//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Sunset and The Lost Filly // Story: The Rebel and The Bookworm (CANCELLED) // by qiley //------------------------------// “Sunset, focus,” Celestia said in a low voice. “Imagine the magic coursing through your body.” The unicorn’s eyes were shut tight, standing firm in place. Sunset’s breaths were calm and controlled. Celestia nodded contently. “Very good Sunset. Now try and redirect it all to your horn.” Sunset took in a deep breath, focusing on just her horn. Her mind was clear, devoid of any thought. All she was focused on was her magic and her horn. She felt it. It was like a stream flowing to the ocean. Droplets of sweat formed on Sunset’s forehead. Celestia stood in silence, watching her student patiently. Their first lesson was a lesson in control. If a unicorn couldn’t control their magic when casting, it could potentially hurt both the caster and people around them. This was especially true for Sunset, who’s magic reserves were much larger than that of a normal unicorn.  Soon enough, Sunset’s horn was glowing a bright red, sparks occasionally coming out.  “We’re almost done Sunset,” Celestia spoke, noticing the glow. “Now all you must do is release it. I’d advise opening your eyes for this last part.” Sunset nodded, opening her eyes slowly. Opening her eyes proved to be problematic. Her focus was slightly broken, her horn sparking more than before.  “Focus, Sunset,” Celestia said in a stern voice. “If you can’t do this, advancing onto future lessons will be impossible.” Sunset grunted, fighting for control of her horn. Slowly but surely, her horn’s sparking died down. Celestia smiled at her student. Seeing this, Sunset slightly smiled back. “You can either release it slowly or in one quick blast,” Celestia said. “The choice is yours.” Sunset smirked, already making her mind up. With a quick cast, she blasted a laser upwards, illuminating the sky with a red light. The red light blended with the sun creating a breathtaking sunset. The laser slowly died down, eventually fizzing out. Sunset fell down on her back, panting. “That was very good, Sunset,” Celestia said. Sunset looked towards the setting sun. It was almost fully behind the mountains, the reddish-orange hue no longer cast upon Equestria. A light yellow glow illuminated the now darkened royal garden. Sitting up, she looked at the sun monarch. “It’s about that time already, huh,” Sunset stared at Celestia’s glowing horn. “Indeed it is. As the sun goes down, the moon comes up,” Celestia smiled, raising up the moon and stars. “That lesson sure was tiring,” Sunset laughed, falling back down into the grass. The stars were always perfectly placed, twinkling and dancing across the night sky.  “Giving up already?” Celestia taunted.  “I’m not even close to done,” Sunset said with determination. “I’m ready for anything.” “Good,” Celestia smiled, her horn’s glow fading away. Walking over to Sunset, she offered her hoof to the mare. “As it is already late, how about we stop here for today?”  “Sounds good to me,” Sunset answered, taking Celestia’s hoof.  Celestia pulled Sunset up. “Tomorrow, we will start early in the morning.” “Didn’t you say we always have our classes in the afternoons?” Sunset smiled. “Your lessons now will take a lot longer than before, so I decided some days we can start in the morning,” Celestia explained, walking alongside Sunset towards a doorway. “Just some days?” Sunset groaned, her smile turning upside down. “Remember what I said this morning?” Celestia reminded her. “Yes, I remember,” Sunset snorted. “Are you going to force me to go to school everyday if we aren't having morning lessons?” “Are you asking me to?” Celestia smirked. “I’m hoping you don’t,” Sunset weakly laughed.  “Hope is a fragile thing, Sunset.” “Okay Princess Sun-Butt,” Sunset shot back, rolling her eyes. “I’m not the only pony with a sun on my butt,” Celestia countered.  “Quite the sly one, huh,” Sunset sighed. Celestia winked. “It comes with being the ruler of Equestria.” “Sounds about right,” Sunset finished. Just a moment of silence fell between the two, before the halls were filled with giggles. “As much as I would love to continue this banter, I must retire for the night,” Celestia sighed, turning towards her room. “Goodnight Sunset.” “Goodnight Celestia,” Sunset smiled. “See you tomorrow morning.” The two ponies parted, going their own ways. Sunset walked through the vacant hallways, navigating her way to her room like a veteran guard. When she first became Celestia’s student, she roamed the castle a lot, often getting lost. Eventually, she mapped it out in her head, leading to her being able to get anywhere in the castle without a thought. Occasionally, a guard would pass by. Sunset would exchange greetings with them, short and sweet. Although she wasn’t a stranger to the guards, she wasn’t close to them. She didn't really see a reason to get too close to them.  Sunset only knew a couple of their names, one being lieutenant Shining Armor and the other captain Sharp Arrow. They ran into her while she was practicing magic alone. Sunset stood  in the grass of the courtyard. She didn’t have classes today and Celestia’s lessons weren’t until later, so she decided to pass some time. She shut her eyes tight, her horn sparking and sputtering. In front of her was a tin can, slowly levitating up. “C’mon Sunset, you got this…” she said to herself, trying to get the can higher into the air.  She knew it was dangerous to try any magic alone, but she was becoming impatient. Celestia didn’t allow her to try any spells without supervision. She explained to Sunset that she had more magic reserves than other unicorns, saying that even one misstep could be fatal.  The can was slowly moving higher and higher, eventually being right under her chin. “Almost there,” Sunset grunted quietly. “Just a little higher…” “Hey! What are you doing over there,” a stallion yelled. The can dropped with a clink, the sudden shout causing Sunset to lose focus. Her horn fizzled out slowly till no trace was left. “Uh, nothing!” Her eyes darted towards the voice, seeing two guards walking towards her. One was a lot younger than all the other one, but he was just as built, if not more, than him. His whitish coat matched well with his blue mane and tail, his gold armor shining brightly.  “What’s wrong, Lieutenant?” the older stallions asked. He too had a white coat, but his mane was a midnight black. Instead of the usual gold armor the guards wore, he was equipped with gray armor with gold details. His cutie mark, a bow and arrow crossing, was displayed on the front of his armor. “I just saw this young filly using magic without anypony around, sir,” the younger stallion stated, saluting. “At ease, Lieutenant,” the older stallion said. Turning his attention to the filly in front of them, he spoke. “Is it true you were practicing magic here alone?”  “Uh…. no?” Sunset glanced away from the guard’s eyes.  “No need to lie to us, we aren’t going to punish you,” the older one smiled, causing the lieutenant to tilt his head.  “B-But Captain Arrow, we can’t ju-” “I said we aren’t going to punish her, Lieutenant Armor,” Arrow barked. “Am I understood?” “Y-Yes sir,” Armor straightened up. “I’m sorry for speaking out of line, Captain.” “I’m sorry for my subordinate,” Arrow apologized, smiling at the filly. “I’m Sharp Arrow, the Captain of the Royal Guards, and this is my lieutenant, Shining Armor.”  “I’m Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset replied. “I know who you are, Sunset,” Arrow said. “Now, were you really not practicing magic out here by yourself? Sunset looked down at the ground, the can right under her. After what felt like an eternity of silence, she finally spoke. “I-I was…” “There’s no need to be ashamed, Sunset,” Arrow spoke softly. “It’s very impressive that you can use magic at all at your age.” “I’m not going to be punished, am I?” Sunset asked. “No, not at all. I won’t even tell Princess Celestia,” Arrow smiled. “I promise.” “Thank you!” Sunset grinned.  “Wait, why would we tell Princess Celestia?” Shining Armor asked. “You don’t know?” Arrow chuckled. “Sunset is Celestia’s personal student.” Shining eyes widened. “Seriously?”  “Why would I lie to you?” Arrow cocked an eyebrow. “Sorry, sir,” Shining apologized quickly. “Does that mean you also attend Celstia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?”  “I do,” Sunset answered. “The classes are boring though.” “My sister really wants to get in there,” Shining chuckled. “She’s still small, even younger than you. She’s adorable.” Shining smiled, thinking of his “baby” sister. “Enough about your sister lieutenant,” Arrow rolled his eyes. “Now Sunset, I know you’re Celestia’s student and all, but I’m sure she told you that practicing magic unsupervised is dangerous.” “S-She did,” Sunset pawed at the ground. “I just wanted to get a little practice in before our lessons.” “I know it may seem dumb that you can’t practice by yoruself, but we just want you to be safe, okay?” Arrow comforted the filly. “How about this, if you ever need help with magic or want to practice, just ask Shining Armor here to supervise you. How’s that sound?” “Y-You mean it?” Sunset looked back up at the captain. “Yeah, do you really mean it?” Shining seconded her question. “I already have to babysit my sister, now her?”  “I’m sure you can do it, lieutenant,” Arrow looked at Shining, smirking. “Yes sir,” Shining reluctantly agreed. “There you have it Sunset, what do you say?” Arrow turned his attention back to the filly. “Thank you!” Sunset chirped. “Of course,” Arrow nodded. “Now, I think it’s about time for your lessons with Celestia. How about we escort you there?” “Okay!” Sunset nodded. The three ponies  walked towards Celestia’s room, chatting away. Sunset opened the door to her darkened room, a beam of moonlight shining through her window. The window was perfectly placed so that it illuminated her desk. Trotting over to her desk, she took a seat on her old wooden chair. “To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question,” Sunset mimicked Shake Spear.  Sunset nodded, levitating a quill and ink to her desk. Open next to her was her Magical Principles: Advanced Edition textbook, issued to her by the school. Just because they were a prestigious magic school doesn’t mean there wasn’t physical homework. To become great at magic, one must know the theories and ideas behind it.  Sunset quickly went to work, jotting down theories and answers. She bit her lip and she flipped through the textbook, finding the problems that were due in a couple days. Sunset may never be at school, but she never misses any work given to her. This was her time to learn, as the classroom just didn’t do it for her.  “This stuff’s just too easy,” She mumbled to herself, quickly finishing more than half of the assigned problems in an hour. Closing the textbook, Sunset yawned. She finished enough work for today.  Getting off of her chair, she stretched, letting out a slight groan. She went towards the window, pulling together the curtains, only a small crack of moonlight slipped through. Sighing, she trotted over to her unmade bed. Plopping down, she sunk into the cloudlike mattress.  “Oh how I missed you,” She said into her pillows. Throwing her covers over herself, she snuggled deeper into bed. The warmth of her blanket and the softness of her mattress proved to be too much. Her heavy eyes slowly closed as she drifted off to sleep. There was a tiny knock at Sunset’s door. “H-Hello?” a small, muffled voice called.  Sunset mumbled incohesively, rolling onto her side. She hugged her pillow tightly, drool slowly trickling onto its covers.  Another tiny knock. “Is anypony in there?” the voice called out again, just a smidge louder than last time.   Sunset slowly opened her eyes, groaning. Wiping her mouth, she sat up, blinking. Eventually everything became clearer, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Sweeping the room, her eyes landed on the shadow cast under her doorway. It looked like somepony’s legs. Slowly getting out of her bed, she tip-toed towards the window. Taking a glance outside, she noticed that the moon was still high above.  “It’s almost three in the morning,” Sunset whispered, biting her lip. “Who would be here at this time?” A mixture of fear, panic, and excitement filled Sunset. What if somepony was here to hurt her and Princess Celestia? She wouldn’t let that happen. Adrenaline coursed through her as she slowly crept towards the door. Her horn glowed ever so slightly. “Don’t want them escaping,” she thought as she got closer and closer to the door.  