//------------------------------//
// 133. Fresh by ArguingPizza 
// Story: The Sun and the Stars: A Twilestia Prompt Collab 
// by Fuzzyfurvert 
//------------------------------//


by ArguingPizza


***



A light, airy hum drifted on the breeze through the Canterlot Royal Gardens. In its wake, birds chorused happily, flowers spontaneously blossomed, and even the sun seemed to shine more brightly. The joyous tune tickled the ears of any member of the castle staff lucky enough to hear it.

The source of the sound was none other than Princess Celestia herself. The Elder Sister was practically dancing through a large, flower-filled meadow near the statue garden. All around her, petals covering the entire spectrum of visible light swayed in the breeze in step with her hooves. Every now and then, a sliver of golden magic would collect a single flower and add it to the growing bouquet floating by her head.

For more than an hour, Celestia strolled through the flowers, slowly amassing a perfectly arranged assortment of plants. Only the freshest, healthiest, and most fragrant flowers would do. She would accept nothing less than perfection on this day.

Once she was satisfied, Celestia trotted down one of the many cobblestone paths that wound their way through the Royal Gardens. This particular path was much more well-worn than the others, as many ponies, and even the occasional dragon, had once used it fairly often. These days, though, few even remembered where the weathered stones led. Celestia was one of those few.

As she listened to the sounds of her bare hooves on rock, Celestia allowed herself to simply enjoy the day. The air was fresh and clean, the sun was warm on her fur, and the absence of her regalia lent her a feeling of weightlessness. Even solitude was a gift, as on any other day of the year, a pair of guards would be following her dutifully wherever she went, not to mention the hordes of bureaucrats vying for her attention. Somewhere in the Palace that very moment, she knew, those same busy-ponies were no doubt swarming Luna for all their worth.

The thought made her giggle, and she felt a moment of sympathy for her sister, but quickly brushed it aside. She would make it up to Luna tomorrow, as she did every year.

It didn’t take long for her long strides to carry her to her destination. A simple, low stone sepulcher surrounded by immaculately cared for shrubbery blended in well with the Garden. If not looking for it, it was entirely possible to miss the structure amidst the greenery.

For what felt like hours, Celestia stood stock still and simply stared at the pattern carved in the building’s wooden doors. A starburst, surrounded by five other smaller stars. Simple, subdued, and beautiful.

Eventually, Celestia could take no more and pushed the doors open, even if just so she wouldn’t be confronted by the symbol she both loved and hated. Loved for the memories it brought to light, and hated for the memories it dragged to the surface.

The inside was dim, but a healthy amount of light shined through the tall stained-glass windows on three of the walls. Illuminated inside, at the center of the floor, was a simple, unadorned marble sarcophagus on a small stone altar. Lavender tapestries hung all around, depicting the same symbol displayed on the door. Below the sarcophagus, a framed portrait was mounted that depicted the most gorgeous, kindest, most loving mare Celestia had ever known.

It felt as if massive slabs of granite were pulling down the edges of her face, but she maintained her smile and held back her tears. Those were for later, in the comfort and isolation of her bedroom. Only then would she open the floodgates she held closed year-round and unleash the torrent of grief and sadness that seemed to grow worse every day.

Later, but not now. Now was a time for smiles and thoughts of a happier time. She had Pinkie Promised, and nopony ever breaks a Pinkie Promise.

Celestia approached the altar with near-reverence, and with unrivaled care she deposited the bouquet beside the portrait. Tears threatened to escape her eyes, forcing her to close them as she laid a kiss on the marble capstone.

“I love you,” she couldn’t help but sniffle, and she hoped Twilight would forgive her one small failing. Celestia rested her nose on the cold stone for a moment before she kissed it again and raised her head to leave. “I’ll see you next year, my love.”

It was with a smile on her face, held up by a promise and braced with a thousand memories of the mare she had been blessed to call hers, that Celestia closed the wooden doors for another year.