//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5: I've Missed You 
// Story: Cooling Embers 
// by Incandesca 
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The fork, gilded and jewel encrusted, came to Sunset's lipz. She parted her mouth, and accepted the fine scramble, savoring its taste.

She wasn't sure how she didn't see the fanciness of the silverware earlier. Last night though, she'd been starving. You didn't notice those sorts of things in that state.

She would know. To her, hunger was not an unfamiliar feeling.

It struck her, as she took another bite, that she used to eat like this every day. That was when Celestia had been her teacher, and she her unruly student.

It felt like a lifetime ago. In reality, it had been six years. But at nineteen years of age, pushing twenty, six years made up a third of her lifespan.

She took another bite. The eggs almost dissolved on her tongue. Crisp and crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside - plus the addition of hot sauce for herself - she'd struggle to find a dish of comparative skill in all of Canterlot City's finest restaurants.

Rarity could probably show her one, but Sunset needed to have at least some money left over for rent.

Ha. Rent.

Funny to think she had rent now, considering where she'd started on Earth. Those first few days she spent in a run down, abandoned building in what used to be Canterlot City's industrial district. Other vagrants warned her the building was condemned, and planned to be demolished before long.

That never happened. To this day it stood, a crumbling facade of blank concrete, used needles, and spray paint grafitti. Or, as she called it for about a year: home.

Then Flash took her in.

The relationship was never truly genuine. Her appreciation for his generosity was. Though, Sunset was fairly certain few boyfriends would have let their girlfriends live in such conditions.

She lied a lot back then. As far as he was concerned, she was a troubled teen who'd been kicked out by her parents for being bi. He and his folks swallowed that untruth right up, and suddenly she had an actual bed to sleep on at night, and a reliable source of food to fill her thinning belly.

That gave her the opportunity to find a real job. She still made money on the side selling some... less than legal substances, but she took the safer, more stable source of income gladly. Less chance of getting shot, whether by a fellow criminal or the police.

By sixteen, she'd won the Fall Formal three years in a row. Good thing too, because that same year she broke up with Flash.

The year Twilight Sparkle came to school.

But y'know, she'd never complained about being in that shitty old building. Every night she fell asleep on cold, hard concrete she told herself, whispering to the darkness and the visible stars outside:

"It's just a stepping stone. You'll go back one day, and show her how wrong she was."

In a way, she'd been right. Just not in the way she would have expected, or wanted.

Good, she thought. What old Sunset wanted, present Sunset abhorred.

Thirsty, she set down her fork. She grabbed the tall glass of orange juice in her magic and tipped it down her throat.

It was cool, refreshing - exactly what she needed.

Across the table sat Starlight, eating her own breakfast. The prongs of her fork tinked against the china, scraping together the scumbles that tried to escape.

Neither had said one word to one another, except for 'Good morning' and 'We should get breakfast'.

Sunset chastised herself for last night's behavior. It was stupid. Sure, maybe Starlight could learn to take a hint, but that didn't excuse the outburst.

Even now, after everything she'd been through, Sunset had anger issues. They weren't nearly as bad or frequent as they used to be, but she had them.

Sunset would have given anything for Celestia to be here right now. She couldn't stand the silence. She never could. Back in her fillyhood days, if there was quiet space she'd fill it with her thoughts, or her words if circumstances allowed.

She set down her glass, took a breath.

"Hey, Starlight?"

"Mh?" Starlight, wearing only her beanie, looked up. "Yeah?"

"You don't have to stay here if you don't want to."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean." She sighed. "After last night. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to spend your time with somepony else."

Starlight frowned, stilling her fork. "I already told you I understood what you're going through. I pushed too far, and you got a bit angry. That's all. Happens to everypony." Her fork moved again, and she shoved a mouthful of eggs into her maw. "Beshides. I'm more convinshed than ever I should shtick around."

Sunset cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean." She swallowed, then pointed the fork at herself. ""Is that I did something a lot like what you're doing right now. I wronged a whole lot of ponies myself - a whole Sun-damned town. Then, one day, a while after I met Twilight, I got sent a letter."

