//------------------------------// // Prologue: The Argument that Started it All // Story: A Unicorn in the Clover Kingdom // by LordBrony2040 //------------------------------// Sunset Shimmer, the most brilliant and powerful unicorn of her time and the personal student of Princess Celestia couldn’t believe what she was reading. When she had seen her reflection as an alicorn in the crystal mirror that the Princess had shown her nearly a month ago, she had thought it might have been some kind of metaphor. After all, the wings and horn it showed had been made of light, not flesh, feathers and bone. It spoke to the old wish of a foolish little filly who had managed to gain entrance to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns on merit alone, rather than family connections. But the book in front of her detailed the process by which Celestia could actually create other alicorns. It was a complicated piece of spellcraft that took an outside mana source that was perfectly attuned to a pony’s mystic field to create an overload in her mana pathways that could result in death of the mare in question unless the magical energies were very carefully monitored and guided to reform her body by another pony familiar with the inner workings of an alicorn. Which was where the second spell listed in the book came in. It was some kind of locating magic combined with a teleportation spell to send ponies who met certain criteria to an astral realm. There, Celestia could meet them and take them through the process. It made Sunset finally realize where Mi Amore Cadenza came from. Princess Celestia hadn’t just found an alicorn somewhere in the world. She had made her. Probably after Cadenza had stupidly stumbled on some magical artifact that she was compatible with. It was a one-in-a-billion fluke that ended with her becoming Princess Celestia’s new favorite pony and Sunset reduced to being her magic tutor. Just the thought of their time together made Sunset shudder in revulsion. Despite being an alicorn, Cadenza had absolutely no talent in magic. The stupid filly could barely move things around with her horn, much less do anything worthwhile. It galled Sunset that she was always so cheery, greeting the amber unicorn with a bright smile every time they met for lessons, no matter how many times she failed to do anything right. Although, the reason for Cadenza’s continued happiness no matter how many times she screwed up basic spellcraft in front of the far superior pony was now apparent. All this time, she had been mocking Sunset. It didn’t matter how much better the unicorn was at magic than Cadenza, only one of them was an alicorn. The sound of big, heavy hooves coming into the room and walking across the stone made Sunset’s ears twitch. A lot could be said about ponies, but being stealthy wasn’t one of them. So, it wasn’t much of a surprise when Sunset looked up from the book to see Princess Celestia had come into the restricted room of the library with a pair of guards in tow. “Sunset Shimmer, what do you think you are doing here?” “What am I doing here?” she repeated before throwing the book she had been reading right at Celestia. “It’s called learning the truth! How dare you keep this kind of magic from me! This book says you can make me an alicorn princess!” Celestia’s frown slid from disapproving to angry. “That is not something that you are allowed to know,” she told the unicorn before looking to all the other books Sunset had perused before learning of the white pony’s darkest secret. “Nor is anything else in this section of the library. You’re being shortsighted and selfish.” Anger like she had never known swelled in Sunset’s mind while her heart felt like it was jabbed with a spike. “I’M SELFISH?” she demanded. “You’re the one keeping ponies like me under your hoof with lies! I’ve done everything you’ve ever asked, learned every spell, memorized every lesson, even the stupid friendship ones that didn’t make sense! I deserve to stand beside you as an equal, but you just give it to Cadenza! But I’m better than she could ever be, better than you even! So make me a princess!” “No,” Celestia told her evenly. “Being a princess must be earned. I have tried to teach you everything you need to know, but you have turned from it. Every time you tell me you deserve to get something without the effort just proves to me that you are not ready.” Sunset stood frozen for a moment, unable to come to terms with what Celestia was saying. “Earned?” she repeated in a shriek, her voice growing more emotional with every word. “I’VE EARNED IT A HUNDRED TIMES OVER! I’ve passed every test, overcome every obstacle to remain your pupil when everypony else at that school tries to pull me down because I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth! I put up with Cadenza, even though she has no talent for magic. But because