Seven Years Earlier (Earth’s Timeline)
Dorothy, AJ, Twilight, Felicia, Vanessa and Dash lay down side-by side on the grassy slope of a foothill, swept over by gentle summer breeze.
“I want to be an astronaut,” Twilight declared.
AJ gazed at her friend in surprise. “Really, Twi? An astronaut?
“Imagine all technological possibilities years from now,” Twilight said. “Planetary colonization, interstellar travel… I want to be there when it finally happens. I could learn more about the universe, maybe even help discover the secrets of existence along the way. Wouldn’t that be interesting? Say AJ, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
“Ah dunno,” the country girl sighed. “Mah family have been farmers for generations. Maybe ah’ll just lead a simple life, so long as mah family and de farm are well taken care off.”
“As for me,” Dorothy said, deciding to join in their conversation, “I’m planning to move to Mainhattan,”
“Why?” Twilight asked curiously. “You don't like it here?”
Dorothy smiled optimistically. “One day I’ll prove myself and leave my mark there as the most talented fashion designer in the world. I can picture it clearly in my mind.”
She closed her eyes to put her imagination to work. “Gorgeous models parading my designs, shining under the bright spotlight like diamonds, audiences awe in amazement, recognizing me as the Fashion Queen of Mainhattan...”
Dorothy opened her eyes. “That’s the future I’m looking forward to.”
“Dorothy, did you just rhymed?”
Had Twilight not mentioned it, she would not have realized it. “Oh, now that you’ve mentioned it, what an odd coincidence.”
Twilight turned her gaze towards the curly-haired girl right next to her. “Felicia, how about you?”
“I kind of like working at the Sugar Cube Cafe. Even it is only part-time for now.”
“So what, you want to work at the cafe your whole life?”
“Yeah, sure!” Felicia said with a broad smile. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“Yeah, y’all keep it up. Mr. and Mrs. Dazzle like ya so much dey just might hand over de Sugar Cube to ya someday.”
A wide grin ran across Felicia’s face, revealing that she is wearing dental braces. “If only.”
When asked by Twilight about her dream, Vanessa said in a low, shy voice, “I haven’t figured it out yet. But sometimes I imagined myself traveling and helping people over the world.”
“A humanitarian, huh?” Twilight said with thought. “Sounds more like volunteer work than a real career. But if you want to help people so much, I suggest a doctor or maybe get into business and become a philanthropist.”
Twilight fixed her sight at the friend furthest away from her. “Hey, Dash. What about you? What do you want to be?”
Dash was not listening as she was attentively watching the clouds drifting across the sky. A silhouette of a jet airliner came into her view, soaring under the bright sun.
She closed her eyes, imagining something in her mind. How does it feel if you could literally fly that high?
“Dash,” Twilight called out impatiently, “did you hear me? Dash?”
Dash heard a knocking sound, then someone else’s voice. “Miss Dash?”
Dash immediately opened her eyes. She was now lying on a bed, facing at the window. She shielded her eyes at the sight bright setting sun.
“Miss Dash?” It was Trixie.
Dash lazily climbed out of the bed and went to open the door.
“Feeling any better now?” Trixie inquired as soon as she saw Dash.
“Yeah, I think so...” Dash answered, her voice lacking in vigor. “You’re here just to check on me?”
Trixie nodded her head. “You were unconscious for a whole day.”
“A day!?” Dash was absolutely shocked to hear it. “I was out for a whole day!?”
“Yes. And since you’re awake, dinner will be served in a few hours. If you’re still not feeling well, I could have the servants send your meal to your room.”
“No, no. I’ll go.”
“That’s great to hear,” Trixie said with a small smile. “I will inform Sunset Shimmer.”
“Hey, do you have any idea if Zach will join for dinner tonight?” Dash asked with slight hesitation.
“Zach? Oh, you mean Lord Watterson. No, he’ll be having dinner with the Reserves as usual. Only Sir Blueblood and Sunset Shimmer will accompany you.”
“‘kay. Thanks.”
After closing the door, Dash walked out to the balcony to get some fresh air. Resting on the balustrade, she saw that it was getting dark. She also spotted Sunset Shimmer doing something strange, in the terraced gardens below. The unicorn’s eyes were shut in full concentration and her horn glowed with opal-colored aura. Dash looked back and forth between Sunset Shimmer and the sky. After the sun had completely set, a full moon slowly rose from the horizon.
