//------------------------------//
// Part 7 
// Story: Raven 
// by SaintChoc 
//------------------------------//

Raven and Celestia opened the grandiose double doors and walked into the room. Grand pillars traced the sides of the large, rectangular room between immense pane glass windows.

"And this... is thy throne room," Raven said.

Celestia's tired eyes ran over the room. "'Tis rather vacuous, is it not?"

"Upon its completion, there will sit a long, red carpet where we stand." Raven checked her notes. "There are also glass smiths working on more decorative windows, and there shall be hanging tapestries and plant life at various points." She looked up. "For now… 'tis vacuous, yes.

"However," Raven continued, "as thou canst see, thy throne hath been completed." True to her word, one throne sat alone atop the raised floor at the other end of the room.

Celestia nodded slowly as Raven flipped further through the notes and continued. "It shall not be much longer before it is ready for us to move in proper." She adopted a lighter tone. "At long last we shall be out of those cramped temporary quarters, hmm?"

Celestia said nothing, still staring at the lone throne.

Raven pursed her lips. "It would have been completed sooner, but as thou decreedst—" 

"—There were more important buildings to erect than another castle," Celestia said quietly. Raven glanced out the window, seeing the newly opened library in the burgeoning town below.

"In… deed," Raven said, and began to head for the entrance. "Well, if this meets with thine approval thus far, we can let the masons know to continue and we shall move on to—"

"Raven." 

Raven stopped. "...Yes, Princess?"

"How many years wast thou planning for us to continue on as if it were normal?"

A pit grew in Raven's stomach. 

"I-I…" Raven swallowed. "I was not certain how to broach the subject, nor... how to discuss it."

"Thou hast been in my service… twenty years now, hast thou not?"

"Erm… around such, yes."

"I stopped aging long ago. In what can feel like only a moment to me, I have lost countless friends and staff to the unending march of time. But thou…" Celestia cocked her head, a stern expression on her face. "...appearest just as thou didst the first day thou walkedst into my view."

Raven breathed in deeply, her eyes drawn to the floor. She'd anticipated this conversation for a long time, but had never figured out what to say.

She spoke hesitantly. "...I fear I know as much as thee. There was no one day wherein I awoke and felt… any different, and yet…" She looked up at Celestia. "All I can say for certain is that it feels… right. As if I am not… ready to leave."

Celestia looked back at her with the same tired gaze Raven had seen for the past few years. It meant any numbers of things.

Finally, she looked away. "Assuming that thou remainest this way, I must admit that... I would welcome a companion that did not disappear in a blink of mine eyes." She adopted a soft smile.

Raven remained still, her mouth open slightly. "W-well…" She breathed in again and stood up straight. "Blink all you like, Princess. I shall still be here." She tried to restrain the relieved grin upon her face.

Celestia moved for the exit. "Now, thou saidst there was more to see?"

Raven straightened her notes and followed after her.