//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: Set in Stone // Story: The Sunset of a Frozen Princess // by DaylightHobbyist //------------------------------// The smell of smoke and ash permeated the midday air of the tiny corner on the outer rim of Canterlot. The large fires that had been ravaging the already somewhat run-down building had finally either burnt themselves out or were smothered into smoldering embers by the fireponies that had rushed to the scene with carriages of water in tow. The once chaotic scene that had been filled with the deafening sounds of panicked screams, rushing hooves, and screeching sirens were now replaced by the subtle sound of crackling embers and the bustle of a handful of officials overseeing the scene. The near-silence would only be broken, every so often, by the startling crash of a piece of the charred old building giving way and caving in on itself to kick up a cloud of ash and smoke. “I don’t think there’ll be much of a chance of salvaging anything from this one. Almost certainly gonna have to clear the whole lot after this mess,” One of the nearby firestallions commented, taking in the wreckage that had once been, at the very least, a recognizable building. “Yeah, well, that’s not too surprising. The first round of our guys who got here said the place was already half-way totaled when they arrived. Said it looked like a full-grown dragon had blasted the place,” the firestallion next to him explained. “What? No way. This was supposed to be an orphanage, right? You know, a place for little kids to stay. What around here could do something like that? Did they keep bombs in there or something?” “If you ask me, that’s a lot more believable than what I heard.” “Huh, what’s that?” “Well, you see that little filly over there?” he said, motioning over to a small unicorn, swaddled in a blanket, that seemed to be sectioned off all alone near the police officers investigating the scene, tears staining her face. “Yeah, I was gonna ask about that. I thought they’d already taken all the kids that lived here over to that newer place around the castle. Kind of an upgrade if you ask me. What’s that one still doing here?” “They have to keep her here. She did this.” “Oh, real funny, man.” “That’s not a joke. Or at least that’s what the officer who questioned the lady that used to run this place said.” “You’re kidding?” “I wish I was. Took them a while to calm her down enough to even question her, but apparently, that little girl was messing around with things she wasn’t supposed to. Some sort of magic book with some pretty technical stuff in it. Doesn’t even know how she got it, but whatever she was planning to do with it didn’t go right. Blew a hole straight through the abandoned west side, and the fire spread from there.” “That kid’s no older than my youngest one back home. You sure that lady has all her screws in right? No way that little girl did all this from a botched magic trick. I don’t know anypony who could do something like that if they tried.” “Hey, I’m just telling you what I heard. I didn’t buy it at first either, but according to the old lady, the kid’s some sort of freak.” It wasn’t supposed to go like this. It really really wasn’t supposed to go anything like this. It wasn’t even fair. She did the only thing she could think to do. It was the only option she had at this point. How could it all go so horribly wrong? The bitter tears flowed down Sunset’s cheeks like twin rivers and she couldn’t stop them if she wanted to. The sadness, anger, fear, regret, and loneliness she felt all mixed together inside of her to form a toxic cocktail that bubbled up inside of her and spilled over. The thin cover one of the fireponies had been kind enough to offer her did little to comfort her or keep the chilling feelings at bay. She had really done it this time. This was so much worse than her typical magical mishap, but what choice did she have? All those hours spent trying to guide herself through even a basic level of control were getting her nowhere. She had thought that, perhaps, if she pushed harder, tried something bolder, been more daring, then just maybe things would finally click. Maybe then she’d understand herself, her power, her place, the reason she was the way that she was…and then maybe they’d accept her. “…kid’s some sort of freak.” And maybe that was just a filly’s fantasy. Sunset turned away from the chattering ponies that seemed to be eyeing her like some sort of circus attraction. It wasn’t fair. She never asked for this. She never asked for all this stupid, useless, no good magic. She never asked to somehow wind up in the slummiest portion of Canterlot, where she was left no choice but to stumble her own way through even the most basic of skills. She never asked to not be normal. Now she’d pay for ever even trying to be. Where did she go from here? Like it was even up to her? Her home, if you could even call it that, was little more than ashes now and it was all her fault. What were they going to do with her now? They had obviously kept her here for a reason. Was she going to go from a figurative prison to a literal one now? Did they send ponies her age to prison? Is that why all the police were here now? It was an accident! She didn’t mean for any of this to happen. She just wanted