Another knock at the door alongside a rattling of the door knob. Sunset stood right in front of the door. Inhaling deeply, she prepared herself for the worst. She held her breath as her hoof reached for the doorknob. Unlocking it with a click, she swung the door open, horn pointed at the stranger. “Please don’t hurt me!” a filly-like voice cried out. Sunset ceased her magic, her horn dimming out.  “What are you doing here Twilight!?” Sunset frowned, looking down at the curled up purple filly. Twilight lifted her head out from under her legs. Her eyes were watery and her nose was drippy. She sniffled, sitting up on her butt. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. Her face trembled and her lip quivered. Sunset’s eyes went wide, knowing exactly what was coming. Twilight let out a quiet sob, tears running down her cheeks. She hiccuped with desperate breaths. Snot dripped out from her nose.   The sobbing continued as Sunset stood there, her mind running a million miles per hour. What was Twilight doing here in the middle of the night? Where were her parents? Most importantly, why was she crying? Sunset shook her head. Sunset approached the filly, wrapping her legs around her. She pulled Twilight to her, holding her tightly. Her sniffles and sobs were muffled against her chest. “Shhh… It’ll be okay,” Sunset whispered as she rubbed Twilight’s back. “Everything is fine Twilight, no one is going to hurt you.” Sunset continued comforting the crying filly, her tears soaking into her fur.  Twilight’s cries slowly died down, replaced with soft and steady breaths. Sunset looked down to see her eye’s closed. Smiling, she placed the filly on her back.  “All that crying must’ve taken you out, huh,” Sunset chuckled, staring at the filly. A cool night breeze hit Sunset, causing her to shudder. All that action had distracted her from where she was: the bridge connecting her to the castle. Twilight shivered slightly, curling up tighter.  Sunset sighed, quickly trotting over to the castle. Opening the doorway, the hallways were still well-lit. A guard was stationed at the opposite end of Sunset.  “Hello!” Sunset called out, approaching him. He turned towards Sunset, tilting his head.  “Hello Miss Sunset, you’re up early,” he greeted. “I recall Celestia saying you had classes in the morning today, but I believe she is still asleep.” “I just…” Sunset looked back at Twilight. “Couldn’t go to sleep?” “Uh-huh…” the guard nodded slowly, looking at the filly on Sunset’s back. “So, who’s the filly?” “She’s Celestia’s protege, Twilight Sparkle,” Sunset explained. “Celestia didn’t inform us she had a new protege,” the guard sighed. “Much less she was going to be in the castle tonight.” “Maybe she just somehow wandered in here?” Sunset weakly smiled. “Sunset, you and I both know a pony can’t just wander into the castle at night,” he frowned. “It was a joke,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m going to look for Celestia and find out what’s going on. Talk to you later.” “Alright, be safe,” he called out to her as she walked away. Sunset made her way through the halls towards Celestia’s room. On her way there, guards would give her funny looks, although none of them stopped her. Everypony in the castle now knew of Sunset. Captain Arrow and Celestia introduced her to every guard so they could recognize her easily if need be. All the usual castle staff, except the guards, were fast asleep. Sunset tip-toed through the sleeping quarters, quieter than a mouse. Thankfully the filly on her back was a quiet sleeper, her breaths light and soft.  “This hallway seems longer than usual,” Sunset mumbled, slowly making her way to the other end where Celestia’s room lay. Eventually reaching the end of what felt like an endless hallway, she was faced with two guards and a large double door.  “Hey you two,” Sunset whispered. The two guards paid no mind to the unicorn, their stares still focused in front of them.  “Hello?” Sunset waved her hand in front of their faces, still no response. She stood there for a few minutes, staring at the guards. Their faces were unmoving and emotionless. “Either they’re really bucking good at their job, or they’re just sleeping with their eyes open,” Sunset thought as she continued staring at them. With a shrug, she pressed forward towards the door. The guards did absolutely nothing, confirming the latter. “I’ll be sure to let Captain Arrow know,” Sunset made a mental note as she gently pushed open the double door. It let out a small creek, causing Sunset to cringe.  