It was early evening in the mountain city of Canterlot, and the city was even more bustling than it was normally. Thousands of ponies made the journey from across Equestria to celebrate the Twelfth Millennial Jubilee of their leader, Princess Celestia, celebrating 12,000 continuous years of vibrant and progressive prosperity.
The ponies waited eagerly, filling up Canterlot's interior and exterior in their near entirety. These events were extremely rare, and many ponies lived their entire lives without even glimpsing a single Jubilee. Unlike its annual cousin, the Grand Galloping Gala, the excitement and ecstasy surrounding the event was, for the most part, not hype; the Jubilee boasted gigantic feasts, performances by the most skilled artistic and musical geniuses of the age, and even a temporary bazaar from which traders from far-away lands hawked goods and services so exotic that most ponies wouldn't even have dreamed of their existence.
The ponies in the crowds chatted excitedly to each other, sipping fine wines imported from thousands of miles away and feasting on vegetables and pastries grown and manufactured from ingredients from the other side of the world. They waited for the appearance of their great and benevolent monarch, awaiting the presence of the greatest leader they had ever known.
"And now, we introduce Her Royal Highness, the Princess Celestia of Equestria!" a shriveled pony called out in a nasally voice from the stage elevated above the milling crowd.
The ponies all stopped what they were doing and looked up at the stage expectantly as Celestia trotted onto the stage and looked down at the crowd, a wide smile on her face.
"Good evening, my little ponies." she spoke, her voice amplified to reach even the ears of the ponies outside the castle proper.
"Today, as you all know, is the Twelfth Millennial Jubilee, a celebration of the twelve thousandth year of my leadership over Equestria." she continued, her kind eyes looking through the ponies that gathered beneath her.
"I would like you all to know how honored I am to have been able to serve you faithfully for so long as your monarch, but you must keep in mind that I have not held this country together on my own. It is through the service and aid of ponies like yourselves that has kept this country together, simply by doing the tasks required and expected of you. Ponies like you keep the nation running in top condition, and I thank you all for your contributions to the society and culture of Equestria."
The crowd hung on her serene words, staring at her with their completely undivided attention.
"Some ponies, however, go beyond what is expected of them. Some are willing to sacrifice their own comfort and lives for the protection and safety of others. Ponies like the four Royal Guardsmen who perished in the arctic tundra less than a week ago. Private Thunderlane, Private Raindrops, Private Carrot Top, and Captain Shining Armor sacrificed their own lives to save a train full of refugees fleeing the dictatorship in West Panhalia. Their sacrifices in the name of freedom and justice will never be forgotten, and we have already received enough donations to commission a memorial in Canterlot Square."
Celestia stopped and looked down sadly for a moment.
"However, we cannot languish in our grief for these fallen heroes. We must move forward, never forgetting them, but not letting their demise prevent us from achieving our hopes and dreams. They wouldn't have wanted that; they would want us to continue on. Working towards a better future is the best way to honor their memory."
Celestia looked back up at the crowd, her expression somber.
"I would also like to give a mention to the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Their sacrifices, while not resulting in the loss of their own lives, have been very great and selfless nonetheless. They hold one of the greatest burdens in the world, and they hold it well. The Bearers have done a better job with the Elements than I ever could, and their great deeds will be immortalized in the literature and art of this age. I believe the least we owe them for their loyalty and selflessness is a round of applause."
The crowd eagerly complied, stomping their hooves on the ground, the sheer number of applauding ponies shaking the very foundations of the castle.
"Lastly, before I will join you, I would like to give one last mention to my sister, Princess Luna. Her work in the bureaucracy has increased the efficiency of over two dozen departments in the government and saved the government millions of bits over the last several years, and her intellect has been the driving force behind some of the greatest in our recent technological advancements. While it isn't the most glamorous occupation, it is an extremely important one. I would ask you for another round of applause, but Luna insisted that it wasn't necessary, and I will honor her wish."
Celestia smiled gently at the crowd.
"Now, then, with all of that out of the way, it is time for the greatest feast that any of you will likely have the pleasure of even coming within two hundred miles of, and I would suggest that you enjoy this. It's a millennial celebration, after all." she said with a wink, before trotting off of the stage, whereupon the ponies began eating again, many of whom were still distracted by her radiant presence.
