ACT 1 - FORMATIVE MEMORIES

CHAPTER 1 - THE SUN SETS

AGE 1

Rain, no matter how heavy, always felt comforting, if you were warm, and beneath a comfortable and sturdy roof.

Unfortunately for the owner of this orphanage, the roof was a bit… Leaky. To no fault of her own, Peony was a handywoman, after all; She did all she could under the circumstances. None of the kids's rooms had any leaks, so that, at least, was a blessing.

This led to her working in one of the main hallways nearly unimpeded. Cozy and quaint was how she hoped her orphanage would be described, despite it being often messy. “The kids are all asleep, right? I’ll keep it quiet…!” She muttered to a fellow caretaker that watched her with curiosity from below, and annoyance.

“Yes, they’re asleep– And we should be, too. This problem could just be solved with a bucket, Peo.” The only other caretaker and co-owner of the orphanage blew raspberries, seeing the drip come from the tall ceiling, descending quickly and falling with an unintelligible sound , hidden by the storm that pounded outside.

Peony, who was atop a ladder, was only an earth pony, much like Light Heart, so this was already hard enough without criticism. “If you’re not going to help, then at least don’t sass me, Lil.”

All she got from a response was an ashamed mumble and a shrug, as her helper passed her some duct tape from below.

Peony attempted to reach for it, with a flail of a hoof, and grunted. “Ugh, I wish you could fly.” She sighed.

“Sorry.” Light Heart shrugged with a smile. “You know how it is.” She shot a quick glance to the closed doors of the rooms the orphans slept in, and then simply leapt up, gifting her partner with duct tape, After all, they were both Earth Ponies.

With a sigh and a groan, Peony shook her head with disappointment. “Duct tape! Light, Are you kidding? I might as well build a house with bricks made of cookie dough–”

She stopped, they both stopped, and their ears shot up, as they heard a distinctive and loud knock from the front door.

They both remained quiet, ears twitching, but Light Heart was the first to complain. “Hey it’s like. Way past everypony’s bedtime, and we have a lot of foals sleeping here– Can you not sell us something right now?” She groaned towards the door.

Silence, accentuated only by the storm outside. The main caretaker descended from the ladder, huffing. “I’ll get it, since you can’t be bothered.” She shot a mean look to her helper. “Who is it?”

No response, but she moved to the door all the same. “Hey I was gonna get it, you could've just asked…!” Light Heart mumbled ashamedly behind her, blushing.

“Honestly, at this hour…!” Peony began complaining as she opened the door– Only to be met with air. She looked around beyond the darkness of the night, indistinct forests, lit only by the lights of the nearby town and their own orphanage.

She blinked in surprise and shock, frozen stiff as she looked down.

“Oh shit.” Light Heart muttered behind her. “That’s straight up a baby.”

Peony grimaced with pity at the sight. Inside a basket there was a little foal unicorn, maybe only a year old, with orange fur and a mixed fuzzy mane, red and yellow– She looked malnourished, and wasn’t awake.

Pity turned to frustration, as she gazed at the darkness. “H-hey!! This isn't funny! This orphanage is NOT a drive-through!! It’s not self-service either!!” She yelled at the darkness of the storm and was met with nothing. She narrowed her eyes, wondering if she could see a figure running away, or hiding in the trees.

“I-I mean it! We can’t accept foals this young!! A-and there are papers for you to sign!! There’s a due process!! You can’t just–” But she stopped, as the little foal began whimpering below her, upset at the yelling.

Behind her, her helper commented unhelpfully. “Mother and/or father of the year award goes to: Whichever awful people just booked into that storm to get away from this baby.”

“Shush!” Peony muttered, leaning forward.

“Me, shush? I’m not the one who was yelling at nopony!” She pouted, looking a little closer. “And don’t even think of asking me to look for the parents in this rain!”

Frustration turned to pity once more, as she looked down, seeing the poor, malnourished whimpering thing. “T-that is, if there are even ‘parents’, plural…!”

Behind her, her helper cringed. “Ouch, yeah. Maybe we can ask around town tomorrow–” But she stopped, hearing shuffling behind her. “Ohhh dear, code blue.”

She immediately turned back, attempting to comfort the prying eyes of newly awoken fillies and colts, who were eyeing the door, asking questions over who could have been disturbing their sleep. “Alright kids, nothing to see here, just… The fallout of some real shi–bad parenting, ahem! Bedtime for all!”

“Oh, no no no…” Peony muttered to herself, gazing into the darkness ahead. A thought occurred to her, the simple thought that most orphans were here because of accidents befalling their parents, or due process of parents being unsuitable for parentage.

This was the first time a baby had ever been abandoned on her doorstep; She did not think this kind of tragedy was even possible.

A few groans of annoyance behind her were heard as Light Heart herded some of the orphans back to their beds, as many curious eyes were set on the entrance, and on Peony.

With a sigh of sorrow and pity, the owner gazed down. “You poor, poor thing…! Did they leave you with nothing at all…?” She muttered, eyeing the baby, inspecting the basket.

Dirty, unkempt rags covered the foal poorly, and the basket itself was also fragile and seemed of completely average making. She desperately, yet gently, rummaged around the baby, looking for any item of significance.

And she found only one thing– A crumpled piece of paper, with only two words written on it.

“Sunset… Shimmer?”

AGE 7

“Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!”

The sounds of enthusiastic fillies echoed in the halls of the orphanage, making Peony roll her eyes involuntarily.

Although this was not unexpected, it did not reduce the speed in which she ran to intervene.

Mentally, before arriving, she took bets in her mind of which of the foals were fighting– But one thing she felt certain, Sunset Shimmer was involved.

And she was right on the money. As soon as she entered the room where the sounds of kids cheering was heard, she could spot a blue blur clashing with the messy orange. Foals around her immediately awkwardly silenced themselves and recoiled, some pretending to be sitting idly in bed, grabbing books, one even tried to whistle, all making way for her to pass.

The two foals fighting in question were flailing their front hooves or wrestling clumsily, and biting was involved.

“Fleetfoot! Sunset! Stop it right now!” Her voice was commanding, and effective. The two little fillies immediately recoiled from each other, with silly grins on their faces.

And of course, Sunset was the first one to make excuses. “We weren’t fighting! Honest! It was, um, a scientific study! You love it when we do that, right?”

“Y-yeah!” Fleetfoot agreed with that same dumb grin. “We were, um, studying which of us could make the other say uncle first!”

Foals around them began snickering and laughing, and the two fillies gave each other agreeing nods, which made the caretaker feel even more exhausted. “I am very disappointed in you two. Am I seeing a pattern of you two enabling each other’s violent tendencies here??”

“What’s a pattern?” Fleetfoot tilted her head one way.

“What’s a enabling?” Sunset tilted her head another.

“Nevermind.” Peony huffed, shaking her head. “Sunset, I’m moving you to a separate wing for this, okay? …Though I know you’ll find a way to cause trouble there too.”

“Ack! Please don’t separate my wings!!” Fleetfoot flapped her small pegasus wings in a panic.

“No, Fleetfoot, that’s now what I said–” She had to pause to chuckle. “I just mean I’m moving Sunset to another room.”

Sticking her tongue towards her opponent, the little unicorn shrugged. “Bah! Fine by me! This bozo couldn’t put up a good fight anyways–”

“Humpf, I was winning.” The other filly pouted, narrowing her eyes at her.

Sunset enthusiastically hopped on top of a bed, and shouted for the whole room to hear. “Who here thinks I was winning?”

And much to Fleetfoot’s annoyance, the room erupted into a near cheer, and Sunset broke into a little commemorative dance.

Peony groaned and shushed the entire room, and only when she could be heard did she address the two. “You two are very lucky that you didn’t chip a hoof, or that Sunset didn’t poke an eye with her horn!”

“Ooooh, that’s an idea!!” The little unicorn smiled wider, feeling her own horn, already wanting to remember that move for later; But was silenced by a stern look from her caretaker.

“Okay, that’s it. You two, come with me. We’re going to forage for mushrooms, right now. Bonding exercise!” Peony declared, and the two fillies immediately groaned in response. “No buts! And the rest of you, tidy up, please. Show’s over!”

All in the room obeyed her, returning to their routine, or cleaning up the mess that the two combatants had caused in their mighty clash.

The two foals followed along obediently, being led outside, while Peony calmly gathered a basket with gardening and picnic materials, all while the two shot each other knowing, mischievous glances.

“Betcha I can find more mushrooms than you.”

“You’re on.”

And with that, there was a lot more incentive to participate in what would usually be a chore.

All smiles, they followed Peony’s instructions, giddily hopping along the woods, rummaging on dirt and grass, giddily joking along the way, but always sticking close to the caretaker.

In the end, neither of them managed to keep track of the few mushrooms they had found, and with that, Peony declared they had tied, something Sunset protested over, but begrudgingly accepted.

This continued for multiple hours, until their caretaker decided it was time for a break. She set a small meadow for a picnic, and delegated sandwich making, however clumsily, to the little foals, trying to get them to work together, with questionable success.

“There are a lot more constructive ways to settle differences than just fighting.” She huffed, with a disappointed gaze.

“Fighting is the funnest one though.” The unicorn grinned mischievously.

“Sunset.” She sternly called out, looking through her. “I thought you would both know better by now… Why were you both fighting, anyway?”

Sunset giggled, shrugging, lying. “We just wanted to see who would win!”

“Yeah! Hihi!” The pegasus flapped her wings, nodding along. “Tussle just because!”

Raising a single eyebrow was enough for Peony to make the two fillies confess the true reason for their fight.

“...Fleetfoot said my mane looked like ketchup and mustard. I got mad and started hitting her.” Sunset pouted shamefully.

“Well it does.” The pegasus huffed. “Dunno why you’re so mad.”

Sunset nearly leapt at her to resume the fight, but Peony separated them immediately, ensuring they were both calm before sitting down.

“Settle down, both of you.” With a sigh, she shook her head. “You know, there will come a time when you’re adopted, and I won’t be around to stop you from getting into trouble.” She spoke vaguely, yet wisely. “I need you both to start thinking about your future, okay?”

