Sunset Shimmer flipped to the next page, drinking in every bit of information her young mind could gather. Her eyes scanned over sentence after sentence, repeating each spell and each phrase in her mind. It was admittedly a tough one, but if she could pass her upcoming exam, it would certainly give her a boost in her studies. Princess Celestia would take her up to the next level.

Sunset smiled to herself. Her teacher would surely be impressed!

“Um...excuse me?”

Sunset frowned and lifted her head, her eyes flashing. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she saw a pink pony standing next to the picnic table that Sunset was occupying.

Her long violet, rose and gold colored mane was gathered up in a perky ponytail, complete with a bright blue bow. Sunset quirked an eyebrow at both her horn and wings, but said nothing.

The pony’s eyes lit up as she gave a sugar-sweet smile.

Sunset decided she was obnoxious.

“Can I help you?” Sunset said dryly, her gaze focusing back on her book.

“I’m awfully sorry if I’m interrupting,” the young mare said, her voice sounding sincere. “But I couldn’t help but notice--you’re a student of Celestia's, aren't you?"

Sunset glanced up and lifted her chin. "Prized pupil", she corrected.

Her smile widened. “I thought I recognized you! I’m Cadence. I’ve seen you around banquets sometimes when I come visit, but other than that I never really see you that often.”

Sunset pushed a strand of hair from her face. “Yeah, well...I’ve been mostly studying.” She nodded her head towards her book pointedly. Hopefully, the alicorn would take the hint.

“Well that’s good, keeping up with all your studies!” She chuckled. “You know for a while, I kinda thought you were trying to avoid everypony! How silly is that?”

Sunset smiled through her teeth. "Hilarious." A brief pause hung in the air. “Is there something you needed?”

Cadence blinked, shaking her head slightly. “Oh! Uh, yes, actually. I was hoping to ask you a little favor. You see, I’m here foalsitting that little filly over there…” Sunset followed Cadence’s hoof and saw a small purple unicorn with the worst manecut in Canterlot playing with a ball.

“I’ve been watching her for a bit, but I kind of need to use the fillies' room.” She looked almost sheepish. “I don’t want to leave her by herself, while I attend to my...business, but...I figured since you seem responsible--”

“I’m kind of studying right now,” Sunset said warily.

“Oh, it’ll only be a moment! She’s very well behaved. I just want to make sure she’s safe.”

Sunset opened her mouth to give an excuse, but stopped. Eyes locked onto Cadence, the corner of her mouth curved downward.

On second thought...maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing.

If she were to watch the filly out of the goodness of her heart, Cadence would surely bring this up to Princess Celestia.

Sunset grinned inwardly.

Not only would she excel in her exam, but she would also gain the favor of the Princess's niece as well. The more Sunset thought about it, the more she liked the idea. A little favor never hurts. Finally, she turned to Cadence. “Of course,” she replied brightly, flashing her sweetest smile. “I’d be happy to watch the little cutie pie!”

Cadence squealed. “Thank you, thank you so much! Twilight? Twilight, I’ll be right back okay? Stay where this nice mare can see you until I get back!”

“Okay!” the filly replied, her small body spread out on top of the ball.

“My name is Sunset Shimmer, by the way,” she told Cadence.

“Sunset Shimmer,” Cadence repeated, nodding. “Thank you, Sunset. This won’t take long, I promise!” With that, she trotted off to find a restroom.

Sunset watched her go before turning back to her book. “Now, where was I…”

“Hi.”

Sunset looked down and saw the small filly suddenly standing next to the picnic table. She stood on her two hind legs as she propped herself up on the ball. Her big purple eyes blinked at her. “What are you reading?”

Sunset sighed sharply. “A very important book. A book I need to completely memorize by Monday.”

The filly tilted her head slightly. “Are you studying for a test?” She smiled, approaching Sunset in quick, careful steps. “I like tests!”

Sunset scoffed. “What could you possibly have tests on? You’re practically in diapers.”

