Library of the Past

Celestia gasped at what she saw. Her faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, was lying on the ground in a pool of tears and blood with a knife in her gut. The Princess shut her eyes and fought back tears. If she had only been there a few minutes earlier...but it was too late for that. Twilight was gone, and there was nothing she could do about it. Nopony knew a spell which could reincarnate the dead. If that were so, nopony would be gone.

She took her hoof and slid Twilight's eyes closed, letting her tears drip on the alicorn's face. She knew this wasn't her fault, yet she couldn't feel anything except guilt and remorse. It felt like it was her fault. In a way, it was. No, she couldn't think like that. It wasn't her fault, not at all. Not all ponies get to end happily. That's just how things are. That's how things always will be.

Celestia took one last glance at her student before removing the knife and slowly dragging herself outside. She looked up. The sun was shining, all of the ponies were outside having fun or earning money for their families, the beautiful trees had bright green leaves  slowly swaying in the wind, and all of the grass was a bright, life-like color. It should have cheered her up, but all it did was make things worse. She couldn't help but think on this beautiful day, let alone any day, her faithful student passed away. And now... now it was over. She had her sister, but... they still had never gotten over the Nightmare Moon incident.

Celestia found herself standing at the edge of a cliff, looking down at a flowing river. She realized she was in the Everfree Forest and shuddered, but then decided it didn't matter too much. Zecora lived there for years, and not once had she gotten severely injured by some monster. She put her mind back on the river. She had noticed tears flowing down her face and falling into the river. It was such a fast river. Once her tears went in, they became part of the river and moved along with it, never to be distinguished as tears again. Just like Twilight. Once they left, they didn't come back.

The princess began her trip back to Canterlot. Once there, she would have no choice but to once again pick and choose what laws passed, who did what, what each criminal was sentenced with... and she would do it for eternity. She was one of the two rulers of Equestria, and she was like a god. She was immortal. Age did not affect her. Suicide was not even an option; it would just be a lot of pain.

As Celestia sat in her throne, she wondered what it would've been like to know what Twilight was thinking. Was she crazy? Depressed? Scared? Or was there something else that cause her to do what she did? Celestia didn't want to think about the subject anymore. She just needed some rest. She began to walk to her bed.

"What are you doing, your Highness?" asked a guard.

Celestia turned to him. "I just need some rest. Tell Luna she should take over for a while."

"Yes , Princess." The guard left her in the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Celestia simply sat on the bed. She turned to her nightstand to look at the picture of her, Twilight, and Twilight's parents in a picture frame. She lost it.

The princess bawling into her hooves. She sis not care about the noise. Soom enough, the others would find out. Tgen, they would possibly understand why she was feeling so bad. However, there was no way anypony would ever understand how she truly felt inside. This was a tragedy greater than no other, and she would have to live with it for the rest of her life. Overcoming this event would not be easy.

She tried to contain herself from crying any longer,  as she was only making her eyes hurt now. They were completely red and soaking wet, not to mention stinging. Celestia rubbed her eyes one last time before passing out on her currently drenched bed. She remained in bed for three days.

The news of Twilight's death was spreading quickly. Everypony who heard was saddened. Some even cried. But nopony felt as much pain as Celestia did. She would have to live with it forever. The guards were constantly checking on her for the three days she was gone, feeding her, giving her the news, and just being there for her. They were very congenial, but Celestia remained depressed.

After three days, Celestia returned with a speech to the entire land of Equestria. "Ponies, unicorns, pegasai, ane all other Equestrians," she had said after stepping up onto a stage, "As you may have heard by now, my faithful student, Twilight..." she was crying as she attempted to mention the name. " Twilight Sparkle passed away." There were some murmurs in the crowd. Celstia sniffled. " Now," she said, "this is very sad and schocking to all of us. But you need to stay strong. Luna has been running both shifts as of late. This is going to change. Luna will once again only be doing the night shift."

"Celestia," asked a front row pony, "soes this mean you are returning?"

Celestia scanned the audience and rested her hooves on the podium. "No," she said, "that is not what it means. Princess Cadence shall be continuing the day shift."

The crowd seemed confused as to why this would be. Many of them got restless, and several of them were screaming questions at her. The guards readied their weapons, and the audience stopped.

"Now," Celestia said, tears falling from her eyes, "I am going to deliver more sad news." She began lettinf her tears flow rapidly across her cheeks, soaking her fur as they dripped to the ground, one by one. "I am not returning. Not now, not ever. I am leaving, to go see my student once more."

Luna turned to her sister. "What do you mean?" She had asked. Then she noticed Twilight's knife in Celestia's hand. "No!" she screamed.  But it was too late. Celestia lodged the knife into her stomach.

"But... how?" asked Luna as ahe began crying with her sister, "How do you expect to die? We're immortal! Why would you want to die?"

"No, Luna," the princess said weaky to her sobbing sister, "we aren't immortal.  Twilight finished a spell of Starswirl the Bearded's that desteoyed all immortality in the world. I... I spent three days... going through letters she sent me, teying to find it. And seeing those letters only made the idea of suicide seem better. Luna," she said, as ahe gasped for breath, "take good care of Equestria."

"No, sister! Hang on!" Luna turned to the crowd. "Is there a doctor? A nurse? Please, help!" No one stepped up. The ponies in the crowd were for the most part attempting to leave the scene. Very few had stayed and attempted to watch. "No, sister, don't do this to me! Celestia, listen to me! How do I reverse the spell? Answer me! Celestia? Celestia!"

Luna cried for hours while hugging her sister. Celestia har really gone. She would never see her again. Her sister, the one who saved her from being a terrible fiend, the one who had cared for her ever since she was a filly,  the one who loved her, and was... there for her. Gone. Forever.

Luna wasn't just sad, she was angry.  The world should not be this cruel. It couldn't be. But... it was. There was her sister, dead, right in front of her. There was only one way to see her again. But... did she really want to end up like Twilight and Celestia? No, she didn't. But there was no other way she could live happily. If the spell eliminated immortality, then all she woumd have to do would be...

"Sister," said Luna as she pulled the knife out of Celestia and closed her eyes, "I love you." She jammed the knife into her head. The process was completely painless, and she died that instant. The bodies were recovered an hour later. For the rest of their lives, Cadence and Shining Armour were in charge of the Sun and Moon. And every year on that day, Equestria would honor their deaths by reading a book. By doing so, the pobies were reminded that it all started in The Library of the Past.