At another time, in the same place, the bubble containing Sunset Shimmer appeared and spat out the unicorn without warning, yet Sunset managed a perfect landing on her four hooves.

"Did it work?" she asked herself. The mare looked around, and very quickly she had the answer. All the new stained glass windows she had seen a few moments earlier were no longer there, replaced by stained glass windows on the theme of the celestial stars. The spell had brought her back at least four years in the past, before the Summer Sun Festival, celebration that commemorated the thousand year anniversary of the day Nightmare Moon was banished. Sunset didn't know how long she was going to stay in that time, but she wasn't willing to waste any more precious seconds.

She turned to the doors, facing two unicorn royal guards, who were puzzled by the sudden apparition. She opened one of the doors with magic and teleported to the middle into the throne room. "Princess Celestia! I need to talk to you!"

The guards of the throne room, surprised by this sudden entrance, moved backwards before standing on the path of this intruder, taking the weapons out of their sheaths, to prevent her from getting any closer to Princess Celestia.

The white alicorn was no less shocked to see Sunset Shimmer. But from the multiple feelings that collided in her mind, only one voice emerged. "How dare you?" she whispered as she stood up. She stood up in all her splendour, spreading her wings to assert her rank, looking angry to see her former student right here in the heart of the palace. "How dare you Sunset Shimmer, introduce yourself to this castle from which you are banished?!"

Following these words, the four guards began to approach the unicorn, to arrest her.

"Princess Celestia, you don't under-"

"Silence!" ordered the princess, using Canterlot's traditional voice.

The guards were just as shocked as Sunset was, they had never seen the princess in such anger, that she came to shout like that.

The unicorn strangled a sob, she tried to keep her head above the water, but deep down inside, she struggled against her regrets, she tried to find a way to talk to her, but no matter what she could imagine, she was convinced that Princess Celestia would refuse to let her speak. The simple fact of being in her presence, of being able to see her so furious towards her, of hearing her scream after her, her whole body trembled, her regrets turned into a desire to repent. She had no strength left but to cry like a filly who had just been scolded, unable to look up from her hooves.

There were three knockings at the door, all but Sunset turned their attention to the entrance. Bitter Truth was standing there, carrying a travel pilgrim, a travel saddle with two saddlebags, the whole thing was of a sober black. "As soon as I get home, I have to tell Shining Armor not to worry about hearing you scream through the palace. Should I conclude that the surprise is not to your liking, Your Highness? She came with the best of intentions, but if you really want to punish her, I brought here something to teach her a lesson," he said, pushing the door to show what was behind.

The sun princess' gaze went from Bitter Truth to Sunset Shimmer. Seeing the idea he was proposing to her, she could not help but agree. She took a deep breath to refocus herself before speaking. "Guards, leave this room at once, I will personally take care of this proscribed mare's case," she announced in a firm tone, her horn haloed with golden magic as she moved the object of the punishment behind Sunset.

As the guards left the room, Bitter Truth watched the scene with a slight wedge smile. His gaze was only on Princess Celestia, who moved slowly to face Sunset Shimmer, and he could see how cold the alicorn was, so much she crushed the unicorn that had been crying all that time with this icy and distant look. Bitter Truth then closed the door to leave them alone in the room.

The princess used the first of the primary feathers of her right wing to force Sunset to lift her head and plunged her magenta eyes into this foggy look of tears, but she remained frozen in front of this vision. "Sunset Shimmer, despite your banishment, you have on this day entered the castle grounds without prior authorization. As a result, I, Princess Celestia, command you to turn around and face your punishment."

Sunset looked at Celestia's face through all those tears she had been repressing for years, she had trouble not looking at her, she had so much to say to her, but even now she was convinced that the slightest attempt to start a conversation would hit a wall. She was docile, and turned around, and when she saw the object of the punishment, she had a gesture of retreat, shocked to see again the mirror that was the origin of her exile. This mirror mounted on a two-storey pedestal, was as high as Princess Celestia, its frame was shaped like a horseshoe, the nail holes were lined with spinels, a small crown at its top, all coloured with shades of mauve, the outlines decorated with simple arabesques, from the first floor of the pedestal to the top of the crown.

"Look in that mirror, and tell me what you see," ordered the white-coated alicorn in a neutral tone, turning her face to the left, so she could hide it behind her mane. The latter had four light colours, two shades of blue, one green and one pink, which pulsed naturally as the alicorn had magic in it, imitating the eternal flow of the waves, just like her sister Luna's.