Starlight grabbed her glass - filled with cranberry, rather than orange juice - and chugged. "I freaked the Tartarus out. Seriously, like. I've got a really bad anxiety problem. There are times that I get overwhelmed and just kinda... shut down, you know?"

Sunset laughed, interrupting Starlight as she wiped false tears from her eye. Sorry, sorry, It's just- You, me. Two formerly villainous ponies who redeemed themselves and now carry tons of mental baggage, on top of the various prior unexamined traumas we carried before that. It's a funny coincidence, you have to admit."

Starlight grinned. "Tell me about it, sister. We just need this world's Trixie and we can make a club. We'll call it-" She spread out her hooves. "'The Haven for Redeemed and Mentally Ill Unicorns'. Eh, eh? Whaddyou think?"

Sunset sported a lop-sided smirk, wavering her fork in the air. "Decent starter, but I think it could use some work. Replace 'haven' with 'home' and you're getting somewhere. But in any case, we've gotten a bit off topic. You were saying?"

"Right, right. So, yeah, I got this letter in the mail. They wanted me to return for the Sunset Spectacle celebration. Not only did they want me to return, when I got there? They wanted me to run the whole thing, and I'm like. Are you bucking crazy? The last time I came to this town I literally had you all brainwashed and give up your cutie marks! I ran away, terrified. I didn't think I deserved forgiveness, but they gave it to me anyways, and in spades. I just couldn't deal with it."

"But?"

"But," she sighed. "I came back, after defeating Chrysalis. The experience made me realize that while I wasn't being too hard on myself - because what I did was awful - I should learn to be able to accept forgiveness. And, for that matter, leadershipp, because me being a leader was never the issue. It was my ideology, my traumas, and unexamined fears. That situation isn't exactly the same as yours, I know, but it's similar enough. The main difference is you're intentionally seeking out the ponies you did wrong by to try and repair things where I just stumbled into it."

After a pause, thinking, Sunset nodded. "That... makes sense. Thanks, Starlight."

Starlight winked. "Don't mention it."

"But! Don't stick your nose in things too much, 'kay? Maybe you don't mind talking about your personal stuff, but I kinda do. Call it a personal flaw or whatever, I know it probably isn't a good thing I hate talking about my problems, but I have it anyway. So, if you can respect that, it'd be greatly appreciated."

"Worried I'm gonna go Twilight on you?" Starlight laughed. "I'll keep to myself. I might be her student, but you'd never guess it if you didn't know. Consider your secrets safe from my snuffling nostrils. I warn you though, they are very snuffly."

Sunset snickered.

"So what's on the docket for today, then? Got anypony in mind you wanna start with."

"Honestly?" said Sunset, staring down at her plate. "I think I just want to walk around for a bit. See the sights, smell the smells. It's been forever since I've seen Canterlot - properly, I mean. You can come with, if you'd like."

Starlight nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

After, they fell silent, and finished their breakfast.





Down the mountain corridor, Starlight and Sunset walked. To their left rose shear stone cliffs, reaching up towards the blue sky. To their right lay the city in its four-tiered glory, Celestia's early morning Dun shining upon.

The steps for most of the stair had been crafted of the same marble as three of the four tiers, and Canterlot Castle itself. Lower, around Old Canterlot, it transitioned to polished granite, a vaguely bluish gray.

Borders on the right prevented ponies from falling. Every now and again they came upon a junction, leading off towards the right. There would stand lightly mared checkpoints, to prevent random passers by from entering. The stair provided easy, straight-shot access to the palace grounds, and though Equestria had not faced true war or rebellion in centuries a capital must always remain well-guarded.

Before going out, they had slipped on their clothes. Sunset her black leather jacket, Starlight her own sleeveless jacket and teal shirt. The padding provided a buffer for the chilling winds up where they went.

They passed the high district first, then the middle before Starlight spoke up.

"We're going lower?" she asked.

Sunset hummed her affirmation. "Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. I guess I always presumed you came from a similar background to Twilight."

Sunset quirked a brow. "That being?"

Starlight averted her gaze, grinning shyly. "I'm trying to think of how to put this without sounding rude. Either to you, or her."

Sunset blew an errant lock from her face. "You act like I care. Go on. I'm not gonna be insulted, and I won't go snitching to the Princess of Friendship." She snorted. "God, that's such a dumb title. Wouldn't it make more sense to call her the Princess of Magic?"

