//------------------------------// // Sunset begins // Story: Sonata of Sunset // by ebilly99 //------------------------------// She walked slowly through the halls of Canterlot; her aged body felt like a million needles pressing against her bones as every step brought her closer to the interview. She looked through the double sided mirror to the newest student. Praised as she was, Celestia worried that it was just another student, nothing of importance. She gasped as she felt the aura that surrounded her, it lifting the hair on her back as though an electrical storm passed overhead. So engrossed with the new student the hoof steps of Civel Servant were silent to her until he was nearly upon the princess. “My Princess, I hope you find her potential as exciting as I did. She is rough, and I know she doesn’t bare the mark of Friendship but.” “But she is what we have.” Celestia finished his sentence for him as she walked with him to the treasury. “You are right though Civel, I can not live forever. I may not even live to see this one finish her studies. I can no longer wait for the hope of the true element to appear. I think it is time for the test.” Using her magic, the doors to the treasury open, inside the treasure of all Equestira shimmer in all their glory. “All this can not add one day to my life, but perhaps it can add to the age of the empire.” She pauses in front of crystal heart, memories flooding back of the battle. Twenty years ago the impossible happened. The lost crystal empire arose from the snow of the frozen north, and with it a shadow of evil followed it. With no Princess to protect this innocent land Celestia herself stepped forth to oppose the great evil. “Sombra, you must stop this. If you continue harassing this city I will have to stop you.” The black unicorn simply ignored her as he continued his way towards the Crystal Empire. His eyes set on his former throne, and his seat of power. As he entered the city Celestia flew in front of the beast like king and fired a wave of magic. Sombra retaliated with his own. Celestia shook her head, returning to the present, putting down the heart it reflected her chipped horn to her. "It looks like in a small way you did win Sombra; you took the one thing that I had hoped to see in my long life." She whispers into the silent room, the noise being absorbed into the treasures that gleamed in front of her. Stepping away from the heart she heads to the real treasure. The egg remains silent, as if just another gem in her endless hall of treasure, but inside laid a creature that slept for centuries. She lifted it and gently wiped the small amount of dust off of it. “I am sorry little one; your master must be another.” She rocks the egg like a baby then gently puts it on her back, holding it with her wings. "Please protect your master; she is the most important hope for the kingdom." The young filly was not ready for what she saw in front of her. She knew that there was going to be some real pressure getting into a magical school in Canterlot, but to have to stand in front of the Princess herself made her knees buckle underneath her. Sweat Flooded her face as she began her spell, a simple age spell would allow a dragon egg to hatch in seconds instead of days. Her horn glows a powerful cyan color but the egg refused to change. Gritting her teeth she forces more mana to pump through her horn, aging the wood years at a time. Exhausted she looks over the egg and sees it unchanged, as whole as it ever was. Tears flow as she hugs the egg, upset at her own failure to even change the egg one bit. “I am so sorry little one, I tried.” Running to Celestia she squeezes past the guards to her. “Please I couldn’t do it. I am so sorry.” She holds onto Celestia’s front hoof sobbing. “It’s not fair; because of me he will never hatch. I know I messed up but please hatch him.” She begs, not for herself but for the life of another. As activating a power she had not known Sunsets horn begins to glow, radiating energy to a now shacking egg. Sunset looks on at the egg in awe but also in fear, squeezing the leg of the princess tight. “Oh no, what am I doing.” shocked at the newfound and terrifying power she looks up to see a smiling Princess. “Be not afraid little one, you have shown true friendship today, caring about the life of another before the success of yourself. I do believe that is a passing score.” she smiles at the little filly. “Wait does that mean I get to go to the magic university.” Her smile breaks as she looks up as Celestia shaking her head. “What, I-I thought I passed.” She asks confused. “Little one, you are going to be training under me personally. You show much more promise than you can imagine.” The princess puts her wing around her new student. “I think you have a new little friend here, but he is lacking something very important.” She walks sunset to her new dragon friend. “I do believe that a mother should name her child.” “Spike,” she says squeezing the dragon in a hug, “but not my child, my brother. I may have hatched him, but I am not any better than him. If I am really his friend that we need to be equals.” She looks up to see a smiling Princess. “Sunset I do believe that you will be a great unicorn someday, but I know you will be a great friend” She smiles leading Sunset and baby spike to their new room. “As my student anything you will ever need will be available to you. Never hesitate to ask for anything you may need.” The morning came early, and for the little filly it was a sudden change from what she had been used to in her normal training. Instead of the order that came with normal education she awoke to the princess herself. A classroom would never be seen as Celestia took her from one location to another, more as a mother would take their child. There first stop would be a location that sunset would have to visit quite often, the Royal library. Most of the first day would remain here. But never a lesson was taught. Instead Celestia showed her the thousands of thousands of scrolls and let Sunset chose book after book to read. As the hours weaned on, Celestia peered out the window at the sun, as it slowly set. “Sunset is you ready for your first lesson.” She smiled leading the unicorn up to the heights of the Library tower. Reaching the top Celestia looked down at Sunset Shimmer. “Sunset do you know why I choose you.” She asked looking down at the little filly. She looks up at her teacher a little surprised. “I thought you chose me for my kindness and magical power.” “Yes, that is correct my little one, but do you know why I am looking for a student.” She looks up in the sky, her horn glowing as she strains to raise the moon, “It is because I am training my replacement. Sunset I want you to know that this training will be the hardest thing you will ever do in your entire life. I will push you beyond your known limits and force you to make choices that no pony should ever have to make. I do not do this because I am mean or because I enjoy doing it.” She coughs, blood coating her Tissue. It is because I will not be here forever. As the moon hangs in the sky Celestia looks up at it, both fear and regret filling her heart. “In twenty years an evil will walk this world. I fear that by this time I will…” She looks away, hiding the tears in her eyes. “I will not be able to fight it. I need a strong mare to stand up to the threat.” She wipes the tears from her eyes. Tomorrow we will begin your training in earnest. We will be heading to the Ghastly Gorge, so read those books of yours for any spells, you will need them.” She smiles as she spreads her wings. Catching a gust of air she rides it back to her room leaving Sunset alone at the tower. And thus began Sunsets training, never a book or lecture, only the real world. She was forced to teach herself as lessons arose, the library becoming a second home to her. However she never let her studies interrupt her time with her brother, teaching him the simpler spells and history of equestira when she was not learning the more complex lessons she needed to survive the training she endured. As soon as he was old enough she took him with her on the training, Spike would not be some pet to sit at home while she became stronger. As the years went forward the siblings surpassed their teacher’s expectation. As she looked at the two, it was evident that is was time to complete the lessons. “Sunset I need to talk to you; I think it’s time for your final lesson.” She leads the now Teenage mare to a large map of Equestria. “I know we have traveled quite far into Equestria, but I always told you never to enter the Everfree forest. It is not because it is the most dangerous place; you are strong enough to defend yourself from anything there." Night falls and Sunset arrives at the forest, her teacher already there waiting. As they enter the forest it is unnaturally quite. Heading deeper into the dark woods they enter a clearing. “The castle, but that.s.” Sunset gasps looking at the ancient building. “That’s where you fought Nightmare Moon.” She looks up at Celestia. “Yes my student, and it is also the location of the final gift as a student.” She leads sunset inside, up to the top of the tower. “Behold Sunset” Celestia uses her magic to raise a monument containing 6 orbs. “Sunset, I give you the elements of harmony."