Comes the Sunset

by Scipio Smith

Prologue: Defying Gravity

Prologue

Defying Gravity

Though the streets were full of ponies, Sunset Shimmer was alone.

She moved through the heaving bustle of Canterlot, not touching anypony. Not interacting with any of them. Their chatter swirled about her like an ocean but she did not hear it, nor did she say a single word to anypony who passed by. It was as though there was a shield around her that was keeping her from pony contact, isolating her. She was like the star in some moving picture show and all the rest were only background extras whose only purpose was to make the scene look busy.

Sunset walked down Holloway Road, head held high, eyes proud. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She had nothing to be sad about. She should be thankful, really. Thankful to the princess, and to Breaking Dawn that little...no, no she wasn't angry. She was grateful, just like she ought to be. She'd been coasting through that school, getting lazy, getting comfortable. This kick in the flank was exactly what she needed. She knew what she had to do now, where she had to go.

It was stupid of me to think that I'd ever find the answers I was looking for at that school. If I want to find the secret to eternal life, if I want to have my own kingdom, I need to look elsewhere.

And I know where.

But she wouldn't be going alone. This would be the greatest adventure ever, and she planned to share it with the two greatest ponies - and greatest friends - ever.

Sunset Shimmer reached the Haymarket, a large square in mid-town Canterlot, and made her way through the press of ponies going home for the day to the ice cream stand which always sat against the north edge of the market. Strawberry Swirl, the manager of the stand, was there as always in his red-and-white striped waistcoat and white hat; a fond and familiar smile for Sunset as she rested her forehooves on the counter, "Hey, Sunset! They let you out of school early today or something?"

Sunset laughed nervously, "Yeah, you could say that."

"You okay kid? You sound kinda down."

"Nah, I'm fine, Mr Swirl. I'm great. Can I get a chocolate sundae with chocolate fudge sauce and─"

"And two chocolate flakes, I know what you want kid. It's all you ever order." Strawberry Swirl sweetened his exasperated tone with a grin to show he was only kidding.

"What can I say, Mr Swirl, I've got one hay of a sweet tooth I guess," Sunset grinned.

"You gonna take it away someplace?"

"Nah, I'm eating in today."

Strawberry Swirl smiled, "Is it your colt-friend? Or are you meeting Trixie here?"

"Both," Sunset Shimmer replied.

"Well that's good to hear," Strawberry Swirl leaned over the counter. "Because between you and me this is a lousy place for a boy to take his marefriend for a date if you know what I mean."

Sunset looked sceptical, "I cannot remember a time when I've been here and not seen somepony kissing. Look there's two ponies kissing right there!" she gestured to a happy couple sucking face at one of the tables in the corner of the square.

"That's different," Strawberry said.

"How?"

"That girl ain't as cute as you, sweetie," he placed her sundae down on the counter. "Here you go."

"Thanks Mr Swirl," Sunset Shimmer paid him, then levitated her ice cream over to one of the blue-and-white checkerboard tables set out for those who didn't want to take their ice cream with them. She set the sundae down, took hold of the little spoon with her magic, and took a tiny bite. The ice cream made her teeth shiver, but to be honest she liked that. And it was so sweet, it was just what she needed.

Chocolate chips as well, I could just live on these. I hope I become queen of a place where they've worked out how to make ice cream.

"Hey, you're starting without me," Flash Sentry landed a few feet away from her and strode over. "That's not very polite, don't you think?"

Sunset raised one eyebrow, "Well, a decent coltfriend wouldn't have kept me waiting. A decent coltfriend would have been waiting for me and would have bought me something."

"Sorry," Flash said. "Guess I'm a pretty lousy colt-friend huh?"

"I forgive you," Sunset leaned forward to kiss him, but Flash Sentry didn't move. He stood stock still, at attention.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Flash said.

"Do you want something to eat?"

"No, I'm fine. How are you? I heard that you, um, that you got, uh─"

"Kicked out?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "Yeah, it happened and I don't want to talk about it. It happened. It’s in the past. I only want to talk about the future."