"But Sunset, don't you realize that friendship is magic?"

"I will actually push you over that ledge."

Starlight cackled. "In all seriousness. I guess the thing I figured was you had a privileged background. Or, at least, you grew up in the middle district."

"Nah. Trust me though, haha. I wish I grew up that way. No," she sighed. "Instead, I grew up here."

She gestured towards what counted as Old Canterlot's skyline. The roofs were brick, slate, or shingled and each building stood no taller than four stories, and covered much of the streets from view. Cramped and narrow was the best way to describe it, with any walkway allowing no more than a hoofful of ponies to stand side by side.

"Didn't know my parents. I was dropped off at the Royal Canterlot Orphanage before I was old enough to form real memories. I've got a couple vague ones - colors that might have been my mother, or a room that might have been mine, but that's it. It wasn't til I was older I got into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Then, eventually, Celestia took me in herself, and I lived in the castle for a few years. I had to scrape every victory by the skin of my teeth. Nothing was ever easy."

Starlight's face gained a look Sunset recognized well. It was one she hated, ever since she was a little filly.

"Don't pity me, Starlight. It's not something I've ever desired."

"Sorry."

Sunset rolled her eyes, elbowing Starlight in the ribs. "Seriously. It's cool. I've gotten over it, and it's not like I had the worst foalhood in the world. Some ponies would kill to have what I did. Y'know, an actual roof over their heads. And, oh! We're here."

They stopped at an arched gateway. Two stone towers thrust into the sky, between them a bridge and latticed iron gate. On either side two guards had been stationed. Above them, on the bridge, paced a pair of steel-clad pegasi.

"Halt!"

The voice rang out like rolling thunder, hard as stone. The pegasus who spoke it - a mare with a grayish pelt - flew down to meet them. Her metal-shod hooves thunked against the packed earth, kicking up flecks of grit. Judging by the wings of her helmet and the royal crest on her breastplate, Sunset guessed her to be the waypoint's commander.

"State your names and business," she said.

Sunset offered the mare a polite smile. "My name is Sunset Shimmer, and my friend here is Starlight Glimmer."

Unappeased, the mare continued. "I don't recognize either of those names. How are you here on the Royal Stair?"

Joy. Fate had conspired to give Sunset a hardass. Luckily, she had a lot of experience dealing with ponies like this.

Donning a voice of authority and bravado - one she used to utilize often - Sunset explained. "I am the former student of Her Majesty Princess Celestia. My friend is the current personal protege of Princess Twilight Sparkle, to whom we are both friends. We are here on the express permission of the Crown."

"And your purpose?"

"Visiting Old Canterlot, where I used to live."

The pegasus stern expression remained. She called over a skinnier fellow - a unicorn with a salmony coat - and had him write the details of Sunset's declaration on a scrap of browned parchment. When he finished, she stared Sunset down with a pair of steel blue eyes, utterly unwavering in their conviction.

"We'll see whether your words are true or not, Miss Sunset Shimmer. For now, you will wait here in our custody until your claims are substantiated."

Sunset glanced towards Starlight, then sighed. "Fine."

The commander nodded, exchanged words with her scribe, and retook her place at the station's perch. The stallion gave them an abashed smile.

"Sorry for the trouble, ladies," he offered. "Commander Stormfront can be a touch, ehehhem. Over zealous at times. I'm sure you'll be able to pass through soon, But for now, please follow me."

Quill and scroll in tow, he guided them towards one of the towers. A wooden door marked its entrance, which he unlatched and pushed open. They went inside, wordless.

"Just wait here. Commander Stormfront will return to let you pass through later."

He shut the door, and left them to their silence.

The moment he was out of earshot, Sunset broke it. "Ugh, seriously?"

"Right? Honestly, we should just teleport to the other side."

"As much as I'd like to, I'd rather not antagonize anypony today. Do you really wanna be the one to explain to Princess Celestia why a platoon of guards searched the entire lower district for a pair of unicorns whose names just so happen to end with -immer?"

"Fair point."

