//------------------------------// // Year 2 - part 2 // Story: The Sun and I // by Ghostfriendly //------------------------------// In her next lesson with Celestia, Twilight’s horn produced only spluttering lights and bad smells. When asked, she hastily denied that anything was troubling her. “Twilight, your Gift is unmatched in strength, but you have yet to learn control. You must bridle your emotions, or another Power Surge may be the consequence.” Twilight was aware that the Surge in her entrance exam had turned her parents into potplants, and could’ve scrambled her brain if Celestia hadn’t noticed the giant dragon coming through the roof. One more thing to worry about. As months passed, Twilight grew more distraught over Sunset. She didn’t only have dates with Flash–since the Fall Formal, her reputation had revived like the phoenix. A stream of fillies wanted her help with club activities, or simply to laugh with her over doughnuts. Obviously, Sunset was happy, and Twilight was happy for her friend…but there were days when Sunset couldn’t study with her; whole weeks without a proper talk in the evenings. Already, Sunset was planning another study trip before Finals. After that, she would graduation. She might remain at the school, to study with Celestia. Or head out into the world, leaving Twilight friendless, again. Even as midterms drew closer, Twilight found herself bingeing on adventure novels. Lord of The Horseshoe, Wizard of Hoss, Pinto Pan. A vista of dream worlds, within the school’s ivory walls–as close as she would ever come to Sunset’s life of adventure, unless she could be bolder, stronger, a different pony… -0- -0- Twilight woke in the library; she had fallen asleep over the latest Daring Doo novel. Rain was clattering on the darkened windows, but it was shrill voices that had woken her. “It’s illegal, and it’s wrong!” “What else can I do? It our destiny to be together! There’s nopony else in the world I could ever love!” Twilight felt a pang in her chest. Still half-awake, she whispered Sunset’s name. “How can it be destiny if you need a love potion?” The other unseen pony snapped. “Uhh…” Twilight raised a groggy head, “Can you make a friendship potion?” Two cries fully woke her, as a pair of fillies tumbled from the shadow of a bookcase. Minuette was holding a book, The History of Hearts and Hooves Day, while Lemonhearts had obviously been crying. From her reputation as a colt-crazy airhead, Twilight pegged her as the would-be potioneer. “Twilight Sparkle.” Minuette faced her across the heavy, ink-blackened table, “You seriously can’t tell anypony about this. Lemons isn’t going to do that thing she said, so please. Don’t snitch.” “Oh, definitely not.” Minuette didn’t look any happier, “Um, you must think I’m bound to be a, um, goody four-shoes, but I read Chalet School Fillies and Enid Neighton. Snitching is undoubtedly wrong.” “I loved those books.” Lemonhearts sniffed. “Really? I thought they were kinda wet–anyway, let’s get back to the dorm, Lemons. You’ll feel better with some muffins in you. Best cure for heartache.” “It’s my destiny to live for love,” The yellow pony sobbed, “My Cutie Mark says so.” Ushering her towards the doors, Minuette silently nuzzled her ear. “Two good friends…” Twilight mused. She flicked through the History, to the love potion–or poison–recipe. With those side effects, she was sure not even Lemonhearts would be daft enough to brew it. There was nothing about a friendship potion. Friendship, it seemed, just happened. She turned back to her book, where Daring was heading into the labyrinth of the Quetzocoatl Empress–as always, alone. She would still work some astonishing solution, as always, while there was still nothing Twilight could do but read -0- -0- After it was over, while Twilight still felt like a different pony, she asked Starry Flash why he had ever accepted an unseasonal present of ‘punch’ from a blushing filly? He replied that it would have been impolite to refuse. Of course Twilight said how sorry she was, that love poison had wrenched control of his body from him, and treated his pony will as a nothing. Flash had answered that, next to familial expectation, Sunset’s happiness, and his own ideal of courtesy, his own will had never seemed to matter that much. At least he had smiled as he said it. That lunchtime, Twilight had been sat out reading on the lawn, when Sunset dropped by with her meal. She was full of her planned trip to Cloudsdale and the Everfree Forest. Twilight smiled to feel the passion in her voice. “…weather in Everfree is uncontrolled. Clouds move and precipitate by themselves. With a Technique to study the mechanics, and enough raw power; my final presentation will be the Weather Technique to end them all.” “Hmm…to study these weather patterns, won’t you need a statistical analysis?” “Twilight, you know I hate statistics–and you’re absolutely right, that’s what I need. What would I do without you?” “Thanks! Um…where’s Flash? Didn’t you want to have lunch with him?” Sunset sighed, then covered Twilight’s hoof with her own. “Twilight. Flash is smart enough, and very sweet, but I could never talk to him about my final project like this. He doesn’t get magic like you do; he’ll never get me like