"Oh my Celestia, is that Princess Celestia?"
My name's Sun Glow. I'm a Pegasus mare of 23 years of age but you don't care about that. You took one look at me and you assumed I'm Princess Celestia and I'm not. I'm not Princess Celestia! I LOOK like her but I am NOT her, I am not her stunt double, I am not a changeling, and for the last time, I did NOT ask for this look! It's so last millennium!
Yes, this look is all natural, I was like this the day I was born but you wouldn't believe how many accusations I get of trying to "steal" Princess Celestia's look or that I'm too devoted mare to looking like Princess Celestia so much that I have insecurities about myself. I've been accused of being a changeling ever since the Royal Wedding happened and that didn't help matters, I get checked for being a changeling five times a day because of my appearance and ponies would accuse me of being some inept changeling when they saw me.
But the truth is, I want to be a carpenter. I just love the idea of building houses and the like so ponies can live in them and there's nothing more satisfying than finishing a house, making sure it's a good home to live in but I can't do that, why? My look, that's why. Ponies don't accept ponies who have a "fanatical" obsession with Princess Celestia and well, I got rejected for a lot of jobs because of my look and only the weather department in Baltimare took me because they were really short-staffed but I had to take a stupid office job!
So I, like any sensible mare would with this problem, had enough of this Celestial discrimination and went to get rid of this problem once and for all. And it's clear life hates me, I've been to every single place I can think of to try and get rid of my appearance: Cosmetic surgeons, magic spells, life-change experts, everything! Cosmetic surgeons say they can only slightly change my look and it costs 5000 bits...which is money I don't have and not worth it since it won't solve my problem. Magic spells need a unicorn and I'm a Pegasus and there aren't any spells, I've looked and life-change experts are scammers, if I ever find Flim and Flam again I'll kick their flanks so hard!
And last but not least, I tried to alter myself with my hooves and well...my body is determined to look like Princess Celestia. I've cut my mane but it keeps going into her manestyle the next day, I tried going goth and I look pure as ever the next day, it's like the universe wants me to look like Princess Celestia.
So there's one last thing I haven't tried and well...I'm going to see Princess Celestia, if she can't solve the problem then nopony can and I'm really hoping she does otherwise I'm doomed to an office job I hate that pays me minimum wage and it's not enough to get anything done. All I can do is pray to the creator that the Princess can do something about this...
I found myself waiting in line to Day Court and the ponies in line have been staring at me for half an hour, it's something I've had my whole life but it's annoying nonetheless. Seriously, haven't these ponies learned not to stare? There's a stallion staring at my flanks and there's a few mares staring at me with daggers and the pony at the front of the line that I'm behind keeps doing glances when he thinks I'm not looking.
I had a black bag with me that contained my bits and other things but more importantly, documentation that proves I am me and not some a changeling who messed up Princess Celestia's height and forgot about the horn and that I'm shorter than Princess Celestia. I've had to carry this around ever since Princess Cadence's wedding and I get checked five times a day.
The stallion in front of me was called in and I am at the front of the line and nothing but staring happened from all ponies that could see me, even the self-important ones that has slides and such ready to convince the Princess of something that I don't even know about and I am fairly sure I wouldn't care about.
Truthfully, I'm really nervous about meeting Princess Celestia. I'm her look-a-like, what if she sees me as a changeling and blasts me into ashes? What if she can't fix me? What if she hates the idea of a doppelganger and banishes me to the moon? My life would be so over...more than it already is!
"Miss Sun Glow, the uh...Princess will see you now" the guard told me while staring at me.
"Thank you" I replied.
The throne room doors opened and I walked in and there she is, Princess Celestia. I don't even have to describe what she looks like, everypony knows what Princess Celestia looks like and I look like her. There's four differences between me and her on asthetics: I am a Pegasus and she's an Alicorn and that includes the obvious horn, she's almost twice as tall as me, she wears makeup while I keep my look with little as possible and last but not least, My cutie mark is a sun glowing really brightly whereas her cutie mark is the sun.
I approach her under hey eyes that seemed to scan me like I was under an X-ray machine, she had a surprised expression on her face as I came up to where I can stand in front of her. I look up at her, waiting for her words to address me for I am scared of starting the conversation.
"Oh my, when I was told I had a look-a-like coming in, I admit I didn't quite believe it but we really do look alike, it's uncanny" Princess Celestia spoke.
I didn't say anything, what do I even say? Should I outright blurt out the problem? Should I just get low and beg her? I don't know!
"It is alright my little pony, I do not bite" Princess Celestia assures me.
I look around to see the guards staring at me with spears ready, I noticed the Princess looking around to where I was looking as well.
"Well...you see...um..." I say very quietly.
My voice even sounded like Princess Celestia's but I don't think anypony ever heard it so quiet and nervous.
