//------------------------------// // "Sunny Skies" // Story: The Empress of Equestria // by DustyBones //------------------------------// It felt odd to wake up with the sun already in the sky. It’d had been so long since she’d ever slept that late. But there’s a time and a place for everything. A time to live. A time to die. A time to laugh. A time to weep. Yes, that was the way of things. But this, this felt wrong. She folded her wings and pulled the blankets tighter to her body. And why wouldn’t it? A part of her was missing, like a hollow space just below her heart. A knock came at the door. “May I come in?” a timid voice called. She sighed. She did not want to get up quite yet. It was easier to stay in bed. But her little ponies needed her and she would never deny them, especially not now. They needed her more than ever. So she took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and sat up. A long, pink mane fell about her shoulders, uncombed and tangled. It didn’t used to need brushing. “Enter,” she said. A unicorn mare pushed the door ajar. She brought with her a tea-tray laden with scones and Celestia’s favorite earl grey. Celestia smiled at her. “Thank you, Silver Service." She knew the names of all the servants in the palace. All the nobles too. "You are too kind.” The unicorn began to bow. “Please don’t.” The mare stumbled but recovered. “As you wish, Princess Celestia.” A wry, unhappy smile crossed Celestia’s face. “Silver, may I call you Silver?” “Of course.” “Silver, forgive me, but you do not seem to be blind.” Celestia tapped her forehead, right on the spot that Silver Service’s horn stood. “I am not a princess. Not any longer. It’s...it’s just Sunny now. Sunny Skies.” “You will always be our princess,” the unicorn said firmly, “Our beloved, fair, kind, just ruler. Princess Celestia.” “Thank you. Your words mean more to me than you can ever know.” Celestia dipped her head. “But nothing can change what has already happened.” That was a lie and she knew it. But it was better her little ponies didn’t get false hope. Silver Service approached the bed. “If I may speak?” Celestia, or Sunny rather, laughed. “Why, who am I to stop you? Speak and may the world be glad of your words! Sing, if you wish.” She rose and stretched her wings. “You know, I like to sing sometimes. Oh, but here I am rambling. Please, tell me what you wanted to say.” Silver Service glanced over her shoulder and leaned in conspiratorially. “There are many who are still loyal, you know. Say the word and half the Royal Guard will rise. Another third will not interfere. And the last, well, they would not be able to stop us.” Sunny’s face turned grim. “Silver. I have been forced to fight many times. Discord, Tirek, the Changelings, and other, terrible creatures that threatened the safety of my little ponies. But never, never, have I led ponies to war with each other. Not in a war that I started, and there have been precious few of those. And I do not intend to now.” Silver stomped a hoof, a very unladylike gesture. “Do you know how much it hurts us?” she snapped, “Do you even care? Every day, you sit up there. Beside her. And you do nothing. You do not even resist. At least Luna fought.” “Silver. Did I not say that fighting was what I hoped to avoid?” Silver’s cheeks flushed and her brow knit together in anger. “The nobles will support you. The peasants adore you. The majority of the guard will rise to your name. Even the Wonderbolts will fly to your defense! Why? Why do you sit here and play...” Her lips curled in disgust. “Chief Advisor to that usurper! Is it because of her relationship to you?” “Perhaps,” Sunny admitted with care, “But there is another, more important reason. One that you would be wise not to forget.” “And what’s that?” There was acid in the unicorn’s voice. Sunny’s voice was tinged with sadness. “She is the Element of Magic. And now she holds the power of three alicorns. But even more important, she is Twilight Sparkle, friend to Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash. They wield the Elements of Harmony. Between her and her friends, no force in Equestria or beyond is strong enough to face them and win.” ///////////// The door to the Court of Harmony slid open. Sunny knew each inch of the room through long years of occupation. The throne sat empty and no guards were in sight, but the stain-glassed windows cast rainbow patterns along the floor. Sunny’s heart warmed at the sight. The court was a gift to her from the dear ponies of old, a place of solace and consolation after her sister’s banishment. She’d spent so many hours here, sorting through disputes, entertaining nobles and foreign dignitaries, and teaching those who came into her care. She loved each stone, each tile, each pane of glass. The throne itself was a gift from Starswirl, her old friend, mentor, and confidante. She loved it most of all, not for the power it represented, but the memories bound within. Slowly, she slipped up onto the throne. She’d never realized how