The Chaos Theory

Sunset wasn't sure where she was right now. It was Equestria, but it was just her. There weren't any animals or other ponies around at all.

"Hello? Anypony there?" Sunset's voice echoed a bit through the space, this only served to unnerve her further. She just wanted to get out of here.

Sunset began running in the direction of what she thought was Canterlot, however, it didn't seem like she was getting closer, and that frustrated her even further. She tried teleporting but found that her magic wasn't working.

"Aw c'mon!" Sunset kept trying and trying until her face began to turn red from the effort until she eventually gave up.

"Is this just my life now? Huh?" Sunset looked above her and saw a giant white mass of what she assumed was magic, before she could even start thinking about what it is or if someone made it, it exploded and woke her up.

Sunset was sweating quite a bit from the stressful dream.

"That has to be the weirdest dream I've ever had in my life ...why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?" Sunset looked over to her calendar and she froze, today was the day she was going to be meeting Celestia to potentially be her student!

"I need to get ready!"

"Just breathe, just breathe, it'll be fine. You're just meeting the ruler of the entire country and the pony who controls the sun and moon " Sunset was currently sitting in a waiting room of sorts. She was told to stay here and that the Princess would arrive shortly. She was trying her best to calm down, but she just couldn't stop overthinking the whole thing. It was a great honor just to be in Celestia's School and an even greater one to be her student.

Sunset stood up straight when she heard the door open, she gulped when she saw who came through, it was Celestia herself.

"Hello there, Sunset I believe?"

In her nervousness Sunset blurted out "Hello! Nice to Princess meet you, Celestia!"

Sunset covered her mouth while a blush was made evident on her face, she felt like just running after having something so embarrassing happen in front of the Princess.

"I-i-I'm sorry it's just-" Sunset was silent as she saw Celestia raise a hoof

"It is quite alright, I'm used to it, just relax, do you want something to drink? Juice maybe?"

"N-n-no thank you"

"Very well, now then. You're here to know if you are Qualified enough to be my student and I just wanted to say ... absolutely"

Sunset sat there frozen, not knowing how to react.

"Sunset?" Celestia waved her hoof in front of Sunset's face to get her attention and held her with her wing when she saw she almost fell over.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I just felt a bit lightheaded, but did you say you'll take me as your student?"

Celestia gave her a bright smile before explaining herself." You appear to be a very bright student, so I don't see why not, though I warn you, it won't be a walk in the park"

"I'll do whatever it takes! I want to be a powerful Unicorn! One of the strongest!" Sunset once again covered her mouth when she realized her outburst."Forgive me, Princess Celestia, I just got excited"

"Well you're still young, that means you can't help it, you're full of youthful vigor"

"As you Say, Princess Celestia"

“Have you eaten yet, Sunset?” Celestia asked

“N-no your majesty, I arrived a few minutes ago.” Sunset said as her stomach chose that time to growl at the mention of eating, causing a furious blush to spread from ear to ear.

“Well that won't do, will it?” She asked-rhetorically-as she rang a bell on the wall directly behind her with her magic. Shortly after, a caterer entered through a side door to the left of her, a notepad held within his arctic-blue aura. “Two plates of pancakes please, and two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice....actually make that three of each” The caterer bowed, writing her order with a quill before leaving back through the same side door.

"Hey, Mom you done yet?" Shouted a new voice from down the hall

"Just about done sweetie"

Sunset tilted her head to the side in confusion until she realized who that might be. "Was that prince Entropy?"

"Yes, that was my son, still attached to his mother" Celestia turned her head towards the door just as Entropy walked in which made Sunset even more nervous as she was now in the same room as two members of the royal family.

"Hello Entropy prince, today you are how?" Sunset couldn't believe she had messed up her first sentence with a royal...twice!

"Heh, you're funny and your hair is kind of like bacon, don't worry about the prince thing"

"Ooook? What's bacon?"

Celestia cleared her throat before interrupting them." Don't worry about that, so Sunset do you have any other plans for today?"

Sunset tapped her chin with her hoof and shook her head to say no.

"Well how about hanging out with Entropy?" Celestia moved closer and whispered into Sunset's ear. "I think it's time he made a friend"

"What are you guys talking about?" Asked Entropy as he got closer.

"Nothing to worry about sweetie, now would you like to spend some time with Sunset?" Asked Celestia hoping that he would not decline.

"Hmmmmm" Entropy looked at the nervous Sunset shimmer for a bit before shrugging. "Sure, why not"

"Well then let's all go to the dining room and eat shall we?"

The air was pretty tense, for one of them at least. Sunset was the only one who was nervous. Entropy seemed to be just fine. He was even whistling nonchalantly. Celestia was also pretty calm but then again nopony has ever really seen her actually lose her cool before.

"Why are you so tense?"

"Because I'm in the presence of royalty! This is such an honor!"

"Yeah everyone seems to think so, but I don't get it"

"Why?"

