• Published 19th Dec 2014
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My Little Pony Equestria Girls 4: Sunset Shimmer Returns - Hopeful Soul



Sunset Shimmer finally returns home to Equestria to right her old wrongs, unfortunately the sins of the Human World follow her back and put everypony in Equestria in danger.

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Forgiveness

Chapter 4

After a little while, the guards pulling the carriage carrying Sunset Shimmer arrived in Canterlot, a place Sunset Shimmer hadn’t been to in what seemed like forever. It was her home during and before she was Princess Celestia’s student, but upon landing and getting off she could see plenty of ghosts. Times where she was rude and callous to everypony, and it haunted her.

She soon arrived at the castle where a few more guards were already waiting for her.

“Right this way, the Princess is waiting for you.” The guard said.

“Right, thank you sirs.” Sunset Shimmer said, politely as she began to follow them down the hall. Along the way she spotted glass images of Twilight and her friends prevailing over every threat that came their way and she smiled with pride.

Sunset walked down the halls to the throne room, nervous as a kid starting high school. They soon reached a pair of large doors, the doors to the throne room, that was where the guards stopped. The doors swung open and Sunset Shimmer entered, as Sunset walked to the throne. there, Celestia stood before her, her look of thought and a poker face not showing emotion. Sunset Shimmer bowed in respect of the Princess, something she hadn’t done in a long time.

“Sunset Shimmer.” The Princess said, calmly.

“Princess.” Sunset responded, still looking fearful and sad.

There was a long period of silence between the two before Sunset Shimmer finally began to say something to her former teacher.

“Listen, before you say anything Princess… I just want to say… I’m sorry.” Sunset said. “You were right, I wasn’t ready to become a Princess… but my arrogance and anger got in the way. I thought I was special because you chose me as your student, that I was better than everypony else… but I was wrong… you tried to show me that there was more to life than just becoming powerful and I didn’t listen and… it lead to me leaving and stealing Twilight’s crown… and for that I am sorry… whatever punishment you think I should have… I’ll take it… no questions asked.”

Sunset lowered her head, shamefully, expecting to her the Princess’ answer and punishment for her, but her former teacher just smiled and approached her before putting a comforting hoof on her shoulder, surprising Sunset Shimmer.

“No punishment necessary,” she said. “I’m just so glad you’ve returned home.”

“But… but I betrayed you… I tried to take over Equestria… why would you…” Sunset Shimmer began to say.

“Because the events the caused you to steal Twilight’s crown were not entirely your fault.” Princess Celestia told her.

“It wasn’t?” Sunset Shimmer asked, confused.

“Yes, it was also my fault, I showed you the Mirror before you were ready and I never was able to show you just how important friendship truly was." Celestia expressed, regretfully

“But Twilight did…” Sunset Shimmer pointed out.

Princess Celestia nodded. “Yes. Once again, she has saved the life of somepony I cared about, somepony I failed help when I could…” she said, regretfully.

“Princess, you haven’t failed anypony, we all make mistakes I mean… look at me.” Sunset Shimmer told her, smiling.

“Indeed.” Celestia smiled. “And I am so proud of the mare you’ve become.”

“You are?” Sunset asked, touched.

Celestia then pulled her into a hug, much to her surprise. “I am.”

Sunset Shimmer’s still remained wide, shocked by the sudden hug but eventually came to accept it and returned it right away. They then heard a door opening and turned to see Princess Luna entering.

“Luna!” Princess Celestia said, pleased.

“Greetings, sister.” Luna greeted her, before she noticed Sunset Shimmer. Her eyes narrowed. “Oh. And I see you have a guest.”

“Indeed.” Princess Celestia confirmed.

Celestia gave Sunset a smile and subtly gestured to her sister, silently encouraging her to go over and introduce herself. Sunset nodded and walked up to the Princess of the Night, who did not looked too thrilled to see her.

“Sunset Shimmer.” Princess Luna said, seriously.

“Uh… Hi Princess Luna…” Sunset Shimmer smiled, nervously. “I… take it you’ve heard of me?”

“Indeed I have.” Princess Luna replied, her eyes narrowed. “And I was there when you decided to steal Twilight’s crown.”

“Oh… really?” Sunset Shimmer remarked, surprised and now sweating bullets.

“Yes, and just remember if you end up hurting my sister or Twilight again…” Princess Luna began.

