After first showing them their new room (one of the many spare suites in the castle) Celestia’s chosen guard now led them to the public section of the library where Celestia assured them they would find Sunset Shimmer (after Celestia also asked them to please not tell anypony else they were from the future). As the Princess said she was quite the dutiful student who was always hungry to learn more. Starlight had to think that at this point in their relationship Celestia didn’t realize the potential problem that would become. Sunset probably came off as an especially eager and intelligent protege brimming with curiosity.
“Er, Starlight?” Spike whispered to her as they walked behind the guard.
“Yeah?”
“I can’t help but think that meeting Sunset isn’t gonna go well.”
Starlight actually just giggled a bit and smiled at Spike. “Oh come on Spike, I know what she was like before Twilight met her too but this is still long before that. She’s gonna be a lot younger now and probably perfectly innocent. In fact this is just like Celestia said, we could really be helping out by becoming friends with Sunset. Changing her path before she even starts to get too bad.”
Spike frowned. “That’s another thing, wouldn’t this be changing the past pretty severely? Are we sure Celestia knows that a whole new timeline could be created or overwritten or whatever happens?”
“Meh.” Starlight shrugged. “Any change from making Sunset a better pony is gonna be a good one. And that’s exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to do now in the first place.”
Spike had to groan and shake his head again. “This is a bad idea.”
“Please. Everything’s turned out alright so far hasn’t it?” Starlight reasoned.
Upon which Spike just flatly stared at her.
“Well nopony’s been hurt at least.” She quickly backpedaled. “And Sunset’s just gonna be a kid now, she can’t be too bad yet.”
“Cozy Glow.”
Starlight’s expression didn’t change but she had to pause for a second. “She can’t be… that bad yet. And let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth, Spike. Celestia could’ve just locked us in our new suite to make sure we didn’t cause any changes but she wanted us to help her precious student, what’s wrong with that?”
Spike didn’t answer but he couldn’t shake the look of dismay on his face.
“Here we are.” The guard in front of them suddenly said, opening the door to the library. “She’ll be somewhere inside.” He held it open for them but made no move to enter himself.
“Thank you.” Starlight said and walked on in, Spike close behind her.
The library was busy but still quiet as any good library should be. Starlight and Spike had no idea where Sunset would actually be but they figured she must be reading up on some kind of magic or spellcraft. After a few twists and turns through the various sections of the library and walks down gigantic rows of bookshelves they ended up in a reading area. Where a certain fire-maned pony was sitting down and reading at a table.
All alone with every other pony giving her plenty of space.
Starlight had a sympathetic smile on her face as she and Spike walked towards Sunset, the student of Celestia being no older than a young teenager at this point. She didn’t notice their approach until the both of them had walked up right next to her. Upon which Starlight could tell Sunset now knew they were there but was just ignoring them and continuing to read.
Getting tired of being ignored, Starlight cleared her throat. “Ehem.”
And Sunset continued to ignore her.
“Ehem!” Starlight did it again, louder.
Finally that got a reaction. Sunset exaggeratedly sighed and rolled her eyes, shutting the book she was reading and glaring up at Starlight. “What?”
Starlight did her best to stay patient with the young unicorn. Spike though was already getting a bad feeling at how this meeting would go.
“Sunset Shimmer, correct?” Starlight said. “I’m Starlight Glimmer and this is Spike, we’re guests of Celestia’s and she wanted us to meet you.”
Sunset’s eyes glanced between the both of them, if she was surprised to see a dragon she didn’t show it. Finally she sighed again and turned back to the table, opening her book back up. “Okay, that’s nice. You can tell Celestia we met.”
There was the slightest twitch in Starlight’s eye as Spike slowly backed away. With a glow of her horn she shut Sunset’s book. “She was hoping we could get to know each other.”
Sunset shot Starlight an angry glare and forcefully reopened the book with her own magic. “No. Thank you. Now could you please leave? I’m busy.”
“Sorry, but no can do.” All pretense of politeness had dropped from Starlight as she frowned down at the impertinent unicorn. Her horn glowed again and the aura around Sunset’s book switched from red to teal and the book was yanked off the table.
“Excuse me, but I was reading that!” Sunset stood up out of her chair and stared down Starlight, faces just inches apart. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
Starlight sarcastically hm’d to herself, tilting her head from side to side with a hoof under her chin before smiling at Sunset. “A disrespectful brat?”
