The great and regal princess looked at her strong kingdom, one that she has ruled for millenniums. Her name was Celestia, being the celestial being of the bonded country known as Equestria.
She sighed. She looked down to see three little foals. They where playing jump rope, laughing and giggling. Celestia knew they would not be there forever. She knew they would die, eventually, like all the others.
She had seen generation by generation. She would have to say goodbye to many friends, she would have to let go. But it was hard. For a while, when Luna had just been banished, she was afraid to speak to the other ponies.
Her old castle keepers where always there for her. She had had many generations of maids and ladies in waiting, many her great friends.
Yet she would not speak, out of fear. Not a specific fear, just a lot of different fears. The fear of loss, the fear of judgment, the fear of eternity.
She thought she had reached her end point. She felt hopeless.
And then she met Sunset Shimmer.
Celestia thought that Sunset was the new saviour. A new hero. She had great magical ability, great skill.
But she became the villain, just for a short time. Then she just left. Away from this world. She was so young, and she just left.
Then she met Twilight Sparkle. Like Sunset, she was skillful and had buckets of magical ability. Celestia was very cautious, for she did not want this possible new hero to have the same fate as Sunset.
But after a few months, she realised she was safe. Twilight was sweet, shy, and patient. She was eager to learn, not eager for power.
Celestia remembered lessons where the little filly would do nothing wrong yet cry. Celestia would calm her, and she would be back in her feet in no time. She remembered how little baby Spike had been so happy with Twilight around, and how pleased both Twilight and Spike where when Spike was put under her care.
She remembered laughing, she remembered smiling, and it had all started with a small lavender filly. She remembered not having laughed so much and being so happy since Luna was banished.
A low knock broke Celestia from her old and happy memories.
“Come in,” the princess said in low voice.
The lavender mare she had seen grow so much, the one she had grown to love as a daughter and best friend, the joy and reminder of Luna when her sister was not here, quietly stepped in.
“Good Evening, Celestia. Did you call for me?”
“Good Evening, Twilight. Ah, yes. I did. Come sit.” Celestia patted a pillow next to her.
Twilight shuffled to the pillow and got in a comfortable position.
“Why did you call for me, princess?” Twilight said in that shy, low voice.
“I just wanted to talk. Luna is away on princess business after being gone so long.”
“To talk? About what?”
“Anything really. We can talk about generations, we can talk about death and life. We can talk about how little foals don't live forever. Why don't we talk about time?”
Twilight seemed to notice a problem. “Is something troubling you?”
Celestia looked into the kind and innocent eyes of a mare. She sighed deeply and bowed her head.
“Yes, Twilight. I hate to admit it. But I am feeling a bit down in the blue.”
“We can talk about it if you'd like.” She offered with a small smile.
Celestia slowly raised her head, a small tear on the corner of her eye. She looked at the sky, at the fluffy clouds forming above. She remained quiet, and Twilight was about to do something, when she spoke. “I've lived for a very long time, Twilight. You know that, right?”
Twilight nodded slowly.
“Well, no body else has really lived as long as me, other than my sister and Discord.”
She grabbed a tissue from a tissue box and dabbed her eyes. “That means that they leave me, Twilight. I have to say goodbye to friends, and it is hard.”
Twilight put herself in her mentors shoes. She thought of her friends as the friends Celestia had to let go. She couldn't imagine it. She loved her friends too much.
Twilight, not used to seeing her role model, her mentor, her god like figure cry, nuzzled up against her in a suggestion of comfort.
“Well, when I met you,” she turned towards the young princess. “The first thing I thought of was how you weren't going to stay there forever. I've grown to love you like my own daughter and...” She let out a cry of tears, and sniffling, said. “I'm sorry for looking so weak in front of you, Twilight.”
“Don't worry princess,” Twilight gave her a reassuring smile. “Shining Armor once told me that when ponies cry, it doesn't mean there weak, they've just been strong for to long. You have been strong for simply too long. I won't judge if you cry, princess. Crying will help you empty out your heart of all that heavy stuff so you have more room for the happy stuff.”
A surprised Celestia began to think. Her key to all this was happiness. She was happy at times, like when Luna returned and when Twilight proved herself a hero all those times. Yet, her heart was full of sadness and depression, there was no room for happiness. Twilight had said cry it out, empty out her heart of the sad memories. She didn't need them, they where just hard to let go, no matter how hard she wanted to.
She looked at the little mare, young and wiser than most, giving advice to a million year old goddess who had experienced so much more.
“You are right,” Celestia draped a wing over the young alicorn.
“Do you feel better?” She looked up at her mentor with hopeful eyes.
“Much better,” she sniffed. “Even a bit happy.”
All I need is six words.
