Chapter 3
The Silver Gauntlet
Sunset Shimmer once again found herself waking up to someone banging on her door. It was early, she knew it was early, why did it have to be early? Groaning she managed to roll out of the bed, landing on her hooves this time.
"I need to get a coffee machine or something if this is gonna keep happening..." she muttered.
Making her way to the door, Sunset all but flung it open. She found herself once again facing the maid from yesterday, maybe she should ask for her name?
"So, you do this every day, huh?" She instead asked, feeling snappy.
"Yes...?" The maid replied with a frown.
After letting out a yawn Sunset followed up. "How long has this been going on exactly?"
"...I have been waking you up at this hour since I took this position half a year ago lady Shimmer."
Ugh, it was probably Sunset herself that had asked to be woken at this hour every day, but she could not in the slightest remember why.
"I should probably just get an alarm clock instead or something... would save the work." She thought out loud.
"If there's nothing else, I have other duties to attend to."
Sunset nodded to the mare who then turned to leave. "Wait, I forgot, what was your name again?"
"...Cloud Thorn."
Huh, strange, that didn't really sound like the name of someone that'd work as a maid. Pony names always seemed somewhat prophetic in nature. Sure it wasn't always the case, but usually if one guessed a pony's career based on their name only, you'd have fairly good chances of being right.
"Alright, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then Cloud," Sunset gave her smile.
Cloud Thorn merely nodded before trotting off to continue her morning duties. Sunset, on the other hand, headed back inside her room and slumped down at her desk. Waking up this early every day wasn't really something she was looking forwards too. Today was especially bad though; she had a rough time falling asleep the night before. Her thoughts constantly drifting to the books from the restricted section of the archives and how to deal with them.
She vaguely recalled having snuck books from the restricted sections several times, but that was still years ago from her own perspective. She didn't even remember what most of the books had been about, but one instance in particular stood out. It was the final time she had attempted it, getting caught in the middle of the act by Celestia. In her own mind that was the pivotal act that completely soured their relationship, and eventually lead to her self imposed exile.
Sunset pulled the offending books towards her and glared at them. She needed to dispose of the offending tomes somehow, the question was, how? She could attempt to sneak into the restricted section and put them back, but that had the obvious risk of getting caught. She'd rather not sour things with Celestia unless she had to... Of course, she might not have much choice in that regard. Even if she were to confess she had the books and hand them over to her former mentor, she would still very likely not be happy with her.
What she needed, Sunset reasoned, was a distraction. If she could hand over the books to Celestia in good faith, while on the same time delay the inevitable confrontation, that would allow surface level indignation to fade. Of course, for that plan to work Sunset would need a really good excuse or reason to be elsewhere. It would also have to be something that Celestia herself would not want to get in the way of.
But then, there was something that Celestia would find more important for Sunset to do than getting chewed out, wasn't there?
Sunset took a bite out of her breakfast pancakes; they were delicious. Something Equestria had that the human world sorely lacked was really high quality fruit. As a result, jam and other such products also tasted much sweeter and fuller in flavour than their otherworldly counter-parts.
Glancing around the table, it seemed like everyone was enjoy their breakfast in peace. Seeing as she would get no better time for it, Sunset cleared her throat, getting the attention of the other two.
"So, Cadance, I couldn't help but noticed yesterday that your room was a bit... empty."
Cadance rolled her eyes. "What of it?"
"Well, I was thinking that this could be a good opportunity. Assuming you're free today?"
"I don't think I have anything I need to do today, my weeks are usually... fairly open shall we say."
"Great! So I was wondering if you wanted to head out and do some shopping in Canterlot today, you know, just the two of us?" Sunset put on her best smile.
The effect was instantaneous, Celestia started coughing up tea that she had gotten stuck in her throat. Meanwhile Cadance just sat there wide eyed and blinking, clearly not quite comprehending what she was suggesting.
Seeing as no one was saying anything, and she didn't want the mood to get awkward, Sunset proceeded to followed up: "It will be a girls day out, if you will. We can even stop for lunch!"
"Err, I'm not sure Sunset..." Cadance responded.
"Come on, you said it yourself: You got nothing better to do, and it'll get us out of the castle for a few hours! I have some things I need to pick up, and I figured it would be more fun with some company," Sunset tried once again with her best attempt at smiling towards the younger alicorn.
Cadance looked at Sunset for a few moments while prodding her own meal. "...Alright, I suppose we could do that. I have been in need of a few dresses, seeing as they are practically mandatory now." Sunset pretended to not see Cadance shooting Celestia a pointed look.
"Great! How about we meet up in front of the castle after breakfast is done with so we can get going early? I don't quite know where I'll find what I need," Sunset smiled more genuinely now.
She had never really been close to Cadance, but yesterday had given Sunset a new, fresher, perspective of the mare. Sure, the two of them were quite different, but she had more in common with Cadance than she did some of her other friends.
Sunset returned to her food, she had to time this just right. She waited until she knew Celestia was just about done and ready to leave, Cadance had already finished up, caring less about table manners. Sunset had never really been a good actor, despite what others thought, but she was good with coming up with the right thing to say.
"Oh, that's right, almost forgot," Sunset exclaimed, turning her eyes to her mentor. "Could you do me a favour Princess?"
Celestia seemed a bit taken aback, having clearly not expecting her inquiry. "Well, that depends Sunset, you know how busy I am."
Sunset gave a nod and levitated the two offending books out of her saddlebags that were situated on the floor. She carefully placed them on the table corner as to not dirty or damage them.
"Could you return these to the library for me?"
Celestia's expression quickly turned flat. "Sunset," she began before sighing. "If you don't have time to run to the library and return them yourself, you could just hand them off to a maid."
"Normally yes..." Sunset began.
Celestia levitated the top book in front of herself so she could read the title. "I recall specifically placing one at your behest so-" if Celestia's coat wasn't already quite white, Sunset imagined it would be drained of colour at this instant. "...Sunset, are these two titles from the restricted section?" Celestia posed the question carefully, but both of them knew it wasn't a question.
Sunset nodded. "Yes, which is why I can't just hand them off to a maid," she posed it perfectly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"...and how did you acquire these titles?" Celestia continued.
Sunset put on a frown. "What do you mean? I picked them up from the restricted section, obviously."
"And when was this?"
Sunset was actually taken aback by this, she didn't have an answer, at least not an accurate one. "Uh, I don't remember? It was a while back, I found them when I was cleaning my room yesterday," honesty was usually a good fallback, she figured. Even if it might sound absurd to others, if you were honest then it was harder to pick up duplicity.
