Who we really are?

by FieryUnicorn42

How can I be home, and still feel of off place?

Sunset is on Twilight's castle east balcony, watching the sunrise, the same sun that she had seen Celestia rise so many times before. Visually was the same sun from her world, her home. "It’s funny" - she thinks "You're born here in Equestria, but this is not my world anymore, isn't it, Sunset?"

"I guess Equestria never really was my home." replied her sadly to herself.

"Sunset?"

She hears a familiar voice, turns around, and sees Starlight walking in her direction.

"Hey Starlight, what's up?" Said Sunset trotting happily in direction of the other mare and hugging her.

"Twilight told me you're in town, but I never imagined you'll wake up so early" Said Starlight hugging her friend back.

"Yeah, I had so much to think that I barely sleep." Said Sunset

Starlight notes a bit of sadness in her friend's voice, she places a hoof on Sunset's shoulder and asks with concern "So, what's up? Something wrong in your reunion with princess Celestia?"

"Kind of. Look, the girls will wake up in no time, what about we go to the kitchen and I tell all after breakfast?"

"Sounds good for me" replied Starlight.

---

Less than an hour passed, the breakfast now was finished and all the girls are sat in the kitchen, anxious to hear what Sunset had to tell. She takes a deep breath and lets a long sigh escape from her mouth before telling all that happened on the previous day. After she finishes, the room stays silent for a moment.

"Wow, this is serious? You're princess Celestia's daughter?" Ask Starlight.

"Yeah. She said that she hid me because she was afraid. If any nation knows that she had a kid, they could use me or my father's family to force her to give up and abandon the throne. So she sort of abandoned me to protect both Equestria and me." Said Sunset.

The room sat in silence again, the girls of Canterlot high does not know what exactly to say, for what Sunset and princess Twilight told, Celestia was a benevolent princess who cares about all her subjects, she never did anything bad, sure, she banished her sister to the moon, but was only because Luna turned in to Nightmare Moon and was putting all the ponies of Equestria in danger, so she needed to be stopped, but this? Abandon her daughter? Let Sunset grow up without knowing she had a mother, a family? This is far beyond wrong.

"What in tarnation this princess Celestia was thinking? Don't get me wrong Sunset, I'm really happy that you finally found your family, but how she could simply do something like this? Good people never, ever abandon their children. Is a parent's duty to raise their kids, make them happy. I don't care if she is a princess, she have no right to abandon you just because being a mother could be hard, is not right" Said Applejack, she knows how hard is to grow up without parents, and understand how Sunset feel, they're both orphans, but at least she could be with her parents for a few years while Sunset no.

Rarity puts a hoof on AJ's shoulder, they already were friends when the farm girl's parents passed away so she knows what her friend is feeling. Applejack just looks at the unicorn and place a hoof over hers.

Sci-Twi clears her throat and broke the uncomfortable silence.

"So, I guess our trip has come to end, I believe that you don't want to stay here now. I mean, all this place could bring you memories of moments that you maybe prefer don't think about right now." Said the purple unicorn, all the girls looks to Sunset and nods in agreement.

Sunset closes her eyes and takes a few breaths before answering. Sure she isn't exactly in the mood for a trip with the girls now, but they have the finals exams in a few weeks, so maybe a little vacation couldn't be so bad.¹

"I guess we can stay here for the rest of the day, is your first time in Equestria after all, and I won't let a fight between me and the princess ruin your experience in a whole new world"

"Are you sure Sunset? We can come back home if you don't feel comfortable staying here" Spoke Fluttershy.

"She's right, we can go to my home and have a sleepover, maybe cook some cookies or cupcakes" Suggested Pinkie.

"Thank you girls, I know you all care about me, but I'll be fine, I swear. We can explore Ponyville and the surroundings and who knows, maybe show you a little part of this world can help me process all that happened yesterday and is not like the princess will simply pop here and I have to deal with it now" Said her smiling to her friends.

A knock is heard on the front door of the castle, soon Spike enters the kitchen.

