Dear Twilight Sparkle,
I wish you to read this whole letter before passing judgment, which I hope, could salvage our friendship. I know it is ironic that I'm asking you to do what I failed to do multiple times myself; with you at Cadance's wedding and with Azure, when you asked me to become her teacher.
There are no words strong enough to express how sorry I am. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize for my behavior.
When Luna came back with Azure a month ago and claimed she was taking her as student, I thought it was a foolish idea but I didn't argue with her decision. My sister needed the company of other ponies even if this experiment would prove fruitless. On this point, I was right. I haven't seen my sister that happy in well over a millennium. She now has a new purpose beside raising the Moon at dusk. I would have been the worst monster to keep her from this happiness. Her smile was enough to keep me from voicing my opinion.
But how wrong was I about this young filly. When I read the spell diagrams she drew, genius is the only word that comes to my mind. She reminds me of you at her age. It makes my heart ache when I’m thinking that without Luna, I would have prevented such talent to bloom.
However, I've started to fully understand my errors only a few days ago when I went to my school's archives and pulled the records of the entrance exam of the last five hundred years. I was devastated when I found out that ten pegasi and eight earth ponies attempted the exam and were turned back without even being tested.
Were they as talented as Azure? Did I destroy eighteen lives, passions and ponies' futures? How much knowledge and discovery did I prevent from occurring by not knowing better? How many more never managed to reach the entrance exam of my school? Ignorance in this case has no place, I simply have no excuse.
This week I gave the order to rename my school to "Celestia's School for Ponies Gifted in Magic". I haven't really been surprised when I received complaint letters and the resignation from three of the school's teachers. But every time I receive one letter against my decision, I only need to look outside, in the castle garden, at Luna and Azure as they train and design new incredible spells and I know I've made the right decision. Not because my brain tells me it is the natural way things should be, but because my heart shouts it is right.
This time, you were the teacher and I was the student. Am I too old, too inflexible to be able to learn without damaging the few friendships I have left? Or was it a reminder that I should never take anything for granted and that I should question everything around me that I thought was right? Am I unable to keep up with how fast our world is changing?
When I first meet you, if you had not been a unicorn, I wouldn't have taken you as a student. That would have been, without any doubt, the worst mistake of my life, I understand that now. Even if you were not a unicorn, there is no doubt in my mind you would still be the Element of Magic and you would still be a shining star. I hope you will find a way to forgive my foolishness.
Your friend, Celestia.
Celestia was sitting on her carpet as she watched the letter burning in her fireplace, knowing very well Spike would receive it in a few seconds. She looked at her school's records still on her floor. How much did she cry when she found out about them. How can she weight the future of a young pony, prevented from happening because of her own stupidity.
She asked her assistants to find if any of the ponies on those lists were still alive. Hopefully some would still be and she wanted to apologize in person. It was the least she could do. And with luck, some might have retained the passion for their talents.
She had never been good at apologizing and in the past terrible things happened because she was unable to admit her errors. Those last events actually made her wonder if she really had learned the lessons. Friendship is simply too important to put in jeopardy with some misplaced pride. She should have run after Twilight a month ago.
"Princess?"
The voice made Celestia jump in surprised. She looked over her room finding it still empty until Twilight appeared out of thin air as if she simply stepped in the room. "Twilight!"
Twilight blushed. "I'm sorry Princess, I didn't mean to intrude. I tried to arrive outside your room, but I guess I still don't control Azure's teleporting spell that well."
A small smile formed on Celestia's face. "I'm impressed you managed to do it, there's a wall missing in the atrium from my last attempt."
Twilight coughed and brought forth a serious facade. "I'm here to talk about your letter."
"Yes?"
"I accept your apologies... But only with three conditions." Twilight explained.
Celestia tilted her head in surprise. It wasn't going as she thought it would, she was expecting refusal or acceptation. She thought about it and there wasn't a condition that Twilight could ask that she would refuse. "I'm listening."
It's when you lose something that you truly understand how important it was for you. Twilight's friendship? I would give up my crown if it meant not losing her respect.
"First, I want you to apologize to Azure." Twilight said, obviously following a mental checklist.
Celestia nodded. "I already did, but if you want, I can make it more official."
Twilight smiled. "No need. Second, in the future, I want you to listen to me when I'm telling you something. I know I'm still young and naive, but I'm not bringing something to you if I don't think it's important."
Celestia nodded once more. "You're right. More than once I should have listened to you. I promise you I will put all my efforts into being more patient and attentive."
"And finally..." Twilight started. "I want you to never stop questioning how things are. There's always way to improve how we live, but if our leaders stop looking forward, we will stagnate and perish."
Celestia raised her head, surprised at the last 'condition'. "Do you... Do you think I'm too old to lead Equestria?"
Twilight sat down and stared at the fireplace. "I don't know. How do you feel?"
She took a few moments to think about it. "I do feel old, as if the world has changed but I didn't notice it."
"And how do you feel when you watch Azure?" Twilight asked.
Images of the young filly with her sister came to her mind, bringing a bright smile on her face. "As if the future was full of promises."
"As long as you work for tomorrow to be brighter than yesterday, as long as your heart beats for those promises, you're can never be too old."
Celestia tilted her head in surprised. "Twilight, when did you become so spiritual?"
Twilight laughed. "I had a lot of time to think about in that last month, waiting for your letter to arrive."
A sincere smile slowly came to Celestia's face. She grew so much since the moment I took her as my student. she thought with pride. "Today, you were the teacher and I was the student. You're a good teacher, you know? I guess I still have much to learn. Twilight?"
"Yes?"
"Please never change, your heart is in the right place."