Celestia just stared at her, carefully putting the book back on top of the second one. "I think... we need to have a very frank discussion Sunset, in private," Celestia's words came out chilly.
"Er, alright? Should we meet up this evening, or?"
"Now, Sunset."
Sunset put on a frown. "Don't you have day court and other formal functions now though?"
"It can wait, this is clearly more important," Celestia stated, flaring her wings.
"Right, but," Sunset said while gesturing between herself and Cadance. "We are both busy now, it makes more sense to do it this evening."
She could practically see the thoughts rolling through Celestia's head, especially when she noticed her glancing towards Cadance briefly. Celestia was not one to cancel day court for no reason, but she took the contents of the restricted section quite seriously; Sunset had first hand experience of that.
But Sunset knew she had toppled Celestia; she had not expected this revelation, if Sunset had to guess, her own casual demeanour had been disarming. While the information and material from there was dangerous, there was no current threat to speak of.
"Very well," Celestia eventually let out, folding her wings against her sides. "But we will speak of this matter! I shall send for you later this evening when I have an opening."
Sunset nodded. "Will do," she replied, while finishing up the last of her juice.
To say the mood at the table was tense was an understatement, thankfully everyone was just about done. Sunset got up shortly after Cadance and left the room, she already had her saddlebags with her as she'd prepared in advance, so she headed towards the castle's main entrance.
As the two went separate ways, Sunset briefly heard Cadance mutter to herself: "What the buck was that?"
Cadance trotted down the Canterlot road from the castle, Sunset by her side. Getting invited to do some shopping had come out of nowhere, she wasn't entirely sure what was going on. She had thought Sunsets behaviour yesterday had been odd, sure, but she had assumed it to be a matter of the unicorn just not being herself. She had fully expected her to go back to her usual grumpy self the very next day.
Glancing at the mare that was humming as she was trotting by her side, it was quite clear to Cadance that her expectations had been cleanly flung from the side of Canterlot itself. She was half wondering if she should voice her thoughts to the unicorn, but on the other hoof... It was nice, having somepony that didn't treat her like royalty.
"What's on your mind?"
Cadance almost stumbled in surprise from the sudden question. "Er, nothing, I was just thinking."
"I could tell, your head was clearly in the clouds," Sunset said with a snicker.
"Yes, well, I didn't expect us two to do be doing something like this," Cadance huffed.
Sunset got a thoughtful expression on her face as she replied. "Yeah, I suppose. I didn't really plan for this either. But it's been a while since I have been out shopping, and doing so with friends is always better."
Cadance quirked her head, since when did Sunset have friends? Or an even better question, since when were the two of them friends?
"Of course, I think the stuff we are buying will be quite different, but hey, just means more time spent together, right?" Sunset smiled.
"Since when did you think of me as a friend Sunset?"
Sunset frowned and slowed down her walking a bit. "Well, since yesterday, truth be told. I know things were... rough before then. I wasn't exactly nice to you, and I'm sorry about that. But as long as you're willing to give this a try then I am too," Sunset smiled again.
A thought occurred to Cadance. "Celestia didn't put you up to this, did she?" It was hardly the first time her aunt had attempted such a thing, though usually that just made Sunset more frustrating to be with, not less.
Sunset shook her head. "No, though I'd imagine she would have if she could. She always asked me to go make some friends..." A forlorn expression crept onto Sunset's face as she looked off in the distance.
Cadance quietly sighed, it was hard to come to terms with just how different Sunset acted. If Celestia hadn't put her up to it, then why was she acting so different? Not to mention, she still hadn't quite gotten over the exchange at breakfast.
"You should try something on too, you know?" Cadance called from halfway across the store. Sunset could only sigh.
Her eyes travelled across the store filled to the brim with dresses, many of them the height of fashion and quite stunning in their own right. But Sunset had realised as soon as she put foot inside the store that she was spoiled rotten.
Oh sure, all the works in the store were wonderful, and certainly worth their price. But none of them held a candle to a unique one of a kind dress designed specifically for her. Rarity had always offered to make them dresses for any fancy gathering, and because she knew how all her friends looked and what their personalities were, the dresses she made were not only unique, but also truly fitting for the person wearing it.
Sunset had gotten used to it, there was no other way to put it. Her hoof mindlessly trailed a wonderful white and yellow dress, it would have been a nice fit for a gala or garden party. But now? Sunset didn't even care to try it on, it's not like she minded going au natural, she was a pony now after all.
"Well, what do you think?" Cadance voice came, snapping her out of her thoughts.
Glancing over towards what could loosely be considered a changing room, Cadance stood in a beautiful teal dress. It matched her coat surprisingly well, Sunset reasoned. It helped that the alicorn wore a ribbon in both her mane and tail in a similar shade.
"You look lovely," Sunset complimented with a smile.
Cadance had clearly not expected high praise, a small blush arising on her cheeks. "Do you think I should get it?"
"Well, now that is something I can't answer for you, your highness," Sunset smirked. "I never had much of a sense for fashion, I often left that up to... someone else. But it complements your colours nicely."
Cadance put a hoof to her face, as if in deep thought. Sunset could only smile more, Cadance hardly acted how royalty was expected to, but in some ways, that was just endearing; in fact, it reminded her a bit of how Princess Twilight acted.
"I think I will then, but what about you Sunset? You haven't tried a single thing since we stepped inside this store."
"Ah, well," Sunset looked away, dragging her hoof across the ground. "I could probably use some formal wear but... nothing really stands out to me."
"Surely there has to be something? Come on, I'll help you try something on."
Some half hour later, Sunset reluctantly found herself outside the store, having picked up the white and yellow dress after all, at Cadance's behest.
Cadance stopped, she had lost Sunset. She wasn't entirely sure when, she had been too caught up in her own thoughts. Glancing back, she quickly spotted the amber mare among the crowd of ponies shuffling about the busy streets of Canterlot. It seemed like some store had caught her attention. With curiosity Cadance made her way back towards her companion, clothes really didn't seem to be Sunset's thing, so it had to be something else that had caught her eyes.
Curiosity turned into confusion as Cadance came closer and could make out the store, it was a pet shop. While keeping pets wasn't unheard of, it was still quite uncommon in Equestria outside of more rural towns. Cities were no places for animals to roam about, and most ponies didn't have the heart to keep their animal companions cooped up inside all day.
Cadance's confusion only grew more as she took note of Sunset's features, she had tears in her eyes and one hoof placed on the glass window. Cadance would not have been one to guess that the unicorn was an avid animal lover, but clearly there were more surprises to be had this day. She carefully walked close and put a hoof on Sunset's back.
"Do you want to go inside?" Cadance asked, smiling gently.
