Chapter 1: School and the New Kid

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Another beautiful morning dawned upon Canterlot, and more specifically for Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Students were just rising out of bed, getting ready for a new day. School days started early for these students, having to be at the gates at 7:00am sharp.

Celestia’s castle stood above the streets of Canterlot, looking down on the beautiful city. As the sun rose, so did the ponies of Canterlot. The streets were already bustling with activity, ponies opening up shops or setting up stalls.

Sunset stayed in the castle, unlike other students who lived in the dorms close to campus. Sunset took classes at the School of Magic alongside lessons from princess Celestia herself. Celestia chose her because of her magical prowess alongside her drive to learn. Sunset was grades above what they taught in school, so it was an obvious choice. Unfortunately, Sunset still had to attend school due to laws in place. Sunset believed that she didn’t need these classes, so she didn't care for them. Sleeping in was something she would do often, making her late most days

And today wasn’t any different.

Sunset was snuggled comfortably in her bed, resting her head on a pillow. Her blanket slowly rose and fell as she steadily breathed. Her room was large but very empty. A bed, desk, nightstand and bookshelf was all the room held. Scrolls and quills were scattered on her desk and floor alongside stacks of books. Her nightstand had a few picture frames that were faced down. Even in all the mess, the unicorn slept soundly.

“Sunset,” a calm voice said through her door.

Sunset groaned, rolling onto her other side. “Ten more minutes…”

“Sunset, I will not allow you to be late on such a lovely morning,” the voice called out again, a little more stern. Sunset decided to ignore the voice, slowly drifting back into her wondrous slumber.

The door slammed open, causing Sunset to quickly sit up. In the doorway stood her teacher and mentor, princess Celestia. Celestia wore a mysterious smile. Was she angry? Was she disappointed? Was she just smiling?

“Good morning Sunset,” Celestia greeted. “It’s nice to see that you’re up.”

“Yeah, I totally got up by myself,” Sunset mumbled to herself, rubbing her eyes. “So what is it, Celestia? Are we getting to our lessons early today?”

“Our lessons are always in the afternoon,” Celestia said. “It’s time for you to head to school.”

Sunset let out a short laugh. “Funny Celestia, very funny. I’m going back to sleep,” she said as she tried to lay back down, throwing her covers over herself. Before she landed, a yellow magical aura surrounded her, lifting her into the air.

“I don’t think so, Sunset,” Celestia frowned. “You’ve missed far too many classes.”

“But you said I’d get to move onto advanced lessons!” Sunset groaned, the covers falling off of her, leaving just her in the air.

“You’ll get to the advanced lessons with me at least, ” Celestia said. “But that doesn’t mean you get to skip out on school. Now get ready, you only have fifteen more minutes before the gates close.” And with that, Celestia placed her down on the ground gently and exited the room.

“Stupid school,” Sunset grumbled as she walked over to her nightstand. “Why can’t I just learn from Celestia all day,” she sighed, floating a brush out. Brushing her hair slowly, she walked out of her room towards the bathroom.

Susnet’s room was in a separate tower from the castle, connected by a bridge. Walking on the bridge was one of Sunset’s favorite things to do. Crossing the bridge, there was a breathtaking view that stretched a little past Ponyville. It was still a little dark, the sun not fully up yet. Shadows were cast upon Equestria, making it even more beautiful. A cool breeze filled Sunset’s mane as she slowly trotted across the bridge.

“Maybe I should get up a little earlier,” she said to herself, a small smile on her face.

Finally reaching the other side of the bridge, she opened the door that led into a hallway. Doors filled the sides, signs hung above them. The bathroom was in the door immediately to the left. Entering, she locked the door and tided up. Brushing her teeth and washing her face was all she had to do before making her way to the castle’s entrance.

Celestia’s School of Magic wasn’t inside the castle. It was a little walk away, which Sunset didn't mind at all. The path that led to the castle was paved and well kept, while the plant life that surrounded it was just beautiful. Flowers of different colors and a variety of trees and bushes gave life to the dull, brown pathway. Sunset always enjoyed these brisk morning walks to school, she just didn’t enjoy school.

Celestia’s School of Magic wasn’t the worst, as much as Sunset painted it to be. Most of the ponies there were nice, except a handful of noble children who got in because of their parents. Sunset, however, didn’t have to deal with anypony. She kept to herself, only wanting to study and study. She wasn’t anti-social, it’s just that she saw other ponies as a distraction.

The main reason she disliked going to school was because of the pacing. She was years ahead of the content she was being taught, so she saw no need to be there. It seemed redundant and useless, things that Sunset hated.

Approaching the gates of the school, it seemed deserted. Everpony was probably already in their classrooms and seated, ready to learn. Sunset, however, was just getting there. She didn’t care though.

“Just gotta get to my classroom and hit the hay,” Sunset whispered to herself, approaching the gates.

“Good morning, Miss Shimmer,” a blue coated unicorn greeted.

“Good morning Professor Top Marks,” Sunset greeted as she walked through the gates.

“Good to see that you’re coming back to school,” Top Marks said.

“Yeah, it’s good to be back,” Sunset sarcastically remarked, leaving Top Marks standing there at the gate.

Sunset made her way through the school's courtyard. Patches of flowers and vegetation were sprinkled around. The school was prestigious, so it had to look it’s part. There were a few gardeners at work, tending to the plants; trimming trees and bushes, picking out dying flowers and replacing them.

Entering the building, there was a large wall with the pictures of teachers, past and present. Princess Celestia’s picture was hung in the middle of everypony. A few display cases were lined up next to each other, filled with trophies and medals. Sunset quickly passed by these, heading down one of the many hallways. The school was big, but Sunset had already memorized everything there. The hallways were empty, but muffled chatter could be heard. Everypony was already in class. Making her way to her classroom, she stopped in front of the door. Her classroom wasn’t an ordinary classroom, it was a classroom for advanced students. It was already a major feat to get into any program at the School of Magic, but getting into any of the advanced classrooms guaranteed some sort of future in magic endeavors.

Sighing, Sunset pushed open the door. She was greeted with stares and silence. The teacher was already in the middle of her lecture.

“Look who decided to join us today,” Crystal Clear said, clearly unamused by her tardiness.

“I don’t want to be here, believe me,” Sunset yawned. “If it wasn’t for Celestia waking me up, I would still be asleep.”

“Just take a seat Miss Shimmer,” Crystal Clear frowned, going back to her lesson.

Sunset walked to her seat, which was thankfully all the way in the back, directly in the middle. Her class wasn’t very populated. There were only nine other ponies in the classroom. Normal classes would’ve had twenty or more, but this isn’t a normal class. Their ages ranged, the youngest being six years while the oldest being fourteen. Sunset was right in the middle at ten years old, although she didn’t really act like it. Celestia told her she acted more like a teenageer rather than a kid, which she didn't mind at all.

Looking around the classroom in boredom, she came across something new.

“A new student?” Sunset thought as she looked at the purple filly right next to her. The filly was instantly staring at the textbook on her desk. She quickly flipped through the pages, jotting down notes on a scroll. As for the text book’s title…

Archaic Casting: Dark Magic Edition

“What the buck?” Sunset said, a little too loudly.

“Sunset!” Crystal Clear glared at her. “Language.”

“Sorry Miss Clear,” Sunset apologized not so sincerely. “Who’s this twerp here?” Sunset gestured towards the filly, deciding she might as well ask since she was already in the spotlight. “And why is she reading Archaic Casting: Dark Magic Edition?”

“She’s reading what now?!” Crystal Clear said, a little bit of panic in her voice.

“Archaic Casting: Dark Magic Edition,” Sunset repeated. “Looks like she's almost done with it too.”

“Twilight Sparkle! You should not be reading books like that!” Crystal Clear scolded the filly, trotting over to her desk and taking the book.

“B-But…” The filly pouted, her lip trembling.

“No ‘buts’ Miss Sparkle,” Crystal Clear levitated the book to her desk’s drawer. “Your parents can come pick this up after school.” With that, Crystal Clear continued class as if nothing ever happened.

“Twilight Sparkle… Where have I heard that name before?” Sunset thought, tapping her chin. With a shrug, she gave up trying to figure it out. Peeking to her right she saw the filly with her head down on the desk. She was sniffling, although muffled, and her shoulders were shaking. She was crying.

Sunset felt a sudden pang in her chest. Sunset always seemed cold and distant, keeping to herself often. She had a slight temper and has lashed out at ponies before. Ponies avoided her like the plague, but she didn’t mind at all. She didn’t care how other ponies felt. But this time she felt bad. The poor filly just wanted to read and learn, but she called her out, and now she’s in trouble.

“Hey,” Sunset whispered, not receiving an answer from the filly. “She probably didn’t hear me,” Sunset thought, biting her lip. She decided to tap the filly. The filly lifted her head, wiping her eyes and nose.

“W-What do you want,” the filly said, her voice quavering.

“I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” Sunset said hesitantly. Apologizing was weird for her.

“I-It’s okay…” the filly nodded, regaining a little bit of composure. “I shouldn’t have been reading it anyways. My mommy just gave me that book so I thought I could read it here, but I guess I know not to.”

“For the record, I think it’s cool that you were reading something like that,” Sunset smiled, causing the filly to weakly smile as well. “Be honest with me, did you really understand anything in that book?”

“I did!” The filly said enthusiastically. “There was a lot about transmutation and magic circles, though I don’t really know why anypony would want to raise somepony from the dead.”

“I don’t really know myself,” Sunset laughed quietly. The rest of the class went on with them chatting about magic and other books that they both read. Even throughout recess and break times, they chatted away. Finally, the bells rung, signifying the end of the school day.

“Bye Sunset! See you tomorrow,” The filly waved at Sunset as she ran towards what looked like her parents.

“See you tomorrow Twilight!” Sunset called out as they walked away. Sunset wore a real smile, walking towards the gates.

“Enjoying yourself, Sunset?” A calm voice said from behind her. Spinning around, Sunset saw the sun monarch standing before her.

“Celestia! What are you doing here?” Sunset asked.

“Well this is my school after all,” Celestia laughed.

“Oh, right,” Sunset laughed as well. “Is it time for my lessons?” Sunset asked, excitement taking over.

“Yes it is,” Celestia nodded. “But first, I see you made a friend.”

“I wouldn’t say friend, more of an acquaintance,” Sunset shrugged. “Her name is-”

“Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia finished, a smile on her face.

“Wait, how’d you know?” Sunset tilted her head.

“She’s the filly you will be taking care of,” Celestia said, her face unchanging. “My new protege.”

“Oh…” Sunset stood there, processing it. “Ooooooooooh! That’s why that name sounded familiar.”

“I’m glad that you two get along already. Twilight is quite, ahem, different from ponies her age. I hoped you two would be friends. Looks like I don’t have to worry.”

“No need to worry Celestia, she and I get along just fine,” Sunset assured her.

“Good,” Celestia nodded. “Now are you ready for your lessons?”

“You betcha!” Sunset replied, the two walking towards the castle.

Chapter 2: Sunset and The Lost Filly

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“Sunset, focus,” Celestia said in a low voice. “Imagine the magic coursing through your body.” The unicorn’s eyes were shut tight, standing firm in place. Sunset’s breaths were calm and controlled. Celestia nodded contently. “Very good Sunset. Now try and redirect it all to your horn.”

Sunset took in a deep breath, focusing on just her horn. Her mind was clear, devoid of any thought. All she was focused on was her magic and her horn. She felt it. It was like a stream flowing to the ocean. Droplets of sweat formed on Sunset’s forehead.

Celestia stood in silence, watching her student patiently. Their first lesson was a lesson in control. If a unicorn couldn’t control their magic when casting, it could potentially hurt both the caster and people around them. This was especially true for Sunset, who’s magic reserves were much larger than that of a normal unicorn.

Soon enough, Sunset’s horn was glowing a bright red, sparks occasionally coming out.

“We’re almost done Sunset,” Celestia spoke, noticing the glow. “Now all you must do is release it. I’d advise opening your eyes for this last part.”

Sunset nodded, opening her eyes slowly. Opening her eyes proved to be problematic. Her focus was slightly broken, her horn sparking more than before.

“Focus, Sunset,” Celestia said in a stern voice. “If you can’t do this, advancing onto future lessons will be impossible.”

Sunset grunted, fighting for control of her horn. Slowly but surely, her horn’s sparking died down. Celestia smiled at her student. Seeing this, Sunset slightly smiled back.

“You can either release it slowly or in one quick blast,” Celestia said. “The choice is yours.”

Sunset smirked, already making her mind up. With a quick cast, she blasted a laser upwards, illuminating the sky with a red light. The red light blended with the sun creating a breathtaking sunset. The laser slowly died down, eventually fizzing out. Sunset fell down on her back, panting.

“That was very good, Sunset,” Celestia said.

Sunset looked towards the setting sun. It was almost fully behind the mountains, the reddish-orange hue no longer cast upon Equestria. A light yellow glow illuminated the now darkened royal garden. Sitting up, she looked at the sun monarch.

“It’s about that time already, huh,” Sunset stared at Celestia’s glowing horn.

“Indeed it is. As the sun goes down, the moon comes up,” Celestia smiled, raising up the moon and stars.

“That lesson sure was tiring,” Sunset laughed, falling back down into the grass. The stars were always perfectly placed, twinkling and dancing across the night sky.

“Giving up already?” Celestia taunted.

“I’m not even close to done,” Sunset said with determination. “I’m ready for anything.”

“Good,” Celestia smiled, her horn’s glow fading away. Walking over to Sunset, she offered her hoof to the mare. “As it is already late, how about we stop here for today?”

“Sounds good to me,” Sunset answered, taking Celestia’s hoof.

Celestia pulled Sunset up. “Tomorrow, we will start early in the morning.”

“Didn’t you say we always have our classes in the afternoons?” Sunset smiled.

“Your lessons now will take a lot longer than before, so I decided some days we can start in the morning,” Celestia explained, walking alongside Sunset towards a doorway.

“Just some days?” Sunset groaned, her smile turning upside down.

“Remember what I said this morning?” Celestia reminded her.

“Yes, I remember,” Sunset snorted. “Are you going to force me to go to school everyday if we aren't having morning lessons?”

“Are you asking me to?” Celestia smirked.

“I’m hoping you don’t,” Sunset weakly laughed.

“Hope is a fragile thing, Sunset.”

“Okay Princess Sun-Butt,” Sunset shot back, rolling her eyes.

“I’m not the only pony with a sun on my butt,” Celestia countered.

“Quite the sly one, huh,” Sunset sighed.

Celestia winked. “It comes with being the ruler of Equestria.”

“Sounds about right,” Sunset finished. Just a moment of silence fell between the two, before the halls were filled with giggles.

“As much as I would love to continue this banter, I must retire for the night,” Celestia sighed, turning towards her room. “Goodnight Sunset.”

“Goodnight Celestia,” Sunset smiled. “See you tomorrow morning.”

The two ponies parted, going their own ways. Sunset walked through the vacant hallways, navigating her way to her room like a veteran guard. When she first became Celestia’s student, she roamed the castle a lot, often getting lost. Eventually, she mapped it out in her head, leading to her being able to get anywhere in the castle without a thought.

Occasionally, a guard would pass by. Sunset would exchange greetings with them, short and sweet. Although she wasn’t a stranger to the guards, she wasn’t close to them. She didn't really see a reason to get too close to them.

Sunset only knew a couple of their names, one being lieutenant Shining Armor and the other captain Sharp Arrow. They ran into her while she was practicing magic alone.

Sunset stood in the grass of the courtyard. She didn’t have classes today and Celestia’s lessons weren’t until later, so she decided to pass some time. She shut her eyes tight, her horn sparking and sputtering. In front of her was a tin can, slowly levitating up.

“C’mon Sunset, you got this…” she said to herself, trying to get the can higher into the air.

She knew it was dangerous to try any magic alone, but she was becoming impatient. Celestia didn’t allow her to try any spells without supervision. She explained to Sunset that she had more magic reserves than other unicorns, saying that even one misstep could be fatal.

The can was slowly moving higher and higher, eventually being right under her chin.

“Almost there,” Sunset grunted quietly. “Just a little higher…”

“Hey! What are you doing over there,” a stallion yelled. The can dropped with a clink, the sudden shout causing Sunset to lose focus. Her horn fizzled out slowly till no trace was left.

“Uh, nothing!” Her eyes darted towards the voice, seeing two guards walking towards her. One was a lot younger than all the other one, but he was just as built, if not more, than him. His whitish coat matched well with his blue mane and tail, his gold armor shining brightly.

“What’s wrong, Lieutenant?” the older stallions asked. He too had a white coat, but his mane was a midnight black. Instead of the usual gold armor the guards wore, he was equipped with gray armor with gold details. His cutie mark, a bow and arrow crossing, was displayed on the front of his armor.

“I just saw this young filly using magic without anypony around, sir,” the younger stallion stated, saluting.

“At ease, Lieutenant,” the older stallion said. Turning his attention to the filly in front of them, he spoke. “Is it true you were practicing magic here alone?”

“Uh…. no?” Sunset glanced away from the guard’s eyes.

“No need to lie to us, we aren’t going to punish you,” the older one smiled, causing the lieutenant to tilt his head.

“B-But Captain Arrow, we can’t ju-”

“I said we aren’t going to punish her, Lieutenant Armor,” Arrow barked. “Am I understood?”

“Y-Yes sir,” Armor straightened up. “I’m sorry for speaking out of line, Captain.”

“I’m sorry for my subordinate,” Arrow apologized, smiling at the filly. “I’m Sharp Arrow, the Captain of the Royal Guards, and this is my lieutenant, Shining Armor.”

“I’m Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset replied.

“I know who you are, Sunset,” Arrow said. “Now, were you really not practicing magic out here by yourself?

Sunset looked down at the ground, the can right under her. After what felt like an eternity of silence, she finally spoke. “I-I was…”

“There’s no need to be ashamed, Sunset,” Arrow spoke softly. “It’s very impressive that you can use magic at all at your age.”

“I’m not going to be punished, am I?” Sunset asked.

“No, not at all. I won’t even tell Princess Celestia,” Arrow smiled. “I promise.”

“Thank you!” Sunset grinned.

“Wait, why would we tell Princess Celestia?” Shining Armor asked.

“You don’t know?” Arrow chuckled. “Sunset is Celestia’s personal student.”

Shining eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“Why would I lie to you?” Arrow cocked an eyebrow.

“Sorry, sir,” Shining apologized quickly. “Does that mean you also attend Celstia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?”

“I do,” Sunset answered. “The classes are boring though.”

“My sister really wants to get in there,” Shining chuckled. “She’s still small, even younger than you. She’s adorable.” Shining smiled, thinking of his “baby” sister.

“Enough about your sister lieutenant,” Arrow rolled his eyes. “Now Sunset, I know you’re Celestia’s student and all, but I’m sure she told you that practicing magic unsupervised is dangerous.”

“S-She did,” Sunset pawed at the ground. “I just wanted to get a little practice in before our lessons.”

“I know it may seem dumb that you can’t practice by yoruself, but we just want you to be safe, okay?” Arrow comforted the filly. “How about this, if you ever need help with magic or want to practice, just ask Shining Armor here to supervise you. How’s that sound?”

“Y-You mean it?” Sunset looked back up at the captain.

“Yeah, do you really mean it?” Shining seconded her question. “I already have to babysit my sister, now her?”

“I’m sure you can do it, lieutenant,” Arrow looked at Shining, smirking.

“Yes sir,” Shining reluctantly agreed.

“There you have it Sunset, what do you say?” Arrow turned his attention back to the filly.

“Thank you!” Sunset chirped.

“Of course,” Arrow nodded. “Now, I think it’s about time for your lessons with Celestia. How about we escort you there?”

“Okay!” Sunset nodded. The three ponies walked towards Celestia’s room, chatting away.

Sunset opened the door to her darkened room, a beam of moonlight shining through her window. The window was perfectly placed so that it illuminated her desk. Trotting over to her desk, she took a seat on her old wooden chair.

“To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question,” Sunset mimicked Shake Spear.

Sunset nodded, levitating a quill and ink to her desk. Open next to her was her Magical Principles: Advanced Edition textbook, issued to her by the school. Just because they were a prestigious magic school doesn’t mean there wasn’t physical homework. To become great at magic, one must know the theories and ideas behind it.

Sunset quickly went to work, jotting down theories and answers. She bit her lip and she flipped through the textbook, finding the problems that were due in a couple days. Sunset may never be at school, but she never misses any work given to her. This was her time to learn, as the classroom just didn’t do it for her.

“This stuff’s just too easy,” She mumbled to herself, quickly finishing more than half of the assigned problems in an hour. Closing the textbook, Sunset yawned. She finished enough work for today.

Getting off of her chair, she stretched, letting out a slight groan. She went towards the window, pulling together the curtains, only a small crack of moonlight slipped through. Sighing, she trotted over to her unmade bed. Plopping down, she sunk into the cloudlike mattress.

“Oh how I missed you,” She said into her pillows. Throwing her covers over herself, she snuggled deeper into bed. The warmth of her blanket and the softness of her mattress proved to be too much. Her heavy eyes slowly closed as she drifted off to sleep.

There was a tiny knock at Sunset’s door.

“H-Hello?” a small, muffled voice called.

Sunset mumbled incohesively, rolling onto her side. She hugged her pillow tightly, drool slowly trickling onto its covers.

Another tiny knock.

“Is anypony in there?” the voice called out again, just a smidge louder than last time.

Sunset slowly opened her eyes, groaning. Wiping her mouth, she sat up, blinking. Eventually everything became clearer, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. Sweeping the room, her eyes landed on the shadow cast under her doorway. It looked like somepony’s legs. Slowly getting out of her bed, she tip-toed towards the window. Taking a glance outside, she noticed that the moon was still high above.

“It’s almost three in the morning,” Sunset whispered, biting her lip. “Who would be here at this time?”

A mixture of fear, panic, and excitement filled Sunset. What if somepony was here to hurt her and Princess Celestia? She wouldn’t let that happen. Adrenaline coursed through her as she slowly crept towards the door. Her horn glowed ever so slightly.

“Don’t want them escaping,” she thought as she got closer and closer to the door.

Another knock at the door alongside a rattling of the door knob.

Sunset stood right in front of the door. Inhaling deeply, she prepared herself for the worst. She held her breath as her hoof reached for the doorknob. Unlocking it with a click, she swung the door open, horn pointed at the stranger.

“Please don’t hurt me!” a filly-like voice cried out. Sunset ceased her magic, her horn dimming out.

“What are you doing here Twilight!?” Sunset frowned, looking down at the curled up purple filly.

Twilight lifted her head out from under her legs. Her eyes were watery and her nose was drippy. She sniffled, sitting up on her butt. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. Her face trembled and her lip quivered. Sunset’s eyes went wide, knowing exactly what was coming.

Twilight let out a quiet sob, tears running down her cheeks. She hiccuped with desperate breaths. Snot dripped out from her nose.

The sobbing continued as Sunset stood there, her mind running a million miles per hour. What was Twilight doing here in the middle of the night? Where were her parents? Most importantly, why was she crying?

Sunset shook her head. Sunset approached the filly, wrapping her legs around her. She pulled Twilight to her, holding her tightly. Her sniffles and sobs were muffled against her chest.

“Shhh… It’ll be okay,” Sunset whispered as she rubbed Twilight’s back. “Everything is fine Twilight, no one is going to hurt you.” Sunset continued comforting the crying filly, her tears soaking into her fur.

Twilight’s cries slowly died down, replaced with soft and steady breaths. Sunset looked down to see her eye’s closed. Smiling, she placed the filly on her back.

“All that crying must’ve taken you out, huh,” Sunset chuckled, staring at the filly. A cool night breeze hit Sunset, causing her to shudder. All that action had distracted her from where she was: the bridge connecting her to the castle. Twilight shivered slightly, curling up tighter.

Sunset sighed, quickly trotting over to the castle. Opening the doorway, the hallways were still well-lit. A guard was stationed at the opposite end of Sunset.

“Hello!” Sunset called out, approaching him. He turned towards Sunset, tilting his head.

“Hello Miss Sunset, you’re up early,” he greeted. “I recall Celestia saying you had classes in the morning today, but I believe she is still asleep.”

“I just…” Sunset looked back at Twilight. “Couldn’t go to sleep?”

“Uh-huh…” the guard nodded slowly, looking at the filly on Sunset’s back. “So, who’s the filly?”

“She’s Celestia’s protege, Twilight Sparkle,” Sunset explained.

“Celestia didn’t inform us she had a new protege,” the guard sighed. “Much less she was going to be in the castle tonight.”

“Maybe she just somehow wandered in here?” Sunset weakly smiled.

“Sunset, you and I both know a pony can’t just wander into the castle at night,” he frowned.

“It was a joke,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m going to look for Celestia and find out what’s going on. Talk to you later.”

“Alright, be safe,” he called out to her as she walked away.

Sunset made her way through the halls towards Celestia’s room. On her way there, guards would give her funny looks, although none of them stopped her. Everypony in the castle now knew of Sunset. Captain Arrow and Celestia introduced her to every guard so they could recognize her easily if need be.

All the usual castle staff, except the guards, were fast asleep. Sunset tip-toed through the sleeping quarters, quieter than a mouse. Thankfully the filly on her back was a quiet sleeper, her breaths light and soft.

“This hallway seems longer than usual,” Sunset mumbled, slowly making her way to the other end where Celestia’s room lay. Eventually reaching the end of what felt like an endless hallway, she was faced with two guards and a large double door.

“Hey you two,” Sunset whispered. The two guards paid no mind to the unicorn, their stares still focused in front of them.

“Hello?” Sunset waved her hand in front of their faces, still no response. She stood there for a few minutes, staring at the guards. Their faces were unmoving and emotionless.

“Either they’re really bucking good at their job, or they’re just sleeping with their eyes open,” Sunset thought as she continued staring at them. With a shrug, she pressed forward towards the door. The guards did absolutely nothing, confirming the latter.

“I’ll be sure to let Captain Arrow know,” Sunset made a mental note as she gently pushed open the double door. It let out a small creek, causing Sunset to cringe.

Peeking her head in, she looked around. The first thing she noticed in the room was the large bed right down the middle, a pony’s outline tucked in. The pony was much larger than a normal pony, confirming she was indeed in Celestia’s room.

“I want a bed like that,” Sunset muttered, shutting the door quietly behind her. Sunset, being the curious unicorn, walked around the sun monarch's room. It wasn’t grandiose like one would imagine, but rather quite humble.

A separate glass door led out to the balcony, moonlight shining through. A telescope was right outside the door, facing towards the stars. A few picture frames were hung up. A bookshelf, dresser, and desk were the only other furniture she had. It was very similar to Sunset’s room, but unlike Sunset’s room, everything was organized. There weren’t books or scrolls laid out everywhere, but rather they lined the shelf neatly. Her quill and ink were laid out on her desk, a rolled up scroll sitting in the center.

“Wouldn’t expect anything less from you,” Sunset looked towards Celestia, smirking. She walked over to Celestia’s bed, looking down at her sleeping mentor. She looked peaceful. Her breaths were calm and soft, the blanket rising and falling steadily.

“Now what?” Sunset frowned. On one hand, she didn’t want to wake Celestia up from her peaceful sleep. The ruler already had so much going on, the least Sunset could do is let her rest. On the other hand, Sunset had somepony’s filly on her back. Sunset looked at Twilight, then looked back at Celestia.

Sunset sighed. “I guess since I’m already here…”

Sunset approached the bed, getting as close as possible without touching it. She shook the bed gently, trying to wake the sleeping monarch. Sunset held her breath as Celestia’s facial expression tensed up.

“Celestia,” Sunset whispered loudly. “Celestia, I need your help.”

Celestia, much to Sunset’s surprise, opened her eyes slowly.

“Sunset-” Celestia yawned. “I know I said we had early classes but I didn't mean this early.”

“Wait, you seriously woke up from just that?” Sunset giggled.

“I’m quite the light sleeper,” Celestia groggily smiled, sitting up in her bed. “So Sunset, why are you really here so early in the morning?”

Sunset didn’t respond, but rather jerked her head in the direction of her back. Celestia craned her neck out, seeing past Sunset's head. On her pupil’s back lay her new protege.

Celestia nodded. “Hmm, I see your problem now.”

“No really?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow.

“Pray tell Sunset, where did you find Twilight?” Celestia asked, stepping out of bed.

“She was outside my room’s door,” Sunset answered.

“She was sleeping outside your door?” Celestia asked in concern.

“No!” Sunset shook her head rapidly. “She was just standing outside my door and I may or may not have scared her.”

Celestia frowned. “Now why would you do that to a child Sunset?”

“I didn’t mean to,” Sunset groaned. “I thought it was an intruder so I readied my magic and swung open the door.”

“And then?” Celestia stared at Sunset.

“I didn’t blast her of course,” Sunset motioned towards the unscathed Twilight.

Celestia let out a giggle while she examined the young filly on Sunset’s back. Twilight was peacefully sleeping, even through their chatter. The filly’s legs were hanging off of Sunset’s back, her head snuggled against Sunset’s neck.

“She’s adorable,” Celestia cooed.

“I know right,” Sunset agreed, looking back at Twilight. “Should we put her on the bed?”

“I was just about to ask,” Celestia said.

Celestia’s horn started to glow, a golden aura surrounding Twilight. She gently lifted the filly off of Sunset’s back, causing Twilight to curl up into a more comfortable position. Celestia floated her over to the bed, placing her right in the center.

Sunset and Celestia looked at each other, a smile forming on their faces. They both looked back to the sleeping filly, giggling.

“She looks so much smaller in your bed,” Sunset said.

“My bed is a little big,” Celestia examined it.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “A ‘little’ large?”

Celestia shrugged. “What can I say, I’m a rather large pony.”

“Uh-huh…” Sunset rolled her eyes. “So now what?”

“Maybe we should figure out why Twilight is here in the castle,” Celestia offered. “And more importantly why she’s here so early.”

“Wait, are you telling me that you don't even know why Twilight's here?!” Sunset asked, taken aback.

“I’ve been asleep for a few hours now, Sunset,” Celestia said.

“Right…” Sunset awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of her neck.

Celestia smiled, placing a hoof on her student’s shoulder. “I’m sure there’s a good explanation for why she’s here though.”

Sunset smiled back. “Mayb-”

Suddenly the door swung open. “Princess Celestia, have you seen my sister?!” a stallion shouted, causing the two snoozing guards to jerk awake.

The hallway’s light beamed in, illuminating the majority of the room. In the doorway stood a familiar white stallion. His blue mane was all over the place, his eyes baggy and dark. His shield cutie mark bore a striking resemblance to Twilight’s.

“Lieutenant Shining Armor, what is wrong?” Celestia asked sternly, unfazed by his sudden appearance.

Shining Armor stood at attention, saluting alongside the two other guards. “Sorry for barging in ma’am, but my younger sister has gone missing. She wanted to see the castle before she moved in so I decided to bring her in today and show her around.”

“Your little sister, Twilight Sparkle, correct?” Celestia asked.

“Yes ma’am,” Shining Armor replied. “We were studying late into the night after the tour, but I must have dozed off. She probably wandered off after I fell asleep.”

“Very irresponsible of you, Lieutenant,” Celestia scolded him.

“I know it was,” Shining Armor frowned, gritting his teeth. “Excuse me for this ma’am, but I don’t care about that right now! I just want to find my sister. She must be so scared right now. What if she’s hurt? What if she needs help?” His breaths were short and quick as he paced back and forth impatiently. It was obvious he was panicking.

“Calm down Lieutenant,” Celestia gently said. “I can assure you your sister is fine, so just relax a little. Deep breaths my little pony, deep breaths.”

Shining Armor ceased his pacing, breathing in deeply. Closing his eyes, he held his breath for a second before breathing it all out slowly. He repeated the breathing exercise multiple times before stopping.

“I’m sorry for such a display Celestia, Sunset,” he said, looking at the two mares. “I’m sure it was very unsightly.”

“It is quite alright Lieutenant,” Celestia smiled warmly. “Anypony would be as worried as you if their sister went missing.”

Sunset nodded in agreement. “Yeah, and plus she’s-”

“Shiny?” a quiet voice cut off Sunset.

Sunset, Celestia, and Shining all looked back to the bed. Twilight was sitting up, looking towards the doorway. Her lips quivered as she stared at her brother. Her lips slowly curled up into a weak smile as she ran over to the Lieutenant.

“Shiny!” She cried out as she was running.

“Twily!” Shining Armor met her halfway, swooping her into a rib crushing hug. “Oh I’m so sorry Twily.”

“I-It was scary,” Twilight cried into his chest.

Shining Armor stroked her mane gently, comforting his sister. “I’m sure it was Twily. But you were able to find some ponies to help you. I’m so proud of you.” Shining Armor hugged her one more time before placing her back on the ground. The two turned to Celestia and Sunset.

“Thank you for finding my sister,” Shining Armor smiled.

“It wasn’t I who found her, but rather Sunset here who did,” Celestia looked down at her student.

“I didn’t really find her,” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck. “She kind of just showed up at my door.”

“Either way, I’m eternally grateful,” Shining Armor said. “If I had to go back to my parents and tell them I lost Twily, I probably wouldn’t be alive.”

“That’s a joke, right?” Sunset looked at Celestia, then back at Shining Armor. “Right?”

“Yeah… a joke,” Celestia awkwardly smiled while Shining Armor avoided Sunset’s gaze.

“Ahem,” Shining Armor faked coughed, cutting into the silence. “Twily, do you have anything you want to say to Celestia and Sunset?”

“Thank you!” Twilight smiled widely.

“It was nothing,” Sunset smiled.

“Of course, my little pony,” Celestia nodded.

“Will we still have lessons later, Princess Celestia,” Twilight stuttered..

“There’s no need for formalities Twilight,” Celestia waved her hoof. “And yes, we will start your lessons later.”

Twilight squealed in delight, jumping around her brother. “Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I can’t wait!”

“She’s so hyper for being awake for so long,” Sunset commented.

Shining weakly laughed, looking at the bouncing filly. “When it comes to studying and learning, nothing will stop her, not even her own body.”

“We can’t have a tired filly during our lesson now can we?” Celestia looked at Twilight. “I think it’s time you get to bed.”

Twilight stopped jumping around her brother, a small pout on her face. “Can’t I stay up a little longer? I still haven’t completed the book I was reading.”

“You’d think she’d be tired after everything,” Sunset whispered to Celestia, causing the elder pony to giggle.

“You should’ve seen her after her exam,” Celestia whispered back.

“Princess Celestia’s right, Twily,” Shining Armor picked his sister up, much to her displeasure. She flailed, trying to escape his grasp, but failed miserably. Placing her on his back, he looked back at her. “If you don’t rest, you won’t have your lesson. Isn’t that right?” Shining Armor winked at Celestia.

“Yes, Twilight,” Celestia nodded, playing along. “I’ll have to postpone our lessons if you don’t get enough sleep.”

“B-But you said we’d still have them!” Twilight frowned.

“I did indeed say that,” Celestia said. “But if you aren’t fully rested, I might have to reconsider.”

Twilight lay on her brother's back, deep in thought. A part of her wanted to finish up the book her mom had given her. She was so close, just a few hundred pages. But that would mean she wouldn’t get to start her lessons with the amazing Princess Celestia. Twilight was torn. She loved books, but she also loved learning.

“How about this Twilight,” Celestia saw how conflicted the filly was. “If you go to sleep now, I’ll add an extra hour, or maybe even two, to our first lesson?” Celestia negotiated with Twilight.

“Ok!” Twilight said almost immediately. “Alright Shiny, let's go to your room so I can sleep.”

Sunset laughed. “That was fast.”

“More time with Celestia means more learning! I can’t pass that up,” Twilight said.

“I guess so,” Sunset shrugged.

Shining Armor, with his sister on his back, turned around towards the hallway. “Thanks again,” he said before making his way back to his room. The two siblings' chatter became more and more distant, until finally they could no longer be heard.

“Well that sure was something,” Sunset finally spoke up.

“Indeed it was,” Celestia said, a small yawn escaping her mouth. “

“I guess I should get some rest too,” Sunset said, feeling her shoulders sag a bit. “All that commotion sure burnt me out.”

“I guess I shall do the same,” Celestia nodded. “Goodnight again, Sunset,”

“Goodnight Celestia,” Sunset said, turning towards the door.

“Don’t forget about our lessons in the morning,” Celstia said as Sunset walked into the hallway.

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything,” Sunset replied, walking further and further down the hall.

Sunset slowly trotted down the halls, making her way back to her room.. The velvet carpet under her hooves was soft and silky. Sunset might’ve just laid down and slept there if it wasn’t for the guards occasionally walking by. The pillars that lined the hallways were as detailed as ever, flowers resting at the top. Sunset smiled. She liked those flowers because they gave the castle a little more color. The walls were littered with banners and art work. Sunset would’ve stopped and admired them, but there was only one thing on her mind.

Sleep.

Sunset didn’t even realize how tired she was until after she left Celestia’s room. As she walked through the halls, she felt the fatigue more and more. The fatigue from not only staying up late, but also from her lessons earlier that day.

“Who would’ve thought that practicing magic was so draining,” Sunset mumbled. “I can see why Celestia’s lessons don’t always include magic.”

Eventually she made it back to her room, her bed still messy as before. Sunset leaped into the soft mattress, covering herself in the sheets. She snuggled into the bed, sighing. It had been a long day. A fun one, but still a long one. Sunset closed her eyes, letting her body succumb to the tiredness.

Chapter 3: Lessons With Twilight

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“Good morning Sunset,” Celestia greeted her student.

“Morning,” Sunset mumbled, dragging herself to the table.

“Why are you so tired on such a fine morning? Aren’t you excited for our lessons today?” Celestia wore a small smile.

Sunset slammed her head onto the table, landing dangerously close to her plate of pancakes. “I have no idea, Celstia,” Sunset sarcastically remarked, frowning. Celestia said early lessons, but she didn’t think it’d be this early! Celestia hadn’t even finished raising the sun when she barged into her room.

“Eat up Sunset,” Celestia giggled. “I made these especially for you.

“How are you not tired?” Sunset groaned, lifting her head slowly from the table. “Does being a morning pony come with raising the sun?”

“Unfortunately not,” Celestia said, forking into her stack of pancakes. “If that were true, I’d be both a morning and night pony.”

“That wouldn’t make much sense,” Sunset nodded, chewing on a bite of pancakes. Sunset’s eyes widened slowly as she chewed more and more. Swallowing, she smiled. “Wow, these are great!”

“Why thank you Sunset,” Celestia put a hoof on her chest. “I pride myself in my cooking and baking abilities.”

Sunset continued to dig into the pancakes, one bite after another. Not only were they perfectly golden, they were also soft and fluffy. It was like taking a bite out of a cloud, but if clouds actually tasted like something. To complete it all, there was a mixture of fruits and whipped cream on top, all of it perfectly harmonized together. Soon enough, her plate was empty and her stomach was full. Sunset rubbed her stomach with a satisfied sigh.

Celestia’s giggling prompted Sunset to look up at her. She was too focused on her pancakes to really care about anything else around her.

“You sure were hungry,” Celestia commented, not even half her plate gone.

Sunset smiled, rubbing the back of her neck. “Heh, I guess they were just that good.”

“I guess we should start our lessons now,” Celestia said, getting up from her chair, Sunset following suit.

“You’re not going to finish breakfast first?” Sunset asked. “I’m fine if we start a little late.”

“I promised Twilight two extra hours, remember?” Celestia reminded her.

“Oh yeah, something like that did happen,” Sunset said, nodding.

The two walked together out of the dining area and through the hallways. They made their way to the courtyard where they would begin their second lesson.

“So, what are we doing today?” Sunset asked excitedly. Yesterday’s lesson was way more fun than everything else they’ve done so far. “Are we going to learn new spells? Maybe learn how to double cast? Or even learn a forbidden ritual?”

“No, no, and absolutely not,” Celestia chuckled. “We’re just going to do what we did yesterday, Sunset.”

“What?!” Sunset groaned. “C’mon Celestia, you saw me yesterday! I did it.”

“I know you can do it Sunset,” Celestia said. “But you need to be able to control your magic easily before we go any further.

“So the faster I do this, the faster I can move on? ” Sunset asked.

Celestia nodded. “But don’t rush it,” she warned. “Magic is something that cannot be learned overnight. It takes years, or even decades, to become proficient in some things.”

“Are you still studying magic?” Sunset looked up at Celestia.

“Everyday,” Celestia smiled. “There are some things even I don’t know, Sunset. I am not some perfect, all powerful being ponies make me out to be.”

“You do kind of seem like one though,” Sunset chuckled. “Between being who knows how many years old and being an alicorn, it makes sense ponies would start thinking you’re a god.”

“I’m thankful they’re not as crazy as they were back then,” Celestia sighed. “A few decades ago, ponies created whole cults around me.”

“Isn’t that like, an honor?” Sunset asked.

“It is, until they start doing crazy things and justify it with your name,” Celestia said.

Sunset frowned. “Do I even want to ask what they did?”

“It’d be in your best interest to not,” Celestia simply replied.

“Sheesh, it was that bad?” Sunset continued on.

“It was worse than you’re probably imagining,” Celestia answered.

“Now I’m curious,” Sunset admitted.

“There’s tons of books in the library about the past, Sunset. Some of the books are very graphic, so tread carefully,” Celestia advised.

“Can’t you just tell me?”

“I’d prefer not to,” Celestia smiled ominously.

“Oookay…” Sunset said, giving up.

Arriving at the garden, the two stood in the same open area they were using last time. Celestia stood over Sunset, looking over her student.

“Okay Sunset, remember what I told you yesterday,” Celestia said.

Sunset nodded, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply. “Imagine your magic…” she mumbled, feeling it flow through her entire body. Just a few moments later, Sunset redirected it to horn with more ease than the day before. A magical aura surrounded her horn, less sparks than before.

“Very good Sunset,” Celestia praised. “There’s a lot of improvement from yesterday. Now comes your favorite part.”

Sunset smiled, opening her eyes. Her horn sparked out more, but Sunset didn’t falter. She fought for control, but won easier than yesterday, only a few seconds passing . Grinning widely, she looked at her teacher.

“You know what to do,” Celestia smiled back.

Sunset didn’t need to hear that twice, launching a red beam in the sky, once again illmanting the garden. As the beam dissipated, Sunset panted, falling onto her butt.

“That wasn’t as bad as yesterday,” Sunset chuckled, looking up at Celestia.

“You’ve most definitely improved,” Celestia nodded in content. “It’s far from perfect, but you learned it quicker than others.”

“Does that mean we can move on?” Sunset asked, hopeful.

“Not quite yet,” Celestia instantly shot her down. “I predict a couple more days of this and you’ll be able to.”

Sunset shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”

“Now, let's repeat this at least five more times,” Celestia smiled.

“Five. More. Times?” Sunset’s mouth was agape.

Celestia simply nodded. “At least.”

“COME ON!” Sunset shouted as she fell down backwards.

The sun was high overhead, shining down on Equestria. The Canterlot Royal Garden was quite a wonderful place, providing animals with protection for the sun. The vegetation, and more particularly the beautiful trees and tall hedges, cast their shadows onto the grass below them.

In a small clearing surrounded by trees two ponies were present. The unicorn was lying on her back, heavily panting, while the alicorn stood over her, her shadow covering the unicorn.

“How about a little break, Sunset?” Celestia looked down at Sunset, smiling.

Sunset lifted her head, looking up at her. Celestia’s frame was blocking the sun, outlining her entire body with a glorious light. “That would be amazing,” Sunset weakly smiled back.

“It wasn't as easy as you thought, huh?” Celestia chuckled.

“Why is just controlling magic so tiring,” Sunset closed her eyes, turning onto her side. The cool, sharp grass was comforting. A slight breeze swept through the clearing, reliving some of the sun’s heat.

“I assume it’s a lot more tiring for you because you have more than the average unicorn,” Celestia hypothesized. “That means that just controlling it will take a lot out of you. A small price to pay for the power you have though.”

“I guess,” Sunset sighed. Rolling to her other side, she opened her eyes. She stared off into the garden, the bushes and trees rustling with the breeze. The gardens were always so peaceful. Not many ponies roamed around here, making it nice and quiet.

Sunset continued staring till something caught her eye. A small, unnatural rustling in the bushes. Sunset sat up, still looking in that direction. She remained quiet as she slowly approached bushes.

“What’s wrong, Sunset?” Celestia called out, her head slightly tilted.

“I think I saw something moving over here,” Sunset called back.

“It was probably just one of the many animals that inhabit the garden,” Celestia said. Sunset didn’t falter, approaching the bush. Celesita sighed, shaking her head.

“Gotcha!” Sunset shouted as she quickly peaked over, trying to catch whatever was spying on them. The culprit let out a short shout followed by a tiny thump. Whatever was watching them fell on it’s butt, a bit of dust flying up.

“Twilight?” Sunset asked, looking down at the purple foal. She was holding a book much larger than herself. Twilight looked up at Sunset.

“You scared me,” Twilight replied, pouting.

“Sorry,” Sunset weakly laughed. “But why are you watching us so suspiciously?”

“I-I wasn’t spying or anything,” Twilight quickly said. “I was just reading in the garden when I saw that giant laser go into the sky. Then it happened again, and again!”

“And?” Sunset’s right eyebrow raised.

“I got a little curious so I came over here to check it out,” Twilight admitted.

“Why didn’t you just come talk to us then? “

“I didn’t want to be a bother to you two…” Twilight looked down, poking at the dirt.

“You would never be a bother, Twilight,” another voice said. Sunset and Twilight both looked in the direction of the voice. Celestia tilted her head, smiling. “What, did you forget I was here already?”

“Celestia!” Twilight yelped, turning her head towards the princess.

“That is my name, yes” Celestia nodded with a small chuckle. “Now, what brings you to the garden Twilight? Our lessons don’t start for another couple hours.”

“I-I was just reading in the garden…” Twilight stuttered.

“Unsupervised?” Celestia asked.

“No!” Twilight quickly denied. “I was with Cadence.”

Celestia looked around but Cadence was nowhere in sight.“So where is she now?”

“She went to the bathroom,” Twilight said.

Celestia nodded. “And how long ago was this, Twilight?”

“A little more than an hour ago, I think…”

“Who’s Cadence?” Sunset asked

“You haven’t met Cadence yet? She’s my adopted niece,” Celestia reminded her.

“No I haven't,” Sunset said, nonchalantly.

Celestia shook her head, turning her attention back to Twilight. “Now Twilight, why would it be bad for you to leave without Cadence knowing?”

“Uh… well…” Twilight thought about it. A few minutes of silence passed. “I don’t know?”

“Oh for bucks sake,” Sunset said, her patience running thin. Looking over at Twilight, she scowled. “Twilight, Cadence is probably looking for you right now!” Sunset scolded the filly, a tinge of harshness in her voice.

“Language Sunset,” Celestia frowned. “Twilight…”

Twilight cringed at the scolding, shrinking down a bit. She sniffled, wiping her eyes. “I-I…”

“It’s okay Twilight,” Celestia comforted the filly. “Sunset is just worried about you. She just shows it differently than most ponies.”

Sunset looked at the sniffling filly, her eyes clearly watering. Sunset sighed, realizing her mistake. “I’m sorry for being so harsh, Twilight, but you need to understand where we’re coming from. Imagine how worried Cadence is, for example.”

“W-Why would she b-be worried?” Twilight stuttered out, taking in deep breaths.

“Well Twilight, remember how your brother was when you went missing last night?” Celestia reminded the filly. “He was worried because he couldn’t find you. He imagined you were scared, or even worse, you were hurt in some way.”

“But that would never happen to me here in the castle, right?” Twilight asked, her voice still shaky.

“It’s very unlikely, but not impossible,” Sunset answered.

“Exactly,” Celestia nodded. “Plus, when somepony is worried, they tend to make up the worst scenarios in their mind.”

“Why would they do that?” Twilight sniffled slightly, rubbing her nose.

“Although we don’t know the exact reason, some ponies have theorized that if they think the worst scenario possible, then it's easier to feel relieved when it doesn't happen,” Celestia answered.

“Isn’t that a little counterintuitive?” Sunset asked. “Wouldn’t that just create more anxiety?”

“It is, and it does,” Celestia nodded. “But ponies still do it as a defense mechanism.”

