//------------------------------// // A Thousand Years of Burning // Story: Lilacs // by Arreis Of Avalon //------------------------------// “Sister! Please, wait!”     Celestia stopped and glanced behind her, up to the emerging stars. Her sister, elegant and beautiful, flew down next to her. Luna folded up her wings, looking at Celestia curiously. “Why are we so far from Canterlot, sister? What is the purpose of this trip?”     Celestia said nothing for a few moments, taking in her sister’s appearance. She was so small, compared to Nightmare. Her fur was, perhaps, darker than it had once been, and her mane had shifted to the ethereal star scape Celestia had once known. Her eyes were colder than they ever had been in the past, but she could see past that iciness to the warmth her sister had. Warmth she would properly cherish, this time. She cleared her throat. “I… It’s time to visit an old friend.”     “Oh? One we would know?”     “I’m not sure if you do or not. Come; before the hour grows too late.” Celestia turned her back and kept walking, her step light. “We’ll need to raise the moon soon, after all.”     “You mean we will raise the moon, sister. You will set the sun.”     Celestia smiled and nodded. “Yes. I mean that.” They walked together, the grass beneath their hooves tickling lightly, damp from the nearby stream seeping into the ground. Luna hesitated even as Celestia walked toward a nearby cavern. “I’ve walked this way numerous times, Luna. It’s safe.”     “We are just cautious. We are not as steady on our hooves as we were once.”     “Of course. Don’t worry - the rocks aren’t very damp. If you need help, I’m here.”     She didn’t need assistance, of course. Luna had always been light and graceful on her hooves. She was just… insecure, now. Another side effect of Celestia’s failing.      Celestia shook her head of the thought and continued forward. There was time plenty for her to face and overcome her feelings on the matter. Time that could be spent with Luna, in their bedrooms, laughing about stories they shared a thousand years ago. Time with Luna, walking the stained glass halls, admiring the history of Equestria and the changes that have occurred. Time spent together.      She would not make the same mistakes this time.     “Sister? Is that where we’re headed?”     Celestia blinked herself out of her head, shaking it and smiling. She looked ahead at where her sister spoke of. “Yes. That’s it.”     “It’s a grave.”     “That it is.” Celestia walked forward into an open area of the cavern, where the underground stream flowed nearby the clearing of flowers. Lilacs scattered the ground, growing in soft bunches. The smell was focused in the air, and the flowers themselves obscured the bottommost part of the small stone grave.      Luna strode up as Celestia sat before the stone. “Who is buried all the way out here?”     “His name was Zephron. He was the royal alchemist, back when that was still a functioning role. We’ve schools for that now, scientists and researchers…” She shook her head with a smile. “He started most of that change. Said we needed to progress, have more than just his meager assistants. Train our ponies through proper schooling.”     Luna seemed to sense the feeling in the air and respectfully sat as well, looking toward the stone. “He lived a long time,” she said after a brief silence.     “I couldn’t stand to be alone,” Celestia replied just as quietly as Luna. Her sister glanced in the direction of the now gently crying Alicorn. “He greatly wished he could live long enough to see your return. He knew how much it pained me.”     “Sister…” Luna nudged her lightly with her wing. The words of comfort died on her lips; there was nothing she knew how to say. The bridge between them had been burnt long ago, and repairing it would take far longer.      “He stood at my side for years. I appreciated his company, but moreso, I appreciated somebody telling me when I was wrong. I learned, after… After your transformation. That I was certainly not the perfect being, the being able to fix all problems, that I had allowed myself to dream up.” Luna now was somewhat more tense. Mentions of her transformation usually had that effect. “I struggled to recognize my faults, either being too critical or not critical enough of my actions. I still struggle.”     “Is it not natural to struggle with ones faults?”     “It is. I just… find I struggle significantly with faults now. Trying to analyze situations and find the best solution to any problem. Twilight Sparkle has been a blessing for me - I’ve learned to delegate much more, and putting my faith in someone else has led to me growing much more.”     Luna nodded softly, eyeing the grave. “... We… I think you’re too harsh on yourself, Tia.”     Celestia sniffed softly and nodded as well. “Perhaps I am.”     “You realize that being harsh on yourself will not cause me to forgive you?”     “I know. I’ve recognized that for centuries. But perhaps some part of me believes harshness is deserved, for what I’ve done.”     Luna glanced back at her and sighed after a moment. “Well… Would your friend here agree?”     She laughed. “No. He would say I’m being a primadona princess with an air for dramatics.” Luna scoffed softly but couldn’t resist the smile that sprang to her lips. Celestia smiled more. “Would you like to hear more about him?”     The moon, unblemished, and the sun, fierce, nearly stayed in their places that day, rather than following their progression, as the two sisters reminisced, and slowly rebuilt, amidst the lilacs.