Peeking her head in, she looked around. The first thing she noticed in the room was the large bed right down the middle, a pony’s outline tucked in. The pony was much larger than a normal pony, confirming she was indeed in Celestia’s room.  “I want a bed like that,” Sunset muttered, shutting the door quietly behind her. Sunset, being the curious unicorn, walked around the sun monarch's room. It wasn’t grandiose like one would imagine, but rather quite humble.  A separate glass door led out to the balcony, moonlight shining through. A telescope was right outside the door, facing towards the stars. A few picture frames were hung up. A bookshelf, dresser, and desk were the only other furniture she had. It was very similar to Sunset’s room, but unlike Sunset’s room, everything was organized. There weren’t books or scrolls laid out everywhere, but rather they lined the shelf neatly. Her quill and ink were laid out on her desk, a rolled up scroll sitting in the center. “Wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” Sunset looked towards Celestia, smirking. She walked over to Celestia’s bed, looking down at her sleeping mentor. She looked peaceful. Her breaths were calm and soft, the blanket rising and falling steadily.  “Now what?” Sunset frowned. On one hand, she didn’t want to wake Celestia up from her peaceful sleep. The ruler already had so much going on, the least Sunset could do is let her rest. On the other hand, Sunset had somepony’s filly on her back. Sunset looked at Twilight, then looked back at Celestia.  Sunset sighed. “I guess since I’m already here…”  Sunset approached the bed, getting as close as possible without touching it. She shook the bed gently, trying to wake the sleeping monarch. Sunset held her breath as Celestia’s facial expression tensed up. “Celestia,” Sunset whispered loudly. “Celestia, I need your help.”  Celestia, much to Sunset’s surprise, opened her eyes slowly.  “Sunset-” Celestia yawned. “I know I said we had early classes but I didn't mean this early.” “Wait, you seriously woke up from just that?” Sunset giggled.  “I’m quite the light sleeper,” Celestia groggily smiled, sitting up in her bed. “So Sunset, why are you really here so early in the morning?”  Sunset didn’t respond, but rather jerked her head in the direction of her back. Celestia craned her neck out, seeing past Sunset's head. On her pupil’s back lay her new protege.  Celestia nodded. “Hmm, I see your problem now.” “No really?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “Pray tell Sunset, where did you find Twilight?” Celestia asked, stepping out of bed. “She was outside my room’s door,” Sunset answered.  “She was sleeping outside your door?” Celestia asked in concern. “No!” Sunset shook her head rapidly. “She was just standing outside my door and I may or may not have scared her.” Celestia frowned. “Now why would you do that to a child Sunset?” “I didn’t mean to,” Sunset groaned. “I thought it was an intruder so I readied my magic and swung open the door.” “And then?” Celestia stared at Sunset. “I didn’t blast her of course,” Sunset motioned towards the unscathed Twilight.  Celestia let out a giggle while she examined the young filly on Sunset’s back. Twilight was peacefully sleeping, even through their chatter. The filly’s legs were hanging off of Sunset’s back, her head snuggled against Sunset’s neck.  “She’s adorable,” Celestia cooed.  “I know right,” Sunset agreed, looking back at Twilight. “Should we put her on the bed?” “I was just about to ask,” Celestia said. Celestia’s horn started to glow, a golden aura surrounding Twilight. She gently lifted the filly off of Sunset’s back, causing Twilight to curl up into a more comfortable position. Celestia floated her over to the bed, placing her right in the center.  Sunset and Celestia looked at each other, a smile forming on their faces. They both looked back to the sleeping filly, giggling.  “She looks so much smaller in your bed,” Sunset said. “My bed is a little big,” Celestia examined it. Sunset raised an eyebrow. “A ‘little’ large?”  