Wondercolt of Personality: Ch. 5
“I’m sorry, Shining Armor, what did you just say?” Principal Cinch scowled in her throne shaped office chair.
“Uh I said…” Shining Armor paused to think about what he was repeating. Principal Cinch was one of two people in his life that made him want to choose his words carefully. “Principal Celestia is doing well and she sends her regards-”
Cinch cut into Shining as he was talking.
“No, no, no, before that. You said you met a new student outside the office. What did you say her name was?” Cinch leaned over her mahogany desk with her fingers crossed in front of her face. The dim lighting in her office cast a shadow over her narrowed gaze.
“Oh you mean Sunset Shimmer?” Shining Armor perked up at the re-mentioning of her name. “Why? Does that name sound familiar?”
Cinch pursed her lips as the grip in her folded fingers tightened.
“No.” Her cold tone shook the room for a moment. “And that’s the problem. I make it my business to know every single incoming freshman that attends her school.”
“I see.” Shining said, pretending to follow along with her logic. “And that’s a bad thing, right?”
Cinch grunted at him, but chose not to chide him before continuing.
“Yes, it’s a bad thing because Celestia is hiding new recruits from me.” Cinch tapped the tips of her fingers as she spoke. “Perhaps she is more cunning than I gave her credit for. If she hid this Sunset Shimmer from me, then she must be an exceptional talent that she’s saving for the Friendship Games.”
Shining Armor shifted his feet and looked at the floor. He hoped that he hadn’t caused any trouble for Sunset, whom he’d just met.
“What was your impression of her?” Cinch asked Shining.
“I mean…” He began. “I only bumped into her for a minute. I couldn’t tell you too much about her. She seemed nice though.” Shining smiled nervously hoping to lighten the mood. He glanced over at the bookshelves on the side of the office wall. Her office was big enough that it could have been a classroom. Although, it would be difficult to focus in such a dimly lit room. Shining Armor sometimes wondered how she worked in such low lighting. The limited light that shone through the windows gave Cinch's office a haunted feeling, and the air was stale and smelled like prunes.
“I don’t care if she’s ‘nice.’” Cinch scoffed. “I want to know what she’s capable of.”
Shining Armor just shrugged. He worried that Cinch would scold him for not having a good enough answer for her. To his immense surprise, Cinch smiled. Her smile showed just one too many teeth in a way that Shining found unsettling.
“Thank you, Shining Armor.” Her voice was saccharin and exaggerated. Nothing like the way she normally spoke. “That will be all. You’re dismissed.” She held her forced smile.
Shining nodded, just barely moving his neck, as he slowly turned and walked to the office door. Her office was like a long corridor and the path to the exit felt like a prisoner’s march. He heard the principal pick up her office phone and dial.
“Superintendent Harshwhinny!” Cinch’s voice was still cheery. “I hope I’m not disturbing you.” There was a pause as the other voice on the line said something. “Yes well the reason I’m calling is that I’d like to report a potential zoning violation committed by Principal Celestia.”
Shining Armor could hear the toothy grin in his principal’s voice as he stepped out of the office and closed the door behind him. He walked down Crystal Prep High School’s emerald halls, passing the turquoise colored lockers as he rounded corner after corner. The school was empty except for himself and Principal Cinch. At least he thought it was until he turned a corner and stood next to one of the side doors leading to the outside of this wing.
He saw a beautiful young woman with violet and rose colored hair with pale gold streaks running long down past the middle of her back. She wore a marine colored dress coat with a badge next to her lapel that indicated she was a professor here at Crystal Prep. She smiled knowingly at him, her sky blue eyeliner making her violet eyes dance.
“Hey babe!” Shining practically shouted, smiling from ear to ear. Before she could say anything, he took her into his arms. His right hand landed on the small of her back and his left gently caressed the back of her pastel hair. He kissed her passionately in the campus hallway with the familiar taste of her lavender lip gloss touching his tongue.
“Shiny!” She jumped in surprise, trembling in his firm grasp. She pulled her lips away from his mouth but let her hip press against his waist. “Not here! Someone might see us” She placed her hands on the wings of his back muscles, embracing him back at a cautious distance.