Fleetfoot was the first to speak, with a shrug, flapping her wings, hopping a meter above the ground, and gliding down clumsily. “Oh, I already know what I’ll do! The second I learn to fly properly, I’ll fly as high as I want, whenever I want!”

“Provided you have parental supervision.” Peony glared sternly.

“U-um, yes, with parents, I mean! Haha! Of course!” The little Pegasus shyly flustered.

“And you, Sunset?” The caretaker tilted her head, analytically inspecting the unicorn that was quietly munching on her sandwich, getting mustard splattered all over her cheeks. “What will you be, once you’re adopted?”

The little filly shrugged, looking down. “I don’t wanna be adopted. I already get in enough trouble with you and Miss Light… Imagine two parents! Bah.”

With a sigh, she grabbed a napkin, and began wiping the cheeks of the little unicorn. “Time passes, and things change, kiddo... You’ll change your mind. But I asked you; What do you want to be?”

She took a little moment to think, pondering on the question while her tail flapped about, and she continued to chew on her sandwich.

“...What can I be? Like; What are the options?” She asked, a bit confused by the question. After all, she was just a little orphan. What could she possibly be?

Involuntarily, Peony chuckled, shaking her head. “Yeah, I guess the question is a bit vague, sorry…!”

“...Can I be big and strong?” Sunset asked earnestly, taking another bite.

“Of course you can, but I meant more as in a career–”

“--Then I wanna be big and strong.” She affirmed with a definitive nod, and another bite.

Once more, Peony involuntarily chuckled. “Sure, kiddo. Note to self, make career day a bimonthly thing…”

“I don’t wanna think about future stuff. The future is dumb.” She huffed, finishing her sandwich. She didn’t have any aspirations or hopes for a future, none of it brought her particular joy to think about.

“It sure is, kiddo. But it doesn’t have to be.” Peony smiled warmly. “If parents come looking to adopt a clever little unicorn, it’ll be up to you to step up, you know?”

Fleetfoot snickered, waving a wing towards Sunset. “If they want clever, why would they go for Sunset?”

The unicorn cried out in anger and flailed her hooves at Fleetfoot, lunging at her– But Peony was faster, pulling her back by the nape of the neck like a cat. “None of that!” She said simply, separating the two.

“You can’t get by life by punching your problems, kiddo!” She proclaimed sternly, setting Sunset aside.

“Humpf! Watch me!” She crossed her arms and pouted.

“You can be better than that, okay?” She said assuringly, warmly.

All that Sunset responded with was mumbles and taking more bites of her fallen sandwich.

They continued to quietly eat together for a while, simply enjoying the breeze of a calming afternoon, and the delightful smells of the forest.

“How about we watch the sun set, since we’re all here?” Peony smiled, as she gathered the materials of the picnic and all of the shrooms they had found that day into the basket.

“Hey Miss Peo! I’m watching Sunset!” Fleetfoot giggled as she stared at the unicorn.

“Unoriginal! Lame!” The little unicorn made a motion to lunge at the pegasus, and Peony intervened.

“No more fighting.” She stated sternly, and Sunset froze immediately, and nodded shamefully.

After a casual and calm stroll, the three of them nestled together at a hilltop, comfortably watching the sun disappear between clouds and mountains, giving the sky and orange, almost pink hue.

There they remained for a while, Sunset’s eyes gleamed as she observed her namesake.

Until the ground rumbled, and their hides shivered.

In the distance, on what was a lake, a creature emerged– What before seemed like a small island slowly raised from the water, glowing with runes that seemed to animate it, entangled on vines, trees, moss, and a body of stone– Its size was enormous, possibly towering over most buildings.

It was far, and yet even from a distance, it looked dangerous.

Peony and Fleetfoot winced in fear. Sunset gasped in awe.

“O-okay kids! Time to go!” The caretaker panicked, quickly grabbing her basket with a mouth, and motioning for the foals to hop on her back. “L-let’s not be in the path of the big weird monster!!”

“W-what is that thing??” The little pegasus cowered, clinging to the earth Pony’s back.

In the distance, the giant began approaching the nearby town, and it did not seem friendly.

“No clue, but let’s not wonder! Somepony will probably take care of it! Sunset, on my back, now!” She panicked as she motioned.

The little unicorn was transfixed, but she quickly snapped out of it, hopping on the caretaker’s back.

“Hold on tight, both of you, okay? I’ll get you home safe!” She proclaimed fearfully, and began galloping through the woods.

Sunset was not afraid, in fact, she was fascinated, even as she held on, she glanced back, trying to see more of that giant.

The kind of monster you only saw in books– Or heard about in stories.

It was difficult from this perspective. Trees blocked the sight more and more, and the shaking of a gallop didn’t help either.

Something caught her attention. Above, a light cut through the air, seen only through glimpses past the trees and their leaves.

Curiosity got the better of her.

She let go, leaping off of Peony’s back, and much to her delight, neither the Earth Pony nor the Pegasus noticed.

With a grin, she began galloping through the path they had just come from, as fast as her little legs allowed, tripping once or twice.

Finally, she made it back onto the same hilltop, and her eyes widened.

What she previously thought to be an arrow of light, or a meteor, was in fact an alicorn.

The Alicorn.

Queen Celestia flew through the air like an arrow made of pure light, leaving a trail of it in her wake, and with unwavering determination towards the giant automaton.

This was the first time Sunset had ever seen Celestia outside of pictures. And she impressed a lot more when she wasn’t a still image.

The battle was quick and decisive, but no less spectacular. She pierced through the strange collection of animated stones like they were made of butter, and with the same momentum, in the same flight, she turned, and pierced again, and again, and again, and again...

The trail of light she left behind made it seem like a beautiful pattern, one that swerved and turned in wonderful unerratic manners, akin to aurora, or ribbons dancing melodically through the air, all piercing her opponent swiftly.

Every hit was elegant, yet decisive. The blasts of light indicated so much power, and yet, complete control.

With one single decisive magical motion, the Alicorn tore the heart of the creature out with her magic– A seemingly glowing crystal, entangled by ages upon ages of vines and moss.

And just like that, the creature was felled. The trails of light persisted, as the automaton was dragged down by gravity, and collapsed in on itself.

This was the most beautiful thing the little foal had ever seen.

Even from a distance, Sunset could see it. The alicorn spread her wings, her light aligned with the setting sun, and her voice boomed through the valley. “Fear not citizens, for you are safe now– This titan shall never rise again, nor others like it! I will see to it. Please, continue your lives devoid of fear!”

There was so much confidence, so much assertiveness in her voice, a single, determined fact was spoken, and it was true, simple as that.

She could see, even from a short distance, how an adoring crowd gathered below what remained of the fallen beast, cheering and worshiping the Queen’s victory.

And Celestia landed amongst the crowd calmly.

Sunset’s flank glowed, and she didn’t see it.

She began galloping as fast as her little legs allowed towards her. The crowd wasn’t far, the battle wasn’t far. She wanted to meet Celestia, more than anything.

Upon reaching the crowd, she was much too small to walk through it, trying only made her tumble back or get shoved. There were many ponies in the town thanking the Queen, surrounding her, who shyly yet gently nodded along and spoke, in the same powerful, yet calming tone. “...That was only a titan. Do not worry, for they are all slain, trapped in Tartarus, or asleep, in our age. I’ll look into why this one awoke, and ensure this does not happen again.”

What she said fell on deaf ears, most of the adoring public was simply emphatically thanking and worshiping her.

And Sunset, behind the crowd, leaped and yelled as loud as she could, waving her hooves, desperately trying to get the attention of the alicorn.“Q-queen Celestia!! Over here!! Oh my g-gosh that was incredible!! Y-you were so cool!! Queen Celestia, can you teach me how–”

None of what she said was heard, she was too small, and too quiet. The crowd overshadowed her, both in vision and sound.

Celestia, ever calm, spread her wings. “Thank you all for your kindness, I must return to Canterlot now. Let me gift you one more joy! The sight of the setting sun!”

She spread her wings, gestured with her magic, making rehearsed motions, and just like that, through an effortless motion, she made the sun set fully, behind the mountains.

All around could see night take over, and the final light of the day be replaced with stars. They gasped in awe and wonder, and Sunset was among them.

“Thank you all, and do not worry, as long as I am queen, you will be safe.” She spoke, rehearsed, yet kindly, as she began taking flight. “Have a wonderful night, all of you! Dream well!”

“W-wait!! Celestia!! Over here! I’m over here!! Please!!” Little Sunset begged as she hopped up and down, and began galloping, trying to accompany the queen's flight.

Sunset, in her desperation, ran after the alicorn as she flew away, being left behind swiftly. “P-please!! I’m over here!! Please, Celestia, can you teach me to fly like–”

She tripped, fell, and got a face full of dirt.

By the time she regained her bearings, the alicorn was a bright light in the horizon. “N-no!! Listen to me!! I’m over here!! P-please!” She called out, and was met with nothing.

Far behind, the crowd dispersed, the townsfolk content and happy.

Queen Celestia flew by without ever seeing her.

She felt her stomach sink, as the Queen of the Sun became a light in the distance, and then nothing.

Sunset, alone and lost in the prairie inbetween the town and her orphanage, began tearing up.

In that singular moment, all she wanted was to get to see the Queen of the Sun again, to talk to her, even if just for a little bit. To make herself known. To be like her.

Time passed before Peony finally found the little unicorn. As soon as she dropped Fleetfoot off, she noticed the glaring mistake she had made– Lose track of poor Sunset.

She retraced her steps at a full, fearful gallop, finally meeting the little unicorn at the same hilltop they had begun watching the sun set.

“S-Sunset! My goodness, what were you thinking!!?” She breathed haggardly, having run a marathon. “D-do you have any idea what you–” But she stopped herself.

Sunset Shimmer sat alone, crying and sniffling to herself, looking up only when Peo came closer. “O-oh dear– Are you hurt? Are you okay?!” She was relieved to see the little foal had no injuries, despite the dirtiness of her mane and face, and having been crying for a while now. “Thank goodness Queen Celestia came when she did…!”