Seriously? Dash thought. This is weird on so many levels.
Her mind still could not grasp the concept of ponies raising the sun and the moon manually with magic.
Magic… Suddenly remembering what Prince Umbra had told her about unicorns, Dash directed her full attention at Sunset Shimmer.
Dash sauntered down the hallway and was about to turn another corner but immediately stepped back. She watched out of the corner Sir Blueblood together with Trixie and an exhausted Sunset Shimmer.
“Thank you for your hard work as usual, Sunset Shimmer,” Blueblood said.
After the chancellor left, Trixie looked at her friend with great concern. “You should go rest now.”
“I’m all right,” Sunset Shimmer assured Trixie.
“If you say so. But don’t push yourself.”
“It’s not that that’s bothering me.”
Trixie understood what Sunset Shimmer was thinking. “I know you’re worried about Lightning Dust. But we’re not fillies anymore. Whatever she chose to become or do with her life, it’s her decision alone.”
Sunset Shimmer sighed. “She could’ve become a messenger pony, a delivery pony or even a weather pony. I thought it’d be okay, but suddenly this invasion thing happens.”
With a tender smile, Trixie leaned close to Sunset Shimmer’s face. She closed her eyes and their foreheads touched intimately.
“Don’t worry, okay?” Trixie said in a reassuringly. “Everything’s going to be all right. Now show me a smile. That sad face doesn’t suit you at all.”
Sunset Shimmer’s somberness gradually turned into a small smile. “You’re right. There’s always hope. We just need to hold on until Prince Umbra returns.”
Trixie and Sunset Shimmer hugged each before moving in separate directions.
It was now apparent to Dash that the mares’ relationship was more than fellow staff of the castle. Touched by their gesture, Dash stepped back to the corner. She leaned on the wall, gazing down, recalling her past.
***
Seven Years Earlier (Earth’s Timeline)
Sunny stepped out of the girl’s bathroom with a self-satisfied smirk. That could only mean there is trouble, Felicia thought. She entered the bathroom and heard a sob and a familiar voice coming from one of stalls. She moved towards it, to see Twilight comforting Dash, who was crying on the toilet. On one knee, Felicia looked at Dash compassionately. Mustering a tender smile, she embraced Dash and gently spoke with soothing words of encouragement.
***
Sunset Shimmer sudden appearance startled Dash.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Sunset Shimmer regarded Dash with concern. “You’re sure you feeling okay? You didn’t seem to notice I was standing here at all.”
“I’m…fine.”
“So, is there anything I can help you with, Miss Dash?”
Hesitant, Dash took her time to ask for help from the unicorn. Just then, there was a sudden knock from the outside a window and Sunset Shimmer moved to open it. Hovering outside was a relatively large female griffon. She is wearing a gold bracelet on one wrist.
“Hey, Sunset,” the creature greeted casually.
“Gilda!?”
The griffon looked past Sunset Shimmer in astonishment. “Is that a-?”
Dash waved a hello. “Hi.”
“Whoa,” Gilda uttered. “I thought human beings aren’t supposed to be real!”
By now Dash had gotten bored of hearing the same remark over and over again. “Hey I’m here, aren’t I?”
Gilda shrugged and looked back at Sunset Shimmer.
“More importantly, have you seen Lightning Dust today?” she asked expectantly. “She wasn't at her home on her day off. I couldn’t find her at Tiara’s place either.”
“I haven’t seen her all day to be honest.”
Gilda was disappointed to hear that. “I’m beginning to think she’s avoiding me again.”
“I’m sure she has a good reason,” Sunset Shimmer said confidently. “Maybe she was just real busy. Listen, I’ll talk to her when I see her again, okay? Now go home before Discord catches you for trespassing.”
What, with only five guards? Dash thought sarcastically. Heh, good luck with that.
After saying thanks and goodbye, Gilda flew off into the night sky.
“Another friend of yours?” Dash asked Sunset Shimmer.
“Yeah.”
Dash mustered her courage to say to the unicorn, “Actually since you’re here, I got something to ask you.”
“Yes?”
“Well y’see, Prince Umbra told me that unicorns can do all kinda magic spells.”
Sunset Shimmer said, “Yes. Generally, unicorns can perform basic spells. But that really depends on each individual. The advanced ones need to be specially taught.”
“Yea well, I could use some help on a certain, advanced magic spell…”
“I see,” Sunset Shimmer said, nodding. “Why don’t we talk about it after dinner, hmm? Right now I really need a short rest.”
