CH1-Sunset Shimmer
She hated her. It was all her fault. That no-good-rotten-teacher-stealing-new-student, Twilight Sparkle. Who did she think she was? Just swooping in and taking away everything she had worked for. They had worked for. She would show Celestia. She would show them all.
Sunset stumbled along the pavement, kicking loose pebbles along the way. It was an early autumn evening and few people were about. The ones that were still out gave her strange looks, maybe it had to do with her messed up hair or ragged, dirt-covered clothing.
She walked into Canterlot Park and sat down on a bench near the fountain. She pulled her jacket closer as a cool breeze swept by.How did I end up like this?
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Sunset paced worriedly as she gazed in the direction the guards had rushed away. She glanced at the clock. Two days and six hours to the mark. Trixie still hadn’t been found.
When Trixie had disclosed her plans to runaway, Sunset hadn't believed her. Who would want to run away because of one student? And from being Celestia’s personal pupil no less. Nopony would be stupid enough.
Starlight had been right. When Trixie told her, she tried to dissuade her. But she didn’t listen. She never listened. She was thick-headed and stubborn. She wasn’t easily dissuaded. She agreed to stay. But she had gone and done it anyway. Idiot.
The Princess had immediately sent out guards to find Trixie. But with her ‘borrowed’ bits from the treasury, she was far gone. Celestia wasn’t dissuaded though.
When a new report of Trixie’s whereabouts had surfaced, the guards had instantly been dispatched. That's where they were now. Probably a false alarm. Again.
Knock.Knock.Knock
There were three timid knocks at the door. Only one pony ever knocked that way.
“Come in Starlight,” Sunset said, “the doors open.”
A small filly, no older than ten, walked into the room. Her blue eyes were filled to the brim with tears.
Sunset sighed. Of course Starlight was upset. Trixie was her best friend. They were inseparable. Almost like sisters, even. Obviously she would take it the worst.
“Will they find Trixie?” Starlight asked, her watery eyes filled with a spark of hope. Sunset wrapped her hoof around the pink filly.
“Well,” No point in lying. “Maybe. But you see Star, Trixie’s really good at illusions. If she doesn’t want to be found, she won’t be found.”
“But why’d she run away? I thought she’d listen. We told her to not go. didn’t we?”
“We did Star. But this is Trixie. You know how she can be.”
“You think we'll ever see her again?”
“Maybe, Starlight. Maybe.”
But no. Trixie had left. AND IT WAS ALL HER FAULT.
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No, it went wrong much before that.
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Princess Celestia had just left in the middle of a lesson. All because of her. That stupid filly had wanted to talk to the Princess about something or the other, and she had of course dropped everything to go talk to ‘precious little Twilight’. Everypony else in the castle was tripping over their hooves to do everything for her too.
Sunset sighed. Was it wrong to hate an eight year old? Even if said eight year old was taking over your life?
Princess Celestia had always paid attention to Sunset. She was the first student. Then Starlight and Trixie showed up. They weren’t that bad. Starlight was good filly, hard to hate. Trixie was stubborn and arrogant but her heart was in the right place. They became good friends.
Princess Celestia started teaching them together. A mini class of sorts. The Princess said they were ‘destined for greatness’. Even mentioned something about ‘The Elements’ and ‘Nightmare Moon’ once. But she never explained the connection between the Nightmare Night mascot and these ‘Elements’. “Only when the time is right” she had said.
Then Twilight showed up.
There was a giant rainbow, a sonic boom and a giant dragon involved. After that, everything changed.
Twilight was Celestia’s top priority. Sunset, Starlight and Trixie came after that. Sunset was eleven. She knew better than to be jealous. But she was.
She had studied and worked hard as Princess Celestia’s student for three years! Trixie and Starlight for two years each! Twilight hadn’t even spent a week here and was already the favourite. What did she have that Sunset didn’t?
She’s more important to the Princess than me.
That’s what she has that I don’t.
“Ummm, is she okay?”
“I dunno. Doesn’t she always looks like that?”
“Be serious Trixie. She looks really upset.”
Sunset shook herself out of her thoughts to see Starlight and Trixie looking at her worriedly. Well, Starlight looked worried. Trixie looked like she was holding back laughter.
“Why are you guys staring at me like that?” Sunset looked at them confused.
“You looked like you were gonna murder somepony, in fact you looked like this.” Trixie lit up her horn and cast an illusion of Sunset scowling.
Sunset scowled, looking exactly like the illusion causing Trixie to start laughing just as her horn flickered out.
Starlight shoved the azure filly out of the way. “Are you okay, Sunny? You don’t look happy.”