Flash Sentry laughed mirthlessly, "Come on, Sunny, you can't just sweep something like this under the carpet, you need to talk about it."

"Why?" Sunset demanded. "What the hay good would that do?" She sighed, rubbing her nose with one hoof. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't get mad at you. It's just...everything... and Breaking Dawn said some stuff and... it isn't your fault."

"It's okay," Flash Sentry said. "With all that's been going on with you lately, it would be surprising if you weren't mad."

"See that's what I like about you, Flash, you're so supportive," Sunset hugged him, which Flash bore stiffly and stoically. "How do you feel about taking a trip?"

"What?"

"I was going to wait until Trixie got here to talk about this, but since you're here and she isn't I'll tell you first," Sunset said. "I want us to go away together, the three of us. On an adventure."

Flash frowned, "Where? For how long?"

"For as long as it takes," Sunset replied. "Where: there's a mirror, in the palace. A magic mirror. Celestia showed it to me once. It shows you your desires, but at the same time it's some kind of portal. To other places. Other worlds, outside of this one."

"You mean like other planets?"

"No. Well, maybe. It isn't entirely clear whether they are other planets or whether they are worlds that exist on separate planes of existence or something. It's very weird and nopony quite gets it, so don't worry about it too much. But, the important thing is, this mirror lets you travel between worlds. You go through the mirror and you end up in, well, one book says that it's a wood with lots of pools, and another says its a hall of mirrors, so I think it must look different depending on who you are. Either way, it's like a corridor, with lots of doors to all the different worlds. And we can use them to travel anywhere we want."

Flash Sentry stared at her in disbelief, "You want to travel to other worlds?"

"When she thought I couldn't hear her, one of the nurses said it would take fruit from the Land of Youth to cure my parents," Sunset said softly. "The land of youth... it has to be out there somewhere. Who knows what we'll find exploring strange new worlds, what kind of cures... what opportunities. We might find a world that's just being born and we could be made queens and kings of it. Wouldn't that be something? You and me and Trixie, travelling through space. Doesn't that sound awesome?"

"Um, Sunny," Flash started.

"I want to leave today, so maybe you should go pack your stuff," Sunset said, starting to eat her sundae. "We don't have all the time in the world."

"Sunny, I can't," Flash Sentry murmured.

"You can't; what do you mean you can't?" Sunset asked, her voice becoming shrill as his unexpected refusal stung her like a slap. "Why can't you?"

Flash looked guilty, looking everywhere except at Sunset Shimmer, "Because... I came here today to tell you, I can't do this any more."

"You can't do..." Sunset tailed off. She blinked, dumbstruck for a moment. "Are you breaking up with me?"

Flash Sentry sighed, "Sunny, you're an amazing mare. We've had some great times together. But I have to think about my future. If I'm going to make it in the guard I have to think about the kind of pony I associate with─"

"You're breaking up with me so you can get a lousy promotion in the guard!" Sunset shrieked.

"Don't be that way, come on!" Flash argued. "It's been cool, but did you really think that we'd stay together after you left school? After we grew up? Did you really think that what we had was for keeps?"

"Yes," Sunset whispered.

"Oh come on, don't put this all on me."

"Who should I put it on?" Sunset snarled, leaning forward to throw her words into his face as her chest tightened with so much anger it was all she could not to put a hex on him.

"You've been so distracted the last few weeks I haven't felt like I've had a marefriend in a long time." Flash Sentry whined, his own bitterness flashing around the edges of his attempts to sound reasonable.

Sunset was rendered speechless for a moment, before her outrage overrode her astonishment at his selfishness, "My parents are dying, you jerk and you're whining that I haven't been paying you enough attention? Celestia I don't believe you!"

"Sunny─"

"Don't call me that!" Sunset screamed. "You don't have the right."

Flash Sentry cringed, "Sunset─"

"Go away," Sunset snapped. "I can't even look at you right now. I don't ever want to see you again."

