In the Eye of the Beholder
Twilight was excited and nervous. ‘Nervcited’ as Pinkie so aptly but also totally grammatically incorrectly put it. She did a small dance in place on her seat aboard the Friendship Express much to the bemusement of her fellow passengers. She blushed when she realised she had been noticed and proceed to return to her seat, mumbling an apology quietly under her breath.
It wasn’t exactly her fault. She had received some extremely exciting news.
‘A statue of me!’ she squealed internally. She hugged the binder which carried her speech notes. Of course, she had prepared a speech, even when she had been told it was unnecessary. It was best that she was prepared, just in case. It wasn’t everyday one was gifted a statue. She scratched her chin.
‘Well maybe for a princess,’ she thought as she gazed out at the passing countryside, the shadow of the city of Canterlot rapidly approached, its long spires visible against the sunlight of the evening.
‘A perfect day, just for me!’
Celestia certainly had her fair share of statues. All of them as beautiful and as graceful as the pony that their visage bore. Cadence had at least two the last time she checked. Luna did not have many modern statutes, but there were many ancient ones dotted around Equestria, some even stored in museums much to the Lunar Princess’s chagrin.
But this was Twilight’s first.
She giggled again as she was swept up with a warm bubbly feeling. Her statue was to be stationed outside the local foal hospital. Twilight had done some charitable works there a couple of moons ago, and the foals were so grateful they created a fundraising campaign to build a statue for her.
It had proved to be a massive success, many rich Canterlot families fell over themselves to fund the construction of the first statue of the Princess of Friendship, in what Twilight knew to be some desperate attempt to garner her favour.
Twilight rolled her eyes at the idea. The only thing that matter to her was the foals and the staff of the hospital, to whom she had been in regular correspondence.
‘I really don’t deserve it.’
She still had some doubts.
‘Could the funds have gone somewhere else? Why did the hospital refuse to be reimbursed by the Crown? Am I depriving the foals of better care, through diverting work towards some vanity project?’
She bit down on her hoof anxiously.
‘Maybe but…maybe this is what they want,’ she rationalised. Some selfish part of her was content at being recognised no matter where the money came from, but Twilight dismissed these feelings. She was happy if the foals were happy and that’s all that mattered!
“And if I get a statue out of it, well I guess no harm done,” she laughed aloud. By the time she had stopped theorising on the moral implications of its construction, the train had come to an abrupt stop.
“Now stopping at Canterlot!” called out the Conductor.
“Oh!” exclaimed Twilight lifting herself from her seat. Outside her window, the platform was full of ponies moving to-and-fro between various departing and arriving trains. She gathered her bags and quickly trotted off the train. As the smoke from the train's engines gradually lifted from the platform, she was greeted by a welcome sight.
“Princesses!” she cried, practically sprinting from the door of the carriage.
At the end of the platform, crowded by several members of the Royal Guard, were the three princesses of Equestria, having clearly decided to await their counterpart’s arrival.
‘Could this day get any better!’
“Twilight!” said Cadence as she leapt forward to greet her sprinting sister-in-law. She pressed herself low towards the floor, Twilight instantly recognised the gesture as they began their customary greeting. “Sunshine, Sunshine-”
“Ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” they both finished in unison before laughing and coming together in an embrace. Celestia, Princess of the Sun, looked upon the display and smiled. However, her visibly bedraggled sister, standing to her right, frowned.
“I don’t understand why I can’t have a ritual dance with Twilight Sparkle,” she mumbled. Celestia shot her sister a sharp look, her eyes narrowed.
“The last time you did a ‘ritual dance’ with another pony, Lilly Lilac ended up in the hospital.” She pointed her hoof roughly into her sister’s chest. “Eight months, Luna! Eight months that poor mare spent in recovery.” Luna batted the hoof away.
“It’s not our fault she did not act out the ceremonial duck during the kicking section of the greeting!” Celestia was smiling still, so as not to discourage the ponies going about their daily routine, but her eyes bore fire aimed directly at her seemingly indifferent sister.
“The issue wasn’t that you had a ‘dance greeting’, sweet sister” Celestia hissed between gritted teeth. “The issue was that you didn’t tell anypony you had one in the first place.”
“Semantics dear sister,” huffed Luna as she stepped in front of her elder sibling to greet their fellow princess. “Twilight Sparkle, how fair thee?” Twilight hugged Luna who gladly reciprocated.
“I’m good, Luna, thank you.”
