***
"What about this one?" Twilight settled on a large china teapot inscribed with dragons and phoenixes. The intricate rim had the words "母亲" inscribed upon it in a curled, slender gold font.
"It was a gift from a Kirin. Her talent was in making china, after all. She called it her finest work for the longest time. Of course, then she got married, and..." Celestia trailed off, and Twilight's desire to apologize for the unfortunate circumstance was curbed by the nostalgic smile her lover wore.
"Kirins sound familiar. Do you think you could refresh my memory? It's been a while since I studied oriental history." Twilight blushed, earning her a boop on the nose.
"Heavens, Twilight. Not housing every single fact in the known world? Blasphemy." The two of them shared a giggle. "The Kirin was originally the product of unicorns changing form to interbreed with dragons."
Twilight shuddered. "Don't tell Spike that that one exists. So, uhm, she was a past lover, then?"
Celestia's laugh came high and light, as if she were a passing summer breeze. "I should hope not. She was my daughter, after all."
Twilight's eye twitched. "She...you...a dragon..." It seemed to Celestia that Twilight was trying very hard to scrub a mental image she greatly did not desire from her memory. "Next one! Next one!"
"Ah, yes, this. This one is my favourite in my entire collection." Celestia was looking at Twilight, hoping another adorable reaction might ensue when she showed the skittish unicorn one of her most risqué possessions. She passed by a very anatomically correct statue of a proud, curvy and well-toned alicorn. "It has been a long time since I visited this." Twilight averted her eyes from the rather prominent breasts, noticing elements of intricate detail elsewhere on the body instead. The wings flared in full detail to either side, with every tuft on each feather sculpted flawlessly. A truly gigantic horn that put the likes of Celestia's and Chrysalis' to shame shot proudly from the forehead. The nostrils were being tugged in the slightest of flairs. There was a curl to the smile on her lips that was downright devious.
There were even wrinkles on the edges of her half-lidded eyes from where the skin of the eyes was being folded. Most notably, the mane was long flat and fell into bangs along the eyes. The flanks (the fat along their edges was uncomfortably well rendered) wore a set of proud stars, with five small ones orbiting a larger, sixth one in the centre. "She...wait a moment...no...no. What? When did I...how..."
Celestia shifted her glance from her lover to the statue, her eyes widening. "How indeed..."
"My...that's...forward of...me?" Twilight was trying to rehinge her jaw, gathering her thoughts. "What...what exactly happened on that day, Tia?"
"She was the goddess of companionship." Celestia muttered. "My...first...love..."
------------------
"Artist," a proud, short and youthful alicorn looked down at the toga-clad pony in front of her with disdain, "our time is valuable and our citizenry oft in need of aid, and your project is not chief among our concerns. Accelerate your work or accept you will need an imitation model."
"But your majesty! The needs of the citizenry are fleeting! Your likeness will be immortal!" The artist protested, a fluster in his voice.
"The needs of our followers shall die with us." The alicorn gave a toss of her pink mane. "My concern for your art died two hours prior."
"His work would go faster if you would stop breaking pose to criticize him." A voice rang out from behind Celestia, filled with mirth.
The younger alicorn spun.
"Who dares--" And gaped.
Walking towards her with a calm, towering gait was an alicorn three times her own height, her proportions matching the gargantuan size. Celestia felt herself instinctively slink back, but a wing at the base of her chin stopped her retreat. The larger pony was looking into her eyes, that same mischief still animating her eyes.
"Here. I've been told I'm a capable teacher, but that's of course all pish-posh. Since you're in a hurry, I doubt we can let that best of teachers, experience, be your guide. How about example?" The older alicorn lay down, her pose far more suggestive than Celestia would have imagined from the graceful, confident strides the older mare had given before. "The art community of the ancie--my mistake, the modern art movement of Whineece was--is one of exploring the beauty of the equine body."
The elder mare disrobed, casually pulling her toga off her body with a flick of her horn, and suddenly Celestia felt very insignificant next to the confident, kindly giant before her. "Here, artist. Let your charge go about her business. You can sculpt me in the interim. And you, my dear." She fixed Celestia with a look of naked love, and the alicorn's feelings of insecurity and inferiority melted under the gaze. "Do remember to take time with your subjects in between making great strides to help them. And consider in every action whether you desire to help the ponies involved, or merely to look better in their eyes. That is the mark of a good ruler."
Celestia's eyes became intently focused upon the ground. "Yes, ma'am."
Again, a wing was touching her, and the same earnest, loving gaze was upon her. "There is a wonderful pony living within you. A
pony who is kind, considerate, loving and patient with every single creature she meets, and who is an inspiration to all. Don't hide her away under shrouds of fear and pride. She is worth seeing." The strange alicorn reached down and gave her a nuzzle. "And please, call me Philos."
---------------
Twilight tried to wrap her head around the story, eyes searching. Celestia, herself, was looking at the statue in contemplation. She reached a decision quickly. "I suppose this means the relationship lasts." She chuckled.
"...I wonder when I...how I...you know, turn from this," she waved her hoof across the nerdy, shy, bookish and tiny creature that was her current form, "to that," and back to the proud, tall and confident creature sitting on a pedestal of flawless marble.
Across the distance, two pairs of eyes watched the younger ponies from the second room. "I can't remember. Was it you who gave yourself the idea to ask me about the collection?"
"We had to plant the idea in our heads somehow, didn't we?"
An older Celestia chuckled. "Of course. I can only imagine what I would have turned out like if I hadn't had somepony with experience and compassion helping me on my way." Her voice became sultry. "One can only hope you stay as wonderful a teacher and a lover in this timeline as you are in every other."
A older Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Tia. I always do. That's why it's a fixed time--oh, yes, you're flirting." She looked over at her. "Well, it's a good thing she decided to visit so many locations once she realized she could access any moment of your lifetime. Because I have some things I picked up in the past that I'd like to teach you when we get back to the future."
The younger Twilight and Celestia moved toward the watching pair of elders, the previous incarnations of the two casting uncertain glances at the statue between intervals. "It seems we're moving on to this gallery. I think that's our cue to leave."