Little Truths

by EbonQuill

Rating: teen
Tags: Other, Drama, Lemon Hearts, Sunset Shimmer, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Colgate, Alternate Universe, Twinkleshine
Length: 10388

No first-year student has ever been crowned the Autumn Liege at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Lemon Hearts is going to change that, with a little help from Sunset Shimmer.

New student Lemon Hearts has come to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns to begin again. Thanks to a kind stallion named Green Fields and the careful tutelage of Sunset Shimmer, Lemon Hearts is going to do what no first-year student has done before.

She’s going to be a Princess.
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Historian’s Note:
Set in Novel Idea’s Wavelengths timeline, wherein the Sonic Rainboom didn’t happen, the events of Little Truths occur eighteen months before The Alchemy of Chemistry, during Sunset Shimmer’s third year.
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Cast: Lemon Hearts, Sunset Shimmer, Green Fields
Guest Stars: Raspberry Tart, Dean Silver Slate, Minuette, and Twinkleshine
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Third-Place Finisher for FanOfMostEverything’s Imposing Sovereigns contest!
Featured on EQD on April 11th, 2017!

Cover art by Novel Idea
Sunset Shimmer art by Karzahnii
---
Beta Reader Credits
Amber Spark, who inspired both entry and submission
Beltorn, who waited patiently
Little Tinker, who could give ninja lessons

Published 2017-03-21 00:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-03-21 00:30:01 UTC

Laughter

“Life is not fair.
This does not mean you cannot win.”

- Poison Pen

The early morning classes let out with the tolling of crystal chimes as Lemon Hearts walked through the doors of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. The voices of the students echoed through the sweeping hallways. They trotted past the brilliant yellow unicorn in a rainbow of magic auras and books. She peered out from behind her cerulean mane at the waves of ponies, and sighed.

New school, new you, Lemons. Come on. You can do it.

She took a deep breath, centered herself, gathered her saddlebags in her raspberry-colored magical aura, and stepped out into the crowd. She managed a few steps along the hall, but was jostled again and again. After an uncomfortable moment suspended in the press of ponies, she fell backwards onto the polished marble, spilling the contents of her saddlebags across the hallway.

Nopony seemed to notice. A few of her books slid as they were kicked by uncaring hooves.

Lemon felt a tingle at the corner of her eyes. For a second, she felt her old self coming out, and took a long, shuddering breath. The tears would be next. She pushed the sorrow back. This wasn’t the time for emotional outbursts. She’d been accepted to CSGU, and it wouldn’t do to break down on her first day.

‘Sour Lemon’ is gone. I’m not going to let her out again.

She blinked to clear her eyes, and realized she was staring at a tall, dark green unicorn with an unfurled scroll for a cutie mark.

“Rough start, sunshine. You okay?” His voice was clear and strong, like the striking of a brass gong. “Don’t let them get to you. Competition here at GU can be tough, and nopony likes being seen as weak. It invites… trouble. Here—”

His horn flared to life, engulfing her and all her scattered supplies in his vibrant emerald magic. With a toss of his mane, he stood her up, put all her books, quills, and inkpots back into her bags, and placed them over her again.

Despite the complex shuffling necessary to weave her books out from the sea of ponies around them, and the measured force needed to pull her up off the floor, he didn’t seem at all fazed.

He’s good....

“Uh, t-thanks,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. Her old self still threatened to overcome her. “For the help, I mean.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said, grinning. “What kind of example would I be setting for the incoming class if I didn’t take a moment to help?”

They shared a laugh, his full-throated and loud, hers unassuming and quiet.

“You’d better get going, sunshine. Professor Marks doesn’t appreciate tardiness.”

Lemon Hearts froze. “Who?”

He lifted up a small piece of cardstock, and floated it to her. She took it in her magic, and scanned it. It was her class schedule.

“Says here that Lemon Hearts’s first session is Fundamentals of Metaphysics with Professor Top Marks. He does it for all the first-years. Assuming that’s you, it’s in the South Wing, so if you hurry—”

“Oh, gosh! I’m gonna be late!” She crammed her schedule into her saddlebag, and charged down the hallway. She weaved around the mob of students, desperately hoping to beat the chimes. She panicked for a moment upon discovering that she had overshot a turn in the vast halls. It didn’t quite get to the point of using her magic to shove ponies out of the way, but it was a near thing.

She beat the chimes by mere seconds, only making it to the auditorium’s gallery steps before their bright and cheerful ringing sang throughout the school. She fought to catch her breath as she climbed the steps to a relatively unoccupied row near the front. Eventually she managed, as the ponies around her busied themselves with setting up their quills and inkpots.

“Welcome to the Fall Semester, everypony.” The voice was calm and composed, but slightly strained as the unicorn stallion raised his voice to be heard over the settling of his students. He sat at the front of the class behind a mahogany desk. The room quieted down as Professor Top Marks stood, levitated a baton from his assistant’s desk with his magic, and crossed to the center of the room. He was an older pale cobalt unicorn with a short light gray mane. His tweed jacket gave him an air of severity that silenced the few remaining chatty ponies in his lecture hall.

“You are first year students at our Princess’s academy for the best and brightest. You have just started an undertaking that will determine your futures. Rest assured that you, like everypony to come through these halls before you, shall only go as far as your study and practice permit. Your…”

Lemon Hearts tried to take notes, but his speech just. Kept. Going…

She eventually decided to take down the intricate diagrams and lines of equations lining the chalkboards behind Professor Marks. They all seemed to relate to ambient magic and the methods by which it might be channeled. She’d thoroughly copied three of the boards when she noticed the Professor seemed to be winding down.

“… Therefore, it is imperative that you remember the watchwords of the day: discipline, drive, and demeanor. Through these, you will discover your destiny. Though it yet hangs just out of reach, you will grasp it someday. Thank you.”

There was a smattering of half-hearted applause. Lemon Hearts joined in, stamping her hooves on the ground.

Professor Marks cantered to his desk, floated up a glass of water with his magic, and drained it.

“Ah. Better. Now!” He slammed the glass down and swept up a large stack of paper. In one smooth motion, he fanned out the papers and passed one to each pony. As each pony took theirs, he called out their names.

“Allegria. Amethyst Star. Artiste. Balustrade. Briar Patch. Buttered Biscuit. Calliope…”

It went on. Lemon Hearts hadn’t appreciated just how large the class was until this moment. Craning her neck to look around, she realized there must have been thirty or so unicorns here.

“… Floribunda. Frabjous Day. Gaslamp. Gravel Path. Ground Root. Gusty. Halfthorn. Honey Sweet. Horizon Line…”

So many… how in Celestia’s name did I get in if there’s already so many?

“… Juniper Berry. Kilowatt. Lemon Hearts. Lilting Bell. Luminescent. Lyra Heartstrings. Mallomar. Minuette. Moon Dancer…”

And it kept going. Lemon Hearts grabbed the sheet of paper, and read through it briefly. It was a syllabus and—

—What? But I’d hoped— Ooh, ponyfeathers… Mom and Dad are gonna kill me…

Heavy Hearts, her father, had drilled it into her head how important it was to be prepared. Homestead Hearts, her mother, had raised her with a no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners attitude towards her duties. Under their careful guidance, Lemon had become a studious little filly with an eye towards detail.