Dash smiled, a small and appreciative one. “Yeah, sure.”
Blueblood politely excused himself. The dining room where the three was having dinner is meant for high level staff of the castle. Before the Battle of Royal Sisters happened, he used to have dinner with his aunts in the royal dining hall. After the servants finished removing the empty plates and cutleries from the table, Dash and Sunset Shimmer remained at the table.
“A memory spell?” Sunset Shimmer said. “Actually Lord Watterson did ask me about it yesterday.”
“He did?” Dash was surprised to hear it.
“Yes. Theoretically, it can be used to look into someone else’s memories and restore lost ones. I told him, I know every inch of the royal library. But I did a double check anyway. Because spell is susceptible to abuse like mind control and memory tampering, it’s probably out there somewhere, most likely not in writing.”
Dash’s heart sank. “So you’re saying you can’t help me.”
“I’m terribly sorry,” Sunset Shimmer said apologetically.
Dash sat in awkward silence for a moment, uncertain whether she should just leave or change topic. She then remembered the baffling event she witnessed earlier from the balcony.
“So, uh...I watched you from the balcony earlier. Did you really do that? Raising the sun and the moon?”
“I did, ever since Celestia became all crazy. Didn’t I mention it before?”
“But how’d you manage to do that?” Dash was curious to know.
“I’ve used a manual,” Sunset Shimmer said frankly, which baffled Dash even more.
“Wait, there’s a book on how to raise the sun and the moon!?”
“Thank Faust Princess Luna bothered to write it down! Yet performing this feat even with the manual still isn’t easy, I’ll tell you that.”
“That makes even no sense! Aren’t the sun and the moon supposed to revolve around-”
Sunset Shimmer abruptly clenched Dash’s mouth shut with her hoof.
***
Blueblood and Discord both were overseeing Sunset Shimmer’s first time of raising the sun. The sun slowly rose up to the sky, albeit not normally. Instead going straight up, it veered alternately to the sides in its ascent. Anypony who saw this would have thought Princess Celestia was seriously drunk.
“I do hope nopony saw that,” Discord said with worry. “We surely do not want ponies galloping around shouting something the impending apocalypse, don’t we?”
Sir Blueblood decided not to be judgmental. “It’s good first try, Sunset Shimmer. You’ll get the hang of it if you keep it up every day.”
Sunset Shimmer, greatly exhausted both mentally and physically, put away the manual. “Sir, I have a question.”
“Oh, what is it?”
“If the sun and the moon are manually raised, and we aren’t orbiting anything, why are there years?”
“I’m afraid that knowledge is only known to the Royal Sisters, and probably Star Swirl-”
Unexpectedly, Trollestia appeared right behind Sunset Shimmer seemingly out of nowhere. “Questioning the nature of things? I ought to send you to the-”
Sir Blueblood and Captain Discord could only stand watch as Trollestia teleported Sunset Shimmer to…who-knows-where.
Later on, Sunset Shimmer found herself in the countryside, facing a billboard that says, ‘Welcome to Fillydelphia’.
***
Sunset Shimmers gasped at her impulsive action and immediately withdraw her hoof. “I am so sorry! Bad memories.”
“It’s okay,” Dash said, a bit shocked but showed no hard feelings.
Sunset Shimmer asked hurriedly, “But why do you sound so surprised? Doesn’t it work the same way in your world?”
Dash shook her head. “Nope.”
Bafflement came over Sunset Shimmer, which is ironic looking from Dash’s point of view. “Really??? First, there’s no magic. Then the sun and moon move by themselves. That’s sounds crazier than even Trollestia and Star Swirl’s level of insanity multiplied by each other.”
“Ugh,” Dash said, “I keep hearing this name around. Who the heck is this Star Swirl?”
“One of the brilliant academic minds from the past,” the unicorn explained, “albeit also a crazy one,”
“How so?”
“His teachings and research on magic artifacts are standard in many magic schools. But the ‘Crazed’ moniker only came later after his prime. According to legend, he decided to try fixing a microwave with his magic one day. Then he ended blowing it up and accidentally opened up a portal to another universe. It was said from that moment on he began writing crazy fairy tales of his ‘encounter with human beings and some other strange creatures’.”
Another universe? Dash thought. Maybe, just maybe- “Hey, do you think this Star Swirl pony could somehow help me find my way back home?”
