Principal Celestia sat in her office on a sweltering early September day, going over the reams of paperwork that always cropped up at the beginning of a school year. The air conditioning was on the fritz again, and not for the first time, she wished she'd worn a skirt to school.
Just as quickly, she remembered what always happened whenever she wore a skirt to work when much of the student body was composed of hormonal teenage boys, and sighed wearily.
A light, almost hesitant rapping sounded at her office door. "Come in," she called absently, not bothering to look up from the order form for textbooks which had, once again, been under-ordered.
"Hello," a serene, musical, gentle voice said. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering if perhaps I might have a word with a student by the name of Sunset Shimmer?"
Celestia frowned and looked up...
...and her jaw dropped, eyes widening at the sight of the radiant woman in white standing in the door. "What in the...?"
The tall, regal woman standing before Celestia could be her twin. She had the same eyes, the same lips, the same face, the same wavy pastel rainbow of hair.
But even on her best days, Celestia couldn't match the ethereal beauty of this doppelganger.
She wore a blindingly white gown made of several layers of silk that swept the floor, parting in the front to reveal graceful golden slippers. A wide, fine gold necklace graced her neck, adorned with a single rhombus-cut amethyst, and a golden tiara with a matching jewel sat atop her head.
The woman tilted her head, a quirky smile gracing her lips. "Goodness," she said in an amused tone. "You'd think I'd be used to seeing different versions of myself in alternate worlds, as often as Starswirl and I traveled together, but this is the most unusual encounter with another Celestia I've ever had."
Principal Celestia stared at her, mouth working soundlessly.
The woman's smile fell slightly. "Twilight Sparkle...did tell you about Equestria, did she not? And the, err...similarities between our worlds?" Silence answered her, and she crossed her arms under her breasts. "Oh dear." She shook her head. "No matter. I am Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria, at your service." She curtsied.
"Umm..." Principal Celestia blinked, then shook her head. "Right, so...Sunset Shimmer. You...you wanted to see her?"
"Yes, please," Princess Celestia said. "It has been a long time, and I...wanted to make sure she's..."
Her expression became worried, and Principal Celestia immediately found her usual calm and professionalism. She stood up, nodding. "You're worried about her," she said.
"We didn't part on the best of terms," the Princess admitted. "I had hoped she would...return to Equestria and come to see me, but...the portal has been open for some time, and she hasn't..."
Principal Celestia consulted her computer. "She's in Ms. Harshwhinny's class at the moment. I'll have her paged."
"Thank you," Princess Celestia said primly. "Is there a place I might speak to her in private?"
"In a school? No such thing," Principal Celestia said with a wry laugh. "I...suppose you can use the conference room."
"Thank you," Princess Celestia said once again. "I promise not to take too terribly long." Sheepishly, she added, "Also, I apologize if my appearance has caused any...disruptions. I did sort of...draw a few strange looks as I roamed the halls."
Princess Celestia's eyes widened and her cheeks colored. "That...will make the next few days interesting," she said in a wary tone.
* * * * *
Sunset Shimmer's mind whirled with worry and confusion, mixed with a tinge of dread, as she headed for the conference room.
The conference room. It wasn't exactly a place students were usually summoned to. Whenever they were, it typically wasn't for very pleasant reasons.
Finding herself outside the door, she braced herself, then knocked.
"Come in," Principal Celestia's voice called from inside. As agitated as Sunset was, she didn't notice that Celestia's voice sounded...strange.
Sunset opened the door and stepped in. "You wanted to see...me...?" She stared in wide-eyed shock at the woman seated at the conference table.
It was Celestia, of course, but...
Celestia rose gracefully, a broad mix of emotions playing across her face—shock, excitement, nerves, sorrow, relief, happiness. "Sunset?" she said softly, almost choking on the name.
Sunset felt her heart plummet into the pit of her stomach. Even though she saw Principal Celestia nearly every day when school was in session, she'd long since disassociated the principal of CHS from her counterpart in Equestria. A teacher she'd never expected to see again...at least, not on friendly terms.
And now, standing before her...
"Princess Celestia?" Sunset said in a quiet almost-whisper, her fingers grasping fruitlessly against the doorknob. "What...why..."
Princess Celestia crossed the room and, before Sunset could react, drew her into a crushing hug. "Oh, my foolish student," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
Sunset's entire body tensed up, confusion and discomfort filling her being. "Princess?"
Celestia drew back, and there were tears in her eyes. She smiled, looking Sunset up and down. "You look...well," she said. With a laugh, she added, "This alien form certainly seems to suit you." She stepped back. "Please, close the door and sit down."
Numbly, Sunset obeyed, taking a seat at the conference table. Celestia sat in the seat directly across from her.
"Your Highness...what are you doing here?" Sunset asked.
Celestia smiled that ever-patient, enigmatic, beatific smile of hers. "I came to see you, Sunset," she said. "I came because..." She fidgeted with her hands. "I..." She looked down. "I've been waiting. Ever since Twilight Sparkle opened the portal, I...I had hoped you would come back. I wanted to see you so badly. When...when you never came..."
