A Virtuous Heart

Princess Celestia stood in an empty hallway, looking out a large window which overlooked the valley of Ponyville. She focused briefly, to start the descent of the sun. Sunsets always had such a breathtaking beauty, they never seemed to get old.

Celestia stopped her magic and perked her ears as she heard approaching hoofsteps from behind the nearest door. A rhythmic knock commenced. Recognizing the pattern of the knock, the princess simply spoke, "Come in, Twilight."

The door opened, powered by Twilight's magic. At first glance, she seemed to look just as well as ever. But as she trotted up and tried to smile at her mentor, Celestia could see the lack of enthusiasm in her student's eyes.

"H-hello, Princess," Twilight bowed graciously, her wings ruffling slightly at her sides, "Thank you for taking time out of your day to see me."

Celestia smiled, "It is always my pleasure, Twilight. I appreciated your letter letting me know of your visit. How may I help you?"

Twilight looked out the window for a moment, but turned away and started pacing. Celestia sighed, "That bad, hm?"

Twilight stopped and looked at the older princess, "I'm sorry, I'm just... having a hard time putting my thoughts into words..."

With a hint of humor, Celestia rose her eyebrows, "Oh, then it really is bad. Twilight Sparkle run out of words?" she giggled, "Unthinkable!"

Aghast, Twilight simply blinked a few times as she still failed to register what to say. Seeing Celestia's calm smile allowed her to recollect herself, and then the words finally clicked.

"I just... don't get it!" Twilight huffed in frustration, "Why should I be a princess? I didn't do anything that anypony else couldn't do. I may be good at magic, but I've met plenty of other ponies (and other creatures too!) who have magic more specialized or incredible than mine-"

"Ah," Celestia said quietly, only to be cut off as Twilight continued.

"...even within the first few weeks of my stay in Ponyville, there was those like Trixie who had powerful magic. I could sure do a lot of tricks, and lift heavier things then her, but she has just as much capability as I do when it comes down to her other skills, and she also has showponyship, which I could never match up to her in that-"

"Twilight," Celestia spoke a little louder, to no avail.

"...and let's not forget Sunset Shimmer, your own protege, who was so clever that she was able to sneak into a castle she had never seen before, and track down and take the Element of Magic, and use it to obtain vast magical powers, even though she hadn't even seen the relic before and hadn't been in Equestria for years..." Twilight snorted in exasperation, barely taking time to breathe, "I may have helped to turn things around for her, but she had so much skill with magic that she could mind control practically everyone at CHS at least for a time, and she has a quick ability to think and a charisma that I don't have (and plus she's learned how to use her hands so well that she can play guitar, and I wish I had as wonderful a singing voice as she does)-"

"Twilight," Celestia cleared her throat, hoping that the lavender alicorn would hear her this time.

"And Starlight Glimmer? Don't even get me started! She mastered magic that I've only barely studied and dealt with before, and took it to a whole new level! Taking somepony's Cutie Mark completely away? Not just one, but dozens? Rewriting a spell made by Starswirl the Bearded with enough power that it can alter reality, over and over again? Self-levitation? She is extremely talented! How can I ever-"

"Twilight Sparkle!" Celestia finally spoke sternly, wings flaring. Immediately, the instincts of a good student listening to her teacher kicked in, and Twilight stopped speaking mid sentence, and quickly sat down on her flank where she had just been pacing before.

"...sorry..." she eeped quietly.

"You're alright, Twilight," Celestia smiled, "I can tell this has been weighing on you for quite some time now. Thank you for being willing to come talk to me about it. But... there is something you're missing as you look at all of this."

"What... What's that?" Twilight tipped her head in confusion.

"I once heard it said something along these lines," Celestia said, gazing out the window onto the valley where Ponyville sat beneath Canterlot, "There are many who can use magic, but only few are capable to hold the keys to... the true power... of magic."

"What... do you mean?" the student inquired, following her teacher's gaze.

"You see, Twilight," Celestia continued, "Too many ponies have their hearts set on things of selfishness, to things such as honor, recognition, power to rule, and so on... yet, in their attempts to gain power, and the power of true magic that comes with it, they fail to learn one important lesson..."