Celestia sat down at a central table in the ballroom and began to nibble at a piece of tiramisu as the ponies around her chatted eagerly and feasted on the many foods that were being offered.
"Princess, can I talk to you for a moment?" a voice asked from behind her. Celestia looked up at the beige and magenta mare that stood behind her.
"Who might you be?" Celestia asked.
"Roseluck, your majesty." Roseluck replied.
"You may talk to me about whatever you wish, Roseluck." Celestia said, smiling at her.
"Well, your majesty, I was really good friends with Carrot Top before she.. passed on, and I just wanted.. to thank you. For.. not forgetting her.. and the others. It means a lot." Roseluck choked out, tears welling up in her eyes as she began to cry.
Celestia wrapped the crying pony into a hug and began stroking her mane with a hoof.
"They were courageous and selfless ponies who sacrificed themselves to save the lives of innocent and terrified victims of oppression. They will never, ever, be forgotten, by me or anypony else, Roseluck." Celestia spoke softly into Roseluck's ear, her voice serene and compassionate.
Roseluck gradually calmed down, her cries becoming sniffles. "I know what they did was brave.. but.. but.. I miss her. I miss her so much. Why.. why did they have to.."
"I understand your pain, Roseluck, and I don't expect you to recover from this for a long time, but remember that the best way to honor their memories is by moving on. Don't forget the past, but don't drown in it, either." Celestia said as she continued stroking Roseluck's soft mane.
"I.. I suppose you're right, Princess." Roseluck said quietly. "Sorry for wasting your time."
Celestia smiled down at Roseluck. "You haven't wasted my time. I'm always here for you if you wish to talk." she said kindly.
Roseluck smiled back slightly. "Heh.. thank you, your majesty." she said.
"Please, you don't need to call me that. Call me Celestia." Celestia replied.
"Thank you, Celestia." Roseluck said.
"It's my honor to help those in need, Roseluck." Celestia said warmly. Roseluck's smile widened as she walked off back into the crowd.
As Roseluck departed, Celestia began to feel a sharp, burning sensation in her head. Clutching her head in her hooves, Celestia began to convulse in agony, collapsing onto the floor.
Around her, the ponies in the ballroom gasped in shock.
"Get the princess to the hospital ASAP!" a guard yelled, and Celesta's limp form found itself magically lifted into the air by a team of unicorns and carried out of the ballroom.
"All of you guests, stay here. Nobody's getting out of here until we find out what happened." one of the guards said, pointing at the frightened crowd.
The ponies nodded mutely and resumed talking to each other in hurried, nervous whispers as the evening blackened outside.
Several minutes later, Celestia lay in a bed in the emergency ward of Princess Luna Medical Hospital, the most technologically advanced hospital in the nation and most of the world. The namesake of the hospital sat beside her, holding her hoof.
"What happened to our sister?" she demanded the nearby doctor in the Royal Canterlot Voice, her eyes betraying her concern and fear.
"I'm afraid we don't know what happened, your majesty. Everything seems to be fine. Vitals are normal; there aren't any diseases in her body that we could find." the doctor replied, only slightly shaken by Luna's use of the extremely loud voice.
"Is there anything you can do for her?" Luna questioned.
"All we can do is give her a place to rest and maybe some pain medication. I'm afraid unless we know what the problem is, there's not much we can do about it." the doctor answered.
"Uh..." Celestia groaned.. "Luna.."
Luna looked over at her sister, surprised. "Celestia?" she exclaimed.
"Luna.. I don't.. have.. much time.. left..." Celestia mumbled out, her breathing labored and pained.
"Don't say that, Celestia! You're going to make it! You have to make it!" Luna cried out.
"No.. I'm sorry. I'm.. not going.. to be.. not this time... goodbye..." Celestia muttered as she let out her final breath and lay still on the cot.
"Please, Celestia, don't leave me! Please!" Luna wailed, holding her sister's warm body tightly against her own.
"No... Tia.. please... no.. no.. no.. please... no..." Luna choked out as the warmth left Celestia's body.
Outside, the brilliant moon, that had once illuminated the entire night sky with its shining light, dimmed to barely a glimmer in the cold and forsaken sky.
