//------------------------------//
// Prologue: Cut back to 25 years ago. 
// Story: Revenge of a Fallen Student. 
// by Sir Derpington Hooves 
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"Gotta get up Sunny! Time for breakfast!"

"Coming mom! Let me feed Bonkers."

Bonkers was Sunset Shimmer's pet ferret. She found him in their barn, stealing carrots and bothering the hogs. Her father, Starbright wanted to kill the little creature, but she begged him not to. 

The young Sunset Shimmer before she was an apprentice to the Princess lived the normal live. She lived in a small town right outside of Ponyville called Manesburg. She lived with her parents, and her three sister on a small farm. The town consisted of about fifty household with a population about a five hundred. It had a small pond, a school, and all the normal stores of a normal town. The small house was nothing special. A three room house, one for her parents, one for Sunset, and one for the triplets. The Shimmer Family were quite poor. Barely getting by their farming business, they barely had any money for clothes or toys. Sunset's old clothes and toys were handed down to her sister, and their mother's clothes went to Sunset's. Sunset was the laughing stock of her school, one because she had not acquired her cutie mark, the other because her family were the poorest in the town.

"There ya go little guy." She handed the albino ferret some  left over chicken, and a carrot and walked down the wooden stairs to the kitchen.

"Good morning my sweet. Care for a dandelion omelet? Eggs were picked this morning." said Sunset father Starbright. 

Starbright was a a deep blue unicorn stallion with white mane, and a tractor cutie mark. His name, was his parent's idea. They wanted him to be astrologist, but one day he grew a garden and his tractor cutie mark appeared.

"No thanks. Hey where are Lacko, Izzy, and Maya?"

Lacko, Izzy, and Maya were Sunset's three younger sisters, they were triplets. 

Lacko was a tan little filly with a red mane and and a tent cutie mark. Izzy was a white filly with a lime green mane and a fire cutie mark. And Maya was a violet filly with a black mane, with a fishing pole cutie mark. The cutie marks being earned in the Filly Scouts they belonged to. Lacko and Maya were unicorn, Izzy being a pegasus.

"They left early on with their scout troop today. Going on their monthly camping trip ya know." replied Sunset's mother Lighting Dust.

Lighting Dust was a strawberry colored pegasus mare with an grey mane,and a bug cutie mark mark. After Star Bright plants the seeds, she goes out with pesticides and cover the plants and the seeds.

"What are doing today honey?" asked Star Bright

"I'm going down to the lake. I'm gonna try to get my cutie mark in fishing like Maya. Do you know how embarrassing it is to be the only one in your family without a cutie mark? Even my little sisters have them!"

"I know honey, I was the last one to. But I planted that garden..."

"Yes dad I know, you planted that garden and your cutie mark showed up. I've heard at least ten time. Gotta go see ya!"


She kissed both her parents on the head and left for the lake. She grabbed her fishing pole out of the garage and left. 

After five hours at the lake and nothing to show but a small piece of seaweed she left ashamed and sad.

'What if I never get my cutie mark? What if my flank is blank forever? I wish I could just buy one! she thought to herself

As she walked home, she felt something behind her. Like someone was following her every move. She looked behind her, a couple of local school kids were following her. All three of which were stallions. One grey with an orange man, another one black with a red mane, and the last one purple with a yellow mane.

"When ya going get your cutie mark blank flank? Or is your family too poor to afford one?" sneered the grey one, the obvious ringleader of the three. The other two cracked up at his joke like it was the funniest thing in the world.

Sunset ran as fast as she could. Never being much of a fighter, she usually ran from trouble. But this time trouble chased her back. The three foals ran after her, and one tackled her. 

"When I ask you a question, you answer me ok?"

"Umm..." stumbled Sunset

"Answer my question!" yelled Rick. The three of them circled Sunset so she wouldn't run away.

"Yes, ok. Can I please go home now?" asked Sunset. She was so scared, she was shaking and on the verge of tears.

"Whata gonna do about it baby? Beat us up? My man Daryl over there," he pointed at the black one "can easily beat you up in one punch. And my other main man Jim," he pointed at the purple one this time "he can do the same. So, I believe you better answer my question before we beat it out of you. Are you ever getting your cutie mark?" asked Rick

"Umm...umm."

"That it! Boys you know what to do!" and the three of them beat her up, for simply not having a cutie mark. I won't go into details, but as Sunset walked back to her small house she had a black eye, a cut cheek, and a fractured wrist. As she walked in the door, she was instantly rushed by her mother and father.