“She didn’t see me…!” The little unicorn sniffled, pouting, eyes cloudy with tears. “I-I just wanted to meet her!! I was jumping and yelling and waving my hooves and she didn’t see me…!!”

“Oh, kiddo… The Queen has a lot on her plate, you know how it is…!–” She gave the little foal a hug, and caressed her. “I’m sure she was just a bit distracted, okay? Maybe you’ll meet her again someday!”

“M-maybe…!” Sunset pouted, still sniffling. “I-I hope so…! I w-want to…!” She stopped to sob.

Peony was going to comment, but she stopped, eyes widened. “Oh! Goodness, Sunset, look!”

She pointed, and the little foal followed with her gaze, and a gasp.

Sunset Shimmer now had a cutie mark.

Sunset Shimmer now knew what she wanted to be.

Light Heart, despite her seemingly aloof disposition, was surprisingly patient. In fact, she took joy in things most wouldn’t, as banal as they might seem.

They often threw parties for the foals that got adopted, their new parents would come and cook and bake together with the little ones, it was a natural bonding exercise, and it was always a joy to see– She enjoyed, especially, seeing how it gave hope to the other kids.

She didn’t, however, enjoy how it sometimes had the opposite effect on the foals. All it took was asking yourself ‘Why can’t I have what they’re having’, and as a kid, you’ll spiral.

It’s really, really hard to be told ‘All in due time’ if you’re young. She had seen it again and again, and she couldn’t blame the little ones for being impatient.

This, however, was one of the strangest behaviors that came out of this kind of gathering she had seen yet…

She entered the library of the orphanage, a set of small, yet cozy rooms that Peony had insisted upon, but wasn’t used as much as she had hoped… Until now.

Sunset Shimmer sat on top of a table, surrounded by multiple open books, and even a few newspapers. She was too short to simply use the chairs and be surrounded by them, and with this added elevation, she could reach the other bookshelves much easily.

Light Heart sighed, looking around. She saw only two more foals around, Sweetsong, who was cozy on another table, reading fiction, and Tex, who seemed to be fast asleep in a pillow pile on the floor, a book covering his face.

Her sight set on the ‘problem foal’ in question. Sunset Shimmer, who had spent the last few months buried in study, consuming every magically inclined book that their library had.

“Hey, kid. Want some cake?” She tilted her head, coming closer.

“Sure! Leave it here.” The little foal replied absentmindedly, muzzle so close to a book she could lick it.

“Sorry, rules say you can’t eat at the library. Guess you’ll have to go to the party.” Light Heart grinned, leaning on the table.

Pouting, raising her eyebrow, Sunset narrowed her eyes. “I thought you were the cool one.” She mumbled, frustrated.

“I’m letting you stand on a table, aren’t I?” She teased, raising her own eyebrow. “Seriously, kid. You didn’t come to Fleetfoot’s party at all, her new moms from Cloudsdale are super sweet. You should go meet them! Aren’t you and the little gal friends?”

“Me and Fleetfoot?” The unicorn almost burst out into a snicker, but just shrugged. “Hah! Nope! Not friends.”

The decisiveness in which she said it was enough to convince the caretaker, who sighed. “Well, if you want cake, you’ll have to get your butt off those books, just saying. It’s raspberry and chocolate…!” She tried selling it, but Sunset didn’t buy it.

On the corner, Sweetsong commented, without even raising her gaze from her book. “I can confirm. It’s tasty.”

“No thanks. What I’m doing here is more important! Check this out…!!” She began straining, her horn lit up, and after making that effort, she managed to teleport onto another table… And went tumbling to the floor with the momentum, knocking a chair over.

“W-woah, kid!! Careful!!” Lightheart immediately ran to her, making sure she wasn’t hurt– Which thankfully she wasn’t, other than a light bang on her forehead. In fact, she was smiling. “S-see?! I c-can teleport now!”

From the table in the distance, Sweetsong commented, adjusting her glasses, without even putting her book down. “At least this time you actually landed on the table.”

“S-shutup, Sweetsong!” Sunset snarled, feeling a bruise on her forehead from the fall.

Calmly, Light Heart helped Sunset back onto her table. She took a brief glance into the books– Plenty of them were about basic magic for Unicorns, others, advanced magic. The kid had only been studying for a few months and already could teleport– And already had asked Peony to buy more magic books from town.

Light Heart only had a small inkling of what that meant, after all, most unicorns rarely ever did it, or even learned how.

This either meant brilliance on the little one, or sheer hard headedness. She was right to believe in the latter.

She rummaged through a page or two herself, not really absorbing much. “Kinda funny, seeing you being such a bookworm, kid. Your head’s always been big, but I didn’t think you’d do this kinda thing. So, why exactly are you doing it…?”

“Training!” Sunset nodded with determination, then she dragged one of the books to the center of the table with her mouth, clumsily waddling with it. “And preparing.”

She knew only a bit of the answer, but had to ask, either way. “Preparing for…?”

“Celestia didn’t see me last time. Next time, I’ll make sure she sees me.” Sunset affirmed, determined. “I’m going to show her just how good I am, and she’s going to take me in as her student! S-she is!” There was a little bit of perceptible desperation in her voice.

Light Heart was opening her mouth to comment, but Sunset stopped her. “I-I will! Seriously!! Just watch!”

She channeled her magic again, and with it, unleashed a small but noticeable flare that popped like a quiet firework in the air, barely making a sound, but definitely lighting the room well.

She flinched, only for a moment. “Woah! Kid! Don’t go testing pyrotechnics in the library, there are a LOT of flammable things here…!”

“I’ve got it under control! Totally!” She spoke assuringly, but didn’t sound perfectly confident. “Y’know how you and Miss Peo always said I had an ‘anger issues’?” She asked, peppily, bringing another book closer. “As it turns out, a lot of elemental magic comes from emotion! I started with anger because it’s the easiest for me! Look! Fire!!” She smiled gleefully, and a small flame lit from her horn, like she was a lighter.

Blinking twice in surprise, Light Heart looked at the flame. Sunset seemed to be barely struggling to maintain it, and that was impressive, for such a little foal. “Wow, kid, that’s… Nuts.” She chuckled, watching Sunset make the flame dance by shaking her face.

“Right?? It’s so cool! I think I could make a flamethrower if I figure out the proper propelling properties of–” She had to stop to repeat the last few words, stuttering over herself.

With a sigh, Light scratched the back of her own head, cringing at the words she had to say. “So, um, kid… You know the Queen isn’t like… Looking for a student, right?”

“Wrong!” Sunset proclaimed confidently, and quickly grabbed a newspaper with her mouth, placing it before the caretaker, and then another, right next to her.

The first paper read: ‘Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns!’ Through further inspection, Light saw something that definitely called her attention, on this particular subject. “Although the Queen does not often have time to make an appearance in our beloved institution, we are proud to say that she is more than happy with the work we’ve done, and has taken special care on frequently checking on our graduates and our applicants, as well as given notes on our curriculum…” She tilted her head. “Okay, big fancy school, got it. Kid, I know what you’re thinking, but… Canterlot is far, and there’s no way we can even try to get you enrolled–”

“I know, I know, it’s not that!!” Sunset huffed, pouting, hearing that hurt her, but she played it tough. “I know I’m a poor little orphan, no need to rub it in, okay?!” She barked.

“Join the club.” Sweetsong stated monotonically from the other table, continuing to read her book.

The caretaker felt a sting of guilt, knowing that what she was doing was dimming out flames of a foal’s dream. “That wasn’t what I was saying, kid, it’s just… What exactly are you trying to prove, here?”

Without saying a word, Sunset pointed at the other newspaper, bringing it closer.

This one’s title read: ‘What should you expect for the festivities in Celestia’s Millennium of rule Anniversary! Get ahead of the curve seeing the plans for the mighty celebration!’ Light heart squinted, reading a passage out loud. “In nearly two decades, we will celebrate a thousand years of our beloved queen of the sun’s ascension as our ruler, and considering the magnitude of such a feat, all of Equestria is already planning out how they’ll party like there is no tomorrow when the time comes– Is there a point, kid? I’m confused…”

“They got the date wrong, it’s in around twenty three years, to be precise. I’m gonna be thirty then, heh.” Sunset nodded, looking at the newspaper. “But that’s not important! What matters is– She’s been ruling for a thousand years! And she built that school for gifted unicorns recently–”

“--A decade ago.”

“Y-yes, yes, alicorn years! For her, it's recent! I think it’s with a purpose!” She waddled around the table, bringing another book, this one of history. “Alicorns aren’t born, they’re made– Like, you have to be worthy to become one! Celestia is the only one known in history to have been worthy–” She ran to another book, one that seemed to be a bit iffy. “W-well, unless Valkyries were real– But this is just a story book. I think.” It was, but the truth went deeper. “And this means that if she wants to truly pass her rule onto somepony else… They have to be worthy! If nothing else, she’d need to train them to be worthy! A-and gosh, earning wings, becoming immortal… She has the magic of Unicorns, the flight of Pegasi, and the strength of Earth Ponies– T-that sounds so COOL!”

Grimacing, Light Heart sighed. “...Kid, do you honestly think–”

“--I think she wants a pupil to teach how to rule! I think that she’s looking to pass up the torch– Maybe she even wants to retire! It’s a thousand years, Miss Light! There’s no way she isn’t getting tired! It must be super boring!” She spoke with determination, and conviction. “A milleni– A millen– A milleminu– A thousand years of being Queen has got to be tiring! I bet that she wants a Princess to take over, to gift wings to…”

“Okay, but we don’t know for sure–”

“--And it’s gonna be me!” Sunset declared, tip tapping her hooves on the table. “I’m gonna show her that I can do it!! I’m gonna show her I can be just like her!! I’m gonna be a big and strong warrior, I’m gonna have big awesome wings, I’m gonna take down huge monsters, and I'll fly right beside her!! B-but, um, before that, I’ll need to, uh. Be good enough to show her.” She muttered, looking down.

