Sunset turned from the family portrait in her hooves. “Surely the two of you played together as foals?”
“Aye. But she quickly moved on to learning her princessly duties, and I to a life of scholarship under Star Swirl. Powerful as he is, he is no royal, and neither am I.”
“I get that,” said Sunset. “But Platinum respects you. Deep… deep… deep down inside. I’m sure of it.”
Clover slammed her almanac shut. “Vex me no further,” she said, her voice iron-like. “If it’s ‘friendship’ you’re asking me to pursue with her, then I may be her advisor, but she has no obligation to respect my counsel, much less myself. It is not my place to ask for her indulgence, and trying to change that would only waste my time.
“Some things, siren, never change.”
Sunset tried not to buckle as a chill lanced through her gut. Clover was wrong. For the sake of all ponykind, she had to be wrong.
But… after all this time, after doing what she could to make amends with the students of Canterlot High School, and seeing nothing but their backs turned to her… what if Clover wasn’t wrong about her?