Sunset surveyed her surroundings. The room offered little in the way of amenities, and sparse area to move around. Carved into the left and right sides were windows, too small for a pony to slip through but large enough to allow faint trickles of pale light. Motes of dust twirled in the morning rays, dancing like elegant ballerinas.

But that light did little to brighten the room. Rather, most of the lighting came from torches, which cast the space in a warm, but faint amber glow. 

Below each window had been set out wooden benches, about the length of the average mare, held up by black iron chains. Beyond that a locked door led up to a spiralling staircase and additional floors. Up there led to the barracks proper, and further up the bridge.

Down here was meant for keeping prisoners. If Sunset hadn't experienced similar conditions in the past - with the fun addition of nullifier rings and iron clasps - she might have been offended.

Scratch that. She was still a little offended, though she had no recourse for voicing said discontent.

Ultimately, her failed ploy came as small surprise. Nopony knew nor cared who 'Sunset Shimmer' was anymore. She'd been gone for too long.

Sunset took her seat on the left, Starlight the right. She propped her elbow on the window's ledge and rest her cheek against a curled foreleg, gazing towards the outside.

"Getting some major deja vu vibes right now," she said.

"From what, being locked in a guard tower?"

"Plus the whole 'interrogated by authorities' thing. Used to happen a lot to me actually, but not in a long while."

"Now those are some stories I'd wanna hear!"

Sunset looked over and grinned. "Well you can keep wanting. If a mare wants to stay interesting she's gotta keep some mysteries to herself."

Starlight pouted. "You are the absolute worst kind of tease."

"Not the first time someone's told me that." Sunset glanced back through the window, smiling. "Probably won't be the last."

Sunset kept track of time by the sun's position in the sky. It gave her a decent clue to how long they waited, but Starlight's watch provided a far more exact number. First half an hour passed. One hour. One and a half. Two.

Three quarters past noon, the knock arrived. Stormfront stepped in and bowed. "My apologies for the wait. You're free to go."

Neither her expression nor tone belied any such sympathies.

Sunset nodded, no more and no less, resisting the urge to sass the mare off. Starlight muttered her thanks.

Stormfront moved aside, allowing them to leave. Brightness pierced Sunset's visione as she stepped out. Hissing, she squinted, shielding her eyes from the blinding glare as behind her, Starlight did the same.

Once her vision adjusted, they came to the portcullis. Darkly wrought iron made up the large gate in a lattice, though spots of rust and age ate away at the bars. The stallion from earlier lit his horn, surrounding the lever in a cloudy azure aura. He pulled, strain showing on his face, but nothing happened.

"Heh, sorry, ratty old thing. We don't get as much funding down here as up there. Give me just... one... second...!"

Fierce yanks on the lever served to punctuate his words. Chains rattled, and the creaking, clunking noise of stubborn metal echoed through the courtyard like a hollow screech.

"Don't worry about it," said Sunset. "We'll, uh, we'll just teleport."

In a flash, she appeared at the gate's other side. A moment later Starlight popped in beside her.

Sunset thought, entering the city proper, how events seemed to conspire against her. It was as though Equestria itself was telling her no, that she could not return to see her past.

Could not or should not, she wondered, pacing down the grim gray streets. Was she better off renegging her plans, forgetting this life and moving on with her new one? Was it really worth it coming back here? Would she even find what she came for?

She shook away these doubts. Heights were made to be climbed, and challenges to be overcome. Some delays and malfunctioning gates meant nothing.

As though she were a fish reeled in by some invisible fishermare's line, instincts pulled Sunset forward. Without a solid grasp on her exact location, she could only follow where her hooves ledd.

The deeper they delved into the city's guts, the broader Sunset's smile became.

This place hadn't changed a bit since she left, for better and for worse.

The gathered throngs of ponies they stumbled upon told Sunset they'd reached the market district. Tents, pavillions, carts, and open stands lined the narrow paths. Ponies chatted, naming wares and haggling prices. Everything from fresh fruit to flowers and cheap pearl necklaces changed hooves, though any such jewelry was merely a well-made facsimile. No pony in their right mind would go about selling genuine precious stones on this level of Canterlot, and for good reason.

