//------------------------------// // Teachers and Students // Story: A Tale of Two Suns, Book 1: The Two Suns // by Lupin //------------------------------// Chapter 11: Teachers and Students "Shine like rainbows." With the last few words, the song ended, and Sunset stepped away from the microphone. Twilight and Sunny were clapping their hands enthusiastically. "That was a wonderful performance," praised Sunny. "And a particularly lovely song as well." "Thanks," replied Sunset. After that first old song, they followed with a mix of old and new. Like the song from the Battle of the Bands, that last one had a special meaning for Sunset. It was the first one they'd written after she'd joined in the band, the first one written to include her. "I'd almost be tempted to have you play for the Grand Galloping Gala," Sunny continued, "if it weren't for the confusion it would cause." Twilight tilted her head. "The what?" "It's a large formal event we have every year at Canterlot Castle. Think of it like a ball." Rarity's blue eyes sparkled like polished gems, filled with the possibilities of imagination. "A ball?!" She gave a theatric swoon. "Oh I'd love to play for a royal ball. The atmosphere, the decor! Would there be a handsome prince? Or knights in shining armor?" Sunset froze, memories of that dreary event bubbling to the surface. She gave Sunny a cold stare. "Over my dead body." "Oh but why?" whined Rarity, unwilling to let her fantasies be shattered so easily. "What could possibly be wrong with playing for a ball?" "Yeah, you think they wouldn't like our music or somethin'?" asked AJ with a sideways glance. Sunset grimaced. "Trust me, the Grand Galloping Gala is the most pretentious waste of time in all of Equestria. The nobles just use it as an excuse to show off." That, and they probably wouldn't take well to their brand of music anyway. "Now, now, it's gotten... better in the last few years," retorted Sunny, her words sprinkled with a touch of laughter. Sunset didn't know what exactly was funny about it, but she didn't miss that moment of hesitation. Somehow, I'm not convinced. Around her, the other girls began packing their instruments. "I think we'd better call it here," said AJ, placing her guitar back in its case. "I have chores I need to get to back on the farm." "Yeah," agreed Rainbow. "And I need to help Soarin whip some new guys on the soccer team into shape." Several other affirmations of after school jobs and errands followed. "I think we're just going to head home," said Sunset, cyan eyes turning to Sunny. Her hand reached out for the door handle. "See you lat-" "Sunset!" Her sentence lay incomplete because the second she opened the door, a purple blur smashed right into her. Sunset tumbled to the ground, feeling pinned down by a large weight. Giving her head a shake to reorient herself, she was greeted by the frantic and yet relieved face of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Twilight's arms wrapped tightly around the other girl's torso. "Oh thank Celestia you're still here!" "Twilight?!" Sunset choked, struggling to catch her breath with Twilight's arms binding her diaphragm. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong?" "I'm so sorry!" continued the princess, not even hearing the question. "I only read your messages now. How are you still here? What happened? Is there anything you need?" she babbled frantically. "A little air would be nice," croaked Sunset. Twilight seemed to realize how tightly she was gripping her fire-haired friend, and quickly let go. "Sorry," she said, cheeks pink. "It's okay." Getting to her feet, Sunset dusted herself off. Twilight's words repeated themselves in her head, and meaning began to sink in. "Wait, what do you mean you just read my messages?" "I don't know what happened," declared Twilight apologetically. "The journal wasn't even flashing. Do you think the spell might be breaking down somehow? I haven't heard of that happening but then, I haven't used a magic journal before, so I don't really have evidence to the contrary." The princess paused in her theorizing, finally noticing the adult standing in the room. "H-Hello," she greeted nervously, an overly large grin plastered on her face. "D-Did I say magic? No, I meant... technology!" The princess gave an unsteady laugh. "Because technology is so incredible these days it's just like magic! Am I right?" "Uh," Rainbow whispered, leaning close to Sunset's ear. "Doesn't she know that's Princess Celestia?" Sunset studied Twilight's face. She seemed genuinely confused. And she'd tried to cover up the fact that she'd talked about magic in front of Sunny, as if the woman was just another teacher. There was no doubt in Sunset's mind that Twilight didn't know who Sunny was. But that didn't make any sense. How could she not know about everything Celestia had been doing? Her portal machine made Celestia's