//------------------------------// // A Shimmercorn is born! // Story: A Shimmercorn is born // by Poet Knight //------------------------------// In Equestria, near senset.... Twilight Sparkle was very happy with herself as she reached her castle's library. She had some time of from her current adventures with her castle's 'Map of Friendship's Need'. Or at least that was what she was calling it, Rainbow Dash thought the name was lame. Levitating a well worn book with a picture of a sun on it in her magic's aura, Twilight approached a mirror set near the back of the library. Giggling, she placed the book in the receptical of the device attached to the mirror. It was a creation of Twilight's; and with it, she planned to surprise her friends in the human world. As the device finished its warmup cycle and the portal opened, Twilight finished jotting down a letter to Spike. She even finished it with an apology and a promise to bring him a bag of his favorite human-world snack, as she knew how much her number one assistant would hate missing out. With the note placed prominently where the little dragon would see it and with happy anticipation, Twilight stepped through. Hop through the Portal! Jump In! As Twilight picked up herself up of the walkway in front of Canterlot High School, she noticed the sun slipping below the horizon. Wondering where she would sleep the night away at, she heard a strong voice sing out above her. Looking up, Twilight caught sight of Sunset Shimmer standing on the school's roof staring at the setting sun. Wondering what was going on with her friend a few words reached her. "Power, was all I desired...." As Twilight listened, she swore she could hear a musical accompaniment to Sunset's singing. Worrying that she may be losing her friend, Twilight saw Sunset turn and walk away from the roof's edge. Glad that Sunset didn't seem about to jump to her demise, yet unsure how to help, Twilight found her self just listening to the song her friend was singing. Sunset's voice reached her easily, even though Sunset was moving around on the roof. Listening to the words, Twilight realized that Sunset was singing a song about how much she had changed. Finding herself overjoyed at the message of how much their friendship meant to Sunset, Twilight began remembering all the stories the human versions of her Equestrian friends had told her. Stories of the hardships Sunset had faced at the school after her redemption at the Fall Formal. The new clothes don't look to bad on her either.... Twilight mused. Glad that Sunset was moving on with her life in a more positive way, Twilight leaned against the edge of the statue that formed the other end of the portal. Listening with to the other girl's song, Twilight let her eyes close so she could focus. Later.... Sensing a shift in the world around her, Twilight snapped her eyes open. Shifting her eyes back to the roof, she saw Sunset illuminated there in the rays of a new dawn. Twilight gasped silently as several things registered in her brain. She had stayed there through out the night, Sunset was apparently singing the same song, and... was that a magical aura surrounding Sunset Shimmer? Staring with mouth agape, Twilight watched as Sunset levitated off and away from the school's roof before growing a pair of magical flaming wings and a flaming pony tail. Sunset's hair also flowed upward as if blown be an illusionary wind, causing it to look like a roaring fire. Feeling something inside her responding to the sight, Twilight was unprepared for her own transformation. In an explosion of magic her hair extended to give her a 'pony-tail' as it had during their battle with the Sirens, and her wings had appeared again as well. In addition she was surrounded be a magical aura similar to Sunset's but purple in color. Sunset was feeling better than she ever had in her life, except maybe when she had gotten her cutie mark. Looking at herself, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had wings! Honest to goodness, wings of fire! And a tail again! And she felt her magic again, something she never thought would be. Sunset's perusal of her changes was interrupted by an explosion of purple light below her. Looking down, she saw a perplexed Twilight Sparkle. In all her sexy alicorn goodness... Sunset smiled to herself. "Hey, Twilight" she called. She watched as Twilight slowly started to ascend towards her, then gaining a little speed with a goofy smile on her face. She was however not ready for the sudden burst of at the end, or the near bone-crushing hug that Twilight gave her. Well it would have been bone-crushing if it had been any of the other girls but Twilight. Nor was Sunset ready for the barrage of statements and questions. She sounds like Pinkie when she's