“So... something I’ve been wondering about,” Tornado said from where he lay against Celestia’s side on the bed. Night had fallen hours ago and they’d made good the time. Now they were simply enjoying each other’s company.

“Hmm?” Celestia asked, looking up from the book she was writing in.

“Well... today in the hall I was paying attention to the different people that you’ve loved through the years and I noticed some things,” he replied with a small frown.

“Oh?” Celestia inquired as she put the book down and placed the quill in its pot on her bedside table. “And what would that be my loyal guard?”

“Well the first thing was that over time you seem to have moved away from the other races,” he observed. “Though I imagine that’s more out of convenience of having them around than anything else; right?”

Celestia smiled at the observation and nodded. “Indeed, while I have no dislike or distaste for any of the other races as you know... it is rather difficult to explain away their presence in my chambers,” she said, a small chuckle escaping her lips. “For example, at the moment you’re guarding me from nighttime assassins.”

“If anyone tries to assassinate you while I’m in your bed then I can assure you they’ll fail,” Tornado said with a grin.

“Yes, you make an excellent shield,” Celestia agreed with a small smirk. “At any rate, my duties have kept me mostly with normal ponies. Though I wouldn’t quite call them ‘normal’. What was the next thing that you noticed, my ever loyal guard?”

“Well... you’ve always seemed to have a thing for soldiers or guardponies,” he said with a frown. “Why not nobles or farmers or traders... or well anyone else?”

Celestia simply shrugged. “Am I not allowed to prefer that my loves and lovers be strapping muscular stallions or lithe and whiplike mares?” she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Tornado frowned for a second before looking at her. “Tia, we both know there’s more to it than that, you’re deeper then that,” he told her.

“Maybe so,” Celestia replied, a small sly smile appearing on her face. “Though I guess if anyone is to judge how ‘deep’ I am it would be you.”

For no good reason, Tornado found himself blushing at the comment yet he persevered and didn’t allow himself to be distracted.

“Tell me Tia,” he said firmly. “Please?”

A bit of the joy left her face and she let out a sigh. “Oh very well,” she relented before giving him an intense look. “You are entirely too good at seeing through me, Tornado.”

“It’s a family gift,” he replied modestly.

Celestia rolled her eyes and gave him a peck on the cheek before finally answering his question. “I prefer my guards and soldiers above all else because they understand the necessity of moving on,” she told him, her tone dropping.

“I... what?” Tornado asked in surprise.

“All guards know that their current duties will not extend forever, correct? They will be shuffled to a new position or a new deployment and they will set up new roots there as easily as any other place,” Celestia explained before falling silent for a moment. “So too must it be for those I love.”

“I see...” Tornado said quietly before looking up at his queen, his lover and sighing. “So one day I’ll have to ‘move to a new deployment’?”

“Yes,” Celestia replied softly. “It would be unfair otherwise.”

“Unfair?” he asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

“Yes, unfair,” Celestia said with a shake of her head as her voice grew distant. “Those who I court are cursed by the endless march of time. They love me and yet they cannot stay with me. Their bodies whither and die, their hearts still fixated on me. It is unfair for them to, such devotion and they cannot even have children for I long ago realized that I am infertile. No seed will take root within me and when they die I am left behind to bury them... Long ago I decided that such a waste of other’s lives was unacceptable.”

The white alicorn’s head drifted downwards to look at Tornado.

“You will find another mare who makes you happier than this old nag could ever hope to and you will have a wonderful family,” the mare continued as the stallion lay there silent, allowing her to finish. “That day is not today I believe, but it will come as surely with you as with all the others.”

“How many times have you rehearsed that speech in your head?” Tornado asked her quietly.

“More than you could possibly imagine,” Celestia said, her voice breaking.

“And how often does it taste like anything other than bullshit?” the stallion demanded without raising his voice.

“Not a one,” the old mare replied in a depressed tone. “But it’s the truth.”

