doyle if you want the coronation to be perfect!" That was the last straw for Twilight and she said "That's the problem! You're all so worried about making me and Zach's coronation perfect, that we're leaving Ponyville and none of you even care!" I know they care, but they don't want to act like it. The group gasped in horror and we returned to the present. Luster said "Exactly. You moved away, your friends didn't care, and that was that." There's more to the story than just that, Luster. Me and Twilight both sat on our thrones and the latter said "Actually, not exactly." Yeah, my point exactly. We returned to the past and everyone was in silence.
Applejack stepped forward and said "Of course we care that you're moving, Twilight." See? I knew they cared. Fluttershy said "I can't believe you think we don't." I can. You made it seem like you never even cared to begin with. Pinkie said "What could possibly make you think that?" Why do you think, Pinkie? Twilight said "I tried to talk to you all about how I was feeling, but you seemed more worried about what you had to do for the coronation! Only Zach was truly able to comfort me and give me encouraging words. How can the love of my life be able to bring me comfort, but yet, none of my best friends can do the same?" They all stood there in stunned silence before Rarity said "I suppose it gave us something else to focus on." There's no excuse for that though. Applejack said "Ah knew you were worried about everything changin'. Ah… guess Ah thought if Ah made it seem like everythin' was okay, it would be." It doesn't work like that, Applejack. Fluttershy said "I was just trying to make you feel better that way I wouldn't feel so terrible." Still, there is no room for that whatsoever.
Twilight said "Before I moved to Ponyville, I didn't really know what friendship was. You've all taught me so much. I can't believe it might be ending!" Twilight had tears in her eyes and I brought her close to me. Our friends did the same and Twilight continued. "But when I imagine the future, all I can think about is that we won't be together! I'm literally moving away and it's terrifying!" Good grief. You're worse than my mother when it comes to goodbyes. Oh boy. That was a hot mess. Fluttershy said "I'm scared too." I'm sure you are. Pinkie said "Me too." Rarity said "Rattled to the core." Okay then. Applejack said "Yup." Suddenly, those four had tears in their eyes and were about to cry. Rainbow said "I wouldn't say scared." I glared at Rainbow and growled at her to get her to knock it off and be considerate. "But… just because I won't say it, doesn't mean I don't feel it." That is true. That's how I dealt with sadness most of the time. I felt it inside, but never showed it since I didn't want to be seen as weak. Hey, that's how I felt at the time. I sorta still feel that way, but not as much as I used to. Pinkie said while crying "I'm going to miss you so much!" I'll miss you too Pinkie. Rarity brought out the tissue and said "I can't stop thinking about how much things are going to change." Oh dear. Rainbow said while crying "Wh-what if we don't see each other?" Fluttershy said while crying "What if we don't talk as much?"
Applejack said while crying "What if we don't stay FRIENDS?!" I would call those fears irrational, but that's what fear does to you, so I'll be quiet. Anyway, all of them started crying on the floor and they were all hugging me as a comfort blanket for some reason. I thought in my head "Don't worry girls. It'll be alright." I didn't even bother saying anything because that would be stupid, so I just let them cry until they had it all out. Twilight said "You know what's weird? But knowing you're all upset as I am actually makes me less worried." I can see why. Spike said "That's nice, but you should be more worried about missing the train to Canterlot!" Oh crap! It's almost 5 o' clock. We all rushed as fast as we could and Starlight came walking up. She said "Sorry I'm so late. Actually thought I-" before Spike yelled "There's no time!" Starlight fell down and looked at all of us. We got to the train station, but the train had already taken off. Crap. Guess I'll have to take the long way.
Twilight said "Oh no we missed it!" Yeah, we'll have to go the long way now. "But maybe… *teleports the group inside the train* Okay. We're on the train." Or we could just do that. Wasn't thinking about that, but okay then. "Everything should be fine right?" I'm not sure about that. The rest of the group looked away nervously and Rarity said "I worked out exactly how much time I needed for my Star Spider sash and now I'm behind!" You'll be fine. Applejack said "Ah hope Big Mac can figure out who gets what deliveries on his own." Don't count on it. Fluttershy said "I don't have the snacks the doves and swans will need to perform after their long flight! I better find the food car!" Okay then. Fluttershy handed Rarity the bird cage and she just set it next to the Star Spider cage. The spiders hissed at the birds and they chirped in fear. Rainbow opened the window and said "And I need to meet the Wonderbolts!" That's probably not going to go that well. Pinkie said "The only thing I'm worried about is Gummy handling the fireworks display. But I'm sure it's fine." Yeah, you'll be okay. Twilight said "Well, it could always be worse." OH MY GOSH! DON'T YOU PONIES KNOW BY NOW NEVER TO SAY THAT?! Now, you've cursed yourself. As soon as she said that, the train came to an abrupt stop and the whole train glared at her. She only chuckled nervously and looked out the window. Sheep. Flipping sheep. I went outside and tried to take care of the problem. I said "Come on, stupid sheep. Get a move on here." Agh! This is useless.
