The information shock she'd received along the way had already given Sunset Shimmer some mental preparation, but when she saw this newspaper where nothing but the photo was real, her heart still couldn't stop wavering.
Even if the truthfulness of the report was questionable, it still conveyed an accurate message.
That was, Aurora's excellence had been recognized by most ponies, including Princess Celestia.
Even Sunset Shimmer recognized in her heart that if Shimmering were to be a successor, she was completely qualified.
The newspaper simply placed a fact she had been trying to ignore in front of her in an extreme way.
Aurora's personality and magical talent were so similar to Celestia's. In the eyes of other ponies, her existence seemed as if she had been born into this world just to take over the throne.
But if that were the case, what did her own years of hard work count for?
After obtaining her sun cutie mark, she had studied magic desperately every day, just so that one day she could stand proudly by Celestia's side.
But why was there a pony who was born standing in the place closest to the Princess?
Asking herself, was Sunset Shimmer jealous of Aurora?
To be honest, she couldn't bring herself to be jealous.
Aurora's whimsical ideas seemed to come from another world; it was a talent that could not be replicated. Sometimes, her and Twilight's painstaking deliberation wasn't as good as Shimmering's sudden flash of inspiration.
And that mysterious clarity. Although they were ponies of the same age—Shimmering was even a year or two younger than her—she often displayed an unfathomable insight, as if she were looking down at everything happening around her from a God's-eye view.
This ability to detach herself and see further than any other pony allowed her to frequently offer guidance even to her senior sister.
Rather than jealousy, Sunset Shimmer felt more of a sense of unwillingness.
What if there was one thing, even just one thing, that only she could do, and Shimmering hadn't done yet?
Thinking of this, Sunset Shimmer's mind raced, and then she seemed to think of something, her heart mockingly wondering...
Shimmering is so smart; could she have already guessed what I'm thinking right now?
"..."
Aurora calmly watched Sunset Shimmer's every move, but her mood wasn't as relaxed as it appeared on the surface.
Aurora had worked very hard to do everything she could think of to say, persuade, and do, but some things that were destined to happen still didn't seem to change.
Is this the legendary convergence of world lines?
'That mirror...' ×2
If possible, Aurora really didn't want to have this kind of unspoken understanding with her Eldest Senior Sister on such a matter.
"I'm a little worried about Spike. If I can't go back to the castle, how am I going to pick him up?"
Twilight Sparkle didn't notice the undercurrents beneath the seemingly relaxed atmosphere. As a "little guardian," her heart was with her little brother Spike, who wasn't by her side.
Just then, a somewhat hurried knock came from the door, startling all three of them at once.
"Don't panic! I'll go check."
After calming the two startled ponies, Aurora tiptoed to the door. Seeing the visitor through the peephole—a Pegasus Guard—she finally opened the door.
The Royal Guard said nothing; he simply handed the Spike he was carrying to Aurora, gave a salute, and then flew away.
Clearly, The Grand Princess had asked the guard to help deliver Spike. It seemed she knew of their difficulties and was currently unable to get away herself.
Thinking of the army of paparazzi she had diverted to Canterlot Castle with her scheme, Aurora's conscience gave her a small prick of self-reproach.
Aurora carried Spike back into the room. As soon as Twilight Sparkle and Spike saw each other, they immediately beamed with joy. Such a young age, yet she already had such a motherly vibe.
Even though they had only been apart for a day, the two little ones missed each other dearly. Watching their friendly interaction, both Aurora and Sunset Shimmer couldn't help but temporarily forget the unpleasantness.
However, this good situation didn't last long. Spike, in Twilight Sparkle's arms, suddenly let out a burp, which immediately triggered the PTSD of the ponies present.
Twilight Sparkle quickly turned him around, Sunset Shimmer instinctively blocked the bookshelf, and Aurora charged up her fire-extinguishing magic.
"Burp~!"
A burst of green flame erupted from Spike's mouth, but after the fire burned out, a letter fell.
'Oh! I know this one!'
To think that after spending a day with The Grand Princess, Spike had learned a new skill.
Aurora picked up the letter and unfolded it. Sure enough, it was a letter from The Grand Princess. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle also hurried over to read it together.
'My dear students:
I hope this sudden storm of public opinion has not affected your relationship.
I must emphasize that all three of you are my most beloved top students. Each of you has irreplaceable strengths that cannot be easily quantified by the labels the outside world puts on you.
Leave the rest to the adults to handle. I imagine you, having just finished your trip, must want to have a good rest.
May friendship last forever.
Your forever loving teacher, Celestia.'
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