tall it was until now. Even standing on her hind legs, she couldn’t reach her former height. Just as well, this wasn’t her seat anymore. Not for the past few months. She closed her eyes and imagined she was tall again, with a radiant horn on her forehead and a mane that flickered and moved from the sheer power of her magic. She imagined that she sat comfortably on the throne and smiled down at the little problems her mortal subjects brought to her. They were always in such a hurry. It was always so cute. She imagined she could feel the sun again. She remembered the horrible first moment when she couldn’t. She hadn’t questioned why Twilight and her friends wanted to meet with her privately. They were her friends too. She’d been glad to see them. She’d even made sure their favorite snacks had been ready (quite the task for the kitchens thanks to Pinkie Pie). She’d done it gladly. She loved them as if they were her own daughters. She slipped deeper into the memory. She remembered feeling that something was wrong the moment they stepped into the room. Rainbow Dash couldn’t sit still. Not unusual. But she didn’t even make a single attempt to show off, even when Celestia had personally congratulated her on becoming a Wonderbolt. “Y-yeah. Thanks, Princess. It’s great. It’s really great. Everything I ever imagined. And, uh, more.” Pinkie was Pinkie, of course. She’d devoured the treats set out for her, putting away enough cake to make even the princess of the sun jealous. But though she smiled and said, “Okie, dokie, lokie!” in her usual, cheerful manner, not once did she make a joke or burst into a breathless monologue. When Sunny asked if she was feeling well, she laughed. But she couldn’t hide the moment of pain on her face. Applejack pushed her apple fritters around on her plate and grunted whenever someone spoke to her. Her hat sat low over her eyes and she shifted from hoof to hoof, nervous. A muttered, “Thank you, princess,” or, “Oh, ya’ll know how it is. Just tired,” was all she could extract from the orange earth pony. Rarity, on the other hoof, was positively loquacious. She talked endlessly of her successes in the fashion industry and how her new store took Manehatten by storm. Yet Celestia had lived long enough to know when a pony was avoiding a topic. What she couldn’t figure out was what it was. After all, no one expects treachery from their friends. Of them all, Fluttershy seemed the most normal. She was nervous and made small gasps whenever something surprised her, but such behavior was expected. It hadn’t even raised a question in the princess of the sun’s mind. Halfway through the scheduled time, Twilight rose. She cleared her throat and summoned an expertly prepared stack of charts and placards. “Princess Celestia,” she said, “You may have guessed, but this isn’t exactly a social visit.” Up came the first chart. “As you can clearly see, I cross-indexed reports of major events over the last century and there is a clear rise in both frequency and seriousness of, well, catastrophes. A hundred years ago, a parasprite swarm would have been a major event, possibly the most serious event of a generation. But compare those days to the present. The return and redemption of Princess Luna from her Nightmare Moon persona, Discord’s release and reformation, Tirek, who I believe speaks for himself, the Changelings invasion, and the near-disaster of Starlight’s interference with the timeline.” “I am aware Twilight.” Curiosity filled the immortal goddess’ chest. They both knew this. What was Twilight getting at? Twilight smiled. “And, against all these threats, the Elements of Harmony have stood strong. We have defeated every single threat Equestria has faced. World ending threats, I should emphasize.” Celestia smiled. “Yes. Your friendship has overcome more than anypony could ever have dreamed. You six truly are remarkable and I am proud to call you my subjects and my friends.” She’d expected them to smile. She’d expected them to be happy, but they nodded as if such a thing were only natural for her to say. For the first time, a stab of something like fear pierced Celestia’s heart. “You are the heroes of Equestria,” she continued, “Friend and savior to all. Never before has anypony contained the power of the Elements of Harmony within them. And, most likely, such a thing will never occur again.” Twilight raised a hoof and opened her mouth, but for once no words came. Rarity set down her teacup. “Princess,” she said carefully, “What Twilight is getting at is simply this: when ruffians and vagabonds come calling, it’s not you that saves the day. It’s us, darling.” “Yes!” Twilight nodded. “Thank you, Rarity.” She turned back to Celestia. “And that’s not all! Now, when enemies want to conquer Equestria, they target us first. Why, just last week, a unicorn stallion named Con Mane tried to use dark magic to take over Rainbow Dash and turn her against us. It didn’t work because we’re now the living embodiments of Harmony, but it could have. And this trend