Archmage - Finale “Ascendant”

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

“What’s that?!” The lone exclamation made everypony’s heads snap to the skies. They had all begun to slowly leave the gardens, leaving Luna to her lamentations. She and Celestia hadn’t moved from their place at the granite slab, both of them weeping for the loss of Twilight, the Archmage, their beloved pony. But as the one pony cried out, both of them looked up to the sky.

At first, neither of them saw it. It was a clear day, but the blue sky was blank from horizon to horizon. Neither of them could see whatever it was that had caused the anonymous party to yell as they had. Luna began to grow angry that somepony would pull a prank on them, in such poor taste, and in light of how distraught both princesses were. Just as she was about to seek them out, though… Something caught her eye.

“What… What is that?” Luna’s eyes narrowed. Something marred the otherwise flawless sky. Something dark. She fought to make reason of what it was that had suddenly appeared in the daytime sky.

In a flash, she realized what it was. She and Celestia shared a look, their tear-stained expressions as grave as could be.

“The fallout.”

“Her prophecy didn’t come true, so this is the result.” Luna glanced at the sun with a grimace. It wasn’t night time, so she wasn’t as strong as she should be. Celestia looked fatigued from performing both of their duties for the past three days. Even in the early-morning sun, she wouldn’t be at her strongest either. Neither of them could do anything to stop something so catastrophic from ripping Equestria apart.

Whenever a prophecy failed, no matter how small or large, there was a magical imbalance. Almost like thunder, there became a sudden and irrevocable displacement of magical energy surrounding whatever it was that had been effected by the prophecy. Whatever it was, it was almost always devastating. The area that was displaced suddenly rushed back into it’s rightful place, but did so at such a rapid pace it caused explosions and tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and even rampaging fires that couldn’t be put out normally.

Twilight had been the Archmage. Not just that, but the most powerful Archmage in history. For a prophecy that so intimately involved her to fail, the fallout would be cataclysmic. Neither of the princesses had enough strength to restore the balance, or diminish the effect, as they had done in the past. No matter what they did, lives would be lost this day. With another chest-wracking sob of despair, both princesses collapsed on the ground, weeping for the inevitable loss of so many more. Not only had they lost Twilight, now they were going to lose everypony else. Their world would be reduced to ash, leaving them with nothing in the wake of Twilight’s leaving. Ponies all around them began to panic and scream. Pandemonium erupted in the gardens, all because the world as they knew it was just about to end.

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

“Hmm… Is this death?”

“Not quite, young one.” Twilight thought she was alone. The sudden intrusion of a voice made her heart jump and hammer against her chest. She tried to whirl around, but her legs just flailed in the air. Her eyes opened, but she saw nothing. Fighting vertigo, she tried to make sense of what was happening. “You’re as close to dying as anypony has ever come before.”

“Wh… What’s happening? I can’t see! Where’s the ground?”

“Oh! Forgive me… I forgot you’re still used to having gravity, and light… I’m sorry.”

“Woah!” Twilight gasped as her hooves suddenly impacted the ground, followed promptly by the rest of her body. Light filled her vision then, blinding her with its sudden intensity. She blinked several times, trying to make sense of the sudden change. She was laying on a solid black surface, but all around her was a blazing, intense sky. Red and orange flames roiled from horizon to horizon, twisting and undulating in an endless, mesmerizing dance. The floor she stood on, however, was almost a perfect contrast to the inferno. It was perfectly dark, darker than the deepest shadow of the most lightless night. Twilight felt like she was standing on a calm sea of ink. Still very, very confused, she called out to the mysterious voices once more.

“What’s happening? Who are you?”

“I suppose a formal introduction is in order.” Twilight gasped as a figure as familiar to her as Luna herself emerged from the floor. The night, as she had called her, was dusky and beautiful as it rose from the inky blackness. Her mane floated ephemerally off of her neck, and in her eyes were all of the galaxies in their infinite majesty.

