Chapter 10 - Visit From Sun Princess

Polished Silver walks over to ask. "What are you talking about now Oranges?"

With your back and forlegs barricading the door, you look to Polished Silver with a panicked look. "Princess Celestia! She knows I'm here."

Polished Silver walks to a nearby window. Moving the curtains aside, she peers outside to see Celestia herself walking toward her home, a phoenix perched on one of her legs, and a female unicorn guard at her side carrying a bird cage in her magic. "Wow!" She exclaims with excitement in her voice. "It really is the princess."

"Please." You beg with pleading eyes. "You have to make her go away."

Polished Silver rolls her eyes. "You really think I'm going to miss a chance to meet the princess herself. Besides, you should know by now that I'm not going to believe the clone lies. I don't care how much you try to fool yourself or others. I'll never believe it."

Before you can give a response you hear a knock at the door. "Hello." You hear the princess call out. "Is anypony home? I'm looking for a pony by the name of Sunset Shimmer. If you're in their Sunset, I want you to know your not in trouble, I just want to speak with you."

Polished Silver looks to you. You give her a shake of your head to tell her no. "I'm sorry princess, but the door doesn't seem to want to open at the moment." You give a sigh of relief before you see a mischievous look cross Polished Silver's face renewing your dread. "I'm going to have to ask you to teleport yourself inside please."

"Very well. Please stay as close to the walls as possible. I would like to avoid any accidents."

You run as fast as you can and close your room door before you hear Celestia pop into your host's home. You begin searching through your things for a dress to wear.

Polished Silver enters your room with a smirk still on her muzzle. "What are you doing Oranges? The princess herself came all this way to see you, and you just run straight to your room?"

You put a pink top on before following it with an orange skirt that has a pink and yellow streak running down one side. "I can't let her see I don't have a cutie mark. She'll know right away what I am."

"A liar."

You look back at her with a serious expression. "Look I get it. You don't like me, and you don't believe me. But I can't let her see that I don't have a cutie mark.

"Your talent was magic, right? So why not just cast some magic and get your cutie mark back already."

"Thinking back on it." You think to yourself. "It does seem possible that I would have the same talent, especially when considering what she wants me to do." You walk to the book shelf and telekinetically pick out a book on magic. Turning the pages you stop on teleportation. You recall teleporting from Celestia when you were escaping her castle, and teleporting away from those timber wolves in the forest. Of course, the first incident felt more like instinct than anything else, and the second was only a dream. Still you can see how this spell could be useful in the future.

Closing your eyes, you recall the spell as best you can. However, the information just doesn't come as easy as with other things. "I guess I have to learn the harder things without mom's help." You admit with a sigh.

Polished Silver taps her hoof to the floor. "You done yet Oranges?"

"Do I have to go out there?"

"You're not getting out of this. If you don't go to her I'll bring her to you. Your choice."

You gulp down as much of your fear as you can. "F-fine I'm going."

"Good. I'll meet you out there."

As she walks out the door, you begin thinking of how you might pass yourself off as Sunset. Looking back to the book you had picked out you presume that maybe if you just study most if not all of the time, Celestia might not even realize you aren't her. "I don't have any better ideas, so it'll have to do." With the book firmly in your magic, you give one last gulp before leaving your room.

You enter the kitchen to see Celestia sitting at the table with an excited Polished Silver on the other end asking the princess questions. Looking to the stove, you see a guard preparing food and a phoenix in a bird cage preening it's feathers. "I-I can come back later, if I'm interrupting."

Celestia stands from her seat and walks to you, a smile on her face. "No Sunset, I came to speak with you. Please, sit with us."

"Thank you princess." You thank her with a bow.

"Well now. Who are you and what have you done with my Sunset?"

"W-What?" You fearfully look up to the princess, sweat beginning to form on your face as your book hits the floor. "Did she really catch on to me that quickly?" You question in your head. "What do I do now?"

Princess Celestia gives a laugh. "Oh relax Sunset. I'm only teasing you." She gestures for you to rise before moving in for a hug. "But seriously Sunset, I am very proud of you. Only a few days and already you seem to be learning."

Polished Silver rolls her eyes. "Please, for all we know it's just an act to get back into your good graces."

Celestia sits back into her seat and magically moves another seat close to herself before gesturing you to sit in it. "Perhaps, but I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt."

You pick your book up off the floor and place it on the table as you sit in the seat offered to you and begin to think to yourself again. "She thinks Sunset has changed? Maybe I don't have to keep myself withdrawn from her. Then again if she thinks she changed to quickly... Why did she send her away for any way? Maybe I could ask? No that would definitely be suspicious."

"Sunset, are you alright?" Celestia asks worriedly.

You snap out of your thoughts and open your book to the section on teleportation. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just thinking is all."

"And what are you studying, if I may ask?"

You look back to Celestia realizing that she probably believes Sunset knows the spell you're learning, given that you used it in front of her. Still, seeing as she seems ready to give you leeway, you decide to take a chance. "I'm studying teleportation." You look back to your book and begin studying. You begin to think it might not hurt to have a teachers help before you then realize that it might not be a good idea to give her more reasons to think you know less then you should.

