#twilightweek26

“Happy anniversary!”

Six voices in unison accompanied confetti, streamers and party horns as Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway of the Golden Oak Library. She stayed still for a moment, blinking several times as she took in the sights and sounds in front of her. Spike and her friends all stood beaming under a banner that read ‘Happy Anniversary, Twilight!’. Rarity still stood beside her, a proud grin on her face, but between the noise and the lights, Twilight couldn’t bring herself to speak, or to move at all. Instead, she focused on the facts of the moment, facts that her mind attempted to compartmentalize to interpret and deal with her overstimulation.

First, Rarity had asked to see her at Carousel Boutique that morning for ‘tea and gossip’, though there hadn’t been enough of the former. After an hour, and without giving her the chance to even ask why, Rarity had blindfolded her and guided her back home, only replying with ‘trust me, darling, it will all make sense in a moment’.

Second, upon returning to her home, Twilight was finally allowed to remove her blindfold. When she’d done so, however, the entire library was dark. Her eyes had yet to adjust, being given only a precious few seconds before what was to come.

Third, she’d only been gone an hour and a half, but when light returned to the room and she was assaulted with party favors, Twilight thought for one brief moment that she’d stepped into the wrong tree library. Of course, there was only one tree library in Ponyville, let alone tree buildings, but that was a rabbit hole of semantics she did not want to fall into today of all days.

Pinkie Pie had transformed the main room of the Golden Oak Library into a hall of memories, rearranging shelves, tables and furniture to create a kind of party room she’d never seen before. On the back wall hung what must have been a hundred pictures, some of their friends all together, some with just two or three of them, but all featured Twilight herself.

Towards another side, several shelves had arranged to create a walkway around a set of tables, almost like a small museum exhibit. Atop each table were items she recognized immediately. On one, the hat from her Nightmare Night costume sat beside a pair of silver star earrings and the matching necklace she’d worn to the gala. The opposite table sported her Winter Wrap Up vest, two Daring Do books, and a small pile of scrolls, each marked with a broken wax seal bearing an image of the sun.

It was at this point, cheeks hot as she took in a party that seemed to revolve entirely around her, that she spoke up. “All of this is for me?”

Pinkie laughed, and her friends seemed to relax a bit. “Of course it is, silly! Who else would we be celebrating today? The princess?”

“Yes?” Twilight replied, only blushing more as her friends giggled at her confusion, despite the fact that her assertion was the only logical answer. “Why did you set all of this up, Pinkie Pie? What about the Summer Sun Celebration?”

“Oh, I didn’t set this up! It was Rarity,” Pinkie replied with bright eyes as she pronked over to the unicorn’s side, ignoring the second half of the question. “Well, okay, I set up all this stuff while you were gone, but Rarity’s the one who designed the floor plan, and what stuff we could use, and what kind of punch you’d like, and the photos, too! Rarity made this whole party happen, and I gotta say” – Pinkie wrapped a foreleg around Rarity’s back, pulling her close – “as the Ponyville Party Pony, I’m impressed!”

Rarity only fluttered her eyelashes when Twilight turned to look at her. “You did this for me? Why?”

“Oh, no, Twilight, this was a team effort! Everypony here was involved, and I couldn’t possibly take all the credit. I will, however, take credit for your gift,” Rarity remarked, leaning in closer than Twilight expected. “Which I’ll be taking you to see now, so follow me, if you please!”

When Rarity trotted toward the stairs, Twilight swallowed the remark that she’d been following Rarity all day, thank you very much. She did take her time, slowing down as she stepped through each space, regarding the various mementos and displays dedicated to herself with curiosity and confusion. Eventually, she forced herself to trot after Rarity again, regarding each of her friends as she passed them by with a happy greeting.

“I just don’t understand, Rarity. You’re celebrating me?”

“Well of course, Twilight! You are the most important of this special day. Today is yours, after all, and I simply couldn’t allow you to go unappreciated as you deserve!”

Twilight rolled her eyes, but smiled at Rarity’s theatrics. “I’m the reason today is important? What about, oh, I don’t know, the Summer Sun Celebration?”