Between the mingling crowds ran laughing colts and fillies, dodging and weaving underhoof. Those who knew the way of the street kept well out of their way. Those less knowledgeable - or quick enough - found themselves bumped into, and later would find their pockets short a few bits. Merchants, meanwhile, kept them at bay through spells, hired muscle, or a good old threat of beating them with a stick.

One filly with a short-cut, ruffled ruby mane shot straight for Starlight. Before she made contact Sunset pulled the mare away, leaving a very disappointed, frowny-faced foal.

Starlight looked at Sunset with an odd expression. Any confusion she had Sunset answered with one word under her breath: pickpockets.

Smiling, however, she beckoned the filly close. She was a runt, skinnier and shorter than the rest, with a creamy pink coat, mulberry eyes, and two underdeveloped wings at her side. Reluctantly she approached, and once in whispering range Sunset leant down.

"You able to fly, kiddo?"

"Uh-uh."

""But you can still use your wings, right?"

"Uhm, kinda?"

"Good. Here," Sunset said. She retrieved two bits from a hidden pocket inside her coat. The filly took and bit each one before pocketing them. "For you, and a little tip you can use in the future. Use those wings of yours when you wanna bump into ponies. It'll make you go faster."

She winked, stood back up, and resumed walking with Starlight.

Upon turning a corner, Starlight spoke up. "Bad girl, Sunset. Giving fillies tips for how to pickpocket? Twilight would be ashamed!"

Sunset snickered. "Just because I'm reformed doesn't mean I can't get up to a little trouble every now and then. But oooh, do you smell that?" She sniffed the air, closing her eyes, smiling.

Winds from the north carried the scent of cooking food. Upon it arrived the sounds of sizzling, bubbling, and crackling fire. More stalls and carts littered the walkways, putting on eager display the various street foods they had on offer. Some roasted spits of vegetables over their firepit, others had grills or deep fryers.

Most provided savory offerings, though not all. Plenty of the brighter-colored stands advertised fresh fruits and cream, frozen dairy desserts, and every other kind of sweet treat a pony could put to imagination.

The bustling food markets of Old Canterlot were a sight to behold, as ponies and creatures from all over came to whip up a taste of home. Foreign, national, and local cultures alike clashed and fused to one another to create a hub of epicurean activity the likes of which could never be found in Canterlot's higher districts. This was the place where creatures of the world came together, to boast as much as to roast - their food, if not their competitors skill.

Starlight's stomach roared.

"Hungry?" Sunset asked, smirking. "I know, stupid question. Follow me, I know the best stuff to get."

Guiding Starlight through the colorful, crowded bazaar, Sunset searched for her favorite offerings. 

They stopped first at a cart selling Saddle Arabian cuisine, including a roasted kebab of onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and desert flowers spiced and coated in feta cheese. They eagerly bit into their respective orders. Sunset hummed as Starlight moaned, flavorful vegetable juices dripping down each of their chins.

"Holy starsh. How have I been mishing out on thish all my life?"

"Easy. You weren't lucky enough to be born in Old Canterlot."

Swallowing, taking a second bite of wilted flowers, Starlight continued. "I'll say. I'd be round if I ever had a place like this near me every day."

Sunset laughed, and continued walking them through the market. "Well, it's not just about it being close by. You also need the money. I'd be lucky if I could visit this place and get something more than once a month. Made it more special though, in a way."

As they went, Sunset toured Starlight through scores of other ethnic cuisines. For what she guessed to be the first time in Starlight's life, she tried everything from seasoned thestral fruit bowls to baklava, swamp gumbo, eastern curries, Mareopean sausages, and dragon chocolates. Some dishes proved too spicy or overwhelming for the mare's suburban palette, though Sunset joked she'd get her hooked on firebreath hay chili before Sunset returned to Earth.

By the time they left the market area, Starlight was waddling.

"Worth it?" Sunset asked.

"Worth it," Starlight wheezed. "I... I think I'm gonna have to pass on dinner tonight."

"Ha! Weak. I could eat twice as much as you and still be fine."

"Yeah yeah. Not every pony is a walking trash compactor."

Snickering, Sunset observed their surroundings. Far fewer ponies populated this part of town, carts and stalls and storefronts replaced with faded shotgun housing. "Good news is," she said. "I know where we are now. Bad news, I still don't really know where I want to go."

