Meanwhile….
Celestia looked out on the crowd of mourners gathered at the base of the castle. The candlelight from all of the vigil-holders cast a soft golden glow over Canterlot. The ponies would make their way towards the castle, to decorate an sister's empty throne with moonflowers and candles.
Then the ponies would make their way to the courtyard, where Celestia would once again raise the Summer Sun, a symbol of the defeat of the evil Nightmare Moon. Then the ponies would dance and sing all day and all night, partying and drinking to their heart's content.
It was a cycle that repeated every year for nearly a thousand years.
Celestia was already sick of it.
It was a near-constant reminder of her failures, (of her lies), of her unending grief and sorrow over what she was forced to do.
It was, after all, her duty.
She turned her gaze to the Far North, where a dark cloud began to gather. The Crystal Empire will be returning soon, and with it, its dark monarch. Celestia felt her sister's absence more than ever, and suspected it will only get worse in the dark time to come.
A soft knock on the door brought Celestia out of her thoughts. It was probably Twilight, her most faithful student. No one else would have dared disturb her on this day. But for Twilight, now a princess in her own right, Celestia would make an exception.
She opened the door to find not only Twilight, but all five of her friends gathered outside her door, their young faces taut with worry and fear. Celestia felt a great foreboding.
"We're sorry to disturb you, Princess Celestia," Twilight started, "but we have terrible news! The Elements of Harmony- they've been destroyed!"
Celestia hated when her gut was right.