//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Foreign Correspondence // by Stormie-squall //------------------------------// Princess Celestia took tea with her favourite ex-student the next day. It was good to catch up with her, even if she did have to officially have it be a royal meeting just to keep Raven happy. The two sat out on the balcony jutting off from her room, soaking up the rays of her beautiful sun. “You’ve really outdone yourself today, Celestia,” said Twilight after taking a sip of her tea. “Oh, it’s hardly anything special,” said Celestia with a small smile. “But do my ears deceive me? You just called me by name without adding my title.” “Oh my gosh, princess, I’m so sorry,” Twilight gasped, cringing. “Please don’t banish me, it was an accident!” Celestia laughed. Even after all this time, Twilight was still afraid of the sun’s wrath. “It’s quite alright, Twilight, I was joking,” she said with a gentle smile. “Ah. Of course you were.” Twilight’s ear flicked as she gave a sheepish grin. “What is the matter, Twilight? You seem stressed.” Celestia didn’t miss much, although it was quite easy to discern when Twilight was stressed. Her tells were just so obvious. “Nothing, I’m fine.” Twilight took in a deep breath and then let it out, waving her hoof with the motion of her chest. Celestia had seen Cadance doing the same thing. “If you’re sure,” said Celestia, and took another sip of tea. “Would you like a piece of cake? I had the royal chefs bake it special for you.” Twilight nodded and took a cake, nibbling on it daintily for a second before munching it down. “My sister tells me that you were asking about dark magic yesterday evening,” said Celestia. She sighed and patted Twilight’s back as the poor young alicorn choked on her cake. “It wasn’t for me,” Twilight wheezed, “just something Sunset-“ she broke off into a series of hacking coughs, “Shimmer told me.” “Mm-hm.” Celestia nodded and levitated Twilight’s cup over to her. “I know that Sunset Shimmer dabbled in the dark arts. It broke my heart.” An unfamiliar sadness cast a dark cloud over Celestia’s features. “Was she your daughter?” asked Twilight. “The way she talks about you, you were clearly like a mother to her.” “Oh, Twilight, no,” Celestia chuckled warmly. “She was like a daughter to me, just as all of my little ponies are like children to me. She admired me, much like you do, but she loved her parents too. Before she turned, that is.” Her face became sad again, and suddenly she looked her age. “She was my first student, and I failed her.” “Oh, Celestia.” Twilight was there to catch the first tear, draping a smaller feathery wing across Celestia’s back. It wasn’t quite a hug, but it was the thought that counted. “I should have paid more attention to her, should have never shown her the forbidden tomes or given her the chance to be near them,” Celestia sobbed. The fact that the sun remained shining brightly on the scene seemed sacrilegious. “It was Luna all over again.” “Nay, sister, do not blame yourself.” A larger wing covered Twilight’s over Celestia’s back, and Twilight made to withdraw her wing. “Twilight, do not move your wing. Tia, Sunset was secretive. She read of the books in the old castle, far away where nopony would hear her reading aloud or stumble upon her reading them.” “But I should have known,” Celestia insisted, her voice hoarser than usual. Twilight levitated a cup over to her after sweetening it with honey, and Celestia sipped it gratefully. “I should have seen the signs or sent those books to my sun.” “And risk having the dark magic spill out?” Luna asked. “You did all that you could, considering the circumstances.” “I did nothing,” Celestia said firmly, and her coat grew warm. “I simply sat by while my student got herself caught up in dark magic. “There is nothing that you could have done.” Luna’s voice was firm, and her wing tightened over her sister’s back. “You know not how the dark magic works, sister.” “But you do.” Celestia turned streaming eyes to her sister. “I should never have banished you.” “And left your ponies to suffer? An eternal night would not have been good for them, nor would the other plans that the dark magic had for them,” said Luna, tapping her hoof against the ground. “Rest your heart in the fact that you did not have to banish Sunset.” “No,” said Celestia, “I simply told her that I found out about the dark magic. I could feel it in her. Festering, like a poisoned wound. I didn’t even get the chance to try to stop her, she ran through one of Starswirl’s old portals and disappeared forever. But I did get the chance to reprimand her.” She grimaced. “They were the last words I ever said to her.” “Luna,” said Twilight, “how did you find out about Sunset’s secret reading and dark magic use? She never told anyone about it.” “The human world’s Pinkie Pie wrote to me. Do not ask me how she did it, I can barely wrap my mind around our Pinkie’s strange powers. The message simply appeared on a piece of paper on my desk. She asked me if I would try to find Sunset’s dreams, and last night I found her. She is plagued by nightmares.” “I hope telling me didn’t bring them up.” Twilight would hate to upset her friend like that. Maybe she shouldn’t have even asked about it. “Nay,” said Luna confidently, “that girl’s dreams are all plagued with the darkness of nightmares. It is not a normal