Reflections II - Cadance
The walk from her rooms to the throne room was long, but it always gave Cadance enough time to order her thoughts before talking to her aunt. Princess Celestia was so used to hiding behind masks and secrets, Cadance needed to look for any tiny signs to figure her out most of the time. When she did, Celestia always seemed surprised. Cadance didn’t think that her aunt was hiding things from her by design, she was just so used to it that it was hard to let go, even in the company of her own niece.
And to be fair, the two princesses didn’t talk as regularly as they once used to. In fact, Cadance was lucky when she got to see her aunt once a week these days. Princess Cadance wasn’t too worried about this, she had slipped into a role of a diplomat and visited meetings in and out of Canterlot, when Princess Celestia couldn’t be present. But Cadance the niece was very worried about her aunt when she met her these days. Sadly, Celestia blocked any attempt of Cadance right from the start, so there was very little she could do but wait.
However, when she reached the throne room today, she saw a completely different Celestia sitting on her throne. This Celestia had a wide, genuine smile and seemed very excited, almost giddy. For a moment, Cadance felt bad that she couldn’t really enjoy the sight more, but Princess Celestia showing strong emotions felt so off, she couldn’t help but worry. Not for the last time on this day, she wished Sunset Shimmer was still around to help her figure out Celestia.
“Cadance! It is wonderful to see you! How was your day?”
Celestia was trying to do small talk. Now Cadance knew for sure that something had happened.
“It was fine, mostly. Almost boring with so many meetings. Oh, by the way, I’ve heard something about an incident at your school today?”
Celestia nodded and her eyes shined
“Ah, yes, that certainly was very exciting for me as well. During the entrance exam, one of the fillies showed an exceptional feat of magic, for such a young pony. It got a bit out of control, but luckily I was around and could fix it right away.”
Cadance listened attentively and nodded
“That’s good, Auntie. The little filly, is she alright?”
“Oh yes, in fact, better than alright! She showed such a special talent in magic, she even received her cutie mark from it.”
Cadance now smiled as well
“That must have been a very special moment.”
“Oh certainly, although the poor dear barely even realized it. She was just staring at me all wide-eyed and baffled while I asked her to be my personal student.”
And just like that Cadance’ smile froze on her muzzle
“You did what?”
“I took her as my personal student. She has such a rare, deep talent, with the right guidance, she can achieve greatness.”
Cadance just stared at Celestia who was still giddy and smiling at her
“Isn’t that great news?”
“I, um, I suppose. But don’t you think it’s a little sudden?”
Celestia nodded but her smile stayed
“It is certainly unexpected, but I know it is the right thing to do. Besides, she’s very excited to be my student. You should have seen it, little Twilight Sparkle was bouncing all over the place and…”
“Wait, Twilight Sparkle? You’ve chosen Twilight Sparkle as your new student?”
“Yes? Do you know her, by any chance?”
Cadance nodded, unable to keep her surprise off her face
“I do. I’ve been foalsitting her for a while now. And I know her brother, Shining Armor, he’s in the guard.”
“He is? Oh, that’s perfect! In that case, he and you can help her while she adjusts to living in the castle.”
“Living in the castle?”
“Of course! That way, it will be much easier to oversee her studies and build in extra lessons and…”
Celestia’s giddiness stopped in a sharp flinch when Cadance suddenly stomped her hoof on the marble floor
“Are you out of your freaking mind, Celestia?”
She flinched again, like she always did when Cadance called her ‘Celestia’ instead of ‘Auntie’. It was a proof that her niece was very angry with her, and she only used this as a last resort, so Celestia knew she had overstepped, even if she didn’t know how exactly.
“Cadance, I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
Cadance let out a frustrated sigh and her wings flared up for a moment
“Of course not. You wouldn’t understand. Auntie, have you even thought this through? Twily is just six years old. Do you really think that a palace is the right place for her to grow up in?”
To her credit, Celestia now looked a tad concerned
“It might not be optimal, but it worked for Sunset Shimmer. She made so much progress after she became my student and moved in.”
Cadance had to force a slow, deep breath, before she could answer
“Auntie, Sunset was an orphan who had just lost her parents. Twily is six and has a loving family, and a big brother. Are you just going to rip her out of her home, just like that? Do you think that’s going to help her?”
“I, I didn’t… she was so excited and… I just want to do what is best for her!”
Cadance nodded, but still frustrated
“As do her parents, I’m sure. I don’t think they were very happy when you told them.”
Celestia’s ears dropped down, which was enough for Cadance to get suspicious
“You did ask her parents before you set anything in motion, didn’t you?”
“I might have gone a little ahead of myself.”
At this, Cadance just threw her hooves up in frustration
“Seriously? I know you can be a bit blind sometimes, but this tops it all. What were you even thinking?”