"What the hay happened to you? Honey! Go get some ice before it swells back up." asked Lighting Dust

Starbright returned moments later with an old dishrag with ice inside it and placed it apron her right eye. The cold feeling relaxed Sunset, but only for a minute. The agonizing pain from her injuries were hurting more than that time she fell into poison ivy. 

"Answer your mom's question honey. Who did this to you?" asked Starbright. The look on his face was a mixture of worry and anger to who ever did this to his little girl.

"I...I fell. I was running and I tripped over a rock. I should have been more careful." replied Sunset.

"And somehow you managed to get a hoof print double your size on your cheek? Tell us who did this to you." said Lighting Dust. 

"It...was Rick and his gang! But mom, dad please don't get involved in this! He'll beat me up even more if he found out I ratted on him." pleaded Sunset with tears of fear, and of pain in her eyes.

"Well I'll do better then that!" said Starbright "I'll go over to Rick's house, and show him a lesson myself. Nopony lays a hoof on my family!" he was saying this as he was gathering his coat to walk out the door.

"Honey! You can't go beat up a foal! He's Sunset's age. I know his bother, Laurie. I'll go and speak to her in the morning." said Lighting Dust.

"Ok," huffed a very angered Star Bright "But if he doesn't stop this, I'm gonna go over and show that little punk not to mess with the Shimmer family."

"Now Sunset. Go on off to bed. Keep that ice on your cut and eye, and I'll come up in a few to wrap your wrist. Now, where is Laurie's number?" said Lighting Dust

"Mom, please! Don't call, I'll get beat up again tomorrow!" pleased Sunset once again. Now with tears in her eyes.

"No he won't. His mother is a very nice mare, and she'll take care of this. No go on." said Lighting Dust

"But..."

"Go now!" said Lighting Dust. And with that sentence Sunset trudged up the stairs.





"Laurie, yes this is Lighting Dust. I need to talk to you about something your little boy did." Lighting was in a very serious tone. She was using her old rotary phone, and it was on it's last call.

"Well, I was about to call and say the same thing about your little girl. Your Sunset just sprained my Rick's little wrist. He said he was walking, and she ran up and knocked him over." replied Laurie

"Well, that's not true! My little one came back with a black eye, a cut on her cheek, and a sprain wrist, and said your son and his friend did that to him." said Lighting with a little more anger in her voice

"How dare you blame my son! How do you know your daughter didn't do this to herself?" yelled Laurie.

"Do you hear yourself?! We found a hood print on her face, that matches the shape and size of Rick's. How do you explain that?" said 

"You did? Well, I'm so sorry about this. I'll go talk to him right now. Have a nice night." said Laurie with a tang of guilt in her voice.

"Thank you. You to." She hung up the phone, and walked up to sunset's room.

"Honey, can we talk?"

"Sure mom."

She walked over to Sunset's bed, and sat on the end.

"Well, I just got off the phone with Rick's mother..."

"Mom! I asked you to please don't! Now people will make call me a taddle tale!" Sunset was crying at this point. She was sick of being the one picked on all the time, she was sick of belonging to the poorest family in the town square, and she was tired of her parents ignoring what she wanted.

"No, they won't. No hush your crying. You gotta get up early and get to school. Goodnight my dear Sunset." Lighting kissed Sunset's face and left her room.

As Sunset dreamed that night, she had vivid dreams about Princess Celestia and her doing magic together. But that's weird. She could never meet the Princess, she's just a poor farmer's daughter.





Something woke Sunset in the middle of the night. She woke up because of the constant ringing in her ear, she woke up and went downstairs for a glass of water. As she was in the kitchen she gazed outside and noticed something shimmering in the her backyard. She rubbed her eyes, to make sure she was seeing it right. 

'That's, thats impossible. she thought to herself.

She walked out into the crisp night air, and walked over to the burning bright star. She gingerly reached a hoof out to it, and something amazing happened. Light filled her body and warmed her. She was thrown into the dark winter sky, and when she hit the ground she was knocked out cold.

3 hours later

"Wha...what happened?" whispered Sunset

It was three o'clock in the morning, and the pony named Sunset Shimmer just awoken outside. 

'What happend? Why...why am I outside? Last I remember I touched a star... she quickly looked around her for the star she saw a couple of hours ago.

'I must've just sleepwalked out here. I must've been dreaming. she walked back into her house and went up to bed.

The next morning

Sunset Shimmer walked down the stairs to the smell of eggs frying on their wood stove. The usual chatter of the kitchen stopped when Sunset walked in. And everypony stared.

