It was snowing in Equestria, and many ponies were playing in the snow, thoroughly enjoying the weather. Fillies, and sometimes even ponies, could be seen throwing snowballs at one another. They laughed merrily. The atmosphere was lively and joyous, and they looked happy.
Celestia looked at the crowd forming in the town square. Ponies were hurling snowballs at one another, and occasionally stopped to greet Celestia before continuing on. They were having so much fun...but not Celestia. It was with a heavy heart that she came here, and she continuing along, past the town square, to Twilight's grave.
It was in a secluded spot, as Twilight wanted it to be private. And Twilight specifically said to Celestia, "Please remember me by the happy times we had together, and don't feel sad for me when I die. When I do, I want it to be a private funeral, and I really hope all of you don't grief over me. Instead, be happy. To have spent many good times together. To have known one another for all those years."
Celestia could feel tears welling in her eyes. Twilight...she was never going to forget her. The way she smiled that took away all her troubles. Her wide, sparkling eyes that melted her heart. Her soft, lavender fur that comforted and soothed Celestia. She could never experience them again. And she craved them so much. She was willing to sacrifice her life, her entire kingdom of Equestria, where she had put her heart and soul into building, just for another day with Twilight. A day to be with her.
As Celestia continued trudging along the thick, white blanket of snow that covered the ground, she could not help but think of Twilight.
"It's snowing, Celestia! It's snowing!" Twilight exclaimed like a little filly.
Celestia giggled. "It sure is, my love."
Twilight lied down on the snow, her eyes closed. Twilight had not experienced snow for years. She had always been busy studying or away when it snowed. And Celestia always missed her on those days. They had been married for five years now, and it was met with a great uproar at first, but later it simmered down, and soon it was not weird to see Celestia side-by-side with Twilight, walking along. This was the first time they had actually decided to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
Celestia stared at Twilight, looking at how her chest rose and fell with each breath she took. Her mane, which was sprawled on the snow, seeming to shimmer with light. She loved everything about Twilight. And she wished that this moment would last forever.
A snowball zoomed towards her and hit her straight in the face. It hurt a little, and Celestia was disrupted from her thoughts. She naturally felt angry, but when she saw Twilight's broad smile and the snowballs that levitated beside her, she knew all hell would break loose.
"You will pay for your insolence, Twilight!" Celestia yelled and started pelting her with snowballs.
Soon it became a snowball fight, but it didn't take long for victory. Twilight was partly buried in a mound of snow, and standing on top of her was Celestia, who gave Twilight a mocking grin.
"Do you yield, Twilight?"
"Never! I will never yield!"
"Then prepare to face the consequences!"
Celestia freed Twilight from the snow and smiled. Twilight looked at her with confusion, but not for long. Celestia tickled her, using a feather formed by magic. She tickled her in her most sensitive spots, causing Twilight to roll on the snow and laugh uncontrollably.
"Ah ha ha! Ah...I yield! I yield! Ah ha ha ha! Ouch, my stomach hurts..." Twilight shouted.
The torture stopped, much to Twilight's relief. They looked around. Many ponies were staring at them, for they had admittedly put on quite a show. Twilight blushed.
"Uh Celestia, I think it's better for us to leave..." Twilight whispered.
"Not before I give them something to remember." Celestia snickered.
"What do you mean..."
Twilight was interrupted mid-sentence as Celestia lunged in for a passionate kiss. And even though Twilight was aware of all those eyes staring at her, she did not break away from the kiss. Instead she returned it full force. All that mattered now was Celestia. As they kissed, the snow beside them started to swirl around them, forming a vortex of snow that shielded them from the outside world. They closed their eyes, savouring each moment. And when they finally opened their eyes, the vortex of snow had disappeared, and everypony around them was staring at them with their jaws hanging.
"Why are they looking at us like that?" Twilight uneasily asked.
"They have never seen...the power of true love." Celestia smiled.
"Take my hoof, Twilight." Celestia said.
And as they intertwined their hooves, they vanished, leaving in their wake a group of dumbfounded ponies.
Celestia was crying now. That had been such a memorable day in her life...the first time they kissed in public, in front of so many ponies. And it lingered fresh in her mind. She was never going to forget that kiss, which was so short but seemed to be everlasting.
Still, she continued on to walk to Twilight's grave. She could have flew, or simply teleported there. But she felt like walking there. She had visited it occasionally, but this time...there was a strange feeling. Her heart told her to come here.