It’d been that eye that had lead to her disastrous dismissal from the Hoofington Academy, and the nickname ‘Sour Lemon’.

It’d been that eye that had earned her acceptance to CSGU.

It was that eye that had caught that Professor Top Marks had a project due every week until finals, leaving her no time to go home and see her family.

“… Seabreeze. Shining Lights. Suns—”

There was a slight catch in Professor Marks’s voice. He cleared his throat, and continued.

“Sunsong. Tempest Fidget, Twinkleshine. Umbra. Valiant Banner. Wander. Wondergleam. Wren Feather. Yonder.”

He looked at the gallery, catching as many ponies as he could with his gaze. “You have five minutes to acquaint yourself with the syllabus. Rest assured that I know each of your names and faces. Any of you who might claim ignorance of my deadlines would do well to remember that.”

With that, he trotted back to his desk, opened a small tome, and began to read.

* * * *

Lemon Hearts fidgeted in her seat in the school’s Meeting Hall, waiting for the Dean’s welcome speech to begin. It seemed every unicorn filly in Canterlot was here, from the youngest first years to the seventh-years, ready to graduate and pursue their talents.

“H-hi,” said a quiet little voice beside her.

“Gah!” Lemon Hearts almost jumped out of her skin.

The voice belonged to a pale golden filly with a pink mane. Lemon Hearts remembered seeing her in Fundamentals, but couldn’t recall her name.

“Hey… you….”

The filly cast her gaze downward. “Sorry. I guess we didn’t really meet, did we? I’m Twinkleshine. I was directly behind you in Fundamentals, and—”

Lemon Hearts clapped her hooves together. “Oh, right! The filly who kept applying musical scales to magical Harmonics!”

Twinkleshine blushed a little. “Y-yeah, that’s me. Good old musical me.” She hoofed at the ground nervously.

“What’s the matter?”

Twinkleshine sighed. “I just thought that maybe coming to CSGU would be a new start for me. I’ve always been in one choir or another, ever since I was small. Momma said it’d help get me into a good school.”

Lemon Hearts laughed. “Well, she wasn’t wrong…”

Twinkleshine rolled her eyes. “And she’ll never let me forget it! Anyway, thanks to her, I think of things in terms of music. So I was just trying to draw parallels.”

Lemon looked at the golden unicorn and smiled. “No, it's great! I’d have never thought of harmonic cadence as a vessel for Harmonic magic! That's really clever!”

Twinkleshine blushed a little, and laughed.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a blue and white bomb landing between them with a cheer.

“Woo! What're we laughing about?” said a voice far too cheerful to be natural. It came from a unicorn with an hourglass cutie mark, and a grin that almost glowed.

Twinkleshine gasped, and broke out laughing again. “Minuette, you scared the saddle off of me!”

Lemon’s heart beat fast enough that she felt a little lightheaded. “Gosh! What was that?”

Minuette nudged her, laughing. “I just felt like making an entrance. You okay?”

Lemon got her breathing under control, and began to chuckle. “You sure you're not part buck-in-a-box?”

Minuette’s laughter became a long series of cackles, and laid her out on the floor.

“You'll have to forgive her. Minuette’s sense of humor is sometimes strange, but she always has a reason.”

A glimmer of recognition shined in Lemons eyes. “Minuette? And Twinkleshine? Did you two attend Miss Apple Delight’s class in Magic Kindergarten?”

The other two looked at Lemon as that same light dawned on them.

“No way—” Twinkleshine said, breathlessly.

“Ah-hah! I knew it! You were the filly who apparated that flask over her head!”

Lemon blushed at the memory. “Y-yeah. Thanks for getting it off of me. I don't know how you managed it, but seriously. Thanks.”

Minuette scoffed. “No big! It was just a proper application of comedy!”

Lemon blinked at her, brow furrowed. “… What?”

Twinkleshine rolled her eyes. “It’s Minuette,” she said as Minuette waived to another group of ponies. “You’ll get used to her.”

“Moony!” Minuette called to two other fillies standing away from the crowd. “Miss Delight’s science class reunion! Let's do it!”

Lemon glanced over, and saw the filly Professor Marks had called Moon Dancer cantering over. As they reintroduced themselves, a stallion’s voice spoke over the crowd. He wasn't very loud, but he had the unmistakable air of authority. As the brisk, cultured voice began, it quieted all other speech until only it echoed off the silent walls.

“Thank you for your patience, fillies and gentlecolts,” said the unicorn at the podium. He was a tall, stately stallion with a gleaming silver mane. His severe suit looked like he’d been dipped in oil. The blacks absorbed the lights overhead, and added a slightly sinister cast to his otherwise handsome features. He could only have been Dean Silver Slate.

“Welcome to the Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, the only academy in Equestria that will push you to become more than you are. My name is Silver Slate, and I am the Dean of Magical Studies, which means I am the highest authority here, barring the Princess herself. This puts me in the unenviable position of being the one to tell you when you've gone too far, and when you've crossed the line. I expect a few of you are already making mental notes to avoid me at all costs.”

There were some laughs, mostly the high-pitched chuckles of the guilty.

“That is why I was chosen for this role. I am harsh, but fair. You will reap what you sow.”

An uncomfortable silence settled around the hall. Lemon Hearts swallowed a sudden desire to shiver.

“However” he said, flashing a genuinely warm smile, dispelling the subtle air of menace that had grown around him. Now he seemed more like a stern uncle. “I would rather be known as the Master of Ceremonies for the upcoming Nightmare Night Masquerade Ball. As is tradition, we will crown the Autumn Liege. Only those with a qualifying grade point average at the midterm will be allowed to compete for the crown.”

He lifted his glasses off his muzzle, and cleaned them before replacing them. “To explain the minimum requirements for a candidate, I give to you last year’s Princess, Sunset Shimmer.”

Behind him, the curtains parted to reveal a gorgeous amber unicorn, with a crisply styled gold-and scarlet mane. She was dressed in a fuchsia gown, and wore a tiara made of gilded leaves and branches. Her muzzle split into a wide, welcoming smile. “Good morning, everypony! Gosh, it’s exciting to be up here, and I thank you for the opportunity to talk about what a great Autumn Liege should be.”

She tossed her mane, teal topaz teardrop earrings glittering in the stage lights. “For those who don't know me, I've won the crown every year for the last two years. To make sure there's plenty of competition, I'm working with Dean Slate and your instructors to make sure we all have a shot at the title of Autumn Liege!”

There was some applause, mostly from the younger students. Lemon noticed everypony from her Fundamentals class looked raring to go, but the older students seemed more subdued.

As she scanned the faces of the seniors, she caught the eye of Green Fields.

He grinned, winked at her, and then turned back to Sunset Shimmer.

Lemon felt a little warm. Minuette nudged her with a chuckle.

