//------------------------------// // Year 1 - part 1 // Story: The Sun and I // by Ghostfriendly //------------------------------// With a speech full of hopes and dreams from Princess Celestia, and an immediate cartload of homework, the school year began. Twilight set off full pace right from the gate. She had related the nightmare to Celestia (omitting the laughter), who had advised her to banish worries and fears. Twilight meant to do just that. If she studied with all her time, and learnt with all her strength, there would soon be no unknown left in her universe to worry about. General classes in Maths, Science etcetera were everything she’d dreamt of. Challenging, copious; exhaustively satisfactory. Endless levitation exercises and super-dense theory, on the other hoof, would be all she experienced for some time of the Unicorn’s Gift. Lualus the divine Alicorn had allegedly given Gifts to the three pony races, in order to steward and explore the world he had created (Twilight had learnt as much from her parents, though the incomprehensible had never been exactly a comfort to her). The practise of altering reality through willpower and imagination was much like arranging a three-dimensional puzzle, at once heavy as steel, fragile as taffy and formless as water. Even discounting Forbidden Techniques (which called on unnatural powers outside ponykind, through words, symbol or gestures, Twilight had read, and solely brought horror and insanity), the Unicorns’ Gift could be the both the most fruitful and most dangerous. Twilight had been quite proud of the few mid-level Techniques she knew, and her famous dragon-hatching exam (though she had spent it in a Surge-induced trance). After a month of thrashing out the most basic fundamentals, she was both humbled and more enthralled by her calling than ever. All that amazed Twilight more than the sea of knowledge she plunged through was how much her fellow students seemed to consider more worthwhile. The polo club, the hoofball club, music, food, sleep…or just chattering loudly in the library, until Lyra and Lemonhearts were told by Minuette to shut up. “Some ponies might want to study.” The striped blue unicorn jerked her head towards Twilight, who had been struggling to memorise Obscure Unicorn History, at the end of the same ink-blackened oak table. “Oh. Sorry, Twilight.” “Yeah, sorry.” “Um, that’s okay.” With no more to say, Twilight returned to her book. “Hey, Twilight?” Minuette trotted towards her, “Are you having lunch with anyone? Do you want to go with us?” “…er, why?” “Well, you seem to be living in the library, mostly,” Lyra waved a hoof at the packed, darkened shelves, “You’re always on your own. You look lonely.” “I have to study over lunch. Sorry.” No mare was an island, according to Flourish Prose. Twilight’s family had been her island chain; she could hardly have missed three of her legs more. But her mother had told her to do her best, her Daddy had told her, have fun, and BBBFF had said he would love her whatever. What just response could her heart make, except to pour itself out over her work like ink? Ponies and lunches could be nothing but thieves of time. It wasn’t that the curriculum was impassable. Twilight’s efforts would have done justice to a course still more severe. It was thoughts of what her Princess might say, or do, if her personal student put a hoof wrong, that made her cram, scrape and sweat. Further nightmares were an inescapable worry–but when her head finally dropped onto a pillow or desk, her sleep was dreamless and brief. -0- -0- “–Excuse me? Twilight Sparkle?” With a confused whinny, Twilight shook the fog from her eyes. She was still in the library. The windows were dark, dinner had surely ended at the school canteen, Her thoughts stumbled like drunken buffalo. She had spent another evening with some fascinating history, far in advance of the course–she had assignments for tomorrow, essays to rewrite, she needed to eat and sleep…and a very pretty silver-haired mare was sprawled over an adjacent chair. “Ah, Twilight. As I was saying, would you be a chum, and finish this homework for me? The magnificent Trixie has a big date tonight, and you’re studying anyway. Think of it as a favour for a friend. And I assure you; you would prefer to be Trixie Lulamoon’s friend.” “I...sorry, I don’t believe I would. And I have enough work to do already, Sorry.” Trixie’s smile went hard as a sliver of moon, and she flounced away, leaving Twilight rather confused what had upset her. Nopony interrupted Twilight’s studies for some time after that. Twilight was sure they would have found her a dull companion anyway. Friendship was really for confident, beautiful ponies, like Sunset Shimmer. Twilight hadn’t sought Sunset out, since the nightmare incident, and Sunset hadn’t sought her–she had her own classes with the other Third Years. Twilight wasn’t surprised, or unhappy. It was only the question of what Sunset really thought of her that detached her mind from studies, time and again. -0- -0- In fact Twilight only really saw Sunset in the cosy purple sitting room where they shared weekly meetings with