is only going to continue.” She paused. “I was very thorough with my lists. You can check them over, if you want.” Celestia frowned. “Twilight, my dear friend. I’m afraid I don’t understand.” “Well…” Twilight bit her lip, “It’s not that you’re a bad ruler, Princess, and I don't want to insult you.” “Oh for crying out loud!” Rainbow Dash flew right into the princess’ face. “Celestia, you’re a great pony, but you’re a terrible ruler. You get steamrolled every time some new villain rolls into Canterlot. And then we come and save the day.” The words hurt more than they should. Who was this mere pegasus to dare question her, she who wielded the power of the sun itself? Celestia felt herself growing angry, but she forced it down. “Rainbow Dash,” she said with a chuckle, “There’s more to being a ruler than simple power. If that were so, I believe Nightmare Moon would have been more qualified.” “Yeah. Or Discord,” Rainbow spat. Twilight sighed and telekinetically pulled her friend away from her mentor. “Twilight.” Celestia’s eyes searched her former student’s. The six of them stood united against her, formed up in a small ring with Twilight in the front. “Please, what is this about?” Twilight’s face lit up in a smile. “Oh! I suppose there’s no use in hiding it any longer. We’re taking over Equestria.” It was said so simply, so matter-of-fact, that it took Celestia a moment to process it. It took her another to notice that the six were glowing. “Twilight?” she asked, “Are you...you can’t be serious!” The glow brightened. Celestia considered stopping them with force. She could. But she and Twilight both knew that the loving princess would never dare hurt one of her subjects. She didn’t know what effect the Elements would have on her, but she wasn’t keen to find out either. “Twilight, think for a moment. Without me, who will raise the sun?” “I will,” Twilight said, “You taught me how to absorb alicorn magic. And I think it might be best if I take your unicorn magic too, while you transition into your new life.” Now Celestia remembered what fear felt like. But it was too late. The Elements struck her and turned her to stone. She sat there, powerless, as Twilight perverted the spells she’d shown her on the fateful day of Tirek’s arrival and stripped her godhood from her. When the Elements freed her once more, it was not Princess Celestia, ruler and benefactor of Equestria, that stumbled forth, but Sunny Skies, a pale, pink-maned pegasus with all the memories, fears, and loves of a goddess. They took Luna while she slept. Predictably, the moon princess could not been roused by anything short of a rampaging Ursa Major. Waking up as a pegasus with her crying sister wrapping her forelegs around her had shocked and angered her. Yet a quick, tactical assessment told her that, no matter her skill in battle, she could never take on the six heroes of Equestria with only wings and four hooves. Instead, she’d had but a single question, but one deadly as any weapon. “Why, Twilight Sparkle? Were we not friends?” Twilight stood taller now. Not as tall as Cadence, perhaps, but taller. The power of three alicorns was hers. She smiled at them. “For friendship!” she declared, “I’ll do what you two never could. I’ll make Equestria happy and safe. Everypony will be friends and nopony will live in fear of Changelings or demon lords or wicked beasts ever again.” “One pony cannot solve the world’s problems,” Luna retorted. “Of course not!” Twilight agreed, “And that was Celestia’s mistake. But I have my friends. And as you told me, Celestia, or should I say, "Sunny Skies", I can do anything with my friends. So! We’re going to fix the world.” She raised a hoof dramatically. “I hereby declare myself Queen, no, Empress Twilight Sparkle of Equestria!” Pinkie Pie bounced forward. “Girls, you know what this means!” “A par--” Rainbow Dash began. “A PARTY!” Pinkie bounced around the room. “I’ve never done an empress’ coronation party before! Oh, we’re going to need lots of streamers and music and cake! We can have chocolate, since it’s Cel-- Sunny’s, favorite! And cupcakes and balloons and games and… Oooh! We can have Vinyl and Octavia do live music! This is going to be the best party ever! I better get started on the preparations.” Sunny Skies shook herself free from the memory as the door opened. In strode Twilight, humming softly to herself and levitating a huge stack of books from the library. She stopped and raised an eyebrow. Sunny slipped down from the throne and took her accustomed seat beside it, a slight blush on her cheeks. “Reliving old memories,” she half-lied. Twilight nodded and set the books down on the opposite side of the throne. “There’s no need to be shy about it, Sunny,” she said, “I know how hard this must be for you.” For her student’s sake, Sunny tried to smile. “Thank you, Twilight. You are too kind.” Twilight beamed. The hollowness below Sunny’s heart grew. She knew that smile. It was the same one she’d seen when Twilight had mastered her first spell-craft lessons