"I... no. It's probably better if I don't," Sunset removed her hoof from the window and wiped the tears from her eyes with it. "Sorry."
"Is nothing to apologize for, though I can't say I'm not a little bit surprised."
Sunset took a deep breath before turning to Cadance, a smile now on her muzzle. "Shall we continue?"
It seemed like Sunset didn't want to talk about it, and Cadance wasn't sure if she wanted to push the matter.
Cadance nodded. "Sure."
As Sunset set off down the street, Cadance glanced inside the store window. Inside and against the window was a terrarium inhabited by several lizards of some kind.
Sunset pushed the door open and walked in. It was close to noon but she had finally found it; a store that sold magic reagents and components. Sunset couldn't even remember the last time she'd been out on a trip through Canterlot's shopping district. Even back when she actually lived in this time frame, she rarely ventured outside.
Thankfully it seemed like the store had the sort of components she was looking for, and better yet, the store was practically empty. Outside of the owner the only other pony inside was a pegasus that was eyeing up some of the dried herbs.
"This might take a while, so feel free to just look around," Sunset said, not even bother to turn to see if Cadance heard her.
First thing first, Sunset headed over to the bargain bin of gemstones. Unlike the human world, Equestria was positively overflowing in gemstones. It could be hard to locate places that were dense with gems, but once you did, you could set up a mining operation for several lifetimes.
Equestria was not in dire need of gems, what it was however in dire need of was industrialisation. Finding gems was easy, getting them up was another matter entirely. Most mining operations were handled by earth ponies, which wouldn't have been a issue on it's own--it was one third of the population after all--but ponies generally only went into fields that matched their special talent.
As such, while the earth was rich of gems, they still ended up being quite pricey and a luxury item. Ponies rarely wanted them anyway, outside of high class clothing and accessories, there were few use cases. One of which, and the reason Sunset was shovelling through a bin of them, was that they were good material to enchant.
Wood molded eventually, many metals corroded. Gems by contrast tended to last, even if they were sometimes brittle and fragile. Most ponies who could afford to buy the services of an enchanter probably also wanted to show it off, so she supposed that was also a factor in their popularity.
After digging around for a while Sunset had succeeded in fishing up five jades of varying sizes. The display on the side of the bin had listed those as the cheapest, and really, she only wanted something to practice on. Admittedly, her idea was a bit crazy. She and Twilight had experimented quite a bit with their pendants, not to mention magic in general. So while a lot of questions remained as to why they worked the way they did, they had eventually figured out most of the 'how'.
Still, trying to replicate how her pendant worked using rune crafting, a field she had previously merely read a book or two about, was a crazy idea. But once having it, Sunset couldn't get it out of her head. For better or worse, her crazy ability to see other's memories had become a part of her, she had to at least try! Even if it eventually turned out to be impossible, it was still worth the attempt; at least that's how she saw it.
Sunset approached the desk at the back end of the shop, floating the gems by her side. Magic reagent shops like these were always somewhat of a joy to just lose oneself in. It had eventually grown mundane to Sunset, but now? She revealed in the nostalgia. She had gotten most of what she came for, so she could now just lose herself in shelves of wondrous items.
There were gems, of course, but also shelves filled with magical tomes. Over by one end of the room there existed pre-enchanted items, all of them were probably minor ones, of course. In one corner there were dried herbs, another filled with vials of powders and ground up metals.
Sunset had to stifle a giggle at seeing an embarrassed looking Cadance standing and reading some of the books in the foals section. But then, Sunset could vaguely remember herself rushing to those when she was a foal herself, ready to dive deep into the world of magic. Cadance might just be a year or two younger than Sunset--truth be told she didn't really know their age difference--but to magic she was as inexperienced as a foal.
Placing the gems on the desk, she turned to face the shopkeeper. She also needed a few other things, but Sunset reasoned she had to special order those.
"Five low grade gems, I assume you want them surface prepared?" the unicorn behind the desk asked.
Sunset nodded. "That's the idea, I only need a smooth finished, but preferably on at least two sides if possible."
"Right, that should be doable, anything else?"
"Yeah, these are for practice, for the real thing I want something fancier, so I'm gonna custom order it."
The mare floated over a notepad and quill, seemingly getting ready to take notes. Sunset took this as a sign to start listing what she needed.
"So, singular gem, one sized surface prepared, the opposite side engraved with my cutiemark. Shape being circular with a decent margin of thickness between sides. It needs to be amber and-"
"You do realise amber is not a mineral, right?" The mare questioned, having stopped scribbling notes.
"Err, yeah, of course. It's just I want it in that colour, and I'm not really an expert on what gem I could get that looks that way."
"Right, I'm sure we can find something that matches that shade. I take it quality or rarity in gemstone is not a huge concern then?"
Sunset shok her head lightly. "No, not really. It needs to be durable, so nothing too fragile, but other than that I'm not too picky."
"That will make things easier... anything else?"
Sunset had to ponder the question for a few seconds, having lost her train of thought. "Oh, that's right! I also need a titanium chain, long enough to reach around my neck."
This caused the unicorn to look up at Sunset. "Do you have the paperwork with you?"
Sunset just blinked. "What?"
The shopkeeper let out a sigh. "You know, your paperwork? Not only is titanium incredibly expensive, we are not allowed to sell it to unauthorized ponies. If you're a magus you should already know this stuff."
Sunset could hear her mumble something else under her breath. "Err, no, not quite. But I'm Sunset Shimmer, Princess Celestia's apprentice. Just send a missive to the castle and I'm sure it can be sorted out."
The mare rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. Look, if you forgot to bring your papers, just say so, instead of coming up with something so far fetched."
Sunset would like to say that she was shocked, but it wasn't like every single pony in Equestria were obligate to know what she looked like, in fact, that'd be kinda creepy. Still, this was not a problem she expected to have, at least there was an easy solution.
Sunset lifted her hoof and gesture at the current only other occupant in the store; Equestria's latest princess. "If you want, you can take it up with her instead."
The mare's pupils shrunk as she realised just who were in her store, even more so when Cadance wave to the two of them from the other end of the store, a smile on her face.
"T-that won't be a problem Lady Shimmer, I'll have the missive sent as soon as possible and once cleared up, which I'm sure it will be, I will start making orders."
Sunset grunted, she didn't really like pulling rank, not anymore. But she certainly wanted something sturdy to carry her pendant, assuming she succeeded.
"That's fine, I'm sure it won't be an issue. If it is, just ignore that part of the order and get me everything else."
The mare nodded. "Right, was there anything else?"
Thinking about it, Sunset was pretty sure she had everything needed for a few practice attempts, as well as what she'd need for the final thing. As she absent mindedly glanced around the store something caught her eyes.
