When the Sun Stops Shining

Chapters

Chapter 1 - Sunset
Chapter 2 - Mind Games
Chapter 3 - Solitude and Sadness
Chapter 4 - With You Always
Chapter 5 - Dawn

Chapter 1 - Sunset

Beams of morning sunlight burst through the windows of the Golden Oaks Library, signaling the start of a new day. Twilight Sparkle sat up in her bed. Wiping her eyes, she looked out the window into her hometown of Ponyville. Only a few ponies were outside at the early hour, mostly the pegasi who were beginning to clear the skies, but a small number going for a morning stroll or setting up shops. Rainbow Dash, like her usual self, was probably sleeping late.

Twilight hopped out of her bed and trotted over to her vanity mirror across the room. She looked into the mirror and saw her normal, messy mane and began to comb it using her magic. As she was doing this, she realized that she was extremely hungry, and her mind instantly switched to wondering what Spike was making for breakfast.

"Spiiike!" Twilight called down the stairwell, "you'd better be making breakfast!" She hated to be so direct with her assistant, but her stomach got the better of her.

"Already on it, Twi!" she heard Spike respond with his uniquely cheerful voice.

Twilight smiled. What would she do without her wonderful, dragon assistant. As a new princess, she would need him even more than ever in the near future. Princess Celestia had already been establishing jobs for Twilight, even though she had only been a princess for two days, and the increased workload had already taken a toll on her energy.

Twilight finished her morning cosmetic tasks and set the comb down. Looking at her refreshed face in the mirror, she smiled, pleased with her work. Twilight turned away and headed downstairs, looking forward to the delicious breakfast that Spike would be preparing.

"Good morning Spike!" Twilight greeted the dragon with an affectionate smile.

"Heya Twilight! Sleep well?" Spike responded, flipping pancakes effortlessly.

"You bet, I slept like a filly. Best night's sleep I've had in awhile." Twilight walked over to the table and sat down, waiting patiently for a (hopefully) large amount of pancakes to be delivered to her plate. "I guess I was just nervous over my coronation and the duties that came with it, that my thoughts started messing with my sleep."

"Aw, don't sweat it Twilight. I'm sure you'll be able to handle any royal tasks after what you and your friends have done for you to become a princess. Besides, Celestia wouldn't have made you a princess if she didn't believe you could handle it." Spike placed 5 steaming hot pancakes on Twilight's plate.

"You're right Spike. The princess trusts me, and with her guidance and help from my friends, I will surely be able to rise to the challenge! By the way, did you manage to find any books with tips on being a princess?" Although Twilight felt confident she would get the help she needed, she wanted to be as prepared as possible for her new position. The stress of her new point of authority had contributed to her lack of sleep recently.

Twilight began to indulge in the steaming pancakes on the plate in front of her, the fluffy, soft texture she had always love gave her a boost of assurance. All her worries faded away for the time, and all Twilight cared about was how good the pancakes were. Spike's years of experience in cooking had produced several mind-cleansing meals recently.

"Well, no...not really..." Spike answered Twilight's question, just beginning to place pancakes on his own plate. Just as he was about to sit down, Twilight practically leaped out of her chair and quickly trotted her dishes over to the sink. "But what's the big hurry?"

"Today's Thursday , and I have to meet Fluttershy and Rarity at the spa, we do it once a month, remember?" Twilight was especially looking forward to this outing, as she had been too busy the last few days to spend time with her friends, and she was looking forward to having some time to catch up.

"Oh that's right," - Spike chuckled - "I guess I can't do everything right!"

"I know that well enough already!" - Twilight giggled as she trotted towards the door, "But really Spike, you do great. I don't want to know what kind of mess I would be in without you. See you later!"

"Thanks Twi, have a great time!" Spike closed the door behind his friend and finally began to consume his pancakes.

* * *

Twilight trotted lightly along the rustic, cobblestone sidewalks of Ponyville. Everypony was out enjoying the beautiful day, courtesy of the pegasi. Twilight made a point to greet and complement as many ponies as possible ever since she had arrived in Ponyville all those years ago, and was known for putting a smile on ponies' faces, almost as much as Pinkie Pie.

"Hello there Lyra, nice day we're having! Good morning Granny Smith, good to see you out and about! Hi Applejack, good luck with sales today!"

Everything was perfectly normal about this day, and that's how Twilight liked it. Any more changes in her perfectly organized schedule would drive her crazy. Although in the past the normal, uneventful days in Ponyville did become somewhat repetitive, Twilight was looking forward to a free day to spend however she wanted.

"Good morning Twilight." Twilight looked around towards the direction of the soft voice, and saw a timid yellow pegasus gliding towards her.

"Good morning Fluttershy! What a beautiful day we're having!"

"Oh, yes, the animals enjoy it very much."

"That's great! Is Rarity on her way?"

"Yes, I think so. I saw her leaving the boutique just a few minutes ago."

"Hello girls!"

The two friends turned in the direction of the easily recognizable voice and saw a young white unicorn trotting toward's them with a grin.

"Morning, Rarity!" Twilight and Fluttershy greeted the dressmaker.

"Oh, I am so excited to catch up with you Twilight, and you too Fluttershy! We've all just been sooo busy with our daily tasks that we haven't had much time to just sit down, relax, and chat! Shall we get going? I don't want to waste any time!"