“Huh…” Sunset pondered on that, rubbing her chin.

“Back to you Twilight,” Celestia smiled, lifting her downcast head by her chin. “What I’m saying is that Cadence is worried about you and probably searching for you right now. How about we bring her back to you?”

“O-Okay…” Twilight nodded, standing up. The three ponies started their walk towards the garden’s main entrance.

“Will this cut into my lesson time?” Sunset asked, following behind Celestia and Twilight through the garden.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Celestia answered.

“Aww phooey,” Sunset frowned. “But that means you’re going to make up for it, right?”

“Possibly,” Celestia simply said.

“And I still have my two extra, right?” Twilight asked, obviously excited.

Celestia nodded. “Yes Twilight, you still get your two extra hours.”

“That isn’t really fair Celestia,” Sunset complained.

“Remember Sunset, life isn’t fair,” Celestia chuckled. “Although if you would like, you can join Twilight’s lesson.”

“I mean I don’t really have anything else to do, so why not,” Sunset shrugged, happy enough with the compromise.

The rest of the walk to the main entrance was nice and peaceful. The path was smooth and shady. Tiny slits between the leaves allowed beams of sunlight through, providing light to the darkened path. A cool breeze shook some leaves, causing them to fall slowly to the ground. Birds chirped, rustling some of the branches above their heads.

Suddenly, a voice cut into the peaceful silence.

“Twilight! Where are you Twilight?” The voice, that of a mare, called out. “Twilight, we aren’t playing hide and seek right now!”

“You see Twilight,” Celestia looked at the filly. “Cadence was looking for you.”

Twilight frowned. “I’m sorry…”

“It’s alright, as long as you understand why you shouldn’t do it again,” Celestia said calmly. “But I’m not sure I’m the one you should be saying sorry to.”

Twilight nodded silently, walking towards the voice. They were still calling out her name. A faint rustling could be heard as well.

Sunset looked towards the rustling, seeing a pony searching through the bush “Is that Cadence?” Sunset pointed at the bush.
“I believe it is,” Celestia said, looking at the bush. “Cadence!” she called out, grabbing her attention.

Cadence’s head popped out of the bushes, a few leaves and sticks caught in her beautiful multicolored mane. Her pink coat was dirited, some patches sticking out unnaturally.

“Auntie Celestia?” Cadence looked towards where she heard the voice, seeing the three ponies. “And Twilight?!”

Cadence ran over to the three, quickly picking up Twilight. Examining her thoroughly, flipping her in every direction, she sighed. “Thank goodness she's not hurt.”

“Quite the similar reaction to Shining Armor,” Celestia simply stated.

“A little more excessive, but yeah,” Sunset nodded.

“Where did you find her?” Cadence asked, picking some twigs out of her mane.

“She was near the clearing,” Celestia answered.

“All the way over there?” Cadence gasped. “Twilight! Why would you go over there without me?”

“There was a giant laser fired into the sky!” Twilight tried to defend herself. “I got a little curious.

“Even if you were curious, you should’ve waited for me to get back,” Cadence said. “What if you got hurt?”

“I’m sorry…” was all Twilight said, her head hung low.

“I can’t stay mad at you,” Cadence giggled, hugging the filly. “Just never do that again, okay? You scared me.”

“Okay Cadence,” Twilight said, returning the hug.

“You know, I’ve heard of you Cadence but never actually met you before,” Sunset said, looking at the new pony.

“Cadence is the greatest foalsitter in all the history of foalsitters!” Twilight beamed. “I’m so lucky to have her as my foalsitter.”

Cadence shook her head, slightly smiling. “I’m the one who’s lucky, Twilight.”

“But you’re a princess!” Twilight said, causing Cadence to roll her eyes. “I’m just a regular old unicorn.”

“You’re anything but a regular old unicorn,” Cadence cooed, hugging the filly close.

“Cadence is right, Twilight,” Celestia said, nodding. “Maybe someday you’ll be a princess too.”

“If you can become Celestia’s protege, I would hope you're not just a regular unicorn,” Sunset added. Turning her attention to Cadence, she smiled. “So you’re a princess, huh?”

“I guess so,” Cadence shrugged. “I don’t really care much for the title though.”

“That’s cool,” Sunset simply said. Sunset examined Cadence a little closer, something catching her attention. “Wait, why do you have wings and a horn? Doesn’t that make you an alicorn?”

“I guess,” Cadence nonchalantly said.

“Cadence is the only other known alicorn besides me,” Celestia explained.

“So did she become one? Or was she born like that?” Sunset asked.

“I was once a pegasus,” Cadence answered. “Two earth ponies found me alone in the outskirts of their town. They took me in and loved me as their own.”

“That’s so sweet!” Twilight smiled.

“It was,” Cadence smiled back, nuzzling Twilight. “Wanting to share the love they gave me, I tried to be as compassionate and caring as possible. I’m sure that’s what I got my cutie mark for,” Cadence looked at her flank.

“I guess that explains why it’s a heart,” Sunset said. “But how did you get your horn?”

“I was getting there,” Cadence giggled. “There was this enchantress that lived in our town that got jealous of the love I spread,” Cadence said, slightly frowning. “She drained love from everypony in the town using a curse, causing pain and strife.”

“What a meanie!” Twilight frowned.

“So you beat her up?” Sunset guessed.

“Nope!” Cadence said, surprising Sunset. “I kind of just showed her the same love and compassion I showed everypony. It proved to be enough though, because the curse was broken.”

“Then you tossed her in prison?” Sunset tried again.

“No,” Cadence chuckled. “Believe it or not, that’s all she needed. She learned how to love through me.”

“Oookay…” Sunset processed the story. “But still, where did your horn come from?”

“Someone’s a little impatient,” Cadence teased.

“Sunset doesn’t like beating around the bush,” Celestia shrugged.

“I mean the story was nice and all, but I still don’t see where the horn came from,” Sunset said

“So after I broke the curse, I found myself in this strange yet beautiful place. It was like being in the starry, night sky,” Cadence tried to explain. “Celestia was there, telling me that my dreams were going to come true.”

“And then you became a princess!” Twilight butted in.

Cadence giggled, ruffling Twilight's mane. “You’re right about that, Twilight. I was granted the title of princess and suddenly a horn appeared on my head. That’s pretty much the end of the story.”

“Well that was a little anticlimactic,” Sunset frowned.

“I guess it does seem that way when you tell it as a story,” Cadence said. “Believe me when I say it was a lot more epic in the flesh.”

“One of those ‘you have to be there’ type moments, huh,” Sunset concluded.

“Exactly!” Cadence chirped.

“So essentially Celestia took you in after you defeated the enchantress?” Sunset summarized. “And the horn came from this feat?”

“That’s the gist of it,” Cadence shrugged, playing with Twilight’s mane.

“Hey!” Twilight pouted. “You’re messing up my mane.”

Cadence giggled, putting Twilight’s mane into pigtails. “I think this style suits you,” Cadence said. “Now if only you had glasses.”

“I do have glasses,” Twilight said, trying to get her mane back to normal. “I just don’t like wearing them.”

Celestia nodded. “She’s adorable with them.”

“What?! How have I not seen this yet?” Cadence pouted. “Can you please put them on?”

“No!” Twilight shook her head, her mane finally falling back to normal. “They hurt my head.”

“Pretty please?” Cadence pressed on.

“No!” Twilight kept denying her.

“Pretty please with a cherry on top?” Cadence grinned.

Celestia placed a hoof on Cadence’s shoulder. “No means no, Cadence. I’m pretty sure they taught you this already.”

“That was for something else,” Cadence frowned. “This is different!”

“Are you talking about consent?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow.

“Maybe,” Cadence smiled innocently. Sunset shook her head with a sigh.

“Anyways,” Celestia coughed. “I think it’s almost time for our lessons, Twilight.”

“Yes yes yes yes!” Twilight cheered.

“Wait, has it seriously been that long?” Sunset frowned, realizing their lessons were coming to an end for the day.

“I should probably get going then,” Cadence nodded to everypony. “Have fun with your lessons Twilight! Make sure to listen to Auntie Celestia!”

“Okay Cadence!” Twilight smiled, hugging her foalsitter one more time.

“See you tomorrow,” Cadence said, hugging her back.

After their quick hug, Cadence made her way towards the castle doors. With one last wave, she disappeared behind them.

“So, care to join Twilight in her lessons, Sunset?” Celestia asked.

Sunset shrugged. “I don’t see why not. What are you going to teach her anyways?” Sunset asked, looking at the excited filly.

“You’ll see,” Celestia winked. “I guess we’ll start early today Twilight. Come on now,” Celestia said to her new protege.

“Awesome!” Twilight beamed, running after Celestia as she walked deeper into the garden.

Sunset watched the filly run towards her teacher. She was so energetic and happy to learn just as she was. In some ways, Twilight reminded Sunset of herself; especially self when she first became Celestia’s student.

Sunset was elated when she heard that she was going to be Celstia’s student. What pony wouldn’t be? Celestia was revered as the most powerful and influential pony in all of Equestria. Getting to learn from somepony like that was a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Sunset let out a small sigh, a smile on her face.

“Aren’t you coming too, Sunset?” Celestia called back to her.

“Oh, sorry!” Sunset ran, quickly catching up to the two. “Was just caught up in thought.”

“Always the thinker,” Celestia shook her head gently. smiling. “What were you thinking of this time?”

“Nothing important,” Sunset brushed it off with a shrug.

“If you say so,” Celestia said.

The trio made their way back to the clearing, the sun shining down on it. They walked to the center, the gentle breeze sweeping the grass and rustling the trees.

Celestia took a seat in the grass, her two students following in suit.

“So Twilight, what do you expect from me as your teacher and mentor?” Celestia asked, somewhat surprisingly.

“What do you mean?” Twilight tilted her head. “Is this some sort of trick question?”

“I mean exactly what I asked, Twilight. What do you expect from me?” Celestia answered, repeating her question.

The filly sat there, obviously deep in thoughts. Her facial expressions varied, from strained to distant. She seemed to really be thinking about her answer for this question.

Sunset stifled a laugh as she watched the filly. Celestia too had asked her this question, and she too sat on it for a while.

“I wonder how long it’s going to take for her to get it,” Sunset thought, watching the filly.

Twilight was perplexed. Although Celestia had said she meant exactly what she said, there had to be more to it. No teacher really asked what the students expected from them, at least not her magic kindergarten teacher.

What did Celestia mean by it? Did she want to know what she expected to learn? Or how she conducted their lessons? Was there a right or wrong answer?

Twilight bit her lip, scratching her head. Maybe it was just as simple as the question is. What did she, Twilight, expect from her teacher and mentor, Princess Celestia. Twilight’s face relaxed, realization hitting her.

Seeing this, Sunset and Celestia both smiled.

“I expect you to teach me and lecture me to the best of your abilities and to push me and help me grow as a pony!” Twilight confidently answered, a smug smile on her face.

Celestia nodded contently. “That’s a very good answer, Twilight.”

“Eh, I still think mine was better,” Sunset shrugged.

“Sunset, you said you expected me to teach you how to destroy a nation,” Celestia said.

“It was a joke!” Sunset crossed her hooves. “I wanted to make a good first impression, you know.”

“And you did,” Celestia said, a gentle smile on her face.

“So did I get it right?” Twilight grinned widely.

“There was no right or wrong answer, Twilight,” Celestia turned towards the filly.

Twilight tilted her head, frowning. “How is that possible?”

“Sometimes questions aren’t just black and white, Twilight,” Celestia explained. “Some questions are gray. These questions are the ones that make you think, just like you did now.”

“Questions are colored?” Twilight asked, causing Sunset to chuckle.

“No, Twilight,” Sunset shook her head. “She means that some questions don’t have definitive answers.”

“Exactly,” Celestia nodded.

“Does this have something to do with magic?” Twilight tapped her chin, trying to connect the two.

“Yes it does,” Celstia answered. “There are no absolutes in magic. That’s why we’re still studying it to this day. If magic had absolutes, then we’d probably have stopped studying it years ago.”

“Magic is so broad and open-ended that it allows us to continue finding out new things about it to this day. New ways to cast, new ways to use old spells or chants. There are a plethora of things that still remain hidden, but that’s what makes magic so interesting.”

Twilight nodded. “That kind of makes sense.”

“It’s quite an intricate topic,” Celestia smiled. “I don’t expect you to grasp it just this minute.”

“She’s just saying that there are many ways to do things with magic,” Sunset simplified it. “Just because somepony says you have to do it that way doesn’t mean you have to.”

“Exactly, Sunset,” Celestia agreed. “There are a lot of ways to perform one spell, some more optimal than others of course.”

“I think I’m starting to get it,” Twilight nodded slowly. “So basically you’re saying I should try and do things my own way?”

“Essentially yes,” Celestia said. “Of course you should learn the most common way first. There’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll find a much simpler, and quicker way.”

Sunset chuckled. “I’m pretty sure you said the same thing to me.”

“I did,” Celestia nodded. “And that’s because I know you’ll be able to do it. Why do you think I chose you to be my student?”

“I guess you’re right,” Sunset said, shrugging.

“That was your very first lesson, Twilight,” Celestia said. “I hope you took notes.”

“Of course I did,” Twilight nodded her head rapidly. “Take a look!” She finished, holding up her notepad. The notes were organized, lines and arrows connecting ideas. Large lists with lists within them, bulletin points and all. Twilight smiled proudly, showing off her work.

“You must love lists, huh,” Sunset chuckled. “My notes are unreadable most of the time.”

“Lists calm me down sometimes,” Twilight said. “My dad says I get it from my mom.”

“It is good to be organized,” Celestia smiled. “Being organized and prepared makes life easier.”

“Meh, you can only be so prepared,” Sunset said.

“Indeed, being prepared can only get you so far,” Celestia agreed. “You also have to be able to make decisions in the moment. That’s what separates good leaders from great leaders.”

“Why would I be a leader?” Twilight tilted her head.

“Ah, sorry,” Celestia apologized. “That was just a little tangent. Though, I believe being able to make decisions under pressure is something all ponies should be able to do.”

“Yeah, especially during magical duels,” Sunset nodded.

“Magical duels?” Twilight asked. “What are those?”

“I was going to tell you about it another time, but I guess I can explain it now,” Celestia said. “Although the teaching style at my school is similar to other schools, the extracurricular activities are somewhat different.”

“We of course have sports and other more common ones, we also have activities focusing mainly on magic. One being the magic duels. Essentially, magic duels are fights between two students to see who’s the stronger magic user. They’re held weekly and there’s a ranking board.”

“Although there isn’t any prize for to being at the top, it’s a fun way to put a competitive spirit in ponies pursuing magic,” Celestia finished.

“So ponies just fight each other?” Twilight frowned. “What’s the point of that?”

“For fun! I haven’t participated yet, but I really want to. Celestia says I have to wait a month or so.” Sunset frowned, crossing her hooves.

“That’s because you can’t completely control your magic right now,” Celestia stated. “Once you can, then you’ll be able to.”

“Will I be able to participate?” Twilight asked.

“Not quite yet Twilight,” Celestia answered. “You just started learning magic, so you’re kind of in the same boat as Sunset. Give it a few months, then maybe you’ll be able to.”

“Okay!” Twilight smiled, nodding.

“Wait, you’re seriously going to allow her to participate in just a few months?” Sunset asked, blinking slowly. “Isn’t she like seven?”

“If she wants to she can,” Celestia simply said. “I’m sure she’d be able to beat some of the students already. She just needs to learn to control her magic just like you.”

Sunset shrugged. “Whatever you say.”

Celestia clapped her forehoove together. “How about we start with the basics of magic control, Twilight?”

“Really?” Twilight grinned widely. “Let’s do it!”

The sun was nestled between the peaks of the mountains. The garden was shaded even more than before, only a small tint of orange casted through the trees. Three ponies were still in the garden’s clearing.

Twilight’s horn glowed a beautiful magenta, illuminating the darkened field. Her face was strained, beads of sweat dripping down her head. The glow faded in and out, sparks flying off of her horn.

“That’s enough, Twilight,” Celestia said. With that, Twilight fell onto her side.. “That was very good.”

“I wasn’t expecting her to be able to keep it up for so long,” Sunset chuckled, sitting down next to the filly. “Hey, you alright?” she asked, poking Twilight.

“Y-Yeah,” Twilight panted, catching her breath. “That sure is tiring.”

“I mean you’ve been doing it for the past five hours,” Sunset said.

“Has it really been that long?” Twilight sat up, looking around the clearing. It was darker than she last remembered. “Huh, that’s odd. Where’d the sun go?”

“Behind those mountains,” Celestia answered, signaling towards the horizon. “Guess that means we should wrap up.”

“Awww, already?” Twilight frowned.

“You’ve been practicing for hours Twilight,” Celestia said. “Although you could keep practicing, rest is also very important.”

“I-” Twilight’s mouth opened wide, a yawn coming out, “guess so. I am a little tired.” Twilight stood up, wobbling a bit.

“Woah there,” Sunset said, supporting the filly with her body. “Are you sure you’re just a little tired? It sure doesn’t seem like it.”

“I’m fine,” Twilight said, her eyes droopy.

“I think she’s used up the majority of her magic reserves,” Celestia nodded, wrapping Twilight in her magic. Levitating her up, she placed the tired filly on her back.

“I’ll bring her to Lieutenant Shining Armor,” Celestia nodded at Sunset. “You should also get some rest. We have an afternoon session tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean you get to skip class.”

“Fineeeee,” Sunset groaned, making her way towards the door. “See you tomorrow!”

“Indeed,” Celestia nodded, walking in the opposite direction. Twilight was sound asleep on her back, spent from all their practice.

Sunset shook her head, a small smile on her face. Today wasn’t bad at all. Twilight seemed to be progressing quickly, and at least she wasn’t a pain in the butt like most kids were. Maybe this condition isn’t going to be as bad as she thought.

With a sigh, Sunset made her way back to her room, ready to knock out.

Chapter 4: Duels

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The students were in their seats watching the clock which seemed to move slower than usual. They impatiently watched the second tick away. Their focus wasn’t on the teacher, or the lecture, or even the work in front of them. No, they were all focused on the clock.

The weekend was upon them, and everypony knew what that meant.

Magic duels.

Although there wasn't any physical award for the duels, there was some merit. Pride, honor, bragging rights. Some students used it to exercise their magic, while some used it to show it off. There were a lot of reasons students participated in the duels.

“Are any of you even listening,” the teacher asked, an unamused look on her face. The students, as if they didn’t hear her, were still intently watching the clock. With a long sigh, the teacher planted herself at her desk.

“Guess I’ll get to grading then,” she mumbled to herself, levitating a stack of papers onto her desk.

Just a few minutes later, the bells rang. The students practically jumped out of their seats and ran through the halls. Their destination was the arena, an oval shaped structure in the back of the school. There was a large clearing in the center of the arena, allowing for lots of room for movement for the fighters. Seats were elevated a few feet above the clearing, surrounding the center.

The reason they rushed over was because they wanted to either get warmed up for their duel or grab the best seat possible. Any pony, with the consent of their parents, could participate in duels, regardless of their age. The battles were very exciting, thus why students wanted to watch.

The arena was quickly populated, becoming noisy and crowded. Students sat down, filling up the seats. Most of the teachers came to watch and supervise the battles, but they had their own seating section. There was even a special seat for Princess Celestia, high above the other seats. There were four extra seats, two on each side. These were for any other special ponies who wanted to watch.

Celestia would make an appearance every once in a while to watch her students battle it out. Today was one of the days she appeared, gracefully sitting on her throne. To her left was her two personal students, Twilight and Sunset, and to her right was Princess Cadence.

“Celestia’s here today!” A pony shouted out, pointing towards the princess.

“Oh my gosh!” another pony yelled out.

“Even Princess Cadence is here!” another one added.

Cheers erupted and clapping erupted from the students, calling out to them. The students were not shy to show their appreciation to the two princesses.

“You two sure are popular,” Sunset chuckled.

Cadence rolled her eyes, smiling. “I think they’re mainly cheering for Auntie Celestia.”

“No need to be humble, Cadence,” Celestia said.

“Yeah!” Twilight nodded rapidly. “You’re just as awesome as Celestia.”

“Aw, thank you Twilight,” Cadence put a hoof on her heart.

The four of them watched the crowd. It was so packed that some ponies had to stand in the back since all the seats were taken.

“There usually aren’t this many students,” Celestia said.

“Today’s battle is a special one,” Sunset explained. “It's a duel between the first and second place. I thought that’s why you wanted us to be here.”

“It must’ve slipped my mind,” Celestia brushed it off with a shrug. “I mainly wanted to introduce the dueling system to Twilight since she seemed interested.”

“Well you chose the right day to do that,” Sunset said.

“Who are the top two?” Cadence asked.

“The number one right now is Amethyst Star, followed by Twinkleshine, ” Sunset answered. “They’re both very powerful, but I’m sure I could beat them.” Sunset smirked, rubbing her forehooves together.

“Remember not to underestimate any pony,” Celestia warned.

“I’m not underestimating them,” Sunset shot back. “I’ve seen their fights before, and I just know I can.”

“Do you have any real battle experience?” Celestia cocked an eyebrow.

“N-No,” Sunset faltered a bit. “But that won’t stop me!”

“Whatever you say,” Celestia simply said with a smile.

“So are there any rules for duels?” Twilight asked.

“There are plenty of rules for both the safety of the participants and onlookers,” Celestia said. “Although they fight until the other is unable to, one cannot use mind-altering spells, large scale spells or life threatening spells. Also, participants are required to stop regardless of anything if the referee says to.”

“Obviously we want to keep the watchers safe so we have the guards erect a barrier around the middle. Watchers are free to place bets on the winner as well. We even have our own regulated system for that, so there’s no foul play there either!”

“Wait, the school has its own betting system?” Cadence wore a concerned expression. “Isn’t that illegal?”

“How could it be illegal when I’m the ruler?” Celestia chuckled. “All jokes aside, we’ve made sure to explain it all in this handy pamphlet here.” Celestia pulled out a pamphlet with the title ‘Betting Made Easy: The In’s and Out’s of Magical Duel Betting’

“Quite the wordy title,” Sunset commented.

“Can I have one?” Twilight was eager to get her hands on one.

“Of course!” Celestia handed one to Twilight. “I have extras for you two as well,” Celestia smiled, pulling out two more.

“Thanks Auntie,” Cadence smiled, taking it.

“No need,” Sunset refused. “I’ve already read it.”

Cadence read through the pamphlet but then suddenly stopped. “Wait, this is where the large majority of the school's revenue comes from?”

“Yes,” Celestia answered. “Although we do get some donations from rich ponies who want their child to attend the school, this is where most of our bits come from.”

“What percent do you take out of the bets?” Cadence asked.

“Around fifteen percent each bet,” Celestia said.

“If it’s so low, then how do you make so much money?” Cadence was confused.

“Take a look around Cadence, what do you see,” Celestia motioned to the crowd of ponies.

“A lot of ponies,” Cadence answered. “But that doesn’t explain how you get so much. I’m sure not everypony here bets.”

“I can assure you a lot of them do,” Celestia said. “Although, there is something we’re missing. What class do most of these ponies come from?”

“The upper class?” Cadence guessed, causing Celestia to smile and nod.

“I get it!” Twilight said. “Since the majority of students are of upper class or above, they make large bets and the school can profit off of them.”

“Exactly!” Celestia clapped her forehoves together. “Very good Twilight!”

“I thought this school was only for gifted unicorns though,” Cadence tilted her head. “I know for a fact that most kids of rich ponies are spoiled brats who don’t know anything about magic. How did they get in?”

“Unfortunately, some proctors take bribes from their families and pass them,” Celestia frowned. “Of course I try to crack down on these proctors and expel them, but it’s hard to find any evidence. There’s also some cases where their family donates a large sum of money to the school, making it hard to deny their child.”

“Parents know this school is prestigious and would do anything to get their kid in. It essentially guarantees them a career in magic, as long as they put in enough work to stay here. Of course, not every student is like that. I wouldn’t want to discredit any pony who worked to get into my school.”

Cadence nodded slowly.“That makes sense I guess.”

“I can’t stand ponies that paid their way into here,” Sunset sighed. “They’re all snobby and think they’re better than everypony.”

Cadence nodded her in agreement. “Even though most of the time their abilities are lackluster.”

“They all think they’re so perfect and great that they don’t even pay attention in class half the time!” Sunset frowned. “They don’t even try to get better.”

“That’s what happens when you have a big ego,” Celestia said. “I too am not a fan of these students, or even their parents, but I can’t let my disdain for them be public. Same goes for you, Cadence.”

“I know,” Cadence grumbled. “Something about them being influential and powerful families.”

Suddenly, the crowds shouting and hollering became louder than before.

“Look! There’s ponies in the middle now.” Twilight yelled, pointing to the center.

In the middle of the arena stood a guard. On one end of the arena was a pink mare with violet hair with a lavender streak. She was equipped with plate armor, covering her whole body except her tail and head. In her hoof was a sapphire spear. Stuck onto her side was a large shield, the center carved with 3 brilliant-cut diamonds.

“That’s Amethyst Star,” Sunset pointed at the mare.

Twilight looked up at Celestia, her head slightly tilted. “Why does she have armor and a spear? Isn’t this supposed to be a magic duel?”

“Some ponies prefer to imbue magic into weapons and armor,” Celestia explained. “The fighting style is a little outdated, but it can still be very powerful if the unicorn knows how to properly use it.”

“She must know if she’s number one,” Cadence said.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen this style of fighting,” Celestia nodded. “I’m sure it’ll be quite the interesting fight.”

On the opposite side of Amethyst stood an ivory mare with a pink mane. She, on the other hand, wore a chestplate with her cutie mark, three sparkling stars, etched in the middle. She also wore a dark brown robe with a matching witch hat. In one hoof was a wooden staff with a large jade at the top.

“Is it really necessary to dress up?” Cadence examined the two fighters.

“If it could give the advantage, ponies will do anything legal to win the duel,” Sunset chuckled. “I’m sure it provides a little protection as well.”

“How about the staff?” Cadence asked.

“See that gem at the top?” Celestia said, turning their attention to the jade. “It helps amplify their magic, thus making their spells much more powerful.”

“Isn’t that cheating?” Twilight frowned.

“Everypony has access to them in the armory,” Celestia explained. “You could buy more powerful ones outside of the school, though.”

“So it’s like a crutch,” Sunset said bluntly.

“Kind of,” Celestia nodded slowly. “Although, they do make fights more interesting.”

“That’s for sure,” Sunset agreed. “Even if it’s not their power.”

“The majority of it is their power though,” Celestia corrected. “To even use gems or crystals, one must have extensive knowledge and experience. Being able to use them to their full potential is very impressive.”

Sunset rubbed her chin. “Huh, I did not know that.”

“Is there any special reason why she chose jade?” Cadence asked, looking at the gem.

“Some gems are connected to a certain element,” Celestia explained. “For example, what do you think of when I mention a red ruby or blue sapphire?”

“Fire and water!” Twilight quickly answered.

Celestia smiled at her answer. “See? Most of the time gems’ colors are what element they associate with.”

“That’s cool,” Sunset commented.

“Indeed it is,” Celestia said. “There are a lot of ponies who study gems for a living. It is quite an interesting thing.”

Cadence put the two together. “So since she’s using a green gem, then she must specialize in some sort of earth element?”

Celestia nodded. “One can assume so, although we won’t know until the battle starts.”

“Well I think it’s about to start,” Sunset said.

As the two unicorns approached each other, the cheering and yelling quieted down till there wasn’t a sound. Amethyst and Twinkleshine stopped about a foot away from each other, staring at one another. The guard looked at the two of them. Clearing his throat, he began to speak.

“I want a clean, fair fight; absolutely no foul play! You must stop when I say so. If you do not you will be automatically disqualified and will be unable to participate in any duels until further notice.”

“You win the duel if your opponent is either unable to fight anymore or surrenders. You are free to use any magic besides spells banned in the rulebook. Medics will be on standby just in case of any accident. Do you both understand?”

“Yes sir,” Amethyst said.

“Yup!” Twinkleshine nodded.

“Good. Now return to your designated starting point,” the guard commanded. The two fighters returned back to their respective sides as the guard made his way to his station.

The referee had his own seat in the front row. It was elevated so that he could easily watch over the arena.

“On my mark, you may start,” the referee stated.

Everypony was still at the moment

“Three…”

“Two…”

“One…”

“GO!” The referee yelled, blowing his whistle.

With that, the crowd erupted into cheers and yells. Ponies shouting the fighters names and all kinds of other things. Cheering on their favorite fighter or cursing out the other one. It was chaos.

Amethyst was the first to make a move, her horn glowing a bright blue. Both her spear’s tip and the cutie mark on her shield lit up. They were both glowing the same color as her magic. She floated both the spear and shield into the air, her magical aura surrounding both of them.

“What powerful levitation,” Celestia commented. “To both imbue magic and use it. She’s quite the talented unicorn.”

“Is it really that impressive?” Sunset asked, not taking her eyes off of Amethyst.

“It is,” Celestia said. “That takes an incredible amount of concentration, which is difficult in a battle.”

“Huh,” Sunset clicked her tongue, mentally noting that.

Following suit, Twinkleshine’s horn lit up a light pink. The cutie mark engraved on her chestplate and the gemstone were both glowing the same color. Suddenly, her horn flashed brightly.

A green bolt shot out of the staff, hurtling towards Amethyst at an impressive speed. Amethyst quickly placed her shield between her and the bolt. As it struck her shield, it sizzled out. A successful block!

The crowd cheered loudly.

“Is that all you got?” Amethyst taunted.

Twinkleshine grinned. “Not even close!”

Amethyst blinked next to Twinkleshine, closing the distance between them instantly. Raising her spear, she thrust it towards the other unicorn.

“Woah there!” Twinkleshine yelped as she leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the stab. “Watch where you’re pointing that thing!” She yelled, quickly casting another spell.

Vines appeared out of the ground, grasping at Amethyst’s hooves.They grabbed onto her, latching her in place.

“She’s in trouble!” Twilight shouted.

“That’s child's play for her,” Sunset rolled her eyes.

Amethyst’s horn got brighter, the plants suddenly decayed and fell limp onto the ground. They no longer held her in place.

“Enough playing around, Twinkleshine,” Amethyst said, her expression hardening.

“Fine.” Twinkleshine’s playful expression disappeared, replaced with a serious one.

The two stood still for a moment, carefully watching each other. Tension filled the air as the audience held their breath.

Amethyst quickly shot her spear towards, hurtling towards Twinkleshine. Twinkleshine quickly jumped out of the way, the spear flying behind her. As she landed, she held up her staff, launching three bolts in quick succession at Amethyst. They were all blocked by her shield, leaving scratches on it.

Unknown to Twinkleshine, the spear quickly redirected after passing her field of vision and flew towards her.

“Oh no!” Cadence yelped.

Twinkleshine’s head turned towards the spear, inches away from her side. She tumbled to the forward, the spear grazing her.

The crowd cheered.

“And the first hit goes to Amethyst,” Celestia said.

“That was so cool!” Twilight’s eyes were glued to battle.

“C’mon Twinkleshine!” Sunset groaned. “You should have expected something like that! She’s done it before…”

“Now I wonder if you would have dodged that,” Celestia teased.

“Guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Sunset smirked. “In all seriousness, that redirection was very smooth. I bet she practices it everyday.”

“It was impressive,” Celestia nodded in agreement. “To suddenly stop it at the speed it was moving then redirect it just as fast takes a lot of finesse.”

As they commented, the battle raged on. Twinkleshine was on the run, shooting out all kinds of spells. Amethyst kept up with her though, not giving her opponent any room to breathe. Amethyst's shield seemed impenetrable, blocking everything thrown at her.

“Amethyst is a bad matchup for Twinkleshine,” Celestia said. “Amethyst focuses mainly on defense, while Twinkleshine only takes the offense..”

“But since she’s focused on defense so much, her attacks must be weaker, right?” Twilight asked.

“Not necessarily,” Celestia said. “With a pony as talented as her, I’m sure she switches off from defense to offense quickly, leaving almost no gap for ponies to take advantage of that.”

Sunset looked at Celestia. “What do you mean by switch off?”

“Pay close attention to Amethyst’s spear and armor,” Celestia said. Sunset squinted, looking at where Celestia told her to. “Do you notice anything about the glow?”

Sunset paid attention to the glow of her spear’s tip and her shield’s cutie mark. Whenever she blocked a spell, the shield was brighter than the spear. Then, whenever Amethyst launched an attack with her spear, it was brighter than her shield.

“I see it now!” Sunset said.

“What do you see?” Celestia egged her on.

“She switches the amount of magic she uses on each item depending on what she’s doing at the moment,” Sunset answered confidently.

Celestia smiled. “That’s correct, Sunset.”

“So basically she’s stronger with whatever one she chooses?” Twilight asked.

“Exactly,” Celestia nodded. “Depending on the situation, she imbues more magic into whatever item she needs, which is impressive in itself. Being able to make quick decisions like that in the heat of battle is proof that she is very competent.”

“But wouldn’t that mean you should just attack her when she’s using her spear more?” Sunset said.

“That’s what I was talking about earlier,” Celestia explained. “She leaves very little room for ponies to attack her. From what I’ve seen so far, she quickly attacks then immediately switches back to a defense stance.”

Sunset frowned. “So are you saying it’s impossible to beat her?”

“Not impossible,” Celestia shook her head. “But very difficult.”

“I guess that’s why she’s the top fighter,” Cadence said.

The battle was still as fierce as ever. Twinkleshine was covered with cuts and bruises, her robe tattered and her chestplate filled with scratches and dents. Amethyst, on the other hand, was in way better condition, although not completely untouched. A couple scrapes on her face, as well as dents in her armor and shield showed that Twinkleshine was indeed powerful.

Amethyst stood in the middle of the arena, shield up. Twinkleshine, on the other hand, was backed up against the arena wall. She was panting heavily and slouched slightly.

“Tired?” Amethyst called out to her opponent.

“A little,” Twinkleshine admitted. “But I can keep going!”

“We’ll see about that,” Amethyst simply said, raising her spear one more time. Aiming it at Twinkleshine, she blasted it towards her.

“She’s up to something,” Celestia observed.

Sunset nodded. “She doesn’t seem worried or panicked at all. It’s almost as if she wanted this.”

The spear closed the distance between them quickly. Soon enough, it was just mere inches away from her. Twinkleshine, however, seemed unfazed. Smirking, she casted a blink spell, appearing right above Amethyst. The spear lodged itself deeply into the wall.

“It’s over!” Twinkleshine shouted as she swung her staff towards Amethyst’s head.

Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Amethyst wins.”

Amethyst’s shield came from the side, bashing Twinkleshine’s side. Her expression contorted with pain as all the air was taken out of her. She even coughed out a bit of blood. The bash caused Twinkleshine to fly across the arena and smash into the wall. Rubble and dust flew into the air on impact. She stuck to the wall for a few seconds before falling flat onto the ground. She lay there, motionless and defeated.

A brief moment of silence fell upon the crowd.

No pony could believe what just happened. It looked as if Twinkleshine was about to claim the top spot, but then it all crumbled in the blink of an eye. She was just played by Amethyst Star.

The referee blew his whistle, signifying the end of the match.

The crowd suddenly erupted into cheers and shouts, applause filling the air. Guards and medics rushed over to Twinkleshine, checking her vitals and patching her up. They hoisted her up onto a stretcher and quickly disappeared into a backdoor.

Amethyst, however, simply stood in the middle. She smiled slightly as she levitated her spear back over to her and planted it into the ground.

“The victor is Amethyst Star!” The referee announced. More applause filled the arena. It truly was a fight to see.

“I really thought Twinkleshine had her,” Sunset frowned. “She even had the jump on her!”

“Did she, though?” Celestia challenged. “Amethyst didn’t flinch at all when she blinked.

“Amethyst must’ve known something was up then,” Sunset grumbled. “What a match.”

Celestia nodded.“What a match indeed.”

“That was awesome!” Twilight’s eyes sparkled, looking up at Celestia.

“That truly was something,” Cadence said slowly.

The referee made his way down to Amethyst. It was common for there to be a little interview of the winner after the duel. The cheers and shouts slowly died down as the referee walked towards the winner.

Soon the arena was quiet, only whispers and murmurs left.

“So Amethyst, what did you think of the battle?” the referee asked.

“Twinkleshine was a very worthy opponent,” Amethyst humbly said. “I believe that I am just a bad matchup for her. Had she gone against any other pony, she would’ve been the victor for sure.”

“Why exactly are you a bad matchup for her?”

“Unfortunately I can’t answer that, as it would reveal weaknesses in both me and my opponent,” Amethyst said.

The referee frowned, but nodded. “Alright, last question then. Are you accepting any more duels?”

“As long as I am the top rank, any pony, despite your ranking, is free to challenge me,” Amethyst smiled and waved at the crowd.

“You heard it here everypony,” The referee shouted. “Anypony is able to challenge Amethyst Star!”

With that, the main event ended. Although there were still some other duels going on that day, they were nothing compared to this one. The crowd thinned out, some ponies staying to watch the next ones.

Celestia, Cadence, Twilight, and Sunset all stayed in their seats, watching ponies come and go.

“You knew Amethyst was going to win, didn’t you?” Sunset looked at Celestia.

“I didn’t know she was going to, but I believed she had a high chance at winning,” Celestia said. “What solidified the win for her was when Twinkleshine willingly got close to her.”

“And why is that?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow.

“It’s quite obvious, actually,” Celestia chuckled. “Amethyst is definitely stronger than Twinkleshine in close quarter combat. Thus why she uses a shield and spear.”

Sunset nodded slowly. “I guess that makes sense.”

“Twinkleshine getting that close willingly showed desperation,” Celestia explained. “She was already worn out, so she had to do something or she would just lose. It was high risk, high reward.”

“So she baited Amethyst into sticking her spear into the wall and tried to launch a counterattack. She probably thought that Amethyst would try and get the spear unstuck, giving her an opportunity to finish her. Twinkleshine probably also assumed that she would only attack with her spear. However, she overlooked something.”

“Her shield!” Twilight quickly said.

Celestia smiled, nodding. “Exactly. Twinkleshine overlooked the fact that shields can also be used as a weapon.”

Sunset chuckled. “Kind of a big thing to overlook, don’t you think?”

“You could give props to Amethyst for that,” Celestia said. “Never once in the fight did she swing or bash her shield. She only used it for defense, and only used her spear for offense. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but that must have tricked Twinkleshine into thinking that she could only attack with the spear.”

Sunset sat silently for a second. With a sigh, she nodded. “When you put it like that, it seems plausible.”

“Regardless of who won or lost, they both fought very well,” Celestia said. “I don’t think Twinkleshine is any weaker than Amethyst. On the other hand, I believe Amethyst just has more combat experience.”

“That’s easy to believe. Believe it or not, Twinkleshine only started participating in duels a couple months ago,” Sunset informed them.

“Really?” Cadence was a bit shocked. “You’re telling me that she got the second rank in a few months? That’s quite impressive!”

Sunset nodded. “Everypony was just as surprised as you. Ever since Twinkleshine started participating, there’s been more and more duels. I guess she inspired ponies to claw their way to the top just like her.”

“I wouldn’t say she clawed her way to the top,” Celestia chuckled. “It sounds like she soared to the top.”

“She must’ve won every match,” Cadence speculated.

“She did,” Sunset confirmed almost a little too quickly. Celestia and Cadence both stared at Sunset. Rubbing the back of her neck, she avoided their eyes. “I went to almost all of her matches. ”

“Do you like her?” Cadence smirked.

Sunset glared at Cadence. “It’s nothing like that. I was just curious, that’s all. I mean think about it! If you heard somepony was tearing her way through the ranks without losing you’re bound to get curious, right?”

“Scoping out the contest, are we?” Celestia chuckled.

“I mean I do plan to participate eventually,” Sunset admitted. “Probably as soon as I can.”

“Me too!” Twilight, who was silent for a while, chimed in.

Cadence stared at Twilight, mouth slightly agape. “You want to fight too?!”

“Yup!” Twilight grinned widely.

“You’re far too young,” Cadence frowned, shaking her head. “I mean, what would your parents think? What would Shining Armor think?”

“T-They’d be fine with it,” Twilight's smile faltered. “I think?”

“No need to be so protective of her,” Sunset chuckled. “If she wants to, I’m sure they’d let her!”

“Do you know her parents?” Cadence looked amused, cocking an eyebrow.

Sunset shrugged. “No, but I’m sure she could convince them. She’s a smart kid.”

“She may be able to get away with her parents, but her brother? No way,” Cadence shook her head. “He’s way too overprotective.”

“She wouldn’t need Lieutenant Shining Armor’s permission to participate though,” Celestia reminded Cadence.

“I know,” Cadence said. Turning towards Twilight, she smiled. “But that would upset Shining, and you don’t want that, don’t you?”

“Uhhhh…” Twilight looked conflicted.

“Why does it feel like Cadence is the one who doesn’t want Twilight to fight,” Sunset whispered to Celestia.

Celestia giggled quietly. “Believe it or not, she’s just as overprotective, if not more, then Shining Armor.”

“What are you two whispering about over there?” Cadence looked back to the two of them.

“Nothing, my dear niece,” Celestia smiled.

Sunset nodded quickly. “Nothing at all.”

“Ooookay…” Cadence slowly turned back to Twilight. “You don’t want to upset Shiny or me, right?”

“No,” Twilight shook her head. “But I want to participate in the duels!”

“But you could get hurt,” Cadence tried to convince the filly.

“No! I’m going to fight!” Twilight said with a ‘hmph’, crossing her hooves and looking away.

“What a stubborn filly,” Sunset chuckled. “Looks like you won’t be able to crack her Cadence.”

With a sigh, Cadence dejectledy sat down. “I guess so. Look Twilight, I’m sorry I tried to persuade you not to. I promise I won’t do it again.”

Twilight’s expression softened, looking back at her foalsitter. “You promise?”

“I promise,” Cadence put a hoof on her heart. “I know you won’t change your mind, but I want you to promise me one thing.”

“Okay,” Twilight nodded.

“Promise me that if you feel that you’re going to get injured that you stop the duel immediately,” Cadence said. “I don’t think anypony would want to see something like that, especially not your family.”

“I promise!” Twilight said.

“I love you,” Cadence smiled, pulling Twilight into a hug.

Twilight returned the hug. “I love you too!”

The crew stayed until the last fight of the evening. Cadence and Celestia were chatting amongst themselves most of the time, while Twilight and Sunset paid close attention to different tactics ponies used. Twilight even took out a notebook at some point to jot down ideas of her own.

Cadence looked around the arena. “Ah, I think all the duels are done.”

There were only a few ponies left in the stands. Some were heading towards the exits while some stayed in their seats, talking to the others next to them.

Celestia nodded. “It would appear so.”

Duels usually ran until sunset, and today was not any different. The sun was already behind the mountains, the sky a beautiful orange.

“Shall we make our way back to the castle?” Celestia asked the group.

They all nodded in agreement, getting out of their seats. Stopping right before the exit, Twilight and Sunset stopped as the princesses kept walking. The two students took a quick glance back at the arena before looking at one another.

“I’ll be waiting for you at the top,” Sunset smirked.

Twilight smirked back. “Just you wait!”

“What’s wrong, you two?” Celestia called out. Cadence was also looking back at her.

“Nothing!” They both called back, galloping towards them, giggling. Rejoining the princesses, they continued walking.

Watching the duels together had sparked something within both Twilight and Sunset. They were both students looking for a challenge and here it was. They wanted to prove themselves to everypony, and this was their opportunity. This was the challenge that they needed to push them. The fire of competition burned deep within their hearts as they walked out of the arena.

Chapter 5: Foalsitting and Character Creation

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As weeks passed, Twilight and Sunset spent more and more time together. Twilight would keep Sunset company while at school while Sunset would often foalsit Twilight if Cadence wasn’t available. Sunset would sometimes even join Twilight in her lessons with Celestia.

Sunset’s lessons were going smoothly. She was able to control and manage her magic easily and it didn’t strain her as much. Although it wasn’t perfect, it was good enough for them to move onto something more advanced.

Twilight proved to be just as competent as Sunset. In just the first couple weeks she was able to control her magic, although it was not as refined as Sunset. There were still some kinks she had to work on, but she was still progressing quickly.

Twilight’s progress pushed Sunset to try harder and harder, not wanting to fall behind the younger student. The two would compete in almost everything. Things like test scores, magic aptitude tests, even how many things they could levitate at once.

Although they treated each other like rivals, they were still great friends. They would exchange notes about new magic they learned, or things they see in the duels. The two would try to watch as many of the duels as possible, learning the nuances of fighting with both magic and weapons. They didn’t keep any knowledge to themselves.

Twilight had just finished her lesson when Sunset challenged her to a mock duel. Of course, they wouldn’t be using any spells that could potentially harm the other pony. Rather, they were using a spell that shoots out a beam that recolors anything it hits. This way, they could practice as if they were really fighting without any risk of injury.

However, after just a few minutes of mock fighting, the whole field looked like a pegasus accidentally spilled some rainbow liquid all over the place! Splotches of colors filled the grass and surrounding vegetation. Twilight and Sunset’s coats, however, were still unchanged. They had managed to dodge every beam, whether it was through a tumbling or dashing, or even blinking. Not a single beam hit either of them.

“Alright you two, settle down,” Celestia chuckled, watching her two students tumble around in the grass. “You’re going to recolor the whole garden at this point.”

They continued to shoot beam after beam.

“We can’t stop until one of us loses!” Sunset shouted, nearly getting hit. Returning fire, Twilight was quick to dodge.

Celestia sighed, shaking her head. Her horn ignited, levitating the two ponies in the air. Twilight and Sunset tried to escape her grasp but it was like pushing against a brick wall. Not even their magic could match their teachers.

“I understand you two are eager to start dueling, but I think you’ve done enough damage for the day,” Celestia said, surveying the clearing. There wasn’t a single spot unchange besides the two students. Even Celestia herself had a splotch of red on her beautiful white coat.

“Awww, c’mon Celestia!” Sunset groaned. “We were just getting started!”

“I know something you two can get started on,” Celestia said, putting them down. “How about we start cleaning up the garden?” She smiled, sending a shiver down her student’s spine.

“Y-Yes ma’am!” Twilight quickly replied, running towards the shrubbery and trees that needed to be changed back.

“I’ll get right on it,” Sunset smiled before also running off.

Celestia nodded with content, happily watching her students zap the vegetation back to their rightful color. They ran around the clearing, making sure they didn’t miss a single spot. It took a little while, but eventually the whole field was back to normal, much quicker than Celestia expected. No longer were the trees shades of pink and red, and the grass no longer comparable to a rainbow. They even somehow got the red splotch on Celestia’s coat without her realizing.

Twilight and Sunset trudged over to Celestia. When they were just a few feet away from her, they collapsed, panting.

Celestia looked around at the field. With a nod, she smiled and looked down at the two. “Very well done. It’s like nothing ever happened.”

“So are we done for the day?” Sunset asked through ragged breaths, sitting up with Twilight.

“Twilight’s lessons have been done for a while now,” Celestia chuckled. “However, if you don't mind, I ask that you watch Twilight. I have a meeting I must attend and Cadence has something important to do, so unfortunately neither one of us can't watch her today.”

“I don’t mind foalsitting her at all,” Sunset grinned, ruffling Twilight’s mane. “She’s the only other pony I can really talk to about magic and actually understand what I’m saying.”

“Then that’s great,” Celestia said. “I trust you won’t blow up anything while I’m gone?”

“When have I done that?” Sunset awkwardly laughed. Celestia stayed silent, cocking up an eyebrow. “Ok fine! I promise I won’t blow anything up this time.”

Celestia smiled and nodded. “Glad to hear that. Now if you excuse me, I must go now.”

Twilight and Sunset watched as Celestia walked towards the garden’s entrance, disappearing into the trees. The sun was still up, but wouldn’t be for that much longer. It wasn’t unusual for the two to be out till this time though. In fact, it was kind of routine for them to be out this late.

“Well, guess we should take a bath,” Sunset suggested, getting up to her hooves.

“Okay!” Twilight nodded happily.

The pair made their way to the bathroom closest to Sunset’s room. The tub was quite large, able to hold three, maybe even four adult ponies if they squeezed in. The reasoning for why it was so big was to accommodate Princess Celestia and her larger stature. However, since Twilight and Sunset were still young, the tub felt more like a small pool to them.