“Oh come on.” He said with a tinge of disappointment. “School got out long ago, there’s no one here to see us.”
“Cinch is here.” The young woman darted her eyes down the hallway Shining Armor came from. “And someone else may have lingered, or come back for something. It’s too risky.”
“Cinch is stuck on a phone call in her office.” Shining shook his head. “She has no idea what’s going on. And if someone comes back around, we’ll hear them.”
“Oh honey.” She caressed a messy tuft of his blue hair by his ear. “You really think Principal Cinch doesn’t know about us?” She pet his shoulder like he was a dog.
“No way.” He scoffed. “How could she? She’s never said anything and she’s a stickler for the rules. You know that.”
“Cinch makes it her business to know everything about everyone.” Her voice dropped to a serious tone. “She lets us get away with it because we’re discrete about it. Usually.” She raised her eyebrow into an accusatory stare.
“Oh…” Shining Armor paused with a thousand yard stare on his face. “So she already does know?” The trembling in his voice made the young lady laugh.
“Well I guess it’s too late now, anyway.” She said. Before he could reply she pulled him by the back of his head and brought his lips onto hers again. His cardigan smelled like wooded amber and she felt his muscular figure press against the soft curve of her waist. After a few long seconds, she finally pulled away from him. His eyes were glossed over, stuck in a dream.
“You’re such an idiot.” She giggled and shook her head.
“Only for you.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t have to. I’m an idiot.” He went in to steal one more kiss, but she withdrew from him entirely.
“Just make sure to have more discretion from now on.” She straightened out her skirt and re-adjusted her jacket buttons. “Even if you think no one is around, no more PDA on campus, got it?” She pointed her finger at him, her teaching voice slipping into her speech.
“Yes, Professor Cadance.” This side of his mouth curled up into a grin.
“It’s so weird when you call me that.” Cadence folded her arms in front of her chest.
“What should I call you?”
“How about ‘Miss Cadance?’” She suggested with a nod.
“Do you mean on campus or in the bedroom?” His devious grin widened.
Candance’s jaw dropped.
“You’re incorrigible!” She shoved her student’s shoulder in a very unprofessional manner. Shining Armor cackled at his own joke.
****
Celestia was halfway out her office door when the phone on her desk rang. She had already turned off the lights and the rest of the administration staff had gone home for the evening. She wanted to ignore it and keep walking. Her herbal tea and easy chair were waiting for her at her house and it had already been a long day. However, an ominous feeling in her gut had her turning back around and sitting in her office seat for just a little bit longer.
“Principal Celestia’s office, Celestia speaking.” She didn’t bother turning the lights back on and chose to sit alone in the dark. “How can I help you?”
“I’ve caught you, Celestia.” A familiar and shrill voice said over the receiver.
“Principal Cinch.” Celestia’s voice and posture slumped. “A pleasure as always.”
“You can’t wiggle your way out of this one. I know your secret.”
“And which secret is that? According to you I seem to have so many of them I sometimes lose track.” Celestia held her hand over the receiver as she sighed deeply. Maybe her tea would need to be bourbon this evening.
“Hmmph.” Cinch scoffed. “I doubt you'll be so flippant about this matter tomorrow. I’ve already spoken to Superintendent Harshwhinny and she is demanding answers as well.”
Celestia’s chair squeaked rather loudly in the quiet and empty office as she leaned back so far she was reclining.
“Are you going to tell me what the issue is or do I have to guess?” Celestia tapped her fingers against her desk with her free hand.
“You can play coy all you want, but we both know I’m referring to Sunset Shimmer.”
Celestia stopped tapping and sat straight up in her chair again.
“Sunset Shimmer?” Celestia sounded confused. “What about her?”
“There are no records of her on file. No address, no previous schools, no record of her moving into the district. It’s as if you’ve admitted a ghost to your school.” Cinch’s accusatory tone made Celestia feel the sweat build up on the collar of her blouse.
“I-I can explain.” Celestia paused for a moment trying to find a good excuse. “You see, Sunset…” Principal Cinch interrupted her.
“Save the explanation for tomorrow. Once it’s revealed that you’ve hidden records to poach incoming talent from your rival school…” Cinch’s awful smile came through the phone receiver. “Well, we may not need to wait for the results of the Friendship Games, if you catch my drift.”