“I doubt that,” Sunset Shimmer said frankly.
Yet Dash stayed firm to her notion. “Think about it! Y’all think human beings are phony but here am I right in front you in flesh and blood. Maybe there’s some truth in it!”
“I really, really doubt it has anything to do with Start Swirl.” Sunset Shimmer’s tone was firmer than before.
“Why!?”
“He disappeared a hundred years ago,” Sunset Shimmer revealed to her. “I’ve gone through all his written works. There’s absolutely no mention of anything related to ‘inter-dimensional portal spell’. The legend of Star Swirl opening a portal to another universe remains a legend, verbally passed on because there’s not a shred of evidence of it ever happened.”
Dash slumped in disappointment, prompting Sunset Shimmer to regard her with obvious sympathy.
“If it makes you happy, we could go to my friend’s place tomorrow,” the unicorn suggested.
“She can help?”
“Not quite. She does have a vast collection of the original copies on Star Swirl’s human fairy tales.”
“Original copies?”
“The printed copies were lawfully banned many years ago by Princess Celestia for being ‘mind corrupting’.”
“Trash,” Dash uttered. “Your friend risked herself of breaking the law, why?”
“This particular pony is…to put it mildly, eccentric. She’s so fond of anything human, she even went as far as mimicking…one…” Sunset Shimmer suddenly frowned, slowly digesting her own statement.
“Yeah?” Dash noticed the unicorn was not responsive. “Hey, Sunset. What’s the matter? Hey!”
She waved her hand in front of the unicorn’s eyes, causing the latter to startle.
“Huh? Oh! N-nothing. Sorry.”
“So who’s your friend?” Dash asked.
“Her name’s Lyra. She would’ve love to meet you and hear stories of your homeworld…if weren’t for Trollestia.” There was bitterness in the way Sunset Shimmer pronounced the name of Princess Celestia’s alter ego. “So her home’s abandoned now. But if we’re lucky, maybe we can find something useful there.”
“Lemme guess, she’s trapped on the moon?”
“It’s hard to tell,” Sunset Shimmer said, looking rather uncertain. “Maybe she was banished to the moon or maybe to someplace else. One thing’s for sure, she was never seen again ever since.”
“Can’t any of you bring ‘em back?”
“No. The teleportation spell is a very advanced type of magic. It’s possible to teleport an inanimate object through a short distance. But teleporting a living being all the way to the moon? It has to be Dark Magic because not even Princess Luna is capable of such feat. Ugh, if only she was still here! Learning advanced magic would be so much easier.”
Dash vaguely remembered the unicorn mentioning something about being in magic school. “Is Princess Luna like your teacher in magic school?”
“No,” Sunset Shimmer said, “Actually, I was Celest-I mean, I was one of Princess Celestia’s personal pupil. An apprentice, if you like, on becoming an Alicorn Princess.”
Dash regarded Sunset Shimmer thoughtfully. “And tell me. Princess Luna, what was she like?”
“She’s not much that different from Princess Celestia, actually.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. They’re both very commanding, strict. And, they…both enjoy celebrations.” Sunset Shimmer paused for a brief moment, thinking. “Okay, maybe they are a little different.”
“How so?”
“Princess Luna prefers lively and ‘open’ events. Unlike Celestia who wants everything to be formal, adhering to protocols and whatnots.”
There it is again, Dash thought. Why is that? “I don’t understand. What d’ya mean by ‘open’?”
“Princess Luna likes to mingle with ordinary ponies. For instance, the Nightmare Night party she hosted at the castle is open to the public. She’s really more outgoing than her elder sister. Hey, once I even saw her going out into the city without her regalia.”
“It sounds to me you have a soft spot for Princess Luna, Sunset,” Dash said frankly. “As for Princess Celestia, it’s a whole different story.”
“Why would you say that?” Sunset Shimmer asked, looking a bit tensed.
“Sorry, I really didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that I realized that you don’t always refer Princess Celestia by her title. And the way you mentioned about her. It felt…‘different’.”
Sunset Shimmer cringed in her seat. She had given herself away so much even the human being whom she just met could see right through her.
“You’re right actually. That was rather immature of me. Princes Celestia is still royalty. Yeah, you could say that I resented her. Not just for what she did to Princess Luna, but also for heavily favoring Twilight Sparkle back then. She always busied herself with Twilight, so Princess Luna decided to fill in, making her my unofficial mentor.”