There was also a shower and your normal bathroom appliances. The two took turns rinsing off, Sunset going first. It was common etiquette to rinse off before bathing. They had the luxury to use hot water whenever they wanted, and they took advantage of that of course.

Sunset was already fully submerged and relaxed in the tub when Twilight finished rinsing off. Trotting over, Twilight gave the water a cautious poke.

Sunset chuckled. “C’mon Twilight, it’s not that hot.”

“Last time you said that it was boiling hot!” Twilight frowned, putting her hoof in the water. With a quick nod, she slowly got into the tub, letting her whole body sink into the warm water. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she sunk in more and more.

“Okay maybe I should’ve told you I liked my water really hot, but I thought everypony did!” Sunset tried to defend herself.

“It’s fine,” Twilight said. “Anyways, what are we going to do today? Read?”

“You sure do love reading, especially for a pony your age” Sunset chuckled, resting her chin on her hoof. “How about we see what your brother is up to?”

Twilight’s face lit up at the mention of her brother. “That’s a great idea! I haven’t seen Shiny in a few days.”

“Then after that I guess we’ll study or something,” Sunset added.

“Okay!” Twilight nodded quickly.

The two spent a little while in the tub, giving them some time to relax after a day of lessons. Celestia’s lessons have been getting harder, and thus tiring them out more. They faced these challenges with great vigor and enthusiasm, regardless of what was thrown at them.

After drying themselves off and brushing their manes, Twilight and Sunset made their way to the guard’s quarters. Since it was located in the wing opposite of Sunset’s room, it was a lengthy walk.

“How old is your brother anyway?” Sunset asked.

“He’s seventeen!” Twilight answered.

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Seventeen!? He’s ten years older than you?”

“Yup!” Twilight said nonchalantly.

“Isn’t he a little young to be in the royal guard?”

“Celestia said that he’s the youngest unicorn to become a royal guard,” Twilight said. “She even said that he had the potential of becoming captain!”

“I knew your brother was something, but I didn’t think he was that amazing,” Sunset chuckled. “What kind of magic does he specialize in?”

Ponies usually specialized in a certain area of magic. For example, Amethyst Star specialized in enchanting and imbuing magic, while Twinkleshine specialized in casting. These are just a few areas of specialities. Ponies usually choose a branch they want to specialize in sometime at the end of their school years.

“He specializes in shields I’m pretty sure,” Twilight grinned. “He tells me that his shield is impenetrable!”

“And you don’t think he’s just saying that to impress you?” Sunset smirked, cocking an eyebrow.

“Nope!” Twilight said confidently.

“Guess I’ll have to test that out,” Sunset whispered to herself, noting that.

Soon enough, they arrived at the guard’s quarters. It wasn’t as grandly decorated as the other sections of the castle. Rather, there were paintings and statues of influential military figures. Ponies like past generals or heros. Along some walls were spears and other weapons, placed just in case of an emergency. The hallways were dimly lit.

The doors were uniformly placed, an equal distance between each one. Each door would house up to four guards. It was a lot like a dorm.

“Do you know which one is your brother's?” Sunset looked down at Twilight who was shaking her head.

“He never got around to it during our tour,” Twilight frowned.

Sunset placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “He just probably didn't want you over here. Let’s look for him.”

“Okay!” Twilight nodded quickly.

The two walked down the halls, looking at the name plaques in front of each door. There were a lot of guards stationed here, making the process long and tedious. They would occasionally see ponies (who they assumed were guards) roaming the halls. They tended to travel in pairs or groups, never seeing a single guard by themselves.

The guards didn’t really care nor interacted with the two young fillies. They just passed by, minding their own business.

Twilight and Sunset continued through the many halls, still trying to find Shining Armor’s room.

“What are you two up to?” a stallion called to them as they passed by. The two students stopped, looking back at the pony.

Standing in one of the doorways was a tall stallion. His fur was white (as most guards were for some reason) and his mane was a solid, fiery red, somewhat similar to Sunset’s. He wasn’t equipped with any armor, probably because wasn’t on duty. His cutie mark bore resemblance to a fireball.

“Wait a minute, aren’t you Sunset Shimmer, Celestia’s personal student?” he asked, staring at her.

“That’s me,” Sunset answered. “And you are?”

“Blazing Shine, Private Second Class,” Shine introduced himself, saluting. “I serve in Platoon 43 under Lieutenant Shining Armor.”

“Did you say Shining Armor?” Sunset grinned. What a lucky encounter!

“Yes, why?” Shine tilted his head.

“That’s perfect!” Sunset said. “Do you know where I could find him? We’re looking for him.”

Shine’s eyes narrowed. “What business do you have with him?”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle, his sister!” Twilight spike.

“Wait a minute…” Shine examined the younger filly. “You are!”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “You thought she was lying?”

“Better safe than sorry,” he shrugged. “Lieutenant Shining Armor is currently in the dining hall. He’s probably playing Ogres and Oubliettes with some of the other guards.”

“Thanks!” Sunset and Twilight said in unison, both bowing their heads. They started walking down the hall when Sunset suddenly stopped. Twilight looked back at her, tilting her head.

“Uhhh… where’s the dining hall?” Sunset awkwardly laughed, rubbing the back of her neck.

Shine chuckled, shaking his head. “Keep going down till the next right. Then it should be the third double door on the left,” he instructed.

“Thanks again,” Sunset said before they continued down the hall.

Reaching the double door, the two heard faint talking from coming inside.

“So, what’s your next move?” a gruff voice asked.

“I jump in front of Moonlight, trying to parry the incoming strike!” a familiar voice replied.

“Roll for dexterity,” the gruff voice said. The faint sound of dice rolling on the table caused Twilight’s ears to perk up.

“A Nat20!” another voice cried out.

“Not only do you successfully parry the attack, you’re also able to stun the ninja with the hilt of your blade!” the gruff voice announced.

Twilight and Sunset slowly opened the door, trying not to disturb them. Unfortunately, the door let out a loud creak, causing the ponies to look over at them. As the two fillies entered the room, they looked towards the only occupied table. Three stallions and one mare were staring at them.

“Twily?” a familiar voice said.

Seated at one of the many round tables was Shining Armor

“Shiny?” Twilight called back.

“What are you doing here?” Shining Armor asked, trotting over to her.

“We’re checking up on you!” Twilight answered, causing Shining Armor to look over at Sunset for an explanation.

“Just seeing what you were up to,” Sunset chuckled. “Twilight and I finished up our lessons a little bit ago. Just trying to kill time I guess.”

“Well if you’ve got some time to kill I guess you could spectate our O&O session,” Shining offered, gesturing at the table.

“Okay!” Twilight happily agreed.

“Eh, why not,” Sunset shrugged. “Seems interesting anyways.”

Making their way back to the table, Shining Armor pulled up two more seats. Twilight sat between Shining Armor and Sunset. Twilight was examining the little figures and map while Sunset looked around at the other ponies, noticing that there was an empty seat besides her.

“Who are they?” the pony with the gruff voice asked.

“This is my sister Twilight, Celestia’s protege,” Shining gestured at the distracted young filly. “And you should know who Sunset is.”

“And why should I know who she is?” He asked, looking at Sunset.

Shining cocked an eyebrow. “Were you not paying attention when Celestia introduced her a while ago?”

“You know me,” he chuckled. “Don’t really pay attention during things like that.”

“And this is why you could never be captain,” Shining sighed.

“Not like I’m trying to be,” the pony smirked. “Unlike a certain stallion I know.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” Shining rolled his eyes. “ Well this is Sunset, and she’s Celestia’s personal student. Since I’ve introduced them, how about you all introduce yourselves?”

“I guess so,” the gruffed voice stallion said. “I’m Lieutenant Thunder Sparks and I oversee the 63rd platoon.”

Thunder Sparks was a burly, light gray coated stallion. He stood about a head taller than Shining Armor, making him look very intimidating. He looked older than him as well, maybe having around ten to fifteen years on him. His mane and tail was slick black, short and spiked. His cutie mark was a lighting bolt and spear crossing each one another, making a X.

“And I’m Captain Sharp Edge. I oversee these two platoons, as well as a couple more,” the other stallion introduced himself. He looked a few years older than Thunder Sparks. Sharp Edge had a white coat. His gray mane and tail were long and flowy. His cutie mark was a spear crossed by two swords.

“Guess that leaves me,” the mare said, Twilight and Sunset turning their attention to her. “I’m Seregant Starry Moonlight, and I serve in the 3rd Night Platoon.” Starry Moonlight was a dark gray coated mare. Her mane and tail were both a dark purple, straight and well kept. Her cutie mark was a rapier surrounded by small, white stars.

“Nice to meet you all,” Sunset said. “I’m Sunset Shimmer, Celestia’s personal student.”

“And I’m Twilight Sparkle, Shiny’s younger sister and Celestia’s protege!” She said proudly.

“It’s nice to meet you two,” Sharp Edge said, a kind smile on his face. “Shining Armor talks a lot about you Twilight.”

“I’m sure he does,” Sunset chuckled.

“No he talks about her like a lot,” Starry Moonlight emphasized it even more. “Like, a lot, a lot.”

“Ah,” Sunset awkwardly smiled. “I see…”

“Ahem,” Shining Armor cleared his throat. “I’m right here you know?”

“I know,” Starry Moonlight smirked. “It’s not like it’s not true.”

“Okay, I guess I do talk a lot about her,” Shining Armor admitted. “But when you have such a talented and precious little sister, how couldn’t you?”

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” Thunder waved his hoof around. “How about we get back to our game?”

Shining sighed, shaking his head. “We might as well wait for Ca-”

“Sorry for making you all wait,” a mare called out from behind them, their voice very familiar. “I don’t know how you all navigate the halls, it’s like a maze!”

Twilight and Sunset turned their attention to the voice. Standing in the doorway was a light pink alicorn.

“Cadance?!” Sunset and Twilight both said in surprise

“Huh?” Cadance jumped a little at the sudden call. Regaining her composure, she looked at them. “What are you two doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Sunset grinned. “So this was the important thing you had to do today?”

“Heh,” Cadance awkwardly chuckled as she trotted over to the table, taking the empty seat next to Sunset. “You caught me!”

“You play O&O?” Twilight asked with sparkling eyes.

“Don’t tell me Twilight plays this as well,” Cadance eyed Shining Armor who started to whistle.

“I do!” Twilight nodded enthusiastically. “Shiny and I play every weekend at home.”

“Why am I not surprised,” Moonlight smirked, staring down Shining Armor. “What’s your two’s campaign like?”

“We play with our whole family,” Twilight informed everypony. “Right now we’re doing a middle earth campaign!”

“We just finished up our middle earth campaign,” Sharp Edge said. “We started a new fantasy-esque Neighpon inspired campaign a couple sessions ago.”

“Sounds interesting!” Twilight chirped, examining the table. “Is that why your figurines are in samurai armor?”

“Yup!” Thunder nodded. “I made and painted them myself.”

“Wow, that's so cool!” Twilight said, levitating one of the pieces up to her face. “It’s very detailed.”

As Twilight and the crew nerded out over the map and figurines, Sunset quietly watched them, smiling.

“So, you play O&O at all?” Cadance asked, still focusing on the table.

“Nope,” Sunset simply answered. “Although, I’ve always been interested in it. Just never found anypony to play with.”

“Probably because all you did was study and ignore everypony,” Cadance giggled.

“How’d you know that?” Sunset frowned.

“I have my sources,” Cadance replied with a wink and mysterious grin.

“Ooookay…” Sunset decided not to pry any further. “How about you? I assume you play often.”

“Yup,” Cadance nodded. “We have two sessions every week that I almost never miss!”

“So that’s why you’re not available on the same days every week,” Sunset put two and two together, causing Cadance to nod.

“So what do you say, you wanna join?” Moonlight asked, causing Sunset to look at her.

“Join what?” Sunset tilted her head.

“Were you not listening at all?” Thunder chuckled.

“Uhhh… no?” Sunset answered.

“We were wondering if you two wanted to join in on our campaign,” Sharp Edge said. “So do you?”

Sunset tapped her chin, looking at the table. It sure did look interesting. The map and figurines were intricate and detailed, and the character sheets were very intriguing.

“I don’t see why not,” Sunset shrugged.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d actually join,” Shining Armor chuckled.

“Why is that?”

“I don’t know, I thought you’d want to spend your time studying or something like that,” Shining shrugged.

Sunset frowned. “Does everypony think the only thing I do is study?”

“Well to be fair that’s the only thing you’ve done since we met,” Shining smiled weakly. “I’m not sure what your hobbies are to be honest.”

“Don’t worry about it Sunset,” Cadance offered a smile. “You’re not the only pony here who only studied until recently.”

“Who would that be?” Sunset asked.

“Take a wild guess,” Shining chuckled. Sunset looked at everypony at the table, only one pony standing out to her for being a bookworm.

“Ah, I know who,” Sunset said.

“Who is it?” Twilight tilted her head. “Is it Shiny?”

“Totally!” Sunset smirked, causing everypony (except Shining) to laugh. “How about we start playing? I’m quite interested in O&O anyways.”

“Wait, I feel like we just skipped over something here,” Shining frowned. “No guys like seriously, I don’t even study!” He tried to tell them, but they simplyignored him. Sighing in defeat, he slumped into his chair.

“So how exactly do you play Ogres and Oubliettes?” Sunset said, levitating up one of the spare figures.

“It’s kind of like creating your own story with friends,” Sharp Edge explained. “You make your own characters and go through some epic adventure with them. Throughout the adventure you can upgrade your character, make new friends, and fight monsters.”

“How could you make new friends if you're already playing with your friends?” Sunset asked.

“You make friends with fictional characters!” Moonlight jumped in on the explanation.

Sunset frowned. “Still don’t get it.

“You haven’t explained the dungeon master yet,” Thunder pointed out. “So there’s the players and the dungeon master, who is me by the way. The dungeon master essentially creates the story, setting, and scenarios. That’s how you ‘meet’ new friends,” Thunder finished with air quotes around “meet”.

“I kind of get it,” Sunset tapped her chin. “So basically one pony directs the story while the rest take part in it?”

“That’s about it,” Sharp Edge nodded. “There’s a lot more technicalities to it, but we can explain that along the way!”

“Don’t worry Sunset, I know almost everything about the game!” Twilight smiled.

“She read about the game a couple times over,” Cadance explained.

Sunset shrugged. “Kind of expected of her.”

“So I guess we should start with making your characters,” Thunder said, pulling out two more character sheets. Turning to Twilight, he handed her one. “I assume you already know how to, Twilight?”

“Yup!” Twilight accepted the sheet of paper. Taking a nearby pencil, she started filling it out diligently.

“I’ll help you out with yours,” Cadance said, smiling at Sunset.

Sunset nodded. “Thanks.”

Staring down at the sheet, Sunset clicked her tongue. There were a lot of boxes and things she didn’t understand. At the top was some simple stuff like name, class, race, etc, but there was also some other stuff she had no idea about.

“What does alignment mean?” Sunset asked Cadance, pointing at the top box.

“That’s basically the ethical and moral perspective of your character,” Cadance answered. “There are a lot of alignments you can choose from.”

Taking a book from her saddlebag, she opened it up to a page titled “Alignments.”

“You were not kidding,” Sunset said, flipping through the pages. There were a couple pages outlining what alignments were and what they meant. It started with lawful good and ended with chaotic evil. “There are quite a lot of them.”

“Our party is pretty balanced regarding alignments. All of us are some sort of ‘good,’ but we’re different in that some are lawful, neutral, or chaotic,” Sharp Edge explained.

“I see…” Sunset mindlessly replied as she read up on what any of that meant.

“Sharp Edge, do you think she knows what that means?” Moonlight teased, sticking out her tongue.

“Ah, I guess not,” Sharp Edge chuckled heartily. “Sorry about that.”

“Nah it’s all good,” Sunset brushed it off. “I kind of get what they are now, thanks to the book.”

“Want me to explain as well?” Cadance offered. “You know, just so we’re on the same page.”

Sunset shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt.”

“So basically, lawful characters’ behavior is structured and orderly. They follow some sort of code of conduct, whether it be law, tradition, or like a code of honor.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Thunder Sparks grinned. “Shining Armor and Cadence are lawful good, for example.”

"Most of my characters are lawful good.” She said proudly, placing a hoof on her chest.

“Why am I not surprised,” Sunset snickered, earning her a rib jab from the alicorn. “How about chaotic? What are they like?” Sunset asked, rubbing her side.

“Chaotic, on the other hand, are very free. Their behavior changes based on what’s going on, treating each situation with individuality,” Cadance explained. “To be honest, I see you as being chaotic, Sunset.”

“Does sound a bit like me,” Sunset agreed, nodding.

“I’m the only chaotic one in the group right now!” Moonlight chirped, waving her hoof in the air. “It’s cause I’m the coolest.”

Shining shook his head, sighing. “Keep telling yourself that.”

“What Lieutenant, got your panties in a bunch?” Moonlight snickered.

“Moonlight! My sister’s here,” Shining Armor hissed, glaring at her.

They looked at Twilight who seemed to not have heard anything they'd been saying. She was happily humming to herself as she jotted down her stats on the character sheet.

“Look, she didn’t hear it at all,” Moonlight motioned at the still distracted filly. “And even if she did, it’s a common phrase!”

“Are they always like this?” Sunset whispered to Cadance.

“They tend to banter a lot,” Cadance whispered back. “It’s kind of cute.”

“Uh huh…” Sunset nodded slowly. “Are you talking about their banter, or Shining Armor?” Sunset remarked cheekily.

“Both!” Cadance proudly said, catching Sunset a bit off guard.

“We still have a lot to cover,” Thunder Sparks said, interrupting every conversation going on. “I suggest we continue explaining everything to Sunset.”

The group continued explaining everything they could about O&O to Sunset. Things like armor class, races, the different classes, and the dice system. It took a decent chunk of time to explain everything as it was quite the intricate game. Eventually they got through most of the explanations and started making Sunset’s character.

Cadance clapped her hooves together happily. “Now we can finally start making your character! Let's start off with their race.”

“I’ll just stick with being a unicorn,” Sunset said.

“Boring,” Moonlight teased. “Why not be a griffon or minotaur or something?”

“Aren’t you just a bat pony,” Shiny chuckled. “A little unoriginal if you ask me.”

“Shut it!” Moonlight growled. “At least I’m not a dumb unicorn.”

“But you are, remember?” Shining shot back, pointing at her horn.

“You know what I mean,” Moonlight mumbled, crossing her forelegs.

“Don’t mind them Sunset,” Cadance giggled. “I would’ve chosen a pony as well, but I wanted to be a little more adventurous on this run.”

“What race are you?” Sunset asked, jotting down her prior choice on the character sheet.

“I’m a kirin!” Cadance chirped. “Look, I even drew a picture of her.”

Cadance was holding up a piece of paper with a pencil sketch of a creature that somewhat resembles a unicorn. However, it had a bushier mane that wrapped around her head. Her horn was longer and curved and bore cloven hooves.

“Are those scales on her back and muzzle?” Sunset tilted her head, analyzing the unknown creature.

Cadance nodded. “They’re depicted like this in every book I read.”

“What exactly are kirins?” Twilight asked, curious as ever.

“They’re mythical ponies who live outside Equestria,” Cadance explained. “There’s lots of myths and theories of where they came from and how they came to be, but there’s no solid proof as no pony has ever met one before!”

“Some speculate that they’re descendants of some sort of dragon-pony mix, while some believe they’re just from another place where ponies exist like Neighpon. I like to use the former though. It makes my character a lot more interesting!”

“What makes them so special besides their appearance?” Sunset asked.

‘They’re said to be truthful and very kind,” Cadance answered. “And there’s even a theory that they burst into flames when they get angry enough.”

“Scary,” Sunset chuckled.

“I wish to meet a kirin some day,” Sharp Edge sighed. “They sound like very interesting ponies.”

Thunder Sparks shrugged. “Eh, I could live without meeting one.”

“We should probably figure out your character before one of us goes on a taganet again,” Shining advised.

“Probably a good idea,” Thunder Sparks agreed.

“But it’s hard to choose between the three magic classes,” Sunset frowned. “They all sound fun to play.”

Sharp Edge nodded. “Ah yes, the hardest part. Choosing.”

“I’m already a wizard!” Twilight announced.

“There can be more than one of each class in a party,” Shining chuckled. “And you always play as a wizard, why not try something else?”

“Because wizards are awesome,” is all Twilight said.

Cadance shrugged. “Can’t argue with that.”

“I mean, you could always try one of the other classes as well,” Thunder Sparks offered. “Your current party already has two magic users.”

“Right! I should’ve asked this earlier,” Sunset facehoofed. “What class is everypony?”

“I’m a paladin,” Shining Armor was the first to answer.

“And I’m a warlock,” Cadance was next.

“Huh, I was not expecting that to be honest. Thought you’d play a support, like a bard or cleric or,” Sunset said.

Cadance giggled. “I haven’t even played those two yet, believe it or not.”

“She was a barbarian last session,” Sharp Edge chuckled. “She got into the role quite well.”

“Why thank you Sharp Edge,” Cadance smiled.

“Sharp Edge here is a monk,” Thunder Sparks continued, wanting to finish up.

“Last is me,” Moonlight announced. “I’m a sneaky, sneaky rogue!”

“So we have a paladin, monk, warlock, wizard, and rogue…” Sunset mumbled to herself, looking at the class page in front of her. They certainly were not lacking in damage, but their party was very magic-dependent.

Sunset nodded. “Then I guess I’ll play a ranger.”

“Huh, I was not expecting you of all ponies to play a ranger,” Shining Armor said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow.

“I mean I kind of expected you to still go with a mage regardless of the party,” Shining Armor admitted with a shrug.

“I mean I really wanted to,” Sunset said. “But it was for the party’s best interest.”

“She’s already thinking about the party!” Sharp Edge applauded. “Already a better team player than you Moonlight.”

“Hey!” Moonlight shouted as if she was going to protest. “Eh, I mean you're not wrong,” she finished with a shrug.

“Well that settles it then,” Thunder Sparks announced. “How about we get this show on the road?”

Everypony cheered, all ready for the adventure that awaited them.

Chapter 5.5: Adventuring Neighpon (O&O): Part 1

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Author's Notes:

Just a little note before you start reading.

Trigger Warning: This chapter contains threats of unconsensual sex/rape and also light descriptions of violence/gore. If you do not want to read something that contains any of these, feel free to skip this chapter. This chapter can be skipped and won't affect the plotline.

This chapter is an O&O dedicated chapter, following their characters in the game. There will probably be a few of these going forward, but not as plentiful as the actual story! Real life interactions will be placed in quote boxes so it is easier to differentiate from the game.

And just so we don't have any confusion, here's a list of who's who in the party as well as their race and class!

Sunset Shimmer: Quickhoof - Unicorn - Ranger
Twilight Sparkle: Dusk Swirl - Unicorn - Wizard
Princess Cadance: Flowing River - Kirin - Warlock
Shining Armor: Gleaming Hope - Unicorn - Paladin
Sharp Edge: Soaring Punch - Earth Pony - Monk
Starry Moonlight: Midnight Blade - Bat Pony - Rogue

Six ponies trudged down a run down path. Ragged and dirty, the exhaustion from their long journey finally hitting them. In the distance they could see a bustling town, all kinds of creatures entering and exiting from the entrances.

“Don’t falter everypony,” Gleaming Hope croaked out. “We’re almost there…”

“You know I’m not a pony, right?” Cadance frowned. “I’m a kirin.”
Shining Armor rolled his eyes. “C’mon Cadie, do you have to be so nitpicky? Why didn’t you say anything when Thunder Sparks was narrating?”
“Because he’s the DM and no one wants to annoy them,” Cadance said, everypony at the table nodding in agreement.
“Fair point,” Shining Armor mumbled. “What do you want me to say then?”
“Maybe everycreature?” Cadance offered.
“It sounds so awkward though,” Shining Armor frowned.
“I just don’t you ruining my immersion,” Cadance giggled. “You of all ponies know I take roleplaying seriously,” she finished with a wink.
Shining Armor flushed a bit. “F-Fine…” he stuttered out.
“Ahem…” Thunder Sparks cleared his throat. “Can we continue playing, please?”
“Yup!” Cadence said while Shining Armor just nodded.

The group approached the gate, stopped right at the entrance by the two guards. A griffon stood on one side and an earth pony on the other. They were suited in full samurai (karuta) armor, helmet and all. In their hooves were long spears and slung on their sides were katanas.

“What’s your business here, travelers,” the earth pony stated.

“We’re just weary travelers seeking some rest,” Flowing River replied. “We’ve been on the road for months now.”

“A kirin?” The griffon examined her and the rest of the group. “I guess we could let you in. Just don’t go causing trouble or the daimyo (feudal lord) will have your heads.”

With that, the two guards stepped out of the way, allowing entry into the town. The narrow streets were bustling with all kinds of creatures. Griffins, kirins, dragons, and ponies were the majority of the creatures there, but there were a handful of diamond dogs and hippogriffs wandering about.

Lining the sides of the street were buildings, vendors, and stores. From inns to weaponsmiths, there wasn’t a single thing missing. The buildings were unsurprisingly constructed of timber, as that was the most abundant housing material present.

“What should we do first?” Gleaming Shield asked.

Midnight Blade raised her hoof. “I’ll go snoop around for some information.” She started walking deeper into the town away from the group.

“I’ll go with her,” Soaring Punch said. “Somecreature has to make sure she doesn’t get in trouble.”Gleaming Shield nodded while Soaring Punch turned away, running after Midnight Blade.

“I think the rest of us should stick together then,” Gleaming Hope. “Don’t want to draw too much attention to us.”

“Who appointed you as leader?” Sunset questioned.
Shining Armor tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you are kind of acting like the leader, ” Sunset pointed out.
“Shining Armor usually is the leader of the group,” Sharp Edge shrugged. “Although, we could change it up since you two are here.”
“Nah I’m good,” Sunset replied. “Was just wondering how that came to be.”

As Midnight Blade and Soaring Punch made their way to the heart of the city, the rest of the group decided to find a place to rest their hooves. They searched around town, looking for an affordable inn that could house their party of six.

“How many bits do we have left?” Flowing River asked as they trotted down the roads.

“Not much, only about fifty,” Dusk Swirl sighed.

“That’s why I said we shouldn’t spend so much on equipment,” Gleaming Hope muttered. “We’ll only be able to stay a few nights here with that kind of money.”

“We could always just take up some requests,” Flowing River suggested. “Earn some quick bits while we’re here.”

“We’ll probably have to,” Gleaming Hope nodded. Let’s head over to the guild hall I guess.”

“What’s the guild hall?” Sunset asked.
Thunder Sparks smacked his forehead. “Oh yeah, you haven’t played O&O at all.”
“The guild hall is basically where creatures go to take on requests from creatures in the town,” Cadance explained. “There’s all kinds of things you can do like gathering herbs or killing nearby monsters. Things of that nature.”
“Interesting…” Sunset nodded slowly.

The four made their way towards the guild hall, which was even more packed than the streets. Creatures dressed up in all kinds of attire. Witches hats, robes, plated armor, you name it. There was even a pony petting what seemed to be her pet, a mini cerberus.

The crowd was most dense by a wooden board, papers hung up by pins covering it from top to bottom. Creatures were basically on top of each other, reaching out to grab some of them.

“So what kind of request should we take?” Quickhoof asked, the four of them watching the crowd topple over one another.

“Probably some monster hunting,” Gleaming Hope said. “There aren’t many strong ones around here anyways.”

Gleaming Hope made his way through the crowd and closer to the board, they looked at all the requests. The majority of the requests were herb gathering or recruiting guards for a merchant. Not many monster hunting ones were there, the handful of them being taken almost immediately.

There was one request, however, that stuck out to Gleaming Hope. It was to clear out a nearby building that some bandits decided to occupy. There was very little information on it, but the reward…

One thousand bits!

Quickly grabbing the paper, he returned back to the party.

“Look at this,” Gleaming Hope said, showing them the paper. “This would take care of our money problems for a while.”

“I don’t know, Gleaming…” Flowing River frowned, eyeing the request suspiciously. “There’s not much details on it. What if it’s a trap of some sort?”

“The guild would never put up something like this if they knew nocreature could handle it,” Gleaming Hope dismissed her comment. “We’re strong enough, we should take it.”

“It sure is a lot of bits,” Quickhoof commented. “I’m in.”

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t do it,” Dusk Swirl nodded in agreement. “But I think we should still discuss it with Soaring and Midnight.”

“Good idea,” Flowing River simply said.

“Guess we should look for that inn now,” Gleaming Hope concluded.

They made their way through the streets, eventually finding a cozy inn on the edge of town. It was completely separated from the rest of the buildings, right outside one of the entrances. A sign hung above the door, reading “Blooming Sakura Inn.” As the sun was already setting, they quickly made their way into the building.

Through the door was what seemed to be the dining area. There were lots of chairs and tables, but no creature to be seen. To their left was the bar counter while straight ahead were some stairs leading up to the second floor, where the rooms were.

"Customers!”

Behind the bar was a small female pegasus. Her coat was dark brown while her mane and tail were dirty blonde. Her mane was well-kept and long, pulled back into a neat ponytail. She wore a brown vest, her wings sticking out of holes on the sides. On her flank was what seemed to be a mug filled with something.

“I’m Sour Whiskey, the innkeeper here,” the pegasus introduced herself. “So what can I do for you folks?”

We’re looking for a place to stay for a couple nights,” Gleaming Hope answered. “In total our party has six members.”

"Alrighty,” Sour Whiskey nodded. “How many nights are we looking at?”[

“I’d say three or four,” Gleaming Hope continued.

“Perfect!” she smiled. “That’ll cost ya forty bits.”

“Is there any way we could get a discount?” Twilight asked, looking at Thunder Sparks.
“Roll for persuasion,” Thunder Sparks said.
Twilight picked up the D20, shaking it in her hooves. Gently rolling them onto the table, the D20 landed on seventeen.
“Seventeen!” Twilight cheered. “Plus my charisma bonus, that makes it nineteen!”
“Quite the lucky filly, aren’t you.” Thunder Sparks chuckled. “You have a high chance of getting the discount. What do you say to the inn-keeper?”

“Is there any way we could get a room for thirty?” Dusk Swirl asked.

Sour Whiskey eyed Dusk Swirl, cocking an eyebrow. “The lowest I can do is forty.”

“By the looks of it, there aren’t many creatures coming to this inn,” Dusk Swirl shot back, a devious grin on her face. “In fact, I haven’t seen any creature go in or out of here for a while.”

“Business has been a little slow recently,” Sour Whiskey frowned. “Ever since they built those bigger inns in town less and less creatures have been showing up here.”

“Oh, there’s fancy inns in the town center? We had no idea!” Dusk Swirl feigned ignorance. They already looked at those and they were way out of their spending range. “Guess we’ll go stay there instead.”

Dusk Shine turned her back on the, winking at her fellow party members. Catching on, the rest of them turned around and headed towards the door.

"Wait!” Sour Whiskey called to them, biting her lip. The party stopped in their tracks, turning their heads towards the poor pegasus. “I can do thirty,” She reluctantly said.

Dusk Swirl twirled fully around, smiling. “Perfect!”

“You’re so evil Twilight,” Sunset snickered.
“She's quite the manipulator,” Shining Armor frowned. “I don’t know who taught her that!”
“She reads a lot, Shiny,” Cadance said. “Where else do you think she learned how to?
“I guess you're right,” Shining Armor sighed. Turning towards Twilight, he smiled weakly. "Just don’t go doing that to other ponies in real life, okay?”
“Okay!” Twilight chirped.

Sour Whiskey led them upstairs to their rooms. They got two rooms right across from each other at the very end of the dimly lit hall. The rooms weren’t the largest, with only two beds and a small nightstand with an unlit candle in between them.

“Hope this suits your needs,” Sour Whiskey said. “We provide breakfast and dinner at sunrise and sunset. There’s some food ready if you’re hungry.”

“That would be great,” Gleaming Hope nodded. “Thank you very much.”

“I’ll go warm them up. They’ll be ready in a little bit,” Sour Whiskey smiled, making her way back downstairs.

“So, who’s sleeping where?” Gleaming Hope asked.

“Obviously you’re going to be in the same bed as Soaring Punch,” Flowing River said. “Other than that, it doesn't really matter.”

“Seriously?” Shining Armor frowned. “What kind of pony do you think I am?”
“Aww, don’t take it so personally Shiny,” Cadance smirked. “If we really went on an adventure together, I wouldn’t mind sharing a bed with you.”
Shining Armor stared at Cadance with wide eyes, his mouth slightly agape. He didn’t even try to hide his reddened face.
“I used to sleep in the same bed as Shiny, so I wouldn’t mind either!” Twilight innocently said.
Starry Moonlight started snickering at the filly’s comment. “I don’t think she meant it like that.”
“What else would she mean?” Twilight tilted her head.
“It’s best you don’t know,” Sunset simply said, placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
“But I want to know!” Twilight frowned.
“Maybe when you’re older,” Cadance winked.

As they were chatting in one of the rooms, an aroma caught their attention. Heading downstairs, the aromatic, savory smell became stronger and stronger.

“Wow, that smells delicious!” Dusk Swirl chirped.

“Why thank you,” Sour Whiskey replied, placing bowls on the bar counter. “Tonight we’re having vegetable stew and some freshly baked bread.”

Sitting down at the bar counter, they looked down at the wooden bowl. The bowl was filled to the brim with a thick, brown liquid with chunks of vegetables floating around. This seemed to be the source of the wonderful aroma that filled their nostrils when coming down. Next to the bowl on a small plate were two steaming bread rolls.

“This looks great,” Flowing River said. “Thank you very much.”

“My father took great pride in taking care of creatures who stayed here,” Sour Whiskey proudly placed a hoof on her chest.

“Are you the only one working here?” Gleaming Hope asked in between spoonfuls of stew.

“I am,” Sour Whiskey said, a small frown on her face. “My brothers all went their own ways, seeking glory or money while I stayed here and helped out my dad at the inn.”

“How about your mother?” Gleaming Hope continued.

“I never met her,” Sour Whiskey sighed. “She died giving birth to me.”

Gleaming Hope cringed. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be,” Sour Whiskey smiled weakly. “There’s nothing you could’ve done about it anyways.”

Gleaming Hope smiled back. “How about your father?”

“He passed away recently as well,” Sour Whiskey said, a solemn look on her face.

“Oh you poor thing,” Flowing River joined in. “So you’re running this inn by yourself?”

“Unfortunately,” Sour Whiskey sighed. “And as you can see, business isn’t going that great. More and more of my customers are being poached by those darn new inns. As much as it pains me to say, I might have to see this place soon.”

Flowing River frowned. “Why?”

“Well ever since business slowed down, I started falling behind on some payments for the inn,” Sour Whiskey explained. “My father borrowed money to get this place and planned to pay it off over the years, but obviously he can’t do that anymore.”

“I see…” Flowing River simply said.

They continued their meal in silence, the air feeling heavier than before. Sour Whiskey’s smile never seemed to falter. During the whole conversation she was smiling. Soon they all finished their meal and bid Sour Whiskey goodnight.

“Now I feel bad for haggling her,” Dusk Swirl frowned, trotting down the hallway.

“Yeah…” Gleaming Hope replied, his head a bit hung.

“I think we should give her some of the reward if we complete that request,” Flowing River suggested.

Gleaming Hope chuckled dryly. “I would feel bad if we didn’t.”

Making their way to their rooms, they decided to contact Soaring Punch and Midnight. Gleaming Hope took a crystal out of one of his pouches and handed it to Dusk Swirl. After a quick spell cast, the crystal blinked over and over.

“Think they got caught up in something?” Flowing River joked.

Gleaming Hope chuckled. “Knowing Midnight? Most likely.”

Eventually the blinking stopped, and the crystal shined brightly.

“Hello? Hello?” a familiar feminine voice said.

“Midnight? Is that you?” Gleaming Hope replied.

“Yup! That’s me alright.”

“And is Soaring Punch with you?”

“Yup! I’ll give the crystal to him.” Soon after Midnight said that, a bit of shuffling came from the crystal.

“This is Soaring Punch speaking.”

“Did Midnight get into any trouble? I bet she did,” Gleaming Hope snickered.

“I can still hear you ya know!” Midnight shouted.

Gleaming Hope smirked. “I know.”

“If I could punch you right now I would,” Midnight grumbled.

“Go ahead and try,” Gleaming Hope taunted. “Anyways, we found a place to stay. We’re at the Blooming Flower inn outside the east wall.”

“Roger that,” Soaring Punch said. “We’re on our way now.

“We also have a request we could do for some extra bits,” Gleaming Hope added. “We’ll explain all the details when you two get here.”

“Okie dokie!” Midnight said before hanging up.

“So when’s the action gonna happen?” Sunset asked, playing with her figure.
“Eventually,” Thunder Sparks replied. “Our group likes to worldbuild a lot more than others. It helps us really get into character.”
“I see, I see…” Sunset nodded slowly.
“Thunder Sparks is the best DM out of all of us,” Shining Armor said. “We’ll have some action-packed scenarios soon enough, believe me.”
Sunset shrugged. “If you say so!”

Soon enough the whole group was back together at the inn. All huddled into one room, they sat around and started their meeting.

“Got anything you want to report first?” Gleaming Hope asked, looking at Midnight and Soaring Punch.

“There’s some rumors of bandits occupying a nearby building,” Soaring Punch said. “Somecreautre even said they have some sort of ancient relic with them which is why the daimyo doesn't disturb them.”

Gleaming Hope took out the request paper, handing it to Soaring Punch. “We found a request to clear them out.”

“A thousand bits?!” Midnight gasped.

“Kind of the reason we took it,” Gleaming Hope chuckled. “It’ll last us a while.”

“If I had to say, I bet the daimyo put this request out anonymously,” Soaring Punch theorized.

Gleaming Hope nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“So we’re accepting the request?” Flowing River took the paper from Soaring Punch. “It’s just so suspicious! There’s little to no information.”

“C’mon Flowing River, what’s the worst that could happen?” Midnight playfully elbowed her sides.

“You know in movies whenever a pony says that, something bad is bound to happen,” Cadance said.
“But those are movies, and this is O&O,” Moonlight pointed at the map.
Cadance frowned. “Which is just as fictional as movies.”
“I’m sure nothing bad will happen,” Moonlight continued to dismiss her worries. “Right, Thunder Sparks?”
“No promises,” Thunder Sparks simply said.
“If something goes wrong, just know I’m blaming you Moonlight,” Cadance relented with a sigh.
“I’m completely fine with that!” Moonlight grinned.

There wasn’t anything else to report, so the group decided to turn in for the night. Bidding goodnight to one another, they rested their weary bodies.

Gleaming Hope woke up to the chirping of birds and a beam of light slipping through the curtains directly on his face. Snoring loudly next to him was Soaring Punch, all sprawled out on the small bed. Gleaming Hope slowly and carefully got out of the bed, yawning.

Looking at himself in a nearby mirror, he noticed that he fell asleep fully geared.

“Now how the hell did I do that,” he quietly chuckled to himself. Even his large warhammer was still slung on his side. Shaking his head, he continued towards the door.

In the other bed was Dusk Swirl and Quickhoof, the youngest of the group. Gleaming Hope smiled as he walked past them. They were sleeping peacefully, facing one another. Their breaths were soft and controlled, the blanket rising and falling slowly.

Slipping out of the room quietly, he heard muffled shouting and a crash. Making his way down the hall and towards the stairs, he frowned.

“What’s all the commotion?” Gleaming Hope thought as he began to descend the stairs. Going down just a bit, he peeked his head out to see what was going on.

The dining room was a mess. There were tables flipped over, chairs destroyed, and what seemed to be stew all over the ground. Standing in a clearing (where some tables used to be) were five guardsmen, only suited in armor. Their helmets lay on the bar counter next to some mugs. They seemed to be surrounding something…

Not something, but some pony: Sour Whiskey!

“Where’s the money Whiskey?” A purple-maned pegasus growled. “You’re already behind a couple payments!”

“I-I don’t have it all right now,” Whiskey stuttered out. “I can only give you this much.” Whiskey reached into a pouch hanging on her side, handing over the thirty bits they had given her.

“This is all you’ve got?” He shouted, grabbing the bits. “This isn’t even close to half of what you owe boss.”

“I’ll get the rest, I promise! Please just give me some more time,” Whiskey pleaded.

“That’s what you said last time,” the guard scowled. He reached for a wooden club with metal studs (an ararebo) that was slung on his side. “We oughta give you a beating so you remember.”

“Please stop…” Sour Whiskey sobbed, cowering. She covered herself with her wings, fearing for the worst. “Don’t hurt me please!”

Gleaming Hope’s blood boiled at the sight. He knew he had to do something. Ponies couldn’t just go around hurting others like that. Gleaming Hope slowly lurked down the stairs, trying his best not to alert the guards.

“Cap, we should teach her lessons in a different way,” a teal-maned unicorn smirked. “If you know what I mean.”

They eyed the cowering pegasus with devious grins.

“I think I do,” he snickered. “Now Sour Whiskey, if you don’t want to get hurt, strip.”

“Wait wait wait WAIT!” Shining Armor shouted.
“What’s wrong?” Thunder Sparks asked.
“What's wrong?” Shining Armor frowned. “What do you mean what’s wrong!? They’re literally going to…” He began to mumble to himself.
“Going to what?” Cadance cocked an eyebrow, confused.
“Going to do bad things to her,” he quickly said, glancing at his sister. “Don’t you think this is a little inappropriate for fillies?”
“It’s O&O, there’s bound to be some inappropriate things,” Moonlight shrugged. “Not like this hasn’t happened in previous sessions as well.”
“But don’t you think it’s a little much considering we have some new ponies,” Shining said, jerking his head towards Sunset and Twilight.
“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Twilight surprisingly said.
“What do you mean you don’t see anything wrong with it? Do you even understand what’s going on right now?” Shining asked.
“Historically, ponies with power would abuse it to do whatever they wanted, whether that be taking advantage of labor or mares,” Twilight replied. “The guards in this situation, for example, are able to do so because they work under some creature who has power!”
Sunset laughed hard, holding her sides. “Wow, I was not expecting that at all!”
Shining Armor and Cadance, however, both looked at Twilight in horror.
“W-Where did you learn that?!” Shining Armor stuttered.
“I’d like to know that to,” Cadance frowned.
“It was in one of the history books in the Canterlot Archives!” Twilight smiled. “There’s lots of cool stuff to read in there.”
“And Celestia doesn’t mind that you read those kinds of things?” Shining Armor continued.
“She said that one should learn all of history. The good, the bad, and everything in between,” Twilight recited. “I remember her telling me that most things aren't black or white, they’re gray.”
Sharp Edge nodded. “She’s right, you know.”
“You know what? Never mind,” Shining Armor sighed in defeat. Weakly smiling, he looked at Thunder Sparks. “Let’s just continue playing.”
“I’ll talk to Auntie Celestia later,” Cadence mumbled.
“Alrighty,” Thunder Sparks chuckled. “Now where was I…”

Sour Whiskey, still in the middle of them, didn’t budge. She cried and cried, trembling in fear.

“I don’t think she’s going to comply, cap,” one of the guards said.

“Guess we’ll have to use force then,” the captain said, licking his lips.

The group snickered among themselves, slowly enclosing Sour Whiskey. Unbeknownst to them, Gleaming Hope was almost right behind them. Igniting his horn, he unslung the warhammer on his side. The guards were too distracted to notice the hammer rise up behind their captain.

Gleaming Hope swung the hammer downwards towards the captain, and in just mere seconds the hammer met his head, caving in his skull and instantly killing him. Blood splattered all over the wooden floor as his limp body dropped.

The guards froze in shock, trying to process what just happened. Their eyes slowly rose from their captain's deceased body to the pony responsible. Gleaming Hope didn’t waste this opportunity, swinging at the teal-maned guard that suggested the other “lesson”.

The guard stumbled out of the way, the hammer barely missing his side. He planted himself into the ground firmly, drawing his sword (katana).

“Do you even know who you’re messing with!?” He spat as the rest of the guards drew their weapons.

“A couple of thugs, that’s who,” Gleaming Hope growled.

“You made a mistake boy,” another guard barked.

The odds were not in Gleaming Hope’s favor. Not only was it four on one, it was also an enclosed space. However, there were lots of things Gleaming Hope could do in his favor.

A black maned earth pony charged forward with his sword in his mouth. Swinging it horizontally, Gleaming Hope hopped backwards, dodging the swing with ease. The guards, however, didn’t give him much time to rest, another one swinging at him from the side.

Clicking his tongue, Gleaming Hope sidestepped the swing and retaliated with his own, swinging his hammer at the first attacker. He tried to dodge but was unfortunately too slow, the hammer meeting his side. A loud crack signified his ribs fracturing, causing him to cry out in pain and fall on his non-injured side.

“Two down, three to go,” Gleaming Hope thought as he repositioned himself

“You’re going to regret messing with us!” a white maned pegasus shouted. Two ponies charged at Gleaming Hope from both sides, cornering him. He, however, didn’t waver, getting into a defense stance.

“You’re dead meat!” the teal-maned cackled, swinging his levitated sword downwards towards Gleaming Hope. The other guard opted to swing from the side, trying to close off all angles.

Gleaming Hope smirked, his horn glowing brighter. Before the blades made contact with him, a shimmering bubble surrounded him, deflecting the blades. The force of the block knocked the guards off balance, causing them to stumble backwards.

Just as quick as the bubble appeared, it disappeared. Not wanting to give them time to regroup, Gleaming Hope charged the teal-maned guard with his hammer, swiping at his legs. The hammer struck the first leg, causing it to break on impact. Gleaming Hope continued the swing however, hitting his other leg, taking out both of his forelegs.

The guard dropped to the ground with a groan. Gleaming Hope wasn’t done with him though, quickly stomping on his horn, breaking it off his head. He cried out in pain as he lay there. The last two guards looked at Gleaming Hope in terror.

“M-Monster!” the black manned guard stuttered, backing up slowly. Gleaming Hope started to walk towards the last two guards.

“One more step forward and she gets it!” the other guard yelled. He was levitating his blade right next to Sour Whiskey’s neck.

Gleaming Hope instantly stopped in his tracks, glaring at the two. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“You bet I would!” the guard replied, pressing the blade slightly against her, drawing a bit of blood. This caused her to yelp in pain.

“If you want her to live, put your weapon down,” the black maned guard barked. Gleaming Hope complied, dropping his hammer onto the floor.

“Very good,” the guard snickered. “But since you killed our captain, both you and her have to go.”

Gleaming Hope closed his eyes, not wanting to see Sour Whiskey’s Fate. For a moment all was silent. Gleaming Hope held his breath, his eyes tightly closed. All he could see was black.

“How long are you going to stand there looking stupid?” a mare snickered.

Opening his eyes quickly, he looked at where Sour Whiskey was. She was still in the same place but there was no longer a sword threatening her. Instead, lying next to her, was the guard who held her hostage. A blood puddle slowly formed around him. Standing above the two was a familiar bat pony.

“When did you get here?!” Both Gleaming Hope and the last guard shouted in sync.

“A couple minutes ago,” she nonchalantly shrugged. She scanned the room, chuckling. “You really made a mess in here, huh.”

“Oh shut it,” Gleaming Hope rolled his eyes.

“So what happened here?” Midnight asked, looking at all the ponies on the ground.

The last guard standing slowly backed away, trying to get the hell out of there while they chatted with one another. Right as he was about to bolt out the door, a dagger landed impaled his foreleg, causing him to fall on his face.

“You really thought we would just let you get away?” Midnight tilted her head. “You’re stupider than you look.”

The guard held his bleeding leg, looking up at the Midnight and Gleaming who were standing over him.

“This is all a huge misunderstanding,” he awkwardly chuckled. “We were just going to scare her, that’s all! Yeah…”

Midnight shook her head with a frown, knocking him out with a quick punch. He lay there unconscious, the two of them just looking down on him.

“What’s with all the commotion so early in the morning,” a half-awake Flowing River asked as walk down the stairs. Behind her was the rest of the party.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they all stood in place, looking at the scene in front of them.