Celestia stayed silent, staring blankly at the back wall of her office. There was a motivational poster of a cat dangling desperately from a clothesline. Celestia felt as if she was that cat.
“And speaking of the Friendship Games.” Cinch continued. “Not only will your top secret ringer of a student be ineligible to compete, but I will personally see that she is expelled from Canterlot High School.”
“Expelled? First of all, You have no authority to do such a thing. Second, that’s not fair to do to the student!” Celestia slammed her fist on the desk. The thud rang in her ears in the quiet after hours of the administration office. “Third, you would punish one of my students just to get back at me?” Celestia’s eyebrows furrowed and her nostrils flared.
“Please don’t misunderstand, Celestia.” Cinch sounded like she was enjoying herself. “Expelled is such a harsh word. I don’t intend to keep her expelled permanently from an education. She’ll have every opportunity afforded to her to make the right decision on her continued education - wherever that may be.”
Celestia ground her teeth together. Cinch would ‘expel’ Sunset just to hurt Celestia’s performance numbers. The woman was out for blood.
Cinch droned on, “Since you broke the zoning regulations, then that means I would have the right to scout Sunset Shimmer for Crystal Prep. And I’m more than happy to accommodate her. After all, if you went through such lengths to hide her from me, she must be an extraordinary talent. I’m sure my investment will pay off quite well.”
Celestia wanted to argue back. She wanted to give Cinch a piece of her mind, but she remained quiet. A single question was ringing too loudly in her mind to say anything out loud.
Where did Sunset Shimmer come from?
She never questioned this young woman who showed up on her campus. She had just entered her name into the system and given her a schedule. Was she really that distracted? Was she this sloppy in the way she ran her school? Something about Sunset just seemed right to her. As if she was meant to be here all along. There was a familiarity to her that she couldn’t put her finger on or even acknowledge consciously until this moment. However, she didn’t know anything about Sunset. She could have been a criminal or a thief. She could be a full grown adult posing as a High School student.
“Poaching is against the rules.” Cinch continued, snapping Celestia back out of her thoughts. “Sniping talent from a competing magnet school in the same district is a serious offense, Celestia.”
“I suppose you would know all about that, Cinch.” Celestia fired back.
“Are you accusing me of something?”
“I don’t have to. We both know what you did.”
A long and awkward pause persisted between them.
“Well I’d never.” Cinch finally broke the silence to complain. “No matter. Miss Harshwhinny and I will both be in your office tomorrow morning to meet with you and Miss Shimmer.”
“I’ll have the full explanation ready for you both.” Celestia said confidently, yet she had no clue what the full story even was.
“It had better be the truth.” Cinch said.
“Goodnight.” Celestia replied, hanging up the phone before Cinch could say anything else infuriating. She stared long and hard at her office phone before booting up her desk computer. She looked up Sunset Shimmer online, but couldn’t find any local records on her at all. It was like she really was a ghost. She looked over at the poor cat dangling in her poster once again.
“Hang in there baby.” She said as she picked up her phone to make another call.
****
Sunset glared horrified at the phone in her hand. She had been caught again. There truly was nothing she could keep secret from Celestia, in any dimension whatsoever.
“Wh-where do I come from?” Sunset sheepishly repeated.
“Yes, Sunset.” Celestia said solemnly. “I’m sorry if it’s a difficult subject to broach, but it is of the utmost importance that you tell me everything.”
“Why? Did something happen? Did I do something wrong?” Sunset was reminded of Princess Celestia catching her by the mirror portal. Was something like that about to happen all over again?
“It depends on what you tell me right now.” Celestia’s voice was kind and motherly, yet there was no wiggle room in her tone.
“You’re not going to believe me.” Sunset looked over at Flash, the cute musician she had been crushing on all these weeks at school. Could she let him know the truth? Should she run out of the room again and talk to Celestia in private? Should she just take off and keep running forever?
She couldn’t tell them the truth. They would think she’s crazy. They’d put her in a mental hospital. Then she’d really be stuck here forever with no way of getting home. Stuck in a world that had no magic in it whatsoever. The humans here would never be open to believing in magical unicorns and portals to other dimensions. She would lose them. Or they would avoid her thinking she was nuts. Flash would take back his offer to date her.