A frown crossed Twilight’s face as she straightened up. “I’m in the first grade already!” She nodded, puffing her chest out a little. "I'm far from diapers."

“Good for you,” Sunset replied nonchalantly.

Twilight craned her neck, trying to get a better look. “Can I read too?”

Sunset slid the book across the table out of Twilight’s reach and gave her a stern look. “No.”

Twilight's bright smile faltered. “Oh...why not?”

“Because this is a very important book and I don’t want a little kid ruining it. Besides, it wouldn’t interest you. It doesn’t have pictures in it.”

“I don’t mind it,” Twilight said hopefully. When Sunset didn’t answer, Twilight tried again. “What kind of test are you studying for?”

“A very important exam for a very important teacher,” Sunset muttered, flipping over to the next page. “And if I don’t pass it, it could mean bad things for me.”

Twilight chewed her lip. “An F?”

“Worse,” Sunset replied, looking up with a very tiny smirk. “She’s a very kind mare, but she’s still a teacher. And you know what teachers do when students fail?”

Twilight shook her head slowly.

Sunset leaned in, poking Twilight in the chest. “They send you back a grade. And if you keep failing and keep messing up on tests...you’ll be sent all the way back to magic kindergarten.”

Twilight’s mouth hung open and her ball rolled away across the grass, eliciting an inward grin from Sunset.

“Now you don’t want me to be sent to magic kindergarten, do you?”

Twilight quickly shook her head.

“Good. Now why don’t you go play over there?” Sunset pointed at the playground a few feet away, complete with a slide, a sandbox, and a set of swings.

Twilight looked over and bit her lip. “Uhh…”

“Well, go on. What’s the problem?”

Twilight looked down and dragged her hoof across the grass. “Could...could you come with me?” she asked.

Sunset’s book slammed down on the table. I’m never going to get my work done! “Why don’t you just go over there yourself? You just told me how big a pony you were two minutes ago!”

Twilight ducked her head. “I-I tried playing in the sandbox earlier, but then some kids came by and kicked me out when Cadence was busy talking to a mom.”

Sunset’s eyes flicked over to her. “And you just let them?”

“Well there were more of them then there are of me,” Twilight defended. “I know when I’m beat.”

Sunset shot up from her seat, startling the filly. “So? Since when does quantity triumph over quality?”

Twilight stared up at her. “Huh?”

Sunset looked over at the sandbox and saw a filly and a colt playing there. She nodded her head at them. “Those the two snots that kicked you out?”

“Well I wouldn’t call them snots,” Twilight said as she glanced at the two ponies. “But yeah, that’s them.”

With a huff, Sunset bookmarked the page she was on and closed her book. “Fine. I’ll come with you.”

Twilight watched her with wide eyes. “You will?”

Sunset came up beside her. “The sooner I get you out of my mane, the sooner I can get back to studying.”

Twilight’s smile dropped. “Oh.” She looked over at the sandbox again and turned back to Sunset.

“Is...Is it alright if I...hold your hoof?” Sunset looked down at Twilight’s big, pleading eyes, filled with hope and vulnerability. It was the most heartbreaking face Sunset had ever seen.

“No.”

Sunset walked toward the playground with Twilight eventually trotting after her. “Now when you go over there, you’re going to tell them that it’s a free sandbox in a free country. You have a right to be there like everypony else. Got it?”

“But what if they don’t listen?”

As they neared the sandbox, Sunset came to a stop. “Just do what I told you. Now pony up and get in there.”

Twilight sighed. “Okay…” She walked up to the sandbox where the colt and filly were building a sandcastle. She waited for a few moments, apparently wondering what she was going to say. She glanced over her shoulder at Sunset, who raised her eyebrow pointedly.

Taking a deep breath, Twilight turned back to the sandbox and cleared her throat loudly. “Ahem!”

The two children looked up. “Look, Silver Platter,” the filly scoffed. “It’s her again!”

