[i](4) Upon that day each year, which shall be established as the 90th day following the New Year, shall one score of the most powerful unicorns of age not less than twenty and two, take upon themselves the direction of both sun and moon for a period of not less than 24 hours, nor shall either alicorn aid or disrupt their practice in any way during this time.

-Excerpt from the Magi Carta[/i]



Twilight and Celestia watched from one of Canterlot Castle’s many parapets as, below them in the bailey, twenty unicorns prepared an arcane circle in the predawn darkness.

“It’s not fair,” grumbled Twilight.

Celestia nodded diplomatically. Twilight knew that nod all too well. “It’s [i]not[/i],” she repeated, emphatically. “The document says ‘either,’ not ‘any.’ The signers clearly meant you and Luna!”

Celestia nodded again. “The signers certainly were thinking of me and Luna when we drafted that document,” she said. “Of course, there [i]were[/i] no other alicorns in Equestria back then.”

Twilight sighed. “I know. It’s just… I’m finally old enough to take part in the [i]solunus circulum[/i], and now, even though I’m perfectly qualified, I can’t.” Her ears drooped. “I’ve been hoping to take part in this ever since I was a little filly. It’s one of the most important historical traditions of ponykind!”

Celestia extended a wing over Twilight’s back, offering a gentle hug. After a moment, Twilight leaned into her. Neither spoke right away.

“Twilight,” she eventually said, “this isn’t just about getting to move the sun and moon around, is it?”

Twilight shook her head.

“What is it, then?”

Twilight didn’t answer immediately. When she did, she looked up to the sky, her gaze wandering as if tracing the path of the still-absent sun. “It’s not really about the sun and moon at all. I mean, I already got to control them once. When I had your power.” She paused, and Celestia waited patiently for her to continue. “It wasn’t the same as what the [i]circulum[/i] does, of course, but if all I cared about was getting to do some hooves-on astronomy… well, I’ve already done that.”

“But there’s something else?” Celestia prodded.

“It’s just… every great unicorn I’ve ever read about, in any of my textbooks—hay, in any of the fiction I read—it always tells you how many [i]circulums[/i] they took part in. It’s how you [i]know[/i] they were great! And I—”

“You want everypony to think that you’re great?”

Twilight’s cheeks flushed. “Oh, no, I didn’t mean that I…” She trailed off as she turned to look at Celestia; she was smiling a bit [i]too[/i] pleasantly. “You’re mocking me,” Twilight said, more sourly than she had intended.

“A little,” Celestia agreed. “But tell me, why is it [i]really[/i] important to you?”

Twilight looked back to the bailey. “I guess it’s that… it’s that this, right here, is something that all of my heroes have done. This exact spell, together with nineteen other unicorns, for this exact purpose. It’s been this way for thousands of years, like a string that goes all the way back to when ‘Unicornia’ wasn’t just a fairytale setting. A string tying every wizard and mage together, all the way back to Star Swirl the Bearded.” Through her wing, Celestia could feel Twilight’s body tremble, slightly. “Maybe it’s self-aggrandizing, but… but I really wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to touch that string, to connect myself to all that [i]history[/i].”

Celestia didn’t speak until she felt the tremble stop completely. “You know the reason why the Unicornians insisted that Luna and I relinquish the sun and moon once a year, don’t you?” she asked.

“Yes,” Twilight answered. “So that if anything happened to you two, there would still be wizards who knew the spells to keep the cycle of day and night, and who’d performed those spells before.”

Celestia nodded. “If something were to happen to Luna and I—well, something already did. And when Tirek came, it fell to you to take our place.” She smiled. “Though thankfully, only for a brief while. If something were to strike all of us, it’s important that there be unicorns ready and able to step up and ensure the cycle continues.”

Twilight nodded. “I know. It makes sense to exclude me, really. It would be silly to let me take part.”

“Yes, it would be.” Celestia paused. “That doesn’t make it feel any better, does it.”

“No.”

They lapsed into silence, then. 

And together, they watched the sun rise.