“I don’t know why,” Sunset Shimmer sounded even bitter now, “but Princess Celestia suddenly changed when Twilight Sparkle was enrolled into magic school. Trixie and I began our study long before she did, then it’s like...I don’t exist anymore. And Trixie-”
“Oh, so you and Trixie went to the same school?” Dash immediately asked her.
“As Princess Celestia’s apprentices, Twilight Sparkle and I sought to learn advanced magic and what it means to be a ruler, so that one day we could fulfil our dream of being crowned princess and co-rule Equestria by her side, as Princess Luna did. Meanwhile Trixie took regular classes. She was different from others. She was the kind of pony who loves attention. Since she was filly, she dreamed of becoming a magician, to entertain ponies in an extravagant show.”
“But she didn’t...”
“Trixie’s father is an Earth pony,” Sunset Shimmer revealed. “That makes her a half-unicorn. So her test scores were below average at best. In the end, the school decided that she isn’t worth it and then got her expelled.”
“I see.” Dash felt a strange feeling came over her. What is this? Sympathy? For a talking pony? Really? “I’m sorry to hear that...”
Sunset Shimmer’s expression turned lively again. “Hey, don’t be. Yeah, Trixie became a gloomy pony after that but it all worked out for her in the end. Don’t you think your room is lovely?”
“She did all that?”
“It’s part of her job. And she’s really good at it. She even helps plan the events for the royal celebrations. If only you’ve seen the Nightmare Night Party or the parade for Canterlot Day! It was amazing! Everypony was enjoying themselves! And even Princess Luna loved it! So finally Trixie decided to be content with what she has.”
“Is she?”
“Sure she wasn’t the star of the show like she once imagined, she still made everypony happy. So I guess she managed to fulfil her own dream...in a way.”
Dash looked away enviously, melancholy flooded her voice. “That’s great. Really…great.”
Sunset Shimmer gazed at Dash strangely. “Miss Dash? What’s wrong? You seemed…down.”
“No, I… It’s just that…I know…how it feels, to lose a life-long dream…”
“Oh, so do you...want to talk about it?”
“I dunno. I never talk about it to anyone.”
Sunset Shimmer could detect a hint of sorrow in Dash’s eyes. “Does your family know about this?”
“I only have a foster family,” Dash confessed. “And my best friends. They’re only ones I got left.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Sunset Shimmer said sympathetically. It does not take a genius to figure out that Dash is an orphan.
“It’s okay. It was a long time ago. I got over it.”
“What about other family ties?”
Dash shook her head. “None.”
“I see...”
For some reason, Dash began to open up. “They were as close to me as a real family could ever get. But in the end I’m the one who chose to stay away from them…”
“I don’t understand,” Sunset Shimmer said, “Why would you do that? Did you have a fight with them?”
“B’cuz…I was embarrassed. I don’t want ‘em to find out…”
“It’s okay,” Sunset Shimmer encouraged her. “Let it out,”
“I don’t want ‘em to find out what a total loser I’ve become. That it was partly my fault, that I’ll never live my dream…”
“Which was?”
“To be a part of the Thunderbolts.”
Sunset Shimmer raised her eyebrows. “Thunderbolts?” Is that something like the Wonderbolts?
“Where I come from,” Dash said, “it’s an aerobatic demonstration team for the air force.”
“As in air army? You were a soldier then?”
Dash explained that she was a junior cadet and the air force was merely an excuse for her to get into their flight academy. To be illegible for a spot in the academy, one must go through at least one year of military service, and be promoted to the rank of an officer.”
“So what happened?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“I trained really hard, pushing myself to my limits, enduring every humiliation, every unpleasant experience thrown at me. Being in the Thunderbolts team was all I ever wanted. But now it’s dead. ‘Cuz, I…screwed up.”
“How do you ‘screwed’ it up?” All of a sudden, Sunset Shimmer changed her mind, deciding that it was of no importance. “No, ignore that question. What did you do after that?”
Dash sadly looked down at the table without answering the question.
“What, nothing?” Sunset Shimmer asked, seemingly taken aback by Dash’s lack of response.
Dash replied despairingly, eyes still on the table, “What’s the point? There’s nothing in life worth pursuing anymore. It’s over-”
“Miss Dash, stop!” Sunset Shimmer’s voice was stern. “I don’t want to hear such crazy talk! Now please look up at me!”
Dash looked up, wondering what the unicorn was being upset about.