entire plan possible. Considering how it had been used on multiple occasions, Twilight would have to know. And why had she only read the messages now? Two whole weeks had passed since the first of those two messages had been written. And yet somehow, the journal hadn't given any indication of new messages in all that time? Cyan eyes moved over to Sunny. Instead of mirroring their confusion, Sunny's face was showing signs of stress. She was trying to control it with a polite smile, the same sort of mask she used in front of many a dignitary. But this one wasn't holding very well. There was also a rigidity to her posture that hadn't been there a few minutes ago. What could she possibly be stressed about? So many questions, and so few answers. The more Sunset thought about it, the more she became certain of one thing: There was something going on here between these two. Something was off, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. Sunset turned to her friends. "You guys should get going. I think we're going to need the room for a bit." The six girls hesitated, glancing between each other, before Applejack spoke up. "If you say so sugarcube." As one, they left quietly. Even Pinkie's usual energy was subdued as she made her exit. Once the rehearsal room doors clicked back into place, Sunset whirled around to look at her fellow Equestrians. Her arms crossed themselves over her chest. "What's going on?" Across the room, Sunny averted her eyes in discomfort, further confirming her intuition. "Sunset, I don't understand. Who is this?" asked Twilight innocently, still focused on Sunny. Sunny seemed like she was going to say something, but Sunset cut her off. "That's Princess Celestia." Her words came out harsher than she'd wanted, making Sunny visibly wince. But Sunset didn't care all that much. "Princess Celestia?!" Twilight screamed, slapping a hand over her mouth as soon as she did so. She peered closer, recognition blooming on her face. "What are you- why are you here? How are you here? Why do you look like that? I-" Catching herself, she took a deep breath. "Wait, too many questions." She turned back to Sunset. "How are you still here? What happened to CPS?" "She did." Sunset gestured to the pink-haired woman. "There were problems with Applejack and the other you, but she came in and posed as my mom. They can't take me away from her without a warrant. She's been sticking around until the coast clears." The princess of friendship breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness." Her attention migrated to Sunny. "Princess, how-" Sunny cleared her throat for several seconds, as if she had a haystack-sized lump in her throat. "I'm here and not here at the same time," she explained quietly. "It's called the Multiple Magical Marionette Me spell." "Oh, I think I read about that spell once," said Twilight. "I never tried it though. It seemed a bit complicated, at least at the time." "Now I want some answers," interrupted Sunset, focusing on Twilight. "You really didn't read my messages until today?" Twilight shook her head. "I was opening the journal because I thought I'd send you a message for once, and I noticed the filled pages. I don't know what happened. You must have thought I was a terrible friend." Sunset frowned. She knew all too well how the journal spell operated, and that didn't sound right at all. "Honestly, I thought you were just really busy with royal duties and teaching Starlight." "Well, I am working on making lessons for Starlight," Twilight explained. "But I haven't been that busy otherwise. Actually I just took a vacation with Spike, Starlight, and the others to Horseshoe Bay." Her eyes lit up with a spark of excitement. "I did some fascinating research there." "Vacation?" Sunny hadn't mentioned anything about Twilight being on vacation. She glanced over at her, the woman falling silent once again. Her magenta eyes were watching the two girls intently, while her spine was still as rigid as a steel beam. Once again, she was struck by that strong sense that something was off here. Why hadn't Sunny said anything about that? The omission didn't seem like much, but the feeling wouldn't stop prodding her brain. "When exactly were you gone?" Twilight seemed surprised at the question. "Um, we left on the morning of February 15th, and we got back late morning last Friday." The princess began to pace back and forth, her brain kicking into a higher gear. "I'm still worried about the journal though. Why didn't it tell me about your messages? Do you think there's something wrong with the spell?" Sunset doubted that. While she knew it wasn't totally out of the realm of possibility, what with the journal being used to power the portal machine, her intuition was saying something else at the moment. If Twilight had been gone when the messages came in, then that raised an important question: How had Princess