Author's Note

This will be very close to the canon. And considering the comic about Sunset Shimmer's fall, I don't think the writers did her backstory justice. In this story, we'll explore more of Sunset's and Twilight's youth.

Sunset and Twilight

The late afternoon sun illuminated the land in golden colors. Luna tried not to think about the spots on the sun. It had been generations since, and she couldn't remove the loneliness in her heart. Every morning, she expected to see Celestia sitting in the dining room, only to see an empty seat. The extra room a few servants fashioned was prepared for the elder princess. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. The memory of Celestia's banishment replayed in her mind. A sob caught in her throat as she masked her emotions. She couldn't cry in front of her subjects. "Tia, I miss you... please come back..."

Luna wished those words could magically bring Celestia here. But, nothing happened. She dipped the sun below the horizon. Another sunset without her sister... She sniffled. She knew that Celestia didn't want to transform into Daybreaker, but several ponies thought the opposite was true. What if she had bypassed Daybreaker's barrier to reach Celestia's dream before it was too late? The approaching hoofsteps interrupted her train of thoughts. She turned to face the guard. "Yes, sir?" She asked.

The stallion bowed. "The test for unicorns has begun," he said.

Luna glanced away. He didn't have to see her tears. As much as she wanted to be seen as a relatable ruler, she couldn't be seen as unstable. It hurt to be stoic. "Thanks for informing me. I shall visit the school now." She trotted out of the castle and entered the school. Young unicorns darted past her as she smiled. So many young minds, wanting to learn more about magic... Which pony would unseal the hidden Elements and rescue Celestia from Daybreaker's grip?

Unlike Celestia, Luna was the more emotional sister. Nopony knew how many times she had cried herself to sleep every morning, and how many times she asked to be alone in the dining room. Only the ponies closest to her assumed that she was in a permanent state of grief, never to be consoled again.

One of the adult ponies, Twilight Velvet, beckoned Luna into a classroom. "Twilight Sparkle wants to learn so much about magic ever since she watched the moon rise during the Evening Moon Celebration."

Luna stole a glance at the lavender filly. She was strangely reminded of when Celestia was a young filly. "She seems determined."

"Yes, she is."

Luna watched in silence. The filly seemed nervous, and if she stepped out of the shadows, it could make the little one feel anxious. To this day, there were ponies who were still shy around royalty. Twilight Sparkle seemed the type to be shy around them. She didn't dare make a movement, let alone an audible exhale.

Twilight grunted as the magenta aura fizzled out of her horn. She panted, then nudged the dragon egg. She stomped her hoof and took in a deep breath. Several minutes later, she hung her head and sighed. Just as she placed the dragon egg into the cart, a huge explosion caused the air to vibrate with magical energy. What happened? A huge surge of magic emerged from her horn and transformed Twilight Velvet into a plant. The egg cracked, and in place of it was a large dragon.

Luna didn't expect this. She calmly stepped forward and touched Twilight Sparkle's head. Everything went back to normal - the filly's parents, the dragon egg, and the rest of the magical chaos. The filly looked up, fear evident in her eyes. Silence filled the air.

"Pr-Princess Luna, I..." Twilight began.

A star, surrounded by five small stars, appeared on Twilight's flank. Luna smiled. Whoever created the large explosion, she would have to meet that pony someday. She imagined Twilight using the Element of Magic. This filly was a powerful bearer of magic. "You have potential, Twilight Sparkle, for you passed the test. You shall become my personal protege."

Twilight let out a delighted gasp. "Really? Yes! Oh my gosh, yes!" She jumped around Luna as she repeated the last word. Once she was done skipping like a cheerful filly, she left the classroom.

A filly with a red and yellow mane entered the room, levitating a potted plant. She faced the other teachers. "I will use a growth spell on this."

One of the instructors furrowed his brow. "Classic. But isn't that spell used many times?"

Another instructor spoke. This time, it was a mare. "We're hoping for an unique spell," she said.

An aura the color of the filly's eyes enveloped the plant, causing it to grow. It was swift. The plant transformed into a vine and punctured a hole in the ceiling. The instructors seemed shocked, yet impressed. The filly panted from exerting herself with the spell.

Luna's magic transformed the vine back to its original size, then she approached the filly. Sunset seemed as strong as Twilight. How would both have the Element of Magic? She and Celestia had used three of the six Elements a millennium ago before Daybreaker was banished. Would Sunset and Twilight become the next Luna and Celestia? "Sunset Shimmer, do you want to become my protege?" She asked.

Sunset tilted her head. "Twilight said she became your protege, right?"

"She is indeed my protege. Do you want to study magic with her or not?"

"Of course."

Luna led Sunset into the hallway, where Twilight Sparkle waited. Twilight Velvet and Night Light told their daughter how proud they were. She understood why they would feel proud. If the lavender filly was her daughter, she would feel just as proud.