Beside her, however, was somepony almost entirely different. He was a strong colt, standing as tall as the night, sporting wide and powerful wings, and a slender, long horn. His coat, instead of hair like Twilight’s, was pure fire. He radiated light, but for each ray that hit the floor, it was absorbed, and countered. These two creatures, whatever they were, existed in perfect harmony. And they were both looking directly at her. She didn’t need a textbook to know who the new figure was.

“The day… I never thought I’d see you…”

“Only one other has earned this privilege, Twilight.” The day’s voice was strong, and vibrated her chest with its intensity. “But you have proven yourself worthy a hundred times over. Not just for my power, but all of the power in the galaxies.” His radiant glory was equally matched by the night’s beautiful serenity. They left one another’s side and slowly walked around Twilight, standing at opposite ends of her with warm smiles on their faces. The night spoke first.

“You have not died, Twilight. And as such, your prophecy has yet to fail.”

“My prophecy? Wait, my prophecy said I wasn’t going to die?” Twilight perked up. “I was supposed to live forever?”

“You are supposed to live forever.” The day countered. Twilight looked between the two of them, suddenly very confused.

“So why am I here? Where’s Equestria? Luna and Celestia…” She looked around, and for the first time, looked down at herself. “What happened to me? Why am I young again?”

“You have many questions, Twilight. I don’t think there’s any problem with us answering them. Come, sit down. Relax. Take your time, and ask us anything you want to know.”

“About what happened to you, what’s going to happen to you, or about anything you want to know. Our knowledge is yours, Twilight.”

She was confused, she was lost, she was very, very upset, but in that moment… Twilight couldn’t help but smile. She slowly sat down, and launched into it right away.

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

Celestia managed to rouse herself from her depression to calm the panicked ponies all around her. She told them very calmly what was happening, and why panicking was helpless. Everypony’s face turned grim then, and they were advised to find their family and loved ones to spend what time they had left cherishing their last moments together. The screams and confusion died away, replaced instead by weeping and solemn hoof-falls. Ponies everywhere filed out of the gardens, going back to their homes or the homes of their loved ones. Celestia watched with a profound ache in her heart as everypony she was responsible for protecting left them alone in the gardens, with their doom looming overhead.

“Luna.” Celestia said quietly, rousing her sister from her sad state. “Luna, please… I need you right now.”

“Okay.” Luna choked, swallowing her tears as she slowly rose to her hooves. The gardens were all but empty now, just the two of them and Banner remaining. He hadn’t moved from his spot, and tears were coursing down his face as well. Luna looked to her sister. “What?”

“How far up is it?”

“It’s… Still in the ionosphere. But it’s falling faster than terminal velocity, somehow…”

“How long do we have?”

“I count six minutes. Maybe less.” Luna sniffed, wiping a hoof over her eyes. Celestia was still crying, but her face was serious. What did she have planned?

“We have a decision to make…” Celestia reached out to take Luna’s hoof in her own. “We can try to stop it, whatever it is. Doing so might just kill us. But if we try to withstand the blow, we could live. The question is this: Do we try to stop it and die, or do we live on and persevere?”

“I… I don’t know, Celestia.” Luna whimpered, looking down at the ground. “I just don’t know anymore…”

“Luna, focus. I need you.” Celestia pleaded with her sister, pulling her close, shaking her out of her reverie. “Please. I need you one way or the other. Tell me: Do you want to live, or do you want to take a chance at dying?”

“I don’t have anything left to live for.” Luna whimpered. “But do you really think we can stop it? Can we protect everypony from a prophecy so large, so integral to so many lives? It isn’t just her that’s going to be imbalanced… It’s all of her notes, and her works… The entire library, and everypony who has ever learned under her. All across the world, Twilight’s preservation society charters, and all of their records will be destroyed. We can’t possibly protect them all, Celestia… We just can’t.”

“So we try again.” Celestia frowned. “We withstand this blast, and we try again.”

“A new start.” Luna nodded, though her tears intensified. “I hope you’ve said your farewells.”

“I’ve made my peace.” Celestia stood by Luna’s side. “I’ll stay by your side, and watch this world burn.”