“I apologize if you think I was being rude just now,” Sunset Shimmer was speaking calmly now. “As awkward as this might sound, I want you to think of me as a friend. Just for a moment, okay? I’m going to tell you a story about a pony named Lightning Dust.”
“The green pegasus,” Dash recalled.
“You’ve met her already?”
“No, not really. I just saw her with the others in the courtyard yesterday. She mentioned something about the Wonderbolts.”
Perfect, Sunset Shimmer thought. No need for introductions then. “Yeah, she used to train in their academy. She’s an excellent flyer with a lot of potentials. She’s been training so hard her who life to achieve her dream as the lead pony and the fastest flyer in Equestria. But as time goes by, she became overly competitive, egoistic, reckless, always wanting to be in first place in everything no matter what. This eventually led to her to unwittingly cause an accident during one their routine training drills.”
“What happened?”
Sunset Shimmer inhaled before telling Lightning Dust’s story in a way that will not make her friend look bad. “Lightning Dust was supposed to clear out a whole bunch of clouds out of the sky. But she was a little impatient. She wanted to be the first pony done, to impress her instructor. So, she decided to make a tornado to speed things up but ended up losing control of it, injuring the other cadets as a result. Even though she apologized for her actions, she was still kicked out from Wonderbolts. And that’s how her dream was taken away because of one mistake.”
Dash regarded this with disdain. “So? It’s her fault and she deserved it, right?”
“Lightning Dust isn’t a bad pony,” Sunset Shimmer insisted. “She would never have tried to actually hurt anypony. I guess she just wanted to show that she was Wonderbolt material. I honestly thought she’d be disciplined or demoted at worst. She almost couldn’t carry on her life since then. But eventually she did. Look at her now.”
“But why the army?” Dash asked.
“I don’t know,” Sunset Shimmer admitted. “Lightning Dust never told me the actual reason. It's a wild guess but I figured she wanted to make up for her mistake back in the Wonderbolts Academy.”
“And how does being a chauffeur supposed to help?”
“Hey, everypony needs to start from scratch before getting to the top. That’s just how all things work. Oh, that reminds me of another story. Care to listen, Dash?”
“Yea, sure.” Still, she was not sure what to expect out of this conversation.
“Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, I believe you’ve met them already, from what Trixie told me.”
Dash recalled the two Earth ponies whom she saw were with Trixie at the boutique.
“Silver Spoon is the youngest among us,” Sunset Shimmer then began. “She used to belong to a very wealthy family.”
“Used to?”
“She lost her parents at a very young age.”
Dash’s expression fell upon hearing that. Sunset Shimmer stopped for a moment. She pondered on how to continue the story. In the end Sunset Shimmer decided to spare Dash the details of how the grey Earth pony’s parents died.
“After her parents died,” she continued, “her family’s business went down due to some ‘unfortunate circumstances’, thus reducing her wealth to almost nothing. Fortunately, one pony decided to adopt her.”
Dash made a wild guess. “Diamond Tiara?”
“Yes. Diamond Tiara once dreamed of opening a successful fashion chain in Manehattan. She figured the only way she could get enough bits and reputation is through the Manehattan Fashion Week. She traveled there very often to show off her designs to the critics. But every time she was unsuccessful. Competition was tight, the critics were harsh. That didn’t stop her for trying again though. She was so sure that all her efforts will pay off eventually.”
Suddenly Sunset Shimmer sounded somber. “But in the end it was all for nothing. The only thing she achieved was making herself broke.”
“Broke!?” Dash blurted aloud. As if a shattered dream wasn’t bad enough!
“She’s burning money every time she makes the trip to Manehattan. Accommodations, train fares, not to mention the costs for making all those fancy dresses. So without making any returns on all the money she spent…”
Dash felt sadden upon hearing that. “That’s awful…”
“It is, isn’t it? After Silver Spoon was adopted, we did what we could to help ease their burden. Then something unexpected happened. Do you know what it is?”
“She has her own store right here in Canterlot, so she must’ve made it in the end.”
“Almost right. Actually, it was Silver Spoon who bought that place, after she secretly sold her own pearl necklace, her only valuable possession at the time.”
“No way, she did that for Diamond Tiara?” Dash felt herself touched by Silver Spoon’s sacrifice.
“She did. It wasn't a big business, yet it’s a start.” With that, Sunset Shimmer finished all her stories. “So Dash, can you conclude anything from the stories?”