"What?" asked Sunset to her family.

"Your cutie mark. Look." said Izzy

"Momma, what is that?" asked Maya

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Sunset "I don't have a cutie..." and as she was saying this she saw it. Her cutie mark, and it was the the moon and the sun in ying yang formation. 

"I...don't know sweetie. How did you get that Sunset?" asked Lighting, her voice had a tinge of shock in it.

"I don't know mom." whispered Sunset

"Well lookie there! My big girl got her cutie mark!" said Starbright "I bet it was because of that fight you got in. Suppose to represent the inner beast inside ain't it honey?" He was pretending to throw punches at Sunset. Sunset dodged each one, and pretended right back.

"I'm glad for your new cutie mark honey. Now get ready for school. Here's your lunch. Have a nice day honey." And with that and a kiss Sunset was off to another horrible day at school.

School was horrible for her because she was constantly ridiculed. Being called blank flank, and poor pony. Fillies and foals picking her last in games, even going as far as coming to her house and egging it. Everyday it is like this, and every night she prays to Celestia that it's a different day. One that she doesn't have to sit alone, one that she doesn't have to be scared of her own shadow. And little did she know this day was the day everything will change.





"Well lookie here every pony! Blank Flank ain't blank anymore." said yet another one of Sunset's bullies Amy. "How much did you have to pay for it? Oh wait, you couldn't have!" and with this comment the whole class erupted with laughter.

Just then Miss Chickade walked in and ordered everypony to sit down.

"Please open your book to page ..." was all Sunset heard was until she blocked out the voices at school. She daydreamed about being rich. Being in a castle with riches aplenty, not having to worry about about chores, or money. Yea, that would be the life.

Recess the following day

"Guys she's over here!" said Ricky to his friends.

He somehow found Sunset's hiding place underneath the slide.

"I got grounded because of you twerp! Now, your gonna get your just deserts!" and just then as he was about to punch her Principal Oaks walked over to them. Rick pretended to be hugging Sunset, but she saw through that act.

"Rick, what are you doing? Beating up students once again! Two weeks of detention for beating up students. And Miss. Sunset can you please follow me? You have a visitor."

"Who is it?" asked a very suspicious Sunset.

"Come to my office, and we'll discuss it there."


As she walked into the office, she could feel a murmer of excitement throughout the working staff. All the phones were unplugged, and all the staff were extremely quite. But they wore slight smiles.

Then she saw who was visiting her, Princess Celestia. She was talking to the teachers, and when she saw Sunset she stopped and walked over to her.

"Princess Celestia," Sunset kneeled down "what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for you Sunset. Please, come to my castle and let's talk. My guards will pick you up in a few. I've got to be running off to a meeting. I'll talk to you soon Sunset."

And with that there was a flash and she was gone. The teachers looked at her with such wonder and excitement, but before she bombarded with questions Principal Oak came to her rescue.

"Come on! Everypony back to work. I'm not paying you to ask questions to students. I'm paying you to answer questions."

A with that the teacher population decreased with a set of murmers.

"Sunset. I'll stay with you untill the guars pick you up. Is that ok?" asked Sunset

"Um..yes thank you." said Sunset. Outside she kept a cool, but inside she was freaking out.

'What would the princess want with me? Am I in trouble? she thought frantically.

"Do you know what that was about?" asked Oak

"No, do you?" she asked back.

"No, I was just working and then I saw her, Celestia in my office. I was terrified, but her presence put me at ease. She said she was looking for a filly named Sunset Shimmer for royal reasons. And that's all I know."

Just then, two peg winged pegasi stallions came out of the clouds with a chariot. 

"I believe this is your ride Sunset. Have a great day." and Oak did something she never does, she hugged Sunset.

"What was that for?" asked Sunset.

"That was for listing. Being the principal, most ponies are scared to even talk to me. But you weren't. Have a great day Sunset.

And with that Sunset stepped into the chariot and was off to Canterlot.




"Welcome young Sunset Shimmer. Welcome to Canterlot, the Princess will be here in one moment." said a black stallion wearing the traditional guard clothing.



"Did they say why they needed me?"

"No, they said it was strictly royal needs and nobody should know."

"Well, ok. Have a nice day Principle Oak."


As she was waiting the dimly lighted waiting room thought crossed her mind. 

What if that star I touched was some kind of homing beaconed for the weather team and I ruined it! What if I'm banished to the moon like she did to her sister?