The three ponies nodded in agreement and began to make their way through the bustling streets of Ponyville. They passed by salesponies, shops, and dozens of groups talking and laughing. Everypony seemed to be in a positive mood, probably because of the gloriously sunny day. This made the trio of friends even happier.

"We're here!" Rarity said enthusiastically.

Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight approached the spa they had enjoyed coming to for so long and trotted up the smooth steps. Mist escaped from the windows, giving off a peaceful and welcoming aura. Ornate designs and several exotic plants were spread all around the outside grounds, promoting relaxing feelings and luring ponies inside. But before they could enter, an unfamiliar voice came from behind them, disturbing their relaxing thoughts and anticipations.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight turned around and saw a messenger pegasus wearing the official Canterlot uniform. "Yup, that's me!"

"I have a very urgent message from Canterlot, and it is for your eyes only." And with that he flew off, just as quickly as he had arrived, leaving the three ponies wondering what could be hidden inside the envelope.

"Oh, a message from Canterlot," Fluttershy said softly, "it must be important. I don't remember you ever getting a letter from a messenger pony like that before."

"Important indeed," Rarity added, "and for your eyes only...I wonder what it could be about?"

"Oh, I really hope it doesn't interfere with our outing..." Twilight said worringly. While Twilight was anxious to discover the contents of the letter, she knew there was a possibility that she would ruin the time with her friends, something that was more important to her than anything right now. But she knew it contained important information, so she decided to open it anyways. She began to use her magic to tear the seal on the letter and unfolded it, revealing an ornate border and a different style of handwriting, one different to that of Celestia's. She looked down at the bottom of the page, and instead of Celestia's larger signature, was that of Princess Luna. Confused, Twilight began to read:

Dearest Princess Twilight,

I know that I have never written to you personally before, and it saddens me that this first letter must address such a negative note. This

breaks my heart to say, Twilight, but my sister has passed on. After your coronation, she became progressively weaker, began to lose her

power, and ate less and less. This morning it was I who found that she had died in the night, thankfully in a peaceful manner according to

the doctors. I haven't much else to say to you. I know how meaningful Celestia was in your life, how she got you through so much, how

she helped shape you into the amazing mare you are today, and all I can say is I'm sorry. She loved you with all her heart Twilight, and

hope you understand that as much as I do. This has caused me more pain and heartbreak than ever before. I know my words cannot

bring her back, but I hope that they, along with my condolences, lessen your grief. Please keep this information secret as well, as I would

not like to spread nationwide panic and chaos. I will announce to each of the cities personally. Stay strong Twilight Sparkle.

Princess Luna

Chapter 2 - Mind Games

Twilight's eyes met the bottom of the page and stopped. She just stood there, completely unaware of the physical world. She forgot all about the beautiful day, her friends, and their plans for a relaxing spa appointment and tried to comprehend what she had just read. Hundreds of thoughts and emotions swirled around in her mind, certain ones she had never experienced before. All that she could recall from the letter was - "Celestia has passed on"...surely...surely that couldn't be true?

This must be some kind of forgery, mistake, or SOMETHING! Celestia can't die!!! Twilight felt her eyes begin to water at the thought.

Twilight forced herself back into reality, and wiped her eyes with her hoof and calmed herself down. This was probably just some prank that somepony thought would be funny to pull on the new princess. Yes, that's what it was. Besides, Celestia couldn't have just died. No where in any books she had ever read was there anything about the death of princesses.

Forcing herself into a fake smile, Twilight turned around and saw her friends staring down at her with concern. They each lent her a hoof and pulled her up off the ground.

"Is something wrong, dear? You look awfully pale.." Rarity said.

Fluttershy looked much more concerned than Rarity, revealed in her stuttering voice. "Oh, oh, oh my goodness...are...are you alright Twilight? Do you need help?"

"I'm alright! No need to worry! No problem's here!" Twilight lied, struggling to maintain her fake smile.

"But Twilight, you simply collapsed after you finished reading that letter of yours!" Rarity had that look on her face that said - 'I know something's wrong'. Twilight had seen it many times before, one time being when she had frantically searched Ponyville for a "friendship problem", and there was no avoiding it.

As much as Twilight hated to lie to her friends, she knew it was for their own good. "Oh, well...you see...I guess I just dozed off for a minute there. I've just been up so late dealing with my new responsibilites. That's why I'm looking forward to the spa so much!" She popped a fake grin and prayed her excuse would work.

"Alright, whatever you say dear..." Rarity replied, accepting Twilight's excuse, but still maintaining a look of suspicion. Twilight sighed as Rarity began to walk away, and was surprised at how well her excuses worked.

The three ponies entered the spa uninterrupted, and were met by a wall of warm mist as the door opened, something Twilight had always appreciated the feeling of. But as she tried to relax her mind, Luna's message kept coming back. Even though she was trying her hardest to convince herself that the letter was false, the thoughts of the possibility of it being legitimate took over her mind. Her future, her past, her present...all clustered together at once. She sighed, tears forming in her eyes once again as she realized the situation she was in. Lying to her friends, unable to escape her stressful life, and now this...

Aloe and Lotus, along with another spa pony, walked over to the three friends lying down on the massage chairs and began to soothingly rub their hooves over their backs. Twilight felt all of the muscles in her body relax as the masseuse professionally removed the tension. For a moment, she felt all of the distressing thoughts disappear. Maybe she would be able to enjoy this time with her friends.

"Ah, don't you all love our spa outings girls?" Rarity spoke with a soothing tone.