Five guards lay on the ground, two dead and three injured. Tables and tables turned over, blood splattered all over the place. It looked like a warzone, if warzones were much smaller and had furniture involved.

“Do I even want to ask?” Soaring Punch said.

“I sure don’t,” Flowing River frowned. “Is Sour Whiskey okay?”

“Yeah she’s alright,” Gleaming Hope nodded. “I think she passed out from shock though.”

They looked at the pegasus who was laying next to a corpse. Her body rose and fell slightly, signifying she was breathing steadily, but other than that she was pretty still.

“So what happened?” Quickhoof asked, poking at the captain’s body. “You sure did a number on these guys.”

“Long story short, they were trying to collect Sour Whiskey’s debt and were about to do some horrible things to her so I stopped them,” Gleaming Hope summarized.

“For justice and stuff, right?” Midnight stuck her tongue out at him.

“I couldn’t just watch them hurt an innocent pony like that,” Gleaming Hope glared at her. “It goes against my code!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Midnight dismissed him. “So, what do we do about this mess?”

“Well, obviously we clean it up!” Flowing River smiled, levitating over a mop and bucket of water. “So who’s cleaning up the bodies?”

“Not it!” Everypony except Gleaming Hope said in unison.

“C’mon guys, give me a break!” He frowned. “I had to fight them basically by myself.”

“Okay fine, you can pick one pony to help you,” Flowing River smiled.

“Really?” Gleaming Hope’s face deadpanned.

“Yup!” Flowing River nodded.

“Why do I feel like I’m always getting the short end of the stick?” Shining Armor sighed. “First I have to basically solo an encounter now I have to do this?”
“It just happens,” Thunder Sparks shrugged. “You know how our sessions are.”
“I guess…” Shining Armor said.
“I think you’re lucky,” Sharp Edge chuckled.
Shining Armor cocked an eyebrow. “How so?”
“You're the only pony who experienced some sort of action,” Sharp Edge replied. “Too bad we were all sleeping…”
“Speaking of sleeping, I think we should end it here,” Cadance said, stifling a yawn.
“Is it really that late?” Sunset asked, taking a look out a nearby window. The moon was high in the sky. “Huh, I guess it is kinda late.”
“I’m a little tired,” Twilight said with a small yawn. “But I wouldn’t mind playing some more.”
“No way,” Shining Armor shook his head. “You’re still a growing filly. You need your sleep.”
“Aww…” Twilight pouted, but didn’t completely reject the idea of sleeping.
“I guess we’ll turn in tonight,” Thunder Sparks said, gathering their character sheets and figurines. “Same time in a few days?”
“You betcha!” Moonlight said, the rest of the group nodding.
“If we don’t have any extra lessons that day, Twilight and I will be here for sure,” Sunset added.
“Sounds good,” Thunder Sparks smiled. “O&O is always much more fun with more company.”
Twilight and Shining Armor were the first to excuse themselves. Shining Armor walked with Twilight to her room before bidding her goodnight and heading to his own quarters.
Sharp Edge, Thunder Sparks, and Moonlight left together, heading towards their sleeping quarters to get some rest.
Cadance and Sunset headed towards their rooms together, as they were quite close to each other. Soon enough though, Cadance headed her own way, leaving just Sunset to trot the empty halls. Reaching her room, she lit a candle that sat on her desk.
With a sigh, she levitated over some books and scrolls. “Guess it’s time to study.”

Chapter 6: Tea, Duel Preparation, and Love?

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The end of the first semester for the students at Celestia's school was approaching, and that meant it was test season. Students were busy studying in class and at their dorms. They were allowed to stay in their dorms to study if they wanted to. However, teachers were required to stay in their classrooms till the end of the day if any student needed tutoring.

Sunset took full advantage of this, not going to the campus at all. That doesn’t mean she didn’t keep up with her studies though. She would still diligently study and complete classwork (which there was hardly any of). When she wasn’t studying she was reading up on magical theories, fighting techniques, and occasionally O&O.

Sunset and Twilight's lessons with Celestia were put on a pause, much to their dismay, due to the tests. Celestia wanted them to only have to focus on studying for the tests. After the tests, however, their private lessons would become more intense because they’ll only have to only focus on them for a little while.

“So Sunset, how are your studies coming along?” Celestia asked, sipping on her tea.

“They’re going alright,” Sunset replied. “I feel like I could’ve handled both studying and our lessons, though.”

“Oh I know you could’ve handled it,” Celestia chuckled.

Sunset face furrowed, frowning. “Then why did you have to pause them?”

“Because.”

“Because what?” Sunset tilted her head.

Celestia shrugged. “Just because.”

“You’re unbearable sometimes, you know that?” Sunset sighed.

“I know,” Celestia smiled, taking a long sip of her tea.

Sitting in silence, Sunset looked around. They were seated in the Celestia’s private sector of the garden. Celestia invited Sunset to have some tea and chat, much to her surprise. It was a beautiful day. The air was cool and fresh with a gentle breeze that paired well with the warm beams of sunlight.

The private sector was even nicer than the garden. A bunch of colorful, rare flowers were scattered around them. Trees and shrubs were colored with all kinds of fruits and vegetables. There was even a little stream with a pond!

“Admiring the beauty, Sunset?” Celestia said, snapping Sunset out of the trance. Sunset nodded, still looking around her. “Would you believe me if I told you I tend to this garden?”

“Really?” Sunset was taken back a bit, looking at her teacher. “How do you even have the time to do that?”

“I make the time,” Celestia simply said. “Gardening is one of my many hobbies. After living for so long, you tend to have a lot of them.”

“I would bet,” Sunset chuckled. “It’s very beautiful, that’s for sure.”

“Why thank you,” Celestia giggled. “I try.”

“So are we really just having tea out here?” Sunset asked, sipping on some herbal tea.

“Yup,” Celestia nodded. “Just wanted some company since I was free for a little bit. Tea is always better with other ponies.

“Fair enough,” Sunset shrugged. “It’s a nice change of pace, that’s for sure. I’ve been holed up in my room for quite a while.”

“I’m not surprised.”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

“Sunset, you’ve been both my student and my friend for a little while. I know some of your habits, and shutting yourself in your room is one of them,” Celestia took a long sip of her tea. “I also know you haven’t been at school at all these past few weeks, so there’s that.” She finished with a shrug.

“I forgot you ran the school to be honest,” Sunset chuckled. “I barely see you there.”

“That’s because you’re barely there,” Celestia shot back, grinning.

“Well played Celestia, well played.”

Taking another sip, Celestia smiled. “There’s something else coming up as well, do you know what it is?”

Sunset tapped her chin with a furrowed face. “Besides the tests? I have no idea.”

“It’s something you’ve been excited to do for quite a while now,” Celestia said, still ambiguous.

“What have I been excited for?” Sunset mumbled to herself. “What was it…”

“Rather, it was something both you and Twilight were looking forward to,” Celestia added another hint.

“Nope, still no idea,” Sunset gave up, slouching in her seat. “To be fair, my mind has only been filled with magic circles, equations, and incantations recently.”

“The duels, Sunset. Remember?” Celestia finally gave in, reminding her of what was coming up.

“Oh yeah!” Sunset slapped her forehead, groaning. “How could I forget something so important. I have my first duel a week after tests, huh?”

“Indeed you do,” Celestia said. “Did they tell you who your opponent was going to be yet?”

“It’s a stallion around my age,” Sunset answered. “I can’t seem to remember his name though. I just know he’s orange like me.”

“I feel bad for whoever it is,” Celestia chuckled. “Don’t go killing him, okay?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You know I wouldn’t do that, right?”

“Eh…” Celestia gave her a weak smile, sipping on her tea.

“Hey, why aren’t you saying anything,” Sunset frowned, poking her mentor. “Say something.”

“Anyways, are you excited for the duel? Have you been reading up on some strategy?”

“Hey, you’re trying to avoid answering!” Sunset called her out.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Celestia cotinued smiling and sipping on tea.

Sunset crossed her forehooves. “There’s no way for me to get you to answer huh.”

Celestia nodded. “So, any strategies?”

“Twilight and I have been doing some research,” Sunset said. “We read up on fighting strategies that the higher ranked fighters use as well as attended so many duels.”

“I’m assuming you’ve also created profiles for some fighters?” Celestia asked.

“You know us too well,” Sunset chuckled. “For any pony above rank fifty, we have all kinds of information on them.”

“Have you read up on any strategy used in past wars?” Celestia suggested. “I’d advise you to do so if you haven’t. Many Equestrian generals are known for their unorthodox strategies, oddly enough.”

“Duly noted.”

“So have you developed any of your own strategies yet?” Celestia continued on.

“To an extent,” Sunset sighed. “There’s still a lot of things I want to try out, but I’m not sure they’ll work in a real battle or not.”

“Might as well try them now rather than later,” Celestia chuckled. “Don’t want to be trying something new against an experienced fighter.”

“I guess so,” Sunset nodded. “Though, it could surprise them and work!”

“Or completely backfire,” Celestia countered.

“Hey, you have to take a risk every once in a while.”

“That's ture,” Celestia nodded. “So how about fighting style?”

“I’ll probably just stick to casting for now,” Sunset shrugged. “But who knows, maybe I’m gifted in weapons. We’ll just have to see.”

“Equipment?”

“Staff and cloak.”

“Gemstone?”

“Ruby for sure.”

Celestia chuckled. “You’ve got that part planned out at least.”

“That’s the easy part,” Sunset laughed along with her.

“Has Twilight said anything about her plan?” Celestia asked. “I know she won’t be able to participate for a little while, but knowing her, I’m sure she has something planned.”

“She hasn’t said anything to be,” Sunset frowned. “Now that I think about it, I don’t think she told anypony about her strategies.”

Celestia cocked an eyebrow. “Not even Shining Armor?”

“Not even Shining Armor.”

“She must really not want ponies to know,” Celestia shook her head with a smile. “What a troublesome filly.”

“Knowing her, she has lots of tricks up her sleeve,” Sunset chuckled. “Maybe even more than me.”

“And that’s saying something,” Celestia winked at her, smiling.

Sunset stared into her cup, swirling around the little tea she had left. Sighing, she gulped down the rest of it and looked up to Celestia.

“Unfortunately, I’ll have to cut our tea time a little short,” Celestia sighed. “Duty calls.”

“I understand,” Sunset replied. “You know, since you’re the ruler of Equestria and all.”

“Maybe one day I’ll be able to retire,” Celestia chuckled. “But till then, this is my life.”

“You know, I almost feel bad for you,” Sunset grinned. “Almost.”

“Thank you Sunset,” Celestia grinned back. “See you soon.”

“Have fun!” Sunset snidely remarked as Celestia walked away.

Sunset sat there, listening to the sounds of the garden. Birds chirping, trees and bushes rustling, and magic blasts.

The relaxing sounds of…

“Magic blasts!?” Sunset shouted, jumping out of her seat. She turned towards the direction where the noises were coming from. It seemed to be a little further into the garden.

Making her way out of Celestia’s private garden, she followed a trail, the noise becoming louder and louder. As she closed in, she crept quietly, wanting to see which pony was brave enough to practice such flashy magic in public.

The blasts were sometimes almost ear-deafening, causing Sunset to plug her ears with some magic.

“Once I get my hooves on whoever’s doing this I’ll-” she mumbled to herself, cut off when a laser whizzed right by her. Huffing, she scowled. “Oh they’re really going to get it now.”

She stomped towards the noise, not caring anymore about sneaking up on them anymore. She was soon met with a familiar clearing, and in the middle of it stood a unicorn.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing!” Sunset yelled, marching up to the unicorn. “Not only are you making a ton of noise, you almost hit me!”

“I’m sorry!” the unicorn yelped in surprise.

Sunset stopped and shook her head, really focusing on the pony. “Twilight? What the buck are you doing?”

“Language, Sunset,” Twilight frowned. “Shiny says that’s a no-no word.”

“I don’t give a buck what Shining Armor says, what are you doing?” Sunset asked again.

Twilight’s frown deepened as she looked at Sunset. “I’m just practicing some magic.”

“By yourself?” Sunset looked around the clearing, nopony was in sight. “You do know you’re not allowed to do that, right?”

“Of course I know that,” Twilight sat down, crossing her hooves. “I’m not alone.”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “Then who’s watching you? Cause I sure don’t see anypony.”

“Shiny was watching me, but he got distracted when Cadance showed up. He said that I could practice all I want as long as I stayed here,” Twilight said. “Cadance and Shiny went somewhere into the garden to lay down together or something like that.”

“Ew,” Sunset groaned, slapping her face. “Anyways, you know you shouldn’t practice it unsupervised, even if Shining Armor said you could.”

“It’s not like I’m doing anything dangerous,” Twilight said. “Just practicing some spells from this book!”

Twilight held out a dusty journal. The title was in old ponish, something Sunset has not touched up on in a while. Frowning, she studied the book. The cover wasn’t anything special, just some magic related cutie mark. The cutie mark was just a big swirl with a star in the middle.

“If you don’t mind, can you translate the title for me? My old ponish isn’t very good.”

Twilight nodded.“It roughly translates to Requiem of Frostblossom.”

“Sounds cool I guess,” Sunset shrugged. “At least it doesn’t have to do with necromancy this time.”

“That’s not entirely true,” Twilight giggled. “There’s a mention of it on one of these pages.”

“What is it with you and necromancy?” Sunset shook her head, sighing.

“I don’t know either,” Twilight replied. “It’s interesting though. There’s a lot to talk about, especially the morality of bringing back a dead pony.”

Ignoring what she just said, Sunset continued on. “So what kind of spell were you practicing just now? It almost blew my eardrums out as well as took me out."

“It’s some sort of laser that combines multiple elements!” Twilight smiled. “I’ve only been able to combine two so far, but that’s why I’m practicing.”

“Uh huh…” Sunset nodded. “Still, I don’t think you should be practicing by yourself. You could get in really big trouble, especially with spells like these.” Sunset skimmed it through the book. Although she couldn’t completely understand the old ponish, she had an idea of what kind of spells the journal contained.

“Now that I think about it, why didn’t Cadance and Shiny just lay over here with me? The sun feels nice with this breeze. I’m sure it’s chilly in the shade,” Twilight’s face furrowed.

“Ah, to be so innocent,” Sunset shook her head, smiling.

“Did you say something?” Twilight tilted her head.

“Nope! Nothing at all,” Sunset chuckled. “How about we go find those two?”

“If it keeps me from getting in trouble, sure!” Twilight nodded, levitating the book into her bookbags.

The two walked in the direction Twilight saw the two go. Walking through the garden was always calming.

“So, practicing spells for the duels?” Sunset asked.

“Yup! Twilight giggled. “I know it’s not for a while, but there’s no harm in being ahead of the game.”

“I bet you’re going to surprise everypony there,” Sunset smirked. “Imagine a filly absolutely obliterating the competition. That would be hilarious!”

“I don’t think I could obliterate anypony,” Twilight rubbed the back of her neck.

“I would if I could,” Sunset chuckled as Twilight looked up to her in horror. “Jeez, it was a joke, Twilight. I wouldn’t kill anypony.”

“Sureee…” Twilight nodded slowly.

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “Is Celestia spreading rumors about me?”

“No!” Twilight answered quickly, her eyes quickly averting Sunset’s

“I’m gonna have to have another chat with her,” Sunset grumbled.

“Don’t mention me please!” Twilight pleaded.

“I won't, don’t worry,” Sunset grinned, winking at the filly.

They continued their walk until they heard faint talking. The two made their way towards the chatting ponies, who they assumed were Shining Armor and Cadance. As they came closer and closer to the chatter, it confirmed their previous assumptions. Their voices were just too recognizable. Sunset and Twilight made their way into a nearby bush, peeking through the leaves.

Cadance and Shining Armor lay next to each other, looking up at the sky through a small hole in the trees.

“I think we should start heading back to Twilight,” Shining Armor said with heavy breaths. “Who knows what kind of trouble she got herself into.”

Twilight almost barged out of the bush yelling, but was yanked back with a hoof over her mouth by Sunset. Shushing and calming down the filly, they continued watching them.

“She's a big girl now,” Cadance chuckled. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

“But we’ve been gone for quite a wh-” Shining tried to respond, but was cut off by a kiss.

Sunset stuck her tongue out in disgust while Twilight watched with curious eyes.

“What are they doing?” Twilight pointed at the two, a quizzical look on her face. “I’ve seen mommy and daddy do that, but why are Cadance and Shiny doing it?”

“How do you not know what kissing is? Don’t you read like a billion books a day?” Sunset whispered.

“That's not possible Sunset," Twilight said.

"You know what I mean," Sunset rolled her eyes.

Twilight simply grinned. "Anyways, I've seen the word 'kiss' a couple times in books, but didn’t really think much of it because it wasn’t important to the research I was doing."

“I can never get over what a weird filly you are,” Sunset shook her head. “But what they're doing is called kissing, and ponies usually do that when they're in love or when they’re doing other things.”

“What kind of other things?”

“Ask Shiny, Cadance, or me when you're older,” Sunset weakly smiled. “But anyways, I think your brother loves your foalsitter.”

“That’s awesome! Would that make Cadance my sister?” Twilight grinned widely.

“Not just yet,” Sunset answered. “They have to get married first, but I’m sure that won’t be fo-”

“Are you two going to get married?!” Twilight yelled, jumping out of the bush into the open.

Shining Armor and Cadance instantly separated from their passionate kiss, staring in horror at Twilight’s sudden appearance. Both of them were blushing profusely.

“Heh, sorry for interrupting,” Sunset awkwardly chuckled, getting out of the bush as well. The two turned their attention to Sunset, somehow growing redder than they already were. “Twilight’s magic was getting a little out of hand so we went to go find you two.”

“Then you decided to spy on us?” Shining Armor squeaked out the accusation.

Sunset shrugged. “It looked like you two were having a good time. Didn’t want to go and ruin it, ya know?”

“How long were you watching?” Cadance asked.

“Only for a few minutes so not that long. Don’t worry, we didn’t see anything that you wouldn’t want Twilight to see,” Sunset laughed, winking at the two.

Shining Armor frowned while Cadance shook her head, the two obviously picking up on her little hint. Composing themselves with some deep breaths, they looked at two.

“So are you two really getting married?” Twilight asked again, a wide grin on her face.

“Yeah Shiny, are we?” Cadance teased, elbowing his sides with a devious smirk. “Are we? Are we?” She repeated with the jabs.

“Stop that,” Shining Armor whined, swatting her away. Turning his attention to his sister, he smiled weakly. “We don’t know if we’re getting married Twily, we’re just having some fun.”

“Is that all we’re doing?” Cadance gasped, faking a hurt expression. “We’re just having fun? Was my love not real enough for you?”

“Not helping Cadie,” Shining growled, glaring at her.

“Oh c’mon, you’re too easy to tease,” Cadance giggled. “Give me a challenge would ya?”

“So are you two a thing or…” Sunset glanced between the two of them, a bit confused.

“Yeah Shiny, are we a thing?” Cadance rubbed up against him affectionately.

Shining Armor let out a loud groan, slapping his face. “Cadance!”

“Sorry, sorry, I’ll stop,” Cadance laughed. With a wink, she separated herself from him. “For now.”

“Thank you,” Shining grumbled. “And to answer your question Sunset, we are together. Have been for a little while now.”

Sunset shook her head. “How did I not see it? It was so obvious!”

“What does it mean to be together?” Twilight tilted her head. “Like to live together or something like that?”

“Twilight, your knowledge impresses me,” Sunset put a hoof on her shoulder. “But your common sense never ceases to amaze me.”

“Huh?” Twilight simply replied.

“It’s nothing,” Sunset dismissed her statement. “Anyways, when they say they’re together, that means they're in a relationship. For example, your mom and dad are together.”

“But I thought mommy and daddy were married.”

“There are different kinds of relationships,” Cadance joined in. “Your parents, for example, are married, while Shiny and I are just a couple.”

“A couple of what?” Twilight frowned. “I’m getting more and more confused.”

“A couple, coltfriend and marefriend, your special somepony,” Cadance continued explaining patiently, listing off some other definitions.

“I can’t believe we have to explain this to Twily,” Shining Armor sighed. “I thought it was mom and dad’s job.”

“At least we’re not giving her the talk,” Sunset said.

“Yeah, I’d rather not do that,” Shining Armor chuckled dryly. “That would be weird.”

“I wouldn’t mind doing it,” Cadance shrugged. “Anything love related doesn’t faze me at all.”

“That explains why you’re so aggressive,” Shining Armor smirked, earning him a smack on the back of the head from Cadance.

“Jeez, no bedroom talk in front of the children,” Cadance frowned, shaking her head.

“I did not need to know that,” Sunset’s face deadpanned. “Too much information, way too much information.”

“You three are just talking gibberish!” Twilight said. “I don’t know what you mean by all these obscure phrases.”

“We really have to get her out more,” Cadance sighed while Shining Armor nodded his head.

“Does anypony know you’re together?” Sunset asked.

“Nah, not even Auntie Celestia,” Cadance giggled. “She wants me to find love of course, but I feel like she doesn’t want me to find it just yet.”

“I didn't know you were going through your rebellious phase,” Sunset smirked. “I haven’t reached mine just yet.”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “Sunset, you’ve been in your rebellious phase since you came to this school.”

“Eh, I guess you’re right,” Sunset shrugged.

“I want to be rebellious too!” Twilight chirped.

“Please never have a rebellious phase,” Shining Armor chuckled dryly. “And if you do have one, try to keep it tame okay?”

“I bet she’s going to dye her mane some funky color,” Sunset said. “That would be hilarious.”

“How did we even get to this conversation?” Cadane tapped her chin.

“To be honest, we kind of just spiraled into chaos,” Sunset shrugged. “It was fun though.”

“We could have like a group study or something like that,” Shining Armor suggested, looking at Sunset. “I know you have a duel coming up, I could give you some pointers if you’d like.”

“That’d be cool,” Sunset nodded. “Better than reading books all day, that’s for sure.”

“Guess we should head back to where you found Twilight then,” Shining Armor said. “You coming, Cadance?”

“I would love to, but I have some things to attend to,” Cadance sighed. “Being royalty sucks sometimes.”

“Awww,” Twilight frowned, hanging her head. “Can’t you stay just a little bit? I want to show you the spells I learned.”

Cadance lifted her face up by the chin, smiling at the filly. “I promise that we’ll hang out later, then you can show me the awesome things you learned!”

Cheering up quickly, Twilight nodded quickly. “Okay! It’s a promise then,” Twilight’s grinned.

“Alright, I’ll head out first I guess,” Cadance said, walking away from them. Just before she was out of sight, she waved to them. “Bye!”

The three of them waved back before Cadance turned her back again, disappearing into the castle.

“Alright, let’s move out crew,” Shining Armor announced.

Making their way back to the clearing, they sat down in the middle of it. The sun was still out, although not the highest in the sky.

“Alright, so what’s your plan for the duel? Hit and run? A full on assault?” Shining Armor asked Sunset.

“You know, I just had this conversation with Celestia,” Sunset chuckled. “Though, she didn’t really suggest anything. What do you think I should do?”

“Knowing you, I’m sure you’d like to simply overpower your opponent. So with that, I’d suggest being the first to attack, trying to keep leverage on them,” Shining Armor explained. “Kind of like what Amethyst did to Twinkleshine.”

“You saw that duel?” Twilight asked.

“A couple of my buddies wanted to go so I decided to join in,” Shining Armor said. “I’m glad I did. It was quite the fight.”

“It was,” Sunset nodded. “So I’m assuming you mean I should keep the pressure on them, not giving them any kind of breathing room?”

“Exactly!” Shining Armor said “That seems like you. Be aggressive, but obviously not just charging in stupidly.”

“I know that,” Sunset rolled her eyes.

“Uh huh…” Shining Armor nodded his head slowly. “If you say so.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!” Sunset scowled.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” Shining Armor smiled.

Crossing her hooves, Sunset glared at him. “I’ll let that slide just this once.”

“Whatever you say,” Shining Armor chuckled. “Moving on, what kind of spells do you plan to use?”

“I don’t really know,” Sunset sighed. “Obviously I’m going to use teleportation to move around, but other than that I have no idea.”

“You’re not going to be using any weapons, right?” Shining Armor inquired.

“No weapons,” Sunset said. “I’ll probably just stick to spells for now, so I guess I’ll have a staff.”

“Well, I’d suggest experimenting with a lot of spells beforehand. Figure out what spells pair well together, and the damage they can cause,” Shining Armor suggested. “Just like Twily’s been doing.”

“I’ve been practicing for a while!” Twilight grinned. “I still have lots to do, but I have some combos I’d like to test.”

“You’re one scary filly, you know that?” Sunset chuckled.

“By the way, who are you fighting? I might be able to help you scout,” Shining Armor asked.

“Isn’t that cheating?” Sunset asked, causing Shining Armor to cock an eyebrow. “Ah, who am I kidding. I’m sure everypony does it.”

“The only thing I know about my opponent is that he has a light orange coat. Other than that, I don’t really know anything about him,” Sunset sighed.

“A light orange stallion?” Shining Armor tapped his chin. “I don’t know of anypony like that.”

“Are you talking about Sunburst?” Twilight joined in. “He’s the only other orange pony I know besides you Sunset.”

“Sunburst? Who’s that?” Sunset tilted her head.

“He’s in our class,” Twilight giggled. “Though I don’t really expect you to know that.”

“Dang right,” Sunset grinned. “I don’t know anypony in our class.”

“Oh you’re up against Sunburst?” Shining Armor said. “I’ve seen a couple of his matches. He seems a little timid but he definitely knows a lot of strategies. He’s not super high ranked but he definitely knows what he’s doing the whole fight.”

“So he’s a planner and not a fighter?” Sunset asked. “Why would he do duels then?”

“I wouldn’t say he’s not a fighter, he is definitely strong enough to beat some ponies,” Shining Armor said. “He just lacks experience and power. He definitely researches his opponent a lot, but that gives you an advantage.”

“How unlucky for him,” Sunset smirked. “This is my first duel ever so he has no idea what I’m going to do!”

“I’d still be wary of him though. He improvises pretty well from what I’ve seen,” Shining Armor said.

“Well at least I know some things about him,” Sunset said.

“I can’t wait for the match!” Twilight chirped. “I’ve seen some of Sunburst’s duels and they were all super close.”

“Sounds like I’m in for a great maiden battle,” Sunset smiled.

Clapping his hooves together, Shining Armor got their attention. “Now then, how about we read a book about spellcasting”

“Yeah!” Sunset and Twilight cheered.

Reaching into Twilight’s bag, he pulled out a large book. It was in pristine condition and looked almost brand new. The front design was very simple, being a fully white unicorn centered on the book’s blue cover. The title was above the unicorn.

“Magic and Arcane, Volume V: Spellcasting In Battle,” Sunset read out loud, cocking an eyebrow.

“Yup! This book right here will teach you everything you need to know about being a spell-focused fighter,” Shining Armor grinned. “I picked it up at the library but never got around to reading it. To be honest, I prefer to be on defense.”

“Uh huh…” Sunset nodded. “The name is kind of generic, don’t you think?”

“Don’t worry Sunset,” Twilight chirped. “Starswirled the Bearded himself approves this book! He even knew the author personally.”

“It’s that old?” Sunset examined the book. “It doesn’t look like it, that’s for sure.”

“Well obviously this isn’t the original version,” Shining Armor chuckled. “I’m pretty sure that’s in the restricted area of the library.”

“There’s a restricted area?!” Twilight yelped. “Why did no pony tell me?”

“Probably because there’s some dangerous stuff in there,” Sunset guessed, shrugging. “I’ve been in there once and a lot of spells in those books were quite destructive.”

“Wait, you have access to the restricted area?” Shining Armor stared at Sunset.

“Just another perk for being Celestia’s student,” Sunset winked. “I’m sure Twilight could go in there too if she wanted to.”

“Yipee!” Twilight cheered, jumping up and down in excitement. “More books to read!”

Shining Armor frowned. “Twily, I won’t say you can’t go in there, but promise me you won’t go casting any of the spells in there without supervision from Celestia and Celestia only.” He knew he couldn’t stop her from going in there, but at least he could set some boundaries up.

“You got it B.B.B.F.F!” Twilight nodded vigorously.

“Anyways, back to this book,” Shining Armor held up Magic and Arcane, Volume V: Spellcasting In Battle. “The title’s kind of vague, but I skimmed through and saw some useful spells to know.”

“Do they involve explosions? Or maybe a death beam? Or about both combined into one?” Sunset smirked. “That sure would be useful to know.”

“No, no, and no,” Shining Armor sighed, shaking his head. “Some variations of teleportation, imbuing magic for your staff, speed spells. Things of that nature.”

“Boring,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “I already know all of those.”

“There’s also an advanced section I didn’t get to glance at yet, maybe there’s some useful things in there,” Shining Armor flipped through the pages. “Aha! Here it is.”

The three looked at the first page of the section titled Spellcasting in Combat: Advanced Section. There wasn’t any other writing on the first page, but rather a picture that depicted two ponies battling.

“Is everything this pony writes so simple?” Sunset chuckled. “Not saying that it’s a bad thing, just find it kind of funny that probably even a foal could understand it.”

“I think that’s what he was aiming for,” Shining Armor laughed along with Sunset.

“Flip the page!” Twilight said eagerly.

“Alright, alright,” Shining Armor grinned, flipping to the next page.

The next page was more or a less an introduction, just briefly touching on things that were mentioned in previous chapters. Just as Shining Armor said, the previous chapters touched up on basic yet effective spells you should know as well as how to imbue magic into things. Flipping to the next page, there was some text with the title “Casting While Moving.”

“Why is there a whole section for casting while moving around? Isn’t it easy?” Sunset tilted her head.

“Well it is,” Shining Armor paused briefly. “If they’re simple spells. Most of the time you are casting simple attacks, but there are times where you want to do something more advanced, thus why it’s in this section.”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow, staring down Shining Armor. “Are you sure you didn't read the book?”

“I just summarized what the first paragraph said,” Shining Armor pointed down at the book. “Take a look for yourself.”

Sunset read the first paragraph, confirming that he did indeed just summarize it. Reading on, Sunset realized that this was just the first page in this section as it listed off the other things that were covered. It seemed to be quite lengthy as well.

“There sure is a lot of information about just casting while moving,” Sunset said. “An oddly large amount, if you ask me.”

“Well this is the advanced section after all,” Shining chuckled. “I’m sure they go quite in-depth with the subject.”

“They do,” Twilight confirmed. “I read some of the author’s other books, and almost every one of them has an advanced section! Some sections in the book are almost a hundred pages long.”

“I don’t get how you read through all of that,” Sunset shook her head. “What can they even talk about for hundreds of pages?”

“The one I remember being the youngest was the one on summoning eldritch horrors,” Twilight happily chirped. “That section sure was interesting.”

“You really have to do something about what she reads,” Sunset whispered to Shining Armor. “I caught her reading something about necromancy a little while ago.”

“Nothing can sate her desire for knowledge,” Shining Armor sighed. “Once she gets her hand on a book that she finds interesting, which is pretty much every book, she won’t give it up until she’s done reading.”

The two stared at Twilight as she continued reading through the book, flipping page after page.

“So, how are we going to get this back then?” Sunset frowned. “She seems to be interested in it.”

“Asking never hurts,” Shining Armor shrugged. “Probably won’t get it back now though.”

Sunset sighed, scooting closer to Twilight. “Hey Twilight, I know you’re having fun reading the book but I kind of need it for a little bit for the duel. I won’t take it for too long, maybe just a couple days, then you can read it all you want.”

Twilight looked up from the book, narrowing her eyes, staring into Sunset’s soul. Suddenly, her eyes went back to normal and smiled. “Sure!”

“Wow, thanks Twilight,” Sunset said, taken back a bit.. “For a second there I thought you weren’t going to give it up.”

“I only gave it to you because I know you have a duel coming up,” Twilight said. “If it was anything else I wouldn’t have even batted an eye.”

“Quite the sassy one, aren’t you,” Sunset laughed.

“She’s a pain sometimes,” Shining Armor sighed. “Anyways, Twilight and I will stay here and practice some more spells if you want to join us.”

Sunset tapped her chin. “Hmm…”

“No?” Shining Armor smiled.

“Yeah, I think I’ll pass this time,” sunset nodded. “I still have some tests to study for, and now I have this book! Thanks for the help though.”

“I’m glad I could help,” Shining Armor nodded. “Well, see you whenever I guess.”

“Bye Sunset! See you on the test day,” Twilight said.

“Bye you two,” Sunset waved as she started walking away.

Making her way through the halls, she eventually made it back to her room, exactly the same as she left it. Books scattered the floor, papers and quills all over her desk. Notes posted on her walls with equations, notes, and other miscellaneous things. Sighing, she trotted over to the desk, clearing off all the scrolls and books and placed Magic and Arcane, Volume V: Spellcasting In Battle right in the middle.

“Well, guess we’ll start with this then.”

Chapter 7: Maiden Battle

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“Today’s the day, huh?” Cadance asked, sipping on a cup of coffee.

Sunset nodded. “Even though I spent days preparing for it, I’m still kind of nervous.”

“You’ll do just fine,” Cadance dismissed her worries. “Even if you lose, it doesn’t really matter. It’s your first duel afterall.”

“First impressions are kind of important,” Sunset mumbled, taking a long, loud sip of her herbal tea.

“Eh, I don’t know about that,” Cadance shrugged. “Shiny’s first impression wasn’t the best, but look at us!”

“Don’t see how we can compare the two.”

Tapping her chin, Cadance nodded slowly. “Yeah, thinking about it you really can't. Don’t sweat it though. It’s not like you’re there to impress anypony.”

“You’re right about that,” Sunset agreed. “I’m doing this because one, it’s fun, and two, it helps me exercise my magic.”

“Then it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks! Win or lose, you’re still learning.”

Sunset chuckled. “I’d still like to win though.”

As the two continued chatting, another pony entered the room without a sound. Creeping up behind them, the pony smirked.

“Boo!”

“AH!” Both Sunset and Cadance cried out, jumping slightly in their seats. The two looked over to the culprit, who was trying to muffle her giggles.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Real mature Celestia.”

“Auntie, that’s not funny,” Cadance frowned, chiming in. “You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Sorry, sorry,” Celestia apologized through giggles. “It was just the perfect opportunity! I couldn’t pass on it. Plus, I overheard that Sunset was a little nervous so I thought I’d try and lighten up her mood.”

“I guess that’s one way to do it,” Sunset grumbled, wiping some spilled tea. “Not a way I’d prefer, but definitely a way.”

“Anyways,” Celestia said, taking a seat with them. “You prepared for your duel? I’m so excited to watch you fight.”

“Thanks, now you made me even more nervous,” Sunset sighed.

“Don’t worry about me,” Celestia waved her hoof. “Just think of me as one of the spectators.”

“Kind of hard to do when you’re sitting in that throne of yours in the arena.”

“Fair point,” Celestia said, pouring herself a cup of tea.

“We’ll both be there cheering you on Sunset,” Cadance said. “Maybe even hurl a couple insults Sunburst’s way to demoralize him.”

“Cadance…” Celestia warned.

“It’s a joke auntie, a joke!” Cadance defended herself. “I would never do something like that.”

“Well it’s a little reassuring knowing that you’re going to be cheering for me,” Sunset said. “How about Twilight and Shining Armor? Are they going to be there?”

“Twilight said she would be, but I haven’t heard from her all day,” Celestia replied. “She must be busy watching Spike.”

“Who’s Spike?” Sunset asked.

“Wait, she’s never mentioned Spike at all with you?” Celestia asked, a little shocked.

Sunset shook her head. “Nope, never heard that name before.”

“Spike is, well,” Celestia tapped her chin. “I don’t really know how to describe their relationship.”

“He’s kind of like her son, but also her brother and friend?” Cadance offered.

“That’s confusing,” Sunset chuckled. “And impossible, right?”

“Long story short, Twilight hatched Spike, who is a baby dragon by the way, during her entrance exams into the school,” Celestia explained. “Since then, she’s been taking care of him with the help of myself and her parents.”

“Wait, did you say baby dragon?” Sunset said

“Yes,” Celestia nodded. “Spike is a dragon after all.”

“You’re telling me that Twilight is not only taking care of a baby, but it’s also a dragon?” Sunset asked, a bit flabbergasted.

“I had the same reaction when I heard the news,” Cadance chuckled.

“But doesn't like every dragon live far away from pony civilization? How did we even get a dragon egg?” Sunset frowned. “Did you steal it?”

Celestia shook her head. “I would never personally do something like that, but some ponies seem to have death wishes.”

“You’re telling me that somepony traveled to the dragon lands, stole an egg, and returned back to Equestria with it?!” Sunset asked, her mouth hung open.

“That pretty much sums it up,” Celestia said. “Once we caught the thief, we had them arrested and confiscated the egg. However, not knowing how to approach the dragons about the matter, we decided to keep the egg here. It was the safest option, as we don’t know if the dragons would’ve seen that as an act of aggression, and we most definitely did not want to go to war with them.”

Sunset nodded slowly. “Okay, that makes sense. How long ago was this?”

“Almost two hundred years ago.”

“So I’m guessing they never found out they were missing an egg?”

“One could assume,” Celestia shrugged.

“If you had the egg for so long, why didn’t it hatch?”

“We have no idea to be honest,” Celestia sighed. “We don’t have much information on dragons in general, so we just kept it tucked away in storage, occasionally using it to test ponies trying to get into the school.”

“We’d let the pony use whatever spell, as long as it was safe of course, to try and hatch the egg. Thinking that nopony would be able to hatch it, we would judge the pony based on how they worked around a hard problem, essentially judging their wit and quick thinking.”

“I would rather do that than have to perform basic spells for the judges,” Sunset grumbled.

“Unfortunately we draw names and what test they’ll be given,” Celestia winked. “You got the short end of the stick it seems. Those are the most boring ones.”

“Har har, very funny Celestia,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Anyways, you’re telling me that Twilight was able to hatch the egg.”

“She not only hatched it, but made him grow larger than the tower, turn her parents into plants, and levitate the judges up,” Celestia giggled. “It was quite the scene to walk in on.”

“Huh, she’s quite talented isn’t she,” Sunset grinned.

Celestia nodded. “Thus why I decided to take her in as my protege.”

“Remind me to ask about Spike next time I see her.”

“Will do,” Cadance nodded.

“Well, I wish you the best of luck Sunset,” Celestia said, standing up from the seat. “Unfortunately, my break has already ended. Hopefully I can get out of today's meetings earlier.”

“Thanks Celestia,” Sunset slightly bowed her head. “You better get out early, or else you might miss the whole fight!”

“Don’t get cocky now Sunset,” Celestia warned. “Who knows what Sunburst has planned.”

“Stop worrying about me and get going,” Sunset smirked. “If you want to get out early that is!”

Sighing, Celestia shook her head as she walked towards the door. “Your sharp-tongue never disappoints. I will see you two later then.” As she disappeared behind the door, Cadance and Sunset snickered.

“I can’t believe you talk to Auntie like that,” Cadance said.

Sunset shrugged. “What can I say, our relationship is pretty good!”

“Well, I too must take my leave,” Cadance sighed. “I promised Shiny that we’ll hang out before the duel. Maybe I’ll snag Twilight as well.”

“Sounds good,” Sunset smirked, rubbing her hooves together. “I still have some things I want to polish up on so that’s perfect!”

Cadance giggled worldly. “That’s good to hear. See you later then?”

“See you later!” Sunset quickly said before dashing away.

The arena was filled to the brim. Ponies were forced to stand off to the side due to there being absolutely no seats left. Fortunately, Cadance, Twilight, and Shining Armor weren’t in that crowd, but high above everypony.

“Why are there so many ponies here?” Shining Armor surveyed the crowd.

Cadance rolled her eyes. “It’s Sunset’s debut fight, that’s why.”

“So what? She’s just a student, what’s so special about the fight?”

“What’s so special?” Cadance cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know, maybe it’s because she’s Celestia’s personal student?”

“Pssh, whatever,” Shining Armor waved his hoof.

“I hope Sunset wins!” Twilight chirped.

Cadance smiled. “We all do.”

“Eh, I don’t really ca- OW!” Shining Armor felt a sharp jab on his side. Rubbing it, he glared at Cadance. “What was that for?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cadance whistled, looking around.

“Okay fine, I hope she wins too,” Shining Armor grumbled, causing Cadance to smile.

“Am I late?” a voice asked, startling the three.

Turning towards the stairs, Cadance frowned at the pony walking up. “Auntie! That’s twice today.”

“Sorry,” Celestia winked, taking a seat in the middle. “Fortunately, I was able to get out of the rest of my meetings for the day.”

“Hi Princess Celestia!” Twilight smiled.

“Why hello Twilight, it’s good to see you here,” Celestia smiled back.

“Are you excited for the duel?” Twilight asked.

“I am quite excited,” Celestia nodded. “I can’t wait to see how Sunset performs. I do hope she has fun as well, win or lose.”

“But you’re hoping she wins, right?” Cadance asked.

“The outcome of the duel doesn’t matter as much as the experience,” Celestia said. “However, it would be good for her if she wins, morale wise that is.”

“She’ll win, I just know it!” Twilight said.

“I see that I’m early,” Celestia surveyed the arena. “That’s quite the relief.”

“I think it’s going to start soon though,” Shining Armor said. Looking down at the center, he saw a pony climb onto the referee stand. “Oh look, the referee is getting ready!”

Soon enough, a guard waltzed to the center of the field, levitating a microphone next to him.

“Ahem,” the guard cleared his throat into the mic, the chatter dying down. “Good evening everypony, and welcome to a very special duel!”

A few ponies murmured a bit at the word “special” but the guard continued.

“As some of you may know, one of the ponies fighting today is one of Celestia’s personal students, Sunset! Not only that, but it’s her first duel ever, and at the young age of ten. Don’t let that trick you though, I’m sure we’re in for quite the treat today.”

“Facing off against Sunset this evening is Sunburst, who some of you may not know of. He’s been keeping himself under the radar, but I’m sure he has a couple tricks up his sleeve. Sunburst isn’t much older than Sunset either, having only a mere two years on her!”

“Wait, I didn’t know Sunburst was that young,” Shining Armor frowned. “This is basically just children fighting.”

“Expect they have magic and could potentially harm each other,” Cadance pointed out.

“Details,” Shining Armor waved his hoof.

“Shh! I’m trying to listen to the guard!” Twilight shushed the two, not taking her eyes off of the middle of the arena.

“Let’s get this duel going, shall we?” The guard smirked. “Contestants to the middle!”

Sunset was the first one to step out into the arena. Outfitted with a small, hooded black robe and steel chestplate, she smiled, waving to the crowd. In her right hoof was a steel staff, a red gem at the very top of it. Wrapped around her head was a metal band with her cutie mark etched dead center. Trotting towards the middle she smirked.

“When did she get that headband?” Cadance asked. “It’s cute, in a cool-Sunset way.”

“It seems she put some thought into her outfit,” Celestia giggled slightly. “Who would’ve thought she has some fashion sense.”

“I definitely didn’t expect her to have a whole get-up,” Shining Armor said.

Following suit, Sunburst walked out from the opposite side, equipped in similar gear to Sunset. His cloak, however, was a dark blue with light blue accents. Stars of different sizes were all over it as well. Instead of bearing a headband, he wore a pointed hat with a bell hanging from the tip. Instead of a staff, we simply hand a book and small sword strapped on each of his sides.

“Wait, he uses a sword?” Twilight frowned. “Last duel he had a staff!”

“Knowing Sunburst, he has something planned and that sword must be part of it,” Shining Armor said.

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think he ever had the same weapon for every duel,” Twilight tapped her chin.

“Perhaps he’s a jack-of-all trades,” Celestia suggested. “Although it is good to know a lot, it also could be his downfall.”

Cadance tilted her head. “What do you mean auntie?”

“You know the saying: jack-of-all trades, master of none,” to which the three of them nodded. “Essentially what I’m saying is that although he may be good at many things, he’s not great at anything. That in itself is dangerous.”

“So what you’re saying is that he’ll never find out his potential if he keeps changing like that?” Twilight asked.

“Exactly,” Celestia smiled. “That could be why he’s not higher ranked.”

“Guess we’ll just have to wait and see then,” Shining Armor nodded, turning his attention back to the center.

The two met in the center, looking at one another. Sunset simply smiled which Sunburst returned. The guard nodded at the two before continuing on.

“Yup!” Sunset said.

Sunburst nodded. “O-Of course.”

“You may return to your designated starting points,” the guard commanded before walking out of the arena.

Making their way to where they entered from, they stopped right in front of the doorway. Turning towards one another, they both looked up towards the referee, waiting for the start command.

“Are you both ready?” The referee called out from his stand.

“You betcha,” Sunset called out to him while Sunburst simply nodded.

“Very well,” The referee held a whistle in his hoof. “You may start when you hear my whistle after the countdown.”

Sunset firmly planted herself into the ground, lowering her head as she stared at Sunburst. Sunburst took a similar stance, but kept his head high, scanning the field rather than looking at his opponent.

“Three…”

“Two…”

“One…”

Almost immediately after the countdown ended, the sound of a whistle echoed through the arena, the crowd erupted into cheers and chatter. Everypony was excited for this match, almost as much as the duel between Twinkleshine and Amethyst.

Sunset lit her horn, an aura surrounding her staff and the gem at the top. Casting another spell, she blinked right next to Sunburst, closing the distance immediately.

“Ah!” Sunburst yelped as Sunset swung her staff down at him. He quickly cast a barrier, blocking the incoming hit. Simultaneously he shot a blast of ice at her feet, locking her in place. Blinking away a safe distance, he composed himself.

Sunset, however, wasn’t fazed by the ice. Melting it with a heat spell she cast on her body, she became a little more cautious of Sunburst’s quick thinking and wit. Sunset looked around the arena, scanning for any surprises of any sorts.

“You almost got me,” Sunburst chuckled awkwardly. “If you were a second quicker I might’ve lost right then and there.”

“Thanks!” Sunset replied quickly.

“No hard feelings regardless of the outcome?” Sunburst asked, slowly walking around Sunset.

“None at all, it’s just a duel after all,” Sunset chuckled, watching Sunburst’s every step.

Sunburst lit his horn up, brandishing his short sword which shone a beautiful silver. The handle bore a reddish-orange gem, signifying its magical properties. Casting a spell on himself, he quickly dashed next to Sunset, swinging at her legs.

“Oh no you don’t!” Sunset shouted, jumping over the swipe while casting a fireball downwards. Although Sunburst was close to it, he quickly blinked out of the way a safe distance.

“I feel like Sunburst is just trying to get some information on her,” Celestia comentated.

Shining Armor nodded. “That’s probably what he’s doing. His early game is usually like this. Light, quick jabs at them, trying to reveal weakness or strategies.”

“Quite the interesting fighter,” Cadance said.

“It’s kind of a double-edged sword though,” Celestia sighed.

“Why? I thought the more information about your opponent, the better,” Twilight asked.

“Well if he drags this phase on too long then he’ll probably tire himself out. Also, what if the opponent takes him down before he can figure out anything about them?” Celestia said.

“Now that I think about it, he’s lost a couple duels really early,” Twilight tapped her chin. “Could that be why?”

“Probably,” Celestia nodded.

Sunburst kept his distance like Sunset was some sort of evil beast. Casting very simple spells at Sunset, he tried to bait something out of her. Sunset’s eye twitched more and more as he danced around, poking at her.

“Can you do something!?” Sunset shouted, a frustrated sigh escaping her mouth.

Sunburst didn’t reply, a slight smile on his face.

“I think he figured something out,” Twilight mumbled, her eyes glued on Sunburst.

“What was that Twily?” Shining Armor asked, looking at his sister.

“Nothing,” Twilight quickly replied, eyes still on the arena.

“Okay then…” Shining Armor slowly said, turning his attention back to the fight.

Sunset blinked a few feet behind him, shooting a beam red towards Sunburst. Quickly turning around, Sunburst put up two magic shields, one right in front of the beam, the other floating in the sky. As it struck the first shield, it reflected towards the other. Right as it was about to strike the other one, he cast one more time, angling the shield towards Sunset.

Sunset, being too focused on trying to get a punch in on him, didn’t notice the shield floating right above her. She simply thought that the beam defected up into the sky. She stomped the ground, some dust kicking up.

“Are you just going to run around?” She glared at him.