Just then the doors opened and in stepped the most noble of princesses and her two royal guards.

"Sunset Shimmer. So nice to see you again. Nice flight?"

"Yes, Princess. Thank you.

"Please, call me Celestia. You are probably wondering why your here correct."

"Yes mam. Did I do something wrong?"

"No. You have a power I've only ever seen in myself and my younger sister Luna. God help her, if she wasn't so evil she would be here right now, and not stuck on the moon."

"I do?"

"Have you never noticed your cutie mark before? It is the ying yang symbol of the moon and the sun. A very rare cutie mark, especially one of such a young filly. Only my sister and I have those types of cutie marks, you are destined for greatness."


Sunset couldn't believe what she was hearing. She, a normal pony from a farming community was destined for greatness. Was this some type of joke?

"Yes, I've seen my cutie mark. I got it when the one time when I walked outside and I saw a star in my backyard. I touched it, and I woke up with it on my flank. It was weird.

" No, it was not weird. I send that star out to find the pony worthy of being my apprentice, and it found it's way to you. Only a young and powerful unicorn could do such things. I have spoken to your parents and they agreed with me that you should stay in Canterlot with me, and be my apprentice. Is that ok with you?"

Again, shock over took her like a tidal wave. She was being offered to work with the most powerful pony in all of Equestia.

"What about my family? They are not well off, and without me..."

"I have provided them a nice house in Canterlot close to the castle."

"Well, what do I get out of this?."

"You get the pleasure of learning your true ability while I train you."

'That sounds pretty good...' though Sunset

"Plues you receive free boarding, free food, and free roam around the castle." continued Celestia

"Ok, I'll be your apprentice Celestia."

"Great! I'll have one of my guard bring up your stuff. Your mother packed it, and all. Steven, show Miss Shimmer up to her room."

A black stallion picked up her back and walked up the stair to Shimmer's future rooms. But when she was walking all she could think about were three things.

1. She was now an apprentice to one of the most royal ponies.

2. She somehow was destined for greatness.

3. She was moving away from her old life. The constant teasing, the constant sadness and constant crying everynight.

Sunset's life on the farm was good, but she would finally  be free from the overwhelming debt that consumed her family and her everyday life, and she was finally free from those rotting bullies from her school.





10 Years Later

"Celestia! Come see what I have done." yelled a very anxious Sunset.

She successfully for the first time did in age spell and turned a mouse a year older. The age spell, is one that takes a high knowledge of magic and smarts to do. During the years that Sunset spent with Celestia, she had learned so much from the Princess. She learned spells, and tricks. Secrets about Equestria, and Celestia's sister Luna who was banished from the moon. 

But, during these ten years, Sunset always had the nagging jealously of the ponies in Canterlot. Almost all of them had money,  nice homes, and nice clothing to have. But, when she was little she had none of those great things. Sure, she was was an apprentice for the Princess, but for the first years of her life, she was nothing. And seeing foals and fillies younger than her having a better childhood made her extremely jealous.

"Very good my student" said Celestia as she walked over to Sunset. They were in one of the many hidden rooms in the Castle. This one happened to be next to the dungeon, where the mouse came from.

"Why thank you Celestia. Well, I should be heading off. I have to go return these book to the Library, and..." but Sunset was interrupted by Celestia

" Sunset, do you know how I got my wings?" asked Celestia looking the opposite direction of Sunset.

"Well, I always thought you and Luna were born that way," answered Sunset "that's what I always heard when growing up."

"Yes, that's what we told ponies, but that's not the truth. The truth is, we alicorns earn our wings or horn through extreme tests in magic, and only if you have the ability. Little known fact, I sent that star that found you on that night, five hundred years ago. It searched and searched for centuries, and then it found you." replied Celestia

"But Celestia, I don't know what this has do with me..." said Sunset, very confused about their conversation.

"Sunset, with your permission I would like to make you the Princess of Magic. With this ability you will control all the magic in the Canterlot and Equestria and distribute it when needed." said Celestia. She had been wanting to do this for years now, but couldn't because Sunset was not ready. But she was now.

"But Celestia. I'm not ready! I just got that age spell not even ten minutes ago." stumbled Sunset

"Yes, you are. You know how many years it took me to make an age spell? Fifteen! And you did it at ten. You Sunset, had been ready since you were born to do great things. This is your destiny." 

"I...I don't know what to say Celestia." said Sunset

"Say yes, and make your old teacher proud" replied Celestia with one of her famous grins.

"Yes Celestia. I will be the Princess of Magic." 

