The sun hung low into the sky, ready to set and make way for the new night to come about. In the landscape below in the usually bustling city of Canterlot, things were eerily quiet, and a sense of loss permeated throughout the grief-stricken city. Not a sound could be heard, no children were playing, no adults talked about their days to their loved ones, no animal, not even a mouse made the slightest peep. The uninitiated may have thought the city abandoned. Banners were hung throughout the streets from buildings, lamp posts and other tall structures, all bearing the ever so familiar image of the sun, the cutie mark belonging to their beloved millennia old princess.
Displaying the mark one final time.
The Canterlot Castle gardens were beautifully decorated, more so than usual. Benches and stands were erected but only a few remained seated in them, most having left after the service that had ended just under an hour ago. At the very front of where the crowd had once sat, a large statue of a majestic alicorn with a motherly smile on her face stood proudly looking down at the ponies whom she had guided for much of their known history. The statue itself sat atop a wonderfully decorated tomb, the entrance to which was still open at the front, before which sat an open casket where Princess Celestia peacefully slept in an eternal slumber, waiting to be placed within her final home.
The stands still held some ponies, including the element bearers, who wanted to see it through to the conclusion, along with several foreign leaders who had known Celestia throughout their careers. The leaders of Saddle Arabia, The Griffon Empire, The Zebra Union and several others sat in respectful silence from their assigned seats.
Next to the peacefully resting Celestia the three remaining princesses stood in preparation. Each one was dressed fully in their regalia, even Princess Twilight for the first time. After saying their farewells Princesses Mi Amore Cadenza and Twilight Sparkle stood either side of the casket and gently gripped it in their combined auras. Princess Luna stood at her full height directly behind it as she flared her wings and lit her horn up a brilliant, and mournful blue. As Twilight and Cadance slowly closed the casket and placed it within the tomb, Luna used her magic to lower the sun, as she did so the majestic orb disappeared beneath the horizon and the stars made their presence known once more, each one of them shedding tears for the fallen princess.
The sun had finally set for Princess Celestia.
The gala hall was filled with all the individuals who had attended the service, and despite the sombre affair had had come after there was still laughter and joy throughout the halls as they all conversed and those who had experiences with the solar princess shared their memoires, much of the laughter was only made possible by its element bearer, Pinkie Pie knew Celestia wouldn’t have wanted her ponies to remain sad for long, so she had gone the extra mile to bring joy to their lives that night.
Too bad two in particular were immune to even her efforts.
Twilight and stood off to one side of the hall together, bitterly watching the others attending as they talked and laughed together.
“How can they laugh at a time like this?” Twilight sounded disgusted, “There is nothing to feel happy about.”
“While I cannot share in their joy Twilight, I do understand. Laughter knows that Tia wouldn’t want her ponies mourning for her too long, she is simply following what would been my sisters wish.”
Twilight sighed, “Yeah, I know,” she relented, “But she’s gone, I just… how can I accept that? After everything… It isn’t fair.”
“Life is rarely fair Twilight Sparkle, and we will come to terms… in time. However until that time comes and passes I am always here for you to talk to if need be.”
Twilight looked up at the older alicorn, “But what about you? You try to look regal now, but I can see pain in those ancient eyes. You just lost your sister, nopony expects you to be okay after that.”
Luna didn’t respond.
“Luna, you offered to talk whenever I feel like I need to do so. And I offer you the same, I’m here if you need me,” Twilight smiled genuinely.
“Thank you Twilight, it is kind of you to offer, but…” Luna paused, unsure if she should continue.
“But?” Twilight asked.
After a few moments Luna decided to continue after all, “I sense there is something else bothering you Twilight. Tia is at the forefront of your despair, but there is something else too. Something has rattled you, scared you.”
Twilight cringed and looked away, unable to meet Luna’s gaze.
“Perhaps I shouldn’t have said anything?”
“No, you’re right. There is something bothering me. As you know my castle has… died. And is crumbling into dust quickly and…”
Twilight sighed before she continued.
“Me and my friends were linked to the map, and through it the Tree of Harmony. You already know how that link allowed us to call on the elements power without us having the gems on us, as long as we were all in one place.”
“And now the map is gone you can no longer use that ability, potentially leaving Equestria open to attack,” Luna surmised, “I wouldn’t worry Twilight, Equestria survived a thousand years without them, and can again.”
“I know, that’s not what is bothering me,” Twilight half-whispered.
“Was it not? Then do tell, what has been bothering you?”
“After the castle appeared, I did a lot of research into the map and the link we all shared with the Tree of Harmony. I discovered other than use of the elements when we wanted, there was a secondary ability it gave us… or rather the others. The map without the bearers of the elements, without us would have been nothing more than a shiny table. As such it prolonged the others’ lives… indefinitely.”
Luna’s eyes widened in realisation, “They were immortal?”
Twilight nodded, “Yes, like me they were immortal. But now that the map is gone, so has the link. With the link gone so has their immortality, while mine remains. Luna… I’m going to lose them. All of them.”