"Hum girls, princess Celestia is on the main hall"

"What are you saying Sunset?" Said Rainbow Dash with a smirk.

"F... buck! I and my big mouth" Said Sunset kicking the floor.

"So, she can come in, or I have to send her gone?"

"I will talk with her Spike."

The purple alicorn turns to the kitchen door, but before she leaves Sunset touches her back.

"I do this. We have to talk sooner or later, I just expected will be a lot later. Twi, can you..."

"I get it. I and the girls will go to the Sweet Apple Acres"

"Granny Smith invited us to spend the day there, and I confess I got a bit curious about how they grow their apple trees." Completed Applejack a little calmer.

"Thanks, girls, I know you all wanna stay and help, but I have to do it myself." Said Sunset hugging her friends.

"I'll be back sooner as I can Sunset, so you and I can talk with the princess"

"This won't be necessary Twi. Go on, enjoy the Sunday on the farm. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"No, but I and her have to talk and I guess we can do this." She then turns to Spike, who stays all this time on the kitchen door.

"Spike, could you please guide the princess to one of your rooms, maybe serve us a cup of tea, if you don't mind of course"

"Sure Sunset"

Spike left the kitchen, soon the girls do the same. Sunset sits on a bench and ate a bowl of fruits while waiting for Spike.

"She is in library number 2." Said the dragon entering the kitchen a couple of minutes later. "3rd door on the left" completed the dragon.

"Thanks, Spike."

---

Sunset stop and touched the library door with her hoof, then breathes slowly, trying to put her thoughts in order. She pushes the door and enters, Celestia was sitting in one chair with her front hooves over the table, Sunset notices the princess isn't wearing her regalia, not even the crown. She looks to her former mentor, now she doesn't look like a powerful and immortal demigoddess, but just a mare, a pony very tired and sad.

The unicorn walks through the room and sits in front of her former teacher. They both stay in silence for some time until the alicorn began to speak.

"Sunset you have all the right to hate me and all I can say is I'm so sorry. I should never abandon you, I was weak, I was afraid that somepony could hurt you but in the end, I, your mother, the princess that all ponies think is flawless, was the one who hurt you, an innocent filly, my daughter. A mother never should hurt or abandon her children but I did. I ruined your foalhood, made you suffer years and years, and I'm truly sorry for all the pain I caused you. Nothing that I can say will be more than a poor excuse for my vile acts, but I'm here not as a princess, but as a simple mare begging for a chance to be with you again."

Almost a minute passes before the unicorn began to talk.

"I did not have a bad childhood, I mean, foalhood, but wasn't very happy either. When I was a filly, see you always lighted my days, and even if only for a few hours, I felt loved. I always saw you like the mother I never had. I loved you since the first time we meet, princess, and I felt that you loved me back like my parents never did. I was just a baby, what can I have done that made them hate me so much? Why do they throw me off like trash?"

"Sunset, I..." Celestia tries to speak, but the unicorn raises her hoof.

"When we fought years ago, I hated you and for a long time all I wanted was revenge, but I was being childish. I had to be hit by a magical rainbow laser in another world to realize this. When I was your pupil, I don't deserve to be a princess, I was selfish, envious. You always tried to make me a better pony, and who knows maybe even worthy to be a princess, but I don't listen. I always thought that I was better than all the other ponies, just because I was your pupil, because all I conquered was with my own enforces, my talent."

"When I cross the portal and finally understood how that world works, I acted in the same way, maybe worst. I made those that are now my closest friends and the entire school fought one with the other. I broke bonds, friendships, made all their lives miserable just to feel superior. In a couple of days, Twilight united all the school again just being herself. She and her friends showed me that I wasn't a lost cause, that even me, an awful person, can be redeemed."

"If they do this for me, I'll do the same for you. Princess, I'm still upset with you and I really don't know if I will be capable of calling you mother someday, but I know that you are truly sorry and I think we can turn this page and try to be friends again."

"This means you forgive me?" Said Celestia with a shy smile on her lips.

