> A Simple Request
>  by Bluegrass Brooke
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Perchance to dream
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some ponies claim that time heals all wounds, but Celestia knew better. No, time merely allowed those wounds to fester, fester until they simply rotted away, leaving what was left behind. On the marble balcony overlooking Canterlot, she took in the magnificent sunset, her sunset she supposed it was. For the past two centuries, sunsets had been an ever present reminder of her greatest failure and the one she was certain would claim her sanity in the end.

Taking a deep breath, she began the evening ritual, as methodical as clockwork. The moon slowly took its position in the heavens, allowing the mare to glower down on her again. Celestia knew it was her fate, but it stung worse than any blade to the chest. Sighing, she turned around and retreated into her chambers.

The massive room was adorned with finery of all shapes and sizes, neatly arranged where they had been for years now. Discord would have referred to it as "deplorably mundane." Celestia snorted a laugh at the thought of her old friend and his constant jests. Just as quickly, her amusement was replaced by a sinking sensation in her gut. He, like Luna was lost to her. Whatever the true purpose of his outburst had been, she could never risk releasing him upon Equestria, not with her current limitations at least. So here she would remain, the last of the "immortals" in this world. 

Celestia sprawled out on the covers, levitating up her journal from the bedside. It was a simple notebook, without the finery so typical of her personal possessions. That suited her well enough, its contents were what was important. She paged through her entries until she found the one from last week. 'Tonight I shall ask him.'

Despite the fact that the sentence was in her smallest writing, its implications hung in the air as though she had shouted them at the top of her lungs. It was a foolhardy idea, surely, and one she would undoubtedly regret. So why was she so tempted by it?

Her eyes fell to the small silver box resting beside her pillow. Its simply engraved surface was nothing close to the finest craftsmanship in Equestria, but she treasured it more than all the artifacts in her collection. That night in the still of the garden, he had given it to her. A gift among friends he had said, to remind her of their time together at the dance. However, Celestia knew him perhaps better than he knew himself. If it had not been for the guards' timely interruption, she was certain he would have kissed her, kissed her as though they were two children head over hocks in love. What a blessed moment that would have been!

After that night, she was certain he would come to her again. Come and bring up the question that had lingered over their relationship from the day they met. Would they take that step? Apparently not. Years had passed since then, not many to her certainly, but enough for him. The stallion was nearing middle age, and yet he refused to settle with anypony, dedicating himself solely to his pursuit of knowledge. That had always been his greatest failing.

Celestia stared hard at the notebook, reading the lines over and over again. 'What if he says no? Would I be able to face him?' Just how much damage could one simple question do? Surely it was not enough to shatter the very foundations of Equestria. It was a genuine, heartfelt request, certainly he of all ponies would understand that.

Her heart leapt at the thought of his acceptance. Its implications were sweeter than the finest wine. If he said yes, she would never have to be alone again, she would always have him by her side. Never again would she bear the burden of isolation alone, and never again would she be without love.

It would not be easy, certainly. There might be days where she would be forced to leave up the sun or the moon, but the ponies would understand, they had to. After all, her desire was natural, if a little delayed. What would be the harm?

Making her decision, she got to her hooves, striding towards the door. Tonight she would ask him, and tonight he would agree.





Once more, once more. Starswirl closed his eyes, concentrating on the spell before him. It was an ancient spell, drawn from the depths of the draconequus' own library. Their spells were known to have several malicious side effects, and so its execution was paramount. You can do this, Starswirl, you can do this. Just as he was about to recite the incantation, there was a loud creaking of hinges and a ray of light shone directly into his eyes. "Blast! Are you buffoons incapable of understanding my need for—"

He paused, his heart slipping out from under him. The pony in the doorway was no royal guard. There, leaning against the oak frame was Princess Celestia herself. Starswirl hastened to bow, "Your majesty, what brings you to my study at such a late hour?"

"Come now, it is hardly a late hour." Celestia smirked, pulling back the curtain with her magic to allow a steady stream of moonlight to bathe the room. Even she seemed taken aback by the state of chaos his study was in. Admittedly, he had been a little too focused on the spell to upkeep his image. The mare tip toed cautiously through the maze of books, papers, quills, artifacts, and gods knew what else to stand beside him. "There, now we can talk."

"Talk?" He snorted a laugh, running a hoof through the shock of brown hair under his chin. "Surely you didn't come here simply to talk!" His eyes fell to Celestia's distinctly unadorned chest. "Where is your necklace?"

She shrugged in an almost offhand way that made his stomach lurch. He had known their princess long enough to understand when she was avoiding a subject. The silent treatment, eh? Sighing, he cleared a spot on the stones beside him. "Care to vent?"

Celestia jerked a nod, lying beside him. Though he was a fairly tall stallion himself, the mare still managed to tower over him. It was a little unnerving, and always made it so he had to talk up to her. For a while, she merely lay in silence, staring at the book. Then, she spoke in a would-be-casual voice, "I see you are studying draconequus healing magic."