Another sigh, another fidget, as Light knew she was treading on painful waters, with that, she tried pivoting in another direction. “Look kid, that’s all well and good, but… There’s loads of parents that would love to take you in, I bet. Why are you trying to focus so much on the Queen of the Sun, of all ponies? She’s… Too far.”

“You and Miss Peo both said that when the time comes for parents to adopt us, it’s our choice too!” Sunset pouted, tapping her hoof on the table. “Well I made my choice! I know who I want to take me in!”

“Kid she… She doesn’t even know you exist.” She had to say it carefully– It was true, but it was painful.

“Y-you don’t understand.” Sunset shook her head. “I want to move like she moves!! I want to do magic like she does!! I want to raise the sun!! I want to… I want to fly!” She declared, with euphoria. “I-If she's looking for a pupil, then I just need to prove to her that I have what it takes!!”

There was so much hope coming from the little foal’s voice, it made Light Heart fold instantly. “Alright, alright, kid. I’m just saying, I’m sure that there are other parents–”

“--As if.” Sunset pouted, huffing, sitting down, looking at a book. “I’m the only kid here that got dumped by my parents by the door, remember? They ran away from me! Who’d wanna take me in??”

Light Heart felt a bit of a sting, second hand guilt. “Sunset, it’s not like that. We don’t… Know whatever your parents were going through to do that, you know…?”

“Who cares!” She threw her hooves in the air. “I don’t need them! I’m going to have the best mom in the world! I-I mean, the best teacher in the world!”

With a light chuckle, the caretaker shook her head. “I just don’t want you to hurt yourself because you reached too high, kid…!”

“Not high enough.” Sunset muttered to herself, pulling another book closer, resuming her study. “I want to meet Celestia again. I will meet Celestia again… And I’ll get it right next time. I’ll get it right.” She raised her gaze just a bit, with a slight pout.

Resigned, the caretaker nodded. “Alright, sure, kid. I’m going back to the party. Stay out of trouble, okay?”

“W-wait!” Sunset quickly, rummaged through a pile of papers, and took out a letter. “Could you… Send this for me? I don’t even know where the post office is in town…”

“And you’re not allowed to go there alone.” Light narrowed her eyes, judgmentally, knowing the little foal was more than capable of running away to do something dumb.

She took a brief glance at the cover of the letter. It was signed and posted perfectly, even stamped. Sunset’s writing had improved majorly, no doubt she had studied how to send letters spotlessly; And it was addressed to… Canterlot Castle, to Queen Celestia.

“Look, kid, you know that–”

“I-I know that she might not even get it. I know.” Sunset affirmed almost with a resigned whisper. “But I’ll keep writing until she does.”

If nothing else, there was a lot to admire from the little foal’s conviction, however foolish it was.

“...Alright, I’ll send ‘em for you. But you better tell Peo you’re doing this” She nudged the little one judgmentally. “...Anyways… I’ll save a piece of cake for you too. See you around, kid.”

“Thank you!! Thank you!” She spoke momentarily, earnestly, but immediately turned back to her books, ignoring the caretaker moving through the room.

“Tex. You’re missing the cake. Stop napping, kid.” Light affirmed to the sleeping foal in the corner, who shot up in a panic and frantically scurried to the party, fueled by hunger.

Silence befell the library for a moment, where the little unicorn could concentrate again.

Sweetsong was the only other occupant in the room. Finally, she put the book she was reading down. “Funny. The way you’re talking and stuff. ‘I’m destined for greatness!’ You sound like the protagonist of my favorite book, Firestorm– A gripping tale of vengeance and violence.”

Sunset’s ears perked up, and she turned back. “...That sounds cool. Is she cool?”

“She dies in the end.”

“Lame!!”

Early rising was not in Sunset’s nature before.

It was now.

Before the sun had even risen, she was wide awake, in a room with many other beds around her, with foals sleeping soundly.

She yawned, and stretched– Nearly knocking over a book under her pillow. She always read at night, continuing her studies until she fell asleep– Covered by her sheets, lighting the reading with her horn until she got a headache.

But in the mornings, before the day had started for any of them, she had another thing she liked doing.

Quietly, as sneakily as she could, she hopped atop her bedframe on a rehearsed motion, and leapt to reach the window.

Her levitation training was still very rudimentary, but it gave her just enough lightness for her to climb in, and through.

She held onto a pipe on the side of the building– Old and rusty, but more than stable enough for her to hold herself onto and shimmy up, with her back to the wall, sometimes taking a break to breathe deeply, holding onto the pipe tightly, if not vines and plants that grew on the side of the orphanage.

Three floors wasn’t much to climb– But for a little foal, it absolutely was.

By the time she had reached the rooftop, her fur was peppered in gravel, and her mane wasn’t faring much better. She shook herself like a wet cat, tail whipping about, and found stable footing.

And there she was– At these times, she always got excited, letting go of caution, and running to the edge of her rooftop, its highest point.

The valley she lived in, Hollow Point, was surrounded by mountains, as if in a crater. It was certainly beautiful, the town in it was small and quaint, none of the buildings were higher than two floors; They were on the distant northwestern Equestria, after all.

In between the mountains, in the entrance of the valley, she could see the signs.

She closed her eyes, breathed in, and breathed out.

Straining, her small horn went alight. It sparkled, and it fizzled weakly, as she made little grunts.

She dared to open an eye, even a little, to see if she was making any progress.

Slowly, the sun was rising.

She knew it wasn’t her doing.

But she had to rehearse, everyday. She mimicked the motions she knew Celestia would make, straining, grunting, her horn fizzling.

Motions she had seen both in person, on that day that Celestia had set the sun before her, and in pictures of books she studied obsessively.

Before the sun was even fully rising, she gasped, letting go of her magic, almost losing consciousness, having exhausted herself.

Her breathing was weak, and she felt the sting of disappointment– And maybe even a belly ache.

But the sun was rising– And that washed her worries away, even if for a moment.

Somewhere out there, Celestia was doing her duty– A duty she hoped, with every fiber of her being, would someday be hers.

“I’ll get it right. Someday, I’ll get it right.” She muttered faintly, looking at the rising sun.

It was not a promise to herself. It was a vain wish. A desperate one.

She saw it as destiny, of course– She hoped it was destiny.

But it was a vain wish from a little orphan.

She closed her eyes– The light of the sun was becoming blinding. It was time to go.

Turning, she went to shimmy down the same pipe, a clumsy way down, trying to reduce her own weight with her still beginner-level levitation.

Finally, she reached the lowest floor, and her window. She took one determined leap…

…And clumsily bashed against the window frame, falling inside, bouncing off of her bed, crashing against a lamp on her nightstand, and then tumbling to the floor, entangled in sheets.

Her groan wasn’t the only one, several foals in the room woke up with the commotion, annoyed at the noise.

“Again, Shimmer?!”

“S-sorry!”

AGE 8

“Sunset, be ready to gather your things. In an hour, we’re all going to head for the Hollow Point museum. There’s a new wing regarding astronomy, they have this planetarium–”

“Hm, ok, ok.” The little foal replied absentmindedly, not paying attention, face buried in a book.

Peony sighed, knowing she wasn’t heard, coming closer. “I mean it, kiddo. Everypony’s pretty excited, there’s going to be constellation charts and everything–”

“Yeah, yeah…!” She replied, still not paying attention.

“And there’s an alien armada coming to invade Equestria, kiddo. We’re gonna get exploded. They’re gonna harvest our beautiful world for resources. I came to say goodbye.” Peony suppressed her own laughter as she spoke, deadpan.

“That’s cool.” Sunset continued not even raising her gaze from the book.

Rolling her eyes, Peony knew something drastic had to be done. The little unicorn continued to be completely entrenched in her studies. This wasn’t necessarily terrible, but she had become anti-social, and what's more, there was no other hobby for her at the moment– By choice.

It was time for a gambit, one she had thought of for a while.

After all, Sunset wanted to learn things– All she needed was a teacher, and incentive. Hopefully this would be enough of a distraction.

Sunset hadn’t even noticed, but Peony had brought a guitar with her when she entered the room. She sat down, readied herself, and began playing.

It was an upbeat and hasty melody. A tale about a daring swordsman that defeated countless bandits and criminals just to protect the town of the mare he loved– It wasn’t necessarily one of Peony’s favorite songs to play, it was incredibly fast, after all… But she wasn’t playing for herself.

Sunset immediately dropped her book, as her ears twitched, and she looked intently at Peony, who continued playing as she grinned.

She purposefully stopped, ceasing all sound, smirking at the little foal. “What? I can stop, if you want to focus on your books.”

“Y-you can play guitar??” Her jaw was slacked, and she was dumbfounded. “I didn’t know you did… Anything??”

“There’s a lot I can do that you kids don’t know, Sunset.” She shrugged, still smiling. “Oh well. I’ll leave so you can keep focusing.”

“W-wait! Can you play again?” She pleaded with starry eyed wonder.

“I can do you better, kiddo. I can teach you.” She grinned, tapping the guitar. “...If you want to take a break from studying, that is.”

Sunset paused for a moment, looking at all the books surrounding her, thinking hard about her priorities.

After some pondering, she shook her head, and leapt to land next to Peony, sniffing the guitar. “O-okay. Okay. Teach me! I wanna do that cool song…!”

“Pleeeeease can you send this letter today?” Sunset held it in her mouth, and pouted openly with pleading eyes to Light Heart, who was herself washing piles over piles of dishes.

“Kid, isn’t this like… Your thirtieth letter?” She could barely take her eyes from her work.

“Thirty six, actually.” She muttered, not out of resignation, but frustration.

“Well… Don’t you think you’re sending too many?”

“Until I get a reply, no!” Her tail whipped about in frustration. “Can you pleeeeease send this today?”

With a sigh, she stopped what she was doing to think. Her eyes went down to the dishes, then back to the little foal. “Tell you what. Show me how good that levitation magic of yours is coming along by finishing washing these dishes, and I’ll send your letter.” She smiled confidently, helping the unicorn onto the sink’s table.

“O-okay! I got this! You’ll see!! Watch!” Sunset spoke proudly, as her magic began moving the plates, sponges and water around.

Light Heart recoiled to get a good view, and was admittedly impressed. The kid had gone a long way, and although the movements of her magic were clumsy, she was decidedly skilled.