“Together, then.” Luna nodded, both of them looking up at the falling object.

Banner wept openly.

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

“I see. I think I understand now.” Twilight rose to her hooves, walking a slow circle on the ink-like floor. “Either I go back and accept all of the pain and suffering of ages of ponies, thousands upon thousands of them, all living and dying in what appears to be nothing but the blink of an eye… Or I stay here, with you, and enjoy the knowledge of the eons.”

“In it’s most simplistic form, yes…” The night waved a hoof. “You’re reducing this to a very simple equation, but yes. You’ve more-or-less got it.”

“Can you blame her? She’s a water-type. They always try to reduce their problems to simpler solutions. Twilight,” The day turned to her. “We can give you a body like Celestia and Luna’s. A body that will withstand the test of time. But you will be returned to Equestria, in all of it’s flawed imperfection. You will inevitably love those around you, and grow attached to them. But they will die. And they will occasionally kill each other. There will be wars and famines and droughts. There will be bloodshed and loss and pain. You will have to live through your life, watching everypony you ever grow close to either die at the hooves of another, or grow old and wither away. Not just them, but civilizations, as well. There will come a day when Equestria no longer exists, and maybe even ponies won’t live anymore. Be it the dragons, or war with the gryphons, or just time…”

“Or.” The night interceded. “You can stay here with us, and become a pool of power all on your own. Just as ponies worship me, or my brother, they will also worship you. And you will grant them power. Your domain will be that of the arcane, and all things magic that aren’t directly linked to myself or my brother. You will be a god, all-powerful and all-knowing. You could even save Equestria. With your power, you might even be able to save all the ones you love from passing away. You can create whole new worlds with new life forms for you to do with as you see fit. You will be more than Celestia and Luna. You will be one of us. A deity. A creator of life and matter. Destroyer of galaxies and worlds. Mover of the stars, and painter of the skies…”

“Tell us now, Twilight.”

“Which do you want to be?”

Twilight’s mind reeled with the possibilities. She had power at her hooves. No matter what it was, she was going to ascend to something much greater than what she had been. As the Archmage, Twilight had been the most powerful unicorn on the face of Equestria. Now, she stood to become a princess. On-par with Celestia and Luna themselves. She would be an equal to them. Her magic would be powerful, and could accomplish even more than she had as the Archmage.

But if she chose the other option... She would be a God. With enough power to create whole planets herself. Ponies, and indeed creatures everywhere, would pay her homage, begging for a fraction of her power. She would have eons to learn everything there could possibly be to learn about the entirety of the universe. Nothing would be unknown to her. She would become the being of ultimate knowledge and power. Equaled only by the night and the day themselves. The mother and father of all things in the universe.

“I think... I will...”

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

The Canterlot garden was now empty, save for the two princesses. Celestia and Luna stood underneath the ever-approaching black object, just waiting for the end of their world as they knew it. It was the harbinger of their doom, and would signal the end of Equestria.

“How did it come to this?” Luna whispered, her eyes affixed on the meteor, or comet, or magical spell, or whatever it was... “She was supposed to live forever. She accomplished so much in her life, and she was so powerful...”

“I think that’s it.” Celestia muttered. “She was too powerful. She did so much for us, but something went wrong. Either she made a mistake, or we did... But she was supposed to live forever. Now she’s dead, and this is the price we pay for putting so much worth on the words of prophecy.” The princesses had no more tears to cry. They had settled into a depressed sort of acceptance, since they both knew they didn’t have anything positive to look forward to for a long, long time. Idly, Luna wondered how badly this would affect Equestria’s neighbors. Cadance hadn’t even arrived yet. She was maybe a half an hour’s flight away, and she would be either obliterated or severely injured by the blast. Shining Armor and his children, and their children... Everypony in the entire city, and every city in the world, was one minute away from death.

“This is it, then... All of our effort led us to this one moment.” Luna sighed, watching the dark spot grow larger and larger. “It’s going to be destroyed... Everything we’ve toiled for. Everypony’s going to die, aren’t they?”

