Inter-Dimensional Correspondence
Figured I'd get this chapter out to make up for people having to re-read the intro to Sunset Overdrive. In this, we see how Sunset's arrival has effected the Hogwarts Staff.
First things first: NO, this is not set in the Equestria Girls Universe. While Sunset resembles her EG self, she's younger (obviously). This also means the Humane 5 won't be showing up so don't bother asking about them.
Secondly: The timeline alteration will be different. I'm going by the belief that a 'Moon' is how long it takes for it to go from Full-Moon to Full-Moon (A Lunar Cycle), so 30 Moons = 30 Lunar Cycles for us.
While I'm pretty sure the Equestrian Moon is always Full (unless months pass between episodes), the same cannot be said for ours, and 30 Full Moons is roughly 2.5 Years give or take, so Sunset won't be going back at least until 4th Year.
Thirdly: Sunset's relationship with Harry will be complicated. On the one hand she knows befriending the 'Boy Who Lived' will open doors later. On the other hand she's a pony, and deep down ponies can't sit back and ignore someone in pain.
Fourthly: I'm going to be running with the head-canon that Sunset and Sunburst are siblings (Since Sunburst & Starlight are about the same age as the Mane 6), which is another factor for her watching out for Harry: He reminds her of Sunburst.
Fifth: Expect a few other changes here and there, though I'm not gonna spoil anything else.
And finally, Big Shout-out to Show-Stopper both for helping me with a few issues and inspiring me to write this. I highly recommend reading his story: Student 32: Sunset Shimmer as it inspired me to write this.
That said, let's get this show on the road!
Chapter 2: Inter-Dimensional Correspondence.
“And you are absolutely certain that she’s unharmed, Poppy?” Dumbledore pressed, his eyes never leaving the slumbering form of the girl on the hospital bed, her form now covered by both a thick sheet and a set of warm pajamas.
“She’ll have one hell of a headache when she wakes up, but other than that she’s a perfectly healthy eleven-year old.” Madam Poppy Pomfrey assured the headmaster, earning a sigh of relief from the assembled Heads of House, sans Snape of course.
“And you detected no signs of magic being used on her whatsoever?” Fillius pressed, the diminutive Charms Professor eyeing the slumbering child with an expression that hovered between concern and intrigue.
“Nothing that didn’t show up in standard tests.” the Hogwarts Matron revealed “I was able to confirm that she possesses a magical core, so at the very least we don’t need to worry about the Statute of Secrecy.”
“Thank heavens for small mercies.” Snape sneered, though internally he allowed himself to relax somewhat. Things were bad enough without having to worry about the Ministry getting involved, which would most certainly have been the case if the child had been a Muggle.
“The poor dear…” Pomona fretted, the normally cheerful Hufflepuff Head looking most distraught as she turned to the Headmaster “Were you able to uncover anything at all from her belongings, Albus?”
“Nothing concrete, I’m afraid.” Dumbledore admitted with a sigh “The contents of her bag proved most unhelpful. Aside from a satchel of sunflower seeds and a pouch filled with unfamiliar gold coins, the only item of interest was a book I believe to be her Journal.”
“Well that’s something at least.” Fillius noted brightly “Normally I would be strongly against going through someone’s belongings but if it might direct us to her origins…”
“I was of the same thought, Fillius.” Dumbledore admitted with a small smile as he held up the book in question for them to see “Unfortunately, either the young lady has written her notes in code, or this journal belongs to someone who speaks an entirely different language.”
“Truly a mystery.” Snape sneered, though truth be told he found himself growing ever more concerned with this new development. The Potions Master hadn’t gotten to where he was today by believing in such things as ‘coincidence’, so whatever events had led to this girl arriving in Hogwarts, bypassing the wards that prevented apparition in such a manner that he’d almost blown up his own cauldron due to the shock, it could only mean trouble down the line.
Unfortunately, as much as he would have preferred to just rip the information he wanted from the girl’s mind, he refrained from doing so for several reasons. First and foremost was because Dumbledore was in the room, and while the old man was hardly one to call Severus out on using Occlumency on students, doing so in the presence of the other Heads of House would be decidedly counterproductive.
