My Life Sucks

Sunset stormed down the hall angrily and rolled her eyes as the maids and other castle staff hastily cleared a path for the angry looking teen, her horn occasionally sparking.

“Can you believe the nerve of ponies?” Sunset demanded and she whirled around to stare up at Thunder. “I mean, I intervene, stop that colt from being bullied in the hallway and you know what he does after? He runs away! Not even a freaking thank you! Freaking ridiculous and ungrateful. That’s what I get for being nice to ponies.”

“Yeah, it was a bit rude,” Thunder admitted and Comet was inclined to agree as they reached Sunset’s bedroom door. “That was three hours ago though. I’m surprised you’re not calm yet. You were in my wife’s class.”

“Because Gloriosa Daisy has those calming rocks in the corner of her room!” Sunset answered and flicked her tail angrily. She should really consider spending her allowance on some for herself one day. “I’m going to be in my room. I wish to be left alone for the next few hours.”

“As you wish.”

Sunset slammed her door shut behind her and jumped face first into her bed, screaming into her pillow. Her two guards stood outside her room, listening for a few seconds and they both winced as Sunset gave a muffled scream again.

“Sheesh,” Comet shook her head, her mane sticking out under her gold helmet. “She’s mad.”

“No kidding. I’ll go get the strawberry donuts while you get Philomena.”

The two, along with everypony in the castle knew that strawberry donuts or anything strawberry for that matter was the quickest way to calm Sunset down. That, and having her pet bird Philomena with her.

Thunder personally had a feeling the castle had a special arrangement with Donut Joe’s specifically for times like this. He always seemed to have extra strawberry donuts in the back when he or any other guard showed up. Most of the time he had to take one look at the expression on the guards face and he immediately knew what they wanted.

The two faintly made out the sound of a guitar being played as they each went separate ways. Comet stifled a yawn as she continued her trot down the hall to some large winding stairs.

“We really need to invest in elevators around here,” Comet grumbled as she started walking up the stairs to where Philomena was kept. The bird had used to sleep outside by her own choice till some foal tried to take her home. Sunset had been pretty insistent on Philomena living indoors with them at that point. “I should really bring the elevator situation up with Princess Celestia. I mean, they got them in the Crystal Empire. Why not here?”

At least she was getting her steps in, she mused and Comet used her wing to hold onto the railing lining the stairs. She had to keep her body fit and streamlined somehow. At least the royal guard job had a lot of walking and flying while carrying a lot of weight on her body.

“Come here birdy,” Comet sang out as she opened the door with a phoenix carved into it, flicking the light switch on with a wing tip. “Sheesh, all this for a bird? Swear she has better furniture than even me.”

Philomena was resting a couch, her beak stuck in a bag of food as Comet approached warily.

“Come on, your owner wants you,” Comet opened her saddlebags with a hoof. “In ya go.”

Philomena raised her head and the two stared each other two as Philomena cawed and flew at her, Comet ducking with a yelp.

“Are we seriously doing this again?” Comet groaned and sidestepped to avoid Philomena flying at her. “We don’t have time for your playful games. Don’t you wanna make Sunset better? I’ll even let you ride on my back.”

Philomena slid to a stop in midair and dropped down onto the guards back. Comet gave a tired sigh. The last time she had tried to catch the bird had lasted three hours and a trip to the infirmary for her.

Which she was thankful she didn’t have to deal with this time. Last time, she had swore she was gonna strangle the life out of that damn bird if it was like last time. But she and Philomena came to an agreement or well, as best as one pegasus and a bird could. The phoenix was just very playful and liked to prank ponies, especially Comet.

“You’re adorable,” Comet scratched Philomena’s beak with a hoof and the bird cawed. “I have no idea what you said, but since you’re not scratching my eyes put is a pretty damn good sign you like it.”

Sunset and Princess Celestia were honestly the only two ponies Comet knew who could understand and speak with the bird. She’d be lying if she said it wasn’t impressive. The first time she even saw Sunset talk to the bird left her in awe for the rest of the day. The fact that Sunset was one of the strongest unicorns Comet had ever seen was an entirely different matter. Though it was to expected that the daughter of the Princess who raises the sun and moon would be insanely powerful. Comet, Thunder, Cobalt and Celestia all four personally believed Sunset wasn’t even at her full strength yet which was terrifying to think.

Comet herself had seen Sunset accidentally level a hill on the outskirts of Canterlot. She didn’t really want to think what a full strength Sunset was capable of. She and a few other ponies did occasionally refer to Sunset as a WMD.

Her horse shoes echoed down the stairs as she trotted down the stone, her wings occasionally fluttering as Philomena sat on her back, preening her own bright red and orange wings.

