Sunset and Sunrise

by Phea

Rating: teen
Tags: Alternate Universe, Princess Luna, Drama, Princess Celestia, Death, Twilight Sparkle, Anthro, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark
Length: 2786

Every Sunrise must eventually turn into a sunset.

After Celestia contracts what seems to be an illness and leaves the the world within a state confusion, and soon falling to said illness what will her sister and former student do? Will this be the cycle they will come to know, or will there be a light to break through the dusk of death.

Published 2019-07-22 22:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2019-07-22 22:40:01 UTC

The last request

To pinpoint when these events first started occurring would be rather hard. Had it been with a sneeze or a cough? No one could have possibly known. Celestia, the princess of the day, hardly thought anything of it herself.

Before the events she was a rather fit and tall mare. Despite her diet she maintained a body that seemed flat and tone. From her proportional feet that were attached to her slender legs, and those attached to her curvy frame. Her torso indented on her sides to resemble an hourglass. Her chest firm but heavy that rose with each breath of life and on either side of her an arm circular and slender.

What seemed to be a bout of a cold that quickly was diagnosed as pneumonia. It seemed to be all wrong. Her appetite loss could have been easily attributed to it and she had been given penicillin to combat it, but her state didn’t show any improvement.

After weeks and weeks of deliberation between medical staff and advisors the princess had become little more than an invalid. Confined to her bed, her once youthful cheeks now gaunt and her eyes sunken in their sockets. Her lips a cold turning a cold frigid blue.

Her arms and legs but sticks that seemed to knock together. Her once magnificent mane now more so a mess of wires and thistles, and her chest was labored with her breathing. Each breath seemed to cause her to shake violently.

The biggest sign was her testament of her power. Her foot and half horn in the middle of her forehead was cracking and crumbling. Breaking and shaking. A spire that once stood so firm now was little more than a declining ruin.
___________________________________________________________________________

Luna had been watching from the sidelines for the longest. She had been watching her sister decline in health for the past few months. Her teal eyes watching from the shadows as she watched her sister stumble about her room during the day and try to rest during the night. She had been losing sleep and her mind was ravaged with worry.

Her only true family member falling deeper and deeper down a hole that she couldn’t bare to look down. The truth was plain to see. Her sister’s declining health spelled it out for her. They couldn’t live forever. The thousand years she lost would never be gained back. It hit her hard. Sure they discussed the events that had happened and were growing closer, but this was the only person who could understand her. Support her.

There would be no more late night hot cocoa breaks. No more fights over who ate the last cookie. No more raging at video games together. No more…

“Tia?” Her voice trembled out as she entered the room. Her hand gripped tentatively at the frame of the door while she glanced to her sister with unease in her eyes.

The normally melodious voice that Tia spoke in was little more than a hushed whisper. “Oh.. Dear sister, you’ve taken you..” The alabaster princess began hacking and coughing as she sat up in her round red bed in the middle of her marble covered room. “You’ve.. Taken your break early?” She asked softly. A bit of hope lingered in her voice.

“I well.. Yes.” She nodded as she slipped fully into the room. The heavy dark oak door closed behind her with a bone chilling thud. “I’ve come to check up on you.”

Tia chuckled softly to herself for a moment as she patted the bed next to her. “Come.. come sit.. It pains me to speak out like this.”

Luna needed little encouragement as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her blue gown held close to her as she adjusted herself to properly sit without taking up too much space. The room was quickly filled with an unnerving silence.

It was broken by the princess of the day’s voice. “Dear.. I’m not going to make it.. The doctors said had they found what plagues me, but I’ve seen the reports. I won’t get into too much detail, but.. My organs are failing..”

Luna’s hands gripped at the sides of the bed. “Sister your joke has gone far enough don’t you think?” The princess of the night asked.

Celestia tilted her head as her frail hand inched up into the air to rest on the back of her sister for a moment. “I wish it was a joke.. I’m scared, Luna.” She whispered out tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. “I’ve seen so many others die, and it seems ten thousand years was my limit.. I had thought my life might not be as finite. I thought I might live to make up with y-”

“Shut up!” Luna finally yelled back, her eyes filling with the same substance. “Your joke has gone far enough!” She cried out as her tears finally broke free from her eyes. The liquid quickly drooling down her cheeks as she collapsed against her sister. Her head nuzzling into her bosom as she pulled her close. “Stop this prank already..”

