Sweetness Follows

by Atlas_Nebula

Sweetness Follows

Sooner or later, it’s bound to happen. Inevitable. Almost needed, actually. This is an event that happens with all stars. Yes, not even the stars that fill the night sky can last forever, and will have to die out and become debris in space. Some say this is so that other stars can be born, while others note that it is just the way of life. In a sense, it proves that even stars can be living beings. They may not breathe, or eat, or sleep, but they have pasts, futures, and even abstract personalities. The sun is one of these stars, and like all the rest it too has to go meet its maker.

Seven minutes remaining.

On the top floor of the Canterlot palace, with the roof having since long been removed, two princesses stare upwards. They are seeing something, anticipating its next move, but deep down, they know what that is. They have known such a thing would happen, would have to happen, for a very long time now. As if attempting to be casual, the sun princess pours a small cup of tea and takes hesitant sips from it every so often; not because the tea tastes good, but because it helps calm her nerves. But there was nothing to be worked up over, since it’s useless to become riled over a happening that is impossible to prevent. It can be prolonged, sure, but nobody wants that. Just yesterday the Canterlot Times informed the citizens of the country that not only was the sun dying out, but it was on a collision course with the closer planets in the solar system, which includes their planet.

Nothing could be done. Nothing at all. The sun princess could’ve moved the sun with all her magic to change its trajectory, but the blast radius still would have destroyed at least half the solar system, and even then, without the sun then all life will die along with it anyways. Finishing her tea, the sun princess sighs and her muscles tense up, as if she’s trying to lift an enormous weight off her chest; a weight so heavy that not even the offspring of gods could force it to go in any direction.

Six minutes remaining.

The sun princess isn’t the only one waiting for the main event, of course. All the servants and guards and royals and politicians and carpenters and magicians and scholars and everyone in between have already gone deep underground, in some vain attempt to escape the blistering fireball that is about to swallow up everything in its path, but the sister of the sun princess is still above ground. She’s pacing back and forth through the rooftop grounds, thinking to herself about nothing in particular, as none of it truly matters. Not anymore. If she looks to the east, the lunar princess can see the sun getting closer and closer in proximity, slowly but with an intimidating aura that would frighten any mortal being. Not to say the princesses are unfazed by the imminent firestorm, but there’s an undeniable sense of peace, and even the lunar princess, despite being younger than her sister, knows this to be true. There won’t be a nanosecond of pain when it comes.

Five minutes remaining.

Realizing this overwhelming sense of serenity, the lunar princess goes to her sister and silently asks if there is any tea left with the wink of an eye and slight curving of the lip. There is no need for words, as both sisters have learned each other’s body language to even the most minor of movements over the course of the hundreds of thousands of years that they have existed and lived among the mortals. Even if the princesses could speak to one another, what is there left to be said that is worth wasting air over? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

They could talk about the weather, but there will be no point in worrying about minor things like rain and wind. They no longer matter. They could talk about their colleagues and friends, but not is everyone underground, but they’re either hiding or already dead. Even the sun princess’ most gifted student passed away thousands of years ago. They could talk about their own lives and fears and hopes and dreams, but both know that those no longer matter either. Reluctantly, the sun princess passes the rest of what was in the teapot to her sister, and she sips the herbal drink as if it’s the finest wine ever produced.

Four minutes remaining.

If there’s one thing that always went without having to be mentioned by words, it’s the lunar princess’ incredible mane. Even when the world is in the twilight of its life, her mane is still filled with little stars that beam with life and color and beauty and everything that can be a good representative of the greatest things in life. Some ponies have said in the past that if they focus enough on the lunar princess’ mane that they can understand how the universe works more than others can. This is highly unlikely, but the sun princess always loves it when her younger sister receives the attention that she deserves. Sometimes the sun princess thinks that even she can understand the universe a little more when she’s around her beloved sister, but not for the same reason that many others would have. Remembering all the good times, the sun princess rests on her haunches and looks to the east, in a similar way a pony would sit at a movie theater. She can’t help but smile at the marvel before her.

Three minutes remaining.

The sun is getting nearer and nearer; its fiery surface could be seen from the naked eye at this point, although it’s still far away enough that nothing on the planet is catching fire yet. Pleased that they still have a few moments left, the lunar princess sits down next to her sister and stares in the same direction as her elder sibling. Both ponies show voiceless admiration of the view the rooftop presents. They can see for miles, with buildings and streets and rivers and mountains beyond mountains and green grass and cool air filling in the gaps between the immediate and the infinite. Taking it all in, the lunar princess can’t help but join her sister in the silent praising of all that they had done in the many centuries since their births. One day, this will all be yours, their parents once told them. Neither of them could remember what the exact words are, but both princesses know well that they have made their parents proud. It’s a shame that they ran out of tea so soon.