Twilight then moved to her mentor. No words were exchanged, there was no need, only a shared intimate nuzzle.
“Princess Celestia,” Twilight beamed.
“Twilight, I’m so glad you decided to visit.”
“And miss my first ever statue, not for all of Equestria!” laughed Twilight. “Well, maybe that is a part of hyperbole on my part. Earned, I suppose.” She let out another chuckle before pausing for a moment regarding the three of her co-princesses. “Though, I am curious why you are all here? I just assumed you’d all have far more pressing duties to attend to.”
“This is a pressing duty, Twilight,” spoke Celestia warmly. “You are finally being acknowledged for the wonderful mare you are in an official capacity, and we would be honoured to stand by you as we see that recognition come to fruition before our wonderful Canterlot Foal’s hospital.”
“What my sister means is that she had nothing to do today and she is desperately lonely since you won’t call her anymore. So, she decided to drag me o-,” drawled Luna before being interrupted.
Whomp.
Celestia slowly returned her wing to her side over a frazzled Luna who nursed the back of her head with her hoof, glaring harshly at the seemingly innocuous sun monarch.
“Forgive Luna,” she said softly. She looked down at her little sister. “She is very tired, but she is also very pleased to be here for the unveiling.” Luna stuck out her tongue. “Speaking of, I believe we should be making our way, wouldn’t you say?”
It took all of Twilight’s restraint to leap from place to place in anticipation.
“Wow, this is all for me!”
Twilight looked upon the busy crowd of ponies assembled in the courtyard of the hospital. A block of chairs was assorted evenly with a parting in the middle leading up to a sheet that covered what Twilight could only presume was her statue, placed centrally in the hospital quad a couple of metres from the entrance to the hospital proper.
The rest of the square was thronged with ponies dressed in fine spring wear and fillies bearing purple hats and shirts that bore her cutie mark, excitedly chasing each other between the legs of the adults, who engaged in polite conversation with each other. There must have been a few hundred ponies present at least with many of them being members of the Canterlot nobility.
Twilight was filled with an indomitable sense of pride. So many ponies had shown up just for her. Often when she carried out her duties, it was easy to forget the effect she had on other ponies’ lives, the fact that the very ponies that had been just names on pages a few days prior, were now suddenly so very real.
She took in each passing moment, she felt more and more like Pinkie Pie, if only through the sheer ecstatic nature of her mood. It must have shown because Cadence draped a gentle wing over her withers.
“You have done tremendous work for these ponies Twilight I suppose it’s their way of showing they care.”
“There she is!” a voice shouted from the host. Ponies parted to reveal an ashen grey stallion sporting a stunning white smile trotting towards Twilight waving his hoof frantically. He wore a three-piece, with a red tie, black waistcoat and white undershirt and sported black sunglasses.
“Oh, Hello, you must be-”
“Dividend Share,” the stallion practically purred, roughly grabbing Twilight’s hoof and shaking it vigorously, causing Twilight to stumble somewhat. His iron grip was eventually released much to the purple pony’s relief. His smile somehow grew wider, stretching his mouth to the almost uncanny degree. “I was the one who contributed the bulk of the payment towards the finish of the statue.” He stepped back and pulled down his sunglasses a touch. “I mean gosh, just wow, I can’t believe it. I’m standing next to Princess Twily.”
‘Twily?’ Twilight’s eyebrow shot up.
“Uh-”
“I mean, how will my kids ever believe I stood next to one of the heroes of Equestria from Manehattan.” A hair sprung up on the back of Twilight’s head.
“Manehattan?”
“My kids love your friends. They want to be just like them. Raggedy and Rainboom Flash are their favourites.” Another hair shot up. Twilight politely coughed to interrupt the gesturing stallion.
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but I believe you mean Rarity and Rainbow Dash.” He turned his head to the side as if she was speaking a foreign language. “From Ponyville, that’s where we live.” Dividend laughed and stuck a hoof to his head.
“Oh boy, do I have egg on my face, Twily.” And thus, went another hair. “I’m sorry, I’m just so nervous. Not everypony gets to smooch it up with the ‘Twiggster’ am I right? Am I right? Am I right?” He jostled her lightly with his hoof, which stood somewhere between irritating and inappropriate.
‘Twiggster?’ Twilight felt her eye twitch. She wasn’t ungrateful, it could never be said that Twilight was such, but she instinctively felt a degree of unease around the stallion, that smile, the nicknames, his touchiness.
