Queen Novo had always built her reputation of being a fair and trustworthy ruler of the Hippogriffs. However, like all rulers, she had a reputation of being an overprotective ruler, only made more the deeper thanks to the Storm King. This had gone to a whole new level when she banished Twilight Sparkle and her friends from her undersea kingdom, Seaquestria, when Twilight tried to steal the Pearl of Transformation in an effort to help save Equestria.
Now, Queen Novo was second guessing her actions as she and her subjects were repairing their home, Hippogriffia.
"Mom, you've been kind of quiet," remarked her daughter, Princess Skystar as they watched their kingdom being rebuilt with help from the Ponies of Canterlot. "Even for you. What's with the silence?"
"Um, um, nothing," stammered Novo, her train of thought interrupted by Skystar. "I was just thinking about what had happened with…"
"The Pearl of Transformation? Yes, I know that upset you, mom, but Princess Twilight…"
"…was only trying to save Equestria," finished Novo, turning away from Skystar. "I didn't realize that until it was too late, Skystar. I shouldn't have been so overprotective of the pearl and instead listened to Princess Twilight's pleas for help when she first pleaded for it. I owe her an apology, Skystar, a queen-sized apology, honey."
"Well, there is that breakfast we are having with the Princesses. Maybe you can talk to her then."
Novo sighed at her daughter's remark and realized that the breakfast was going to be the moment where she would have to apologize to Twilight for her errors.
“All I wanted was to protect our people from the Storm King," sighed Novo as she walked away from the repairs. "We couldn't risk being even more vulnerable to him and his forces, Skystar, you know that."
"These are the kind of words you need to say to Princess Twilight, not to me."
Novo said nothing and proceeded to head back to her castle. When she returned to her nearly repaired throne room, she glanced over towards the Pearl of Transformation, encased in a protective sphere. Glancing at the pearl made Novo relive that moment when she turned not just a Princess and her friends away, but also an entire nation under control of the Storm King's forces.
"How could I have been so foolish?" Novo thought to herself in mortal shame. "Why couldn't I just put my protective nature aside and help a fellow nation instead of hiding underwater like a coward? That's what I was, a coward, all because I didn't want to confront the Storm King, not after what he did to us. Well, at least I can try and beg for Princess Twilight's forgiveness."
The next morning, Novo and Skystar flew over to Canterlot flanked by their entourage and landed at the entrance to Canterlot where Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadence and Twilight were waiting. Novo looked over towards Twilight and took an enormous gulp, hoping that Twilight would forgive her for her actions.
"Good to see you again, Queen Novo," chuckled Celestia, hugging Novo. "How are the repairs to Hippogriffia?"
"Coming along, swimmingly," replied Novo. "It's a slow process, but we'll get there."
"Well, one small thing at a time," remarked Skystar.
"Queen Novo," said Twilight and Novo felt her heart sink as she stood before Twilight, the pony she had banished at a moment when support was essential. "It's nice to see you again."
"Um, yes, good to see you again, Princess Twilight," she said nervously. "How are your friends?"
Twilight raised an eyebrow slightly as she could sense that Novo was nervous about something.
"They are…fine. It's a long healing process for all of Equestria that's for sure."
Twilight then turned towards Skystar.
"What is wrong with your mother?"
"She's feeling a little terrible about banishing you from Seaquestria for stealing the Pearl," whispered Skystar. "But, at least everything turned out all right, didn't they?"
Much like Novo, Twilight also felt deep wounds as a result from the Storm King's invasion of Equestria.
"No thanks to me," sighed Twilight. "I shouldn't have been so desperate to get the Pearl, Skystar, but I had no other choice. How else would I have tried to help Equestria?"
”You were only doing what you thought was right, Twilight," sympathized Skystar. "My mom will understand. She just has a pride that sometimes goes to her head."
As the breakfast began, Novo and Twilight were seated across from each other and ate their breakfast in awkward silence. This caught the attention of the other princesses.
"Um, Novo, is everything all right?" asked Luna. "You've been awfully quiet."
"Just a lot on my mind, honey. It's nothing."
"We can tell something is wrong," added Cadence, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Did something happen?"
"As a matter of fact," confessed Twilight, knowing that the jig was already up. "Something did happen. Because of me,” she rubbed her right leg with her left hoof in guilt, “I know you are probably going to be disappointed with me, but I tried to find a way to save Equestria that involved going to extreme measures."
"What measures, Twilight?" asked Celestia.
"Please try to understand me, all of you," said Twilight, nervously. "I…I tried to steal the Pearl of Transformation to try and save us from the Storm King."
Twilight then saw a sight that frightened her internally, Celestia lowering her head in disappointment.
"Why would you do that, Twilight?" asked Cadence.
"Because I was under a lot pressure," confessed Twilight. "I was the last princess standing and I had to do whatever it took to save our home. What was I supposed to do, Cadence? Just leave you all placed at the mercy of the Storm King?"
"This wouldn't have happened had I just offered you the pearl in the first place, Twilight, honey," interjected Novo. "I only added pressure to you at a time when you were under so much pressure. I thought you were just trying to take the pearl for yourself."
"If I did that, then I wouldn't even be considered a princess, let alone the Princess of Friendship. I tried to tell you that my home was being occupied by the Storm King and…"
"…that I should have listened," sighed Novo, her voice filled with shame and disgust as Skystar looked on. "I let my pride and overprotective nature get in the way, Princess Twilight. I know we can't change the past, but all I can say to you is that I'm sorry."
"I should be apologizing too, Queen Novo. I should never have tried to steal the Pearl in the first place. I should have known better that stealing is never the right answer to anything."
As she listened, Celestia raised her head and looked over towards Twilight and Novo.
"We were all under pressure," she said in a sympathetic voice. "If there is one individual that should be blame for this, it's the Storm King, and he paid for his crimes with his life."
"What's more," added Luna, remembering her own struggles after being Nightmare Moon for a thousand years. "Is that we all learn from this experience and move on. It will be a slow process for all of us, I know of that very well, but apologizing for both of your actions is a start."
Novo and Twilight glanced over at each other for a brief second, and then...
Twilight got up from the table and flew over to Novo, and in the blink of an eye...
She embraced her, wrapping her forehooves around the queen’s neck as tears dripped down her eyes.
"Apology accepted," said Twilight, much to Novo's relief.
Novo smiled let out a light chuckle, before she wrapped her foreclaws and giant feathery wings around the little princess’s body and held her close.
“I forgive you too.” She told her with tears, much to Twilight’s relief in return.
The scene that was happening was much to Skystar's amusement. However, Novo was quick to jump on her, and she turned her attention to her daughter as she was still holding Twilight.
“And you, young lady, are still so grounded!" She sassily told her daughter.
And the table broke into a small laughter as Novo and Twilight let go from their embrace. The hippogryph queen...and the alicorn princess...were now friends.
THE END
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THE END