“Why wouldn’t I believe you?” Celestia asked.
“Because…” Sunset gazed into Flash’s eyes. His face looked concerned, but he just smiled at her. He was so kind and wholesome. He always supported her and never judged her for anything. The thought of him looking at her as if she was insane, a pariah, made her stomach turn.
“Because the explanation is so fantastical that you’re going to think I’m lying.” Sunset admitted. She felt her head getting dizzy. Her mind was swimming in turmoil.
“Miss Shimmer.” Celestia’s warm and calming tone filled her ear. The oldest and most comforting voice she could remember. “Ever since I’ve met you, you’ve been nothing but diligent, studious, kind, motivated, and forthright. I want to help you, but in order to do that, I need you to tell me everything. Whatever explanation you may have, I’m prepared to accept it.”
Flash nodded in agreement. Celestia’s voice was coming through crystal clear in the small dorm room. What did Celestia need to help her with? Something must have happened for this to suddenly come up.
“Please.” Sunset covered her mouth with her free hand. “Promise you won’t hate me when I tell you the truth.”
“Hate you?” Celestia sounded surprised. “That’s quite extreme, Miss Shimmer. Why on earth would I hate…” Sunset interrupted her.
“Please just promise me!” Sunset was on the verge of tears. Celestia hesitated only for a moment.
“Alright. I promise.” Celestia’s gentle promise wrapped around Sunset’s heart like a warm blanket on a cold night. “Whatever you’re about to tell me. You’re still the Sunset Shimmer we’ve come to know and love here at Canterlot High.”
Sunset breathed deeply. As she exhaled, she felt the poisonous thoughts that plagued her mind seep out of her body.
“I come from a place called ‘Equestria.’”
She told them.
She told them everything. The portal, the dimensions, Princess Celestia, her mom, magical unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies, she spilled it all. As she explained she kept looking at Flash Sentry. Searching for any signs of fear, regret, or judgment. But he was unreadable. He kept that same attentive expression that he had while she was tutoring him. As if this was just more new information he needed to retain and not a completely insane rambling from an insane person. Even though she had lived it and knew everything was true, she had been in this dimension long enough to know how absurd it must have sounded.
“I see.” Celestia said when Sunset finally finished explaining. “And you promise that everything you just told me is the truth?”
“Y-yes ma’am. I promise.” Sunset felt as if she had just certified herself as a resident lunatic.
“Very well.” Celestia stated way too casually. “I’ll need you to come to my office first thing tomorrow morning.”
Sunset panicked. This was it. She was going to be ambushed and questioned and taken away somewhere to be studied. Everything was crashing down around her.
“A-am I in trouble?” Sunset asked. She reeled in surprise when Flash put his hand on top of hers unexpectedly. He smiled at her. The same way that he always smiled at her. Even if he thought her story was impossible, he could still look at her like that.
“No Miss Shimmer, you’re not in trouble.” Celestia reassured her. “However, I may be.”
“What?” Sunset was thoroughly confused. “In trouble for what?”
“I’ll explain in the morning, it’s complicated.” Celestia sighed over the phone in front of her students. “However, Superintendent Harshywhinny will be there to discuss your future at Canterlot High.”
“My future?” Sunset started to worry again. “What does that mean? What’s going to happen to me?”
“I’ll take care of everything. I will sort this out, I promise.” Celestia sounded hopeful and pleasant. “I’ll see you first thing in the morning, is that understood?”
“Yes m-” Sunset caught herself just in time. Her face turned bright red. “Yes ma’am.”
“Thank you for being truthful with me. And tell Flash Sentry thank you for letting us use his phone.”
“You’re welcome.” Flash hollered over the line just before the call disconnected. He was still holding Sunset’s hand in his. He looked at her and shrugged. His goofy sideways smile was as playful as ever.
“Do you believe me?” Sunset squeezed his hand as she gazed back at him. His answer would mean everything to her.
“Yeah.” He said, nodding. “Yeah, I think I do.”
