Equestria Girls - The Tale of Two Sunsets

by HumanSunset63

Chapter 31: The Pupil Becomes The Student

After Sunset had enough time sitting alone to take everything in, she finally got up off the ground. She was surrounded by puddles of tears, but took no notice of it before thinking back to what Twilight had said earlier. Everything already done in the past will now forever be kept that way, but what really mattered was moving forward. She could only control her future from this point on, and with everything she's learned over the years, there was always the lingering hope that she'd make the right decisions. Looking toward the foreseen path ahead of her, Sunset still felt it was somewhat foggy, as she didn't have the clearest idea on any specific goal when staying here in Equestria.

Thinking more about it, Sunset already knew for sure that staying as a human wasn't really something she wanted, especially without any main sources of magic apart from her geode. It just seemed there was no benefit in her remaining there after graduation, outside of simply visiting her CHS friends. By that point, most if not all of them, would already be at places far away to continue their own adulthood lives. Again, what really mattered was being honest with them about this decision, and finding ways to keep in touch, even during their college years. The mere thought of university suddenly gave Sunset an idea she had even observed about herself when adapting to unicorn livelihood. Due to her faulty teleportation spell and urge to focus on relearning magic here in Equestria, Sunset began to imagine a possible career path in the field of studying magic.

Sunset already understood that no longer being a filly herself, it would be difficult, as she was already at the point in her life where her brain was nearly fully developed. However, the same could also be said for her accomplishments in learning to accept and maintain her personal relationships with everything Twilight had taught her over the years. By all means, it was not easy to pull off, and she had learned everything well after the point where she fully believed socializing was always a waste of time. Similar to what Adagio had told her earlier on, life would never be an easy, free ride, but being able to make do with practice and legitimate passions would eventually carry anyone on the road to success.

As Sunset thought more about it, it wasn't like she was completely out of practice. She was at least able to cast the spells she remembered best, but only lacked the proper execution for the intended effect. Plus, basic spells such as levitating objects were no issue, which wasn't surprising, given this was the most common skill of all unicorns. Sunset knew in the end that if she was good enough with magic to become Celestia's pupil, and had both the motivation and perseverance to succeed in any newer magic studies, she could genuinely pull this off. It was only a matter of whether or not the School for Gifted Unicorns had any available seats for her. Sunset remembered that getting in as a filly was no easy feat, but regardless, her teachings of friendship and determination had taught her to be patient and work hard to move her way up in life.

With all this in mind, Sunset finally headed off to her bedroom, ready to call it a night. She had an idea on how to spend her remaining time in Equestria before going back for graduation, but decided that first thing in the morning, she would stop by the unicorn school. Looking outside her window as she crawled into bed, she saw the moon illuminating the beautiful night. This began to make Sunset wonder just how busy Twilight would likely be, now that Celestia and Luna were retired. Would she now be the one responsible for moving the sun and moon, on top of balancing her own royal duties? Being the princess of all of Equestria sounded intensely stressful, so Sunset didn't want to trouble Twilight too much when discussing any availability in the school. She went to sleep just as she usually would, but it took some adjusting, as it truly had been ages since she had slept as a unicorn.

---

The morning Sun had risen, and by some instinct, Sunset had somehow gotten the urge to get up and ready for the day. It was rather surprising at first, but she chalked it up to her excitement in finally getting a legitimate chance in seeing more of Equestria without any concern of a coronation. Just as she had envisioned last night, her first step would be to head off to the School for Gifted Unicorns, but not before getting a little breakfast. Even with the nice feast with her new friends last night, Sunset still felt rather peckish, and went over to her refrigerator. However, she almost immediately lost her appetite after seeing the state of the fruits and vegetables being left in an untouched house for many years.

"Egh." Sunset exclaimed with disgust before closing the fridge door. "Well, I guess I'm both skipping breakfast and going grocery shopping later."

She went over to her saddlebag to check on the magical journal. Looking at the time in the human world, Sunset still had well over four days before she needed to head back, so she went ahead without any rush. Exiting her home and out of the rural neighborhood, she could already see the School for Gifted Unicorns in the distance. Trotting toward the building truly gave Sunset the sense that she was a student again, as it reminded her of how enthusiastic she always was to pursue her studies. Hopefully this time around, she would be able to make more pleasant memories with the other students.

