//------------------------------// // All Aboard the Pony Express! // Story: Sunset's Second Round of Childhood // by fmriver //------------------------------// The afternoon sunlight seemed to have a vendetta against against Luna, or at least it felt that way as it glared through the windows of their private cabin. It was always a chore waking up early enough to share schedules with her sister, and it didn't help that their cabin had all the drapes open. It was a common issue with living on a night time schedule however, so she didn't do much about it beyond grumble and continue to deplete the train's supply of coffee. The train had been moving for under an hour, but they would not be arriving in Canterlot until evening was well under way. It would have been much quicker for both sisters to simply fly the distance, however that wasn't quite feasible with a passenger as young as Sunset. That didn't mean the additional time would be wasted, quite the contrary. Her sister was busy going through her own little mountain of papers. It seemed that their trip had given Celestia a bit of a backlog, which she seemed to be trying to bring to order before they reached the capital proper. A noble, if futile endeavor, particularly since every five minutes she would seemingly drift off and stare at the little filly trying to get her own youthful energy under control and take notes while reading a couple books. Frankly, it was a bit adorable seeing the little filly try so hard to follow her sister's example, though Luna thought foals that age would much rather look out the window or explore the train.She gave up on keeping her silence after the little scholar let out the cutest yawn. "Young Sunset Shimmer, while I admire your scholarly discipline, perhaps it may be educational to explore the contraption we are riding in while there is still daylight out? It may help you wake up a bit as well, hmm?" Luna gently requested. Sunset quickly flickered her eyes up, before blushing a bit and straightening up. "I'm not-I'm not tired Princess Luna! I mean- I guess I should go stretch my legs a bit. I'll- I'll walk to the caboose and back, and give you an update!" Sunset uttered before getting up and quickly leaving the royal train cabin. Luna made sure to keep her agreeable expression on until the filly had closed the door and gone to the next train car, before turning to stare at her sister. Celestia was seemingly engrossed in whatever report she was reading, though the slightly hunched shoulders betrayed the fact that she knew that Luna was going to call her out. "So... you seem unusually distracted by whatever assignment Sunset Shimmer is working on... I'm surprised you already gave her a workload. She's been back for merely a few days." "Well, for your information dear sister, I have not assigned her anything as such. Those books were simply for her to enjoy! Sunset has always enjoyed reading," Celestia replied with unusual formality. Luna simply stayed quiet, waiting for the older sister to finally look up from her papers and see her expression. "Fine... I didn't think she would tackle them as if it were an official assignment, however I was expecting her to read up on how the crystal ponies had been... displaced... for some time, and perhaps ask for clarification on the connotations?" Celestia sighed, before looking out at the view, "Just a few years older and she wouldn't have failed to correctly understand the hints I've been laying down." "For the lie you mean for us to perpetrate?" Luna scoffed, turning her head away from her sister and towards the door Sunset had used. She stood up and walked towards the smaller desk with Sunset's books and notes. Luna smirked as she flipped through the notes, before reading a particular page with a list of questions. "Oh, I believe she has definitely taken the bait you've laid for her Tia, if her scribbles mean anything." She left the notebook open on the page in question, before stepping away to make room for her nosy sister. "...Crystal empire, train route built? tourists everywhere?... Princess has secret sister? Secret alicorns?... Hoomanes?... Celestia muttered as she read some of the notes. Clearly Sunset had seen the evidence that it had been more than a single night since her disappearance, and was trying to make the pieces fit somehow. "So she did notice, but hesitated to bring up her questions to me..." Celestia said to herself, before looking up and seeming to think aloud. "Does she seem more skittish? hmm... when was it that she got over that formality again..." "Tia, most fillies seem skittish around us at first. You are the best one to discern that." Luna replied though the comment didn't seem directed at her. Luna then chuckled at her sister. "It seems your memories betray you. How old was she the first time she even questioned you without leave, or disagreed with you, much less disobey you?" Celestia blew air out her mouth, before grinning. "Luna, thank you for the reminder. Well, in any case, that just means this will be a learning experience for all of us now won't it? Now, do you want to be in the room as I provide my explanation to Sunset?" Sunset trotted back to the royal cabin with a bag of treats in her mouth. She'd seen the snack cart and gotten a bag of some pastries. If Princess Luna was anything like her sister, then Sunset was sure she'd enjoy something a little sweet. Sunset stopped before the door, and put down the bag and levitated it with her horn to free up her mouth. "Princess Celestia, Princess Luna? I'm back." She smiled as she entered the room, levitating the bag to the desk. "I brought some treats!" Both princesses smiled as the energetic filly pulled out three little plates with tin covers, dessert spoons, and napkins. Each one was slightly different. "I got a slice of chocolate chocolate cake for Princess Celestia, cause she loves cake, Pineapple cheesecake for Princess Luna, cause she looks like a pineapple kind of pony, and some apple pie for me!" Sunset explained each choice as she handed them out. Luna looked a little nonplussed at the comment about pineapple, while Celestia let out a snort that went unnoticed by the filly. "Aren't you a perceptive little one, young Sunset Shimmer. Thank you for the dessert." Luna pronounced, causing Sunset to blush a little bit, before she was distracted by her pie. They ate in comfortable silence, though soon enough Celestia was helping Sunset clean up, and setting aside the dishes for the train employees to pick up later. "Sunset, I think it might be time for one of our lessons, don't you think? Come, let’s go sit down for a bit," Celestia murmured. The little filly smiled up at her mentor, before she seemed to get a somber face and nodded. "I saw you reading the book on the Crystal Empire that I got you. Can you tell me what you've gleaned so far?" Celestia asked her student as they sat down together on one of the many lounging benches, rather than back by the desks, Luna quietly joining them. "The Crystal Empire was founded in the pre Discord era, and seems to have been a center of magical and technological advancement. The ponies that live there have a special bond that lets them turn into uh... crystal ponies? um, and they protect themselves from the aggressive northern weather using an ancient artifact called the Crystal Heart. "They were taken over by an evil pony called King Sombra, but he was defeated. However, he left a failsafe that threw the city out of time for over a thousand years... um until they appeared recently?" Sunset faithfully presented her knowledge, though she kept her gaze downwards, and her ears had begun to droop as well by the end. "Sunset, you've hit quite a few of the high points. Do you have any questions for me?" Celestia gently prodded her student. Usually Sunset would have enthusiastically responded to a question like this from Celestia, however this time she simply took a moment. As the silence became uncomfortable, Sunset looked up then back away, and prodded the cushion she was sitting by before picking it up and hugging it tightly for comfort. "Princess Celestia? How... how long did it take to rescue me?" Sunset finally asked, in a near whisper, her glassy eyes straining to keep any tears from falling. She seemed to get a bit of courage, and looked at her mentor in the eye. "It wasn't just a day, was it?" "No... no it wasn't... it's been... quite a bit longer than a day," Celestia replied equally as quietly, before nuzzling her distraught student, and pulling her in for a hug as the tears finally escaped the little filly’s eyes.