A Mother's Forgiveness

Sunset looked at her in shock and horror.

Princess Celestia was here.

At the party.

Her own mother was here.

Why?

Those questions went through Sunset's mind as she stared at her mother and teacher in complete fear.

"Sunset? Are you okay?" Princess Celestia asked, reaching out a hand to comfort the girl.

As Princess Celestia walked forward, Sunset walked backwards. Trying to escape her mother.

Why was she here? Her mother didn't deserve her at all.

The only other pony good enough to be a daughter to Celestia was her penpal Twilight who she could always trust and write to about anything.

She failed her mother, Twilight was her replacement.

Celestia deserved to have a better daughter and student than herself.

In her guilt and depression, she glanced up at her mother sadly.

"I'm sorry. But I don't deserve you." She sobbed as she left the room and climbed up the stairwell until she found a way to the roof. Once she managed to climb up it.

What she didn't know was that her former friends and her mother were chasing after her.

Why did they care? They hated her, she meant nothing to any of them.

She took one final gaze at everything around her and sadly smiled before breaking down into tears as she sobbed.

She took a few steps back to reach the front of Canterlot High.

A fall like this would be enough to kill her.

Perfect.

She didn't blame her mother, Celestia was innocent and was trying to be a good mother whereas she had been a terrible and bratty daughter demanding to be a princess.

Her mother and former friends deserved better, they wouldn't miss her.

As she was about to take the final step, she heard the door to the roof open as Flash, her former friends and her mother screamed out to her, to get her to stop. Why did they care now?

"Sunset." Princess Celestia began. "You need to forgive yourself." She said softly, walking towards her daughter as Sunset sobbed, tears trailing down her cheeks.

"I don't know how to..." Sunset replied forlornly, looking away from her mother. Why did her own mother still love her?

Sunset looked around herself and noticed where she was standing. She then realised exactly what she was doing and her eyed widened in fear.

She felt herself slowly walk towards her mother, eventually being wrapped up in her arms. The amount of warmth, softness and comfort it brought helped her as she hugged her mother tighter.

Her ex-friends, Flash and Princess Celestia lead her back to the cafeteria as she saw everyone's expression. Guilt, sorrow and heartbreak.

When she looked to her mother she noticed her expression as she felt herself being hugged tighter by her mother.

"I am so sorry Sunset. I failed you by causing you to run away. To hear from Twilight how much you hate yourself and think you don't deserve me breaks my heart. Twilight wasn't, isn't and never will be a replacement. Because you can never be replaced. You are my daughter and I love you. Never think for one moment that I never will."

That was enough to set Sunset off as she sobbed into her mother, whimpering and sniffling as she sought comfort. She just wanted her pain to end. She sobbed into her mother, releasing all of her pent up agony.

Celestia only held Sunset tigher, rubbing her back comfortingly, seeing her daughter so upset broke her heart. She never wanted Sunset to feel Twilight was a replacement and that she loved Cadance more.

After managing to calm down, Sunset looked around and noticed how heartbroken everyone looked at seeing Sunset so upset.

Cadance had yelled at her for that, for playing favorites.

Her ex-friends decided to speak up, Fluttershy being the first out of all of them.

"Sunset...I am so sorry for what I said to you during Anon-A-Miss. Seeing you so upset and feeling unloved broke my heart. You deserve to be happy. We're all so sorry for what we did. I'm so sorry big sister." Fluttershy sobbed as she hugged Sunset.

The bacon-haired girl was taken aback. But something within her felt happy being called that by the girl as she was a few months older than Fluttershy and had viewed her like a little sister.

She hugged fluttershy tighter as she too sobbed into the animal lover.

Eventually, all of her friends apologized to her.

She felt a little bit better as she kissed Flash, leaning into it and applying a slight pressure to the kiss as the two lovers made out. She heard her mother sob and glanced at her mother who had joyful tears in her eyes.

"What? It's a sweet moment." Princess Celestia said, smiling at her daughter and possible future son-in-law.

Eventually the sun began to set as Celestia headed towards the portal, followed by Twilight and Sunset.

Princess Celestia noticed Sunset give her a pleading look.

"What's wrong, Sunset?" She asked softly, hugging the girl as Sunset leaned into it, enjoying the safety she felt in her mother's embrace.

"C-Can I come too? I've missed being a pony and I want to spend some time with you." Sunset asked shyly, blushing as she looked away.

"Even it if means you have to sit in day court with me and your Aunt Luna?" Celestia asked softly, smiling at the thought of having family time but frowned at it having to be in day court.

"Yeah, I don't mind." Sunset said, cuddling into her mother more, feeling slightly drowsy.

The trio walked through the portal as they made it to Twilight's castle.

After making it through, Celestia teleported herself and Sunset to her chambers so she could put Sunset to bed.

After getting ready for bed, Celestia carefully used her magic to tuck Sunset into the bed, pulling the sheets over the sleepy unicorn as she climbed into the bed and pulled Sunset into her.

Sunset couldn't help but drift off to sleep, smiling happily as she felt her mother's wings wrap around her as she was held to her mother's barrel. Warm and soft.

Celestia watched Sunset fall asleep as she planted a soft kiss on her little filly's forehead.

"Sleep tight, Sunset. Sweet dreams!" Celestia cooed, smiling at having her daughter back in her hooves.

Celestia felt herself drift off next to her daughter as the two fell into a light slumber.