"Yes, Princess." He could not stop the grin from stretching across his face, "Once I can control it, I intend on researching its use in the medical field."

"Indeed, and," she lowered her voice until it was scarcely more than a whisper, "you may call me Celestia. We are friends, are we not?"

Friends? Starswirl felt his heart leap in his chest at the familiar word. Ponies would often go on about having friends, and wanting more friends, but he never saw the need for them. That was, apart from Celestia, but he considered her more of a colleague than a true friend or even something more. It was better that way, better for him that was. What good would come of fawning over their ruler? A respectable distance was a necessity in his line of work.

Celestia sighed, looking unusually downcast. "I have been thinking these past few months, Starswirl."

"Thinking? About what?" When he attempted to look her in the eye, she turned away. Snorting in frustration, he lifted her chin with his hoof, staring hard at her. It was a breach of etiquette, but given the situation, it seemed appropriate. "What troubles you?"

To his surprise, Celestia's face grew flushed and she pulled away, staring hard at the stones. "About my place, about the future," she gulped, playing with her mane, "and about you."

"Me?" What do I have to do with any of this?

"It is just," her eyes fell to the window, and the moon beyond, "do you remember that I am the last of the immortals in Equestria?"

Immortals? Starswirl remembered a conversation, many years ago, where Celestia had explained that she was not truly immortal. That never added up to him. How could anypony not be immortal and yet live for so long? He decided not to broach the subject. "Yes, I remember. What of it?"

Her eyes flickered to his for an instant before focusing on her hooves. "I have lived over two centuries without my sister's company, nearly five centuries without Discord's." She sighed heavily, "And now I shall live out the rest of my days without anypony who follows the same timeline. It is . . . lonely, Starswirl."

A part of him wanted to make light of the situation, just to cheer her up. However, the alicorn was in a position he could never hope to relate to. Perhaps honesty was the best policy. "Celestia, I know nothing of immortals, nor do I understand your plight. I wish, I pray that I could understand, but I cannot offer guidance on such matters."

"I know." Her curt words cut him like a knife.

He raised an eyebrow, "You know? Then why do you bring it up?"

Celestia turned to him, face still flushed, "You do not have to understand the plight to understand its cure."

"It's cure?" Before he knew what was happening, he felt her hooves press his back against the stones. Wincing, he stared up into her pleading eyes. "What in Equestria is the matter, Celestia?"

"You still do not know?" Without any pretense or warning, the alicorn leaned close, pressing her velveteen muzzle to his. "Would you . . . would you father my child?" 

The words hit him like a ton of bricks and a cold shower at once. "Father your WHAT? I . . . Celestia, what are you talking about?" His heart pounded faster than it ever had in his life. She is drunk! Yes, that is it, drunk and out of her mind.

She rolled her eyes, kissing him yet again, her decidedly non-alcoholic breath mixing with his. "I want your foal, Starswirl. Would you grant me that honor?"

Gods above, she can't be serious! As he stared into her eyes, he knew, just knew that she was. "Why . . . why mine?"

Her soft laugh echoed like wind chimes in the stone chamber. "Isn't it obvious?" She leaned in close, nuzzling his cheek, "Through all these years, you have been my truest friend, and if I am not mistaken, there were many times you wished for more. I remember that night, Starswirl, I know you wished to kiss me then." Once more, the mare's muzzle contacted his in an intoxicating kiss. "Can you say that you do not find pleasure in my advances?"

It was all happening too fast, like some powerful spell spiraling wildly out of control. And yet, it was not unwelcome, on the contrary, it was the best feeling in the world. He found himself leaning in to kiss her this time, savoring the forbidden fruit for all it was worth. For years he had run fantasies of this moment, but he never even imagined the possibility that it would come to fruition. Celestia nickered softly, brushing her cheek against his. Though it pained him to break the moment, he had to ask. "Why a child, Celestia?"

"That is obvious, is it not?" Seeing his skeptical look, she continued with all the air of a tutor explaining a simple mathematics problem, "You are not an immortal, Starswirl, that fact cannot be altered. However, if I bear your child, then that child will have a time-span equivalent to my own." She brushed away his forelock with a hoof, "Even after you are gone, I would have a piece of you for years to come. I would never have to be lonely again."

"But, I . . ." The thought of having an immortal as a child was too much to take in. All he wished for was to have her by his side, he never asked for something like this. "I am not ready for a child, Celestia. Perhaps we could take it slow, wait a few years?"

The mare scoffed at him, pinning her ears. "What? So that you can go off and die on another of your adventures?"

So that was it. More often than he would like to admit, he would return to the castle covered in bandages or bruises, and every time it was Celestia who chided him. Had it all been out of concern?  "Celestia, you know I do not seek out danger."

"But you find it none the less," Celestia snapped, eyes harsh. "What of the Sirens? Tirek? Did you not think to request my aid?"

