Dear Princess Celestia . . . .
So excited that I get to spend next Tuesday with you, it's been so long since I've seen my favorite teacher!
Can't wait for next week to come around!
Your student and fellow Princess,
Twilight Sparkle
Despite its punctuality, Princess Celestia had to have read this same letter over a hundred times just in the last week. It had only been a month or so since Twilight left for Yakyakistan to calm Prince Rutherford's threat of war, but it had seemed like ages to the pale alicorn. Now, with their relations successfully restored, Princess Celestia was able to spend an entire day with whom she easily considered her favorite former student. As she awaited Twilight's arrival, Celestia became lost in her own thoughts. Whenever Twilight was around, Celestia could be seen with an extra hop and skip to her stride, as if she were living her younger years again. When asked about it, Celestia found herself unable to explain her change in demeanor other than her happiness to be around her closest friend, which were occasions that seemed to be dwindling in recent years. The princess was soon taken out of her thoughts when she noticed a purple streak approaching in the distance and the familiar whistle of the Friendship Express; the princess smiled and flew away to the Canterlot train station to greet her faithful student.
As Celestia landed on the platform, she peered over the departing crowd and spied Twilight Sparkle, who was already racing through the throngs of ponies to greet her former teacher. They embraced in a heartfelt hug and made their way down from the platform, with Celestia helping Twilight with her bags.
"How was Yakyakistan?" Princess Celestia asked her fellow princess.
"Ugh, tiring," Twilight responded with a sigh, "If only we'd been able to please them while they were still in Ponyville, things would've been a lot easier," she stated.
Celestia chuckled, "You shouldn't have to handle everything on your own all at once."
"Says the pony who stayed here and left her student to fend for herself in Yakyakistan," Twilight responded jokingly.
Princess Celestia gave a hearty laugh before responding, "Touche."
As the day wore on, the two princesses enjoyed some of their favorite pastimes from their yester-years; from indulging on their favorite delicacies at Donut Joe's, to commenting on the get-ups and outfits that adorned the windows of various clothing shops. After visiting Sassy Saddles at Canterlot Boutique, Celestia talked to Twilight about some of her fondest memories.
"I can still remember the look on your face the day I made you my personal student," Celestia remembered with a chuckle, "You nearly destroyed the Astronomy wing of my academy."
"Come on, Princess," Twilight said, blushing with embarrassment, "I apologized to you and the instructors! And it wasn't exactly my fault, if you can remember the part about the 'Sonic Rainboom'."
"Of course," Celestia admitted, "Oh, and remember the time when you hid in the labyrinth after one of our lessons turned sour? It took the guards and I ages to find you again!"
"Again, I apologized to them and you. And if I remember correctly," Twilight recalled, "you certainly made up for it with the lecture afterwards!"
Princess Celestia laughed heartily, "Indeed I did! Oh, where has the time gone, my dear Twilight?" she added rhetorically.
"Having fun, Twily?" a voice came from behind the pair. Shining Armor trotted towards them and bowed to Celestia before embracing his younger sister in a heartfelt hug.
"Shining Armor! What are you doing here?" Twilight asked enthusiastically.
"Well, we heard that you were on your way back from Yakyakistan, so we decided to surprise you!" Shining Armor replied.
"That's great!" Twilight exclaimed, "Wait, what do you mean, 'we'?" she asked. Her brother gestured behind her, and as she turned around, Princess Cadence, Twilight's former foal-sitter and Shining's wife, glided over to the trio.
"Cadence!" Twilight exclaimed and pulled her sister-in-law into a tight embrace.
"Careful, Twilight," Cadence chuckled jokingly, "I'm not as strong as I used to be."
"What do you mean?" Twilight asked. Then, as they pulled away, Twilight noticed something very different about her fellow Princess; her stomach looked to be about the size of a bowling ball. "Wait, are you . . . ?!" Twilight begin, but Shining Armor interrupted her.
"That's right, Twily. You're going to be an aunt soon!" he said enthusiastically, but Princess Celestia soon butted in.
"You shouldn't have told her, she's too young to understand!" she said to the couple.
'It's alright, Celestia, I'm not your student anymore, you don't always have to protect me. I'm actually glad you told me face-to-face," she directed to Shining Armor, "unlike your wedding invitation," she added mockingly.
"Aw, come on, you're not still sore about that, are you?" her brother chuckled, "That was ages ago; plus, I made it up to you, remember?"
"Yeah, you're right," Twilight finally agreed. "Well, I'm very happy for both of you," she said, "congratulations, and I can't wait to meet my first niece - or nephew, whichever one it turns out to be," and she hugged them both.
Soon, Twilight, her brother, and his wife left Celestia to visit with Twilight and Shining's parents before she headed off to Ponyville. As Celestia returned to her castle, she could not help but mull over something Twilight had said to her: "You're not my teacher anymore, you don't always have to protect me." Celestia, of course, knew this wasn't anything too out of the ordinary, yet she could not avoid the feeling that Twilight may not cherish the bond they used to share when they were student and mentor as much as Celestia herself did. Although she would never directly admit it, the pale alicorn had always felt protective over Twilight, almost as a mother watches over her child. While she knew perfectly well that Twilight had her own mother, she liked to care for and help Twilight as if she were one of her own. To think that Twilight no longer appreciated their friendship brought a slight tear to her eye, but not long enough to be anything significant. Celestia returned to her study, filled out some paperwork, and began preparations for an early night's slumber when Shining Armor suddenly burst into the room.
"Forgive me. . .your Highness," he panted, "but I've heard. . .trouble in. . .Ursa Major. . .attacking Ponyville."
"What?!" Princess Celestia exclaimed incredulously, "That's impossible, it must be some kind of prank."
"No, no. . .no prank," Shining Armor continued, trying to catch his breath, "Also, I've heard. . .Twilight. . .hurt bad. . ."
Never in his time as Captain of the Royal Guard had Shining Armor seen the regal Princess Celestia soar out of a room as quickly as she did that night as soon as those last words left his mouth.