The second reason was, quite simply, that attempting to read the mind of someone suffering from a concussion was an exercise in futility, making it almost impossible to separate the target’s memories from whatever inane fantasies their addled brain cooked up to cope with its recent trauma. And so it appeared that, for the time being at least, Severus would simply have to bide his time until the girl regained consciousness, which according to Madam Pomfrey’s diagnosis should be sometime the following morning.
“Well there’s no use worrying about it now.” Minerva sighed, her trademark sternness relaxing somewhat as she glanced down at the slumbering child “We’ve all got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow, and she’s safe enough with Poppy here.”
“Indeed.” Dumbledore concurred with a nod to the Hogwarts Matron “Do let me know the moment our guest awakens, Poppy. In the meantime, I think it best we retire for the night.”
“I don’t know if I’ll even be able to sleep.” Pomona admitted as they filed out of the Hospital Wing “I can only imagine how worried the poor girl’s parents must be right now.”
Canterlot-Princess Celestia’s Personal Chambers.
As the ruler of Equestria, Princess Celestia was considered to be the pinnacle of wisdom, beauty and compassion, the living embodiment of all that was good in pony kind, and a role model that every little filly could look up to. Over the course of her long reign, she had carried herself with an air of compassion and dignity that was humbling to witness, never allowing anything to darken her brow, always acting with the utmost composure.
If anypony were to see their beloved Princess now, with her bloodshot eyes, matted fur and ruffled feathers, they’d be hard pressed to recognize her. Then again, could you truly blame her for her current condition? In the space of a single day she’d dismissed her beloved Student, gained a new one, only to find her old one had assaulted her guards and escaped into the mirror portal, ironically enough around the same time she discovered Twilight Sparkle.
Needless to say, what had quickly started off as the highlight of a rather dismal day had swiftly devolved into one of the worst moments in Celestia’s life. She’d been feeling rather down, more disappointed in herself for failing Sunset than in her former student’s actions, so when the Sonic Rainboom appeared over Cloudsdale, snapping her out of her thoughts and guiding her to Twilight, she’d taken it as a sign that things were going to get better, and that maybe, someday, she and Sunset could patch things up.
It was only after she managed to pry the enthusiastic filly off her with assurances that yes, she was indeed taking her on as a student, only after she’d seen to it that the Dragon Hatchling was being taken care off, that she was informed of Sunset’s actions. At the time, a part of her had wanted nothing more than to leap into the mirror after her errant student, but in the end that part was overruled by her self-control, her sense of duty and the fact the portal had long since closed for another thirty moons.
Ever since then, Celestia had barricaded herself in her personal chambers, poring over all of Starswirl’s notes, trying desperately to find a way to, if not re-open the portal, then at the very least contact Sunset on the other side to ensure she was unharmed.
‘Stupid old nag…’ she cursed herself, glaring pointedly at her reflection in the mirror as she tossed one priceless scroll aside to focus on another ‘I should have known better…if Starswirl were here he’d have told me the exact same thing…’
“Princess?” a concerned voice called out, the door to her chambers opening to admit Kibitz, closely followed by a hesitant Raven Inkwell, a covered tray hovering in the air before her “Milady, it’s well past the time for you to raise the sun…perhaps it would be best if you took a break…”
“I’M FINE!” Celestia snapped, only to flinch as her unintentional use of the Royal Canterlot Voice sent poor Raven cowering to the floor, though Kibitz weathered the storm far better, the elderly stallion catching the tray with the ease of long practice before it could fall to the floor “Forgive me my little ponies…I’m just-”
“Think nothing of it, ma’am.” Kibitz insisted, more than used to Royal Temper TantrumsTM, though admittedly this was the first time Prince Blueblood wasn’t involved, placing the tray of food on the table before Celestia before readjusting his spectacles “I understand this must be a trying time for you, if you would prefer, I could ask the Guard Captain to gather his strongest Unicorns to-”
"No, Kibitz, that won’t be necessary.” Celestia assured him with a kind, tired smile “No disrespect to the good Captain, but there’s a reason I took over the duty of raising the Sun and Moon." Namely that no other Pony (save one) had the sheer magical might to do so without risking permanent damage "I won’t be but a moment.”
