A silence fell over the room as Celestia stared back at her students angrily,
“Well?” she said. Sunset and Twilight looked at each other nervous,
“We...we were doing some research, about the book I had found earlier. And Sunset thought maybe there might be something here that could help.” Twilight explained. Celestia looked at Sunset, who looked away still unsettled, Celestia began to walk towards the two explaining as she did.
“I can understand that the two of you would want to seek more knowledge, and I am the last pony who would tell you not to learn something new. However...” Celestia stopped speaking as she felt something beneath her hoof, she looked down to see Sunset’s book on the floor. Celestia’s expression turned to one of shock, she picked up the book and looked through its pages, noticing Sunset’s notes scribbled throughout it.
“Sunset, where did you get this?” she asked, a small bead of sweat began to build on Sunset’s face as she spoke,
“From the castle library, it was covered in dust when I found it. I think it got left there a long time ago.” Celestia glared angrily at her she knew Sunset was lying.
“You took this from the restricted section, a book detailing dark magics. Something I have told both you and Twilight not to pursue.” Celestia said the tone of anger in her voice growing. Twilight looked at Sunset surprised,
“What? That’s where that came from? You didn’t mention that!” Twilight said. Celestia placed the book under her wing and took a deep breath,
“Twilight, Sunset, you two are the best students I’ve had in years and I could not be prouder at how far you’ve grown. But please understand that not all magic is safe, I’ve seen firsthoof the destructive power it brings with it far too many times. I’ve seen noble kings turn into controlling tyrants, powerful unicorn mages disappear entirely from existence and...” Celestia paused a sad expression on her face,
“...and, I’ve seen loved ones turn into nightmares. There will come a time when you’re ready to learn about these things. But believe me when I say you’re not ready now.” Celestia gestured for them to leave the room, Twilight began to walk towards the door when Sunset muttered.
“Will we ever?” Celestia and Twilight looked back at her,
“I beg you pardon?” Celestia asked. Sunset looked up and snapped at Celestia,
“Will we ever be ready? You choose the two of us out of all the pony’s in Equestria for a reason, and I think I know why! This mirror showed it to me, it’s because you know we could be Alicorns! Just like Cadence, just like you! And that scares you doesn’t it? Knowing that maybe Twilight and I could become more powerful than you! Tell me I’m wrong Princess!” Twilight looked back and forth at Celestia and Sunset, Celestia’s expression changed to a stern look.
“I did choose you two because I thought you were both special, this is true. But now I see I was wrong...” Celestia replied, Twilight could tell what her mother was about to say and stepped towards her and tried to speak, Celestia held up her hoof and with a fierce look silenced Twilight.
“I thought you’re eagerness and determination was driven by a desire for knowledge Sunset Shimmer, but I see it was only a desire for more power. I’m sorry Sunset, but you are no longer my student.” Sunset gasped in shock,
“I will not exile you from Canterlot, but know that you will no longer be allowed in the castle or have access to its study or library from now on.” Celestia finished, she turned and looked to the two guards she had brought. The guards approached and stood behind Sunset,
“Escort her from the castle at once.” Celestia ordered, Sunset walked past Twilight and Celestia a look of rage on her face as she grumbled,
“You’ll regret this...I promise.” Sunset and the guards left, Twilight walked to the door but then stopped and turned around,
“Mom! You can’t do this, you know what being your student means to Sunset?” she said, Celestia sat with her back to Twilight.
“I’m sorry Twilight…my decision is final...” she answered. Celestia sat silent afterwards, Twilight looked at Celestia then back towards the door. She let out a frustrated groan and turned and rushed after Sunset, Celestia sat alone in the room she looked up at the mirror in front of her to see her reflection, a single tear running down her cheek.
Twilight rushed through the castle trying to catch up to Sunset, she managed to pass the two guards from before in the courtyard. She reached the front gates and looked around the streets, after a moment she spotted Sunset walking away from the castle. She rushed up to her calling out as she did, Sunset stopped and looked back at Twilight. Twilight could almost feel the anger radiating off of Sunset as she stood in the street.
“Sunset please, let’s go back to the castle. If you talk to the Princess and apologize I’m sure we can still fix this.” Twilight begged, Sunset’s face exploded with anger.
“APOLOGIZE?! Are you kidding me Twi?!” she shouted as she turned to face her,
“After everything that just happened you’re still going to take her side in this?” Twilight stepped back a little afraid, she’d seen Sunset angry before but not like this.
“You heard what she said, she’s been keeping secrets from us! She knew about the mirror, she probably knows more about that book you found! But you still think I’m in the wrong here?” Sunset continued to shout. Twilight swallowed the lump in her throat and spoke up,
“Sunset, she’s only trying to keep us safe. I know there has to be a good reason behind all of this, she wouldn’t lie without a good reason I know it.” Sunset groaned in anger,
“I cannot believe you! Of course it all makes sense why you’d be loyal to her, your part of the glorious House of Sun, you have to obey Mommy dearest am I right? Well some of us don’t have that Twilight! I have nothing! I’ve been an orphan as long as I can remember, I’ve had to earn everything I had! And now I don’t even have the one thing that mattered the most to me!” Twilight tried to speak, she wanted to calm her friend down but Sunset refused to let her talk.
“Just stay away from me Twilight! If you aren’t going to help me! THEN LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” and then Sunset turned and stormed off leaving Twilight standing by herself in the streets.
A hour later Twilight sat in the castle study, Spike and Cadence were there to talk to her.
“So, that’s what happened?” Cadence asked, Twilight nodded.
“Man, I didn’t think Sunset would do something like this. I didn’t expect it at least.” Spike said, Twilight looked at the two and asked.