you do. I’ve told you loads of thing I’ll never tell him. There’s nopony else I could stay up with until three, discussing everything from Haycartes to Jimi Hayricks. Nopony could ever replace you, Twilight. I’m sorry if it seemed like I forgot…pals over Stals, capice?” Twilight wondered if she was swooning, or if it was just the glorious sun, before Snips and Snails burst onto the scene, skidding to a halt before Sunset. “Big news, Miss Shimmer!” “Sorry to disturb you!” “Thought you ought to know!” “Know what?” Sunset snapped. “Starry Flash is in love!” “With Lemons!” “Lemonhearts, doofus, not the vegetable!” “Yeah! He’s in the cafeteria, calling her his huggy-wuggy bunnikins and lovey-wuvy-dovy, ooo, if only some filly would call me her…!” Sunset headed for the scene, with Twilight cantering behind. The cafeteria’s full length windows gave her an excellent view, as Starry Flash expressed the love of his heart, passion of his soul, sole desire of his etcetera etcetera, for Lemonhearts. Twilight guessed the yellow filly hadn’t taken the potion herself, since Flash was preventing her from breaking eye contact by a telekinetic grip. She was either in a lovestruck faint, or a state of shock. Sunset’s nostrils flared like volcanoes. She pawed the grass, then she pounded the grass. Twilight plucked uselessly at her side. Begged her to calm down, or everypony would think worse of her than ever– “She thought she could humiliate me. Oh, Lemons? That is my stallion, YOU MULE-FACED COW!” Fortunately, the window that Sunset propelled her coltfriend through was open, and Flash landed in a large pond outside. Lemonhearts curled up like a pillbug, as Sunset got down to screaming more terms of abuse at her than Twilight had imagined to exist. Trixie guffawed, Snips and Snails applauded, and the rest of the school watched with a fascinated distaste that chilled Twilight’s heart. “That’s enough, Sunset!” Minuette stood up to shield the helpless Lemonhearts, along with her friends Lyra and Twinkleshine, “I know you’re angry, but this is too much!” “I’m angry? Oh, you do not know me angry! I could pull your tail out through your throat, who the ---- do you think you are…!” Barely anything mattered more to Sunset than reputation, Twilight knew. Now she was smashing her own apart in blind fury. She would be a miserable, high-placed outcast again, with nothing but her grades and guitar, and Twilight knew it was her fault. She had known, she could have told somepony about the love poison. Now there was nothing to be done, to save her friend. Nothing. Sunset would find out. Nothing. Her Princess would find out. She was helpless, panicked, screaming… As Sunset telekinetically raised a food tray above Minuette’s head, Twilight began to scream. Her glasses shattered, as light blazed from her eyes, and a ball of lightning lifted her up. The book Twilight had been reading, Pinto Pan, fell from her foreleg. A loud ticking filled the cafeteria. Then the long, scaly head of the dragon that hunted Captain Hookhorn rose from the open page. “Interesting...” As pirates, buffalos and flying foals poured from the book, and students began to shriek, Sunset readied a Barrier Technique. Then fire blossomed from her horn, and lashed out. -0- -0- “Well. That was a lunch hour full of incident. Just remember, Twilight, I won’t always be there to save you.” Horn still smoking, Sunset turned from the wrecked cafeteria to give the dazed Flash a peck on the cheek. Lemonhearts had been clinging to Sunset’s legs since the fire-maned filly had saved her from a phantasmal dragon. While Celestia had quickly appeared and brought Twilight out of her second Surge, she had later confessed to fantasising about a duel with Captain Jaqueline Hookhorn since first reading the book. While golden axe clashed against silver rapier, and the unicorn buccaneer flung about ‘have at thee!’s and ‘bad form!’s, her crew of pirates had ransacked the kitchens and even tried to abduct a few good-looking stallions. While Tiger Lily’s buffaloes had stampeded all over the lawns, Pinto Pan and her Lost Fillies had started a food fight in the cafeteria. A few of them had swooped around the school, upending bins and scrawling graffiti derisive of education on every blackboard. It had been fortunate that fictional characters couldn’t kill a pony, even when incarnated by Gift. Even the dragon had done no worse than scratches and light burns, before Celestia had finally deployed a blanket Cancellation (fortuitously dealing with the love poison as well). Head splitting, but unfried, Twilight looked miserably from the Princess to Minuet, Lyra and Twinkleshine. The unicorn fillies were battered and rather dazed. “I’m sorry, everypony. I didn’t mean…” “That was…” Minuette panted, “…the most amazing Gift accident ever!” “Yeah, it was really exciting!” Lyra chipped in, “Could you do it again, with a Daring Doo book?” “I don’t know…I mean, I love the Daring Doo books, but–” “–who doesn’t!” The three fillies chorused. Then Celestia rested a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, and drew her aside. Twilight’s upturned eyes were dull and helpless. “I’m sorry, Princess. I lost control, I scared everypony...I’m not fit to be your student, or Sunset’s