I flew back to Twilight's window and looked at her. "Twilight, go find Fluttershy and get her out here. I can't really speak animal and I don't want to accidentally wipe an innocent creature from existence." Twilight nodded and went to go find Fluttershy. Fluttershy quickly came out and she helped me get the sheep moving along. The sheep eventually got away from the tracks and the train could start moving again. I signaled for the engineer to start moving the train and he got it chugging. Me and Fluttershy went back inside the train car and we were off again to Canterlot. We finally made it to Canterlot and we burst open the doors to one of the rooms. Celestia and Luna were standing right there. Twilight was exhausted and they seemed concerned. Luna said "Goodness Twilight. Are you alright?" Going off of the disheveled mane, not really. Twilight said "My friends and I had a few hiccups on the way. But everything's fine now." Yeah, you say that as a sheep is still running across the hall. Oh dear.
Celestia smiled and said "We really are both just so proud of you and Zachary. If you need a moment, that's all right. It's your coronation." I'm fine, so you don't have to worry about me. Twilight was about to say thank you, but the trumpet sounded and that was my cue to head down where the creatures were sitting at. Luna said "Although, it would be nice to get started. Are you ready?" Um, I am. Rarity yelled "No! She can't possibly be crowned without her coronation gown!" I don't really need that, so I'm sticking with my regular royal attire that I already have. Celestia walked away and said "Very well." They came out and Celestia announced themselves to everyone. "Citizens of Equestria and beyond!" There were cheers, followed by stomping by the Yaks, and then fire breathing from the Dragons. "My sister and I have ruled this land for quite some time. But even we know that change eventually comes to us all. And though we know it can be unsettling, it's as natural as the rising and the setting of the Sun and the Moon. Both of which my sister and I feel confident leaving in the hooves of the pony…" She went on, but I noticed that Twilight was almost ready. I was standing next to Discord as I was waiting for my turn to be crowned as King. "And so, without further ado, I give you the new ruler of Equestria, Princess Twilight Sparkle!" As soon as she said that, Twilight somehow did a backflip and landed on her back. Okay then. The crowd gasped and she got up nervously.
"Sorry." It's alright. I think I know what happened. Anyway, Celestia and Luna took off their crowns and it forged into one within a few seconds. It did look pretty cool, but there were more problems to come. That would not be the end of it. Luna saw a Star Spider crawling on the back of Twilight and got nervous. She said "Umm, Twilight…" Before she could say anything else, the birds came over, but the Star Spider hissed at them. They were communicating something and it just looked awkward. I feel bad for everypony up there. Fluttershy saw what was happening and said "Oh dear. I know these aren't the snacks I promised, but it's all I could find." The doves and swans didn't care and made very angry goose noises. The swans were about to put the crown on Twilight's head, but the Wonderbolts came flying in followed by the fireworks which they had to dodge since those are highly flammable and can burn somepony quite easily without any problem. The swans made more noises and then Twilight was seen falling trying to catch that crown.
The crowd gasped in horror and Twilight eventually made it back up with the crown not even properly in place. That was a hot mess. I heard Applejack say "To Twilight!" She looked confused and the waiters started going around with the mushed up apple juice or something. It was… interesting to say the least, but whatever. Applejack sent a glare at Big Mac and he looked away in embarrassment. Luna looked around and said "Eh, close enough." Twilight was embarrassed and then we returned to the present. Luster said "Okay, I get it now. Your coronation was such a disaster that you and your friends never really recovered and that's why you all drifted apart." I'll let Spike speak to you on that. Spike said "Well, you're half right." Luster was confused and stared at Spike. She turned back to us and said "So, your coronation wasn't a disaster and your friendships just faded away over time?" Not quite. I'll let Twilight tell you that one. Twilight stepped down from her throne and said "Not exactly." Suddenly, the door opened and Pinkie came in. Yep, it's that time of year again. She said "Sorry I'm late. But it is so hard to find a sitter with a sense of humor for Lil' Cheese." Ah yes. Pinkie and Cheese's child. That reminds me. After me and Twilight got married, Rainbow in fact was the next one to get married. She married Soarin and they've been pretty happy for a long time now. Pinkie came next after Rainbow and things settled down for a while.