Celestia. Like Twilight’s individual lessons, these had thus far involved more cake and conversation than fantastic secret knowledge–albeit dense conversation about ponies, philosophy, the purpose of the Gift, and what her students meant to do with theirs. "Apart from the physical world, ponies have an inner universe of thoughts and dreams." Twilight steadied her voice, "The Gift brings out that universe. Into the light, you might say.” “An intriguing answer.” Twilight grinned at her Princess like an idiot. Celestia sipped from her teacup, “Sunset?” “The purpose of the Gift is purpose.” Sunset’s voice was firm, a bridge across a river of fire, “It is a power by which ponies work out their destiny and purpose, whatever it might be, and give the ponies around them the means to work out theirs.” “Oh, Sunset,” To Twilight’s shock, Celestia shook her head, “The same answer you gave two years ago?” “I have learned since then, Princess. I’ve taken my knocks. But my purpose is still the same. What would I be without it?” Celestia stared away into the orange fireplace, then gave her students a list of books. Twilight watched Sunset drink up Celestia’s words; ever diligent, never satisfied. She wouldn't give up either. When her Princess thought her ready for real lessons, Twilight would be ready. -0- -0- Chemistry had always made Twilight nervous. The lab’s glass shields and interminable safety briefings did little to drive burns and horrid deformities from her imagination. She did do her utmost to personally prepare; she had slept several nights in the library, the week of the lesson where disaster plucked at her tail. The lesson had begun normally. Professor Topaz, passing out laughter draught recipes to the students, instructed them to take their ingredients from the store cupboard, ‘without any horseplay’. Twilight had added four ingredients of five to her flask, when it suddenly fizzed, and filled the lab with sugar-scented pink smoke. A quiet filly called Moondancer quickly put out the burner and added a neutralizing agent. The class still ended up guffawing until Twilight’s sides and heart ached. Professor Topaz drily explained that Twilight had taken Bom-bom pods instead of Heart’s Desire from the supply cupboard. It might be necessary to exclude her from practical lessons, unless she was much more careful in future. Twilight heard, silently completed the lesson, then collapsed under her bed in the dormitory, staring and shaking. She would have to leave the school, if she wasn’t fit to be her Princess’s student–but how would she ever make it up to her parents? Her brother would pity her, too much to speak to her, her Princess would never look on her again, and Sunset would glance at her with a tiny smile, and Twilight Sparkle would be better off dead… Twilight would have hugged her knees until nightfall, pierced by her thriving imagination, If Sunset Shimmer hadn’t bustled into the room, with two thickset Royal Guards and–Trixie. “I demand to hear the meaning of this! The Oh-so-Amazing Trixie will not tolerate–!” “Trixie? Shut up. Twilight? Come out. A royal student has to be stronger than this.” Twilight crawled out, wondering if the disastrous potion was about to get her arrested, “Trixie Lulumoon, meet Twilight Sparkle. The filly you almost got excluded from a key module, by switching the potion ingredients!” “S-switched? Oh no, you don’t know that!” Trixie blustered, flicking her hair. A Guard ventured that, without evidence– “–that the seeds were switched, and the culprit was you, Trixie?” Sunset trotted back and forth, as if more accustomed to denouncing criminals than Shadow Spade, “Firstly, you’ve been expressing envy of Twilight’s grades since term started. Second, you entered the potions store cupboard immediately before Twilight, to switch the labels. Thirdly, you left your safety specs in the cupboard, as a pretext to return and switch them back. Fourth and conclusively, I’ve already used a detection technique on whole class. Two fillies had Bom-bom spores on their hooves, Trixie. Twilight Sparkle, and–” “Ha! Nonsense! There are no spores on my hooves, I used my horn to switch…oh, horseapples!” Both Guards snorted with laughter; Sunset simply applauded, “It…was just a joke! I tried to be friends with her, but she wouldn’t help me with my homework, or even talk to me, the Great and Wonderful Trixie! Just to rub it in that she’s Celestia’s prize student; if there's one thing I cannot bear, it is conceit!” “Pot, meet kettle!” Sunset snapped. Her mane almost blazed; scared as Twilight was, she could not take eyes off her. Trixie looked ready to faint “Apologise to Twilight. Then these gentlecolts will take you to Princess Celestia, and you will confess to her, so Twilight cannot possibly be excluded from practical classes, or the whole school will hear what you did. Don’t worry. Keep blubbing like that, and our gracious Princess should go easy on you.” Trixie having been hustled out by the Guards. Twilight ran to Sunset Shimmer, fiddling with her glasses in nervous excitement. “Thank you, Sunset! You didn’t have to get so angry for me, but that was amazing! I didn’t