>Anon, the local human, slowly walks through the darkened halls of Canterlot Castle.
>The crisp night air floats along outside the towering stained glass windows.
>The position of the sleepy moon hanging quietly outside in the pitch gently coaxes Anon to return to his guest chambers from his nightly walk.
>Anon's shoulders sag ever so slightly, mirroring his half lidded eyes in relaxation.
>The pace of his steps slows to match that of his thoughtless mind.
>The lavender hanging from the walls pulls Anon by his nose, leading him to bed like a mother wishing goodnight to his soul.
>His tired eyes close almost fully as his already slow-motion steps come to a stop.
>His ear twitches.
>A noise emanates from behind the door not too far down the hall. His eyes open fully again underneath a furrowed brow.
>Anon strains his ears to listen for the noise again. It's no louder than the sound of the blood circulating through his ears, but he tries anyways.
>He squints his eyes as if that somehow turns up the volume.
>There it is again.
>Just barely discernible from the whistle of the cold mountain-top air.
>Anon steps closer to the door. Above it is the insignia of a radiant sun.
>Princess Celestia's private bed chambers.
>He presses his warm ear against the cold oak, and listens once more.
>Finally, he recognizes it.
>It's the heart-wrenching sound of a dry, breathy sob.
>Anon raises a shaky hand and quietly taps the wood with the back of his knuckles.
"Princess?" He gently calls through the door.
>Nothing. No response.
>Nearly a minute goes by before Anon raises his hand again. This time however, his knuckles don't touch the wood. Instead, his hand carefully lowers down to the golden handle.
>The mechanism under Anon's thumb softly clicks open with well oiled precision as the hinges fill in the lack of imperfection with a subtle creak.
>The heavy shield from the public world gives way to the dark and somber tone sealed away inside like a tomb.
>Anon hesitates for a moment before stepping in. His heart hesitates to beat as his brain hesitates to accept what his eyes are hesitant to show it.
>There, under the freshly pressed silk linens, is Princess Celestia. Her back faces the room as her ribs and shoulders rise and fall in short, sharp hitches of breath.
>The air inside feels thicker than normal as Anon's shoes push down the luxury carpeting with every reluctant step forward.
>The closer Anon gets, the more clear her quiet sobbing is.
"Celestia?" Anon whispers.
>Celestia's ear snaps upward as her shoulders flinch reflexively.
>Anon breathes in a deep breath of lavender and exhales slowly.
>He moves forward once again, and sits down on the edge of the bed, shifting the weight of Celestia's body slightly.
>She still doesn't dare turn to face him. Not yet.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Anon whispers once more.
>The ornate clock on the opposite wall quietly counts the minutes of inner contemplation.
>Eventually, she speaks. Her voice barely above the volume of a tired breath.
>"I hate being immortal."

>Anon blinks.
>He was not expecting that answer.
>"I have lived for so long," She continues, breath still barely above a whisper. "Thousands of years. I have seen civilizations rise and fall and rise again. I have watched the stars shift in the night sky above, and the impossible movements of the mountains below, their maps re-charted time and time again. Through it all, I have smiled and laughed. Yet, every time I make a friend, they leave. They die. And I stay."
>Anon looks away for a moment and sighs through his nose.
>"I loved them." She whispers as she continues to stare at the wall. "Ponies, Griffons, even a few dragons. I held their hooves and their claws as they drew their last breaths. All of them."
>She finally turns her head up to face him. Her magenta eyes glistening in the moonlight. Anon's reflection trapped deep within.
>"And now you're here. Just to leave me once again." A tear rolls down her cheek. "Just another drop in the sea of goodbyes."
>Anon watches her tear dance on her chin for a moment before it drips onto the pillow below.
>He lets out another sigh.
"Yeah. I will be."
>Celestia blinks, stunned by Anon's bluntness.
Anon continues. "But that doesn't mean that /this/ is meaningless. Think about it. If life was only about what you got to keep, you'd miss everything that was worth living for. You'd miss the point."
>Celestia stares at Anon as she listens to his words.
"Flowers wilt. Songs end. Sunsets fade. And I mean, yeah, you know, that sucks. But, that's exactly why you love them though, isn't it? It's the fact that they're temporary that makes it so special. And /you/ were lucky enough to be there for it."
>Anon reaches out and grabs her hoof.
"You've lost a lot, yeah." His grip tightens as he leans closer to her. "But look at how much you've loved. Look at how much you /still/ love. That's not a curse, Celestia. That's a gift."
>Celestia shuts her eyes tightly as she turns back away. More tears escape between the lids and roll down her cheeks.

