Chapter 2
It had been a long time since Sunset had gone through the portal, and she now understood why she had a fear of roller coasters in the human world. She spun through the portal, up and down. There was no direction, only spinning lights and a highway of colors. She felt her body stretch through the particles of light and change. Her muzzle shot outward and her legs caved and snapped in. A point on her head extended and every point in her body changed. All of this happened in a single instance, and the next thing she knew, she was briefly standing on two legs. She then lost balance and her chin made contact with the ground and everything went black.
She opened her eyes and saw two light brilliant amber hooves jutting out in front of her. She felt a little sick and disorientated. But she had made it; she was back in her home. However, instead of a large dark storage room in the Crystal Empire Palace she expected to land in, she found her inside a massive library. Towers of books lined the walls with beautiful crystal windows at the end of the room. Her mind started to cycle through worse case scenarios. What if she came out of the wrong portal? What if she was in another universe! What if she came out in the future or—
Her thoughts were interrupted by something poking the side of her head. “Um, Sunset? Are you okay?” Said a voice that put Sunset’s mind at ease. She looked to the source and saw a lavender alicorn looking at her with sterling purple eyes. She had a concerned look on her face.
Sunset struggled to find her balance but managed to stand up and adjust herself on her hooves. “Just never really got used to that after the first time.” She gave Twilight an awkward smile trying to play it cool. Twilight giggled.
“I know what you mean, after coming back through the portal both times the room wouldn’t stop spinning.” Twilight wrapped a foreleg around Sunset pulling her into a warm embrace. “It’s so good to see you again.”
Sunset smiled and hugged her back. “Wow, you hugged me this time.”
“Hey before I was just hesitant because—”
“I’m just teasing Twilight.” Sunset pulled away from the embrace. Twilight scrunched up her nose, which Sunset found oddly adorable. “It’s really good to see you again.”
Twilight smiled. “Likewise. I had Spike prepare a room for you in the palace.”
“Oh so this is your castle and—” Sunset stopped. “Wait, what?”
“When you said you were coming, I had Spike get a room ready for you to stay in.” Twilight said. She didn’t break her smile.
Sunset’s jaw slackened a little. “You-you mean you’re letting me stay here with you?”
Twilight’s smile faltered and she tilted her head to the side. “Well yeah, it’s what friends do right? Plus,” She levitated a book off one shelf. “I can finally use my new copy of Slumber 101: All You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Parties but Were Afraid to Ask!” She said with a giddy smile, clopping her front hooves together excitedly.
Sunset smiled and hugged Twilight again. “Thanks Twilight. I’ll make this up to you somehow.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble at all.” Twilight returned the embrace then drew away with a slight nervous chuckle in her voice. “Consider it an early apology.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Apology for what?”
Twilight smiled awkwardly and motioned her to the library’s exit. “Apology for this.” They exited the library and entered a dark room. The door closed behind them and the lights flicked on in an explosion of noise and confetti.
“Surprise!” A pink mare swung down from a crystal chandelier on the ceiling with ribbons streaming behind her. She did a flip and landed on her back hooves in front of Sunset. Sunset stumbled and fell back in shock with her back hitting the door. “Hi! I’m Pinkie Pie, and I’m so happy to meet you! Well, technically you have met me, but not me me, the one you met is a human. What’s she like? Is she exactly like me? You're the pony version of you so what’s it like going from human to pony pony to human?”
Sunset was used to Pinkie’s antics in the human world, but this felt like it was on a completely different level. She flashed Twilight a nervous grin, but all she did was smile apologetically. “What’s all this?” She looked past Pinkie and there were dozens of ponies all around the room. Streamers lined the windows and ceiling with an innumerable amount of balloons scattered through the air.
Pinkie Pie pointed to a banner hanging at the center of the room. “Duh it’s your welcome to Ponyville party! When Twilight said you were coming I had to get this party together because since it's your first time in Ponyville that means you’re new here and if you’re new here then you haven’t met anyone yet and if you haven’t met anyone yet that means you must not have any friends and if you don’t have any friends aside from Twilight then that means you must be lonely and that made me sad to think about so I threw this super duper welcome to Ponyville surprise party just for you so now you can make lots of friends!” Pinkie was lightly bouncing up and down while staring at Sunset.