“Why do you believe me?” Sunset couldn’t hold it any more. She wasn’t sobbing out loud but tears rolled down her cheeks and she could do nothing to stop them. “How can you believe me?”
“I know that everything you said is wild. Like, super wild.” He brought his other hand on top of hers and clutched her palm to his chest. Sunset felt as if she could barely breathe. “But I know you wouldn’t lie to me.”
Before more tears could well up, Sunset thrust herself forward and wrapped Flash up in her arms. She hugged him tightly, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Thank you.” She said softly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She kept repeating over and over again. He hugged her back, gently rubbing the top of her auburn and red haired head. Everytime Sunset tried to think of something else to say, she failed and just repeated, “Thank you.” Again and again.
****
Sunset sat in the familiar front office of the school that had become her home. However, she had never felt this alien since when she first arrived. Principal Cinch, that’s who she was told this person was, towered over her as she sat in a modest plastic and metal framed school chair. The woman wore a deep blue dress jacket with an over starched teal blouse underneath. The lapels of her jacket stuck out with sharp edges, looking as hard as diamonds. Her half cut red wire framed glasses were also edged and sitting low on the bridge of her nose. So much of this woman’s outfit looked like it could cut Sunset if she got too close. Unfortunately, Principal Cinch seemed to insist on standing far too close to Sunset, staring directly into her eyes. Almost looking through her.
“Well young lady,” Cinch scowled as she spoke. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
Sunset’s eyes darted over to the other person in the room. Superintendent Harshwhinny was at least someone Sunset had seen before, but never spoken directly to. She sat in Celestia’s office chair and also held a stern look on her face. After eavesdropping on Celestia’s conversation with the superintendent, she at least knew this woman was somewhat reasonable. She had no such impression of the magenta haired ghoul who invaded her space.
“I um… well you see…” Sunset began and Cinch leaned even closer to her. She bent at the waist and now her face was just inches from Sunset’s. “It’s a bit of a long story.”
What on earth could she possibly say?
“I simply asked where you moved here from. How complicated could it be?” Cinch’s expression somehow darkened even more. “Unless you’re trying to hide something.”
Sunset strained her neck trying to move her head as far away from Cinch as she could.
“Miss Shimmer.” Harshwhinny cleared her throat. “If it’s a long story, we have plenty of time to listen and hear you out. I assure you I am much more concerned with Principal Celestia’s actions than yours at the moment.”
At the moment? Did that mean Sunset would still be in trouble later? This grumpy duo was playing “good cop, bad cop” with her and the good cop wasn’t very good at being good. Where was Principal Celestia? She was supposed to be here with Sunset. She was supposed to take care of everything. Now Sunset was being forced to spill the beans all over again, and she was certain she wouldn’t get lucky with the two of them like she did with Celestia and Flash. She couldn’t tell them the truth, but she didn’t have a story to make up either. She could claim a random city that she was from, she was familiar enough with the geography of the human world at this point to do so. But then they would just look her up in that city and see that she was lying.
“Well get on with it.” Cinch folded her arms and tapped her foot. “What’s this long complicated story you have for us?”
She was trapped. There was no choice except to come clean and hope for the best. Maybe her padded cell would be comfortable at least.
“Ok.” Sunset looked down at the floor, defeated. All she wanted to do was carve out a slice of life for herself somewhere, and she couldn’t even have that.
“I come from a place called…” Sunset jumped in her chair when the office door swung open. Principal Celestia stood in the doorway with a dossier in her hand and a fierce expression on her face. She glared long and hard at Cinch who was more than happy to return her own disdainful look. At least nobody was looking at Sunset like that for once.
“I’m sorry for keeping you all waiting.” Celestia's voice and mood shifted wildly. She smiled pleasantly as she strode into the room. “Miss Harshwhinny, I think you’ll find all the requisite files and documents here.” Celestia approached Harshwhinny, still sitting in her chair, and handed over the dossier.
“You had better have a good explanation for this, Celestia. Poaching students is a zone violation…” Cinch began but Celestia broke in with a bombshell.
