The full moon shone bright in the mid-night blue sky. Stars twinkled in beautiful arrays above a white, majestic palace. On a balcony that stretched from the palace was a alicorn. Her coat was white as the moon. Her pink, green, and blue mane was infused with magic, enabling it to float around her and her wings. The same was true with her tail. She was dressed in royal jewelry reserved for her kind, such as a ring around her horn and a large gold collar.
Most importantly though was her slim gold crown. At first glance it seemed weightless. But upon her head, it was heavy. The alicorn looked up at the sky with her purple eyes, royal-looking even in the twilight. Taking a deep breath she channeled her power through her long, white horn. It began to glow and sparkle. A beam of light shot from her horn and toward the moon.
Pulling back ever so slightly she directed a clear path for the moon, and used her magic to move the moon in that path. After the moon had progressed a couple of spaces she relaxed. The beam of light vanished and the glow dimmed itself out. She had to do this every few hours. Her magic kept the moon moving, but it always needed a push. Hearing a sigh she turned her head. A yellow unicorn filly with a flaming red and orange mane was staring at her with obvious envy.
“Is there something wrong, Sunset Shimmer?”, the alicorn asked, moving a few hoof steps forward.
Sunset Shimmer sighed again and shook her head. “No”, she faltered, “Well, yes well.... I'm just wishing I could be a princess like you Princess Celestia, faster.” Sunset Shimmer looked at her with her turquoise pleading eyes, and a trembling lower lip that only fillies and foals could accomplish.“Is there a faster way?”
A sad smile spread across Princess Celestia's face as she extended a white wing toward Sunset Shimmer and pulled her closer.“I'm afraid not, my student. The only way is long and hard. But do not fret. What have I told you before?”
Sunset Shimmer hung her head, and replied “Friendship is magic.”
Princess Celestia looked at her closer, “Are you struggling with the task I gave you, my student?”
Sunset Shimmer frowned, and slowly nodded. “Yes, I guess so. Other Canterlot fillies and foals just don't want to be friends with me. The other students already have friends, and are not interested in being friends with me.”
Princess Celestia gazed at her with questions in her purple, regal eyes. “Have these fillies and foals told you this? Or, have you come up with this on your own?”
Sunset Shimmer just gave another sigh. Then she answered. “I came up with it. I'm sorry Princess Celestia, it's just so hard to overcome my shyness.”
Princess Celestia chewed her upper lip in thought. “How am I supposed to give advice to her on overcoming shyness when I was never allowed to struggle with it as a filly? If I did feel its claws, I had to ignore it because a soon-to-be princess can not ask her subjects about matters such as those. Soon, I could no longer feel its grip. My sister, Luna, had a different tale. With myself as the one to speak the most often, Luna never needed to make a speech. Well, except for that one time when I had a bad head cold and Luna had to fill the royal duties. Too bad for Luna as she had to make a speech to the orphanage caretakers. She had tried in front of the palace staff, and choked. We sent the royal adviser instead. Ever since, Luna, who before had been the shy one, practiced in front of a mirror so that if the time came she could fulfill the royal duties. She could have given the filly the proper advice.”
“Luna...”, Celestia looked at the moon once more, this time searching for the faint shadow that was upon it. Tears formed in her eyes, ones she quickly blinked away.
She bent her head down and thought on the matter at hoof. Luna had practiced for speeches at a mirror. Maybe, Sunset Shimmer could do likewise to learn speaking to other fillies and foals? Princess Celestia turned to Sunset Shimmer once more.
“Sunset Shimmer, maybe you should try and talk to mirrors for practice. Perhaps it would help you in your task.”
Sunset Shimmer looked at her with eyes filled with sudden hope, “I'll go and try right now!”
Turning to the balcony’s doorway, the filly bounded toward the nearest mirror. Princess Celestia smiled at the retreating figure, and turned her head to the night sky once again.
“Goodnight, my dear sister.”