"It's so nice to finally be able to catch up, princess" Twilight sighed a relieved breath. The setting sun cast a warm light over the balcony where the two alicorns sat.
A pure white marble table stood between the sun goddess and princess of friendship, complete with two plates of simple ham and cheese sandwiches and a pitcher of tea with it's own set of sugar, cups, and a pair of small silver stirring spoons strung with gold lining.
"I agree, it's wonderful that we have a break from our duties- especially one long enough to be able to settle over some tea" Celestia replied gently. She levitated the pitcher up, enveloping the plastic with a soft golden aura.
She poured herself a cup of tea, but then paused.
"Would you care for some?" the sun goddess asked. Twilight waited a moment before nodding.
Celestia nodded, pouring an extra cup and placing on Twilight's side of the table.
"Anything new going on throughout Ponyville?".
Twilight paused. She thought for a moment, contemplating the past few months.
"Well, a lot happened, actually. Sweetie Drops and Lyra Heartstrings moved to Canterlot because Lyra got a better job where she can get her music around, and Golden Harvest left for Manehatten. A pony named Petal Blossom moved in with this yellow filly, although they act kinda strange, and Scootaloo's begun to act weird too. Apple Jack moved away after.... Well, Apple Bloom died..." Twilight shuddered.
"Oh, she... Died? I... I'm very sorry about that, Twilight... She was Scootaloo's best friend, I presume?" Celestia sighed.
"Yeah. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were the Cutie mark crusaders, the best friends you could ever imagine" Twilight smiled in remembrance.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it before. I was just so busy I-"
"It's okay, Twilight. It's okay" Celestia unfurled a wing and held it around Twilight. The purple alicorn shook her head.
"Hay, we're not here to mourn, right? Besides, there's a lot of other things that happened I need to mention, too!" Twilight stretched her wings and legs, shaking her head as if to clear shadowing fears.
"Oh, yes? What else happened?" Celestia left the subject immediately. She hated seeing her former student sad when only having saw her many months ago.
"Well, Starlight Glimmer- you know, former villain? She met up with Sunburst, and cleared everything up- their best friends again! Rarity moved to Manehatten to continue her line of fashion, but I still keep in touch from time to time" as Twilight went on about the ponies that had left or moved on, Celestia could see the growing pain in Twilight's eyes- loneliness the poor alicorn was trying to hide from her.
Twilight had been through so much- but she kept it inside. It was clear to Celestia she didn't want to mess up one of the few times she'd
have to spend with the sun queen.
And although Celestia didn't want to disturb the peace Twilight was trying to set up, she knew she had to say it.
That nopony would live on forever.
Once Twilight finished going through her list of occurrences, they began to eat their packed lunch, discussing political matters and what-not. Twilight brought up the Changeling Crisis, and Celestia dismissed it with a simple statement, "we've done everything we can. It's up to them now".
Twilight peered closely at Celestia, though the graceful queen's face gave nothing away as she nibbled on the ham that hung out of her sandwich.
"So what about here? Anything new going on?" Twilight inquired, changing the subject.
Celestia laughed lightly.
"If anything happened here, you'd know about it, trust me. Nothing gets past those journalists. They both shared a fair slice of chocolate cake. The sun had set a soft evening glow on the castle as it began to dip below the mountains in the distance.
She had to tell Twilight now.
"Twilight...?" Celestia smiled warmly, her calm demeanor lit in a soft pink glow from the setting sun.
"Yes?" Twilight responded. She looked up from her sandwich, mid-way into her mouth.
"Do you remember when you were little, and we were playing around the castle, and you asked... 'What happens when we die?".
Twilight tilted her head, confused.
"I never answered you" Celestia went on, "I was scared of death. I didn't want you to be too".
"I... W-What happens then?" Twilight stammered. She struggled not to ask as to why an alicorn should be scared of death, as Celestia's face shadowed with concern.
"... You forget everything".
Twilight stared for a moment. She thought they became spirits, like Celestia had foretold unto all of her ponies, her scholars especially.
But if in death one really did forget everything, did that mean Apple Bloom would have no recollection of her friends? Her family? Apple jack even?
"Even you?" Twilight asked. She found her throat dry up, like it always did when panic began to consume her.
"Yes, even me" Celestia kept a surprisingly calm posture. She smiled weakly.
"But I... I don't understand! Why is this important to me? I..." Twilight stammered, throwing her words out before they even reached her head.
"Twilight," Celestia held her head up with a soft feathery wing, "you know why". Her smile was warm and unwavering, and her eyes were full of sympathy.
"I don't want you to die!" Twilight collapsed into Celestia's warm embrace.
"I won't be here much longer, Twilight. Alicorns live for three-thousand years, I only have a year left..."
"But... It's not fair. Who'll raise the sun? What about Luna?" Questions flooded out of the purple alicorn's mouth.
"Luna will live on. She has many years left, Twilight. You'll raise the sun in my place" Celestia answered her softly.
"Me? But I-I'm the princess of friendship, I couldn't do something that large, I don't want you to die... I don't wanna die..." Twilight's whimpers became sobs as she cried into Celestia's fur.
"I know, I know. But we all move on, my dear Twilight" she raised Twilight's head up with her hoof, smiling at the teary alicorn.
"Never forget the remains of what we used to have," Celestia whispered, "were taken away by the slightest cut..." she soothed Twilight.
The purple pony curled up in Celestia's embrace.
"Please don't die..." Twilight whimpered, half to herself.
Celestia smiled down at her friend. She allowed no tears to accompany her eyes- she had to stay strong for her dear friend.
The sun queen laid her head down beside Twilight.
Tonight the poor alicorn hadn't gotten the nice picnic she'd hoped for, but the knowledge of her own teacher, and close friend's death.
The sun had dipped well below the horizon, leaving the two shadowed in the cool night sky.