“Very good ma’am.” Kibitz acknowledged, stepping back to allow his princess access to her balcony all the while subtly gesturing to Raven, who promptly used her magic to help tidy up the scattered scrolls, journals and notebooks Celestia had scattered about the room “I’ve cleared your schedule for the morning, so please get some rest after you eat, I shall return to rouse you for luncheon.”
“Thank you, Kibitz.” Celestia offered from the balcony, unleashing a jaw-cracking yawn as she finished lowering her sister’s moon, replacing it with her own sun “I’ll take a nap after I finish looking over these…”
“Princess?” Kibitz called out, pausing in concern at the Alicorn’s sudden silence, turning to follow her gaze only to see them locked onto Raven, who was in the middle of replacing several books on the Princess’ impressive personal library “Is something the matter-?!”
“WAIT!” Celestia cried, Raven crying out in alarm as she suddenly found herself encased in her ruler’s magical field, the poor unicorn’s eyes widening in alarm, only to yelp as she was just as suddenly released, dropping to the floor at Celestia’s hooves.
“Are you alright, Ms. Inkwell?” Kibitz inquired, kneeling down to check on the shaken mare before turning to frown at his princess, who was clutching a book between her hooves “Really ma’am! I understand that you’re distressed, but that was going too far!”
“What?” Celestia stammered, looking up from her examining of the book, her eyes widening as she realized what she’d just done “Oh goodness! I’m so sorry Raven, I didn’t mean to-!”
“It’s okay, Princess.” Raven assured her monarch, the Unicorn mare nodding gratefully to Kibitz as he helped her to her hooves “I know you’d never hurt us, willingly or otherwise, I’m just a little startled is all. That book must be pretty important.”
“Yes,” Celestia confirmed, looking down at the cover of the book, which Kibitz was intrigued to note bore a decidedly familiar symbol, the symbol, he recalled, of a certain errant student’s cutie mark “it most certainly is.”
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry – Headmaster’s Office.
“Sorry I took so long, Professor.” Hagrid offered, the Half Giant tucking the box containing Harry’s birthday cake into one of the many pockets in his moleskin overcoat “Don’t yer worry none, I’ll make sure Harry gets his letter.”
“I have complete trust in your ability to do so.” Dumbledore confirmed with a smile “Do endeavor not to upset his relatives too much would you? No need to make things awkward for Harry down the line.”
“Yessir.” Hagrid acknowledged, the Half-Giant gripping the handle of his umbrella tightly as he stood to attention, Fawkes trilling softly as he perched atop the Groundskeeper’s shoulder, ready to take him straight to the last Potter’s current location “I’ll be on my best behaviour.”
“I’m sure you will.” Dumbledore noted, his eyes twinkling merrily as they vanished in a plume of Phoenix Fire, already imagining the Dursley’s reaction. After all, it was one thing to keep a Hogwarts Acceptance Letter from reaching its destination, it was quite another thing to stand in the way of the Keeper of the Keys.
“Now then, time to follow my own teachings and off to bed.” He chuckled, waving his wand briefly to restore some semblance of order to his office before making his way to the door to his personal chambers, only to pause as a low humming reached his ears.
“What’s this?” he wondered, turning his attention to the items on his desk, more accurately, the mysterious tome that had been discovered among the poor girl’s possessions, which was not only vibrating, the source of the low humming, but was also glowing dimly.
“How very curious…” he mused, his curiosity winning over his sense of caution, a regrettably common affliction many a Gryffindor suffered regardless of age, though at the very least he retained enough common sense to avoid laying his hands directly on the book, opening it with a gesture from his wand and marveling as it opened to a heretofore blank page which was slowly filling up with more of the unfamiliar symbols from earlier.