“I mean Twily, it just means so much to everypony you could be here today it’s going to be fantastic, oh and the foals just adore you.” He lightly slapped her shoulder, the act finally being the catalyst towards the release of Twilight’s unbridled annoyance.
“Um, you can call me Twilight,” she said with a desperately tense voice. “Only my brother calls me Twily.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to cause offence. I just-, I’m so-”
“No, no it's okay,” she said panicking at the realisation that she may have in fact hurt his feelings. “You can call me Twily, in fact, I have lots of nicknames-”
“No, I get it.” He brushed back his hair and smiled once more, waving a dismissive hoof. “Twily, it is.” Twilight immediately frowned. He clicked with his tongue and pointed at her. “Enjoy the unveiling. I’ll see you around.” He called at over to some passer-by’s directing their attention to the Princess of Friendship. “Legend. Absolute legend, standing there. Princess Twily Sparkle, everypony.” Then much like how he abruptly arrived, he disappeared into the crowd once more.
“Umm, what a…interesting character,” said Twilight hesitantly.
“Hail Twily Sparkle,” said a neutral-faced Luna. Twilight glared at her to little effect.
“Don’t worry Twilight, uh, someponies can be a bit forgetful is all,” reassured Cadence.
“Sometimes being a Princess means you encounter…eccentric characters.” Celestia nodded in agreement. Twilight let out a long breath. She immediately perked up again.
“I’m sure your right. I won’t dwell on it.”
“Our seats are in the front row,” said Celestia. “Shall we?”
“We shall,” replied Twilight, her genuine grin returned. It was still her day, and nothing could ruin that for her.
Twilight steadily made her way past ponies towards their seats nearest to the covered statute, her expectation barely contained with each passing moment. She occasionally was broken from her thoughts by ponies that approached her from the crowd. She exchanged some polities pleasantries with them before they too, returned to their seats. Twilight was ecstatic that almost every pony she met mentioned how much it meant that the hospital would now be rechristened in her honour and what a boon it would be for the local area.
Twilight sat in her seat, Celestia on her right, Cadence on her Left and Luna to the right of Celestia. Their chairs were the only ones given an ornate back in an almost faux throne look, with their Cutie Marks embroidered above them. A tarp extended above the faux thrones to provide cover from the sun. On each seat, the Princesses had been provided with a pamphlet that had been disturbed amongst the general audience.
‘They made a pamphlet about me! My first piece of literature! The first of many, I hope.’ she squeed internally, wiggling in her seat, much to the amusement of Celestia who watched her with mischievous eyes. Twilight blushed and averted her eyes towards the pamphlet. She placed her bag to the side and returned her full attention to the leaflet before her.
‘Our Princess of Friendship: Twilight Sparkle’ it read. Twilight smiled and decided to quickly flick through it. As she passed through the individual pages, her eyes widened in horror as she processed the words on the page. She quietly coughed to gain her fellow princesses’ attention.
“About these pamphlets.”
“Yes, Twilight?” asked Cadence.
“They are not very, ahem, accurate about…me.” Cadence snorted and waved a hoof dismissively.
“Twilight ponies like to embellish and spin tales, it’s a part of being a princess, I wouldn’t take offence,” she laughed.
“It says I’m married to Shining Armor,” Twilight deadpanned. Luna snickered, Celestia coughed, and Cadence’s eyes bulged.
“Oh well, um, maybe it’s a typo.”
“And I have three children,” Twilight continued in a monotone voice. “Spike, Starlight Glimmer and the Tree of Harmony.”
“Well, Twilight sometimes ponies make mistakes.” Cadence patted the highly unimpressed Twilight’s shoulder. “At least they look nice.”
“So, you are not in fact not on the run from a crime you did not commit?” interjected Luna looking up from her own leaflet peering curiously at her fellow Princess.
“What, no?!” declared Twilight incredulous.
“Luna, why on earth would Twilight come to Canterlot if she was on the run?”
“Well, perhaps she is hiding in plain sight,” said Luna with a shrug.”
Whomp.
“Perhaps its best we focus on the ceremony rather than some unfortunately documented pieces of paper,” said Celestia smiled at Twilight reassuringly, discarding both her and Twilight’s pamphlets, overtly ignoring the glare of her still wind-swept sister.
“I wonder who wrote these,” mumbled Cadence. Twilight shook her head; this wasn’t the time to feel aggrieved over some poorly written booklet. She reassured herself that this was part of a wider mistake, perhaps some misinformed and disinterested intern’s work.
