"What is it that you want Celestia!" Sunset angrily shouted at Celestia as she slowly climbed to her hooves. Sunset continuing to send a death glare her mother's way.
"I told you that we need to talk, and I am your Princess and your mother. And you will address me as such." Celestia all but shouted back her daughter. Sunset's angry snarl only increasing at her mother's words.
"Whatever." Sunset snarled as she began to follow her mother out of the room.
Sunset sending a quick look back to her bed, the black book reappearing and a low-pitched snarl coming from the book.
The book and Sunset sharing a nonverbal conversation. Sunset's few minutes of reading it seeming to give her the ability to understand the book's strange language. The book speaking mostly in snarls, growls, and hisses. Celestia was able to hear the book's strange sound but she wasn't able to understand it. But she didn't need an Equestrian-to-evil book dictionary to know that it was something evil. And Celestia needed to protect her daughter from the darkness. She wasn't going sit by and watch another one of her loved ones fall to the forces of evil.
"Are you coming!?" Celestia called after her daughter, her words breaking the mental conversation that Sunset was having with the book.
"Whatever, mom. Let's get this over with." Sunset grunted as she trotted past Celestia and out of her room. Sunset flicking her tail in front of her mother's face when she passed her.
Celestia letting out a heavy sigh as she watched her daughter trot away from her. "This is going to be a long day." Celestia said to herself as she followed after her daughter. Celestia closing the door to Sunset's room with her golden magic.
The moment that the door closed the invisibility spell that book had the ability to cast on itself returned and the book disappeared into the darkness of the room. The first seed of the shadows being planted inside the heart and mind of Sunset. A seed that would quickly grow into a strong tree of darkness. A tree that's roots still remained deep within the head of Sunset, and continued to control her some many years later.
Back in the present and in the world of the mirror portal. It didn't take long for Twilight and her friends to drive to Rarity's boutique in the center of the city. The boutique located about a mile from the high school. The boutique acting like a second home for the teenager. She didn't own the boutique and was still technically the apprentice to a young woman by the name of Sassy Saddles but everyone in the town knew that it was really Rarity that was the master at dress making. Sassy working more as the woman behind the scenes that handled the financial side of the boutique.
Anyway, Twilight and her friends arrived at the large white building (it looking very similar to the boutique that Rarity owned back in Ponyville) and all of them parked their respective cars in the small parking lot that was at the front of the dress shop.
"Are you sure that Rarity's here?" Twilight asked her friends as she hopped out of Applejack's truck. Her being closely followed by Zulu. Theta spending the trip in the bed of the green truck. Theta liked the bed, the metal was hard but nothing compared to the cold floors of the caves that he had grown accustomed to sleeping on when he was growing up. Theta quickly shaking away memories of his childhood as all of them included him.
"She should be." Fluttershy said, the pink-haired girl's words being a welcome distraction of Theta's bucked up life. "If she isn't at his house, which is unlikely, she's usually here." Fluttershy said to Twilight.
"I see. You all stay out here until I call for you. I don't want another moment like back at the school." Twilight said to her friends. They all shared a look before they all nodded. None of them wanted a blow up between Rarity and anyone else that history with her Twilight accepting her friends nonverbal confirmation to her logic and started walking toward the white boutique. A thought coming to her mind as she approached the dress shop. "Sounds like Rarity hasn't changed a bit." Twilight said internally as opened the door to the dress shop, Spike being the only one that followed after her. A bell that was attached to the top of the door ringing signaling to anyone that was inside to her entrance
As Twilight entered the dress shop she heard a familiar voice call out from an unknown location. "One second and I'll be right there." The familiar voice of Rarity called out. Spike's ears perking up at the sound of his crush's voice, or this world's version of his crush to be technical.
"Alright." Twilight said as she scanned her eyes around the front room of the boutique. The boutique was similar to the one that Rarity had back in Equestria. Just slightly different. The boutique's front room was really just a long hallway that had many dressing rooms. The dressing rooms being covered by a red curtain. The many dresses of the store being hanged on multiple wheeled racks just in front of the dressing rooms. The dresses looking to be ordered by a certain design and then by color.
Twilight's natural curiosity came to a halt when she assumed who was this world's version of Rarity stepped out of one of the dressing rooms on the far end of the long hallway. This girl was white-skinned and looked to be the same age as the rest of her friends. She had a flowing and elegantly crafted head of purple hair that had three blue pins that were in the shapes of gemstones. She wore a light blue blouse with a purple belt with a blue belt buckle and a golden bracelet that wrapped around her left wrist. The girl also wearing a purple skirt with three blue gemstones embroiled on the upper left side. She also wore long purple boots that went boots that went up to her knees with a blue gemstone at top of each respective boot.
The girl also was holding a bright red dress in her right forearm. Her elegantly placing the beautiful dress on its respective hanger before talking to Twilight. "My name's Rarity, and how may I help you this afternoon?" The girl asked Twilight with a pleasant smile. Twilight's assumptions being corrections.