"Don't leave it like this."

"Go!"

Flash Sentry shook his head, as if in disbelief at her childishness, then took off up into the skies.

Sunset looked at her ice cream, but she didn't feel so hungry anymore. She rested her head upon the table and sat there, unmoving, until she heard the other voice she had been longing to hear.

"Sunset? Is everything okay? Is there anything Trixie can help you with?"

Sunset raised her head. "Yes, and no. Flash isn't coming."

Trixie frowned. "Not coming where?"

"Anywhere. He's staying here to have a career. Sun and stars, I offered him the world. The worlds in fact, and he says he can't be with me any more. And before that, Breaking Dawn had the nerve to wait outside as I was leaving and crow about how she got me thrown out. Like she'll do any better."

"Ignore her, she's an ass," Trixie said. "What will you do now?"

"I'm gonna do what I should have done a long time ago: seek my fortune!" Sunset Shimmer said, her eyes lighting up once more. "To be honest, this has been a wake up call for me in a good way. I needed to get out of that school; it isn't my path. I already know where my road - where our road - really leads."

She told Trixie everything, laying it all out for her: the mirror, the many worlds, the ability to travel between them, all of her dreams and ambitions for the journey. Flash betrayed me, but Trixie won't. She's a real pal, my best friend. She'll come with me.

"You want Trixie to come with you to...another world? You want Trixie to leave Equestria?"

"Won't it be brilliant?" Sunset asked. "The greatest adventure ever! Just you and me, defying gravity and all that stuff. Unlimited, you know, the whole big production number. Just don't make me sing it girl, you know I hate to sing."

"Even though you're really good at it," Trixie said with a tremulous smile. "Are you sure you need Trixie for this?"

"What, because I have so many other friends I could ask to go with me? Come on, Trixie, you're my best friend. What's the matter?"

"Trixie is... I'm scared."

"There's nothing to be scared of, trust me," Sunset said. "We'll save my parents, then we can find a world that needs a couple of smart, strong mares to take it in hoof and we'll make ourselves princesses, queens, anything you want. Empresses, now wouldn't that be awesome? They'll build us statues a hundred feet high and thrones made out of gold, and worship us the way everypony worships Celestia. Come on, they'll never bring us down. What do you say?"

Trixie shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes, "I can't."

"Because you're afraid?"

"Because I like it here."

"Why?" Sunset demanded. "What can this place offer you that I can't?"

Trixie shook her head silently, stifling a sob with one hoof.

Sunset stood up, "I don't get it. I really don't. Think of what we could do together. Think of what we could be. You're supposed to be my best friend, we're like family. You're really going to let me fly solo on this?"

"You don't have to go," Trixie murmured.

Sunset held her gaze for a long while before she said hoarsely, "Yeah, I do. I'll see you around Trixie. Or not."

She started to walk away.

"Sunset!" Trixie shouted. "Think about what you're doing. And whatever you decide to do, be careful."

Sunset took a deep breath, and forced herself to smile when she looked back, "Now where's the fun in that?"

Author's Note:

Many thanks to The Albinocorn and Starlight Nova for pre-reading this for me, it wouldn't have read half so well without the Albinocorn's comments. Also thanks to the Albinocorn for picking this out of the three choices, I see now it was the best of the three options.

If you want to know why I suddenly decided to write a prologue when I'm ten chapters into the fic, read my blog post 'Sunset Shimmer - Prologue 1' for an explanation.

I ended up incorporating a lot more of EQG canon into the fic here, such as the magic mirror and Sunset's Shimmer's relationship with Flash (which happened in the mirrorverse admittedly, but I like the idea that it happened in Equestria too).

Comments

[Albi]

First!

Also, all your Sunsets are belong to me!

[Cromegas_Flare]

Nice, job. I shall read on to what I have not read yet. Also, is there anything you updated since the frist publishing of each chapter up to chapter 4? (exuding the prologue)

[Carnation83]

A woods with lots of pools? Is that a "Magician's Nephew" shout out?