Celestia took a long sip from her cup of tea, allowing the beautiful aroma to fill her nostrils. "This must be the best tea I've ever had. I didn't know it was possible for jasmine to taste so good."
Iroh nodded slowly, smiling. "Thank you, though I must confess that I think much of it is owed to the work of your excellent gardeners. The secret to tea, as many things, is patience and love. And it is good to meet someone who appreciates a good cup. Why, my own nephew Zuko once said that tea was nothing more than hot leaf juice!"
Celestia tried her utmost to hide her giggling as she saw the disturbed expression on Iroh's face.
Iroh shook his head again, this time more sternly. "Unbelievable. Anyways, it is your move."
Celestia looked back down at the Pai Sho board, unable to detect what Iroh had done. "What did you move?"
Iroh smiled again, and indicated the piece he had earlier noted as the "white dragon". It lost him points on one end, but won him some on several others. If she remembered correctly, that move would garner him... three points.
Celestia was new to the game, and could already tell that Iroh was a master. But he was going easy on her, and didn't seem overly attached to the game. Perhaps she could distract him?
"He sounds like he has very little patience, Iroh. I would have thought patience ran in the family."
Allowing the compliment to slip past, Iroh closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. "No. Not in his line, anyway. He took after his father that way. Always upset about something, never quite happy unless everything went his way, forever worrying about one thing or another. But he has improved, and he is improving, always. I have confidence in him."
Celestia thought on his words for a moment, and on her strategy for another. She decided on a strategic placement of a Rose piece, which would soon score her points by playing off of one of Iroh's arrangements.
"Well, it seems he and Twilight have something in common, then. I've never seen anyone make a mountain out of a molehill quite the way she has. She once failed to send me a weekly report on lessons she had learned, and thought I would send her back to magic kindergarten. It took everything I had not to laugh at the ridiculous thought." Celestia chuckled slightly. "I'm glad I did not, though. Twilight may not admit it, but I think she really does need someone to look up to that way; someone to watch over her, to be there when everything goes wrong. As ridiculous as the situation was, it was still a crisis of faith for her; one mistake on my part could have really hurt her."
Iroh took a sip of his tea, and poured a little more for himself, after heating the teapot. "I see where you are coming from, Celestia. I think everyone needs someone they feel they can count on, even if they do not show it. It is important to know that there is someone on your side who will not easily change."
Iroh placed a rock piece on the board, immobilizing the space it occupied and those around it. "But the teacher should not underestimate what they gain from the student. Having someone to teach and protect can be a great source of courage, as I am sure you have learned. Teaching and watching out for Zuko has been one of my greatest motivations to never give up."
Celestia nodded her agreement. "I have found something similar with Twilight, and some of my students in times past. It can be hard sometimes, but as a teacher and mentor, it is part of the job. I suppose having responsibilities forced on you is a good way to make someone responsible."
Several turns passed quickly in silence.
Celestia looked back up with a small smile. "You know, Iroh, that was one of the foremost reasons why I took on a student to begin with. I have learned many things from Twilight. She often makes me relearn things I had forgotten in the dusty reaches of my memory, and doing so helps me keep my mind on something other than my kingdom at large or all the ponies who have come before me."
"You are wise to do so. I find there is nothing better to keep my mind from my own troubles than to help someone else with theirs."
Celestia smiled, and placed a wheel tile on the board, shifting several of the tiles around it and changing the board dramatically. She seemed pleased with herself at her strategic maneuver. "As you said earlier, I think stability is good. But I find it is best not to grow too attached to circumstance; it can quickly change."
Iroh's face took on a smirk of its own. "But that is not always a bad thing, if one knows how to adapt." He shifted a single jasmine tile into the new arrangement, and came out with more points than he had in the previous one.
Celestia knocked a hoof against the ground lightly in mild frustration.
A gust of wind poured in through a nearby window, washing them over with fresh, cool air. Iroh got up and walked to it, looking out onto the gardens outside. "I have seen so little of your country, Celestia, but it is a beautiful place. Some of the plants and animals here are so unlike those of my own world, and others are exactly the same, but all hold a beauty entirely their own."
