"Thanks for seeing me on such short notice," said Twilight, setting her bag down beside her.
The two unicorns-turned humans had gathered at the local cafe once more. The remaining members of their friend circle were absent, which was actually beneficial, as having two different versions of Twilight standing in the same room would've doubtlessly led to people staring. Additionally, it was a rare occasion that the two ever got time to just talk to each other, and they treasured it, Sunset especially, because let's face it, there wasn't anybody else in the human world with similar experiences.
"So, any particular occasion today?" asked Sunset, sipping her coffee. "Equestria's not falling apart again, is it?"
"Not today, thankfully," said Twilight. "It's more...curiosity. Something I've kinda wanted to ask you for a while. Although, this is pretty personal, so I understand if—"
"Twilight," Sunset cut her off, laying her hand on her friend's shoulder, "I owe you my second chance. I can never pay you back enough for that. Besides, you're my friend. No question is too personal."
Twilight beamed happily. First impressions between the two had been less than stellar, considering that Sunset had attempted to rob Twilight in her sleep. Looking at them now, however, an observer would never even have guessed this fact. Unfortunately, that didn't make asking the next question any easier.
"So..." Twilight, rubbing her finger in a circle on the table, "Celestia hasn't told me much about...you, before you wandered off to this universe. All she's said was that you were her student before I was. I guess, I'm just wondering..." she forced herself to look Sunset in the eyes again, "what was that like? Was Celestia any different, was your upbringing like mine, you know—"
"Oh, that..." replied Sunset, running her hand through her messy hair. "I was wondering if we'd ever have this conversation..."
"I don't want to intrude—" Twilight started.
"No no, I'm not complaining," Sunset interrupted. "I'll do it, there's no problem."
"Well, first of all, I wasn't exactly like you. I became an orphan at a young age—no abandonment or anything, though, they were pretty sick—but I did share your enthusiasm for magic. I spent months practicing, and applied for Celestia's School for gifted unicorns as soon as I was old enough. Princess Celestia took notice of my talents, gave me the chance to be her personal student. From what you've told me, I think she was pretty much the same, although she definitely sounds happier. Probably because of Luna. Anyway, I moved in with her once mom and dad passed away. From there, our relationship..." Sunset smiled sadly, "...grew. It was practically perfect in the beginning, but, well, you remember the person I became."
Celestia strolled into the kitchen, barely taking notice of the multicolored frosting that seemed to cover every visible surface. After all, she'd known about it before she came down here from the guards who had run up into her chamber, shouting about cake exploding from inside it.
Her hooves squished through the mushy material, leaving impressions in it, and squashing the scattered chunks of actual cake. She turned around the corner, where the exact sight she'd expected awaited her.
Sunset Shimmer, the tiny orange filly, sat right next to the oven, which was propped open, and filled with even more confectionery debris. Sunset's lovely mane was caked with...well, cake, and the rest of her body hadn't fared much better. Sunset heard the advancing hoofsteps, and turned to see her teacher, looking down at her. At the sight, Sunset's lip began to tremble, and her eyes widened, filling with a mixture of shock, fear, and guilt.
"I'm sorry, Princess Celestia!" the tiny unicorn wailed, diving forward through the cake, wrapping her forelegs around Celestia's. "I wanted to surprise you with a giant cake, and I've watched you do growing spells before, and I thought I knew exactly how to do it, but then it started swelling too much, and then it popped like a balloon, and I didn't mean for it to happen, and I'm so sorry, please don't be mad—"
Sunset's barrage of pleads was cut off, as Celestia suddenly placed a hoof on the top of her head. The unicorn looked up, and noticed that her teacher's face had taken on a soothing smile. Celestia casually stroked her student's main, before bending down to kiss the top of her heard.
"Oh, Sunset," said the solar alicorn, "I could never be angry at you for such a sweet gesture." She looked around the messy room. "Though, I am gonna need a little help licking all of this up."
Sunset burst into laughter at Celestia's comment, nearly slipping and falling on her face into the frosting.
"Besides," Celestia continued, "even if I did get angry at you, you understand that I'd never stop loving you. Right?"
Sunset smiled happily, wrapping her legs around Celestia once more. Celestia activated her telekinesis, levitating the small unicorn up into the air, where she the two were at face level. Sunset wrapped her legs around Celestia's neck, and the alicorn responded by wrapping Sunsent in one of her swan-like wings.
"I love you too, Mom," said Sunset.
It was the first time she'd ever called Celestia that. Neither of them responded to it at the time, but that was when a mutual understanding was reached. The bond of love created between the two of them was as strong as any biological mother-daughter relationship. Celestia had been unsure as to whether or not she'd ever truly desired children, considering her longevity, but at that moment, she had no need to give birth to her own. She had Sunset.
"Sunset, we've talked about this," Celestia said, mildly frustrated. "You shouldn't be all by yourself all the time."
The solar alicorn was currently standing at the doorway to Sunset's chamber, casually leaning against the wall. The young Sunset herself sat at her desk, her horn lit up, as she flipped through yet another magical textbook. A large stack of additional books, already read, sat to the side.
"But Mom, there's so much I still have to learn!" Sunset whined. "I still haven't gotten to Advanced Magical Practice in Organic Matter Alteration!"
"Yes, and I'm thrilled that you've thrown yourself into your studies," Celestia replied, "but don't you get lonely at all in here?"
"Why would I be lonely? I have you."