“You’ll ‘get me’? Yeah… I think there’s gonna be a line for that thing.” Sunset Shimmer admitted, jokingly. She and Celestia let out a bit of a giggle while Luna remained straight faced. She soon stopped. “Uh… sorry.”

“I see part of you still has no problem disrespecting authority, am I right?” Luna questioned while her sister approached.

“Now Luna, Sunset Shimmer has learned from her mistakes and right now she is struggling to fit in with many ponies still believing her to be evil, you know what that’s like.” Celestia reminded her.

Luna looked away, feeling guilty then looked back at Sunset. “Apologizes, I meant no disrespect.”

“It’s ok, believe me, I’m used to it…” Sunset expressed.

“As am I.” Luna nodded.

“Oh yeah… you were once Nightmare Moon, right?” Sunset inquired.

“Indeed I was, but Twilight and her friends saved me just as they saved you.” Luna stated. “Though it took a quite a while before everypony became accepting of me.”

“Guess we have a few things in common, huh?” Sunset remarked.

“I suppose we do, but remember this; I am not my sister and if you do show signs of relapsing or betraying us… well you know the rest.” Princess Luna told her, sternly. “Farewell.”

The Princess of the Night then turned and walked away. Sunset Shimmer lowered her head sadly but was comforted by Celestia’s hoof on her shoulder.

“Give her time, she’ll come to forgive you fully in due time.” Celestia assured her.

Sunset looked down sadly. “Question is… will my family?” she wondered, which made Celestia look at her sympathetically. “How are they?”

“They’re fine… though word of your actions has already reached the area around their home and…” Princess Celestia began.

“Oh…” Sunset Shimmer said, understandingly. “I should have known my reputation would bring them nothing but grief…”

“No, you must not think that way.” Princess Celestia told her. “Your family loves you no matter what you do.”

“Fluttershy told me the same thing…” Sunset noted.

“She’s a kind and wise soul, you should listen.” Celestia said. “But if you really want to know, you could pay them a little visit.”

The unicorn looked up at her. “That’s actually what I was planning on doing, thank you Princess,” she smiled.

“Your very welcome.” Princess Celestia nodded. “Also… if you plan on staying I do have a proposal for you.”

“What’s that?” Sunset asked, curiously.

“Well, since Twilight Sparkle has completed her studies and become a Princess I was hoping that if you chose to stay you would become my student once again.” Celestia offered.

Sunset Shimmer was speechless after the Princess spoke but soon she finally regained her voice. “Do… do you mean it?”

The Princess put a hoof on her heart. “With all my heart,” she said, sincerely.

Sunset Shimmer looked touched by the Princess’ offer, but also a bit conflicted. “Thank you Princess… can I… can I think about it?” she asked.

“Take all the time you need.” Princess Celestia nodded. “Now, will that be all?”

“Not yet.” Sunset Shimmer said. “There’s one more thing I gotta take care of first.”

The fiery maned unicorn then began to leave the throne room.


Before long Sunset Shimmer had arrived in a more homely part of Canterlot and approached a simple yet expensive looking home, which happened to belong to her family whom she wasn’t too close to, especially after becoming Celestia’s student and after she betrayed the Princess. She raised her hoof toward the door, looking a bit scared to knock on it.

Sunset sighed. “Ok, here goes…” she said before knocking on the door. She waited for moment before a mare and a stallion opened the door, it was her parents.

Her mother, named Sunny Day, had a dark yellow coat with a dark red mane that was in a style similar to Sunset’s. Her cutie mark was a yellow sun with long rays stretching out. Her father, named Solar Wind, had a coat that was red with a ragged orange mane and had a red ball on a gust of wind for a cutie mark.

They both gasped when they saw Sunset standing on the other side of the door with a sheepish smile on her face.

“Uh… hi Mom… hi Dad…” she finally said.

“Sunset!?” Sunny Day gasped.

“Is it really you?” Solar Wind asked, equally stunned.

Sunset Shimmer nodded, sadly. “Yeah… it’s me…”

“After all this time… you’ve finally come back…” Sunny Day breathed, tears beginning to form.

“We’ve missed you, sweetie.” Solar Wind smiled. Sunset looked surprised and touched by their words and soon enough, tears began to form in her eyes as well.

“Mom… Dad… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry about what happened…” Sunset said, beginning to sob. “I never should have stolen Princess Twilight’s crown… and I know part of you must hate me for it but…”

“Hate you? Sweetie, we could never hate you!” Her mother told her.