"Oh yes, it's very generous of you to do this every Thursday." Fluttershy replied gratefully.

But as the massage ended, the dreadful thoughts returned, worse than before. Every sense of bliss left Twilight's body, and she realized she could only postpone, not prevent, what she had to do. She and her friends wouldn't like it, but it had to be done.

Twilight leaped out of the chair and bolted towards the door, grabbing the attention of everyone in the spa, especially her friends. Despite the fact that everypony was watching her every move, Twilight shouted across the room, "I'm so sorry girls, I don't think I'll be able to do this anytime soon," and quickly galloped out the door. These words wounded her on the inside, and she teared up once again, thinking about her friends' confusion, embarrassment, and maybe even anger. It saddened her to admit it , but her friends were not important right now. Twilight needed to find out if this letter was real or not, and paying a visit to Canterlot herself would be the only way to make sure.

Once she had reached a safe spot far away from her friends and any passing ponies who had noticed her, she took to the sky, struggling to maintain her balance as usual. She still hadn't gotten the hang of her newly acquired wings, but in time flying would be a breeze. Once she was stable in the air, she turned north and began her trip to Canterlot.

* * *

Princess Luna sat alone in the rainy, dark cemetery of Canterlot Castle. In front of her was a large stone monument, significantly larger than the surrounding gravestones, that were all the same size. On this particular gravestone there was a large, golden slate with a lengthy message engraved into it, reading:

Here lies the almighty Princess Celestia, royal pony sister and leader of us all for thousands of moons. Just, understanding, kind, and a

wonderful pony. You were an inspiration to us all, and may you rest in peace.

Luna had read that engraving hundreds of times in the hours she had spent out in the cemetery by her sister. She had received some comfort from the kind and reverent words chosen for her sister's gravestone, but that did little to suppress the emotions of loneliness and loss she hadn't felt since her banishment as Nightmare Moon, a mistake she would never be able to completely amend with the sister she had loved so much. She had tried so hard to convince herself that she had gotten over that mistake, just like Celestia had said to, but her death brought back all the pain and shame that she tried so hard to dispel. Celestia had done so much for her - forgave her, cared for her, looked out for her in her darkest hours, and now she was gone.

Luna put her head in her hooves and began to quietly sob. Her life was empty...her body was empty. Celestia was a part of her that was now gone, leaving a gaping space in her heart. Where did she go from here? She would have to take on new responsibilities - such as raising the sun every morning...a task that seemed impossible to learn. After all, she was now the primary ruler of Equestria, and the weight of the whole nation was on her shoulders. Except there was nopony to guide her, nopony to be there to catch her when she fell. Sadness overtook the princess of the night, and the Canterlot Castle cemetery was filled the sound of sobs and the gentle rain.

* * *

It had been a long flight, but Twilight finally reached the city of Canterlot. It was late in the evening, and the streets were wet with the rain that had hindered her speed. However, she knew exactly where she was going and knew the fastest of the many routes of travel, which led to an overall painless trip.

Twilight landed gracefully on her personal balcony of the castle constructed after her coronation. She then took the stairs down to the throne room and made her way up another flight of stairs to the room of Celestia. Twilight hastily opened the door and saw a perfectly clean room with nothing out of order. Starting to panic, Twilight galloped across he hallway to Luna's room and encountered the same thing - a perfectly clean room. Neither of the royal sisters had slept in their beds, despite the fact that it was 1 a.m.

This worried Twilight immensely, and just as she was going to panic, she noticed several light footprints on the ground leading out the back door of the throne room into the cemetery. She had never had a reason to visit, and she had wished to keep it that way.

"H...Hello?" Twilight called out into the darkness, "is anypony out there?"

"Yes. I am, Princess Twilight Sparkle," a deeper voice replied from the center of the cemetery, causing Twilight to jump a little bit, as she didn't expect such a response. She trotted towards the origin of the voice and saw Luna, lying on the ground in front of a large monument.

"Oh, Princess Luna!" Twilight exclaimed, "excuse me for interrupting." Twilight bowed slightly out of respect for the night princess.

"There is no need for an apology, Twilight Sparkle, and you were not interrupting. I knew you would probably be coming," Luna stood up to face Twilight, "and to answer your question about the validity of that letter - yes, it is true. My sister lies here, and so do I. I have had little success in overcoming my emotions."

Those final words spoken by Luna confirmed Twilight's worst fears. She had tried to deny it, push it to the back of her head, but that only made the pain worse, and along with all the grief she had caused to her friends, Twilight felt her heart split in two. Her mind was filled with images of her past, present, and predictions of the future. All the times Celestia had been there for her...were to be no more. She thought of her friends, and all the ponies who would rely on her decisions even more to continue to live good lives, and the pressure she would feel.

All of these emotions and thoughts overtook Twilight's body, and she began to cry uncontrollably. Nothing had ever hurt so much.

Luna let Twilight cry for awhile, and hugged her tightly, crying as well. Together the two princesses embraced, hugging one another as the only thing they felt they had left in life. After about five minutes, the two cried the heaviest emotions out, and Luna placed her wing over the young alicorn princess. She began to sing a lullaby that Celestia had always sung her when she was a filly, putting them both to sleep:

The moon rises in the stillness of the night,

Little darling it's time to turn out the light...

So sleep, and let your head be filled with dreams until you wake,

The moon watches down on your smiling face...

Listen to my words,

They're filled with the love I have for you...