Celestia stayed silent as her sister began to sob. Her frail hand moving up to the back of her sister’s head to stroke down the length of her hair. From the top crown of her hair down to the nape of her neck.

After a few minutes Tia broke the silence once more. “Luna.. Please, I have one final request.”

Luna nodded her head along. She was listening and waiting. One ear focusing on her sister’s words the other listening to the other’s equine heart. It was slow and disorderly.

“Take me to twilight.. Please.” She wheezed out softly. “Not tonight, but.. In the morning. I fear that as long as I can make it.”

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The days have been getting longer, each passing moment hotter. The princess of the day had been long due to make the sun move, though it had been hours since then. Ponies were abuzz with the sounds of concern. Luna was nowhere to be found along with her sister. They couldn't have just disappeared, could they?

The doctors and advisors usual frenzy had been upturned into worry. Guards were swarming and running, but the celestial sisters were gone without a trace. No one had seen them. No one had even seen them exit their rooms since last night.

Though, A lone regal wagon had been moving since the morning. Upon it, a carriage driver sworn to secrecy, and within it ever , trying to be, strong mare of the night, resting upon her shoulder was Celestia. Her eyes half lidded, her breathing shallow, and her voice but a whisper whenever she talked. It seemed she was barely evading death with each passing moment.

The princess of the day was clad in her usual white robe with a golden trim. The pure fabric as soft as the gentle rays of the morning sun that roused her subjects. Though it did little for her.

"Luna.." She gasped out. "Are we nearly there?" Her horse voice rasped out. The cold pony moved the curtain away so she could get a better look outside for her sister,but the changing landscape looked all the same. Each tree seemed to whizz by with each passing moment as she watched, though she would have to comfort her sister.

"Yes, Dear sister. We will be there in no time." She lied. She had no idea when they would get to ponyville even with carriage in full motion, even with the fact that there would be no delays between here and ponyville that they could think of.

Luna spoke up again. "Are you sure your body can't handle teleporting?" Celestia gave a small nod, her eyes had gotten dull since they first left, and her lips had been gaining a darker blue tinge to them. She was losing her natural body heat by the moment, one she often was told was comforting, now being lost faster and faster with each passing moment.

"I.. I wish to see my student before my passing." She whispered out softly as she clung to her sister's arm with more vigor, but there was only so much she could give, it was rigid and weak even with her thoughts of putting more pressure into it. Her eyes clenched back shut as she let out a soft breath. She had fallen asleep.

As soon as her head had pressed back against her sister's shoulder. Luna finally let loose. Tears flowing down her cheeks, her eyes glancing from one end of her sister to the other as she pulled her sister on her lap. Letting her head rest gently upon the gentle most part of her body. Her self rocking back and forth as she tried to console herself. "It's okay luna, we still have time. We still have time." She whispered out, her fingers moving through the neon mane of her sister.

The white and gold wagon rolled down the dusty winding path. It was kicking up rocks with each passing moment as they got closer and closer to ponyville. Luna had barely enough time to get prepared as they came to a halt in front of the door.

Luna began to gently nudge her sister in hopes of rousing her from her sleep. The only thing that she had given in return was a soft groan, and a shake of her weary head. Luna sighed as she merely picked her sister up with both of her arms bridal style and carefully pulled her out of the wagon.

Her long black and blue dress swayed with each step she took, the clothing moving with her somber stride. Sat perched in her arms was her sister wrapped in blue and gold. Tia was limp and losing energy by the second as she whimpered out in her sleep. Her eyes only opening once the murmurs of a gathering crowd began, and the flash of a journalist's camera went off. This would be the talk of all of equestria. Her sister carrying her barely moving body into Twilight's castle.

Luna wasted little time as she pushed into the castle, pushing the door open with her magic and closing it behind her without a second thought. Between her arms was her most cherished thing in the world, the rest of it could be damned, nothing could.. or was supposed to out last Celestia. Nothing, but what did this say for herself? Would she too one day have to face such an end.

She stood in the entrance as she lifted Tia up a bit higher. Her head resting against her sister's barely conscious one. Tears flowing down her cheeks to join the ones that rolled down along alabaster mare’s cheeks.