“Fascinating…” he marveled, eyes twinkling as he continued to watch. As time passed, he noticed a pattern developing wherein, after a period of time, the writing would stop, almost as if waiting for a reply, only to begin again, the handwriting growing steadily more erratic between pauses. It wasn’t until large wet blots began to appear on the paper, obscuring some of the earlier text, that Dumbledore realized the writer was in some form of distress.
“Perhaps it is not so much a Journal as a mean of communication?” he deduced before reaching for his quill, waiting until the next break in the text before scribbling onto the paper:
“Hello, my name is Albus Dumbledore, might I be of assistance?”
For a moment, he feared something had gone wrong, that in writing in the document, he had in some way damaged it, only to breath a sigh or relief when the writing resumed, this time in something closer to the English language, though admittedly one that had fallen out of favor the last millennium.
‘Greetings and well met, Albus Dumbledore. We art Princess Celestia, Solar Diarch of the Principality of Equestria. Prithee, how is it thou hast happened across our student’s journal?’
‘A Princess?’ he mused, eyes twinkling with intrigue at this latest turn of events “Forgive my trespass, your Highness,” he wrote back “having been the one to find your student in my office, I was hoping to find some means of identifying her when her journal began to glow.”
‘There is no harm done Ser Dumbledore. Indeed, t’would seem we must be the one to offer apologies on behalf of our errant student.’
“No apologies are necessary, your Highness.” Dumbledore assured her with a chuckle “I will admit her arrival proved something of a shock, but more so in the manner she arrived than her presence itself.”
‘That is certainly a relief,’ Celestia replied, and Dumbledore allowed himself to relax somewhat, as it was growing increasingly less likely the child was in any danger from her teacher ‘If it is not too much trouble, might we converse with our student?’
“Ah,” Dumbledore paused, hesitating slightly before deciding to bite the bullet, as the muggles put it, and inform the woman of her student’s current state “Your Highness, before I continue, I must ask that you remain calm.” When no reply came he pressed on “I regret to inform you that, due to the circumstances on her arrival, your student is current resting in our hospital wing. While our Matron has assured me she will suffer no permanent damage beyond an impressive headache, a night’s rest will do her the world of good.”
For a time there was no reply, Dumbledore waiting patiently for the Princess to gather her thoughts, the only noise the crackling of his fireplace and the rain against his window. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Princess began writing again, though Dumbledore could tell from her handwriting that she was far from calm.
‘What Happened.’
“Perhaps it would be best if you tell me how your student came to be in my office in the first place?” Dumbledore proposed “After all, it is not everyday a young witch manages to bypass the strongest anti-apparition wards in the country via magical mirror.”
Again, there was a moment of silence, and for a moment Dumbledore feared he had overstepped his bounds, only to sigh in relief when she started writing again ‘You mentioned a Matron…art thou perchance a physician?’
“Alas, while I confess some admiration for the profession, I am no healer.” Dumbledore admitted with a hint of regret “While I possess many titles, though none as auspicious as your own, the most important, in my opinion, is Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”
Canterlot – Princess Celestia’s Personal Chamber.
“Hogwarts?” Kibitz repeated, blinking in confusion as Celestia finished translating the most recent response from this Albus Dumbledore fellow “Why would anypony name a school after a skin affliction?”
“Assuming they are ponies.” Celestia mused solemnly, some of her earlier fears having been waylaid by the knowledge that, or all the places Sunset could have been trapped, she’s managed to find a school used to treating magic-related injuries “Starswirl and I visited many worlds using the mirror. More often than not our forms would change in order to help us blend in with the local population.”
“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with the idea of sentient swine.” Raven admitted, the unicorn looking decidedly uncomfortable with the very notion “I doubt I’d be able to look at bacon the same way again.”
“Oh hush,” Celestia chuckled, though internally she agreed with her secretary, the very idea of having to give up bacon for any period of time terrifying her on a primal level “Still, I wonder how I should proceed…is his curiosity behind Sunset’s arrival genuine or is he only interested in discerning the secrets of the mirror? It’s so hard to tell if he’s being genuine by his writing alone.”
