Feeling emotionally liberated, Impact eventually unbound herself from Celestia’s embrace and quietly retreated to the bathroom. She wetted her face with cold water, dried off, then returned to the living room to gather her belongings.

“Now, if everypony would excuse me, I must be on my way.” she said with a sniffle, draping her saddlebags over her back.

The silver alicorn turned to leave, but somepony stopped her, blocking the door with her body.

“The only place you’re going…” Celestia stated firmly, “is back to Canterlot with myself and my sister.”

“For six years, you kept me in your care out of the kindness of your heart, and I’m eternally grateful.” Impact interrupted, “But I left Canterlot for a reason. I took a sabbatical from myself. I’ve traveled all over Equestria, trying to figure out who I am and what my purpose is in life, and I still haven’t found it yet. My sincerest apologies, Princess, but I must decline your offer. The filly you once knew and loved is gone, and the mare she has become doesn’t want to go back.” Impact said, as nicely as she possibly could.

“WHAT!?” she declared angrily, “How dare you disobey your Princess…and your mother?”

“Celestia… please listen!” she whimpered as she produced a stack of papers from her saddlebags with her magic. “I’ve reread the adoption contract,” she said, leafing through the pages until she found the one she needed, “and Article Seven, Subsection Four states that you shall remain my legal guardian unless a living blood relative can be found and you transfer guardianship to them… or until 12:00 AM on the day after my eighteenth birthday, which is when I legally become an adult.” She pointed a hoof at the clock on the wall, which now read 12:03 AM. “It's November 17th, Princess. The contract expires tonight. You’ll no longer be responsible for my well-being, and subsequently cannot force me to go anywhere against my will except under special legal circumstances, none of which currently apply.”

Everypony recoiled in shock. This was getting really bad, really fast…

Celestia raised a hoof in retaliation, but stopped. She hated to admit it, but Impact was telling the truth. She was trapped by the very legal system she herself helped create. The elder princess cursed under her breath. She’d fallen into the same trap that drove them apart four years ago.

“You’re absolutely right.” she sighed in defeat, “You always were my brightest student.”

Twilight blanched at what she’d just heard. The thought of secretly being the Princess’ second fiddle for all these years infuriated her. Parts of her mane began to spontaneously combust as a rage shift slowly overwhelmed her.

“That’s because I learned from the best.” Impact said with a teary-eyed smile. She leaned in close and gently kissed the solar matriarch on the cheek. “But we both know you’ve already passed that torch. Wouldn’t you agree, Twilight?” she said with a wink.

The purple unicorn blushed madly as her flaming mane quickly extinguished itself.

“Thanks again for your hospitality, but I really must go.”

“Where are you going?” Spike asked.

“Let’s just say that… somepony in this room has finally inspired me…” she said proudly.
Having said that, she walked out the door and hitched herself to her wagon. After some brief straining and struggling, the wheels began to turn. The Princess of the Sun could only stare helplessly as she left.

“Goodbye!” Celestia called, waving a hoof as her fellow alicorn departed.

“Don’t say ‘Goodbye’, Princess!” Impact called, waving back, “Goodbyes are for funerals, and we’re both still very much alive. Just say ‘Farewell.’”

Celestia chucked lightly.

“Farewell then, Impact Hammer,” she dismissed, "and have a happy birthday!"

“Farewell to you, too, Your Highness. Until our paths cross again…” she replied, before she opened a portal with her magic and trotted off into the unknown.

As the vortex closed behind her and vanished, the princess stopped waving…and started weeping.

“Tia? Are you going to be alright?” Luna asked, snuggling her elder sister worriedly.

“I’m don’t know, Lulu.” Celestia sighed desolately, her entire body trembling with anxiety, “I’m just not sure anymore. Let’s go home…I’m feeling very unwell right now.”

Luna nodded in agreement, and the Royal Pony Sisters flew away without another word.

In the aftermath of the argument, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack grew furious over the event that had just transpired. Impact had just called the all-powerful Princess Celestia “Mother,” gave her the verbal equivalent of a roundhouse hoof to the face, and then kissed her goodbye!?!? Was she completely insane? Did she have a death wish or something?

