Letters to a Princess

by Sun Dial

A Past Best Forgotten Part 2

Several Years Past

Shimmer used to love cake. Its sweet goodness would just melt in her mouth in a rush of soothing flavor. Mornings would often have coffee cake, late night snacks were snuck in before bed and a light fluffy white cake was dessert to an already scrumptious meal.

Now cake was the taste of a teacher who denied her her destiny. A teacher who refused to acknowledge her potential and value. A teacher who only saw her as benefactor for the kingdom and could never look up to her as the pony she truly was.

“Did I do something wrong with the cake?” Luna asked worriedly from across the table in her small little apartment. “I know I’m not my sister, but I think its quite good,” The vice-principal stuffed another piece into her mouth. “Yes, I’m quite sure even Celestia would enjoy this cake.”

‘Of course she would, or if she didn’t she would pretend like she did. She never told me anything, never let me be anything! She’s wrong. I’ll be the best, better than her by a thousand times.’ Shimmer’s internal monologue raged.

Luna studied Shimmer’s face. It was one that she had seen a few times before, the anger, the hate and pain towards her previous teacher, Princess Celestia. Luna remembered last year when the Princess wrote Sunset, she remembered the pain, the fear. The horrifying grip Shimmer held her in, as if she let go everything would disappear. She had hoped that this private birthday party would get the girl’s mind off her previous home, and could somehow ease Shimmer’s pain.

“I’m afraid I didn’t think this through. I should have known that your mentor liked cake as much as my sister.” Luna grasped Shimmer’s hand, pulling her out of her trance. Luna looked Sunset in the eyes with understanding and desire to help.

“I…” Sunset stuttered. “It’s not your fault.” Shimmer’s eyes furrowed angrily, looking away. “It’s hers.”

“Sunset. I know my sister, and from the times I’ve met the Princess, I’m sure she’d be willing to talk with you, to come to an understanding. You don’t have to hang on to this anger. It does you no good.”

“You don’t know that!” Shimmer said, heading drooped down, unable to look at Luna any longer. “She can’t be trusted. Everything she tells ponies is a lie. All she does is lie and the angrier I am with her, the less chance I have I’ll ever fall for one of her lies again!”

“I know she lies. My sister does too, but you can’t forever hold it against her.”

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!” Shimmer yelled, startling Luna. She grabbed a breath before small sobs escaped her. “When you have magic, you always have power…” Shimer began to shake, “... and its the most terrifying thing to lose it. She wasn’t training me! She needed make sure that those who might be able to replace her didn’t exist! She only showed me my potential so she could know if she had to… so that she could kill me!”

“I’m not sure that’s the––”

“She, Killed, HER, OWN, SISTER!” Each word burned in Shimmer’s throat, every emphasis terrified of what she was saying. “She buried every record about her and then created a holiday in a propaganda scheme to make everyone hate you! Don’t you feel anything! She killed and defamed you so she could be the sole ruler of Equestria for all of her moon damned immortal LIFE!” Shimmer latched onto Luna, her whole body shivering and her eyes bawling. “I don’t want that to happen again. I hate her! I hate everything she’s done! She’s the worst pony of all time!”

Luna wasn’t sure what to say. She held Sunset tight, to let her know that she was there, that she wasn’t going to leave. “I’m here Shimmer. I’m here.”

The red and gold haired girl couldn’t reply except by squeezing and bawling harder into Luna.

Back in Sunsets apartment, a book rested on the table. A bottle of ink and a quill lay spilled beside it. The floor littered with crumpled papers smeared in ink and words. The book lay open, the page blank.

Slowly, it began to fill.

My Dearest Student,

I do hope that I have the time difference right and this is indeed your birthday. Forgive an old mare doing complex time dilation equations in her head if I happen to be off a little bit. Life, I’m afraid has gotten a little bit duller without your bright attitude to cheer up my life. One of the Zebrican diplomats even asked where the little mare who could go hoof to hoof with me in verbal combat was. (I think he was a little bit jealous. Don’t worry, your secret that I was going easy on you is safe with me.)

Holidays as well haven’t been quite the same without you either. I remember one year when for Nightmare Night you organized a Bite or Fright route through the castle and opened it up to the public. You dressed up as me and sat on my throne to hand out candy to all the fillies and colts. Then whenever someone you thought was too old came looking for candy from the princess, you demanded that the guards throw them in the dungeon! Quite the dungeon it was, with fruit punch, music, and Princess Cadence in a cell. Her punishment? Princess’s weren’t allowed to have coltfriends. I think you were just mad that she stole yours. That was such a funny night, I don’t think I’ve ever seen my royal guard be so happy to be on duty on Nightmare Night and not a single one complained about having an open castle. You did very well in planning and organizing that night.

I did take on a new student. She is unbearably shy though and doesn’t like to interact without many ponies outside her family. She does have your appetite for books, but doesn’t quite know how to use that knowledge like you do. You always could put what you just learned into practice rather quickly. You also had a great eye for ponies and who they were. It was always fun when we’d guess about different characteristics of ponies that were petitioning the court. Every once in awhile, you always managed to notice something that I had missed.

Your parents miss you Shimmer, and so do I. Stay safe, work hard, and remember, I will always watch over you.

Love your Mentor and Friend

Princess Celestia

Author's Note:

Hey Everypony! Another Letter is out... and more Luna/Shimmer moments.

Also, I didn't mean for this to be Shimmer/Shining ship. It was more of, that's one of the few male friends Sunset had, and Celestia teased Shimmer about it, and so it was a call back to that teasing.

I was really trying to get across how Shimmer was trying to justify what she did. How she goes from merely wanting to be a Princess, to wanting to overthrow Celestia.

Also tried something new, emphasizing words by changing their text. Something I see Calm Wind doing all the time, so I figured I'd give it a test run. Let me know how it works out.

Also... First Chapter 1k+ words! Too Soon?

Comments

[Talon and Thorn]

So did Sunset used to date Shining then? Or did Cadence date Flash before trading up?

[Sun Dial]

5219552

Ugh... whoops, headcanon about that was not included in this chapter.

Basically my thought is that Shining and Shimmer were decent enough acquaintances, Shimmer liked him because he was something of a brainiac even if he was a dunce. Thus being the only guy Shimmer really talked to, (Sort of Shining's posse), Celestia would tease Shimmer about Shining.

The timeline works out as we see in Sunset's comic that Cadence and Shining are together and in both that and the High School episode of the comics with Cadence and Shining's first date, Twilight still doesn't have her cutie mark.

[Talon and Thorn]

5219843

Yeah I can go with that idea I sort of hope it appears in This story as well I'm sure someone could think of lots of problems with the theory but it works for me. Might be interesting to see what Twilight thinks of it as she appears to have been previously unaware.

[sonicfan05]

I just read your story in one sitting and It's really good so far. I hope you continue whenever you have the time.

[Sun Dial]

5275913 I hope too, it was really just to get a concept out of my mind, but I should continue to work on it. Its a fun little project.

[Wolfe and WindSilver]

Moar!