Sunny's Days

by Anzel


7. Push It To The Limit

Fire. Yup, the classroom was on fire. At least parts of it were. Namely the lectern and one side of the instructor's desk. And the piece of wood I was working on? Incinerated. Nothing but ash.

I just stared wide-eyed while Princess Celestia calmly encircled the flames with her magic and then somehow created a little rainstorm within the bubbles. It was all over in a matter of seconds.

“I’m so sorry, Princess! I didn’t mean to! I was just focusing so hard,” I stammered.

The alicorn softly shook her head. “There is no reason to apologize. These things happen. Although perhaps from now on, we should continue these lessons in one of the warded rooms. I honestly didn’t foresee that burst of power. I think you’ve reached a new level, Sunny. Do you feel alright?”

Did I feel alright? I felt awful! My nose wrinkled up. “A new level of destructiveness? Yay! I’m so thrilled. I… am talking sarcastically to the ruler of all ponies. Totally inappropriate, I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated.”

Princess Celestia smiled at me. “I know you are. It is a dedicated pony, however, that goes on. You did not wish to learn more about fire magic and yet you persist to understand your power.”

“No, Princess, that isn’t accurate. I persist because you’re nice to me and I like spending time with you. I really don’t want to be this good at setting things on fire. I just… well, I said it, I like you. I wish I could be more like Twilight Sparkle, though. She’s good at everything.”

The princess cleared her throat. “Not everything…”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Twilight Sparkle is good at studying and practicing. She’s excellent with her magic, but she is shy and socially unprepared. She could certainly never speak sarcastically in front of the ruler of all ponies. She does not make others laugh. Everypony is different, Sunny. It is clear that other major magics are not for you. Who can say why?”

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it, does it?”

Princess Celestia shook her head. “No, it does not. Although it does mean you’ll have to accept it sooner or later. And, if you like, you can be very good at it or not. That is up to you. To understand what you don’t want or to be ignorant of it. In either case, I am glad a power like this fell to a pony like you.”

A pony like me? What did that mean? “I don’t understand. Why?”

“You have immense destructive power and don’t want it. Imagine what sort of pony you might be if you did. Perhaps your powers will someday be needed. Perhaps they won’t. In either case, the pony that seeks power is one to be feared. I have lost more than one student to the call of arrogance and desire.”

That actually made sense. Why not give the power to a pony that didn’t want it. I’d use it responsibly or not at all. Although the idea of it being needed someday was silly. There was no such thing as fate and destiny. It was all just random chance.

We stood together in silence, looking over the burnt desk and lectern. With a tentative grin, I asked, “Do I have to pay for this?”

“Yes,” she replied flatly.

“Aww, really?”

“No, but let’s get out of here before Apple Polish figures out it was us.”

“Princess, you’re so sill—” She was already out of the door and halfway down the hall. She was already halfway down the hall!

I looked around and quickly galloped out after her.

I stopped by the Mare Contraire on my way home from the fire… I mean school. My hooves were dragging as I let myself in through the back door. It wasn’t because I was down about the mishap, either. It was like I was completely drained. I’d been fine and then suddenly I felt exhausted.

Magic wore unicorns out in general. I guess powerful magic wore them out more. It brought to mind a lecture Apple Polish had given in my first year. She had said something about energy in versus energy out. Either way, I guess reaching a new level, as the princess had put it, had me half asleep.

The break room was dark so I went over to the water cooler, filled up a cup, and grabbed some crackers before heading to the couch. I just needed something… something to… to—

Somepony was shaking me. How had they snuck up on me?

“Sunny? Sunny, are you okay?”

My vision was blurry but I was pretty sure it was Dolly. When had she come into the room? “Yeah, just need some crackers,” I mumbled.

“Sweetie, are you hurt? Can you stand up?”

Why did she sound so worried? Was I hurt? I was just laying down on the couch… wait, where was the couch? Why was I on the floor? Was I lying in water? Please say it was water. It smelled like water.