“It doesn’t matter,” she said to the agreement of the other Princesses. Twilight continued to smile, but that unrepented happiness within her core had faded slightly, a new feeling of undeserved panic now crept up in her gut.
‘Things are going to be alright, right?’
“Princess Twilight! I’m so happy you’re here!” called a voice edging closer towards the royal seats. The stallion bowed before the Princesses before smiling at Twilight. Twilight reciprocated, recognising the stallion instantly.
“Hello, Mr Tart.”
Devin Tart was the stallions name. He was the sculptor commissioned by the hospital board to create the statue. He was a light green stallion of slight frame, wearing a black beanie and sporting thick black rimmed glasses. He also had a prominent five o’clock shadow.
He smelled of coffee and disappointment.
The board had taken him on after his recent graduation from Royal Arts Academy, though that was the extent to which Twilight was aware of his qualifications. She trusted the board had hired the right pony.
“It’s such an honour to have you here today, this is my first commissioned piece, and in what I assure you-” he said with a wink. “-is my best work yet.” He stared off into the distance beyond Twilight much to her confusion. “I can’t thank you enough, like to believe that the Princess of Friendship would trust me with such an important piece. When the hospital approached me, I just said ‘you’re crazy’, but then I realised only I had the vision to do this.”
Twilight quickly came to the realisation that Devin had long stopped directly addressing her but rather somepony else entirely. Twilight merely continued to smile as her eyes darted between her fellow princesses who shrugged. “You know my dad said I’d never amount to anything as an artist, said it was a waste of time and bits, said ‘it’s not a real job, Devin.’ Well, who’s laughing now, Dad, who’s laughing now. Me, hah!” Only then did Devin suddenly realise who he was addressing did he regain his composure, his eyes dart to the floor in embarrassment. “Uh, I’m just really glad you gave m-me this job, Princess, sorry.” He rubbed his forehoof.
“Um, n-no your ha-ha, more than welcome, I, uh, guess. I’m so very glad you feel so…passionately about your job.” Cadence gave Twilight an encouraging nod, much to her relief. Mr Tart seemed buoyed by her words and with a newfound spring in his step made his way closer to the statue.
“It’s nearly time, Princess.” Twilight looked around to see that the ponies had gathered in the foyer, either seated or standing at the far back clearly in anticipation for the start of the event. “If you would, Princess.” He gestured for her to stand next to him in the shadow of the veiled statue. Celestia indicated her head at him, and Twilight obliged.
“Oh well, I suppose.” Twilight stood Devin’s left as he greeted the crowd, the sight of hundreds of ponies in attendance filled Twilight equally with a sense of fear but also awe.
‘So many have come here to see this. Come to see me, well, maybe not in a literal sense but still the thought counts.’
She returned her focus to the crowd. She tried to maintain as formal Princess posture as possible while next to the statue but even to a casual observer, the fluff of her wings indicated both her excitement and nervousness.
“Hello Mares and Gentlecolts,” started Devin, the assembled murmurings of the audience quietly hushed as the sculptor spoke. “I am honoured today to show you the first commissioned statue of Princess Twilight in honour of her work with the Foal’s hospital here in Canterlot. I know of no pony more worthy to be placed outside this hospital representing its values and its commitment to the health and wellbeing of our nation’s youth.” A round of hoof stomps answered him, Twilight waved with her wing, practically beaming now, her prior fears being allayed by the speech. “It is a great honour than to have also worked with all of our magnificent investors, staff and Princesses of course, in coming together to make this day possible.” Devin turned to Twilight and with a flourish of magic gripped the edge of the veil. “Without further ado, Princess Twilight.” He pulled, sending the tarp into the air. “May I introduce Princess Twilight!”
‘This is it the moment I’ve been waiting for!’
Her eyes were alight as the sun’s rays flashed off its golden surface, as her vision came back into focus the statue was revealed before her…
And what a sight it was.
Her eyes dimmed, her smile vanished, and her dreams were instantaneously crushed amongst the cheering of the crowd. A singular thought repeatedly churned within her mind as her face paled and her mouth let forth a silent scream.
‘Oh, sweet Celestia, it's hideous!’
To describe the statue as being like Twilight would be an insult to an average pony’s intelligence. The nine-foot gold monstrosity was truly something that needed to be seen to be believed. Sure, it certainly had the appearance of a pony, if said pony had been drawn by a small child.