“Oh, well, I suppose that is today as well, but that’s hardly what’s important now, is it?”

At this point, they reached Twilight’s room atop the stairs, and Rarity pointedly ignored Twilight’s stare as she opened the door. She was silent, but her eyes sparkled with anticipation. The lights were off here as well, and she gave Rarity a look, but she just shooed Twilight inside.

The door closed behind them, leaving her in darkness once more, the windows all covered with heavy curtains. Twilight lit her horn, willing the lights in her room to flicker to life. Once she could see again, she took in a breath of surprise, and she could feel Rarity’s smug satisfaction from behind her.

In the center of the room stood a tall, imposing figure, one she’d recognize in a heartbeat. Her mane and tail billowed in a non-existent breeze, and for once, Princess Celestia wasn’t wearing her crown. Her wings fluffed in place, and the smile the princess wore was one she recognized, an expression of satisfaction, pride and affection. Her horn was aglow with golden magic, and in her aura floated a scroll, wrapped tightly and marked with Celestia’s personal seal.

“Princess? What are you doing here?” Twilight fought the urge to bow before her, instead switching her gaze from the princess to Rarity, then back again. “Shouldn’t you be in Trottingham for the Summer Sun Celebration?”

“Did you not tell her, Rarity?” Princess Celestia grinned, and Twilight’s brow furrowed in response.

“Tell me what?” Twilight didn’t want to turn away from the princess, but Rarity clearly had some kind of answer she wasn’t seeing.

“Oh, I’d hoped you would have figured it out by now, but then again, you are our Twilight.” Rarity’s hoof touched Twilight’s chin, lifting it to look her directly in the eyes. “Today is the anniversary of the most important day in our lives, Twilight.”

“The day we came together and recovered the Elements of Harmony?” The moment the words came out, Twilight realized they fell flat, and clearly that wasn’t it.

Rarity only smiled, the same smile as the one Celestia wore. “Twilight, my dearest friend, you are a silly pony, aren’t you? Today marks the one year anniversary of the day you came into our lives.”

Her eyes grew wide, breath caught in her chest, because of course today was important, the most important day of her life. Of course she wouldn’t be alone in feeling that way. Her best friends had all come to celebrate her, just as she’d wanted to celebrate them.

It was then that she remembered the other pony in the room, and with a small stammer, she stood up straight to face her teacher. “You too, princess? Is that why you’re here?”

“Rarity wrote to tell me what was happening," she replied with a gentle laugh, "and what else would I do but come celebrate my most faithful student and friend?"

The scroll levitated to Twilight, and she simply stared at it for a moment before her mind caught up with her. Gold was replaced with her own raspberry magic, and Celestia gave her a nod of approval. She untied the ribbon, carefully breaking the seal as she did, and the scroll rolled out to reveal a letter penned in familiar, regal hornwriting.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, the letter began, today marks an incredibly important day in the lives of your friends, and in mine as well. Once, the Summer Sun Celebration was a time of sorrow, a reminder of the mistakes I had made and the loved one I had failed. Today, however, is the first time in a thousand years that I woke up on this holiday eager to celebrate, thanks to two of the most important ponies in my life.

Today, I celebrate the return of my sister, Luna. Today, I celebrate a new reason to see the sun set in the evening. Today, I celebrate having a reason to look forward to the beautiful night sky Luna paints for us all. Most of all, however, there is another I celebrate, the pony without whom my life would be as somber and lonely as it was for the past thousand years.

Today, we all celebrate you, Twilight. You, the pony who brought back my love for the night sky, who brought back the sister I’ve missed so much, who has forever changed the lives of myself and the ponies around you for the better. You may be my student, but you have taught me much over the years we have known each other, and I know that I still have plenty to learn from your example. I look forward to seeing you grow ever further.

Your teacher, student and friend,

Celestia.

Twilight read the letter again. She read it a third time, a fourth, again and again, until Rarity nudged against Twilight, breaking her from her own misty-eyed stupor. When she looked up, Celestia now stood before her, her eyes shining with a hint of unshed tears.

She didn’t need to be told. Twilight rushed forward into a hug, swiftly embraced by the hooves of her teacher, her princess.

Her friend.