>The silence that sits between them stretches on for several minutes.
>Anon looks around at the room as he wonders what's going through her mind. He understands that when an immortal like her contemplates for this long, they're not doing so with mere idle thoughts. The ticking of the clock seems to agree.
>Eventually, she opens her mouth again. Then closes it. Then opens again. "You're the first one I've told that to. Not even Luna knows the full extent of it."
>Anon looks at her again.
>"Luna has her own troubles," She continues. "And Twilight has only just /begun/ to grasp what it truly means to live long enough to beg for grey hair. I couldn't burden them."
"So why tell me?"
>Celestia looks at Anon again. "Because you're just a passing star. I thought that if I told you, it wouldn't last long enough to echo. That you'd vanish before the weight of me could stain your mind."
Anon smirks. "Bit of a gamble allowing me in then, don't you think?"
>Celestia lets out a noise that almost resembles a chuckle. Her smile appearing only briefly.
>Another pause separates the two for a long moment.
>Celestia speaks up again. "Do you know what scared me the most? When I first met you, I thought... /hoped/ that you'd be just another anomaly. Someone I could be polite to for a short while, and then forget again once the universe reclaims you." She sits up slightly. "But I didn't forget. I couldn't. You were the first creature I had ever met that saw me. Really saw me. Not as Princess Celestia, but, just Celestia." She swallows a lump in her throat. "And that terrified me, because... I knew I'd come to care. And I knew... that one day... I'd lose you too."
>Anon doesn't speak for a while, letting her words circle around in his brain.
"Another drop in the sea of goodbyes, I know."
>Celestia closes her eyes again, trying to blink away another tear. She turns away, unable to keep her gaze.
"But tonight? I'm right here. You're not alone, Celestia. Not tonight. Not ever."
>The minutes tick by again.
>Anon leans back against the foot-board.
Anon lets out a deep sigh. "You know," He begins quietly. "I get it. About what you said. About hating immortality. About watching everything slip away."
>Celestia's ear rotates towards him, but she continues to look away.
"But, for me, it wasn't a slow fade. I didn't have centuries upon centuries of goodbyes to prepare for. I lost everything. My family. My friends. My home. My career. My life. My hopes and dreams– /everything/. I lost /everything/. All at once. And not one of those things did I ever get the opportunity to say goodbye to."
>Another pause lingers after.
>Celestia has turned away fully, her eyes closed.
>Anon watches as another tear rolls down her cheek and onto the pillow, her shoulders stuttering again.
>Anon looks over at the clock again. He sighs.
>Anon rests his hand on her shoulder for a brief moment before rising from the bed.
>Celestia's eyes open immediately.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to burden you either. It's late. Now's not the time to be thinking about these kinds of things anyways. I'll let you rest."
>Anon offers a small smile.
>Celestia just stares, mouth just slightly open.
>Anon nods politely, just once. He turns and begins walking towards the door.

>"Wait..." Celestia calls after him.
Anon's hand hovers over the door handle. He turns around. "Hm?"
>Celestia bites her lip. "You know... Your quarters are quite far down the hall."
>Anon raises his eyebrow.
>"...And the hallways can be dreadfully cold at night."
>Anon turns to face her fully again.
>"...And it is well known that I have the softest bed in Canterlot."
>Anon looks down and shakes his head slightly, a sharp exhale escaping his nostrils. An amused smile covers his face.
"You had me at 'my room is far away'."
>Celestia lets out a choked giggle.
>Anon begins walking back towards the bed, taking his shoes off as he gets close.
>Celestia's horn glows gold, faintly lighting up her face and the surrounding area. She lifts the corners of her sheets.
>"Anonymous?"
>She used his full name.
"Yes, Celestia?"
>Celestia smiles genuinely, no royal mask in sight. Her face is more serene than it has been all week. "Thank you."
Anon beams back. He lowers into a dramatic royal bow. "'Twas my pleasure, your majesty."
>Celestia lets out an honest chuckle.
>Anon slides under the covers as the faint hum of her golden magic slides the blankets back over the two of them.
>Celestia drapes a foreleg and a wing over him underneath the covers, resting the bottom of her chin on the top of his scalp.
>"Thank you," She says again quietly, the vibrations of her words felt through contact. "For reminding me how to appreciate this gift once more."
Anon smiles again. His eyes tearing up slightly. "I'll remind you as many times as you need. Always."
>Celestia's hold on Anon tightens slightly for a brief moment in silent acknowledgement.

>A few moments pass, and Anon looks around the room one last time.
>Directly above the headboard is a small hoof-crafted ukulele.
>It's hers, from her foalhood.
>Anon pulls his arms out from underneath the covers.
>Celestia blinks her eyes open again as Anon stretches his body up, grabs her ukulele and lifts it off of its centuries old hooks.
>She watches in curiosity as he lowers it back down and examines it.
"This yours?"
>Celestia blinks again. "Yes, me and Luna used to sing each other songs when we were fillies."
>Anon smiles.
>He plucks a few strings, and frowns. He twists the small wooden knobs at the end and plucks a few more times.
>Anon clears his throat.
>The ancient strings shake to life once more.
-"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
-"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
And now that you're here, my dreams are waking
And I will keep you from all harm"
-"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"
-"I'll always love you and make you happy
I'll pick you up when you've fallen down
You turn the sky blue when it is raining
You'll always keep the sunshine around"
-"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away"