The rest of the trip to Canterlot was quiet, and not much was spoken about after Celestia answered Sunset’s questions. The Sister’s seemed tense around each other, while the little filly moped about a bit after being told she had been missing for twice as long as she had been alive. Fifteen years was a long time, never mind for a seven year old. Celestia had let her snuggle in her fore hooves, and had pet her like a kitten while she came to terms with this.
Sunset's thoughts kept returning to the chapter she had read earlier surrounding the crystal empire time travel tragedy. She knew that it wouldn’t be that bad for her, but some of the things that those ponies went through, the loss of family outside the city limits, the fact that a lot of what they knew was gone or different. At least her mentor hadn't given up on her and gotten a replacement. Sunset focused on the fact that Celestia still wanted her, and she could handle this as long as that was true.
Her feelings of being lost were compounded by their arrival to the palace. Celestia and Luna were forced to leave Sunset with Celestia’s current secretary as they went off to perform their duties in moving the sun and moon respectively. Instead of the older mare she had known, Celestia had apparently replaced Inkwell with her niece, a Ms Feather Quill.
The changes didn’t stop there. The palace had new drapes and pennants in purples and blues, and lunar motifs dotted the palace. The stained glass windows in the main hallways had been changed. She knew that these were done to honor heroic deeds that saved Equestria, and she didn't recognize most of the ones in the entrance to the throne room. The worse was yet to come however. She followed miss Raven Inkwell towards what seemed to be her bedroom quarters, however before reaching her old room doors, Inkwell veered off until they got to a completely different room. “What happened to my old room and all my stuff?”
“This will be your quarters from today onwards little miss.” miss Raven stated as she opened the door to a well decorated, if bland, room. Sunset stood still, out in the hallway.
"Can-I want to see my old room please?" Sunset stuttered as she backed away. The secretary raised an eyebrow, before simply walking back out and leading the filly back to the older rooms. The rooms were quite close to each other, so soon enough miss Feather Quill was once again opening the doors, and once again Sunset found herself stuck in the hallway as she gathered her courage. She forced herself to walk in this time and look around.
Her old chambers seem to have been painted since she last stayed here, the cheerful murals gone, and a bland beige color everywhere. All her things were gone. Even the bed was different. It looked spartan, like any of the other empty guest rooms in the palace. She slowly inspected the room, but they had left no trace of her life in here.
These rooms had once had a beautiful mural that had started off as simple meadows, but to which she had enjoyed making additions to every year. Her bookshelf had all her souvenirs and gifts from different places that the Princess took her to. Her journal and other personal items, all gone.
It seemed as if Sunset had been erased completely. It may be silly, but Sunset felt hurt that the princess hadn't kept her room as it was. She'd explored the palace more than enough to know plenty of other rooms, left untouched for decades. It made her feel as if her mentor had given up on ever rescuing Sunset.
The only thing she found to prove she had lived here in these rooms for 2 years was her carved cutie mark in the back of the closet. Sunset's ears had drooped, and her hoof steps felt very heavy.
Raven took the young filly back to her new rooms, this time getting her full, if somber, cooperation. The secretary helped Sunset carefully set up her things from the Crystal Empire on her new shelves. She even asked Sunset what she would like changed in the new rooms, though for the most part Sunset wasn't very sure.
She almost asked if they could paint a copy of the mural that had been in her original rooms, but thought better of it. That one had been added to by Sunset and the princess, with little scenes to commemerate special occasions since Sunset was chosen.
A copy of the mural wouldn't be the same. None of the memories would be associated, and it would be a waste of time. Thinking on it a bit more, she would t mind working on a new mural however. After they had finished putting everything away, Raven looked at her notepad.
"Sunset, I know it's getting close to your bed time, but there's one last thing we need to get done before you retire for the evening. We have pediatric physician... uh... we have a doctor on premise, and they just need to give you a quick check up all right?"