“And what if I don’t consider loving you to the end of my days to be a waste of my life?” Tornado asked her, keeping his voice quiet.

“Then I suppose you will be unhappy when I finally send you away,” she said with a long sigh. “But I promise you, that feeling will pass. You will find a mare and-”

“Tia, shut up,” Tornado said sharply, interrupting her. “Stop it, just stop it.”

“No, it is the truth,” Celestia replied. “You will forget all about me and move on with your life like you are supposed to. I’m unnatural. I am not the one you are destined to love, you are only with me because I am so very selfish.”

“Tia... these years we’ve spent together have been the very best years of my entire life,” Tornado Kicker told her. “How in Equestria can you speak about yourself like that? If you aren’t who I’m destined to love then who in Tartarus is and how in Equestria could they ever compete with you?”

“By being mortal,” Celestia replied with a sad shake of her head. “The fact that we’re having this conversation only proves my point. I’m a horrible, selfish old nag who has now ruined you for any other mare. I-”

*Slap*

Celestia stared down at Tornado who was staring at her angrily.

“Honestly, do you listen to yourself?” he demanded. “Tia, you’re not a ‘selfish old nag’ and you're certainly not ‘horrible’ in any way, shape, or form. Now for the love of Luna shut up about it!”

Celestia continued to stare at him... that had been the first time anyone in living memory had slapped her like that.

“Tia... are you alright?” Tornado asked, his anger disappearing in a flash of concern.

“I... I’m alright,” she said with a long sigh. “I’m sorry Tornado...” the old mare sighed again. “Upcoming events are filling my mind with stress and the return of my biggest failure as a loved one has clouded my judgement.”

“It’s okay Tia,” the black stallion said as he gave her a loving nuzzle. “Just remember, I’m here for you, always.”

Celestia sighed and leaned against her chosen stallion and placed a kiss against his neck.

“Thank you, it’s just....” she said trailed off and let his warm dark fur act as a pillow. She was silent for a long few minutes and as he leaned back in the bed, Tornado thought she might have fallen asleep until she suddenly spoke out. “I don’t know what to do.”

“About?” the stallion asked.

“Luna... she’s coming back soon,” Celestia said quietly. “I just... don’t want things to turn out like last time.”

“It will probably help that the ponies see her as a hero,” Tornado replied as he looked down at the mare using his chest as a pillow. She looked incredibly ancient and tired though that just made the stallion want to cradle her closer to him.

“True,” she said. “But I’ve lied so much about what happened... I don’t want her to think that I’ve forgotten that I was the root of the problem...” she trailed off and Tornado felt small splotches of wetness stain his chest. He bent down and gave her head a nuzzle but she didn’t seem to notice. “My poor sister... cast out because I was too much of a fool to see the discontent spreading through her heart.”

Tornado regarded her silently for a moment before simply giving her another nuzzle, knowing that no words he had to say would provide her with the comfort that he wished too.

“Everything I’ve done in these last thousand years have been for her,” Celesta continued, more to herself then to Tornado. “Every fight, every battle, every law, every negotiation... it’s all been for her.”

She hung her head and Tornado’s brain suddenly ticked, it was past midnight... on the night before the Anniversary of Luna’s departure. The stallion used his wings to pull Celestia’s head against his chest and murmured quietly to her.

“It’s all been worth it, when she gets back she’ll see all these great things you’ve done for her, all these sacrifices you’ve made and do you know what she’ll do?” he asked her quietly. “She’ll love you Tia, just like I do.”

Celestia remained quiet for a long moment before she brought her voluptuous white wings around around the stallion, enclosing him in a world of feathers.

“I should hope not,” Celestia whispered in his ear, her grief fading behind one of her masks. “It would make what we’re about to do most awkward if my sister were to feel the same.”

Tornado blinked twice at the almost hungry violet eyes that were staring at him and gulped. It was a good thing he was a Kicker.