“Dear Princess Celestia,”

Sunset Shimmer let out a dreamy sigh as she scrawled out the greeting in their two-way diary. Her quill floated lazily through the air in her telekinetic grip, scribbling little hearts on every ‘i’.

“I’m happy to report that the mission was a success. These podunk ponies have been feuding for so long that they can’t even remember why they were fighting. They all refused to listen to reason, so, using the authority you granted me, I’ve annexed their land in the name of the crown, and plan to set it up so both families are relocated to opposite ends of Equestria. I know there were some zones you wanted to encourage settlers towards, and this place would make for a nice park or something. Everypony wins.”

Princess Celestia had allowed Sunset to exercise crown authority on a limited basis during her missions, and she felt it a mark of pride to be trusted with such a great responsibility. Sunset always worried about whether she was going too far, but she had to believe that the Princess’s trust was well-placed.

“Unless there’s another mission you have for me while I’m in the area, I’ll be returning to Canterlot soon. I look forward to seeing you and drinking tea with you as I tell you everything I’ve learned. <3”

Sunset let out a long sigh, and she walked away from her desk, dragging her diary through the air behind her. She flopped onto the dirty straw bed of the hovel she was staying in and buried her face in her pillow.

It made for a suitable mission report, but that wasn’t all she wanted to say to the alicorn princess.

Sunset giggled and rolled over, raising her quill to the page as the diary floated above her.

“Oh, Celestia, the tea you make is the finest in the world, but rather than this dingy teacup, I’d rather taste its sweetness directly from your lips. Our twin souls are destined to be as one, dancing together in brilliant radiance as the day wanes and you hold that celestial orb low in the sky so that our moment may last forever.”

“What absolute dreck,” Sunset muttered with a snort, her cheeks burning. There was no danger of Princess Celestia actually reading the feelings she put onto the page, of course. The message wouldn’t be sent until she signed it with her name. It was just a game, a fantasy to indulge in. She would pour her soul into the pages and toy with the idea of actually baring her heart to Princess Celestia, only to erase it all and hide those feelings away once more.

“That first time I saw you lower the sun, when I was but a filly, it sparked something in me. Suddenly I knew who I was, and I knew that I was destined to be by your side. First as your student, but as I enter my fifteenth year, I know I am a filly no longer. I have a dream, sometimes. In it, I am tall and beautiful and majestic, just like you, with a set of wings to match. My mane burns with the fire and fury of the sun itself, and we sit in thrones side by side. You make a small joke, I laugh, then we touch our horns together and our power rules over all the stars in the heavens.”

Sunset groaned, her face burning. It was dumb, she knew. Princess Celestia was an immortal alicorn who had lived for over a thousand years, and Sunset was just a kid with a crush. Sure, Sunset was special—nopony else was Princess Celestia’s personal student, after all—but the Princess had students before Sunset, and would have students again after. As much as Sunset loathed to admit it, she probably wasn’t the best student Celestia had ever had. There was no way Princess Celestia would ever think of her as an equal.

Growling, Sunset threw her pillow at the ceiling, and wrote so hard she almost snapped her quill.

“I love you, Princess Celestia. There, I said it. And I also hate you. If I had fallen in love with any other pony at the academy, they would be going out with me right now. I’m at the top, so of course I could pick anypony I wanted, but you’re above it all. The top of the food chain. The Princess. Nopony could possibly stand at your level. Do you even see us all from up there? I know you saw me, saw something in me. I know you want me to do something, even if you won’t tell me what. Please, raise me up, look me in the eyes, and we can do it together! What are you scared of? What am I scared of? I, Sunset Shimmer, can become the pony who is worthy to be your bride.”

Stabbing the final period, Sunset dropped the diary onto the bed and it snapped shut. She sighed, her anger draining away. It was a stupid exercise. She was just torturing herself. She had always dreamed of things far grander than the average pony. It only made sense she would shoot for the impossible in the realm of love as well.

In any case, it was time she scrapped this rubbish and finished her actual report.

Sunset sat up, but as she turned to retrieve the book, it flashed with a yellow light.