Her wings were large, far too large. So large that had said wings been folded at her side they would have surely dragged along the floor. That wasn’t the only disproportionate piece of anatomy, her horn spiked into the sky like a spear, her hair was not the like her own hairstyle but rather was far straighter and less angular, with ten stripes woven into the fringe rather than Twilight’s three. Her left hoof extended outward supposedly quite heroically, though all it seemed to be pointing to was the fast food restaurant that lay a couple of hundreds of yards away. Her hooves were elongated at the back, much longer than her forehooves resulting in her counterpart’s rear being…exaggerated, to put it mildly. The face was the most disconcerting aspect.
Her face, she, supposed, was meant to have been etched as smiling hopefully, perhaps even inspirationally. Unfortunately, intention did not beget reality. Twilight’s eyes were off centre creating a distinctly crazed look, her smile was a wall of teeth, large and block-shaped, and her lips curled impossibly wide up to her cheeks.
Twilight knew the foals would be terrified of the statue. Twilight knew this because Twilight was not a foal and was already terrified.
“Oh, dear,” whispered Cadence, still audible enough for Twilight to hear, several hairs sprang up, her eye twitched, and her breathing increased.
‘Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.’
“Here Twilight, come take a closer look,” said Devin, still beaming, almost smugly.
“Um, this design isn’t exactly the same as the one we discussed,” said through clenched teeth as he guided her around the shining monstrosity.
“Oh well, I wanted to capture you in a moment of action, it's organic, like poetry; it flows.”
“Well, there’s poetry, and I mean, I look at my face.” Twilight pointed at her other self. “I look insane.”
“Insane as in good insane?” Devin offered. Twilight shook her head.
“No, as in I seem like I’m out of my mind.” He seemed startled and ushered her to the other side of the statue, Twilight’s strained smile had long disappeared now replaced with a tight frown.
“Oh, well maybe this angle, I think if the light-”
“Why is my horn so pointy, it looks like a sword?”
“I made a creative decision,” he blurted out but almost immediately regretted as he took in a heavy breath inward as Twilight growled and scrunched up her nose.
“Clearly not the only one. My wings, for example.”
“I-It’s a part of the m-motion theory.” Twilight’s mane by this point had become thoroughly dishevelled, the twitch in her eye almost uncontrollable in motion and her wings fluffing consistently.
“My wings don’t look like that,” she hissed still wary of the watching and still cheering crowd. “I honestly look like a bird.”
“Well, maybe if you look at it from another angle.”
“I don’t think any angle will do away with fundamental flaws with this…thing,” retorted Twilight. Devin sputtered and looked like he was about to wilt away into nothingness.
“You see I was working from second hoof sources, so some creative licence was always go-”
“Second-hoof sources!?” wailed Twilight. “What about all those pictures we took in your studio?”
“Those were for the statue?!”
Twilight snorted angrily before relaxing as she noticed the other Princesses had now joined with her around the statue.
“Celestia, what do you think?”
“I think it looks…great!” She turned to wave patiently at the crowd, not so conspicuously refusing to keep her eyes at the statue.
“Really!?” said Twilight incredulously.
“Look sister they managed to accurately capture your favourite part of your student,” interjected Luna standing at the back of the statue her eyes glancing over, well, it’s behind. “Twilight’s as-”
Whomp.
Luna stomped her hoof and growled some illegible curse words.
“I just don’t understand how wrong you got this,” cried Twilight returning to the now thoroughly dishevelled-looking stallion. “I-I can’t have this, h-h-here! My family lives in Canterlot!” Twilight was now shaking whether sheer anger or the rising panic bubbling in her gut. Devin was not much better, mirroring Twilight’s unsettled nature.
“W-well, I think maybe at night, it will look better, the shadows will play off your wings.”
“Ughh,” huffed Twilight before storming off, no longer caring about whether the crowd saw her or not. Devin put on a brave face as several ponies approached to congratulate him though Twilight no longer cared, she left without saying anything more.
The fast food restaurant across the street was an odd place. The ponies who ran it were odder still. They sold only several forms of ‘goulash’ and the mysteriously named ‘crab juice’. A delightfully awful drink that befit Twilight’s mood. Still, the ponies running the place had not bothered her and seemed to barely notice she was a princess at all. She appreciated that they left her be, she was in no mood to entertain fans.