"The right word could I help you with." Twilight said to Rarity, a look of confusion appearing on Rarity's face at Twilight's words.
"Come again?" Rarity said not where Twilight was going with this.
"Pinkie!" Twilight called out and the door to the boutique opened and the pink-skinned girl entered the dress shop. Pinkie with an unnatural lack of making conservation as she refrained from making eye contact with Rarity.
"What is the meaning of this?" Rarity asked Twilight bitterly, her happy smile gone and now replaced by an angry frown.
"I'm trying to make it so the two are friends again." Twilight told Rarity, her angry frown not leaving her.
"Why would you care, I have never even seen you before until now?" Rarity asked Twilight.
"My reasons are my own and not important right now." Twilight said expertly dodging the question, maybe spending time with Zulu was paying off for her. "What is important is that two friends should hate each other. So make it easier for the both of you and apologize to each forever happened between the both of you."
"I won't apologize until Pinkie does, she the one that's at fault anyway." Rarity said crossing her arms and Pinkie exploded.
"I never did anything to you!" Pinkie shouted at Rarity. Pinkie showing a piece of herself that every who people, or ponies for that matter, ever saw.
"Don't start Pinkie, you know exactly what you did!" Rarity shouted back. Twilight beginning to get a sense of Deja vu of when Pinkie and Fluttershy went
"Stop!" Twilight shouted breaking up the verbal fight between the two teens. "I'm sick and tired of seeing my friends tearing themselves apart over pity things!" Twilight continued to shout. Pinkie looking away in shame at Twilight's words while Rarity just stared angrily at the purple teen. She didn't know Twilight, she didn't know her name."Now, that being said. How did the two of you stop talking to each other?" Twilight asked Rarity.
"While if you must know." Rarity bitterly spat at Twilight, something that Twilight took in stride. "I was always willing to help Pinkie Pie when it comes to setting up parties and special events for the school. But whenever I said I was going to help her out I get an email from Pinkie saying that she has enough hands and doesn't my help. Only later to find out that Pinkie did all of the work by herself. So either she was intentionally lying to me or she just didn't care about me. Either way, by the fourth or fifth time I had just given up and we had never engaged with each other since." Rarity explained to Twilight. Her words being a surprise to both Twilight and Pinkie respectively.
"I never sent you any emails, never." Pinkie said catching both Rarity and Twilight's attention.
"Really, then who did?" Rarity asked and Pinkie and Twilight both shared a knowing look.
"I think it's time to bring in the rest." Twilight said to Pinkie.
"Agreed." Pinkie said in agreeance. Pinkie hopping away and opening the door to the boutique. "You girls can come in." Pinkie called to the outside. The rest of Twilight's friends entering the boutique. Them being quickly followed by Zulu and Theta. Zulu walking over toward Twilight and the two interlocking hands while Theta walked over to the corner and laid down. Theta being bored out of his mind.
"What's going on?" Rarity asked as the shop was now filled with her former friends, two complete strangers, and two dogs. One dog that looked like it had just been hit by a car. "When have you and Fluttershy been on speaking terms?" Rarity asked Pinkie.
"Maybe an hour ago." Fluttershy said to Rarity. She still felt some shame for yelling at Pinkie when it really wasn't her fault, but that was in the past and she hoped to create a better future.
"Twilight came to us and showed that we were both being stupid and that what happened at the fundraiser was any of our faults." Pinkie added.
"It is the same between me and AJ here. Just replace fundraiser with a bake sale that included the softball team." Rainbow spoke for the first time.
"How... you girls haven't even talk to each other in almost over a year?" Rarity asked, still confused.
"Simple, Twilight just showed us that we were directing all of our anger at the wrong person." Pinkie said to Rarity in her normal polite and happy demeanor.
"Yes, and would bet that the same person that tried to break up the relationship of Pinkie and Fluttershy and Rainbow and Applejack was the same person that sent you the emails that eventually drove you and Pinkie apart, Rarity." Twilight said to Rarity in a pleasant voice.
"Then if Pinkie didn't send me any of those emails, who did?" Rarity asked Twilight beginning to trust this new stranger a little bit more.
"Sunset Shimmer!" All of Twilight's friends said as one.
"Sunset, why would do such a thing. I mean, not that I wouldn't put it passed her to do something like that?" Rarity asked the group of teens that were front of her.
"I really don't know, Rarity. But everything points to Sunset Shimmer. Plus with me running against her in the Fall Formal, I would need all the help that I can get to beat her." Twilight said to Rarity.
"I thought the Fall Formal was canceled?" Rarity asked Twilight.
"No, Principal Celestia and Luna were able to recover the crown put the dance back on for tomorrow night." Fluttershy answered Rarity's question.