Sunset swallowed. "I...I didn't think you'd ever want to see me again," she said.
"Sunset Shimmer! How could you...ever think that?"
Sunset's eyes turned distant and sad.
Celestia paled. "Of course," she said hollowly. She looked down, fresh tears gathering in her eyes. "Sunset, I—"
"I'M SO SORRY!" Sunset wailed. "Princess Celestia, I..." Sunset squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. "I should have listened to you! I was so caught up in...and I stopped paying attention to what you were trying to teach me, and I thought..." She trailed off, then sighed. "It doesn't matter what I thought," she said hoarsely. "I defied you, and I betrayed you, and..."
Celestia held up a hand to stall her. "All is forgiven," she said. "If...if you, in turn, can forgive me."
Sunset blinked. "Forgive you...? I...I don't understand..."
Celestia sighed. "I should never have..." She wrung her hands nervously. "That night, when you left...I was angry. I lost my temper. I should never have lost my temper with you." She looked away. "I made a mistake. I made a mistake, and...and I drove you away, just like..."
Sunset shook her head. "No," she said. "No, it wasn't—it was me. I made the mistake. I—"
"We both made mistakes," Celestia said. "In regards to you, I made several. Losing my temper and banishing you from the castle was simply the worst of them." She sighed. "Debatably."
Sunset tilted her head. "What...do you mean?"
Celestia sighed again. "Sunset...I'm afraid your arrogance and your ambition were...largely my fault," she said. "I..."
"How could any of that be your fault?" Sunset asked. "I was the one who ignored your lessons about friendship, I was the one—"
Celestia once again raised a hand to cut her off. "Sunset," she said, sounding old, tired, and sad, "I let my own hopes and feelings blind me. When...when I took you as my student," she continued, looking away, "I knew that the time was approaching for my sister to return from her banishment. I knew that the Elements of Harmony would once again need to be used against her. I...I had hoped it would be possible to reach her, to get my sister back. But I needed...I needed a very special pony, a student, to take on that responsibility.
"When I first met you, when I saw how special you were...I was certain it was you."
Sunset's eyes widened.
"You were the most remarkable young pony I'd met in generations," Celestia said. "I was happy to teach you, and excited to see how eager you were to learn. I grew fond of you—I still am fond of you, and ever so proud of what you've become—and I started to convince myself that you were the one. That it was your destiny to save my sister." She looked down at the table. "That it was your destiny to become a princess.
"So I made the mistake of telling you that was your destiny. And that, my student, changed you."
Sunset looked away. "I started thinking I deserved things I really didn't," she said. "I got...arrogant. Selfish. Conceited."
"And I fear I am to blame for that."
Sunset shook her head. "No," she said. "I started demanding things, expecting things...you tried to correct me, but I didn't listen. That's on me." She bowed her head. "I was a terrible student."
"And I was a terrible teacher," Celestia lamented. "I let my personal feelings get in the way. I..." She sighed. "I wanted it to be you, Sunset. I wanted, so badly, for you to be the one I was waiting for. I wanted it so badly that..." She looked away. "That I ignored a very old prophecy. Convinced myself that I was right and..." Shaking her head, she pulled out a photograph and slid it across the table. Sunset looked at it with interest and confusion. "Do you know what this is?" Celestia asked.
Sunset shook her head.
"This is the Tree of Harmony," Celestia said. "It's where my sister and I first found the Elements of Harmony. The Tree is older than Equestria, older than me...perhaps as old as the world itself."
Sunset examined the picture of the tree. Along its trunk, she saw markings—Celestia's familiar sun Cutie Mark, a moon shape she could only assume represented Princess Luna, and...
...a six-pointed star.
Sunset frowned, brow furrowing in confusion. "Isn't that...?"
"Starswirl knew," Celestia said softly. "He never said anything, but he knew. And I...suspected," she admitted, "that the star-shaped mark on the Tree of Harmony was significant. If my Cutie Mark and Luna's were there, then that third mark was important somehow.
"But I was so..." She shrugged. "I wanted you to be something more. I wanted it so badly that I forgot all about ancient prophecies and the Tree of Harmony. I told myself that if Cadance could become an alicorn, then that mark on the Tree didn't mean anything. I..." She shook her head.
"But it was Twilight's destiny," Sunset said quietly, tracing the Cutie Mark on the tree with a finger. "It was never meant to be me at all."
"So it would seem," Celestia said. "When I discovered Twilight, when she got her Cutie Mark...I understood my own folly. I knew where everything had gone wrong. I knew I had to get it right this time. I was more careful with Twilight. I never told her...the things I told you. I let her grow and mature on her own, and when the time came for her to become a princess..." She smiled slightly. "Well, let's just say she wasn't expecting it."
Sunset chuckled.
Celestia looked at Sunset. "I made so many mistakes, and I fear those mistakes are what led to our bitter parting," she said. "Sunset, I hope...I hope you can forgive me."