“The qualifications have been relaxed some, so even you first-years can participate. All you have to do is maintain a four-point-oh GPA, volunteer for at least one extracurricular event a week, and be ready to demonstrate your special talent at the Ball. At that point, your peers will elect the Autumn Liege. Your professors are watching, so do your best! At the Masquerade Ball, some lucky colt or filly will win the crown, and I can't wait to meet our next Prince or Princess!”

There was a series of popping sounds somewhere above Lemon. Almost immediately after it, ponies all around her were soaked in a rich purple liquid. It evaporated as it poured, disappearing into a heavy purple haze.

Lemon held her breath, and pushed out of the crowd. She hadn't been touched. Those who had looked scared, sick, or sullen.

Until they all started screaming.

Kindness

“Enemies you threaten gather allies.
Enemies you destroy gather dust.”

- Poison Pen

“Alright, bring them in.” Professor Apple Polish’s normally crisp tones had lost their luster. She sounded tired.

Lemon Hearts knew exactly how she felt. With the assistance of several other ponies, they'd managed to bring all of the blighted into the Medical Wing. No two of them looked like the rest, with one student swollen up like a balloon and another’s teeth sprouting into living branches that threatened to engulf her head.

Chaos magic, Lemon shuddered.

“If you're not afflicted, raise your hoof,” Professor Polish said.

A small grove of hooves appeared, Lemon’s among them. Polish’s horn sparked briefly, and each hoof’s owner glowed a faint seafoam green.

“Of you, which of you have some knowledge of alchemy?”

Only a few hooves, this time. She flared her magic and caught them with a faint tangerine aura.

“If you have both colors, stay. You'll need to decontaminate yourself. If you don't know where the scrubs are, have somepony show you.” She sighed, tossing her straight brown mane out of her eyes. “If not, make room for those who do.”

Lemon Hearts took a deep breath, and tried not to panic. Her forehooves shined with both colors.

Looking around, she saw that Green Fields’s did, too. He was standing in a group of older students, who were discussing possible causes and treatments. As she moved through the afflicted ponies around her, and pushed past those leaving, she could only just make out their conversation.

“— doesn't do this, Fields,” a unicorn mare with a two-toned purple mane and a dusky brown coat was saying. “Trust me, this is some heavy-duty transmutation. A simple Alteration cross-contamination wouldn't even come close to this bad.”

“Well, what about Starswirl’s Nullification Mat— oh, hey, Lemon!” Green Fields’s face lit up as she approached. “You're sticking around, sunshine?”

Lemon nodded, glancing down at her multicolored hooves.

He smiled. “That's really cool of you. Oh!” He turned back to the pony he had been speaking with. “Rasp, this is Lemon Hearts. She's a first-year. Lemon, this is Raspberry Tart. She's the best transfigurist I've ever seen.”

Raspberry jokingly clipped him on the shoulder with a hoof. “Oh, stop. Anypony can do Alteration magic.”

Green Fields winced playfully, and continued. He turned again, this time to the beautiful amber unicorn from earlier standing beside him. “And I'm sure you've heard of Sunset Shimmer. She's heading up the treatment efforts, after Apple Polish diagnoses the problem. We’re grateful for her time.”

Lemon quavered a bit. Of course she'd heard of Sunset Shimmer. Brilliant, talented, beautiful, personal apprentice of the Princess… “H-how do you do, Miss Shimmer?”

Sunset laughed a little, and nodded back amiably. “Call me Sunset, please. And it’s great to meet you.”

Lemon glanced around at the ponies around them, each with a stranger disfigurement than the last. “Likewise. I wish it were under better circumstances.”

Raspberry Tart snorted. “Nah, this is perfect! You only really get to see what a pony is like under pressure. And you're a fighter, Miss Hearts.”

Sunset smiled. “Indeed. Now scrub in, we got work to do.”

It only took a few minutes for Professor Polish to identify what the liquid was, and to start assigning the gathered helpers to the necessary tasks to brew a counteragent. Somepony had distilled poison joke and had hidden it in the rafters of the meeting hall. Its rapid evaporation had been accomplished by carbonating it.

Lemon Hearts had been able to use her skills from Hoofington to help Green Fields filter the mash to allow for a clean brew. They'd talked while keeping the steel mesh even, and the temperature hot.

She'd even gotten him to laugh a couple times, and had managed not to get too tongue-tied.

She'd also watched Sunset take charge of their response, and whip them all into an effective assembly team to manufacture enough counteragent for everypony.

Afterwards, as the first batches of counteragent soaked into the worst cases, Professor Polish asked who amongst her helpers had Autumn Liege aspirations. Sunset's hoof went up immediately, followed by a couple of others.

Before the count was tallied, Raspberry Tart wrapped Lemon’s forehoof in her magic and raised it for her.

“What’re you doing?!” she hissed. “I'm just a—!”

“— brave first-year who ran towards trouble, and not away from it. C’mon, Lemon. I think you'll make a great Autumn Princess.”

And she let go. Lemon wavered a bit, but kept her hoof raised.

Professor Polish's muzzle twitched a little, seeing her. “Excellent. I'll pass on the word. Superbly done, my little ponies. Now, the fun part. Miss Shimmer?”

A case of fizzy cider clinked as Sunset's teal magic set it down in front of the other helpers.

“These were placed above the assembly, and filled with the extract,” she said. “Analyze these, and tell me what you find. Magical traces, alchemical residue, something. Anything.”

Sunset’s eyes glittered dangerously. “We're going to catch these jerks.”

Lemon couldn't contribute to the investigation very much, so she'd gone back to establishing her daily routine. A few days later, she'd heard about the suspension of two rising stars in the alchemy classes, Mulberry Bush and Ashen Aster.

It had been Aster’s cider habit that had given them away. Nopony else drank enough of the stuff to have so many bottles. After that came out, the two of them had been caught with poison joke seed husks and a text on zebra alchemy stolen from the Restricted Section of the CSGU library in their lockers. They swore blind that they'd never do such a thing, but Professor Inkwell said anonymous sources came forward and placed them in the Restricted Section earlier that day. After Professor Polish confirmed poison joke residue in their alchemy lab alembics, that was all Dean Slate needed.

Six weeks suspension, and a black mark on their records. This meant that they couldn't publish their midterm papers in the school's esteemed academic journal, and dashed Ashen Aster’s hopes to become the first Autumn Prince in a decade.

All of that over a prank. Lemon almost couldn't believe it, but she knew better than most how stress could change a pony.

Or rather, Sour Lemon did.

Generosity

“No enemy is beneath your notice.”

- Poison Pen

The air had gotten colder, but the leaves in the Lunar Meditation Garden to the west of the school hadn’t started to turn when Lemon Hearts came up again for air. It had been a blur of classes and volunteer work with the weekends set aside for study or for hanging out with her old friends she’d met on her first day. Minuette and Twinkleshine were a lot of fun, especially when they invited her to their—

What is he? Shining Armor’s roommate from two years ago? Something like that?

— friend’s Ogres and Oubliettes game.

They'd only just started, but Gaffer could tell a story, and she adored her little batpony Outcast. Nightblossom helped her to keep a leash on Sour Lemon.