Yeah… it's probably best human Pinkie and pony Pinkie never… Ever meet. Sunset shuddered at the thought. She stood up slowly and cleared her throat. “Thank you, Pinkie Pie. This is very… well… you.” Sunset brought her hoof to her mouth chuckling lightly.
“Well I would hope so! If you know me in another universe then she must exactly be like me! If she wasn’t like me the there would be a problem with the universes and we would have to call the Doctor!” Pinkie Pie continued bouncing.
Sunset stared at her. “Doctor who?”
“No silly, just the Doctor, he’s a time traveling pony who lives in a blue box and—”
She was cut off by Applejack sticking a cupcake in her mouth. “Settle down there, sugarcube. Ya’ll scaring the poor gal.” Pinkie Pie tried to talk through the cupcake, but gave up and just ate it.
Sunset nodded a thank you to Applejack, who was joined by the rest of the main six behind her. “Hi I’m—“
“Sunset Shimmer, we know. Twilight has told us all about you.” Applejack said.
“Ah. How much has she told you?” Sunset shot Twilight a look, but she looked away innocently, staring off into space.
“‘Bout everythin’ from the she-demon to the band competition. Don’t worry ‘bout nothing, if Twilight trusts you so do we. Right, everypony?” She looked around getting affirming nods. “Right, Dash?”
Rainbow Dash was midair dancing to the beats of the music in the background then snapped out of it. “Huh, what? Oh yeah, if you take so much as one step in the wrong direction or hurt Twilight, I’ll be the first to clobber yah!”
There were a few face hooves from the group. Sunset, however, wasn’t phased and just let out a small giggle. “Same Rainbow as back in the human world, I see.”
“Enough chit chat!” Pinkie interjected. One moment she dropped down out of sight and appeared up on stage with Vinyl Scratch. “Lets party!” Vinyl flipped a track on the mix table and the speakers erupted into a drone of heavy base.
Throughout the night Sunset got to know a few ponies from around the town, including a wall-eyed mare name Derpy Hooves who was close by a brown stallion who she addressed as Doctor. Sunset decided not to think about what Pinkie Pie said in order to keep her sanity at ease. Life was easier that way. She also got to talk to Vinyl when she was in between tracks and her roommate Octavia. It was scary how much these ponies were like the ones at Canterlot High. Not scary that they were the same as their human counterparts, but they were acting the same way she found the ones at Canterlot high before she...
When these thoughts entered her mind, she drew away from the party and walked out onto one of the castle balconies. The moon had risen in the night sky. Unlike the human world there was a certain magical air in the sky as the moon rose. However, right now it didn’t help her. A feeling of guilt filled her gut, a feeling she had not had since she was reformed. Seeing these ponies reminded her of what Canterlot High had been like before she ruled their lives. Even though her friends back there accepted her mistakes, it hurt her now to know their lives would have been much better if she had never been apart of it.
She charged her horn and closed the doors to the balcony to hide away from the party. It felt weird using magic again, but she still managed. Now she wanted to be alone. There were too many conflicting thoughts in her head now. The first of fresh tears flowed from her eyes. The last time she remembered crying was after she had been defeated by Twilight at the fall formal. It was the lowest part of her life and here she was again. Regretting and unable to forget about what she had done.
“Sunset?” A voice called as the balcony doors opened. “Why aren’t you inside at the party?”
She knew it was Twilight. Of course it was Twilight. A lump formed in her throat, and she took a few shallow breaths before speaking. “I just needed some fresh air! Still a little woozy from the trip here.” She didn’t turn or make eye contact. The tears wouldn’t go away. She heard the sound of magic and the balcony door closing. Before she thought she was in the clear, she felt a hoof touch her shoulder.
“If you’re still feel sick, I have a few potions that may help.” Twilight had a touch of concern in her voice.
Sunset strained her head away from Twilight; she didn’t want her to see the tears. She didn’t want sympathy now. “I-it’s fine Twilight, I’ll be alright.”