It was still a long walk, but she had time. She always had time. But the same could not be said for most ponies. Especially her love, Twilight Sparkle. Even though she became a highly skilled mage, the likes of which had never been seen since the birth of Bearded, The Starswirl, under Celestia's tutelage, even she could not withstand the ravages of time. She lived a long life, thanks to her magic. But it wasn't enough. It never would be. Celestia wanted her for an eternity, for the future to come. A future where she would be with Twilight forever.
As she walked, she saw a mound of snow on the ground, and her thoughts wondered off again.
"Celestia! Help me!" Twilight shouted.
"Aargh...these ponies are blocking my way!" Celestia shouted back in exasperation.
"Can't you just...I don't know, teleport or something?"
"It would be disastrous if I teleported into somepony! Hold on...I think I've found a solution!" Celestia shouted.
Twilight watched in amazement as a bright, dazzling light emerged from Celestia's horn and radiated through the area. Twilight closed her eyes. If she watched any longer, she was certain she would go blind. As the light dimmed, Twilight opened her eyes, and the mere ridiculousness of the sight made her laugh. Everypony in the vicinity except Celestia and herself was frozen in place, not moving at all, as if they were statues.
Celestia weaved through the ponies to reach Twilight, her eyes brimming with excitement.
"How can I help you?" Celestia gave a mock salute.
Twilight giggled. "Oh, I just need something to stop the snow from melting..."
"I think a spell would be better."
"I tried mine, and it lasted for only a few minutes...I don't think I can do it."
"Oh...but I can, Twilight." Celestia gave her a sinister smile.
"The whole structure? But...It's...It's too big for you to handle!" Twilight exclaimed.
"It is my castle after all, Twilight. And it looks amazing. Thank you..." Celestia gazed in appreciation at the life-size snow replica of the Canterlot Castle. It had drew a large crowd as expected, being hard to miss after all.
"This is our 25th anniversary, Celestia. This year I'm planning. And we are so going to stay in this castle, at least for a week."
"Sure, my love. But... you have been planning our wedding anniversaries for two years now... Our 15th and 25th. Mind you, I did like the gigantic ice theme park you made 5 years ago...but don't you think it's time I got my turn in planning these events?"
"Hey, it's not my fault that you missed out on our 20th anniversary! You were supposed to plan that one out! I might let you plan, though, if you promise me it'll be a big surprise." Twilight winked.
"I assure you, Twilight. It's going to be a huge surprise."
Twilight beamed at her. It was going to be a great day.
Celestia casted the spell to stop the snow from melting, and together, they stood side-by-side and walked in the icy doors of the replica Canterlot Castle, with about two hundred frozen ponies as witnesses.
That snow replica of Canterlot Castle...It reminded her...just how powerful Twilight was. She was amazingly talented, able to learn many expert spells within a mere few days. And she was so unique, so gifted...it was no wonder that Celestia fell for her. And to say the truth, even though many ponies considered being loved by Celestia as lucky, Celestia felt the other way round. That she was lucky to have Twilight love her.
She could remember, the time she confessed to Twilight about her feelings. And it was a dream come true when Twilight accepted her love. Twilight was a little shocked at first, like so many other ponies she had loved. They would all realise that the all-powerful solar goddess was in love with them. And then they would panic. Some of them didn't love her back, but yet did not dare to reject her. And It was up to Celestia to end her love for them, for she simply could not impose on their free will to choose the ones they loved. There were also a few who claimed they loved Celestia, but they were not actually sincere, and only wanted royalty...or money and power. But the few who really did love her...she enjoyed every moment of it.
But Twilight...Twilight was the only pony whom Celestia had willingly given her entire heart to. And so when she was gone, she felt so much sadness and loss inside her. Something irreplaceable had been taken away, something deep in her heart. Happiness. Joy. All of them gone in an instant. All she saw was a dark, cruel world.
"Woah...where are we?" Twilight asked, genuinely surprised.
All around her was nothing but a void of darkness.
"We are in a dream, Twilight, that connects us both. Luna has taught me a little about this...and this is the surprise I warned you about. Remember? Outside your castle."
"Well...I must say I'm impressed. You had not lived up to my expectations today...our 30th anniversary. I was secretly so mad at you...I hope you can redeem yourself tonight." Twilight huffed.
"I won't let you feel disappointed. I promised, and I never break one."
"You might start today!" Twilight taunted.
"Let's see..." Celestia said.
Suddenly the black void transformed into Equestria, and they were standing on the town square, but strangely there was nopony there, and it was snowing.
"Wh...what?" Twilight stammered.
Celestia chuckled. "Twilight, this is a dream. Anything is possible in a dream, as long as you can imagine it."
"Why...is it snowing?"
"Because all our happiest moments, strangely, happened when it was snowing."