“Sunset Shimmer is my niece.” Celestia declared to the collective shock of the entire room. Especially for Sunset. “I’m sorry that I hid her from the records and scouting reports, it’s just that I promised my sister Luna that I would take care of her daughter from overseas. She moved into the country just this summer and we both wanted her to be around family as much as possible to acclimate. I worried that being scooped up by Crystal Prep would be unfair and too much for her to handle all at once in a new place. I take full responsibility for my actions and I insist that my niece be permitted to stay at Canterlot High School.”
“You’re niece?” Cinch looked over Sunset up and down, trying to discern the family resemblance. “E-even so. That doesn’t excuse all of the district regulations you have broken so blatantly. Poaching is a very serious…” Harshwhinny interrupted Cinch.
“Principal Cinch.” She said in a scolding manner. “You complain about poaching to me yet every school year, without fail, you have four to five ‘exceptions…’” She made air quotes with her hands. “That are approved by the school board for you to enroll students who would otherwise have been zoned for Canterlot High. Do you really think I don’t know what’s going on there?”
The Superintendent stared long and hard at Cinch.
“Celestia can have her niece.” Harshwhinny declared.
“I object!” Cinch balled her fist. “I insist you enforce the rules in this sit…” She was interrupted again.
“This matter is closed.” Harshwhinny turned suddenly to Celestia, her expression was not any kinder than a moment ago. “Celestia, if you wanted your niece to attend your school so badly, you should have come to me. I would have made sure your exception got approved by the school board.”
“You’re right, Miss Harshwhinny, I acted impulsively and for that I sincerely apologize.” Celestia bowed her head to the Superintendent.
“Indeed.” Harshwhinny simply nodded her head. “Please keep in mind that next time there will be no amnesty for this type of situation. The rules are in place for a reason. We want to ensure healthy and fair competition between our two prestigious magnet schools. Expect me to take much harsher action in the future. That goes for both of you.” Harshwhinny looked back and forth between the two principals.
“Very well.” Cinch grunted and turned to walk out the door. She closed it behind her with a swift pull. As the sound of Celestia’s office door slamming shut subsided, Harshwhinny turned to Sunset. Who was still sitting timidly in her seat. She had a look of bewildered relief on her face.
“Miss Shimmer, you may continue your studies here at Canterlot High School.” She stood up from Celestia’s desk and calmly walked over to the door.
“We’re expecting great things from you, or so I’m told.” Harshwhinny raised her eyebrow at Sunset as she opened the door again. “Good day to you both.” She said and left the office.
Sunset remained motionless as Celestia strolled agonizingly slow towards her desk. The principal sat down in her own desk chair, reclaiming her throne. She was so professional that it looked regal to Sunset. As if she was sitting in her throne room, looking out at her subject. She studied Sunset with a neutral expression.
“Why did you do that?” Sunset’s bottom lip quivered as she spoke.
“Should I not have?” Celestia raised an eyebrow. “You don’t wish to be in my family?” She smiled and Sunset’s heart skipped a beat.
“Well… that is… I mean… I didn’t mean…” Sunset stammered until Celestia mercifully jumped in.
“I’m just teasing you Sunset.” Celestia waved off her panicking. “I did that because it was the only explanation they would have accepted.” She leaned back in her chair, a gesture she normally didn’t exhibit in front of her students. Comfort was unprofessional, or so it seemed.
“Do you…” Sunset began but was afraid to continue. “Do you believe me?” She looked at Celestia. Different body, but the same eyes that raised her, had now claimed her as her own family. Even if it was just to ward off the school district, she had still protected her.
Celestia put her palms together in a praying manner and rested them in front of her lips.
“I’ve been a high school principal for many years, Sunset. I can tell when a student is lying to me. And I can tell when a student is confessing a truth that they are too embarrassed to admit. I am certain that you are the latter.” Celestia took in a deep breath.
“But isn’t it too crazy?” Sunset looked down at her hands. Her whole life they had been hooves. She was able to cast magic spells. After spending only weeks in the human world, all of her magical past life seemed too impossible even for her. It was as if she had lived a long intense dream and only woke up when she came through the portal.
“It’s certainly fantastical.” Celestia nodded and Sunset’s throat dropped into her stomach. “Which leads me to two distinct possibilities. One: you have vivid delusions that you have mistaken for reality.”
Sunset’s heart skipped a beat, waiting for the hammer to drop on her again.