"Could you speak up? I didn't quite hear you" Princess Celestia asks of me.
I'm so nervous! Come on Glow! You're usually able to talk just fine to anypony when they think you're Princess Celestia, why can't you talk to the real thing? Stop being nervous! What am I, Fluttershy?
"I um...want to stop...I mean um..." I try again.
"I'm sorry my little pony, but I cannot hear you, you will have to speak a bit more clearly" Princess Celestia says.
I just...can't get the volume out. All I see are the guards with the spears and Princess Celestia's secretary staring a stare of "How dare you look like our Princess!?" at me, the guards clearly show distrust at my figure and the secretary looks like she considers me a pony that needs to be removed and I swear Princess Celestia's one second away from just sending me away but...I need her help! I don't have enough bits to stay another day in Canterlot.
"I have an idea, it appears this current setting is making you nervous. Why don't we take this conversation to somewhere a bit more comfortable for you? Why not the gardens? It is a very soothing place and I'm sure you'll feel more at peace there" Princess Celestia suggests, getting me out of my thoughts.
"Um...okay your highness" I agree to her suggestion.
"Very well, why don't you follow me? It's not very far" Princess Celestia tells me.
I nod and follow her not through the doors I came through but a side door that the guards lets us through with a short bow but again, another glare at me. It's clear that they do not trust me but I got out of their sight quickly. I follow the Princess through a short passageway for about a minute in silence before I make it to the gardens and...they're beautiful as they say. I saw all sorts of flowers, birds and the like all around my surroundings.
"Welcome to the Royal Garden, this is a place where we can peacefully talk without any worry of judging eyes. I myself come out here sometimes to relax, take a break and enjoy the view." Princess Celestia tells me.
I was shown to a seat in which I saw down opposite Princess Celestia, I was now closer to her than I was in the throne room but...I still felt nervous...
"So, I'm told your name is Sun Glow, correct?" Princess Celestia asks me.
"It is" I reply at normal volume.
"I must admit, I do not know where to begin with what to say to you Miss Glow, it's like looking at a Pegasus version of me" Princess Celestia tells me.
"I get that...a lot" I say in annoyed tone.
I found I was much more confident speaking to her now.
"If I may ask, how long have you looked like me?" Princess Celestia asks.
"Since birth, my mother called me "The Princess' Blessing" when I was born, hardly a blessing I say" I told her.
"I see, but I cannot help but notice you don't seem too pleased with your appearance" Princess Celestia notes.
I give of a sigh, it wasn't an annoyed one but one that prepares me to tell her why I am here.
"Your Highness, why I've come here...it's because I look like you and it's bad" I tell her.
"Bad?" Princess Celestia's face showed confusion.
"All my life, ponies know me only for the the fact that I look like you and it's bad. When I was a filly, I got the nickname "Princess" or "Fake Princess" by the bullies and ponies that hated me, they saw me as nothing more than a fake you. This went into my teenage years, and it haunts my adult life, I can't fulfill my dreams because I look like you" I tell her why my appearance is bad.
"And what dreams are those?" Princess Celestia asks me.
"I want to be a carpenter...I like building thing and I have a bit of an eye of this sort of thing" I answered.
"Forgive me but it's odd to see a Pegasus wanting to do an Earth Pony Job these days, much less a job dominated by stallions. But your looks are stopping you from your dreams?" Princess Celestia notes.
"They are, no company will accept me, so I tried other jobs and avenues and they all had the same reason just coated under different words: I looked like you and they hated the idea of a doppelganger doing any sort of work because it reminds them of you. I managed to get a Weather job in Batimare but it's minimum wage and it's an office job so many don't interact with me, it's for the best" I answer sadly.
Princess Celestia looked at me for a moment. A couple of guards came by with tea and some snacks, I don't remember her asking for any at all nor seeing any movement to signal such.
"Would you like to share tea and sandwiches with me?" Princess Celestia asks me.
"Um..." I start.
"It won't cost anything" She adds in.
Truth was, I've been here since breakfast, I would've had this conversation sooner but again my looks got in the way, so my stomach wanted food naturally.
"I would like to...if that's okay your highness" I accept.
"Call me Celestia, Miss Glow. I think titles here are rather cumbersome here, especially with your case" Celestia tells me.
"Very well, call me Glow" I told her.
"So it shall be. But back to the topic at hoof, I admit that I am disappointed in my subjects to hear of such discrimination of somepony, my doppelganger of all ponies" Celestia tells.
"It's a lot more than that, I can't live in Equestrian society without being checked for being a changeling at least five times a day, called a fake or being hit on by a stallion because he dreams of...I-I'm sorry I shouldn't say that" I say in embarrassment.
I really shouldn't say such things about the Princess right in front of her face, especially about stallion desires. But Celestia giggled at me.