Twilight, however, did not retract her hoof. “This could be serious though. Here, let me check your temperature.” She moved her hoof around and touched Sunset’s forehead. Her eyes widened slightly. “Sunset, you’re burning up!
Sunset tried to pull away, but Twilight kept insisting. She gritted her teeth holding back a combination of stress and tears. Finally she turned and glared at Twilight with tear filled eyes and stained cheeks. “I’m fine!”
Twilight stared at her, and her ears drooped slightly. “Sunset… why are you crying?”
“I’m not crying.” She looked away.
“Yes, you are… Sunset, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing…”
“No, no, don’t give me that.” Twilight said with a touch of authority in her voice. “If it were nothing, you wouldn’t be crying. What’s gotten you upset?” There was a beat of silence between them. Music could still be heard from inside muffled by the closed doors. The stars came out as the moon reached its peak in the sky. The sun was completely gone from the horizon and a beautiful dark blue filled the sky compliments of Princess Luna.
Sunset mumbled something inaudible to Twilight. Twilight scratched her ear. “Come again?”
“Myself…”
“What?”
“Myself”
“Sunset, please speak up?” Twilight insisted.
Sunset whirled around on Twilight, glaring at her again. “Myself!” She shouted, then drew her head back with more tears flowing.
“What do you mean? You’re crying because of yourself?” Twilight tilted her head. “Please explain.”
“Everyone here is happy! Just like their counterparts in the human world!” She threw her hooves up and rested them on the balcony railing. “They were this happy when I went to the human world, and what did I do? I screwed their lives up and took control!” She rested her head on the railing. “You fixed it… twice… you probably brought sunshine and smiles to this place when you first came here too…”
Twilight pondered for a moment then spoke. “Actually, when I first came to Ponyville, I didn’t want to make friends.” She rested her hooves on the railing next to Sunset’s. “I had no interest, they had an impact on me, the girls, they helped me to become a better pony. When I went to the other world, I only did what they taught me here.”
Sunset looked over with surprise. “Really? I… wow… and here I thought you were Miss Perfect…”
Twilight giggled. “No one is perfect, Sunset. Not me or you.” She moved close and draped a hoof around her. “We’ve all made mistakes, and we all stray from the right path.”
“Yeah… except I strayed farther.”
“You want to hear about the time I almost doomed an entire empire, plus my brother and new sister in law, because I was so determined to save it on my own?” Twilight gave a little chuckle and coughed.
Sunset’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “You… wait, what?!”
“Ehehe, that’s a story for another time.” Twilight smiled looking away. “My point is, you don’t need to feel ashamed of your past or grieve over it. You’re a different pony now, and that’s what matters.” She wiped away some of Sunset’s tears with her hoof and gave her best smile. Sunset couldn’t help but smile back.
“Thanks, Twilight.”
“That’s Princess Twilight to you.”
“Hey wait, I thought you—” She noticed Twilight was sticking her tongue out playfully. There was a moment of silence then they both broke out into a fit of laughter. Sunset dried the rest of her tears and the pair went back into the party. She still felt bad about what she had done, but she was happy to have ponies that didn’t hold it against her. She had worried Twilight's friends wouldn’t accept her. Hearing about someone's reformation was different from witnessing it, but they joked and laughed with her throughout the party.
The night closed out with everypony leaving. Pinkie Pie, however, had protested to the party ending, which resulted in Rainbow and Applejack having to chase her around the room until they could lasso the hyperactive party pony. The rest of the main six said their goodbyes to Sunset and Twilight. The room was a complete mess, however. Spike entered with a mop and sighed at the sight. He muttered something about getting paid for this. Twilight giggled and whistled for Owlowiscious to fly over.
“Could you help Spike with the cleaning?” Twilight asked.
“Who.”
“Spike.”
“Who.”
“Spi— oh.” Twilight giggled. “Right, thank you.” Owlowiscious flew off to help the young dragon. Twilight motioned for Sunset Shimmer to follow. They walked down a long hallway and stopped at a door to the side. “My room is up ahead. Here’s yours.” Using her magic she opened the door to a decent sized room with a huge bed on the side, a couple dressers lining the walls as well as two windows with the curtains drawn. The room was simple, but immaculate.
