Archmage Chapter 2 - Revelations and Realizations

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“Twilight.”

“Mm…”

“Twilight, wake up…”

“Hnn… Princess…?”

“Oh good. She’s conscious. Come now, Twilight Sparkle. It’s time.” She felt a firm presence lift her off of the cold stone floor. Her hooves situated under her body, her weight slowly settling on them. She felt woozy, uncoordinated, and above all, very confused. Slowly, her eyes opened, and she looked around at the hallway. She was still with the princesses, by the door with the Archmage’s body behind it.

“Oh no…”

“Twilight, I know you have some questions-“

“Celestia.” Luna cut her elder sister off curtly. Twilight glanced down at her body and saw it was Luna’s dark blue aura of magic that encased her, still holding her steady on unsure hooves. “Now is neither the time nor the place for questions. The ceremony must take place immediately. For now, Twilight must fulfill her duty. We will talk afterwards.” Celestia and Luna looked at one another for a long while, the silence stretching on into what could safely be considered ‘uncomfortable.’ Finally, Celestia nodded.

“Very well. Twilight, I herby relieve the watch to you. It is your solemn duty to carry Nocturnal Glow to his resting place.”

Twilight felt a cold sweat break out over her entire body. She shuddered as Luna’s magic withdrew from her, leaving her standing on her own strength.

By the heavens, I’m not prepared for this… I can’t do this… I can’t be the Archmage of Canterlot. This is ridiculous. This is unorthodox. There must have been a mistake somewhere, a-a miscalculation… I can’t-

“Ahem.” Twilight started at the soft noise. She looked up at Luna, her disapproving face still drawn in a slight frown.

“P-princess…?”

“Make haste, Twilight Sparkle. The other ponies are waiting on you.”

“R-right…” Twilight shuddered as she turned her gaze to the door. Like it or not, she had to do this. Whatever the implications were, she had to fulfill her duties. As a student. As a unicorn. As a subject, loyal to the two princesses who now loomed over her.

As the new Archmage.

Slowly, the door swung inwards. Twilight hesitantly crossed the threshold, her eyes trying to drink in the sight. Nocturnal Glow’s body rested, curled up in a ball, atop a raised table of stone. All around his body lay flowers and bouquets. The traditional funeral had been held in this room, and these were the last gifts from his friends and surviving family. Unlike other ponies, who would be buried or cremated, Nocturnal Glow still had one duty remaining, and Twilight had to help him.

After taking one last breath for courage, Twilight’s horn glowed as she gingerly enveloped the thin body of her predecessor. Carefully as she could manage, she lifted him off of the table. He was so light… He couldn’t have weighed more than a teenage foal. It was almost scary how easily she could maneuver him. Still, she focused on keeping him curled up, making sure his mane and his tail fell around his body just so… Only when she was absolutely sure that every detail was presentable did Twilight turn around, reverently carrying him out through the door and into the hallway.

“Twilight-“ Celestia began to say something, but a single sympathetic look from Luna silenced her. Twilight hardly noticed either of these… She was too focused on carrying Glow’s body. She had studied the tradition in the past, and had brushed up on it since returning to Canterlot. Twilight knew probably better than anypony else how this was supposed to happen. She had never in a million years expected that she would be the one to do it… Wordlessly, Celestia and Luna fell into step behind her. Together, the small entourage made the walk….

It took them fifteen full minutes to make it to the ceremony grounds. They walked slowly, and everypony they passed, servant and guard alike, bowed low to show their respects. They didn’t move a muscle until the two princesses had passed. Twilight was so engrossed with making sure Glow was perfectly positioned she nearly missed a turn… Smooth as can be, she maneuvered around it, her heart thundering in her ears at the near-blunder. She thought she could hear Celestia open her mouth to say something behind her, but the words never came. Nopony said a word to them. They spoke to none of the servants and guards. When they left the castle, Twilight took just a moment to register what she saw.