“Probably.” Celestia sighed, scooting a little closer. Luna leaned against her sister, thankful that despite everything else, she still had one pony to support her. Somepony who understood the torment she was going to endure. Despite the horrible agony that was on the horizon, Luna knew she would be okay in the end, as long as she had Celestia.

“It’s time.” Luna whispered.

“Put your shields up, Luna... Do what you can to defend yourself against this.”

“My strongest shield is transparent... I don’t want to see what’s going to happen, Celestia.”

“I don’t either, Luna... But maybe we can learn something from their suffering. Or maybe it will be quick. But we should watch anyways.”

“Okay.” Luna fought back even more tears as she let her horn glow. The dense, humming sound permeated the air, making everything around her hum and vibrate. Luna’s strongest shield was stronger than the ones beneath Canterlot, though smaller. It splintered the ground around them. nothing short of a direct impact with the moon itself would rupture this shield. She hollowed out a bubble in the cobblestone pathway, her shield cracking the stones beneath their hooves with it’s weight. Celestia did the same, both of them digging in and protecting one another against the blast.

With wide eyes, both of them watched the black dot emerge from the atmosphere. It was no longer black, but purple. The same color as Twilight’s magic. Fitting, since it was her prophecy that was going to cause the destruction.

“You know what?” Luna breathed. “I don’t regret a single minute of my life with Twilight. I now our nation is about to be obliterated... But I don’t care.” Tears glistened in her eyes as her lips spread in one last, wide smile. The last she would give for a long, long time.

“Because I love her.”

As their doom descended upon them, the princesses sat by and watched. The dark blot grew bigger, and more brilliant. Luna was rather mesmerized by it. The power and majesty of such a blast mystified her. Was this truly Twilight’s power? Her own doing? Or was this the fallout of her prophecy, pure magical energy taken from the very leylines of Equestria itself? Luna pondered the origin of this energy as it grew ever-closer. But something was amiss... It should have been bigger. Much bigger. Instead, the screaming bolt of energy was compact. Maybe the size of a small building. No, smaller. A shed, perhaps. Smaller still.

Luna’s eyes went wide the second her shield dropped. The lavender bolt of energy grew wings.

“Twilight.”

Pulling out of her incredibly fast dive, Twilight burst forth from the brilliant glow of energy around her, spreading twinkling lights of magical energy throughout the air over Canterlot. Beneath her, ponies looked up in awe, watching their Archmage descend from the heavens in a brilliant show of energy. What was believed to be their doom was instead their salvation. Twilight thrust her head high into the air, screaming with glee as everypony began cheering.

Twilight was not dead. She had returned to Equestria, and she was flying. Despite her exuberance at being back, at seeing all of the ponies in Canterlot happy at her return, her gaze was fixed on one thing and one thing only.

The garden. Her wings pumped hard, even as she watched the dense shield dissipate. Luna scrambled out of the crater she had made, her own wings spreading wide. Both of them flapped hard, pouring all of the strength they could muster into their wings.

Time seemed to slow. Twilight could feel each breath of air as it passed over her coat and blew through her wings. Before her, Luna burst free from the ground, ascending to her level as quickly as possible. Twilight could see every detail in her lover’s form as she fought to gain altitude. The bulging muscles in her shoulder, the strain along the side of her neck, and even the wild look in her tear-filled eyes as she flapped hard and fast. Twilight tucked her wings against her side, diving towards Luna at breakneck speed.

When they met, it was pure bliss. Twilight’s horn sparked off a brilliant burst of bright lights, even as her forelegs wrapped around Luna’s torso. Their lips met in a sweet, passionate kiss, the same kiss that Twilight wanted to give her lover three short nights ago. The kiss she had ached for since passing away.

A kiss, it seemed, would never end. All around her, a chant went up in Canterlot. It pulsed outward through the land, sounding over mountains and hills, lakes, forests, and seas. In time, not a single ear had not heard the news. The news that changed the face of Equestria forever.

Twilight Lives.