Twilight lay sprawled on her bed; small rivets of tears streaming down both sides of her face, but she wouldn't let herself sob. She had dedicated her entire life studying magic, hours and hours almost every single day, learning things that only a few other unicorns in the world knew. She had struggled fiercely to get where she was, and yet Obtrillion, who was less than a third of her age, was already leagues ahead of where she could ever hope to be.
Of the seven major branches of magical theory, Obtrillion had shown better control over his magic in all of them. Several times he corrected her on her statements, and when she defended her position, he always proved her wrong. It was very rare for another mage had been able to prove her wrong about magic, and ordinarily she'd been thrilled because it meant she had learned something. When it was her own son however, all she could think about was that it wasn't fair! It was insulting, it was unbearable, it was unthinkable that he should have come so far, so fast and... that she hadn't been there to see any of it.
When she was young she had always imagined that when she married and had children, her foals would know even more than she did; but in all those fantasies, she had always the one to teach them. Now when she finally found her son, he had already outgrown her; and the worst part of this was how it reminded her that she hadn’t just missed his education; she'd missed EVERYTHING!
She was never going to tuck him in at night and read him a story or sing him to sleep. He was never going to run to her crying with a skinned knee, looking to her to make everything better. She was never going to see him go off on his first date; he had Fidora, they were practically married and trying to have a baby!
He'd fought the war and lost, by himself. He had broken himself out of Ragarrock’s dungeon by himself and all those years when he had desperately needed her, she was nowhere to be found. Now he was all grown up at the tender age of fifteen, and she was terrified that he simply wouldn't need her for anything.
She'd been robbed her one and only opportunity to raise Obtrillion, and now it was too late for her to have another child because she'd wasted too much time at Celestia's school, teaching other people's children. Twilight was proud of him, more proud than she could ever express and nothing would make her happier than to see her son surpass her even further; yet nothing could ever take back the years she had lost.
Twilight knew she shouldn't be in here. Leaving the makeshift classroom the way she did had been horribly inappropriate and was more like storming out than actually excusing herself. She should go back, and try to make up for walking out on him like she had; but all she wanted to do was lay there and cry.
“Mom?” Twilight stiffened; she hadn't heard the door open but from his voice Twilight knew that he wasn't more than a few feet behind him. “Mom I'm sorry.”
“No!” gnarred Twilight, turning angrily to face him, “Don't you ever apologize for how smart you are. Not to me, not to anyone!” She choked on her tears, trying to contain herself, “I just... wish that I could have taught you something.”
“I do too.” agreed Obtrillion somberly, “And not just because it would have meant I'd learned something.” Twilight closed her eyes and began turning away from him, but Obtrillion caught her face, and began wiping the tears away from it, “I do need you mom.”
Twilight opened her eyes then reached out and wrapped both arms around him and pulled him onto the bed next to her. She was still crying, she didn't know if they were for sorrow or joy, but that didn't even matter now. She had her son, snuggling up beside her, happy she was his mother, his warmth spreading into her.
She didn't say anything, the moment was too special to be ruined with words but not matter how much she wished they could stay here forever it. Instead it lasted all of a paltry ten or fifteen minutes, “Do you ever regret coming here?” Obtrillion asked shyly, “To The Zaharren?”
“No! How could you even suggest that?”
“Because you had so many other students back in Equestria who you could teach things to. You had friends and colleagues... your never going to see any of them again.”
Twilight turned his head to face her, and kissed him on the muzzle, “Those I was closest to betrayed me; the rest I can live without. You are worth more to me than all the students, and all the friends, and all the Elements that I left behind.”
“... The Elements?”
“The Elements of Harmony are a series of magical artifacts that bind themselves to a group of friends. Individually they increase their wielders natural talents and abilities; together they create a synergistic effect that can unleash an immeasurable amount of energy.”
Obtrillion's ears perked forwards as he licked his lips in anticipation, “Will you teach me about them?” he asked in an excited whisper.
“Yes.” whispered Twilight, grinning back.