"Sunset, you will do great things. Your Princess Ceremony will be tomorrow at eight o'clock. Is that a good time for you?" asked Celestia.

"Well, I really need to finish a map I'm drawing, but I can fit it in." said Sunset

"Glad your schedule is so flimsy," said Celestia with a laugh. "Now, Sunset it's getting late. You should get to bed. You have a big day tomorrow."

"Yes Princess, good night."

And as Sunset walked the stairs up to her room on the top floor, she felt something huge was about to happen. 





"Where...where am I?" asked Sunset. It's dark and misty, and bodies of ponies are everywhere. Foals, fillies, mares, stallions, everywhere. She steps over the carnage, but is blocked by jail bars. As she looks out the bars, she sees Celestia out there, with a sadden look upon her face. 

"How could you Sunset?" asked Celestia "Cut her wings off." she says to a guard next to her. Sunset looks on her back and notices blood stained wings. "I didn't do it! I didn't do it!" screams Sunset. They unlock her cage and drag her out. Two guards have her by both wings, and one slams her down on a tree trunk. The other raised his axe and... 

Sunset wakes up in a cold sweat. 'It was a dream, though Sunset 'a horribly realistic dream but a dream. She looks at the clock across the room and it reads 6:30 A.M. 'I should get up

She gets out of bed, and walks downstairs to get her some breakfast. After that, she goes back up stairs and notices a package by her door. It's from Celestia. Inside is a tag that says 'For your big day today and beneath that is a red, yellow, and orange dress with two slits cut out for the wings. She dresses in that, and heads out to where the ceremony will take place.  On Celestia's balcony.





Sunset arrives at 7:45 on Celestia's balcony in front of if not thousands millions of ponies across Equestria to see her ceremony. And in the front row, are her parents and sisters.

"Quite please, quiet." asked Celestia as she tapped on a microphone in front of the crowd. The crowd got totally silent "The ceremony will start a little early today. Sunset, will you be the best you can be with the new power you will receive?" asked Celestia

"Yes Princess" replied Sunset

"And with these wings do you promise to use them as your own?" asked Celestia once more

"Yes Princess" replied Sunset once again.

"Now, take your wings young students" said Celestia as she placed her horn on top of Sunset's. This caused a blinding light, and a sound of thunder and it was gone. Sunset looked at her back, and tucked neatly on her back were two fire red wings.

"Please welcome your new Princess Sunset Shimmer everypony!" said Celestia into the microphone to the crowd. The crowd erupted into applause and shouts yelling "Speech, speech, speech!"

Sunset walked over to the microphone and began her speech 

"Friends, family, Celestia. It is a great honor to be your new..." then she was interrupted by the sounds and squees of young three young unicorn fillies running around and making noise, running around in their new shoes, new clothes, properly groomed manes.

"to be...your...new. Quiet!" yelled Sunset and flew over to the Fillies. When she landed near them, it startled them so bad they all fell over. "I'm trying to do a speech here. Mind being quite you little brats! I mean come one, if you can afford two hundred dollar bit manes and clothes can't you pay attention!" The three young ponies looked up to her in terror. 

"You, the white one. What is your magic?" Sunset asked one of the fillies.

"I...I can make things float." replied the scared filly in a shaky voice.

"You can make things float. How cute. But you know what? I can take that away." she placed he horn to the fillies head, and the filly passed out. Completely knocked out by the surge of raw power just gone through her. Gasps and shouts rang through the crowd. 

"What! She was a brat who messed with my speech! I can take magic away and give it away! It's my right to make sure you subjects do what I want! Understand!" yelled Sunset to the crowd. "Alright, who's next?" asked Sunset as she looked at the two other fillies.

"Sunset stop!" ordered Celestia from high above. "This is not want I wanted you to do when I gave you these powers!"

"But Celestia! These things should be mine! The money, the clothing, everything these people have should have been mine! I grew up with nothing! But now I will have everything!" yelled Sunset

"Not, if I can help it." replied Celestia.

She dive bombed toward Sunset, but Sunset did something amazing. She made an invisible barrier and blocked Celestia from tackling her. Celestia hit the barrier and all the air was knocked out of her. She fell to the ground unconscious to the world.

"Guards! Get Celestia out of here, and put the ponies into three groups. Pegasi, Earth, and Unicorn." the guards did what Sunset ordered without hesitation. 

Ten minutes later, three chain fences filled the court yard. Each containing a pony race. Sunset walked over to the unicorn fence and ordered each and every unicorn out.Shedamand