"Really?" Rarity said with genuine surprise in her voice. "Hmm... looks the fabulous gown that I had planned to wear to the dance won't go to waste after all." Rarity said more to herself when a thought came to her mind. "And Twilight..." Rarity said scratching her lower chin in deep thought, her words catching the attention of the girl that she was speaking to.
"And Twilight..." Rarity said scratching her lower chin in deep thought, her words catching the attention of the girl that she was speaking to. 'You said that you would need all the help possible in order to defeat Sunset Shimmer." Rarity said to Twilight, her nodding her head yes.
"Well, I might have just the idea that might just work to give you what you need to beat Sunset." Rarity said her words being music to the ears of Twilight.
"Really, how?!" Twilight asked Rarity barely able to contain her excitement.
"It's easier to explain to with actions rather than words darling, so meet at the Cake's in ten minutes and I'll explain everything there." Rarity said to Twilight, her sounding more and more like the white unicorn that she remembered back home in Equestria.
"Ok, We'll all meet you there, Rarity." Twilight said to Rarity with a happy smile on her face. Theta, Zulu, Spike, Twilight, and the rest of her friends leaving the dress shop. Getting into their respective cars and driving over to the sweet shop that was in the town. The sweet shop being the most popular hang out for students of CHS next to Derpy's diner. Twilight plan to take down Sunset Shimmer beginning to take shape. Twilight well aware that she was running out of time to enact it.
Back in the past of Equestria, Sunset continued to follow her mother through the halls of the Canterlot palace. Sunset's indifference towards her mother increasing every second that passed in absolute silence.
After almost five minutes of following her mother through the winding halls of the castle, she finally spoke. Her mother said that she wanted to talk to her, and even though Celestia's methods were strange, when she said that she wanted to talk. She wanted to talk.
"What is that you wanted to talk me about?" Sunset asked Celestia.
"I don't want to talk you Sunset, I just said that in order to get you to follow me." Celestia said back to her daughter as she continued to trot through the halls of the castle.
Sunset groaned internally, she had been tricked out of learning important magic by her own mother. Then Sunset did a mental double take. Why was she so angry all of a sudden? Has reading that book really changed her that much. All she had learned in her short amount of time was of about the existence of the Elements of Chaos and some minor dark magic spells that Sunset could've pulled off when she just yearling if given the chance.
"No, that's ridiculous." Sunset thought to herself as her mind and heart continued to fight for dominance. This being only one of her many fights against her 'logic' and her emotions.
Sunset was so stuck in her own mind that even hear that her mother was still talking to her until Celestia said her name. "Sunset, are you even listening to me?" Celestia asked her movements coming to a stop. Sunset just stopping herself from running into the rear of Celestia.
Sunset shook away her thoughts with a shake of her head. "Sorry, I'm been... thinking. What did you say." Sunset said up to Celestia.
"I said that I didn't want to talk to you. I wanted to introduce you to somepony." Celestia said sparking Sunset's interest. "Or, more accurately, properly introduce you to somepony." Celestia said to Sunset as she began to start trotting down the long halls of the castle.
"Meet somepony, who?" Sunset asked her mother.
"You'll see, and trust me. I think that the two of you will turn into good friends." Celestia said in her usual vagueness.
The two continued to trot through the halls of the castle in mostly silence for another five to ten minutes. Celestia would usually say something to break the ice between her and her daughter. But the conservations would usually be very quick and brief and would only lead to another round of awkward silence between the two. Eventually, to the relief of both Sunset and Celestia, the white alicorn came to her destination. Celestia stopping in front of a seemingly random door on the far East Wing of the castle.
"Um... Princess, where are have we stopped?" Sunset asked Celestia
"Because this is where the pony that I want you to meet is, or at least, she should be." Celestia said as she used her golden magic to open the door to the room that she was standing in front of, the door slowly opening and Celestia entering the room with Sunset not far behind.
Sunset quickly began to regret following her mother as she heard the voice of a young mare start speaking to Celestia. "Auntie I wasn't expecting to see you." Sunset heard Cadence say to Celestia. Cadence sitting on a large pink bed that made Sunset's look like a peasant's bed. The bed being easy twice the size of Sunset's and being made of expensive wood that Sunset assumed to be mahogany. Cadence was laying down on the bed and was reading a book that from where Sunset was standing she couldn't read the cover of. Cadence closing the cover of the book that she was reading and sitting up on her bed.
"Is it time for our lessons?" Cadence asked Celestia, the pink alicorn still not noticing the presence of Sunset.
"Wait, you're giving Cadence magic lessons too, what about me." Sunset thought as she felt like she was just hit with a sledgehammer from her mother's words. Sure Cadence used to be a pegasus and she would need help with magic. But she could just enroll in a special magic school. Sunset's magic lessons with her mother they... they were special. It was one of the few things that Sunset was able to do with her mother just by themselves. Sunset not having to fear to call Celestia mom as they always did their lessons alone.