somepony, anypony, to want her. The creaking of one of the old buildings alerted her to the collapse of yet another chunk of the orphanage that sent a plume of smoke high enough into the sky that it must have been visible from the other end of Canterlot. It was time to face facts. That was never going to happen. Not after this. She had hoped against hope that things would change. Now she was all out of hope, and she wept for the life that she would never have. No sooner than she had accepted that hard reality did a large shadow overtake her, blocking out the sun, and draping her in ever colder darkness. “Leave me alone,” Sunset whimpered without even turning to face whatever pony had approached her. “What’s wrong, my little pony?” a gentle voice laced with compassion asked her. Sunset had never heard anything like it. It was as though warmth had become a sound, and that alone convinced her to face the stranger. If it were possible to swallow your own heart, Sunset was pretty sure she had just done it. Ordinarily, adult ponies towered over her, but this pony went beyond simply being tall. She was absolutely gigantic in comparison to the small filly, to the point Sunset had to strain her neck just to glimpse her in her entire unmistakable glory. A coat as pure as the morning snow, fluffy white wings and a large sturdy horn, both together on a single pony, a golden crown that sparkled in the sunlight, and most telling of all, a sparkling mane of colors that danced in an eternal breeze. Sunset tripped over her own blanket backing away from the shining pony before her, landing hard on her back and smacking her head against the stone ground they stood upon, and yet so awe-inspiring was the sight before her that she barely even registered it. “Pr-pr-pr….” Sunset stuttered at a loss for words. “Goodness, are you alright, little one?” “Princess Celestia!?” Sunset managed to finally gasp out. This was bad. This was really bad. This was so much worse than she thought. What she did had actually managed to attract the attention of the princess? She had been thinking far too small when she was worried about them sending her to prison. No, the Princess wouldn’t get involved to deal with some common criminal. Whatever fate awaited her must have been something only the greatest dangers to the realm received. She’d be sentenced to Tartarus. Or worse, banished to the moon. Or even worse than that, turned to stone. Or maybe she’d even be turned to stone and banished to Moon Tartarus! “That was quite a fall you just took,” Celestia stated, approaching Sunset with a look of concern on her face. The only thing that registered in Sunset’s mind was the Princess closing in on her, and with little time to think, Sunset did the first thing she could think of. Grovel. “I…I’m sorry!” Sunset cried, throwing herself down onto her stomach and wrapping her hooves around Celestia’s foreleg, “I-It was an accident! I didn’t mean to! I just thought that if I could learn magic ponies would like me! I’ll never ever ever do it again, I promise! Please forgive me, Princess! Don’t send me to Moon Tartarus!” Celestia’s eyes shifted down to the clearly distraught filly clutching onto her leg in what had devolved into a series of barely comprehensible apologetic blubbers. She could tell without even looking that every other pony in the vicinity was staring at the scene they had just created. Princess Celestia makes a small orphan cry. The tabloids would just eat that one up. Sunset’s pleading continued unabated until the unicorn filly felt a strange soft sensation caressing her face. Sunset opened her eyes to catch sight of a small handkerchief suspended in a bright golden light swiftly moving to dry her tears. “It’s okay. There’s no need to cry. I’m not going to do any of that, I promise,” Celestia said, a calming air in her voice that resonated with the child attached to her. “R-really?” Sunset asked, the small filly looking up at her with some of the most innocent wide eyes the Sun Princess had ever seen. “Really. Now, the ground is no place for a young lady,” Celestia admonished in a way that somehow still managed to be comforting. One of the Princess’s alabaster wings unfurled from her side and aided Sunset in the process of getting back on her hooves, a control and dexterity to the appendage one would be surprised a wing could even have. The smooth feathers softly cupped Sunset’s face, gently turning her head in several different directions, the Princess checking over the young filly for any nasty scrapes or bruises with a tender touch Sunset couldn’t help but subconsciously lean into. Celestia released her hold when she was satisfied with the filly’s condition and Sunset fought the impulsive urge to chase after it. Celestia switched back to the soft cloth she still held suspended in her magic to clear away whatever dirt and moisture still stained her face before quickly dispelling the item. “Woah. How’d you do that?” Sunset asked, awestruck by such a simple trick. “That was magic,” Celestia explained, “It’s certainly something you’ll be able to do yourself once you’re a little older.” Words intended to set the little filly at ease instead had the opposite effect and caused her to dejectedly focus on the ground. Celestia decided to change her approach. “What’s your name?” “It’s Sunset…Sunset