Celestia learned of Sunset's problems? Seeing the still present stress on her mentor's face, she was sure that the problems with the journal were much simpler. "I think," she started slowly, turning a pair of hard cyan eyes to Sunny. "That somepony just read the messages before you and didn't reset the message indicator part of the spell. Right, Sunny?" Sunny's hand tensed around the strap of her purse as another lump formed in her throat. This was not how she'd imagined today going, not in the slightest. Certainly not with Sunset throwing an accusatory glare her way and Twilight standing there in confusion. Somewhere in the back of her head, she could almost hear Luna shouting I told thee so, Tia! "Wait," interrupted Twilight. "You can reset the spell?" "Yeah," said Sunset, shrugging her shoulders. "It's not a nice thing to do, but it's not very hard. And it doesn't hurt the enchantment at all." Sunset's attention returned to her. "Well?" Sunny cleared her throat again. "Well, yes, I read the messages. I was there to borrow a book from Twilight's library. You saw my note, didn't you Twilight?" "Of course," said Twilight. Her face scrunched up in thought. "But you didn't mention anything about Sunset's messages." "You were on vacation with your friends and your new student. I didn't want to interrupt you." she defended. "So why didn't you tell me she was away?" asked Sunset. "It didn't seem important at the time." And it hadn't been. There were far more pressing things, like reconciling with her student, and securing money and an identity. Besides, by the time Sunny Skies crossed the portal, Twilight had only been a few days away from returning, so there was little point in mentioning it after the fact. Sunset however, wasn't satisfied. "What about the things you've brought over?" Twilight's head turned to face the other girl. "What things?" "She's been using an enchanted bag to bring things over from Equestria," Sunset explained, her cyan eyes still rooted on Sunny. "Mostly fake identification for herself and me. She's been sending things over the last two nights in a row." She turned to Twilight. "You didn't know?" "No." Another moment, another few heartbeats, and Twilight's eyes widened. "Wait, that means you've been using the portal while I've been home." She turned to Sunny, mouth hanging open. "Starlight told me she thought she saw a light in the private library. She was sure she was seeing things. That was you, wasn't it?" Her eyes grew wider still, until they were the size of dinner plates. "You broke into my castle?! That's... that's breaking and entering!" The princess began her pacing anew. "Princess Celestia broke into my house. Oh my gosh, Princess Celestia broke into my house!" "I'm... sorry about that Twilight," replied Sunny. "I thought it would be better if you focused on Starlight for the time being." Guiding Starlight Glimmer was an important task, considering her magical potential and the raw nature of her emotions during her struggle with Twilight. And besides, Sunny had the situation here perfectly under control. Sunset's eyes narrowed. "That time we were talking in the grocery store. You told me Twilight would be busy with Starlight. Now that I think about it, it was almost like you were discouraging me from talking to her." An idea flashed across her face. "You were keeping us both in the dark. You didn't tell Twilight anything and you convinced me not to talk to her so we wouldn't put together that you were doing this behind our backs." Twilight's pacing stopped dead. "Is that true?" she asked, her voice like a whisper. "But why would you do that?" "Well, I-" Sunny began, only for her tongue to catch itself. Of course she hadn't been trying to discourage them like that. She hadn't. Twilight had so many duties to fulfill. There was no need for Sunny to burden her student and fellow princess with a problem she was handling quite well. And she just hadn't wanted to ruin Twilight's vacation. The purple alicorn would've gone into an absolute fit upon reading those messages. But... she still had, hadn't she? That fact alone left her arguments feeling uneasy. "I wasn't trying to do that," she answered finally. Why did it feel she was saying it for herself as much as for them? "You could have just avoided all this and told her about the messages," said Sunset, before turning to Twilight. "I'm sorry for all the confusion." Twilight wrenched her eyes away from their mentor. "No, I'm sorry. You needed my help, and if I'd known, I would have responded back immediately, vacation or no vacation. I just hope you weren't mad at me." Sunset gave her a little smile. "I was more worried than anything else." Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled Sunset into a hug, a much gentler one than before. "Maybe I'll bring the journal with me next time I go away. That way we'll always stay connected." This way we'll always stay connected. Those were the words Celestia had used when she'd given Sunset the journal on that September day all those years ago. And now here Twilight was, quoting it almost exactly word for word to the same pony. Something inside Sunny rumbled, like a dark thundercloud had anchored itself to her heart. Her fists clenched. "You mean my journal, don't you?" she said, her tone low and approaching something dangerous. "The one you took from me?" Twilight had let go of Sunset, taking a few steps backwards. "W-What? But I didn't-" "Yes you did!" she shouted. "You stole my personal property! In all the time that you were telling me about the Sirens, did you ever once ask if I wanted my journal back?! No, you didn't, not once. You were too enthralled with your machine and the entire adventure. I'm willing to bet it never even crossed your mind!" The words flowed fast from her mouth, guided and shaped by the anger until they were one and the same. The thundercloud in her heart grew and grew, from a cloud to a roaring hurricane slamming against a defenseless coast, wind and water whipping against trees, rocks, and houses alike. "But Princess, I thought-" Sunny wouldn't be deterred, rumbling crimson clouds forming before her eyes. "But you were already replacing me by then, weren't you? So of course you commandeered my journal without a thought. After all, it's not like it was important to me, or that I might have a use for it, or that there was any point in my using it anymore, was there? What point could there possibly be for a pony like me to have it when you were the one all the messages were for?!" "I-" "In case you've forgotten Twilight Sparkle, you have a student of your own now. So I suggest you actually direct your attention towards her rather than continuing to take mine!" Finally, the words stopped, her breath turning heavy and ragged. And for the first time since that dark thundercloud had been set free, Sunny Skies actually noticed the way her students were looking at her. Sunset simply gawked at her, arms limp at her sides. But Twilight, Twilight's eyes were brimming with hurt and fear and guilt, her head angled away as if Sunny had physically slapped her across the face. "I... I-I'm sorry," she whispered, voice hiccupping. Prickling tears formed in the corners of her eyes as her arms shot up to shield her face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" "Twilight, I-" Sunny reached out, only for the girl to flinch at her approaching hand. For Sunny, it was a shock. Twilight had never flinched from contact before, not with her. Never. Even when she'd been upset, Celestia had always been able to pull her close and comfort her. It's only after a storm passes that you can truly see the devastation it leaves behind. Landfall had been made, and the storm withered and died, clouds passing from her eyes. Now, she could see the damage. She could see it all. Dear, sweet Twilight, always so afraid of angering her princess, her role model, always eager to please and be liked. Always deeply worried about failure, even now. And she'd gotten angry at her, yelled at her, torn into her with a verbal barrage. What have I done? Heaving a sigh that felt more like a boulder than a breath of air, she sat down on the piano. "Twilight." The girl only flinched again. "Twilight," she repeated, her voice as soft as velvet. "Please, come here." Twilight had to be prodded by Sunset, but eventually, she sat at the woman's side. Sunny wrapped a comforting arm around the stricken girl, her body tensing at the contact. "I'm sorry Twilight. I'm so sorry. I..." she sighed again. "Luna was right. I'm jealous of you." "Me?" Twilight squeaked in disbelief. "But... but you're Princess Celestia!" Sunny chuckled. "I do have something of an ego, Twilight. And when it came to the journal, I... I was so proud of you for what you did, what you both did against the Sirens," she glanced at Sunset. "But on some level, it hurt too. More than I was willing to admit." "I thought you'd wanted me to have the journal," muttered Twilight. "You gave me the mirror, and you'd given me the book with Starswirl's spell. I thought it was just another of those things. I thought... maybe you'd been hoping I'd be able to open the portal." Sunny shook her head. "Not so much, I'm afraid. It was an accident. A fortunate accident in hindsight, but an accident nonetheless. Though I suppose I'm getting a track record for that sort of thing, aren't I?" She let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Twilight, when I gave you the mirror, it was a sign of trust. I'd trusted you to watch over it, to keep it safe and watch for Sunset in the event she returned again. It's not that I didn't think you'd be able to open it manually the way you did. I honestly didn't think such a thing was possible. "If I had, I would have done it long ago." A