friend.” “You were alone, Twilight. Without a friend to trust in, yet you acted by yourself. I am very proud of you, Twilight…though I am glad you are sorry, and trust you not to let this happen again. I suggest you use more considered means to bring this affair to a close.” “B-bring to a close…?” Celestia glanced at Sunset. Then at Lemonhearts, as her friends all hugged her at once. “Only you can do this, Twilight.” Twilight considered. Then she trotted towards Sunset, who smiled at her winningly. “Hey, Twilight, are you sure you’re okay? Look, everypony’s still confused; if we say Flash and I went crazy because of your Surge, we can sweep my little hissy-fit under the carpet…?” “Okay. If you apologise to Lemonhearts.” “What? After what she did, I’d rather–” “Do you want to go back to how ponies saw you last year? Calm down, and I’ll deal with Lemonhearts. Please. Trust me.” It was like suddenly discovering a superpower, or a geometrical proof. Twilight said what she knew she had to say, and Sunset listened. The fire-maned pony faced Lemonhearts, and shook hooves with her in front of the school. As soon as Twilight could get Lemonhearts and Minuette alone, she told them that they should confess regarding the love poison. “I’ll tell Sunset, if that’s alright, otherwise she’ll only get mad at you again. But you should tell Flash. He deserves to know what happened to him. And I think you should tell Princess Celestia. Anypony who was there might have recognised Flash’s symptoms. Worse case, you could be arrested or expelled. The safest, best course is just to say you’re sorry.” Twilight’s head was light, but her voice was steady. She felt like a different pony entirely. A hundred scenarios of disaster still blared through her brain, but she still spoke, and Minuette finally nodded, yes. Lemonhearts nodded too. Flash was polite, apologetic, and reduced Lemonhearts to tears. Celestia handed down a month’s suspension, and declared the matter ended. Lemonhearts met Twilight outside the throne room, dry-eyed. “I’m sorry–” Twilight began. “It’s okay. I, like, did the wrong thing. Hey, even if I’m suspended, do you want to meet up in town for coffee and donuts with everypony?” “…what for?” “Well, I still don’t have a coltfriend, and my Cutie Mark is three hearts. I think I ought to spend more time with my friends.” As Twilight blinked, a guard called her back to Celestia’s throne room, for another brief word. -0- -0- “SUUNSET!” Resembling a giant ball of energy once again, Twilight bounded into her friend’s room. She shoved a leather-bound book towards Sunset’s face with a grin. “Sunset! The Princess gave me a journal like hers, to send you messages! You could travel into the Everfree Forest, or even to another world, but with this, they’ll never be distance between us again!” “Whoa! Twilight, that’s great.” Sunset clopped both hooves against her friends', “I could send you data, and questions, if I need your research skills.” “YES! And that’s not all. The Princess finally told me, I’ve been helping you already! She told me that it was Tenochtitclan you went to, last winter. She said you were just meant to study some strange carnivorous plants, but you stumbled over a plot by some monster to take control of the entire basin, and penetrated a dangerous labyrinth in the jungle. I thought when Celestia set me that giant research project on the dangers of Tenochtitclan, it was just another project, but I still worked my hardest at it–” “–and I might’ve got poisoned, or eaten or cut in half if you hadn’t.” “Exactly! I was so worried I was just messing around with old books, while you spread your wings and left me behind. Now, I’ve learned how much it matters–everything I do! It might change the fate of Equestria, and I’m only in my second year! I’m so happy to be Princess Celestia’s student–!” “Yeah,” Sunset’s voice was flat as iron, “Her new prize pupil.” Sunset took her hooves away from Twilight’s. Turned away, towards the wall where her battered guitar was leaning. “Sunset! Don’t be like that.” “It was my first mission outside the school. It took Celestia three years, and she hasn’t seen fit to set me another. I’m being stupid. I should be happy for you, even if you’ve found what I’ve lost, and I never had anything else.” “Then I’ve got nothing else. Nopony else, except for you, Sunset. And you’ve got me.” Hesitantly, Twilight rested her head on Sunset’s back. “Thank you…” “Look, if the Princess wants me to support your missions, she'll have to give you missions for me to support. And I’m sure that Celestia trusts you! If she didn’t know you’ve changed, if she hadn’t forgiven you, I’m sure she’d never have kept you on as her student.” Sunset remembered the mirror. Wings rising above her back…the destiny that had replaced her pony heart for a holocaust of proud surety. She recalled the ache behind her eyes, the first time she had attempted a Black Technique. Her furious screams, Celestia’s cold, calm rage. The crunch, as her telekinetic blow struck an ivory cheek. Burning eyes, as the Sun Princess crushed Sunset Shimmer, her own student, under her golden hoof... Twilight loved her Princess. Sunset knew she would lose Twilight forever, if her best friend ever found out the truth.