"Actually..." She started, as she floated over an aquamarine to the counter.
"Yes, this is perfect!" Sunset exclaimed, facing one of Canterlot's many stores.
Cadance glanced up and read the store's sign aloud. "The Silver Gauntlet."
Cadance turned her gaze down and in through the window. It was a clothing store, that much was evident from the outside, yet everything inside was so alien. It took her a bit before it finally clicked.
"Sunset, I'm pretty sure this is a griffon store..." she trailed off.
"I know!" Sunset grinned at her before opening the door with her magic and barging in.
Cadance was taken back a bit, but quickly came to her senses and followed Sunset inside the store. Everywhere her eyes looked there were clothes in some dark brown or black material, and if not that, then metal. Cadance hastened her steps to catch up to her companion.
"Since when has gauntlets been fashionable anyway?" Cadance let out, while gesturing at a nearby display.
"Since about four or five hundreds years ago Cadance, though it's more of a griffon thing."
"I'm gonna be honest, I didn't expect you of all ponies to have studied the history of fashion."
Sunset looked over to Cadance and rolled her eyes. "It's not really because of fashion, it would have come up if you studied griffon history."
Cadance had to admit, Sunset had peaked her curiosity. "Oh, then how did it become a thing?"
"Well, gauntlets were, and probably still are, one of the favoured weapons of griffons. It protects their legs and claws, while on the same time offer an edge when striking."
Cadance nodded along as the two of them ventured further into the story. She wasn't sure what exactly Sunset was looking for in here, but figured that she knew where she was going.
"It was quite common for high ranking military officers to keep them on while attending formal functions. Eventually it caught on, being seen as both a statement of wealth and power, silver being the most common for those meant solely as fashionable wear."
"Why silver?" Cadance chipped in.
"Well, I'm not fully sure, admittedly. But I believe it has to do with that griffons generally value it much higher than other metals. In Equestria gold is seen as the height, probably as an influence of Princess Celestia wearing it, and it matching her colours. But it's worth considering that perceptions of value differ in different societies and cultures."
It sort of made sense to Cadance, she hadn't really considered these things before. And come to think of it: It wasn't really surprising that Sunset knew about these type of things. The unicorn was quite a bit ahead of her in knowing high society, and that probably extended to diplomatic functions to. Celestia had once told her that one of the best ways to understand others is to understand their history. It shouldn't shock her that her aunt had imparted the same wisdom to her student at some time in the past.
A whistle came from their side. "It's nice to see that at least some ponies know what's up when it comes to these sort of things," a new voice chipped in.
Glancing over to her side, Cadance took in a well statured griffon lady; at least she thought it was a lady. Cadance couldn't really tell just by looking, having not seen one before. They were predominantly black, with white wing feathers and hair.
"So, what can I help you fine mares with?" The griffon continued.
"I'm looking for a jacket," Sunset answer.
"Oh, who's the lucky bird? Or perhaps you're getting one for yourself?"
"The latter in this case, I don't think I know any griffon," Sunset smiled.
The store attendant--and potential owner--did a double take and looked Sunset over. Meanwhile, Cadance just blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.
"It's a griffon store Sunset, I'm not sure they even have anything fit for ponies."
"No, no, we do," the attendant having snapped out of her stupor. They gestured somewhere deeper within the store and set off at a decent pace.
"While it's quite rare for ponies to be into griffon fashion, plenty of the griffons who decide to settle in Equestria choose to adopt. It's lead to some mixed families and cultures, so there are a fair few of ponies who want to feel closer to their adopted parents or siblings," the attendant spoke, before turning to face Sunset.
"Though, seeing as I haven't heard or seen you before, I take it that might not be your case?"
Sunset nodded. "You're right, it's not. I just happened to like the aesthetic of leather."
Cadance could feel the colour drain from her face as she did a double take at all the clothes in the store. "You mean these things are made out of hide?"
"What, no, of course not," Sunset let out before the attendant could speak up. "Selling anything made out of real leather in Equestria is highly illegal. And given that this store operates right in the center of Canterlot... that should tell you that they couldn't possibly offer something like that."
"She is correct, your highness. Everything in our store is made out of faux leather, things made to replicate the look and feel of the real thing. Even if it wasn't a legal issue, Griffonstone's rising population would have made it all but impossible to keep up with the demand if we were to use the real thing."
Cadance let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding. Of course she knew griffons were carnivores, but it was hard to sometimes think through all the implications of that. She eyed the clothes more wearily, she could see the resemblance now, and frankly it made her sick. She had known some of the cows back in her old village for Celestia's sake!
"In fact, I'm not even sure I would have wanted a jacket if it was made out of the real thing," Sunset finished.
"Mmm, it's understandable. Even the fake replication is something that is a bit too much for most ponies. It's why we are upfront about serving mostly a griffon clientèle. A few similar stores in the past had the issue of unaware ponies walking in and throwing up upon realisation what they were gazing at."
"Yeah, I can see that. It took a while before I got used to it myself if I'm being honest," Sunset answered, seemingly having no issue keeping up conversation with the griffon, nor everything that surrounded the three of them.
Cadance could only stare at Sunset, she knew the unicorn to be odd and off-putting. But the last twenty four hours had been somewhat of a roller-coaster of revelations and change in behaviour. The fact that she had no issue with something that looked so close to another beings hide or coat was bad enough, but that she wanted to wear it? Revolting.
"Here we are, these jackets were made for pony proportions. If something doesn't quite fit, then we can either attempt to make some light tweaks, or we could have a new one made to your measurements. Though, keep in mind that it could take a while before we have it ready."
"I'm sure I'll find something that I both like and fits," Sunset responded, head already in the rack.
"You can't be seriously consider getting something like this Sunset," Cadance said, having decided to voice her displeasure in the notion.
Sunset just shrugged as she kept studying the awful garments. "And why couldn't I? It's what I like, and it's not as if I don't have the bits to spend."
Cadance did not manage to convince Sunset otherwise, as just short half hour later the found themselves outside of the store, Sunset happily carrying her new jacket in bag at her side.
Sunset let out a sigh at finally being able to sit down. She was quite used to being up and about these days, but it was quite clear that her body several years ago sure wasn't. She really should look into getting some form of exercise in, rather than just running magic experiments constantly for the foreseeable future; despite how tempting that notion was.
"Isn't this a bit plain?" Came Cadance's voice, as she sat down opposite to her.
The café Sunset had picked out in the commerce district of Canterlot was not remarkable in any manner. There were plenty of high class restaurants and cafés nearby, yet she held no love for such things.