He sighed, nodding slowly. "Very well, I admit that I am reckless." That was something of an understatement, but it was the truth. The alicorn continued to look down on him, eyes still shining with a look bordering on desperation. It was obvious what she wanted, and though a simple request, its ramifications would undoubtedly be felt for the rest of his life. "Are you certain of this, Celestia? It is not a decision taken back."

Celestia paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously. "I am most certain, Starswirl."

"Very well, uh," he looked around at the cluttered mess of a study, "perhaps there is a better location for this?"

Her eyes lit up, and she moved off of him to the door. "Come, we shall move to my chambers."

Chambers? Starswirl followed slowly behind her. As they strode down the hall, he could not help but notice the light skip in her step. He increased his pace, matching her step. "I fear I may disappoint."

Celestia turned to him, winking playfully. "Oh, I do not think you will."

Starswirl chuckled nervously. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?





Another beautiful night, far more beautiful in its arrangement than any she had fashioned. How good it felt to have Luna back again, and how strange. For the first time in centuries, she had precious little to do in the evening hours but recline on her balcony and watch the display before her. Tonight however was special for it was his anniversary.

She sighed, levitating the music box closer to her. With a mechanical ease, the gear wound back, allowing the melody to drift through the still night air. Nearly eight hundred years now, eight hundred years since he passed to the next life, and likely twice that before she could join him. A steady stream of tears drifted down her cheeks as she sang shakily,

"Dance then, wherever you may be,
Time marches on and we all must leave"

A soft, lower voice joined with her from behind.

"Life is too short to miss your chance"

Celestia chuckled, watching Luna recline beside her. "Truly a beautiful night, Lulu."

"I am glad you approve." Luna's eyes fell on the music box. "Tis a very old song, is it not, sister?"

"It is." She sniggered into a hoof, "It was old when we were fillies, Luna."

Luna nodded, eyes turning heavenwards at her tapestry. "Yes, but the words ring true." Once the music stopped, she pointed at the silver box, "A gift, sister?"

Celestia nodded, stroking the music box lovingly. "Yes, from my stallion."

Luna's eyes grew wide in shock. "Your stallion? But, Tia, did you not heed mother's warning?"

She grimaced, "I was young, and lonely, sister. Besides," her eyes drifted to her sides, "he was quite willing to give it a try as well."

"A try?" Luna moaned, clasping her head in her hooves. "What did you do, Tia?"

Celestia had been expecting a dramatic response, but what she got was beyond comedic. It was all she could do from bursting out in laughter. "It is a natural urge, Lulu."

"Yes, but that does not mean you ought to succumb to it!" Luna's face contorted with a mixture of disgust and amazement. "How far?"

Really? Celestia snorted, rolling her eyes. "Far enough. But," her voice softened until it was barely audible, "I miscarried, the healers claimed I never should have been able to conceive at all."

"Oh, Tia." Instead of the expected reprimand, Celestia felt Luna's hooves wrap around her. "Why did you not tell me sooner?"

"I . . . I feared you would not understand." It was as though a dam had broken open, allowing all her pent up frustration to escape. Before she even understood why, she was sobbing into Luna's chest. For what felt like an eternity, she clung to her. Then, slowly, she broke away, eyes fixated on the marble once more. "Forgive me for my sentiments, Luna."

Luna lifted her chin with a hoof, smiling sweetly. "There is no need to apologize." The box became surrounded in her midnight blue aura as the gears turned once more. Together they listened to the ethereal melody of the aged device as it cut through the night.

A strange cross between a hiss and a growl came from the rooftop. They turned around in time to see Discord land beside them. The draconequus started to sing to the melody in his own tongue. Celestia had to admit, it was impressive that he could make his language sound like anything recognizable, let alone a song. It was the first time he had ever sung in draconequus to her, and she could not help but join him for the final few verses.

Discord soon rested on the other side of her, staring at the box. "What a marvelous sound." He grinned toothily at her, "It is a gift, no?"

Luna nodded, "Yes, from her mate."

"Lulu," Celestia hissed, feeling her face heat up. There were times Luna was too open with her answers.

"Oh, ho, ho." A Cheshire grin contorted Discord's already elongated mouth wider still. "You do not say?" Then, slowly, his smile faded, replaced by a concerned expression. "He is long past?"

"Yes," she gulped, fidgeting with her shoes, "do you think me a fool for loving a mortal, Discord?"

To her great surprise, Discord did not make light of the situation. Rather, he placed his talon across her back, drawing her into a gentle hug. "No. You would not choose a mate lightly, Celestia. He must have been quite the stallion to woo your heart."

Luna joined the hug, rubbing her muzzle against her mane. "Would you tell us about him?"

Her heart lept in her chest. "Very well, but it will be a long story."

Discord's booming laugh made them both cringe. "We have all the time in the world." 

"True enough." Without hesitation, she began to talk like she had not for centuries. For the first time in her memory, she felt free, free to speak of her fears and her mistakes knowing full well they would understand. Perhaps she was not so alone after all.