"Nope, nope, nope, not happening!" Sunset internally vented as she did a quick 180 and walked out of the room. She wasn't going to share magic lessons with a precious little pink alicorn.
"Not, quite. I actually wanted you to be properly introduced to my star student..." Celestia began to say as she turned to introduce Sunset to Cadence, only to find that her daughter was nowhere to be found. "Sunset, where'd you go." Celestia said when she didn't see her daughter standing behind her.
"I'm not sharing lessons with her!" Sunset shouted back as she continued to trot down the hallway away from Cadence's room.
"Damnit, Sunset." Celestia internally groaned and sighed at the same time. "Sorry Cadence, could you excuse me for just one moment?" Celestia asked Cadence. The younger alicorn giving the elder a single head nod as she went back to reading the book that she was reading before Celestia had entered. The book being a spellbook for beginners at magic. A spellbook that Sunset remembered completing with flying colors even before she had become Celestia's student. "Great, I'll be right back." Celestia said to Cadence, her trotting out of the room and after her daughter.
Back in the mirror portal of the present. It didn't take long for Twilight and all of her friends to drive to the sweet shop that they were supposed to regroup with Rarity and learn of her plan to finally knock Sunset off of her pedestal.
Twilight and her friends all entered the sweet shop and ordered a round of milkshakes before taking a seat in an area in the shop that allowed all of them to seat comfortably. Twilight, Zulu, and Fluttershy sitting on a comfy couch while still leaving enough room for when Rarity joined them. Applejack and Rainbow both sitting in separate chairs that were next to the couch. Zulu sitting next to Twilight and wrapping his right arm around her shoulders, while Spike sat in the lap of Twilight and Theta laid down next to the feet of Zulu. Theta might have liked his cone in most situations but at least it made so that his head didn't touch the cold tile floor.
Several minutes passed by with them sitting in the sweet shop without the inclusion of Rarity. As more and more time passed by the more and more anxious Twilight got. She was on a limited time table. If she wasn't able to get the students of CHS on her side by the next day and defeat Sunset, if she even would be able to, she would be stuck in this world for the next thirty moons.
Zulu could sense the anxiety in her marefriend increasing and he tightened his hug around her and whispered into her ear. Making sure that none of the others could hear. Twilight's friends, while meaning while, still were unaware that they were dealing with an alicorn Princess from Equestria, the newest king of the Changeling Kingdom, and two dragons, one that was the current heir to the reign as Alpha of the Dragon Empire.
"It's alright Twilight, everything going to work out in the end. We will defeat this Sunset Shimmer and return home with time to spare." Zulu whispered into Twilight's ear. His seemed to work as the tight muscles of Twilight's shoulders began to loosen. "Everything is going to work out Twilight, they always do in the end." Zulu whispered into Twilight's ear. Twilight turning her head to face Zulu and a happy smile spreading across her face.
"Thanks, Z." Twilight whispered back as leaned up against his chest.
"Ugh! What's taking Rarity so long!" Rainbow exclaimed breaking moment that was going on between Twilight and Zulu. Her speaking what everyone was thinking, well all but Theta. He still liked his idea of using direct force against Sunset. She wasn't so scary, he could take her. Even in his damaged state.
"Calm your horses, Rainbow." Applejack said scolded Rainbow, Twilight not being able to stop herself from giggling at Applejack's words. "This is Rarity that we are talkin' about. She probably still makin' sure that her hair just perfect." Applejack said to Rainbow with a flip of her straw-colored hair in a motion to sarcastically imitate Rarity.
Just as Applejack finished her sentence the door to the sweet shop opened and Rarity rushed in. The young teen was out of breath and was carrying a large cardboard box in her arms. Rarity seeing the empty seat on the couch where Twilight, Zulu, and Fluttershy were sitting and quickly continued to the rest of her friends.
"Sorry, I'm late girls. It took me a little longer than I thought to find everything that I needed." Rarity apologized as she placed the large box that she was carrying on the ground next to her feet. The sound of the box hitting the tile floor waking Theta from his nap. The white husky sending an annoyed growl Rarity's way as he shifted his body away from the humans and returned to his nap.
"It's alright Rarity, what is it that you wanted to show us." Twilight said to Rarity, pulling out of Zulu's hug.
"These" Rarity said taking out a blue headband that had two yellow horse ears on it, there also being a matching fake horse tail. The base of the tail that wrapped around a person body like a belt was blue with the actual tail being a bright yellow.
"Now, this may be an absolutely preposterous idea, but what if we all wore these as a sign of unity?" Rarity said as she placed the headband and fake tail on herself to show them off.
"Freshman year, they were very, very popular. A way for everybody to show their school spirit! You know? 'Go, Canterlot Wondercolts!" Rarity exclaimed like an overexcited cheerleader while jumping up and down.