Two minutes remaining.

A roaring noise, growing in audibility, is overcoming any sound that might have been present throughout the Equestrian landscape. It sounds like the growl of a great beast, or perhaps the sound a lion makes when it’s defending its territory. Either way, nature is back to claim what rightfully belongs to it, and the sun princess will be damned if she does anything to stop it, not that she could if she ever had a choice in the matter. For now, it’s almost surreal how peaceful everything looks, despite the impending firestorm, and the lunar princess nuzzles her sister with a reassurance that everything will be alright.

In a way, she is correct, because she had her beloved sister, and her sister has her in return. They’ve been through thick and thin, the tiniest of issues as well as the most formidable creatures the world has ever seen; they even stood by each other’s side through ghastly forces of nature that could cause whole civilizations to be left in ash and rubble. They’ve seen the birth of entire species and have witnessed the extinction of others, and after all the storms have calmed down they still found each other in the end, and this is no different. The sun princess gladly returns the nuzzle, feeling her sister’s soft hair and warm coat against her, and the two can only smile as they spend these last minutes together.

One minute remaining.

The noise is almost deafening, and the temperature is rising at such a rapid rate that the sun princess worries that she might just feel the pain from the solar fury. By this point, both ponies are crying, tears uncontrollably streaming down their faces, although neither of them are sure if the tears are from sadness of the highest intensity or perhaps happiness in its purest form. Turning to face her sister, their muzzles only a couple inches apart from each other, the lunar princess opens her mouth for the first time in what may have been an eternity and utters one little sentence. Even though the sun is just at their doorstep, and the roaring is pounding in her ears, the sun princess could still make out what her younger sibling had said. At that moment, the sun princess pulls her into a tight hug, and feels the wetness from the lunar princess’ cheeks against her coat. That one sentence completed the circle as the two siblings remain in their embrace, and everything suddenly turns to darkness.

“I’ll always love you, big sister.”

Comments

[JustAnotherTimeLord]

Interesting. I might give this a read.

[Lorthalis of Crows]

Manly tears have been shed.

[DJ-Pon3FTW]

Wow man... those feels.

[The Believer]

FREAKIN AMAZING

[popcorn815]

Dem feels

[Diamond Sparkle]

At least their end was quick.

[Lag Incarnate]

I want to feel. I truly do. Existential thoughts were tossed around in this mush known as brain. Memories of my own family went to and fro through my head.

But my heart. It seems my heart has learned not to become too attached to things. To take notice and then forget. I've forgotten many things, my pets, my childhood memories, gone with time. It's the things you cherish most that make you saddest. I guess that's why I don't understand love and compassion, that once you lose them all you feel is pain, and the good days will be whisked away by time.

On a completely unrelated note, my first though upon reading:

Even the sun princess’ most gifted student passed away thousands of years ago.

was, "Alright, Twilight's dead. That's good."
Which after 5 blank seconds was then followed by the thought: "So she's not around to go through this."

[Ecstatic]

3391698

This story was sad, but in an abstract way; we know they're all going to die from the start.

We're left hoping for a positive outcome that will not happen... And it's sad, but in a resigned way.

And why did Twilight have to die? Meh. And I wonder why Celestia didn't relocate to another planet, they have the magic (and since it's been thousands of years since Twily, the technology.)

[Atlas_Nebula]

3392095

And why did Twilight have to die?

Because she was still mortal and aged like any other pony. I can't remember who exactly said that (I think it was McCarthy) but Twilight, despite being an alicorn, is not an immortal being.

And I wonder why Celestia didn't relocate to another planet, they have the magic (and since it's been thousands of years since Twily, the technology.)

Kinda goes against the whole point of the story, which is to stare at death straight in the eyes when its at your doorstep and to go out like a champ, rather than run away in a vain attempt to escape it.

Dat's my two cents.

[Meridian Prime]

A heart-wrenchingly beautiful song paired with some brilliant and emotional writing - what more could you want? Yet again you have delivered something truly special - I've wanted to write fics based off of R.E.M. songs in the past, but I don't think I could do them justice the same way you do. Incredible as always Atlas.

[nodamnbrakes]

Why was that so beautiful

[NightmareBlaze]

This captures what I think they would feel exactly. They are thousands of years old, who wouldn't want to die after that long? It's sad, but has the feeling of peace to it as well. Well done.

[Corporal Fluttershy]

Great story, great song.

How good was Automatic For the People. Man.

[SHL]

Whoa. It's powerful and very good. But sad, very sad.

[ValenceWubs]

Screw this DOCTOR!! Get the TARDIS!!!