Princess Celestia reflects mournfully on the cult deifying her that continues to flourish despite her wishes otherwise.
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Tropes found in this story include:
- God-Emperor: Zigzagged. Celestia and Luna are not gods and do everything they can to refute the idea, but many of their people worship them as gods all the same — for a background level of worship. We haven't seen anything resembling churches or congregations, but ponies do swear on the sisters (and, for matters of love, Cadance), and Triptych itself shows Rainbow leading the group in what appears to be a prayer to Luna, requesting protection for travelers journeying at night — an invocation which survived abeyance, with at least some ponies believing "Luna" was just another name for Moon. Celestia is also very aware that ponies actively pray to her in times of crisis — prayers she can't hear and will never be able to answer.
- Old Shame: In-Universe, Celestia refers to a time she tried to use her magic to save a dying friend of hers, but it turned out disastrously. Later stories reveal she was talking about Star Swirl, but the actual effects of that spell remain unknown.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: The idea of worshipping the alicorns got started from the time somepony swore an oath on Luna's horn. (This individual appears to have been the Bearer of Laughter for the sisters' sextet, as Luna refers to the results as the longest-lasting jest he ever played.) This seems to have formed the original seed from which the idea of 'alicorns are incarnate dieties' grew.
- Physical God: Zigzagged; Celestia is very powerful, but she's not divine, and so she can't do truly miraculous things like cure the sick or raise the dead. This is why she hates the way ponies worship her or pray to her, because she can't do anything to justify that faith.
- Stop Worshipping Me: Celestia does everything she can to persuade poor Fajr that she's not a Physical God and she can't miraculously cure his sick daughter.
- Unwanted False Faith: How Celestia feels about the ponies who worship her.