"Would you like some help Sunset?" Celestia's smile falls as you look up to give her a look that tells her you are worried it might be a bad idea to say yes. "Or I can leave you alone to study on your own."

You begin to question to yourself. "Maybe I'm being too paranoid. Maybe Mom was wrong about her." With hesitation, you decide to take another chance and voice your decision. "No. I'd like your help.

Celestia smiles and takes a seat next to you. "I see you've had somepony put your cutie mark on your top." You flinch at the word cutie mark. Looking down, you see that your mother's cutie mark is engraved on your shirt. Your eyes water as the shirt you're wearing reminds you of her. "Are you alright Sunset?" Celestia asks with concern.

You rub your eyes, and look back at Celestia with a smile. "I'm fine. Just thinking about the past."

Celestia embraces you in a hug and brushes your mane with a wing. "Don't worry Sunset. I've already forgiven you, and I'm sure everypony else will too, once you've shown them you've changed.

A pang of guilt tells you it is wrong to let her believe you are somepony you aren't. However, your mother's words, along with Silver Smith's talk of Laws remind you that this is about survival. "Surely harmony can't be too mad at me for lying if it's for survival, right?" You ask yourself. "Until I know for sure Celestia won't kill me when she finds out what I am, I can't risk it.

The guard places three meals on the table. "Enjoy your meal." She bows to Celestia before letting the phoenix out of it's cage and feeding it some bird seed. She then moves herself to another seat where she can eat her own meal while keeping watch over her princess.

Celestia magics three forks over to herself and the two fillies at the table. "Let us eat for now and we will study when we are done."

The information Sunset left you may not be enough to allow you to cast the spell instantly, but it makes learning it easier, as if she were here helping Celestia teach you. Still the lesson goes on for quite some time as you attempt to make sense of the spell. You try to pass your lack of knowledge off as trying to review the lesson in order to better understand the spell. Hours pass and finally you begin to feel as though you have it down.

You get up from your seat and focus on the other end of the room, readying your magic for the spell. "Here goes nothing."

"Remember to focus on nothing but your target destination. We don't want any accidents."

With Celestia's warning a new bit of information enters your brain, slightly distracting you from your casting. Unfortunately at that very moment Philomena had decided to prank the guard, dumping a few seeds down the neck of her armor before flying around the room to avoid capture. The small distraction in your head was enough that you didn't notice the guard finding herself directly in the line of fire right as you had cast the spell.

You vanish from your position, only for a cyan and gold magic bubble to appear where the guard had been, the two colors swirling erratically as the bubble expands and contracts just as randomly.

Celestia grabs Polished Silver in her magic and places Philomena back in her cage and ducks under the table with them. "Stay under the table and stay low." She commands.

Celestia watches the bubble closely for signs of what's to come. As the colors begin to settle on which takes which side and the bubble expands and brightens, Celestia erects a force field to protect herself and her two charges. The bubble bursts with a bang, the shockwave breaking furniture and glass. You and the guard are flung into different directions, smashing craters into opposite walls.

You pull yourself out of the wall and look around, wincing as you notice the damage you've caused is not small. Hearing running hooves, you turn to see Celestia running toward you with Polished Silver by her side. "I'm sorry." You apologize.

Polished Silver gives a huff. "You should be." She answers anger clear in her voice. "Look at all the damage you've done."

At her words, your ears droop and tears fall from your eyes. Celestia wipes your tears away and lifts your head so your eyes meet hers. "Don't worry now, it was only an accident."

"But Princess."

Celestia holds a hoof out to silence Polished Silver as she watches the guard return to her side. "It was only an accident, partly caused by my guard and my pet."

Philomena hangs her head at this while the guard bows. "I apologize to all of you for my carelessness."

Celestia gives the guard a nod and an order. "Ember Shield, send a letter to the castle finance staff to assess and pay for any damages caused due to this accident."

Ember Shield bows once more. "Yes princess." She then pulls out a paper and quill and begins writing.

Celestia puts a wing around you and holds you close. You hug her back and begin to question why Sunset ever thought Celestia was so bad and before long you begin to ask your mind what their relationship was like before.

Your mind responds by flooding itself with memories. Images pass through your mind one after another all of which depict Sunset and Celestia. Moments of learning, of scolding, of crying, of comforting, of praising. As countless other images pass by, only three words enter your mind. Best mother ever.

Your mind begins to flood itself with something new. Love. Love for the best mother you've ever known, Princess Celestia. Tears fall down your eyes and you give a content smile as you embrace your mother with a tight hug. Celestia tightens her own legs around you and promises. "I promise to do better by you this time."

You think back to Polished Silver's comment on what your cutie mark might be and on the magic Mother helped you learn. "Maybe my talent is magic." With this realisation, your flank glows bright for only a few moments letting out a small magical sound. A sound and flash which Celestia takes notice of.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoy the Twin-Sun and Celestia moments.