The scene made them go back fifteen years, and for Sunset, nothing was more cruel than this question. She laughed nervously, tears running down her golden yellow coat. "What I see? I see a pathetic mare, she had everything, potential, talent, and the best tutor. I see a stupid mare, who ruined everything, because she was impatient, unable to understand the lessons her tutor was trying to teach her. I see a mare eaten away by regret. A failure."

Celestia placed her hoof on the mare's shoulder, then in a gentle gesture and with the help of telekinesis, embraced her in the hollow of her legs, played against her cheek. "Hello, my faithful student."

Sunset instinctively passed her legs around the neck of the alicorn, while clenching her teeth so as not to crack any more. "I'm sorry." she whispered. Only these simple words were like salt on an old wound that had been reopened. "I'm really sorry," she added. In the sweetness of that hug and moment, she let herself go, repeating that she was so sorry, over and over again, shaking more and more as tears flowed more and more quickly.

Celestia had difficulty containing the unicorn's agitation without hurting her with excessive force. So much sadness and regret did not leave her indifferent, she too had her share of regrets, silently she began to cry too, trying to comfort that filly she had seen grow, her tears rolling down her cheeks to vanish into Sunset's red and yellow mane.

"Princess, please, for the love of Equestria, don't disappear. Your sister Luna, Twilight, and even I can't bear to know you're dead. You still have time to change that. We all need you," she begged.

"Let me look at you." Celestia whispered before resting Sunset on the ground. For a brief moment, she looked into hers, then further detailed her appearance. "Such a long mane. How old are you in your time?"

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"Thirty-three years old," she replied, sniffing. "Please, you can't leave this Pep-" She could not finish her sentence, Celestia's hoof on her nose imposed silence on her.

The princess took off her hoof. "You have matured so much, a life of wandering on the roads of this world will have taught you the lessons that I have not taught you in this castle. In the end, you didn't need me. And I doubt you need me in your time."

"But you are important for the good of Equestria!"

"One thousand and fifty years ago, my sister Luna and I were important for the good of Equestria. We, who were born alicorns, were the link between pegasus, earth ponies and unicorns. Starswirl the Bearded introduced us to the founders, Princess Platinum, Major Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead, promising them that we would be impartial if we became the princesses of that country they had founded. After all this time, the three tribes are one, and they live in harmony in this country."

"You are the princess of the sun."

"Luna will be able to take over this function. I was in charge of controlling the Moon for a millennium."

"It's not possible, it can't be real, I come to dissuade you and you react as if it doesn't matter, how can you be so indolent?"

Celestia smiled kindly. "You're not here to talk me out of it, Sunset Shimmer. Didn't you hear Bitter Truth? This meeting is a gift, an opportunity to say goodbye, that our last meeting was not the one we had eleven years ago."

Sunset had trouble containing his frustration. "I don't want it to be the last time!" she shouted in a sudden excess of anger that didn't last. "Please, what do I have to say to change your mind?"

The alicorn lowered its head to the height of its pupil, and offered her a caress to play against her cheek. Sunset hung onto her neck again, this time in order not to lose her, which made Celestia smile compassionately. "What a thick headed one you are. Whatever you say, whatever you do, you can't change my future, it would have repercussions that I can't accept."

"I beg you, princess. Nothing could be worse than-" Celestia used magic to muzzle her mouth.

Celestia looked up at the mirror. "Princess? I look in the mirror, I see only one mare like the others, certainly much older. Once proud, I thought I was the best, yet I couldn't see my sister become jealous because of me, to the point of wishing my death, forcing me to banish her. To make amends, I took it upon myself to raise the moon during the banishment. Over time, Equestria forgot Luna, only Nightmare Moon remained, but even the mare on the moon became a legend as generations followed one another. I don't know what my life expectancy is, my faithful student, I could have lived a thousand years knowing that I would see my sister again one day, but I couldn't live a single day knowing that ponies dear to my heart died because I refused this fate that awaits me. I couldn't stand it." She stopped using magic now that she had presented her point of view.

".....please..."

The time allotted by Bitter Truth's spell was coming to an end. A half sphere appeared several metres above their heads, traversed by clockwise rolling gears, within it a powerful vortex tried to send Sunset back to her time, creating a current of air that played on the mares' manes, but Celestia firmly held the unicorn in her hooves just in time to prolong the conversation a little more.

"If I'm so important to you, I'd like you to do a few things for me. Don't live in the past, don't live in regret. I want you to have a happy life. Give the lessons you have learned in your life to those who are lost, offer your help to those in need. Can you try to do that? Can you try to become the sun that Equestria will need in my absence?"