inquisitive.... "It's so good to see you! But what happened? What was with the singing? Are your wings really made of fire? How were you able to use magic? How am I able to use magic here? Are you a phoenix? No, your tail is like a pony. Are you an Alicorn? Wouldn't it be awsome if you were an Alicorn? I'm so happy for you!!" Nor, alas, was Sunset ready for the kiss. Twilight came out of her nerd-gasm to find herself kissing Sunset. "Sorry, sorry, sorry..." she kept repeating in shame, as her face blushed brightly. "Um... Twilight? I didn't mind, really. Thanks!" Sunset reassured the purple princess, with a sheepish smile on her face. Twilight stopped saying sorry as she adopted a twin of Sunset's smile. "Um, let's see... I don't know. It's a long story. Yes. I don't know. Again I don't know, but Rarity told me of dream. I don't know, again. Ditto. It would awesome if I am. And... um... I'm happy for me too?" Time spent with the pink-loving party pony/girl had readied both for conversations such as this. "What was that about Rarity and a dream?" " She told me of a dream she had recently, where she was magic-ing new clothes for people by shooting a white light at them from her hands." "Rarity always thinks life is a runway whether she's a pony or a human." The two giggled at the similarities between the two fashionista counter-parts. They stayed like that for a couple of seconds before Twilight gasped as she released Sunset. "I gotta go do something! Wait right here!" With that statement, the purple princess flew like a blur back to the portal's opening. Sunset waited a little after Twilight left, thinking about the kiss and the princess behind it. Then, not wanting to draw unwanted attention to herself, she floated back to the roof. Wanting to test a theory Sunset closed her eyes, she then blended thought and want into a matrix forgotten during her stay here. She smiled and opened her eyes and she felt both her backpack and discarded jacket settle into her hands. Yes! Eat your heart out Trixie.... After waiting a few more minutes, in which she saw students start arriving at the school, she donned her jacket and was picking up her backpack; when she felt the special book within start to vibrate. Taking it out, she read the latest entry. She then reread it, tears falling to mingle with the stains of others appearing there. Twilight galloped out of the library at full speed, yelling for her dragon compatriot. She continued yelling as she exited the front doors of the castle, only to stop in her tracks at the sight before her. Getting out of a pegasi-drawn chariot was Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. Twilight stammered out a greeting for the two before inviting them inside. As soon as the trio entered the castle, Luna magically closed the door behind them. Turning her attention to Twilight, Celestia explained the purpose for the visit. "We have felt the awakening of a new alicorn, Twilight. But neither Luna, nor myself have been able to find her. We were hoping to use your castle's map and its... unique properties." Smiling happily, Twilight proceeded to tell the two sisters about Sunset's transformation as she led them to the library. As Twilight was concluding her tale Celestia removed the book from the receptical, shutting down the portal at the same time. Turning to her sister, she nodded and Luna levitated the mirror-device out through the library's door and then out of the castle altogether. Turning to a stunned and bewildered Twilight, Celestia passed her the book. "It's as I feared. It appears Sunset Shimmer is now the Princess of Friendship in the human world. And as such, we can no longer allow you or anypony else to use the portal." "But Princess, I don't understand?" "As she has taken on your mantle over in her world, it would be too dangerous to both worlds for the portals to remain accessible. You know this, Twilight. Now, I will let you write her a letter explaining everything, but then I'll be taking the book and placing it somewhere safe. Sunset and her friendship council will have to protect their world." Nodding quietly at her mentor's words, Twilight took a quill and wrote Sunset Shimmer the longest friendship letter she ever had written. All as the teardrops fell. Sunset finished rereading Twilight's last letter to their friends while they sat uncomfortably around Applejack's barn. Rarity was laying unconscious across a hay-bale since she had mock-fainted near the beginning and then really fainted later. The girls all sat quietly, save for a few sniffles, as Sunset came to the end of the last page and closed the book. She looked around at her friends s she remembered the end of Twilight's letter. PS: Remember that no matter what happens, friendship lasts through the ages.