Oh thank Celestia, I had spilled my cup. “I think so.” I stood up while Dolly and Emerald helped me. Evidently Emerald was there, too.

“What happened?” I asked.

Dolly shook her head. “I don’t know. Emerald came back here and found you passed out on the floor. She couldn’t get you to wake up so she came and got me. I think we need to get you to the hospital.”

Softly, I waved my hoof. My vision was clearing and the fog that seemed to be filling my head was lifting. “No, I’m okay. I did some serious magic today at school. I think it’s just that. Like running too much or trying to talk three other ponies into bed.”

Emerald smirked. “I guess she’s okay. She’s starting to sound normal again.”

Dolly didn’t seem convinced. She helped me over to the couch and settled me on it herself. “I don’t know. I mean… yeah, I can see getting tired from using magic but to pass out? I’ve never passed out.” Her horn lit up to get me a fresh cup of water. She levitated it to me along with some crackers.

I accepted both and started to munch on the snack. They were, without a doubt, the best crackers I’d ever had. The water, too. I didn’t realize I was so thirsty or hungry.

“Easy, Sunny, you don’t have to swallow them whole. We’ve got plenty,” Dolly said before looking sideways at Emerald.

Emerald shrugged. “Sorry, Dolly, you could tell me magic can transform a toothpick into a taco and I’d believe it. I’ve got wings, not a horn. She looks okay but we should probably get her checked out.”

“I’ll be okay, really. I just need to rest. I’ll talk to my mentor tomorrow and see what she thinks. I’m feeling better though.” I wrapped the box of crackers in my magic and started to pull it towards me. Halfway across the room the levitation spell gave out and the thing fell.

Dolly’s horn light up and caught them before they hit the floor. She brought them the rest of the way. “Well… whatever it is, I think you should lay off your horn for the night, okay? Now you stay on that couch. I’ll be back to check on you in a little bit.”

“Okay,” I said before I wrapped my hooves around the crackers and started stuffing them in my mouth. They were amazing. Emerald filled up several cups of water and sat them on the end table next to the couch.

Dolly gave me one more look before heading back up front. I’d be fine. I just needed to eat, drink, and nap a little before work. I had a few hours anyway to rest up.

The Mare Contraire had been pretty quiet, which wasn’t a surprise. Wednesday nights aren’t exactly the high time for going out for working ponies. I understood that now. Which meant I didn’t feel too guilty when Dolly sent me home after I fell asleep on the soda fountain for the second time.

That is when I found out I had sick days. Of course, according to her, she got to decide when I was sick. I’m not sure the law would agree but I wasn’t going to argue. Plus, I really did need to get some more rest.

One of the things I quickly learned once I moved in with Diddle and Dilly was that they were both out a lot. That usually meant I had the apartment to myself before work and, when I got home, they were usually asleep.

I’d thought that tonight was going to be different because I was home early but I guess not. Nopony was home. Which was okay because I’d cooked rice and carrots for three and ate it all. Energy out, energy in. I really needed to talk to Apple Polish.

There was a rattle of keys outside the door. Somepony was home. The door opened and Dilly Dally wandered in. It was the first time I’d seen him in a while. He was always so career focused. He was also adorable.

Diddle and Dilly were twins but they were quite the opposite in many ways. Dilly’s coat was silver like Diddle’s mane and tail while his were purple like her coat.

Then there were personality differences. Dilly worked hard and Diddle hardly worked! Not that I could be a judge of that. Diddle was also more outgoing.

Of course, they both had the biggest, most brilliant blue eyes. They always got my attention with those.

They were both svelte and petite, too. Dilly was a bit bigger but, as far as stallions went, he was on the smaller size. It made them both so cute.

“Hi there!” I chimed from my spot on the couch.

Dilly’s tail swished and he replied, “Hey, Sunny. No work tonight?”

I shook my head. “Nope, evidently I overdid it at school and Dolly sent me home for a sick day.”

“Aww, that is too bad. Do you feel okay? Can I get you anything?”