As she trotted home from a climactic encounter with the Lich Princess of Coltdon, she found herself humming a little. The darkening colors of evening settled around her, and she began juggling her O&O notes around her, carefully wrapped in her raspberry-colored magic.

“Looks like you got a great handle on that, Lemon.”

She didn't quite drop them. She did, however, give a little shriek of surprise.

Raspberry Tart laughed, and stood up from a nearby bench. “Haven't seen you since the poison joke debacle. Shame about Aster, he was a good colt.”

Lemon struggled to get her breathing under control. It felt like she'd wedged her head into too narrow a space. Again.

“Gosh, you're high-strung. You need to relax a little.”

“Not. That. Gardens. Empty. This time. Of day.” Lemon gasped.

Raspberry laughed as she sat down on the chilly ground. “Yeah, they are. Great for quiet conversation, though. Pull up some sod, Hearts. Let's talk.”

Nervously, Lemon did.

The competition for Autumn Liege was getting heated. With midterms coming, those on the outs for one reason or another had taken to trying to scupper those ahead of them to try and stay in the game.

Raspberry wasn't involved, of course. Being the granddaughter of Dean Slate would be, as she’d phrased it, “an adorable little conflict of interest” for the professors. Still, she kept up-to-date with the standings.

Predictably, Sunset Shimmer was right on top. Despite her professed reluctance, it seemed that nopony could overtake her.

Downright astounding however, was how high Lemon Hearts was in the rankings, trailing Sunset only by a few percentage points. Her volunteer work made her popular, and her lab work, while not stellar, was certainly head-and-shoulders over the rest.

“Listen kid, if you really get going, I think you got a shot. I'm putting in a word to Professors Marks and Gate—”

“‘Gate’?”

Raspberry raised an eyebrow. “Professor Logic Gate?” She waived the name aside. “Forget it. I'm in the loop with several ponies who'd really like to see a changing of the guard. Nothing against Sunset, but when the Princess’s apprentice wins over and over, it looks bad, y’know?”

Lemon nodded. “Looks like favoritism.”

“Precisely,” grinned Raspberry. “Anyway, if you wanna close the gap, lemme give you some advice. Find a tutor who can help with your weak fields, and find a way to showcase your special talent. Something that'll blow the school's freaking mind, you got me? And stand straighter, kid. You’ve got a rep now. Use it.”

With that, Raspberry left, leaving Lemon with her thoughts.

An errant gust of wind caught her notebook, and riffled pages. She didn't notice.

* * * *

“Oh, I'd be honored, Lemon Hearts!” Sunset gushed, refilling Lemon’s teacup. They’d met in the student commons closest to Sunset’s apartment for tea. “Between you and me, I completely agree with Raspberry Tart. Just the other day, I was telling Celestia that it's so unfair to the other students. I know I'm popular, but gosh.”

Sunset leaned in close, and nudged Lemon Hearts. “Give other ponies a chance, huh? Absolutely! And could you imagine how good it'd look for a first-year like you to get it?”

Sunset chuckled, and pulled Lemon into her mirth. As they laughed together, Sunset sighed, “Now, what subjects did you need to find a tutor for? I know everypony, so I'll get you the best!”

“Um, Equestrian History, Alteration Theory and Application, and Psychology.”

Sunset blinked owlishly as she pulled a notebook out of her saddlebag with her magic. “I see. Well, let's think about this.” She started leafing through it, saying, “I've got Briar Patch for Alteration, he's good. And Moss Song’s consistently posting high marks in Psychology. History… that's gotta be Green Fields. He's the only other—”

“I spoke to all of them already. They all said the same thing, you're the best.”

Sunset smiled distantly. “Oh, they did? How nice of them to say so! Well, I hate to say it,” she said, shrugging, “but it's true. But they're a lot like you, honey. That's why they'd be such a good fit.”

Lemon took a deep breath, and straightened her shoulders. “Miss Shimmer, I’d like for it to be you.”

Sunset froze, and gazed up from her notebook. She lifted her teacup, and took a sip. After a moment, she looked Lemon dead in the eye, her face impassive and grave, like a statue in the Royal Gardens.

Lemon Hearts kept her breathing steady, and didn’t look away.

“Are you sure? I’m the frontrunner for Autumn Liege. Aren’t you worried about conflicts of interest?”

Lemon swallowed. “Honestly? No. I trust the Princess’s judgement. She’d never have taken you on as her apprentice if she didn’t think you were worth it. I can’t believe that somepony who’d serve the Princess would be so dishonest.”

Sunset smiled, and extended her hoof. “Then I believe we can deal.”

Lemon Hearts hopped over and wrapped Sunset in a hug. “Thank you, Miss Shimmer! I won’t let you down.”

Sunset pushed Lemon back, and took a deep breath. “I'm sure you won’t. And please, Lemon…”

She was smiling, but the warmth didn’t reach her eyes.

“No touching.”

Empathy

“Discordant ponies will believe
anything to accomplish their ends.”

- Poison Pen

All of the rich colors of autumn could be seen from Minuette’s second-floor dormitory. It made for an impressive backdrop for Twinkleshine’s impromptu recital. She’d discovered how to use meter and rhythm to encode fragments of spells, and, to Lemon’s amazement, had begun to learn how to form illusions out of song.

Currently, she was singing a ballad of lost love. Adrift on a gray-green sea, a rough sketch of a pony in what might charitably be called a boat sailed endlessly, searching for his special somepony. As she brought it to a close, the illusory figures faded away, like mist on a sunny day.

Lemon, Minuette, and Moon Dancer applauded, their hooves rumbling on the carpeted floor.

“That was so pretty!” Minuette said, bouncing towards Twinkleshine, and embracing her. “I can’t wait to see what you do next!”

It was supposed to be O&O day, but Gaffer still needed space. His marefriend had transferred to Manehattan a week ago, and he was still reeling from it. Or so Shining Armor had said.

He’d also sent over his favorite board game, Nobles of Oceanhearth.

“Thanks for having me over, girls,” Lemon Hearts said as they began to set up to play. “But I got to take off. Suns— Miss Shimmer wants to review chapters four and five of Equilibrium, and she’s—”

“— ‘particular about punctuality,’” the room said in harmony.

“We understand, sugarfloss,” Minuette said, giving Lemon Hearts a brief nuzzle before pushing her out the door. “Go keep Miss Shimmy happy, be the best Princess ever. Go. Shoo!”

Lemon started trotting away, a puzzled expression on her face. “… ‘Shimmy’?”

She descended the spiral staircase to the main floor, and into the bustle of students going about their day. Rather than going across the campus to their usual classroom, she instead headed for the library. Sunset had decided to meet there today, and Lemon could guess why.

More reading. More theory. When, in the sweet name of the Sun, do I get to the ‘Applications’ part?

“Ah, Miss Hearts!” A rickety mare’s voice rung out in the echoing hallway. “There you are!”

Lemon cast her gaze about, picking out the waving hoof of Professor Inkwell, the librarian. She cantered over alongside the elderly mare, and raised a quizzical eyebrow.