Celestia shrugged. “What can I say, I’m a rather large pony.” “Uh-huh…” Sunset rolled her eyes. “So now what?” “Maybe we should figure out why Twilight is here in the castle,” Celestia offered. “And more importantly why she’s here so early.” “Wait, are you telling me that you don't even know why Twilight's here?!” Sunset asked, taken aback. “I’ve been asleep for a few hours now, Sunset,” Celestia said. “Right…” Sunset awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. Celestia smiled, placing a hoof on her student’s shoulder. “I’m sure there’s a good explanation for why she’s here though.” Sunset smiled back. “Mayb-”  Suddenly the door swung open. “Princess Celestia, have you seen my sister?!” a stallion shouted, causing the two snoozing guards to jerk awake.  The hallway’s light beamed in, illuminating the majority of the room. In the doorway stood a familiar white stallion. His blue mane was all over the place, his eyes baggy and dark. His shield cutie mark bore a striking resemblance to Twilight’s. “Lieutenant Shining Armor, what is wrong?” Celestia asked sternly, unfazed by his sudden appearance. Shining Armor stood at attention, saluting alongside the two other guards. “Sorry for barging in ma’am, but my younger sister has gone missing. She wanted to see the castle before she moved in so I decided to bring her in today and show her around.”  “Your little sister, Twilight Sparkle, correct?” Celestia asked. “Yes ma’am,” Shining Armor replied. “We were studying late into the night after the tour, but I must have dozed off. She probably wandered off after I fell asleep.” “Very irresponsible of you, Lieutenant,” Celestia scolded him. “I know it was,” Shining Armor frowned, gritting his teeth. “Excuse me for this ma’am, but I don’t care about that right now! I just want to find my sister. She must be so scared right now. What if she’s hurt? What if she needs help?” His breaths were short and quick as he paced back and forth impatiently. It was obvious he was panicking.  “Calm down Lieutenant,” Celestia gently said. “I can assure you your sister is fine, so just relax a little. Deep breaths my little pony, deep breaths.” Shining Armor ceased his pacing, breathing in deeply. Closing his eyes, he held his breath for a second before breathing it all out slowly. He repeated the breathing exercise multiple times before stopping.  “I’m sorry for such a display Celestia, Sunset,” he said, looking at the two mares. “I’m sure it was very unsightly.” “It is quite alright Lieutenant,” Celestia smiled warmly. “Anypony would be as worried as you if their sister went missing.” Sunset nodded in agreement. “Yeah, and plus she’s-” “Shiny?” a quiet voice cut off Sunset.  Sunset, Celestia, and Shining all looked back to the bed. Twilight was sitting up, looking towards the doorway. Her lips quivered as she stared at her brother. Her lips slowly curled up into a weak smile as she ran over to the Lieutenant. “Shiny!” She cried out as she was running.  “Twily!” Shining Armor met her halfway, swooping her into a rib crushing hug. “Oh I’m so sorry Twily.” “I-It was scary,” Twilight cried into his chest.  Shining Armor stroked her mane gently, comforting his sister. “I’m sure it was Twily. But you were able to find some ponies to help you. I’m so proud of you.” Shining Armor hugged her one more time before placing her back on the ground. The two turned to Celestia and Sunset. “Thank you for finding my sister,” Shining Armor smiled. “It wasn’t I who found her, but rather Sunset here who did,” Celestia looked down at her student. “I didn’t really find her,” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. “She kind of just showed up at my door.” “Either way, I’m eternally grateful,” Shining Armor said. “If I had to go back to my parents and tell them I lost Twily, I probably wouldn’t be alive.” “That’s a joke, right?” Sunset looked at Celestia, then back at Shining Armor. “Right?” “Yeah… a joke,” Celestia awkwardly smiled while Shining Armor avoided Sunset’s gaze. “Ahem,” Shining Armor faked coughed, cutting into the silence. “Twily, do you have anything you want to say to Celestia and Sunset?” “Thank you!” Twilight smiled widely. “It was nothing,” Sunset smiled. “Of course, my little pony,” Celestia nodded. “Will we still have lessons later, Princess Celestia,” Twilight stuttered.. “There’s no need for formalities Twilight,” Celestia waved her hoof. “And yes, we will start your lessons later.” Twilight squealed in delight, jumping around her brother. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I can’t wait!” “She’s so hyper for being awake for so long,” Sunset commented. Shining weakly laughed, looking at the bouncing filly. “When it comes to studying and learning, nothing will stop her, not even her own body.” “We can’t have a tired filly during our lesson now can we?” Celestia looked at Twilight. “I think it’s time you get to bed.” Twilight stopped jumping around her brother, a small pout on her face. “Can’t I stay up a little longer? I still haven’t completed the book I was reading.” “You’d think she’d be tired after everything,” Sunset whispered to Celestia, causing the elder pony to giggle. “You should’ve seen her after her exam,” Celestia whispered back. “Princess Celestia’s right, Twily,” Shining Armor picked his sister up, much to her displeasure. She flailed, trying to escape his grasp, but failed miserably. Placing her on his back, he looked back at her. “If you don’t rest, you won’t have your lesson. Isn’t that right?” Shining Armor winked at Celestia. “Yes, Twilight,” Celestia nodded, playing along. “I’ll have to postpone our lessons if you don’t get enough sleep.” “B-But you said we’d still have them!” Twilight frowned.  “I did indeed say that,” Celestia said. “But if you aren’t fully rested, I might have to reconsider.” Twilight lay on her brother's back, deep in thought. A part of her wanted to finish up the book her mom had given her. She was so close, just a few hundred pages. But that would mean she wouldn’t get to start her lessons with the amazing Princess Celestia. Twilight was torn. She loved books, but she also loved learning. “How about this Twilight,” Celestia saw how conflicted the filly was. “If you go to sleep now, I’ll add an extra hour, or maybe even two, to our first lesson?” Celestia negotiated with Twilight. “Ok!” Twilight said almost immediately. “Alright Shiny, let's go to your room so I can sleep.” Sunset laughed. “That was fast.” “More time with Celestia means more learning! I can’t pass that up,” Twilight said. “I guess so,” Sunset shrugged. Shining Armor, with his sister on his back, turned around towards the hallway. “Thanks again,” he said before making his way back to his room. The two siblings' chatter became more and more distant, until finally they could no longer be heard.  “Well that sure was something,” Sunset finally spoke up. “Indeed it was,” Celestia said, a small yawn escaping her mouth. “ “I guess I should get some rest too,” Sunset said, feeling her shoulders sag a bit. “All that commotion sure burnt me out.” “I guess I shall do the same,” Celestia nodded. “Goodnight again, Sunset,” “Goodnight Celestia,” Sunset said, turning towards the door. “Don’t forget about our lessons in the morning,” Celstia said as Sunset walked into the hallway. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Sunset replied, walking further and further down the hall. Sunset slowly trotted down the halls, making her way back to her room.. The velvet carpet under her hooves was soft and silky. Sunset might’ve just laid down and slept there if it wasn’t for the guards occasionally walking by. The pillars that lined the hallways were as detailed as ever, flowers resting at the top. Sunset smiled. She liked those flowers because they gave the castle a little more color. The walls were littered with banners and art work. Sunset would’ve stopped and admired them, but there was only one thing on her mind. Sleep. Sunset didn’t even realize how tired she was until after she left Celestia’s room. As she walked through the halls, she felt the fatigue more and more. The fatigue from not only staying up late, but also from her lessons earlier that day.  “Who would’ve thought that practicing magic was so draining,” Sunset mumbled. “I can see why Celestia’s lessons don’t always include magic.” Eventually she made it back to her room, her bed still messy as before. Sunset leaped into the soft mattress, covering herself in the sheets. She snuggled into the bed, sighing. It had been a long day. A fun one, but still a long one. Sunset closed her eyes, letting her body succumb to the tiredness.