“Or two: It’s all real.” Celestia finished.
Sunset’s jaw dropped. She was stunned.
“It’s as simple as that?” Sunset could barely believe it.
“It’s as simple as that.” Celesta repeated. “In either case, you are in need of help and guidance. I believe that we can provide that here at Canterlot High. You’re a Wondercolt through and through, Sunset. And I’m proud to have you as my student.”
Sunset smiled in a way she hadn’t been able to since this whole fiasco started last night.
“Besides.” Celestia grinned back at Sunset. “How am I gonna kick Cinch’s butt without your incredible mind?”
Sunset blushed and shrugged her shoulders. She laughed nervously along with Celestia who had a way of both disarming and reassuring her.
“Although I am curious.” Celestia thought to herself for a moment. “Is there a way you can prove your story is true? If so, I’d love to see it.”
Sunset thought for a moment before snapping her fingers in excitement. Another human hand trick she had picked up on.
“Yes, I think I can!” She shouted with great joy. “It’s in my locker, I can go get it. If that’s ok.”
“By all means, if it’s really that easy.” Celestia nodded in amusement.
“I’ll be right back.” Sunset leaped out of her chair and darted out of the office and down the hallway towards her locker. Celestia giggled to herself at the young lady’s enthusiasm. The energy of youth could be reinvigorating at times. She wondered if she was doing the right thing. Any sane person would consider Sunset insane based on what she claimed to be. Where she claimed to be from. Her read on Sunset hadn’t changed. Celestia believed that Sunset believed what she had told her. It seemed like a great risk to take, but she had learned over the years to trust her intuition when it came to her student’s behavior.
She waited patiently for a moment or two until Sunset came rushing back, still filled to the brim with energy. She sat down and placed a brown hardback book in front of Celestia. It had the marking of a bi-colored sun on it that Sunset also wore on her clothes.
“Is this a book from your world?” Celestia asked, staring intently at the coincidence of the design. Would Sunset have gone through the trouble of printing a fake book for a ruse?
“Yes.” Sunset opened up the book to the middle, revealing two blank pages. “This is the only magic that I’ve seen work on this side of the portal. This book has a direct line to Princess Celestia in Equestria.”
“Ah yes, the other Celestia.” Principal Celestia grinned but then looked serious. “The one who raised you as her daughter. You must miss her.”
Sunset’s heart ached at the thought. Plus it was super surreal to hear Celestia talking about Celestia.
“Yeah…” Sunset’s expression dropped. “I do.” Sunset shook her head quickly, trying to remove the sadness from her mind. “Anyway, whatever I write in here, It will be sent directly to her copy of the book.”
Sunset pulled a pen out of her pocket but paused with the tip right on top of the page.
“Unfortunately, I left on such bad terms, I haven’t been able to come up with anything to say to her. My mind is either blank or it just sounds stupid and banal.” Sunset stared frozen at the blank page.
“I’m sure she misses you terribly as well.” Celestia folded her hands in front of her on the desk.
“But does she?” Sunset’s hand started to shake. “I lied to her and I attacked her. She banished me. She said I wasn’t her daughter. She never wants to see me again.” Sunset could feel the tears welling up in her eyes again. She hated it. She was sick of crying all the time. She just wanted the pain to go away so she could move on with her life. So she fought off the tears.
“If this Celestia is anything like me at all,” Sunset felt Celestia’s hand rest on top of hers. She looked up at her Principal’s warm smile. “She’s already forgiven you. And she regrets denying that she’s your mother.”
Sunset wanted to jump over the desk and embrace Celestia, like she did with Flash. She wanted to cry in her arms and call her mom, but she couldn’t. Not here, not now, not this Celestia. She was overjoyed to hear these words said in Celestia’s voice, but it wouldn’t be real until she heard it from her Celestia.
Her real mom.
“So the way it works.” Sunset tried to move on, her voice nearly choked up. “Once I write a message, the words will disappear off of my page and appear on hers. I would write something to demonstrate but… like I said, I can’t think of anything.”
“May I write something?”
“I…” Sunset was thrown off guard. “Y-yeah I suppose so.” She slid the book over to Celestia and laid down her pen. Celestia turned the book to face her and picked up Sunset’s pen.