Approaching the school, Sunset saw it was already unlocked. Although it had been a while, she definitely remembered having to get up early for her classes here, much like CHS. As she trotted down the halls, she noticed most of the classrooms were empty. This was when Sunset realized that the school must be open for honor classes, which start a lot earlier in the morning than usual. Just as she had predicted, Sunset eventually heard Twilight in one of the lecture halls, and went around to see a class going on in room 3-9. By some coincidence, this was the homeroom she used to be in, where she managed to not only pass her final exam in the last year of her studies, but also astonish the instructors evaluating her performance. She remembered it vividly, what seemingly started out as a simple growth spell with some beans, turned into a huge sprout of massive beanstalks that wrapped around the entire building.

Sunset slowly opened the door to see Twilight at the podium, giving a lecture to a large group of unicorn foals. Some of them were listening attentively like good students, while others were a little starstruck at the fact they were learning from the Princess Twilight. As she finished up the last sentence in her lecture, Twilight took notice of Sunset peering in, before dismissing class a few minutes before the expected time.

"Alright, class." Twilight acknowledged her unicorn students. "That's everything for today's lesson, so I'll be letting you all go a little earlier than usual. Have a good rest of your morning!"

Most of the unicorns cheered at the earlier dismissal before storming out the doors, but a few who were taking their education much more seriously were still jotting down notes from the board. Twilight trotted away from the podium to see Sunset waiting around in the halls, and took notice of her more cheery mood in contrast to what happened last night at home.

"Sunset!" Twilight greeted. "It's nice to see you more positive now after a good night's sleep. I wasn't expecting to see you here though. I'm mostly here to fill in as a teacher for honors classes since we are a little short-staffed. Did you need to see me for something?"

"Yeah, come to think of it?" Sunset began. "I might be doing better now that I have a more clear aspirational career path here in Equestria. I know you're mostly teaching younger unicorns about magic and all, but I was wondering. Would it be possible at all to re-enroll myself in this school? I may not be able to become a princess anymore, but I'd still rather master my merits in magic, since it's something I've genuinely had passion for my whole life, especially when I was growing up.

"Re-enrollment?" Twilight was trying to understand what exactly Sunset was implying, before she got it. "Ohhhh, because you used to go here, and think you might need to enroll again to take classes ever since Princess Celestia removed you as her pupil?"

"That's right." Sunset affirmed. "I'm willing to retake any classes necessary to earn my way up in the school. Plus, I might actually need some pointers in relearning how to do some of the most basic spells, since it's really been too long where I've gone without a horn."

"Well, that's actually something I was going to discuss with you when I had the chance." Twilight replied. "See, earlier while I was looking at the school records to see everypony currently enrolled, I noticed that your name was still listed on the roster. Not only that, but all the classes you've already taken and passed are still on record and accounted for. So it seems like to me, while Princess Celestia might've removed you from pupil status, she didn't expel you from the institution. You would've still been allowed to continue your education in magic, even after what happened. Normally, the school's policy states that inactive enrollments would be erased after a year, unless Princess Celestia makes an exception. And according to what I've read in the student files, you're still a student enrolled here, even if you haven't registered for any new classes for a while."

"Wow, I'm shocked..." Sunset said with genuine surprise. "Princess Celestia really was adamant about me someday returning, that she did all these little things for me I never even knew about. I definitely have to thank her whenever I plan on visiting Silver Shoals, she has no idea how much this truly means to me. I was fully ready and expecting to start my education all over, but now to hear I can continue exactly where I left off, I'm more than determined to do anything I need to progress."

"Well actually, here's some good news." Twilight began explaining. "According to your records, you've completed all the classes necessary to qualify for a master's degree. You just never got around to ordering and picking it up because... well, you know. And hey, the school policy doesn't state anything against picking it up late for any reason, so with your records still intact, I can get you your certificate without any issue. You've technically already earned it back then, and I would feel proud to give it to you now."

"Really? Wow, I can't believe it, I-" Sunset was happy to hear about this, but considering the long absence from Equestria had made her become out of practice with magic, combined with what her whole life experience taught her, she hesitated. "Actually, Twilight? I think I'd still rather take an extra year or two to get familiar with magic again after being gone from Equestria for ages. After all, I've already paid the price long ago for attempting to jump ahead in my studies, and now understand the importance of earning my place and taking baby steps. I understand I've technically already earned this degree, but I just can't accept it. Especially in my current state of barely being able to get a simple teleportation spell right, I'm just not ready yet. Plus, being here again would give me another opportunity to do something I never had the motivation for back then, socializing and making new friends."

Twilight smiled. "That's very noble of you. I'm so proud to hear how far you've come since those days. But I do insist, you genuinely earned this back then for your merits, so I would feel wrong for depriving you of it. If you do feel this way however, I can think of a compromise for you. I will still give you your degree for your outstanding performance back then, but as for practicing more magic, you are welcome to attend any of these classes to relearn any skills you might've forgotten. Free of charge, of course. And since you now understand the value of earning your place and working hard, I feel comfortable in letting you decide whenever you're ready to move up. I won't hold you back like Princess Celestia did."