“Nope,” Sunburst smirked.

Just mere seconds later, the beam came down, striking Sunset on her back, causing her to cry out in pain as she crumbled onto the ground. The crowd gasped, silence quickly following.

“Oh no!” Cadance yelped.

“No way she fell for that!” Shining Armor’s face furrowed, slapping his forehead.

“She was becoming a little impatient,” Celestia sighed. “Impatience and frustration can cloud one’s vision.”

While the three seemed worried for Sunset, Twilight sat there calmly, looking at the downed Sunset. There was a shred of worry on her face.

“Twilight! How can you be so nonchalant about this?” Cadance asked. “Sunset might’ve just lost the duel.”

“Look at the Sunset that’s on the ground,” Twilight said, pointing at her.

Turning their attention back to the fight, they noticed the pony who was laying on the ground slowly faded into dust, disappearing from the arena.

“OH MY CELESTIA HE KILLED HER! WHY AREN’T YOU PANICKING NOW?” Cadance yelled, shaking Twilight. The crowd gasped, murmurs and whispers filling the arena.

“I don’t think that’s the case, dear niece,” Celestia chuckled. “See?”

Just as Celestia spoke, Sunset somehow appeared right next to Sunburst, a wide swing from her staff coming toward his side. Unable to react, the swing connected, winding the poor stallion. His face contorted with pain, but he was able to blink away, narrowly dodging electric zap coming up the rod.

A loud cheer came from the crowd.

“Damn, almost had him,” Sunset shouted, slightly disappointed.

Cadance sat in shock, trying to figure out what Sunset just did “What even happened?”.

“A simple bait-and-switch,” Twilight answered. “She made a clone of herself that performs a pre-planned action, and hid herself with an invisibility spell.”

Cadance stared at the Twilight. “That sounds a little complicated.”

“It’s a little trick,” Twilight shrugged.

“Your reaction was priceless,” Shining Armor snickered. Cadance smacked his head, glaring at him.

Crossing her hooves, she frowned. “I was worried! What pony wouldn’t be after seeing your friend get vaporized.”

Sunset was quick to jump back into the fight, launching an all out attack. Sunburst was only narrowly dodging the attacks. Sunset was very persistent, not giving any time to breathe as they blinked around the arena.

“G-Get away from me!” Sunburst yelped, still trying his best to get away from her.

Sunset smirked. “Not happening buddy.”

The two would disappear and reappear constantly, always changing their positioning. Sunset, however, always seemed to have the upperhoof.

“Sunset’s making sure to not give any space to Sunburst,” Celestia smiled. “It’s just a game of endurance at this point.”

“Then Sunset’s already won,” Shining Armor said.

“Woohoo!” Cadance pumped a hoof into the air. “Go Sunset!”

“Getting tired yet?” Sunset teased as she blinked right behind him.

“N-No!” Sunburst cried out, trying to blink away.

“This is just cruel,” Shining Armor chuckled. “She’s basically playing with her food.”

“That one hit must’ve really winded Sunburst,” Twilight frowned. “I thought he’d put a better fight than this.”

“Remember Twily, Sunburst isn’t really a pony who fights all out like this,” Shining Armor said. “Plus, he didn’t have much information on Sunset, so he couldn’t form a strategy.”

“I guess so,” Twilight simply shrugged.

Sunburst drew his sword immediately after another blink, swinging it above him where Sunset appeared. Unfortunately for Sunburst, just as the blade was about to connect, she blinked right next to him, a smirk plastered on her face.

“What the-” Sunburst tried to say, but was interrupted by a magic beam striking him right on the back, the force of the beam slamming him into the ground. As the dust cleared out, it was clear who had won as Sunset stood over the unconscious stallion.

“Victory is mine!” Sunset cheered, followed by the loud cheers of the crowd.

The referee blew his whistle, signifying the end of the match. “And the winner for today’s duel is Sunset Shimmer!”

“Did any of you see what happened?” Cadance asked, obviously baffled.

Shining Armor shook his head. “To be completely honest, I have no idea how she knocked him down.”

“Twilight seems to know,” Celestia smirked at the filly. “Care to explain it to them?”

“Of course!” Twilight nodded. “Remember how Sunset blinked above him instead of around him?” The two nodded.

“Well, when she blinked above him, she used that glow to mask her casting that beam of magic. She, however, put a delay on its shot, making it go off right before she blinked again next to him. And the reason for her blinking right next to him? It was to distract him from the incoming attack!”

“Wait, you saw all that?” Shining Armor cocked an eyebrow.

“It happened in mere seconds so I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t,” Celestia said.

“I thought Sunburst would’ve been a little more perceptive,” Shining Armor mumbled.

“I’m certain he is,” Celestia giggled. “But I’m sure he was already worn out from all the earlier interactions he had with Sunset, especially getting winded by her staff. He must’ve been fatigued, thus impairing his perception.”

“I guess so,” Shining Armor shrugged. “I'll admit it, Sunset fought pretty well for her first battle.”

“Agreed,” Celestia nodded.

As the medics carried Sunburst out of the arena, the referee made his way down to the middle where Sunset stood.

“So Sunset, how does it feel to win your first duel ever? Are you happy with your performance?” The referee asked.

“It feels good,” Sunset simply said, shrugging. “I’m sure I made a lot of mistakes and was a little sloppy, but overall I’m pretty happy with how it played out.”

“I see, I see,” he nodded. “What did you think of Sunburst as an opponent?”

“He gave me a bit of a challenge, but I went into this match pretty confident that I’d win, and I mean that in no way to insult Sunburst,” Sunset smiled. “Sunburst would’ve been a lot more challenging if he was able to strategize beforehand like he usually does, but unfortunately for him, he couldn’t.”

“Yes, Sunburst usually does as much research as possible on his opponent, sorting out strengths, weaknesses, fighting style, and all that fancy stuff. Although the match was a little shorter than expected, it was still entertaining nonetheless.”

“It felt like forever for me,” Sunset chuckled. “Sunburst really knows how to tire a pony out.”

“Last question Miss Sunset,” The referee cleared his throat. “What are your plans for the future regarding duels? Do you plan to participate in more, or was it just a one-time thing?”

“I plan to continue participating in duels until I no longer can,” Sunset smirked. “I’m coming for that top spot, Amethyst!”

The crowd gasped at her bold statement.

“You heard it here everypony,” The referee said. “Sunset’s going for the top spot, so beware!

Stomping their hooves in the bleachers, the arena was filled with applause and hollars, cheering Sunset on.

“Who would’ve thought she’d have such an ambitious goal,” Cadance said.

“Not that much of a surprise to me. Sunset always seems to aim high,” Celestia smiled. “You know what they say, shoot for the moon so even if you miss you’ll still be among the stars”

“That was cheesy auntie,” Cadance snickered.

“You think Sunset can really beat Amethyst?” Shining Armor rested his chin on his hooves.

“Honestly, I don’t think she stands a chance right now,” Celestia said. “In the future, however, she may have a chance. She just needs more time to develop her own style for both fighting and magic.”

“She needs experience!” Twilight summarized.

“Exactly.”

The crowd started clearing out as that was the final match of the day. Celestia, Cadance, Twilight, and Shining Armor stayed behind, meeting up with Sunset after everypony left. They watched as ponies exited the arena, chattering amongst themselves.

“Here comes our winner!” Cadance cheered as Sunset made her way up the stairs towards them. “You’re so awesome!”

Some ponies stopped, staring at Cadance and Sunset.

“Aw c’mon Cadance, you’re embarrassing me,” Sunset lightly blushed. “It was just one duel, it’s nothing that special.”

“It was your first duel, so that makes it special,” Cadance argued.

Sunset sighed, taking an empty seat near them. “Fair point.”

“You fought very well for your first duel,” Celestia smiled. “I’m very proud of you, Sunset.”

“Awww, not you too!” Sunset frowned. “I just had too many advantages over Sunburst, it was nothing special.”

“I mean you kind of did outsmart him though,” Shining Armor said.

“That last move was awesome,” Twilight cheered. “You really caught him by surprise!”

“It was kind of on the fly, kind of planned,” Sunset chuckled. “I wanted to try something like that eventually, but it seems the opportunity came faster than I thought.”

“So you decided to test some things out on him?” Celestia smirked. “Now who could’ve told you to do that…”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yes, I decided that since it would be an easier fight that I would try some tricks out this time around.”

“So how was it fighting?” Twilight asked, her eyes sparkling. “Were you pumped with adrenaline? Were you excited? Nervous?!”

“Eh, I could definitely say it was fun,” Sunset said. “I was nervous at first, mainly because I was the center of attention, but after a few minutes I kind of just honed in on fighting Sunburst.”

Celestia nodded. “You were quite concentrated, which is good.”

“I think there’s a lot I could’ve done better though,” Sunset admitted. “But for my first duel? I think I did good enough.”

“I think you do better than good enough!” Cadance said.

“So you’re aiming for the top spot, huh,” Shining Armor asked. “That’s quite the goal, don’t you think?”

Sunset shrugged. “I aim high, what can I say?”

“See? That’s exactly what I said,” Celestia smirked, looking at Cadance.

Cadance shook her head at Celestia before turning her attention back to Sunset. “You really think you can do it? Not that I’m doubting you or anything.”

“I know I can,” Sunset said with determination, turning her attention to Twilight. “I promise Twilight I’d see her at the top, so I have to.”

“So are you two rivals or friends?” Shining Armor titled his head.

“Friends can be rivals,” Celestia said. “Sometimes it deepens the friendship even more.”

“Don’t you worry Sunset, I’ll be right behind you!” Twilight smiled.

“You betcha,” Sunset winked at her.

“See?” Celestia whispered to Shining Armor.

“Yup, I see now,” he whispered back.

“So, how about we go out for ice cream to celebrate Sunset’s first victory?” Cadance smiled. “My treat, of course.”

“You mean my treat,” Celestia cocked an eyebrow.

“Heh, you caught me,” Cadance giggled. “The royal treasury wouldn’t miss a few bits, don’t you think?”

“You’re right,” Celestia smirked. “Let’s go!”

“Yeah!” They all cheered, filing out of the arena as quick as possible.

After filling themselves with some ice cream, they went their separate ways. Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor excused themselves first, making their way to the castle. Celestia and Sunset were the only two left in the empty, soon to be close ice cream parlor.

The two sat there in silence, empty glass cups scattering the table. Sunset looked up at Celestia, who was staring right back at her. Awkwardly smiling at her, Celestia smiled back. Quickly taking a sip of water, Sunset cleared her throat.

“Ahem,” Sunset dragged out. “So…”

“So?” Celestia smiled, tilting her head.

“We’re starting lessons again tomorrow, right?” Sunset asked, obviously wanting them to.

“Of course we are.”

“Yes! Finally!” Sunset cheered, jumping out of her seat. “You don’t know how much I’ve been wanting to learn something new.”

“Good to see you’re excited,” Celestia said. “Maybe we should get some rest then? I’m sure tomorrow’s lessons will be tiring.”

“Sure thing,” Sunset eagerly nodded, scurrying towards the exit. “C’mon Celestia, let’s go!”

Celestia shook her head, laughing. Slowly walking towards her student, they walked out the parlor together side by side.

Chapter 8: New Seatmates and the Letters

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A few weeks have passed since Sunset’s duel. Unfortunately for her, she hasn’t been able to step back into the arena. She just seems to have too much on her plate at the moment like school, Celestia’ lessons, and watching Twilight.

Oh, and don’t forget O&O.

“Good morning everypony,” Crystal Clear greeted her students cheerfully as they walked through her door. “Today we’ll be changing seats!”

Her students groaned, obviously against the idea.

“Why do we have to change seats? We’ve had these seats since the beginning of first semester,” a mint coated unicorn groaned.

“Yeah, like, I won’t be able to sit next to my friend!” a light blue unicorn hugged the mint coated one.

“Calm down you two,” Crystal Clear rolled her eyes. “It’s not like you’re going to die if you two are seperated.”

A few more grumbles filled the class before it was silent.

“Okay now that everypony is situated, let’s begin drawing lots!” Crystal Clear smiled. “Oh yeah, and we’re going to have deskmates so I’ll be calling your names in pairs. Whoever you’re with, just find a seat and move your desks together.”

“I hope we’re next to each other,” Sunset whispered to Twilight.

Twilight nodded. “Me too.”

“It seems that there’s an odd amount of students so there’ll be a group of three,” Crystal Clear chuckled. “My mistake!”

Reaching her hoof into a basket, she pulled out name after name, pairing the students together. Soon enough, there were only three ponies left. The group of three.

“Okay seems like you three will be together,” Crystal Clear smiled, looking at the three students.

Twilight and Sunset grinned at each other before turning to the last pony, who was awkwardly smiling at them.

“Hey?” He squeaked, pushing up his glasses.

“Sunburst?!” Sunset and Twilight both shouted.

“Y-Yes?” He quickly replied, stuttering.

“No, nothing,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “We were just surprised that it was you.”

“What a surprise,” Twilight giggled. “Not a bad one though!”

“Well, guess we should get our desks together then huh?” Sunset said, pushing her against Twilights. Sunburst, on the other hand, seemed a little hesitant, still sitting on his lonely island. “C’mon Sunburst, we don’t bite. Well, at least I don’t.”

“Hey!” Twilight pouted. “I don’t bite… most of the time.”

Sunburst gulped, pushing his desk against Twilight’s. He sat down slowly and cautiously.

“What’s wrong, Sunburst?” Sunset interrogated him. “Are you scared of me?”

“N-No!” Sunburst semi-shouted, causing the other students to look at him. “I mean, I’m not scared of you,” He said, toning down his volume.

“Then why are you acting so skittish?” Twilight tilted her head.

“Because you two are so awesome!” Sunburst admitted. “Being the students of Celestia is one of the most amazing things a unicorn can do. I wish I was a student of Celestia, then maybe I could write back to my foalhood friend from home.”

“Why don’t you just write to them now?” Twilight asked.

“Because I got a cutie mark in magic and came here, but I don’t have anything to attest that I’m becoming a great wizard!” Sunburst frowned. “What would she think of me if I was just mediocre after all that?”

“I don’t think she would really care if she was your foalhood friend,” Sunset bluntly said. “I mean, I’m sure she misses talking to you?”

“Yeah, your reasoning is kind of flawed don’t you think?” Twilight giggled. “Like, what if your friend thinks that you stopped talking to her because you came here then never makes anymore friends because of the trauma of losing her best friend to a cutie mark, and then becomes some evil cult leader and almost destroys all of Equestria.”

Sunburst and Sunset blankly stared at Twilight, who was just grinning at them.

“You have quite the imagination,” Sunset said.

“I get it, I get it,” Sunburst grumbled, sinking into his seat. “I’ll be sure to write to her tonight.”

“Good!” Sunset nodded contently. “So now you don’t have to be so nervous around us.”

“I-I guess so,” Sunburst shrugged, pushing his glasses up. “By the way Sunset, what did you do to finish me off during the duel? I still don’t really understand how I lost.”

“Simply put, I cast a delayed beam after I blinked above you, and it went off right when I teleported next to you,” Sunset explained. “It wasn’t anything special, but it certainly felt cool to do.”

“Huh, I never would’ve thought of doing something like that,” Sunburst tapped his chin. “But couldn’t you have accidentally hit yourself if you didn’t delay it enough?”

“Eh, it’s possible but very unlikely,” Sunset said. “You can do a timer delay or a trigger type.”

“A timer delay is where I feel like you’d accidently hit yourself because there’s a possibility of miscounting the seconds or however long you wanted it to be delayed for, or some unforeseen event happening. A trigger type, however, is only going to shoot once you trigger it so there’s almost no way for it to hit you unless you’re just being reckless.”

“I’ve never done anything like that,” Sunburst said. “I think it’d be a good trick to have.”

“Well then I’ll be taking your little deflect trick you did then,” Sunset smirked. “That was quite impressive, if I do say so myself.”

“Yeah! That was so cool,” Twilight nodded quickly. “It was like redirection in magic shows, except using real magic!”

“It wasn’t anything special,” Sunburst slightly blushed.

“I beg to differ,” Twilight said. “You’d have to do some fast calculations to get the trajectory right, which is already hard enough. Mix that in with a battle? Even harder.”

“You're strong, Sunburst,” Sunset assured him. “I’m sure you can be a top ranked fighter if you trained more specifically rather than just being decent at everything.”

“How about you join us when we train!” Twilight offered, grinning. “It’s lots of fun. Plus, we’re even allowed to spar with one another.”

“I don’t know…” Sunburst mumbled hesitantly.

“You can use the royal library,” Sunset smirked.

“I’m in!” Sunburst quickly said.

“Training is a lot more fun with more ponies,” Sunset chuckled. “Twilight and I are getting kind of bored of just sparing each other.”

“Well, I’ll be in your care then,” Sunburst said.

“You should have warned me that your training was this rough,” Sunburst said through ragged breaths, flat on his back in the grass. “I almost died at least three times!”

“Eh, you’ll get used to it,” Sunset shrugged.

Looking over to Twilight, he sighed. “How did a filly like you ever get used to this demon?”

“Because she’s basically a little demon herself,” Sunset grinned, answering in her steed.

Sunburst’s face deadpanned. “Do I even want to ask?”

“I think it’s better if you don't.”

Sunburst let out a long sigh before sitting up. Directly in front of him was Twilight, who was casually flipping through a spell book, humming a tune happily. She was so distracted by the book that she didn’t even hear the conversation. Right beside her was Sunset, who seemed to be reading along with the filly. Sunset looked like an older sister watching their younger sibling.

“I just can’t see it,” Sunburst shook his head. “Twilight seems like way less of a pain to handle then you.”

“You just haven’t spent enough time with her. I promise she’s quite the trouble maker,” Sunset chuckled. “Maybe even worse than me.”

“What are you two talking about?” Twilight looked up from the book, tilting her head. “Is it my turn to spar yet?”

“Yup! Sunburst was just raving about how much he wanted to spar with you. Isn’t that right, Sunburst?” Sunset winked towards the poor stallion.

“I didn’t s-”

Plugging his mouth with her hoof, Sunset smiled. “Now, how about you two get in position? I’ll be the referee, of course.”

Sunburst mumbled something through her hoof before making his way to his side of the field. Twilight happily skipped towards her side, a wide grin on her face. Facing each other, they stood their ground.

“You two know the rules so I’m not going to say it,” Sunset said, the two nodding. Clearing her throat, Sunset smirked.

“Three…”

“Two…”

“One…”

“GO!”

Sunburst was the first to make a move, his horn igniting quickly. A ball of magic grew above his horn to the size of a basketball. He threw it towards Twilight. It slowly approached Twilight, allowing her to simply side-step it.

“What was th-” Twilight was cut off when the ball bursted beside her, a blinding light covering the field. Twilight unfortunately was unable to shield her eyes in time, leaving her stunned and blinded.

Sunburst made use of this, blinking next to her. Binding her with magical chains and launching a color-changing beam at her side. Twilight blinked out of the way, the magical chains withering away. Suddenly she vanished, leaving just Sunset and Sunburst on the field.

“That was a neat trick, Sunburst!” Sunset praised. “I would’ve never thought of using a light spell and combining it with an explosion to blind your opponent.”

“Thanks!” Sunburst replied while scanning the field.

Sunburst stood still, watching the grass for any movement. The field was completely still and silent.

Suddenly, Twilight appeared behind Sunburst, firing two beams, one into the sky and one right towards Sunburst. Hearing the magic, Sunburst quickly turned around and put up a shield, easily deflecting the first shot. Quickly casting again, a shield appeared above the second beam, angled right towards Sunburst’s head.

Recognizing the noise of the deflection, Sunburst walked back back a few inches, the beam landing right in front of him, splotching the ground yellow. However, when he tried to walk backwards a bit more , he realized he couldn’t move!

“What the…” Sunburst looked down to see he was trapped by magical binds. Suddenly, a circle started glowing brighter and brighter under him.

“Oh shi-” Sunburst mumbled before a pillar of magic engulfed him.

“Did you just kill him?” Sunset asked.

“No… I’m fine,” Sunburst said, the pillar slowly dissipating.

Sunburst was standing in the same spot where Twilight trapped him. Everything seemed fine, minus the fact that his orange coat was now a bright pink. Even his mane and tail were colored. Twilight and Sunset slowly approached the stallion, giggling.

“Just a little pink,” Sunburst laughed along with them. “Good fight, Twilight.”

“You too!” Twilight chirped, hoof-bumping him.

“I’m assuming you used the two beams to bait me into a preplaced trap,” Sunburst asked, sitting down in the grass.

“Spot on!” Twilight grinned, sitting next next to him

Sunset chuckled. “Quite the risk, don’t you think?”

“It was all calculated,” Twilight said. “Knowing Sunburst makes very small adjustments when dodging things he knows is coming, I decided to put it just mere inches behind him!”

“The power of knowing your opponent,” Sunburst sighed.

“That first trick you did though was cool!” Twilight said. “I knew you were testing something but I thought it was just a slow attack.”

Sunburst smiled. “It was just something I wanted to test out. Blinding your opponent so early opens up a lot of plays.”

“And you opted for a bind start?” Sunset asked.

Sunburst shrugged. “Just wanted to see how Twilight would react.”

“It caught me by surprise, that’s for sure,” Twilight admitted. “I lost my composure for a second but the binds snapped me back to reality to be honest.”

“So binding you actually worked against me,” Sunburst shook his head, sighing. “I’ll keep that in mind next time.”

“It’s a really good opener though,” Sunset said. “I feel like you’ll catch a lot of ponies off guard with that attack.”

“As long as they don’t hear about it before,” Sunburst chuckled.

“So how was it fighting against Sunburst, Twilight?” Sunset asked.

Twilight tapped her chin, grinning. “It was fun! Although it was shorter than I imagined and we didn’t really get to use many spells, it was still a good learning experience.”

“And how about you, Sunburst?” Sunset flipped it onto him.

“It definitely was a well fought duel, and I share the same sentiment with Twilight,” Sunburst nodded at Twilight. “I do wish we could’ve used a bit more spells but I lost fair and square.”

“Don’t worry you two, I’m sure we still have some energy for a couple more,” Sunset said. “And Sunburst, I know pink suits you and all, maybe you should change your coat back.” She finished with a wink.

“Oh yeah, I forgot,” Sunburst chuckled, casting a spell on himself, turning his coat back to normal.

“Did I miss anything?” Another stallion called out from behind them. Turning their heads towards the voice, Shining Armor emerged from some trees. “Why is there a perfect pink circle right there?”

“Twilight and Sunburst sparred,” Sunset simply replied.

“And the winner?” Shining Armor cocked an eyebrow.

“Twilight this time,” Sunset answered.

“Good job Twily,” Shining trotted towards her, giving her a noogie. “You really are a strong filly.”

“Aww,” Sunburst smiled at the siblings.

“Stop that Shiny!” Twilight pouted. “You’re embarrassing me in front of Sunburst.”

“Don’t mind me,” Sunburst chuckled, levitating a spell book towards himself.

“Do you guys need help with anything?” Shining Armor asked as he let Twilight free. “I mainly focus on defense so I could help with that if you need it.”

“That would be great!” Sunburst and Sunset said in unison while Twilight nodded in agreement.

“Alrighty, gather around everypony,” Shining Armor said, the three students gathering around him. “So, basically…”

“So, same time tomorrow?” Shining Armor asked the three students.

Twilight, Sunset, and Sunburst were sprawled out in the grass, looking up towards the reddish-orange sky. Sunburst was panting while Sunset was mumbling to herself. Twilight, however, was silent. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing steady.

“I’m going to take that as a yes,” Shining Armor chuckled.

“Why are defense spells… so… HARD!?” Sunset shouted, sitting up quickly.

“You know, I asked the same thing when I first started learning some,” Shining Armor nodded, his eyes closed. “When Sharp Arrow first taught me a spell, I was on the floor within minutes of casting it.”

“Does it take more magic or something?” Sunburst asked. “It’s really draining keeping a barrier like yours up.”

“It does actually consume more magic,” Shining Armor confirmed. “The reason being that it’s usually a large-scale barrier that covers a large area. However, if you condense it can block some of the more powerful spells.”

“So not only can you control how strong the barrier is, but also the size of it?” Sunburst sat up, turning towards Shining Armor.

“That is correct,” Shining Armor said. “The biggest barrier I’ve been able to conjure was covering all of Celestia’s throne room and a couple rooms adjacent to it. The barrier’s strength was also quite high.”

“Seriously? I could barely keep one of those around myself for a few seconds,” Sunset grumbled.

“What can I say,” Shining Armor smirked. “I’m talented when it comes to defense.”

“I can’t believe it’s that exhausting…” Sunburst sighed.

“I’m pretty sure one of the requirements to become Captain of the Royal Guard was to be able to summon a barrier similar in strength to that. It also has to surround all of Canterlot apparently,” Shining Armor said.

“Seriously?” Sunburst sat there dumbfounded, mouth agape.

“Oh, and you have to be able to hold it throughout the day too,” Shining Armor added.

“Have you ever seen Sharp Arrow do that?” Sunset thought back to the current captain.

“There hasn’t been a need, thankfully, so no. Though, I’ve heard rumors that he’s able to extend it a little further than even the edge of Ponyville,” Shining Armor said.

“That just sounds unrealistic,” Sunset frowned. “You know how far Ponyville is?”

“That’s why it’s a rumor,” Shining Armor said. “Nopony I know has seen him do it, so we all don’t know. Maybe you can ask Celestia next time you see her.”

“Yeah, I’ll definitely ask her tomorrow,” Sunset nodded, curious about Sharp Arrow’s strength.

“Well, I should probably take Twily here back to her room,” Shining Armor chuckled, levitating his sleeping sister onto his back. “I hope she didn’t have any homework.”

“Don’t worry, we didn’t,” Sunburst said.

“Even if we did, I’d give it to her,” Sunset smirked.

“I keep forgetting you three are all in the same class,” Shining Armor smiled. “Thanks for looking after Twily.”

“Hey, no problem,” Sunset shrugged. “It’s fun with her around.”

“I just met her today, but I’ll be sure to look after her as well!” Sunburst said.

“Thank you,” Shining Armor said. “Well, we will be taking our leave now. See you two tomorrow!”

Shining Armor walked towards the path, Twilight sleeping peacefully on his back.

“You stay here in the castle, right?” Sunburst asked.

Sunset nodded. “My room isn’t too far from here. “Wanna see it?”

“W-What?” Sunburst stuttered, his cheeks reddening slightly.

“What’s wrong?” Sunset tilted her head. Catching a quick glance at his face, she smirked. “Somepony has a dirty mind.”

“I wasn’t thinking anything like that!” Sunburst blurted out.

Sunset chuckled. “I was joking, I was joking.”

Sunburst’s cheeks grew redder. “Let’s just start heading to your room,” Sunburst sighed.

“Roger that,” Sunset said, snickering to herself.

The two made their way through the halls without a hitch. They passed by a couple guards as usual, but just as Sunset said, her room was not very far at all.

“And here it is, the door to my room!”

“You live in a tower secluded from the main castle?” Sunburst asked, staring up at the tower. “Are you a witch or something?”

“I wish,” Sunset said, opening the door. “If I was a witch, I’d be even more powerful!”

“Uh huh…” Sunburst mindlessly replied as he entered the room, looking around.“You know, it’s oddly normal.”

“What did you expect?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow.

“Nothing much. Maybe a few decorations, but there isn’t anything but the basics,” Sunburst said.

Sunset shrugged. “Eh, anything else is just unnecessary to be honest. It’s not like I’m here most of the day anyways.”

“I guess that’s true,” Sunburst nodded, making his way towards the bookshelf. “You sure got a lot of books here.”

“I read a lot,” Sunset said. “Not as much as Twilight, though. She reads like a book or two a day.”

“A day?!”

Sunset chuckled. “Yup, that was pretty much my reaction.”

“Jeez, what a scary pony she’ll grow up to be,” Sunburst sighed, looking at the book’s titles. One in particular caught his attention “Sunset, why do you have Archaic Casting: Dark Magic Edition in here?”

“Twilight let me borrow it when she finished reading it a few months back,” Sunset nonchalantly answered.

“I do remember her getting it confiscated in class one day…” Sunburst mumbled to himself. “But why would you need it?”

“Knowledge is knowledge, Sunburst,” Sunset grinned. “Even if it’s illegal knowledge!”

Sunburst’s face paled. “Please tell me you don’t plan to raise the dead or something like that.”

“Honestly from what I’ve read, it seems like too much effort,” Sunset chuckled, plopping herself on her bed.

“Thank Celestia…” Sunburst sighed.

“Anyways, there’s another reason why I asked you to check out my room,” Sunset said.

“And what would that be?” Sunburst asked, turning to look back at her.

“You wanted to write to your friend, right?” Sunset asked.

Sunburst nodded. “Y-Yeah…”

“Well, I can send it immediately to her if you’d like,” Sunset offered. “Also, I know for a fact you’re going to mess up the letter.”

“How could I mess up a letter?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Since you were already so hesitant before, you’re probably going to be super distant in writing, which isn’t good after not writing for so long.”

“I bet she’ll be happy just to hear from me,” Sunburst mumbled.

“What was that?” Sunset glared at him.

Sunburst sighed. “Nothing…”

Sunset clapped her forehooves together, smiling. “Great! Now let’s get to writing that letter.”

Sunset levitated a scroll, quill, and ink onto her desk. Jumping out of bed, she trotted over to the desk, pulling out the chair.

“It’s all yours, friend.”

Getting comfortable in the seat, Sunburst looked down at the open, empty scroll. Hesitatingly, he levitated the quill, dipping it into the ink.

Sunburst frowned, looking at Sunset. “What would I even say to her? It’s been so long.”

“How about a casual greeting?” Sunset suggested.

Sunburst nodded, turning his attention back to the scroll.

"Dear Starlight,”

“Sounds a little stiff, don’t you think?”

“It’s a pretty common way to open up a letter,” Sunburst muttered.

“I said a casual greeting. This sounds way too formal,” Sunset said.

“Fine!” Sunburst begrudgingly crumbled up the scroll, levitating another one onto the desk.

“Hey there Starlight, it’s your pal Sunburst!”

Sunset shook her head, sighing. “Okay, now you’re just too casual.”

“Oh COME ON!” Sunburst shouted, slamming his head onto the desk.

“Onto the next draft,” Sunset simply said, levitating another scroll onto the desk.

“This is going to be a long night…”

“Finally… done…” An exhausted Sunburst muttered, his head resting on the desk. Surrounding him was a mountain of crumpled up scrolls.

“Nice job,” Sunset called out to him from her bed. “It only took a couple tries.”

“Buck you…” Sunburst glared at her.

“Such language,” Sunset feigned shock, smirking. “Now let me read it!”

“You pretty much wrote the whole thing!”

“I want to see the finished product,” Sunset said.

“Fine, here you go,” Sunburst sighed, levitating the scroll over to Sunset. Opening up, Sunset started reading it aloud.

Hi Starlight, it’s been a while.
How are you doing? How have things been back in Sire’s Hollow? Does your dad still treat you like a little filly? Have you been studying magic? Do you have your cutie mark yet?
Sorry, too many questions. Anyways, I would like to apologize for not writing sooner. I just thought that you’d be disappointed in me if I didn’t write back telling you I'm some great wizard who aces all his tests and can fend off any unicorn in a magic duel. I mean, I even got my cutie mark in magic! But it seems that I’m just so-so right now.
But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up!
I’m writing this letter now because I made some friends that talked some sense into me. If they hadn’t talked to me about it, I probably wouldn’t have sent this. I’m really, really sorry that I didn’t write earlier!
I hope to hear back from you soon.
Your pal, Sunburst.

“Good enough,” Sunset shrugged, the scroll erupting into flames.

“W-WHAT?!” Sunburst yelled. “Sunset, how could you destroy my hard work like that?”

“I didn’t destroy it, I just sent it to Starlight,” Sunset said. “No need to get so worked up.”

“How did you even do that?” Sunburst tilted his head. “I mean, you know her name and the village’s name, but you don’t know her exact address. Also, what kind of spell is that?”

“To be honest I don’t really know how the spell works myself. Celestia showed it to me one day so I could send letters to her if I needed. As for how I sent it to her specifically, it bases it off of their name. So it should just appear above their head and bonk them.”

“That spell could be used for some scary things,” Sunburst frowned. “Imagine just getting a letter from a random person professing their love or something like that.”

“I mean you could reverse engineer it to try and find the sender,” Sunset said. “That is, if you’re a unicorn.”

“Or you could hire a unicorn to do it.”

Sunset nodded. “That too.”

“So when should we be expecting a reply?” Sunburst asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe a couple days, or even weeks. Or even-”

Sunset was cut off by a loud poof above her, a scroll smacking her on the head. Picking it up, Sunset smiled.

“Or right now!”

Sunburst wore a perplexed expression. “Wait, how did she reply so quickly?”

“Maybe she’s a fast writer?” Sunset snickered. “What I’m more surprised about is her being able to use the spell. It’s kind of complicated, even for me. Your friend Starlight must be quite the magic user.”

“I don’t really know. I left Sires Hollow before she really developed her magic.”

“Well, I’m already impressed by her.”

“I wonder what she wrote about,” Sunburst mumbled to himself, levitating the scroll onto the desk.

“Hey! Let me see,” Sunset got out of bed, standing next to Sunburst. “Open it up already!”

“Ok, ok,” Sunburst said, rolling open the scroll. “Ahem…”

I’m so happy to hear from you Sunburst! I’m also very mad at you.
You should know that I don’t care if you are some great wizard or not. You’re my fillyhood friend, so why would I care about anything like that? I’ve missed you. Ever since you left, Sires Hollow hasn’t been the same. It’s super lonely and boring here. I miss you a lot. Did I already say that? Well, I’ll say it again. I miss you.
As for all your questions: I’m doing perfectly fine, and you already know about Sires Hollow since I just told you. My dad still treats me like a filly and there’s nothing I can do about it. I got my cutie mark, and it seems that I’m also gifted in magic! I might even enroll at Celestia’s school, so watch out!
I’m happy you met some new friends. Quick question, are they mares? No reason for that question, no reason at all.
Anyways, I hope you continue writing to me.
Talk to you soon, Starlight.

“Huh, seems she really didn’t care,” Sunburst said, sighing in relief.

Sunset smugly smirked. “What did we tell you?”

“I’ll admit it,” Sunburst chuckled. “It was a little silly of me.”

“Yeah, just a little,” Sunset rolled her eyes, smiling. “Well, now that you’re back in contact with her, you better stay in contact.”

“I know, I know.”

Sunset hummed. “I’m curious about her now though. Her cutie mark is magic related and she was able to learn the scroll-sending spell. I really hope she gets in so we can meet.”

“I’m sure she’ll get in,” Sunburst said.

“I can’t wait to meet her then,” Sunset smiled.

“And I can’t wait to see her again,” Sunburst chuckled. “It’s been quite some time.”

“Hah, you got that right,” Sunset playfully nudged him.

Sunburst pushed up his glasses. “Now that we’re done with that, I think I should get going.”

“Huh, I guess it is already pretty late,” Sunset said, looking out her window.

“I’ll just excuse myself then,” Sunburst walked towards the door. Turning his head back, he smiled at Sunset. “See you and Twilight at school tomorrow?”

“Maybe,” Sunset shrugged. “I’m sure the twerp will be there, but I might sleep in. We’ll see each other during practice though.”

“Alright, see you whenever then.”

Sunburst exited the room, the door slowly closing as he left. Sunset shook her head, walking over to the door and locking it.

“That was probably one of the better school days,” Sunset said to herself, chuckling. “Now, what to do, what to do…”

Sunset smiled, diving into her bed. Wrapping herself into the soft, warm sheets, she sighed contently.

“I think sleeping is what I should do…” Sunset mumbled into her bed.

Snuggling deeper into her bed, she shut her eyes, ready to drift into the dreamworld. Sunset could feel herself slowly falling to sleep. Her body relaxed, her breathing steady, and her mind blank. Soon enough, she was fast asleep.

“Sunset, are you going to school today?” a muffled voice asked through her door.

Mumbling something incoherent, Sunset pulled the covers over her head.

“Sunset~” The voice sang loudly, the sound of the door opening alerting Sunset.

Sitting up, Sunset rubbed her eyes with a yawn. Looking towards the door, she frowned at the intruder. “What do you want?”

“You know what I want,” Celestia woer a smug expression as she stood in the doorway. “We’ve done this many times, Sunset. I thought you’d learn by now.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “How about you stop doing this and let me sleep in?”

“What do you mean? I let you sleep in often,” Celestia smiled innocently.

“Last time I checked, once a month is not often.”

“I could make it none at all, if that’s what you want.”

Groaning, Sunset got out of bed slowly. “Okay I’m up, I’m up.”

“Very good,” Celestia held her smile. “I’m today will be eventful.”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “And why do you say that?”

“A little birdie told me that there’s a new student, and said student is going to be in your class.”

Sunset frowned. “Why would a little birdie have to tell you that when you run the school?”

“My Sunset, you really aren’t a morning pony, are you?”

“You think?”

“Alrighty Ms. Grumpy Pants, go get ready for school,” Celestia chuckled, walking back towards the castle.

Sunset rubbed her chin. “A new transfer student huh…”

Sunset’s head rested on her desk, staring at the purple filly and orange stallion next to her. The classroom was filled with mumbles and whispers.

“Did you hear the news Sunset?” Sunburst asked, returning the stare.

“That there’s going to be a new student?” Sunset lifted her head up and stretched. “Yeah, I heard.”

“Isn’t it odd to get a new student this late into the year?” Sunburst said. “I wonder what they’re like.”

“Whoever they are, they must be good at magic!” Twilight chirped. “Or they wouldn’t be in this class.”

“I guess you’re right,” Sunset shrugged.

Soon enough, Crystal Clear entered the room, a smile on her face. “Okay everypony, settle down now.”

With that, the classroom was silent.

“I’m sure everypony already heard the big news,” Crystal Clear said.

“So we are getting a new classmate?” one of them asked.

“Yes we are!” Crystal Clear nodded. Turning towards the door, she called out. “You can come in now!”

A lilac mare around Sunburst’s age walked into the classroom. Her mane and tail was purple with a long teal stripe running through it. Her cutie mark was a purple star with two teal streams. Everypony looked at the newcomer who awkwardly smiled at them.

“Introduce yourself,” Crystal Clear whispered to her.

“H-Hi everypony, I’m-”

“Starlight?!” Sunburst interrupted, staring at her

Starlight stared back "Sunburst?!"

Sunset looked at Sunburst, then at Starlight, then back at Sunburst. Chuckling, she shook her head.

"Would you look at that."

Chapter 9: A New Friend

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Four ponies were seated at a round table. Surrounding them were other tables, filled with students chatting about whatever students chat about during lunch time.

Sunburst stared at his foalhood friend in surprise. “So you’re telling me you’ve been studying magic, by yourself, for two years?”

“Heh, yeah,” Starlight smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s not anything impressive.”

Sunburst shook his head. “That’s impressive, Starlight. Studying magic is hard here, even with all the teachers and resources we have.”

“Speak for yourself,” Sunset wore a cocky grin. “Studying magic is easy. Applying it? Not so much.”

Twilight nodded in agreement, sipping on her chocolate milk.

“I’m still surprised that you’re here so soon!” Sunburst said. “I thought that it’d be maybe a couple months till you got in.”

“I just couldn’t wait after I got your letter, so I asked the admission officers if I could start a semester earlier.”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “And they just let you?”

Starlight shrugged. “Apparently I did really well on the entrance exam so they made an expectation.”

“You’re just setting my expectations for you higher and higher,” Sunset smirked. “I hope you’re as good as you say.”

“Oh? Is that a challenge?” Starlight smirked back.

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn't it.”

The two playfully glared at each other before breaking into laughter.

Twilight looked at Sunburst. “They seem to like each other.”

“That’s great!” Sunburst smiled while looking at the two. “Between you and me, Starlight didn’t really have many friends back in Sires Hollow so it’s good to see her getting along with another pony.”

“Huh…” Twilight simply replied.

“What’re you two whispering about?” Starlight asked, getting in between the two of them.

“Woah!” Sunburst jumped a bit in his seat. “How did you even get there?”

Starlight rolled her eyes. “Magic, duh.”

“You want to join us after school?” Twilight offered. “We have lots of fun!”

Starlight turned to the filly, cocking an eyebrow. “What do you three do after school?”

“We practice magic, have mock duels,” Twilight explained. “Things like that.”

“So you three are able to do that by yourselves? My dad always told me it’s dangerous to practice magic on your own, especially if you’re young.”

“Twilight’s brother supervises us,” Sunset said. “We’re not allowed to practice magic without some sort of adult supervision.”

Starlight shrugged. “Well it sounds fun, so I guess I’ll come along.”

“Great!” Sunset deviously smirked. “Then I can really test your skills.”

“Oh you’re on,” Starlight shot back.

Sunburst sighed. “How are you two rivals already?”

“Because having rivals gives you a reason to become stronger,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “I thought that was obvious.”

“Even a foal knows that, Sunburst,” Starlight shook her head.

Sunburst crossed his forehooves. “I don’t think a foal even knows what a rival is!”

“Fair point,” Starlight chuckled.

They continued chatting through lunch, the bell eventually ringing, signifying the end of their break. Returning to their class, they went about their school day.

“This is the first time I’ve ever been in a castle,” Starlight said, looking around the hallway. “To think I’d get to come here on my first day in Canterlot!”

Sunset grinned. “Well you better get used to being here, because you’re going to be here a lot.”

“Roger that,” Starlight playfully saluted, giggling.

After giving a small tour to Starlight, they headed towards the garden where they held their magic practice. As they approached their usual training spot, voices caught their attention, causing them to stop in their tracks.

“What are you doing today Shiny?” a mare, who they assumed was Cadance, asked.

“Nothing much. Just supervising Twilight, Sunset, and Sunburst’s training,” Shining Armor replied. “I guess I’m also teaching them some defensive spells.”

“It’s very kind of you to always watch them.”

The four students quietly crept into a nearby bush, peeking their heads out slightly to watch the two.

The two of them were sitting in the grass, Cadance leaning on Shining Armor. Her eyes were closed and she had a big smile.. She looked both peaceful and happy.

Shining Armor chuckled. “If it’s for Twily? I’d do anything.”

Twilight sheepishly smiled at that.

“You love her alot, huh?” Cadance hummed.

Shining Armor rolled his eyes.“You of all ponies know that.”

“I know.”

Shining Armor closed his eyes as well, leaning his head on Cadance’s. The birds were chirping, the branches of the trees slightly swaying, their leaves rustling. All was peaceful and all was calm.

“What are you four looking at?”

Twilight, Sunset, Starlight, and Sunburst quickly turned to their right. Crouched beside them was the one and only monarch of Equestria, Celestia!

“Y-Your majesty!” Starlight and Sunburst quiet-shouted, bowing to her.

“There’s no need for that. Please rise you two,” Celestia smiled at the two as they rose up.

“What are you doing here?” Sunset asked.

“Just checking on what my two wonderful students are up to,” Celestia turned her attention back to the opening. Making a little “o” with her mouth, she nodded. “When did those two become a thing?”

Sunset was taken back. “Wait, Cadance still hasn’t told you?”

“I tried to talk to her about relationships the other day, but you know how teenageers are,” Celestia giggled.

“I actually don’t,” Sunset said. “Don’t really know any.”

“She said something along the lines of ‘that’s gross’ and ‘stop bothering me’,” Celestia grinned. “I knew she was hiding something from me.”

“Are you going to punish her?” Twilight pouted. “Please don’t. Cadance is a good pony!”

“I’m not going to punish her my dear Twilight,” Celestia assured the filly. “It’s not in my right to say who and when she dates. I just want what’s best for my niece.”

Sunset groaned. “You sound like a mom right now.”

“I will, however, interrupt their moment right now!” Celestia snickered.

“As evil as ever,” Sunset chuckled.

Celestia quietly exited the bush, creeping up on the unaware couple. Making her way behind them, she smirked.

“Boo!” She shouted, causing the two ponies to jolt up.

The couple turned around, coming face to face with a giggling Celestia.

“Auntie!” Cadance pouted. “It’s still not funny.”

“Y-Your Majesty,” Shining Armor quickly bowed.

“You may rise, lieutenant Shining Armor,” Celestia said.

“What are you doing here?” Cadance asked. “Shouldn’t you be doing paperwork or something?”

“My, trying to get rid of me so soon?” Celestia smirked. “Perhaps you want more private time with the lieutenant here.”

Cadence's face flushed almost immediately. Shining Armor, on the other hand, was frozen stiff.

“H-How much did you see and or hear?” Cadance asked.

“I didn’t really hear much, but I did see you two getting comfortable,” Celestia winked.

“I told you we should’ve gone to my room,” Cadance hissed, glaring at Shining Armor. “We could’ve locked the door!”

“Oh my,” Celestia let out an exaggerated gasp. “What were you two planning to do?”

“Auntie!” Cadance whined, her face somehow getting more red.

Celestia let out a satisfied sigh. “Teasing you sure lightens my mood.”

“Y-You’re not going to banish me for dating Cadance, right?” Shining Armor squeaked.

“Of course not,” Celestia smiled, causing the stallion to loosen up a bit. “I’m not going to tell Cadance who she can and can’t date. It’s just not my place.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Cadance said, hugging Celestia.

“Awww…” four voices cooed from a bush.

Shining Armor sighed. “Don’t tell me…”

“We were here the whole time,” Sunset popped out of the bush, smirking. “We didn’t really see anything besides you two getting all mushy.”

Twilight, Sunburst, and Starlight all popped out as well.

“Hi Shiny!” Twilight galloped over to him, jump-hugging him.

“Hello there Twily,” Shining Armor laughed, hugging her back.

“Who’s that?” Cadance asked, looking at Starlight.

“H-Hello! I’m Starlight, Sunburst’s foalhood friend,” Starlight awkwardly introduced herself.

“It’s nice to meet you, Starlight. I’m Cadance, Twilight’s foalsitter.” Giving her a warm smile, she shook Starlight’s hoof. “It’s always nice to meet a new pony. I hope Sunset hasn’t been bullying you.”

“Why would I do that?” Sunset glared at Cadance. “What kind of pony do you take me for?”

Cadance remained silent, the same smile on her face.

“Sunset has been good to me so far,” Starlight quickly replied. “I’d even say we’re friends.”

“Well, duh,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Of course we’re friends.”

“That’s great!” Cadance clapped her forehooves together.

“Hello there Starlight,” Shining Armor stepped up next to Cadance. “I’m Shining Armor, Twilight’s brother.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Starlight greeted him.

“I assume you’re here for magic practice?” Shining Armor said.

Starlight shrugged. “Twilight invited me, and I didn’t see a reason not to, so here I am!”

“It’s always better with more ponies,” Shining Armor smiled. “We usually start right away, but we kind of got distracted.”

Celestia looked at Sunset. “So this is what you two have been doing.”

“I didn't tell you?” Sunset tapped her chin. “I swear I did.”

“Well at least I know you’re not spending your free time just lazing around,” Celestia chuckled. “I thought you’d just be laying in bed with a spellbook or something like that.”

“Hey!” Sunset shouted, trying to think of some sort of retort. After a short pause, she shrugged. “I guess you’re not wrong.”

“I know,” Celestia winked at her.

“C’mon auntie, let’s go have some tea,” Cadance said. “These five have to start their practice anyways.”

“Wait, you’re inviting me for tea?” Celestia cocked an eyebrow. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Cadance?”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “I invite you for tea all the time.”

“Uh huh…” Celestia nodded her head slowly.

“C’mon, let’s just go,” Cadance sighed, walking towards the pathway.

Celestia shrugged. “You’re the boss.”

Celestia and Cadance disappeared into the garden, leaving the five of them in the open field. The sun was still high above their heads, shining down on them.

“Before we start, I’d like to know a little more about you Starlight,” Shining Armor said, taking a seat in the grass. “Take a seat everypony!”

The students gathered around Shining Armor, taking a seat.

“So, what would you like to know, Mr. Armor?” Starlight asked politely.

“Just Shining Armor is fine,” he said with a smile. “I guess we should start off with your magic level. How would you rate your power?”

“Not to brag or anything, but I think I’m pretty powerful,” Starlight smirked. “Although, it’s not very refined to be honest. I didn’t really practice a lot.”

