After a brief instant of surprise Celestia gave him a sad smile.  She wondered if she had really been so obvious with her speech, or if this creature was also painfully familiar with the heartaches of loss.  “I’ve had the misfortune of outliving many friends.” Her voice remained calm, but she felt sad nostalgia.  Yet she resisted the urge to reminisce on things lost.  She found long ago that living the past was a terrible habit to fall into, one not easily broken.  