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// Sunshine's New Project 
// Story: Merlina's Curse 
// by Quae_116 
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Chapter 3- Sunshine’s New Project

Sunshine woke up with a start. She had had that dream again. The black mare with the white curly mane and the dark, sad, blue eyes, had gotten away again. A tear trickled down Sunshine’s face. When the pony left her, Sunshine always felt like a part of her was gone.
It was raining today and like all other sunless days, Sunshine was feeling down. It was too dark in Canterlot. Too rainy and miserable for her liking. Sunshine decided to try to make the best of it. She climbed off the window seat where she had been watching the constant downpour and went to see if the princess was around.
She found her in her private office. The princess was reading some a letter, probably a weekly update from Celestia’s favorite student Twilight Sparkle. Sunshine couldn’t help but feel a wave of jealousy ripple through her. She worked twice as hard as any student at the academy but alas,Twilight received all the attention. I suppose being an element of harmony did key into that. Oh how Sunshine wished she was one of them. You see, Sunshine didn’t hate Twilight. She merely considered their relationship a friendly rivalry. Sunshine didn’t hate anypony. She made it her goal to be nice to everypony. She had wished she and Twilight had had the chance to become friends, but Twilight was always too busy.  
The next few minutes’ occurrences were as though Princess Celestia had read Sunshine’s mind.
“Ah, Sunshine. How timely of you to stop by. Did you need something?” The Princess waited politely for an answer.
“Oh, no I suppose not. I just wanted to see you.” Sunshine smiled at her role model.
“Well, that is very kind of you Sunshine. Lucky for me, I did need to speak to you. I have a very important assignment for you and I think you can learn a lot from it. I need you to help Twilight Sparkle,” at the sound of her rival’s name, Sunshine’s interest was peaked. “ You see, she needs some help. Unfortunately she is under the weather and she is in dire need of assistance. Would you do me the favor of going to Ponyville for a few days while the poor filly recovers? I know that you like to take your leaves of absences every other week for health reasons, but this should only be a few days.”
Sunshine could not believe what she was hearing. She stumbled with her words and her etiquette slipped.

“Oh my yes! Are you kidding me?!?! This is so freaking awesome!” One look from the princess and Sunshine quickly rethought her choice of words.
“What I mean to say is, I would be honored to assist Twilight Sparkle,” The princess gave an approving nod and continued her instructions.
“ I will send word at once and will have somepony pack your things. You will be staying at a friend of Twilights, being that there is not enough room at the library. Her friend Applejack has offered you her guest room. The estate is known as Sweet Apple Acres. Enjoy your trip, Sunshine. I think you can learn quite a bit about magic from Twilight and quite a bit about friendship from her and her new group of friends.” Princess Celestia gave a nod of dismissal and returned to her work. Sunshine bowed and quickly left the office. When she was out of earshot, she started jumping up and down and whinnying with excitement.
“I’m gonna meet Twilight! I’m gonna meet Twilight!” Sunshine then cantered to her room to help the maid pack. She wanted to leave as soon as she possibly could. It wasn’t that the palace wasn’t exciting, it was that the trip she was about to embark on was even more so.

A yellow glow engulfed the few possessions Sunshine owned and her meager assortment of books, clothes, and knick knacks neatly folded themselves into Sunshine’s worn out saddlebags. The white mare gave a satisfied nod and the latches on the bags closed with a click of finality. Sunshine trotted over to her canopy bed and plopped down on top of it. She neatly tucked her legs under her and sighed. The week had been long and the studying had been harsh. Sleep soon overtook the tired young mare and for the first time in months, her dreams were not about the black mare with the curly white mane.

Instead her dreams were those about Ponyville. In her mind Sunshine though of Twilight Sparkle, one of the most amazing students in Canterlot. She dreamed that she and the lavender mare became best friends and shared lots of secrets about magic and even more about friendship. But her soul had other plans. As her midday nap turned into a goodnight’s sleep, her subconsciousness took a trip.

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The outline of a full grown white mare with a straightened flowing mane slowly rose out of a younger mare resembling the spirit. She was engulfed in a bright yellow aura. She recognized it as somepony’s soul. The apparition used her magic and with a puff of yellow smoke she was transported to a dark cave. She didn’t know it at the time but the cave was somewhere in the countryside of Trottsylvania. There she was greeted solemnly by another pony’s soul. This one was black with a curly white mane and a frown was etched on her face.

Another mare entered. This one wasn’t just a soul, but an actual live and breathing pony. She wasn’t just anypony, though, she was an alicorn. Her features were so rare. A horn and wings on a pony were only qualities seen in the royal family of Equestria. The mare obviously had royal blood in her. She had the same slender figure as Celestia and the same piercing eyes as Luna. This alicorn was ash gray and her eyes were a deep purple. She had a white stripe on her face and her legs were white around the hooves. Her black mane had purple highlights in it. Her cutie mark was another matter entirely. It was so unusual yet familiar. A black pony with a white eye and a white pony with a black eye created a circle. It was a form of the yin yang symbol. It was majestic and beautiful.

The gray mare’s horn began to glow with a bright purple light. The smoky mare frowned.

“Oh, how I enjoy this. Every week is the same. The two of you join me in your sleep and I am forced to recite the ancient curse we are bound to,” The mare did not act like she enjoyed it. She sighed and continued.

“ Let’s see so this was Sunny’s week so now its Moondust’s turn okay here we go,” The mare stopped talking as white engulfed her eyes and her voice was replaced with a booming feminine growl.

“The light has had her fun. The time has come to end the sun. Darkness will now overtake. Until next week the curse I restate. You know the rules. You know the rhyme. I can’t wait until next time. Eclipse will have her monthly moon. That night, for me, can’t come too soon. Sun to Moon. Moon to Sun. This ritual is over! This ritual is DONE!” The bright light engulfed the ponies as they were all sucked into the body of Moondust. Even though she was unconscious, her horn glowed with the dark blue light of her magic and with a flash and a puff of smoke the mare disappeared.