Nopony Lives Forever, Twilight

          Twilight Sparkle woke with a start. She had a book stuck to her face with nothing but drool. She must have fallen asleep while studying… She glanced at the clock and gasped, "Spike!? How could you let me sleep in so late? It's Thursday, Spike, Thursday!"

           Spike groaned as he was pulled out of his beautiful, amazing bed. "It's only 6:30 Twilight, and what's all this about Thursday?"

          "Spike," groaned Twilight, "Thursday is the day I have tea and chess with Princess Celestia! And now, thanks to you, I only have half an hour to get there!" Spike grumbled something about it always being his fault, then threw himself onto his bed, wrapping his blanket tightly around his little scaly body. "Gee, some assistant you are."

          Exasperated, Twilight picked up a brush with her magic and started the long task of brushing her mane, before stopping suddenly. Flying there would ruin her mane anyways… Twilight tossed her brush into her saddlebags, along with a few other things, and slid them onto her back.

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         As Twilight flew past the royal guards bowed deeply, much to the lilac unicorn's embarassement. The guards spoke not a word as she trotted down the hallway to Celestia's tea-room. The two had been meeting there for tea and a game of chess evey Thursday for the last month nd a half now, and the guards knew the schedule. Twilight looked up at the clock hanging over the doorway before she went in. 7:06. She had beaten her personal record, but she was still six minutes late. Thankfully, with some training from Princess Cadence, Twilight had gotten past her long-lived fear of  tardiness, although it did still make her nervous to be late to a personal meeting with the sun princess.

          "Hello, Princess Celestia, I'm so sorry I'm late! I was-"

          "Nonsense, Twilight, you have no reason to be sorry, in fact, I should thank you, now I'm less likely to burn my tongue on my tea." She smiled lightly as she gestured to her teacup, which looked as if she had been waiting for Twilight to arrive before partaking in it. "And please, we're both princesses, call me Celestia, I insist."

          "Sorry, Prin- Celestia. Didn't Luna call you Tia before?" Celstia flinched visibly at the mention of her sister's nickname for her.

          "I prefer Celestia, thank you." The sun princess began placing pieces onto the board, silent. The game began, and niether player spoke for the better half of the game, until finally, Twilight spoke up.

          "Celestia? I've been thinking, you said I was a princess, but the princess of what?" Celestia froze, her hoof over a bishop. "Am I like the princess of some new kingdom, or is there something here in Equestria for me to take over?" At the words 'take over,' Celestia flinched once more. Her hoof moved to a knight, and she moved it across the board. "Why, Celestia!" Twilight gasped, "you've been holding back for me!? Why didn't you say anything?" And with that, She moved a rook from its starting position to the other side of the board, "check." Twilight was shocked to see that the princess was glaring at the board as if willing it to burst into flame. What did I say? Wondered Twilight, perhaps now would be a good time to change the subject… "Errm… So, Celestia? Now that I'm an alicorn, does that mean I'm going to live forever, like you?" Twilight was execting the change in subject to calm Celestia down, but that was quite the opposite of what actually occurred.

          "I will NOT!" Celestia slammed her hoof onto the table, knocking over a few chess pieces and spilling her tea. "Live forever," she finished gravelly.

          Twilight stared in shocked silence. The soft pitter-patter of hot tea dripping onto Celestia's hooves was the only sound that could be heard as Celestia stared at her student angrily. Celestia's eyes widened, "oh, Twilight, I- I'm so sorry, I don't know what's gotten into me! It's  just- My-" Celestia sputtered.

           "Oh, goddes, Celestia, I should be the one apologizing ," Twilight interrupted, "I didn't realize how touchy a subject that was for you."

           "No, you couldn't have known, I've kept it a secret all this time…" Celestia sighed, and it was a sigh that told stories of millenia past, stories that had never been spoken aloud. "Twilight, my most faithful student, I have a story to tell. How fast can you write?"

          Flustered, Twilight looked at her teacher, "write? Well I can write faster than a pony can talk, but why-"

          Celestia interrupted, "great, now listen closely, I am only immortal for as long as I am needed, for that was the power bestowed upon me by the goddess. I can already feel my youth slipping away and-"

          "But why? We still need you, Celestia,I need you."

          Celestia smiled sadly. "I fear that my immortality began to leave me back when I took you on as a student, but do not fret, if not for you, my existance would have been for naught."

          "No!" Twilight was shouting now, "you're wrong! You can't die! I'll make sure-"

          "Please Twilight, be at peace. There is nothing that you can do." Tears streamed down Twilights face as Celestia continued, "I want you to record my story, and I want you to publish it at the time of my passing." Twilight sobbed incoherently. "Twilight, be strong  for me, can you do this?"

          "Yes!"sobbed Twilight, "Anything, anything for you, Princess!" Twilight tried to stop crying, but managed only to slow down the tears. A stack of paper was brought into existance and floated over to the sobbing alicorn by Celestia, along with a red quill and an inkwell.

          "I am about to begin my story, are you ready to begin, or shall I give you a moment's rest?"

          Twilight nodded, "I'm ready," one final tear fell from her cheek and hit the stack of paper with a soft pat!

          Celestia gazed fondly at her student and began her story.

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          "I was a small, white unicorn, and had no family to speak of. I was shipped back and forth between foster parents who hated me and orphanages. I was lucky. Luna had one foster mother. She was tortured. When I say tortured, I don't mean treated poorly, I mean chained to a bedpost, beaten, starved, I mean, by the time she was eight years old she was being sold off as a sex slave to anypony, or other sentient species, I might add, with a bent penny. When I say she was tortured, I mean, she was tortured.

          "When she was ten, I was sent to her foster mother as well. I was twelve at the time, probably worth my weight in gold to the old bitch. Thankfully, that same day, before I had been sold off, the authorities came and saved the day. Or, at least we thought they did. Instead, they bought us from the old hag to keep for their own personal pleasure. That night, we escaped. But not before I had made myself well known. A drunk cop had come into my cell and forgotten to lock the door behind him. Thank the goddess he was such a fool. I took his own baton and got him in the testes. I hit him a great many times before taking the keys and running. I think I killed him. I was only twelve, and I think I killed him.

          "From there I went and unlocked all the cells containing children. Luna asked me how I'd gotten the keys. I think she knew, when I didn't respond. I never told her, but I think she's known. She stayed with me when we all ran. Along with a little colt who's name I forget. He died while we were living in the streets. We moved from town to town, leaving when we were unwelcome. It was a cruel time to live in.

          "Eventually we came to a town called Greysmane. I was fourteen, and I got a job at a bookstore. I hated books, even though all my life I had wanted to be a writer. I tried so hard to write stories, but they were horrible, dull summaries at the very best." Celestia gazed off into the distance, seemingly looking at nothing, lost in memories.