“Sunset sent me to find you,” Professor Inkwell said, faintly out of breath. “She was afraid you might be late, and you know how she gets…”

“Mhm. Yeah, thanks.”

They walked together, discussing the upcoming midterms and Lemon’s standing in the race for Autumn Liege. As they passed under the arch leading to the library, their chat was cut short by the sound of voices within the stacks.

“— can't change its stripes, Sunny.” A velvety mare’s voice hissed dangerously. “I know what you are, you can't hide it forever.”

“Please…” Sunset Shimmer sobbed. “Why are you doing this to me? I've never—”

“Oh, that's rich.” The other voice said in a mocking tone. “‘Sunset Shimmer’s never done anything, why are you being so mean?’ Don't make me laugh. I'm going to make sure you lose the Autumn Crown, your scholarship, your apprenticeship, everything. This is only the beginning—”

Lemon Hearts charged around the final shelf, ready to confront the bully. However, she froze in her tracks when she saw the culprit. She could feel her mind skip gears and come apart.

It couldn't be Raspberry Tart saying such hateful things.

Sunset Shimmer couldn't be in tears.

“Miss Tart!” Professor Inkwell said sharply, shattering the tableau. The malicious grin Raspberry Tart wore disappeared, replaced by wide-eyed terror. “You will not speak to other students in that way! The Dean shall hear of this! Threatening another student, I never!”

“No!” Raspberry Tart said, “You don’t understand—!”

“How could you?!” Lemon Hearts shouted, bounding in front of the angry librarian. “All those things you said about me… You were using me to get to Sunset! I trusted you! I liked you!”

“N-no!” Raspberry Tart repeated, eyes darting from Inkwell to Lemon. “She’s not—”

Sunset Shimmer began to bawl, her body shook with each sob.

Professor Inkwell muttered something that might have been a curse, before shaking her mane angrily. “Get up, Miss Tart. Let’s go see what your grandfather has to say about this. You’ll be suspended for this, at least, and you can wave goodbye to that apprenticeship with the Fillydelphia Shaper’s Union.”

Raspberry Tart stood numbly, and was escorted out by Professor Inkwell. Sunset Shimmer remained on the floor, sobbing.

“H-hey, Sunset? Miss Shimmer? Um…”

Sunset sniffled once, and turned her damp eyes up towards Lemon Hearts. In a flash of recognition, she stood and tried to wear her ‘upper classpony’ guise.

It was too late. She couldn’t quite manage. She began to cry again.

“Hey!” Said Lemon. “It’s okay! She’s gone!”

Sunset threw her hooves around Lemon Hearts, and sobbed into her mane. Lemon Hearts froze, caught between a desire to comfort her mentor, and her orders not to touch her.

Eventually, her empathy won out. She hugged Sunset back, and they rode out the waves together.

“Gosh, I’m so sorry,” murmured Sunset. It had taken some time, but she looked her old self again. Mostly. Her eyes were still red from crying.

“I’m so sorry, Suns— Miss Shimmer. I didn’t know Raspberry Tart could be so mean!”

Sunset laughed weakly, and braced herself against Lemon for a moment. “We never really know anypony, do we? If I’d thought she could be so petty, well… Never mind.”

Lemon looked on as Sunset wiped her face on her hoofkerchief. “What was that about?”

“Oh, that? A couple years ago, she and I were in the same pool of candidates for a research fellowship in the Griffish Isles. She had to bow out for some reason, and I won. She still blames me for it. So when I just placed over her in our Alteration exams….”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” Lemon said. “I’ll bow out of the race tomorrow. I don’t deserve it. I was just a pawn in somepony’s sick revenge scheme.”

Sunset’s eyes flew open. “Oh, no, Lemon! You can’t! You’ve done so well! You and I are only separated by two or three tenths of a percent! You’ve worked so hard for this! I’ll step down. That should help calm things.”

Lemon felt her cheeks burn hotly. “No! I only started because of Raspberry. It’s not fair to—”

Sunset shook her mane furiously. “You might have started this as her pawn, but you’ve seen through her now. I insist you keep trying. You’d be the first first-year ever to wear the crown. However,” Sunset met Lemon’s eyes, and smiled. They still glistened with tears, but her smile’s warmth finally glowed behind her eyes. “If you don’t mind a little friendly competition, I’ll try to keep up. What do you say?”

Lemon hugged her mentor again, and agreed. “Yeah, a friendly competition! Thank you so much, Sunset!”

Sunset returned the embrace, and chuckled. “No, thank you, Lemon Hearts. Now, how do you feel about starting to apply your Alteration studies?”

Lemon’s shout of victory got them roundly shushed by the other students.

But it was so worth it.

Honesty

“How dearly we cling to pretty deceit.”

- Poison Pen

They met again the following week in the usual classroom. Lemon Hearts took her seat, and laid her books out. The leaves had all turned brown and were beginning to fall on their own.

I should organize a Running of the Leaves on campus before somepony beats me to it. That might push me over the top…

Over the last few weeks since Raspberry Tart’s suspension, Lemon Hearts and Sunset Shimmer had been almost neck and neck. The dean’s office had to add additional decimals to the tracking boards to distinguish them, which amused her friends to no end.

Which was nice, but when Sunset had pointed that out…

When the one and only apprentice to the Princess mentioned it…

… Gosh.

She walked around the familiar classroom, spinning the globe idly as she passed it. It's comforting squeak centered her thoughts on the task at hoof: Equestrian History. She'd almost aced the practice midterm, only missing a few questions about the establishment of the Solar Court, and the noble houses of Equestria.

And Sunset knew those like her own cutie mark.

Outside, she watched a group of students setting up for a hoofball match. It appeared to be a scrimmage between the CSGU Sunflares against a motley crew of first- and second-years led by Green Fields.

He was so nice to the younger students. When some bully tried to take advantage of one of her classmates, it had been Green Fields who had come to their rescue. Clever enough to banter with the venom-tongued scions of nobility, strong enough to stand up to the more physical types of intimidation, and magically talented enough to counter some of the more pernicious pranks planned by the magic-using bullies.

Lemon had never had much trouble with them. The secret was to make yourself look strong, and, thanks to her tutelage by Sunset, she had that in spades.

Green Fields bucked the hard rubber ball towards his teammate, who had very little trouble landing it in the goal with a swish of her tail. They were up 3-2. As he cheered, Lemon could see the sun glinting off of his muscled body.

Mm. If I win the Autumn Liege crown, do you think he'd notice me?

She’d never forgotten the powerful stallion who'd taken time to help her at the beginning of the year. Before she knew how cutthroat competition at CSGU was, she merely thought of it as a polite gesture. Now…

Now, I know how much he cares about other ponies, to risk himself like that all the time. He's a great—

“Sorry I'm late, Lemon!” The classroom door banged shut behind her as Sunset entered. “Change of plans! You would not believe how much stuff they keep in those storage closets!”

Lemon started at the sudden noise, and crossed the room back towards Sunset. Sunset was carrying several large objects, each a completely different form and material than the next.