"I am well aware of stallions dreaming of having their way with me, they've been doing that since I've first ascended. I suppose it's what you get when ponies envision you as the pinnacle of beauty and wisdom in Equestria. It's actually Luna's least favourite part of the job although between you and me, I think she enjoys the ones about herself" Celestia giggles.
I suddenly imagined Princess Luna getting off to watching a stallion have dream sex with her and I suddenly turned very red in the face. But who could have guessed that Celestia had such thoughts? Celestia seemed to find the whole thought of Luna's job funny.
"Fear not, you need not worry about talking about such things around Glow, I've heard a lot of it and I won't banish you anywhere because you spoke your mind" Celestia assures me.
"I...I suppose that makes sense, but..." I trail off.
"But you don't like that you look like me" Celestia says
"No offense to you Celestia but I hate it, nopony will ever see me for me, rather than ponies seeing you in me. I feel like nopony will ever see me for who I am really and I hate it" I look down sadly.
I felt a hoof on my shoulder, Celestia had gotten up and went next to me so I felt comforted.
"Glow, you do not know this but I've thought that so many times myself that I swear it's etched into my brain. I am a Princess but that's all almost every pony sees me as, the ruler and not Celestia, the mare that has her own personality. In a way, you remind me of myself" Celestia tells me.
"I look like you, of course I remind you of you" I point out.
"You misunderstand Glow, I mean what's inside that heart of yours reminds me of myself" Celestia clarifies.
I didn't say anything, I don't know what to say but Celestia still held her hoof on my back.
"So tell me Glow, you dislike looking like me but what is your purpose here? Is it to come to terms with what you look like?" Celestia asks.
I got off my chair as I bowed at Celestia's feet.
"I...I can't take looking like you anymore Celestia, it's ruining my life. I can't get a good job, my minimum wage job isn't paying enough, I have to carry documentation everywhere I go thanks to the wedding, even my own cutie mark is conspiring against me! I've tried everything to get a different look but nothing has worked. Please Celestia, I beg of you to change me into another appearance so I can be rid of this curse!" I told her my purpose
Celestia looked at down at me as she put me on back on my hooves.
"Glow, I cannot change what you look like, changing a being's appearance permanantly is impossible and temporary solutions require too much magic" Celestia tells me.
No...that means I'm stuck this way forever! I'm going to be a minimum wage dead-end job forever where all I'll do is never get anything to myself! MY LIFE IS OVER!! Why can't I just be rid of this curse? It's unfair!
"Glow, I know you are saddened by this fact-" Celestia starts.
"I'M FURIOUS IS WHAT I AM!" I shout.
I got angry! I got up and hit my hoof on a nearby statue. It made a dent and it also hurt my hoof at the same time but I didn't care, I'm angry!
"Glow--" Celestia starts
"I HATE THAT MY LIFE IS DICTATED BY MY APPEARANCE! I HATE THAT NOPONY IS EVER GOING TO TAKE ME SERIOUSLY BECAUSE OF IT! AND I HATE THAT NOW I CANNOT GET RID OF IT! MY LIFE IS RUINED!" I shout my fury up to the skies.
Celestia wrapped her hooves around me into a sympathetic hug.
"Glow, I know how it feels because I too have felt similar feelings. My life is dictated by my crown, everypony takes me too seriously and I can't just quit because if I do...ponies suffer for it, I can never be the Celestia that's there because of it. I know what it's like to hate your own life, I did it when I was your age" Celestia told me.
"You're just saying it to make me feel better" I told Celestia.
"I am not. I mean every word I have said. But too many ponies don't look past appearances, they don't see part the shallow coat-deep things in life. But do you know what I see when I look at you Sun Glow?" Celestia tells me.
"What?" I urged her to tell me.
I got out of her hug as I looked Celestia in her eyes.
"I see a young mare who's got a good heart in her. I see a mare that's weighed down by circumstances out of her control but you must learn to make the best of what you are given in life. You look like me and that's a problem for you, but you should not let it get you down and instead turn into something amazing" Celestia tells me.
"How? Ponies are too biased" I ask her.
"Not all are Glow, there are ponies out there that if you give them time, will see you not for the Celestia look-a-like they see, but they'll see you for Sun Glow" Celestia answers
I looked at the statue I hit, it had a decent chunk taken out of it and I felt guilty about being angry about it.
"I'm sorry for yelling...and for the statue" I apologize to Celestia.
"All is forgiven. Besides, that statue is quite ugly, I really should remove it sometime soon" Celestia says as she looks at the dent I made in it.
"Still, it's no excuse" I say.
"Glow, everypony gets angry, even myself at times. But it is not you for which I have anger for, you are understandably upset for not getting a solution for you problems" Celestia says wisely.
Both of us didn't say anything for a few minutes as I watch the dent I made in the statue, I don't know what to do next now...save from wearing a concealing outfit all the time or something.
