Celestia looked out the window, ignoring the stained glass one right next to it. It was sunset, and Luna was just about to begin her shift and raise the moon. The sun's rays burned orange in the sunset, like Equestria itself was being burnt to ashes. As the sun disappeared under the horizon, it caught Ponyville, and in turn, Twilight's castle in it's rays.
The princess felt a drop on her cheek, and simply closed her eyes as she wept silently. She was no stranger to silently crying as the sunset. For a long time it had been the regret over the banishment of her sister, and feeling the familiar painful weight of the moon in her magic. Now she was free from such a burden, yet that didn't mean she didn't carry another.
She glanced out of the window again at her sister on the observatory balcony, her horn glowing as the moon was raised over the castle. The night was filled with stars. Celestia guessed Luna was feeling like putting extra effort into the night sky, as the patterns it formed were gorgeous.
Celestia remembered the many moons where the legend of Nightmare Moon had grown and diminished to a fairy tail. She had missed her sister so much, then. Everything and everyone she had lost had caused her grief to increase two-fold, along with the face of the monster that had taken her sister in the moon. The lone Princess had sobbed every night until her tears had run dry, and yet her heart still grieved.
She remembered the many moons she had watched her little ponies suffered under the tyranny of Discord, and finding (along with her sister) the Tree of Harmony, foretelling an event that would not come for ages. She remembered the relentless chaos, her ponies crying out in fear and anguish as humongous chickens crushed their homes. It sounded fun when you haven't seen it, but ponies died because of the careless actions of chaos.
She remembered so many tragedies that had befallen Equestria, so many she had wished she could stop, yet failed too. Her skills only applied to magic that could do no harm. It had brought her and her ponies into so much danger, and it tore her apart to be able to do nothing. Chrysalis had practically beat her in one second, and Sombra had enslaved ponies. Enslaved them! And still she could do nothing, until Cadance, Shining, Twilight and her friends had stopped him.
The thought of all those ponies struck her with grief. It reached into her heart and tore her apart. She could never truly understand why her sister had created the Tantabus, but the alicorn felt in that moment she could understand a thread of why her sister would make the creature. It felt like a torrent of punishment that never ended.
She definitely believed there had been a chain reaction.Rarity had passed on first, and they were very depressed and sorrowful, but Celestia had had hope they would be able to move on. But then it was Cadance and Shining. The grief accelerated Twilight's passing, and the rest passed in follow. The grief had gripped the princess hard. She would never see them again. Twilight and Cadance weren't real alicorns. They wouldn't outlive everyone they had ever known.
Discord hadn't reacted well when Fluttershy passed. Him along with Spike had the most trouble going, especially later when Thorax passed. The dragon had grown up, but it had been a real fiasco when his best friends had passed, and he had trouble moving on.
Celestia took a deep shuddering breath and started walking, slipping into the celestial plane. She started to sing a familiar tune, flashes of images of moments circling around her. "You've come such a long, long way..."
She gazed at the image of Twilight, her mane messed up and meeting Rarity, who promptly cleaned her up. "And I've watched you since that very first day." Fluttershy hugged Discord inside of her nearly chaotic house.
"To see how you might grow," She sang, Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwhich celebrating Rainbow's Birthaversary, the Pegasus performing grand tricks, "To see what you might do."
Apple Jack, her family, and Grand Pear hugged in the light of the Pear-Apple tree, "To see what you've been through," she watched Thorax, Starlight, Trixie, and Discord receive their medals all over again, "And all the ways you've made me proud of you."
Image swirled around her, and she started to sob again. "It's time now for a new change to come, you've grown up and your new life has begun." Her voice trembled. "To go where you will go, to see what you will see, to find what you will be, for it's time for you to fulfill your destin..." Her voice finally broken on the last syllable. She came out of the celestial plane, crying, and she felt a familiar draconian arm wrap around her shoulders.
She didn't look at him, it wasn't necessary. "I miss them so much, Spike." She sobbed again, for everyone she'd every lost. Starswirl, Luna, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Cadance, Shining Armour. She sobbed for every pony she didn't know, for every soul that had passed in agony and in peace, knowing she would never join them. She sobbed for Spike, knowing the dragon would one day leave her too. She sobbed for the day she watch with her sister and Discord as Equestria and the world took it's final glance at the celestial bodies.
Spike whispered quietly, "I miss them too."
Nothing was okay. It never was for Celestia. She constantly grieved everyone she had ever lost and everyone she will ever lose. She had Discord and her sister and that kept her going. She had some ponies who would go on with her, and face the end with her together.
So Celestia looked up and dried her tears. She would for every night and every day. She would go on for as long as it took, because no matter what, she would always be there for her little ponies.
She had to be.
Author's Note
Based on the tweet confirming Twilight won't live longer than her friends.