Stay close to my heart,

And your deepest wish will come true...

And play, in the twinkling stars above that surround you,

No matter where you go,

The moon will always bring me back to you.

Chapter 3 - Solitude and Sadness

Twilight opened her eyes. It was still dark outside. She still felt the comfort of Luna's soft, silky wing covering her like a blanket. But Twilight knew that she had to get home. Although she desired to stay, she knew she couldn't. Twilight used her magic to gently ease herself out from under the wing of Luna, hoping not to wake her. After leaving the comfort of Luna's wing, Twilight realized how cold it was. Luna's body had provided so much warmth for her, much like Celestia did when Twilight was younger and they would talk together. With this memory came pain, and Twilight pushed it away. Before she left, Twilight turned and read the engraving on the tombstone once more. It pained her more than ever to leave.

"Goodbye Celestia. Thank you for all the things you did for me." Twilight said to herself quietly before ascending into the skies above the cemetery.

As Twilight flew through the moonlit sky, she contemplated how much had gone on in only the past day. All was going well, she was going to have a relaxing time with her best friends and receive a much needed break from her duties as a princess, until that BUCKING letter came and ruined not only her day, but her life as well. All of this angered Twilight, causing her to fly faster and aggressively. She poured all of her anger into flying, causing her to speed through the air faster than ever before, and and angry look beset her usually cheerful face.

Twilight began talking to herself in hopes of clearing her mind. "Why didn't they tell me she was ill? I could have saved her myself...those stupid doctors probably just gave up on her...AGHHH! This whole mess was their fault! And Luna! Oh, don't get me started with her...trying to act all nice with me when she didn't even bother to notify the newly crowned princess and Celestia's prized student? Do I not matter? Obviously not! This whole princess thing was a joke, and it's done nothing but make my life worse!" She felt good getting all of the blaming thoughts out, and having somepony to direct her anger towards gave her more control over herself.

Still flying at her aggressive speed, Twilight began to see the small buildings of Ponyville appear out of the night in the distance. But she didn't care. In fact, she felt like she didn't even want to see her hometown or her friends again at all, but she proceeded despite her feelings and headed directly for the Golden Oaks Library. Twilight didn't even feel like continuing her tasks or dealing with any problems, troubles or conundrums that she as a good friend would be called upon to solve. She just wanted to be alone...alone with her books.

Twilight landed softly on the balcony of the library, making no noise. Twilight used her magic and cautiously trotted into her bedroom, where the lights were off, so Twilight assumed Spike had actually went to bed. Using the light from her horn, she slowly walked over the creaky floor to her bed. The comfort of the mattress and fluffy pillows gave the alicorn some much needed solace.

"Maybe some sleep will clear my mind" Twilight thought and put out her horn's light. She tried her best to push all the saddening thoughts away to get some sleep. Once her mind was clear, it was only a few moments before she felt darkness envelop her.

* * *

Twilight awoke to the sound of chirping birds and bright sunlight coming through her window. Looking outside, the sun was shining once again, and there was not a cloud in the sky. It was just like yesterday, a happy start to a saddening day. Twilight felt restless, only running on 3 hours of sleep, and getting out of bed was the last thing she wanted to do, knowing that with it would come mental and physical agony. But she knew that she had things she had to do, so she heaved herself out of bed and walked over to the mirror to fix her mane.

It was when Twilight looked into the mirror that she realized how bad she looked. She had bags underneath her eyes, and her mane was even more frazzled than the incident with her future self. Her cosmetic disaster made her feel even worse about starting the day. All she wanted to do was escape from her problems with a good book. Maybe a reread of "Predictions and Prophecies", or should she continue with "Bygone Griffons and Greatness"?.

"Well, I should probably make a checklist of all the things that I have to do today," Twilight spoke to herself, "where's that Spike...SPIKE!!"

"I'm downstairs Twilight!" She heard the dragon respond. Quickly rearranging the cosmetic items on her desk, she trotted down the stairs, almost unable to keep her balance. How would she be able to accomplish her daily duties if she couldn't even get down the stairs of her own house? "You're up earlier than usual." Spike greeted.

"Ugh...I didn't get much sleep last night Spike. My mind was all over the place." Twilight looked away from Spike, not wanting him to get concerned over her situation. He didn't know about the contents of the letter, and Twilight wanted to keep it that way. "Anyhow, I need you to make a checklist of all the things I have to do today."

"No problem," the dragon obliged as he fetched a paper and quill, "hopefully your mind clears up, because you're gonna need all the energy and mind-power to get all of these tasks done...boy are there a lot of 'em."

Twilight had been doing well to maintain her cool, but these words from Spike made her snap. She had done all she could to control her stress and emotions, but it was then that she realized she would never be able to escape them. She was a princess for the rest of her life, and Celestia was gone permanently. Thoughts of a future of sadness, depression, and stress came to her mind, and Twilight couldn't take any more of it. She had had enough.

"You know what!? Forget the list. I can't go on like this! I'll be sad and depressed all my life, and the important decisions I have to make will be affected. All of Equestria will suffer because of me! I can't perform my duties, I can't make decisions, and I surely can't rule beside Luna. I tried Spike, I truly did, but I can't do it. I wasn't ready for this."

And with these words Twilight galloped back up the stairs, isolating herself from the outside world. She climbed onto her bed and spawned a force-field to surround it. Sighing in relief to be free from the world, she levitated "Bygone Griffons and Greatness" over to her bed and began to read.