That was impossible, right? That light meant the message had been sent, but there was no way it could have…

Sunset’s eyes widened, and her heart began thundering in her chest. She had written her own name in the last paragraph. That wasn’t a signature though, there’s no way it should have counted. Why would anyone enchant something with such an obvious design flaw?

Her hooves trembling, Sunset opened the diary back up. A small dot in the corner marked that it had been sent. There was no way to take it back. Even if she tore the page to pieces and burned it, the copy would still exist in Celestia’s diary.

Sunset fired up her own horn, frantically scanning the intricate weaves of magic that made up the enchantment on the diary. There had to be some sort of loophole, right? Some sort of way to take it all back.

If there was one, Sunset wasn’t skilled enough at picking apart the enchantment to find it.

It was simple, then. Celestia might have stepped outside of her quarters for a moment. All Sunset had to do was make it all the way to Canterlot in the next five minutes and destroy the diary.

Sunset smacked herself in the face with a hoof. She was being stupid. There had to be some other way should could attempt to salvage this catastrophe.

Biting her lip, Sunset quickly began scribbling on another page.

“Ugh, sorry about that. One of the villagers snuck in and nicked my diary while I was writing the report, and apparently decided to conjure up some gross fantasy about us. Please disregard everything on the previous page. Your faithful student, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset stared as the diary flashed again, then after several moments of silence save for the blood rushing through her veins, she forced herself to take a deep breath. That was a good excuse. It was believable, and delivered in a calm and non-panicking manner that gave it an extra air of credibility.

Although it was still written with Sunset’s horn. Crap.

Maybe Princess Celestia wouldn’t be able to tell the difference?

Even as she hoped for something so pathetic, the idea made her a little sad—that Princess Celestia wouldn’t even recognize the horn strokes of her prized pupil.

The diary flashed again, this time vibrating slightly. This was it. She was doomed. Sunset slowly turned to the next page.

“We need to talk.”

---

Sunset’s eyes snapped open, and she drew in a sharp breath.

A loud voice chimed over a speaker system somewhere. “We will be arriving in Canterlot Station shortly. Please have your luggage ready and disembark in an orderly fashion.”

Twilight looked up from the newspaper she was reading, then folded it and set it aside. “Oh, you’re awake. Good timing. You, uh, doing alright, Sunset?”

Sunset yawned, rubbing at her eyes with a hoof. “Yeah, I’m fine, I guess. I just… had a bad dream, that’s all.”

Twilight smiled, and put a hoof on Sunset’s shoulder. “Relax. Princess Celestia has been looking forward to seeing you again for such a long time now. She misses you a bunch, and I think the both of you need this reunion.”

“I know that, Twilight, all too well. I’m here after all, aren’t I? But... a lot happened between us.”

“She’s not as scary as you might think,” Twilight said with a giggle. “I mean, I’m the last pony who has a right to say something like that, but still, I’ve learned my lessons. Did I ever tell you about the time I freaked out because I didn’t have a friendship report to give her?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think so.”

Twilight blushed, rubbing at the back of her head. “Well, it all started when…”

As Twilight launched into her anecdote, the two of them packed their bags and started making their way off the train. It was an interesting story, to be sure, but Sunset found herself tuning the princess out as she focused her thoughts inward instead.

That dream had drudged up all sorts of painful memories. It was only natural, of course. This would be the first time she’d be seeing Princess Celestia in over five years. The confrontation with Sunset had sent that fateful later played through her mind in startling clarity.

Celestia had been cool and stern when Sunset had arrived and at first had refused to even address Sunset’s faux pas. Any other filly would have slunk away, cried into her pillow all night, and let the both of them pretend it had never happened when the morning came around.

But Sunset had been stubborn and full of foolish pride. She demanded that Celestia face her properly and not ignore the issue. When pressed, Celestia had rejected her politely, laying out a rather obvious reasons as why an adult cannot return the romantic feelings of a child. Sunset, of course, wouldn’t accept no as an answer.

It quickly devolved into a shouting match. It was hard to remember what exactly was said anymore, but it ended with Sunset storming off in tears, swearing that she would become a princess on her own so that Celestia would find her worthy.

And everypony knew just how well that had turned out.

