A fit of deep, rumbling coughs shook Celestia’s whole body until she was on the floor once more. Twilight set down her quill and paper, pressing forward to nuzzle her beloved teacher. Fresh tears streaked down the matted channels beneath her eyes. The Princess gathered the strength to lift one of her silken wings and drape it over the sobbing unicorn.

“I know it is incredibly unfair of me to ask so much of you, but please Twilight... you must be strong. Your friends will look to you for strength as much as for answers; if you can overcome my passing, surely they can as well. My dear sister is still somewhat fragile, and so very very afraid of being alone. She, too, will need you. And all too soon in the future, the ponies of Equestria will need you.”

Another cough rattled her increasingly fragile frame. She sighed deeply.

“I believe that while not optimal, we have covered enough that stability can be maintained in my absence. With the immediate downfall of society averted,” she laughed and winced at the pain it caused, “we must now look toward the future. As such a logically minded individual... one who has even discarded the term magic, what do you believe my sister and I are, Twilight?”

“I... I-I don’t know Princess, I’ve never given it any real thought. You’re our kind and loving ruler. You’re the most amazing thing in this world, and you’re my teacher. That’s always... that’s always been enough for me.”

“Twilight, listen very carefully. We are not gods. We are merely ponies. Some ponies share a connection with the land, some ponies have wings with which to fly, some ponies have horns capable of amazing feats, and two very unlucky ponies have all three. As I have explained to you, the heavenly cycle takes great amounts of energy, but there is nothing special about it that would prevent any gifted enough unicorn from controlling it. I only hope Luna has enough time to hone your abilities before she is too weak.”

“But you’re over a thousand years old. Mortal ponies don’t live that long!”

“Whether it can be focused through a horn or not, all ponies have magic - my apologies, arcane energy - within them. I know you dislike that word, but I never had time to devote to the sciences and am sorry to say your research went over my head. A pony is a marvelous creature, Twilight. Have you never been stunned by how quickly and easily we recover from our injuries? I wish I knew how better to explain it, but the m... arcane energy, within us is a part of what sustains us. Being as powerful as we are, my sister and I experience a much greater volume of arcane energy flowing through us. Once you are able to move the sun and the moon, you can expect that you will live many times longer than those around you.”

“Are you telling me that... that my friends...”

“Be STRONG Twilight. I know this is a heavy burden. I KNOW. I have lived with it for longer than you can imagine, but believe me when I tell you that Equestria NEEDS YOU. Had I any other choice... any other option at all, I would have taken it. You are the very last pony I want to hurt like this, there isn’t enough time to find an alternative. You are the only pony I can be certain will be capable of running the country, maintaining the heavenly cycle, and keeping the sun burning! Please, Twilight. Please... forgive me.”

“...why?”

“Twilight please, I understand that-”

“Why are you dying?”

“Even as powerful as I am, a pony cannot live forever.”

“You were perfectly fine just a few months ago, how has your condition deteriorated so quickly?”

“I have not been fine. Not for many years.”

“But you were always-”

“The ponies need to believe in their leader, Twilight. The reason a more powerful pony lives longer is because they have more magic to sustain themselves. I have reached my limit, and soon Luna will reach hers. We are not gods. We are merely ponies.”

---------------------------------------------------

The cool, dark air was still and silent. The stars twinkled brightly and the unicorn on the balcony closed her eyes. She stretched her consciousness across the unfathomable distance between the blue orb her kind called home and the immense burning sphere shining in the darkness. Hard lines of determination set across her face and beads of sweat formed on her brow. She grunted and wriggled and strained, trying desperately to move uncountable tons of matter across an absurd distance with nothing but her will.

Three rays of light spilled onto her body from over the top of the distant mountain range to the east. Luna smiled as sunlight began to flood across the balcony. Twilight opened her eyes to drink in the sight of a sunrise she herself caused. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

“It never occurred to me before, but since last night I can’t stop wondering. Why Princess? I understand that an obvious power difference suggests a monarchy, but why specifically did the two of you choose that position? Why not Duchess or Empress or Tzar or Queen?”

“Oh, that’s an easy one. It was Tia’s idea. A little silly, perhaps, but not difficult to understand. ‘Princess’ evokes images of beautiful, kind, benevolent, innocent, pure, sweetness. In the whole of Equestrian history, not once has any significantly popular story had a Princess as the villain. The position implies that the pony holding it embodies only good qualities.”

“I see. Well, I’m sure Celestia is hungry by now. Let’s go have breakfast.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Celestia’s voice called out from the doorway, followed by two coughs. Twilight whirled around to face her.

“Princess! What are you doing up here? There are so many stairs, and you need your rest!”

“I would not let anything stop me from witnessing my personal student become the third pony in history to have a direct affect on the sun.”

“And I would not let you traverse those stairs again, Princess.”

The three ponies on the balcony disappeared in a blink and found themselves seated around a small table, surrounded by castle staff.

“If you need to be in a different part of the castle, let me know and I can teleport you. I don’t want you to have to move around so much. Now, we’re all hungry, yes?”

---------------------------------------------------

“So to answer your question more directly, yes. You’ll recall I still found the time to drop by Ponyville to see you now and then. Leading Equestria is difficult and time consuming, but you are not completely alone in the task. Your advisers understand that all work and no play will drive a pony mad, and they will understand that you need time to call your own. Perhaps in time you could even implement that democratic government you’ve told me about. The ponies would much more easily allow you to step down, having known you as a common unicorn. You don’t project the image of a goddess in the same way my sister and I do. That said, such a dramatic change cannot happen overnight. There will be a period where you rule, and you will find that your subjects become attached to you. They are incredibly grateful toward those who would grant them such essential things as sunlight each and every day.”

“Do I have to wear unnecessary regalia?”

“You do not have to, but it will be expected of you. A leader must not only BE competent, but must also APPEAR competent. Equestria has come to expect the monarchy to be a certain way, and while we cannot sew wings to you or double your size, we can adorn you properly and give you a fitting title.”

“What’s wrong with ‘Princess Twilight’? I’m already uncomfortable with the idea of being referred to as royalty. I don’t want to make it any worse.”

“Let us just say that Equestria’s laws are sometimes misguided and leave it at that. I believe I have done all I can for you now.” The Princess stood and a serious expression washed over her face. She stomped her front right hoof twice in rapid succession, and several ponies filed into the chamber. After a brief wait, she cleared her throat and stomped her hoof one more time. Complete silence reigned, and Celestia’s expression softened a bit. She coughed once, and a small glob of something dark and red fell to the floor.

“At this time, I, Princess Aurora Sol Celestia relinquish my title, my position, and my claim over the sun. I grant to you, Twilight Sparkle, my position in the monarchy as well as ownership of the sun, and I bestow upon you a fitting title for your new role. Were circumstances happier, this would be the part where I would say congratulations, Princess Eos Sol Celestia.”

The assembled ponies all turned to face their new Princess and bowed low to the ground. The former Princess coughed again, a large volume of crimson liquid splashing to the ground below her muzzle. She wavered for a moment, and then hit the floor with a dull thud. She wasn’t moving.

Princess Eos screamed.