"Ahem. I haven't sold any in ages." Rarity cleared her throat as she went back to the topic that was at hand.
"I mean, the five of us are obviously very different, but deep down, we're all Canterlot Wondercolts! Sunset Shimmer is the one who divided us, Twilight Sparkle is the one who united us. And we're gonna let everyone know it! What do you think?" Rarity said mostly to Twilight as she finished showing off her plan to beat Sunset Shimmer.
"It's your call, Twi." Zulu said to Twilight holding one of the headbands in his hand. Twilight examined the idea in her head and determined the likelihood that it would be a success. The odds weren't good, but they were better than before
"It might just work, and I have a plan as to how." Twilight said with determination in her voice.
"Really, how?" Fluttershy asked Twilight.
"Meet me at the high school tomorrow and I tell you all about it then, ok." Twilight said to her friends.
"Copy that boss." Rainbow said standing up from her chair. The rest of Twilight's friends following the example of Rainbow and nodding in an agreement.
"Excellent, I'll meet you all there." Twilight said standing up. The rest of Twilight friends following her example and them beginning to walk out of the sweet shop. Rarity's idea giving Twilight the perfect idea to show the students of CHS that they didn't have to put up with Sunset crap anymore.
Back in the past of Canterlot, Celestia was doing her best to stop her daughter from following in the hoof steps of her sister. Something that hit a snag when Sunset learned of the magic lessons that Celestia was giving to Cadence. Along with her own. Sunset not taking the news of this fact as well as Celestia would've liked.
"Sunset wait." Celestia called out to her daughter. Sunset heeded her mother's words and stopped trotting but her anger didn't disappear from her.
"I'm not sharing lessons with her!" Sunset shouted angrily at Celestia.
"You said that I wanted you to." Celestia said to Sunset, her daughter doing a double take from her mother's words.
"But... she said that you were giving her lessons too, and doing that would take away time from our lessons." Sunset said to Celestia with tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"Sunset..." Celestia said kneeling down to be at Sunset's eye level. "Listen to me." Celestia said down to her daughter cupping her hoof underneath the chin of Sunset. Celestia voice being soft and reassuring as she continued to speak to Sunset. "It is true that have been teaching Cadence magic lessons ever since she had become an alicorn." Celestia said to Sunset.
"Why didn't you tell me." Sunset asked Celestia.
"Because I knew this was how you would react if I did. You knowing that I was spending time teaching somepony else magic when you were my student." Celestia said to Sunset. The amber-filly doing a double take. Sunset knew she was being selfish, something that her mother had constantly told her not to be. "Think about others rather than just yourself." Celestia's words pounded in Sunset's head.
"I-I understand, but if you didn't want me to share lessons with Cadence. Then what was it that you wanted me to do with her?" Sunset asked Celestia.
"I wanted you to help Cadence with her magic lessons. Be a sort of mentor for her." Celestia said to Sunset, the amber-filly being blown away by her mother's words.
"You want me to do what?" Sunset stammered in a state of shock.
"Sunset, you are one of the most powerful unicorns that I have ever come across. I wouldn't surprise me if you would be able to challenge the great Star Swirl the Bearded in a match of magical prowess." Celestia said to her daughter, a small blush appearing on Sunset's muzzle from her mother's words. Sunset knew that her mother was just buttering her up with her words. But not matter how intentionally flattering they might have been, they still worked and made Sunset feel better.
She was being selfish and disappointing her mother, two things that she never wanted to do. She had a gift that some unicorns would only dream of processing. It would be irresponsible for her not to use it to help others.
"All I wanted you to do was help me out during my lessons with Cadence. She is far behind even what fouls would be currently learning in magical kindergarten." Celestia said to Sunset, the amber filly's ears perking up at her words.
"So... I'd be like an apprentice to you, a tutor." Sunset said happily, her being able to boss around a pony that was older than her made her want to jump for joy.
"You... could put it that way." Celestia said to Sunset. "So, are you saying that you would be willing to help me in teaching Cadence about the greatness of magic?" Celestia
"Yes, I would love to!" Sunset exclaimed as a thought came to her mind. "As long as I never have to share my lessons with her." Sunset said firmly but still politely, her doing her best imitation her mother. She trusted her mother, but she needed assurance.
"Of course, now follow me. I believe that it would be best to start with getting back on the right hoof with Cadence. You weren't practically friendly when you met her earlier." Celestia lightly scolded Sunset.
"Right, led the way, Princess." Sunset said slightly ashamed of her less than pleasant greeting to Cadence the first time they met. Sunset following after her mother back into Cadence's room. The pink alicorn was still lying on top of her bed and reading her spell book.
Celestia cleared her throat to get Cadence's attention, the pink alicorn lifting her head from her book shifting her attention from her studies of basic levitation and some of the easiest spells in existence and onto Celestia. This time, Cadence did notice the amber body of Sunset standing behind the left hind leg of Celestia. The sight reminding Cadence of a mother bear standing protectively in front of her cub. Cadence letting out an internal giggle at the sight in front of her.