Sunset sighed and shook her head, trying to clear away the remembered embarrassment that set her cheeks aflame. No matter the circumstances under which she had left, it was nice to be back in Canterlot again. The old streets were all too familiar underneath her hooves, and she yearned to go wander around the city, visiting street stalls and searching for old hangouts.

That would all have to wait, of course. She wouldn’t be able to run away any longer.

---

Sunset took a deep breath, raised her hoof, and knocked on the door.

“Come in,” came an all too familiar regal voice from inside.

As the door swung open, Sunset stopped dead in her tracks. Celestia sat at a table on the veranda, her figure framed by the setting sun streaming through her ethereal mane. She was just as radiant and beautiful as Sunset remembered.

Swallowing and lowering her head to hide her blush, Sunset mumbled, “Princess, before I say anything else, I want you to know that I am so, so sor—”

A golden telekinetic grip lifted Sunset’s head up to meet Celestia’s eyes, cutting her off. Celestia chuckled, and shook her head. “I did not invite you here to hear your apologies, Sunset Shimmer. I invited you here because I wanted to see you. I do not need to hear your words. Your heart speaks clearly enough.”

Sunset opened her mouth to object, but found her lip trembling, and she realized she was on the verge of tears. “I…”

“Ssh.” Celestia pulled out one of the seats at the table with magic, and beckoned towards it. “Come, have some tea with me.”

“R-right.” Sunset swallowed, then sat down at the table.

Celestia began pouring into their teacups, and the heavy scent of cinnamon filled the air. The familiar odor sparked a thousand wisps of nostalgia, of far too many evenings spent sipping tea as they discussed magic theory or politics together.

“My, how you’ve grown, Sunset. In some ways, I hardly recognize you,” Celestia murmured, taking a sip of her tea.”

Sunset closed her eyes for a moment, rooting through her psyche to get over her nervousness and regain her charisma. “Funny, you don’t look like you’ve changed at all,” Sunset said with a weak grin.

Celestia giggled. “Appearances can be deceiving, Sunset. The mare you once knew was crushed under a thousand years of loneliness, and driven by a desperation to do everything I could to stop what was coming. In that, I’m afraid I may have failed you. But now my sister has returned to me, the kingdom is safe, our greatest enemy is now a close friend, and I have Twilight Sparkle to solve problems I never could. It’s easy to forget how much a burden weighs until it has been lifted from you.”

Sunset’s eyes widened. She took a closer look at the ancient alicorn and found that, beneath Celestia’s radiance, she looked younger, more vibrant, more alive than Sunset could ever remember seeing her. “Princess… I’m sorry, I never even considered that you—”

“And there you go with those apologies again,” Celestia said with a sigh, clicking her tongue. “And please, just refer to me as Celestia. I do not wish to treat with you as a ruler, nor as a teacher, but rather as a friend.”

Sunset bit her lip, frowning as she sipped at her tea. “You say that, but… P—, I mean, Celestia, there’s still so much I need to learn from you, about the magic of friendship. You tried to teach me so much more, but I wasn’t willing to listen back then, because I was an arrogant fool.”

“No,” Celestia said flatly, and sipped at her own cup. “You are learning well enough on your own, with your friends in the human world, and with Princess Twilight to turn to should you need assistance. She’s kept me well informed of your progress. Indeed, as I understand it, you have another Twilight that you’ve been teaching yourself. How fascinating. I’d love to meet her.”

“But—”

“And,” Celestia continued, setting her teacup down on the table and lifting the tea pot once more, “I am tired of being a teacher. With Luna, Twilight, and Cadance, I no longer have to be in charge of everything at once. I can sit back and relax. I am tired of imparting my wisdom to the younger generation. Figure it out yourself for a change.”

Sunset stared at Celestia for a few moments, blinking several times before she burst out laughing. “You know, I was expecting this reunion to involve a lot more tearful apologies and hugging.”

Celestia grinned. “See, there’s the wit I remember. I’ve had enough of those too. Well, almost.” With a soft sigh, Celestia stood up, made her way around the table, and pulled Sunset into a tight hug. “I’ve missed you so much, Sunset Shimmer. Welcome home.”