“Sure, you made some mistakes, but that’s all part of growing up.” Her father added. “And we can see that you’ve grown up a lot, sweetie.”

“You really think so?” Sunset Shimmer asked, hopefully.

“We know so.” Sunny Day said, firmly as they hugged even tighter.

Just then a little filly with an orange coat and a wavy blond mane entered the room. Her flank was still blank, indicating that she had not found her special talent yet. Sunset Shimmer quickly recognized her.

“Sunkiss…” Sunset Shimmer whispered.

“Hi,” she said.

Sunset Shimmer slowly approached her younger sister while her parents watched on proudly. Sunkiss looked up to her big sister with wide eyes. Sunset smiled.

“You… probably don’t recognize me… but I’m your big sister, you’ve grown up so much.” Sunset told her little sister, fondly.

“Sunset?” Sunkiss said.

“Yeah… that’s me.” Sunset Shimmer said, with tears falling down her face as she smiled.

The two sisters looked at each other for a moment before Sunkiss then came running over and embraced her tightly.

“Sunset!” The filly cried. “I missed you so much big sister!”

Sunset cried a bit while hugging her back. “I missed you too…” she said.

“Where were you?” Sunkiss inquired.

“Uh… away…” Sunset said, slowly. “But don’t worry I’m back now.”

“Are you here to stay?” Sunkiss added, curiously. Sunset looked hesitant to answer, then somepony suddenly spoke up nearby.

“I hope not.”

Sunset Shimmer then noticed somepony else entering. It was a stallion, who looked to be the same age as Shining Armor, but had a frown on his face. He has a rust orange coat with a slicked back black mane with a red and yellow streak.

“Solar Flare…” Sunset Shimmer said, surprised.

“Sunset Shimmer,” he said, displeased.

The two parents behind them exchanged looks, feeling the awkward tension in the air, while their little sister just blinked at the two of them, confused.

“I’d say it’s nice to see you again, but then I’d be lying.” Solar Flare said, frowning.

“Solar Flare…” Sunset began.

“Don’t bother, I don’t want to hear it.” Her brother told her, looking away and scowling.

Sunset sighed. “Look… I know you’re angry… you have every right…” she began she started to approach him. “But it is good to see you Solar…”

She stopped as soon as Solar Flare suddenly gave her a death glare in response.

“So… what’s new?” Sunset inquired, slowly.

“Well, I’m clearly still getting over the fact that you’ve shamed our family name!” Solar Flare said, harshly.

“Solar Flare!” Sunny Day scolded him.

“Well she did!” Solar protested.

“He’s right… I did…” Sunset admitted, depressed.

“See?” he said.

“I ruined our reputation with how I acted, how betrayed the Princess… and when I stole Princess Twilight’s crown…” Sunset Shimmer said, shamefully. “And for that… I’m sorry.”

Solar Flare turned to her. “Why?”

“Well… when I was… away… I ended up becoming the monster that I really was inside, but then… Princess Twilight cured me, and when she did… I saw every bad thing I had ever done… I know now why people hated me… and probably still do… and I’m gonna do anything I can to make up for the misdeeds of my past, you’ve got to believe me, big brother.”

Solar Flare then saw how much she was tearing up and looked down before sighing and turning to her fully. “I don’t,” he said, bluntly.

Everyone else in the room gasped in shock. “But… but why?” Sunset asked, heartbroken.

“ ‘Why’? I’ll tell you ‘why’. You were never there whenever one of us needed you, not even when Sunkiss took her first steps or started her first day of school and after you did what you did our lives became miserable and now their gonna get more miserable now that you’re here!” Solar Flare said, frustrated. “You never should have come back to Equestria.”

Her big brother then turned and left, leaving Sunset heartbroken.

“Solar Flare’s right… I never should have come back…” she said, depressed.

As Sunset sighed, her mother put a hoof on her shoulder. “Oh, don’t listen to him. He just needs time.”

“He along with everypony else that still hates me…” Sunset noted. “I passed some of my former classmates on my way here, the ones that wanted to hang out with me? They just brushed me off. Everypony in this town hates me…”

Her mother then looked at her seriously before kissing her on the forehead. “Not everypony, my dear.”

Sunset looked surprised, then smiled gratefully as she and her mother embraced. Her father and younger sister soon joined in. But as they did so, the dark figure that had been following Sunset Shimmer watched them from the window. The being narrowed their eyes at Sunset and vanished as soon as Sunset’s chest starting hurting again and she turned to the window, seeing nopony there.