A good long moment passed while Iroh simply looked out onto the gardens. Celestia had made sure today's schedule was clear, and she knew she had a slow week coming up, so she did not bother him to come back, even when she began to wonder if he would be continuing the game.
"Anyways, I suppose I should get back to beating you at Pai Sho." He turned around, and sauntered toward the board, a smirk across his face. "You know, I think you just might start to get the hang of it."
Celestia huffed, and Iroh chuckled.
Four games, a combined nine cups of tea, and a fair amount of small talk later, Celestia was starting to really get a feel for the game of floral arrangements. In the last three turns, she had enacted a plan which captured two of Iroh's key pieces and moved three of her own to advantageous positions. A wide smile lay across her face, and she felt like a foal who had finally bested an older sibling in a contest.
"A clever strategy, Celestia. It seems you are learning well."
Celestia put on an air of mock arrogance. "Well, I have been in the political arena for over a millennium. One does learn to strategize."
Iroh's lips turned to a devilish grin. "Ah, but I am a general, and I have quite a bit of experience myself. Why, I once laid siege to a city for six hundred days."
Celestia was slightly taken aback, and looked back at Iroh with wide eyes. "Six hundred days? That's a very long time indeed. What sort of city was it?"
Iroh's face shifted to a nostalgic smile, and he gazed upward, reminiscing. "Ah, the Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se. It was a heavily fortified and well-defended place. The walls were hundreds of feet tall, and very, very thick. The people of the Earth Kingdom truly do know how to defend a place; there is a reason it is known as the Impenetrable City."
Iroh paused to place another tile on the board, this time a simple rose tile, accomplishing nothing more than a gaining a single point. "The siege was long and slow, and as time went on, I began to use more and more aggressive tactics. Near the six hundredth day, it looked like victory could come within a couple of months, or perhaps even a few weeks, but after six hundred days, my soldiers and I went home."
She paused for a moment before deciding to probe deeper. "Why would you leave when it was going well?"
Iroh took another large sip of tea. Celestia noticed that he suddenly seemed very tired. "It was my fault. I became completely absorbed with taking command of the siege. In the midst of it, though, I forgot about my son, who had been fighting alongside me. I... I began to neglect my duty, as a father. I paid little heed to my son, and so he began to feel as if he needed to prove himself to me. He thought that since I was a general, he could gain my approval by spearheading several daring assaults."
Iroh paused, and sighed deeply. His gaze hung low and heavy. "On one of them, he made a very foolish decision. My son decided that he would mark the six hundredth day by truly taking the walls of Ba Sing Se. There was already a plan in place that would allow us to push through the gates once and for all, but it was meant to be taken slowly, with precautions. Instead, he and a group of elite soldiers he had befriended manage to find the attack plans, and foolishly decided to use the already dangerous strategy and attack the gate under cover of night.
I suppose they were lucky, at least at first; they got past a very impressive number of soldiers through a combination of stealth and ferocity. From the reports I received on the morning of the six hundredth day, he was very close to gaining the honor he had desired. But instead of glory, he was met with a boulder that had been clumsily thrown by an inexperienced and terrified soldier while scaling the city's outer wall. My own son meant nothing to the insatiable bloodlust of war; he was only another meaningless death.
After my only son met his end in an effort to gain my approval, I became disillusioned with that pointless war, and had no more will to continue leading it. I left for home the next morning, having failed both my country and my family. "
He did not look up, instead silently facing the floor with closed eyes.
"If I had only been there... If I had only taken note of my son..."
Iroh shook his head slowly, tears flowing from his eyes.
A heavy silence came between them, and stayed its place for a long minute. Eventually, Iroh dried his eyes, and continued drinking his tea.
Celestia took another sip of her gradually cooling tea, which was now a soothing chamomile, and tried to decide whether it would be better to share her own story of loss.
"If it is any consolation, Iroh, I know what it feels like to have lost a loved one from my own neglect; you are not alone in making such mistakes."
The silence did not truly break, instead allowing the words to slip under its suffocating mass.
"If I may ask, how did that happen?"