Shimmer, your highness,” Sunset answered after only a few moments of hesitation. “And how old are you, Sunset?” “I’m five…but I turn six next month,” Sunset tacked on in an attempt to appear more mature. “Well, Sunset, could you please tell me what happened here?” Celestia asked with an even tone and a gentle smile, motioning over to the ruins of what used to be her orphanage. “I’d be very much interested in hearing your side of the story.” Sunset stood at attention, surprised by the request. Most adult ponies never really cared what she had to say. “I-I…I did it, your majesty. It was an accident. There’s something wrong with me. I can’t control my horn like all the other fillies and colts can and it just keeps getting worse and worse. I thought that if I could teach myself magic, real magic, like the kind they learn from those fancy schools they have deeper into the city, I could learn how to control it. Instead, I just lost control again. I’m sorry.” Celestia contemplated this information, sizing up the small filly and the carnage of the scene. It seemed the reports she had received had been accurate after all. Not only was her presence here warranted, but in such a special circumstance it was absolutely necessary. It wasn’t every day a magical explosion rocked a portion of the city. It was almost difficult to believe what had initially been suspected to be some sort of attack on Canterlot was in actuality a little girl with far too much power on her hooves. Her own school’s senior students would find it difficult to recreate the level of raw magical energy this little filly had produced on accident. It almost reminded her of the mishaps Luna would have when she was barely old enough to walk. Such an incredible amount of power was simply too dangerous to be left unchecked. “Well, Sunset, I think it’s quite clear that we can’t allow this situation to repeat itself. It’s fortunate that nopony was hurt, but your inability to control your power presents a clear danger to both yourself and those around you.” Sunset’s heart sank. Celestia’s condemning words confirming what she had been afraid of. They saw her as a danger, and dangers didn’t get to have normal lives or even walk around free. “It seems clear to me that I have no other choice…” Sunset winced. Here it comes. “…but to formally invite you to study at my school.” “…what?” Sunset whispered, daring to think she had heard that right. Celestia’s school? As in Celestia’s School for gifted unicorns? The most prestigious school for magical study in all of Canterlot? Scratch that. All of Equestria. “You’ll be able to learn and study all you need to know about your magic there, and more if you desire.” “You mean they can teach me how to control it? They can make me like the other fillies?” Sunset gasped, praying that this wasn’t all some crazy dream. “You’ll be able to do that and much more, Sunset,” Celestia assured with a full perfect smile that would convince even the most cynical ponies to place their faith in the alicorn. “So, does this mean I’m not in trouble?” Celestia scoffed, “As far as I’m concerned, the only ponies at fault here are the ones who’ve neglected to give you the care and guidance you deserve. You have a very special gift, Sunset Shimmer. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a unicorn with your raw abilities.” It was as though a ray of sunshine had broken through the dark clouds of her sorrow, and with it, she found the courage to hope again. Hope that things could get better. Hope that a normal life was not out of her reach after all. No, more than that. So much more than that. Celestia herself had said it. She was special. “I’m going to learn magic,” Sunset stated as though she herself was having a hard time believing it, tears threatening to once again flow, only now the tears would be in joy. “I’m going to learn magic!” Celestia smiled at the small filly who looked to be restraining herself from bouncing around in excitement. “There is one more thing.” “More!?” Celestia nodded. “Seeing as how your case is so unique, I believe it would only be best for me to take you on as my own personal protégé at the school. I will be teaching and directing your studies personally.” If this was a dream, then by all that was right in the world, Sunset never wanted to wake up. Not only would she finally learn magic, not only would she attend the most renowned and respected institution in the land, but she would be learning directly from Princess Celestia herself. “But…wait,” Sunset stopped herself, reality knocking on her door at last, “Where will I live?” Sunset glanced at the ruined estate that while a lousy home was still the only one she had ever known. “Well, as my personal student, you’d be staying at the castle with me.” “The castle!?” Sunset gasped out, starting to feel nearly lightheaded. “If that’s alright with you, Sunset.” “Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes!” Sunset squealed, no longer able to resist the urge to hug the leg of the Princess in pure happiness. Celestia watched the excited filly in bemusement. Certainly, this cute little girl would eventually grow to become something amazing. It must have been destiny itself that brought them together. There was no telling what fate could have in store for such a unique unicorn. Perhaps, Celestia