Plates flew and were scrubbed swiftly before being left to dry, and Sunset hummed to herself– Light could see that she was sweating, but surprisingly focussed.

Hoofsteps entered the kitchen, and Peony brought a newspaper with her, sitting by a table. “Hey Lil, we got changeling drama in Canterlot. Apparently Chrysalis tried invading a party…” She paused, looking at the kitchen, then frowning and Light Heart.

“Hi, Miss Peo!” Sunset smiled gleefully, continuing her work.

“Why is a foal doing the dishes, Light.” Peony narrowed her eyes judgmentally.

“What? She wanted to show off! Offered to help and everything! Look at that, everything is easier with magic, isn’t it?” The Earth Pony smirked, coming closer to the other caretaker. “I told her I’d send another one of her letters if she did it, heh.”

Peony’s disapproving gaze pierced through her compatriot, who stuttered and shrugged. “We shouldn’t abuse her tragic hopes just to get her to help out with chores, Lil.” She whispered angrily.

“Aw c’mon, as long as she’s got that fire in her eyes, why not motivate her to help around here? She’s doing better, isn’t she? Getting herself into less trouble?” Light whispered back.

“Not exactly.” Peony sighed, huffing. “Didn’t you see what she did to Waddles?”

She had to contain her laughter, reminiscing. “Using her magic to dress him up just to then give him a wedgie. Diabolical.”

“That’s not funny. I’m getting worried about her obsession with Queen Celestia.” Her face became one of pity, as she observed Sunset continue to diligently help with the dishes. “She… She’s so smart, and yet she can’t even consider that she has no chance of getting what she wants.”

“Remember when you were hoping it was just a phase?” Light Heart blew raspberries, looking away. “A friggin year ago. Gotta hand it to the kid– She’s stubborn.”

“I just hope she figures out sooner or later that she’s reaching too high.” Peony exhaled, shuddering. “I can’t even imagine where all those letters are going. I wish we could take a trip to Canterlot–”

“--For what? ‘Heya, people of the mighty Castle of Canterlot– It’s us, two gayass caretakers of an orphanage in Hollow Point. Can you point us to the giant recycling bin you have set up for the dozens of letters one of our dumb orphans is sending here? Yeah, the one that got a cutie mark on being Celestia’s superfan. Yeah, we just want to make sure you’re not burning her letters.” She murmured frustratingly, angry on behalf of Sunset.

The little unicorn continued to work diligently, while Light Heart breathed in, frowning, and continued. “Let’s face it. The Queen can have literally any unicorn as her pupil– She has a school for gifted unicorns, for Tartarus’s sake. why the hell would she settle for an orphan from nowhere?”

“That’s enough, Lil–” Peony nudged her, ensuring Sunset couldn’t hear either of them “...We should try to think of ways to convince her to accept parental interviews.”

“Good luck with that. The kid’s head is as hard as it’s big–” But she stopped as a plate fell on the floor, shattering, followed by the little foal screaming, and they both shot up.

Sunset, in a frantic panic, ceased her magic, and a bunch of plates and cutlery fell back on the sink, as she looked to the floor– One of the plates had shattered on the floor.

“Don’t jump down, Sunset– I’ll clean this up!” Peony immediately walked over, grabbing a broom and a span.

“W-wait!! I can fix it!! I can fix it!!” The little unicorn jumped down clumsily, landing on the floor with a dangerous thud, nearly face-first on the broken shards of ceramic.

“It’s okay kiddo– Really, it is!” Peony tried stopping her, but Sunset was channeling her magic already.

The red and yellow hue of her magic enveloped the shards, and began gathering. Slowly, unstably, the shards gathered, uniting as one, reforming the plate.

Peony and Light Heart watched in complete surprise, as the plate floated in the air, having gathered itself back to perfection. Sunset was straining.

…And then the plate, still in the air, shattered into even smaller pieces, and Sunset couldn’t hold them.

“N-no!! No!! Dangit dangit DANGIT!!” She yelled out in frustration, slamming her tiny hooves on the floor, tearing up slightly.

“It’s alright, kiddo– We have plenty of back up plates. Lil, please finish washing the dishes.” She shot a glare behind her, and the other mare moved immediately.

“I-I wanted to fix it…!” Sunset sniffled, trying to help Peony gather the shards of the broken plates.

AGE 9

Once again in the library, alone like usual– This time, fallen asleep during her studying.

It didn’t take long for Peony to find her– She always checked each bed individually while saying goodnight to the kids, after all.

With a sigh, the caretaker approached Sunset. She had fallen asleep in a clumsy position, and seemed to be chewing on her fuzzy mane, all while on top of a book about integrating magic to breathing exercises…

And next to the book, was an open letter, unfinished, with the pen laid about next to it.

Bringing it closer with concern, Peony read it.

“Dear Princess Celestia.

As per my other letters, of which I hope you have received, I would like to resume stating my many qualities that could make me a wonderful fit as your student, should you choose to take me in!

I’ve been studying magic every day! I’m positive I could apply a lot of what I learned into taking down bad guys! I’d love to discuss with you the many different ways in which magic could be used in a fight. I once had to stand my ground against a wild boar, and I totally won! There’s a haunted house near my town and I was the only kid brave enough to go inside!! (It was pretty boring, not even any ghosts in there.) I’m the smartest and toughest foal in the place I live in…”

She placed the letter down, no longer reading it with a sigh. “...Nice spin, kiddo. But I don’t think saying you’re the strongest orphan around is the brag you think it is…” She looked at the unicorn with worry, exhaling.

She had taken care of troubled foals before, maybe even delusional ones.

But she was truly fearful that Sunset Shimmer would refuse to grow up.

“Two years of this, and you’re still going strong…” She gently moved a strand of hair away from the foal’s mouth. “Too tough to quit, stubborn to the end…”

Even now, she thought of ways she could help the foal; But no ideas solidified.

In the previous month, Sunset had already come close to quitting guitar lessons– Something that was a deep concern to the caretaker, who wanted her to at least try new things.

The unicorn’s frustration with not getting something right on the first try permeated ironically on anything outside of her magic studies.

And yet, Peony continued to try to push new hobbies into the kid, with questionable success. Sunset’s heart was dead set on what she wanted.

“...Let’s get you to bed.” She whispered, picking up the foal, and carrying her out of the library.

“Ah, Miss Raven Inkwell, to what do I owe the pleasure?” The postman of Canterlot castle greeted with the same polite smile as ever. “Here for incoming or outcoming mail?”

“Both, Mister Twistle.” She stated methodically, as she rummaged through her bag with her magic, full of files.

The mighty city of Canterlot had a mighty post office to boot– But the Castle, much for the convenience of the entire kingdom, had its own post office, with dozens of letters and files being exchanged weekly, concerning everything from political treaties, to… Fanmail.

“Outgoing or ingoing first…?” He asked with expectation, nudging a few boxes with piles of letters.

She stopped, eyeing the pile, then shook her head. “Outgoing first. I’ve got a letter to the Canterlot museum here.” She placed it on the table, continuing to fiddle with her bag absentmindedly.

“Roger that. May I ask why? New exhibit?” He piped forward, handling the letter with curiosity.

“Precisely. Archeological discovery, dragon bones… Celestia will be there personally to unveil it.” She spoke, focussed on something else.

“Sweet. I’ll definitely be there.” He grinned, nodding. “Love me some history!” He started whistling, as he placed the letter on a proper receptacle.

“...Now for the ingoing mail.” She spoke, eyeing a pile.

“Yep. That Shimmer kid made a pile again.” He chuckled, shrugging. “I did you a favor and decided to put her letters on a separate box to the usual fanmail, this time.”

“...That helps, thank you.” She sighed, beholding the two different boxes. One contained fanmail from all over Equestria, letters of thanks or admiration, small gifts, effigies, or even what could only be described as ‘fanart’ of Celestia. In the other… At least a dozen new letters, from the same orphan; Who sent them well over monthly, at times. “...Her calligraphy continues to improve.” She noted, with a nod, and a small grin, seeing the front of the closed letters.

From the corner of the larger room, one of the service pegasi piped in. “Oh, are you getting to the Shimmer box? Nice! Hey, can you reply to the kid already and get her to stop sending these? Hollow Point is FAR.”

“It would be untowards for the Queen of the Sun to exchange letters with an orphan from across the country. Blatant unprofessional favoritism.” Raven stated simply, collecting the contents of the box. “...But know that I’m considering ways to cease this.”

“Let her down easy. The kid’s probably goin’ through enough as is.” Twistle murmured, with a grimace of pity. “Hollow Point is in the asscrack of the northwest, after all. Does Celestia actually open these…?”

“The Queen used to only open fan mail bi-yearly. Because of Sunset Shimmer, she now opens all fan mail monthly.” She sighed, rummaging through the letters.

“All for a little fan, huh?” He grinned leaning on the table.

“The Queen is… More sentimental than she lets on. I’d say that receiving frequent correspondence like this makes her considerably happy, if anything.” Raven began placing the many fan letters onto her bag. “But she has never met this Shimmer child, and likely never–”

She paused.

She adjusted her glasses pensively.

Gears in her head turned.

Giving the child a chance to meet Celestia could please all parties, and cease the letters. Celestia would finally get to meet her little fan, and once the little girl met her hero, she would likely be satisfied, and with that, matters would be put to rest.

At the very least, the child would stop wasting so much paper.

“...Mister Twistle. I need to make a last minute change to my outgoing mail.” She stated, leaning closer to the table, taking out a pen and paper.

“Oh, really? May I ask why?” He eyed her curiously, while handing back her letter.

“Simple. The unveiling of the new exhibit will no longer happen here in Canterlot– But in fact, in the museum of Hollow Point.”

Sunset was vibrating with excitement. Two years, and she had prepared for this extensively, nothing was going to go wrong. This is what she had prepared herself for, for so long.

“Everypony stay together, okay? Remember to be very polite and quiet! The Queen is gonna be there, after all!” Peony proclaimed, while herding the orphans forward through the town of Hollow Point, directly towards its museum.