Luna sighed regretfully, “Immortality is both a gift and a curse. The curse being that those we love pass by like dust in the solar wind. My advice? Do not dwell on the future, enjoy the time you have with them while you can, and cherish those times forevermore.”
“I will try, but I don’t know if I can. What is the Princess of Friendship without her friends?”
“But alas, you will not be the Princess of Friendship much longer, the title of Princess of the Sun shall soon fall to you.
Twilight gazed off into the distance, “For better or worse.”
…
At the other end of the hall Princess Cadance stood with her husband and the bearers of the elements, Flurry Heart sleeping restfully between her wings. Her gaze remained on her fellow princesses standing on the far corner. Spike sat under the table nearby with the Crusaders, stolen food grabbed from the table with them.
“Do you think they’re going to be OK?” Cadance asked with concern.
Shining Armor looked at his wife, “I don’t know how Princess Luna is feeling, but Twily isn’t taking this well I can tell you. I worry at how she will move forward from this.”
“The egghead will be fine,” Rainbow voiced her opinion, “She’ll be in a rough patch for a while but then she’ll be back to her old self!”
“Will she though?” Cadance asked, “I have every confidence in my sister, but she will be taking on a lot of responsibilities now, responsibilities I fear she may not have been ready for. The… passing of aunt Celestia may also have brought some other things to her attention, she is going to be bearing a great weight on her shoulders in the times to come.”
“Come on sugarcube, she will be fine as long as she has us,” Applejack motioned to all of those present.
“I suppose you’re right…”
‘But what about when you’re gone? Oh Twilight…’ Cadance thought momentarily, before shaking any further dark thoughts away.
“I’m just sad she has to go away…” Fluttershy whispered, “With her castle in Ponyville gone, and her new duties she will be moving to Canterlot.”
Applejack gave her friend a sympathetic look, “Now sugarcube, let’s not think like that. Sure she’ll be slightly further away, but ah know Lyra Heartstrings has several friends here in this fancy city, and she is always visiting them or they’re visiting her. Ah am sure we can all do the same.”
“Oh oh! And when she does visit Ponyville I can throw her the biggest parties ever!” Pinkie jumped happily into the air, confetti coming out of nowhere.
“Yes darling I am sure you can, speaking of you have certainly done a wonderful job at cheering up this lot,” she motioned her hoof across the room, “You truly are a master of your art Pinkie dear.”
“Why thank you, I do take pride in my work!”
“As all artists should darling!” Rarity agreed.
“Honey,” Cadance addressed Shining Armor, “Could you take Flurry Heart a moment, I’m going to go talk to them,” she pointed at Luna and Twilight.
“Of course.”
Shining Armor gently lifted the sleeping Flurry Heart with his magic and moved him from Cadance’s back to his own, where she shifted briefly to get comfortable.
Cadance broke away from the group and made her way over to her fellow princesses, when they spotted her they both adopted a small smile as they moved to greet her.
“Cadance,” Twilight said, “How are you?”
“I’m fine, but I think it should be me asking you two that.”
“We are fine dear niece,” Luna assured, “We have just been talking through things.”
“Oh, I see. Well myself and the others would really like it if you would join us, we’ve barely talked all night, and it seems you two could use the company.”
“Very well Cadance, we will be glad to join you for the remainder of the night.”
“Yes,” Twilight agreed, “But Luna could you go on ahead? I want to talk to Cadance for a moment.”
“As you wish Twilight,” Luna nodded, correctly guessing what the conversation would be about.
As Luna headed off to join the others, Cadance turned to her sister-in-law.
“What is it Twilight? What’s wrong?” Cadance asked kindly.
“How do you know something is wrong? Other than the obvious I mean?”
“I didn’t for sure until you said that,” Cadance chuckled, “And old foalsitting trick.”
Twilight pouted at that, causing Cadance a few more chuckles.
“Now really Twilight, what’s wrong? You know you can talk to me about anything right?”
“Yes I know, it’s just… how do you deal with knowing you will lose Shiny?”
Cadance’s face fell sharply, “What do you mean?” she asked shakily.
Twilight cringed, but continued, “I mean, you’re immortal and he isn’t, how do you deal with that knowledge? I’m going to lose him and my friends, how am I meant to deal with that?”
Cadance stood motionless for a few moments, before catching Twilight in a wing hug, “I’m going to be honest with you Twilight, I simply don’t think about it, and I enjoy the time we have. But I am the Princess of Love, and I have given my heart wholly to him. When he is gone, I fear my heart will go with him…”
“Oh…” Twilight said despondently, leaning into the wing hug.
They stayed like that for several minutes, just in each other’s company as both of the young alicorns pondered the future to come.
Eventually Cadance broke off the embrace, “Come on, let’s go see the others before they wonder what we’re up to.”
Cadance began walking back towards the group, with Twilight following shortly after, trying to put her still present fears behind her.
Up in the rafters of the gala hall a creature with a mismatched array of body parts looked down on the princesses, his usual mischievous cheer missing from his face. He reflected the events that had recently occurred, and the events that had been set in motion.
"And so it begins..." Discord lamented.