"You're back Auntie, I hope that everything was resolved." Cadence said happily to Celestia.
"Yes, and I believe so. I believe that my student as something that she would like to tell you." Celestia said to Cadence. The white alicorn looking down at Sunset urging her to apologize to Cadence for her earlier behavior.
"Hi..." Sunset began quietly with a small wave of her hoof. "I'm Sunset Shimmer. I apologize for my behavior earlier, it was selfish and childish and I apologize for my misbehavior and I hope that we will be able to put all things aside and start over." Sunset said to Cadence, she felt genuinely sorry for her less than pleasant introduction to Cadence and hoped for them to become in not friends, at least mutual acquaintances.
"I accept your apologize Sunset, and I do hope that we will be to put our differences behind us and become good friends." Cadence said to Sunset a happy smile spreading across Cadence and Sunset's faces.
"Excellent, now that we got everything settled. Come on Cadence, I still have a magic lesson to teach you." Celestia said happily that her niece and her daughter had made amends.
"Lead the way, auntie." Cadence said to Celestia hopping off her bed and following after her out of the room.
"Come on Sunset, I am going to need your help if Cadence is ever going to become a master at magic." Celestia said to Sunset urging her to follow after the two alicorns.
"Come again, auntie." Cadence said to Celestia, not sure as to why Sunset was going to join the two alicorns.
"Oh yes, Sunset going to help me in your magic lessons. I thought it would just be appropriate." Celestia explained to Cadence.
"Oh, then I'd be honored. Being thought magic by both Princess Celestia and her priced student would be an honor." Cadence said happily.
"Excellent, now follow me. We have much to do and not much time to do it." Celestia said leading Cadence and Sunset through the halls of the castle and to the throne room. A thought coming to Sunset as she followed her mother and her supposed adoptive cousin.
"She stealing your mother from you, soon the both of you will drift apart and it will be all her fault." A deep voice that Sunset didn't recognize said in her head. Sunset being racked by a massive migraine. Sunset quietly groaning as the voice continued to speak to her. "You must get rid of her before it is too late, or else." The voice spoke again before falling mysteriously silent.
"No." Sunset said quietly out loud not aware that she was actually speaking.
"Come again, Sunset." Cadence said to Sunset noticing her words.
"Um... I'm just... speaking to myself. I talk to myself a lot, don't about it Princess." Sunset said to Cadence. "Nice recovery, Sunset." Sunset thought to herself when she saw a happy smile spread across Cadence's face.
"Ok, and please just call me Cadence. I was born just a regular pegasus anyway." Cadence said to Sunset a small smile spreading across Sunset's face as well. A smile that quickly left Sunset's muzzle once Cadence turned back toward Celestia. A look of despair taking its place as the strange voice returned.
"Just wait, soon you become nothing more than just a nuisance to her and soon she will make the choice as to which one of you that she cares for more, and I can guarantee that she won't pick you." The voice said to Sunset before disappearing again. Sunset looking down at the white tile floor of the castle's hallway. "That's not true, my mother loves me. She would never do that to me." Sunset thought as she looked at her own reflection in the tile floor. The image of a scared filly looking back at her.
"Are you sure about that?" Sunset could've sworn she heard her own reflection say back to her. Sunset's strange trance being broken by the sound of her mother's voice.
"Hurry along Sunset, we all have many things to do today and not much time left in the day to do them." Celestia said back to her daughter.
"Right, coming!" Sunset called back to her mother as she quickly galloped to catch up with the two alicorns. Sunset internally sighing as she caught back up to them. Cadence's larger and more mature body blocked her path to her mother.
"This is going to be one really long day." Sunset thought as the large double doors of the throne room came into view, the same orange guard standing in front of the doors. Sunset noticing the guard and Celestia sharing a look but thought nothing more of it. The guard using his green magic to open the double doors for the three mares, him bowing respectively as they all entered. Him oddly bowing the most when Sunset walked past. Sunset saw the occurrence as strange, but again, thought more of it. The guard quickly closing the doors behind the three mares as they entered.
"Now, yet's get started." Celestia said turning to face her adoptive niece and her daughter. The evening sun shining through the stained glass windows of the throne room and making it so that Celestia mane and coat both shined beautiful. Sunset also noticing a faint aura of golden magic wrapping around Celestia's long horn. Celestia doing her job of lowering the sun and raising the moon while at the same time teaching Cadence basic magic, impressive.
"I assume that you have been practicing your magic as of late, Cadence?" Celestia asked Cadence while using her teacher/mentor voice.
"Yes, auntie. I have read and reread all of the spell books that you have given me." Cadence said'
"Study and practice is not the same thing, Cadence. Have you been able to complete any of your assigned spells?" Celestia scolded Cadence, the pink alicorn's body seeming to shrink at Celestia's words. Cadence's muzzle turned even pinker (if that was even possible) with a blush of embarrassment.