“If I may, Princess.” Kibitz proposed, having developed something of a discerning eye for such things in his time as her Schedule Adviser. Many a time an uppity noble had tried to take advantage of the Princess’ good will, only to be faced with the iron wall that was Kibitz, who made certain to screen her appointments for any ne’er-do-wells and opportunists “Thus far he has only asked for an explanation for how Miss Shimmer arrived in his Office, in which case a brief summary of events should suffice. However, should he insist on inquiring after the mirror…”
“Then it is obvious that his concern is not entirely genuine.” Celestia finished grimly, biting her lip as she imagined her student at the mercy of some unknown sorcerer, taking a breath to steady her nerves before once again putting quill to paper.
“We fear we art partially to blame for our student’s presence at your school. We had a…difference of opinion in regards to her studies, words were exchanged of a heated nature that culminated in her dismissal, though it broke our heart to do so.” She took a moment to steady herself again, as her quill had begun to shake “We had hoped that giving her time to calm down would allow us to reconnect at a later time, but it would appear we underestimated her ambition.”
For a time there was no reply, the ponies looking on with bated breath as the seconds passed by. Finally, however, the strange words that only Celestia could read began again in that strange, elegant script. ‘Do not be too hard on yourself, your Highness.’ she read aloud, startled by the empathy she could feel in the Headmaster’s words ‘I too, know what it feels like to have failed a student, indeed, one of my greatest failures involved failing to stop one from being devoured by his ambitions, however I do not believe you need worry about your own student going down the same path.’
“Are we certain he’s talking about Sunset Shimmer?” Raven pondered, only to flinch at the disapproving glare she received from Kibitz “I mean, no disrespect Princess, but if there was ever a word to describe Sunset Shimmer, it’d be ambitious.”
“On that note I’d have to agree, my little pony.” Celestia concurred with a sigh, before turning her attention back to the journal “As comforting as that is to hear, by what certainty canst thou claim that Sunset Shimmer won’t go down the same path?”
‘So her name is Sunset Shimmer?’ Dumbledore replied, and Celestia wondered if she’d inadvertently made a mistake, for while magic involving names was rare, they were some of the darkest magics if misused ‘A most lovely name if I do say so myself. As for my certainty that your fears are unfounded, while there are many reasons for one to fall to the dark, in my personal experience it is very rare, indeed nigh impossible, for someone so deeply loved to be to be tempted down such a path.’
Celestia choked, the Princess of the Sun so moved by the Headmaster’s words that she made no effort at all to halt the tears sliding down her muzzle. Even Kibitz, long used to keeping a stiff-upper lip whenever in his lady’s presence, couldn’t help but struggle to do so as he offered her a handkerchief, a misty-eyed Raven wiping her eyes with her hooves.
“I think it is safe to say, ma’am, that Sunset Shimmer is in the best of care.” The Royal Adviser noted after taking a moment to clear his throat “Indeed, this Dumbledore seems a rather capable stallion…fellow.” He amended as an afterthought “I dare say she will be in good hooves until the portal reopens thirty moons from now.”
“So it would seem…” Celestia agreed, blowing her nose with a decidedly ungenteel *blort*, her eyes widening even as she returned the handkerchief to Kibitz, who promptly disposed of it in a nearby waste-bin with a practiced flick of his hoof “In fact…it might be just the thing I’ve been looking for.”
Picking up her quill once more, the Princess of the Sun began scribbling away at the journal, so caught up in her conversation with the Headmaster of Hogwarts that she failed to notice her Advisor and Secretary as they slipped out of the room, content to see her back to some semblance of her former self.
Hogwarts Infirmary, the following Morning.
The first thing Sunset Shimmer could feel as she slowly returned to consciousness was pain, not the stiff kind of pain one got for sleeping funny or from hitting a limb in the middle of the night, nor the dull ache from overusing one’s magic, but a deep, numbing pain in her skull that was thankfully fading the more she came awake, replaced with the kind of headache that made her wish she was dealing with the Yakyakistan ambassadors again.