dared to consider, this could even be the one she had been looking for. Sunset meanwhile was beside herself with glee, already fantasizing about the new life ahead of her that she never dared to dream of before. She imagined what her cutie mark might look like when she found it, she imagined the spells she’d learn, she imagined the things she’d accomplish, and she even dared to imagine the things she would do with the Princess. Why, this could practically be considered an adoption of sorts. Perhaps, in a way, she’d even be able to think of Celestia as her… Sunset opened her eyes and was immediately overcome with the groggy feeling of what it meant to sleep but not sleep well. Willing herself to sit up in her bed, she tried to shake the emotions that lingered from that fateful day. It wasn't all unpleasant. That memory had a notably happier ending than the last one she had been made to endure. At least for a while. It was one of the few she could recollect with just as much clarity without any magical influence. The glowing geode around her neck still burned with a bright radiating gleam, even in the early morning light that filled her room as if daring her to try and ignore it. Two forced strolls down memory lane was probably a sign after all. “I guess it’s about time I deal with you, isn’t it?” The hours Sunset had to wait for Twilight to finish with her royal obligations went by painfully slow. It seemed to take forever just to get to the slot of time that was always reserved for her and the Princess to toil around in her lab. Ordinarily, she wouldn’t have bothered Twilight with something as simple as impromptu research, but she needed a mind just as sharp, if not sharper than her own to tackle this particular enigma. Fortunately, Twilight was more than happy to change their usual agenda and switch focus to the peculiar stone that had been acting up ever since her return. Excited even. Within an hour of asking, the pair were sequestered away in the Princess’s own personal lab, conducting any manner of tests and experiments they could think of that might give them some insight on the magic stone born of another world. “Well, that is…interesting,” Twilight concluded upon reading the numbers off the paper that they had recorded from the geode. “What does it say?” Sunset asked, unable to see what Twilight was reading and doing her best to suppress the annoyance of it once again being due to the sheer difference in their statures. “Well, I need to cross-reference it with some other data sets to be sure, but these values don’t seem right.” "Other data sets?" Without even giving her the chance to see them, Twilight moved over to the records section of the room in search of something else. Sunset huffed in annoyance. Typical Twilight. So absorbed in whatever she was doing that she tuned everything else out, and that was never more apparent than when something had really struck her interest. Ordinarily, it was cute, but when she was just as interested in the subject at hand it was more aggravating than anything else. “Twilight, what did it say?” Twilight didn’t even give her a response this time, instead opening and closing file cabinets in search of what she was looking for and evidently not having any luck. “What are you looking for, Twi?” Sunset asked after catching up to the alicorn. “Something I didn’t ever really think I’d need. It’s probably in one of the cabinets on the top row,” Twilight sighed in annoyance. Even she wasn’t quite tall enough to see up there, and she didn’t dare fly in here where there was both nowhere near enough room and the surroundings were far too delicate. “Hmm. I can get it,” Sunset stated with reasonable certainty. “What? How could you-GYAH!” Twilight gasped in surprise, shock, and complete and utter indignation as she heard a distinct magical pop and felt a weight land squarely on her back. Sunset hadn’t even had the courtesy to give her a fair warning before she teleported directly on top of her, using her as a platform to get a perfect view of the cabinets that were out of either of their individual reaches. “So, what am I looking for up here, Twi?” Sunset asked with the audacity to not even acknowledge what she had just done. “Funny, I don’t recall giving you permission to do that,” Twilight stiffly stated. “One of us needs to give permission now?” Sunset asked with a coyness that let Twilight know the unicorn knew exactly what she had just done. “You know, we do own stepladders,” Twilight huffed. “I know. Now, what am I looking for?” “…an old file. It’ll have your name written on it,” Twilight sighed in utter defeat. Sure, whatever. Use the ruler of all Equestria as a piece of property to grab things off the top shelf. Who needs dignity anyway? “Hey, Twi. Can you skootch over? It’s not in these.” Twilight didn’t even bother with a response and just shuffled to her left. Using her horn to search through the cabinets Sunset quickly discovered what she was looking for. A file that was for some reason labeled with her name and looked older than the average citizen was these days. “Got it,” Sunset announced, gingerly taking it into her magic and passing it down to Twilight. Twilight waited for Sunset to get down only to again be surprised when she instead adjusted her standing position into a sitting one and