The day had arrived and she was trying to fly - once again - in her new wings. She widened her turquoise eyes, uncontrollably wobbly in her line of flight. All she was trying to do was fly in a straight line, and she couldn't even do that! She blushed, embarrassed, as she descended clumsily towards the ground for what seemed like the millionth time.
Flippity-flop, she had to stop!
It was the following morning, and Twilight Sparkle was giving her friend a flying lesson like she'd promised, outside the Friendship Castle. But they weren't alone. Twilight had brought all her friends, the pony counterparts of Sunset's friends that she'd left behind in the human world. The six of them cringed as Sunset, now lying awkwardly on the ground, pulled a sharp stick out from her feathers.
"Why is flying so difficult for me?" She complained, resisting the urge to start crying in front of all these ponies. "I thought that when you obtained alicorn wings, you automatically received the gift of flight too. I bet it wasn't this hard for Cadence, or Celestia, or Luna, or even you, Twilight, for that matter."
Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash looked at each other for one silent moment, and then burst out laughing in unison. "I'm sorry, Sunset . . ." Twilight apologized, still giggling, "it's just that if you're saying that I just got up, and suddenly knew how to master flight, then, you're very much mistaken! I fell down as much as you are now, probably even more. Flight isn't something that you're born with. Like everything else, it's something that you have to take your time to learn."
"Yes, Twilight, dear, you were quite awful," agreed Rarity Belle.
"That's the truth!" Applejack neighed, with total honesty and the same accent that her human counterpart had.
"You're learning way faster than I did," Twilight said with a smile, "So keep practising!"
All of Sunset's friends cheered her on as she attempted to fly again, this time with confidence. They watched her and continued to encourage her. Rainbow flew alongside Sunset, coaching her along the way.
~Two hours later~
"Finally . . . mastered . . . basics . . . of . . . flying." Sunset gasped, exhausted and out of breath. Her wings were aching terribly from all the clumsy flying that she'd done. More than just the tips of her feathers had turned bright red. She shot a reluctant look at them and winced.
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"That's enough for today," announced Rainbow Dash. "You did well . . . for a rookie. Let's take a break and eat lunch. We can practise some more later."
Sunset didn't want to practise at all anymore, but didn't argue. She and her friends headed to the local sandwich shop, led by Twilight. Along the way, random ponies were whispering to each other and pointing their hooves at them, stopping just to get a glimpse of yet another princess. Starlight Glimmer was right! These ponies were crazy for celebrities. Sunset was angry at herself for forgetting to bring something to hide her wings with. Now inhabitants of Ponyville knew who she was before the coronation. It wouldn't be long before all of Equestria knew too.
Sunset Shimmer, along with Twilight Sparkle, hid their faces with their wings.
"That's one thing that I'll never get used too," confessed Twilight, "all the admirers and fans. There's so many ponies here who suddenly like me just because I'm a princess now. All the ponies that I once knew treat me differently now that they know of my royalty." They reached the restaurant.
"Finally," Sunset sighed, "I'm starving and tired of being stared at."
They all sat down at a table, isolated, away from the other customers, hoping that nopony else would recognize them. They ordered their food and once it arrived, they ate in peace. When the time came to leave, they all went their separate ways. Twilight and Sunset magically teleported themselves to the Friendship Castle to avoid the attention. Rainbow Dash flew back to her cloud-house. Fluttershy trotted back to her cottage near the EverFree Forest. Rarity Belle walked back to her boutique in the opposite direction. Pinkie Pie skipped all the way to the café where she lived, Sugar Cube Corner. AppleJack galloped back to her farm home, Sweet Apple Acres.
Once back in her bedroom, Sunset sighed again. She was extremely tired, so she just decided to go to sleep. There were plenty more important 'princess' things to do the next day.