Sunset tried her best to stay composed– She even tried her best to be first in the entire posse, walking forward, constantly being told to stay with the group by the caretakers.

“Hey kid. Relax, okay? You can try talking to her after the exhibit.” Light Heart assured her quietly, trying to calm her down.

Sunset had no response– She was barely listening, trying her best not to charge at the doors of the museum. Even if she had heard, she would have refused to allow Celestia to leave before she got a chance to meet her again.

She was so distracted, in fact, that she did notice the increased amount of people in the town, which was usually incredibly quaint and quiet.

The doors of the museum opened and her heart skipped a beat– And then it sank.

There was an enormous crowd inside– One that reminded her bitterly of the first time she had met Celestia.

Not just that, but they seemed to be a bit late; The exhibit had already started.

In the center of the museum, (which was poorly equipped for this, mind you) stood an enormous dragon skeleton, with seemingly almost golden bones, chrome and powerful.

The entire exhibit was surrounded by a crowd; Tall ponies, seemingly from many different places of Equestria, many with cameras, and talking loudly amongst themselves.

And at the foot of the statue… Queen Celestia stood, providing insight over the exhibit, towering over all of them.

“...A king of greed, is what the legends described him as. Cursed to have a touch of gold by his own volition. The legends failed to describe the end he met, but it seems clear, from what we can see…” She seemed to be going through the motions, even if history did interest her, waving at the statue with her wings.

“Don’t go far, now–” Peony began saying to the foals around her, herding them quietly. “Let’s hear about the big dragon!”

She smiled confidently, seeing the kids gasping in awe, looking above. Then after blinking twice, she came to an obvious realization.

“...Where’s Sunset.”

“...Guess.” Light Heart sighed, scanning the crowd faintly.

“Please go search for her, I’ll stay with the others.”

Naturally, Sunset didn’t want to be found.

She ran around the crowd, desperately looking for a way in– And finding none. Her tail wagged around in frustration, as anything she said was drowned out by the museum goers.

She desperately hopped up, trying to get a better view of the Queen. “Queen Celestia!! I’m over here!! Did you get my letters??!” She pleaded, and her shouts were drowned out by the crowd.

“...Dragons mostly keep to themselves, but I am confident in saying they are mighty, and many of them are wise. In my years, I have befriended more than a few. They make for incredible companions, especially in battle...” Celestia continued, without even noticing the little foal.

“Please, I’m over here!! I’m Sunset Shimmer!! I wanna talk to you! P-please look at me!! J-just listen to me!!” The little foal kept pleading, and even the ponies near her simply shrugged and winced at the annoyance of a child yelling at a museum.

And still, nothing. The bustle of the museum was simply drowning her out.

With a nervous glance, she spotted Light Heart approaching from the other end of the room, with a disappointed expression on her face.

Her gaze went back to the Queen. She was desperate.

It was time for her trump card. She had been practicing, and she needed a signal flare to call attention desperately.

“P-PLEASE JUST LISTEN TO ME!!” She pleaded once more.

This time, the entire room listened, and saw.

From Sunset’s horn, an uncontrollable flare of fire spewed out, spreading out into the air, quickly shocking all in the room. Her anger and her fears propelled the magic forward, higher, stronger.

There was a moment of panic where even she hadn’t realized what she was doing– As flames continued to burst out of her horn, spinning into the air uncontrollably, and the entire crowd went wild.

In a frantic set of seconds, the museum goers began evacuating, unsure of what was even happening, tripping over themselves and each other.

Many foals screamed and ran out of the museum– The two caretakers were lost in the commotion.

Sunset was knocked over by her own magic, her horn burned and stung, and she felt dizzy, unable to even open her eyes properly due to the blinding flames she was creating.

Her senses were dulled, as she screamed in pain and fear.

And yet, somehow, slowly, the sensation dimmed.

Celestia flew around the room, and the flames that spread out were snuffed out, absorbed into her own horn.

She circled, again and again, walking on the walls, waving her wings, slowly containing the flames that were spewing endlessly from Sunset’s horn.

She landed, and gently, calmly, fastening those flames, leaning forward.

The moment her horn touched Sunset’s, the fire that had engulfed the room was now completely neutralized.

“...Are you okay, little one?” Sunset heard the gentle, careful whisper above her.

She winced, whimpered, her eyes were tearing up, and she could barely move, curled up into herself. As soon as her eyes opened, she flinched.

Celestia let out a weary smile. “...You must be Sunset Shimmer. It is nice to finally meet you…!”

The little unicorn lunged forward and embraced one of Celestia’s legs, holding tightly, shuddering. “I-it’s you! It’s you! I’m s-sorry!! I’m sorry!! C-could you teach me to do that, please, please?”

“Hush, now…” She assured, as gently as possible. “Allow me to quickly fix this…!”

Sunset continued to cling to her leg, as she calmly sat down, and waved her horn.

There were several charred planks in the walls, paintings fallen down, and most importantly, the entirety of the dragon skeleton had been knocked over.

Celestia waved her horn, and slowly but with certainty, the entire room repaired itself.

Sunset watched, starry eyed, as the magic of the Queen flowed through everything, repairing walls, hanging paintings, and most importantly, allowing the dragon skeleton to rise once more.

Some of the golden bones had bent and melted under their own weight and through Sunset’s flames– And yet, Celestia managed to mend them with ease, hardening them on their original forms.

The Queen finished it all by making the skeleton do a little wave, and freeze on that pose.

“W-woah…!” Sunset gasped, waving back. “Y-you fixed it!! You fixed all of it…!”

“That, I did–” She looked down to the foal that clung to her leg. “Know that there is nothing that is beyond repair, little one… But you still must learn not to break–”

“--T-teach me!! Please, please, please teach me!! I want to be like you, please!!” She begged, clinging tighter. “I wanted to meet you again for so long, I want to be just like you, please, please teach me!!”

“Now, now…!” She began replying with an embarrassed look, suppressing a chuckle, and stopped, with the advent of a certain earth pony approaching.

“Excuse me, Queen Celestia…” Peony sheepishly approached, with a tired, worried smile. “I’m… Peony. Caretaker in the Hollow Point orphanage… She’s… One of mine.” She pointed at Sunset, who continued to cling tightly.

“Of that, I am aware.” She nodded, with a calm smile. “I’ve been getting her letters, after all…!”

Peony’s eyes widened, and she let out a sigh of relief– One less thing to explain.

Around them, there were a few ponies gathering their bearings, confused and startled, some began approaching Celestia, trying to thank her.

“C-Celestia! How wonderful that you were here to save us!!”

“Was it all that little foal's fault? Oh my.”

“Could I get an autograph?”

“Somepony needs to take care of that little menace!”

“Miss Peony, can you not keep your children in check?”

“The Queen is the BEST!”

“Once more, the day is SAVED!”

“I need to call my mother and tell her I’m alive!”

“Three huzzahs for the Queen of the Sun!!”

“The museum’s structural integrity is jeopardized.”Celestia’s voice boomed all around them, as she spread her wings. “Evacuate at once, all of you!”

Peony flinched, eyeing the exit, as the many ponies around her bolted in fear. “U-um, do we–”

“--No. I just thought we needed privacy.” Celestia smiled and winked.

With the silence that befell their surroundings, she leaned down, trying to meet Sunset eye to eye. “...Sunset Shimmer. Do you truly wish to be like me…?” There was both curiosity and expectation in her voice.

“Y-yes!! Yes I do! More than anything! I train everyday!! I’m r-really good at magic!! I-I want to beat up bad guys like you!! I wanna be a princess!! I wanna fly!! Please, please take me in!! I promise you I’m good!! I’ll get it right!!” She was going to continue pleading, but Celestia gently placed a hoof over her lips, silencing her.

Two years-worth of one-sided correspondence meant that she had deep insight on the little one and her desires– And meeting her in person added even more insight.

Sunset was desperate, and this was all she had. She needed purpose, and she found it on her own– Now Celestia only needed to wonder if the investment was worth it, or rather, how far would she be willing to go to see this child smile. “Okay. That is all I needed to hear.” She smiled warmly, nodding to her. “Miss Peony, was it?”

“Y-yes.” She nodded, surprised. “Would you like to…?”

“I am considering it. But I believe you and I must talk alone, first…” She leaned down to Sunset, whispering “Little one… You may need to let go of my leg…!”

“N-no!! I don’t want you to disappear again!! Please don’t go!” The unicorn pleaded, clinging tighter.

“I promise you, I am staying within sight; And I am not going anywhere.” She assured gently, nuzzling Sunset’s side, which nearly knocked her over. “Please, I need to talk to your caretaker, it is important, professional, due process...”

Slowly, sniffling, shuddering, Sunset let go. “O-okay.”

“Go be with Light and the others, okay?” Peony suggested, just as gently.

Slowly, the Queen and the Caretaker made their way to the opposite end of the room. They remained visible, but were private.

“You know… I have been searching for a pupil for decades, now.” Celestia wondered, shooting a glance behind her. “It has been a difficult search. I haven’t even truly narrowed down what the right parameters would be for one, but…”

“You must have a lot of options in Canterlot.” With a sigh, the Caretaker looked away, thinking of the mighty city, the one known to all in Equestria, one she had never visited. “And… You’re not here for that, are you?”

“I wasn’t.” Celestia muttered, closing her eyes. “But I know potential when I see it. And what’s more, I know… A dangerous lack of purpose, when I see it.”

“Sunset’s tough.” Peony chuckled nervously, glancing at the now restored destruction that the little foal had caused. “...But she doesn’t have anypony to take care of her other than us. And she is, unfortunately, obsessed with being with you…”

“When did this start, exactly…?”

“You killed some huge monster on the outskirts of town two years ago. Sunset saw it, she tried getting your attention to thank you, and she failed. That’s when she got her cutie mark, too… I'm not going to sugarcoat it. You… Didn't see her. And that was the first time I ever saw her cry…” Peony grimaced, reminiscing.