Shining Armor nodded. “And your knowledge of magic?”

“I’d like to say I know a lot,” Starlight shrugged. “I did study spell books and stuff for like, two years.”

“So I have another powerful unicorn in my hooves, “Shining Armor sighed. “Just don’t go blowing up the garden, okay?”

“I’ll try not to!” Starlight chirped.

“Maybe you should test her first?” Sunburst suggested.

“I second that,” Sunset nodded. “I also kind of want to see what she’s capable of.”

“Of course you do,” Shining Armor rolled his eyes. “Alright Starlight, I’m going to put a barrier around myself. Feel free to launch whatever spells you want.”

“What if I break it?” Starlight asked. “Wouldn’t I hurt you?”

“Don’t worry, this barrier can block basically everything,” Shining Armor assured her. “Unless you have alicorn magic or some sort of ancient magic we don’t know of, I should be fine.”

“Basically he’s saying that if you break it, you’re super powerful!” Twilight grinned.

“If you say so…” Starlight mumbled.

Shining Armor put the barrier around himself. It shimmered a beautiful light purple.

“I’m ready Starlight,” Shining Armor said. “Fire away!”

Starlight took a deep breath, placing a hoof on her chest. Closing her eyes, she stood still for a little while.

“Is she going to do something,” Twilight whispered to Sunset and Sunburst.

“Patience Twilight,” Sunburst said. “I’m sure she’s just nervous.”

“Or maybe she’s conjuring some super powerful spell,” Sunset suggested.

“You know that sounds kind of plausible,” Sunburst chuckled quietly.

Starlight opened her eyes wide, her horn glowing brighter and brighter by the second. A small sphere appeared on the tip of her horn, emitting a faint humming noise. The sphere continued to grow and grow, the humming getting louder and louder.

“That looks a little dangerous, don’t you think?” Sunset shouted over the intense humming.

“A little bit,” Twilight shouted back. “I hope Shiny doesn’t get hurt!”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Sunburst chimed in. “Hopefully,” he added under his breath.

“What was that?” Sunset asked.

Sunburst stayed silent, watching the sphere grow larger and larger, eventually stopping. The ball of magic was roughly the size of a house. The humming was almost deafening, and the bright light almost blinding.

“Okay, this definitely doesn’t look safe,” Sunset frowned, shielding her eyes from the light.

“Maybe we should tell her to cancel it out?” Sunburst said. “I don’t want her blowing up the castle.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” Sunset nodded.

“Uh Starlight, I know I said I wanted to test you but I think this might be a little overboard,” Shining Armor chuckled nervously. “Maybe you should use a different spell instead?”

Starlight chuckled nervously as well, the ball still floating on the tip of her horn. “Well then we might have a slight problem.”

“And what would that be?” Shining Armor asked, slightly panicked.

“Well uh, let’s just say I don’t really know how to cancel out the spell,” Starlight smiled sheepishly. “So I can’t use a different spell!”

“Celestia help us all,” Shining Armor muttered.

“We better come up with a solution quickly!” Starlight quickly said, obviously panicking. “Because I can’t hold it for much longer.”

“Uh…” Sunburst stood there, processing the scene in front of him.

“Just shoot it into the sky,” Sunset shouted. “We’ll just explain to the guards and Celestia what happened!”

“Make sure to launch it super high up as well,” Shining Armor added. “Just high enough where it won’t affect the castle.”

“O-Ok!” Starlight nodded, swinging her head towards the sky. The giant sphere flew up high into the sky.

“It kind of looks like another sun,” Sunset observed.

Twilight tilted her head. “Is it going to explode?”

“I’m sure it will,” Shining Armor said, trotting over to them. “Eventually.”

They continued to watch the sphere fly higher and higher into the sky.

“Any second now…” Shining Armor said.

Then the sphere just seemed to disappear.

Sunburst chuckled. “Huh, that sure was anti-clima-”

A deafening explosion filled the garden, a blinding light appearing in the sky. A gust flew past them, almost lifting them into the air. Shining Armor quickly put a barrier to prevent them from flying away. The greenery wasn’t as fortunate as the students. Trees and bushes were uprooted while patches of grass flew away.

The light soon faded and the gust gone, leaving only silence in the garden.

The group all looked towards Starlight, who was just grinning.

“Remind me to never make you mad,” Sunset chuckled, breaking the silence.

“What is the meaning of this?” a voice suddenly called down on them. Looking up, they saw Celestia and a couple of guards hovering above them.

Everypony but Sunset were silent, who awkwardly smiled.

“Magic practice gone wrong?”

“I think I understand what happened,” Celestia sighed, taking a sip of her tea. “To summarize, Shining Armor wanted to gauge Starlight’s power so he could try and help her practice but Starlight conjured a spell that was too powerful for her to simply stop, and launched it into the sky.”

Sunset nodded. “That’s pretty much the gist of it.”

“I’m not against you five practicing magic in the garden at all, in fact, I welcome you to do it. I am, however, against the use of crisis-threat level spells there,” Celestia dryly chuckled.

Starlight hung her head. “Sorry.”

“It's alright, Starlight,” Celestia warmly smiled. “I do applaud you for even being able to do something like that. You have a special talent for magic.”

“T-Thank you,” Starlight stuttered out, weakly smiling.

“Of course,” Celestia said. “Unfortunately, you five may have to either pause or take your practice somewhere else for the time being.”

Twilight pouted. “You’re kicking us out of the garden?!”

“Just for a little bit,” Celestia assured them. “We have to do some renovations due to the damages caused by the spell, so that part of the garden will be closed off.”

Starlight cringed. “Sorry, again.”

“As I said before, it’s alright. Although it didn’t go as planned, Shining Armor was able to gauge your ability, so it wasn’t a complete failure. Plus, the garden needed some changes anyways,” Celestia chuckled, winking at the group.

“She’s right,” Shining Armor nodded. “Now that I know how powerful you are, I can help you control and tap into it fully.”

“Although I don’t doubt your abilities Lieutenant, I don’t think you’ll be able to do that,” Celestia smirked, eyeing Starlight. “She may be almost as powerful, if not more, than myself.”

The group gasped at her bold statement.

“B-But your majesty, aren’t alicorns supposed to be the strongest ponies alive?” Shining Armor spoke up.

“That’s what all the books say,” Twilight added.

“Yes, alicorn magic is powerful, but I’ve seen and met unicorns whose magic was just as powerful as it,” Celestia said. “I’m sure Starlight can grow to be one of the strongest mages in history.”

“I can be more powerful than an alicorn?” Starlight mumbled to herself.

“I knew Starlight was amazing, but I didn’t think she’d be this amazing,” Sunburst said.

Sunset simply chuckled, patting Starlight on her back, causing her to snap back to reality. “You better get to training then.”

Starlight looked over to Sunset, who was grinning at her.

“Y-Yeah,” Starlight nodded.

“I suggest you train with them,” Celestia said. “Especially with Sunset.”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “Why me?”

“Because both of you have the capabilities of becoming stronger than myself,” Celestia said.

“How about me?” Twilight grinned, raising a hoof into the air.

“Yes Twilight, I do believe that with enough hard work and discipline you may be able to as well.”

“You’re telling me these three have the potential to be stronger than an alicorn?!” Sunburst stared at the three with wide eyes.

“Yes,” Celestia simply said.

“And you get to watch it all happen,” Shining Armor grinned at the other stallion.

“Oh boy…” Sunburst gulped.

“What are you so nervous about, Sunburst?” Sunset smirked, staring deviously at the poor stallion. “We’ll be sure to go easy on you.”

Sunburst shuddered under her gaze.

Starlight frowned. “Stop being mean to him.”

“I was just teasing him. It’s not like we’re trying to kill anypony when we practice,” Sunset said. “At least I’m not. I don’t really know about Twilight.”

“It was one time!” Twilight protested.

“Wait, why didn’t I hear about this?” Shining Armor asked. “Twily, tell me what happened.”

Celesta smiled. “I too would like to hear about this.”

“Us too!” Starlight chirped while Sunburst simply nodded.

“Uh well…” Twilight smiled awkwardly. “As long as you promise not to punish me?”

“We promise,” Celestia quickly said before Shining Armor could say anything.

Twilight cleared her throat. “O-Okay, so it happened the first day we started practicing magic together…”

“So basically we’re going to duel each other,” Sunset explained. “It works exactly like the school’s system, but we can’t use spells that will cause any harm to each other physically.”

“So I can use mind-altering spells to cause mental damage?” Twilight beamed.

“Uhh… As long as it isn’t permanent I guess?” Sunset compromised.

“Cool!” Twilight grinned widely.

“I’m kind of scared of what you’re going to do now,” Sunset dryly chuckled.

“Wait, so how are we going to decide a winner if we don’t get hurt?”

“Remember that recolor spell that Celestia taught us?” Sunset asked, to which Twilight nodded. “Well I’m sure you’re smart enough to be able to change the lethal part of the spell into the color changing spell, so even if you hit me, it’ll just recolor me!”

“That’s a great idea!” Twilight praised.

Sunset smirked. “Why thank you, I thought of it myself.”

“So does that mean we can use whatever spells we want?”

“Exactly,” Sunset said. “This is going to be fun.”

Twilight grinned, making her way to her side. “I’m so going to win!”

“Oh we’ll see about that,” Sunset snickered, walking to her side of the field.

“Am I counting down or are you?” Twilight shouted.

“I’ll do it!” Sunset shouted back. “You ready?”

“Yup!”

Sunset cleared her throat.

“3…”

“2…”

“1…”

“GO!”

The two ponies instantly blinked towards the center, mere inches away from each other. Sunset’s horn brightened, ice appearing under Twilight’s feet. Twilight was quick to respond, melting it into a puddle almost immediately.

“Aww, I really wanted to see you slip,” Sunset teased, blinking a few feet away.

“That’s mean!” Twilight frowned, shooting a small beam towards Sunset, who simply dodged it. It hit a tree that was behind her, leaving a purple splotch on its trunk.

Sunset grinned, shooting one large beam towards her opponent. When it was halfway towards Twilight, it broke into six smaller beams.

“Woah!” Twilight yelped, creating a hole underneath her. She fell in, narrowly dodging all the beams.

Sunset blinked next to the hole, looking down at the trapped filly. “That’s a cool trick.”

“Thanks!” Twilight grinned, throwing some dirt at Sunset.

“Hey! That’s dirty,” Sunset snickered. “Literally and figuratively.”

“Sorry!” Twilight said before blinking out of the hole, directly behind Sunset. “Sorry for this too!”

Sunset felt a very forceful push, presumably some sort of push spell as Twilight was not that strong physically, forcing her into the hole. She landed face first into the dirt.

“Bleh,” Sitting up, she stuck her tongue out. She heard a faint snickering from the filly. Sunset scowled.“Twilight! That’s not funny at all.”

Twilight’s snickering slowly faded and was replaced with an eerie silence. Sunset looked around, noticing that she was no longer in that small hole, but rather a large open field. She couldn’t see very far though, a heavy fog obscuring her vision.

“Twilight? Are you there?” Sunset called out, keeping her guard up. “Is this some sort of illusion spell? I know I said you can use mind-altering spells but this is just unfair!”

Sunset kept yelling, but no pony answered. She tried to cast a spell, but her horn simply sparked out.

Sunset frowned. “Am I just stuck in here now?”

However, a glowing light off in the distance caught her attention. It grew larger and larger, as if it was rapidly approaching her.

“What the-” Sunset mumbled, cut off as the beam whizzed by her, a burning sensation on her cheek. Putting her hoof up to it, she felt something warm trickle down her cheek.

“Is that blood?” Sunset frowned, looking down at her hoof. There was a small line of dark red. A pang of panic ran through her body.

“Twilight, this really isn’t funny!”

Suddenly, more of those lights appeared all around her, all moving at different speeds.

“T-Twilight, I’m really going to die!” Sunset shouted, the lights closing in on her. It was only a matter of time till they struck her.

“TWILIGHT!!!!” Sunset screamed, closing her eyes.

Sunset sat there for a moment, her eyes shut tight still. That moment turned into minutes.

“Am I dead?” Sunset thought, slowly opening her eyes. In front of her were all the beams, frozen in place.

“Sunset? Are you in there?” Twilight’s faint voice echoed throughout the realm. “Sunset, wake up! Oh no… What am I going to tell Celestia?”

Sunset somehow opened her eyes again, coming face to face with a worried filly.

“Sunset!” Twilight cried out, hugging her tightly. She sniffled, burying her head into her chest. “I thought I killed you.”

Sunset dryly chuckled, hugging her back. “You almost did.”

Twilight looked up to Sunset, a small gasp escaping her mouth. “S-Sunset, you’re bleeding!”

“Huh?” Sunset put a hoof up to her cheek. The same cut was there. “Wait, what?”

“So that’s how Twilight almost killed me,” Sunset finished. “To be honest, it was kind of impressive.”

Everypony, except Twilight, looked at Sunset like she was crazy. They sat there in silence for a moment.

Celestia cleared her throat. “So let me get this straight, Twilight put you into some sort of realm using a mind-altering spell, but somehow accidently connected it to the real realm?”

“Yeah something like that,” Sunset shrugged. “We don’t really know the details ourselves.”

“That’s a little scary…” Sunburst said.

“A little?” Starlight cocked an eyebrow. “A filly was almost able to kill somepony. Not only that, but she was able to cancel out Sunset’s magic somehow!”

“I don’t think I can look at Twily the same anymore,” Shining Armor mumbled to himself, letting out an audible sigh.

“But it’s all water under the bridge,” Sunset shrugged. “Right Twilight?”

“Yup!” Twilight nodded with a grin.

“Are you certain you have no idea what spell it was?” Celestia asked Twilight.

“Well I tried to cast a mind-altering spell,” Twilight said, thinking back to the duel. “It was supposed to be a simple illusion, just to buy me some time. I thought for sure she’d be able to break it in just a few seconds!”

“But after a few minutes I started getting worried so I levitated her out of the hole, and she was just staring blankly into space. Then she started screaming at me for some reason, so I got scared and backed away. Eventually she calmed down, but she looked really scared. I didn’t know what to do so I tried to wake her up.”

Celestia sat in silence. She tapped her chin slowly, obviously deep in thought.

“The only thing I could think of is that you put too much magic into the spell, causing it to malfunction,” Celestia sighed. “Although that doesn’t explain why she got hurt from the illusion.”

“Twilight’s been reading some dark arts if that helps,” Sunset nonchalantly said.

“Twily! What did mom and dad say about reading those kinds of books?” Shining Armor frowned, scolding the filly.

“That I shouldn’t until I was older,” Twilight said, her head drooping.

“Wait, so your parents wouldn’t care that you were reading dark arts if you were older?” Starlight asked, a stupefied look on her face.

Shining Armor shrugged. “Our parents don’t really care too much as long as we don’t cause trouble.”

“I think reading those books can cause a lot of trouble,” Starlight frowned.

Celestia sighed, looking at the droopy Twilight. She stayed silent, just watching her student sit there.

“She’s not in trouble, is she?” Sunset asked.

“No,” Celestia said. “Although I may not approve of those books, it doesn’t mean I’m not completely against a pony reading them. Especially somepony like Twilight, who has an insatiable hunger for knowledge.”

Twilight lifted her head to look up at Celestia, a weak smile on her face.

“The being said, I hope you’re more careful with what you read as well as how it affects your spellcasting. As I said before, I’m not against you knowing and even using dark arts, but you must use them carefully, okay?”

“O-Okay!” Twilight nodded frantically. “I’ll be careful.”

“I do have a question though,” Celestia smiled. “How exactly did you get into reading the dark arts?”

Twilight beamed. “Because they’re interesting!”

“Alright, let’s wrap up training for today!” Shining Armor shouted, the four students sprawled out on the grass.

“Why is it still as hard as yesterday!?” Sunset growled.

“I told you it’s not easy,” Shining Armor smirked.

“Everything hurts,” Sunburst groaned.

Starlight sighed.“I regret everything.”

“Already giving up?” Sunset teased.

Scoffing, Starlight sat up. “Not even close.”

“Good,” Sunset simply said.

A small snore caught their attention. Looking towards the source of the sound, they saw Twilight curled up in the grass, sleeping peacefully.

“She did this last time,” Sunset chuckled as she sat up.“You really know how to wear a pony out, Shiny.”

Shining Armor cringed. “Don’t call me that.”

“Whatever you say…” Sunset smirked. “Shiny.”

“Ugh…” Shining Armor groaned, levitating his sister onto his back. “I’m getting out of here before all of you start doing it.”

“I don’t think I would ever call you that,” Sunburst pushed up his glasses. “Like ever.”

“I wouldn’t either,” Starlight added. “That’s just weird.

“Good,” Shining Armor simply said, turning away. “I’m going to head out first. See you three tomorrow!.”

Shining Armor walked away from the three into the garden, slowly fading from view.

“So, what do you two usually do?” Starlight asked, eyeing Sunset.

“Well we’ve only really been friends for like a day so we don’t really know,” Sunset shrugged.

“Well, yesterday I went to Sunset’s room,” Sunburst mindlessly said.

“Y-You went to her room?” Starlight asked, mouth slightly agape.

“Yes?” Sunburst tilted his head.

“Alone?” Starlight scooted closer to Sunburst.

Sunburst nodded his head. “Uh huh…”

Starlight frowned. “Then what did you two do?”

“We did lots of stuff,” Sunset smirked. “Lots and lots of stuff.”

Starlight’s frown deepened. “What kind of stuff?”

“You know exactly what kind of ‘stuff’,” Starlight winked at her.

“Sunburst!” Starlight shook him with her magic. “Is this true?!”

“What are you talking about?” Sunburst said in between shakes.

“Did you do ‘that’ with Sunset?” Starlight shouted, shaking the poor stallion harder. “Did you?!”

Sunburst took a look at Sunset, who was grinning like a foal, then a look at Starlight who was on the verge of tears. Then it clicked.

“We didn’t do anything,” Sunburst shouted. “All we did was write that letter to you!”

Suddenly the shaking stopped and Sunburst dropped back to the ground. Starlight’s horn stopped glowing, and the field was quiet.

Except for Sunset’s snickering.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you,” Sunburst glared at Sunset.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sunset whistled.

“So you two didn’t do anything?” Starlight interrupted them. “You’re not lying to me and you two aren’t secretly dating?”

“Me, date him?” Sunset chuckled. “Pfft, do you even hear yourself right now?”

“I promise that we aren’t dating, Starlight,” Sunburst said, ignoring Sunset’s insult.

“Oh thank Celestia…” Starlight sighed.

“Why are you so relieved?” Sunset smirked. “Maybe you want to-”

Sunset was cut off by a barrier surrounding her. Sunset’s face furrowed, slamming on the walls. It was obvious she was yelling at them, but not a single sound came out from the barrier.

“Let’s start heading back,” Starlight said.

“Sounds good,” Sunburst shrugged, the two walking away.

Sunset, however, was still stuck in the barrier, pounding on the walls with her hoof.

“HEY! LET ME OUT OF THIS DAMN THING!” She shouted to get their attention, but to no avail. She continued pounding on it for a few minutes before tiring out, falling down on her haunches.

She sighed. “Guess I’m stuck here forever.”

Chapter 10: Twilight's Other Brother and the Guard's Secret

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Sunset was lying in her bed, staring up at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. Shining Armor had decided to put a pause on their magic training ever since Starlight decimated a part of the garden, so after school and her lessons with Celestia, she had absolutely nothing to do.

“I thought lazing around would be fun, but this is driving me nuts,” Sunset mumbled, turning onto her side. She faced towards her door. After a moment, she sighed and slowly got out of her bed.

Making her way to the door, she opened it slightly, sunlight leaking through the slit. She hissed as it hit her eyes, blinking multiple times, trying to adjust to the brightness.

“I should really open my window more often,” Sunset muttered as she walked out of her room, shutting the door behind her. A slight breeze ran through her coat, mixing well with the warm rays of the sun.

Sunset continued on, trotting towards the castle and through the halls. She wandered around with no destination, mindlessly wandering around the castle. She passed by castle staff and guards, exchanging brief greetings.

“I wonder what Twilight’s up to,” Sunset mindlessly said out loud.

“She’s probably taking care of Spike right about now,” a stallion chuckled, turning the corner.

“Woah!” Sunset slightly jumped back a little, surprised at the sudden appearance of Twilight’s brother. “Oh, it’s just you.”

Shining Armor rolled his eyes. “Good to see you too, Sunset.”

“Good to see you too buddy,” Sunset smirked, nudging him playfully. “Anyways, you said Twilight’s probably with Spike?”

“Yup,” Shining Armor nodded. “She’s most likely in her room reading him a book or something like that.”

“And where would her room be?” Sunset asked.

Shining Armor cocked an eyebrow.“You don’t even know where her room is?”

“We usually hangout in my room or the garden,” Sunset shrugged. “I’ve never seen her room before.”

“Well she actually doesn’t have a room per se,” Shining Armor said. “Rather, she has a whole tower to herself. Kind of like you.”

“Does Celestia just give all her students their own tower or something?” Sunset chuckled.

Shining Armor chuckled along with her. “I wouldn’t doubt it.”

“So where’s her tower?”

“It’s in the south wing, just past the library,” Shining Armor directed her. “It’s a pretty tall tower so you can’t miss it.”

Sunset grinned. “How convenient for her, being right next to the library.”

“I think Celestia took that into account when assigning her a living space,” Shining Armor sighed. “Although, her room was already filled with bookshelves lined with books.”

“So she has her own little library in her room? How fitting.”

“That’s what my parents said,” Shining Armor chuckled. “Are you going to head over there now?”

Sunset nodded. “I’ve been bored out of my mind ever since we put a pause on magic practice. I have so much free time I don’t know what to do with it.”

“Celestia’s lessons are time consuming, no?” Shining Armor tilted his head.

“Depends on the day,” Sunset shrugged. “Sometimes they take hours, sometimes just a couple minutes.”

“What do you even do in a couple minutes?”

“Well she basically just tells me to read up on something before the next lessons, and dismisses me,” Sunset explained. “She said she doesn't like to have short lessons like that, but sometimes she’s just too busy with ruler stuff.”

“Running a nation is just a little hard,” Shining Armor grinned.

Sunset grinned back. “Just a little.”

“So I’m guessing today was one of those short lessons?”

“Yeah,” Sunset sighed. “Something about Ponyville, the Everfree Forest, and timberwolves.”

“I briefly remember Captain telling me about some issues down in Ponyville,” Shining Armor said. “I guess it’s a bigger problem than I thought, if Celestia has to get involved.”

“I guess so.”

“Well, I shouldn’t keep you any longer,” Shining Armor said. “Plus, I have to report to the Captain soon.”

“Alright!” Sunset smiled. “Say hi to him for me.”

“Will do,” Shining Armor nodded before heading towards the guard’s quarters.

Sunset turned towards the south wing, making the trek towards Twilight’s “room.” As usual, she passed some guards and castle staff, eventually arriving at the south wing. This area was where a lot of the storage was. The treasury and artifact vault were the most important among the rooms.

Sunset wandered around, looking at all the rooms. There was occasionally a bedroom, but she couldn’t seem to find the tower.

“You can’t miss it…” Sunset muttered to herself.

“What are you doing in the south wing, Sunset?” somepony called out to her from behind.

Sunset turned around to see a familiar face down the hall.

“Moonlight!” Sunset trotted over to her. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Heh, yeah,” Moonlight rubbed the back of her neck. “Being night patrol and all, I don’t really do much during the day.”

“Wait, is that why you’re absent for O&O so often?”

Moonlight sheepishly grinned. “Yup. I’m probably still sleeping when you guys are playing.”

“You miss out on sleep to play then sometimes?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Oh man, I would never take a night shift anywhere,” Sunset sighed.

“Don’t knock it till you try it,” Moonlight said. “It’s kind of relaxing, even if I’m supposed to be alert and all.”

“Uh huh…”

“Anyways, as I said earlier, what are you doing in the south wing? There’s not really anything that interesting down here.” Moonlight asked. “I mean, the libraries down here! Talk about booooring.”

“Don’t let Twilight hear you say that,” Sunset snickered. “But that’s what I’m doing down here, looking for Twilight’s room.”

“Do you know what area it’s in? I might be able to guide you there.”

“Apparently it’s just past the library,” Sunset said. “Shining Armor said it’s a large tower that nopony can miss.”

“Wait, Twilight stays in that tower? I did not know that,” Moonlight tapped her chin. “I know where it is, follow me!” Moonlight said before walking down the hall.

“Sounds good!” Sunset said, walking close behind her.

Sunset and Moonlight walked through the halls, passing guards and some of the royal scholars. Moonlight would often greet the male guards with a wink or smile, even sometimes putting a little more sway in her hips.

“Do you flirt with every guard?” Sunset snickered.

“Yes, yes I do,” Moonlight winked, a mischievous grin on her face. “It’s kind of fun to see their reactions. Someponies get flusters, while some flirt back. It’s like a guessing game, trying to figure out how they’ll react before I do anything.”

“And why do you do that?”

“Well I just said it was fun,” Moonlight said. “But also because it helps pass the time and strikes up conversations.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Sunset nodded. “I can’t imagine having to just walk around for hours on end.”

“It doesn’t really bother me anymore, but when I first started I almost died of boredom everyday.”

“Definitely not the job for me, that’s for sure,” Sunset chuckled.

“Yup,” Moonlight simply said.

They continued their way into a very large courtyard. It was large enough to have separate buildings inside of it, one of them being the library. Right behind it was a tall tower.

“I’m guessing that’s where Twilight stays,” Sunset pointed at the tower.

“Well if what Shiny said was true, then yes, it would be where Twilight stays.”

“Did you just call him Shiny?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “He hates it when I do that.”

“He doesn’t seem to mind it,” Moonlight smirked. “But Cadance does.”

Sunset frowned. “You know they’re dating, right?”

Moonlight rolled her eyes.“Of course I do, they make it so obvious. Don’t worry, I’m not going to try anything. I don’t even like Shiny like that.”

“Uh huh…” Sunset nodded slowly. “Well, I’m going to go to Twilight. You wanna come along?”

“Nah, I have to go meet up with my lieutenant soon,” Moonlight sighed. “There’s a big meeting today with all the branches.”

“I was wondering why you were up.”

“Guess you found out without even asking,” Moonlight chuckled. “Well, I’ll start heading there now. See you around, and hopefully at O&O sometime.”

Sunset waved as Moonlight walked away back towards the main castle.

“Well, guess I’ll go check what Twilight’s up to,” Sunset said as she turned around, looking towards the tower.

Trotting over to the entrance, she groaned as she saw the large amount of stairs leading up to the entrance. She begrudgingly started climbing them, eventually reaching the top.

“How does Twilight do this everyday?” Sunset mumbled. “Maybe I’m just out of shape…”

After catching her breath, she knocked on the door. A few moments later, she heard a faint voice.

“Coming!”

Followed by some trotting then loud thumps, almost if somepony was falling down a flight of stairs.

“Ow…” Sunset heard the filly say. “I really have to watch my step, huh Spike?”

“Uh… you okay Twilight?” Sunset called through the door. “I heard some loud noises.”

Twilight slightly opened the door, peeping through the slit. “Sunset! What are you doing here?”

“Just dropping by to hang out,” Sunset said. “I got kind of bored doing nothing.”

“O-Oh okay!” Twilight nodded, unlatching the chain and fully opening the door. “Come on in. It might be a little messy because I was playing with Spike and reading.”

Sunet shrugged. “I don’t expect a filly’s room to be tidy anyways.”

“It’s tidy most of the time,” Twilight frowned. “You just happened to come when it’s messy.”

“Uh huh…” Sunset nodded slowly, walking into the tower. Looking around the spacious room, Sunset whistled. “Quite the place you have here.”

“It’s a little too big for me,” Twilight said, closing the door behind her. “But I’m happy because I can store more books here!”

“Shining Armor did mention you had your own library in here…” Sunset mindlessly said, still looking around.

The tower’s first floor was very spacious, only a few pieces of furniture spread around. There was a bed tucked into a corner with a night stand and plant. Oddly enough there was a balcony right next to the bed with no door. Opposite to her bed was another balcony, with once again no door. Right in the middle of the room was a table with four chairs, lots of books, quills, and scrolls scattered on it.

“Why do you have two balconies?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “And why do they have no doors?”

“I don’t really know,” Twilight shrugged. “I just put a curtain over them most of the time, especially if it's too hot or cold.”

“How about if it’s too windy?”

Twilight smiled. “I just nail them down.”

“That’s why there’s cracks in the wall…” Sunset shook her head. “What about upstairs?”

“That’s my favorite place! C’mon follow me,” Twilight said, excitedly running up. Sunset opted to walk up the stairs instead.

Reaching the top, Sunset stood there, eyes wide.

“They were not lying, this place really is a library.”

There were at least six bookshelves, lined with all kinds of texts. One one of the shelves were incredibly tall, needing a roughly twelve foot ladder just to reach the top. The other shelves were overhead, built into the wall that was underneath a balcony. It seemed the ladder was also used for these shelves.

“I do like reading after all,” Twilight giggled.

Sunset sighed. “Like is an understatement.”

A burp and coo caught Sunset’s attention. She turned towards the source of the noise, finding a baby dragon on the floor, sucking on his own tail.

“I’m going to guess that’s Spike,” Sunset eyed the dragon.

“How do you know his name?” Twilight tilted her head. “I never told you, did I?”

“Celestia and Shining Armor mentioned him once or twice,” Sunset simply said.

Twilight levitated the baby dragon onto her back. “Well then, Spike, meet Sunset. You know, the pony I talk to you about.”

Spike stopped sucking on his tail and stared at Sunset. He cooed once again, smiling at the Sunset.

“Aww aren’t you a cutie,” Sunset said, rubbing his cheeks.

“He’s so cute!” Twilight chirped. “Except when he burps fire. That’s a little scary.”

“Wait, he burps fire?” Sunset backed up cautiously. “Isn’t that, like, really dangerous? Especially in an enclosed area like here?”

Twilight shrugged. “Celestia put a fireproofing spell on almost everything in here. She even stationed some firefighters nearby just in case.”

Sunset nodded slowly. “So it should be safe?”

“Yup!” Twilight grinned. “There was this one time he set a book on fire though. It wasn’t fireproof because I got it from the library.”

“Sounds real safe…” Sunset muttered.

Spike wailed his small arms around, the smile still on his face.

Sunset sighed. “I guess it’s alright since he’s cute.”

“I was pretty mad at him at first because he destroyed a book, but Celestia told me that he can’t control his fire at such a young age so it’s to be expected,” Twilight said. “Though, I was still a little sad. I even buried the ashes in the garden.”

Sunset chuckled. “So that’s why there’s that random gravestone in the garden.”

“Uh huh!” Twilight nodded.

“So what do you usually do with Spike?” Sunset asked.

“Well most of the time I just read him books,” Twilight said, levitating him down on the ground. “He just sits there babbling while I read. Occasionally he claps his little hands together and coos, especially if I’m reading something interesting!”

“What kind of books do you read to him?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow.

“Oh you know, spell books, ancient tomes, things like that.”

Sunset’s face deadpanned. “I don’t think he understands a thing you're saying then.”

Just then, Spike frowned, glaring at Sunset.

“I beg to differ,” Twilight grinned, motioning towards the baby dragon. “See? He reacted to what you just said!”

“Maybe he’s just grumpy?” Sunset said.

Spike’s frown deepened, shaking his head.

“Huh, I guess he really does understand us,” Sunset acknowledged. “He doesn’t talk though?”

“He occasionally repeats a word I say while reading while babbling,” Twilight said. “I’m sure in a couple months he’ll be able to talk just fine!”

“Can he even walk?”

“He can waddle a few steps before falling, but that’s progress!”

“He really is just like a foal,” Sunset said. “Expect the whole fire burp thing.”

The baby dragon babbled a bit before yawning, his eyes semi-closed.

“Aww are you tired Spike?” Twilight nuzzled him. “We did read a lot and you didn’t even have your nap yet!”

Sunset chuckled. “Wait, he has a scheduled nap as well?”

Twilight nodded.“Celestia told me that babies need their rest to grow, so I have wrote down a whole schedule for him.”

“Huh, how interesting,” Sunset simply said.

“We’re a bit off schedule so maybe that’s why he’s more tired than usual,” Twilight said, observing the baby dragon who was on the verge of falling asleep. Twilight levitated him into a small basket, gently placing him down into the soft blanket.

“Sweet dreams,” Twilight whispered to Spike, who was already fast asleep.

“So you’re kind of like his mom?” Sunset asked, looking down at the sleeping dragon.

“I think of myself more as his big sister,” Twilight smiled. “And he’s my little brother.”

“He probably thinks of you as his mom if I’m being honest here,” Sunset chuckled.

“I guess you’re right…” Twilight pondered it. “I’m too young to be a mom though!”

“Well duh.”

“So now that Spike's asleep, we should do something!” Twilight changed the topic.

“What should we do?” Sunset asked.

“Read a book?” Twilight grinned.

“That’s the only thing you ever want to do,” Sunset chuckled. “How about we go on a little walk? Pay a visit to some of our guard friends.”

“As long as we aren’t out for too long,” Twilight looked back at Spike. “I have to be back once Spike wakes up.”

“How long does he usually nap?”

“About two hours.”

“We’ve got some time then,” Sunset said, walking towards the stairs. “C’mon, let’s go!”

“O-Okay!” Twilight ran after Sunset who was already halfway down the stairs.

Sunset and Twilight walked through the halls of the castle. Their destination was the guards quarters.

“Think we’ll find Sharp Arrow?” Twilight asked.

Sunset looked at the filly. “How do you know Sharp Arrow?”

“Him and Shiny would be together a lot,” Twilight said. “Something about training him to become the next Captain. He’s super nice!”

“He is nice…” Sunset smiled. “He let me off the hook one time when he caught me practicing magic by myself.”

Twilight gasped. “A student usually gets suspended or even expelled if somepony finds them doing that!”

“It was probably because I’m Celestia’s student,” Sunset laughed. “He did scold me though, so I wasn’t let off scot free.”

“You basically were!”

Sunset shrugged. “Guess I’m lucky.”

The two continued through the uncharacteristically empty halls. There were less guards than usual.

Twilight looked around her. “Where are all the guards?”

“Moonlight told me that the guards had some sort of meeting going on,” Sunset said. “I wonder what the meeting’s about.”

“Let’s go find out!” Twilight grinned, galloping down the hall.

“Hey, wait up!” Sunset called after her, galloping behind her.

The two ran through the halls, making it to the guard’s quarters. Twilight finally slowed down, standing in front of a giant double door. Sunset eventually caught up to her, slowing down. Panting hard, she stopped right next to Twilight.

“How are you not tired?” Sunset groaned.

“Walking up and down my tower’s stairs everyday really helped,” Twilight giggled. “But look, we’re here!”

Twilight looked up to the doors. “Where are we exactly?”

“Where they’re holding the meeting!”

Sunset tilted her head. “How do you know they were here? Aren’t there a lot of meeting halls in the guard’s quarters, let alone the castle.”

“I asked one of the guards when we were running here.”

Sunset was even more confused. “I didn’t see you stop once though?”

“Okay, maybeeee I didn’t ask him…” Twilight grinned. “I may or may not have read his mind.”

“Why am I not surprised,” Sunset weakly laughed. “What can’t you do?”

“Cook!” Twilight chirped.

“Good to know,” Sunset rolled her eyes, getting closer to the door. She put her hoof against it, opening up just a little crack. Peeking an eye through, she scanned the room.

“What do you see?” Twilight whispered.

“Uhhh… just a bunch of guards standing around,” Sunset relayed back. “I don’t think the meeting has even started. They’re kind of just chatting with each other.”

“Let me take a look!”

Sunset moved out of the way slightly, allowing Twilight to peek in with her. They both looked around the room. The guards were still all in their armor, standing around. Directly across from the door was a stage with a microphone, a couple of ponies standing up there as well.

“I think I see Sharp Arrow,” Sunset squinted. “Is that him on the far left of the stage?”

Twilight moved her eyes towards the left side, spotting a white-coated stallion with gray armor.

“That’s definitely him,” Twilight said. “I can recognize that armor from anywhere.”

“I think that’s your brother right next to him as well.”

Looking at the other white-coated stallion right next to Sharp Arrow, Twilight nodded. “It is Shiny!”

“Shhh!” Sunset looked down at Twilight.

Twilight weakly laughed. “Sorry.”

They continued to watch as the guards just continued to talk amongst themselves. Some would occasionally look up to the stage.

“What are they meeting about?” Twilight asked.

Sunset was about to reply when the majority of the lights in the room turned off, only the stage lit up.

“I think it’s starting,” Sunset said.

Sharp Arrow walked to the center of the stage where the microphone was, smiling at everypony there. He waited till all the murmuring quieted down before clearing his throat.

“I gathered all of you here today because there is something serious happening soon,” He paused dramatically, the room deathly quiet. Anxiety and dread filled some of the guards.

“There is a very important event just on the horizon. You may be wondering what could be so important that I would have to summon almost every guard in the castle, and some of you may be getting the jitters just from hearing this, but I can assure you that everything is just fine.”

Relieved sighs filled the room.

“However!” Sharp Arrow quickly said. “We cannot be complacent. We must act now, and make sure that we do it quietly.”

“General Sharp Arrow, stop teasing them so much,” Sharp Edge rolled his eyes. “Can’t you see you’re scaring some of the noobies?”

“Yeah, just get to the point,” Thunder Sparks chuckled loudly. “It’s not like it’s anything dangerous.”

Sharp Arrow sighed. “Really you two?”

“I also agree with them,” Shining Armor said. “I think we should just let them know what’s happening. It isn’t good to make them uneasy.”

“Fine, fine,” Sharp Arrow said. “As I said before, don’t worry, nothing bad is happening. There is something big, and that is…”

Sharp Arrow paused, nodding at some ponies on the side of the stage. They nodded back, and pulled down two ropes.

Behind the curtain that fell was a portrait of Celestia, as well as a long banner.

“Princess Celestia’s birthday!”

“Wait, that’s it?!” Sunset shouted a little too loudly.

“Uh oh,” Twilight said as they watched two guards rush towards the door. “Should we run?”

“That would just make us more suspicious,” Sunset said. “Plus, it’s not like we’re spies or anything. The most trouble we’ll get in is an earful from Shiny or Sharp Arrow.”

“I guess you’re right,” Twilight said, sitting down. Sunset opted to just stand back a bit, watching the door fling open.

“Who’s there?” a dark gray coated guard yelled, looking at the two mares. “Oh, it’s just you two.”

“Who is it?” A white coated guard asked, stepping into the hall.

“Just Celestia’s students,” the first guard casually remarked. “You two spyin’ on us, huh?”

“We got a little curious,” Twilight sheepishly smiled.

Sunset sighed. “I thought this meeting was for something super important, but it’s just for Celestia’s birthday?”

The two guards gasped in horror. “What do you mean ‘just’ Celestia’s birthday?!” The dark gray coated guard shouted.

“I mean everypony has a birthday, what makes hers so special?”

“Sunset, she’s kind of the ruler of Equestria,” Twilight reminded her.

“Oh yeah, I guess you’re right,” Sunset rubbed her chin. “Eh, still doesn’t make much of a difference to me.”

“I’m going back inside to report what happened to Captain Sharp Arrow,” the dark gray coated said, trotting back into the hall.

“Well unlike you, we guards take her birthday very seriously,” the white coated guard said pridefully. “She’s kind of like our work mom to be honest.”

Sunset tilted her head. “What does that even mean?”

“Well, since we don’t really go home too often we don’t get to see our families,” he started to explain. “We kind of grew attached to her.”

“That sounds kind of weird,” Sunset stifled a snicker.

“It’s not weird!” He denied her. “She’s not only kind to us, looking after us and all that. She even remembers all our names! Do you know how many guards there are?”

“A lot, I would hope,” Twilight chirped.

“Yes, there is a lot,” the guard nodded. “She shows interest in our passions, and she’s even bigger than us! It just seems natural to see her as a motherly figure, and since we see her as our mom, we want to protect her more!”

Twilight nodded, thinking of Celestia. “I fully agree.”

“Well I can kind of see where you’re coming from…” Sunset said. “I bet some of you even called her mom by accident.”

“Oh, we have,” he chuckled. “I think even Lieutenant Shining Armor and Captain Sharp Arrow slipped up once or twi-.”

The guard suddenly shouted, a loud slapping noise echoing through the hall.

“You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone outside of the guard, Private Sundance.”

Twilight and Sunset turned their attention to the pony responsible for the slap, seeing Shining Armor glaring at the guard.

“Shiny!” Twilight shouted, running up and hugging his forelegs.

“Hey there Twily,” he said, his glare instantly vanishing. He locked her head in between one of his forelegs, nooging her. “You’ve been spying on us, huh?”

“W-We weren’t spying! We were just watching without permission,” Twilight said, trying to pull herself free from his grip.

“I think that’s spying,” he chuckled, finally relenting. Twilight stumbled back a bit and started fixing her mane. “Good to see you again too, Sunset.”

“Yeah, good to see you,” she paused. “Shiny.”

“Ugh, not in front of the guards,” Shining Armor hissed. “What did I tell you about calling me that anyways?”

“That you love it?” Sunset smirked.

Shining Armor groaned. “No, that’s not what I said at all! I told you not to.”

“That’s not what I remember,” Sunset said, feigning ignorance.

“Do what you want,” Shining Armor sighed, giving up on her. “So I’m guessing you two know why we’re having this meeting?”

“Celestia’s birthday!” Twilight answered.

Shining nodded. “It’s a very important event for everypony in the castle, so don’t mess it up for us.”

“How would we do that?” Sunset cocked her eyebrow. “Actually, why would we do that? We both like Celestia. For the most part.” She mumbled the last part under her breath.

“Hm?” Shining Armor narrowed his eyes. “What was that?”

“You don’t have to worry,” Sunset smiled. “I promise I won’t do anything to mess up whatever you all have planned. Mainly because it would be a pain to face both the guards and Celestia’s wraith.”

“I’ll take your word for it…” Shining Armor hesitantly said. “I guess since you both already know, we can let you in on what we’re going to do. But you have to keep it a secret from Celestia, you got it?”

“Ooo… a secret!” Twilight said. “I like secrets.”

“Got it,” Sunset nodded.

“Alright, come on in,” Shining Armor turned around, walking into the meeting hall. Sunset and Twilight followed behind him.

They made their way to the stage with Shining, standing next to the higher ranking officers. Some guards would glance over to them, but most of their attention was on Sharp Arrow, who stood in the middle.

“Alright, now where was I?”

“You just revealed that Celestia’s birthday is coming up!” Somepony from the crowd shouted.

“Ah, thank you very much Silver Shine,” Sharp Arrow said. “Now, well know how important Celestia’s birthday is for us guards…”

Sharp Arrow continued on about how important Celestia’s birthday was to them, the guards cheering.. Meanwhile, Sunset rubbed her chin, contemplating something.

“Did he just call that pony by name?” she asked, turning to Shining.

“Well duh,” Shining Armor rolled his eyes. “Captain Sharp Arrow tries to remember every guard’s name. He usually recognizes them by voice rather than face though.”

“That’s actually kind of impressive,” Sunset said. “Everypony must respect him alot.”

“Indeed we do,” Shining Armor nodded.

“Alright, let me explain what we’re going to do this year,” Sharp Arrow said, finally finishing up the importance of Celestia’s birthday. “This year we’re going to throw her a surprise party!”

The guards erupted into cheers.

“Settle down everypony,” Sharp Arrow smiled. “I know we’re all excited but we have to keep it low-key, remember? We don’t want any other pony to know besides us and the kitchen staff.

“Not all the castle staff know?” A guard shouted.

“Nope, only the kitchen staff because they’re catering it, as always. We’re responsible for decorating it this year, so if you are artsy please stay after the meeting is adjourned.”

There were a couple murmurs among the crowd that quickly died out.

“That’s pretty much everything for today. I just wanted to let everypony know what we’re up to this year for Celestia’s birthday,” Sharp Arrow announced. “We’ll be having more meetings in the near future, so please try and keep your schedules open. If nopony has any questions or concerns, you may all return back to your duties.”

Sharp Arrow stepped away from the center of the stage while the guards filed out of the room. Some guards lingered, walking closer to the stage.

“Oh, what brings you two here?” Sharp Arrow asked, his attention on Sunset and Twilight.

Sunset shrugged. “Just trying to not be bored.”

“We were also a little curious!” Twilight added.

“I’m sure Lieutenant Shining already asked you not to tell Celestia, so I’m not going to pester you two about that,” Sharp Arrow laughed. “Though I will ask if you would like to join us in decorations. If you don’t want to do that, I have a special job I could use some help with.”

“I’m not very artsy, so I’ll have to pass on decorating,” Sunset mumbled. “Celestia would probably ask which foal helped…”

“Something special? That sounds fun!” Twilight chirped. “What is it?”

“Well, we want to get a special gift and cake for Celestia, but we have no idea what to get for both of them,” Sharp Arrow sighed. “With her being the ruler of Equestria, there’s almost nothing she can’t get, and I’m sure you already know her knowledge on cake is quite extensive.”

“Scarily extensive,” Sunset chuckled. “So you want us to find a special cake and gift for her?”

“Since you’re her personal students, I figured it’d be a little easier for you two to figure out something she’d want.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Twilight said. “Let’s do it!”

“Eh, why not,” Sunset shrugged. “We’re in I guess.”

“Glad to hear it,” Sharp Arrow smiled. “Now, if you two need help feel free to come to me or Lieutenant Shining. We’ll try our best to help out.”

“You heard him,” Sunset shrugged, nudging Shining’s side.

“Well, I’m going to gauge these guard’s abilities in decorations, so I’ll be leaving first.”

Sharp Arrow stepped down from the stage, gathering the ponies around him. He quickly gave little talk to them before they all followed him out of the room.

Now the only ponies left in the large meeting hall were Sunset, Twilight, Shining, and Moonlight.

“So I guess that’s that,” Sunset said. “That little adventure was fun.”

“Didn’t think I’d see you so soon,” Moonlight chuckled.

“Why are you still here?” Shining cocked an eyebrow, staring Moonlight down.

“Woah, stop looking at me like that,” Moonlight winked at the stallion, a smirk on her face. “Your marefriend might get jealous.”

Shining Armor sighed, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah, whatever…”

“You’re no fun anymore,” Moonlight frowned. “You used to get so flustered whenever I teased you. Now look at you! So boring.”

“Anyways…” Shining Armor cleared his throat. “I think we should be getting back to work. Am I right, Moonlight?”

“Yes sir,” Moonlight saluted playfully, a large grin on her face.

Rolling his eyes at her, he turned his attention to Twilight and Sunset. “You two should probably start thinking of some things to get Princess Celestia. Especially that cake.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Sunset said. “We have the list master right here!”

Twilight looked up at Sunset, confused. “Am I the list master?”

Sunset chuckled. “Yes, yes you are.”

“Cool!” Twilight chirped.

“Well, if you two got it down, I’ll leave you two,” Shining said. “Moonlight, go get some rest. You still have the night shift, you know.”

“Yes sir,” She said with a little less enthusiasm. She grudgingly walked out the hall with Shining Armor.

Sunset looked over at Twilight.“So,what should we do now?”

“Make a list?”

Sunset nodded. “Want to go to your room?”

Twilight grinned. “Yup!”

Chapter 11: Shopping With Friends

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“So Celestia’s birthday is coming up?” Starlight asked nonchalantly, taking a sip of her coffee. “That’s cool.”

Sunburst’s mouth was slightly agape. “That’s all you have to say?!”

“What do you mean?” Starlight cocked an eyebrow.

“Princess Celestia’s, who mind you is the ruler of all of Equestria, birthday is coming up, and all you can say is that’s cool?” Sunburst shouted.

“Shhh!” Sunset quickly hushed him. “We promised we wouldn’t tell any other pony.”

“But didn’t you just tell-” Starlight tried to interrupt before her mouth was magically zipped.
“Mmm mmm mmm!”

“That’s not very nice, Sunset,” Twilight frowned, pointing at Starlight’s mouth.

“Don’t care,” Sunset bluntly said. “As I was saying, we promised we wouldn’t tell any other pony but we told you two, so you have to promise us you won’t tell anypony.”