“I see you got the bird,” Thunder commented as he shifted his weight to keep the box on his back steady. “No concussions this time I see.”

“Bite me.”

“Excellent, you’re here,” Sunset opened her door and brushed her mane. “I’m heading to the park after I get Philomena- never mind, you already got her. I presume you two are tagging along?”

“That is in our job description,” Thunder answered and tapped a hoof against his chin. “I suppose I could bring my kid and Gloriosa along.”

It had been a while since the three had been able to spend time outside the house as a family.

“I suppose my husband and kid could come too,” Comet mused and stretched out a hind leg. “I’m down.”

Sunset rested on her stomach, using a large oak tree for shade as she and Philomena sat reading a book on tricks to teach your pet.

Her two guards and their respective partners sat on a nearby bench, both grateful to be out of their armor as Thunder watched his colt, Blue Ivy tossing a soccer ball to Comets filly, Angel Wings.

“So that’s why Sunset was angry,” Gloriosa mused as she nuzzled Thunder. “You need to shave.”

“Yeah, but we got it sorted out. And I know. Been busy,” Thunder wrapped a wing around the mare. “You all know as well as I do that Sunset hates when ponies seem to be afraid of her. You’ve all been a part of her life as long as I have.”

“Fair enough.”

Sunset used her magic to toss some bird seed up in the air, watching for a brief second as Philomena caught most of it mid air and she clapped before turning back to her book.

“Alright Philomena. We’re gonna aim for a triple barrel roll followed by a loop. If you can’t do it, that’s cool. But if you can, I’ll buy you that lamp you were eying last week at the pet store, deal?” Sunset held out a hoof and Philomena cawed, bumping it with her talons curled. “Alright. Gain enough altitude the book says-”

Philomena shot upwards into the sky before Sunset could finish her sentence and the unicorn stared up at the dot in the sky.

“-Or just go for it without allowing me to finish speaking. That’s cool, that’s cool,” Sunset grumbled and stretched out on her stomach, her tail occasionally flicking back and forth. I need to brush my tail when I get back, Sunset thought to herself.

Sunset focused on Philomena starting her first roll, missing the pony trotting behind her quietly.

“I had a feeling you’d be here,” Celestia commented casually and Sunset jumped. “This is your favorite tree to sit under, after all.”

Sunset rested a hoof against her chest, her heart beating quick enough to make Sunset wonder if this is what a heart attack felt like.

“Yeah, it’s a beautiful day out and I wanted to get out of the castle for a bit. Aren’t you supposed to be in Day Court right about now, anyway?”

“Got out early. Being the princess of Equestria does have it’s benefits, after all,” Celestia winked and Sunset hummed as the two looked back at Philomena. “A triple barrel roll followed by a loop. Are you sure this is a good idea, Sunset?”

“Hey, Philomena picked it out herself, believe it or not. And besides, I cast a spell on her to protect her from any broken bones. If she gets hurt, it’s her own fault and I’ll be saying I told you so. After I take her to the veterinarians office to make sure she’s okay.”

Philomena started rolling and Sunset grinned as she watched, pumping a hoof enthusiastically in the air.

“Yes!” Sunset shouted and jumped up onto her hooves as the other ponies she came with glancing over with raised eyebrows.

“That’s the happiest I’ve seen Sunset like, all week,” Angel Wings mused as the pegasus hovered next to Blue Ivy, the dark blue earth pony bouncing the soccer ball up and down.

“Got that right,” Blue Ivy agreed as he stared at Sunset jumping enthusiastically as Philomena landed proudly on the amber unicorns extended foreleg.

“Oh my god,” Angel Wings covered her mouth with her forehooves. “You’re staring at Sunset.”

“So are you featherbrain,” Blue Ivy retorted and Angel Wings paused.

“Yeah, touche, that was stupid of me.”

Blue Ivy rolled his eyes and cracked his neck, tossing the ball back to his friend and she caught it with her wing.

“You are so getting two of those weird lamps you like,” Sunset rubbed her cheek against Philomena’s. Celestia sat down and watched as Sunset galloped off after Philomena.

“Bit for you thoughts?” Gloriosa asked as she wandered over to the Princess.

Celestia flicked her eyes over to the teacher and sighed, scuffing a hoof against the soil as she looked around at the park full of ponies laughing. Internally, she was wishing Luna was here to watch Sunset grow alongside her but it was far too soon to bring up the fact Sunset had an aunt she didn’t yet know of.

Celestia forced a smile on her face as she turned back to the waiting earth pony.

“Everything is fine Gloriosa, thank you.”