Hundreds of unicorns, earth ponies, pegasi… They all lined up on the castle grounds, leaving a wide lane for the four bodies to move down. Each and every single one of them had their eyes affixed on Twilight. Before that moment, none of them knew who the new Archmage would be. Now, her name was carried in a whisper back through the crowd. They spoke it with fear and doubt, reverence and hope. To many, she was a national figure, a hero against Discord and Nightmare Moon… To others, she was the spoiled student of Celestia, a brat undeserving of the title of Archmage.

And yet… None of it mattered. Twilight hardly heard the doubt and hope in the multitude of whispers, barely even registered the fact that she was suddenly the focal point of nearly every pony in Canterlot.

Her attention was fixed on two things: Nocturnal Glow, and his final resting place. A stone table, similar to the one he had rested on previously, rose from it’s place on the ground, and was the centerpiece of the large gathering of ponies. The whispers stopped as Twilight and the two princesses began their approach, walking through the open lane in the crowd. The silence was so total and complete, it was somewhat frightening to Twilight. Not even a gentle breeze swished through the trees… The only movement was of pegasus wings and slow hooves.

The stone table rose in Twilight’s vision. Her trip was nearly complete. Ignoring the intense stares of hundreds of ponies, blocking out the dead silence, Twilight gently laid Nocturnal Glow on the table. It was done. The first part of the ceremony was complete. But that was the easy part… Now, Twilight faced the most difficult task she had ever undertaken… Slowly, she raised her head, taking a deep breath.

”In a crucible of unicorn magic, fueled by the sun and moon themselves, we commend Nocturnal Glow’s body to the stars. His life of servitude is ended, his duty fulfilled. Rest now, weary unicorn, and may your magic never die.”

In the breath of time between her final word and what happened next, Twilight could have sworn she saw Glow’s lips curl upwards in a smile.

With every ounce of strength she possessed, Twilight summoned her magic, her horn ablaze with light. Celestia’s radiant glow of magic burst forth, a perfect match to Luna’s. A shockwave of gasps radiated outwards as the blinding light filled the air, only to be joined by another two lights. The two princesses matched Twilight’s power, the three even blazes of magic humming with a scintillating, powerful sound. Together, the three of them wrapped their magic around Nocturnal Glow’s body, enveloping him in a blaze of primal energies that would have rent a lesser pony asunder.

Twilight grit her teeth at the exertion, working through the motions of the spell. She used the energy from Celestia and Luna’s magic, her own shaping and guiding the two monstrous forces into the combined form of a spell that was forbidden to be cast outside of this sacred ceremony. She had never been in command of such power before. The rippling shockwaves radiating outwards made her coat stand on-end. Her mane whipped back and forth with the furious onslaught of energy, and her entire body tingled with emotion. Adrenaline flowed fast and free, granting her mental alacrity, powerful reasoning, and the presence of mind to execute the spell.

“Rrr-AAH!” Twilight’s hooves spread on the stone, giving her a stable base. The last shockwave blasted outwards. As the light faded away, crackling through the air with the last bits of residual energy, everypony present turned their eyes to the stone table, and the form resting upon it. Slowly, Nocturnal Glow’s body rose into the air, glimmering with the power of an ancient spell. From the edge of his tail, he started to fade away… The glimmering pinpricks of light that materialized from his form began to slowly float upwards, winking and swaying side-to-side as they rose. Twilight had never seen anything so beautiful, or so sad… She felt the tears of sorrow flow fast and free then, but her eyes never left Glow’s body as he faded more and more…

“And so passes Nocturnal Glow, the eighty-ninth Archmage of Canterlot.” Celestia and Luna spoke in tandem, their voices harmonizing in a haunting echo of power. “His body rises to the heavens, may he look down on all of us forever, his magic resides in us all, his works not forgotten and his legacy everlasting.” Twilight watched the last glimmer fade away. Nocturnal Glow was gone, his body no longer laying on the stone table.