I’m not some mindless peon that doesn’t do everything you tell me to at the drop of a hat, you say I can’t be a princess? THAT’S HORSEAPPLES AND YOU KNOW IT!” Standing up a little straighter, Celestia flared out her wings and looked down on the smaller pony. “Sunset Shimmer, I am removing you from the position of my pupil. If we cannot get past this, your studies end here. You are welcome to stay in Canterlot, but you will no longer be welcome at the castle,” she said before the pegasus guards that had accompanied the Princess into the library began advancing on her. Once again, the insanity of the situation left Sunset stunned. Princess Celestia was...kicking her out? Banishing her from the castle? How was that stupid idea of hers supposed to even work without her starving to death? Sunset had nothing to her name aside from a few dresses the Princess had provided for her when she showed an interest in attending events like the Gala. She had no bits, no means to provide for herself. She would be begging on the street! And how were they supposed to get past something like this? “You mean lay down and be a good little dog for you?” she yelled at her former teacher. “It’s always about you, isn’t it you old nag? Everypony just has to love you and do everything you say like it’s their born duty, and if they don’t say otherwise, you get rid of them! Well not me! I’m not going to beg for something that should already be mine! I hate you! I WILL ALWAYS HATE YOU! BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT YOU DESERVE!” For a brief moment, Celestia’s expression faltered and Sunset figured that the moisture she had seen beginning to form around the alicorn’s eyes was just her imagination, caused by some of those stupid memories that were trying to creep up in her mind. Like the time Princess Celestia had their pictures made at the Foal and Filly Fair. “Guards, escort her outside the gates,” she said without looking back. “This is the biggest mistake you’ll ever make in your entire life!” Sunset promised her as she headed for the library’s exit. Celestia said something, but Sunset wasn’t in the mood to hear it. As the guards led her into the hallway, Sunset turned towards her room, but the guards tried to stop here. “The exit is this way.” “So I’m supposed to what? Leave everything I own here in the castle when I can never come back?” she demanded of the idiots. “Hey yeah! Let’s just throw me out on the street and keep everything I own! I’m sure Celestia will want to read in the papers tomorrow morning how she stole not only my destiny, but everything I own! And when the reporters ask her what’s going on, she can point to you two plotholes and I’m sure everypony will want to know why you threw a young mare out on the street without any bits to get a room at a stable in the middle of the night!” The two guards gave each other a nervous look before sharing a nod. “Alright, come on,” they finally said before taking Sunset to her room. Once they were there, Sunset took a quick look around for anything and everything she could take with her in her saddlebags. The three dresses she owned managed to fit after some cramming got them in there, even if the one bag bulged a bit at the seams. Next was a book on the compatibility of unicorn to pegasus magic in regards to weather that she hadn’t finished and then came...her communication journal. Sunset stared at the book for several seconds. Within it was ten years of messages between her and Princess Celestia. Ten years of lies. She didn’t really want to take it. But at the same time, leaving it in the castle was like throwing away ten years of her life. Finally, she shoved it in her saddlebag. I can probably get a lot of bits for it, Sunset told herself. Some big noble wanting to kiss the princess’s plot would pay a lot of money for a direct line to her royal liar. Once she had gathered everything, Sunset found herself walking towards the exit. And right past the mirror. As she looked to the magical transport, something occurred to her.  She knew the truth. She knew that Cadenza’s existence was a lie. That anypony could be an alicorn if they found the right magical object. She knew that Celestia really wasn’t the benevolent ruler that everypony had thought she was. She was a fake and a liar that only ruled Equestria because everyone believed the horseapples that she fed them. If they even knew half of what Sunset did… A worry crept into Sunset mind. What if Celestia hadn’t just forgotten to give Sunset some bits to survive on her own because she never had to deal with money herself? What if she was simply planning to...get rid of her former student? She had been to Celestia’s garden, she knew the story of everypony frozen there. Or at least, she knew what Celestia had told her. What if the twenty odd ponies and one mismash creature weren’t actually horrible criminals