made herself at home. “Okay, so can you explain to me what this is about now?” Sunset asked, poking her head by Twilight’s for a perfect view of the papers the princess held in her magic. Twilight sighed. “This is a record of all the discoveries and findings you’ve made and reported to me on magic in the other world. I've never really had much of a use for it since I couldn’t actually get to any of the magic you encountered there, but just in case, I always made sure to write it all down. I guess it was a good thing I did.” Sunset wasn’t sure what to think. She remembered talking extensively to Twilight about her research on magic in the human world. She was the only person or pony who really appreciated it and cared what she had to say about it aside from her own Twilight and even then it was difficult for the bespectacled girl to grasp the concepts in ways that were second nature to her Equestrian counterpart. She could bounce ideas and theories off her, talk about the intricacies of the subject, and she could do the same for her in kind, but Sunset didn’t think Twilight would have bothered with keeping a record of the stuff. Like she had said, it had very little use in Equestria. It was why she hadn’t bothered taking any of her own research back with her. Twilight opened the file and shuffled through the papers contained within, most of which were old and faded with only a select few looking slightly more recent, though still dated. “Aha!” Twilight exclaimed in victory, apparently having found what she was looking for. “These are the energy readings you told me you took on your Geode while in the other world. You stopped taking them shortly after High School, but the data here should be plenty of basis for comparison,” she broke down while levitating the old paper next to the new data they had just collected. “Woah,” Sunset gasped, finally seeing exactly what Twilight was talking about. As she already knew, the readings she had taken remained largely the same throughout. An occasional fluctuation here or there, but that was to be expected. Everything pointed to the magic of the geode being stable which was the reason she had stopped bothering to take measurements in the first place. The new readings on the other hoof were several times higher. Almost exponentially so, and that was just about the only consistent thing as they were almost all over the place outside of that. “Woah is right. You’ve been walking around with enough magic on your neck to power a small town.” “But that doesn’t make any sense,” Sunset said, completely baffled, “The Geode’s magic only ever spiked when my friends and I were together and using their powers. They’re connected. If anything, the magic should be weaker now that we’re so far apart, not stronger.” Twilight brought a hoof to her chin, thinking the details over. “Sunset, can you tell me your theory on why you and your friends got these geodes again?” “Okay?” Sunset nodded, not really seeing what that had to do with anything, “Well, when we brought magic to a world that had no place for it, it tended to infect things like a virus that threw the entire system out of balance. So, I figured that in response to that imbalance, the magic of Equestria created the geodes. If the out-of-control magic was like an infection, then the geodes were like the antibodies. Their purpose was to absorb or destroy the rogue magic and rebalance the human world, which they did,” Sunset explained. “Right. That falls perfectly in line with the basic principles of harmony that govern the magic in Equestria. In the face of major imbalances that threaten the balance of harmony in Equestria, the forces of harmony respond by creating forces that can counteract those imbalances and reestablish stability. Like the tree of harmony, or the elements, or my old castle,” Twilight listed off. “Or you,” Sunset mused, the reality that she once wholeheartedly rejected now almost amusing to her. Her cutie mark was lodged right in the middle of the tree of harmony after all. There was no denying she was destiny’s child after that. “…Yes…like me,” Twilight repeated with a noticeable discomfort. Sunset made a mental note to not be so thoughtless on that subject again. “So, what does that have to do with the way the magic is acting now?” Sunset prompted, bringing the train of thought back around. “Well, it’s not much more than a theory at the moment, but your geode is a product of Equestrian magic that adapted to the human world to control rogue magic. Now, after all these years, you’ve brought that magic back to Equestria which would in itself disrupt the balance. It’s possible your geode is adapting to suit its new environment. It’s gone from having to exist in a world with only small select pools of magic to a now limitless supply.” “Which means it’s evolving,” Sunset concluded, unsure what to think of that. “That still doesn’t really explain why it has a new fascination with forcing me to reminisce.” “Hrm. This is more of a guess than a theory, but your geode’s specialty has always been about emotions, right?” “That’s about right. The rest of the girls got superpowers, I got the ability to give invasive therapy,” Sunset chuckled. Initially, she had been a little jealous of her friend’s much more flashy abilities, particularly Twilight’s own telekinetic