Sunset felt her eyes brimming with tears, but she flicked them away with magic and smiled, burying her face in Celestia’s mane. “I missed you too. I’m glad to be back.”

Celestia pulled out of the hug, and ruffled Sunset’s mane with a hoof. Behind her, through no intervention of Celestia’s, the moon rose into the sky. “There. Now then, tea parties are wonderful and all, but a lot has changed since you left. How would you like to meet my sister?”

Sunset grinned. “I’d love to.”

---

Sunset let out a groan as she slumped into the plush bed of her former chambers. The room had been cleaned and redecorated in the years since she once resided here, of course, but it still felt nostalgic to be sleeping here again.

More than just nostalgic, it felt… right.

With a giggle, Sunset rolled onto her side, staring out at the night sky. Princess Luna had been an absolute delight. Rather than imperious and majestic, she was a laugh riot, if a bit old fashioned. Sunset suspected she would get along well with Pinkie Pie, given the chance. To her considerable surprise, Sunset and the three princesses—Twilight had joined in later—had embarked on a rather spectacular contest of ‘who could pull the biggest prank on the royal guards.’

The guards, for their part, seemed used to it.

It was amazing. The Celestia that Sunset had once known would have never let her mask down like this, to do something so uncouth and base. And the Sunset that she once was would have never let herself be distracted by such frivolity, since she was far too busy obsessing over knowledge and power.

But enough regrets. That was all in the past now, and now that she had reconciled with her former teacher, she could drive the final nail into the coffin that contained her dark past. Sunset Shimmer was a reborn mare, free to look forward to the future, to build new friendships and rekindle old ones.

Sunset raise a hoof into the air, staring past it. In some part of her mind's eye, she could see fingers instead. It really was amazing. She’d spent so long in the human world, it almost seemed an innate part of her. But being here, being home again, and her reunion made her think she might finally be able to pick her life back up where she had left it off.

No, not where she left of. Something entirely new. With Celestia’s new outlook on life, it was like getting to know a whole new pony. Someone fun, and playful, and charming, and sometimes even bashful. While the majestic alicorn ruler was still there, it was now so much softer, tempered with a healthy zest for life.

With a sigh, Sunset rolled over and buried her face into her pillow. Both of them had changed so much over the past couple years. Ponies truly were capable of amazing things. Between the two of them, they...

There was a strange twinge in Sunset’s heart, and suddenly a chill ran down Sunset’s spine and she sat bolt upright.

What she was feeling towards the princess, it couldn’t be…

“No,” Sunset muttered to herself. “That’s ridiculous. It was just a childhood crush. I got over it. I’m an adult now.”

So you are, her own voice whispered in her mind. And, though it’s an odd way of putting it, so is she. It might actually be possible this time.

“No no no no no,” Sunset growled, shaking her head furiously. “It’s not even worth considering.”

But it was no use. Try as she might, thoughts began to flood her mind, memories dredged up of the old dreams and wishes of a misguided love to her teacher. But they were quickly overwritten with new ones. No misguided desires of power or rulership or control. Just of simple walks in the park next to the ancient alicorn, listening to Celestia tell stories of her past. Snuggling up together under a blanket, reading some books that Sunset brought from the human world. Holding hands together as Sunset showed the older woman around Canterlot High, and took her to the amusement park, where she could experience her first roller coaster.

Sunset let out a wail, slamming her head into the wall repeatedly. No. She couldn’t do this again. She wasn’t going to let her idiocy ruin everything.

Not again.

---

If there was one thing Sunset was good at, it was running away from her problems.

“Good afternoon, Sunset,” Rarity said as she slid into the seat across from Sunset, setting down her lunch tray.

“Hey,” Sunset mumbled, yawning and looking up. “How’s it going?”

“Quite excellent, darling. I’ve just had a wonderful new idea for a fashion line, though I haven’t even gotten started on the sketches yet.. How about you?”

Sunset shrugged. “Okay, I guess.” She grabbed an apple off of her own tray and bit into it.

