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Angella had not been able to remember the last time she had ventured down into the catacombs beneath Brightmoon to the Chamber of Queens. It brought back memories of her own coronation, when she was a young Princess who had been forced to step up and become Queen of Brightmoon to lead her people against the Horde. Normally, a Queen only ever visited these catacombs once in a generation, when it was time for the throne to pass from mother to daughter.
But things were obviously different now and a lot had changed since Queen Angella had originally vanished. For one thing, Angella wasn't the Queen of Brightmoon anymore, her daughter, Glimmer was. For Angella herself, she wasn't quite sure of what her new role was in this new era of peace. All her life she had been prepared to rule til the day she died… but clearly it seemed that fate had other plans in mind.
At the very least, she would gladly be supporting Glimmer in her new role as Queen, as best as a mother could. She was also reunited with Micah and after being apart from him for nearly twenty years, the two of them had much catching up to do. But at that moment, Angella was catching up with Glimmer as the two of them wandered deep beneath their home. Angella held out her hand, creating a small ball of light to illuminate the room, as did Glimmer.
With Etheria's magic freed, Angella and Glimmer were not limited by the Moonstones power anymore. Glimmer was now even stronger than her mother had ever been and for the two of them to share this great power together... It warmed Angella's heart. It never felt right that Glimmer, with such potential for greatness, had been held back in her abilities by the Moonstone's limits.
Glimmer smiled at her mother as she walked elegantly into the chamber. It had been a month since Glimmer had led the rescue mission that had freed Angella from the interdimensional void she'd been trapped in. Anngella had thought that, ever since sacrificing herself to stop the unstable portal the Horde had created from destroying their reality, she might never have returned home... but now she was back here on Etheria, proof that miracles did happen.
Letting out a sigh as she arrived at the altar, Angella traced her finger across the lantern inside of it, still resting from when it had been placed during Glimmer's coronation. "It's a little bittersweet being here again, you know. The last time I think I came here was a few years ago, to leave a message for you, for the day you would become Queen. I never thought... it would have happened sooner than I thought and certainly, I never thought I would be back here."
"I remember that message," Glimmer replied, hugging herself and smiling. "It... helped me a lot to get out of the grief I had when you were gone." She looked over at her mother. "So um, what was your Coronation Quest like? Did you have to fight a giant snake monster too?"
Angella chuckled. "I hardly think the Great Guardian would be pleased if you referred to her as a big snake monster, darling."
"Wait, it's a girl?"
"Well she does live in the Chamber of Queens," Angella teased. "But yes, she and I do go way back. When I challenged her, your father was at my side. My coronation was also our wedding and your father was trying to make sure I didn't ruin my dress." She laughed. "Oh I've missed him so much. It is good he is back in both of our lives."
"Yeah, we finally have a chance to be a family again." Glimmer then noticed her mother looked saddened about something. "Is... everything alright, mom?"
"I've been thinking over the last few days about... sacrificing myself like that. I knew it was the only choice I could make in that situation and yet I worry I might have caused more harm than good. I didn't know your father was still alive and I certainly wouldn't have wanted my loss to drive you down a dark path like it did, that it gave that awful witch Shadow Weaver a chance to corrupt you."
"Mom..."
"And you know the worst part?" Angella remarked. "I genuinely had always hoped that history wouldn't repeat itself... that you didn't become Queen so young like I did. It pained me so much to lose my own mother and I had so much responsibility thrown onto me. Of course, I had Micah and Stars bless him, I don't think I would have been able to rule as well in those early years if he hadn't been at my side. But you Glimmer... you deserved to be able to live her young life as a Princess freely and without any worries. You should have gotten the life I never did."
"Mom, it's okay, everything worked out in the end," Glimmer took her mother's hand, comforting her. "You came back, dad came back, the war is over. Everything is perfect now... and not in that creepy way the Portal World worked."
A small laugh escaped Angella. Glimmer always did know how to brighten her day. "You're right... but when you get to my age, Glimmer, you're going to spend a lot of time thinking about old regrets and worries from her past, things you could have done differently."
"I'm... already doing that," Glimmer admitted. "I'm the one who activated the Heart of Etheria, who brought Horde Prime here. I don't think our world is going to recover from that in either of our lifetimes."
"And yet, you still helped save our world," Angella reminded her. "Regardless of your mistakes Glimmer, I'm still proud of her for taking the throne and being the Queen that ultimately won the war for Etheria, something I could never do."
Glimmer hugged her mother tightly. "I... only did my best, despite my mistakes."
"Making mistakes are what makes us human, Glimmer," Angella told her.
"Well... you're not human," Glimmer teased. "You're an angelic being. Shouldn't that make you utterly divine and perfect?"
"Even angels aren't perfect," Angella teased back, before she knelt down and hugged Glimmer back. "I genuinely think that you will become a better Queen than I ever was. Give it a few generations and Queen Glimmer will probably be more remembered than her dear old mother."
"You're not that old, mom! You're barely past fourty-five!"
"Yes well, I do have a good long way before my grey hairs start coming in," Angella giggled. The blessings of an immortal lifespan, but Angella knew her later years would likely hit her eventually. She looked down at Glimmer. In her new appearance, Glimmer looked so much like herself, the image of a perfect Queen. It was then Angella chuckled again. "You know, Glimmer, I think there is one little thing missing about you?"
"Is it big poofy wings like yours?"
"Hah! Oh, honestly Glimmer, be glad you don't have wings like mine. They make getting through doors very awkward sometimes." She shook her head. "But no. I think what you're missing is..." She reached up and took off one of her earrings and knelt down again, placing it on Glimmer's other ear, allowing it to match with the one her daughter already wore. "There, now you're perfect!"
Glimmer blushed as she felt her new earring. "I um... had actually lost one of yours, so thanks Mom. It... makes me so happy you're back."
"Anything for my favourite daughter," Angella said proudly. "I love you so much."
"I love you too, Mom," Glimmer grinned as she felt Angella cup her cheeks before kissing her tenderly on the forehead. She pulled Glimmer close and wrapped her wings around her, cocooning her as they embraced, Angella pouring all of her love for Glimmer into the act. Glimmer hugged her mother back as she kept kissing her forehead, knowing the future was going to be very bright indeed with her mother back in her life.