“Didn’t we tell you to beat it?” Silver Platter sneered, kicking a bit of sand at Twilight’s hooves. “It’s our sandbox now! Me and Cashmere claimed it!”

Twilight swallowed. “T-technically this Sandbox is property of Canterlot. The same goes for the swing and the slide...and everything else in the park. We can’t really claim anything.”

“There she goes again, talking to us like we’re stupid or something,” Silver said, rolling his eyes.

Twilight blinked. “Wait, no! That’s not what I--”

“She thinks she’s all that because she’s the teacher’s pet,” Cashmere said, narrowing her eyes. “Must feel great, knowing all the answers when the rest of us don’t. Doesn’t it, Twilight?”

“I--”

“Who ever heard of a kindergartner in the first grade?” Silver sneered, trotting up to Twilight. He poked the side of her head. “You may be smart, but you’re still a baby.”

“She’s not smart,” Cashmere said, smirking at Twilight. “She’s a freak.”

“Okay. That’s it.”

The three ponies snapped their heads to the right and saw Sunset Shimmer stomping over. The two bullies gasped and quickly separated themselves from Twilight, kicking up sand with their hooves. “What are you doing?” Sunset practically shouted, causing all three kids to tremble.

“W-we were just playing, ma’am,” Cashmere said in a sweet and timid voice. “We--”

“Shut up, not you,” Sunset grumbled, staring Twilight down. “What was that? You had them cornering you!”

“B-but I was only doing what you said! I was negotiating--”

“Negotiate?! You don’t negotiate! When somepony takes something from you, you take it right back!”

Sunset turned to the two trembling ponies. “If you want to act like hogs, you might as well look the part!" With that, a burst of bright magic shot out of Sunset’s horn, causing Twilight to shield her eyes. It wasn’t until Sunset laughed when Twilight removed her hoof. She gasped loudly at the sight of two plump piglets scampering around the sandbox.

“Y-you turned them into pigs!?” Twilight cried.

“It was easy,” Sunset said with a smile, casually polishing a hoof against her chest. “Just a few simple easy steps--”

“That’s bad!” Twilight cried out. She hopped up and down and panted heavily. "We could get into trouble! Change them back!”

Sunset looked bemused. “You know, a lot of kids would be ecstatic to see their enemies turned into forbidden food."

“Please!?”

“Ugh, fine. Hey, swines! If you promise to leave this twerp alone, I’ll change you back. Deal?”

The two pigs squealed loudly, their eyes almost bulging out of their heads.

Sunset held a hoof to her ear. “What was that?” she smirked, raising her eyebrows. “Didn’t quite catch that. You’ll have to speak up!”

Twilight let out a loud squeal, making Sunset chuckle. “Alright, hold on…” Her horn glowed, and her tongue stuck out in concentration. With a flash of magic, the two pigs were quickly replaced by two shivering ponies. “Now get out and play on something else!” The two ponies bobbed their heads violently and stuttered out apologies to Twilight as they galloped away.

Twilight opened her mouth to call out to them, but suddenly found herself encased in Sunset’s aura. Now that that’s out of the way, she thought, placing Twilight inside the sandbox. I can finally get back to--

“I think that could’ve been handled better,” Twilight said, her expression flat.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Well, it's been handled, and that’s what matters.” She sighed, glancing around the park. “Now just stay here and play while I go and read my book, alright?”

“I wonder what’s taking Cadence so long,” Twilight said thoughtfully, echoing Sunset’s thoughts. The filly met her eyes. “Do you think she’s going number two?”

“Most likely.” She chuckled and spoke more softly, almost to herself. “That or somepony kidnapped her.”

Upon seeing the expression on Twilight’s face, Sunset quickly backpedaled. “I’m kidding! Just kidding.”

She started to leave when Twilight called out to her. “Wait! S-Stay with me...please?”

Sunset dropped her head and groaned. “What now?” she sighed, turning around. Twilight stood up with a shy smile.