Starlight shrugged. "Considering it was your gut feeling that led us to a place that made my gut the happiest it's ever been, just pick a direction. I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Haha, sure. You know, I think my old school actually used to beeeee..." Sunset held out a hoof, scanning her options. "This way."

She pointed west, and led on. Past old-fashioned street lanterns they walked, run by gas rather than electricity. In some parts of the lower district, Sunset knew, they ran off technology no more advanced than magical flames.

When she was younger and dwelt within this tier of the city, Sunset often wondered why ponies overlooked Old Canterlot. Was it not important to ensure the health, longevity, and wellbeing of all the city, not just those more well-to-do? Was Old Canterlot so unimportant? Decades, centuries of history lived here, yet so little attention and important financing graced these weary streets.

It wasn't Celestia's fault, not wholly at least. Modern sensibilities held dictate that no ruler no matter how beloved should ever possess absolute power, as in the days of yore. For as far back as Sunset could remember, and generations before then, Equestria's power lie in the hooves of the ponies, or so was the hope.

In reality, power and influence trickled up, not down. Without proper guardrails and the insurance that every voice had sway, incentives guaranteed that money and attention be funneled into the areas deemed 'most important'.

Those areas, to little surprise, were the kind that already had greater economic production. Easier to pour bits where they'd already been invested, than to build something from the ground level.

And so Old Canterlot more survived than thrived.

The orphanage Sunset grew up in exemplified that dichotomy well. Its historical and royal ties might have meant it received superior funding to similar institutions in its backyard, but compared to places in the tiers above, it had always been understaffed and ill-equipped.

Perhaps, in better circumstances, they'd have had therapists and counsellors under their employ. Perhaps they could have stopped Sunset's spiral before it truly started.

But the past lay in the past and, in many ways, Sunset did not regret it. It was easy to imagine how much different and better things could have gone if this or that action had never been taken. Lesser often did a pony acknowledge the happiness they'd eventually found in their life, despite the pain and sorrow it took to get there.

At day's end, the importance lie in findding the balance. Momentarily, Sunset turned her head to acknowledge her cutie mark, then refocused on the path ahead, smiling.

Soon, they came across her first familiar sight.

Sunset brightened to see it in working order. Few at this time of day populated its sandy grounds, though in mere hours' time it would be filled with the jubilant cries of scampering children.

For clear reasons, Sunset chose to watch from afar. Parents watched their foals play in the sand, digging pits or building castles. Others clambered up metal ladders, or screamed in joy down tiny slides.

She looked to find the spot she had most enjoyed - a swingset she'd loved going to with her friend. Through the use of her magic or the filly's wings they'd make a competition out of it to see who could push the other higher. On more than a few occasions, they pushed too high, and one or the other wound up with a scraped knee or bruised forehead.

In its place, she found bare, coarse white sand. Four deep grooves stood as the sole reminder it had ever been there to begin with.

She couldn't blame them for removing it. The chains on that thing had been old and rusty, and the swings hung on by faint prayers. No doubt some accident had transpired, and upset parents forced them to take it down.

Still, it saddened her to see it gone.

If fortune favored, another set would take its place. Sunset liked the idea that future generations could share and enjoy in similar memories as she had, once.

Not far from the playground Sunset discovered her old school. Overgrown weeds and tiling of ill repair surrounded its front, like some strewn about, haphazard army.

Her thoughts turned to what might be happening beyond those red brick walls, the scratched glass panes and wooden shutters. These thoughts, in turn, rounded back to events from long ago.

Would her teachers still be there? Was Mister Cosine in that dimly lit classroom, telling kids not to blow spitwads? Or Misses Bubbling Brew, scratching elaborate alchemical formulae across the dusty, decades old blackboard? Did new bullies roam the halls, like Tinsel, Emerald, and Gold, and what sorts of ponies stood up to them and fought back like she had? Would they take things too far in the same way as her?

She wondered then, just what had become of the foals she knew from school and the orphanage alike. What might they think of her now?

She stood there, unmoving for a long time, lips sealed tightly shut until Starlight bumped her flank.

"So what's this place, then? You've been real quiet since we left the market."

