"I know you are blaming yourself. After I lost Princess Luna, I also thought, if I had understood her feelings better back then, even if just with a little more patience, perhaps the final outcome would have been different."
Celestia spoke her own story in a slightly melancholy tone.
"But the 'me' of now has no right to blame the 'me' who made those decisions back then. Because this wasn't just my fault alone; it was two ponies who deeply loved each other, quietly piling up the seeds of conflict amidst countless 'taken-for-granteds,' eventually leading to a loss of control."
Aurora secretly wiped the corners of her eyes with a tissue.
She could understand Celestia's good intentions; she was deliberately reopening her own scars just to comfort her.
"Princess, you actually don't need to tell me these things..."
"It's alright, Flying Light. I have always known that you and I share many similarities. I tell you my experiences out of respect for you."
It was precisely because they were "the same kind," and because they faced similar predicaments, that they could better understand each other's pain.
But the situation between Aurora and Sunset Shimmer was different from that of Celestia and Princess Luna, because they could still seek help from an elder, and Celestia did not want Aurora to be left with the same regrets as her.
"...Just as you said, I feel I have never truly understood the desires in Sunset Shimmer's heart. I always thought she... just wanted to raise the sun of Equestria, but I never thought about the reasons behind it."
In the name of protection, she had ultimately pushed her further away with her own hands.
Perhaps history is just a cycle; after a millennium, similar things were happening to her student again. How could Celestia not sigh at this?
"Failing to attend to a student's mental state in time is the responsibility of a teacher."
Perhaps this was something inherited from the lineage of Star Swirl the Bearded?
However, at this moment, there was no need to mention that teacher of hers and Princess Luna's who had disappeared for a long time.
"Sunset Shimmer was my first student. At a very young age, she displayed magical talent far exceeding other ponies, and even obtained a'sun' that belonged to her. So, I brought her back to Canterlot, hoping to nurture her into a talent."
Speaking of this memory, Celestia's expression relaxed briefly.
She had run the School for Gifted Unicorns for such a long time, and this was the first time she had become a teacher to a specific pony. Moreover, Sunset Shimmer was practically raised by her own hands; calling her her foster mother would not be an exaggeration.
It was just that, due to political reasons, this mother-daughter relationship was not legally recognized.
"Flying Light, I still remember you telling me at the Grand Galloping Gala that you felt anxious about whether you were a good daughter."
"Yes..."
It was just that after things were talked out at that Grand Galloping Gala, Aurora had felt much better. Although she still couldn't help but overthink things occasionally, it was much better than before.
"Sunset Shimmer also had similar worries to yours, and perhaps even more serious because the object of her worry was me."
Celestia's tone became somewhat bitter; clearly, what followed was not a pleasant memory.
Sunset Shimmer would worry about whether she was a qualified princess's protege.
She was Princess Celestia's first protege, so she was in the spotlight from the beginning. However, because she was brought back by The Grand Princess from outside Canterlot, and unlike Princess Cadance, Sunset Shimmer did not have a profound family background, which caused her to be ostracized by certain groups in Canterlot.
"Perhaps the Princess just felt sorry for her and was being kind?"
"She's so lucky. If only my cutie mark were also in the shape of a sun."
"You've got to be kidding? The Princess's student can't even do this well?"
"After all, she's from a small place. Let's be a bit more understanding of her."
...
"This somewhat fits my stereotype of some ponies in Canterlot."
Aurora said calmly, though Celestia knew that her feelings upon hearing these were the same as her own.
It was just that the Celestia of that time hadn't done well enough; she couldn't completely stop such rumors from reaching Sunset Shimmer's ears.
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