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                      The Petitioner                       
                       -by peacevic-                       
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         (Not Finished, Finish before submitting)          
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(Not Finished, Finish before submitting)
   A stallion trotted into the throne room.
   He was dressed from head to hoof in finery that would've acquitted well at the Gala, the most ornate piece of his ensemble being a medallion around his neck. It was wrought from various precious metals and featured a large emerald as its centerpiece.
   Reaching the middle of the room, he bowed deeply to the two Princesses on the dais. "I sincerely apologize for the hour, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, but the matter for which I've come before you is quite time-sensitive."
   Celestia smiled at that. "It isn't a problem, my little pony. Some of us are early risers."
   "And some of us have yet to retire." Luna added, her grin even wider than her sister's.
   "Thank you, Your Highness's."
   "What can we do for you?" The Sun Princess asked.
   The stallion rose. "My name is Jubilant Exchange and my life so far has been blessed. By trade, I am a merchant and a rather successful one at that. I got lucky in love, marrying my childhood sweetheart. Together we have a healthy son, with another child on the way."
   "I'm glad to hear it, Mr. Exchange." Celestia nodded, not sure what his complaint could be, but glad to hear a subject of hers was doing so well.
   "I have been given two weeks to live."
   Celestia's heart sank at his pronouncement. "Oh, I'm so sorry. If- if it's not too intrusive, might I ask what the diagnosis was?"
   "A rare lung condition. It's uniformly fatal." Jubilant told her. "That's the reason I've come here today."
   "How could we help? We have no knowledge of medicine." Luna looked uncertainly at her sister.
   "My sister is right, Mr. Exchange. I don't think-"
   "I didn't come here for healing." Jubilant interrupted. "I came to ask a question."
   Celestia took no notice of his impertinence. "Feel free to ask anything, my little pony."
   Jubilant Exchange was quiet for a while before he spoke again. "What comes next?"
   "What do you mean, Mr. Exchange?" Luna shifted uncomfortably, knowing exactly what he meant.
   "What happens when we die?" Was the unnecessary clarification.
   "We can't tell you."
   Jubilant chuckled. "If you're worried I'm going to blab to everypony, I can assure you I'll take it to my grave."
   "It isn't that." Celestia said sadly. "We would tell you if we could. We just don't know."
   "But- but how? You're the Princesses! How could you not know?" Jubilant was dumbfounded.
   Luna descended to place a hoof on his shoulder. "We have not died, so we wouldn't know. We have heard the stories of ponies who have seen the afterlife, but we cannot confirm the veracity of their claims."
   "So you can't help me..." He didn't really believe it, he couldn't.
   Celestia just watched him. She had seen this before, more often than she could wish on anypony. For her part, Luna watched her sister.
   Jubilant looked to his Princesses again. "Then, can you tell me why? Why me? I... I'm good. I've never hurt anypony. I donate to charities! I give blood! Why do I have to die?"
   "All ponies die-"
   "YOU DON'T!" He screamed.
   "We haven't." Luna corrected harshly. It still irked her somewhat when ponies interrupted her sister, even more so when they made it a habit.
   Jubilant wilted when he comprehended her meaning. It was like the last string holding him up was cut. "E-Even you?"
   "Even us." Celestia nodded. "Everypony."
   "How can you live, knowing it's pointless? Knowing that even if you outlive mountains, it doesn't matter?"
   "But it does matter, my little pony. Things are born, they live, they die, and life continues. The endless circle of birth and death and birth again. That's the point." The Sun Princess gained a look of intensity.
   Jubilant half smiled. "I thought you couldn't tell me if you hadn't seen it."
   "But we have seen it." Luna climbed up on the throne again. "Stars die, and in their death the material for more stars and planets. By extension, this stellar death formed us, Mr. Jubilant.