"Because we celebrated late in the year every time."
Celestia stammered. "Well...you are right. Err...let's move on, then. Create something."
"Oh, so if I can imagine something..." Twilight closed her eyes in concentration.
Suddenly five Celestia clones appeared out of thin air, forming in front of Twilight.
"I told you you could create anything, and you could only manage this...?" Celestia frowned.
"I'm so sorry, Celestia! But every time I try to think of something to put into the dream, I can only picture you. So..." Twilight exclaimed.
"That's so sweet of you, Twilight. It really means a lot to me..." Celestia cried tears of joy.
All five of her clones started to cry too, which caused both Twilight and her to laugh.
"That was so...weird." Twilight said.
"I agree." Celestia stated, and the clones vanished.
"Aww...you didn't have to do that!" Twilight protested. "They were just fine!"
"We came here to enjoy ourselves, not to see some doppelgangers perform. Now, I have some place you will like..."
A huge, golden library emerged from the ground, towering over Equestria, so huge its roof reached the height of Cloudsdale.
"Oh my...how did you manage this?" Twilight screamed in delight.
"Imagination. Living for so many years...my imaginations can only be so vivid."
"Will I remember the things I read here?" Twilight questioned.
"Yes, you will. This information will directly go to your mind...and since a day in a dream is only an hour in reality, we have close to five days here..."
"This is the best wedding anniversary ever!"
An over enthusiastic Twilight pounced on, giving her a warm embrace. Celestia chuckled and returned the hug.
"I love you, Celestia."
"I love you too, Twilight."
Her thoughts briefly went to Luna. Luna would probably be throwing snowballs at strangers, being a little prankster after all. But Celestia knew that deep down, Luna had been hurt by Twilight's death too. Luna congratulated them in their wedding, which was held in private to avoid a big crowd, and treated Twilight like her younger sister. And Luna loved her. Not as much as Celestia did, but Luna treated Twilight as family. When Twilight died, Luna had cried so miserably... Even till now, Celestia knew, that Luna cried over Twilight's death. For she herself had too. After her death, Luna had also briefly transformed into Nightmare Moon, but was calmed down just in the nick of time by Celestia. But Celestia knew. Even now, Luna was very fragile, and she hoped Luna would recover soon enough.
Next came Cadence, who was Twilight's sister-in-law. Cadence fared worse than Luna, and for weeks the Crystal Empire had to function without a princess to rule them. Shining Armor was old, but still he had a long life in front of him. Apparently he was one of the few who were blessed to live a long life. He had to take the position of Cadence, who had escaped to who knows where. And he was panicking, as Cadence did not even tell him where she had gone, and had just suddenly disappeared. Celestia had to coax and console Cadence for an entire week before Cadence reluctantly went back to rule over her empire. Cadence had recovered mostly since, but sometimes...sometimes she would just cry out of no reason. Celestia could only guess it was because Cadence occasionally still thought of Twilight.
And Celestia? She was never going to recover. Not in ten years, a hundred years, a millennia. Never. She loved Twilight too much...and she gave her entire heart to Twilight. And when Twilight died, Celestia could feel a piece of her heart missing. Like it had been taken away silently, painlessly, yet willingly. She had never regretted loving Twilight. Not now, not ever. Even though it hurt like hell when she died. She enjoyed the moments with Twilight, didn't she? She willingly fell in love and married her, even though she knew, that deep down, she would feel immense sadness and grief when Twilight passed away. She did not react as exaggaratingly as Luna or Cadence, but appearances were deceiving. She was the one...who had her heart shattered the most. It was as if it was made of glass, only barely being held together by Twilight. And when Twilight died, it just collapsed and shattered into a million pieces. A heart forever broken.
And she cried. For many nights and many days. She had no appetite, and could not sleep for days and weeks. But still...she had to govern Equestria, and make sure it prospered. For it was, after all, what Celestia had strived for for hundreds of years. But most importantly, it was what Twilight would have wanted.
Her thoughts wondered even further, and it stopped at a moment in Celestia's life that made Celestia cry even more. The moment when Celestia had dreadened all those years. The moment Twilight died.
They had celebrated so many of their wedding anniversaries, and it meant a lot to them. Their 70th wedding anniversary was coming tomorrow, and already decorations and food were being prepared. It was supposed to be a happy day in their lives, a day that commemorated their undying love with each other, surviving through the passage of time. But Celestia was not happy at all. Instead she felt worried and sad for Twilight. Over the years, Twilight had gotten weaker and weaker, and today...today she couldn't even get out of bed. She was simply too weak to even stand. Celestia had wanted to help her up, but Twilight had been reluctant. She told Celestia that she wanted to stay on the bed. The weak sunlight that managed to pass through the snow reached into her private bedchambers, where Celestia shared with her. It illuminated the room with a soothing and relaxing glow, and seemed to show Celestia that Twilight's time was up. That she was going to die.