But eventually, Fluttershy ended up marrying Discord. Yes yes, I know. That's so cliché these days and one of the most overused shipments in the fandom, but I don't care. The reason why Fluttershy fell in love with Discord was because after Sombra had "hurt" Discord all that time ago, Fluttershy started to have feelings of love for him. She tried to deny them, but after talking with me about it, she finally realized that it's okay to have those feelings even if there's uncertainty that comes along with it. So, Fluttershy was the last one to marry out of all of us. Rarity and Applejack stayed single which didn't bother any of us. It was their choice. Spike and Rarity sat down and talked about their feelings, and they came to realize that they would become too busy to spend any sort of time with one another, much less be in a relationship, but they promised to always write to one another as friends. So, that's the marriage update on all of our friends. Anyway, Rarity came in and said "Honestly, I would have been here sooner, but you would not believe how busy Yakyakistan is these days." Oh believe me. I do.
We saw Rainbow and Applejack come in and they were bickering about something. Rainbow said "Maybe we could get to places on time if you let me do some of the chores instead of always doing them yourself." I'm sure Applejack has a reason for that. Speaking of which, she said "Maybe I would if you did them the right way." You see? That is a potential reason. She doesn't want you helping her because you don't do it right. That's understandable. "Oh, sorry. We're not the last ones, are we?" Nope. You're good. Suddenly, a portal opened and Fluttershy walked out. That's right. She and Discord live in the Chaos Realm and spend a lot of time there. Discord gave Fluttershy her lunch and waved hello to us before wishing his wife goodbye and disappearing. Fluttershy said "Discord's heading to an O&O convention where he'd be joining us." Man, I would love to go to one of those, but I simply just don't have the time these days. Maybe, if I have a free day, I could attend one, but until then, I'm stuck here doing work which is fine. No complaints here. Anyway, Luster seemed confused and said "I just assumed that you aren't together all the time now-" before Twilight said "That we aren't friends?" We all laughed it off and had a good time getting that one in. "That's not the point of my story. It's true that my coronation was a disaster." Yep. I remember that. I said "But mine was a lot better thankfully."
Twilight grumbled in jealousy and I chuckled a bit. We returned to the past and Twilight was finally done with her part of the coronation. Now it was mine. A stone ramp was sitting right there next to the balcony where Celestia and Luna were standing and Discord was standing right next to the ramp. I walked up to the ramp and Discord bowed. I gave him a hug and he returned it because we're bros and have supported each other for quite a while now. He said "It is time." I released the hug and walked up the ramp. I had a determined look on my face as the music at the end of the Lion King and everyone was watching me step up. I finally reached the top and stared at the sky. I heard my father say "Remember" faintly as I looked up. I looked back down and finally had the confidence I needed to push forward. That one last push. I let out a huge roar and soon the other creatures soon followed as they heard my declaration as the new King of Equestria. I am the King of All Beasts and the other creatures have their representation in Equestria now.
After I was done, Celestia took that as her opportunity to continue speaking. She said "Joining Princess Twilight is also someone who has definitely helped us all for a long time. He may have had some bumps in the road, but he still came out on top. And once again without further ado, I give you the other ruler of Equestria, Prince Zachary!" After she said that, red magic blasted into the air and my crown was lifted up with it. It got changed around and turned into a bigger crown with a different design on it. No longer was it a simple crown, but a crown that had yellow on the left side and black on the right side. On the left, it had me as a lion defending in battle mode, and on the right, it had demons being taken down and crushed very easily. It was basically a biblical symbol that said that Jesus, the Lion of Judah, will someday return and crush Satan and his demons and throw them into the Lake of Fire. After the crown was revealed, it lowered down slowly on my head and fit quite nicely. It will get bigger over time. Anyways, after that, there was the after party and everyone had left. Pinkie drank some of that weird apple juice apple sauce combo and said "Welp, at least the coronation is over." Pretty much. Twilight came over and sighed before resting her head on the table in exhaustion. Soon, we all just started laughing and having a good bonding moment. Twilight said "That was something." It sure was. Starlight said "I was just about to say the same thing." I'm sure you were.