“Oh, no… I am sorry.” She pursed her lips, beholding the foal with pity. “Maybe if I had seen her, these matters would have been put to rest already…”

“Maybe she would have just been a fan, you would have turned her down, and she would have moved on…” Peony nodded, shrugging. “But I digress. ...I’ve learned to let go of ‘what ifs’ in life.”

“All we have is our universe, and we must cherish it. Two years since this has happened… I suppose we have managed to meet now, at least… Better late than never…” She muttered, with a pensive nod. “...I fear for the child, however. She… She seems to hold much sorrow.”

“Like I said, the kid’s tough.” She sighed, shrugging “Didn’t cry after that, didn’t cry before that, even as a baby. And… She was the only one of our orphans that was ever just… Dumped on our doorstep.”

“O-oh dear…!” Celestia’s eyes widened with grief.

“Yeah… We don’t know who her parents are, all we know is they abandoned her; The only thing she has of them is her name…” She fidgeted with sorrow. “She’s clever. By Celestia, she’s clever. But… She never even considered that she might be wrong to think she can be your pupil.”

“Nor she shouldn’t. I saw real potential today; Raw untamed power, if nothing else… And if the stories she reported in her letters are true…” They both looked at the little unicorn, who sat distant and separate from the other children, isolated, and looked right back at the two, in quiet desperation.

Every other foal blamed her for the massive accident that had previously occurred.

“Look. She’s troubled. She’s a… Difficult kid. If you have even a tiny inkling that she’s not fit for you, you need to let her down easy, and you need to do it now.” Peony asserted sternly. “She won’t listen to us otherwise– And you can’t take her in just because it’s a charity case– You can’t take her in out of pity– That’s gonna break her heart. I mean it, Queen Celestia– Her desire to be like you has… Stunted her desire to be her own person.”

Celestia was frozen, gazing at the little one, thinking carefully. “...And she has no one at all…?”

“Not good at making friends– And no family, no. She’s outright refused to get parental interviews. She wanted only you.” She exhaled, shaking her head. “Look, you have to understand. A kid like her, she needs… She deserves something stable. Something good. And she wants… You. Do you think you can provide a good life for her as her teacher?”

And again, Celestia was frozen, pondering, gazing at the little desperate unicorn.

Maybe she didn’t need perfection in a pupil.

Maybe she didn’t need an older, wiser, veteran at magic.

Maybe all she needed was to be needed.

Maybe what she wanted was something else entirely.

…Maybe, just maybe… This was destiny.

And above all, in that moment, she was seeing a child, alone and hurt.

“...What papers do I sign?” She smiled, tilting her head at Peony.

With an exhale, and a weary smile, the caretaker began walking forward. “...Just make sure she doesn’t forget to practice guitar.”

Walking besides Celestia was incredibly cathartic to Sunset. The alicorn walked slow, steady steps with her long legs, and the little unicorn had to be at a near sprint to accompany her with her little legs; But she didn’t dare fall behind.

“...These are the highest floors of my castle, the library is in that direction, my room is on that tower, over there– Your room will be in this corridor, right here...”

She couldn’t stop smiling and gasping. Her entire life, she had never left Hollow Point, and now she was in the Castle to end all Castles.

“I’ll show you the gardens tomorrow, there are various calm places that are excellent for study there, and I am certain you will be quite fond of the hedge maze– .”

The trip here had been euphoric. Sunset had never been on a train, she had never been on a city, she had never been on a Castle, the entire time it felt like a dream, the entire time she didn’t leave Celestia’s side.

“Be wary, given your height, most guards may not see you– A fault in the armor design, do not worry, I’ve been… Raven, is that on the list?”

The Queen’s aide, who was following along diligently, nodded. “Yes, next week you will visit the barracks and review the armor design with specialists.”

The castle was a bit imposing, yes. Sunset could see that most lights were dimmed, or snuffed entirely at night, and the corridors behind her and before her were embraced in shadow. The lights of the Castle seemed to follow the queen.

“...I have not yet prepared a full curriculum, but I have many ideas in mind. In the following weeks, I will introduce you to the staff, to the castle– I will show you all of Canterlot, and discern how much you’ve learned, little one.”

Celestia always spoke so kindly, so gently, Sunset couldn’t help but smile. She felt safer than she had ever, in her entire life.

“I am very much looking forward to getting to know you better, Sunset Shimmer. Know that I will take your training as slow as necessary; After all, time is on our side.”

“I-I don’t need slow! I can do fast!” The foal proudly proclaimed, walking forward a bit faster. “I-I mean it! I’m good!”

“Patience, little one.” She smiled, reveling in the unicorn’s excitement. “Ah! Here we are! Your room!”

The doorknob was so high, Sunset would have to use magic to turn it. The room was gorgeous– Incredibly well decorated, and furnished to be calming and relaxing. Crystals hung from the windows, reflecting the moonlight into the ceiling like night lights.

And in the corner, there were a few small boxes with Sunset’s few belongings, brought here before her; Including a few books, mementos from the caretakers, drawings she had made long ago… And Peony’s guitar, old, weary, covered in stickers and dents, gifted to her.

Sunset hopped onto the bed– An act of struggle, where she flailed her lower legs, trying to hoist herself upwards, only for Celestia to push her up gently with her snout. “There you go.”

The little unicorn continued to gasp and be in complete awe. “T-this is so cool…”

“I hope the room is to your liking.” Celestia nodded warmly, delighted to see how happy Sunset was.

“A-are you kidding?? I live in a castle!! I live in a castle!!” She began bouncing up and down, and the bed propelled her higher and higher.

Before she could be flung uncontrollably across the room, Celestia halted her with her magic, settling her down. “Now, now. Try and get some sleep. We have much to do tomorrow, Sunset Shimmer.”

“I won’t let you down!! I promise!!” She nodded emphatically.

“I believe you won’t. Thank you for staying with us.” She bowed gracefully, smiling warmly. “Raven and I still have a few more duties to attend… Please, if you need anything at all, just ring that bell over there, and a servant will come to assist you.”

“...And what if I need you?” She tilted her head, pouting.

“...Then I am never far, little one.” She chuckled, delighted.

“Ahem.” Raven stepped forward, with a bit of hesitation. “I am Celestia’s aide– Like a secretary, if you will. If you are in need of logistical assistance, like sending letters, or any sort of correspondence, or even seeing files– You come to me. …Warning, however, I’m, uh, not good with kids.”

“I coulda told you that.” Sunset snickered, and Celestia joined her, both laughing quietly.

Only after the laughter settled down did the Queen make motions to leave. “With that aside, it is time for us to go. Please, sleep well, Sunset Shimmer.” Celestia nodded, and turned.

“Y-you too!!” Her little voice was barely audible behind them as they left.

Together, calmly, the Queen and her Aide walked by the high halls of Canterlot Castle, no one else in sight, all was quiet.

Until the secretary finally spoke up, when they were at a safe enough distance.

“...You are too caring for your own good. When I set that museum visit for you to meet your fan, I did not intend on you adopting her.”

“Oh, please.” The Queen huffed, shaking her head. “The little one has shown genuine promise. I wasn’t just going to leave her there, craving for something more– I am sick and tired of shifting through dozens of suitors for who would be the most perfect pupil– Sunset Shimmer needs a good home, and I need a pupil. Simple as that.”

“Nothing about this is simple.” Raven narrowed her eyes. “...Have you acquired any child rearing experience, in your thousand years of rule?”

“Ahem. I do not appreciate rhetorical or even sarcastic questions coming from you, Raven.” She pouted. “You know that I have not been in any relationships, familial or otherwise. But I am good with kids. Would that not be enough?”

“She is nine years old.” Raven murmured. “We are dangerously close to the Queen of the Sun having to take time off of the Grand Galloping Gala to exchange diapers.”

“You weren’t kidding when you said you were bad with kids.” Celestia chuckled to herself. “Sunset Shimmer seems determined to be self-sufficient, and I will be right here at every step of the way to help her when she needs it. I know I am a decent teacher, and that I am good with kids. Why would I need more?”

“I am no expert. And neither are you. That’s the problem.” She adjusted her glasses nervously.

The Queen looked away in embarrassment. “...No time like the present. Benefit of living this long, I am quick to learn. …I suppose me and Sunset will both be learning as we go.”

“Please tell me this wasn’t out of pity for the little one.” With a sigh, Raven rolled her eyes. “...You had unending options for a pupil…”

“And yet, I want to see what an outside perspective can provide.” Celestia spoke sternly. “Sunset Shimmer desperately wants this. I want to give her a chance to impress me– And that, she already has.”

“...Has the little orphan impressed you more than any of the star students in your school?”

“Do not be heartless, Raven.” She shot the aide with a cold glare.

“I a-am simply being objective.” The secretary looked away, intimidated. “After all… You picked an unorthodox option. The world will see that, and it will judge you… Both of you.”

“Let them judge. I do not care.” And she truly didn’t. “I may not be capable of being a mother, but Sunset wants a teacher. And that I can do.”

Her first night was difficult, at first.

The room was enormous, and it felt empty.

She was so used to sleeping near a dozen other children, she struggled to sleep in such a large, comfortable, and yet lonely bed.

The darkness of the room began intensifying, and she came to a stark realization.

What if she woke up back in the orphanage?

What if this was all a dream?

She immediately hopped away from the bed, and onto the floor.

She made her way to the door, and opened it, welcoming the darkness beyond.

The castle was completely and entirely dim now. The small light of her horn was all that lit the way for her– And she glanced around every corner, every corridor, with the shadows dancing in menacing, intimidating ways in the distance.

She had just enough of her bearings to know where to go– But did not dare quicken her pace, after all, she needed to be silent.

Her hooves produced the smallest of echoes in the great chambers. The ceiling was so tall, she could barely see it in the dark.

In the distance, at the end of the hall, she saw another light– And quickly turned her own off, and hid under a cupboard.

Slowly but surely, the light approached, and passed by. It was a royal guard, who yawned his way through the corridors, lighting it with his horn.

She watched quietly, breathing quickly, heart beating fast, as the guard disappeared in the darkness. Then and only then did she leave her hiding spot.

A small staircase took her to where she wanted to go– And she had to hop every step carefully, with her stature almost leading to her tumbling and rolling away more than once.