“Oh boy...” Spike muttered.
“How dare you!” Sunset’s face reddened. “I am Princess Celestia’s student, she personally chose me because of my ability and you think you can speak to me that way?!”
“Do you think you can just be a rude brat to everypony else and not get called out on it? I’m your elder you know, maybe you should treat me with more respect.” Starlight admonished her.
The irony of Starlight telling anypony else to be more respectful was not lost on Spike. He couldn’t tell if Starlight was aware of that though.
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you’re just like all the rest. Jealous because I’m better than them.”
“Oh please.” Starlight said, this time rolling her eyes.
“Don’t try and deny it. I can’t help it that I’m better than others, I’m simply more powerful and gifted than any other unicorn when it comes to magic. You say I should be showing respect? Please. You and everypony else should be giving me respect.” Sunset said, smugly grinning to herself as she floofed her mane.
“What about Princess Celestia?” Starlight asked.
Sunset just dismissively waved her hoof. “She’s an Alicorn, she doesn’t count obviously.”
Starlight hm’d to herself again, blankly staring at Sunset through half-lidded eyes. “Well then what if you met a unicorn who was better than you at magic?"
The egotistical teenager scoffed. “Hah! There’s no unicorn better than me at magic.”
Starlight Glimmer smiled.
“Say it.”
“No!”
“Say it~”
“No!”
“Say it!
“NO!”
“Uh, Starlight? This seems kind of mean.”
The three of them were in the courtyard outside of the library. Spike watching uncomfortably as Sunset was suspended in the air, trapped inside a ball of Starlight’s magic and trying her hardest to break out of it while Starlight bobbed it up and down. Meanwhile other ponies walked by or stayed to watch Sunset in this embarrassing moment, making the bratty unicorn even angrier.
“Spike, I’m just teaching her a lesson in humility.” Starlight replied to him while she continued to smile up at the trapped Sunset. “Come on Sunset! All you have to do is say I’m better at magic than you and you’re free!”
“No!” Her horn glowed red with all the power she could muster and Sunset fired a concentrated beam at the ball of magic.
To no effect.
“Good try!” Starlight said before shaking the ball harder, tossing and turning Sunset inside it like clothes in a washing machine.
“Aghhhh!” Sunset screamed in frustration, nearly crying.
The ponies who frequented the library and castle seemed to be well aware of Sunset’s identity and knew her reputation and were thus giving this whole scene a wide berth. Two guards were even watching it all unfold.
“Should we be stopping this?” One asked his partner.
“Probably, but I really don’t want to deal with that.” The other said and they both went back to just watching.
Sunset was starting to get a little green inside the bouncing ball. “I think I’m gonna be sick...” She muttered.
“Well if you want out you know what you need to say~” Starlight mocked in a singsong voice.
“Starlight...” Spike said. Despite Sunset being a jerk he was far more sympathetic to her right now. The fire-maned pony hadn’t really done anything bad yet and she didn’t deserve this kind of humiliation. Not this badly at least. Also this would look bad if it got back to Celestia.
Starlight rolled her eyes. “Fine, I know that tone.” She undid her spell and let the bubble of magic pop, unceremoniously dropping Sunset to the ground.
“Oof!” Sunset groaned as she plopped onto the grass, continuing to moan in discomfort.
“You could’ve done that gentler.” Spike frowned at Starlight.
“Yes. I could have.” She smiled at him.
“Ohhh, I don’t feel so good.” Sunset clutched her stomach as she stood up on shaky legs.
Starlight glanced over at her. “Hm? Did you say something?”
Sunset glared at her in anger, face red and tears welling up in her eyes. “You’re a jerk! You think you can treat the student of Princess Celestia like this?!”
“Oh I’m sorry.” Starlight feigned concern, holding a hoof in front of her chest. “But why should I care about or respect a pony weaker than me? In fact now that we know my magic is stronger than yours shouldn’t you be giving me your respect?” Starlight grinned.
Sunset looked like she was about to start bawling. “I’m telling Princess Celestia about this!” She yelled and turn to run away.
“Nope!” Starlight said and caught her in a beam of magic. Sunset roared in anger and struggled fruitlessly as Starlight levitated her back, turning her around so they were eye to eye again. “The Princess wants you to make some friends and I want you to be more humble. So, Sunset, it’s time for some friendship lessons.”
“Twilight would not approve of this.” Spike said as Starlight teleported them back into their new room at the castle.