Sunset rushed through the halls of Canterlot castle. Had the castle always been this impossibly big? Or maybe it was her nerves? The past three months that she had been living in the castle she found that there was still more to discover. And although she had made the trip to Celestia’s chambers in the past, it never seemed so difficult. In the end it didn’t matter why, the trip had made her feel a lot more tired and a lot more doubtful.
Luckily for Sunset, the halls had been empty- well mostly empty. A female maid had run into Sunset, and it wasn’t long before she had noticed the flowers and cake Sunset held. The maid, who had just been a bit older than Sunset, giggled at the sight and gave her a knowing glance. Sunset awkwardly coughed and returned a nervous smile. Despite the awkward encounter, Sunset felt a sigh of relief as the maid continued on. The less explaining Sunset had to do the better. And the lack of disapproval also felt like a good sign.
As she neared her destination, she still could not shake the butterflies in her stomach. She walked at a slower pace, deciding to look over the gifts again. Helios Narcissus was a rare flower, more commonly known as sunfire daffodils. They were Celestia’s favorite. The flowers were slightly wilted, as they usually blossomed in the summer rather than spring. Still, despite her inexperience, the petals held a healthy shine, a combination of red, yellow, and orange mixed into the petals. Sunset had been fond of their appearance too, though it often blended in too well with her mane to ever make use of it. They were also said to have a great taste, though the difficulty in preparing it had turned Sunset away.
Speaking of taste, Sunset eyed her cake.
The chocolate confectionary had been rather plain in comparison. The white frosting read "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY" in near perfect hoof-writing. Still, Sunset couldn't help but give it a cautious look. It had been a long time since she had attempted to bake something herself. After a few solo attempts the royal chefs insisted on helping her. They had been unrelentingly nice but with some convincing they compromised only on giving her just a recipe- though a rather difficult one at that. Sunset had to cut out the more difficult steps, but what she was left with should have been edible, even if much less intricate.
Before she could realize it, Sunset arrived at her destination. The door towered over Sunset. It's design, Celestia's cutie mark in complex patterns of gold, had done much to intimidate her. Sunset took a deep breath, the hardest part was just ahead of her now. She sat down, increasingly thinking that this was a terrible idea. Her instincts told her to run, but as she looked back the hall seemed to stretch on forever.
You came here for a reason Sunset. She looked back at the door with confidence. Besides, that maid would probably drag me back here herself if I ran into her with the gifts still in hoof. Though... maybe I should talk to Celestia a bit first.
Sunset set the gifts aside. She brought her hoof up and knocked cautiously, briefly hoping that Celestia would be out on business.
"Please, come in."
Sunset sighed, finally standing upright as she tried to gather her nerves. After a few seconds she had only been half successful, but it was too late to turn back now. Opening the door, she prepared a nervous smile.
"Good afternoon Sunset," Celestia's words were as warm as the sun she raised. "How are you doing today?"
"I'm doing fine," Sunset's mouth felt dry, but she couldn't help but genuinely smile at her former mentor. She was always happy with their, increasingly more frequent, meetings. An odd silence filled the room, Celestia casually sipping her tea while they both glanced at each other.
"So," Sunset started awkwardly, trying to think of anything to say. "I- I've been studying some of Sunbeam Sparkler's theories on localized spells,” the words rushed out of her mouth lamely.
"I am glad, though I hope you have been making time for yourself. You're determination has a tendency to consume you," Celestia joked with a light smile.
"Of course," Sunset gave a small laugh, "you know I have been much better about that. I haven’t been consumed by my goals since… since,” Sunset’s voice died. Her time at Canterlot High seemed like an eternity ago, yet the way she acted was the exact opposite of her now. And yet, she couldn’t let go of it. How she acted in the past was a part of her, and a reminder that she would never treat anyone like that.
"You know as well as I do that you were never a bad pony, you were lost. You just needed a reminder of who you were." Celestia's smile melted through Sunset, who had to look away in happy embarrassment.
Even with everything I had done, she never thought of me as a terrible pony. Sunset's cheeks were on fire as she allowed herself a proud smile.
“Would you like some tea?”
Sunset nodded, taking a sip of the warm beverage that Celestia poured. Another silence had taken over, but it was different now. They both sat there sipping their tea, just enjoying the company of each other. Celestia's eyes drifted towards the setting sun. It was well past its peak, but there was still a bit of time before she would have to make way for the moon.
After a couple of minutes a sudden look of realization hit Sunset. She mentally berated herself for nearly forgetting why she had visited today of all days in the first place.
"I- uh," Sunset's words slipped out of her mouth before she was ready. Celestia gave a soft gaze, her eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity. Seeing that she had caught Celestia's attention sent Sunset’s train of thought into a jumbled mess. Sunset attempted to focus, her mouth hung open as she tried to remember the words. Come on, you practiced it a million times!
"When you," the words were stuck in her throat, Sunset swallowed and tried to start again, "When you first took me in I uhmm" A very cold sweat drifted through her. "I uh- I have always been your student but uhh." Sunset gave a sigh as she stomped the ground in annoyance. It was supposed to be difficult, she expected that, but now it was becoming impossible. "Just," Sunset's horn lit up, as the flowers and cake made their way into the room. "Here," Sunset laid them both on the table as she looked down, she wouldn't dare risk looking at Celestia.
The unnerving silence returned. Sunset's heart was beating a mile a minute. This was a bad idea, I knew I shouldn't have come here. Would Celestia be insulted if I left now? Maybe I already insulted her?
Despite her doubts, curiosity got the better of her as she hazarded a glance. Celestia's smile had grown huge, larger than she had seen in months. Her eyes were wide in genuine surprise, as a few tears flowed freely.
"Ha-Happy Mother's Day," Sunset croaked out barely above a whisper. Before she knew what was happening, Celestia wrapped her in a hug.
"Thank you, Sunset," Celestia nuzzled and wrapped her wings around Sunset. Sunset never felt so warm, a feeling of happiness, and relief washed over her.
"I- I thought you weren't going to like it," Sunset looked up, tears started to well in her eyes.
"Nonsense. You scold yourself too harshly. I am, and always will be proud of you." A look of contemplation came across Celestia's face, before she gave a sad sigh. "You know, I thought about you every day since you left. It was not an easy time but I always believed that you would find your way." Sunset felt a pang of guilt start to form before Celestia's smile returned, somehow larger than before. "In the end, you proved that you were not only a remarkable student," Celestia hugged Sunset tighter, looking at the frosting once more, "but a wonderful daughter."
"I-" an unusual, yet familiar happiness built in Sunset. A special happiness that she hadn't felt since before her travels to the human world. "I love you too, mom." The last word felt strange on her tongue. For most of her life Sunset never thought she would ever use that word. For a long time she had no family. Her life had changed for the better when she became Celestia’s student. Celestia had been a great teacher, but as time went on their bond grew deeper. Whether she was being lectured or eating dinner with Celestia, Sunset had felt welcome. She felt like she had a home. Then their fight happened. It left Sunset with a hole that time had filled with regret. But that was in the past, and now Sunset felt an incredible satisfaction in being able to call someone family again.
"How about we try that cake," Celestia joked, ending their long embrace. Sunset smiled and nodded. Looking out the window Celestia knew that Luna would have to lower the sun tonight. A smile stood strong on her face. Celestia was sure Luna would understand, though just to be sure she carefully set some cake aside to make up for it.