When The Sun Sets

Sunset Shimmer

Great. Sunset sighed as she entered her room again. These Unicorns were terrible at magic! Seriously? A toy rope and a bouquet of flowers? Pathetic.

They were most certainly Sucksters. Not even good enough to be a Born.

What could Sunset do? Teach them? From what the two showed her, would it really help to teach them simple spells and watch them progress?

Tomorrow would be better, she thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

Sunset was invited to breakfast with the Powers the next morning. Before she left, she told Trixie and Fleur De Lis about her whereabouts, and told them to go walk around in town for a couple of hours. Just to meet her back at the arena at twelve, where they would start training.

Sunset sat on the chair in the Imperial Dining Room meant only for Powers and greeted Head Professor Aura and the other Powers.

"Good morning," she told them. This time, Sunset made it a point to make sure her mane was swept back in a neat way and that she didn't have bags under her eyes.

"Morning, Sunset," replied Professor Neigh, who sat down next to Aura.

Amethyst Star was two minutes late. She rushed in, and took her seat next to Blue Belle, her sister who had graduated a few years ago.

Two minutes late was unacceptable in Unicorn society. It was either on time, or late.

Blue Belle glared at her sister as if she was an anomaly. She looked run-down, scared, and tired. Sunset almost felt bad for the pony. Almost.

"Now, I assume you know why we have called a meeting," Head Professor Aura started.

Sunset nodded. "To talk about our jobs."

"Correct. Now, Sunset, we do know about Princess Celestia's plan for you. Would you like to tell us what the job is?"

Sunset nodded again. "Princess Celestia has assigned me two ponies for mentoring. If I bring those two ponies up to Power level, I will be granted the title 'Head Mentor', get a spot on the Unicorn High Council, and get to live in the Canterlot Castle."

Amethyst Star's mouth dropped. "Wh...What?"

"Amethyst, what job have you chosen?" Aura interrupted. Amethyst shook it out and straightened out.

"I have chosen the job Potion Maker, to experiment with ingredients and make something better for the pony community," she said.

"Wonderful," Aura replied, not looking all too impressed. "Now, Sunset, do we know these two ponies?"

"I...I don't think so," Sunset stammered out. "Do you know the Great and Powerful Trixie and Fleur De Lis?"

The Powers all shuddered.

"Trixie? She's a joke!"

"My sister knows a pony who knows a pony who knows a pony that knows Smarty Pants!"

"I threw a tomato at Trixie once!"

"Fleur De Lis? Isn't that French?"

"I really have to pee!"

The jumble of Power voices echoed through the room. Amethyst Star was smirking, staring at Sunset with cold eyes. What had Sunset ever done to her?

"SILENCE!" Aura ordered, and the whole table did as she said. "Sunset is a very remarkable young Unicorn, perfectly capable of mentoring two ponies, even if their magical capacities are...low."

"Ha! Low?" Amethyst shouted out, oblivious to the Powers staring at her. "These ponies literally have nothing to prove. It is impossible to teach such terrible beings!" Amethyst opened her mouth for more, but Blue Belle cut her off.

"That's enough, sister. Sunset Shimmer will teach these ponies, I know she will." Blue Belle looked at me, her eyes confident.

Blue Belle seemed like a nice pony. She obviously was the favorite among her parents, Sunset presumed.

After the meeting was over, Sunset started to trot to the arena where Fleur De Lis and Trixie were hopefully waiting. Suddenly she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned her head.

Blue Belle was standing over her, levitating a few books. Like her sister, Blue Belle was a Potion Maker. Maybe that's why she was looking at her sister with the evil eye.

"Hey Sunset," Blue Belle greeted her. Sunset returned it. "So, um, sorry about my sister. She's kind of a flank-hole." Sunset nodded. "If, uh, you need any help with this project of yours, like a potion or something for training, just tell me."

A friend of Blue Belle's waved over to her, and she scampered off.

When Sunset arrived at the arena, Fleur and Trixie were already there.

"So, what are we doing today?" Trixie asked. She looked rumpled, as if she had fallen asleep on an awkward position.

"Basic magic," Sunset answered. Pulling out an overhead, she called on her skills as a teacher. Based on what Sunset saw yesterday, they were going to have to start at the beginning.

Magic Kindergarten.

"All right," Sunset said, sitting the two Unicorns down. "Now, we're going to learn the basics." She put a transparent sheet depicting an aura on the overhead. "What is this? Does anypony know?"

Trixie raised her hoof. "It's the magic glow-y thing that happens when we call on our magic!''

"Right, but what is it called?"

Trixie scrunched up her face. "Glow?"

"No."

Trixie hung her head in shame. What an idiot, not even knowing what an aura was.

"Fleur?"

"Huh?"

Sunset's anger grew. "Do you know what this is?"

"An aura."

Sunset smiled. "Correct."

Trixie looked at Fleur with wide eyes. "Hold on a sec," she said. "How the buck does she know something that I don't know?"

Fleur looked at her. "My dear, I'm sure you're mistaken. I am Fleur De Lis. But before I was beautiful, I was an A-student."

"What?"

"Plus, I'm not an idiot. Come on, all of us are taught this in preschool. Even Pegasi and Earth ponies."

Sunset face-hoofed. "First of all, Trixie, do not use that kind of language at class. Secondly, Fleur, we do not call ponies idiots!"

After a few more hours of listening to the two bicker about questions, Sunset knocked over the whiteboard. "Screw it, I'm done," she said, exasperated, and ran off away from the arena, Trixie and Fleur De Lis calling her name.

~~~~~~

An hour later, Sunset was sitting at the bar in the Canterlot Castle.

"What can I get ya?" asked the bartender.

"A cider."

He obeyed, filling the glass up, and handing it to Sunset, who grabbed it greedily. "So what's got you down, miss?"

Sunset sighed, clearing her throat. "I'm supposed to mentor these two Unicorns, see, but they are terrible. Literally terrible. Never had a proper lesson in their lives. I just spent the last four hours teaching them elementary stuff, which they had problems with. And I'm supposed to make them Powers!"

The bartender smiled. "Teaching them what?"

"Well, about auras and how to levitate frigging quills!"

"Maybe you're, well, boring them too much."

"Boring them? These are things they should've known before they even applied! And they can't even name Starswirl the Bearded on sight!"

He sighed, nodding his head. "Okay then. I'm just a bartender, there's not much I can help with. But I can tell you one thing: we all have cutie marks for a reason."

He nodded to Sunset, and went on to the next customer. Sunset sat for a second, pondering what he just told her. We all have cutie marks for a reason? Obviously. But what did that have to do with her students?

Then she remembered something. What had the two done with Night Mare Moon? Trixie used a show rope, as she might've used in a magic show. Fleur used a bouquet of lilies, which she might've used in a fancy party.

Their cutie marks corresponded with the magic they chose. Show ropes, cutie mark adorned with a magic wand, used only at shows. Lilies, cutie mark with a fleur de lis.

It was all coming to her now. She wouldn't be able to change their magic choices. All she could do was amplify them.

Sunset dropped two bits for the cider, gulping down the remains, and a ten bit tip for the bartender.

"Thank you, sir!" She said as she stormed out.

The bartender waved.