Sunset couldn't help but snicker. "That's kind of the point," she brought her hoof up in a sweeping motion. "Think about it, you can have anything fancy made for you by the castle chefs whenever you want. But tell me this Cadance, when was the last time you had some honest to harmony common food?"
When the realisation hit Cadance Sunset could practically see her face lit up as she lifted the menu with great vigour. Sunset had never been big on fancy food, sure, she didn't exactly mind it; but it also wasn't something she desired. Celestia was honestly the same, at least that's what Sunset figured, she just had an image to keep up. While the castle cooks were some of the best in their profession, Celestia--when not insisting on cooking her own food--had always made it a point to have them make something lesser unless it was an event.
But lesser than the most refined Equestria had to offer was still far away from the common food most ponies ate or even craved. The noble's would probably have a field day if they knew Celestia regularly snuck out to have cake or the fact that she often just cooked her own breakfast. Frankly Sunset would probably not have suspect the regent's escapades herself... had she not been invited to join her when she was younger.
"Oh, they have coffee," Sunset proclaimed. She hadn't ever taken to it back when she lived in Equestria, too stuck in a tea mindset; as was most of Canterlot, coffee was fairly new there.
"What's coffee?" Cadance asked.
"You never heard of it even?"
"I can't say I have, but there is a lot of things ponies eat here in Canterlot that I hadn't even heard of back home."
"I'll order an extra cup and you can try some, I'm a big fan," or addict Sunset added in her mind. Having a cup every morning kinda sets up a dependency.
The two mares placed their orders with the slightly frazzled server, likely on account of serving a princess, before diving back into their conversation.
"I have a few places left I want to check out, but I think I finally have all the clothes I'll need going forwards," Cadance smiled as she finished.
Sunset couldn't help but snicker, she really didn't know what she had gotten herself into.
Cadance smile faltered. "What?"
Sunset put a hoof to her mouth. "No, it's just... If you were just any pony, you'd be absolutely right Cadance. But noble ponies change their wardrobes more often than the season, you're likely expected to wear something new and fashionable at every event."
Sunset had to stifle another laugh at Cadance's long face. "I suspect that this is why Princess Celestia attends most events in just her regalia; it simplifies things."
"That's..." Cadance closed her eyes and put her two front hooves against her forehead before letting out a groan. "I'm getting so tired of all these unspoken rules and expectations."
Sunset just chuckled at her companion before her eyes caught their server returning with their order. Sunset didn't even let them set it all down before she levitated her cup of coffee over and taking a deep sip. She would probably have drowned in the bliss of the taste if it weren't for the fact that it was scalding hot.
Cadance sighed, putting her hooves back down and focused on her meal. "That aside, were there any more stores you wanted to go to Sunset? I know I could do with picking up a few books so I have something to read that isn't a legal document or spell tome."
"There are two more things I was hoping to pick up, one being an alarm clock, the second being a coffee machine."
"A coffee machine, is that really a good idea?"
"Hmm now that you mention it, that might not fit inside my room. I don't know how big the Equestrian models are."
"That's not really what I meant..." Cadance trailed off.
Equestria had a lot of comforts thanks to magic, but when it came to technology they were quite a bit behind her previous home. She knew that most technology often started big, just to get it going. Then over time ideas would be iterated on to cut down in size and add more features.
Granted, there was no reason to think that a coffee machine upheld that principle, but she also hadn't exactly studied the history of the device. But considering what such a device did... it shouldn't be that massive; assuming she could find one at all. Worse come to wear, she'd either have to build one herself or have a servant fetch a cup from the kitchen.
"Why do you need an alarm clock anyway?"
"Oh, that's simple: if I have one then Cloud Thorn don't need to wake me up every morning."
"...Who's Cloud Thorn?"
"Oh, the, umm, maid that is assigned to the wing of the castle my room is located in... I think."
Cadance just stared at Sunset, an odd look on her face. "What?" Sunset questioned.
"Nothing," Cadance replied, taking a sip of her juice.
Sunset rolled her eyes before returning to her food. If Cadance didn't want to share whatever thought she had, then so be it. In fact, Cadance had given her odd looks all day, what was that about anyway? Sure, she could understand the faux leather creeping her out, it did for most ponies, but she had been doing it since well before they stepped foot in that store.
"Oh, that's right. There's something that's been on my mind which I was wondering if you could clear up for me Sunset?"
"Sure, don't see why not," a smile returning to her lips, she wasn't sure if that was because of Cadance or the coffee if she was being perfectly honest.
"I never really got it, but is something going on between you and Cele-" Cadance didn't get to finish saying whatever was on her mind.
"Well, well, well; if it isn't Sunset Shimmer!" A loud voice exclaimed, forcing it's way into the conversation.
Sunset turned her head and glanced to the right, on the other side of the barrier that separated the outdoor seating from the street stood a pony. She had decerned it to be a mare from voice alone, but putting a face to it helped. The mare had a light blue coat, her mane a very washed out blue, almost white, complimented with a dark blue streak.
Sunset was about to speak up, the obvious question being who this mare was; she didn't get the chance.
"Time upon time me and the girls invite you out to have some fun in Canterlot, yet we get turned down every, single, time," the mare was practically snarling. "But I suppose for the 'prestigious' Sunset Shimmer, only a princess is good enough company!"
Cadance glanced between the strange mare and Sunset. "Do you know her?"
Sunset could only sink down in her chair staring at the intruder. It was very possible that this was a pony Sunset once knew, though it was unlikely they had been close. She could still name one or two nobles as well as plenty of the teachers and lecturers from her old school. But outside of that? There were few ponies Sunset remembered the names of, even less their faces.
"Err... maybe?" Sunset finally responded, she could hear the awkwardness in her own tone.
It probably didn't help that she could not place the mare's look or cutiemark to anyone in the alternate reality.
"Don't tell me..." The strange mare continued, raising a hoof and pointed it towards Sunset. "You don't even remember me, do you?"
Sunset put on a fake smile and chuckled. "Not really?"
The mare let out a loud groan. "Figures."
Cadance returned to her own food as best as she could, glancing wearily between the two. That was smart, Sunset wish she had that option, but clearly her past self had been quite rude... again. She knew that she had turned down any and all requests to spend time with others back when she studied under Celestia, she just struggled to remember quite the extent of it all.
Sunset sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, alright. I know I'm not exactly the nicest pony around, and I have been quite focused on my studies prior to now. Truthfully, I don't remember what I said to you, but maybe we can start over?"
The mare seemed visibly shocked at her proclamation, something that reminded Sunset of just how bad her reputation here actually was. It would be a different experience from the student body of CHS after the fall formal; but potentially equally unpleasant.