"Because it's not like I'm that different from you guys, outside of appearances"

"You know it is quite odd that you're the only one of your kind here," Said Celestia to her son.

The doors opened, with a white pegasus, his cutie mark hidden by his uniform, lifting three plates of stacked pancakes with his magic. Hot steam leaked out of the air pockets within the doey pancakes. The whipped cream and various berries scattered throughout the dish created an alluring scent. As if practiced, the pegasus placed the dishes gently in front of the three, along with the glasses of juice without any spillage.

Bowing, the pegasus left the room, shutting the door. There was a short pause in the room before Celestia began to eat, followed shortly by Sunset and then Entropy. Sunset was rapidly growing more and more nervous as she thought about Celestia's offer.

'This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I would be a fool not to do my best.’ She thought, as she forked another mouthful. Her thoughts were turned momentarily to Entropy, who seemed to have no tables manners at all and was even making a small mess while eating. Sunset giggled, her small hoof covering her mouth.

"Entropy how many times have I told you to mind your table manners" Said Celestia before floating some napkins over and cleaning his face.

The rest of breakfast time went without a hitch, Sunset and Entropy even started conversing happily, Celestia watches both of them with a big smile.

"So it seems to me you're getting along quite well with Sunset"

Entropy looked at his mother weirdly. "Yeah, so what?"

"I'm just saying, it's good that you have a friend, you never really seemed that open to making friends"

"Yeah well, she seemed kind of cool, so I figured I'd give her a chance".

"That is very nice of you sweetie, I hope you two become the best of friends"

Sunset layed in her bed late that night, sleep eluding her as if she were a disease. She tossed and turned for hours, her mind plagued by thoughts that should not have befallen her. She sighed, focusing on the clear, star-riddled night sky; Her view only slightly obscured by the frost growing on the window, closing in from the edges. Three days and nights she had been like this, thinking on how she had been accepted as Celestias student. She groaned, grinding her head into the pillow in an attempt to get comfortable before flipping the pillow and doing the same to the cooler side.

“Gah, ponyfeathers.” She cursed, laying a leg over her eyes to block what little light there was. “Normal fillies don't have to worry about this stuff.” Then again, she isn't a normal filly. At least by societal norms she wasn't. Normal fillies would be having fun with other foals, laughing and prancing around and hating the very thought of school or learning. Not her though. She loved to study and learn, her books within her bookcase well beyond worn and used from repeated reading and re-reading. Sunset, for her age, was more mature than any other foal she met, even rivaling most adult ponies, and was even teased for this by the common bully. But she never let it bother her. Not by much, at least.

She grunted as she opened her eyes to the blank, dark ceiling of her room. A light hung from the centre by a thick, white wire; It's crystal hidden from sight by a golden shade. She concentrated on the flow of magic in the wire that was diverted from the house’s magical leyline. For some reason, it helped her relax when she got stressed or was unable to sleep. Like the current problem she was having right now. However, it wasn't the case this time.

“Alright,” she said to herself. “I’ve decided. I'll enrol in Celestia's school. I'll become the greatest unicorn out there!” She launched out of her bed like a catapult, standing on her mattress with two hooves, somehow keeping her balance as she pointed to the ceiling with another hoof. “I'll learn everything about magic, every secret, every spell! I'll be so powerful I'll be stronger than the princess herself!”

Two loud thuds echoed from the wall behind her, surprised by the sudden noise she lost her balance and landed face first into her pillow.

“Keep it down in there!” A male voice said through the wall, irritated about being woken up so early.

“Sorry dad!” Sunset said, a small blush of embarrassment spreading across her muzzle. “I'll become the greatest mage in existence.” She quietly said, her mind made up and no longer bothering her. Sleep finally got her in its clutches as she smiled, determined in her path to greatness.

Sunset rotted through the streets of Canterlot, a little skip in her steps as she made her way to Celestia's school. Almost two months of preparation, and ruthless studying of what she already knew, have come down to this. The entrance exam. Something that every young unicorn had to go through to show what they could bring to the table and how effective they could perform it. Sunset stopped just before the threshold of the school grounds; the golden emblem above the door practically glowing in the sunlight. Releasing a breath of air, Sunset did a final check of her belongings inside her saddlebags.

“Books, check. Blank scrolls, check. Quills, check. Extra quills, check. Ink pots, check Snacks, check. Thank you mom. Alright, everything is with me.” She breathed in and out one more time, calming herself before trotting onto the school grounds. Excitement welled within her as she got nearer to the main section of the building, golden-coloured steps leading up to the white and purple building. The pink, brown and purple swirls on the roof held a nice contrast to the original black roof. Two towers sprouted from either side of the building, both of them connected by a golden rail that ran the length of the roof and connected to a much larger tower at the back of the school. The cone-shaped roofs of the small side towers tapered off into a bulbous-like spire while the main tower’s roof led into a sharp point.