Twilight had decided to wallow in her self-pity in a booth near the window facing the hospital sipping on her provided can of crab juice. She scowled. She could still see that thing from where she sat, mocking her almost. She briefly imagined that the horrid piece came to life playfully sticking out its tongue and waving at her. She sharply turned away downing the rest of her drink, as she finished it, she heard a bell ring above the entrance door. She did not bother to turn to the new entrant.
The pony loomed over her, and from the way the shadows were cast, it could only be one pony.
“Hello, Princess.”
“Twilight, I think maybe we should talk,” said Celestia softly, placing her hoof on Twilights shoulder. Twilight deflated, her shoulders sagging.
“You’re here to laugh about how awful it is too? Go ahead, the crowd seemed pleased enough,” She sniffed, she didn’t know when the tears had formed, though she quickly moved to wipe them from her face. Celestia’s hoof tightened on her shoulder.
“No, Twilight.” Celestia shook her head, following Twilight’s eyes towards the statue. “I’m not here to laugh at you. How about we go back outside?” Twilight nodded meekly and trailed Celestia as she exited. Twilight appreciated the closeness of her mentor to her as they crossed the street in content silence. Twilight always felt better when Celestia was around. Only when they once again came upon the courtyard again did Celestia speak.
“I understand your frustration, Twilight.” She sighed deeply. “Ponies don’t get it right all the time, and that can be…frustrating.”
“You should,” she grumbled. “I-it’s, pardon my frankness princess, it’s just terrible, I mean, look at it!” Twilight had not even realised she was before the base of the statue until she looked up from the floor and was greeted by its twisted glare. Those beady unfocused eyes seemed to swivel to greet her. It took all of Twilight’s composure to not blast the horrid thing’s head off. It would honestly have been a vast improvement. Celestia tilted her head and regarded the statue once more, her express was neutral.
“Hmmm, perhaps that is true.” Twilight frowned deeply.
‘Well, that confirms it.’
“But look again,” said Celestia.” Beyond what’s before you and see what’s truly important.” She inclined her head to all the ponies present. Twilight had not even focused on the present ponies, so saddened by her gift that they had all become secondary to her own disappointment.
Contrary to what Twilight thought spirits seemed jovial and perhaps even festive. The laughs were of good nature, even the foals seemed content and playful. Devin had even perked up somewhat, surrounded by the cream of Canterlot society shaking his hoof or politely congratulating him.
They all seem so happy?’
“Princess?”
“I understand your disappointment. Experience, I find, is the greatest of teachers. Often, we, ourselves, are our own harshest of judges, But I feel you have lost sight of what is truly important.”
“I guess I didn’t think about them,” Twilight admitted bashfully. “I mean I didn’t mean to I just-”
Celestia silenced her with the foremost of her feather tips touching Twilight’s lips.
“Don’t fret Twilight, you had your reasons. When I was young, I would have felt very much the same. But what matters is that these, ponies, are all here not for the statue but to honour you. They don’t care how, um, distinct, the statue is, all they care about is what it represents, and to them it represents you, and that’s what truly matters.
“Sometimes being a princess means living with somethings you dislike, for the sake of benefiting others. It doesn’t matter that it’s not accurate. To them, it’s something beautiful just like the princess it represents. And on that, I’m sure we can agree on.”
Celestia swept Twilight into a tight hug. Twilight gradually reciprocated, gently laying her head against the Princess’s chest. They parted eventually, with Cadence, not far behind Celestia.
“Auntie Celestia is right Twilight. Ponies don’t care about that… thing. What they care about is that you did something here that these ponies won’t forget and that’s why I’m so proud of you.”
Twilight turned to the statue once more. She disregarded its inaccuracies for one moment placing aside that it was meant to be her. She still thought it wasn’t flattering, certainly not a masterpiece but in the evening sunlight, it looked at least a bit better. Perhaps, even something worthy of recognition.
‘Maybe…just maybe, I’m looking at this wrong. I think…I’ve been selfish.’
“Wow, when you put it like that, I guess you could say that in its own way, it really is a beautiful statue,” she said with slow realisation as she took in Celestia and Cadence’s words.
Suddenly, Twilight was filled with a sense of gratification as she met the statues crisscrossed eyes. It was never about vanity; it was about purpose. These ponies had chosen her, and that’s all that should have ever mattered, and if they loved it, then she would love it too…eventually.
Luna walked over and placed a wing over Twilights wither and looked into her eyes with warmth and hope like she was about to make her own reassuring speech to Twilight justifying the statue and what it represented, and it would be beautiful and reassuring and-
“No, it is just a very ugly statue.”