"You... you apologised?"
Sunset flinched.
"Huh, I didn't think I'd see the day," the mare mumbled.
"So, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Cadance chirped. "After all, you interrupted our lunch."
The mare had the decency to look apologetic as she meet Cadance's eyes. "Sorry your highness, it's just... I got a bit carried away I guess. My name is Minuette."
The name didn't sound familiar to Sunset, but then, she doubted it would. "To be perfectly honest, this is the first time I have gone out for any shopping in quite some time. I already had or have access to all the books I need, so it doesn't come up very often."
Sunset turned to face Cadance and gestured towards her. "Plus, Princess Cadance needed to pick up a few things as well, so it made sense to go together."
Minuette nodded. "I suppose that makes sense," she glanced between Sunset and Cadance. "I should probably go... I'd say see you at school Sunset, but you graduated early."
Sunset nodded, that sounded accurate; she had stopped going in for lectures more than half a year before departing, instead taking only lessons from Celestia.
"If you ever need me though, feel free to drop by the castle. I know I have been a pain in the flank in the past, but I'm trying to be better," Sunset said.
This seemed to shock Minuette even more, who slowly nodded in reply. "It was nice meeting you- both of you," she said, giving Cadance a polite bow before trotting off.
Sunset waved goodbye before turning to Cadance, who had gone back to eating, presumedly quite some time ago.
"So, that just happened..."
Cadance just snorted, before quickly swallowing the rest of her sandwich. "You keep weird company Sunset."
"I don't think I even know her Cadance."
"And yet you offered her to stop by whenever she pleases?"
The question hung in the air as Sunset returned to her food. She was way more out of her depth in the life she had stepped back into than she'd have thought.
The sun was already starting to set by the time the two of them returned to the castle. Cadance had ended up purchasing so much that Sunset had to eventually start carrying some of the bags for her. The guards at the gate parted for them as they trotted in.
Cadance let out a sigh. "It's going to be so nice to just take a warm bath."
Sunset snickered. "That does sound like it would be nice, being out and about all day can be tiring."
"Oh, don't tell me the great Sunset Shimmer is tired out from something as trivial as this," Cadance said while giving Sunset a nudge.
"Yeah, I'm more out of shape than I thought," Sunset smiled.
Getting back into shape would take a while, the question was if she had time to dedicate to something like that. Ideally she would figure out a way to get back to her own time. Of course... without knowing how she got here, it was very likely that there simply wasn't any way to do so.
Sunset frowned, she hadn't ever really spent much of any time researching temporal magic. There certainly existed ways to manipulate time, she was twice proof of that at this point; but that didn't mean she understood the specifics. Plus, there was no guarantee that whatever magic mishap dumped her here wasn't one way.
"Is everything okay?"
Sunset snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh?"
"It's just... I'm sorry if I insulted you about being out of shape," Cadance said with a frown of her own.
"Oh! No, I don't mind, it's kind of true. I just have other things on my mind."
"Ah, well, alright."
Cadance was shuffling about and practically biting her lips. Sunset resisted the urge to roll her eyes, she was way too worried about offending her. It kinda sucked to constantly have to deal with people reminding her of how awful she had been in the past, no matter if it was deserved or not. But at this point Sunset had grown kind of used to it; it hardly bothered her.
Cadance came to a halt in the foyer. "I was... I was wondering if you'd want to maybe join me for tea tomorrow evening?"
Sunset came to a halt and turned to look at Cadance. She hadn't exactly expected the alicorn to want to spend any more time with her than necessary, especially considering their history and what she put her through yesterday. It made Sunset feel slightly bad for talking her into joining herself out in the city earlier.
She realised she hadn't replied when Cadance started fidgeting with her front hooves. "Sure, that sounds lovely," she said with a smile.
Cadance returned the smile and continued off further into the castle. The two of them barely made it out of the foyer before a guard trotted up and stopped them.
"Lady Shimmer, Princess Celestia is expecting you in the state office at seven. I was told to inform you as soon as you returned."
Sunset stared at the guard for a second before nodding. The guard offered a quick salute to Cadance before cantering off. Glancing about for the nearest clock Sunset eyes widened; there was only a couple of minutes left till seven o'clock.
"I'll talk to you later Cadance, I gotta run!"
She took off in a gallop, without waiting for a reply she dropped Cadance's bags on the floor. She wanted to put away her own bags in her room before her talk with Celestia, so she'd have to make good time if she didn't want to be late. A few of the castle staff gave her odd looks as she dashed past, but she ignored them.
Turning the final corner Sunset barely had time to come to halt before colliding with a maid. Said maid was just about to close the door to Sunset's room, clearly on the way out. Her eyes widened from seeing Sunset almost barrelling into her.
Sunset voiced a quick out of breath apology. "Sorry."
"It's- it's alright," the shock was clear in her voice.
Sunset looked the mare over quickly, she had a bright green coat and lemon-lime mane. What had she been doing in her room anyway? Sunset opened her door with her magic and quickly dumped her saddle bags and shopping bags just inside before closing it again.
"So, um, what were doing in my room?"
The maid who had already started to trot off turned back to face her. "Oh, right, I suppose you might not know. I was checking the piping."
"The... piping?" Sunset frowned.
"Yeah, it's a routine check we do once a year. Not all at the same time, mind, but we make sure to check every suite yearly. While we of course expect guests and inhabitants to report any issues or failures, it's better to catch these things before we have a water leakage," she said with a smile.
"I guess that makes sense..."
In truth, it sounded a bit far-fetched. She half wondered if it was a cover story as to have someone search her room for more books from the restricted section. Sunset shook her head, she did not have time for this.
"I need to go," she spook briefly to the maid before taking off as fast as she could towards the other end of the castle.
The maid simply shrugged before heading down the hallway.
Celestia looked up from the papers on her desk as Sunset closed the door behind herself. She was a few minutes late and looked a bit out of breath.
"Do you need a minute?"
This wasn't going to be a pleasant meeting, she had quite a few pointed questions and strong words for the unicorn. But even so, that did not mean it had to be unpleasant in other ways.
Sunset sat down on the floor in front of her desk and shook her head. "I'm fine, I'll catch my breath eventually."
Celestia frowned, onto the subject at hoof then. "As I'm sure you're aware, the books and other items in the restricted section are there for a good reason. They were deemed for one reason or another to not be fit for public viewing," she put on a frown and leaned forwards a bit. "So perhaps then, you can explain how you managed to get your hoof on them."
Sunset licked her lips as the question hung in the air. "Well, I retrieved them from the restricted section to read in my room."