Instead, Nocturnal Glow’s body ascended to the heavens, the glimmering pinpricks of light that had sifted off of his body burning brighter and brighter... They shot into the heavens, screaming through the galaxy until they found their place. This was the reason for the powerful spell... Anypony’s body could be laid to rest in a similar fashion... But to be painted amongst the stars? Immortallized for millions of years to come? That was a power reserved solemnly for the princesses. Twilight watched the pinpricks of light fade into the daylight, only to be seen when next the night ruled the sky.

When Celestia and Luna spoke next, it was in the Royal Canterlot Voice. Together, their voices raised louder than ever, reverberating in the chests of everypony. It boomed out from Canterlot, and would be heard from Stalliongrad to Ponyville… Las Pegasus to Trottingham. There wasn’t a single pony in all of Equestria that didn’t hear the princess’ words.

”By decree of the Royal Pony Sisters, Twilight Sparkle is herby named Archmage of Canterlot.”

In the breath of an instant after Celestia and Luna finished speaking, there was a pause... Not a very long one, but long enough for Twilight to look up... Then, the cheers washed over her. In a rush of sound, she was completely swept away, carried on a wave of emotion bigger and more meaningful than anything in her life.

They were cheering for her.

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“Sit.” Luna’s clipped order was unavoidable. Without hesitation, Twilight plopped down onto her haunches, afraid to look up at either of the imposing princesses. She remained silent, her thoughts racing a hundred miles an hour, trying to make sense of all that had just happened. She was left alone with them, though she could feel the intent gaze of her two rulers looking at the back of her neck. Several long moments passed before she raised the courage to talk.

“I’m doomed, aren’t I?”

Luna scoffed at her question.

“With talk like that, you very well may be.” Twilight looked up at them, and saw some expressions that were very confusing. On Celestia’s face was a warm smile, the kind Twilight had never seen before. Luna’s face was a patronizing sort of irritation… Not a bad expression, just somewhat… Annoyed. Twilight shivered. She was so confused…

“What… What do you mean?” She asked meekly.

“Twilight, both Luna and I trust in Nocturnal Glow’s decision. He was much more wise than anypony aside from perhaps the two of us and Cadance. He knew more about magic than any one unicorn, and maybe even more than either of us gave him credit for. He would not have nominated you for his position if he didn’t have faith that you could do it.” Celestia’s words were reassuring to hear, but in light of Luna’s behavior, Twilight found it difficult to believe her. “This should be a cause for celebration, Twilight. You have become the single most important unicorn in all of Equestria. Luna will tell you what she thinks in a moment, but I’m telling you right now…” Celestia stepped forward, gingerly raising Twilight’s chin so she was looking her straight in the eyes. “Your display of power at the ceremony was the single most magnificent in all of history. From the first Archmage on, nopony was able to command that much power.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. This was important. She knew it was, but how?

“What my sister is trying to say,” Luna interjected. Celestia pulled away, letting Twilight look at Luna directly. “Is that while you command power that neither of us have seen in a single unicorn, it is still unrefined and primal. You lack the knowledge and technique that all Archmages must have. Nocturnal Glow was not very powerful for an Archmage. He certainly couldn’t hold a candle to Flare. But he was knowledgeable. He knew every branch of magic as well as you understand friendship. With that knowledge, he was able to take what power he had and apply it in many different ways.” Luna stood then, pacing slowly back and forth.

“Just because you have a wealth of power does not mean you will be a good, or even a successful Archmage. The reason many Archmages are groomed for their position is thus: They must know all forms of magic. Friendship, love, darkness and shadow, nature, the elements themselves… Each of these are a unique school of magic that you must now undertake.” She stopped, looking down at Twilight. “Your studies in the magic of friendship are complete, Twilight. An admirable feat for one as young as yourself. But you still have much to learn.”

Twilight began to grasp what Luna was saying. There were still things about magic that she didn’t understand. There were subjects she had barely touched on, and others that were still completely veiled in mystery.

“Be cautious, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna continued. “There are other magics that you must know, but very well could corrupt and destroy you. The magic of hatred, for instance, is extremely potent and can accomplish great things… But if you let it consume you, as it did with King Sombra… Well, you know the consequences of that… There are others, as well, that no unicorn has ever even heard of, let alone studied…” Luna turned away, leaving Twilight with more questions than she had ever had before.