and basked in her mentor’s praise. It was the one from bedtime stories and pillow forts. From birthday cakes and late night hot chocolate. “You’ve picked up a few more books than normal today,” Sunny observed. “Yep,” Twilight agreed, “And I’m going to have them all read by the end of the day.” She extended a forehoof as the first levitated in front of her face. “I declare the Court of Harmony open!” The guards dutifully stepped forward and pulled the giant doors apart. A small crowd of ponies waited outside. Not as many as had come to Celestia’s court but more than Luna’s. Twilight leaned down. “You’ll stay here, won’t you? I may be Empress now, but I do value your opinion.” “Of course, my most faithful…” Sunny cut herself off. “Empress.” Twilight frowned for a second. “Thank you,” she whispered and straightened to greet her first petitioner. Of course, the greeting was stunted by the book firmly held in front of the young empress’ face, but if the noble stallion visitor minded, he didn’t voice it. No one would dare. He bowed low. “Empress Sparkle.” “Oh please.” Twilight waved a hoof at him but didn’t look up from her book. “Call me Empress Twilight.” “Empress Twilight,” the noble amended smoothly. He absently fixed a stray strand of mane. “I come before you today with a matter of grave importance.” Sunny let out a soft sigh. The nobles tended to talk like that whenever they wanted to seem superior or more important than they were. “It has come to the attention of the Forthwright family that certain liberties are being taken with the long-standing and traditional…” “Long-standing implies traditional,” Twilight interrupted, “Tradition comes directly from the language of the old Romare Empire. In its strictest definition, it means “things passed down”. Like the Apple family’s reunion and the way Sweet Apple Acres is run. So if it’s long-standing, that implies it’s been passed down. Hence, traditional.” Twilight giggled. “I read all about it last night. It’s fascinating how much of our language was derived from old words.” The noble stallion cleared his throat. He was in no mood to sit through one of the Empress’ lectures. “With the traditional rights of the nobility, then. Forgive my lapse.” “I’m not sure lapse is exactly the word you should…” “Traditionally,” the stallion pressed on. A few nervous glances went Twilight’s way, studying her to see if the interruption would call down her wrath. It did not. Instead, she pulled out an enormous tome labeled, Philology of the Modern Equestrian and leafed through it, muttering to herself and giggling. “The noble houses of Equestria gain their prestige from ties to its ruler. The Forthwright family itself traces its lineage back to Sir Forthwright, a noble knight of the post-Nightmare era and consort to…” He faltered. “To Princess Celestia.” Sunny remembered Sir Forthwright. He had been in her service a hundred years after Luna’s banishment. He’d been a cheerful and noble unicorn with a heart for children. Yet due to a curse laid upon him by his old rival, Black Spot the Enchanter, he could never have any of his own. Well, that would have been the case were it not for the combined power and expertise of the Princess and the truly great and powerful Starswirl the bearded. But in the process, which was surprisingly long and arduous, the bereaved princess and starry-eyed knight had fallen for one another. He reminded her of another unicorn, perhaps, one trapped behind an impassable mirror. But she pushed such thoughts from her mind. Twilight slowly lowered the book and, for the first time in anyone’s memory, met the gaze of one of her petitioners. “Duke Forthwright,” she said, “Why don’t you come out and say whatever it is you intend to say?” The stallion nodded. “Simply this. You, Empress, are new to the throne and have many adversaries in the shadows. It would be to your benefit to make ties with certain powerful noble houses, ones that would solidify your reign.” He straightened. “And my younger brother is of a similar age to you, your majesty, if I may be so bold.” Ah yes. Pride. Nobles always had that in spades. Sunny hoped the stallion would survive this encounter. The book levitated over and set itself down on a nearby stack. Twilight hopped down from the throne and strode toward the noble who, for the first time, began to show signs of discomfort and nervousness. She circled him, studying his bearing, his clothes, and the style of his mane. She came around to his front and smiled at him. He gulped. “Duke Forthwright,” she said, “According to the rules of etiquette and all legal precedent dating back eight centuries, it would be improper of me to accept such a proposition. There are enough problems with it for a list reaching from here to the door, but let me give you just a taste. For one, I’m the ruler of Equestria, which means I must consider every action carefully. To favor one noble house in such a way would upset the balance between them. Also, such a suit should be made by the pony seeking my