"And exactly how did you manage that, I wonder? The restricted section has quite a few wards and seals on it precisely so not just anyone can trot in."
Sunset frowned. "I... don't recall having any issue going in. Granted, it's been... some time, since I was last in there."
Celestia narrowed her eyes. "Last? You mean to say this wasn't the first time?" She had to hold back her anger, Sunset should have known better.
"It wasn't no. Like I said, I didn't have any issues coming and going. I guess I just assumed I had your permission, but given that we are sitting here, I suppose you did, in fact, not approve."
"I did not, no."
Celestia let the unicorn sit and stew as she considered her own thoughts, this was all highly irregular. She had half expected Sunset to not even show, half expected her to be angry and confrontational, and yet... the unicorn in front of her looked extremely calm.
She knew Sunset didn't feel challenged in her magical studies, so her sneaking into the forbidden section was hardly the biggest surprise. She wasn't ready for such topics of study though, not with her temper. Celestia had hoped that she would go out and get some friends, to better center her emotions and desires. Yet somehow, today had been the day that she decided to do so, curious.
She was brought out of her thinking by Sunset clearing her throat. "Yes?"
Sunset frowned lightly. "I just realised something, your highness: if I had no issue accessing the restricted section, the wards could very well be faulty or have been tampered with."
Celestia blinked. "You're right... I'll have to get somepony to look into that." Sunset smiled, seemingly happy with the response.
"I guess the matter how you got in is ultimately irrelevant, as long as you know not go in there again in the future; have I made myself clear?"
Sunset took a moment before eventually nodding. "Perfectly."
Good, she was taking this at least somewhat seriously then. "Of course, the matter of these tomes themselves are highly concerning;" Celestia continued, levitating the offending objects from her desk. "I take it you read them?"
Sunset glanced at the books, seemingly reading the titles. "I, yeah," she answered, before following up with something else under her breath.
"Perhaps then, you could enlighten me as to their contents? It would make a good lesson for why some things are not meant for all eyes. I'd also like to know what your thoughts were when you selected these volumes."
Sunset seemed to freeze up, before eventually letting out a deep sigh and looking away. "Princess, do you want a convenient lie, or the truth?" It was as if she was struggling to get the words out.
Celestia rolled her eyes and let the books come to rest on her desk again. "The truth Sunset, you're not a foal anymore; I expect you to conduct yourself properly."
Sunset sighed again, still not meeting her eyes. "I don't remember."
Celestia had to sit there for a few seconds before it registered. "What do you mean you don't remember? I thought we agreed on that honesty would be the best approach here."
Sunset scoffed before meeting her eyes again. "That's just it princess, it is the truth. It's why I asked if you wanted a convenient lie instead. I already gave you the books, and we are both acutely aware that you did not approve of me having them. It would be easier to go on a tirade about how much I deserve to have read them, or likewise, I could have spun a tale about how I'm ready for whatever contents is in those books."
Sunset closed her eyes and put her front hoof on her forehead. "It would have been so easy. Sure, I would have gotten in trouble over the former, and you would have been upset. But you can't sit there and say that wouldn't have believed me if I did," Sunset opened her eyes and meet Celestia's gaze head on.
Celestia wasn't sure how to respond, it wasn't as if Sunset didn't have a point. In many ways, the scenario she painted up was certainly something she would have believed from the unicorn at this point. Yet posing that she didn't remember? It was preposterous. Still, Sunset was clearly going somewhere with this, she'd play along and see where that was.
"You do realise how silly the notion is that you don't remember the contents of these books, right?" Celestia asked while tapping the stack with her hoof.
"Yeah, I'm fully aware of that, but it is the truth. It was... some time since I read them, at least I'm pretty sure I read them."
Celestia grunted. "And obviously you can't be disproved, it's not as I can just look at your memories to see your innocence."
Sunset froze up, before putting her hoof against her chin. "Actually... that should be possible."
Celestia could only blink in disbelief. "Sunset, you should be well aware that magic that interact with the minds of others is highly illegal."
Sunset winced. "I... yeah, you're right. I guess I just... never mind," she looked away.
Celestia was so tempted to get up from behind the desk, walk over, and put her hoof on Sunset's shoulder; but she didn't, it wasn't the kind of thing that was proper to do.
She cleared her throat. "Sunset, while I'm... touched, that you'd allow me to do something so invasive just to prove your innocence, you should know I'd never ask something like that from you."
Sunset chuckled, not meeting her eyes again. "I guess it was a silly notion."
Celestia took a breath, where to from here? Something was so, so, very wrong with all of this, yet she couldn't put her hoof on what.
"So to summarise, you have no idea as to how you managed to get into the restricted section. Not only that, you also don't remember any of the material from there that you read, is that about right?"
Sunset gave her a nod.
"What of previous incursions, which books did you take at those?"
"Ah, well-"
"Let me guess, you don't remember those either, do you?"
Sunset looked at her oddly before eventually nodding. "Yeah."
Celestia let out a tsk. If she didn't know better, she'd think her student had contracted amnesia. But no, there would be more things wrong if that was the case, not a suspiciously specific lack of memory. The most obvious answer was that Sunset was simply lying to her face, something that she wouldn't put past the unicorn.
Yet, that did not feel right either. Sunset didn't have any of her normal tells as to lying; not that her manners were anything but abnormal. Besides, it was as Sunset herself pointed out; she could very easily have crafted a much better lie that would have been more believable.
"So, uh, now what?" Sunset asked while massaging one of her front hooves over the other.
Celestia frowned. "I'm not sure, this is highly irregular..." She cleared her throat. "Know that should not go into the restricted section, and if I ever find out you have been sneaking in there again there will be sever consequences."
Sunset nodded.
"Furthermore..." She trailed off.
To be honest, Celestia didn't know exactly where she was going with this. She was going to have Sunset write a report on the dangers of the restricted magic; something that was impossible if she didn't remember any of it. Yet she couldn't simply not punish the unicorn for this.
"Yes?" Sunset asked.
"I'll have to rescind our bi-weekly lessons together, we'll keep them to one a week for the next few months."
Celestia smiled to herself, this was perfect. There were so few things Sunset cared about, but their lessons together was one of them. Maybe now she would take the time to think things over and not do something so out there as to take books from the restricted section.
Sunset let out a sigh of contentment. "Yeah, that sounds fair."
Celestia froze and stared at the unicorn. Sunset looked the pinnacle of relaxation, as if this didn't even phase her. She had been so sure that Sunset would blow a lid over this and start lashing out with her tongue.
"If that is all, I should probably get going," Sunset said while getting up on her hooves again. She got ready to leave before meeting Celestia's eyes with a smile.
