Princess Celestia was only a little surprised to see light flickering between the door and its frame and silently smiled. If she aligned her ears just right, she could hear tiny hoofbeats scurrying about on the other side, the faint twinkling sound of magic, and the occasional turn of the page. The princess tapped a hoof on the door. A soft gasp followed by the thud of a book and a faint “Ow!” was the answer. Celestia chuckled.
The hoofbeats approached the door, which swung open a moment later. A bag-eyed lavender filly stared up at her, horn enveloped in a pink-purple aura. The room behind her was strewn with books taken from the bookshelf that now sat half-empty against one wall. A candle burned on a desk littered with notes. The only tidy spot in the room was the bed, which looked untouched.
“Good morning, Twilight Sparkle,” the princess said. “I see you’re up early.”
“P-Princess!” The filly’s voice squeaked as she bolted back into the room. Books levitated off the floor and began stuffing themselves back onto the bookshelf. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to make so much noise!”
“It’s all right, Twilight,” Celestia said with a laugh, lending her own magic to tidy the room. “It looks like you’ve been busy. Any particular topic?”
“Um,” Twilight stammered, “well, I, uh, started with A Condensed History of Magic, volume one—I’ve always wanted to read it— and there was a lot of stuff about Starswirl the Bearded, so I started looking for more information about him, and…” Her voice trailed off into a yawn.
Celestia tucked the last of the books onto the shelf and crossed the room to the desk. Twilight’s notes were a bit erratic, but Celestia could make out a rough timeline and what appeared to be notes for a teleportation spell. “I appreciate your enthusiasm for knowledge, but might I suggest getting some rest tomorrow night? A sleepy student has a hard time learning.”
Twilight’s cheeks turned red. “Y-Yes, your majesty.”
Celestia nodded. “Seeing as this is your first day here, I’ll let you sleep in a little today. However, I expect you to manage your time more wisely in the future.”
“Y-Yes, your majesty,” Twilight replied.
Celestia smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.” She straightened her student’s notes and looked around. Everything looked as it had the day before when Twilight first arrived. “Now, Twilight, you wrote on your application that you were inspired by my raising of the sun. Is that correct?”
The filly nodded.
“Then come with me,” Celestia said. “I have something to show you.”
The princess and her student walked through the dark halls, guided by the light that shone from Celestia’s horn. Other students lay sleeping behind closed doors. Soon they would awake to the light of the sun on their eyelids and begin their daily studies.
Celestia said not a word as she led the way to the dormitory’s doors, where a group of gold-clad royal guards awaited them. The stars twinkled against the black sky above them, and the moonlight illuminated the school grounds with pale light.
“To the courtyard,” Celestia said, and the group proceeded across the grounds toward the entryway. “Twilight,” Celestia said. The filly looked up at her. “What do you know about raising the sun?”
The filly frowned. “I know it’s raised by magic,” she said. “Since the days of the royal pony sisters, princesses have been raising it with their magic.”
Unseen unicorns opened the school’s gates, and the group passed through. “What else?” Celestia asked.
“Um…” Twilight closed her eyes in concentration and nearly tripped over her own hooves. “Um, well, you raise the sun and moon now.”
“How do you know?”
Twilight blinked. “Everypony knows that. I’ve read about it in all the history books, and I saw it at the Summer Sun Celebration.”
Celestia nodded. Ahead, another set of doors opened themselves. The guards took positions outside the doors while Celestia and her student entered. “Let this be the beginning of your first lesson, Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight gasped as her eyes widened. The edge of the courtyard was covered with a short awning supported by wooden posts bearing flickering torches. The firelight illuminated a large stone circle in the center decorated with alternating images of the moon and sun. Around the edge of the circle stood ten unicorns. Five were dressed in gold and orange, much like the royal guards. The other five wore dark blue and silver. Another unicorn wearing elaborate gold and silver robes stood at the center, her horn wrapped in a shimmering silver aura, her head pointed skyward.