darkness, either. It is tainted by the residue of dark magic.” “But I thought the Elements cleansed her,” Twilight protested. “They reformed Discord and cleansed you, didn’t they?” “Did they?” Luna asked. “I still carry darkness within me, only it is directed inwards now. Discord is still prone to chaotic outbursts. And now Sunset is suffering much as I often do.” Luna looked tired too, but then she yawned. “Sister,” Celestia chastised her gently, “it is daytime and you need your energy for dreamwalking tonight. Return to bed.” “Of course.” Luna dipped her head with a soft smile and left after giving her sister a gentle nuzzle. “Princess, if it’s not too much trouble, can I ask what made Sunset go to the mirror portal?” Twilight asked, refilling their cups. “I do owe you the truth behind one of my regrets, at least,” Celestia chuckled. “I was quite cagey about Luna’s banishment.” She took one long sip of tea before continuing. “Sunset Shimmer.” Celestia’s stern voice today carried with it airs of disappointment and sorrow. The guilty unicorn gasped, cutting off her sentence halfway through, and slammed the book shut. She turned around and tried to hide it behind her, but it was too late. “Celestia, no, I-I wasn’t-“ “Do my ears deceive me? Was it or was it not your voice ringing off these walls, reading the evil books that I specifically forbid you to touch? I am disappointed in you, Sunset.” The pony was pinned by her sad, sad eyes. And then she turned tail and ran. Celestia didn’t follow. The sense of strong magic being activated that woke Celestia the next morning wasn’t her magical alarm clock which ensured that she’d be up in time to rise the sun. But it did get her up just as quick. She ran to the source of the disturbance, and skidded to a halt when she saw the place. The doors that had long been closed to everyone were no longer closed. Instead, one hung open, and Celestia stepped through it tentatively. The room that lay before her was filled with dust and cobwebs, and the greenish light from a familiar horn bounced off the inactive mirrors. “Sunset,” Celestia said, reaching a hoof out to stop her. “You can’t follow me through here,” Sunset grinned, and jumped through to another world. “I’ll never forget her eyes,” said Celestia with a heavy sigh. “So full of sadness, but with the crazed glint of dark magic colouring her gaze.” “And you couldn’t follow because Starswirl forbid you from using the mirrors, right?” Twilight asked. “Correct.” Celestia took a sip of her tea. “And Sunset knew that. That’s why I had to send you through to deal with her.” “That makes sense. I wonder if Sunset remembers going through the portal, or even the way you sounded when you reprimanded her.” Twilight wished that she’d brought her book with her. “I hope that she does. For a while after she left, I was worried for the fate of that world. I was almost ready to follow her through, but my oath to Starswirl had been sworn with magic so I couldn’t break it without having a curse inflicted upon me. That and the fact that the portal had closed. By the time it opened again, I feared that any damage done would be too great to right.” “But weren’t the portals originally kept in the old castle?” Twilight asked after consulting her inner timeline. “Yes. I had them moved to this castle after Luna’s banishment so that no stray monsters could stumble through one and inflict damage upon another realm. Can you imagine an ursa stumbling around in a strange place, making a mess of things?” Celestia chuckled, and Twilight soon joined in the laughter. “So Sunset wasn’t banished?” Twilight asked hopefully. If that was true, she might someday be able to return. “No, although she would have been if she hadn’t fled through the portal,” said Celestia with a shake of her head. “When she is ready to return to Equestria, even if just temporarily, I will be ready to speak with her again, and to see her. It has been far too long.” “I’ll tell her that,” Twilight promised, “and I’ll let you know when she’s ready to come back and talk to you.” Dear Sunset Shimmer, I spoke to Celestia today. She told me everything. Don’t worry, though! It didn’t change my opinion of you, except in a good way. I feel sorry for both of you. Also she said that she would like to see you again, when you’re ready. Luna stopped by today too, while we were talking. She said that she’s been dreamwalking in your dreams, and that you’re plagued by nightmares. Don’t let them get you down- Luna will step in if things get too tough, and you can always tell your friends about them if you have to. Or me, I have a pretty strong stomach. Hopefully this gets to you after school, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your studies. Your friend/teacher, Twilight Sparkle. When Twilight laid the quill aside, she looked at her sundial. It was around the time that school finished in the human world, from what she could remember. Although it wasn’t that far past four, so hopefully she hadn’t interrupted Sunset’s homework either. The next message from Sunset made her feel better: Dear Twilight, Thanks for letting me know. I’ll try what you suggested, and I’ll think about returning. Maybe when it’s the holidays. Pinkie’s looking at me funny now so I have to go and finish my chemistry homework. Yours, Sunset Shimmer. Twilight frowned. She could’ve sworn that last ‘i’ was dotted with a heart.