Sunset shook her head. "Just reminiscing, wanting to visit old places from my foalhood I haven't seen in a very, very long time. It feels weird. Everything seems so much the same, but so different too. I know it's silly. Obviously things are going to be different - it's been over ten years since I've been back here, but... I dunno." She sighed. "Do you understand what I mean?"

Starlight nodded. "I do. Not that long ago I went home with a friend of mine to see our parents, which neither of us had done since we were young. I was too concerned with how annoyingly clingy and saccahrine my dad was being to notice, but I had a kinda similar feeling to what I imagine you have right now. It's like-"

"Deja vu?"

"Yeah."

"Heh. Guess the guard tower wasn't a fluke after all. I shouldn't be too surprised, though." She flipped her mane, turning around and starting off towards her next destination. "Today was meant to be a trip down memory lane. I'm just getting what I asked for."

Starlight trot after her, quickly catching up. "So you never told me what that place actually was."

"Old school of mine, before I ever went to the one for Gifted Unicorns. Had some asshole teachers and asshole bullies, but it wasn't all bad."

"Looked kinda run down if you're asking me."

"Oh, it absolutely was. Everypony loved pouring bits into the middle district, and the upper district practically funded itself. Down here though? We got the tablescraps.

Inwardly, Sunset sneered. She'd always hated the rich, snooty noble types and double-faced politicians as a filly. She didn't fancy them so much as a mare, either.

Perhaps Celestia'd been right preventing her from attending Day Court.

Sighing, she turned to Starlight, admitting, "I think I've seen enough for now. It's getting pretty late anyway."

Indeed, up above Celestia's Sun grew ever closer to where sky kissed land. Shades darkened as the faintest line of pink was visible, signalling the approach of sunset. Behind them the doors to that old school burst open, and out flowed the raccous cheers of young ponies, excited to return home and play with their friends.

With a silent nod, Starlight joined Sunset in her retreat.

Heading the way they came, Sunset couldn't help but to spare a glance back. Not far from the school, she knew, lay the foundations of the place she'd grown up in, and around it more places she and her old friend had made their own. They called to her, tempting her to turn around and look, but she faced forward instead.

Later. Not today.

As they passed again the playground, the homes, the emptying markets, Starlight asked, "Didn't you say you were looking for somepony today as well?"

"Yeah, I did. I haven't been walking down memory lane for the sake of it. Figured there might be a small chance I'd see her. Thought I did once, when we had lunch, but it wasn't her. That's fine though. It's a pretty big place to find one little bat pony."

"A thestral, huh? You know, I've never seen one until today. I feel like that's probably weird or offensive of me to say? But." She shrugged. "It's the truth."

"A lot of thestrals live in this part of Canterlot, actually. Most keep to themselves or, shocker, come out at night. I saw more of them around today then I've ever seen before, though. Makes me wonder if Luna's return reduced some of the stigma, helped them integrate and all. That'd be nice," she said, smiling. "My friend wasn't treated the best by everypony back when we were little. I hope she's found a more comfortable life for herself now."

"I'm sure she has, whoever she is."

Sunset smirked. "You're wanting to know more about her, aren't you?"

"Maybe?" Starlight blushed, stretching out the word. "Come on, Sunset, you can't blame a mare. You keep dangling these little pieces of information in my face and expect me not to wonder a little?"

Sunset chuckled. As they rounded a corner, the same red-haired pegasus from earlier skittered where they'd been leaving. Around her left wing slung the strap to a small brown pouch, jingling with bits. Sunset watched her disappear for a moment, then returned to walking.

"Fair enough," she said. "Let's see. Her name was Moonstone Gloom. I met her in second grade, when she came to the orphanage. We were pretty close for a couple years. It was actually because of her I got my cutie mark, at least partially."

"Tell?"

Sunset sighed, shaking her head. "Fine, but that's all you're getting."

As they trotted on, Sunset explained Moonstone's arrival, and the reception of her fellow orphans, of how Sunset manipulated her way into them treating the bat filly better. She told of the day they'd both gone to school together, but split up due to age and grade placement circumstances. Last came the tale of what happened in the schoolyard, and the three fillies that had bullied her. Sunset made sure to avoid any specific description of what they said, or more precisely any relation they had to bullying Sunset as well.

