Atychiphobia

by Ice Star

Blank Flank

dear diary

my roommate is never around and that's okay
her name is garden wishes and she stays inside all day
her cutie mark is a magic flower
and as a blank flank we have
nothing to say to each other
even if we are in the same grade
and the same age
i have never said more
than thirty words to her in the three months
she has been my roommate

your friend

sunset shimmer

---

dear diary

i am on the princess roll
that means i have some of the bestest most amazing grades
everypony is so jealous and they look at me
like i am their queen
and that's almost enough

i write to grandmother once a week

your friend

sunset shimmer

---

dear diary

we never actually see Princess Celestia
the Sun only stays in Her house
and Her city is paved with whispers of Her
and Her image
because i have never actually seen Her

except on posters at school
and podiums far away
from where i stand

everything i learn comes from halls
rooms
textbooks
where grown unicorns tell me
and everypony else
everything i wanted to know
about magic
and more

my life is
lines
and
dots
planned by
the Sun i never see

i need to know if
She is just as tall as everypony says
and if even She thinks the picture on my school pass
is just as bad as i do
i just want to see Her
like every other foal
even if
i always work to be sure
i am not like them

i write to grandmother twice a month

your friend

sunset shimmer

---

dear diary

i need advice
on if i should join the board games club
or study for my next quiz in conjuring
next tuesday

there is also a colt in there[...]

i write to grandmother once a month

your friend

sunset shimmer

---

[The following excerpts are from one Tuesday's morning issue of The Celestial Equestrian in 9XX of the Solar Millennium. The Canterlot-based newspaper is distributed nationwide across Equestria and has a wide reputation for being a ponies' interest magazine. This was made available from the Hall of Records in the post-secondary campus of Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, and was from the local section regarding Canterlotian issues and events. The described most prominently is from an old missing youth cold case involving a former Faithful Student that remains unsolved...]

---

LAB FIRE BLAZES IN PRINCESS' SCHOOL! HERO FILLY SAVES CLASSMATES!

by Inside Scoop

At least four young foals and one teacher have been hospitalized due to injuries sustained in a fire at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. All are in stable condition and no deaths transpired. Royal Guards and local fireponies say the fire broke out in one of the late morning classes. This information was corroborated from accounts by other staff on the floor at the time. An assistant teacher of the morning's 10:30 who will remain anonymous was giving a conjuration lesson and accidentally called forth an Arabian jinn instead of the low-level light beings meant to be conjured by students[...]

While the jinn was tamed by Princess Celestia and other nearby sorcerers on-campus, the faculty remains shaken. The assistant teacher suffered a singed beard, while the main faculty member instructing the class where the fire originated suffered second-degree burns holding up the rubble in order to aid her students in escaping the building safely. Thus, Miss Sparkler was not available to provide any comment and it is unknown which staff member initially caught the attention of the guard.

The fire was extinguished shortly before two o'clock, but not before multiple classrooms were destroyed. The second-floor location of the fire and presence of multiple active magical burners in other classrooms made it particularly difficult for the first-responding weather ponies to battle the smoke without the aid of properly equipped fireponies. Concern was raised due to the age of the particular hall students were studying in being a difficult one to practice fire safety in, especially in the face of emergencies like this.

The Junior Conjuration Hall of Glorious Mage Gusty was formerly known as Our Sun's Hall of Conjuring after the princess herself. The recent renaming was marked with a ceremony to honor the Mage, professor, and former Faithful Student of Princess Celestia after the former's recent passing. However, the lack of safety updates with the redecorating efforts has now become a great concern among many parents of students[...]

Of the five classrooms impacted by the fire, there were seven foals that did not immediately exit the building. Three youths were quickly pulled out by Royal Guards and fireponies. Due to their status as minors, lack of reported injuries, and their guardians' wishes, they will not be named and no interviews were done with them. All were locals whose guardians did submit letters about concerns of the future safety for their children, since they were assured of the Princess' school being the safest in the nation. The foals in the building were in an accelerated elementary school program and their ages were of great concern[...]

The remaining foals trapped in the building are all among those hospitalized. None of them are local, and their guardians could not be reached at the time. All foals were stated to suffer from second-degree burns on multiple parts of their body, and all but one were quite shaken by the day's events[...]

The remarkable filly who aided in three of her classmates escaping from much more severe burns is Sunset Shimmer of Tall Tale. She was willing to give a few comments about her behavior and acts of bravery to the Equestrian.

On whether the eight-year-old considers herself a hero:

"Yes!" she said eagerly despite her cast and numerous bandages. "I got my cutie mark! Everypony is safe and I got my cutie mark!"

Many of the nurses at Colts and Fillies Hospital of Canterlot commented that young Miss Shimmer's robust attitude will be key in her recovery. For a filly that fell into a tree from the second floor of the Gusty Hall, she is undeniably optimistic, no doubt from the flood of cards, well-wishes, and candies gifted to her by Canterlot citizens grateful for her bravery and eager for the little heroine's speedy recovery.

Miss Shimmer is a member of the board game club and one of the top students in her year. She says her favorite thing about Canterlot are the variety of arcades and fun places to study and shop.

"It's so much more fun than back home!" she was quick to add before asking for another signature on her leg's cast.

Of all the fillies burned, Sunset Shimmer's were the most severe. Though she has been evaluated and given much attention from healers and other staff, the little filly's condition does not meet newspaper guidelines. Consent to photograph her must come second to refraining from showing any graphic content, and no photo of Canterlot's charming young student and her big smile will be accompanying this article.

Teachers speak highly of Miss Shimmer as being an outgoing, extroverted participant in her all of her classes. Her peers have added that she is fun to work with in class and very sensitive when it comes to leading group projects, and are always adamant that they hope her recovery goes well and she will be back in classes soon.

Princess Celestia has yet to reached by the Equestrian for comment, but word from authorities confirmed she is currently working with them to improve safety and reconstruction and will soon be reaching out to the press and relatives of those hospitalized before paying a visit to each pony. When informed of this, Sunset Shimmer was squealing with excitement and eager to tell The Celestial Equestrian just how eager she is to meet the princess in the biggest jumble of words possible. With the help of one of her nurses, she was able to show off her new cutie mark and proudly proclaim how she was "doubly lucky" to be expecting a visit from the princess and having a cutie mark "just like Princess Celestia's".

[An artist's rendition of Miss Sunset Shimmer's cutie mark. The following identifier was published her permission.]

The sun-shaped inferno is indeed peculiar. Despite the difficulties and alarm brought by these events, there is assurance in knowing that swift action is already being taken to prevent future disasters. Perhaps no actions were swifter than those of young Sunset Shimmer, a promising young pyromancer who risked her life and limbs playing with fire to make sure her peers would be safe.

Author's Note:

The credit for Sunset's cutie mark can be found here.

Comments

[Blood Rarity]

[the dobermans]

Keep it up and this is going to end up on my user page.

[Ice Star]

10166579
Is that a challenge?

[the dobermans]

10166583

If it gets you to keep writing and finish this gem, then yes

[Ice Star]

10166586
Then I’ll take it as one. Originally this was going to update today, but instead my other, related Sunset story did. I have an update buffer for this that goes until May though.