* * *

Spike had no response for what had just happened. Never had he seen Twilight act like this before. The only other time he could remember her in a state remotely close to right now was during the Starswirl spell incident, right before her coronation. But she got through it, remembering how important her friends were to her. But now, Spike feared, Twilight may not have the determination or motivation inside of her to overcome whatever problem she was having. Spike thought about going up and trying to help her, but he feared that his words would just make the situation worse.

"I guess I should just do my daily chores," Spike sighed. He grabbed the broom and began to sweep the floor when he heard a knock on the heavy oak door. He dropped the broom and jogged over to the door. Opening it, all of Twilight's friends were standing outside. "Hey everypony! What's up?"

"Good morning Spike!" Rarity greeted cheerfully, "is Twilight around? We haven't seen her for days and we're starting to get worried."

"Um, well..." Spike hesitated on giving an honest response, but remembered that these were Twilight's friends, and they could probably help her, "she's upstairs in her room."

"Thank you very much, dear," Rarity said gratefully, and Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie entered the library with her and trotted up the stairs.

"But...wait! She hasn't been in the best of moods lately!" Spike tried to warn the ponies, but his words were drowned out as the friends happily conversed. Spike sighed and followed them. Reaching the top of the stairs, everypony was surrounding Twilight's bed, which was surrounded by a dark-purple force-field. Inside the magical bubble, Twilight was lying down with her head in her hooves and her back towards her friends.

"Twilight, sugarcube, are you ok in there?" Applejack inquired, her voice full with worry and concern.

"Yo, Twi, it's us!" Rainbow tapped on the force-field with her hoof, causing ripples to reverberate throughout the bubble. This alerted Twilight, and she turned to face her friends. She had tear lines all over her face, and she looked very tired. Suddenly undoing the force-field, Twilight spoke directly to her friends, a serious and strict tone in her voice.

"Go away, all of you. You can't help me right now. Go before I hurt you and make my problems worse than they already are."

Her friends just stood there, unable to believe what they had just heard. Twilight had never spoken to them like that before, and everypony felt hurt thinking about it. Fluttershy had already started to back away, but was pulled back by Rarity. Nopony spoke, intimidated by their friend's harsh tone.

The silence was broken by Applejack, "Twilight, whatever problem you are havin', I'm sure we could help you out...we're your friends and we want to help yo..."

"NO! YOU CANNOT HELP ME! THIS IS MY PROBLEM, AND YOU'RE ALL THAT I HAVE LEFT NOW! LEAVE ME IN SOLITUDE!" Twilight full-out shouted at her friends, who slowly backed away and trotted down the stairs. They were so in shock that they trotted right out the door. Something had happened to Twilight...something horrible, judging by her reaction to their offer for help. Standing together, the friends felt hurt. Twilight had always been there for them, and they tried to be there for her but were just...pushed aside...

This time it was Rarity who spoke first out of the group, "Come on girls, we should probably just let her be. I know it doesn't seem right, but it may be the best to just let her deal with it herself."

"I've never seen Twilight so sad or angry..." Pinkie Pie spoke up, her mane straight and limp.

"Neither have I...but this may be an important lesson for us all to learn," Applejack spoke to the group, "friends can't solve every problem that comes somepony's way, and sometimes it may be best to leave them to deal with it on their own."

There was a moment of awkward silence between the five ponies, which was broken by Rainbow Dash, "I think I'm gonna go home...I'll see you all later." Rainbow's voice was full of sadness as she flew away.

Everypony else decided to part with one another as well, each wanting some alone time to comprehend what could have happened to Twilight. Saying their goodbyes, AJ headed towards the farm, Fluttershy towards the cottage, Rarity towards the boutique, and Pinkie Pie towards Sugarcube Corner, each with looks of despair upon their once cheerful faces.

* * *

Several hours had passed since her friends had come and visited her, and Twilight had progressively felt worse and worse. She had been in bed all day, alternating between reading, crying, thinking, and sleeping. Turning towards her clock, Twilight realized how late it actually was - 8:00 p.m. It had been 6 hours since her friends arrived.

Maybe a walk outside would help clear my mind Twilight thought as she heaved herself out of bed walked outside into the starry night. She didn't know where she was going, but her mind was still in ruin, and finding a remedy for it was the goal.

Twilight slowly trotted through the empty streets of Ponyville, letting the fresh air seep into her body. The streets were mostly barren, aside from the occasional passerby. Twilight didn't greet them.

Twilight made her mind up to head to the small pond in the Everfree Forest and changed her course. Approaching the forest, a dense, thick fog descended from the sky, hiding the luscious, green ground from view. This wasn't a problem for Twilight - she knew the way by heart. After just a few minutes, Twilight approached the pond, nestled away in the brush. She sat down next to it, and tried to relax her mind. The clearing was completely silent, with one stray beam of moonlight breaching the fog and landing on Twilight.

Staring into the clear water, Twilight saw herself staring back at her, but the image quickly faded away into the water and revealed an image of a young, lavender filly standing in the middle of a room. After staring at a row of what looked like judges, the filly attempted to use magic to hatch a dragon egg.

Twilight knew what she was seeing. This was her final test of Magic Kindergarten, one of the happiest moments of her life.