He was so sweet and considerate. It was no wonder mares kept grabbing him off the street and pulling him into their houses. Dilly was your all-around good, wholesome stallion. “Oh, no. I’m totally fine now. I took a couple of naps, made dinner, and ate it. I technically made dinner for you, too, but I ate it. Sorry. I’ll make you something else.”

I slipped off the couch but Dilly quickly waved his hooves. “No, no, thank you! You’re sick. I also had dinner with my boss at her house with her eight daughters.”

Eight daughters? She was trying to marry my Dilly off! Well… that was okay. He was the type that would get married and have a ton of foals. “I’m not sick, it was just exhaustion. I’m really fine now. Although I guess if you ate, you ate. Did you escape unmolested?”

Dilly’s cheeks turned bright red and he quickly nodded.

“Good! Out of the frying pan and right into the fire.”

His head tilted. “Huh?”

I was already up so I crossed the room and looped my forehooves around his neck. “I haven’t seen you in a while. We’re all alone, your bed is empty, you’re super cute… do the math, Mr. Weatherpony.”

Dilly’s already flushed face turned even more so. “But… but Sunny, you’re sick! I’d be taking advantage of you!”

It took all of my effort not to laugh. That would have been rude. I rubbed my cheek right up against his and then whispered in his ear, “Not sick. Was exhausted. Now I have energy. If you help me work it out, I can get a good night’s sleep and be ready to face the day tomorrow.”

Then I let him go, teasingly swatted him with my tail, and marched right into his bedroom. Let’s see him say no to that!

“I… uh, if you’re sure… okay!” He trotted quickly behind me and shut the door.

The School for Gifted Unicorns had been my home for years. It had been my goal to move on from it but lately I’d been spending more time than ever there. Today was possibly the worst, too! I had actually made an appointment with Apple Polish and kept it. What was the world coming to!

Apple Polish was in her usual place behind the desk going over some paperwork. I sat in the chair across from her. She was making me wait. It was deserved, though. Celestia knows I’d been late for every appointment we’d ever had.

It was still frustrating. Especially since I had somewhere to be. Strong Wing was going to show me the ropes on volunteering. It was time to move this along.

“I’m living with Diddle and Dilly now. I let my old place go so I could save on rent for a little bit. Plus it makes it really easy for us to have—”

“Stop right there! I assume I’ve made my point.”

“Yes. Your time is valuable and it is rude to make a pony wait. I really need you today, though.”

Her brow raised skeptically.

“No, really!”

“With what?”

I explained the whole situation to her in detail. This wasn’t the sort of thing you kept secret since Dolly may have been right about me needing a doctor. Although in this case a doctor of magic was in order.

Apple Polish sat in her usual stiff way, listening. Once I’d finished she said, “I suspected it was you and the princess that blew up the lecture hall.”

“Oh, well yeah. Then she ran off.”

“She is prone to doing that, yes. I think she finds it funny. I don’t.”

No surprise there. “Can you help me?”

“Do you not remember your first year magic lectures?”

I wiggled a hoof back and forth.

She sighed. “Burn out. Magical burn out. Ponies might think unicorn magic is endless but it really isn’t. The day-to-day levitation of small objects will no more wear a pony out than walking. The more powerful the spell, however, the more energy you burn. You used some extremely powerful magic and sapped your entire reserve in one go.”

“Is that dangerous?” I asked.

Apple Polish shook her head. “Not inherently. You’ll just end up crashing like you did. The real danger is if you can’t eat, drink, or sleep afterwards. Then, of course, there is the risk of being in a bad situation after burning up all your energy. For instance, if you were fighting a pack of timberwolves and burned out on one, you’d be in serious trouble.”

Fighting a pack of timberwolves? Seriously? Did ponies do that sort of thing? “I’ll make a note of that. How do I avoid burning out?”

“Exercise. Lots of exercise. Magical exercise is, in some ways, like physical exercise. Pegasi fly to make their wings stronger. Earth ponies lift to build their muscles. Keep practicing the spells. Over and over. You hit a new level and burned out. Next time it won’t be so bad.”

