Sunset, Sunrise

by Pwincess

Flashback I

Ten Years Before

I sniffed, still clutching the rather emotional and dramatic book. I was so interested in the book that I noticed not that the picture of regality, the majestic Princess Celestia, enter. She held her beautiful, streamlined wings away from her body as she did so. She pulled her head to my book, read the front, nodded and smiled.
"The Changeling Prince. A very sorrowful and tragic fictional work of art." I let my sparkling, turquoise eyes pull from the book and look at her lilac one's.

"I know. I've read it before. I've been wanting to ask you something for a while now."

"Go ahead."

"What is in the 'Forbidden Wing' of the library?"

"In time, you will know."

"One more thing. I found this book about a... Mare In The Moon?" I could hardly notice the princess hang her head in response to those four words, that phrase, and when she did, and I couldn't care any less.

"Once again... In time, you will know." Rivers of tears streamed down my mentor' eyes, whom levitated a tissue to them.

"I didn't mean to-"

"I know..." She quickly wiped her eyes and pulled on her mask of pure glee.

"Good, What's the Mare In The Moon?" I asked in annoyance.

"You are not ready to know." She stamped her her hoof down onto the carpet, speaking firmly, "Do not be arrogant. Now, if that is all, I shall go. Have a nice day, Sunset Shimmer."

I growled under my breath at her, turning away. I scanned the book, and realised the leather book had a page torn. What was it she needed to hide from me until I was so called 'ready', and ready for what? I thrusted the book away and reached out for 'The Changeling Prince' and continued from my last paused.

~~~
My horn glowed with a bright, blazing aura, and a little egg with red and orange marking upon it glided towards me. I dragged a book towards me as I rotated it.
"A Phoenix will hatch in a maximum of a century. The signs that they will leave the egg can be when the egg begins to reach one hundred degrees in temperature or the egg suddenly emits a bright light." I read, turning to the Phoenix egg and shaking my head. I trotted to the basket with the tiny egg and placed it gently and carefully onto the blankets.

That night, my room reached a terribly hot temperature. I tossed and turn, but the beads of sweat that plummeted down from my forehead were like bombs. It was too hot, then, all of a sudden a current of light grew from the basket. I was completely certain I was blind, for everything went dark for a few minutes. When the lighting went back to normal, I galloped to check on the egg. I saw a pair of black eyes stare back at me for a second, then a tiny flap of wings. I used an Enlightening Spell to allow my horn to give off light like a torch. Sure enough, there was a baby Phoenix chick laying inside. It gave off a happy chirp and climbed up my hoof and onto my shoulder, soon my back.

I cantered as fast as I could to Celestia's chambers and threw myself on the door. "Sunset Shimmer? What is it?"

"Princess! Philomena's egg has hatched!" I showed her the little Phoenix, and the Princess smiled.

"It's beautiful! What's his name?"

"I get to name him?"

"Of course! I gave him to you years ago, and you took care of him and nurtured him so you should name him."

"Okay then... How about Solis Finis?"

"Pardon?"

"Solis Finis! It means Sun's End."

"Sunset... Are you challenging me?"

"No! My name is Sunset! When the Sun ends, so I thought..."

"Philomena should name him?" Philomena nodded and pecked at her owner's lips.

"Kiss?" The bird shook it's head, then pointed at a parchment. It drew a smile with a pencil in her beak.

"Beam." The bird bobbed it's head once, and turned to her son. "In that case, welcome to the family, Beam!"

"We'll show you..." I muttered, Beam carefully balanced on my back. "We'll show all of you..."

~~~

"No... NO!" I screamed, my vocal chords being strum like a guitar. I found myself in my new room, when suddenly a tiny creature flew and perched on my window sill. Princess Twilight burst through the door, her horn readying a strong wave of magic.

"What is it?"

"Sorry... Just a nightmare."

"Isn't Luna supposed to protect dreams and make sure none have nightmares?"

"Luna? Like, Vice Principal Luna?"

"No... Like Princess Luna. She raises the moon."

"Right! Celestia told me about this... Luna. I know not of her. In my human world, we have Vice Principal Luna. I always thought she was just some Dimensional error, and doesn't have a pony self in Equestria."

"Oh. No, I'll tell you who Princess Luna is."

"Or perhaps, We should. We know more about ourselves than any other pony, dearest Twilight Sparkle. Let us begin with a greeting. Hello, Sunset Shimmer. Thou Art in the presence of Princess Luna. Some refer to us as 'Lunar Princess' while others "The Night Goddess'. But ye may simply refer to us with a Luna." And so, they began to tell me of what had happened when i was in exile.