Celestia couldn’t meet her gaze, and Cadance immediately felt something was off. So, instead of getting angry, she suddenly felt a cold grip around her heart, fear and guilt, and it came from Celestia
“Auntie? What’s wrong? I didn’t mean to yell at you, I’m sorry.”
Celestia didn’t react, and suddenly Cadance remembered the last time she had felt something like this from Celestia
“This is… it has to do with your sister, hasn’t it?”
Celestia’s eyes opened wide and she stared at her, but Cadance had a calm smile for her
“I felt it before, back when Sunset and I… you wouldn’t talk to us then. Please, at least talk to me now.”
Celestia felt pain and loss, loss of a piece of her heart, like she felt every time when Sunset’s name was mentioned. Cadance could see it in her face and feel it like a sharp needle. It had been really bad a couple of weeks ago, when she had spent three days in front of the mirror, but even now there was an echo of that pain left.
However, this time, Celestia decided to talk
“It wasn’t just her magic that surprised me today. When I saw her cutie mark, I recognized it.”
Cadance eyes opened wider, and she glanced at her own flank
“You recognized it? Like mine? Does that mean…?”
Celestia shook her head with a sigh
“I don’t know what it means, exactly. But I know she has great potential. I want to help her reach her potential, nourish and teach her in any way, and maybe someday, she can… she can succeed where I have failed.”
Celestia didn’t go into details, and insecurity washed over her as soon as she even said those vague words. But behind that, Cadance could feel care, true care, and affection for the little filly shine through.
Cadance stood up and approached her aunt, with a smile
“You don’t have to tell me any details, Auntie. I know Twilight Sparkle is a very special filly. I’ve known for months!”
Celestia managed to smile along as Cadance continued
“And I know that her biggest wish was to get accepted into your school. She must be over the moon to be your personal student, and I’m very happy you see so much potential in her.”
“But let me be very clear on one thing: I will not let you harm her. Unintentionally or not. I’m still her foalsitter, and little Twily is very important to me.”
Celestia nodded, and her ears folded back. No doubt she was thinking back to the way she hurt her last personal student, but Cadance wouldn’t let her slip back into that guilt-trap again
“Twilight needs to grow up with her family. She needs to live with her parents and her brother, in a loving home. And she needs to have other teachers beside you, and classmates in your school, maybe even some friends.”
Celestia nodded and took a deep breath
“I know you’re right, Cadance. I’ll schedule time with her outside of her classes, and I’ll give her time to adjust to everything. It is a lot of change for a young filly.”
Cadance narrowed her eyes to another glare, though with much less force than before
“And I hope you will remember that Twilight is still a young filly. She’s not one of your agents and she’s not a tool for any of your plans. If I find out that you’re manipulating her, you will have to answer to me for it. Do you understand, Auntie?”
Celestia’s ears folded down and she let her head hang low. Cadance knew that her aunt many times wasn’t even aware of how she manipulated everypony around her. It probably just came with being immortal in a world full of short-lived ponies. But she also knew that she never wanted to hurt Twilight, and Cadance would do her part to make sure she wouldn’t.
“Well then, I think we really should go now.”
“Go where?”
Cadance giggled and playfully nudged her aunt with her wing
“Well, I need to go congratulate little Twily for getting her cutie mark. And I think you need to talk to Nightlight and Twilight Velvet.”
“Who? Oh, her parents. Yes, that makes sense. They will require assistance now that they’ll have to take care of a dragon hatchling as well.”
Cadance froze in mid-step and tilted her head
“A dragon hatchling?”
Celestia laughed softly, with a slight blush colouring her cheeks
“Right, I completely forgot to tell you. I’ll explain on the way.”
Princess Celestia was anxious. It wasn’t something she felt very often, but today she felt that it was for the right reason.
Cadance and her had spend a pleasant evening with Twilight Sparkle’s family and while her parents were, of course, proud that their daughter had been chosen to be a personal student of Princess Celestia, they had concerns. They believed in their princess and trusted her, but their worry about their children was just a tad stronger. As it should be. Princess Celestia had never been a mother but seeing this in Nightlight and Twilight Velvet made her realize, to a degree at least, what it meant to be a parent. She had made herself Cadance’ aunt, but Cadance often knew more than she did, so they ended up teaching each other. Twilight Sparkle was still young, very young and impressionable, and her parents cared for her very much.
Which was even more of a reason to be anxious right now. She couldn’t make any mistakes as Twilight’s teacher and mentor. Twilight’s cutie mark was connected to the Elements of Harmony, and she needed the best possible education and training if she was to recover and potentially use them in the future. An education she could only get from Princess Celestia herself. But even more so, Twilight Sparkle had been given into Celestia’s care by her family, with great trust. Celestia could not break this trust. While she could not tell Twilight Sparkle about the great potential that slumbered inside her, least she wanted to interfere with fate itself, she could also not deceive Twilight Sparkle. It was a very delicate balance between what she should tell Twilight Sparkle, and what she couldn’t, not yet at least.