memory flashed through her mind. Another time, another adventure, another threat. Heartbreak. "Very long ago." She pushed the memory back. Now was not the time. "Why didn't you ask for it back?" asked Twilight, her body finally relaxing at the contact between them. "You could have," Sunny shook her head. "Part of me wanted to. But after everything you told me, how could I ask for it back?" Twilight's eyes moved to the floor. "I guess you couldn't, could you?" "When you told me about that first message Twilight, it hurt. It was for me, but only as a means to contact you. I was just the middlepony, and nothing more. I was the teacher, and yet I was being overlooked for another. And as time went on, and Sunset continued to only speak to you, that feeling just got worse." Sunset walked over, sitting down on Sunny's other side. "I was scared of talking to you," she whispered. "I know that now Sunset," she said, wrapping her other arm around the girl. "But it still hurt at the time." She pulled the two closer to her, feeling their body heat radiate right through to her skin. "I love teaching. I love working with students. Yet in all the years I've lived, I've had relatively few of my own. And as a teacher, I'd never felt replaced before." That unhappy little feeling that had been in the back of her mind returned. It lay bare for Celestia to see now, the heavy cloak of denial torn away by the angry winds. "I'd been discarded. It wasn't just that I'd failed as a teacher. I was simply no longer wanted as well. But you Twilight, you were wanted. You were very much wanted." She remembered all the times since the incident with the Sirens that Twilight mentioned her messages with Sunset, how she was doing well, how she was better liked at school, how she was helping her friends with all sorts of things. It was almost like when Celestia shared one of Twilight's friendship reports with Luna. Every instance was accompanied by a little sting to her heart, because whenever Twilight brought it up, there was nothing for her, not even a simple greeting. All the sun princess received were indirect tidbits of conversations she was no longer privileged to partake in. Sunset was making friends, opening herself to others, and yet she seemed totally uninterested in Celestia despite all their years together and the gap between them. Instead, all her attention seemed directed at Twilight and Twilight alone. Even the prospect of passing her own message along seemed too awkward to pursue at the time. Would she even get a response? Would it hurt worse to be verbally rejected, or to be ignored altogether? "You'd not only taken my journal Twilight, and all the memories that went with it, but it was like you'd taken my role as teacher from me as well, taking it upon yourself as easily as lifting a quill." A sick feeling passed through her stomach. "I love teaching, but for the first time, I'd been outdone, and part of me felt... humiliated." She glanced at the two teens. "Those feelings came out in all this, and because I denied they existed, because I buried them, they tampered with my judgement. I only hope you can forgive me." Sunset snorted. "I think I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't forgive you for something like this." "I forgive you," said Twilight. "You're right. I didn't even think about giving the journal back. I just presumed you gave it to me, and I never thought about what it might have meant to you." She looked up, apology written on her face. "I can have the mirror and all the equipment sent back to Canterlot right away. It'll make things easier for you." "That won't be necessary," replied Sunny. "The mirror and your amazing device are perfectly safe where they are. However, I would humbly request that you allow me to continue using it." "You mean without breaking and entering, right?" smirked Sunset. Sunny's cheeks tinged just the slightest bit pink. "Yes, without that." For the first time since Sunny's outburst, Twilight smiled. "I'd be happy to." She sighed in relief. "Thank you. I-" Sunny was cut off by a wail, followed by a loud crash from outside the room, and a few poorly muffled groans. Sunset got to her feet. "I'll check it out." Turning her attention back to Twilight, Sunny nuzzled her cheek. It felt alien in this body, but at the moment, it seemed the most appropriate. "Twilight, do you remember what I said when you first told me about Starlight staying with you?" "You said I'd be a wonderful teacher." "I meant that Twilight. I know you're still working things out with her, but after all this, I want you to know that I believe with all my heart that you will be a most excellent teacher." "Thank you," she blushed. "I've made so many plans, but sometimes I've had my doubts." "And that's perfectly normal. Trust me when I say this Twilight, you'll be just fine." She smiled. "However, if you ever feel like you