"That's so nice of you, Twilight." Sunset said with immense gratitude. "Are you sure about this, though? I don't know if I deserve this. After all, I kept pushing for my own selfish ambitions and kept telling myself I was ready to move up in my studies back when I was Celestia's pupil, and look where I ended up."

"You are a changed pony now, Sunset." Twilight insisted, while putting a hoof on her. "I could not be more proud of the strong and wise mare you've become. I believe you'll do anything it takes to genuinely succeed in this field of study, while making all the right decisions along the way. This short talk we've had where you've shown great enthusiasm in making new friends and slowly earning your place, I can already see that in you for sure. I trust you and am willing to give you that freedom to choose when to level up in your studies, whenever you legitimately believe you're ready."

"I don't know what to say, I-" Sunset stuttered for a moment before coming out with the appropriate response. "Thank you, Twilight. I won't take this for granted or let you down."

"I know you won't, old friend." Twilight smiled back. Just then, the last unicorn filly who just finished taking notes had come out of the classroom and into the halls. She had a pink coat and orange mane with yellow highlights.

"I'm looking forward to our next magic lesson, Professor Twilight!" The filly said to her teacher.

"Luster!" Twilight addressed her student. "Before you go, this is a perfect opportunity to introduce you to an old friend of mine." Twilight turned back to Sunset. "This is my top student, whom I've been teaching for a while now here at the school. I've even decided to take her under my wing as a pupil." Twilight then looked back at Luster. "Luster Dawn, meet Sunset Shimmer."

Luster looked up at Sunset and smiled. "Hello, Sunset! Nice to meet you!"

Sunset smiled back at the filly. "Hello there, likewise! So you're Twilight's pupil now? Congratulations on such an honor! You must be a pretty gifted and talented unicorn. I'm sure your friends and family are proud of you."

"Maybe." Luster replied. "I don't really pay too much attention though, admittedly. I'm more focused on my studies to really make any time for my family. After all, my mom taught me that I have to work hard to succeed, so that's the direction I'm headed."

This scenario sounded way too familiar to Sunset. As a filly, she was basically just like Luster, and this mindset would later end up being the reason she would have no clue about her own parents' whereabouts. She felt the need to say something, even if it wasn't really her business.

"That's understandable, I can definitely relate to that myself." Sunset met Luster halfway. "I just know from experience that while education is important, it's just as valuable as your friends and family. Take it from me, I used to me a unicorn student who thought the same thing, and now I can't even find my own parents here in Equestria, as I never really kept in touch with them."

"Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt to spend a little more time with my parents." Luster said, thinking about Sunset's words. "I haven't really done so in quite a while, maybe you're right. Now that you've mentioned it, I have been growing a little distant from my parents, so I'll keep this in mind once I'm finished with the rest of today's classes. Thanks for the advice, and it was good meeting you, Sunset!"

As Luster trotted off to her next class, Twilight gave a look of approval before speaking up. "Very well spoken, Sunset. Although I chose Luster as my pupil, I couldn't help but notice she showed interest in purely her studies. Not even once has she alluded to the possibility of spending time with her friends or family, which does admittedly remind me of myself. I forget if I've already mentioned this to you, but that's really how I was long before Celestia sent me to Ponyville. But regardless, thanks for encouraging her to take that extra step, which is indeed as valuable as her education."

"It's the least I could do." Sunset replied. "She definitely took the same words right out of my own mouth as a filly, and thanks to that, I've completely lost touch with my parents. I'm just glad I was able to steer her in the right direction, so she wouldn't end up making the same mistakes I once did."

"Your... parents?" Twilight tried to understand the problem. "Wait a second, I remember you vaguely writing about this to me. You mentioned how back then, you weren't really ever close to your family?"

"That's right." Sunset affirmed. "In fact, this is actually what I was referring to yesterday when I said I also wanted to visit the school and Celestia for a more personal reason. I wanted to check and see if there were any traces of my parents, either to Celestia's knowledge, or in the school archives."

"I really wish I could help you with that..." Twilight said in a sympathetic tone. "Unfortunately, not only do I have no clue who your parents are, or even their names, but neither does the school. It's against school policy to ask for unneeded sensitive information from the students, meaning that on record, we only have your name, date of birth, student ID, and address at the time of attending the institution. I'm not sure if any of those would help you get a lead?"