"I know it wasn't the coronation you planned, but it's good to see all of you laughing." That's what matters. The coronation is just letting the public know that there are new rulers now. Spike said "We wanted to give this to you before you left Ponyville, but things got a little hectic." They sure did. It got quite crazy. Starlight said "Since you're moving away, we thought if you missed any of us, or Ponyville, this might help." Oh. The book of memories. I remember that now. Twilight opened the gift and saw what it was. It showed her all the scenes of this show from the very beginning. Pinkie said "It's a book of memories." I'll remember to keep that in our living quarters so we won't forget about it. Applejack said "And we all chipped in some." Including me. I knew I had my fair share to give, so I shared it with Spike and Starlight while they were making it. Fluttershy said "No matter how much things change, you'll always have this to look back on." That's right. Twilight said "I love it. Thank you so much." No problem. "But I don't only want to look back. Obviously, the coronation wasn't perfect." Mine was.
"But that doesn't matter. It's our relationships that really count and we have to maintain them." Exactly. If you don't they'll just fade away over time. Rarity said "But now that we'll be living in different places, I'm not exactly sure how." I think Twilight might have an idea. She said "I am. I suggest we meet once a moon." Once a year. Okay then. That works. "In fact, my first royal decree as Co-Ruler of Equestria is to establish this council of friendship!" Now that's something I like to hear. That's a great first decree. Celestia came over and said "And what a wonderful decree it is." I figured Celestia would say that. Luna said "We always knew that whatever adversity you faced, you and your friends would find your way through it together." That's right. Well said, Luna. Celestia said "We know Equestria is in the perfect hooves with you and your friends looking out for it." Thanks Celestia. "And while we'll always be here if you need us, it's time for us to be on our way." Right. I hope retirement goes well for you guys. Twilight said "You're leaving?" Yep. It's that time. Luna said "We hope you'll come and visit us in Silver Shoals." Oh definitely. I'll make time for you guys, Luna. No doubt about it. Celestia said "But now it's time for you to rule alongside your husband. You're all more than capable." Thanks again, Celestia. Don't know what we'd do without you. Twilight had tears in her eyes and said "Thank you for everything."
Twilight went over and gave Celestia a hug. The rest of us joined in and I grew myself bigger so I can fit everyone else in my giant hug. After we pulled away, Starlight asked me "So, Zachary, since Twilight made her first decree, what will be yours?" I thought about it for a second and said "Hmm. I have an idea. Being a prince won't do. As my first royal decree, I hereby declare myself King of Equestria!" That earned some gasps and confusion. "I'll be a good King, like Thorax. Not like Sombra. So relax." The rest of them laughed and then finally we returned to the present. I declared myself as King, and while creatures were suspicious of it, I told them I will be a good King and always have Equestria's best interest at heart. Now, it's just become accepted in society. Oh one thing mentioning though is that for a long time, I was King of Equestria, and Twilight was still the Princess of Friendship. It made some confused because it seemed like a father married to his daughter, so it raised concerns. Eventually, Twilight voiced the same thing I did when I declared myself King and now, she made the switch to being Queen of Equestria.
So yeah. I am the King and she's the Queen. Kinda funny if you think about it, but it's just how it is. Anyway, moving on. Luster said "So even though everything changed and you'd moved away from your friends, you didn't grow apart? And this is the Council of Friendship? That's what you're all doing here?" Pretty much. Rainbow said "Duh. This time every moon." Okay then. Applejack said "What she means is this is how we've been ruling together." Mhmm. Agreed. Rarity said "And how we've continued to face every problem and threat to Equestria over the years." We faced quite a bit of them which did include the real Grogar. That was a pain in the butt to deal with. Pinkie said "But mostly it's how we keep in touch. No matter how busy life gets." Heh, that's funny. Lil Cheese likes hanging onto Spike's wing. Twilight said "Sometimes, friendships can be hard and it takes work to maintain them. But without friends, things can be a lot harder." I nodded in agreement and I said "Life is always tough because you'll have trials that come your way. But when you have friends, it makes it a lot easier going through it instead of by yourself." Luster said "I never thought friendship could be something you work at and I don't mind work. I guess if they don't have to fade away, maybe making friends isn't the waste of time I thought." Believe me. It isn't. You'll quickly find that out sooner or later.