that were responsible for the deaths of hundreds, but just ponies she didn’t like? If that was the case...Sunset had a sinking feeling there would be a lot more ponies waiting for her at the gates than just two pegasi. Two pegasi, she could deal with. Two dozen with another twenty unicorn guards to back them up...was a definite...maybe. So, with the only possible place she could escape to just a few steps away, Sunset quickly raised her horn and sent out a blast of force in all directions around her, knocking the two guards into the nearby wall before she bolted towards the only place that would be safe for her from Celestia’s need to keep the unicorn silent and went through the mirror. It was only when Sunset was halfway through that she suddenly realized how amazingly fortuitous it was that the mirror was actually open tonight of all nights. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Big ponies don’t cry and you’re the biggest pony there is, Celestia told herself as she focused on the task of picking up the books that Sunset had left behind with a sense of unease caused by the some the subjects she saw. One of them looked to be a tresease on Necromancy for pony’s sake! Celestia couldn’t help but wonder how things had come to this. Sunset had been a sweet little filly back when she had begun her training, and living at the castle rather than the dorm rooms in the school had certainly been a benefit. They had breakfast together every day and even though Celestia was briefed on all of her grades, since Celestia certainly didn’t have time to teach her everything, it brought a smile to her face to see how Sunset would come running with her report card or the A she got on the latest test. But, something had obviously gone wrong between then and now. Somehow, Sunset had become prideful, arrogant, selfish and shortsighted. She refused to listen and actually shouted back at the bigger alicorn despite Celestia being the Princess, and Sunset being just another student. Who Celestia needed to remove from the castle. It was for her own good. If she had learned such dark magic as summoning the dead, command over the elements to hurt another pony, the secret histories of Canterlot that held the information about the Elements of Harmony, the-wait, Celestia thought to herself as she stopped from going through the long list of tomes that had been open on the floor. There is no way that Sunset could have read through all of these in the few hours since we last saw each other at dinner, she thought to herself as rational thought began to work its way through the intense panic and pain her heart was going through. Skimmed through them perhaps, but not actually learn more than the basic descriptions of dark magic. Or magical items, Celestia told herself as she found the book on the secret history of the castle opened to an illustration of the crystal mirror. Maybe I should have just been honest and told her I have no idea how it works. But teachers weren’t supposed to do that! Teachers were these all-knowing ponies that had every answer a student could possibly need and more. Which counted double when the teacher was an ageless alicorn who had been around since the beginning of Equestria. Everypony counted on her to give them all of the answers. Without that assurance, all of Equestria would fall apart. The words ‘I don’t know’ weren’t allowed to pass her lips, ever. And she still had so much to teach Sunset before their time was up! Unless an unbelievably talented unicorn came along in the next week or so, Sunset would be her last student before Nightmare Moon appeared. Celestia had already begin preparing the filly for her sister’s eventual return. She might have gone a tad overboard on the more practical application of magic, but Celestia had been increasing the pace of her lessons, fitting in discussions of ethics and friendship during their normal tea times, when Sunset usually just wanted to talk about herself and what she had done that morning or spend time on something foolish, like local gossip. Because if Sunset would have to be the pony...that...helped Celestia kill her sister, she would need to be molded into a pony that didn’t waste time with such foolish things. There was nopony else with the right amount of power and training. Cadance had been a pegasus, and from Celestia’s own evaluation of her cutie mark as well as her training in magic that had nothing to do with an Empire over one-thousand years gone. They didn’t have the time to drill the magical skills she would need to be of use in a battle. Sunset was the only choice. Celestia had to push her, had to make her better, ready to...do what Celestia knew she would hesitate to carry out when the time came to deal the killing blow. And any hesitation, any doubt in Sunset’s mind would bring about failure in the battle with Nightmare Moon. But