Sunset entered the building, marveling at the ancient building’s interior. Paintings depicting great and powerful unicorns, each with varying titles and trophies. The most famous of course being Star Swirl the Bearded. White marble pillars and support beams sprouted out here and there, as if they were trees in a forest. A mahogany desk, previously unnoticed by Sunset, sat in the back of the room, with two slightly ajar side doors sitting on either side of the desk, light from the rooms beyond spilled out like a cracked water pipe into the main room.

“Ahem.” Sunset heard from behind her, startling her and making her spin around. Before her stood an old unicorn mare, her face slightly wrinkled, displaying her age out to the open. Her faded pink bushy mane held a flower within close to her ear. The flower, red like a rose, wafted a pleasing scent in the air. Her coat, similar to her mane, was a faded purple, silky and smooth. Her cutie mark was a plain white quill, writing on a blue clipboard.

“Are you Sunset Shimmer?” The mare asked her, pushing up a pair of red glasses.

“Yes, I am Sunset, miss.” Sunset confirmed, nodding as she puffed out her chest, her chest fluff bouncing.

“Alright then, my name is Velvet Serenity. I, along with two others shall be evaluating your entrance exam today.” The pony droned on as she began to walk, opening the door that was on the left side of the desk with her magic, motioning Sunset to follow, as she did so. “Unfortunately the participant before you has, um, well, blown up the examination room.” Velvet said, passing by the destroyed room as she did so. Sunset could see the charred remains of desks and chairs, the room was chipped and broken, coloured black by the smoke and ash. The only part of the room that wasn't black or destroyed, and remarkably preserved, was a small circle in the center the room, to which Sunset could only guess was the epicenter of the explosion. Behind Sunset was the remains of the door, having be blown off its hinges and shattered into many pieces along the ground.

“Fortunately, the princess has allowed us to borrow one of her rooms to take the exam, not to mention personally being there to watch over it.” Velvet opened the closest door, which happened to be on the left, revealing a mostly-empty room. A small table and chair sat in the left corner of the room followed directly by a bookcase filled with various books. In the center of the room was a circle drawn out of chalk with runes and other lexicons of a language she had never seen before. She could only tell that it had a powerful and potent magical signature. “The other two who will be evaluating you are already there waiting for us, so when you are ready, please step into the circle.” Velvet trotted over onto the circle, to which the circle responded by glowing a blinding white. Taking a deep breath, Sunset trotted over beside her future mentor. The blinding light shifted a few colours, matching Sunset’s fur and teleporting the both of them into Celestia's castle.

Once in the castle, Sunset shook her head, clearing the daze from her mind after the teleportation spell. The other unicorn, Velvet Serenity if she recalled correctly, simply walked over to her fellow lecturers, also levitating her clipboard.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Velvet spoke with authority in her voice, looking down at Sunset through her glasses, “today you will show us why we should let you into Celestia's school. Use whatever you have learned to show how effectively you can put your knowledge into action. Begin when you are ready.” Sunset nodded, breathing in and out, closing her eyes in concentration. A cyan aura surrounded her horn, the hum of magic heard by all. Sunset furrowed her brow, struggling with all her might. Slowly, she rose into the air, her aura spreading throughout her body, wisps of magic sparkling over an invisible dome created to protect Sunset. The magical exertion causing an unbelievable strain on her. Multiple chairs and desks began to levitate and were drawn towards Sunset, slowly flowing around her in circles, getting faster and faster. One by one the furniture was enveloped in a brilliant flash that changed them. Each and every object was constantly changing, never staying the same, and with time became nothing but a blur as they span around Sunset at intense speeds.

Then, the objects started to slow down as she descended from the air, returning to their normal shape and floating back over to where she picked them up. As her hooves touched the ground, her magic cut off, dropping the chairs and desks onto the ground with a hard thud. Gasping and with sweat dripping from her forehead, she looked up to her examiners, smiling softly at their shocked faces. She looked over to Celestia, who was also shocked, and her smile grew wider.

“I...Uh, ahem. As shown from your… demonstration, you have proven your worth, and will be joining Celestia's school as of next semester, which also happens to be next week. We hope to see you there. Oh and, don't be late. I'm sure the princess would like to talk to you, so we shall show ourselves out.” With that, the three ponies stood from their seats and trotted over to the chalk circle before vanishing.

“I must say, well done Sunset Shimmer. That truly was quite the display you showed us.” Celestia said, sitting Entropy down on her barrel in-between her wings as she walked towards Sunset. “What do you think Entropy?” She asked with a gentle smile.

"I think that was pretty cool! Good job sunny!"

Sunset Tilted her head at the nickname, "Sunny?"

Entropy frowned when he saw her face, "What? You don't like it?"

"No no, it's fine"

"Cool! C'mon let's go play!" And with that Entropy jumped down and grabbed Sunset Shimmer and started taking her so they could play together, all while Celestia looked on finally happy her son made his first friend.