Celestia turned her gaze to her faithful student, a solemn expression on her face, "The true power of magic is always connected to who we are inside, and I believe this to be an unchangeable truth. Many have tried to obtain lasting power in a multitude of ways, but I have seen countless times that magic cannot be controlled properly, or at least, not controlled for long, unless that creature is someone with a virtuous heart."

The younger princess looked down, trying to piece things together, "A... virtuous heart?"

"I'm sure you know what I'm talking about," Celestia smiled, "we can indeed have magic to use, or even certain powers and talents given to us, but if we use that power to try and assert authority and control anyone, or to build up our self-centered pride, or to act as if we are completely perfect... You can be certain that that pony will not be able to last very long. The countless villains you've faced in your time should show you that; they may have power, but they don't have what makes that power last: or, they lack what makes power worth it in the end.

"Think, Twilight," Celestia urged softly, "while all those ponies did indeed have much talent, when they did those... unsavory things, they also all lacked one crucial thing. What was that?"

Twilight pursed her lips in thought, scanning her brain for answers, as if for a multiple choice test, "Um, well I suppose they often... didn't think things completely through... they often were pretty deceptive... they lacked... a flawless plan?"

Celestia smiled, but shook her head, "No, it is much more simple than that."

Twilight ruffled her wings nervously, "umm... they lacked... decent support? They tried to work alone?"

"Well, if someone like Queen Chrysalis is to show anything, then we know that's quite it either," Celestia reasoned.

A second failed answer down, and Twilight's brow began to gather sweat, which she wiped off with a forehoof, "Umm... well... they... they probably..." Her eyes darted around looking for escape, "um... I... I don't know!" She threw her hooves up in exasperation and buried her face in the carpet, covering her face to hide her shame.

A light touch of a hoof on her shoulder got Twilight to look back up. Celestia lovingly and knowingly smiled, "Friendship, Twilight. They lacked friendship."

Narrowing her eyes in exasperation, Twilight clonked her head back down into the carpet, "Ugh! Of course it is," she bonked her head with a hoof, "Stupid, stupid, stu-"

"Please don't worry about it, Twilight," Celestia placed her own hoof on Twilight's head to stop her student from further self-abuse, which made the smaller alicorn realize how childish she was acting. Backing up to a standing position quickly and clumsily, she blushed.

"I- um... sorry Princess," Twilight looked down at the carpet, circling a forehoof in place.

"You're fine, Twilight," Celestia intoned, "But the point I am trying to make is this: in spite of how many there are who have talents, particularly with magic, there are actually relatively few who possess the... correct character to use it in a way that will uplift the lives of others. The only way that magic, or power, is worth it in the long run, is if you can find lasting happiness as you use it. And in my experience, the happiness that comes from... controlling, or taking over, is a very limited happiness. It is based on conflict and argument, if not outright war. If that is how somepony rules, then others will seek their life, and they will live in a state of either stress, fear, or simply unhappiness, because their own selfish actions make that happiness disappear."

Twilight avoided Celestia's gaze, looking out the window again. Celestia followed her eyes down to the valley once again, the distant town sprawled out beneath them. "My faithful student, do you see it? Ponyville itself is a testament of your selfless influence. Had you not been there, trying to pull everypony together, it likely would have been decimated completely and abandoned several times over."

Twilight huffed, this time with less annoyance, knowing that her teacher may be right, "Well... I suppose I have done a lot down there. I... certainly wouldn't wish I hadn't had all the amazing experiences I've had from my time in Ponyville..."

"You see, Twilight, you wanted to know why you are a princess, and not any of those other ponies," Celestia glanced down at her student once again, body still facing the window, "It is because you possess, and continually strive to keep, the attributes of friendship. Honesty, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, Kindness... you know the prophecy: 'When the five are present, the spark will cause the sixth to be revealed.' That isn't just talking about each of your friends themselves, though they do play a crucial role. You also need to have those five things within yourself, in order to truly obtain the most powerful magic: the magic of friendship."

Twilight looked down at her hooves again, "But... why me? Aren't there so many other wonderful ponies out there who have those qualities? Why am I the one set up to be in charge, as if I'm above them?"

