The door to Sunset Shimmer's room was pushed open a crack, and she poked her head out, peering around rather secretively. Seeing that there were no other ponies in the castle corridor, and that it was even time for the guards to change shifts, it was the perfect time when the castle's defenses were at their lowest.
Confirming that no other ponies were watching, Sunset Shimmer pushed the door open with relief. Behind her floated a rather tall and heavy box; it was fortunate she was able to lift it with magic.
She had to get this thing into The House of Academic Studies before the others arrived, and then finish the final assembly; it would be too late if she waited until they were all there.
"Sunset Shimmer?" A pony suddenly called her name from the darkness, startling her so much that she almost lost her grip on the object.
"You're up so early today; I haven't even raised the sun yet. Where are you going?" The pony in the darkness walked closer; it was Princess Celestia, who had gotten up early to raise the sun.
"Oh, it's you, Princess... Should I say good morning now?"
"Or, you could say 'Happy Hearths Warming Eve.' Happy Hearths Warming Eve, Sunset Shimmer."
"Same to you, Happy Hearths Warming Eve, Princess."
Celestia glanced at the huge box floating behind Sunset Shimmer. Remembering that today was Hearths Warming Eve, the eve before the festival, it seemed that the contents of the box were for the holiday, and for her two other friends as well.
"I'm sorry, Sunset Shimmer. I probably won't be able to spend Hearths Warming Eve with you this year; I have to go to Manehattan for a meeting and need to leave Canterlot for a few days," Celestia said, looking guilty.
Beyond being Sunset Shimmer's teacher, she was also her guardian, but in the years they had lived together, Celestia hadn't given Sunset Shimmer much of the warmth belonging to a family, which often made her feel self-reproach.
For the first two or three years, Sunset Shimmer would show a look of regret and sadness, but later she gradually got used to the days when Celestia wasn't around, and stopped asking about it.
"Um, well... Actually, for Hearths Warming Eve this year, Flying Light invited me to spend it at her place... I agreed, so I probably won't be staying in the castle for Hearths Warming Eve."
Thinking about how she hadn't told The Grand Princess about staying at Flying Light's place, Sunset Shimmer spoke up somewhat awkwardly. After all, The Grand Princess was her guardian, and she needed her permission to stay away from home.
"It seems I forgot to tell you. Would you agree to let me stay out overnight?"
"Of course I agree!" Sunset Shimmer's words made Celestia's eyes light up.
Although the matter was indeed communicated a bit late, it was also related to Celestia being too busy to listen, so Sunset Shimmer couldn't be entirely blamed.
Thinking about it carefully, this was indeed something Aurora would do, and the fact that Sunset Shimmer accepted this invitation was clearly a good sign.
Moreover, Celestia felt very reassured leaving Sunset Shimmer with Flying Light.
"That is truly good news! You must have fun at Flying Light's place, you know?" Celestia hugged Sunset Shimmer, then walked briskly to the terrace to raise the sun. She couldn't wait to let this new day begin.
After obtaining Celestia's permission and blessing, Sunset Shimmer felt more confident. Bathed in the dawn, she headed to the cottage for the three of them and opened the door with the key.
The cottage had already been cleaned until it was spotless. Today, they had agreed to gather here one last time before going home for the New Year, and to decorate the cottage together to have a festive atmosphere.
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