You stormed out of the throne room, fury radiating off you in waves as your hooves struck the polished marble floor with a deafening rhythm. The air around you seemed to crackle with the force of your anger. Princess Celestia’s decree still echoed in your mind: you were to collaborate with Dusk Shine, of all ponies, to unravel a complex magical dilemma. Your rival, your nemesis, the pony who embodied everything you despised. His smug grin and insufferable superiority danced mockingly in your thoughts. Days—days—of working with him loomed ahead like a curse.

The long, ornate corridors of the palace blurred past as your focus narrowed to one singular purpose: confronting him. Without hesitation, you shoved open the door to his study, the sound reverberating like a thunderclap. You didn’t even notice how close you came to colliding with him until he stopped dead in his tracks, clearly just as intent on finding you.

Dusk Shine’s amethyst eyes narrowed sharply the moment they met yours, his snout curling into a disdainful sneer. He was holding a stack of documents, no doubt ready to dump his share of the workload on you and wash his hooves of it.

His voice was icy, his tone clipped as he let out a frustrated huff. “I am not looking forward to this partnership.”