Who we really are?

by FieryUnicorn42

Familiar, but this time I have some practice.

"I stayed with them for five months, and felt that I finally found my place in the world."

The silence lingers for some moments while Celestia thinks about Sunset's story.

"I have to thanks your principal," said the princess seconds later, "for caring so much about you."

"You better do, Sister."

Luna walked and sat on Sunset's side.

"I dare to say that Sunset couldn't have found a better person, is that the right word?" Sunset nods and Luna continued, "to take care of her."

"I guess I could ask her to come here someday, she'd probably want to meet you too."

"I think that is a great idea."

"You thought about crossing the mirror, I'm right, sister?"

Celestia didn't respond, choosing to talk with Sunset instead.

"I don't know about you and Luna, but I'm starving."

Sunset tried to look at her watch just to remember two things: first, she doesn't have a watch. And second, even if she had one, it probably would disappear when she crossed the portal.

"I guess is family dinner time." she said shrugging.

---

After dinner, they spent some time just chatting, with Sunset telling more about her world.

"I guess now I know why you won't consider Equestria as your world, Sunset."

Sunset caught a bit of sadness in her mother's voice.

"I always felt out of place here, mom, seems like the other side of the mirror was supposed to be my world after all." Sunset yawned "I'm a bit sleepy, so if you don't mind, I'm going to bed."

"See ya tomorrow, Sunset." Said Luna hugging her niece.

Celestia walked and bumped softly on Sunset. "Come on, let me show you your room."

Walking through the halls, memories came to Sunset's mind, some of them happy, but most of all she remembered how she treated the castle staff, the other students on the school, and how she betrayed Celestia's trust in her.

They past Celestia's room and soon stop in front of a room next to the princess one and Sunset recognizes the door.

"My old room?!"

"Yes, I hope you don't mind."

Celestia opens the door and Sunset sees that all her things are still there as if she never has left Equestria.

"I always hoped that you would come back someday, and maybe we could be together again."

Looking around the room, more memories come to Sunset's mind, classes, her walks with the princess, her departure ... on the dresser she found a photograph of her and Celestia in the castle gardens, shortly after she was accepted as the princess's personal student. Sunset sees his mischievous smile in the photo and thinks about how completely different her life would have been if she had accepted the princess's guidelines, She wouldn't have known his Canterlot high friends, of course, but she could have done others here in Equestria if he had given friendship a chance.

"Even after all I said, how I treated you, you still maintained my old room as I never have left."

"As I said, I was hoping that you would come back someday. I know this sounds silly, you don't hadn't any motivation to come back, not after I was so stupid with you. I expelled you, which would be bad even if you were only my alumnae, but was even worst because you are my daughter and I never really treated you like one. So this room was where I used to came to think about my mistakes and..."

Sunset put a hoof on Celestia's shoulder (she wanted to put on her mother lips, but she is shorter than her mother so she can't reach them)

"Mom, how many times I need to say that I already forgave you? We are fine now, let's move on. I, for example, are moving to my bed to take some sleep"

Sunset ran and jumped on the bed. "See? I'm already sleeping" she said faking a nap.

A little chuckle escaped from Celestia's mouth.

"I don't remember you being that silly."

"I blame Pinkie for this. I guess her silliness is contagious."

Celestia sat at the bedside and using her magic, pulled the covers over Sunset.

"Pinkie's silliness is a multidimensional constant, I suppose."

"I guess so."

"Well, I'll try to catch some sleep too. Good night Sunset."

"Good night, mom."

Sunset closes her eyes and Celestia leaves the room, closing the door behind her, going to her room to review her notes for next morning meetings.

One and half hours after left Sunset's room, Celestia walks back and enters carefully trying to not wake her daughter. She saw Sunset sleeping with a peaceful face and remembers that times, years ago, when Sunset sometimes slept in the library and she could put her on the bed as a mother would do.

She sits at the bed's side and touches gently Sunset's face, a face she thought that would never see again, the girl moves lightly on the bed and Celestia stays some minutes more watching her daughter sleep, while remembers all that she lived until that moment.

---

Canterlot Castle, almost thirty years ago.

Celestia woke and felt a bit indisposed, she was felt like this for more than a month. She raises the sun and calls her assistant.

"Yes, your highness?"

"I'm feeling a little sick, please call Dr. Flatline to me."

"Yes, princess."

Ten minutes later, the royal MD entered the room and not even five minutes passed before she have a diagnose.

"Well, princess, based on your symptoms and my own experience, I can say that you are pregnant."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty much."

"This couldn't be possible."

"Well, you are a healthy mare, so if you had sex unprotected, pregnancy is a possible result."

"But I..." she then remembers her break-up with Night Light and the amazing sex they had that night, and that they were so involved in the moment that she won't remember putting a contraceptive spell.

"Oh, boy. I and he..."

"I guess is better give you some time to think. Congratulations on your foal, princess."

The months pass by and on the third week of September, Celestia is in her room with Flatline and at the sunset, she gives birth to a beautiful filly, with a light orange coat and mane and tail red and yellow.

With tears of joy in her eyes, she breastfeeds her daughter for the first time, and smiling says.

"Oh, my little sunshine, you have no idea but made me the happiest mare in the world."

Celestia was happy like she never thought she could be, the simple thought of having her daughter calls her 'mommy' for the first time used to make her eyes tear, but as her daughter grows, fear also grows in Celestia's heart. What if some enemy discovers her existence? What if somepony foalnaps her? Night after night those thoughts torment her until one night when the filly was only eight months old, she finds herself in front of Canterlot orphanage.

She slides a magical suppressor ring on her daughter's horn and puts her on a basket along with a note with her daughter's name written. Gently, Celestia lifts Sunset and starts to rock her slowly.

"I'm sorry Sunset, my precious sunshine. This probably is the stupidest decision that I take in my life, and I'll regret that for the rest of my days, but I hope someday we could be together again, and who knows, you will forgive me."

She puts Sunset back in the basket, which, as if feeling what was about to happen, began to cry. Even more, tears flow from Celestia's eyes, she takes two steps back, lowers her head, and ran back to the castle, hearing the loud crying of her daughter and feeling like her heart was being sliced. Looking back she saw the door opening and a pony pulling Sunset inside.

On that night she doesn't go back to the castle, instead, walked directionless on the streets until was time to rise the sun again. She looks to the moon and thinks about Luna, who she imprisoned there almost a hundred years ago.

"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry, I'm not that good pony you expected me to become. I abandoned my little sister and now I did the same to my daughter. I know you aren't proud of me, I'm not proud either. I try to convince myself that all that I did was for the good of Equestria, that I make the right choice, but if this was really the right thing to do, why do I feel so dirty, so guilty, so stupid?"

She raises the sun with tears in her eyes and flies back to the castle, Equestria needs her princess so Celestia wipes her tears and puts that fake smile on her face, the same she is using since she defeated Luna, a thousand years ago.

---

Celestia looks to Sunset, wishing that she could undo all her errors. She touches her daughter's face one more time before planting a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you so much, Sunset, forgive me for not have said that before, for abandon you so many times, for choosing another ponies instead of you. I promise that I will stay at your side until the end."

She leaves the room, letting Sunset with what she expects is a good dream.