"That is the secret to it," Celestia responded, "You aren't really above them, and neither am I. The mentality of friendship, of true equality, is what actually makes you a capable leader. In order to be the most powerful and effective leader, you also have to be on the level of the ponies you preside over. You have to show them that, in a sense, you are just an ordinary pony who works, has friends, has likes and dislikes, favorite foods, quirks, so on and so forth... and that, most importantly, they know that you care about them. That they can trust you with their concerns and problems, knowing that you will do something to care for them."

"Well..." Twilight mused sourly, "I'm sure everypony in Ponyville knows I've got my share of quirks and... difficulties," Twilight turned to Celestia, looking into her eyes like a lost foal, "But that's just it... I have so many weaknesses... how... how can anypony even trust me? How can I even trust myself when so many of my decisions have ended in fiasco?"

"How can you trust your friends?" Celestia countered sagely, a hint of a smile on her face.

"Wha- well... because..." Twilight shook her head for a moment, "...because I know that they'll never let me down. They all stay true to what they believe in. They are... unwavering," Twilight said with certainty.

"Yet," Celestia extended a wing over her protege, wrapping her in motherly security, full of warmth, "You know, perhaps better than anypony, that they also have their share of weaknesses, and you've seen many of their fiascos, just as they've seen yours. Is that not true?"

Twilight's fur bristled slightly, the warmth of her mentor's wing taking her by surprise. She sighed, "I... suppose..."

"Being a leader does not mean you are perfect, Twilight," Celestia looked down to Twilight, who had now pressed herself against Celestia's side for security. The white alicorn smiled, "I've had to learn that lesson time and time again. I've had more than my fair share of failures. Perhaps the most prevalent being... having to fight and banish my own sister... when, instead, I should have already been caring for her and looking out for her needs... so that such a confrontation never needed to occur."

Twilight pulled herself away slightly, with a look of indignation, "Princess! That was not your fault! Nightmare Moon chose that of herself." Realizing that perhaps she had spoken out of turn, Twilight again looked down sheepishly, "Oh. I'm sorry."

"There is no need to apologize," Celestia pulled Twilight closer again, "Regardless of who is responsible, the point is that I likely could have handled it... better than I actually did. Yet, everypony still looked to me as their light. Their day... and then, their night... my own sister's night. Which I had... practically stolen from her..."

Twilight seemed to bite back another remark. Electing to ignore it and move on, Celestia lifted a hoof and gestured out the window once more, "Now, what has helped me through these thoughts is this: in spite of all your mistakes, do they still trust you? Do they still turn to you in their times of need? Do they still know you care for them? That you would, if the time called for it, sacrifice yourself to save them from danger?"

Twilight took a moment to survey the town she now knew so well, lost in thought. After a time of silence, she said, "I... hope they do, at least."

"Sometimes that is all you can do, is hope," Celestia released her wing from around Twilight, who was still pressed up closely against her, almost unconsciously. Twilight's thoughts caught up to the present, and she again backed away, this time out of respect. "But if you are ever uncertain how they feel about you," Celestia intoned, "sometimes you simply have to meet with some of them, one on one. Tell them of your care and desire to help them. And then ask them what you can do to improve. Sometimes the answers may astound you, or even seem offensive. But if you will listen to them humbly, and not argue back, and try to look inside yourself, and see if, perhaps, there is at least a little you can work on, just a little bit... Then you will always be working to improve, and those who you rule over, even if they still have frustrations toward you... The humble ones will know that you are trying, just as they have to try to overcome their own weaknesses. And they will love you for trying."

Twilight sighed, not making eye contact. Celestia lowered her head to be closer to Twilight's eye level, "What is wrong?"

Twilight looked straight forward, now into the eyes of her mentor. Then she looked away just as quickly, clearly downcast, "I... just don't know. Even if they know I'm trying... what if my best simply isn't good enough? What about the ponies I may offend, which then leads to later conflicts? It's already happened more than once... What if I... ever make such a poor choice that they... never want to change? They're upset about something I do... forever? I... I don't know if I could forgive myself for causing that..."

"Twilight," Celestia closed her eyes, standing straight again, "Do you believe that I never had those thoughts myself? Especially after what I did to my sister? I... had nightmares... about that very thing for a long time. I almost viewed it as a just punishment for my failures. I knew that, while she was with me, Luna had possessed the power of dreamwalking... And, for a time, I almost desired the gloom, terror, and sadness my nightmares brought me... because I felt like I deserved it... I felt like she was trying to get back at me for what I had done to her."