hoof in matrimony and not by his brother. I suggest you read the legal codes and Right Attitude’s Handbook on Courtly Manners before returning. That will be all.” He opened his mouth to argue, but one look at the Empress’ eyes told him he would get nowhere. Better to cut losses and leave than press forward and make a total idiot of himself. “Er, quite right. My apologies.” The stallion bowed and left the room. Twilight resumed her throne. “Of course,” she muttered so that only Sunny could hear, “I could always accept a proposal from every noble house. Make them the palace servants. That would satisfy them all.” She took up her books again and gestured for the next pony to approach her. Twilight moved through books and petitioners at a steady, measured rate. Sunny, despite everything, grew bored. Her advice was never asked, despite Twilight’s assurance that she wanted the pegasus mare by her side. No, and it didn’t seem needed much either. Twilight knew exactly what sort of judgments she wanted to hand down and, thanks to her voracious appetite for literature, knew the Equestrian legal code better than Sunny ever had. And the new laws she’d introduced during her time as Empress were carefully constructed to fit in with the old. A thought, one Sunny didn’t like but that had plagued her more and more recently, popped into her mind. What if Twilight had been right? What if she had been the wrong pony to rule Equestria? She steeled her nerves. Well, there was one thing she could advise her former student on. And if her advice wasn’t asked, she was going to volunteer it. “Twilight,” she said at the next convenient lull, “It might be best if you put the books down while you hold your court.” Twilight didn't even look up. “Oh there’s no need. I can focus on both at once.” “Be that as it may,” Sunny said, “Your current method makes ponies feel unimportant. Like you don’t value them. Giving them your full attention has the opposite effect. It’s a way to show love to strangers.” She paused. “It’s how I always ruled.” Twilight picked up another book. “Yes, and it worked very well for you. But I am not you. I’m better.” That statement stunned Sunny. “B-better? What do you…?” Twilight giggled. “I’m smarter, more powerful, I have the best friends in all Equestria, and…” She playfully tapped Sunny between the eyes. “I beat you, silly. Me and five mares from Ponyville. Ponyville! A little earth-pony farming town that no one in Canterlot cared about.” One thing Sunny disliked very much about the loss of her divinity was the loss of control. Her emotions ran away without her sometimes. They no longer listened as they once had. So it was to no avail that she fought the rising tears in her eyes. She glanced out and saw the assembled court staring at her, pity or other, unreadable emotions on their faces. Her ears drooped and wings wilted. She bit her lip, hoping the pain would shock the tears away. It did not, even when she drew blood. All her composure, built up with centuries of practice, deserted her. “If you’ll excuse me, Empress,” she managed to choke out before fleeing for the exit. The crowd parted. She put her head down and tried to hide her face with her mane and preserve what shreds of her old, regal image were left in their minds. “Sunny. Sunny Skies! Sunny, wait!” Twilight called, but the pegasus did not stop. She ran and ran until she found one of her favorite spots in the whole castle: the kitchens. “P-princess!” the cook on duty stammered. For once, Sunny didn’t bother to correct her. She gulped when she saw the tears and looked around for anything to offer her. “Can I get you some cake?” “That would be lovely,” Sunny said quietly. She ended up taking the whole cake at the cook’s insistence. The mare assured that she was perfectly capable of cooking another and not about to let the pony who’d taken her off the streets and given her the job of her dreams cry. Not if she could help it. The sheer earnestness and honesty of it brought a smile and choked laugh back to Sunny’s face. She ate the rest of the cake in her room. Then she got sick. Not for the first time and certainly not the last, she missed her divinity. Hours later, when the moon was just rising, a knock came at the door. It opened without waiting for a response and Twilight trotted in, another book levitating in front of her face. She set it down and smiled warmly at Sunny. “Good evening! I noticed you were feeling a little sad earlier,” she blurted out, straight to the point. “I’m alright, Twilight.” “You left in the middle of court, Sunny.” Twilight plopped down on Sunny’s bed. “That doesn’t exactly sound alright to me.” Sunny looked down. “Please, my most faithful student, please. I know that you are Empress. I accept that. And I still love you, just as I love Luna. Nothing could ever change that. But please, let me be.” Twilight frowned. “Alright. I’ll leave then.” “No,” Sunny grabbed her hoof. “That’s not what I meant. Twilight, I want nothing more than to see Equestria succeed. I want your