“I-I was thinking...maybe you could stay and play with me until Cadence gets back?” Drawing in a bit of air, Sunset forced herself to keep her cool. If she made the filly cry now, things wouldn’t look too good for her when Cadence returned.

“Fine,” she said, walking up to Twilight. She cast a shadow over the filly with an unnerving grin. “But we’re playing my way.” Twilight gasped as Sunset levitated her in the air once again and brought her over to the swing set.

“Wait, we’re going too fast!” Twilight called out, her hooves flailing in the air.

Sunset said nothing as she forcefully placed Twilight on the swing. “Listen. Your foalsitter put me in charge of you--for how much longer, I don’t know. But as long as I am in charge, you’re going to have fun whether you like it or not! NOW SWING!”

Twilight obeyed, kicking her hind legs and jerking her body back and forth. “I need help!”

Barely suppressing a strong swear word, Sunset lifted a hoof and gave Twilight a push, allowing the filly to swing higher. A smile crossed Twilight’s face as she swung, causing Sunset to relax a little.

“Thanks for helping me with those bullies. Even though I still think it could’ve been done better…”

Her eyes turned downcast as she sighed. “I’ve been bullied a lot in my class...Hopefully I can get into that special school I’ve been studying for. Maybe things will get better there…”

Sunset watched Twilight carefully as she continued to push her on the swing. “Why did you even bother with those two?” She nodded in the direction the bullies had run off to.

Twilight fell silent for a moment, and chewed the inside of her cheek. “Do you promise not to tell anypony?”

Sunset snorted, but decided to humor the filly. “I’ll take it to my grave.”

Twilight glanced around before sagging slightly on the swig. “I really only wanted to make Cadence happy. She keeps wanting me to make some friends, but…” She sighed heavily. “Sometimes I don’t know why I even bother.”

Sunset frowned. “Well,” she sighed, releasing her hoof to let Twilight swing on her own. “Some things are just more important than making friends. If you want to move forward in life, having friends will only ruin your chances of getting what you want.” Twilight’s mane blew in the wind as she sailed into the air.

“It will?”

As Twilight’s swing slowed, Sunset nodded and spoke in a quieter tone. “Friends will only hold you back and distract you from what’s really important.” Twilight stared ahead silently.

“Working hard,” Sunset said, giving Twilight a more gentle push. “Pushing yourself hard enough to be the best...that’s how you thrive in life. Just...wanting it is never enough.”

Twilight looked up and gave a smile.

“There you are!” a cheery voice sang out. The two ponies looked up to see Cadence swooping in from above.

Twilight beamed and hopped off the swing. “Cadence, you’re back!” She lifted her hooves and Cadence met her with a warm hug. The Princess looked over at Sunset and smiled. “Thank you so much for watching her! It kind of took longer than I expect--”

“I get it,” Sunset cut off, trying not to gag. “You really don’t need to explain anything.”

Cadence laughed sheepishly. “Well, it seems like you two like each other. If you want, maybe you could come over some time and--”

“No thanks,” Sunset said flipping her mane. “I have more important things to take care of. And I really need to get back to work.”

For the first time, Cadence seemed to falter. “Oh. Yes, of course. I understand. I’m sorry if I kept you.”

Sunset glanced at Twilight and shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. She was an angel. It was a pleasure.” She smiled almost too widely. “Really.”

Cadence brightened up before her eyes. “I’m glad to hear that! And I’m sure Celestia will be too.”

That was exactly what Sunset wanted to hear. With a nod, she trotted off to go fetch her book. Perhaps it was time to take her studies inside the castle from now on.

Cadence watched her trot across the park and sighed. “That’s too bad.” She glanced down at Twilight. “I was hoping she would be your new friend.”

Twilight smiled. “That’s okay, Cadence.” She stared after Sunset’s retreating form before looking up at her foalsitter.

"Some things are just more important."

Author's Notes:

I kind of like this headcannon....hey, if Sunset was a student in Canterlot, they had to cross paths some time!

Nothing much to say, really

Thank you for reading.