"But, I've been so focused on my studies, I wouldn't know where to start." I have the perfect idea. Twilight looked at me and I nodded in agreement. Twilight said "That's alright. Because I know exactly where to send you." Ponyville. This is how it all began. I remember that as a brony even though I was five years late to the party, but whatever. Twilight began singing probably the most heartwarming song I've heard in who knows how many years. It still is hard not to cry even to this day all these years later. Twilight teleported us all to Ponyville and it looked quite a bit different than what it did years ago. We stopped by at Sugarcube Corner and I finally got to see the Cake twins grown up along with Cheese, Pinkie's husband, and a really large Gummy. I swear, that woman is huge. We also stopped by at the Wonderbolts Headquarters and Rainbow's got her own squadron now that she's basically replaced Spitfire. We also stopped at the School of Friendship and we saw Silverstream all grown up, along with Starlight and Sunburst running the operations.
The School is still going strong. The CMC's have finally grown up naturally and we saw the adult versions of Ocellus who handed off some tea to adult Smolder. My gosh have those two gotten big. I even saw Trixie, now older as well. We also stopped by Sweet Apple Acres and have seen Sugar Belle and Big Mac older now as well. I made sure to give my bro a hug because we still talk to one another and all that stuff. They even had their own kid. How nice. I wish the creators gave him a name though, but we'll never know since this is the end. We also stopped by the boutique and I saw both Yona and Sandbar fully grown as well. My gosh, the size difference for these Yaks is unbelievable. We made one final stop to the animal sanctuary and we all got to see Discord for the last time and saw how much his Chaos dimension changed over the years. Then we saw all the characters that the show ever introduced in a giant pack together. We all came back together in Ponyville and the song finally ended. Luster nuzzled her teacher and I gave her a hug to wish her off. We saw her wave back to us before finally heading off with a group of friends that were different species. We watched with smiles on our faces as the Sun set and the book finally closed. That's the end. The Magic of Friendship will grow until He returns at the end of time.
Well, we have finally reached the end. I hope you all enjoyed my story being told to you and found it useful. This was a really fun one to tell and I hope you guys weren't too bored with it. I am now living with my beautiful wife and my two children as we are ruling Equestria for generations. One last thing to mention before I go is that how you saw the rest of the Mane Six in this present time is how they'll be for the rest of their lives. I granted them all immortality so that Twilight and I will never have to worry about them dying. Also, Shining Armor also has immortality so that Cadence doesn't lose him either after coming to me about it. I can grant immortality to other creatures without losing it. It's only if I try a resurrection spell that I'll lose my immortality. Anyway, I hope this was entertaining and that you took something out of this. And now, back to you, author.
AN: Alright, thanks Zachary for that little ending piece right there. We have come so far over the last year with this story and it's just unbelievable how much time has passed. Obviously, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of this last episode. Like most of the fanbase, I do have several problems with it, but I only say it as constructive criticism. Also, this episode is quite difficult to watch for me. I can't bear watching the final scene of the last episode in the series. The song is well executed, but it makes me so sad every time because it's the end and we'll never see them again. I'm sure you guys can understand. But the closing of the book is what kills it for me. I'll admit, the first time I listened to that song, I was crying quite a bit. Yeah yeah, make fun of me all you want. But that's how I felt. I couldn't help it. It just came naturally. However, even though it's been over for at least a year and a half now, the fanbase lives on in the fanfiction world. Something I want to mention though is I want to thank everyone who has read this fanfiction for their support. Without you guys, I'm not sure if I would have completed this. And thanks to the haters out there that kept me pushing as well despite their hatefulness, but whatever. This has been a fun journey and I plan to continue this in the future. One more thing before I let you guys go: There will be a sequel coming out. I'm not sure when yet. I need quite a bit of a break since I've been grinding out these last couple of chapters here for the past couple of weeks. It might not be out until August. We'll see. But don't worry. There will be a sequel coming your way, so don't fret. I have big plans for it. I hope you guys enjoyed this final chapter and if I don't write anything next month, have a good rest of your summer!
Next Chapter: None! Now that we've reached the final chapter, there's no more previews on what the next one will feature. These have been fun to do and I loved leaving you guys with questions in this section to keep you guys hooked. But for this chapter, I'll talk a bit about the sequel without giving away too much. It's returning to the past. That's all I'll say about it. If you want to know more, you'll have to wait until the sequel actually comes out. It's going to be quite the interesting one and I know you guys will like it. You might recognize the style when it comes out, but it might take you longer to figure out the details. Here's one final question: Will you guys stick around for the sequel, or is this considered enough for you?
Until then, my fellow readers