“Is there any way to know?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Not at first and certainly not from the outside looking in. I’ve never met one unicorn that could look at another and know when they’d hit their limit. Eventually, now that you’ve hit that point, you’ll feel it inside. Sunny, you’re starting to really know your magic now. This is what I was trying to get you to. If you burnt out, you’re going to find your limit soon.”

“And when I hit my limit I’m done?”

Apple Polish shrugged. “In my mind we’re never done. That is just when the work gets extremely hard. The gains are smaller. You may shift from power to control. From control to precision. It is hard to say. At any rate, you need to be careful. I’m sure Princess Celestia will be more so now that you hit that point.”

Limits. I would hit my limit and that was okay. I couldn’t imagine any more power. I could already do some really nasty things with my magic. I clearly had no talent for any other kinds of spells, anyway. “Alright, so assuming I keep going, what is your advice to avoid passing out at work after training?”

“Just treat yourself right. Get plenty of rest before and after practice. Eat more if you think you’re going to be pushing yourself that hard again.”

“Okay, thank you for taking the time to explain it. Anyway, I need to go. I’m doing this volunteer thing where we visit elderly ponies. I’ll see you later, sorry about the classroom and the fire!”

Apple Polish seemed surprised. She stood and nodded. “It is okay, Sunny. Enjoy your volunteer work.”

“Will do! See you later.”

Now it was off to find Strong Wing and do our thing! Dolly had given me the evening off because she said volunteerism was very important and should be encouraged. That sounded good to me.

Strong Wing and I trotted through Canterlot on our way to a neighborhood near where my old student housing had been. It was cheaper to live there so it was no surprise that a lot of the elderly ponies did.

Helping Hooves was a pretty cool program. Strong had told me all about it. Basically we did yard work, chores, and then just spent time with the elderly. That seemed like a good idea.

“I think you’ll like Mrs. Peaches. She’s quite a pony. She ran an orchard for years before she retired here.”

“What about Mr. Peaches? Was there a Mr. Peaches or a Mrs. Peaches II the Peachening?” I asked.

The stallion shook his head. “Mr. Peaches. He passed a few years back. Mrs. Peaches wants to stay in their home but it is getting harder and harder for her to do so. We try to get a pony out every single day for her. Her children come by a lot, too, but they still live further than they’d like. She won’t give up the house and they don’t want to make her.”

I nodded and made a note not to talk about Mr. Peaches. I understood how her kids felt, though. My mom and I were really far apart. Thankfully she wasn’t that much older than most ponies. She’d be fine for a long time.

“Here we are,” Strong said, motioning to the cutest little cottage I’d ever seen. It was one story and sat nestled between two far newer apartment buildings. The walls were white stucco and there was a lot of woodwork that went with it.

The door was peach colored and opened out into a little garden. Mrs. Peaches had her own tiny green space right in front of her house!

“Today we’re going to do her windows, sweep the floor, and dust. The yard is fine,” Strong said before going to the door and lifting a hoof to knock.

It opened immediately, revealing an elderly earth pony mare. Maybe the oldest one I’d ever seen. Her coat was, unsurprisingly, peach colored. Her mane was as gray and wispy as could be. A huge set of thick lensed glasses sat on her snout. She grinned and said, “Hello there, Strong, right on time like usual.” She then looked past him. “Aww, you brought your little marefriend. She’s so pretty! Good for you!”

Strong Wing softly cleared his throat. “No, ma’am, this is Sunny Day. She’s a new volunteer. I wanted her to come and meet you. I thought you’d like her.”

“Oh, well she looks like my youngest daughter. Other than being a unicorn. Is she single? Maybe you should ask her out. You never asked Peachy out and she went and got herself married to that simpleton,” the mare said before stepping out of the way. “Well, come in out of the elements you two!”

I tried not to laugh, but I did giggle. Strong looked super uncomfortable as we crossed the threshold into the little cottage.