Sunset smiled and felt her cheeks heat up a bit. “You know this isn’t necessary, Twilight.”
Twilight smiled at her. “Well, these will be your living arrangements for the duration of your stay. But for now,” She shut the door and grabbed Sunset’s hoof pulling her into her room at the end of the hall. “Slumber party!”
Sunset was caught of guard and dragged across the floor into the Princess’s chambers. “Erm, really Twilight? It's kind of late.”
Twilight’s look deflated. “Oh…”
Sunset mentally face hooved and caught herself “But it's summer vacation! We can stay up!” The joyous look on Twilight’s face returned and her horn lit up materializing her Slumber 101 book in front of her. “Alright, let's get started!” She shot a spark of magic at the fireplace in her room lighting it and a dresser on the far end opened up with blankets and cozy looking pajamas floating out.
Sunset gulped wondering what in the name of Luna she had just gotten herself into. But the cute look on Twilight’s face as her eyes lit up while reading the book, made her fear dissipate a little bit. She fitted herself into the pair of blue pajamas and sat next to Twilight in front of the fireplace. The pair made s'mores and told ghost stories until they fell asleep in the early hours of the morning.
There are a few noticeable grammar mistakes, mostly in dialogue that has no punctuation at the end. Just throw some commas in there. Also, 'yah' is not a word. 'Yeah' is a word, 'yes' is a word, but not 'yah'.
5659832
Yah Grammar has never been my strong suit. Thank you for finding that ^^ I'll go back and make changes (hopefully tomorrow) and watch for it in future chapters.
Like the part where sunset did the rainbow friendship lasers thing without the elements?
We had entire movie about this and at the climax when she gets her magic back her character song is about how she will never doubt or fear again.
5660339
To answer your first question, yep.
As for your second comment I understand where your coming from. However (and more internal conflict will be explained in the next chapter) no pony is perfect and everyone still has regrets, it takes the right trigger to bring them out. Seeing all the ponies counterparts of the canterlot high students happy reminded her of how everyone was before she showed up and ruined their lives. Its a reminder of that bad feeling and guilt. This is really only the tip of the iceberg, the future chapters will be bringing some things up from the IDW Comics
Thank you for your feedback ^^ I appreciate it.
5660888
If you deal with the implications of that without veering off topic, i will be impressed. The Fact no one has touched that is sad.
One of the biggest shake ups to our understanding of pony cosmology, blatantly confirming the heavily implied through season 4 split between The Elements of Harmony and The Rainbow itself, a seven colored rainbow, and summoning it without tokens. AND NO ONE TOUCHES IT.
I'd argue confidence and determination are her special talent, it's the best explanation of everything we've seen out of her.
And well her song "NEVER gonna bring me down, NEVER gonna break this part of me." right there, first two lines.
But honestly, most importantly.
It's trodden ground, and you won't do better than rainbow rocks.
Like the explicit approximate 1 to 8 time ratio? Giving sunset....2.5 years in equestria...and she's a senior. As for the new thing? While i really like it, it's timing doesn't quite work, since the battle of the bands is in spring and that's set in winter, if it was set before rainbow rocks it would work better on three levels.
5660914
I hadn't planned on touching it but that might change. The way I see it, it doesn't require explanation. It was established that there was a powerful magic inside the element bearers and that magic resonates with them even though the elements were returned to the tree of harmony. I don't know it sounded simple in my mind ^^"
Hm interesting point, when I was watching Rainbow Rocks I thought she was directly addressing the Sirens since they did bring her down in the dark lit hallway confrontation scene.
This is a fanfic, I never planned on it. My aim here is to write what I think and provide more content for one of my favorite shippings
Hm, I'm not quite sure I understand how the time lapses work. The only definitive time lapse I intended to set was: This is after Rainbow Rocks, its summer vacation, and its before season 5.
Also just as a side note, that I find hilarious, realize that we are having a discussion about a fanfic based off of a movie/television franchise about colorful talking ponies.