"Yeah, I can't be mad with you forever, forgiveness is an important part of friendship, as so, honesty, loyalty, kindness and you know the rest. I will be a big moron if don't do to you the same thing the girls did for me when I turned into a demon. Guess you could say that I finally learned the lesson you tried to teach me"

"I just don't want you had to suffer this way"

"Me too, but let's just leave the past behind and began again"

Celestia left her seat and walks to Sunset.

"Can we have a friendly hug? Or is it too soon yet?"

Sunset jumps and hugs one of the princess's forelegs. Celestia sits, pulls the unicorn closer, and warmly hugs her.

"I've missed you princess"

"I've missed you too, my little sunshine"

A few moments pass and they are apart.

"Now this makes a lot more sense." Said Sunset wiping her eyes.

"What?"

"Well, back when I was your pupil, you used to call me 'my little sunshine' when we were alone. I never really understood, and to be honest, it sounded a little weird, but now I know why. You are the Sun and I'm your daughter, so I guess 'little sunshine' is appropriate even if not much original"

"This annoys you? We can choose another one if you wish"

"Nah, it's fine. So, I guess you have to back to Canterlot now, after all, you're Equestria's regent and I guess they need you there."

"Well, I have a free day, so we can do anything"

"Wait, since when do you have a free day? I remember you working every day of the week. You work all day and watch Equestria all night long."

"Luna and I share the royal responsibilities since she comes back from the moon, and she offered to make my work for a few days, so you and I could sit and talk properly."

"Okay, you have a free day. So princess, what you have in mind?"

"I dunno. What do you and your friends do to have fun?"

"Well, I and the girls generally go to the mall, watch a movie, or if is Twilight's turn to choose, we go to the museum or planetary."

"Where are the girls anyway?"

"Oh, they go to the Sweet Apple acres. Granny Smith invited us to spend the day there and I said the girls that I'll meet they there when you and I finish our talk"

"Hum, I don't remember the last time I pay a visit to Apple's family farm, I guess was on granny Smith's wedding, no wait, I was on a harvest celebration when Applejack was five years old, so seventeen years ago I guess"

"So, princess, you wanna go to Applejack's farm?"

"Why not? Certainly will be more fun there than stay all day here at the castle."

Author's Note:

The reconciliation of Sunset and Celestia was quite fast, I know. In my original idea, Celestia stays in her castle, while Sunset and the girls go to Applejack's farm. Back in Canterlot city, some days pass until Sunset feels she's ready to talk to her mother again and she tells the truth to Nightlight and Twilight Velvet. Maybe I use this in some future chapter.

And you dear reader, what you think about this? Do you like my story? Please let me know in the comments.

¹ edit: 05.14.21: I was re-reading this story 'cause I wanna some consistency (and TBH sometimes I forget what exactly I wrote ) so I saw that was said in this chapter that the finals would occur in a week, but on the next chapters I already skipped two or three weeks, so I changed the phrase (...) but they have the finals exams in a week, (...) to (...) but that have the finals exams in a few weeks (...)

Comments

[JediAlexColbent]

*reads first paragraph of first chapter*

I... I can’t. This needs a LOT of work.

[FieryUnicorn42]

9514313 Thanks for your comment. Do you have any suggestion? Pointing what I did wrong is always helpful.

[JediAlexColbent]

9514326
Well, it just doesn’t flow grammatically or language wise.

Even the first sentence makes it very obvious that English isn’t the author’s first language. But if the story is going to be in that language, some time and effort must be given to write it in that language properly.

[FieryUnicorn42]

9514444 I'm glad you replied. Turns out english really isn't my 1st language, but this don't justify my lack of attention with grammar or language wise. I mean, if I want my story be read for so many people as possible, it needs to be legible and flow properly. So thanks again for point my flaws.

[PixelatedPerson]

9515424
Theres paper graders that correct grammar n stuff online, just copy and paste your paper onto them and they will correct em, just search for em and you'll probably find one.

[PixelatedPerson]

Any news on the next chapters ?