"...Yes, that's alright. I don't think there was anything else unless there was something you wanted to bring up; you're excused Sunset," her brain still not being caught up to the notion that Sunset wasn't in the slightest bothered by a reduction in magic lessons.
Sunset turned around and slowly walked towards the door.
"Actually," Sunset said, stopping just a few steps towards the exit.
"Yes?" Celestia asked while blinking.
"There were a few things, now that I think about it," she turned around to face her again.
"Oh?"
"The first being... you might receive a missive some time in the near future. I was out buying some magic components earlier today and... well, it turns out titanium is quite regulated," Sunset let out an awkward chuckle.
Celestia had to once again frown, titanium had quite a few special uses, not to mention being extremely rare, which begged the question: "What do you need titanium for Sunset?"
"I don't actually need it for anything, it just happens to be really durable so I want it as necklace chain."
Celestia had to resist the urge to bring her hoof to her face. "You do realise that is an extremely wasteful use of something so rare, right? Not to mention incredibly expensive."
"Yes, well, it's not like I was doing anything with all the bits from my stipend," Sunset gestured with her hoof in the air.
"That's... well, alright, I don't think that should be a problem."
There were plenty of less experienced unicorns that could just freely buy the material, so allowing Sunset to do so shouldn't be a problem. It did sound like an excuse though, she'd have to remember to look into what Sunset actually did with it later.
"Thanks," Sunset smiled. "Next, well, it's about my studies under you."
Oh, was this it, was she finally going to snap? Maybe it had just taken her a moment or two for it all to sink in.
"I don't actually remember what we were focusing on last, but I'd like to change our lesson plans. I'm itching to give rune crafting a try."
Celestia had to take a moment to process what she said. "You want to... try your hoof at enchanting?"
Sunset nodded.
Enchanting wasn't a very popular field among unicorns. Unless a pony had a talent for or related to it, then it was unlikely they'd study much of it. There was one exception though; most powerful unicorns would pick up one or two enchanting fields as they got older. Many wanted to leave some sort of mark upon Equestria that would survive long past their time.
"Aren't you a bit too young to worry about legacy?"
Sunset frowned. "What, no? I just have an idea that I want to try, and I already have some reading material on the subject prepared in my room."
"Oh, yes, I suppose that makes more sense."
"So, can we change track?"
Celestia sighed. "Sure," she said, it wasn't as if Sunset was taking any strides in making any friends anyway. There was only so much nagging she could do to get the unicorn to engage with her fellow ponies; she had just ignored her suggestions anyway, locking herself into her room and studying.
She frowned and glanced at the tomes still sitting on the desk; it was even more problematic than she had thought. Maybe this would be for the best for now, she'd have to think of some other way to get Sunset to engage with others.
"And lastly," Sunset frowned.
Celestia turned her attention back to her student. "Yes?"
Sunset fidgeted. "Well, it's about Cadance."
Celestia groaned, she knew yesterday could potentially come back and bite her in the flank. Sunset looked at her oddly, reminding her to compose her expression again.
"It's been on my mind, so I feel like I should ask. Why are you teaching her personally anyway? She's practically a novice at magic."
This conversation, again. Her student had been acting weird lately, but if there was any doubt as to the identity of the pony before her, then this inquiry promptly disperse those.
"Cadance is an alicorn and a princess, Sunset. There are plenty of things only I can teach her; I have told you as much before, on multiple occasions even."
"Well, sure, but magic is not one of them. She's not any more advanced than a school filly when it comes to using her horn. Considering how busy you are it makes no sense as to why you'd tutor her personally, there are plenty of ponies at your school that could fill that role for her."
She could feel herself getting worked up. "Yes, perhaps I should do away with all my time wasters, no sense in teaching magic to anypony when there are plenty of experts to do so," she raised her eyebrow. She couldn't help being snippy, it was really tiresome to constantly have to have this argument.
"I..." Sunset looked away. "To be honest, I'm not sure why you take the time for me either, not when you got a country to run."
Celestia rubbed her forehead with her hoof while sighing. "It's not about the magic Sunset."
Perhaps she could get out of this by other means. "But, seeing as you brought it up Sunset. You're indeed right, there are plenty of skilled unicorns at my school that could more or less teach my niece."
"In fact, since you brought up the subject, I'll take it that you're volunteering? I seem to remember somepony graduating early and having plenty of time on her hooves," a grin spread on her muzzle as Sunset's pupils shrunk. "I'll talk to Cadance at the next opportunity and let her know about the new arrangement," she chuckled.
"I- alright," Sunset managed to get out.
She wouldn't actually force Cadance into such an arrangement, but it was a good threat she could lean on. Of course, the two of them had been on at least talking terms lately, so she'd have to at least give her niece the choice.
"If there was nothing else, I have some more paperwork to conclude Sunset, not to mention forbidden magic tomes to return."
Sunset just weakly nodded and walked out the room, closing the door behind her. Celestia meanwhile let out a breath.
It wasn't until now, a while later, that she could properly process the meeting. Sure, Sunset hadn't acted like she expected her to; but there was more to it than that. 'It was almost as if... hmm,' she couldn't help but feel that she had been out maneuvered. But that didn't make much sense, Sunset was not above lying, that much was true.
But she had quite the temperament, and using subversion was rarely, if ever, something she did. She was more likely to brashly proclaim what she felt she deserved, or directly tell ponies to their face how much she despised them. The latter had happened at multiple times at formal events, to the point where she didn't trust Sunset to attend them anymore.
Sunset was the opposite of a savvy diplomat, and yet, it was almost as if she had gotten exactly what she wanted out of their exchange. Celestia felt a rising unease from the realization; she'd have to talk to somepony about her, get a second opinion.
Sunset yawned as she finally reached her room again, the day had been too long. Getting saddled with tutoring Cadance was less than ideal, but there wasn't much she could do about it now other than grumble. At least the exchange with Celestia had gone mostly alright.
She had taken her evening meal on her lonesome, the two alicorns clearly busy with their own devices. Knowing that she'd most likely get waken up early the next morning to, she figured she'd turn in early and get some decent rest.
She pushed the door open to her room and walked in, almost tripping on her bags that she'd just dumped there. She let out a swear; she should probably have dealt with those earlier. She lifted the bags in her magic grip and stuffed them by her desk; she could unpack tomorrow. She turned to her bed and was just about to turn in when she froze.
Straight above her bed was what could best be described as a circular floating crack. It had a light purple glow to it while the inside was almost perfectly black. Walking closer and around it, it seemed no bigger than a lemon in size.
Sunset gulped, clearly she wasn't getting any sleep tonight.