“What should I do? I want to talk to her but, she’s so mad at me right now. What can I say to fix this?” Twilight buried her face between her front legs as she leaned against the desk in front of her. An uneasy silence fell over the room, Cadence walked around the desk and put her hoof on Twilight’s back and gave a warm smile.
“Let’s give Sunset a day to cool off, then I’ll go with you tomorrow and we can talk to her together. Even if we can’t make her Auntie’s student again, at least we can save your friendship right?” she said, Twilight looked up and smiled at Cadence.
“Thanks Cadence. I really appreciate it.” Twilight replied. Cadence hugged Twilight,
“Were family remember? Were always going to be here for each other.” Cadence said.
“Well, I’ve got stuff to do. What’re you gonna do Twilight?” Spike asked, Twilight smiled and looked around the room.
“I think I’m just gonna stay here for a bit and read. Maybe reorganize the study again. That usually helps me feel better.” she answered.
“Well, if you need to talk some more you know where to find us.” Cadence said as she and Spike left the room. Twilight smiled and turned to look over the book shelves,
“Now where to start?” she thought.
Twilight slowly awoke lifting her head to find a piece of paper stuck to it by a bit of drool, she pulled the paper free and looked around the room. She could see the moon was out through the windows behind her, she realized she must have fallen asleep going through everything in the study. Twilight left the study and walked through the halls towards her room, she paused for a moment though and listened to her surroundings.
“Why is it so quiet?” she thought, suspicious Twilight began to look around the nearby halls wondering why there were no guards patrolling. She walked around a corner and found a night guard slumped across the floor, she gasped in shock at the sight. She moved closer and sighed relieved to see he was only asleep and not dead. But why was he asleep? She thought, Twilight looked around and slowly she began to find other guards in a similar situation. As Twilight began to search for answers she finally came across a unicorn guard still awake, though very groggy. She rushed to him and sat him upright,
“What happened? What’s going on?” she asked. The guard looked at Twilight and answered,
“Lady Twilight...it...it was...that yellow...pony...she...” the guard slumped over and fell asleep,
“Yellow pony? Sunset!” Twilight declared. It didn’t take much for Twilight to figure out what she was up to and she raced through the castle to the mirror room.
Twilight kicked the doors open with her hooves,
“Sunset!” she shouted. Sure enough there she was standing on the far side of the room, her saddle bag on the floor behind her. She looked back at Twilight surprised to see her, but then turned her attention back to her mirror.
“Sunset, what are you doing?” Twilight asked as she entered the room cautiously. Sunset’s horn glow with magic as she cast a spell, and then the surface of the mirror changed to a watery form.
“I’m leaving Twilight, I’m going to become an Alicorn, then I’ll come back and prove I’m better than her once and for all.” she said. Twilight came to a stop and said,
“Sunset no! You don’t know what’s on the other side of that mirror! You may never come back at all!” Sunset turned and gathered up her things,
“It can’t be any worse then this.” she grunted as she put her saddle bags on her back turned to leave. Twilight rushed forward and stopped midway into the room,
“NO!” she shouted as she grabbed Sunset’s bag with her magic. Sunset stopped and turned, grabbing the other side with her magic as well.
“Twilight stop it! I mean it! You’re not going to stop me!” she snapped,
“Don’t you understand how dangerous this is?” Twilight shouted back. The two pulled at the bag back and forth, Sunset was losing her temper.
“Twilight, stop it! Right now!” Sunset fired a small magic blast from her horn which raced through the air and struck Twilight knocking her down. Twilight lie on the floor clenching her chest and cringing from the pain, she looked up to see Sunset standing over her. Her face had a look of concern on it, but then she looked away grabbing her bag and putting it on her back again. Sunset began to walk away when suddenly she felt Twilight grab her leg, she looked down at the purple pony and groaned.
“Not this again, will you let go!? I don’t want to hurt you again Twilight!” Twilight only tightened her grip though, continuing to tell Sunset she wasn’t letting her leave.
“Don’t you get it Twilight?! No one cares if I leave! I can disappear and no one it Equestria will ever realize I left! So let me go!” Sunset shouted, Twilight screamed in response,
“I WOULD!” Sunset froze and looked down at Twilight still hugging her leg.
“I would Sunset...your my best friend…and I’d miss you so much.” she said tears forming in her eyes. Sunset looked away and scoffed,
“No! You’re just saying that, you’re just trying to keep me here for the same reason as Princess Celestia. Why else would you go through all this trouble?” Twilight looked up at Sunset,
“Because you were there for me when I needed you...Sunset, I was foalnapped by griffons right after Celestia adopted me, and it scared me so bad. I shut myself off from the rest of the world, I refused to go outside, I locked myself up in the castle. But it was you who got me to be brave again, you were the one who got me to go outside again. You were there for me when I needed a friend the most, and that’s what I’m trying to do now. Be here for you when you need me the most.” Twilight slowly loosened her grip on Sunset’s leg,
“But, I know I’m not as strong as you are...so I know I can’t stop you.” Twilight stood upright behind Sunset, her tears rolling down her face.
“So...if you really think this is what you want, that this will make you happy...I won’t stop you...because, I’m your friend.” Sunset and Twilight both stayed silent, the few seconds that passed almost seemed like an hour.
“Twilight...” Sunset finally spoke up, Twilight looked up at Sunset who still had her back to her.
“I thought I wanted this...I was so sure this was what I needed to do...” Sunset said before turning to face Twilight, tears in her eyes too.
“...But...I don’t know now, what should I do Twi? Tell me, what should I do?” she sobbed. Twilight smiled and hugged her friend as tight as she could, Sunset hugging her back.
“You should stay here...with your best friend.”