Twilight's eyes were wet with tears, "Princess..."

"But there is something I eventually learned," Celestia opened her eyes, full of resolve, "I had to forgive myself for what I had done. The mistake was past, even if its effects still haunted me every time I had to raise the moon. Dwelling on my weaknesses and failures only brought me more pain, which led me to make poor decisions, which started causing problems for everypony who was counting on me to lead with a level head.

"I knew that before we had fought, Luna had loved me and wanted me to do my best. I knew that she would still have wanted me to do my best... even though she was..." Celestia looked down, eyes full of remorse, "...gone. Changed. Controlled. After the pain of losing her had hurt me enough times, I started to realize there was no point in only dwelling on my past mistakes. I started trying to replace those nightmares of losing her... with daydreams, of what it would be like to meet her again. Not Nightmare Moon, but... my sister, Luna. My hope was that... someday, somehow, harmony between us could be restored."

The princess softened in her expression, "Once I forgave myself, stopped focusing on only the past and started hoping for a better future... once I started holding onto a sliver of frail hope... my nightmares disappeared. Though, without her there... I was still left with... a hole, in the place she held in my heart."

Celestia turned her head to Twilight, "But you, my little pony... You made my hopes become a reality. You did with the Elements of Harmony what I had been incapable of." Celestia's eyes shimmered with emotion, "You saved my sister, and brought her back to me..."

The weight of Celestia's words sunk in to Twilight's heart, who had begun to tremble slightly as she sniffed back tears. Celestia, with a tone of the greatest sincerity said, "Twilight Sparkle, do you think that I will ever forget you for that? Do you think that any weakness of yours could overshadow the miraculous gift you restored into my life?"

Twilight simply shook her head, flinging a tear away, "P-Princess... I... had never even looked at it from your perspective before. I... I can't tell you how much that means to me..."

"Twilight, you have been one of my most prized pupils... and one of my greatest friends. If there is nothing else I can convey to you today, it is that your efforts have already changed my life for the better. And I know that if you always strive to stay true to the principles of harmony: the same elements that allowed you to save Luna... even if you stumble, you will not ever truly fail. All the trials you go through will simply be learning experiences, and they will ultimately aid you, and help lead you to lasting happiness. Even if... in the mean time, if means you have to face grief and pain... I know, from over a thousand years of longing, that that immense pain can be replaced with joy. Because, I placed my hopes on somepony... somepony willing to stand where I couldn't. To do what I couldn't do. To save what I couldn't save."

Unable to restrain herself, Twilight lunged forward tearfully, burying her face into Celestia's fur, sobbing. Celestia extended both wings around her student, holding her tightly and wrapping a hoof around her in a warm embrace. The two held each other in a long embrace, Celestia herself also beginning to cry with tears of gratitude. Time seemed to hold in place for a moment, allowing the two princesses to console one another.

Eventually, Twilight sniffled, and smiled, looking up with wet eyes towards one of her closest friends, "Thank you."

Celestia smiled in return, "No, thank you, my little pony. I will always cherish the times we have had together."

Twilight smiled, simply nuzzling into her mentor's fur, "Me too." Her breathing slowly calmed, as her thoughts of the conversation sunk in.

"Well..." Twilight sighed, still staying close, "...I guess I can't be perfect. But... I'll try my best to be better, little by little. And... to have... a virtuous heart."

Celestia smiled, "Then I know you will do fine, Twilight. You always have."

The pair of ponies stayed close and secure, as Celestia once more quietly began to lower the sun. Luna, from faraway in her tower, began to raise the moon in its place. The stars began to sparkle dimly. "Thank you for everything, Twilight."

Author's Note:

Yay!

I started writing this months ago and never got around to posting it. But I hope this brought some happiness into your life! It just seems really easy to be at peace when focusing on the small and simple things we can do to be more good to people around us. Its easy to overcomplicate and get stressed out about life, but when I get that way I try to remember examples of people who show the qualities of friendship. It helps get things back to what brings real happiness.

Anyway, please leave a comment or like! I appreciate feedback, and thank you for being willing to read this!

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