Celestia gestured toward the window, to the gradually lowering sun. "I have told you before that I am responsible for raising the sun each day, and that my sister is responsible for raising the moon and the stars each night. I understand that in your world, the sun and moon move all on their own, but here, this is the way it has always been, even before Luna and I began overseeing the day and night.
It is widely known, however, that it has only been in very recent years that this cycle has gone on with both of us. Prior to then, my sister had spent one thousand years in exile on the moon.
You see, just over one thousand years ago, my sister became very jealous of the ponies' apparent preference for the daytime over the night. The daytime was enjoyed and admired for its beauty, but the night was slept through and ignored. Each night, my sister would carefully arrange the moon and the stars, taking pride in each creation. In truth, I admire her great tenacity; most, myself likely included, could not keep up such efforts in those circumstances.
But while I basked in the glory and praise of my adoring subjects, Luna moped, and brooded, and became cold. My shadow was very long, and Luna sat in the darkness of it while I bathed in light.
She tried, I know she did. She felt that if she only kept up her efforts, she would be appreciated properly. But the appreciation she desired never came. It seemed no one truly understood the beauty of the night."
Celestia turned to look out the window, and took a sip of her tea. "One day, when the weight of it all had borne down on her for too long, she snapped. She took on the full extent of her power, and began a reign of terror as Nightmare Moon. In an instant, my sister was replaced by a power-hungry and tyrannical being who refused to lower the moon to make way for the sun."
She paused for a moment, inhaling deeply before continuing. "I tried to reason with her, but it was too late; by the time I took notice of my sister, she was already gone. I searched day and night to find another way to free her, to get through to her, or even just to stop her without hurting her. But the time I had was short. Without sunlight, no crops could grow, and the land began to grow cold and sickly. In the end, I was pressed into action. With my best guards, I went to face Nightmare Moon using the Elements of Harmony, a set of six gems that bear incredible power. With the Elements, I was able to defeat her, and I banished her to the moon, only to be freed when the stars themselves would aid in her escape one thousand years later.
The pain I felt that night was worse than anything else that I have ever experienced. Finally lowering the moon nearly broke me, and as if to mock me, a silhouette of a unicorn mare's face was imprinted onto it, forever reminding me of what had transpired."
When she turned to look at Iroh again, his eyes were full of empathy. It was clear that he had no intention of pressing her to continue, but that he still wanted to hear anything else she had to say. Only one simple observation came from him, his usual sagely voice tinted with sadness: "It must have been very difficult to manage during that millennium."
Celestia smiled back at him, sincerely. "It was, but I did not tell you that story just so you could feel pity for me. You see, I had made careful plans during the time I had alone. At the end of that millennium, Nightmare Moon returned. But this time, instead of spreading terror throughout Equestria, she was quickly defeated by my student Twilight and five friends she had met that very same day. Together, they used the Elements of Harmony to cleanse my sister, and at the same time, became the bearers of their respective Elements.
That night, Luna and I talked for many hours, sometimes recounting stories new and old, and shared memories, and sometimes discussing what had happened all those years ago. We laughed, we cried, and we forgave one another. Even though I had forgotten and neglected her, even though she had betrayed and risen against me and against our people, forgiveness was not hard to come by, and I was overjoyed to have my sister back.
Slowly but surely, she began to reassume her duties and her role. And the discussions did come up, many times. But each time, I would be reassured that she held no bitterness toward me, and that she wanted me to feel no more guilt over what had happened."
She paused again, and took another deep breath. Iroh's face now bore a small, bittersweet smile of its own.
"What I am trying to tell you, Iroh, is that you should not doubt that your son would not want you to feel guilty. If my sister would not hold me guilty for ignoring her for years for my own glory, then I am certain your son would forgive you for trying so hard to fulfill what you felt was your duty to your country. What is more, I truly doubt that you did not have him in mind when you set out to find success in your endeavours, even if you did lose sight of him in the midst of it all. If he did know how much you truly cared about him, I am sure that somewhere inside himself, he always felt grateful to have a father who tried so hard for him."
Iroh's smile had grown, and his eyes had softened. A single tear slipped down his cheek, and he slowly wiped it away with his sleeve. "Thank you, Celestia. There is a great deal of truth in your words."