Twilight hopped over to Luna's side. When she saw Sunset, she smiled. "How is the test?"

Sunset flashed a smug grin. "I passed the test. Now Luna will teach me about magic," she replied.

"We're about to learn from the wisest ruler of Equestria!"

The two fillies did a happy dance. Luna's heart melted at the sight. The fillies reminded her of a younger version of herself and Celestia. Now the sun wasn't the only thing to remind her of her loss. Twilight and Sunset were also reminders. She couldn't let this get in the way of being their mentor. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Grief had a way of reminding the strongest ponies of tragic losses. Sometimes the pain in her heart made her want to scream. She could let herself feel the intensity of her emotions if she wanted, but she chose not to.

"Princess, why are you crying?" Sunset asked.

Luna wiped her tears. "It's the tears of pride, not sadness," she said. "I'm happy for you. And just call me Luna. I'm not here to be formal."

"Oh, that makes sense."

Soon enough, Luna led both fillies to Canterlot Castle. Twilight and Sunset gasped in awe as they entered the castle. The giant structure's interior had bright colors. Most ponies weren't sure why she would give the halls and the throne room sunny colors. Only she knew why; it was because she wanted to honor Celestia. Once they were in the throne room, the parents of both Sunset and Twilight bowed.

Luna smiled benevolently. "They will live with me," she said.

Twilight Velvet hugged her daughter. "I'll visit sometimes," she murmured. She turned her attention to Luna. "Take good care of her."

Sunset's mother, Summer Dawn, stepped toward the door. "Bye, Sunset. Be good, and listen to Princess Luna."

Sunset nodded. "I'll be good."

After the conversation in the throne room, Sunset and Twilight walked to their new room. Luna had said that they could share the room. Sunset didn't mind sharing the bedroom with Twilight, although she initially expected to have a room to herself and nopony else. However, it didn't seem fair that they would share the privilege as Luna's student. What if Twilight outshone her? Earlier when she waited for her test, she heard ponies mention the power of Twilight's magic. Was her own magic powerful? Twilight's squeal interrupted her thoughts.

"Sunny, look at all the books we could read!" Twilight exclaimed as she levitated the ladder. "I can't wait to stay up all night reading all the best literature ever written in the history of Equestria!"

"We still have to sleep. How can a student perform in class without getting some rest?" Sunset replied.

Twilight didn't turn her head. She pulled several books from the bookshelves and organized them on a desk. She opened the books at once. "This is so perfect! Where do I even start?"

The door creaked open, revealing the moon princess. Luna wore a serene smile. "I see you're eager to learn. Being my student isn't only about the study of magic. Friendship is also important. Your studies will begin tomorrow. I still have duties as the ruler of Equestria, so I'll have you remain a student at the School for Gifted Unicorns. At the end of each day, you can tell me what you've learned."

Twilight closed the books. "Can't I stay up until midnight to read some books?" She asked as she pouted.

"You may. But make sure you get enough sleep each night."

"I got to read until midnight!" Twilight scrutinized each book cover. She pointed to a book with the silhouette of an unicorn's head. "This one's about prophecies?"

Luna nodded. "Yes. However, most prophecies are created by vivid imaginations and are therefore old mares' tales."

Twilight tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." Luna's horn glowed. Her magical aura pulled a book from the top bookshelf. "This is a good book to start with. It's similar to the spells that I once practiced in my youth."

Twilight hopped like an excited filly about to discover a wonderful surprise. "Cool!" She yanked the book from Luna's magical aura. "And the text seems ancient. It must be-"

"A thousand years old. I have preserved it with my magic. You may come across some archaic words that are hard to understand. In that case, I'll help you understand what it means."

As Luna and Twilight held a conversation about the spellbook, Sunset approached a bookshelf. Her hoof wandered over the infinite choices. There were many genres to choose from, whether nonfiction or not. Had Luna prepared this room for the arrival of a future protege before the test at school? She turned to face Luna, but the alicorn was still speaking with Twilight. She trotted to the balcony. The cool breeze met her fur as she gazed at the full moon. The balcony had a full view of the courtyard and nearby towers.

"Sunset, check this out!" Twilight said as she peered into the telescope. "Tons of constellations to study. Our mentor's night is so beautiful and fascinating."

Sunset trotted to Twilight's side. Now it was her turn to look into the telescope. What she saw made her gasp. Twilight was right! The stars formed every kind of constellation. "Wow..."

"I'm gonna grab my sketchbook. It's filled with drawings of constellations." Twilight rushed inside the tower.

Sunset turned her gaze to the sky again. Not everypony loved the night, but she and Twilight preferred its peace and calmness. There was always a constellation to look at during the night. She couldn't wait to begin her studies tomorrow.