It Is Recommendsday, My Dudes #88 · 8:30pm Nov 23rd, 2022
This one's gonna be a bit quick - we're hosting Thanksgiving this year, so I've got roughly a billion things to clean and neaten and cook before tomorrow. But that just makes it a perfectly good excuse to hit the last one of the pairings I promised: Unique Sunset Shimmer Origins.
The first brings us back to a favorite author of mine: Ninjadeadbeard. The story itself comes out of their Anarchyverse, though I don't believe there's any required reading to get this one. None of the verse-specific stuff in this story really needs deep explanation. (I do suggest it though, the whole set is wonderful and I've got like another three in this blog's staging area.) Today's story in particular? Sunset Glimmer.
Sunset pops through the mirror, intending to have a meeting with Starswirl. They're discussing the last preparation stages to introduce the human world to magic. But her plans are joyously interrupted when she finds out that Starlight Glimmer is that very moment having her and Sunburst's first foal. Detouring to congratulate her friend, Sunset arrives at the hospital. Chaos erupts only minutes later and everypony rushes to Starlight's side. There's a puzzle to be solved, after all. Because Starlight Glimmer just gave birth to a foal with an amber coat, turquoise eyes, and a mane of red and yellow wavy hair. And the question of how Starlight gave birth to Sunset Shimmer when Sunset is an adult standing ten feet away is... well, figuring that out is just the beginning of the problems.
Okay, so that pitch? Damn is it a pitch. It's one hell of an opening. Sunset's origins and parentage pop up a decent bit (with frequent orphan stories) but this one's really unique. Plus even once the mystery is resolved (thanks to a special guest star) there's plenty of drama. Because the consequences are pretty dramatic, and unsurprisingly when you get Sunset and Starlight together? Things get intense.
That intensity is what takes the good opening and carries the story forward. Between Starlight's overwrought (but entirely justified) near-madness, Sunburst attempting to be both the sane rock and figuring out how to be a dad at the same time, Sunset's attempts to reconcile her past memories with all the new information, Celestia's mixture of quiet resignation and melancholy - it's all a potent and intense mix. Another author could take it too far or drag on too long, but Ninja's got the right touch.
I feel like I should point out a favorite moment here, but I can't really pick one. There's too many stellar little spots - I couldn't pick between moments like Starlight and Celestia's motherly talk, or the lullaby, or Trixie's wonderful epilogue scene, or a dozen others. This story's just top notch and an all-time favorite of mine.
Fortunately, there's a good match for it. Normally I shy away from stuff that's already popular, but it's such a good pairing and a must-read that I figure I can get away with it. The story namely being Sunsplit (and the sequels) by Masterweaver.
Shortly after their reconciliation, Sunburst journeys to Ponyville to pay Starlight a visit. While there, he has a conversation with Twilight and the topic of her friend Sunset Shimmer comes up. When Sunburst reacts... oddly to mention of the mare, Twilight does the natural thing and pries far too deeply until the truth comes out. Namely that Sunset is, in fact, an artificial magical construct and a gender-swapped clone of Sunburst. And then they have to start dealing with that.
Seriously, with a pitch like that you gotta see why I picked this one. And it's top notch, must read quality. You don't hit 2000+ likes (with two of the three sequels also being 1000+) by accident, and this story's earned 'em all. It's a hilarious romp through a whole string of insane revelations, wherein Twilight and Sunset have a perfectly normal conversation and Sunburst spends most of it in a wild, neutronic panic that skirts the edge of a heart attack.
The sequels are must reads as well - one goes into the moments after Sunset's creation and her first encounter with Celestia; one picks up after as Sunset meets (and confuses the hell out of) Starlight; and one gets a bit more drama-y as Sunset has a bit of a bad day about literally falling apart into her component aspects.
Really, this is just a general high praise fic - short, to the point, hilarious, wild core concept, doesn't outstay the welcome. A++ stuff.
New or catching up? Try Recommendsday: The Index for your story needs!
More Sunset stories is always good!
I remember liking "Sunsplit" quite a bit; I'll have to give "Sunset Glimmer" a look, too, as it definitely sounds intriguing.
I also heartily recommend "Sunset Glimmer," having reviewed - and loved - it myself.
Oh man, Sunsplit is excellent :D