This is my first attempt to write something in english, so I wont guarantee perfect spelling / grammar. It was just a silly little thing I came up with.
Celestias breathing was slow and uneven. Her head laid lifeless on her enormous bed, she usually found to be really comfortable, but now felt like she was laying on rocks. A stray of her once beautiful, now dull and limp mane fell onto her face as a soft breeze swept through her chamber. The breeze was followed by the clopping of hooves against marble and the sound of somepony shutting a door gently.
“The sun is now lowered, Tia”, Luna said and moved over to the big gold framed mirror Celestia owned. The white alicorn didn’t response. She just opened her eyes a bit and looked at her younger sister. Envy and anger swept through Celestia as she watched Luna comb her mane.
The always perfect Luna.
Never aging, never touched by the cruel effects of time.
Not like herself.
It was obvious that Celestia had not much time left, her coat was dull, her many limp and thin. And so was her body. Hips, shoulders and rips were clearly visible under her dry skin and Celestia bet, if she could look at her back, she could have counted her vertebraes.
Celestia licked her dry lips and thought about relying to Luna, but her throat felt so sore, that she discarded the idea. A new wave of resentment swept through the sun princess when her sister started humming softly.
“It’s just natural”, Celestia thought, “It’s not Lunas fault.”
The thought was washed away when Celestia felt somepony climbing onto her bed and lying next to her.
“How are you, Tia?”, Luna asked and nuzzled her sister gently.
“Isn’t that obvious?”, Celestia thought.
“I wish I could ease your pain…”
“Sure”, the white alicorn thought and tried to escape her sisters nuzzling with a move of her head. She wasn’t really successful, but Luna noticed Celestias unease.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll be over soon.”, she said and shifted her weight a bit away from Celestia.
The hours passed in silence, the two royal sisters just stared out into the night, watching the moon rise higher until it’s dim light fell directly into Celestias chamber and illuminated the room.
It was then, that a big cloud covered the moon. The room fell dark for a few seconds and as the cloud passed and the light was back a third pony was in Celestias chamber.
Before the two alicorns stood the figure of a pony, not much more the skin over bones. It’s dull coat was a sallow and ill looking grayish beige, the few strands of it’s bone white mane and tail hung down to the marble floor. But the most startling thing about it’s appearance was the big carnivore skull that covered his actual head like a mask or a helmet.
“You are early”, Luna said.
The creature tilted it’s head lightly and seemed to muster Luna for a few moments. She wasn’t entirely sure, since it’s eyes were hidden deep behind the black holes of the skull.
“I’m always just in time”, it finally replied with a voice that sent chills down the spines of both alicorns. Not male nor female with a screeching tone that spoke of agony and pain.
Celestia closed her eyes again.
The creatures neck vertebrae popped lightly as it turned it’s head towards the sun princess.
“It’s been a while, dear princess”, it stated.
Celestia just snorted dimly.
“Shall we begin then?”, it asked.
“Go on already”, Celestia said short-temperedly, her impatience making her voice stronger.
A chuckle that made Luna cover her ears with a wince shook the bony figure.
“Alright then…”, it said and approached the princess.
Celestia could feel the air around her getting colder and drier, filling with the revolting stench of rotting flesh. Every fiber of her being wanted to escape, to run away from the dreadful being that approached her. But she found her limbs numb and unable to move.
Right when the sun princess thought the cold and the stench became unbearable, the bony creature touched her muzzle with one of the sharp teeth that stung out from the skull it was wearing.
Then, there was only pain.
Celestia forgot about her sore throat, about her uncomfortable bed, her withered beauty, the hate and envy she had felt towards Luna just a few minutes ago.
All she could think about was this searing pain that seeped through her body.
At the same time, Luna watched with horror what happened. She knew, it was unavoidable, that it has happened before and it will happen again. But she never saw how it happened.
The sight of her sister dying was one of the most beautiful yet terrifying she had ever witnessed. Like her pet phoenix, Celestia became enveloped in flames. They danced across her slender body in the brightest colors, caressed every curve and consumed them. Luna awed when Celestia involuntarily spread her wings and flames burst out from the blazing figure. She remained in this position for the rest of the process, looking like a swan about to fly away.
It took almost twenty minutes for the flames to fully consume Celestia and her bed. What remained was a pile of ash and something that looked like a granite statue of the sun princess.
Luna was the first one to move, when the last flames flickered out. She stepped towards what was left of her sister and was about to touch it, when she stopped and looked towards the sallow creature that stood still at it’s place for the last 20 minutes.
It didn’t respond.
Then Luna heard a cracking noise. She turned her head and her eyes widened as she saw, that the ash statue was crumbling. A piece fell off.
Then another.
Then another.
Where the little pieces fell off, they revealed radiant white feathers or coat. With a final loud crack, the last pieces of ash fell down and Celestia stood up.
The alicorn shook her body and removed so the last traces of ash. Her body radiated beauty, health and power as she stretched her wings and made her joints pop quietly. She felt amazing.
Then she turned to the bony creature that seemed to back away from her now, as if her newfound strength made him uncomfortable.
“Thank you”, she said kindly. “But you better leave now.” That was less kind.
The creature just muttered something surely not nice under it’s breath and shot a glare towards Celestia, then it simply disappeared into thin air.
“We’ll meet again, Celestia…” it’s disembodied voice hissed.
“This meetup will have to wait a few hundred years”, Luna said and walked over to Celestia.
The sun princess smiled and nuzzled her sister.