know you could command the Royal Guard. Can I do that as well?” “We can’t, actually. I ordered. They assumed I could,” Sunset gently pushed Twilight away, “Had to keep the frighteners on to make her slip up. And don’t thank me. I didn’t do it for you.” “I don't understand...?” “I told the Princess I would protect you. I think she’ll have to admit that I’ve done that.” -0- -0- After a woeful, near hysterical, confession, Trixie was let off with a warning. When the Princess next met with her students, Sunset received a mild censure as well. “You were heavy-hooved and dishonest in your methods, Sunset. Your motives may have been good, but I cannot say I am pleased." “Princess.” Sunset's eye were lowered, but her frustration could not be hidden, "What else should I have done?" “Perhaps simply spoken to Trixie, or Twilight, without any great drama? On that note, I’d like you to tutor Miss Lulamoon for the rest of the term. I sense great danger of her galloping down the wrong path.” “You’re punishing me? Not Trixie?” “Would you deny her the forgiveness you yourself have received?” Sunset flinched away, as if from the glare of the Sun. The Princess's eyes quickly softened. “Oh, Sunset. The most brilliant of ponies must learn humility and patience. The most brilliant of us all have need of friendship, and contentment.” Celestia loved Sunset like a mother; Sunset respected her hugely, at heart. Twilight was sure that was true; she just couldn't imagine why such strong, good ponies seemed so unhappy with each other. And she didn’t dare ask what her Princess meant about forgiveness. But when she passed the dorm en route to the library, hours later, she heard the furious howl of Sunset’s guitar from the lawn outside. Twilight was now sure of something she found hard to understand. Sunset was beautiful, absurdly confident, and everything else Twilight had never been. But, like Twilight, she didn’t seem to have a single friend. -0- -0- A week after the Trixie incident Twilight was called to demonstrate a growth technique to her class. She made a tiny omission, and it fizzled. She tried again, and again, panic rising over her like water, until the teacher insisted she sit back down. “I-I can do it, Sir! I know–!” “Not in your current state, Miss Sparkle. Please sit down.” Silently, avoiding every pair of eyes, and Trixie’s smirk, she got through the rest of the lesson. She left the classroom, heading for the dorms, teeth grinding in silence and screaming in her head. She had failed. Study and practise into every day's night, but still her best was no good. Failure, failure– “Hey, Twilight? Come here.” Sunset Shimmer was behind her. Unicorns flowed around them, and Twilight stared. “W-why are you here? How are you there, every time I’m ready to break?” “I promised I’d take care of you. Right now, this is where I have to be.” “Just because the P-princess ordered you?” “Because you’re trying. On your own, falling apart–you’re still fighting for your destiny, harder than anypony else. You sparkle, Twilight.” Her eyes were brilliant. Honest. Twilight’s chest burned, and she ran to Sunset. Buried her face in her neck. She felt dizzied and awestruck, as if the sun itself had finally touched her soul. Sunset wiped sparkling tears from Twilight’s eyes. It was some time before they needed to speak. “That’s enough now, Twilight. You’re tough, understand? You’re good. Just stop hiding in the library all night, and start eating proper meals. You’ve read enough biology to know ponies need sleep and food to study, capice?” “I-I thought you didn’t even like me! Princess Celestia’s new student, I thought you were…” “Jealous? Me?” Sunset’s grin was dazzling, “I'm Celestia's student, and so are you. I really believe that, though I never imagined we'd come to this…uh, if you tell anypony I called you sparkling, I’ll get you back!” “Okay! Promise. So long as you promise...can we be friends?” It was desire that Twilight Sparkle had never felt in her life, bursting on her, like love in a Mills and Hooves novel. Sunset looked rather surprised herself. “Sure. I could buy you a coffee? And we could have that study date, if you don't want to do something else…?” “I don’t know. I don’t know what friends are supposed to do. But I’ve got a few ideas for our assignment!” Sunset grinned back, and clicked her hoof against Twilight’s. It turned out that Sunset had only skimmed the philosophical works Celestia had set for them. But she talked so engagingly about the concepts that Twilight promised to supply a complete summary. When Sunset’s grade jumped 5% that week, and Celestia complimented her insight, she promised Twilight a giant hay ice cream. Both Ponies left the room walking on sunbeams. Twilight knew that Sunset Shimmer was her friend, and everything was going to be fine. She slept peacefully in her bed that night, without fear of nightmares. And Celestia watched the two fillies from her tower, as they trotted across the palace courtyard. Then she looked at the flag fluttering from every tower–the black Alicorn and the white, each chasing the other in their circle of eternity–and smiled as much from joy as grief.