"Not really, my address during that time was here Canterlot, while my dad stayed behind in Ponyville." Sunset brainstormed. "But it's okay, Twilight. I was ready for such a possibility, which is why I also considered visiting Celestia again. Not only to spend a little time with her after being gone for a while, but to also see if she knows anything about this. I feel like right now, the closest thing I have to a lead is this word that was engraved on the bottom of my saddlebag, 'Solstice'. If that is somepony's name, does it sound even a little familiar to you?"

"Solstice..." Twilight thought to herself, trying to think back on all the ponies she's met in Equestria. "Sorry, Sunset. I'm really coming up blank. I've met many ponies here in Equestria ever since I became a princess, and out of hundreds I'm familiar with, I don't have any recollection of anypony having that name. Unless I actually have met them without knowing it, my theory would be that 'Solstice' is just a nickname for them, or they're living somewhere outside of Equestria."

"Hm, I hadn't considered the possibility of it being a just a nickname." Sunset agreed with Twilight's reasoning. "Well, that certainly complicates things even further. Plus, I'm not familiar with any places outside of Equestria either, but hey. If I plan to stay a bit longer in Equestria, I'm sure I can figure it out."

"I'm glad to see that you're keeping a head held high, despite everything you've gone through last night." Twilight said. "If you are planning to explore more of Equestria, I suppose now would be a good opportunity for our friends here to give you a little tour? Rainbow Dash mentioned she wanted to show you around Cloudsdale and get you familiar with the Wonderbolts."

"Yeah, I'm more up to it, now that I'm in a better mood." Sunset replied. "But how would I be able to stand on clouds? I might've been gone for a while, but I'm pretty certain only pegasai can do so."

"Well, since you are willing to relearn magic, there are spells that can allow you to not only levitate yourself, but also obtain pegasai traits, including the ability to traverse clouds." Twilight reminded. "I would know from my experience with Starlight, let's just say. Even if you're out of practice with magic, the spell for pegasai traits is actually quite easy to pull off. Since I don't have any further classes to teach this morning, I can give you a quick lesson, if you'd like?"

"That sounds good, I wasn't aware there were actually any spells to do that." Sunset said with surprise. "I guess when I'm not too fixated on a magical mirror, there's a lot more to learn in this field of study. Anyways, I'll take this lesson with you, and once I feel comfortable enough to pull it off consistently, I'll go meet up with Rainbow Dash. Thanks again, Twilight."

Despite being out of practice, Twilight was not kidding when she said this was a rather easy spell to cast. Sunset had managed to correctly execute the spell after concentrating enough, and to test to see if it worked correctly, Twilight teleported some clouds in the hallway. Sunset hopped atop them and saw they were as solid as the ground. With this done, Sunset set off to find Rainbow Dash, whom was said to currently be at the Wonderbolts Academy.

Comments

[Stet709]

Lol just the thought of Sunset having a Master's degree in magical studies while her friends haven't even graduated high school yet is quite amusing. Then again, she's a magical prodigy who may or may not be older, and they're only teenagers (with superpowers).

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"Well, that's actually something I was going to discuss with you when I had the chance." Twilight replied. "See, earlier while I was looking at the school records to see everypony currently enrolled, I noticed that your name was still listed on the roster. Not only that, but all the classes you've already taken and passed are still on record and accounted for. So it seems like to me, while Princess Celestia might've removed you from pupil status, she didn't expel you from the institution. You would've still been allowed to continue your education in magic, even after what happened. Normally, the school's policy states that inactive enrollments would be erased after a year, unless Princess Celestia makes an exception. And according to what I've read in the student files, you're still a student enrolled here, even if you haven't registered for any new classes for a while."

Guess Celestia kept it after all this time hoping Sunset would return and continue her studies.

"Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt to spend a little more time with my parents." Luster said, thinking about Sunset's words. "I haven't really done so in quite a while, maybe you're right. Now that you've mentioned it, I have been growing a little distant from my parents, so I'll keep this in mind once I'm finished with the rest of today's classes. Thanks for the advice, and it was good meeting you, Sunset!"

That worked out well.

"I really wish I could help you with that..." Twilight said in a sympathetic tone. "Unfortunately, not only do I have no clue who your parents are, or even their names, but neither does the school. It's against school policy to ask for unneeded sensitive information from the students, meaning that on record, we only have your name, date of birth, student ID, and address at the time of attending the institution. I'm not sure if any of those would help you get a lead?"

Should of guessed that was gonna happen.

[Just_Me123]

It's against school policy to ask for unneeded sensitive information from the students,

Hmm, while I see the possible need of this for the story how is the name of your parents not necessary information, especially if you enter school as a minor? Oh well, lol...