“That tears it!” Pinkie sneered in disgust, “Now it’s personal…”

“Nopony hurts the princess like that and gets away with it!” Rainbow Dash screamed.

“I’m so mad I want to tear her other wing off!” Fluttershy fumed quietly. “Is that wrong?” she asked with a whimper, suddenly regretting what she’d said.

“Normally, Fluttershy, I’d say violence is never the answer.” Rarity said. “But in this case, I’m willing to make a BIG exception.” the white unicorn seethed through gritted teeth.

“Ah hear ya!” Applejack raged, “Sob story or not, Ah’m gonna juice that rotten apple tha next time ah see her, and ah won’t stop buckin’ ‘til she stops breathin’!”

Their furious rants quickly devolved into a loud, obnoxious tirade, and Twilight couldn’t stand it anymore.

“QUIET!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Now, everypony! CALM THE BUCK DOWN!” She hated having to resort to such profanity, but desperate times called for desperate measures. “Nopony is hurting anypony as I long as I’m still standing!” she said, slightly out of breath.

“Twilight! Are you insane?” Rainbow Dash beseeched. “She broke Celestia’s heart, and as the Elements of Harmony, we need to fix it! I WANT JUSTICE! I NEED VENGEANCE! I REQUIRE RETRIBUTION!"

“No, we don’t, and we won’t!” Twilight seethed, “And I can prove it.”

“How?” Fluttershy asked.

“Put myself in Impact’s position. If the princess wanted me pack up and leave Ponyville on a moment’s notice, never to return again, don’t you think I’d refuse with every fiber of my being?”

“Absolutely…” Pinkie Pie moped.

“Would I not question her logic and implore her to let me stay, explaining every reason why I deserved to do so?”

“Well, of course you would, but…” Rarity replied.

“And if she sent her personal guards to my front door, under royal order, to bring me back to
Canterlot by any means necessary; would you not defend me, risking your own freedom to protect mine?”

“Probably so…” Applejack muttered. “But what’s that gotta do with her...”

“Now, imagine the reciprocal of the situation. Celestia has asked me to leave Ponyville forever, but some tragic set of circumstances left me no choice but to willingly submit to her demands.”

“Oh no!” gasped Fluttershy.

“Now the critical question. If you had to point a hoof at the pony truly responsible for my departure, who would you choose? Would you blame Celestia because she ordered me to leave?” Twilight asked, “Or would you blame me because I surrendered to her will?”

The five ponies paused at the question and thought for a long time, but nopony could generate a response.

“So…what’s your point?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“My point is,” Twilight explained, “that Impact did was she believed was right, even at the expense of losing quite possibly the only family she had left. When somepony forces you to do something against your will, your natural instinct is to resist, and the harder somepony tries to control you, the harder you’ll try to resist them, the further you’ll push each other away, and the faster your friendship dies! You shouldn’t get mad at the ponies involved, but rather at the situation itself! Don’t hate the player, hate the game! Now, I think we should just sleep on it, and decide what to do in the morning, OK?”

The five remaining Element-bearers hung their heads in defeat. They were no match for Twilight Sparkle when it came to matters of logic. Nopony was. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy said goodbye to Spike and Twilight, then parted ways for the evening. Applejack was the last to leave.

“Ah’ve been purdy tolerant of tha new pony in town, but Ah’ve had it up to mah hat with her mouthin’ off to everypony.” she declared firmly. “Ah’ll try it yer way, Twi, so she gets one last chance ta redeem herself. ONE. LAST. CHANCE.” She stomped with every word for emphasis, driving her point even deeper. “If she blows her stack on anypony one more time, Ah’m personally gonna run her outta town with my own four hooves…and all tha logic in that pretty little head of yers ain’t gonna stop me. We clear?”

“Crystal.” she nodded.

“G’Night, Twilight.”

“Good night, Applejack.”

The orange pony left without another word. Twilight closed and locked the door, then sank to the floor.

“Oh, Impact…” she wept to herself, “What in Equestria have you done?”