"Of course, but don't you sometimes want the company of other ponies?" Celestia looked out the window. Canterlot generally wasn't a city of foals running and playing through the streets, but they weren't an uncommon sight. Pegasi floated through the air, as small unicorns and earth ponies chased after them. "I'm sure that there are plenty of other ponies in your classes who would love to spend time with you."
"Sounds to me like a time waster," Sunset casually replied, going back to the book. "Most of them haven't even reached the levels that I'm at. No point in trying to study with those unicorns."
"Sunset, don't condescend to them!" Celestia admonished.
"I'm trying not to, but their magic skill is just so unimpressive!" Sunset protested. "I out-perform all of them at every exam, especially the practicals! If you want to be the greatest, you have to work for it. I'm doing just that."
Celestia thought for a moment. "Sunset, what is it about being the best that appeals to you so much?" she asked. "I know you're proud of your magical capabilities, which is good, and it's natural to improve those skills, but why are you so obsessed with it?"
Sunset didn't even look up as she answered. "Because I am the best," she replied simply, "and I think everypony should know it. So I'm gonna keep working until I'm the most powerful, amazing unicorn in all of Equestria."
Celestia was surprised at the ease with which her student had answered. She'd hoped that perhaps calling attention to Sunset's goal would encourage her to rethink it, examine what she was getting out of it. Apparently, that hadn't happened.
"Er, well—" she began.
"I don't wanna be rude, but could we cut this conversation short?" Sunset asked. "I really wanna finish this, and it's kinda hard to read and talk at the same time. Call me down for dinner."
Celestia stared at the back of her student for a few minutes, trying to think of some sort of comeback. When nothing came to her, she sighed and closed the door, leaving Sunset alone.
It genuinely felt like the room was going to explode from the tension. The Canterlot castle chamber was only occupied by Celestia and Sunset, the two staring each other down from opposite sides of the room. Sunset had assumed an aggressive stance, her horn glowing slightly with its signature red aura. Her eyes were filled with nothing but pure rage. Celestia, conversely, stood in complete silence, her face covered by an expression of grief.
"So, now what?" demanded the unicorn, snorting. "You send me to my room? Lock me up? Judge me even more?"
"Sunset..." Celestia pleaded. "You hit that student because she'd figured out a spell you hadn't. You can't justify that!"
"Oh, really?!" Sunset was almost screaming now. "The only reason I hadn't was because you haven't allowed me access to the Star Swirl wing yet! I'm better than that second rate unicorn in every way and she should know it! But no, Celestia's precious baby is too much of a foal to understand such things, despite the fact that she's proven herself time and time again!"
"You know that those spells are dangerous!" Celestia retorted. "Time travel, matter creation, dimensional breaching...Even I don't dare risk trying those!"
"Well, maybe Equestria needs a Princess with a backbone!" roared the unicorn. "Maybe you're just too much of a weakling to truly be great!"
Celestia flinched back as though she'd been struck. Her and Sunset had arguments before, as all ponies do, but never on this level. Sunset's fury knew no boundaries, and for the first time, Celestia didn't feel like this was just anger. Sunset hated her.
"Sunset, please," the alicorn managed to whimper. "I love you like a daughter—"
"Yeah?! Well you're not my mother!" screamed Sunset, her horn flaring as a ball of green light gathered at the tip. "And I don't need you anymore!"
Sunset hurled the sphere to the ground, creating a burst of energy that reverberated throughout the entire room. Cracks burst in the walls, window glass shattered, chairs shook and fell over, and Celestia was nearly knocked off her hooves. She managed to recover easily, but when she looked up, the sight that greeted her was only that of the door slamming closed, with Sunset nowhere in sight.
"Sunset! Please, don't!"
Even as Celestia galloped through the halls of he castle, calling out for her student, she knew, somewhere deep down, that it was a lost cause. It was as though the incidents of the day had been a foregone conclusion, and Sunset had been doomed to walk down this path from the day they'd met. However, the rest of her compelled Celestia to charge to the room where the mirror was kept, knowing that this was the last day it would remain open for thirty moons. Celestia shoved open the door, bursting into the chamber...and stopped.
The surface of the mirror was rippling, like a pond that had been breached by a tossed stone. A quick scanning spell confirmed that Sunset's magical energy had been in the room not two seconds before. There was only one possible explanation: She'd gone through.
Celestia's brain tried to process the facts as they sat before her. Sunset was gone. Her student-no, her child-was gone. Even if she changed her mind, she wouldn't be able to return before the passage of thirty moons. Sunset had gone through knowing this fact. Which meant...she wasn't planning on returning.
Celestia fell to her knees and wept.
Twilight stared silently at her friend. Since Sunset had finished her story, the girl seemed only capable of fighting the urge to break down and cry. Twilight attempted to reach for her shoulder, but drew the hand back, unsure.
"T-that's the Cliff Notes version," Sunset sniffed. "I-I guess...it's just part of growing up. You change, you stop seeing each other—"
"That's not true," Twilight spoke up, rather suddenly. Sunset looked up in surprise.
"Sure, you and Princess Celestia drifted apart, but she still loves you. I know, I spoke to her. And from what I've seen, you still love her. Growing up doesn't mean that you're destined to never see each other again."
Twilight leaned forward, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You know you can always come back and see her, right? She forgave you for what you did a long time ago. She'd love to see you again."
Sunset's face managed to morph itself into a bittersweet smile, as a few stray tears dripped down her cheeks.
"You're still her little Sunset," said Twilight, "no matter what happens."