However, the point of the three stories was still not apparent to Dash.
Sunset Shimmer finally explained what she was trying to tell her. “My point is that there’s always a second chance in life. Plans can change but by not giving up, by making choices as best as you can in the present, you can find something worthwhile to work for even though it wasn’t the future you’ve imagined from the beginning.”
Dash considered Sunset Shimmer’s advice. She now realized that the unicorn actually understands her, which is weird considering the situation involving a ‘talking animal’ and also that Sunset Shimmer bears a vague yet eerie resemblance to her ex-tormentor whom she still hates very much. She then quickly shrugged that thought her mind. She was not in her own world after all.
Placing the pieces together, it is not just Sunset Shimmer’s friends who had experienced dreams. With Princess Celestia gone insane, the unicorn herself never managed to realize her dream to become the princess’ co-ruler. Yet, they all managed in the end. Sunset Shimmer, for one, being an Assistant Chancellor has to count for something.
“I dunno what to say,” Dash said.
Sunset Shimmer regarded a sincere and gentle look. “No need. But I sincerely hope you can find your way back home and when you do, please think it over. You’re still very young, and I am sure that your family is worried sick about you. In time, I hope you realize that is there’s more to life than one dream.”
“Thanks,” Dash said gratefully. “I appreciate you’re talking to me like this,”
Then it struck her that there was something strangely familiar regarding Sunset Shimmer’s words. “Weird… A part of it sounded familiar, like I’ve heard it before.”
“Who? Was it from one of your friends?”
“I don’t think so...” Dash tried to recall her memory, but found that she could not. Something felt missing from her life. Failing to figure out what it is, she quickly dismissed it. “Nah, it’s not important now.”
She then went on to say absentmindedly, “Anyway, it’s funny really, hearing this from you.”
“Meaning, what?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“Sorry. It’s just that when I first saw you, your look reminds me of someone back home. Someone unfortunately I don’t really like. As weird as it sounds, it’s like you’re a unicorn version of her.”
Dash cringed when Sunset Shimmer just stared at her blankly. “Oh no, no! Please don’t take it the wrong way. I wasn’t making fun of you. I’m just sayin’. Honest!”
“Is that so?” Sunset Shimmer jested. “Well, two can play this game. Let me tell you something. You looked a lot like Rainbow Dash. A human version of her, to be exact.”
“Puh-leez!” Dash scoffed. “There’s no way I’m that sore loser. First off, I do not say ‘20% cooler’. What’s it supposed to refer to anyway?”
“Yeah, exactly!” Sunset Shimmer giggled. “That pegasus kept pestering everypony on making everything ‘20% cooler’ like her, without explaining things. Really, how do you make something cooler by 20%? How?”
“If I was her,” Dash said, her mood elated by the unicorn’s friendliness. “I’d say something more sensible, like awesome.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Sunset Shimmer agreed.
As they talked and traded jokes, it is revealed that Zach was eavesdropping on them from outside the dining room’s entrance for who-knows-how-long.
Later, Zach was standing motionless on the balustrade for a few seconds, staring at the full moon illuminating brightly the clear night sky above.
SHADE Armor, Arcane Focus.
After his clothes changed, the Godslayer leaped from his balcony to the ground below and proceeded to sneak to the terraced gardens. He effortlessly climbed over the tall castle wall and then landed on the other side.
STAT, open the Void. Set coordinates to the moon.
A haloed pitch-black sphere with moving violet web energy materialized before him. This is the very same sphere that Dash emerged through into this Equestria. He walked into it then disappeared from view.
For the Godslayers, the Void is both a gateway to another universe and a method to travel between locations almost instantaneously. In order for an individual to cross through it however, he or she must be shielded to protect him or herself from the radiation field. For now, only full-armored Godslayers and crafts were known to have use the Void.
The same sphere appeared on the moon surface. Godslayer Watterson emerged from it shortly before the portal harmlessly collapsed into a bright flash. After which, his Arcanist SHADE reverted back into his normal clothes.
Zach warily looked around, only to see that he was alone in a vast grey dessert riddled with rocks and craters.
Man, there’s a lot of ground to cover...
Back in the castle’s reading chamber, Dash and Sunset Shimmer both were looking through an album containing foalhood photos of the latter and her friends.
One set of photos showed the six friends playing at the beach. Gilda was giving Silver Spoon a shoulder-ride while sauntering along the shoreline. And then there was Sunset Shimmer who was competed with Trixie in a friendly contest of building the biggest and most complex sand castles using their unicorn magic. But the most fun the friends had was when they played in the waters together.