By the time they reached the Royal Stair gate, the world around was dipped in evening honey. Higher up stretched a blanket of blue and purple, littered with twinkling stars and Luna's rising Moon as lower it transitioned into reds and golds. Only a peeking hint of the Sun showed above the landscape.

To both mares' relief, Commander Stormfront remained at the station, allowing them to pass through unmolested. The pegasus did not appear especially pleased with their teleportation business, however.

That was fine, because Sunset didn't especially care.

"So, let me get this straight. You got your cutie mark defending a filly you barely knew from three bullies by casting a ring of fire spell, which you didn't even know existed?"

"Yup, that's basically right."

"How in the world did you go from that to being a villain? No offense." She grinned. "I've been one myself, so I'm not exactly judging."

"None taken. The answer to that question is a long, long story though."

Starlight gestured towards the steps, rising high ahead. "We've got time."

"What did I tell you about noseing in my business again."

"Right, sorry."

"Look, if you really wanna know. The long and short of it is this - I lost focus of what should have been important to me. I forgot about the ponies I cared about, and thought the thing I needed to be happy was to prove myself as the best. Obviously, you know enough to know how that played out."

"Right."

It took them well into evening before they reached the castle. Sunset nodded towards the guards, and they raised the gate.

As Sunset passed the threshold, a soft and luminous gloom caught her attention, glowing a faint and milky blue at her periphery. She stopped and turned to observe, Starlight beside her.

"You know," Starlight said. "It's funny. I had a fillyhood friend as well, way before I went evil. From what I knew about him in the past, I figured he'd be this grand and incredible wizard at the Crystal Empire."

"Mhm," Sunset mumbled, tipping her head towards the bed of flowers. As she approached their petals spread, exposing the gentle, fuzzy fronds of shining white that lay within. "And was he?"

"Ha, no! Not even close. Not to dig at him too much, though. He works for the Princess Cadance and Prince Shining now, and he's probably the most knowledgeable unicorn there is in the current age when it comes to magic."

Sunset continued to observe the flowers - Moonstone Bloom. They'd been Gloom's favorite, for how similar the two of them were. 

She remembered when they'd visited the Castle Gardens for a field trip, and Moon had seen them for the first time. It was love at once, and Sunset had helped her in stealing some of the blossoms to take back home. Moonstone tried her best to keep them alive for as long as possible, and their magical nature did extend their life, but one by one they died.

So what did Sunset do of course, but steal some more, and research preservation magic. It took her weeks, but eventually she'd perfected the spell, enchanting one of the fully bloomed flowers to last for what might as well be forever.

She remembered the unforgettable joy on her friend's face, and for this memory Sunset's chest grew pained.

"What happened between you two?" she asked.

"Oh, well. He got his cutie mark, and went off to show his parents. After that? He got sent straight to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Hay, you two might have even bumped into each other at some point!" Starlight paused. "What about you? Did something happen with Moonstone?"

"Yeah. She... We... Things didn't... end on the best of terms."

"Oh."

Sunset smiled an old, weary smile. "It's fine. It was a long time ago. Did..." Trailing off, she fell quiet for a long moment. "Did you know she was the first real friend I'd ever had?"

Starlight rest a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll find her," she assured. "Sometimes, ponies are in the last place we expect them to be."

Sunset's ears perked, swivelling towards the sound of Starlight's voice. "Say that again?"

Starlight set her hoof back on the ground, tilting her head. "Sometimes ponies are in the last place we expect them to be? I'm confused."

Sunset laughed, whipping around quick and pulling Starlight into a crushing embrace. "Thank you Starlight, you're the best."

Starlight wheezed, voice coming out a rattled and dry whisper. "You're welcome? Can, can you please let go of me now?"

"Eheh, heh, right, sorry." She let go, and Starlight sucked in a loud breath.

"Now can you tell me what the buck that was about, exactly?"

"You reminded me of something. Don't know how I'd even forget it in the first place, but you reminded me!" She stamped her hoof against the grassy path, as though to announce some unknown triumph. "She got adopted."

"And that means?"

Sunset grinned.

"It means." She paused. "I can find her parents."