“Wait!” Sunset held out her hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“Use your pen.” Sunset suggested and Celestia raised an eyebrow. “I could have gone to some kind of hobby or joke store and bought a pen with ink that disappears. But there’s no such thing as disappearing paper.”
Celestia laughed.
“How very clever and thorough of you.” She pulled open her desk drawer and found another ball point pen. She spoke out loud as she wrote.
“Nice weather we’re having here. How is Equestria?” She finished and they both waited. After a few eternal seconds, the words on the page vanished leaving it blank once more. Celestia gasped at the sight.
“For the record.” Sunset held up her finger. “In Equestria, pegasi control the weather with their magic by manipulating the clouds. So the weather is probably pretty good over there unless rain was scheduled today.”
Celestia burst out laughing. She knocked her head back while leaning her seat back as far as it would go. She laughed so long and hard, Sunset worried her principal was losing her mind. Finally, fanning herself to not overheat, Celestia regained control of herself and looked at Sunset.
“Well I certainly don’t have an explanation for what just happened. I suppose I have no choice but to fully believe you.” Celestia shook her head, still bewildered. “This other Celestia, she’s the Queen…” Sunset cut in for a moment.
“Princess.”
“Princess.” Celestia corrected herself. “Of a magical pony world. That must be a great responsibility. But also a great honor.” Celestia looked at the ceiling almost in a dream.
“It certainly is.” Sunset nodded, not sure what else to add. There was so much she could say about Princess Celestia and the world she came from.
“Well Miss Shimmer, I think I’ve taken up enough of your class time this morning.”
This morning felt like a dream to Sunset. She had an emotional whiplash going from complete despair to immense relief. She may have a hard time focusing on her classes for once. She closed and picked up her magical book. As she stood up to leave, Celestia said,
“Welcome home, Sunset Shimmer.” Principal Celestia’s warm smile was just like her mother’s back in Equestria
That was it. Sunset was definitely going to cry. Not right now. She would hold on to it the whole day. However, as soon as she was alone, she planned to let the waterworks flow.
“Thanks mom…” Sunset stopped abruptly, her face turning bright red like her hair. “I mean, oh dang.” She rubbed the back of her head.
Celestia snapped her fingers and pointed at Sunset. “You’ve done that before, haven’t you?”
Sunset meekly nodded, fully embarrassed.
“It’s all making sense now.” Celestia nodded before continuing. “How about Auntie Celestia instead? Got to keep the story straight after all.” She winked at Sunset.
Sunset giggled involuntarily. “I’ll try to stick to ‘principal.’” She rushed over to the office door. “Thank you again, thank you for everything.”
“You’re very welcome.’ Celestia’s smile beamed as Sunset exited out the door to continue her school day. Once the door was closed Celestia’s eyes went wide with realization.
“Oh my God, it’s all real.” She stared blankly at the cat hanging on a clothesline on her wall. “Magic is real.”
She was going to need more bourbon.
****
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Freaking.....Cinch!!! I'm seriously surprised this actually pulled off
That isn't a bad thing Cinch.
God damn it Cinch.
Ok, now she's going too far!
Boy I'm glad Celestia and Flash believe her. And ngl, at where she's at in this story, I think she's starting a new leaf and might not go down that dark path she once went down on.
Good timing Celestia!
That was too close.
Thx Celestia!
Is this an AU? Because I cannot imagine this sweet girl becoming the alpha bitch from the first movie.
11568052
I personally don't think so. I think there's going to be something that'll make her snap, like when she was in Equestria.
11568149
Some people have been asking if Sunset is in fact going to go evil in this story...
Without spoiling too much...
A LOT can happen in 2 full school years.
11568226
Exactly. At some point, in the next couple of years, something could happen that'll explain Sunset's eventual destructive behavior.
Don't buy this chapter because not once have i ever heard of tbis rule. They are oth in the same district so no zone violation.
STALKER LEVEL
What!!?
Do schools really need to know every other school's students!?
WHAT!!!? WHO THEbHELL GAVE YOU THE POWER TO DO THAT!?
This is all just a game to you
ITS JUST A GAME!! What big impact does this even have for public information and safety!?