need some advice, my door is always open for you." "Thank you, Princess. And if you ever need my help with... this," she pointed at Sunny. "I'd be glad to lend a hoof." The older woman's eyes danced with warmth. Her student was willing to offer her aid, just like Luna was. "If I ever need it, I'll gladly accept." Just then, Sunset walked back into the room, six slightly red-faced girls in tow. "Sorry, it was just them." Applejack directed her attention to Princess Twilight. "You okay there, sugarcube?" "Yes, I'm, no, we're all going to be just fine. It was just a misunderstanding." With great reluctance, she freed herself from Sunny's side, and slid down from the piano. "I should be going." "Aww, you're not staying?" lamented Pinkie. Twilight shook her head. "I'd love to stay, but Starlight Glimmer and I were working on a project today. I should really be getting back to it. It was great seeing you all." The princess submitted to a series of hugs from all of them before she left down the hall. Everyone followed soon after, offering real goodbyes and going their separate ways. The halls were silent except for the clicks of their shoes. "You know Sunset, there was one other reason I came here today. When I saw you in the middle of practice, I thought it could wait." "Is it going to be something big, because I'm kind of worn down after all of that." Sunny chuckled uncomfortably. "Nothing so personal, no. The..." What had Sunset called it again? "Ah, right, the air conditioning unit in your apartment seems to have stopped working." The teen groaned in frustration. "It died again? Ugh, that's the third month in a row." Sticking her hands into her jacket pockets, her steps transitioned into an angry march. "Rusty Nail will probably take a week to fix it, just like last time." She let out a grumble. "At least it's not summer. Last year I nearly fried when that thing broke down." "Yes," Sunny cleared her throat. "About that. I was thinking that perhaps it's time that we move out of that building." "I don't think I can afford a better place," argued Sunset as the two made their way out into the daylight. "That's precisely what some of the new money should be for," Sunny said, smiling as they passed the base of the Wondercolt statue. "And besides, it would probably be best to move to a nicer location should we have any visitors." Not to mention that Sunny just didn't like the idea of Sunset continually living there. She'd passed Rusty Nail on the way out today, and he seemed even more disreputable than she'd imagined. The glimpse she'd gotten at his office through a half open door had made her want to gag. "Okay, you've got a point there," conceded Sunset. The grassy campus of the school had given way to concrete as she led the pair towards the parking lot where she'd left her bike. "But where would we go?" Sunny grinned. "I think I may have found an answer. I saw this on the walk over here." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her bag, revealing it to be an ad for vacant apartments. "If I understand the geography correctly, this isn't too far from the school, correct?" Sunset peered at the address. "Yeah, a couple blocks further than where we are now, but still in Appleville." "Then why not go talk to the proprietor right now?" Sunset looked hesitant, warnings of frugality no doubt still ringing in her ears. "Okay," she said at last. "But I should drop my stuff off first." "I think I can manage the walk. Why don't we meet there when you're done?" Finding her bike in the lot, Sunset pulled on her helmet and put the key in the ignition. "Sure. I'll meet you there in twenty minutes." With a wave and the roar of an engine, she was off. Sunny watched her disappear down the road before resuming her walk, heading for a crowd of pedestrians while she navigated her way to the new address. Today was certainly turning out to be an eventful day. With a flash of light, Princess Twilight Sparkle was thrust back into her library. "Maybe I should have laid down some pillows," she remarked as she got to her hooves. "Twilight!" The alicorn turned to see Starlight sitting at one of the many tables, relief plastered across her face. Several books lay scattered across the table's surface, as well as the remains of what appeared to be a daisy sandwich and several snacks. The pink unicorn trotted up to her. "I'm so glad you're back." "I wasn't gone that long," Twilight laughed. Starlight craned her neck past her teacher to stare at the still glowing mirror's surface. "So it's really a portal to a parallel universe?" she asked in wonder. "Spike told me all about it while you were gone, but it was so hard to believe. An actual parallel universe..." She reached out a hoof towards the mirror, before pulling it back. "Was everything okay over there?" she asked worriedly. "You were in such a panic when you left." "Everything's fine," Twilight