powers, but in retrospect, that would have been awfully redundant now with her horn returned to her. “Then, maybe it’s possible that your geode is reacting to an imbalance. One that’s in you.” “You’re saying that I’m emotionally imbalanced?” Twilight winced. “maybe?” “...yeah, that sounds about right,” Sunset admitted. She wasn’t exactly the walking definition of having her life together. Twilight turned her head back to face Sunset with a questioning glance. “That doesn’t concern you at all?” “Twilight, I’ve been emotionally unstable all my life. Why does it matter that even my necklace is telling me about it? …okay, having said that out loud, it is a little concerning.” “What were the memories about?” Twilight suddenly asked. “Huh?” “The memories. You never actually told me what you saw. Maybe it would help you figure out what the geode is trying to tell you if we looked at what it was showing you. Is there some sort of link between them? Something they all have in common?” Sunset thought back. These realistic retellings always struck her when she was asleep. She had dreamt about her time before becoming Celestia’s student. She had dreamt about the day Celestia had found her and taken her in. Plus, now that she thought about it, that first dream she had after her encounter with Flurry didn’t seem all that natural either. The most common thread between them seemed to be… “Celestia,” Sunset whispered to herself. “What?” “Celestia, Twilight. They were always things that made me think of her,” Sunset explained, turning around all the potential meanings of that in her head. “Oh…okay,” Twilight responded halfheartedly, uncertain how to respond or deal with the uncertainty that brought her. Fortunately for her, Sunset was delving far too deep into her own personal musings at this point to pick up on it. Satisfied she had done all there was to do with the geode today and with plenty to now think about, Sunset directed some of her attention to the small stone, igniting her horn to pick it up off the lab table it now rested on and return it to her. Sunset didn’t fully snap back to attention until she felt the unusual tug of her magic being held back. “Hm?” Sunset muttered, turning up to see her geode held suspended in a combination of red and magenta magic. “Twilight, what are you doing?” “I think that’s something I should be asking you. Don’t tell me that after what we’ve just learned you’re just going to go back to wearing that thing like nothing’s happening. The level of magic it's outputting now isn't exactly safe,” Twilight tensely responded. Impudently, Sunset actually decided to try her luck with out muscling Twilight’s magic. Shockingly, she couldn’t overpower the element of magic. “Twilight, let go,” Sunset demanded, her voice taking on a warning edge. “Not until you tell me why I should. That thing could be dangerous. You can’t just ignore the fact that you’re running around with what could be a ticking timebomb of unstable magic. At the very least, we should contain it.” “That’s not really your decision to make. It’s mine. Now, Let…It…Go.” Sunset practically growled out, giving a sharp tug with her magic with each word with no notable result for her troubles. “No!” Twilight held fast, raising her own voice to match Sunset’s sudden intensity. “I’m not going to let you put yourself in danger anymore just because you want to play around with dangerous forces you don’t even understand.” “Is that what you think this is about?” Sunset gasped, clearly offended at the judgment. Rather than take a moment to think and talk about this, Sunset instead settled for the more brutish solution of ramping up the power on her horn which finally achieved at least the satisfaction of forcing Twilight to struggle in order to hold what was rightfully hers in place. “Grhm, Sunset, cut it out. You’re acting like a child,” Twilight accused, actually caught by surprise at the amount of power Sunset was pouring into this tug of war. “Just give it back, Twilight,” Sunset restated, not even the slightest interest in letting cooler heads prevail if it meant she might lose her geode. “It’s dangerous. I’m asking you to see that. You need to let it go!” Twilight pleaded. The very idea set Sunset off. “NO! It's what connects me to my friends!” A sharp gasp was the only sound that broke through the sudden crushing silence. Twilight’s magic immediately cut off, allowing Sunset to pull the necklace back to her and accomplish the most hollow victory she had ever received. “Sunset, I didn’t mean…I’m sorry,” Twilight stumbled, a pang of sharp stabbing guilt penetrating straight through her heart. Sunset fared no better. The very last thing she wanted to do was bring Twilight down like she just had. “No. No, please don’t apologize. I overreacted. I just…” Sunset struggled, trying to find the words to make this better. Some way to not ram right into what she knew was a very sensitive subject for Twilight. She really shouldn’t have gone off like that. If she were just better at thinking with her head before her heart she could have avoided this. “No, you didn’t. Your geode is important to you. I know that. I-I…I didn’t mean…I would never try to…I’m just…I’m sorry,” Twilight fumbled. Sunset was fresh out of words herself, so she settled for action. Twilight gasped as a set of