"How about this? Let's say that I think you are a good mare that needs a bit of help in life. Although it would not be your dream job, I am in need of an personal assistant and a friend" Celestia suggests to me.
What? A Personal Assistant?
"A-Are you sure I'd be even qualified to do so?" I ask
"I believe you are Glow, what you would do is merely assist me with tasks and be around me most of the day, you get to experience some high life things while I'm around which includes a bit of night work if you're up to it. The pay is much more substantial than your weather job no doubt" Celestia tells me.
"What about that secretary that was next to you?" I ask about the mare.
"Raven? Oh, she's the court scribe, nothing more. She only helps in Day Court, you'll be a proper assistant that will assist me when I need you" Celestia answers.
"Why? Why do you want to help me?" I ask
"Because I feel I must, because it's an act of kindness and that I feel you and I can become friends" Celestia answers.
"You'd think me as a friend?" I ask in shock.
"Of course I do Glow, I feel you and I can relate to each other and while I am no Princess of Friendship, I see there is no reason to suggest why we can't be friends and I quite enjoy our chat that we're having, don't you?" Celestia says.
I mean...I do. Celestia speaks so casually, like the crown on her head vanished. I think this is the first conversation I've really had where the pony in question isn't talking about Celestia through me, no hitting on me, no accusation of being changeling, no annoying questions and no beating me down because of what I look like. I like it, I just wish more ponies would talk to me like my own Princess does.
"I think we could be friends" I give Celestia a smile.
"Wonderful, does that mean you'll accept the job offer?" Celestia also smiles.
"I do but...I live in Baltimare and um...I only had enough bits for today and um..." I realized a problem I had.
Celestia just kept on smiling.
"That's no problem Glow, I have plenty of rooms for those under my employ" Celestia tells me.
"Thank you" I did a polite bow.
"It's my pleasure. Now, what do you say I give you a tour of the job, shall we?" Celestia suggests.
"I'd like that" I nod.
We left the gardens as Princess Celestia took me on a tour around the castle, explaining the various things I needed to do but also made time to ask about things relating to friendship. Maybe Princess Twilight Sparkle is onto something about friendship, I'll just have to see how the future goes, maybe my appearance can get some perks after all...
Dear Princess Twilight,
I know it's a bit odd to write like this but today, I've made a friend. Today, I met a Pegasus mare by the name of Sun Glow. She's a nice mare, she has a good heart and she reminds me a lot of myself. I've taken her on as my personal assistant as my old one has retired due to old age. She's actually very interested in carpentry to my surprise but unfortunately she cannot fulfill that dream due to her problem.
The interesting part in all of this is Sun Glow's appearance. She looks just like me, and I mean it's like looking in a mirror. The only differences is that she's a pegasus, her mane does is not ethereal like mine, her cutie mark is a glowing sun, she's much shorter than me and she wears less make-up than myself.
Ponies have judged her on her appearance and she believes her existence as my doppelganger is nothing but a curse and she has good reason to believe that through her own experiences. Ponies believe a few things about her including accusations of being a changeling, calling her a fake me and overall discrimination even in the job market that denies a lot of opportunities to Sun Glow. I am disappointed that this has happened as it's depreciated Sun Glow's outlook on life, which I as a friend hope to change.
It's funny, my subjects almost always fail to see me for Celestia rather than the Princess and admittedly, you did do it for a time Twilight but you got better once you ascended. She reminds me of myself and maybe that's why I have such a desire to be her friend because I can relate to her because while the circumstance of her situation are different, it's almost the same.
Remember that lesson you sent me about Zecora? The one where you shouldn't judge a book by its cover? I feel perhaps my subjects need to learn this lesson for themselves. I admit, I had some judgements about Sun Glow when she first entered my sight but when I got to know her, there's a kind mare trying to say afloat in her challenges and I thought I must help her. But I suppose it isn't the first time the pair of us have had to help ponies with friendship, is it?
I hope that when you next visit Canterlot, you can stop by and meet her. I believe that she needs more ponies that can see past her appearance and see what a wonderful mare she really is on the inside, perhaps even bring your friends too if they can make it. But that's enough from me, I hope you are doing well Twilight and I hope to see you again soon.
Your old mentor and friend,
Princess Celestia
Author's Note
Update: So. This got featured! YAY!! This hit 250+ likes and I'm happy that it did and I never expected this to be featured. That said, it's clear from feedback that people like this story...BUT it's also clear that there's a lot to improve when it comes to writing in both the plot and overall grammar, and when I get some time, I'll polish this story's grammar up because looking back I look at the mistakes and was like "Wow, did you actually look at the story?". But again, thank you all for your criticisms and maybe I'll see you all in another story.
So this is an idea I thought of a few days ago and I admit I liked the idea and wanted to write it down and it's inspired by a few other fictions on the site.
All criticism is welcome and I do hope you enjoyed the read.