now… “Everypony has to love you and do everything you say!” Sunset’s voice echoed in her mind. “Did you honestly expect me to stand idle while they all basked in your precious light?” Luna demanded from a memory that was nearly one-thousand years old. Celestia felt herself shiver at the odd similarities between Sunset and Luna. Both had been withdrawn from other ponies, taking their self-worth from their talents rather than any relationships. But while Luna had slipped into absolute despair over the fact that nopony appreciated the effort she put into raising the moon and keeping ponies safe at night, Sunset at least had… Me, Celestia told herself, remembering the little filly that had brought her all of the As on her exams. At least she did, until Celestia tried to correct Sunset’s excessive study of magic. Which was why I tried to correct it by having her teach Cadance, so they could become friends, Celestia thought as a very bad feeling started to well up inside her gut. Even though, teacher’s weren’t supposed to be friends with their students, as Celestia had to tell herself time and time again when Sunset was a filly. A rule she had broken herself many times, unfortunately. So that’s why I told her to go make friends, the alicorn told the feeling that was quickly turning rotten in her stomach authoritative lectures and passive-aggressive comments about what Sunset should be doing. But...Sunset had been the student, and Celestia her ruler. She should have obey her Princess! “Luna, you must lower the moon, it is your duty!” Celestia remembered an arrogant, blind fool demanding a pony who needed more of a hug than a bossy older sister who always thought she was right. “Because I’m not some mindless peon that doesn’t do everything you tell me to at the drop of a hat, you say I can’t be a princess?” the Sunset in Celestia’s memory yelled at her with nothing but anguish on her face. After putting the last book away, Celestia noticed that the hoof she had used to put it there was shaking. Using her magic had become problematic with all of the thoughts running through her mind making it impossible to focus. Tears began to form again and she stomped her hoof on the ground to try and force her mind back onto its proper task. But it just wouldn’t work. “I did it again, didn’t I?” Celestia asked herself. She took in a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. There were just too many emotions running through her head for her to think clearly. ...just like Sunset probably had too many things going through her head when Celestia found her. They both needed to calm down and take a moment to work through the emotions running wild. Then, Celestia could go to Sunset and have a real discussion about things and their future together. The thought of not having to be apart from her...student lessened the sinking feeling in Celestia’s gut to manageable levels as she started to plan out how to fix these things. Perhaps having Sunset tutor Cadance was no longer the best idea anymore. It would cause some major issues now that she knew the truth. Although, now that Cadance could finally tell Sunset the truth about her origins, it would at least stop the pink alicorn from badgering Celestia about lying to her tutor. So, they could both get a night of sleep, then Celestia could go and meet Sunset at… Celestia stopped in her tracks as her plan for reconciliation with her student came to a screeching halt when she realized that she had no idea where Sunset was supposed to go after getting kicked out of the castle. The unicorn had no living family that either of them knew of and at her age, she was much too old to return to the orphanage where Celestia had found her. The idea of just having the guard check at all the nearby stables quickly entered her mind, but the image of Sunset going to an inn to sleep for the night and think about her actions was put to a halt with Celestia came to another realization. Sunset had no money. Celestia had provided everything for her since she was a filly in the way of things that the little unicorn had asked for. She never got an allowance. That was something parents provided. Which...Sunset didn’t have. The bad feeling in Celestia’s gut suddenly became ten times worse as she hurried to the library door. She could stop Sunset from leaving and maybe just send her to her room like...a...foal being told by her… No, Celestia thought to herself as she slowed down and began to concoct an even better plan that wouldn’t involve the alicorn damaging her credibility in the eyes of her student.  