Alteration practice!

Sunset noticed her glee, and held up a hoof. “Easy there, Lemon. You're forgetting something.”

Lemon Hearts sat back on her haunches, nonplussed.

“Where's my hug, you goof?” Sunset asked in mock irritation.

Lemon felt her muzzle break into a grin as she cantered forward. She gave Sunset a brief nuzzle with a tinkle of laughter.

“That's better. Now…” Sunset set up the Alteration thoughtforms around the room, and sat down with a puff. “Those are a lot heavier than they look. Okay. Let’s get started!”

Lemon riffled through the texts, finding the necessary transition points for each material. She had just started to channel her magic, when Sunset spoke.

“What do you think about Green Fields, Lemon?”

This jarred her enough that her harmonic rhythm became a telekinetic thrust. A coral structure of a merpony toppled over as Lemon barked a curse. She turned to see a small smile on Sunset's face.

“He’s uh, he’s—” She felt herself flush with embarrassment. “Uh.”

Sunset nodded sagely. “I thought you might say that.”

“But I didn’t say anything.”

“No? Body language, Lemon. Remind me to add that to our Psychology sessions.”

“Uh.”

“Cel— The Princess wants me to start working on something special for the Grand Galloping Gala, and I won’t have as much time to spend with you. I’d like to focus on Alteration and Psych, since that’s where you’re having the most difficulty. That leaves Equestrian History, which, as you recall….”

Lemon Hearts began to glow, her yellow coat now a rich orange.

“I’ll let him know. And, if you manage to get all eight major forms done today, who knows? I might put in a good word or two for you.”

Lemon felt her mouth drop in surprise.

Sunset flicked her mouth closed with her tail. “Now get to it, nerd,” she said, playfully.

So Lemon did.

With gusto.

Loyalty

“A pony divided by duty has no legs to stand on.”

- Poison Pen

“Excellent, sunshine,” Green Fields said, shuffling his index cards. “That’s all three of the original founders of Equestria! Now,” he sidled conspiratorially close to Lemon Hearts and stage-whispered. “Who were their ‘leaders’?”

Lemon made a show of racking her brain, and flopped backwards in frustration. “Augh!”

After a moment’s consideration, she shot back upright. “Wait! Commander… Commander Hurricane, Chancellor… Cobbler— no! Puddinghead! And uh… Princess something. Princess Platypus?”

Green Fields put up a noble effort to not laugh. If she hadn’t been learning how to read ponies, she’d have missed the telltale signs before he cracked up and laughed until he could hardly breathe.

“Platypus! Princess—” he kept laughing. “Princess Platypus! The only—”

Lemon struggled to maintain her composure. “What seems to be the problem?”

Green Fields wiped a tear from his muzzle, and stood back up. “Sunshine, that might have worked before, but I know you now. The only way you’d make that kind of error is if you were trying to!”

Lemon finally let her mask slip, and they both laughed together.

Lemon sighed contentedly, enjoying the closeness.

“Alright, but really. Who was it?”

“Princess Platinum, daughter of King Bullion.”

“Well, you've got this one down. What's the next quiz on?”

Lemon riffled through her notes, eventually landing on her syllabus. “Um… Nightmare Night myths and legends.”

Green Fields chuckled a little. “Getting into the spirit of the season, Your Highness?”

Lemon sniffed dismissively as she swooped her reading mat around her shoulders like a cape. “It is beneath one such as I to comment on such matters before the coronation,” she purred in a thick parody of a Trottingham accent. “Now, your future princess demands ice cream. Fetcheth it here.”

Green Fields raised an eyebrow, and stood. “Alright, tell you what. I want ice cream, so I'm gonna go get some. You summarize your top five Nightmare Night stories, with a focus on their relation to famous ponies throughout history. If you've finished when I get back, I'll share my sundae. Deal?”

Lemon swept the makeshift robe off her shoulders, and bounded over to her notes. “‘Kay!”

Green Fields cantered to the door. “Sunset was right, you’re really fun to be around!”

Lemon coasted on that for a while.

Somewhere nearby, a loud crash echoed down the hall, like a cart colliding with cabinets stuffed with alchemy tools. Metal, and glass, and shrieks of shock.

Lemon Hearts tossed her notes aside, and galloped into the hallway. She skidded slightly as the floor transitioned between the wood of the classroom became the polished tile of the hallway, but she stayed true to course.

She rounded the corner, and ran smack into Raspberry Tart. They both tumbled over each other, eventually coming to rest on top of each other.

“Oh my gosh!” Raspberry Tart said, her violet mane knocked askew. “Are you okay, Lemon?”

Lemon extricated herself and pushed Tart off of her with a shove of her telekinesis.

“What are you doing back, Tart?” She said acidly. “Weren’t you kicked out?”

A little light in the back of Raspberry Tart’s eyes died as she spoke. “Suspended, actually, no thanks to you. Look, I came by to…”

Lemon tossed her mane over her shoulder, and shot Tart a chilly glare.

Tart sighed. “You even look like her now. Ah—” She stood, and lashed out with her hooves at the fashioned stone walls. “— damn it. Forget it, kid. Maybe someday you’ll figure it out. I’m gone.”

As she walked away, Lemon couldn’t help staring at the scuff marks on the stone wall.

“Was that Raspberry Tart? Are you okay, sunshine?” The rich baritone of Green Fields shook her out of her reverie.

She put on a smile, and turned to face him. “Yeah. And I’m fine, thanks.”

She turned a corner, and stopped. The row of lockers in front of her had been painted with terrible words and vulgar pictures. All of them centered around one particular locker.

And with Sunset Shimmer back on her haunches, staring horrified at the vandalism, it wasn’t hard to guess whose.

Magic

“Do not fear your enemies.
Only a friend can betray you.”

- Poison Pen

The bare branches of the trees scratched at the cloudy sky, caught in a twisting autumn breeze. A timberwolf’s howl cut through the low-lying fog that curled up from its ponds, creating eerie shadows. Somewhere, a mournful dirge echoed from deep underground, like Tartarus itself yawned open nearby and all manner of dangerous creatures could be lurking nearby.

Nightmare Night was upon Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.

The Lunar Meditation Garden had been renovated into a haunted labyrinth, and of course Lemon’s gaming group had wanted to explore it together. Lemon had agreed on the condition that they finish before sundown. Then she needed to change into her gown, do a final runthrough of her talent portion, and then there was the actual competition…

Minuette had silenced her with a hoof against her muzzle. “So go be Princess, then have fun with your friends!”

And she'd been shuffled off to the packed auditorium. She'd donned her gown, a gorgeous black sequined gown with bold white accents. Now, she was scouring the Masquerade Ball for ponies to review her body language cues with. She was the second of only three ponies to make it this far, so she had very little time to warm up for her cold reading routine.

She'd taken so well to her body language lessons for Psychology that Sunset had introduced her to the world of mentalism. Her eye for detail allowed her to see every little clue as to her target’s state of mind. Once she'd discovered how much she could learn by asking vague enough questions, she had become a mind reader. A demonstration with Green Fields where she'd identified that he had somepony at CSGU that he “really, really, really liked, and would happily share sundaes with,” had convinced her to do this for the school.