"N-No... I still haven't been able to make it so that my horn would do what I want it to do." Cadence said to Celestia, the white alicorn sighing at Cadence's words.
"I see." Celestia said physically disappointed. "Sunset, could you be so kind as to create a snowball that is an inch in diameter?" Celestia asked Sunset shifting her attention away from Cadence.
"Snowballs, why always snowballs!?" Sunset internally vented while retaining a neutral expression the strange voice of unknown origin returning to her.
"To torture you. She knows that you aren't power in ice magic. She's just using you as her own puppet and her the puppeteer. Soon you be nothing more than that to her, and once you realize it. It will already be too late." The voice's deep voice pounded in her head. Another massive migraine hitting Sunset and a small groan coming out of her.
"Shut up, please!" Sunset internally shouted back at the strange voice.
"If that is what you wish, but you will come to me in time. They always do." The voice said before leaving Sunset's mind again.
"Good riddance." Sunset said internally with a snort.
"Sunset... are you alright?" Celestia asked Sunset, snapping the amber filly out of her trance. Sunset just then realizing that she had been silent and staring off into space for a solid minute.
Sunset shook the cobwebs out of her head with a single shake of her head back and forth. "Sorry, I must have zoned out there. Sorry Princess, it won't happen again." Sunset apologized to Celestia.
"No apology necessary, Sunset." Celestia said to Sunset with a warm smile on her face. "Now, could you please make a snowball for me?"
"Of course." Sunset said as her small horn ignited with her teal magic and her hoof began to start feeling cold as she began to form a small snowball in her left hoof. The snowball was smaller than the one that she created earlier but it was no less difficult to create.
Once Sunset was done the snowball was a perfectly shaped white sphere about an inch and a half in diameter. Sunset breathing heavily and sweating from her forehead when she was finished.
"Impressive..." Cadence said with genuine intrigue to the young unicorn's magical powers. "But... what does Sunset making a snowball have to do with my lack of success with magic?" Cadence asked Celestia, Sunset feeling slightly insulted by Cadence's words. It having taken Sunset months to master ice magic and this pink alicorn that currently stealing her private with her mother had just waved it off with her polished hooves.
Celestia didn't answer Cadence's question right away and instead turned her attention back to Sunset. "Sunset, how long did it take you to master ice magic?" Celestia asked Sunset while still looking at Cadence.
"You could, at least, look at me." Sunset internally vented as she snorted.
"Like three months." Sunset said to Celestia while looking directly at Cadence with a death glare on her muzzle.
"Oh!" Cadence said with genuine surprise. "But my question still stands, what does this have to do me having issues with my magic?" Cadence asked Celestia.
"I did it to prove a point." Celestia said to Cadence. A look of confusion appearing on both Cadence and Sunset's faces.
"A point?" Cadence and Sunset said as one.
"Yes, no matter how spell books you read, the amount time that you spend studying, you will never be able to master magic until you actually try your luck with your magic." Celestia said to Cadence, a high amount of boredom beginning to build inside of Sunset.
"Now, I want you to do a simple spell that I know that you should've studied by now." Celestia said to Cadence, the pink alicorn's muscles tensing up.
"Now, let's begin by having you do some basic levitation lessons to test out that new horn of yours." Celestia said to Cadence with a warm smile. A smile that only made Sunset angrier.
"She gets basic levitation as a warm up, while I have to make snowballs. Buck you mommy, buck you." Sunset vented internally as she angrily snorted at how unfair her young life was.
"Ok." Cadence said, her voice and muscles a little shaky.
"Keep your chin up Cadence, this is going to be simple. Just focus your magic and levitate that object over to you." Celestia said to Cadence pointing her hoof at a red apple that was resting on top of a table that was on the left side of the throne room.
"Ok..." Cadence said as she took in a deep breath. "Let's get this over with." Cadence said as the small horn that protruded out of her forehead glowed with her light blue magic. Her light blue aura wrapping around the red apple. The apple slowly beginning to lift off of the ground. Cadence's horn humming with her powerful magic as the apple slowly moved towards her. Her magic being so strong that the apple was bruised and quickly to began to leak its juices onto the tile floor of the throne room.
Sunset watching disinterestedly, a silent glare from Celestia being the only thing stopping her from sitting on her haunches and resting on her forelegs. Absolute boredom beginning to set in.
But suddenly Cadence's magic failed. All of her magic leaving her horn and the apple that she was levitating falling from her aura and hitting the ground with a loud splat.
"I'm sorry, but no matter how hard I try. My magic just doesn't want to listen to me and do what I want it to do." Cadence complained to Celestia. The pink alicorn breathing heavily and sweating from her forehead. Sunset beginning to get more and more irritated with this pink alicorn as this 'lesson' continued.