Next, Dash found out the ponies had their own version of Halloween. Here the celebration is called Nightmare Night. Sunset Shimmer looked a bit funny as a princess due to over-the-top gown she was wearing at the time. The unicorn explained it was Diamond Tiara who lent her the dress. In another photo, Trixie, in her wizard/magician costume, was shown to have collected the most treats among the six friends.
Later Sunset Shimmer showed photos of a surprise birthday party they held for Gilda. Dash really liked how Gilda reacted when the griffon was greeted with confetti and pop-out streamers as soon as she came in through the door. The griffon’s surprise really showed through her bug-eyed expression. One photo revealed that Gilda’s bracelet was actually a birthday gift from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.
Before turning in, Dash had one last look at photos taken during a sleepover at Silver Spoon’s mansion. All six friends were shown engaged in various activities- creating paper arts learned from Silver Spoon’s library books, playing board games, playing dress up with wardrobes from Diamond Tiara’s ‘Closet of Shame’ etc. Sunset Shimmer also told Dash that whenever they played hide-and-seek at the mansion, she could never understand how Silver Spoon managed to be so good at hiding thus win every time.
***
Trixie refused to accept her expulsion. Without caring for her own dignity, Trixie went on her knees and begged Princess Celestia to intervene with the school’s decision. However, the princess coldly dismissed her and had the royal guards dragged the unicorn away. Not even Princess Luna’s advice to reconsider was able to change the elder princess’ mind. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle both witnessed this. The former was very saddened at the fate of her friend, the other merely regarded the sight with indifference.
Lightning Dust was stunned by what she had done. She could only stand watch as emergency ponies attended to the injured Wonderbolts cadets. Emergency ponies carefully lifted Gilda, the cadet who took the worst of it, to a stretcher and haul her away. One of few Wonderbolts who was lucky enough to avoid the tornado was Rainbow Dash. Later, Spitfire, the Wonderbolts’ captain, berated Lightning Dust for her ‘reckless’ action. After ripping the Lead Pony badge off Lighting Dust’s uniform, she immediately discharged the cadet in disgrace.
Diamond Tiara’s eyes ran with envy at the stylish clothing on display behind the glass window of a famous fashion boutique, imagining the place is hers. Her heart was fraught with disappointment after she lost her place in the Fashion Week to Rarity earlier. Back in her hotel room, Diamond Tiara packed the all dresses she made, along its accessories (one of which is a diamond-encrusted tiara). Despite the latest setback, the Earth pony refused to believe that she was too ambitious for her own good.
Back when Silver Spoon was a filly, she wore an exquisite pearl necklace with a spoon-shaped pendant. She also loved to share her stuffs and treats with her peers. This is how she gained a lot of friends in kindergarten. Years later, her parents passed away and Silver Spoon was seen mourning for them at their graves under heavy rain. Ever since the Earth pony lost all her riches, none of her so-called friends came to visit her. Gilda, Lightning Dust, Trixie, Diamond Tiara and Sunset Shimmer were the only exception.
***
Trixie, still angry from her expulsion, was surprised to see Princess Luna coming to visit her. The princess regarded of the artistic illustrations of the scattered stage props with interest and so offered Trixie work. Trixie started off as maidservant at the castle. She diligently did her chores without complaint and was very proactive. Eventually, Trixie rose to the rank of head servant. One of the first of many tasks assigned to her was help plan the events for the Canterlot Day celebration.
Lightning Dust poured out her insecurities to Trixie for being the only junior in the royal army. It was then that the Flim and Flam along with Tirek and Nova decided to approach the pegasus in a sincere attempt to befriend her. Seeing how depressed she looked, Tirek offered his cupcakes in order to cheer her up. Nova shapeshifted into Captain Discord’s likeness then made some funny faces and silly poses. In response, the brothers made jokes about the captain. Lightning Dust’s sullen face gradually faded.
It was not easy for Diamond Tiara after taking Silver Spoon into her care. She depended heavily on her friends’ help and the meager income from the sewing shop she runs at her shabby home in order to feed them both. This hardship drove Silver Spoon to take action on her own, and that meant sacrificing the only heirloom left to her. It was not until a year later Silver Spoon was finally ready to unveil the premise for their boutique and new home to Diamond Tiara.
***