Princess Celestia’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was not the quick, urgent knock of Kibitz, but it also wasn’t the tiny knock of a filly. She called them to enter, and Raven Inkwell opened the door. Celestia’s smile was warm and genuine. Kibitz had asked for an assistance, now that there was a student to consider in the royal schedule and he was getting too old to chase a young filly. He had suggested Raven Inkwell, one of the royal scribes, and Princess Celestia was very happy that she agreed to Kibitz’ proposition. The mare had a sharp mind, a witty tongue, and a loyal heart. And she was exactly the pony Princess Celestia needed right now.
Raven Inkwell didn’t enter the room, she stood in the doorway and bowed her head, before she turned around and beckoned a smaller form into the room. Twilight Sparkle shyly stepped inside and tried to bow as well, but she nearly fell over, mostly from the weight of her far too big and far too full saddlebags.
Princess Celestia smiled and helped the young filly with a little flick of her horn
“Twilight Sparkle, welcome. This is going to be our first session together. Are you excited?”
The tiny filly’s head bopped up and down so fast that Celestia couldn’t help but giggle
“Yes, Princess Celestia! I couldn’t sleep all night, I was re-reading all of my magic books and there’s so much I want to learn and study, and I brought all my books from school for reference and all my homework for the next month and scrolls for notes, and some extra scrolls and some extra-extra scrolls just in case, and…”
Princess Celestia laughed and nodded kindly
“Very good, Twilight. I see you come prepared, but I don’t think you’ll be needing any of those things, at least not today, my student.”
Twilight Sparkle looked up at the tall princess, eyes full and wide with wonder, then worry
“Oh no! Did I forget to bring something? Did I already mess up? Please don’t send me away, I promise I will do better next time!”
“Twilight Sparkle, take a deep breath. Look at me.”
The filly did as she was told and re-focused on the princess, who still had a kind smile for her
“You have not done anything wrong. But for today, I would rather that we talk and get to know each other a little more.”
She used one of her wings to gently guide the filly to a sitting pillow, before she sat down on her own, larger one. After a little prodding, Twilight Sparkle talked excitedly about how she loved magic and reading and listed off books she had already read, most of them well beyond anything a filly her age should read and understand. Princess Celestia kept on smiling all the while, marvelling at how wonderful it was to have such a bright and curious mind as Twilight Sparkle and how much she had missed having a student.
The last thought left a bitter taste, and a pang of guilt. It was not hard to see a different filly sitting on the same pillow, just a few short years earlier. She shook her head as if to physically push those thoughts away. Twilight Sparkle didn’t know anything about her former students, and Celestia must not compare her. She owed this to her new student just as much.
Twilight Sparkle must have noticed something, because she suddenly stopped talking and just stared up at Princess Celestia, who was to be her teacher. Celestia saw that while Twilight noticed something, she was far too young, too innocent to understand.
So instead, she spoke in her kindest voice
“Twilight Sparkle, you are a very bright filly and I know it will be a great joy to teach you.”
Twilight beamed up at her, but for once Celestia didn’t return the smile, so she leaned in closer as she expected that this would be her first lesson. Celestia nodded and continued
“While there are many things that I can teach you, you’ll find that at some point, there will be questions I cannot answer. Sometimes, frankly, because I don’t know the answer. But sometimes, it will be because it’s not time for you to hear the right answer, at least not yet.”
Twilight nodded and Celestia leaned down, so they were almost eye to eye
“And when that happens, when I can’t or won’t answer one of your questions, I want you to know that it’s not because you disappointed me, or because you did something wrong. I will eventually answer all your questions, when the time is right. I want you to know this, and I hope that when the day comes, you will trust me enough so that you can accept this.”
Twilight Sparkle hopped onto her hooves and nodded
“Of course, Princess Celestia! I’ll always believe you, and I’ll always trust you!”
Princess Celestia smiled down at the young, small filly, at those eyes that were filled with wonder, curiosity, but also unwavering trust
“I know you will, Twilight Sparkle. My faithful student.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.02 seconds
Total duration
942 users online
408,632 hits today, 2,073,628 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
" but for now she gets to be cute and innocent."
For now?
You . . . you're going to take away Twlight's cuteness and/or innocence?
10908157
Well...
Cuteness is probably subjective, but she does weaponize friendship a couple times. I don't think that counts as 'childlike innocence' anymore
I hope celstia learned from her mistake with sunset i mean twilight has a family but as we seen in the show she has major issues when it comes to disapoting the princes and becase she is a dif pony then sunset she doesnt get mad.
11063392
Canon Celestia did indeed learn from her mistakes with Sunset.
We saw that she made a whole NEW series of mistakes with Twilight.