forelegs wrapped around her neck and gently embraced her. Sunset pressed herself into the alicorn in the warmest hold she could manage, willing Twilight to know that it was all okay. “Don’t worry about it, Twi. You were just looking out for me. I guess I’m not used to that,” Sunset sighed, releasing Twilight after she felt the nerves of the alicorn still. Twilight found herself missing the embrace once it was over. It had been a long time since anypony had held her like that. She forced her way past the nostalgia to get her head on straight. “Well...since the magic is bonded to you there is a possibility it might actually be easier for you to hold onto it as it adapts to Equestria, but will you at least let me keep tabs on it? Just so we can make sure it’s absolutely safe?” Twilight rationalized, more to herself than anyone. “Sure, Twilight,” Sunset nodded in agreement more than happy to put this behind them. Twilight clearly still wasn’t completely on board with her decision, but that was a more than fair compromise. Sunset took the time to return the geode to its usual position around her neck, the weight of the stone giving her some comfort through nothing but its presence. Twilight’s worries were far from unfounded. Everything about the geodes were completely uncharted territory, but Sunset could never part with hers. It was her most prized possession, and she had always seen them as proof of her connection to her friends. No matter where their lives took them, these stones proved their bond because they had chosen them. All of them. Maybe it was a little sad that she needed a magic rock to give her validation, but she couldn’t help feeling like having it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she truly was one of them. Not just the devil girl everyone kept around because they pitied her. Concluding that they had accomplished everything they could today, Twilight set about tidying up the space they had used, making sure to properly reorganize anything that was even slightly out of place to ensure the lab would be just as pristine as it had been when they first arrived. She'd wouldn't be caught dead with a workspace that was anything less. From her perch atop the alicorn, Sunset looked to the light outside the windows to get a rough estimate of the time. She had told Flurry yesterday to wait in the nearby castle courtyard for her next lesson after she finished whatever lab work Twilight had in mind for today. Plans had changed since then, but Flurry should have still been waiting for her right about now. “Hey, Twi? You don’t have anything to do after this, do you?” “Nothing I absolutely have to do at least. Why?” Twilight responded, now splitting her attention between the conversation and rearranging a set of beakers. “Well, since you’re free, relatively speaking I mean, why don’t you help me with teaching Flurry Heart today?” Twilight froze, the beakers she held in her magic grasp nearly falling to an untimely demise had Sunset not taken it upon herself to catch them. “Today!?” “Yeah, why not? You did promise to help out.” “That was yesterday! I really thought you’d give me at least a little time to prepare. I don’t even have anything ready for her.” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. “Yeah…well, neither do I. I’m kind of hoping for you to bail me out on this one.” “You mean you didn’t even have a plan for what to teach her for more than a day?” “Honestly, I didn’t have a plan for what to teach her yesterday either.” Twilight had to resist the urge to facehoof. “Are you telling me you’ve just been making this whole thing up as you go?” “Why are you surprised? You know I’m no good at planning. My entire evil plan you stopped was just me winging it.” “It was pretty thrown together.” “Yeah, I know.” “I mean, brainwashed teenagers? Seriously?” “Really not the point, Twi.” “And come to think of it, why’d you destroy the dance if you needed to get my crown before the portal closed?” “They weren’t supposed to completely destroy-” “Plus, the whole thing was kind of a waste of time if you were just going to wrestle me for it.” “Well, if I had more than three days maybe I could have come up with a better plan. I had to improvise. It’s what I do when I’m backed into a corner, okay?” Sunset defended. “I can probably improvise another lesson if I need to, but I think it’d be better for you and Flurry to start getting accustomed to this now for your own sake.” “Is it really that important?” “I had to sit down for dinner with you two yesterday. Sitting between Adagio and Star Swirl probably would have been less awkward than that was. I’d say the sooner the better.” Twilight gave what was quickly becoming her trademark sigh of resignation. “Okay, where is she?” “The east side courtyard,” Sunset answered simply with a small smile. All things considered; she was proud of Twilight. She may not have been very good at interacting with her niece anymore, but she was clearly willing to do whatever it took to make things better, even if it wasn’t always comfortable. Resolutely, Twilight finished her task of tidying up and set off on their journey to Flurry Heart with all the unease of a pony headed to battle, both ponies set with their own forms of determination and moving as a unified front. “So, are you ever going to get off of me?”