“Don’t fret, Twilight.” Celestia said quietly. “Like I said, both Luna and I trust Nocturnal Glow’s judgment. If he says you are ready to take his position, then I believe in him. But more importantly,” Celestia lifted her chin once more. Twilight looked up at the face of her mentor and ruler, Celetsia’s own eyes brimming with everything from pride to concern. “We cannot force you to do anything. Equestria is a free society. Luna and I may rule, but we have never forced anypony to do anything. What I’m saying is this.” She released Twilight’s chin, straightening up so she could look down at her. Luna joined her at her side, the two of them suddenly very serious and formal.

“The position of Archmage is yours, but only if you want it.”

“Take the evening, Twilight Sparkle. Think it over. This is a decision I wouldn’t expect anypony to make in a day.”

“Your studies in the magic of friendship are complete. If you accept, you will begin studying other magics as soon as possible. If you deny, you are welcome to pursue your own life, as any other pony would.”

“But…” Twilight whimpered. “Nocturnal Glow picked me… Doesn’t that mean that I have to…?”

“I said this before, Twilight.” Celestia said softly. “Luna and I do possess the ability to rescind his choice. For this reason alone. If you do not want the position, we shall appoint another whom we find suitable.”

“But… How? Tradition states-“

“Who do you think,” Luna cut her off. “Appointed the very first Archmage? Who made the traditions you have studied and know so well? More importantly, who do you think developed the spell the three of us just cast not an hour ago?” Twilight blinked, her mind racing still.

“Luna and I can and will choose a replacement if you deny, Twilight.” Celestia continued. “But I urge you to take a while to decide. Perhaps if you have a conversation with your friends…?”

“But… They’re back in Ponyville. I can’t just leave after all this! I mean, what about his duties? What about all those ponies who just watched me be named Archmage? I can’t talk to my friends right now-“

“Can’t you?” Celestia smiled, her horn lighting up as she opened the doors behind Twilight. “Come on in, girls.” Twilight’s eyes went wide as she wheeled about, only to be tackled to the ground by a very energetic cyan-colored pegasus.

“Twilight!” Her five friends cried out simultaneously as they rushed forward, picking her up, hugging her, pressing close, clamoring over her and chatting excitedly. Twilight was overcome with emotion in that moment, and she let it all go. She cried freely, her tears flowing fast and as her friends all comforted her. Surreptitiously, Celestia and Luna left the chamber, leaving the six ponies behind. Twilight took a few long minutes to cry it out, but eventually managed to compose herself with several sniffles and an obnoxiously-colored hoofkercheif that Pinkie managed to pull from who-knew-where. Eventually, she managed a brave smile at her friends.

“Thanks, girls… It means a lot to me that you’d come.”

“Aw, shoot, sugarcube. Ah was almost angry when y’all didn’t invite us in the first place.”

“Yeah, what gives, Twi?!” Dash barged in between Twilight and Applejack, glaring at the purple unicorn. “The Archmage passing only happens once in like, forever! You’re lucky Celestia told us to come anyways! I would have been here in two minutes!”

“Silly filly, even I know how important the Archmage is! And I’m just a baker!” Pinkie Pie bounced up and down several times, beaming her signature smile and laughing.

“Girls, girls… Let us not forget why Celestia brought us here in the first place.” Rarity cut them all off with a raised hoof. “Twilight needs our help making a very important decision right now.”

“Oh, my. That’s right.” Fluttershy squeaked softly. “Are you doing okay, Twilight?” The purple unicorn heaved a sigh, rather reluctant that the momentary distraction was past.

“I mean, I’m alive, aren’t I?” She muttered meekly. “Just… I don’t know what to think right now. I’m torn, girls… I really am. Celestia thinks I’m ready to handle the job, but Luna seems to think I’m not prepared. Both of them tell me that they trust Nocturnal Glow’s judgement, but the Archmage is the single most powerful unicorn in existence. Not just powerful, but intelligent… He knows more about magic than anypony else, save the princesses themselves… I just… I don’t know.”