There was silence between them again, but this time it was neither weighty nor full of misery. Instead, they simply took a moment to continue the Pai Sho game.
It was Iroh who interrupted the silence a minute or so later. "You know, it surprised even me how quickly I took to having Zuko as something of a second son. I suppose I had a hard time biding a boy who worked so hard for approval being ignored and mistreated by someone like Ozai."
Celestia absent-mindedly slid a few pieces over with a boat tile, not truly examining the strategic ramifications before continuing. "What sort of ruler was Ozai?"
Iroh was visibly taken aback by this, and it gave him pause for a moment. "What sort of ruler? In a few words, self-obsessed and power-hungry. He only ever saw the next battle, the next land that would fall under his reign. He led the Fire Nation to many victories, but few truly understood how much of a monster he was.
I remember once when Zuko spoke out after one of Ozai's generals announced a plan to use an entire battalion of new soldiers as deliberate bait. Zuko was not the only one who would not accept such a plan, but after he spoke out of turn, his father challenged Zuko, a child, to a form of duel called Agni Kai.
Zuko's eye still bears a large scar around it from his father's fire." Iroh indicated a large section of the left side of his face.
Celestia nodded slowly. "I suppose that in some cases, the people of your world are glad that their rulers are not immortal."
Iroh shook his head. "Sometimes, but not then. Ozai's father before him was the same, as was his grandfather. Without intervention, it is likely that Zuko would have followed the same path himself. If that was the case, the cycle could have continued for many generations. And it may be harder to overthrow a whole family than a single immortal being."
A puzzled look came across Iroh's old face. "Even so, I’m sure immortality must play a role in being able to maintain power for so long."
Celestia was slightly surprised at the question. "It does. That's why it is so hard to select who receives immortality. It’s complicated to explain, but suffice it to say that we are not able to grant immortality very often. I think I may have found a candidate in Twilight Sparkle, though. She just may be fit for ascension, the blessing and curse that it is.”
Celestia trailed off slightly and sighed, and Iroh looked up at her with a smile. "But you are worried that she is not ready?"
Celestia's eyes opened a little more from behind her teacup, which she lowered momentarily. "How did you know that?"
Iroh's grin grew wider. "Well, it's not very difficult, especially after my own experience. Fortunately for you, you get to take your time and choose. I had to do everything I could to make Zuko as ready for the throne as possible before Ozai was defeated."
Celestia mulled over the pieces in front of her, trying to decide her next move while also keeping track of the conversation. Her strategic plans were interrupted by a question pressing its way to the forefront of her mind.
"Do you think he was ready when the time came?"
Iroh looked up, his face painted with nostalgia, and shrugged. "Well, at the time I wasn't so sure. Even now, I am not so sure. He is still discovering what it truly means to hold such responsibility." He paused for a long moment, then looked more seriously at Celestia. "Truly though, I think it may have been for the best that the time was forced on us. He learned many things much more quickly when he saw how soon he was to take the throne, and I believe that I may have kept him from it too long otherwise."
Celestia looked down at her pieces again, finally selecting a rose tile. She spoke somewhat flatly, as if in between thoughts. "I suppose we can all be a bit overprotective at times."
When she made to place the tile, she found a whole new decision in where it was to go. She spent the better part of a minute considering where to put it before Iroh looked up with a smirk on his face and a light, cheery tone to his voice. "It can be hard to know when to let go, and one is rarely ever offered a perfect choice."
She looked up at him, then back down. "I can't tell if that's sagely advice, or if you're really just talking about Pai Sho."
Iroh had a deep belly laugh. "Perhaps a bit of both?"
Celestia finally placed the piece down on the board, and looked back at Iroh. "Your move."
Iroh quickly used a boat tile to send her rose into a white space, thus capturing it, while also sending two of his own pieces into advantageous positions. She swallowed. "Well played."
"I should have noted that while it is good to make a choice decisively, one must also consider the consequences. The important part is finding balance."