5661159
It was established twice in the movie that twilight and co were incapable of just pulling rainbow friendship cannon out of their butts without access to the elements(Sunset puts as much into words the first time it's established.). Just like back in Equestria(Remember they needed to use the one shot box for tirek.)
......Then Sunset joined in.
The back portion of Welcome to the Show is her character song and Shine Like Rainbows is sung too/about her(note she's the only one of the six human group that doesn't get a solo portion), it's all they have to establish who sunset shimmer is when she has her magic restored after all.
Sunset Shimmer was the previous Pupil of Celestia before Twilight. For the timelines of that to work out you need about 20 years to pass in equestria for Sunset's 2.5 years of high school. Which would explain why she's in such a damn foul mood, 2.5 years later someone seemingly gets everything she ever wanted.
The IDW comic however explicitly goes with such, showing a cutiemarkless Twilight practicing magic, so Sunset again leaves a few years before Twilight begins her apprenticeship under Celestia. (I don't normally consider the IDW stuff canon, and i can point out issues in both the sunset ones frex. in that one it shows sunset studying dark magic but when the crown floods her with dark magic she starts bawling her eyes out in pain, sunset unlike twilight simply can't use dark magic without it hurting her since it goes against her nature so strongly.)
So about a 1 to 8 ratio with time moving faster in Equestria.
You wrote it, is it not worthy of critique and thought?
5661229
Yes I know I was implying that they had the magic inside them but could only bring it out when they were displaying the true meaning of friendship. Or it could be just: They could only bring it out when the plot demands rainbows ex-machina.
Fair point however we've seen in the show that even with the main six going through multiple episodes of character development they are still not perfect. Granted Sunset had her redemption and the songs prove that she is a changed pony the past can still follow her around.
Yes I understand that there are some flaws with the IDW comics especially with time lapses. My personal favorite is the Nightmare Rarity arc. Their were many different time lapse problems in accordance with season 2 episode 4 Luna Eclipsed. I'm not exactly sure how the time works in total. But the IDW comics do provide juicy information to play off of for later chapters. Even though the franchise has yet to cover up its own plot holes and flaws the information can still be used.
To be honest I hadn't expected it. I started writing this last week because I was having writers block with another story. I sent it to a friend and she loved it and said I should upload it to fimfiction. I didn't think it would be read/commented on this quickly. I do appreciate the feedback. But I also find it funny in retrospect when you think about it its like: "I'm debating a fanfic based off a show about colorful talking ponies.... what is my life?" I personally get a good laugh out of that thought because its funny and awesome! ^^
5661278
They made an explicit point to have Sunset, who has been shown to know far more about the elements than Twilight, point out that last time they DID have an element and that's how they were able to do so.
Then at the ending they again show everything done right...and they can't summon the Rainbow they use the magic inside them which isn't enough to defeat the sirens. Then only after showing that the Twilight & Co couldn't do it, Sunset shimmer joined in, pulled out a full spectrum seven colored deus ex rainbow.
The Elements of Harmony have never been magic feathers.
*grumbles something about season 4 twilight and false humility*
Sunset has plenty of flaws and plenty to deal with as a character, it's why i wish desperately they would have just added her to the main cast, the core group absolutely needs a shake up and has gotten very stagnant.
But doubting herself is twilight's shtick, and letting her past dog her in that way is ground well trodden.
You've dragged her back to Equestria, Her Momjesty awaits.
Something, Magic, Beauty, Wonder, Harmony, Ma'at, Rainbows?
5661363
Hmmm well my only response there is plot device ex machina
Oh I know, all of this conflict leads into that in the next chapter. Just wait the good stuff is coming
Or just a lack of social life for me
5661390
We are talking about a series/setting where deus ex rainbows is a known quantity and the villains try to work around.
You don't specifically call attention to something, then show it, then break your established rules without a damn good reason.
If you are gonna toss aside all of Celestia's characterization regarding Sunset, i will
strangleunfollow you.5661404
In some cases I would agree however if everything was so easily defeated with rainbows ex machina then the show would become repetitive and boring.