And she knew she was the lucky filly Green Fields would be sharing sundaes with, just like she knew she was going to be the first first-year Autumn Princess in CSGU’s history.

All thanks to Sunset Shimmer, the best friend anypony could ask for.

And there she was, alone near the punch, looking resplendent in her fuchsia gown. The ponies around her shied away, like they were afraid she'd bite them.

Can't handle power. Cowards.

She swallowed her distaste for the lesser ponies that she and Sunset towered above, and trotted up to her mentor.

“Hi, Sunset!”

Her face was summer fireworks. “Lemon! I thought you'd be backstage, getting ready!”

“Why, isn't Dream Cycle up first?” The pretty unicorn had a penchant for elegant illusions, and specialized in a form of shadow puppetry she’d learned from a zebra. She was going to be hard to top.

Sunset shook her head, displaying her glittering teal topaz again.

“Had to withdraw. Remember Ashen Aster’s poison joke potions from the beginning of the year? Dream Cycle gave him the idea. Inkwell discovered some notes they passed stuck in the back of that zebra alchemy text they swiped, and well, that was that.”

“Was she suspended?” Lemon gasped.

Sunset shrugged. “Slate hasn’t said yet, but she was barred from participation.” She smiled, and tousled Lemon’s mane. “It’s just you and me, now, Ms. Hearts. Now go wow ‘em.”

Lemon adjusted her coiffed mane, and smiled. “I will, thanks!”

As she turned to leave, Sunset stamped her hoof once on the marble floor. “Oh, I forgot! Green Fields was looking for you! He said he had something to tell you!”

Lemon did a little dance in her head, and made little fluttering sounds of joy. “Thanks!”

“Now get a move on, you goof! You’ve only got twenty minutes to get ready!”

Lemon raised an eyebrow, glanced at the nearby hourglass, and took off at a gallop.

The backstage was a claustrophobic tangle of stagehooves, make-up artists, costume and other behind-the-scenes showponies. They accosted Lemon the moment she walked behind the curtains with hushed anger.

“Where have you been?” One of them hissed. “You’re on in eighteen minutes!”

“Sorry!” Lemon said as they pulled her gown this way and that. “I got—” A particularly rough adjustment spun the gown around her waist a little, revealing a shoulder. “—Ow! I got caught up.”

“There. That’s perfect. Get Powder Puff,” a mare’s voice said.

“Now? But there’s too many—” a stallion protested.

“There’s no time! Fifteen minutes!”

“Fine, but it’s on you! I wash my hooves of it!”

“You always were small-minded. Get her! Everypony else, clear the area!”

Lemon peered into the dark, but couldn’t make out the two bickering ponies. They stalked off in different directions as a taffy-colored unicorn with a heather purple mane coiling into itself approached. She was wreathed in her own cyan magic, and looked absolutely bored.

“Y’ ready?” she asked, with a thick Brooklane accent.

Lemon nodded, a little afraid.

“Close y’r eyes. Dis might sting.”

Lights and pressure, bathed in blue magic. Powder Puff was everywhere.

And then nowhere. Her dress was now fitted and sewn, her makeup refreshed, and her mane pulled into a bun that sat high and tight on her head. In a flash of pale blue light, Powder Puff was gone.

Lemon was alone.

Until she felt somepony very close to her.

“Hey, sunshine.”

Lemon went stiff. She couldn't see him, but somewhere in the darkness stood Green Fields. “H-hey.”

A thin red light clicked on, revealing Green Fields. He stepped out from behind a curtain with a flashlight capped with a red piece of cellophane. “They sure keep it tight back here, don't they?”

“Y-yeah.”

Green Fields tutted, “What was that filly thinking? Here…” His jade magic enveloped her mane, and she shivered a little.

“Hey, Green?”

“Shh. Lemme concentrate.”

She felt her bun and braids unwind and trail down her neck. She felt his breath as he framed her face, and made adjustments to her mane. She felt her heart beating hard and heavy in her chest.

“Green Fields?”

His eyes danced across her mane, and down her muzzle as he brought her curls along her face. “Keep still. You don't want me to make a mess of your mane before your big moment, do you, sunshine?”

I kinda do….

She watched him work, and swallowed hard against her nerves. It took all of her focus to maintain a steady breathing rhythm.

He glanced back to his hiding place, and levitated out a headband made of large teal beads and a cluster of three pink flowers. He balanced it on top of her flowing curls, and tucked her ears within.

Oh, gosh…

He took a step back, and surveyed his work. A small grin played on his lips. “Well alright, sunshine, I think we got this.”

“Sixty seconds, Miss Hearts!” The testy mare’s voice called from the shadows.

“Oops! Sorry, took longer than I thought. But you look amazing, sunshine.”

It was now or never. She'd never be able to focus on her act if she didn't move this instant.

“Green, I— I r-really like spending time with you.” She felt her face flush hotly.

“Yeah, kid. You're a lot of fun, too!” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, directly above her horn. “It’s like hanging out with the little sister I never had. Now go knock ‘em dead!”

She felt ice creep into her chest, and felt a cold wetness on her muzzle. She couldn't move.

Sister? Little sister? Little sister?

She racked her brain, struggling to find something, anything she could latch onto. But no, even that betrayed her. Moments that she'd assumed he was being a gentlecolt or playing coy now shone as Green Fields being a playful, encouraging older brother.

He loved her, but not like she loved him.

He looked back, a big grin on his face. He nodded encouragingly.

She tried to smile, tried to see through the watery haze in her eyes.

The curtains opened, and the gathered host of students and professors cheered her as a spotlight bathed her in its fierce light.

She didn't know what to do. What to say.

“H-hi, ev-everypony. My n-n-name’s…”

I should have known better. Who'd want me?

A sharp pressure at the base of her throat kept her from breathing without an audible catch. A burning in her eyes made it hard to see, the mass of ponies blurring into a sea of color.

“In a p-pony’s mind, there are m-many—” Her voice sounded small and insignificant.

She watched as the front row began to whisper in concerned tones.

“—m-many hiding places for se-se-secrets.”

“Speak up, please, Miss Hearts,” Dean Slate said from the first row. His cultured voice showed some strain. “There are those who can’t hear you. And we do so wish to, do we not?”

The auditorium cheered for her. Somewhere, a voice shouted, “Yeah, don’t be so sour, Lemon!”

Her eyes widened, as she shook with rage and betrayal.

There, in the front row, with a hoof around Sunset Shimmer, was Green Fields.

He still wore his goofy smile, like he hadn’t just destroyed her world.

Like he hadn’t just brought the name she’d moved across the country to escape screaming back home.

Sunset Shimmer kissed him on the cheek. He blushed a little, and his grin widened. Had she not learned how to read ponies, she would have missed it entirely.

He loved her like a sister, but he was in love with Sunset Shimmer.

She ripped off the headband he’d given her and threw it at him.

The tears she held back for so long, going all the way to that first awkward day, came pouring out as she ran.