He put his hands at his sides, and looked directly at Celestia. "Zuko is like a son to me, particularly with the way his father treated him. I decided to look out for him from a very young age, to guide and protect him so that he could grow; even as he grew older and sought independence and personal achievement at every turn, I continued to do this. But I learned that, like a tree that begins its life in the comfort of a pot in a greenhouse, Zuko would not be able to grow fully unless he was eventually allowed to go out on his own.
Forgive me if I am wrong, but from the way you speak of her, it seems that you have a similar relationship with Twilight. If that is the case, it is quite understandable if you are hesitant about taking her out of that greenhouse, so to speak."
Celestia slowly tossed her head from side to side. "I do, although unlike Zuko, Twilight still has two very loving parents. And it would indeed be a very large responsibility for her; I cannot make the choice lightly."
Iroh shook his head. "I did not mean to suggest that you should, Celestia. I cannot tell you what your decision should be, and I certainly will not try to, but perhaps I can help you clarify it for yourself."
Celestia hesitated for a moment, then nodded, and Iroh continued. "You told me earlier that Twilight began as your student at a very young age. I've been wondering, though, what made you choose her out of all the others."
Celestia answered without hesitation. "She showed exceptional ability, and needed to be guided to in the right direction to fulfill her true potential.” She paused for a moment. “I suppose I was also concerned about the less desirable fates that might have befallen her otherwise.”
Iroh raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Would it not be ironic, then, if you were to hold her back from achieving the very same potential that made you choose her?"
This grated somewhat on Celestia's nerves, but she had to admit to the truth of the statement, even if she was not sure that it applied to her. As she pondered it, Iroh continued.
"You told me earlier that she used to study here, with you, but that you sent her to Ponyville." Iroh snickered after mentioning the name of the town, but quickly returned to his serious but relaxed demeanor. "Tell me, why did you do this?"
Celestia began to feel as if she was on a red fainting couch, being treated by a psychologist, but she decided to go along with it anyway.
"Well, there were some things I could not teach her here. Her knowledge of magic, history, chemistry, geography, and a great variety of other subjects that could be learned through reading alone was fair where it was not immense. But she had very little knowledge of friendship, and so I sent her there to make some friends. I suppose, if I refer back to your metaphor of a tree, Twilight needed more room to grow. With how much she has grown since then, I do not think it would have been fair to her to keep her cooped up here for the rest of her life. "
Iroh smiled as Celestia realized what she had just said. The implications of keeping Twilight in Canterlot going so far as to be an injustice hit uncomfortably close to home.
Iroh continued speaking as he nonchalantly placed another piece on the board, and Celestia noticed that he was dangerously close to encircling the center of the board and winning his third game in a row. "From what you said earlier, you originally chose her out of need, because Twilight had to be steered in one direction or another. But this ascension you speak of seems to present a unique opportunity: this time, instead of giving something out of necessity, you can grant it out of trust and faith. It is an opportunity for her to show you how much she has grown.”
A small smile came across Celestia's face, as she briefly reminisced. "Twilight always has jumped at any chance to shine." She laughed slightly. "There's a strange sort of balance with her; she becomes incredibly nervous over assignments very easily, but she also has a tendency to bite off more than she can chew."
She paused for a moment, and spoke from inside the thoughts enwrapping her mind. "It just takes a little push get her going the right way."
Iroh nodded slowly and deeply. "As long as one has direction, it is hard to get lost."
She looked back down at the Pai Sho board, and casually moved a jasmine tile. "I will still have to give more thought to the matter, but you have certainly brought out some important things to consider, Iroh. Thank you."
Iroh smiled back at her. "After our conversation about my son, it was the least I could do. Besides, at my age, giving advice is an excellent way to feel useful." He chuckled, and Celestia followed suit.
He placed another tile on the board, drawing closer to his victory. "Sometimes, a few words can illuminate a great deal of things."
Celestia nodded her head in agreement, and continued the game. Wanting to go to a lighter topic of conversation, Celestia told a story about how Twilight, shortly after coming to study under her as a filly, went missing for an entire week, and was found sleeping in the observatory, surrounded by piles of open books, messy notes, and scraps of food.