Rarity pursed her lips. “Sunset… look, I’ve prodded you gently about this a few times now, but since you’re not saying anything, I’m going to have to push further. You’ve seemed really out of it ever since you came back from Equestria a month ago. You finally got to see your old teacher again, right? If something’s bothering you, I’d love to hear it. You should know this already, Sunset, but your friends are always going to be there to help you when you need it.”

Sunset grimaced, and looked away. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just having a hard time in some of my classes, that’s all.”

“Is that so?” Rarity crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. “You’re a genius Sunset, and a horse besides. Do you even care about classes in High School?

Sunset let out a long sigh. Rarity was right of course. But this was one of the tightest secrets she kept. She’d never even told Twilight. “Okay, fine, something there happened that bothered me, but… I don’t think getting into it will help. There’s nothing I can do.”

Rarity frowned, tapping her finger against her chin, then her eyes lit up. “It’s love, isn’t it? Is it Flash?”

“What? No, of course not. The whole Flash thing is done and over with, there’s nothing more to say there.”

Rarity leaned closer, her chin resting daintily on her fingers, “But it is love then?”

Sunset smacked herself in the face with her palm. She had walked right into that one. “Maybe it is. Please, don’t make a big deal out of this, okay? It’s something that, for various reasons, will never work out. I just have to get over it on my own.”

“The heart isn’t so easily tamed, Sunset” Rarity chided, wagging a finger. “But a forbidden love, hmm? I wonder who could…” Rarity’s eyes suddenly got wide, and her cheeks colored. “Oh my, I can see why you’d be torn over something like that.”

Sunset groaned, and slammed her head into the table repeatedly. Was it really that obvious? Well, there was one pony she had been going back to Equestria to meet. It wasn’t that hard to put two and two together. “I had a crush on Princess Celestia when I was a filly,” Sunset mumbled, not looking up. “It was just a dumb, one sided infatuation that led to our relationship deteriorating and my eventual defection to the dark side.”

Rarity reached out a hand and cupped it over Sunset’s. “So you saw her again, and realized that some part of you still loved her.”

Sunset nodded slightly, her face still mashed against the table. “I ran back here as soon as I could, and have been avoiding contact with her. I can’t bear to impose myself on her like that again.”

“Oh, Sunset,” Rarity said with a sigh, squeezing her hand. “Do you really think the situation is the same, that things would end the same way? I’m not saying that she would return your feelings, but if you talk to her, well. You’ve changed so much, Sunset. I know you can handle it.”

Sunset grit her teeth, untangled her hand from Rarity’s, and pushed herself up off the table. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Rarity, but… I’m scared, okay? Even though I know it’s impossible, a part of me still hopes that something really could happen between us, and a part of me wants to leave the answer open so that I can still hold onto those dreams.”

Rarity drummed her fingers across the table. “Come now, is Sunset Shimmer really the type of person who would avoid facing something just because she was scared?”

“Actually yeah, it’s kind of my modus operandi,” Sunset said, rubbing at the back of her head. “I know I’ve been able to step up to the plate when you guys needed me, but there have been far too many occasions in my life where I just ran away, or foisted responsibility, or blamed someone else.”

“Maybe.” Rarity shrugged and picked up her fork. “Well, it’s up to you, Sunset. I can’t force you to do anything, but if you need any help at all, you know where you can turn.”

Sunset took a deep breath, and shook her head. “Thanks, Rarity. It means a lot, really.”

“Mmmhmm. So, about that fashion line I mentioned…”

---

Sneaking into Canterlot Castle was surprisingly easy.

For reasons unknown even to herself, Sunset didn’t want anypony to know about her visit. And so, she had snuck through Twilight’s palace under the dead of night and made her way to the capitol shrouded in disguise. Lucky for her, she had been given the spellcode to the teleport wards in the castle during her last visit, and it didn’t seem like they’d bothered to update it.

After a few short hops through rooms in the castle she knew were likely to be empty, save for one terrified maid, Sunset teleported into the tea room where she had met Celestia a month before.

Celestia sat there once more, staring off the balcony into the setting sun. “Good, Sunset, you’re finally here. We need to talk.”

Sunset grimaced, wiping the sweat off my brow. “You knew I was coming?”