Sunburst tilted his head. “Why don’t they want ponies to know? Doesn’t her birthday call for a huge celebration?”

“The royal guard is planning a surprise party for her this year, so no pony except them and the kitchen staff can know,” Sunset explained.

“That makes sense,” Sunburst closed his eyes and nodded. Opening them, he smiled. “Okay, I won’t tell anypony. Not that I was going to anyways.”

They heard unzipping and turned their attention to Starlight, who was glaring daggers at Sunset. She crossed her forehooves and turned her head slightly away.

“I should tell everypony after what you just did,” Starlight harrumphed. “But I won’t, because that would probably get me in trouble too.”

“Thanks, I guess?” Sunset said.

“Since you two are in on the party planning, are you doing anything special?” Starlight asked, turning back to them.

“We’re in charge of finding a special gift and cake for her” Twilight said. “We made a list the other day, but we still have a lot of places we want to check out first!”

“That sounds kind of important,” Sunburst pushed his glasses up. “Do you need any help? Starlight and I aren’t really native to Canterlot, but we could help look around.”

“Woah, who said I wanted to help?” Starlight quickly said. “I might be busy.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “We all know you’re not busy.”

“You didn’t have to be so blunt about it…” Starlight grumbled, frowning.

“It’d be awesome if you helped!” Twilight chirped. “We could cover much more ground that way.”

“I can't believe I get to help plan a party for Princess Celestia!” Sunburst grinned goofily.

“When’s the party anyways?” Starlight asked.

“It’s in a couple of days so we have a bit of time, but there’s so many shops to look at,” Sunset groaned. “I mean, look how long the list is right!”

Twilight, as if on cue, levitated the unopened scroll out of her saddlebag and placed it on the table. Opening it up, it rolled and rolled, stopping at around three feet.

Starlight stared at the list. “Woah, that’s a lot of places.”

“Yeah, and we’re not even done yet,” Sunset weakly laughed. “So you two will be a big help.”

“This is going to be great!” Sunburst said enthusiastically. Turning to Starlight, he wore a wide smile. “Right, Starlight?”

“Woohoo, shopping,” Starlight mumbled.

“So when are we going?” Sunburst asked Sunset, ignoring Starlight’s response.

“Twilight and I have been going almost everyday after our lessons with Celestia, and we still haven’t even made a dent on the list,” Sunset sighed. “We’re going to go today as well. We usually just meet at the entrance of the castle, but we could meet at the fountain downtown.”

“We’re already starting? How exciting!” Sunburst clapped his forehooves together. “Sounds good to me, and I’ll be sure to bring Starlight.”

“Do I have to go?” Starlight asked. “I mean it’s not that I don’t like Celestia, but I don’t really know what to look for, you know?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll explain it in detail later,” Sunset smirked. “Since I know you’re so excited to go.”

Starlight frowned. “I don’t even have a choice?”

“Nope!” Sunset and Sunburst said in unison.

Twilight sipped on her juice box, simply watching as they tortured poor Starlight.

“Shall we wrap up our lesson?” Celestia asked, looking down on her student.

Sunset lay on the grass, facing towards the sky. It seemed like she always ended up like this after any magic lesson. “S-Sure…” She said through pants, getting up from the ground.

“It always seems like you're in a hurry after our lessons nowadays,” Celestia smiled.

“Just really want to go study more magic, yup,” Sunset nodded her head, awkwardly chuckling. “That’s totally the reason.”

“I hope you’re staying out of trouble at least,” Celestia simply said. “I’m not one to pry into ponies' private lives, unless it is affecting their performances.”

“Thanks,” Sunset sighed.

“Though, both you and Twilight seem to be in a hurry…” Celestia smirked. “What are you two planning?”

“Planning? Who said anything about planning,” Sunset nervously grinned. “No one said anything about planning anything.”

“Calm down Sunset,” Celestia chuckled. “It was just a joke. I’m sure you two aren’t doing anything dangerous.”

“Whew…” Sunset sighed again. “Well, gotta go bye!” She quickly said, before bolting out of the garden.

Celestia watched Sunset with curious eyes, a small smile on her face.

“Now what could they be up to…”

Sunset galloped through the cobblestone streets, her saddlebags bouncing on her back. Swiftly maneuvering her way through the crowd, she reached the middle of the plaza. A beautiful fountain stood in front of her, a statue of Celestia raising the sun in the center.

“I wonder when this was built,” Sunset mumbled to herself, staring up at the statue of her mentor. “It looks kind of old, and I’m sure Celestia wouldn’t do this nowadays.”

She continued to examine the statue until she felt a tap on her back leg. Turning around, she looked down to see Twilight standing there.

“You’re early,” Sunset greeted.

Twilight smiled. “And so are you.”

“So now we’re just waiting on Sunburst and Starlight,” Sunset said, taking a seat on the fountain’s edges. “I hope they didn’t run into any trouble.”

“Or get lost,” Twilight giggled.

The streets were still bustling, all kinds of stalls set up around them. The two waited for the pair to arrive, passing time by playing I-Spy or counting the bits in the fountain.

“2022, 2023, 2024, 2025…” Twilight mindlessly said aloud, focused on the fountain.

“Oh look, I think I see them!” Sunset shook Twilight, breaking her concentration.

“Aww! I was so close to counting all of them.”

Sunset gave her a funny look. “Wait, seriously?”

“Yup!” Twilight chirped. “If I had to guess, it’s around 2100!”

“That’s a lot of bits,” Sunset said, surprised. “I wonder if anypony will try and take them all.”

“I think the guards will arrest them if they tried,” Twilight motioned towards the two guards that have been standing by the fountain since they got there.

“That’s kind of scary,” Sunset chuckled. “Wait, I think we’re forgetting something.”

“Didn’t you say you saw Starlight and Sunburst?”

“Oh yeah!” Sunset slapped her forehead. “Look, over there!”

Sunset was pointing into the crowd. Twilight followed her hoof and looked forward, seeing an orange and a lilac pony wandering around.

“I see them!” Twilight said.

“Starlight, Sunburst, over here!” Sunset shouted, waving a hoof in the air. The two turned towards Sunset, making their way through the crowd to them.

“Hey there guys!” Sunburst greeted them as they approached them. “Hope you weren’t waiting too long.”

“We waited long enough for Twilight to almost count all the bits in there,” Sunset said, motining to the fountain. “She said there’s about 2100 in there.”

“That’s a lot of bits,” Starlight said.

Sunset nodded. “That’s what I said.”

“What took you two so long?” Twilight asked.

“We kind of got lost…” Sunburst rubbed the back of his neck.

Starlight rolled her eyes. “And it was all his fault.”

“Hey! I was hungry, okay?” Sunburst protested, frowning.

“Uh huh…” Starlight nodded.

“Well since we’re all here, let’s go take a look around,” Sunburst said, levitating the list out of her saddlebag. “First on the list is some book store down the road.”

Nodding, the four started trotting down the road towards the store.

“What would Celestia even want?” Starlight asked, walking next to Sunset. “You did say you would explain in detail.”

“And we will,” Twilight said.

“What she said,” Sunset nodded, levitating another scroll out. “Since Twilight likes lists so much, we made multiple. We have a list of places to visit, and a list of items that Celestia likes.”

“We also have a list of bakeries and what kind of cakes Celestia has had before!” Twilight added.

“So many lists…” Starlight said, looking oddly dizzy.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it soon,” Sunset chuckled. “We’ll probably only need the store and gift lists today, but we’ll definitely need to start looking for that cake soon.”

“You two are really serious about this, huh?” Starlight asked, reading over the gift list.

Sunburst rolled his eyes. “It’s Princess Celestia’s birthday, of course they are!”

“I guess so…” Starlight mumbled. “Wait, why would Celestia want the Necronomicon?”

“I think Twilight might’ve put that down by accident,” Sunset snorted. “She has a weird obsession with raising the dead.”

“I just find it interesting, okay?!” Twilight pouted.

“But that’s the thing, why do you find it interesting?” Sunset asked. “Are you going to raise an army of dead ponies or something?”

“Uh…” Twilight paused, rubbing her chin. “No?”

“Why do you sound uncertain?!” Sunburst asked, alarmed.

“I promise I won’t,” Twilight said with a little more confidence. “If I don’t have to.”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “What would warrant the need to form an undead army?”

“What if Canterlot, or even worse, all of Equestria was attacked?” Twilight asked. “If a pony was able to raise the dead, we could potentially minimize losses.”

“You know what, I don’t even want to know what you’re thinking of anymore,” Sunset grumbled, earning sympathetic looks from Starlight and Sunburst.

“You never know!” Twilight defended herself.

“Yeah yeah, whatever,” Sunset sighed. “Let’s just start looking.”

“Besides the Necronomicon,” Starlight started, crossing it out. “The rest of the items look pretty normal. A little too normal in my opinion.”

“She’s the ruler of Equestria, she can have pretty much anything she wants so we were sure that she already has all kinds of exotic things,” Sunset explained. “Taking that into account, Twilight and I decided that we should get her something more practical.”

“I don’t know if I’d really like a toothbrush for my birthday,” Starlight mumbled.

“We could get her a custom one,” Sunburst suggested. “Like with her cutie mark or something on it.”

“That isn’t a bad idea,” Twilight smiled.

“It isn’t, but I’m pretty sure that was just a throwaway idea,” Sunset said. “A last resort kind of thing, ya know?”

Starlight sighed. “I would hope so.”

“Oh, it seems we’re here,” Sunburst said, looking up to the shop.

The shop in front of the group felt like it didn’t really belong in the streets of Canterlot. It was a small, dainty shop that stood in between two beautiful alabaster buildings. The shop, however, was dark gray and the walls mainly made out of some sort of stone. The wooden door looked run down, and the windows were covered with curtains. The creaky sign that hung above the door, which was swaying slightly, read:

Books and Brews

“What lovely shop,” Starlight snickered.

“It caught our eye, okay?” Sunset grumbled, one of her eyes twitching.

Sunburst weakly smiled. “It’s very welcoming?”

“Let's go inside! Any store with books is awesome,” Twilight chirped, not a care in the world. “Maybe I can find my mom a gift too. She always liked reading ancient texts.”

“I think we figured out who she gets it from,” Starlight whispered, Sunset and Sunburst nodding.

There was a loud creak when Twilight opened the door, a bell ringing above them. The filly took a step into the shop, the rest of them following behind her. The store was small, only a few shelves lining the walls of the corridor. At the very end was a counter with a shelf behind it. There was a dark blue mare with glasses and a black witch hat sitting behind it, looking right at them.

She blinked a couple times before a smile slowly grew on her face. “Oh my, customers!”

“Hello!” Twilight greeted her enthusiastically. “We’re looking for a present for a very important pony, and we were wondering if you have anything interesting.”

“Straight to the point, huh,” Sunset chuckled.

“Well then you came to the right place,” the mare smiled warmly, getting out from behind the desk. Her cutie mark was simply a witch hat, much like the one she was wearing, with a bell at the end of it. “I’m Ringing Bell, the owner of this store.”

“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight smiled back. “Nice to meet you, Ringing Bell! ”

Ringing Bell craned her neck slightly to look past Twilight. “And you three are?”

“I’m Sunset Shimmer, and they are Sunburst and Starlight,” Sunset introduced herself and the rest of the group.

“Nice to meet you all,” Ringing Bell nodded. “Now onto the present. Do you all have any idea what this very important pony might like?”

“Do you have anything that’s a little more on the normal side here?” Sunset asked. “She already has pretty much everything she wants, so we wanted to get her something that would be more practical in her day-to-day.”

“Hmmm, something practical huh?” Ringing Bell rubbed her chin. “What does this pony do for a living?”

“Uhh…” Sunset frowned, her eyebrows furrowing.

“They’re the boss of a huge company. They manage the staff, make big decisions, and make sure everything is done correctly and safely!” Twilight jumped in to explain.

“So that’s why they have everything they want,” Ringing Bell said to herself, her eyes moving across the shelves. The four followed her eyes, looking at all the items she was grazing by. Eventually she stopped, eyeing one particular item.

“They’re a unicorn, right?”

Answering for the group, Sunset nodded.

“And do they happen to like sweets?”

Sunset nodded again. “They probably have the biggest sweet tooth in all of Equestria.”

“Perfect!” Ringing Bell smiled, levitating down a book. The book was quite worn, signifying its age. The only thing on the whole book was the title on the cover. There was no picture on the front, title on the side, and the back was completely blank.

“Ooo,” Twilight stared at the book. “What’s that?”

“It’s a cookbook,” Ringing Bell answered. “More specifically, a dessert focused one.”

“What’s so special about a cookbook?” Starlight tilted her head.

“Well this cookbook in particular is magical,” Ringing Bell explained, flipping through the pages. The group gasped.

All the pages were blank!

Sunburst frowned. “No offense, but what use is a book without any words?”

“That’s what makes this book special,” Ringing Bell grinned. “If the unicorn holding it links it to their mind, it’ll show a recipe for what dessert they are craving. Then if they wanted to, they could have it written down in the book.”

“That’s super cool!” Twilight beamed, turning back to the group. “She would love this, wouldn’t she?”

“I mean she does love sweets,” Sunset chuckled.

“I don’t really see how it would be useful to her though,” Sunburst said. “She doesn’t really bake or cook on her own, does she?”

“You’d think so, since she’s so busy,” Starlight added.

“She actually bakes quite often,” Sunset said. “She usually brings something, usually cookies or biscuits, when we have tea together.”

“They’re really good too!” Twilight added.

“Huh, color me surprised,” Starlight nodded. “Well I guess it wouldn’t be that bad of a present then.”

Twilight turned to Ringing Bell, levitating a small sack out of her saddlebags. “We’ll take it!”

“We’re seriously going to buy the first thing we looked at today?” Sunburst cocked an eyebrow. “I mean we still have hundreds of stores to check.”

“I mean we might as well get the gift out of the way as quickly as possible. We still have a cake to look for and who knows how long that’s going to take.” Sunset said. “Plus, Twilight and I have been looking forever for a gift, so we’re kind of done searching.”

Sunburst shrugged. “If you say so.”

“Great!” Ringing Bell clapped her forehooves together, levitating the book onto the counter. “Is this the only item you’d like to buy? You haven't really taken a look at anything else yet.”

“She’s right!” Twilight gasped. “I still have to find my mom a gift.”

“Go ahead,” Sunset chuckled. “Just don’t take too long, okay?”

“You kind of sound like her mom now,” Starlight snickered.

“I prefer big sister.” Sunset huffed.

Starlight smirked. “That makes Shining Armor your big brother!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Sunset rolled her eyes, looking back at Twilight.

The purple filly was looking up and down the shelves, examining the items. She was particularly looking at all the books the store had. Levitating them one at a time, she skimmed through them, mostly shaking her head.

Twilight turned towards “Do you have anything about ancient spells or dark magic?”

“What is with you and dark magic,” Sunset sighed, shaking her head.

“I don’t know if I’m legally able to sell a book about dark magic, especially to a filly,” Ringing Bell dryly laughed. “But I do have a spellbook that dates back to the Discordian era.”

“Ooo!” Twilight’s eyes sparkled. “Where? Where?!”

“Here ya go,” Ringing Bell said, levitating the spellbook over to the filly. “I haven’t gotten around to reading this one, so I don’t really know what’s inside of it.”

Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “You’re going to sell a potentially dangerous spellbook to a filly?”

“Not like this is illegal,” Ringing Bell shrugged. “Only things I can’t sell are dark magic, ponies, and drugs. Trust me, I read the laws.”

Starlight’s face deadpanned. “I would hope so.”

“You'd be surprised at how many shops sell illegal stuff,” Ringing Bell huffed. “At least I’m honest about what I sell here.”

“Wait, there’s shops that sell dark magic around here?” Twilight asked, her eyes sparkling even more than before. “Where?!”

Sunset narrowed her eyes at the filly. “Twilight, what did your parents and brother say about dark magic?”

“I know, I know,” Twilight grumbled, sitting down and crossing her forehooves. “Not until I’m older.”

“Good,” Sunset happily nodded. “I’m glad you remembered.”

Starlight eyed her. “You really are playing that older sister part, huh?”

“I told you, I prefer older sister,” Sunset smirked with a wink.

Ringing Bell cleared her throat, drawing everypony’s attention. “I’m guessing you’re all done shopping here now?”

“Yup!” Twilight perked back up, placing the spellbook on the counter, right next to the cookbook.

“Are we seriously going to allow her to buy a spellbook with unknown contents?” Sunburst asked, eyeing the book. “I mean, what if there’s dark magic hidden in there, or worse?!”

“Eh, that’ll be Shining’s problem then,” Sunset shrugged.

“You’re even putting the blame on the older sibling!” Starlight said. “Are you trying to integrate yourself into their family and kidnap them for leverage?” Narrowing her eyes, she frowned. “I’m onto you.”

Sunset looked at her as if she was crazy. “What are you even saying?”

“Heh, sorry,” Starlight sheepishly grinned, rubbing the back of her neck. “I’ve been reading too many of those mystery novels recently. I probably should cut back.”

“Uh huh…” Sunset nodded slowly. “Anyways, we should look for a cake after this since we still have a lot of time.”

Sunburst smiled. “Cake hunting, fun!”

“Why do you two have to find the cake anyways?” Starlight asked. “I mean, shouldn’t the pâtissiers take care of that?”

“Woah, I didn’t know you could speak Prench,” Sunset said.

“I said a single word in a somewhat Prench accent,” Starlight rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t mean I can speak Prench.”

“But to answer your question,” Sunset continued, completely ignoring her comment. “They chose Twilight and I because they wanted to find a special cake this year. Something along the lines of us being her students and knowing more about her than everypony.”

“That logic does add up,” Sunburst nodded with his eyes closed. “Leave it to her two students to figure out what kind of cake she’ll like.”

“It’s a harder task than you’d imagine,” Sunset frowned. “I don’t know if you know this, but she’s scarily knowledgeable on cakes. I’m pretty sure she could name every flavor, and I mean every flavor, you fed her if she was blindfolded and couldn’t smell. Also, she has a whole journal dedicated just to cake.”

“I did not know that,” Sunburst said, Starlight nodding in agreement.

Sunset laughed. “You learn something new everyday.”

“Okay, let’s go!” Twilight popped up behind them, the two books already in her saddlebags.

“I’m not even going to ask how you got there,” Sunburst frowned. Turning back to the Ringing Bell, they thanked her.

“Be sure to visit again some time!” Ringing Bell called out as they exited the store.

“So to the bakery I guess?” Sunset asked

“Sounds good to me,” Sunburst said. “Since we found the gift so early it would only make sense to kill two birds with one stone.”

“Why are we killing birds?” Twilight frowned. “That’s mean.”

“He didn’t mean it literally, it’s an expression,” Sunset chuckled. “It basically means that we’re able to knock out two things at once. In this context at least.”

“Interesting…” Twilight nodded slowly, jotting something down on a notepad she pulled out.

The four made their way towards the first bakery on their list, which was just down the street.

“She was nice,” Twilight chirped. “She gave me a discount on both of the books. I saved five whole bits!”

“That’s a pretty big discount,” Sunset said. “I think? How much were the books?”

“It would have been ten bits,” Twilight answered.

“So it was basically buy one get one free, huh?” Sunset grinned.

“Yup!” Twilight chirped. “After I finish this book, I’m going to give it to my mom!”

Starlight chuckled. “So you bought it for yourself instead?”

“I did buy it for my mom, but my curiosity of what’s inside must be sated!” Twilight said. “Then, and only then, will I be able to give this up.”

“I didn’t think she’d be able to give up any book to be honest,” Sunset whispered to Starlight and Sunburst. “You should see her room.”

“I imagine it looks like a library?” Sunburst replied.

“Yup…” Sunset nodded, sighing.

Starlight shrugged. “Not surprised.”

“What are you three talking about?” Twilight stopped and tilted her head.

“Oh, nothing,” Sunset simply said, walking by her.

Narrowing her eyes at them for a moment, Twilight shrugged. “If you say so.”

“Do you guys smell that?” Starlight asked, sniffing the air. “It smells really good.”

The other three took a whiff of the air, the aroma of baked goods filling their nostrils.

“That does smell really good,” Sunset agreed, letting out a satisfied sigh. “The cake has to be perfect though.”

“I think Celestia would be happy that her two students got her a cake, would she not?” Starlight asked. “Regardless of the flavor, you know?”

“We still want to find the perfect cake for her to show her our appreciation!” Twilight said.

“That makes sense,” Sunburst smiled. “So let’s go find the perfect cake!”

Making their way towards the scent of cakes, pastries, and all other kinds of goodies, they ended up in front of the bakery. The sign hung above the door, reading:

Confection Connection

“You know, they say this place is one of the best bakeries in all of Equestria,” Sunset informed them. “Although I heard there’s an even better one in Ponyville of all places.”

“Ponyville? Really?” Sunburst tilted his head. I thought all that place was famous for was apples and being right next to the Everfree Forest.”

“There’s also the Castle of the Two Sisters there!” Twilight added.

Sunset’s face furrowed as she tried to remember the name “The bakery’s name is Sugar³? Or is it Cube of Sugar? Corner of Sugar?” With a shrug, she gave up. “Something of that nature.”

“Well if worse comes to worst, we can visit there,” Starlight said. “As in we, I mean you two of course,” She said, pointing at Twilight and Sunset.

“I’d want to go too!” Sunburst waved his hoof in the air.

“If Sunburst goes, maybe I’ll go too,” Starlight mumbled. “Just maybe though.”

Sunset smirked. “What’s with that sudden change of attitude?”

“N-No reason,” Starlight chuckled. “No reason at all.”

“If you say so,” Sunset winked.

“C’mon, let's go inside!” Twilight tugged on Sunset’s saddlebag. Her stomach grumbled, causing her to sheepishly smile. “I’m a little hungry.”

“Okay, okay,” Sunset smiled. “Let’s get a little snack first.”

The smell only became more fragrant as they walked in. The inside was bustling with ponies, looking at the goodies for sale in the display cases that were scattered about.

“There sure are a lot of ponies in here,” Sunburst said, looking around. “And a lot of cakes!”

Looking over to their right was a long display case filled with all kinds of cakes. There were the more simple ones, like chocolate and vanilla. There were also specialty cakes like tiramisu, sponge cakes, and chiffon cakes. There were even some more outlandish ones of flavors the students have never heard of.

“Looks like we’re going to be in here a while…” Starlight sighed.

“Especially since we’re going to get a snack!” Twilight grinned.

They made their way to one of the counters where they sold the smaller snacks, such as slices of cakes, cupcakes, and loaves of bread.

There was a clerk behind the counter who greeted them.

“Welcome to Confection Connection, how can I help you all this fine evening?”

“It’s actually our first time here,” Sunset explained. “We’re actually looking for a cake, but I think this little filly here needs a snack first.” Sunset grinned as she patted Twilight on the head. Twilight tried to swat away her hoof, pouting.

“Of course!” The clerk smiled. “We’re renowned across Equestria for our cake selection here, so I know you’ll be able to find just the right cake here.”

“That’s good to hear,” Sunset smiled back.

“As for the snack, would you like a recommendation as well?”

Sunset nodded. “Something big enough for all four of us I guess.”

“Although it may seem simple, our chocolate chip cookies here are famous as well, for both taste and price,” the clerk said, directing their eyes towards the display case. Inside were well-sized, soft chocolate chip cookies. The chocolate chips were semi-melted and oozing out. “Twelve cookies is only four bits!”

“Cookies sound good,” Twilight whispered to Sunset who nodded in response. Sunset looked at Starlight and Sunburst, who both seemed to agree with Twilight’s choice.

“I guess we’ll get the cookies then,” Sunset shrugged. Turning her attention back to the clerk. “One set of twelve cookies, please.”

“Perfect!” The clerk said, taking a tray out of the case. “That will be four bits, please.”

Sunset took the money out of her saddlebag and placed it on the counter. In exchange she was handed a pastel pink box wrapped with a red bow.

“Here you are,” The clerk smiled. “There’s a seating area outside where you can enjoy these, and once you finish up I can help you find that cake you need.”

Thanking him, the students went to the seating area to enjoy their treats. Taking a seat at a free table, Sunset placed the box in the middle.

“You can smell them through the box,” Sunburst commented.

Sunset chuckled. “My mouth’s been watering the whole time I carried it out here.”

“They looked so good in that case,” Starlight sighed. “I can’t wait to eat one.”

“Then let’s eat then!” Twilight said, untying the bow. Opening the box, it seemed like the cookies were glistening in there. They could feel the warmth radiate off them. The smell was just heavenly, a slight hint of vanilla.

“Smells just like grandma’s house,” Twilight smiled, levitating a cookie out of the box.

“You got that right,” Sunset chuckled, grabbing one as well.

“Guess that means dig in!” Starlight went on for one too, Sunburst doing the same.

They all took a bite, their faces lighting up immediately. There was a perfect crunch when you first bit into it, but the inside was chewy and gooey. Each bite was perfectly balanced with chocolate and cookie, one not overpowering the other. Although it was a simple snack, it couldn’t have been baked any better.

“These are amazing!” Sunburst said, taking another bite.

Starlight chuckled. “I guess that’s why they’re famous.”

Sunset nodded. “You know, I might have to visit this place more often.

Twilight was silently nibbling on her now second cookie, a large grin on her face.

“Seems like somepony’s enjoying them as well,” Sunset commented. “Hold on, you have a little something on your face.”

Sunset levitated a napkin to Twilight’s cheeks, who tried to swat it away, but failed to. Sunset started wiping away some crumbs, like a mother would to their child.

“There we go!” Sunset chirped. “You’re quite the messy eater, huh?”

Twilight grumbled something before going back to eating.

Sunset shrugged. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“That was adorable,” Sunburst smiled.

“I still think you act more like her mother than her older sister,” Starlight said.

“Big sisters do that too, you know!” Sunset huffed.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Starlight grinned.

“I think we should probably grab some more cookies before Twilight eats them all,” Sunburst suggested. “I think she’s on her third already, and I think she wants a fourth.”

“I’ll let her have one of mine,” Sunset said. “Two is enough for me.”

Twilight’s ears perked up as she said that, gobbling down her third one. Her cheeks were puffed out slightly, mouth still filled with the cookie. Quickly reaching for the fourth, she went back to nibbling on it.

Sunburst chuckled. “She looks like a chipmunk.”

“She really took that opportunity, huh?” Starlight said.

“You were quite hungry, huh?” Sunset smiled at Twilight who nodded in response.

Soon enough the cookies were gone and the ponies were satisfied, especially Twilight. Cleaning up their table and seats, they threw the box away in a nearby trash can.

“Alright, let’s go find the perfect cake!” Sunset pumped on hoof into the air.

“Yeah!” the other three cheered, copying Sunset’s hoof pump.

Walking back into the bakery, they walked over to the clerk who had sold them the cookies.

“How were the cookies?” He greeted them.

“They were really good,” Twilight hummed.

Sunset nodded. “Probably the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had.”

“Glad to hear it,” The clerk smiled. “So, onto the cake I’m presuming?”

“You got that right,” Sunset said.

“Right this way then.” The clerk started walking towards the display cases where the cakes were, the four of them following behind. “So what kind of cake are you all looking for? Is it for a party or something?”

“It’s for a party, but this cake is only for the birthday mare,” Sunset explained. “I’m sure they could finish a pretty decent sized cake by themselves though.”

The clerk chuckled. “Quite the sweet tooth then, huh?”

Sunset nodded. “The cake has to be extra special though. They like cake a lot, so they’ve tried a bunch of them.”

“Hmmm…” The clerk rubbed his chin, looking at all the cakes on display. “Does this pony travel a lot?”

“They do.”

“So something from other cities won’t work,” He mumbled to himself. “Do they have any other desserts or drinks that they enjoy?”

“They drink tea quite often.”

The clerk grinned. “Have they ever tried a cake infused with tea?”

“I’m pretty sure she hasn’t?” Sunset speculated.

“Perfect!” The clerk trotted over to a somewhat simple, round cake. It was a dark brown on the edges with a light brown middle. It was topped with a thick, white cream.

“It looks a little plain,” Starlight whispered.

“Looks can be deceiving,” The clerk winked. “This is an earl gray tea cake with dark chocolate and orange zest!”

“That's a mouthful,” Sunset laughed.

“Indeed it is,” The clerk chuckled. “The cake may look simple, but the flavor is quite complex. The earl gray tea adds a subtle sweet, floral taste. Add the dark chocolate and orange zest for a little bit of bitterness, and you’ve got one heck of a cake!”

“I never thought of putting tea into cake,” Sunburst said. “Not that I bake too often…”

“I usually just eat cake with tea!” Twilight smiled.

“Since the pony you’re buying this cake for is both a tea and cake connoisseur, it would only make sense to combine the two,” The clerk explained. “We have other cakes infused with tea as well, but in my opinion, this one is a hidden gem.”

“Not that many ponies buy it, but the ponies who do always come back to get more.”

“We’ll take it!” Twilight cheered while Sunset nodded.

“Wait, seriously?!” Sunburst stood there, mouth agape. “We’re going to go with the first gift and first cake we find?”

“Why not?” Sunset shrugged. “I mean, it’s better to get it done early then to stress over it later.”

“We could, I don’t know, look at the other bakeries first before deciding?” Sunburst suggested.

“Nah, that’s too much work and I’m too lazy,” Sunset smirked. “We’re getting this cake.”

“Looks like we were a lot of help, huh?” Starlight jabbed Sunburst’s side, snickering.

“Phooey,” Sunburst sighed dejectedly, hanging his head. “Do we at least get to go to the party?”

“I don’t see why not,” Sunset shrugged. “The more the merrier.”

“Excuse me,” The clerk said, drawing the four’s attention. “I don’t mean to interrupt you all, but I want to know if you’re going to buy the cake.”

“I guess we are,” Sunset said. “Is there any way you can let us write something on top?”

“The staff is usually the ones who do it, but if you feel the need to then you can go ahead,” The clerk said. “It’ll just cost a little extra.”

“That’s fine. How much would it be in total?”

“Twenty bits.”

Sunset levitated a small pouch out of her bag and took the bits out. Handing them to the clerk, he nodded contently.

“Perfect! Now if you come over here, you’ll be able to write whatever you want on it.” The clerk directed them to a nearby table with some piping bags with lots of different colors in them.

“Feel free to use any color you want. I’ll be back in a few moments.” The clerk set the cake down before heading to a nearby register.

“What color should we use?” Sunset asked the group.

“How about gold?” Twilight suggested. “You could even draw a little crown!”

“Any other suggestions?” Sunset looked at Sunburst, then Starlight, who both shook their heads. “Guess we’re going with gold then.”

Sunset went to grab the piping bag, but stopped suddenly.

“Twilight, how about you draw it on?” Sunset weakly chuckled. “I’m not the best with artsy things.”

“Roger that!” Twilight gave a salute before grabbing the bag and going to work. Her movements were fluid and fast, finishing in less than a minute.

Placing the bag down, Twilight grinned. “Done!”

They all looked down at the cake. Perfectly centered was the words “Happy Birthday Celestia” with a crown over it.

“Wow, you did this that fast?” Starlight nodded her head slowly. “Impressive.”

“She didn’t even use magic either,” Sunburst said.

“Well guess we’re done here.” Sunset waved over the clerk, whe nodded to them. He brought the same kind of box he put the cookies in with him as well.

“Now what did you four write…” he paused as he looked down at the cake, his eyes widening. “It’s Celestia’s bir-”

He was interrupted with a hoof covering his mouth.

“Shhhh!” Sunset frowned. “You can’t let anypony know, and I mean anypony. Understand?”

The clerk nodded his head, Sunset removing her hoof from his mouth. He quickly placed the cake in the box and wrapped it up with a golden bow. Hoofing it over to them, he smiled.

“I hope she likes it.”

“We do too,” Sunset grinned. “Thanks for the help.”

“Anytime,” The clerk smiled. “Have a wonderful evening.”

“You too!” Twilight chirped. The group made their way out of the bakery and back onto the street, the sun just setting.

“Alright, guess that concludes our little shopping session!” Sunset said, the cake resting on her back. “I take it you two are heading back to the dorms?”

“Probably,” Sunburst yawned. “I’m a little tired.”

“Tired? We still have to study together,” Starlight pouted, leaning up against him. “You promised.”

“I-I did?” Sunburst tilted his head.

Starlight nodded with puppy eyes. “You did.”

“Twilight and I are going to head out now,” Sunset let out an awkward laugh, grabbing Twilight. “Have fun flirting with you two!”

Sunset quickly ran away, giggling.

“We’re not flirting!” Sunburst yelled at the already gone mare. Looking at Starlight, he weakly smiled. “Right?”

Starlight simply smiled back.

Chapter 12: Princess Celestia's Surprise Party

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Guards were frantically running in and out of the castle ballroom with bags of decorations, tables, and chairs. They left the room just as fast as they went in.

“Hurry up everypony!” Sharp Arrow barked from inside the room. “We only have a couple more hours till Celestia gets back!”

The guards have been at this since the crack of dawn, decorating and organizing, setting up the tables and chairs, and getting the food in order. They wanted everything to be perfect for Celestia.

“Look at them go,” Sunset whistled, playfully nudging Shining Armor who stood next to her. “Why don’t you go help them out, huh?”

“Captain Sharp Arrow said to stay put and watch you guys,” Shining Armor grumbled. “If it was just Twily I wouldn't mind, but why all of you? I’m a guard, not a babysitter.”

Sunburst smiled awkwardly while Starlight stuck her tongue out at him. Twilight, however, was nose deep in the book she bought the other day.

“C’mon, it’s not that bad Shiny,” Cadance smiled.

Shining Armor nuzzled her. “It’s only tolerable because you’re here.”

“Oh stop, not in front of the kids,” Cadance slightly blushed, giggling.

“What Cadance said,” Sunset groaned. “Not in front of the kids, please.”

“Oh buzz off,” Shining Armor rolled his eyes.

“I know the gifts supposed to be a surprise and all, but I just can’t wait any longer,” Cadance said, looking at Sunset. “What did you get Celestia?”

“Should we tell them, Twilight?” Sunset asked, nudging the filly slightly. Twilight didn’t budge though, her eyes still focused on the book. Nudging her again, Twilight still didn’t look up.

“I’m going to take that as a yes,” Sunset chuckled. “It’s a magical cookbook!”

“Sounds boring,” Shining Armor frowned. Cadance jabbed his side, causing him to recoil in pain.

“It sounds lovely,” Cadance emphasized, narrowing her eyes at Shining Armor. Turning back to Sunset, she smiled. “What makes it so magical?”

“Simply put, it can detect what a pony is craving at the time by linking to their magic, and then it writes down a recipe for it in the book,” Sunset explained.

“It’s really cool,” Sunburst commented. “The book is completely blank, but the pony using it can save the recipes and fill those pages.”

Starlight shrugged. “I thought it was a little ordinary, but I think Celestia will like it.”

“What’s this about Celestia?” Sharp Arrow asked, behind the group.

“Just talking about our gift for her, that’s all,” Sunset replied. “What’d you get for Celestia?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” Sharp Arrow winked. “But moving on from gifts, I’m assuming you got the special cake?”

“Yup, it’s in the kitchen somewhere,” Sunset nodded.

“Perfect!” Sharp Arrow grinned. “I knew I could count on you. We’re almost done decorating and setting up, but we still have to lay out all the food and desserts. Apparently Celestia’s arriving a little early, so be ready!”

“Roger that!” Shining Armor saluted.

“I’m going to make sure they don’t mess anything up,” Sharp Arrow sighed. “I really hope Celestia likes it.”

“I’m sure she will,” Cadance gave him a comforting smile. “Actually scratch that, I know she will.”

“I’ll take your word for it, Princess Cadance,” Sharp Arrow said, about to bow. Just as he was in motion, a loud crash echoed throughout the hall, causing him to straighten up. Sharp Arrow’s eyebrows furrowed, turning to the source of the crash. Just a few feet away was Moonlight sprawled out on the floor, a ladder laying next to her.

“Moonlight, what happened?”

“Uh, just fell off the ladder, sir!” Moonlight sat up, grinning. The “Happy Birthday Celestia” banner fell on top of her, causing her to panic and flail around.

Sharp Arrow sighed, shaking his head. “Go to the infirmary. I’ll have Shining Armor put up the banner.”

“Y-Yes sir!” Moonlight untangled herself and jolted up. Saluting, she quickly ran out of the room.

“Sir, how am I supposed to put up the banner if I’m watching these four?” Shining Armor asked, motioning to the students.

“Have you never multitasked in your life, Lieutenant ?” Sharp Arrow asked. “Plus, you have Cadance with you to help. Now put this banner up.”

“Yes sir,” Shining Armor sighed, levitating the banner towards him.

Sharp Arrow grinned. “I’m going to go check on the food situation. Cadance, you’re in charge while I’m gone.”

“Yes sir!” Cadance playfully saluted.

Sharp Arrow gave a quick bow before trotting out the room.

“You need help hanging that banner?” Sunset asked. “I’m kind of bored.”

Shining Armor nodded “I could use a hoof.”

Cadance tilted her head as she watched Shining and Sunset levitate the banner up. “Wait, why was Moonlight using a ladder when she could’ve just levitated it up there?”

“That’s a good question,” Sunset chuckled.

“She’s a klutz,” Shining Armor shrugged. “Probably just forgot.”

“Forgot she had a pointy horn on her head?” Starlight cocked an eyebrow. “How does anypony do that?”

“Ask Moonlight,” Shining Armor grinned.

“What did you want to ask me?”

They all turned around to be met with Moonlight standing there, smiling at all of them.

“You’re back so soon?” Cadance asked. “Are you alright?”

“Just a little bruise on my head, nothing I can’t handle!” Moonlight chirped. “But that’s besides the point. What did you need to ask me?”

“We were just wondering why you were using a ladder,” Sunset motioned to the ladder still on the ground, “instead of using your magic.”

Moonlight’s face reddened as she realized her mistake. “Oh, right, I have a horn…”

“So you did just forget,” Shining Armor snickered. “Classic Moonlight.”

“Heh, yeah, classic,” Moonlight giggled.

“Well now that the banner is up, you got anything else you need help with?” Sunset asked. “I’m itching to do something besides sit here.”

“Nah, that’s all Sharp Arrow told me to do,” Moonlight said, recovering from the embarrassment.

“Ah phooey,” Sunset sulked. “Guess I’ll see what Twilight’s up to.”

“Speaking of Twilight, where is she?” Shining Armor looked around, the filly nowhere to be seen. Looking at Cadance, she shrugged.

“I swear she was right here a moment ago,” Cadance said innocently.

“Now we have a missing filly,” Shining Armor groaned. “Great.”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “She couldn’t have gotten far. She probably didn’t even leave the room if I’m being honest here.”

“Well it’s not like she can just vanish into thin air,” Shining Armor frowned.

“I think she could,” Sunset said. “Her magic is something else.”

“Yeah, I know,” Shining Armor sighed. “Well, there’s only so many places she could hide here, so at least that makes it easy.”

“We’re playing hide and seek?” Moonlight tilted her head.

“No Moonlight, we’re looking for Twilight,” Cadance corrected her. “Though, hide and seek around the castle doesn’t seem like a bad idea. Think we can fit that into the itinerary?”

“You’d have to ask Sharp Arrow,” Shining Armor said.

“I know auntie would love to play hide and seek,” Cadance giggled.

“Really?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “She would?”

“Everypony has a childish side, no matter how old they are,” Cadance said.

Sunset shrugged. “You’re not wrong.”

Shining Armor cleared his throat. “Let’s focus on Twilight first?”

“Roger that, Lieutenant,” Cadance saluted before scanning the room. “I don’t see her anywhere.”

“Well of course you don’t,” Shining Armor frowned. “She’s probably hiding under a table or something.”

“Why would she need to hide?” Sunburst asked.

“Probably just to read her book in peace,” Shining Armor assumed.

“Alright, let’s go check under the tables then,” Cadance said, trotting over to one of them. Lifting up the table cloth, she looked underneath and was met with nothing. “Nothing under this one!”

“We can see that,” Sunset snickered.

“Alright everypony, let’s just go look under every table,” Shining Armor said.

They scattered around the ballroom, lifting up the table cloths. What they found was absolutely nothing, besides a couple dust bunnies.

“She’s not here?” Shining Armor grumbled.

“Can someone please sweep under the tables, there’s dust under some of them,” Cadance asked the guards in the ballroom.

“Yes ma’am!” one of them said, levitating a broom over and getting to work.

“Maybe she really did just disappear,” Sunset offered. “That book she had was filled with all kinds of magic from what I saw earlier.”

“What book was it anyway?” Shining asked.

“I think it was called Guide to Gimmick Magic and Old Sorcery,” Sunset rubbed her chin. “Or something like that.”

“What an odd combination,” Cadance giggled. “At least it wasn’t How to Summon Minor Demons: Volume III.”

“That’s a book?” Sunset asked. “Wait, why do you know that’s a book?”

Cadance rolled her eyes. “The castle library, duh.”

“My question is why are there three volumes?” Sunburst said.

“Gimmick magic?” Starlight repeated. “That would include invisibility, wouldn’t it?”

“You’re right!” Shining Armor beamed at this. “She’s probably just invisible reading.”

“So she’s in the same exact place she was earlier?” Cadence asked, trotting over to where the filly was sitting.

“Only one way to find out!” Sunset asked. “Give her a little push.”

Cadance reached one of her forehooves out, feeling the area. It looked like she was pushing air, but she swore her hoof was touching something.

“Come here, it’s so weird!” Cadance said, giggling. “It looks like you’re touching nothing, but you feel hair.”

“Can you stop that? I’m trying to read here,” Twilight’s voice said, although she wasn’t visible.

“Did somepony just do a really good Twilight impression?” Moonlight looked around in confusion.

“Moonlight, I swear you don’t pay attention to anything,” Shining Armor sighed. “How did you even become a guard?”

“Fake it till you make it, baby!” Moonlight grinned.

“Whatever…” Shining Armor shook his head.

“So Twilight’s really invisible?” Sunset said, trotting next to Cadance. Placing her hoof where Cadance was pushing, she felt something similar to a pony’s mane.

“What did I just say?” Twilight mumbled with a hint of agitation.

A slight shimmer glistened in the air before Twilight slowly became visible, a slight frown on her face. Crossing her forehooves, she was sitting exactly where she was earlier with the book flat on the ground in front of her.

Cadance giggled. “Awww, she’s so cute when she’s mad.”

“When did you learn to turn invisible?” Sunset asked.

“Just now,” Twilight grumbled, pointing at the book. “From here.”

Sunset nodded slowly. “Huh, I guess you were right, Starlight.”

“Just putting clues together,” Starlight grinned.

“The real question is, why did you turn invisible?” Shining Armor chimed in, looking at his little sister.

“I just wanted to try it out to see if it worked, but I thought it didn’t since no one said anything,” Twilight explained. “So I went back to reading and kind of zoned out everything else while reading. That is until Cadance started shaking me.” Twilight glared at her babysitter who kept giggling.

“So you thought you weren’t invisible and didn’t hear us calling out to you because you were too focused on the book?” Sunset snickered. “I wouldn’t expect that from anypony but you.”

“Must be one interesting book to zone us out,” Sunburst said. “What other kind of magic have you read about?”

“There’s this one section that starts to talk about Discord and his magic, but then the words become jumbled and incomprehensible,” Twilight huffed. “I wanted to learn some chaos magic.”

“I don’t think chaos magic is such a good idea,” Sharp Arrow advised as he walked up behind them. “I’m sure we all learned about the problems Discord caused.”

“It seems like it could be really powerful if used for good though,” Shining Armor said.

Sharp Arrow shook his head. “Apparently nopony can wield his magic. Even if they wanted to, it would most likely destroy them from the inside out. At least that’s the theory Princess Celestia came up with.”

Sunset chuckled. “Well good thing the words are all jumbled then.”

“That might also be Princess Celestia’s doing,” Sharp Arrow said. “She put some sort of spell on any book book that has any information about using Discord’s magic to jumble it all up, making it completely unreadable and undecipherable.”

“For safety reasons, I’m presuming?” Shining Armor asked.

“Exactly,” Sharp Arrow nodded. “But enough about Discord, we still have a little bit of prep to do. The ballroom is pretty much all set, and the food situation is all good. I just somepony to lead Celestia here in a few hours.”

“Twilight and I will do it,” Sunset raised her hoof. “I mean it shouldn’t be hard, considering we’re her students.”

“Great,” Sharp Arrow smiled. “Everypony meet back here in a few hours. I hope you’re all ready for the best surprise party ever.”

With the sun set, moon raised, and hearings adjourned for the day, Celestia tiredly trotted back to her room. Stifling a yawn, she walked the long all that led to her room, but paused just as she was about to enter.

“That’s odd,” Celestia said to herself, looking at the two empty sides of her doorway. “Where are those two?”

Celestia always had two guards stationed in front of her room.

“Now that I think about it, I didn’t see a single guard on my way here.” Celestia’s eyebrows furrowed, rubbing her chin. Deep in thought, she stood there, thinking of any possibility.

However her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a pair of hoofsteps. Looking down the hallway, she saw her two students, Twilight and Sunset. Twilight waved at her while Sunset was smirking. Waving back at Twilight, she met the two in the middle.

“Why hello my faithful students,” Celestia greeted them.

“Hi Celestia!” Twilight chirped, hugging the much larger alicorn. Celestia returned the hug while looking at Sunset.

“Sunset, have you seen any guards around?

Sunset shrugged. “I’ve been in my room the whole day, so not really.”

“Odd…” Celestia hummed, releasing Twilight.

“Let’s go look for them!” Twilight suggested. “Maybe they’re having a meeting or something.”

“A meeting? For what reason?” Celestia mused.

“We won’t know till we find them,” Twilight said, turning around and walking down the hall. “Let’s go!” She called back to them.

“Guess it won’t hurt to see what’s going on,” Celestia chuckled, following the filly.

“So how was your day?” Sunset asked, walking alongside Celestia.

Celestia let out a long sigh. “It was so-so. Some nobles really know how to push my button, even though I know they’re not doing it on purpose.”

Sunset nodded. “Anything special happen?”

“Nothing really,” Celestia shook her head. “Why?”

“No reason,” Sunset quickly said.

The pair followed Twilight around, still not finding any guard roaming around. After a while, they found themselves in front of the double doors of the ballroom. There were no signs of any guards there either.

“Maybe I’ll ask Inkwell where they all went,” Celestia said, slowly turning away from the ballroom doors.

“We should check inside!” Twilight blurted out.

“It’s the only place we haven’t checked,” Sunset added. “I mean I know it’s unlikely the guards are in there, but it doesn’t hurt to check, right?”

“I guess you’re right,” Celestia agreed, trotting over to the doors and slowly opening them. She was met with darkness. “I could’ve sworn I asked the staff to leave the lights on. Guess I’ll have to-”

“SURPRISE!”

Celestia was cut off by both the shouts of ponies, the lights flashing on, and streamers falling onto her. Infront of her stood the majority of the ponies who worked or lived in the castle. A large banner wishing her a happy birthday hung above them.

“Oh my,” Celestia said, looking at everypony there.

Captain Sharp Edge stepped out from the middle, grinning from cheek to cheek. “Happy Birthday, Princess.”

Celestia smiled, wiping a small tear from her eye. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, princess,” Inkwell said, walking up beside her. “Just enjoy the time and company with everypony.”

“I will,” Celestia simply said. “I will.”

“Shall we get this party started, princess?” Sharp Arrow grinned.

“We shall!” Celestia hummed.

The room was filled with a loud cheer and soon enough everypony was chatting with one another, partaking in the wonderful food and drinks prepared by the royal chefs. Ponies would give their greeting to Celestia, wishing her a happy birthday.

Eventually the alcohol was busted out, the party becoming livelier than before. Celestia sipped on some wine as she stood next to Sunset.

“You’ve been smiling all night,” Sunset grinned.

“Is it so wrong for me to smile when I’m happy?” Celestia shot back.

Sunset chuckled. “No, not at all.”

“I’m assuming this is what you’ve been up to recently,” Celestia asked.

“Twilight and I were just helping to be honest. Captain Sharp Arrow was the pony in charge.”

“Well I’ll have to thank him later then,” Celestia noted. “If you don’t mind me asking, what did you two do for the party?”

“You’ll see,” Sunset simply said.