Nightmare Moon - Rainbows (Twice)
Discord - Rainbows (Twice)
Sunset Shimmer - Rainbows
Tirek - Rainbows
Sirens - Rainbows
Sombra and Chrysalis weren't defeated with Rainbows, also in the IDW comics Anti-Celestia and Anti-Luna weren't defeated with Rainbows. These instances help give the story a little more diversity in villain defeats and even though Tirek was defeated by Rainbows...... Super Saiyan Twilight VS Tirek battle FTW.
Also in the human world your dealing with a different set of rules since it is a different universe. Magic doesn't work the same there so that could be why the rainbow magic doesn't work exactly as it usually does in the pony universe.
5661435
No, that is a reason to mock twilight for being dumb and nothing more.
And while it may not work exactly the same way because it can work however it's damn all powerful Rainbowness wants to work, it's explicitly stated the Rainbow exists in all worlds, by demonstration even ones without magic.
Magic didn't exist in that universe until the rainbow was summoned on earth, and the rainbow decided "You guys have magic now" as a parting gift. Also magic does work the same there it's explicitly "Equestrian Magic", just not pony magic.
5661480
Really? I see it as a couple things:
1. If you read the fanfic A Hell of A Time you'll see that Luna comments that Celestia has inadvertently turned Twilight into a warrior Princess much to Celestia's dismay.
2. A reason to have a total geek out fanboy moment
3. Proof that even ponies can be epic as hell.
4. Also that everything is DBZ influenced.
Actually its the magic of friendship that exist in all universes not the rainbow. The rainbow exists because of the residual energy that was left by Twilight's element of harmony or magical mcguffan.
5661505
Rainbow Rocks(like the entire movie, the rainbow that rocks is The Rainbow), Let The Rainbow Remind you Song.
The Rainbow is something that's been explicitly being separated from the Tree/Elements of Harmony since Equestria Girls 1.
The tree was damaged and weakened, yet The Rainbow was able to provide a level of power to the Mane Six Surpassing all of Equestria temporarily. Likewise remember Earthquestria now has magic permanently and it's implied to be spreading, The laws of physics were casually rewritten because twilight summoned The Rainbow.
5661538
Hm I would argue against that, the element bearers are the embodiments of the elements of harmony. Even with out them they still represent them. So therefore it can be assumed that the magic inside them is what brings out the rainbow which can then be inferred that the rainbow is still brought out by the elements of harmony.
For me atleast its too soon to make assumptions. First where did the box come from? It came from the tree possibly? Then technically the rainbow is still connected to the elements. Also is that magic spreading? The magic only effected the main seven at canterlot high. I don't see how its implied. Hm well based on the end credits scene in EG 2 with actually human Twilight maybe EG 3 will give some answers to that.... or just give more fanservice I'm okay with that too
5661562
Oh they are absolutely connected.
The Tree/Elements of Harmony are a manifestation of The Rainbow, but The Rainbow is the bigger source.
This handily explains how Discord could make something that could threaten the Tree, but once The Rainbow Friendship Cannon is fired there's nothing he can do besides choose a good pose.(And we are in season 4 territory, so really that was laying the seeds...and i made a pun.)
Everyone at canterlot high got magic from the rainbow summoning, that's why the dazzlings were able to feed so strongly there, the main ones just got the most from it since they were "Ground Zero".
In fact if you look at the very begging you'll notice the dazzling's pendants shine brighter as The Rainbow is summoned.
Evil Twilight yessssss.
And cosmology building is fanservice for me.
5661604
Where does it say the Rainbow is a bigger source? Is it implied or is there empirical evidence to this?
Right forgot that bit. But then the question is how much magic do they have? Enough to get ears and tails? Or is it like radiation that they been exposed to. We've only seen the magic majorly effect the main seven.
One thing I want in fan service: Nowacking as Vinyl Scratch
5661628 frankly i call Twilight's new place Harmony Castle. since it is born from the tree of Harmony and made for the bearers of Harmony.
5677898
Huh, I actually hadn't thought of that. That's a good name! I wonder if they will call it that in season 5
Doctor Who? I lol'ed.
da cuteness
'Captain America voice' I CAUGHT THAT REFERENCE
Yes doctor who or rather doctor hooves lol
Okayyyy I get it,i get the pun