Celestia turned around, and Sunset winced. The immortal alicorn loomed over her, her face every bit the mask of the aloof ruler, eyes alight with distant omnipotence. “I knew you were coming the moment you stepped through the portal. There is no way for you to hide from me.”

“That’s…” Sunset grit her teeth, then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She wasn’t afraid. And she wasn’t going to let Celestia talk down to her. “You’re right, we do need to talk. Please, let me say my peace, alright?”

Celestia’s face remained impassive, but she nodded ever so slightly.

Sunset scraped her hoof across the floor several times, then swallowed all of her courage. “When I was just a filly, I had a crush on you. You know this, of course. I admired you, envied you, wanted to be you. I had a delusion—a dream that the way to gain a similar majesty was to be your lover. There’s a sort of childish logic to it, but my feelings were misguided and empty. You were right to reject me, and I’m sorry to have burdened you with that sort of imposition.”

Celestia gave the slightest of nods once more. “I’m glad you can reflect on this and acknowledge your mistakes.”

Her heart was pounding in her chest, the adrenaline in her veins telling her to just pack up and run away, but Sunset forced herself to keep speaking. “I’m afraid it seems some mistakes aren’t so easily forgotten. Celestia… you’re a beautiful pony. My feelings as a child were misaimed, and I don’t claim to have gained any great wisdom that makes them okay now, but seeing you again made me realize that they had never left me.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

“Seeing you last month… felt like I was seeing you, who you really were, for the first time. And, I dunno. I liked what I saw. Maybe I’m just a sucker for older mares or something,” Sunset muttered, coughing as her cheeks burned. “I know it’s wrong of me for to impose on you like this yet again, but please, I just wanted to get this off my chest.”

Taking a deep breath, Sunset looked up into Celestia’s eyes. “I think I’ve fallen in love with you again, Princess Celestia. I’m going crazy over a silly dream of a relationship with somepony as wonderful as you, suffering under a torturous madness because I know it can never be true. Please, just reject me so that I may properly bury my feelings once more, and hopefully we can continue on in the future with some semblance of friendship.”

The sun slipped below the horizon, and darkness shadowed Celestia’s face. “I’m over a thousand years your senior, Sunset.”

Sunset lowered her head. “I know that. I don’t care.”

“I have seen kingdoms rise and fall. I have known so many wonderful ponies in my lifetime, and I have watched them all wither and die. I have, on some occasions, allowed myself to find love. Brief as they have been, I devoted myself to each relationship as fully as I could in the moment, and I treasure the memories I shared with those ponies now and forever.”

“I’m glad to hear you were able to find bits of happiness,” Sunset said, smiling weakly. “I’m afraid I can’t understand what your eternity has been like for you.”

Celestia let out a long sigh, and stepped forward into the light. The mystical shimmer of her mane was gone, replaced with a dull pink, and the alicorn’s face was worn and ragged, dark bags under her eyes along with quite a few sets of wrinkles. “Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia breathed, her voice sounding tired. “Do you truly wish to date a haggard old mare like me?”

Sunset’s heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened. Was this really happening? “I…” Sunset swallowed, licked her lips, and tried again. “I’d love to. That is, if you would have me.”

Celestia’s smile widened, and her luster bled back into her form. She leaned down, nuzzling Sunset before throwing her hooves around her into a tight hug. “Oh Sunset, you’re a very silly pony, do you know that? I suppose we could give it a chance, but I’ll warn you, love isn’t easy. A relationship takes a lot of work and dedication to do right.”

Sunset could barely believe what she was hearing, and she trembled in Celestia’s arms. “I know. My only dating experience was back when I was a rather terrible person. But I’m willing to learn, whatever it takes.”

“Ah-ah,” Celestia chided, pulling back. She booped Sunset on the noise with a hoof and giggled. “I already told you, didn’t I? I’m tired of being a teacher. You’ll have to figure this one out for yourself.”

“Alright, fine,” Sunset said with a grin. She leaned forward, and pressed her lips against Celestia’s.

Celestia’s horn lit up with a golden light, and the sun peaked back into the sky, framing them with the setting sun once more.

Somehow, Sunset didn’t think Luna would mind too much.