"If...if you can forgive me for everything I've done," Sunset said.
"Of course," Celestia said. "Sunset, after you left, I...I worried dearly for you. I desperately wished you'd return. I wanted nothing more than to see you again. Twilight has told me all about your accomplishments here, the friends you've made." She smiled. "I am so thankful, so relieved, and so proud."
Tears welled up in Sunset's eyes. Bursting into sobs, she stood, walked around the table, and flung herself at Celestia, clutching her desperately. Celestia returned her embrace, crying silently.
After a long moment, Sunset stood, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. "Sorry," she choked out.
"It's alright," Celestia said. She stood gracefully. "Are you happy, Sunset Shimmer? Have you found your place?"
Sunset smiled. "I think I have," she said.
Celestia nodded. "Then that, my student, is all I need." She took hold of Sunset's hands and squeezed them firmly. "I'm going to enchant a second pair of journals," she said. "I'll have Twilight deliver yours when it's ready. Its twin will remain with me, and I hope you will write to me all about your life here, your friends...anything and everything you want to say."
Sunset nodded, sniffling. "I...I will," she said.
"And if you ever want to come to Canterlot, if you ever want to visit...you are always welcome in the castle."
Sunset smiled, laughing softly. "Thank you," she said.
"The portal will remain in Ponyville, in Twilight's care," Celestia said. "If you ever decide to come back to Equestria, either to visit or...or to come home..."
"You'll be the first to know," Sunset promised. She paused. "Princess?"
"Yes, Sunset?"
"I...I know I don't have any right to ask a favor of you, but..."
Celestia rolled her eyes. "You may ask anything of me you wish, Sunset."
"Well..." Sunset fidgeted. "Do you think maybe...you could give me a little while to write a letter to my parents? And...and could you deliver it to them when you get back to Canterlot?"
Celestia smiled. "Of course," she said. "I'm certain they'll be...surprised to hear from you. But...not displeased, I think."
Sunset grimaced. "What do they know about...all this?"
Celestia picked at the folds of her dress. "They know you are alive, safe, and happy," she said. "They know that you're a hero. They know you have friends and a good life. They miss you, but they're happy that you're happy."
Sunset sniffled. "Let's...let's go to the library," she said. "I think I'll write my letter there. I don't...trust myself to hold a pen right now."
For the next few hours, Princess Celestia drew a great amount of attention as she bustled about the library, examining everything with great interest and browsing a number of books while Sunset typed a long, very overdue letter home. Principal Celestia excused Sunset from her classes for the remainder of the day, though she declined to stay and talk to her counterpart for long.
By the time Sunset finished writing and proofreading her letter and had printed it out, the final bell rang. Sunset's friends poured into the library just as she was stapling the pages of her letter together.
"Hey Sunset, what's up? Missed you in physics WHOA!" Rainbow Dash recoiled, staring at Princess Celestia. "What the heck?"
Her friends all stared at Celestia with reactions varying from surprise to shock. Sunset laughed. "Everyone, this is Princess Celestia, ruler of Equestria. Your Highness, these...are my friends."
Celestia's eyes twinkled as her gaze swept across the group. "Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle," she greeted each in turn. "It is wonderful to meet you."
Applejack scratched her head. "How in th' heck did you know who we all are?" she asked.
Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Duh!" she said. "She obviously knows the other useseseseses!"
Celestia laughed. "Yes, I am quite familiar with your Equestrian counterparts," she said. "They have all saved Equestria time and again, and stand out in their own ways as well."
"Having met Twilight, I can believe that," Rarity said. She examined Celestia critically. "Your gown is quite splendid, Your Highness."
"Thank you, Rarity," Celestia said primly. "Of course, this is simply what I came out of the portal wearing." Her eyes twinkled. "The fashions of this world are very interesting!"
Sunset finished sealing her letter in an envelope and wrote her parents' names on it, then handed it to Celestia. "It's done," she said.
Celestia accepted it, then nodded to the girls. "I would love to stay and talk, but I'm afraid I must be going. I must return to Canterlot in time to lower the sun."
Sunset paled. "Oh, horseapples! I kept you here all day when you've got so much to—"
Celestia stalled her with a hand. "I cleared my day just for this little reunion," she said. "I only wish I could stay longer."
Sunset smiled. "I'll...I'll try to visit soon. Maybe for the weekend sometime?"
"I would like that very much," Celestia said with a smile.
Sunset and her friends escorted Princess Celestia to the portal. Celestia straightened her gown and turned to face Sunset. "It's been a pleasure to see you again, Sunset."
"Same here," Sunset said. "I...I missed you."
"Stay in touch, my student," Celestia said. "I'm never too busy for you." With one last wave to the other girls, Celestia turned and stepped through the portal.
Sunset turned to her friends, tears in her eyes, and sniffled. "Let's...let's go do something. Anything."
Her friends wrapped her in a big group hug, then the seven of them headed off into town together.