Princess Celestia's steps echoed through the silent corridors of Canterlot Castle as she made her way towards her private library. The normally bustling castle was hushed in the late hours of the night, and an unusual tension hung in the air. Celestia, attuned to the subtle energies around her, felt a disturbance, a disquieting presence that made the fur on the back of her neck stand on end.
As she pushed open the creaking door, a shiver ran down Princess Celestia's spine. The library, usually a sanctuary of tranquility, felt different tonight. The scent of aged parchment and leather-bound books filled her nostrils, but beneath it lingered a subtle undertone of something unfamiliar—a scent she couldn't quite place.
She cautiously advanced into the room, her golden shoes whispering against the polished marble floor. The darkness seemed to cling to the air, and her ears flicked in all directions as she strained her ears to catch any sound that might break the unsettling quiet. The soft rustle of pages turning on their own, the occasional creak of ancient wood, and the hushed whispers of a draft carried an eerie symphony that echoed through the chamber.
Her acute senses caught a peculiar sensation—a subtle shift in the ambient magic lingering in the corner of the room. It was as if the very air hummed with an unsettling energy, a faint vibration that resonated through the atmosphere and set her intuition on edge.
Celestia's horn radiated a soft glow as she channeled a magical pulse through the room, dispersing any enchantments that dared to resist. Her attention shifted to a subtle flicker of light in the corner, where a cloak of invisibility melted away like morning mist, unveiling Sunset Shimmer immersed in her clandestine reading, illuminated solely by the gentle radiance of her own hornlight.
Startled, Sunset sat up abruptly, her eyes widening in surprise as her clever ruse unraveled before Princess Celestia's discerning gaze. The stern expression on Celestia's face intensified as she fixed her daughter with a glare. "I thought I made myself abundantly clear," Celestia's voice resonated with a mixture of disappointment and authority. "You are banned from all libraries in the castle, and that includes my own."
Sunset pursed her lips defiantly, meeting Celestia's stern gaze with a hint of audacity. "I understood perfectly," she retorted, her tone carrying a smirk, "I just saw no value in what you had to say Celestia." The air between them crackled with tension as the unspoken challenge hung in the library's dimly lit atmosphere.
Celestia's eyes widened, the controlled composure that usually defined her demeanor shredded by the onslaught of rage. "I don't let nobles, foreign rulers, or even demi-gods speak to me in such a manner," she growled, the authority in her voice cutting through the air like a blade. "What makes you think that you can speak to me like that?" The gravity of her words hung heavily in the tense silence that followed, as if challenging Sunset to reconsider her audacious stance.
Unperturbed, Sunset remained determined to express her perspective. "I'm done with school; there's no point, and we both know it. Any test that measures my magical strength is obliterated, and I know more than my teachers." She paused deliberately, casting a sidelong glance at Celestia. "All my teachers" she declared, her gaze pointedly fixed on Celestia, "so there is no point in continuing." The air crackled with Sunset's assertion, challenging the established norms and expectations.
With a sudden flash of light, both ponies' horns ignited in unison, casting an ethereal glow across the library as they locked eyes in an intense standoff. "I'm warning you, Sunset," Celestia declared, her voice a blend of authority and restrained anger, "as your princess, that you will stop this behavior and start to fly right, or there will be serious consequences." The air seemed to hum with the weight of the impending decision, the emotional tension as palpable as the powerful magic surging in library.
"Or what, Celestia?" Sunset challenged poignantly. "You'll banish me to the moon like your sister?" The words hung heavily in the air, causing Celestia to pause. Her anger retreated, replaced by shock at Sunset's knowledge. "Yes, I know all about your sister," Sunset continued, her tone firm. "Anything about her existence was hidden in restricted books around the castle. The only things publicly available that even remotely mention her are books labeled as myths and fairy tales." Sunset's revelation added an unexpected layer to the confrontation, leaving Celestia momentarily at a loss for words.
Celestia shook her head, "I didn't want to banish her, I was forced to when..."
"When her ascension was corrupted, that's not my issue, I understand that the banishment was necessary," Sunset stated, taking a deep breath before continuing. "My problem is that any time you have an emotion you can't deal with, you bury it." The weight of Sunset's words hung in the air as Celestia absorbed the accusation. "When your sister was banished, you buried the truth. When your children died, you buried their existence in the library's restricted section." Celestia's expression shifted from shock to a mixture of guilt and discomfort. "When you bury me in the ground one day," Sunset's tone turned stern, "will I just be another footnote in a book that nopony will ever read?" The question lingered, challenging the very core of Celestia's actions and decisions, leaving a heavy silence between them.
Celestia's jaw dropped. No other pony knew exactly where to strike to inflict such a deep emotional wound, and she fought back tears as she grappled with the weight of Sunset's words. "All I have wanted was for you to make connections with others that I can't," she confessed, her voice strained with emotion. A couple of hot tears streamed down her face, betraying the vulnerability beneath her regal exterior. The library, once a haven of knowledge, now witnessed a poignant exchange between a princess burdened by her past and a fiery spirit yearning for understanding.
"I'm the only family you have, and you won't open up to me at all," Sunset asserted, her gaze briefly dropping as she gathered her thoughts. After a moment, she lifted her eyes, locking a determined gaze onto Celestia's face. "Who are you to lecture me about forming bonds with others when you don't even have any friends!" She yelled, her rage swelled within her as her horn came to a bright glow.
Sunset locked eyes with the defeated Celestia before allowing a surge of energy to burst through her horn. She directed the magical energy toward a nearby bookshelf, and with a powerful blast, papers flew through the air accompanied by splinters of wood. Her frustration and anger echoed in each destructive release of magic. She continued her outburst, targeting another bookshelf and obliterating its contents, the force of the magical explosion sending more debris into the air. Each subsequent bookshelf became a casualty to her unleashed power, the once-orderly rows of knowledge now scattered and destroyed in the wake of Sunset's emotional turmoil.
Celestia watched in shock, her body frozen in place as she witnessed the destruction unfold before her. "Those books are rare and ancient, Sunset," she said softly, her voice tinged with bewilderment at the destructive ability displayed by her daughter.
Sunset tapped her forehead with her hoof. "It's all up here; I've memorized every book in this castle. Don't worry, Celestia, you'll find more books that you'll never read," she said with a hint of malice in her voice.
I don't have anything else to learn here. Sunset turned to walk towards the exit. "Don't follow me Celestia. If we're being honest I don't think you have enough power to stop me if you wanted to." Sunset said solemnly as she exited the room, leaving Celestia by herself, the weight of their conversation still hanging in the air.