In turn, Iroh recounted the time he found Zuko out in the soldier's barracks at the age of twelve, after the youngster had been caught attempting to don a suit of armor and sneak out to join the soldiers, having used a false beard and moustache to hide his age and identity long enough to get in.
The game of Pai Sho went on longer than expected, though Iroh still won in the end. Another game and several other funny stories passed between them, some related to Zuko or Twilight, and others about Celestia and Iroh themselves. Celestia even won the last time, and it looked as though she might win again this time, though it was unclear how much of her victory was due to her improvement in skill, and how much was simply Iroh getting caught up in their tales.
Celestia waved her hoof upward, gesturing toward an imaginary precipice. Her face bore an extremely goofy grin. "After I got her down from the roof, it took her a good ten seconds to stop clinging to my leg. What surprised me was that she instantly forgot how afraid she had just been, and started jumping up and down with enthusiasm. She kept yelling 'I did it! I teleported! I teleported!' It was the most adorable thing."
Iroh laughed out loud. "She must have been quite a handful."
Celestia shrugged. "Oh, sometimes."
Iroh thought for a moment, then added "I suppose we never truly stop helping them, but that is alright with me."
Celestia smiled back. "I agree with that, but it's even better when they come back to help you."
Iroh's lips curved into a smirk. "Oh, I know. Being friends with the Fire Lord does have its perks."
He laughed again, and she followed shortly after.
Iroh cast a wayward glance at a nearby clock, and looked somewhat surprised. "Speaking of help, Celestia, I am supposed to be meeting with Zuko in a half hour to discuss some plans he has been making."
The sun was indeed beginning to get low, and Celestia would not want to hold him from his duties any more than to neglect her own. "If you like, I can walk you to the gates. I've arranged a chariot to take you where you need to go."
Iroh got up and bowed to her. "Thank you, and I would be delighted."
Celestia picked up Iroh's Pai Sho set and began packing it, but he motioned for her to leave it. "Please, keep the set. I have many more, and perhaps you will like to play with your sister or someone else. Who knows, by the time I come back, you may just be good enough to really challenge me!" Iroh flashed her a cheeky smile, and she rolled her eyes at him before opening the door for them both with her magic.
"We'll have to talk about something other than our protégés and Pai Sho next time."
Iroh nodded. "Indeed we will. I shall have to make that soon."
Their walk to the castle gates was not a long one, and soon Iroh was about to board the carriage. "Don't forget what I told you about Luna and I."
Iroh waved a finger at her, with a stern expression on his face. "And don't you forget what I told you about Zuko!"
She suddenly found herself being embraced by him, and quickly returned the gesture. After a moment, they separated from the hug, and Iroh finally got into the chariot.
"Until we meet again, Iroh, I wish you all the best with helping your son."
Iroh tossed back one last cheeky look before the carriage took off. "And I wish you all the best with your daughter."
The chariot ascended into the sky, and Celestia watched it for a moment before realizing something. "But she isn't my- oh, never mind."
She started sauntering back toward the castle, and felt a rumbling in her stomach. She suddenly became aware of an acute feeling of nausea.
"Oh dear. I think I may have had far too much tea."
Author's Note
I slipped up on a couple of the Pai Sho rules, but cut me some slack, it's a confusing game. 
Edit: HOLY GOOD GRACIOUS WHAT IS HAPPENING
I was /not/ expecting this amazing response. You guys are awesome.
I am now planning a sequel. It will feature Zuko and Twilight talking, and with a little help, maybe I can pull something good off again, eh?
Edit 2:
WHAT THE-
WHAT TRICKERY IS THIS
I AM IN THE FEATURE BOX
YOU PEOPLE ARE AWESOME
I LOVE YOU ALL LONG TIME
Edit 3:
I've gotten a few comments on this, so let me just clear this up:
Celestia is not pregnant. She drank several dozen cups of tea, and got sick from it. That is all.
(though in retrospect, I can see how the ending might have created confusion about that)
Also, some people have asked about how Iroh got to Equestria. Truth is, I deliberately left it ambiguous so that I wouldn't have to explain it, since I felt that explaining it would detract from the story.
The explanation I'm leaning toward is that it was a portal or a dimension hop of some variety, but don't quote me on that.