And Sunset was her student, still. The guards could escort Sunset out, and then the little unicorn could just happen across a pair of ponies assaulting a wealthy mare. Then the mare could reward her with some bits, and Sunset could get a room at an inn, and Celestia could...not have to...admit she made a mistake? Not have to apologize for getting caught up in the moment? Be able to deny the fact that Sunset had hurt her, and in that moment of pain, lashed out at the filly in retaliation for being hurt? The urgency of the moment forgotten, Celestia looked down at herself. Is this what I have become? A mare that can’t admit she made a mistake? It was no wonder that Sunset had become like she did. Celestia had been modeling such behavior nearly every day of the little pony’s life. She needed to go and have a real talk with Sunset, explain to her why she couldn’t become an alicorn...at least, not yet. Yes, Celestia told herself. If she has a real goal to work towards instead of just some nebulous reward, it will help her keep focus. She could also start sending Sunset on some trips outside of Canterlot. Have her try her hoof at solving some real problems and meeting genuine ponies instead of the kind that usually lived in Canterlot and hung around ponies in high positions of power. Which was probably why Sunset didn’t make any real friends. Most of the ponies she had met had made a living off of being fake. The feeling in Celestia’s gut started to abade as she continued to make plans for Sunset’s course correction. Perhaps, this little incident was something they both needed to shake themselves out of the rut they were digging. It would be a little tense between them, but the pain would subside over time and they would be all the closer for it. Images of the two of them going back to the way things were when Sunset was a filly were interrupted by the sound of galloping hooves and Celestia looked to see one of the guards that had been escorting Sunset running down the hallway. Had she been so wrapped up in her own needs again that she simply ignored everything else that was going on around her? “Princess Celestia there’s been a problem!” the guard said before he bowed down at her hooves. The bad feeling in Celestia’s stomach finished eating away and she felt a pit open up inside of her, letting out a storm of dread. “What happened?” Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or Cadance to her friends and anypony who didn’t want to use those fancy names like the majority of the ponies in her home village, was very chipper as she opened her eyes and rolled out of bed to leave the sheets where they were. Even after a year of living in a palace, it was still weird that she didn’t have to clean up after herself. However, that wasn’t important. Today was the day she would make a new friend! Officially, anyway. As far as Cadance was concerned, Sunset was already her friend. But the unicorn had yet to agree to any such title. But, family was always stubborn when it came to relationships. She had learned that from Celestia and her not-on-paper-but-true-in-every-other-way daughter. Why Sunset hadn’t been already adopted by her de facto mom was still a mystery to Cadance, but maybe Celestia was just waiting until Sunset got around to getting her own pair of wings. At least then, Cadance could stop lying to her about things like where alicorns came from. That was really going to cause some tension between them when Sunset learned the truth. The pink princess still didn’t know if she should take the blame for going along with the lie or point her hoof at Celestia to try and avoid responsibility. While it had been the bigger pony’s order, Cadance was a princess too. She had just as much authority as Celestia, even though their ages were centuries apart. Using the levitation magic her not-big-sister-but-close-as-she-was-ever-going-to-get Sunset had taught her after several grueling days of practice, Cadance opened her door and managed to not rip it off the hinges before trotting out into the hallway. “-that the sun was a whole hour late today,” one of the maids whispered to another pony in palace livery. Cadance raised an eyebrow at the odd comment, but continued trotting down the hallway and into the dining room. One look at the pony on the other end of the table from her threatened to shatter the pink princess’s mood. Celestia looked...tired. Dark circles hung under her eyes and the wavy mane that was the envy of everypony actually sat limp as she stared at a plate with a large sliver of cake surrounded by melted ice cream. It was worse than the last Summer Sun Celebration. Not only did it look like Princess Celestia hadn’t slept a wink the night before, but what was obviously some comfort food had sat untouched in front of her for some time. After a second of thought, Cadance greeted the bigger pony with a smile. Sometimes, all you needed to cheer somepony up was an infectious good mood. “Good morning Princess Celestia!” Cadance said as she sat down and looked around before noticing that somepony was missing from the table. “Where’s Sunset?” A second later, Cadance realized this had been the wrong question to ask.