Tia's horse voice rang out to her sister once more as she wrapped her arms around the back of her neck as best she could. "It's going to be okay.. sis." She didn't believe a word she spoke, but she wouldn't cause her sister anymore grief than she possibly could.

Though with the way they had been stood there it could easily have been mistaken that Celestia and luna were there to get away as lovers whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears, or that they were sharing more than one of tia's last moments as she whispered to her loving sister.

Tia's voice barely raised above a whisper. "I want you to lead.. until you deem Twilight to be ready." She whispered to her. "My magic will be passed to you upon my.." She couldn't say the last word, it was hard for her to accept. For ten thousand years she had lived, but why now? Of all times when she had finally gotten everything she wanted. She had her sister in her life, she had attonted for every sin she had committed.. for every life taken she had seen that thousands more were given better chances or saved, but most important to her she had the closest thing to a daughter.

"It's not fair.." She whimpered out to her sister in her moments of weakness. She couldn't help but say it. "It's not fair... It's not fair.." She whimpered out childishly. "I want to see my students grow, I want to see your lovely moon rise each night, and I want to see the smile on my subjects face each morning.." She broke past her own optimistic outlook and was left with so many wants and regrets.

Luna found herself silent again. What could she do. What could she say? Nothing really seem to come to mind. Nothing that would have offered any form of comfort for her sister, but she wasn’t left alone with her thoughts and a sobbing sister.

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Twilight had just awoken. Her body stretching out as her sky blue pajamas clung close to her body. She slowly arose, her petite form cringing from cold stone floor against her feet. She hadn’t had to worry about this when she was living in a library, but she left the thoughts there as she inched her feet down into a pair of pink bunny slippers.

She slowly stretched her body out. One arm extending as the other rested at the elbow, and her the rest of her slipping off her bed to stand up. She had arose for the day. Finally. She glanced to her alarm clock it was only.. “Three twenty seven pm?” She groaned out in response to the time.

“I should have known it would end this way with the erratic sun cycle, and the latest daring do book certainly didn’t help..” She grumbled to herself. “I hope celestia will be over this cold soon. It’s kinda odd. I honestly don’t remember her ever getting ill when I was a kid.” Twilight shrug it off for a moment as she finally began to take steps towards her door.

Once she exited her room the sound of a resounding thud had gained her attention. The heavy main doors caused her equine ears to flick. “That’s funny.. Spike said he wouldn’t be back for another week, and I’m not expecting anyone to be over today.” Her face contorted in her curiosity as she began to mull it over.

“It better not be one of those creeps again.. I think I’m missing panties from the last time.” She huffed to herself as she made her way down the corridor and down a flight of stairs to get a good look at the scene. Before here were two tall figures intertwined with each other. It took a moment or two for her tired brain to kick in and she rushed forward with a relieved smile. “Princess!” She called out, but her words quickly taken away from her as she took in the whole scene as she approached.

Celestia looked gaunt. Her fur stained with tears, and her vision distance while her body seemed to be constantly trembling. “Luna? What’s happening?” The lavender mare asked in her confusion as her brow furrowed into confusion and further into worry.

The regal blue mare was once more brought back into reality. “O..oh, hello, Twilight. My sister wished to see you.” She motioned to the woman within her arms. The body was without a doubt now no more than a cadaver. The white form had gone limp the arms that had hugged around Luna’s neck were now dangling down below her, and all the support that her body had managed to muster had gone away. “Isn’t that right, Tia? You can wake up now. Twilight’s here.” She whispered back

The room was filled with nothing more than tension. Twilight’s mouth slightly agape as she tentatively approached. Her heart pounding within her chest. Twilight could practically hear it within her ears.“That’s the princess?” Her brows flexed down as she gulped down a mouthful of her spit. It seemed her anxiety was rising and she couldn’t drink down enough of it. Her throat felt dry.

“I didn’t fail you, Tia.. No, no, no. You’re just resting your eyes aren’t you?” Luna was practically begging her sister to rise, but Celestia’s eyes were still wide open. They were glassy and hazy. Her pupils completely dilated, and her chest.. It didn’t rise. There was no beat, no rhythm. The day had passed, and all that remained was the night. A sad night that seemed to pour down tears from the heavens to stain the remains of what the day had left.

Author's Note

Hello, Hello. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and I plan to continue this soon.