Turning her attention back to the image, Twilight watched as her younger self blasted open the egg, hatching a monstrous dragon that pierced the ceiling and turning her parents and the judges into cacti. Celestia then came through the door, and said a few words Twilight could not make out. Her younger self bounced around, signifying the moment she knew too well. Twilight smiled, and eyes began to water as she remembered the caring, friendly, and approachable words. The image slowly faded away, and was replaced by one of Celestia and Twilight walking through her memories, and Celestia's mouth moving in song. Twilight remembered every single word Celestia said to her. The image once again faded away, and an image of Twilight's coronation appearing in its place. Twilight's mind was now full of her happy and sad memories of Celestia.

Twilight couldn't contain herself. She began to sob relentlessly, out of happiness, anger, frustration, helplessness and sadness. The tears slid down her face and into the water, causing the ripples to dissipate the images.

"Why did you have to go?!" Twilight spoke aloud, "My life feels empty without you! I..I LOVE YOU CELESTIA!!"

There was no way Twilight could go on like this. Her friends, her destiny, her character...all because of Celestia's love and care for Twilight. Celestia had built a special connection with Twilight over her years as her mentor, and they had become mother and daughter, sharing their feelings, troubles, and goals in life. Twilight recalled the silky feathers and warmth she felt as a filly when she would doze off under Celestia's wing, the stories they read, and the lessons they learned from each other, now knowing she could never do any of them again.

Chapter 4 - With You Always

Twilight awoke to the distant voice of Mayor Mare, amplified by the town hall microphone. The mayor was making an announcement, but Twilight didn't care. She just wanted to head home. Last night was the best sleep she had had since the night before the letter. It was hard not to have your mind cleared when you are sitting next to a pond covered in fog with a beam of moonlight shining down on you.

Twilight rose to her hooves and began to walk towards the voice. As she got closer, she began to make out some of the words that were being said:

"Luna...visiting...news...Celestia..."

It was happening. Luna was coming to Ponyville to tell everypony about Celestia. Her friends and neighbors would hear what happened themselves, and maybe they would realize that they couldn't help her.

As she approached the Golden Oaks Library, Twilight saw the dark figure of Princess Luna descend from the clouds and land softly in front of the murmuring crowd. Only Twilight knew the bad news about to be bestowed upon them, and she shuddered thinking about their reactions. The crowd became completely quiet, and Luna began to speak:

"Citizens of Ponyville...I have ill tidings to bring to you...my sister, ruler of Equestria, has sadly passed on."

There was a slight gasp from several ponies in the crowd, and murmurs that Twilight couldn't make out from her distance.

"Since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's strength decreased each day. She struggled to raise the sun, and wouldn't eat anything. And then one morning...she didn't wake up." Everypony was silent for several moments as they absorbed the heart-wrenching news. "It took me by surprise as well, for I did not expect my sister to die so abruptly...and in this manner..." Luna paused and dipped her head, "that is all the news I have for you. All are encouraged to attend the funeral tomorrow morning at sunrise outside Canterlot Castle."

And with those final words Luna trotted off the stage, quickly disappearing behind the building, leaving the town in utter shock.

Twilight knew that the town would probably be arriving soon to give her condolences, apologies, and comforting words - as they all knew how important Celestia was to her. Turning away and entering the library, Twilight sighed, thinking about all the ponies trying to comfort her when all their words and gifts would do is annoy her. Reading and sleeping were the only things she felt like doing.

* * *

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack all stood in disbelief at the back of the slowly separating crowd. They weren't sure what surprised them more, Twilight shouting at them the day before or the news that Celestia had passed away. One such incident was enough, but two in the span of twenty-four hours was too much for the group to take. Everypony wore a frown, even Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy began to quietly sob on the ground.

"Well...didn't see that one comin'..." Applejack spoke up quietly, scraping the ground with her hooves.

"How could something like this happen?" Rainbow dash stuttered, trying desperately to hold on to her tears.

"She did so much for all of us...I just wished I could have thanked her for her generosity," Rarity spoke up, "If it weren't for Celestia, we wouldn't have Twilight."

Pinkie trotted over to Rarity, and put her hooves around her. "Come here everypony. A hug always helps."

Dash, Fluttershy, and Applejack joined the group hug, each embracing the powerful feeling they received knowing that they were all there for each other, even in the darkest of times. The friends embraced each other for several moments, sharing tears and comforting words over the loss of such an important pony in their lives. The sound of hooves getting progressively louder broke apart the group, and they turned to see princess Luna standing before them.

"I am so sorry to bring this news to all of you, but I had no choice. You needed to find out some way or another..."

"No princess, you had to do this, we understand. It's just...I...I guess we weren't expecting this." Applejack said.

"This must have been what was upsetting Twilight..." Rarity spoke to the group, "Celestia meant more than the world to her...and she was probably overcome with emotions."

"That is why I am here, to ask you about Twilight. How has she been? I fear that the heartbreak she experienced has not healed." Luna trotted forward worriedly.

"She looked horrible when we visited her yesterday," Rainbow answered, "her mane was frazzled and she looked like she hadn't had a good night's rest in several days. We offered to help her, but...well..."

"She yelled at us, and told us to leave...I've never seen Twilight so sad," Pinkie frowned, "and she'd never spoken to us that way before..."

Luna's expression filled with concern. "I must go talk to her...or at least present her with a gift that might help. I would like you all to come with me. You're the most powerful asset for Twilight to get over this loss."