The unicorn did not have the strength to answer, she could not give up so soon the idea of saving her, it was beyond her strength. She just nodded her head.

"Good luck Sunset." said the alicorn, offering a kiss on her student's cheek.

"See you later Princess Celestia," replied the mare, swearing to herself that this was not the last time they saw each other, while Celestia released the embrace and vortex, immediately closing on the unicorn before bursting.

The princess of the sun found herself alone in the throne room, she cried for a while longer, this brief encounter relieved her of a burden on her conscience. She turned her gaze to the entrance, amused by the behaviour of the male standing behind the doors. "Since when have you been waiting to make your entries?"

One of the doors opened, but Bitter Truth remained hidden behind the other. "I'm making an exception for the occasion. It is not every day that you receive a visit from the future. It takes time for a mare your age to recover from such emotions," Bitter teased.

Celestia had a light laugh. "Are you kidding? I was travelling back in time and in alternative dimensions with Starswirl and Luna a few years after getting our cutie marks, long before Discord appeared. I didn't expect to see Sunset, though. Than- " She changed her mind. "...It was beyond my most fanciful dreams."

The stallion entered the room without a word, closing the door behind him and his attention focused on the princess' face.

"Why such a look?" Celestia asked.

"I've thought of ten different ways to change your mind, and yet every time you sweep it away like a straw."

The princess suddenly had a little idea, and a mutinous gleam in her eyes, she took a lighter tone. "Don't be so bitter about it, my friend."

Bitter winced. "Could you be serious at least for a moment?"

A mischievous smile was born and she followed. "Don't you see it? I'm dead serious!"

The oracle sighed, he felt the need to sit down for a moment. He looked at the mirror, embittered. "I should have broken my four legs and this mirror the day I came to warn you of the danger that this human will pose to you." He took a deep breath and then sighed briefly, looking to the corner in the direction of Celestia. "There's no need to ask, the answer is yes. I'll help you round out the angles for the transition. I can't refuse you anything."

Celestia, grateful, came to sit beside him. She simply offered him her simple presence to comfort him, she knew how much he hated receiving thanks from her.

The time bubble appeared and Sunset was back in her time. She had not been able to convince Princess Celestia, but with a time travel spell, she had the opportunity to fix things in a different way. No longer seeing the unicorn, she turned around and had a gesture of retreat when she found herself face to face with the earth pony mastodon in butler's costume. So imposing and that intimidating electric blue look that he was pointing at her distracted her, preventing the mare from seeing Bitter Truth at the end of the corridor, turning into another gallery.

When he saw her face, Reynaud pulled the yellow sunflower silk square from the pocket of his suit and undertook to make the unicorn presentable. "Miss Sunset, it's good to see you again. Look at the state you're in. Shall I summon the beautician who used to take care of you?"

Sunset stepped back to get out of reach of the old butler. "Where is he? Where's Bitter Truth?!"

"I am sorry Lady Sunset, and I quote, not being able to leave you in possession of such a spell, it would be too dangerous between your hooves, what you intend to do, is not worthy of a student of Princess Celestia. The latter offered you a second chance, don't waste it."

Sunset's gaze fell like a leaf from a tree, twirling as her thoughts flowed to her hooves. She was there, walled in silence, thoughtful, considering her options. If Bitter Truth took this scroll with him, it meant that it was unique, or that he had already taken care to confiscate the other copies. The opportunity to warn Princess Celestia was a pathetic failure. This opportunity was a poisoned gift, she had lived fifteen years away from her mentor, and she was convinced that it had detached her from the princess' death. But it only took her less than fifteen minutes with her mentor to suffer from losing her forever. Now the poison was running through the veins, to better undermine her will. The worst thing was probably the still warm feeling of this shared embrace on her coat. She sighed tiredly, then got up and nodded to Reynaud as she walked past him, walking towards the exit. There was nothing holding her back at the castle. There was nothing keeping her in Canterlot. She walked through the streets, like a shadow in the middle of the crowd at the beginning of the afternoon, yet she felt alone in the world. She walked to the edge of the cliff, south of the city. One more step and it was the big void, a fall of several hundred metres. Right there in front of her was Ponyville. She had come here to rid herself of her old regrets, but instead she had won new ones, with some promises. But for the moment, she didn't want anything. For the moment, she didn't feel anything. She needed to feel something.

With a slow exhale, she closed her eyes and stepped forward, bracing herself as gravity took hold.