“Twilight,” Rarity’s voice distracted her. “Let me remind you of something. It’s, coincidentally, how the six of us met… Remember seven years ago, when you first came to Ponyville?”

“Yes… It was to foresee the Summer Sun celebration, and ultimately, to make friends. With you five.”

“Right. Remember that same night? How you led five doubtful, scared ponies into the Everfree Forest? Remember the Elements of Harmony?”

“I remember…”

“Well, I am the element of generosity. Loyalty, honesty, laughter, kindness… What is that sixth element, Twilight?” Rarity’s hoof reached out to rest on Twilight’s flank, right over her cutie mark. “What is your element?”

“Magic…”

“Exactly.” Rainbow Dash cut in. “What kinda friends would we be if we stopped you from… Well, your destiny?”

“Ah think what we’re sayin, Twi, Is that this is what you’re supposed ta be doin’ with yer life. Not being a librarian in Ponyville.”

“Ooh! Ooh! This means you can totally be all PSSHEW PSSHEW! Boom!” Pinkie Pie bounced about happily, making noises and waving her hooves dramatically. “With all the sparkles and magic! Ka-pow! BOOOOOM!”

“A-and, you can probably help a lot more ponies here in Canterlot than you could in Ponyville…”

“But…” Twilight whimpered. “Ponyville’s my home… We can’t exactly be the elements of harmony if we’re all apart, can we…?”

“What was it Celestia said, darling?” Rarity nudged her gently. “Your studies in the magic of friendship are complete. But that doesn’t mean we’ll ever stop being friends. You should know better than any of us that distance doesn’t change any of that… Besides.” Rarity flipped her mane over her shoulder dramatically. “Canterlot is the hub of high-brow fashion. Cross Stitch and I have been toying with the idea of moving here for a while now… It’d certainly help Sweetie Belle with her studies.”

“Ooh! Ooh! Mr. and Mrs. Cake would just LOVE it if we opened another store in Canterlot!”

“Weather team transfers are a breeze to handle. I can get on with the team here, it’ll just take some boring ol’ paperwork.”

“Ah still have the farm to help out with, but Applebloom’s old enough to start handlin’ a lot o’ my duties. Ah’ll probably have lotsa more time to come an’ see y’all.”

“I… Have my animals, but that doesn’t mean I can’t come visit…”

“You see, darling?” Rarity smiled at her. “We’re here to support you. If that means some of us have to move to Canterlot, we’re more than willing to do so.”

“But…” Twilight muttered. “I can’t ask that of you…”

“You don’t have to.” Dash thumped her chest with a hoof. “I’ve been looking for a reason to come to Canterlot for a while now. The Wonderbolts draft from weather teams in all the major cities.”

“And, like I said, Cross Stitch and I have been meaning to move for a while. Sweetie Belle needs to come to Canterlot to study anyways.”

“Looks like yer just gonna hafta put up with us a little while longer, sugarcube.” Twilight felt the tears come on once more, and she pulled all of her friends close for a firm hug.

“Thank you so much, you guys.” She blubbered, hugging them all close. “Thank you…”

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“Have you made your decision, Twilight Sparkle?” Luna asked as Twilight came to halt before the two princesses. Her doubt and anxiety were gone. Twilight had not only Nocturnal Glow and Celestia’s approval, she had her friends behind her… No, she had all of Ponyville behind her. She threw her head back, standing proud and strong before Celestia and Luna. All the scowls and disapproving whispers in the world weren’t going to sway her. This was her destiny, her calling. This was her special talent.

“Under my own volition, I accept the position of Archmage. From now until the day I am deemed incapable of fulfilling my duties, or until I die. I will serve Equestria and the Royal Pony Sisters faithfully in all aspects of magic.” She grinned, confidence welling over. “When do I start?”

For the first time since she arrived in Canterlot, Twilight saw Luna smile. A genuine, happy smile.

“Immediately.”