From behind her came the voice of Dean Slate. “Sour Lemon, everypony. Hooves together.”

* * * *

She ran through the school, ripping away at her gown as it snagged on things or tripped her up. It was a ragged mess by the time she had run out of breath and ducked inside the nearest classroom. She dove in, almost tripped over some desks, and sat down at a lab table.

She tore off the rest of her dress, let Sour Lemon out, and dissolved into a weeping, sobbing mess.

How long have they been together? How could I not have seen it?

She shot bolt upright with a realization that crystallized every little moment.

How long has she been lying to me?

She heard hoofbeats outside, and held her breath. She didn’t want to see anypony. Not like this.

A familiar globe of the world caught her eye. Out of habit, she reached out with her magic and spun it. Its soft squeaking settled her nerves some.

Until the door opened, and she walked in.

Lemon tried to push away, to make herself smaller, to disappear, but no. She wasn’t her, after all.

“They’ve gone. They think you’ll be heading for your dorm. Or Minuette’s.”

Sunset Shimmer gently shut the door behind her, and strode into the room. Her hooves clacked off the hardwood floor like the ticking down of some terrible clock.

Lemon Hearts wished she could teleport. Make herself invisible. Anything.

“Stupid, I know. Anypony with a brain would know you come running here after every little setback so that Big Sister Sunset can make it all better.”

Lemon gasped like she’d been slapped.

Sunset sneered. “Pathetic.” Sunset cricked her neck, as if she was relaxing after carrying a yoke. “You have no idea how hard it was to keep this going as long as I have. Weeks. Months, even.”

“H-how long—”

“Oh, Lemon, dear, how rude of me!” She said, her voice thick with false humility. “I’ve forgotten the first rule of mentoring, ‘Always show your work!’”

Sunset grabbed a piece of chalk, two rolling chalkboards, and a seat in one fluid burst of teal magic. They almost danced as they swirled about her.

“Now, let’s see… I believe the first incident you were here for was the poison joke, right?”

A blur of chalk, and the faces of Ashen Aster and Mulberry Bush graced the chalkboard to Lemon’s left. On the right was an image of a magazine.

“They had a brilliant idea involving distilling alchemical reagent via plant biology. It would have been amazing to see, probably would have revolutionized an industry or two.”

She erased them in one swipe of her magic.

“However, I needed one more publication to be honestly considered for Best Young Mind In Canterlot. So they had to go.”

“Over a title? You ruined somepony’s life over a—”

Sunset silenced her with a look. It was cold, piercing, and held none of the warmth Lemon was used to. “Do be quiet, Lemon. We’ll be here all night if you keep interrupting.”

The chalkboards hummed with her magic again, and the face of Raspberry Tart replaced the unlucky alchemists’ on the left. On the other was a sketch of Dean Slate and the CSGU campus.

“Raspberry Tart, ah, she was fun. You should have listened to her more closely, Lemon. You may have learned something. She knew what the score was, and knew it would take someone who didn’t know me to take me on.”

The placid mask of Sunset’s face twisted into a sorrowful expression, like one would give a foal who’d just spilled their milk. “She put her faith in you, dear. Wasn’t that silly? And the first thing you do with her advice is run right to me with it! Asking me to take you on as an apprentice! Isn’t that sad?”

“So you and that dotty old bat Inkwell buy me some time to find her weak spot. Or didn’t you think it odd that I wanted to meet in the library, and why I sent that foal after you? Can you imagine how hard it was to keep her threatening me while you and that useless mare took your sweet time?”

She glanced at her hooves, and puffed on one. She shined it on the ruins of Lemon’s gown. She never broke eye contact.

Lemon’s brain was spinning.

I’ve been dancing to her tune this entire time? Everything I’ve done, every little— Wait!

Sunset laughed. It was harsher, more guttural than the laugh Lemon had heard so many times over the last few months. This one was without artifice or constraint. It was rich, full-throated, and left Sunset with little tears at the corner of her eyes.

It was an honest laugh.

And it left Lemon shaking.

“You’re thinking that you somehow earned your place beside me, which is adorable. You never had a choice, Lemon. From the moment you raised your hoof after brewing the poison joke antidote, you’ve been my puppet. My catspaw. Do you know what a catspaw is? Hm?”

The chalk buzzed in her magic again, revealing Lemon herself on the left and the Autumn Liege crown on the right.

“Thanks to my assistance, you shot past most of the competition for the crown, which meant I didn’t have to lift a hoof. Either they couldn’t hack it, or were so embarrassed at losing to a first-year—” She said it like the phrase was made of nettles. “—that they gave up on their own. The only rough spot was Dream Cycle and her foalish little puppet show.

“So a little forgery here, a little buttering up of Inkwell there, and lo and behold, new evidence regarding the poison joke prank comes to light.”

She flipped her mane over her horn, and smiled coldly. “If I’d had my way, you would have been the one to discover the notes, but I couldn’t pry you away from that stupid game you and your fillyfriends play all the time, even by getting Gaffer’s marefriend a scholarship to Manehattan Academy of Fine Arts. All that work…”

She sighed. “But oh, well! That’s the way the brownie burns, right? Still, you were going to be a challenge, no matter what I did. And you never socialized with Tart’s circle, so they couldn’t let you in on my little secret. So I hope you can appreciate how relieved I was when I caught you mooning over Green Fields.”

The icy chill grabbed Lemon’s heart again.

“So I suggested to him that you and he spend some time together, since you were new in town, had no real friends, and were so young and vulnerable. Of course, he ate it up, the big-hearted foal. And you fell right along with him. Getting him backstage tonight was almost academic. The rest is history.”

Lemon felt her eyes stinging with tears. In a voice one part frog and one part manticore, she growled, “Why?”

“‘Why?’” Sunset sneered. “Because I can. Because I have a destiny, and you were underhoof. That’s all.”

Lemon couldn’t stop herself from weeping. “H-how could you… after… I just…” The sobs tore from her, despite her attempts to bite them back. Sunset blurred as tears streamed hotly down her cheeks. “After— we— you just used me… you knew and you used him against me…”

“Yes, I did. That’s how the game is played.” Sunset smirked a little as she nestled the Autumn Princess crown in her mane. “I do have a consolation prize for you, though. You have potential, if you decide to grow up some. Here.”

Her horn glowed as she pulled an old book out of her saddlebag. “Father gave me this when I was a little younger than you. It’s required reading if you want to play the Great Game. Read it, and maybe you’ll be at least interesting the next time we meet.”

She set it down next to Lemon’s cerulean mane. Lemon could barely make out the words through her tears.

Little Truths, by Poison Pen.

“Or maybe you’ll throw it away, which would be a waste. Now, kneel before your Autumn Princess, Miss Hearts.”

Lemon collapsed into a maelstrom of sobs and tears.

A smile edged its way up Sunset’s face as she walked out of the room.

“Very good. Be sure to clean up when you leave, Lemon. The cleaning staff have enough problems without having to deal with your trash.

“Good night.”

And the door clicked softly shut behind her. It didn’t open again until morning.

The room was spotless.