Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #181: Which Student?

“Come in!” rang out Princess Celestia’s voice through the closed door after she knocked.

“You asked for me, Princess Celestia?” she said, as she opened the door.

“Ah, Sunset Shimmer. I’m glad that you could make it,” said Princess Celestia, her smile kind and inviting, as usual. “Do you want anything to drink? Juice, perhaps?”

Sunset’s mind raced. Offering a drink that wasn’t tea, that smile...Sunset sighed.

“Where are you sending me?” she said. Princess Celestia sat down, and motioned for Sunset to join her. Sunset remained standing.

“You never cease to amaze me with your perceptiveness, Sunset Shimmer,” sighed Celestia, “I am sending you to Ponyville. The mayor there is in need of an advisor, a representative of Canterlot, and you always did particularly well in your law classes.”

“Wait, I’m going to be the representative for Canterlot? Don’t you think that’s a little high for somepony like me?”

“I doubt you will have too many duties, Sunset. Ponyville is within sight of Canterlot, and from what I hear, their laws are rather similar to that of Canterlot’s. In short, it is an excellent training ground for you. As a matter of fact,” said Celestia, pulling out a scroll from a neat pile on a nearby desk, “I have your first task here. You are to act as supervisor for the Summer Sun Celebration there. I shall be making an appearance.”

“Princess, wouldn’t this sort of thing be better suited to, perhaps, your other student?”

“Twilight Sparkle?” asked Celestia, “Perhaps. She is more organized, certainly, but she lacks the personality, or the social skills to deal with ponies all day. She may be devilishly smart, with an aptitude for magic that I have not seen since ages gone past, but she is reclusive, to put it kindly.”

“Then why me? I’m not the shining example of a student that she is,” said Sunset.

“And that is exactly why I am sending you. If I may be frank with you, Sunset,” said Celestia.

“I really wish you would,” interrupted Sunset. Celestia acknowledged the interruption with the slightest of inclines to her head.

“Both you and Twilight are going to do great things, and I am not sure what they are. In truth, I could send either of you, and I will not use such words as ‘destiny’, but something tells me that both of you will go on to accomplish great things. Do you remember what I told you of Nightmare Moon?”

Sunset blinked at the apparent non-sequiter, but answered. “Evil spirit, tried to take over Equestria ages ago, banished to the moon by you with the Elements of Harmony.”

“In as many words, yes,” said Celestia, “I fear that she may be returning. If she is allowed to proceed unchallenged, she will inflict another endless night on Equestria.”

“And you want me to find the Elements of Harmony to make sure that doesn’t happen, right?” asked Sunset.

“Yes. And perhaps it would do you some good to get out of Canterlot for a while, Sunset,” said Celestia, “it might do you some good to be around ponies who are unaware of your undeserved reputation,” Sunset winced, but Celestia plowed on, “make some friends, enjoy life, not stay stuck behind that desk for all of your life. The Representative position in Ponyville is largely a trivial thing, and I hear they have a rather excellent library, too.”

Sunset sighed. Princess Celestia might not have liked to order her ponies around, but she did have a way of asking that made it difficult to refuse.

“Alright, I’ll do it,” she said, plucking the scroll out of the air with her magic, and slotting it into her saddlebag.

“Very good, my student,” said Celestia, and Sunset felt a quick pang at those words. She was just ‘my student’, while Twilight was ‘my faithful student’. It felt like a demotion, to know that she had once been the faithful student.

But Celestia hadn’t finished yet, and was still speaking. “I trust that you still have the book I gave you?”

“Yes, Princess,” said Sunset, “I’ll write if anything comes up.”

“And do try and have some fun there, Sunset Shimmer,” said Celestia, climbing back onto her hooves, “you may even find that the town grows on you. A chariot will take you down when you’re ready.”

“Okay. I guess I’ll see you during the Summer Sun Celebration, Princess.”

****Time****

Princess Celestia watched as Sunset Shimmer walked off, praying that she had made the right choice. But between Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer, for once, Princess Celestia had no idea what the correct choice was, and her dreams were not being helpful. All she knew was that they would both do great things, in time.

It was certainly true that Sunset was a little more jaded than Twilight, a little less trusting. But at the same time, she was much more sociable than Twilight, much more likely to form the connections needed to truly defeat Nightmare Moon and return her sister. All she could do now was wait, and hope that she had made the right choice.

A ball of green smoke chose that moment to coalesce into a scroll right in front of Celestia’s nose just then, and Celestia smiled. Letters from Twilight always had a way of brightening up her day.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #181: “Alternity”
The prompt: What if...?