reassured her, trotting away from the mirror. "There was just a... really big miscommunication." She stopped, turning around to pull the journal free of the machine and gently place it back on the stand. It was funny how such a simple thing could create so much emotion. It was when she turned back around that she spied a floating bubble of magic. Was that a daisy sandwich inside? "It's for you," explained Starlight, popping the bubble and levitating it over. "I was going to give it to you, but you left, so I was keeping it warm." Twilight took the sandwich in her magic, savoring the first bite. Still fresh. "Thank you Starlight." She swallowed her second bite, setting the sandwich down on a clean plate placed on an adjacent table. "So, have you been working while I was out?" "A little," replied the unicorn with an edge of resignation. "I was going over some of the books we found, but I think we might have hit a roadblock." She looked away. "What if... what if we can't fix the map?" For a moment, the possibility crossed Twilight's mind. But then she saw the hurt on Starlight's face, the idea that she'd permanently damaged the map. And then Twilight remembered Celestia's words to her. She would be an excellent teacher. And an excellent teacher inspires their students. "I'm sure we'll figure it out Starlight," she said with a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "Now come on, show me what the problem is." Starlight just stared. "Wow, you did a total 180 since you left. Things really went that smoothly?" "I wouldn't say that," remarked Twilight, remembering the argument they'd had. "But they ended well. Honestly, I'm glad for the whole trip." Even with all the high emotion, it had only served to pull her closer to her mentor, and wasn't that worth it? She sat down at the table amid the books Starlight had been looking through. "And best of all," she remarked as she levitated one over, "there isn't some new crisis to worry about." Somewhere in the recent past... In an elegantly furnished office, high in one of the many gleaming towers of Canterlot, sat Castor Oil, Minister of Health and head of the Ministry of Health and Public Safety. The unicorn scowled at the piles of paperwork spread out across his desk. So much work, so much tedium. He took out a watch from his vest pocket. It was almost two o'clock. He was expected to be on the golf course in half an hour. His wife’s cousin had bet him a considerable number of bits that he could defeat him in a match. “A friendly bit of sport,” he’d called it.   Highly improbable, in Castor's opinion, especially because, as the other pony was seemingly unaware, Castor had learned to play in Trotland, home to the masters of the sport, and had multiple trophies to his name. His wife’s cousin, by contrast, was an amateur with a large wallet and an equally large mouth. But if the stallion wanted to waste his money, that was his business, wasn't it? The winnings would certainly be a boon for Castor, considering how many bits his wife had burned through redecorating their house for the third time this year. Scowling once again at the bureaucratic irritation before him, Castor got up from his seat and grabbed his satchel. He had just enough time to get home and get his clubs if he was going to reach the course on time. As he placed the satchel over his back, his secretary trotted in. "Sir," said the demure pegasus, "this letter just came in from the Equestria Center for Disease Prevention." "I'm about to leave, Miss Pencil Point," huffed the unicorn. "Can't it wait?" "It was marked urgent, sir." She placed the envelope on top of the smallest pile on his desk, before quietly letting herself out. Glaring at the thick envelope, Castor Oil grabbed it in his magic and tore it open, quickly scanning the page. "What nonsense is this?" he said sharply, his tail lashing at the air behind him. "A few sick ponies in poor living conditions, and they think there's a problem worth the attention of the princesses?" He shook his head in disbelief. The ponies at the ECDP could be so hyperbolic sometimes. Feeling particularly annoyed by the delay, he crumpled the letter before tossing it in the wastebasket, slamming the office door as he left. The force of the door was enough to make the little basket wobble, and the letter tumbled to the floor. The last two paragraphs were still visible. The cause of their condition was unable to be determined. We ask, Minister Oil, that you bring these cases to the immediate attention of the princesses. It is our belief that they, or the contents of the Canterlot Archive, will be able to provide some clues. It cannot be stressed enough, Minister Oil, how URGENT this is. We are HIGHLY concerned that these cases, few as they are, represent an emerging pattern, one which may spread if something is not done. The entire population of Manehattan could be at risk.