"Twilight, you're scaring me. I can get you breakfast if you insist on staying on the bed..." Celestia said.
"No...I don't want anything. I just want to tell you something, my love." Twilight weakly responded.
"No...it cannot happen! Not now! Twilight, stay strong..." Celestia screamed. It was obvious where this was leading.
"Celestia...don't be silly. You know I can't live by your side forever. But always in your heart."
"No, Twilight...I will find a way. Please, just stay...at least a little longer..." Celestia started to cry.
"I can feel my time is up...but somehow...I feel relaxed. I guess, it's because I have done so much. To have made so many friends. To have been so lucky to be married to you."
"Twilight!" Celestia held on to Twilight's hooves, desperately clinging on to her as if somehow a miracle would happen.
"Remember what I requested for my funeral? No big event, no grieving. A happy send-off by my friends...and you. So please, don't cry. It is the inevitable...and I have never regretted loving you, although I know...it was selfish of me to do so, to know you would live long after I die, and you would probably feel sad over me in the future. Live positively, okay! Promise me you won't feel sad for me after I die."
"I...I...promise." Celestia was sobbing quite loudly now.
"Remember, Twilight? Sixty-five years ago, this exact time, this exact weather."
"Of course...how could I not? It was our first kiss in public...and I was so embarrassed...but at the same time, it was so exhilarating. To finally be able to express our love anywhere."
"I was planning for that during our anniversary...another snowball fight...another tickling..." Celestia smiled sadly.
"Another kiss." Twilight finished.
"It was supposed to be a secret...but there's no point keeping it now, right?" Celestia sobbed hysterically.
"You're so stubborn sometimes, Celestia. I told you not to cry..." Twilight smiled.
She continued, "It sounds so fun...but I feel so sad that I'm going to miss it...our 70th anniversary."
Celestia shouted." Twilight! Twilight! DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES!"
But it was too late. Twilight had already begun to do so, her body relaxing.
"I love you, Celestia. Remember me in your heart." Twilight said in a dying voice.
Knowing there was nothing she could do to stop Twilight from passing away, she replied.
"Always, my love. I love you too...remember me too."
Twilight gave a slight nod, and slowly her eyes closed completely. The hooves Celestia held on to so dearly went limp. Celestia looked at Twilight for a while. Her last smile. Her calm, serene look. And it took even longer for it to sink in. She would never see them again. She just cried softly and uncontrollably beside Twilight, wetting the bed with tears.
Celestia finally reached Twilight's grave. It was decorated with flowers of all sorts and handmade cards. She had not brought anything along to place on her grave...but it was fine. She had already gave Twilight her heart. She touched the grave, her tears dripping onto the snow below.
"Twilight...I hope you haven't forgotten me. I'm Celestia. I married you, and we were in love for close to 70 years. I came here today because my heart told me so. It must have been foolish of me, to think that something would happen. But I didn't regret it. It gave me wonderful memories of our time together. And even though they hurt a lot, it also reminds me of the happy times we used to had. The love we used to share, which we still do. Even when you have died...I still love you, no matter what. And I hope you, too, still love me as I love you."
The wind grew harsher, and so did the snow. But Celestia remained standing there, her hoof on the tombstone, her body fixed in place. Her tears still falling onto the ground.
She stood that way for an entire minute, before turning and walking away.
Other ponies felt sad that Celestia had lost the one she loved and offered their condolences. But they did not know, that Twilight was still alive. Not in a physical form, but in a more, powerful form. In Celestia's heart, the only place where she could stay with Celestia forever. It had been a long, fruitful journey with Twilight. And Celestia had no regrets.
Author's Note
Twilicorn will be at the alternate ending, for I know some people won't like it. It will be quite short, though.
And I don't mind if this story has bad ratings. It was just something to do for fun. So just honestly tell me your opinions and feedback.
To all the viewers out there:
Even when there are obstacles and challenges that seem impossible to overcome, know that love conquers all. And if you truly love someone, nothing can stand in your way. Nothing can stop you. For true love is the most powerful thing in the world, more deadly than the stongest bombs, the sharpest bullets. Love...always perserveres till the end.
Keep in your heart, that as long as you have true love, nothing can stop you. Live out your dreams, your life, with love in your heart. And may this message resonate in your mind, heart and soul.
Love Knows No Bounds.