"I believe that I see the issue." Celestia said catching the interest of Cadence. Sunset disinterest and boredom only increasing with each passing second.
"You do!?" Cadence said clapping her hooves happily.
"Yes, it is very clear that you don't have an issue when it comes to the magical power that you process." Celestia said to Cadence, a happy smile spreading across the pink alicorn's muzzle. "But, it seems that you are having difficulty when it comes to focusing all of that power into a single controlled force." Celestia explained to Cadence, the pink alicorn nodding when appropriate.
"I see... can you help me in 'focusing my power'?" Cadence asked Celestia.
"I believe so. Sunset, do you believe that you can help Cadence in her endeavor. I remember you having a similar issue when you were younger?" Celestia asked, more ordered, Sunset to help Cadence.
"Sure." Sunset said defeated, her quickly beginning to regret agreeing to help Cadence with her magic.
"This is going to be one really long day." Sunset thought as she began to quickly regret agreeing to help Cadence with her magic. Sunset really wanting to return to her room and continue reading her latest spell book. Her having some kind of strange connection with the book ever since she had opened its pages for the first time.
Back in the present of the mirror portal. The rest of the day went on without much activity for Twilight, Zulu, and Theta. The three piling into Fluttershy's car and returning to the pink-haired girl's house to unwind and prepare for the final stages of Twilight's plan to defeat Sunset Shimmer.
It was a very different story for Sunset Shimmer. Sunset had been pacing around the front room of the abandoned house that she had made her home during her self-exile planning out every possible event that could happen the following day in extreme detail. Sunset being in the middle of her planning for one of the more unlikely situations, or so she thought.
"So if Twilight Sparkle is somehow able to win the crown through the voting system." Sunset thought out loud as she continued to pace up and down the front room of her house. "Not likely, but I have to prepare for everything. Mother always told me that the only way to prepare for everything is to plan for everything before hoof." Sunset thought to herself. Her being quickly hit by a massive migraine the moment that she finished her thought.
"No, stop thinking of Celestia, she is the enemy and should be treated as such." The same voice that she had since gotten accustomed to said to her.
Sunset let out a heavy sigh. The voice was right, it was always right. But her mother's words still stood and they were still good advice to follow. "You're right, but my mother's words are still a good piece of advice." Sunset said to the voice in her head as she continued to pace up and down the front room of her house.
"Perhaps, now what's your plan?" The voice asked Sunset.
"The best case scenario is that I just beat Twilight fair and square and use her Element of Harmony to take over Equestria and make it my own." Sunset said to the voice in her head.
"Hmm... I see." The voice said to Sunset. Sunset imagining a black red eyed devil scratching it's chin as it continued to speak. "And what if you fail to just win the crown?" The voice asked Sunset.
"Then we take it through more... direct means." Sunset said suddenly beginning to speak in the third person.
"I like the way you think." The voice said to Sunset, the fiery head girl imagining a devilish grin on the face of the strange voice that had been a part of her for over a decade.
"Thank you, now leave me. I still have so planning to do, and I don't want you to distract me from my plans." Sunset said to the voice in her head.
"If that is what you wish, then I shall leave. I just hope that you hold on to your end of the burden in our endeavor." The voice said to Sunset in a threatening tone.
"Are you threatening me?" Sunset asked the voice in her head as her pacing came to a stop.
"No, I'm just making sure that I will be properly repaid for my investments." The voice said to Sunset, her snorting at its strange words. She wasn't a sack of potatoes that could be sold at auction. But... she needed the voice. It gave her power, more power than she could ever have imagined. The power that it had only promised to give her more of. And nothing, not even Twilight Sparkle. Or even her Mother was going to stop her from all of the power that she craved.
"Fine, you have my word. You will be properly repaid for your efforts." Sunset said with a small flash of anger. A flash of anger that only made the voice happier at the words that it had done.
"Excellent, I will leave you now." The voice said before Sunset felt its strange presence leaving her. She still didn't know how she got it or where it came from. But it had helped more than it had hurt. Besides, in a place where she was feared by almost everyone. She needed someone to talk to, even if that someone was nothing more than her own subconsciousness.
Sunset let out a heavy sigh, it was almost over. Soon she would have all that she would need. Soon it would be all over. She would be free. She would have all of the things that she wanted for so long. All the power that she had craved for so long, or was it all the power that the voice inside her head craved for so long. She had been surrounded by the voice for so long that she could even tell the difference between herself and it anymore.
Was she even the same mare as before? Was she still be that happy filly that enjoyed learning all that there was to learn about the greatness of magic? No, she wasn't. That filly with love, hope, and magic had died a long time ago. She had changed so much in the last decade of her life. She wasn't happy all the time anymore, she was angry. She didn't crave to learn all the things anymore, she craved for power.
Which was better, she still didn't know. But she was soon going to find out.