reign, my reign, whoever is on the throne, to succeed. And I will do anything in my power to make sure that you're the best ruler a pony could ask for. But please, let me alone. Do not make fun of my humbled state. Do not mock me. Do not put me down. Do not use me as a crutch to prop yourself up.” “I was trying to make a joke.” Twilight rubbed her mane ruefully. “You made me into a joke.” A sigh, a heavy, weary sigh, escaped the Empress’ lips. “I suppose I did.” Sunny looked up in surprise. It was the first sign of regret, regret for anything, she’d heard in a long time. For a moment they were silent. Then, Sunny turned away. She felt warm, strong hooves wrap around her body and hold her close. “I’m sorry, Sunny. I know this has been hard.” She thought for a moment she’d cry, but no tears came. “I haven’t been feeling myself,” Twilight said. Sunny, despite herself, nestled back into the warm hug. “How so, my little pony?” “I think…” Twilight took a deep breath. Sunny could feel her chest expand against her back. “I think I’m feeling what you must have felt when you looked at me. Everything is...well, it’s so silly, isn’t it? All the petty disagreements that ruin friendships. That drive couples apart. That make ponies live in fear of each other. You just want to reach out and take them all under your wing or share a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Because when it comes down to it, they are all so. Very. Cute.” Twilight nuzzled Sunny’s mane. “And you’re the cutest of them all.” “Twilight?” Fear was an emotion becoming all-too well-known. “I always was fascinated by wings,” Twilight muttered, “You used to wrap me up in yours and hold me close. And then I met Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Dash gets so angry when you call her cute. Her cheeks flush and her mane flares out. But her wings tremble. And Fluttershy just beams.” She pulled Sunny a little tighter. “My friends are the best in Equestria. Are you still my friend, Sunny?” Sunny felt a shiver travel up her spine. “Twilight,” she said breathlessly. Old, forgotten memories came to mind. Memories of being held in her mother’s grip. Memories of bouncing on her father’s back. Of Luna, bright-eyed and newly born. Of the last, few times she’d ever been wrapped in a loving embrace stronger than her own. An embrace which carried her off to bed and tucked her in like she were a foal. “Yes Twilight, I am your friend. I have been and always will be.” “I haven’t been a very good one.” Twilight sighed. “Princess of Friendship and I was horrible to you. I was so afraid you’d say no or do something. It’s like...like I was facing one of your tests and got so afraid I might fail that I over-prepared. I didn’t even try to convince you. I simply acted. I did what had to be done, but I should at least have asked first.” “You conquered me,” Sunny said, “And I have no power to resist you. What can wings do against magic?” Twilight chuckled. “I will admit, I debated carefully about what race to turn you into. I knew it couldn’t be unicorn. You’d be very powerful, even then. But earth ponies are strong. And...well, if I was going to take magic away, I didn’t want to take your wings too.” A moment of silence passed between them. Sunny felt heat rising in her cheeks. “Twilight,” she said with hesitation, “May I ask you a question?” “Of course!” Twilight released her. “Before you conquered me,” Sunny said, “You mentioned a stallion. Con Mane.” “Yes.” “What did he do or try to do?” Twilight chuckled. “He tried the same thing Discord did. Turn us opposite of ourselves so we’d destroy each other. Except he wasn’t Discord and we’ve become much more powerful than when we fought him. We don’t need the Elements of Harmony. We pretty much are them at this point.” She patted Sunny’s wing and headed for the door. “Sleep now, Sunny. There’s plenty of work to be done in the morning. And if you don’t want to come to court, I can make a list of other stuff that needs doing for you. How’s that sound?” “I believe that would be best. At least for the next couple of days,” Sunny agreed. Twilight turned to go. “Twilight.” “Hmm?” “Nevermind. Goodnight, Empress.” Twilight watched her climb into bed and wrap the sheets around her body with a soft smile. The smile slowly faded. A mirror lay in the corner of Sunny’s room and the empress felt her eyes drawn towards it. Her ears drooped, her eyes clouded, and her wings draped listlessly across her back. She let out a heavy sigh. “Goodnight, Princess Celestia.” An electric shock soared up Sunny’s spine. She rolled over, eyes wide. “T-Twilight?” Her former student tore her eyes away from the mirror. The smile returned, though this time it was nervous. “I think it’s best you go to sleep now.” Twilight’s horn glowed. “Goodnight!” A moment later, Sunny fell back against her pillow and knew no more. Twilight let out a relieved sigh. “Goodnight, Sunny Skies.” The next morning, a decree went out from the Empress that all mirrors were to be removed from the palace.