Finally, she had in her sights what she was searching for– A large, imposing set of doors, with light shining from below them dimly, indicating there was someone inside. She was in the right tower, and hoped she was in the right place.

She touched the door, trying to figure out how to open it… And heard a distinctive voice inside.

Celestia seemed to be talking, but with who, she didn’t know.

She clawed at the door with her hooves, then leapt for the doorknob, then fiddled with it with her magic…

…Then simply concentrated, and teleported inside, tumbling into Celestia’s room clumsily.

The Queen stood on the balcony, facing the moon in the sky– She had been talking, seemingly to herself, but she stopped, her ears twitching as soon as she heard Sunset rolling on the floor.

“O-oh, dear! Are you lost? Was the room not to your liking?” She swiftly and carefully came to Sunset’s side, inspecting her.

Embarrassed, ashamed, the little unicorn muttered. “...Can you teach me to beat up nightmares too…?”

Her worry turned into a smile, as she nuzzled Sunset’s concerns away. “...All in due time, little one. I should have foreseen this, it must be… Scary, sleeping in a big castle alone for the first time.”

“I-I’m not scared.” She lied, pouting. “It’s just, um. Lonely.” That wasn’t a lie.

This was all new to the Queen as well, who studied her own room, while pondering.

What would a teacher do?

…And what would a mother do?

“My bed is more than big enough for the both of us.” She stated waving at it with a wing. “As an alicorn, my own size is a curse, at times. You won’t believe how I struggled to find beds that fit me, in my early years.” She joked, chuckling, and carefully hopped onto it. “If you’d like, you could sleep here…?”

“O-okay! That’s cool!” The little foal contained her excitement poorly, as she waddled over to bed. This time, instead of clinging to the side, Celestia offered her her own snout, and Sunset grabbed hold of it, while effortlessly being hoisted to the large, intimidating bed.

She glanced around her– The Queen’s room was impeccable. The ceiling was decorated and painted with erratic yet elegant patterns, the furniture was spotless, and the fireplace was lit, gently accentuating the silence of the cold night with crackles and warmth.

Her windows were large, and so was her balcony. She could see astronomy equipment from here, and even the moon in the night sky.

It was awkward, at first. A new experience for the both of them, as Sunset tried getting bundled up in sheets way too large for her.

“...Do you know how to sing? Is that a thing Queens need to do?” She prodded, with curious eyes.

“Why yes, I do know how to sing.” Celestia nodded, speaking gently, as she dimmed the lights of the room with her magic. “Do you like singing, little one?”

“Not really, it’s more like…” She looked away, embarrassed. “...Whenever one of us couldn’t sleep back home, Miss Peo would sing for us. It was nice.”

With a light chuckle, Celestia got the hint. And so, she began singing.

It was certainly an incredible experience– Sunset was being sung to in a language she did not understand, but the Queen’s voice was melodic, calm, yet sad. The song dragged slowly, carefully, and the words made no sense, and yet, they were soothing.

Several minutes passed, and Sunset could feel herself getting drowsy, but she didn’t yet want to sleep, desperate to extend these moments as much as she could. “...What language is that?” She asked curiously.

That curiosity was amusing, and adorable to the queen. “An ancient one. Spoken by none other than me, now… It was the language of the Alicorns.”

“W-wait, alicorns, plural?” Her ears shot up in surprise.

“Indeed, little one.” Celestia couldn’t stop smiling. “A millenia ago, there were more of us…” She shot a glance towards the night, with sorrow. “Princesses, Valkyries, me and… Family.” She muttered faintly, beholding the moon.

“V-valkyries are real??” Sunset gasped.

“They were.” She affirmed mournfully. “The song tells the tale of a Valkyrie, a mighty sun bearer, that sacrificed every fiber of her being to save her world and her love…”

“O-oh. That’s dumb.” Sunset frowned, pouting. “What’s the point of saving the world if you can’t enjoy it? Dumb Valkyrie.” She muttered disapprovingly.

Celestia couldn’t help but giggle at the child’s perspective on the legend. “I suppose it is a tale of loyalty to love, Sunset.” She closed her eyes, chuckling. “...Concepts that are difficult to explain to a child.”

“Psh.” Sunset blew raspberries. “If I saved the world I would beat up every bad guy and I wouldn’t lose anything for it. Then everypony would clap.”

“I’m sure they will.” She spoke warmly, nuzzling the little unicorn.

“...I don’t get the song though… Could you teach me the language?” She tilted her head expectantly.

“M-maybe, maybe someday, little one.” This was the first time she had been asked this, in many centuries. Her heart fluttered, if only for a moment.

“And… Do you think I could be a cool Valkyrie someday too?” She fidgeted pensively.

“Maybe.” She couldn’t help but smile warmly, seeing the ambition on the small unicorn. The mere suggestion of the revival of her old comrades, or even honoring their losses, all those years ago, sent her mind wandering– And deeply considering just how much Sunset would be capable of, when she became of age. “Maybe, indeed.”

“I wanna be big and strong.” Sunset affirmed confidently. “Like you!”

“Well, you cannot be this big and strong without good nights of sleep, little one.” She grinned, tilting her head. “Are you ready?”

“I-I dunno.” She pouted, looking away. “I didn’t get the song at all… Could you tell me a story, maybe?”

Indeed, the song had been in another language entirely, so Celestia began rummaging her own head for a tale to tell, while Sunset continued talking. “Back home Miss Light was really good at telling stories. She even did the voices and everything…. Maybe you could tell me one about the Valkyries…? I wanna know more about them…!”

“Very well, then…” She smiled warmly, with a nod, and began reminiscing. “...This is a story about a young and beautiful pegasus named Faith. It was the dawn of Equestria, and she was a brave flier… Little did she know, she would one day become a beloved hero…”

Raven ran at top speeds– She was rarely ever nervous or in this much of a hurry, but it had been a weird day before, and now, she was in a full gallop.

Merely one night with the little unicorn in their care and things were already going wrong.

She knocked on Celestia’s room frantically, waited, then knocked again.

…This was an emergency that warranted a bit of lack of decorum, certainly.

For once, she barged in, in that same panic.

“Q-queen Celestia!! Sunset is not in her room!!--”

She silenced herself shamefully, eyes widened.

Sunset Shimmer was in fact perfectly safe, embraced by Celestia’s wing, and they were both sleeping soundly.

Author's Note

Celebrating my tenth fanfic by writing ANOTHER one where Sunset makes bad decisions! And more importantly, rewriting my favorite piece of MLP media-- The Forgotten Friendship EQG special.

Ah, it feels good to finally start this project-- Forgive me for being self indulgent, but the first three chapters are all going to be retelling Sunset's childhood, my own adaptation of it. I am doing SO much foreshadowing and setups everywhere it's almost like a game to me, hehe. How many things can characters say or feel that will be twisted later? I love rewarding attentive viewers!!!

If you're familiar with my writing, you know that Shimmer Verse is my biggest passion project, and something like Princess and the Peasant was a project of many original ideas and love-- This? This is BOTH. The best of both worlds. I'm using all of the original-takes I had on MLP on the P&P, and I'm applying them to a project I've wanted to do for a long, long time-- rewriting the Forgotten Friendship.

Worth stating, because you might not be familiar with the other writings: I'm not going to always follow the same rules of the show. The creatures of the shadow and creatures of the moon will work differently, (I'm going to be dubbing them all Umbrum, like the comics) And of course, most importantly of all, I'm going to absolutely be changing the rules of how the Memory Stone works.

We'll get there.

And hey. You can look at the cover of the fic and know exactly where we're headed. Keep that in mind for the future. Bite your nails down to their nubs if you need.

Worth stating, a lot of the side character names I'm using are for old generations, heh. Peony, however, is an original name! Don't worry, I won't shove a lot of ocs into the story, but those caretakers are important for Sunset's growth, so y'know. I definitely will use them on ACT II for something fun and cathartic. (Insert marvel credits thing. PEONY AND LIGHT HEART WILL RETURN)

Will all the chapters be this long...? Oh I'm so fucking sorry but yes they probably WILL be lmao. If not longer. Ouch.

Also I had an idea of Sunny Skies (Celestia's alter ego) Visiting the orphanage as a mailwoman to just check on Sunset and see what kind of foal she is, but I realized the reference would be very esoteric, and the chapter was enormous enough. Plus Celestia wouldn't play favorites until she got to know the baby.

Okay, but I love you for reading this far, for somehow surviving my indulgence all this time, so I'm going to give you some well needed breadcrumbs so you understand just what I'm planning on doing with this fic, with all the chapters and acts, and what I'm planning to do with them! (In case you haven't seen my blog post that explains them!)

Here you go:

ACT I: (1) Sunset Shimmer's childhood before she is adopted.
ACT I: (2) Sunset Shimmer's teen years and high school years, under Celestia's tutelage.
ACT I: (3) Sunset Shimmer's Paladin combat training and it's fallout.

ACT II: (1) All of the events before "Paladin Shimmer goes on a bender".
ACT II: (2) Sunset Shimmer discovers just how much she is worth after that.
ACT II: (3) All of the events directly after "The Princess and the Peasant".

ACT III: (1) The Forgotten Friendship rewrite truly begins. Sunset is called.
ACT III: (2) Things start going predictably horribly horribly wrong.
ACT III: (3) Sunset grasps at straws. It's not enough.

ACT IV: (1) This was inevitable. Sunset is face to face with her mistakes.
ACT IV: (2) Sunset Shimmer gives everything she has.
ACT IV: (3) Sunset Shimmer's journey is over.

Act 1 will be jumping in time very far, while act 2 will be on the spam of maybe two years! Acts 3 and for will be basically in the spam of one day, lmao. The naming convention of the chapters will change as they go along!

Twelve chapters! six based on building the life of Sunset Shimmer, all she lost and all she gained, and six dedicated to the Forgotten Friendship rewrite. Please don't think I'm leading you on or stalling I PROMISE you I'm going somewhere with this, lmao. Stick around.

Special thanks to Reedhoodie for proofreading every damn chapter of this fic as I work on it! Lord knows I need it lol <3