* * *

Twilight lay in her bed, listening to the birds' serenading outside her bedroom window. While the thoughts and memories of loss were still fresh in her mind, she had managed to escape for a moment and appreciate the soothing sounds of the summer day. Smiling, Twilight closed her eyes and relaxed. After all, she was going to be busier than ever helping Luna rule Equestria...

Suddenly a knock at the door interrupted her peaceful thoughts. Spike, who was downstairs, got up and opened it. Twilight heard several voices, who she quickly recognized as her friends, along with the slightly louder tone of princess Luna. At first her face lit up, but then the incident that occurred the previous day arose in her mind, dissipating her smile.

As her friends ascended the stairs, Twilight turned her back to them and put her head down in shame. While she resisted her friends, Twilight sensed the familiar feeling of comfort and security when she was with them as they circled her bed. Luna approached her bed and spoke with kindness and compassion.

"Twilight...I know your grief may seem never ending, but we just thought we would pay you a visit. I also have something I'd like to give you."

While Twilight was annoyed at the disturbance, she turned around and faced the group. All of her friends, even Rainbow Dash and Pinkie, had looks of genuine worry on their faces, as if she was dying. Her eyes turned to Luna, who hesitantly levitated a small box and placed it in front of her.

Luna stared intently at the box, and then back to Twilight, staring deep into her eyes.

"I would like to give these to you, princess." Luna used to magic and slowly opened the box, revealing an engraved, golden necklace with a deep purple amethyst embedded in the center and a crown of the same design. Twilight quickly recognized these items and her eyes widened. Luna stared wistfully at the objects, "You may recognize these, Twilight, and I would like to tell you about their importance to not only Celestia, but me as well."

"Long ago, before Celestia and I were even the rulers of Equestria, these were given to Celestia by my father and mother. We both received necklaces, and Celestia, being the older of the two of us, received a crown as well. We have treasured these items together for hundreds of moons as a reminder of our family. But now, Twilight, I would like to give them to you. Celestia loved you, Twilight...she considered you a part of our family, and the healing for the wound that formed when our parents died..." Luna turned away, hiding her tears, "Although Celestia changed your life, Twilight, you also changed hers. You taught her kindness, compassion, and patience...but most of all, you taught her motherly love, and for that I want to thank you." Smiling, Luna backed away from Twilight's bed, "Oh, and one more thing...do you know why Celestia sent you to make friends in Ponyville? To be her personal student? To become a princess? Because she believed in you, Twilight. She saw it in you the day she met you - the ability to be an amazing friend, and I'm sure these five ponies here know that."

Twilight, who had been holding in her tears throughout the conversation, began to cry and leaped out of the bed over to her friends, embracing them all. "I love you all, and thank you. I wouldn't be anywhere without every one of you."

"We'll always be here for ya Twilight," Rainbow spoke through her own tears, "no matter what comes your way."

The embrace dissolved, everypony smiling at each other. Except Twilight's faded, and she spoke to the group, "I'm sorry for how I treated all of you. I was just so overwhelmed and stressed out by the situation...I lashed out at you all, who were only trying to help. I should have accepted your offer, because true friends are always there for you no matter how dark the past was, the present is, or the future is looking."

Chapter 5 - Dawn

Twilight stood at her vanity mirror in her room, fiddling mindlessly with her crown, trying to get find the perfect position. She had very little experience dealing with crowns, and normally she would turn to Rarity for assistance. Unfortunately, Rarity was busy with her own dress, which Twilight knew she would want absolutely perfect for she moved on to help anypony else.

After ten minutes of futile progress, Twilight sighed and gave up and set her crown aside. Looking in the mirror one last time, she concluded her appearance was acceptable and that she looked just fine without it. Twilight quickly put her mane in her favorite style, the same one she wore to her brother's wedding - and combined with the dress she wore on her coronation day, she looked great. And besides, Twilight didn't even want to wear her crown, as it made her feel superior to her friends and neighbors. She quickly grabbed her speech and descended the library stairs.

"Time to go, Spike!" Twilight called, "You'd better be ready to go! We have to meet the others at the station in 5 minutes!" Looking around the room for her assistant, Twilight was surprised to see him standing at the door, ready and waiting.

"Yup! I was just waiting on you!" The dragon's eyes widened as he recognized Twilight's dress. "Great choice! You look fantastic!"

Twilight blushed at the compliment and smiled at her companion. "Thanks Spike. I hope it's nice enough for the occasion, because I don't have anything fancier!" Pushing open the doors, Twilight and Spike began the quick transit to the train station.

"Aw, c'mon Twilight, you wore that dress for your coronation, probably the most important event in your life!" Spike responded.

"Well, if it weren't for Celestia, I wouldn't even be a princess, so we need to show as much respect as possible."

"At this point, I don't think anypony cares about what the other is wearing, because the funeral is about remembering Celestia and how she affected our lives. Yeah, it's important to dress appropriately, but why fuss if what matters is what's on the inside."

Spike's wise words took Twilight by surprise, and she was about to respond when they reached the train station, where Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy were all waiting, each wearing a magnificent dress that matched their personality.

"Hello everypony," Twilight greeted the group with a grin, "are you all ready to go?"

"Hiya Twilight!" Applejack spoke first. "Yup, I think we're all just 'bout ready. But what about you?"

"I'll admit, I am a bit nervous about giving my speech," Twilight frowned as the group entered the train car, "I just don't know if it's good enough..."

"Aw, cheer up Twi, you're biggest egghead in all of Ponyville! You're sure to ace it!" Rainbow said jokingly.