It was adorable and well loved. Every wall was covered in pictures from a lifetime well lived. Young Mrs. Peaches, adult Mrs. Peaches with what I assumed was Mr. Peaches, their foals, their grandfoals, and maybe great-grandfoals.

There was minimal furniture. A couch, an old rocking chair, a kitchen table and a few chairs, and things like that. Also a door into what I guessed was the only bedroom.

“It is so nice to meet you, Sunny Day,” Mrs. Peaches said, offering her hoof.

I took it and shook. She had quite the grip! “Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Peaches! Your home is beautiful.”

“You can call me Peaches and thank you. So are you single? You know Strong needs a nice mare to settle him down.”

Strong Wing was already in the small closet next to the kitchen pulling out brooms, pans, and dusters. He was pretending not to hear.

“Oh, yes, ma’am. I’m single. I’m a little young to get married, though.”

Peaches waved a hoof at me. Well, she tried. She didn’t get it high enough. “Nonsense! I’d already been married and had my first daughter by your age. Besides, you want to find a mate while you look your best. Lock them in and get to know them! Looks fade, personality is forever.”

I snickered and then started giggling. “Yes, ma’am,” I replied before reaching out with my magic and levitating a duster towards me. I went about dusting.

“Are you a royal guard, Sunny Day?” Peaches asked.

“No, ma’am, I’m a student. I got to the School for Gifted Unicorns. I’m also a junior apprentice sodajerk.” The duster flew to the other side of the room and carefully teased the tops of the pictures.

Peaches peered at me. “What is a junior apprentice sodajerk?”

“I don’t know!” I admitted and laughed. “That is my job title. I just make fizzy drinks.”

Peaches laughed too and made her way over to the rocking chair. She settled into it and shook her head. “The world sure got complicated. It used to be there was just sodajerks. That was it! I didn’t know it was a career path.”

Strong Wing swept around the cottage, working the minimal dust into a neat little pile. “Me either,” he said.

“Well, if you’d just marry her already she could quit,” Peaches said.

Oh, I was most certainly going to like Mrs. Peaches.

“She isn’t my fillyfriend, Mrs. Peaches.”

“Oh? That’s a shame. You’re doing a lovely job today. Of course you always do. Peachy is coming up tomorrow. You should come visit.”

Strong Wing looked my way and then shrugged. “But she’s already married.”

“Oh, come on, her husband is so dull he wouldn’t even notice. You know ponies can get divorced. She might not even need to!”

I lost it. I just started laughing at that point. The look on Strong Wing’s face was priceless. Dusting got to be very difficult at that point but I kept it up.

“I… uh… I have duty tomorrow, Mrs. Peaches. I’m sorry. Give my regards to Peachy.”

“Sure, sure. Sunny Day, why don’t you come over here a minute? You can dust later. They just dusted yesterday anyway.”

I glanced over at Strong. He nodded back so I did as she asked. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Oh, I just wanted to look at you a minute. You really do look like Peachy. I mean, she’s a little older but it is uncanny. Maybe that is why Strong brought you. You know he was sweet on her. They were just worlds apart.”

“I didn’t know that. I actually don’t know a lot about him. I’m good friends with his roommate.”

Mrs. Peaches lit right up. “You know Melody? Now that is a sweet girl! I thought the two of them were together but Melody likes mares. You know how it is. How is Melody? I haven’t seen her for a spell! What is she up to?”

“Oh, well she is pretty good. She got a little hurt doing her job. She’s been in the hospital.”

“Hospital! My goodness. Sunny Day, get my coat this instant. If that filly is in the hospital I’m going to see her.”

Strong’s eyes were wide. “Now, Mrs. Peaches…”

“No, sir, we’re going. Enough cleaning. Sunny Day, please get my coat.”

I blinked and wondered if I’d just screwed up. I did as she asked, though. It wasn’t too hard to find her coat in the little cottage. We got her dressed and then headed for the hospital.