Shining Armor laid in his bed, ice pack on his head as he stretched out on his stomach. The curtains were drawn tight over the windows to keep the room as dark as possible, and gentle, soothing music filled the room.
The door to the room opened slowly. As soon as the gap was wide enough, Spike poked his head through the opening.
"Uh, Shining?" the young dragon said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Are you up for a visitor?"
"I guess so," the stallion responded, adjusting the ice pack as he opened his eyes and looked up.
Spike gave a nod and pushed the door open the rest of the way. Once open all the way, Princess Celestia moved forward. Lowering her head, she stepped around Twilight Sparkle and Spike to come into the room.
"Princess?" Shining gasped, eyes going wide. "Spike, why didn't you tell me the Princess was here to see me."
"Twilight insisted," Spike answered, pointing at the filly.
"Why?" the young stallion asked as he turned to look at his younger sister.
"Because if you knew it was the princess," Twilight explained, "you would have insisted whether you felt up to it or not."
"What?"
"It seems," Celestia said, "that your little sister is feeling quite protective of you. At first, she refused to let me see you at all due to your recovering. It was after some conversation did she agree provided you felt up for company. How are you feeling?"
"Like somepony dropped all of Canterlot on my head," Shining answered. "Holding two spells is something I'm not used to, to say nothing about it being two massive spells like holding a shield around an Ursa Minor and levitating a water tower filled with milk. Which reminds me. Spike, please make a note that I need to set some time aside for practicing in case I have to do something like that again."
"Right," Spike said, pulling out a scroll and quill.
"So what brings you to Ponyville?" Shining Armor asked.
"Sunset Shimmer," Celestia responded. "I was informed that you sent a letter to the school requesting information about her."
"She mentioned that she went to your school for gifted unicorns," the stallion answered. He stopped and looked at the princess, tilting his head to one side. "Do you know her?"
"Not as well as I once believed." The princess turned to look at Spike and Twilight. "Perhaps you two should get comfortable. I am uncertain how long this conversation shall take."
The two shifted a moment, staring at the princess, before moving. Spike moved to his basket and sat down, stretching out. Twilight moved to the bed and climbed up, taking a seat next to her brother. Celestia moved and sat down as well.
"Sunset Shimmer," the princess started, "was my former student before you, Shining Armor."
"What?!" Shining, Spike and Twilight all shouted out in surprise.
"You didn't know?" Twilight asked, looking at her brother.
"I never asked," Shining responded. "I also figured that the student before me had gone on to some great thing, like explore the borders of Equestria, studying strange plants and animals, searching for ancient spells lost to time, or off somewhere to create new ones or something."
"There are many who have done such things," Celestia stated, "and others who chose paths and did things I could never have imagined for them." She looked up at the ceiling, smiling. The princess's head suddenly dropped down with a sigh as she stared at the floor.
"And, sadly, there were a few that were not so fortunate."
"With all due respect," Spike said, "how did a pony as crazy and mean as Sunset Shimmer end up as your student?"
"She was not always like that," Celestia replied. "Much like Shining Armor, Sunset Shimmer was tested when she was young and showed that she had great power and talent for magic. She was an excited and curious filly when I took her under my wing and began to teach her."
The princess looked away, staring toward the curtains a moment. None of the other said anything for a moment, uncertain what to say or do.
"Unfortunately," Princess Celestia finally continued, "she was not as kind or compassionate as I had expected. Things went well at first, but it did not last. Sunset Shimmer saw her position as my student as something to use. She looked down on others, including other students and the guards, to whom she was often very rude. She saw herself as superior to others, and was more than willing to tell them such, especially if it would give her an advantage.
"She also grew obsessed with magic. No matter what, she wanted to learn new, stronger magic and more powerful spells. No matter what I taught her, she wanted more. It did not matter if I thought she was not ready. Sunset Shimmer insisted on more and more. With it, she also wanted to have greater and greater magic.
"It all culminated into the events of a single day, and two specific points. One was early in the morning. Sunset Shimmer was in a fouler mood than usual and insisted that I help her with something I could not. When I refused, there was an argument where she accused me of holding her back.
"The second was later in the evening. Some guards caught Sunset Shimmer attempting to enter a room which was off limits to all. It is a place where certain relics and books are kept as they are seen as dangerous, including spells that are considered forbidden by many of the most powerful unicorns."
"Excuse me," Twilight held up a hoof, "but what do you mean? Don't you decide what is and isn't dangerous?"
"That is an understandable question," Celestia answered. "However, I am only a single mare. Were I to be the sole decider on such matters, I would be overprotective. A great many choices I would make, even if for the best of my little ponies, would possibly be too much and hinder their progress."
"So what happened to Sunset Shimmer?" Spike asked.
"When the guards brought her to me, we had an argument. She accused me again of holding her back, as well as such as I have claimed to try and avoid. I attempted to explain that some things had to be earned and proven in time with smaller steps, but she would not listen.
'In the morning, she was gone."
The three other three were all quiet for the moment. They shifted to look between each other and the princess.
"So.." Shining Armor finally said, "you've been trying to find her ever since?"
"Correct," Celestia answered. "That is how I heard of your letter. I have standing orders that any reports on Sunset Shimmer are to be notified to me as soon as possible." Standing up, she moved toward the bed. "And I fear that her coming to Ponyville was not a coincidence. I believe she came to investigate and study what she would see as her replacement."
"Me?" Shining Armor's went wide. "Why?"
"I cannot be certain. Perhaps to test your capabilities. Perhaps to see if you have learned something she has not. The possibilities are numerous, and with all the years since I have last seen her, it is hard to guess since I cannot understand how the passing years have changed her."
"What should we do?" Twilight asked. Celestia reached out, stroking the filly's mane.
"At the moment," the princess answered, "with her gone, you and your brother should be safe." She gave a gentle smile. "The most I can ask for now is to notify me immediately when and if she appears again. In the mean time, I will continue to have my guards report to me any sightings of her. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to make my way back to Canterlot."
With her usual grace and poise, Celestia rose and walked from the room. The three others watched her go, uncertain what to say or do.