Sunset snorted. “Of course I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? The immortal goddess of Equestria only just left the lesson early to attend to the needs of that purple plebeian.”
Starlight frowned. “Okay. No need to get so passive-aggressive. And she’s more of an orchid than purple really.”
“I thought she was lavender.” Trixie added.
Sunset facehoofed. “We just got sort of abandoned, and you're worried about what colour the enemy's coat is?”
Trixie shrugged. “There’s not much we can do about her. Anyway, she’s not as powerful as us. Give it a few more days and Princess Celestia will kick her out.”
“But even if she isn’t powerful as us, I don’t think the princess would kick her out just like that. Twilight has a special Cutie Mark. Remember? The princess took her in because of the cutie mark, not her magical ability.”
Sunset thought. “I’m pretty sure it was because of Sparkle’s magical talent. Remember the giant dragon? Age spells are the hardest and she turned a baby dragon into an adult one.”
Starlight sighed. “One day you guys will realise that you’re more similar than you think.”
“No we’re not!” The two fillies chorused.
Starlight sighed again.
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Sunset smiled bitterly at the memory. It was bittersweet. Only a couple days after, Trixie had decided to run away, soon followed by Starlight. But she had stayed. Luna, she had so foolishly stayed. Celestia didn’t care. She never did. That book had proved that.
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It had been a fortnight since Starlight left. Sunset was the only one remaining. Apart from Her.
The bacon haired mare flipped the page of the book hurriedly, nervously watching over her shoulder for anypony.
She smiled. Sunset had found what she needed. “Bingo.”
“I had a feeling I might find you here, Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset froze. Then slowly, ever so slowly, turned around.
There standing with the most disappointed expression ever recorded, was the Princess of the Sun herself.
“Princess.” Sunset greeted, hoping her mentor had not noticed the cover of the book.
“You appear to have a book there, Sunset. May I see it?” That was more of a demand then a request, as Celestia floated the book out of Sunset’s grasp. All the while, Princess Celestia’s expression did not change.
“Starswirl the Bearded: The Forbidden Tome. You know you not allowed in here Sunset. This is the forbidden section. You are not ready for this kind of magic.”
With that comment, something in Sunset snapped. With a growl, she snatched the book out of Celestia’s grasp.
“What do you know about me?!” She screeched.“Ever since that ‘Twilight Sparkle’ showed up, you haven’t given a flying feather about me. I’m not important to you, and neither were Trixie and Starlight. Why do you think they left? Because they were young and stupid? They’ve left and it’s all Twilight’s fault!” Sunset took a deep breath. The rant had taken a lot out of her.
Princess Celestia said nothing at first. She seemed to be taking it all in.
“Sunset. I am so very deeply ashamed that you would blame somepony who you’ve never even met for something she never did. You have also broken some of the only rules ever placed upon you. I’m ashamed that you, my student, would act in such a way.”
I’m ashamed that you, my student, would act in such a way.
I’m ashamed that you would act in such a way.
I’m ashamed of you.
Sunset took of running, sprinting down the hallway past the guards and maids. She ran towards the room at the very end of the corridor, the one that was forbidden. There had to be something in there.
She entered with ease, the guards not knowing she wasn’t allowed in. At the opposite end of the room was a mirror. Swirling and glowing, it seemed to pull Sunset towards it. Sunset attempted to touch it, only for her hoof to go through. Where did it lead?
Just then, Princess Celestia entered.
“Sunset Shimmer. You know you are not allowed to enter this room. You have broken my trust thrice within an afternoon. It is with a heavy heart, I must dismiss you as my student.”
No.
No.
NO!
Sunset didn’t think as she jumped through the mirror portal.
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Clenching her fists, Sunset Shimmer got up and began to head towards her home for the night. The homeless shelter two streets away from Canterlot High. She had discovered it a week after arriving. Someone who saw her sleeping on the bench had recommended it to her.
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Sunset landed with a thump. Her body ached from being stretched and she was still a bit disoriented. She rubbed her eyes with her hoof-
“Wait, where are my hooves?!”
-and began to panic.
The girl took a deep breath. “Okay, calm down. You’re just stuck in a weird place after jumping through a mirror because you got expelled as the Princess of the Sun’s pupil. Because of a nine year old.” She paused.“It’s a lot to take in when I say it all at once.”
“First things first. I need to find out about this giant castle in front of me.”
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Sunset laid down on a bed in the shelter. She would figure out how to get rid of Twilight. That pony deserved nothing. She deserved everything.
She would figure it out in the morning.