“Always filled with surprises, aren’t you,” Celestia chuckled.

“Gather around everypony, it’s cake time!” Sharp Arrow announced from the stage. “Can the birthday princess please come up on the stage.”

Celestia looked down at Sunset, then over to the stage. “Guess that’s my cue.”

“Don’t keep him waiting, get up there!” Sunset urged.

Trotting over to and up onto the stage, Celestia waved at the crowd of ponies with a warm smile. Standing next to Sharp Arrow, she remained silent.

“Speech!” One pony yelled out.

“Speech!” Another repeated.

Soon enough, the crowd caught on.

“Speech! Speech! Speech!” They chanted.

“Oh, if I must,” Celestia giggled, the crowd dying down. Taking the mic from Sharp Arrow, she cleared her throat.

“First of all, I just want to thank you all for being here and helping out with this wonderful party. To be honest with you all, it had completely slipped my mind that it was my birthday. If it wasn’t for all of you, another year would have passed by just like that without my celebrating.”

“Next, I’d like you all to give Captain Sharp Arrow a round of applause, please,” Celestia said, motioning to the captain. “I was told that he was the pony who planned this whole event and who’s seeing it through to the end. I am grateful for Captain Sharp Arrow, both in service and as a friend.”

The crowd stomped their hooves, thunderous applause filling the room. Celestia simply stood there, looking and smiling at Sharp Arrow. As the applause died down, Celestia cleared her throat once more.

“Lastly, I would like to thank the royal chefs for serving such delicious food and providing these wonderful drinks. I know some of you are going to go overboard though. I won’t stop you, but do keep in mind we still have work tomorrow.”

Laughter filled the crowd.

“With all that said, I will end it off with another thank you. I am truly grateful for all of you. The guards, the castle staff, Cadance, and my two students. You are all family to me. Thank you and have a wonderful night.”

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause as Celestia handed the mic back to Sharp Arrow.

“Settle down everypony,” Sharp Arrow chuckled. “I know we’re all excited and happy, but we still have desserts to eat.”

As if on cue, some of the royal chefs rolled in carts with desserts all over them. From pies to cakes to chocolate to basically anything sweet.

“You are free to partake in any dessert you wish. However, there is one you cannot touch.” Sharp Arrow nodded at the head chef who was standing off to the side. The chef nodded back before rolling a cart with a golden platter towards the middle. On top of the platter was the wonderful cake that the students picked out.

“This cake is Celestia’s, and Celestia’s alone,” Sharp Arrow announced. “You may ask her for a slice if you want to, but it is her decision if she wants to share it or not. With all that being said, enjoy the desserts!”

The crowd started to disperse, forming smaller groups around the dessert carts and around the ballroom. Some ponies opted to not partake in the desserts, but rather continue talking to their friends.

Sunset, Twilight, Sunburst, and Starlight walked onto the stage, watching Celestia inspect the cake.

“A special cake just for me?” Celestia tilted her head, looking down at the cake. After examining it for a bit, she smirked, turning her gaze to Twilight and Sunset. “I wonder who picked this out.”

“Pfft, it totally wasn’t us,” Sunset smirked back.

Celestia returned the smirk with a cocked eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“Nah, we totally picked it,” Sunset snickered. “And we also got you a gift.”

Sunset levitated over a rectangular box wrapped in all white wrapping paper. It was topped with a beautiful light pink bow.

“Oh yeah, Starlight and Sunburst also helped us,” Sunset added, hoofing it over to Celestia.

“I mean we didn’t really help to be honest,” Sunburst said.

Starlight snickered. “Yeah, we didn’t do a thing.”

“You two were there at least,” Twilight said. “That means you helped, at least in my book.”

“Well I’m grateful for you all and the gift, regardless if you helped or not,” Celestia smiled. “Mind if I open it right now? I’m a little excited to see what my students got me.”

“Maybe after you tried some of the cake we got you!” Twilight suggested.

Celestia giggled. “Right! How could I have forgotten about the cake already?”

“I’m genuinely surprised you forgot,” Sunset grinned. “Knowing how much you love cake.”

“I make my love for cake apparent,” Celestia simply said. “But I think a gift from my beloved students is worth more attention than a cake. However, if the cake was also chosen by my students, then I see no reason not to indulge in some.”

Sunset nodded slowly. “When you say indulge, you mean eat the whole thing by yourself, right?”

Celestia frowned. “Sunset, I may enjoy cake more than your average pony, but I am not a glutton.”

“Right…”

“Now, what kind of cake is it?” Celestia asked, looking down at the brownish, white frosted cake. “It looks rather simple.”

“Why don’t you try some and find out?” Sunset suggested.

“So it remains a mystery until the end, huh?” Celestia said, levitating a cake knife from off of the cart. “

Celestia skillfully cut the cakes into ten perfectly even slices without stopping once to readjust her knife. The cuts blended together, making it seem like one fluid movement.

“Impressive cuts as always, princess,” Inkwell commented.

Shining Armor tilted his head. “Why are your cake slicing skills so good? Is this something royals learn how to do?”

“No Shiny,” Cadance rolled her eyes. “Do you know how old auntie is?”

“This is some sort of trap, isn’t it,” Shining frowned. “It’s rude to say a ladies’ age, you know.”

“You taught him well, I see,” Celestia chuckled at his reaction. “But in all seriousness, with my enjoyment of cake and the years I’ve lived, it’s just second nature to me now.”

“Let’s just eat the cake already,” Sunset said.

Celestia nodded, smiling. Placing the slices onto dessert plates, she levitated them over to everypony on the stage with her. Celestia was the last pony to have get a plate, leaving the tray with only crumbs left.

“Well, let’s eat everypony!” Celestia said, gracefully taking a forkful of cake to her mouth. Everypony held their breaths as they watched her chew. Her eyes slowly widened as she continued chewing.

“So how is it?” Twilight asked.

Swallowing the bit, Celestia nodded her head. “It’s delightful!”

The group let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Thank goodness,” Sunburst said.

Sunset paused for a second. “Wait, why were we so worried again? It’s not like it’s the end of the world if she doesn't like it.”

“I guess you’re right,” Sunburst chuckled. “Maybe we were all overreacting a bit.”

“Just a bit,” Celestia giggled. “Though, I truly appreciate you all trying your hardest to find a cake you think I’d enjoy.”

“Thanks, we try,” Sunset grinned.

“I have to ask though, what kind of cake is this?” Celestia asked after taking another bite. “It has a delightful bitterness that I just can’t put my hoof on.”

Sunset cleared her throat. “It’s an earl gray tea cake with dark chocolate and orange zest.”

“Quite a mouthful,” Shining Armor commented.

“That’s exactly what I said,” Sunset chuckled.

“A cake infused with tea?” Celestia nodded. “How wonderful!”

“Your majesty, I’m quite certain that you’ve had something similar to this before,” Inkwell commented.

“This one's quite different though,” Celestia said. “Instead of having the flowery or sweet taste of other teas, it has a more bitter taste to match the dark chocolate and orange zest. To be honest with you, I do prefer more bitter tea despite my sweet tooth.”

“Is it because it pairs well with sweets?” Starlight asked.

“Exactly,” Celestia simply said.

Sunburst rubbed his chin.“But wouldn’t that mean you wouldn’t drink tea when eating this cake?”

“I’d just opt for a sweeter tea rather than a bitter tea,” Celestia answered.

“Oh, right,” Sunburst grinned sheepishly.

“How about we move on to presents?” Sharp Arrow suggested. “It’s getting quite late, and as Celestia mentioned earlier, we all still have work tomorrow.”

“Or school,” Shining Armor added, eyeing the students.

“We could be here for a couple more hours if auntie opened all the presents,” Cadance giggled, motioning towards the big pile of boxes. “I mean, look at how many she got!”

“I’ll just open a few before retiring for the night then,” Celestia said. “I’ll be sure to give my thanks to everyone eventually.”

“Well, then who’s present are you going to open first, princess?” Sharp Arrow asked.

“Obviously I’m going to start with my students,” Celestia smiled at Twilight and Sunset. “I can’t wait to see what you two got me.”

“Don’t forget that Starlight and Sunburst helped too!” Twilight chirped.

Celestia nodded. “Of course.”

“Well, here you are!” Sunset said, hoofing over the gift.

Celestia gave the box a little shake. “Sounds like a book.”

“You could tell by a single shake?” Sunset asked, unconvinced.

“I’m sure Twilight could as well,” Celestia smirked.

Twilight nodded. “I could!”

“We all know you could, Twily,” Shining Armor chuckled.

Celestia unwrapped the bow with a single tug. Placing the bow off to the side, she opened the lid of the box, which revealed the book.

“Imagining Desserts,” Celestia read aloud, levitating the book out. “I’ve never seen a book like this before.”

“Open it up,” Starlight said.

Celestia did just that, flipping to the first page of the book. She stared at it, her eyebrow’s furrowing. “It’s blank?”

Cadance loomed over her shoulder, taking a peak. “Wow, it really is blank! What use is a blank book?”

“Apparently it’s a magical book,” Sunset said. “The pony who sold it to us said that you could link your magic to it, then it’ll show a recipe for a dessert you’re craving.”

“How interesting!” Celestia smiled. “Might as well test it while we’re all here.” Igniting her horn, a golden line connected her horn and the book. Suddenly, words started appearing one by one on the page. In a matter of seconds, a completed recipe appeared. The words were light but readable.

“Woah…” Twilight stared at it with awe.

“That’s neat!” Cadance said.

“It seems you’re craving more of that cake, princess,” Inkwell commented.

“It seems so,” Celestia giggled.

At the top of the page was the dessert, which in this case was the name of the cake they were enjoying, the earl gray tea cake with dark chocolate and orange zest. After that it was just like any other cookbook, listing off ingredients and steps to baking the perfect cake.

“You can have my slice if you want,” Cadance offered.

“No thank you, Cadance,” Celestia smiled. “Thank you though.”

“You can even save the recipe for later,” Sunset added. “I’m not sure how to do it exactly, however. Didn’t really get a chance to mess around with the it before giving it to you.”

“Well since it's connected to thoughts, she might just have to think about saving it, right?” Sharp Arrow said.

Shining Armor nodded. “That would make sense.”

“Hmm…” Celestia hummed, closing her eyes. Just a few seconds later, the words started etching themselves into the page, becoming darker and darker until it looked like actual ink. Opening her eyes, she smiled down at the book. “So that’s how you do it!”

“Well would you look at that,” Sharp Arrow whistled. “That sure is cool.”

Closing the book, Celestia nodded. “This is a wonderful present. Thank you.”

Sunburst grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Heh, it was nothing.”

“No problem,” Sunset grinned. “Anything for the best teacher ever.”

Celestia smiled, rolling her eyes at her comment.

“Princess, I think Sharp Arrow has a present for you,” Inkwell said, motioning to the captain.

“Well of course I do,” Sharp Arrow said. “I’m the one who organized the whole event, so why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, what is it then, captain?” Celestia asked.

“It’s nothing special,” Sharp Arrow grinned, levitating another box over. Celestia flashed a quick smile before accepting it.

“That’s quite the small box,” Shining Armor said.

“The size of the box does not matter,” Sharp Arrow simply replied. Cadance stifled a giggle at his comment.

Shining Armor frowned. “Very mature.”

“This is very thoughtful, captain,” Celestia said, staring down at the now opened box. Inside was a simple golden necklace with her cutie mark dangling off it. “Quite cute as well.”

“To be honest princess, I had no idea what you’d want, so I just went with my gut,” Sharp Arrow said. “I’m glad you like it.”

Celestia hung the necklace around her neck, showing it off to them. “So, how does it look?”

“It suits you well, auntie,” Cadance said.

“Why thank you,” Celestia giggled. Turning her gaze to Sharp Arrow, she smiled. “And thank you, captain.”

Sharp Arrow smiled back. “It’s nothing.”

“Alright, me next!” Cadance chirped, the other box already floating in front of Celestia.

“I wonder what my niece could've got me,” Celestia said, studying the box.

“Open it and find out,” Cadance smirked.

Doing so, Celestia levitated out a simple mug with the words “2nd Best Princess in Equestria” on it. Sunset burst into laughter when she saw the mug, almost falling to the floor. Celestia sighed and shook her head.

“Why did I not see this coming?” Celestia said.

“Well, do you like it?” Cadance asked innocently.

“It’s unique,” Celestia simply said.

“Why thank you,” Cadance said. “I had to get it custom made. You should’ve seen the ponies’ face when I asked him to make it. Priceless!”

“I would bet,” Celestia chuckled, placing the mug back into the box. Looking at everypony on the stage, Celestia smiled. “Thank you all for the wonderful presents.”

“You all have no idea how much this party and these gifts really mean to me. I do not take any of you for granted, and I truly do care for you all.”

“Getting all mushy on us, huh?” Sunset snickered.

Celestia rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time at Sunset. Clearing her throat, she let out a long sigh.

“As much as I’d like to stay up with you all and continue partying, I should probably retire for the night. Unfortunately, being the sole ruler of a nation has its downsides.”

“I was just about to suggest that,” Inkwell said. “Your schedule is quite full. I expect you to be busy until late at night tomorrow.”

“Ah, wonderful,” Celestia weakly smiled. “Before I leave, I’d like to thank you all once again. I know I’ve said thank you too much tonight, but I just want you all to know just how grateful I am for this.”

“We all know how grateful you are,” Sunset chuckled. “Now go get some sleep, you need it.” The others nodded in agreement.

“Goodnight then,” Celestia smiled before making her way towards the double door. She would bid her farewell to ponies along the way, but eventually made it out of the room.

Soon enough, the party slowly died down as ponies left or succumbed to their alcohol consumption. The group had stayed on the stage for almost the whole night, just chatting amongst themselves. Twilight was sound asleep atop of Shining’s back, but the rest of the group was still awake.

However, they were not faring too well.

“I think-” Sunset yawned. “I think we should hit the hay. At least I’m going to.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Cadance laughed weakly. “The party was fun though.”

“You got that right,” Sharp Arrow grinned.

Sunburst's head was nodding, fading in and out of sleep. He was leaning up against Starlight, who was as still as a statue, slightly blushing.

“Looks like she’s enjoying herself too,” Shining Armor grinned. Starlight remained silent, glaring at Shining Armor.

“Well, I’m going to excuse myself then,” Sunset said, letting out a yawn. “See you all tomorrow. Maybe.”

With that, the party was done and the night was finished. The guards, castle staff, and students had a wonderful time celebrating. Celestia too had a wonderful time, sleeping peacefully in her bed with a large smile on her face.

Chapter 13: School and Duels

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“So your first duel’s today, huh?” Sunset whispered to Twilight.

Twilight simply nodded.

“Are you excited?”

She nodded again, still nose deep in her book.

Sunset let out a short cough. “Who are you against again?”

“Minuette,” Twilight mumbled.

“You think you can beat her?”

“Uh huh…” Twilight hummed while mindlessly nodding.

“It’s like talking to a brick wall,” Sunset sighed, laying her head on the desk.

“Brick walls don’t talk, Sunset,” Sunburst commented. Sunset gave him an unamused look which he simply shrugged off.

“You do know I didn’t mean it literally, right?”

“Oh yes I do,” Sunburst grinned, pushing up his glasses slightly. “Just thought it’d be funny to say something like that.”

“Well it wasn’t.”

“I thought it was funny!” Starlight joined in.

“Of course you did,” Sunset mumbled, letting out a long sigh.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Starlight frowned.

Sunset smirked. “Nothing, nothing at all.”

The closing of a book caught all their attention. Twilight seemed to have closed her book and was staring right at Sunset.

“What are you all talking about?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing really,” Sunset answered. “Though, I was trying to talk to you about your duel. It seemed like you were a little busy though.”

“Sorry,” Twilight smiled sheepishly. “The chapter was just getting good so I wanted to complete it without getting distracted.”

“What were you reading anyways?” Sunset tilted her head slightly to get a view of the book. Letting out a long sigh, she shook her. “Why are you reading Canterlot Cannibals Volume VII?”

“Canterlot Cannibals?!” Starlight and Sunburst shouted in uniosn.

“Shush!” The teacher frowned, glaring at the group.

“Sorry…” They both apologized with hung heads while Sunset snickered.

Straightening up after a moment, Sunset cleared her throat. “Anyways, do you have a plan on winning?” Sunset paused. “Wait, why am I even asking you? Of course you have a plan! You’re Twilight.”

“Are we just going to gloss over the fact she was reading Canterlot Cannibals?” Sunburst whisper-yelled. “Volume eight at that!”

“Why are there eight volumes?” Starlight tacked on.

“I learned to never question Twilight, even if she does some pretty wacky stuff,” Sunset chuckled.

“Okay… Wait, what’s Twilight winning?” Starlight tilted her head. “Is there some sort of competition going on?”

“Right!” Sunset smacked her forehead. “Starlight still doesn’t know about the duels.”

“Wait, ponies duel here?” Starlight was slightly taken aback. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Yes,” Sunset simply answered.

“And the school does it?”

“Yup!” Sunset nodded. “It’s a lot of fun, though I’ve only had an official duel once.”

“So the school hosts duels, and parents are okay with that?” Starlight asked, suspicion in her voice.

“You know, I never really thought about the parent’s opinion of them,” Sunburst rubbed his chin. “They must be, considering that almost everypony participates in them.”

Starlight nodded slowly. “Okay, so what happens at these duels?”

“Do you not know what the world ‘duel’ means?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow. Starlight shot her a glare, but it didn’t affect Sunset one bit.

“Basically two ponies fight using magic until the other is unable to fight or gives up,” Sunburst summarized. “There’s a lot of other nuances, but that’s the jist of it.”

“You’re telling me that ponies basically fight to the death, at a school?” Starlight slowly blinked in disbelief. “You don’t think that sounds, I don’t know, crazy?!”

“Nah,” Sunset simply replied.

Sunburst chuckled. “Don’t worry Starlight, I thought it was a little crazy at first.”

“So why don’t you anymore?” Starlight asked.

“They’re fun,” Sunburst answered. “Plus, they help me practice magic! Being able to apply magic like that sure is useful.”

“Uh huh…” Starlight nodded slowly. “So are there any requirements to participate? Like do you have to be a certain age or grade?”

“You just have to get permission from your parents,” Sunset said.

“That’s it?” Starlight asked.

“Yup,” Sunset replied.

Starlight’s face deadpanned. “Seriously?”

“I’m dead serious.”

Starlight sighed. “Well, guess I’m never going to fight then.”

“It’s because of your dad, right?” Sunburst assumed.

Starlight nodded. “You got that right.”

“Your dad wouldn’t agree?” Sunset asked. “Why not?”

“He’s just a teensy-bit overprotective. Just a little though!” Starlight awkwardly chuckled.

“Starlight, I think you might be downplaying how protective he is of you,” Sunburst chuckled. “He almost burnt your house because a bug tried to bite you.”

“Okay, maybe he’s overprotective, but that’s just his way of showing he loves me!” Starlight defended him. “Though he can be a little overbearing at times. You know how hard it was to convince him to come here?”

“I bet it was super hard,” Sunburst said.

“I have to write to him every week and visit at least twice a month,” Starlight groaned. “That’s the compromise we came to.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Sunburst commented.

Sunset nodded. “Not at all.”

Starlight sheepishly smiled. “It’s really not that bad. I was just being a little over dramatic.

“Anyways, Twilight, why were you reading Canterlot Cannibals?” Sunburst asked, his attention back on Twilight’s book.

“Well while I was studying Canterlot’s history, I noticed there were a lot of things missing, so I decided to do my own research,” Twilight said. “I asked Celestia about it, and she directed me to the Canterlot Cannibals series. Who knew that Canterlot would have such a dark era!”

“How many books are there in the series?” Starlight asked, a little concerned.

“There’s sixty four books in total.”

“That sure is a lot of books about cannibalism,” Sunset chuckled.

“Weren’t you asking Twilight about her duels?” Sunburst reminded Sunset.

Sunset slapped her forehead. “Oh, right. We got a little distracted, huh?”

“Just a tiny bit,” Sunburst grinned.

“So Minuette, huh,” Sunset rubbed her chin. “Can’t say I remember anything noteworthy about her.”

“She’s really good at levitation and imbuing magic into weapons,,” Twilight said. “Though that’s really about it. I’d say she’s mediocre at best at everything else.”

“Should be an easy fight then, right?” Starlight chimed in.

Sunburst shook his head. “You never know. Ponies usually have some sort of trick up their sleeve.”

“Speaking of tricks, my opponent’s name is Trixie,” Sunset grinned. “Ponies say she uses lots of things in her fights, like smoke bombs and fireworks.”

“Fireworks? In a fight?” Starlight tilted her head. “How?”

“No idea,” Sunset chuckled.

“She’s that really flamboyant magician, right?” Twilight asked.

“If by magician you mean a street performer, then yes, that’s the one,” Sunset said.

Sunburst nodded. “I’ve heard of her! She’s actually quite tricky to fight, no pun intended.”

“Even if you intended it to be a pun, it wouldn’t have been funny,” Sunset said, smirking. Sunburst simply rolled his eyes at her comment. “Anyways, I have some countermeasures in place.”

“A wind spell for her smoke bombs?” Twilight assumed.

“Of course,” Sunset nodded. “Can’t have her sneaking around after all.”

“So you’re allowed to use tools as well in the fight?” Starlight asked.

“To an extent, yes,” Sunburst said. “There’s a list of banned items in the official rulebook, which you can find at the front office.”

Starlight slowly nodded. “Interesting…”

“Ponies usually just use their magic though,” Twilight informed Starlight. “They think it’s more noble that way.”

“Well no one likes to lose to tricks rather than somepony’s skills,” Sunset chuckled. “Though I’m sure I can see right through them.”

“She’s quite good with actual magic, though, she can’t compare to you two,” Sunburst said.

“Well now I’m excited,” Sunset grinned.

“I’m not,” Twilight said.

“Why not?” Starlight tilted her head. “It’s your first duel. That sounds exciting in itself.”

“Minuette isn’t a hard opponent,” Twilight pouted. “They only aired me with her just because we’re around the same age and both in the advanced class.”

Sunset shrugged. “Eh, at least it’ll be an easy win.”

“But I don’t want an easy want,” Twilight grumbled. “I want a challenge, something that will push me to my limits.”

“Well then you better start climbing the ranks then,” Sunset grinned. “That way you’ll be able to fight the strongest, like me!”

“Well you can challenge Amethyst whenever you want,” Sunburst said. “Remember what she said in her duel with Twinkleshine?”

“She did say something about that…” Sunset said, rubbing her chin.

“I don’t know if I could beat her now though,” Twilight sighed ruefully. “I think I’ll just test the waters first with other opponents. I want to develop my own fighting style!”

“There’s the Twilight I know,” Sunset smiled.

“It seems like you two are ready then,” Sunburst said.

“Well duh,” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Twilight and I take preparation very seriously. Twilight especially.”

“That’s great and all, but if we don’t leave now, you two might be late,” Starlight said, motioning to the empty classroom.

“Crap, let’s go!” Sunset exclaimed as she frantically got out of her seat and rushed out of the classroom.”

Twilight quickly followed, leaving Starlight and Sunburst alone in the classroom. They stared at one another for a moment before their giggles filled the classroom.

“I can’t believe it’s Twilight’s first duel!” Cadance clapped her forehooves together merrily. “I can’t wait to see her utterly destroy her opponent.”

“Cady, that’s not very ladylike,” Shining Armor frowned. “And also a little scary,” he added.

“I’m sure Twilight will easily defeat her opponent,” Celestia said. “She is my student after all.”

“Getting cocky, are we auntie?” Cadance smirked.

“Just a tad bit,” Celestia smirked back.

“I’m sure Twily will do great,” Shining Armor said. After a short pause, he chuckled. “Who am I kidding, I know she’ll do great! It’s Twilight after all.”

Celestia nodded. “I just hope she doesn’t go too overboard.”

“I’m sure she’ll know when to stop,” Shining Armor waved his hoof dismissively. “Twilight’s smart enough to know when she’s won.”

“Oh my, sorry we’re late!” A mare’s voice called out. The group looked down to the source of the voice. Walking up the stairs to them was none other than Twilight’s parents, Twilight Velvet and Night Light.

“Mister and Misses Sparkle, it’s a pleasure to see you again,” Celestia greeted them when they were closer.

“The pleasure is all ours,” Night Light replied, both of them bowing.

“Are you just as excited as we are?” Cadance asked.

“More nervous than excited,” Velvet said, taking a seat next to Shining Armor. “I hope Twilight doesn’t get hurt.”

“Everything’s going to be fine, honey,” Night Light chuckled heartily. “Our little Twilight is strong.”

Velvet sighed. “I know, but as her mother I can’t help but be worried.”

“Don’t worry Mrs. Sparkle, Twilight will be perfectly fine,” Celestia reassured her.

“If you say so princess,” Velvet said, still uncertain.

“I wonder where Starlight and Sunburst are,” Shining Armor looked at the two empty seats next to him. “They should’ve been here by now.”

Cadance shrugged. “Probably too busy flirting with each other.”

“More like Starlight trying to flirt with him,” Shining Armor snickered. “Sunburst is a little dense, don’t you think?”

“Mmhmm,” Cadance hummed in agreement, nodding her head. “I should give them a little push in the right direction.”

“No meddling with ponies’ love lives, Cadance,” Celestia grinned. “Unless they ask you, of course.”

“Whatever you say auntie.”

“Oh look, here they come!” Shining Armor pointed down at the two ponies approaching them.

“Who are they?” Velvet whispered to Shining Armor.

“Twilight’s friends,” Shining Armor answered.

“She has friends?” Night Light asked before getting smacked by his wife.

“Night Light!”

Night Light rubbed his sore neck. “Honey, you know Twilight’s personality. Can you really blame me?”

“Your reaction was just like mine, dad,” Shining Armor chuckled.

“H-Hi everypony!” Sunburst stuttered, catching his breath. “Sorry we’re late, we got a little caught up with something.”

“And what would that something be?” Cadance smirked, eyeing the two of them. “You both look a little flushed.”

Starlight tilted her head. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, nothing,” Cadance sing-songed.

“Oookay…” Starlight slowly said, taking a seat.

“We ran here as fast as we could,” Sunburst said. “Thankfully we made it just in time!”

As he said that, a guard walked out to the middle of the arena, causing everypony to go silent.

“Thank you everypony. Today’s first match is a special for one of these ponies,” the announcer on the sidelines announced. “This is Twilight Sparkle’s, princess Celestia’s protege, first duel!”

The crowd erupted into cheers at the mention of this, though they already knew who she was.

“She may be young, but there are rumors that her raw magical abilities are even greater then some of the greatest mages to live!” the announcer said, hyping the crowd up. “Although Twilight is powerful, that doesn’t mean her opponent won’t stand a chance.”

“Minuette is just a little older than Twilight, and is not only proficient in wielding her weapon with magic, but also quite skilled in imbuing it. This is going to be an interesting match everypony!”

With this, the guard then motioned for the two contestants to start walking to the middle. Twilight approached first. She wore a short black cloak with a black witches hat that was a size too big. Her wand swung on her side as she walked towards the middle.

“Aww, she’s so cute,” Cadance grinned.

“Mhm!” Velvet nodded. “Just adorable!”

Minuette approached the middle as well, wearing a small chestplate that only covered the front half of her body. Underneath the metal was cloth, covering the rest. Her mane was flowing as she was not wearing a hat or helmet. Slung on her back was a blunt metal pole with a white crystal etched into one of the ends.

“Why does she have such a long staff?” Night Light asked. “Don’t they use magic, not weapons?”

“Some ponies are better at controlling and imbuing they're magic into things rather than just using spells,” Shining Armor explained.

“Huh, I never thought of that,” Night Light rubbed his chin.

“Why do you think some guards carry around spears or swords?” Shining Armor chuckled.

Night Light nodded. “I guess that makes sense.”

The two ponies met in the middle. The guard, as per usual, listed out all the rules.

“Do you both understand?” He stated, looking at the two of them.

“Yes,” Twilight simply replied.

Minuette nodded. “You got it!”

“Good,” the guard nodded with content. “Return to your designated start points, and start on the referee’s command.”

The two walked to their starting positions, opposite to one another. The guard made his way out of the arena, leaving only the two fighters in the arena.

“Three…”

“Two…”

“One..”

“GO!” The referee shouted, blowing his whistle.

Minuette was the first to make a move, igniting her horn. A dark blue aura surrounded her staff, causing it to smoothly float in front of her.

“For her to be able to levitate that staff at her age is impressive in itself,” Celestia commented, smiling faintly. “But to be able to control it at that level is an even bigger feat.”

“Maybe she’ll prove to be a good opponent for Twily,” Shining Armor said.

Cadance rolled her eyes. “I doubt it. Twilight’s the strongest filly I know!”

Minuette dashed forward, her staff following closely behind her. As she approached Twilight who simply sat there, she smirked slightly.

“Are you seriously just going to stand there?” Minuette taunted. “You’re making it too easy!”

Minuette abruptly disappeared from sight when she was a few feet away from Twilight. In just a split second, she suddenly appeared to the right of Twilight, bringing her staff down on her at lighting speed.

A light flashed, followed by a loud and ear piercing blast. A giant shockwave flew all around the arena, a gust of wind flowing throughout the arena. Dust covered the arena, leaving the result of the attack a mystery to the crowd.

“I can’t look…” Velvet muttered, shielding her eyes.

“I’m sure Twilight’s fine,” Cadance said, her voice slightly wavering.

As the dust slowly settled, the crowd could make out the only one pony standing. The other was wedged into a nearby wall, not moving. The crowd was silent, holding their breath in anticipation. The dust soon fully settled, shock filling the crowd.

Twilight was standing there, unharmed and unfazed!

“How?!” Some ponies yelled, not able to believe she won that easily.

“What even happened?”

“How is she unharmed? The attack was so quick that I couldn’t even see the staff!”

As ponies in the crowd questioned the outcome of the battle, Celestia simply smiled. Twilight looked up at where they were all sitting, a large smile on her face. She waved at them eagerly and happily.

Sunburst and Starlight sat there, both of their mouths agape. Shining Armor stared at his sister with wide eyes.

Velvet and Night Light stayed silent, looking down at their daughter.

“What happened auntie?” Cadance asked.

“It’s quite simple, actually,” Celestia quietly chuckled. “She simply repelled the attack with a barrier and shot the energy her barrier absorbed back.”

Cadance frowned. “How is that simple? Should a filly even be capable of doing that?”

“No normal filly would be able to do that,” Celestia answered. “But Twilight isn’t a normal filly, is she?”

“No, she is not,” Shining Armor mumbled.

Sunburst rubbed his chin. “Wait, so if Twilight shot back the attack she received, then Mineutte’s attack was that powerful?”

“I don’t believe Minuette’s attack was that powerful,” Celestia shook her head. “Rather, Twilight found a way to amplify it before sending it back.”

“Twilight defeated her in one move, and she wasn’t even on the offensive,” Sunburst said in disbelief.

“Our filly is that strong?” Velvet asked, looking at Night Light.

“You betcha,” he grinned slyly.

A whistle echoed throughout the arena.

“The winner of this match is Twilight Sparkle!” The announcer shouted. “That concludes our first match of the day.”

The medical team had already rushed Minuette out of the arena and towards their tent, leaving only Twilight and the announcer.

“Ms. Sparkle, I have to say, that was one impressive, and might I say flashy, way to win,” the announcer chuckled. “What exactly did you do?”

“I just repelled the attack with a barrier,” Twilight answered very simply.

“There has to be more to it than that,” the announcer said. “There’s no way a simple barrier could create such a powerful shockwave. I almost got launched out of my seat!”

Laughter filled the crowd.

“Well there is more to it, but I don’t want to say,” Twilight smirked. “A magician doesn’t reveal their secrets, do they?”

The announcer nodded his head. “Very wise, very wise. Well, will we at least be seeing more of you? We didn’t really get to see you use any spells!”

“I plan to continue doing duels!” Twilight chirped, smiling.

“Well that’s that, folks!” the announcer said to the crowd. “The next match will start in a bit, so feel free to grab a snack at one of our stands outside!”

The majority of the students stayed in their seats, chatting amongst each other about the duel.
It displayed just how powerful Twilight was.

“Although the duel was short, it was enjoyable,” Celestia smiled.

“The suspense really added to it,” Cadance nodded in agreement.

“I still can’t believe Twilight won that easily,” Starlight mumbled. “I mean, she used one spell. One spell!”

“You and me both,” Sunburst weakly laughed.

Celestia smiled at their comments. “Well let’s hope Sunet does just as well.”

“We all know Sunset is strong, but defeating Trixie in one spell?” Sunburst shook his head. “I don’t see it happening.”

“Trixie is indeed a difficult opponent,” Celestia nodded. “I’m sure Sunset will have a little bit of trouble.”

“What kind of magic does this Trixie use?” Shining Armor asked. “I’m not really familiar with a lot of the fighters.”

“She’s a little similar to me, not specializing in one type of magic but rather spreading her attention to others,” Sunburst said. “Though she’s stronger than me by a large margin.”

“She also uses a lot of tools, like smoke bombs and fireworks, in her fights,” Cadnce added.

“You’ve watched some of her fights?” Sunburst asked.

Cadance nodded. “A couple. She puts on quite the show sometimes.”

“She is amusing to watch!” Sunburst agreed.

“I’m looking forward to it then,” Starlight said.

“Sunset? Who’s that?” Night Light asked, tilting his head.

“Sunset is Princess Celestia’s other personal student,” Shining Armor explained. “She’s also one of Twilight’s friends.”

“Twilight has three friends?!” Night Light gasped.

“Honey…” Velvet smiled, one of her eyes slightly twitching.

“Sorry!” Night Light quickly apologized before promptly shutting his mouth.

“Ahem,” Velvet cleared her throat, taking her glare off of her husband. “Well any friend of Twilight is a friend of ours. What does Sunset look like?”

“Just take a look down at the arena,” Celestia said, prompting them to turn their attention back to the center. Their eyes landed on the orange mare walking in from the side.

Sunset wore the same outfit as her first duel: a hooded black robe with a steel chestplate.

“I still can’t believe Sunset had that band custom made,” Cadance mumbled, her gaze on the metal band wrapped around Sunset’s head.

“Well I can’t believe she actually bought a high-grade ruby,” Sunburst said, his attention on her staff. “She didn’t even use it against me! I can’t imagine how screwed I would’ve been if she did.”

“Oh it’s starting!” Starlight said, causing them to look at the guard in the center.

“Welcome to the second match of the day everypony!” the announcer said, catching everypony’s attention. “Who would’ve thought we’d get back-to-back matches with Celestia’s personal students? What a lucky day!”

“Since Twilight already fought, we all know who’s next,” the announcer paused for a second. “Sunset Shimmer!”

Some ponies the crowd cheered, but none of them matched Cadance’s shouts.

“YEAH! DESTROY HER SUNSET!” Cadance yelled, pumping her hooves in the air.

“Cadance…” Celestia sighed, shaking her head.

“What? I’m just showing my support for a friend,” Cadance smirked.

“Sunset’s performance in her previous match was impeccable. She showed everypony that she’s someone not to mess with, that’s for sure!” The announcer simply ignored Cadance’s cries, going on with his little spiel.

“Her opponent, however, also put up quite the show in her previous duels,, literally might I say,” the announcer smirked. “Welcome back, the Great and Powerful Trixie!”

A small portion of the crowd cheered at the announcement of the magician. Trixie walked in flambolantly, waving her hoof at everypony.

She wore a purple cloak and witch hat decaled with stars all over it. It was her usual attire for the duels. Alongside her clothes, a wand with a purple gem hung by her side.

“Trixie is quite the difficult opponent as some of you might know, so I’m sure we’re in for quite the treat!” The announcer finished as the guard approached the middle. Sunset and Trixie beside him, he recited the rules.

“Do you both understand?” He said to both of them.

“Yup,” Sunset said.

Trixie grinned. “Of course I do.”

“Good,” the guard nodded with content. “Return to your designated start points, and start on the referee’s command.”

As the two returned to their starting positions, the guard walked back to his post. A few moments passed as the referee got comfortable in his seat. Finally, he started the countdown.

“Three…”

“Two…”

“One..”

The referee blew his whistle, signifying the start of the match.

Trixie immediately reached into her cloak and pulled out a smoke bomb.Throwing it on the gounrd, it clouded a majority of the arena in smoke.

“Oh no you don’t!” Sunset said, her horn’s glow like a beacon in the night.

A strong gust of wind spread outwards from Sunset, causing all the smoke to disperse at once. The arena was now as clear as before.

Trixie clicked her tongue. “I see you’ve come prepared, but don’t think that’s the only trick up Trixie’s sleeve!”

Igniting her horn, Trixie suddenly closed the gap between the two of them with a blink. With a second cast, she froze the ground underneath Sunset, causing her to slightly lose her balance. Trixie wasn’t done just yet however. A chunk of ice appeared above Sunset and descended towards her.

“What an amusing strategy,” Celestia commented. “She’s drawing Sunset’s attention to the ice beneath her, upping the chances of the ice block hitting her right on the head.”

“Casting that fast is impressive,” Shining Armor said.

Sunburst nodded. “That’s why she places quite high on the ranking list. Mix that with her effective use of her tools, and you have one scary opponent.”

“It doesn’t seem like Sunset’s struggling too much right now though,” said Celestia, smiling.

With a glow of her horn, the ice melted below her almost instantly. Just as the ice above her was about to strike her down, a barrier appeared between her and the ice, causing it to shatter into small pieces.

“What the hay?!” Trixie shouted in disbelief. “You actually saw through Trixie’s attack?”

“It’s similar to something I did before, so yes,” Sunset grinned.

“Well let’s see how well you handle this,” Trixie quickly recovered from the shock, igniting her horn once again.

“Don’t think I’ll let you have all the fun!” Sunset smirked deviously, disappearing from Trixie’s vision. Trixie frantically looked around her, trying to figure out where Sunset teleported off to.

Appearing above her with a fully lit horn, Sunset shot a barrage of lasers downwards. Trixie reacted to the noise of Sunset’s horn, looking up at her. Teleporting again, Sunset appeared behind Trixie whose whole attention was on the lasers above her. Shooting a few more lasers from behind, Trixie had to deal with attacks from two angles!

“Is it me or has Sunset’s casting gotten faster?” Sunburst asked

“It’s not just you,” Celestia confirmed. “She certainly has become more proficient in multi-casting.”

“She’s multi-casting?” Starlight tilted her head.

“Indeed,” Celestia nodded. “You see Sunset is able to shoot those lasers out right as she reappears, right?”

“Oh, right!” Starlight slapped her forehead.

Trixie was able to block the attack from above her easily, but by the time she saw the other, they were already just mere inches away. Stumbling out of the way, a laser was able to find its mark on her back leg.

“Owww,” Trixie cried out, regaining her composure. Looking at her left hindleg, she frowned. “That hurt, you know!”

“That’s the point?” Sunset snickered.

Trixie shot a glare at her, her frown deepening.

“Sunset was able to get the first hit in! Though it only seemed to scrap her, it is bound to affect Trixie’s performance,” the announcer said.

“What does he mean by affecting her performance? Isn’t it just a measly hit on the leg?”

Cadance asked. “That shouldn’t really affect her, right?”

“Trixie’s expression should say it all,” Celestia simply said.

Cadance squinted, trying to make out Trixie’s face. Sweat trickled down from Trixie’s forehead. Her brows were furrowed and would occasionally. Overall she looked a little stiffer than earlier, indicating something was off with her.

“What’s wrong with her?” Cadance frowned, still not getting how Celestia meant.

“She’s most likely in some sort of pain due to that laser hitting her,” Celestia explained. “Though it may have seemed minor, I’m sure Sunset’s lasers carry a lot of weight. It must’ve felt like being stabbed at the least.”

“Seriously?” Cadance asked, her mouth slightly agape.

“Seriously,” Celestia nodded. “And since she’s in pain, it will affect the way she behaves the rest of the match. She’ll most likely be on the defensive and constantly pushed back. If she doesn’t do anything soon, she’ll eventually lose.”

“Sunset sure is scary,” Cadance mumbled.

Noticing Trixie’s grimace and now passive demeanor, Sunset sprung into action, taking the offensive. Shooting a few more lasers in her direction, she suddenly disappeared again, blink right next to Trixie.

“Seriously?” Trixie groaned, blinking away just as fast Sunset appeared.

As Trixie appeared in a new spot, Sunset was right next to her already. Swinging her staff down on Trixie, Sunset grinned. “Seriously.”

“How?!” Trixie cried out in frustration, summoning a barrier around her to block the attack.

The impact of the staff left cracks all over Trixie’s barrier, but failed to push through all the way. Seeing an opportunity, Trixie expanded her barrier, pushing Sunset back a few feet away.

“I’ve gotta admit, that was cool,” Sunset commented, stabilizing herself.

Trixie grinned. “Heh, thanks.”

“But let’s see if you can block this!” said Sunset before she continued her assault. Running towards Trixie, she ignited her horn.

“I wonder what Sunset has planned,” Starlight mumbled. “I mean, she’s just running right at her. Wouldn’t it be safer to teleport to close the distance?”

“Sunset’s probably trying to conserve the rest of her stamina,” Celestia said. “She’s been throwing all kinds of spells out, so it wouldn’t be surprising if she’s also running low on gas.”

“Just not as low as Trixie,” Sunburst added, to which Celestia nodded.

Trixie threw out an occasional laser to try and stop Sunset’s advance, but it was to no avail. Sunset would easily side-step it, closing the distance quickly. Trixie clicked her tongue as Sunset was just a couple feet away.

“You leave me no choice!” Trixie shouted. “Trixie didn’t want to use this now, but it seems I’ll have to.”

Trixie’s horn started glowing, growing brighter and brighter by the second. Seeing this, Sunset instinctively slowed down her approach, becoming wary of the other unicorn. A ball of magic formed on the tip of Trixie’s horn, growing larger and larger.

Staring at the large ball of magic, Sunset gulped. Steeling herself, she ignited her horn as well.

“Hey, that spell looks kind of familiar,” Sunburst said, rubbing his chin. “I just can’t put my hoof on it though…”

“I can,” Shining Armor solemnly said.

“Me too…” Starlight chuckled awkwardly.

Sunburst’s eyes grew wide. “Wait a minute, that’s the spell Starlight used. The one that blew up the garden!”

“Oh?” Celestia hummed, a small frown on her face.

“Shouldn’t we stop her? Large area destruction spells are against the rules,” Shining Armor said.

“We’ll see how it plays out,” Celestia said. “If there’s any sign of endangerment, then you have permission to act. Otherwise, just be ready to summon a barrier.”

“Yes ma’am,” Shining Armor saluted.

As the ball of magic grew and grew, Sunset simply stood there, staring at it. Eventually, the ball stopped growing, resting calmly on Trixie’s horn.

“Take this!” Trixie shouted, throwing it in Sunset’s direction.

“It’s now or never,” Sunset mumbled to herself, a magic shield appearing in between her and the ball.

“You think that little shield will be able to stop-”

Trixie stopped mid sentence, her jaw dropping. When the ball came in contact with the shield, it was sent flying upwards due to the slight angle. Flying straight up at neckbreak speeds, it disappeared into the sky.

“Here it comes!” Shining Armor shouted, suddenly summoning a barrier around the whole arena. The spectators looked around them in confusion.

Suddenly, an explosion filled the sky, followed by a massive shockwave that managed to shake Shining’s barrier. The ponies watching looked up at it in awe and shock. One could only imagine the damage that would’ve done if it hit a pony directly.

The shockwave eventually died down, causing Shining Armor to put down his barrier. All eyes were back on the arena where the two ponies simply stood.

“You. Huh. What?!” Trixie sputtered out, trying to form a sentence. Looking up at the sky and back at Sunset frantically, she couldn’t say anything. Suddenly, Trixie fell backwards, fainting.

Sunset chuckled. “I guess that’s one way to win.”

The announcer shook his head, breaking out of his daze. “A-And the winner is Sunset!”

“She won, just like that?” Cadance asked. “A little anticlimactic, if you ask me.”

“Thank you for putting that barrier up, Shining Armor,” Celestia smiled, ignoring her niece’s comment.

“Just doing my job, your highness,” Shining Armor said.

The announcer trotted next to Sunset as the medics placed Trixie on a stretcher and took her back to their medical tent.

“Sunset, that was quite the match,” said the announcer, chuckling. “If it wasn’t for that mysterious barrier, I’m sure the whole arena would’ve been destroyed! Though, seeing how you easily deflected it, I'm sure you weren’t nervous at all.”

“Heh, yeah…” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck, smiling sheepishly. “Not even a bit nervous.”

“Speaking of which, how were you able to redirect it so easily? That takes a lot of finesse.”

Sunset shrugged. “I kind of just did it out of instinct I think. I knew it was win or lose at that moment, but I wanted to challenge myself, so I took the more risky option.”

“Risky option? What do you mean by that?” asked the announcer, tilting his head.

“Well I could’ve easily just teleported behind her and canceled out her magic with another spell, but I really wanted to try and push myself this time around,” Sunset explained.

“A spell to cancel out magic? That’s quite impressive!”

Sunset smiled. “Well it’s still work-in-progress, but I can use it to an extent.”

“I’m sure everypony is excited to see you in your next match, so I hope you’re back soon!” the announcer said, finishing the interview.

The next match started shortly after, though the crowd thinned out slightly. Sunset and Twilight emerged from the crowd, going up to join Celestia and company.

“Congratulations you two,” Celestia greeted them with a smile.

“Thanks, teach’,” Sunset grinned.

“We’re so proud of you Twilight!” Velvet said, giving her filly a big hug. “Even if you scared me half to death.”

“Mom!” Twilight tried to pull herself from her bear hug, but didn’t have the strength.

Night Light chuckled. “Your mother is just showing how proud she is of you.”

“Twily, you did great out there,” Shining Armor noogied his sister right after her mother released her.

“I can’t catch a break,” Twilight huffed, accepting her fate.

“How was your first duel viewing?” Sunset asked, taking a seat next to Starlight.

“That looked so fun!” Starlight grinned. “I really want to try it now, but I know how hard that’s going to be.” Letting out a long sigh, she hung her head.

“Just trick him somehow,” Sunburst suggested.

Sunset gave Sunburst a look. “I’m surprised you’re the one who suggested that.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Sunburst, cocking an eyebrow

“Just surprised, that’s all,” Sunset said. Turning her attention to Cadance, she grinned. “Speaking of being surprised, I almost jumped when you yelled, Cadance.”

Cadence smiled sheepishly. “Heh, I was just a little excited.”

“A little?” Shining Armor asked while simultaneously releasing Twilight.

“Yes,” Cadance simply said.

“How about we go get some donuts to celebrate Twilight’s first duel and Sunset’s win?” Night Light suggested. “I know a great place!”

“I would love to come, but unfortunately I have some business to attend to,” Celestia smiled weakly. “Maybe next time, Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle.”

“Of course, your highness,” Night Light said. “How about the rest of you?”

“Well it doesn’t seem like we have a choice,” said Sunset who was standing next to Twilight.
“Sounds good dad,” Shining Armor said.

Cadance nodded. “I’ve been craving donuts recently.”

“Can we come?” Sunburst asked, smiling awkwardly.

“Of course!” Velvet said. “Any friend of Twilight is ours, remember?”

“Thank you!” Starlight and Sunburst both said in unison.

“Alright, let’s go!” Night Light said, leading the way out of the arena.

Following behind him, they all made their way to the donut shop to celebrate Sunset's and Twilight's victories.

The Rebel and The Bookworm (CANCELLED)

by qiley

Prologue: Conversation and Condition

Chapter 1: School and the New Kid

Chapter 2: Sunset and The Lost Filly

Chapter 3: Lessons With Twilight

Chapter 4: Duels

Chapter 5: Foalsitting and Character Creation

Chapter 5.5: Adventuring Neighpon (O&O): Part 1

Chapter 6: Tea, Duel Preparation, and Love?

Chapter 7: Maiden Battle

Chapter 8: New Seatmates and the Letters

Chapter 9: A New Friend

Chapter 10: Twilight's Other Brother and the Guard's Secret

Chapter 11: Shopping With Friends

Chapter 12: Princess Celestia's Surprise Party

Chapter 13: School and Duels

THIS STORY IS CANCELLED!