"I'm sure it will be wonderful!" Fluttershy smiled.

Twilight smirked at Rainbow, but felt much more confident after her friends' encouraging words. "Thanks everypony. I'll do my best."

The six friends took their seats in the almost full train car, noticing several ponies catching up on sleep they had lost waking up for the early service. The ride was uneventful, quiet, and reflective, leaving each of the friends to their thoughts.

* * *

The silence of the trip was broken by the screeching brakes of the train and the conductor's announcement. The six ponies quickly exited the train and trotted through the station into the high-class city beyond. Looking around, the friends exchanged confused glances with one another. Besides those who had also been on the train with them, not a single pony was in sight.

"Oh my, Canterlot has such a different feel to it when there aren't any ponies in it..." Rarity murmured.

"Yeah, it's almost like its..." Rainbow trailed off.

"A completely different town?" Twilight finished. "Everypony's at the funeral this early I guess."

"Which means we should probably sk'daddle on over there." Applejack began trotting down the street towards the castle.

Following the fast, familiar route, the friends quickly reached their destination. They passed through the empty castle and pushed open the doors to the massive courtyard. A simultaneous gasp arose from the group as they looked over the area.

Hundreds of ponies were standing in front of a massive, luxurious stage, where Luna and Cadence were standing facing a large casket. Twilight recognized many, but most she had never seen before, assuming that there were ponies from all corners of Equestria. The back of the stage was a wall of glass, facing the east where the sun was beginning to peek over the trees. Around the edges of the courtyard were several banners with Celestia's cutie mark.

As Twilight was admiring the breathtaking presentation, she caught the gaze of Luna, who motioned subtly for Twilight to come onto the stage. Twilighti turned to her friends, who were still admiring the scene.

"Um, girls? I have to go. I'll see you all after the service?" Twilight interrupted.

"Oh, sure Twilight. Go ahead!" Applejack idly responded.

"Good luck, Twilight!" Fluttershy smiled warmly.

Twilight smiled and waved to her friends as she trotted over to the stairs leading up to the stage. Looking at some of the faces of the ponies in the crowd, many had sad, mournful looks on their faces, some more emotional than others. Twilight frowned thinking about it. She ascended the stairs and made her way next to Luna and Cadence, who each gave her a warm smile. Twilight returned the greeting and stood patiently next to Luna, waiting for the service to begin, silently going over her mental notes about her speech.

"Good morning everypony!" Luna spoke into the microphone, and her voice resonated throughout the courtyard. "Thank you all for joining us here for this sad, but momentous occasion. We are gathered here today not just to mourn the loss of Celestia, but to appreciate what she has done for each and every one of us. To start, princess Twilight Sparkle would like to give a few words about who Celestia was to her." Luna slightly motioned to her, Twilight's signal to begin.

Slowly inhaling and exhaling, Twilight stepped up to the microphone, levitated her papers in front of her, and began to speak.

"When I was young, I thought of myself as just a normal, everyday unicorn, destined for a simple job at a library or bookstore. However, it was because of Celestia's kindness, hospitality, and generosity that my whole life was changed and I am where I am now. She sent me to study friendship, something I didn't really care much about at the time. I made five wonderful friends, who taught me lifelong lessons and virtues, and now they're the most important ponies in my life. We've always been there for each other, no matter what, and we've overcome every challenge, every test thrown at us. I sent letters to Celestia, describing how my friends and I overcame each obstacle. Celestia realized that I had changed because of my friends, so much that she decided to crown me as the princess of friendship, a responsibility and privilege I never imagined bearing. I wouldn't have such amazing, wonderful friends if it weren't for Celestia, and I can't thank her enough for that. Her final test for me was her death, by far the hardest thing I have overcome in my life." Twilight smiled and tried to cover the tears developing in her eyes. "But my friends and princess Luna were there, and reminded me that just as a well-spent day brings about happy sleep, so a well spent life brings about a a happy death. Celestia died happy, happy with what I have become and who I can still be. I forgot that death is a natural course of the mystery of life, and I should appreciate the not only the things Celestia has done for me, but for all of you as well. That's what really matters. In the end, all I can say in the end is thank you. Thank you, teacher and mentor, for helping me find myself and these amazing ponies I am honored to call my friends."

Twilight stepped away from the microphone, smiling with tears streaming down her face, ones not of sadness, but of joy and gratitude. She looked up and saw Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie standing in a circle waiting for her.

Twilight broke into a full gallop and nearly jumped into the group out of joy, everypony crying and laughing.

"Th..thank you all...for everything. You've helped me see the light of life in the darkness of death, and have never left my side. And for that I cannot thank you enough...I love you all with all my heart." Twilight poured out all her feelings into her words, a swarm of emotions filling her head, this time emotions of happiness, gratitude, and joy. At that moment, the sun rose over the trees, beaming light through the glass wall and onto the six friends.

"We love you too Twilight!" Fluttershy cried softly.

"We'll never leave ya hangin' Twi." Rainbow stuttered, struggling to speak.

"Thank you, Twilight, for all you've done for us..." Rarity spoke.

"You've changed our lives, too Twilight." Applejack added through her tears.

Princess Luna released her spell on the sun and turned towards Twilight and her friends, forming tears of her own at the beautiful display of affection and emotions.

This is what it means to live, to be able to overcome the toughest of challenges with the help of your friends. You've done amazing sister, I'm so proud of what you've done. And you should be too.

Fin.