“W-What’s this?” Twilight asked, her voice cracking a little.
“It’s all right,” Celestia replied. “They’re just getting ready to raise the sun.”
“What?”
Before the filly could say any more, the unicorn in the center lowered her head as the aura around her horn faded and walked to where Celestia stood. “Your majesty,” she said with a deep bow. “A few more minutes, and we will be ready.”
“Thank you, captain,” Celestia said with a nod. The unicorn mare returned to the center of the circle. Celestia turned her attention to her student, who was busy frowning at the unicorns with a furrowed brow. “You seem confused, Twilight.”
“I—but—you—” Twilight looked up at her teacher. “I thought you raised the sun and moon.”
“I do,” Celestia replied. “But whoever said I do it alone?”
Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but a yawn cut her off. “I assume you’re familiar with the Hearth’s Warming Pageant,” Celestia said. Twilight nodded. “You’ll remember that before the reign of the royal pony sisters, it was the unicorn that raised the sun and moon every day. It was a task entrusted to the best and brightest, and it’s a task that has been passed down from generation to generation, even after the royal pony sisters ascended to the throne.”
Celestia’s words didn’t seem to clear Twilight’s confusion. “But… but you can do it by yourself, right?” she asked.
Celestia chuckled. “Oh, I suppose I could if I tried,” she said, “but raising the sun isn’t an easy task, even for me. Do you think Equestria was settled by only six ponies, as the pageant portrays?” Twilight thought for a moment and shook her head. “It’s true when ponies speak of raising the sun and moon, they only speak my name, but that does not mean there aren’t others at my side.”
Twilight’s gaze returned to the circle. All the unicorns’ horns were glowing now, casting multicolored light around the courtyard. Celestia could tell her student wasn’t really watching them. “Is something the matter, Twilight?”
Twilight took a deep breath. “It’s just—well, I’ve always thought you did it by yourself. I mean, you’re…”
“I’m what?” Celestia asked as her student’s voice trailed off.
“You’re—” Color rose to Twilight’s cheeks. “Well, you’re the most power pony in all of Equestria.”
“My dear Twilight, there are more kinds of power than magic in this world, and many of them are far more potent,” Celestia said. “Take these unicorns, for example.” She gestured toward the ponies lining the circle. “They were once like you were yesterday, applicants to my school for gifted unicorns. When it became clear that they were among the best and most talented, I offered them an opportunity few ponies even dream of—the opportunity to raise the sun and moon. Can you look at them and tell me what you see?”
Twilight stifled another yawn and looked. Each of the unicorns wore a solemn expression, each bearing their responsibility with the upmost dignity and respect. “They look proud, I guess,” Twilight said.
“They are proud, Twilight,” Celestia said. “These unicorns have pushed themselves beyond what they thought they were capable of and, together, achieve something incredible every day. I could have done this alone, Twilight, but doing something alone does not make one great. It takes a far better pony to let others share in that greatness and, in doing so, help them to be the best they can be.”
The pony in the center stepped outside the circle once again. “Your Majesty, it is time.”
Celestia nodded. “Wait here, Twilight.” The princess stepped into the center of the circle, immersing herself in the power that flowed around her. She focused her attention first on the moon overhead and then on the sun waiting to rise. When everything was ready, she channeled the magic of the ten ponies around her into the dual spell she had prepared to cast. The moon began to slide toward the horizon while the opposite skyline began to glow brighter. In a matter of moments, the moon had gone, and the sun had taken its place.
Celestia let the spells ebb away as the magic around her dissipated. “Well done, everypony,” she said. The ponies around her bowed and walked away. Soon, she was left alone with Twilight, who looked even more tired in the light of day. Celestia smiled. “Are you ready, Twilight?”
The filly nodded. Celestia left the circle and joined her pupil at the door. As they returned to the school, a part of Celestia wondered if Twilight had truly understood. Unfortunately, even she was not wise enough to tell. That privilege belonged to time and time alone.