‘At least then I’d have the benefit of having gotten drunk beforehand.’ She groaned, recalling the sweet, if powerful ale the Yaks were so proud of that not even the Griffin Kingdom could deny was potent stuff. As it were, her headache was most likely the result of a magical overload, probably to do with whatever the hay had caused that…Sonic Rainboom…just before she passed through the portal…wait…!
“I passed through the portal!” she exclaimed, moving to sit up only to curse as her skull violently protested the movement with the intensity of a thousand suns, sending her sprawling back on the bed whilst clasping a hoof to her head, only to freeze as she felt something soft and claw-like beat her to it, her eyes widening as she recoiled in alarm, only to blink as the limb retreated with her hoof.
“What in the world…?” she stammered, attempting to rotate her hoof, only for the strange, paw-like appendage to turn in response, the blunt, claw-like appendages twitching at her merest thought “Don’t tell me…!”
With growing trepidation, she reached down to awkwardly throw off the blanket with the paw, unwilling to even attempt using magic with her head pounding as it was, only to pale as instead of the well-toned, in her personal opinion, equine body she was so familiar with and more than a little proud of, she found herself gazing down at something that resembled a sickly primate, all long limbs and torso with nary a patch of fur visible outside the pajamas she'd been dressed in. She didn’t even have her Cutie Mark!
“What…is this…?” she stammered, pawing at her body with her new appendages, hands she believed the Minotaurs called them, her horror slowly reaching its apex when she reached up to her forehead only to find her horn missing “No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no this can’t be happening!” she shrieked, gripping her mane, the only part of her to remain unchanged, between her newfound fingers as she settled into a full-blown panic attack “This wasn’t how it was supposed to be! I was supposed to become powerful! I was supposed to become a Princess!”
Was this Celestia’s plan all along? Did her mentor purposefully let her stumble onto the mirror, knowing she’d take the chance to seize her destiny, only to cast her away in a world where she couldn’t use her magic? No, that made no sense whatsoever. If Celestia had simply wanted to banish Sunset, there were plenty of ways she could’ve done so without jeopardizing the lives of her guards. True, Sunset had never intended to hurt the stallions any more than she had, but it still was highly unlikely Celestia was behind any of this.
“Calm down…” She urged herself, taking several deep breaths in an attempt to calm down only to freeze at the sound of approaching hoofsteps, taking in her surroundings for the first time, surprised to find herself in what appeared to be a hospital bed, if the curtains around her were any indication. “H-Hello?” she called out hesitantly “I-Is someone in there?”
“Oh, are you awake dear?” a kind voice called out, the curtain parting to reveal an older mare, at least she sounded like a mare, of whatever species Sunset currently found herself a member of, dressed in what bore a passable resemblance to an outdated Nurse’s uniform “You gave us quite a start last night, I don’t believe I’ve never seen the Headmaster that serious before.”
“Sorry…?” Sunset offered out of a desire to avoid antagonizing the mare, as even Princess Celestia knew better than to needlessly antagonize her personal physician “You said Headmaster…am I in a school?”
“Indeed, you are.” Another voice confirmed, Sunset’s eyes widening as she glanced past the mare to find a second creature standing behind her, this one undoubtedly male, as evidenced by his impressive beard, which did little to hide his friendly smile nor the twinkle in his shocking blue eyes “Forgive my intrusion Madam Pomfrey, but might I speak with our guest in private for a moment?” he smiled reassuringly “I assure you, I will not keep her from your tender mercies for long.”
“Very well, though I insist she doesn’t leave the bed till I’ve examined her properly.” the nurse-mare insisted, pausing only to smile at Sunset reassuringly “Don’t worry dear, Professor Dumbledore won’t hurt you.”
‘Says you…’ Sunset mumbled as she watched the Matron walk away before turning her attention to the Headmaster, who continued to smile in a manner she couldn’t help but return “Um…good morning?”
"And just what do you mean by that?” the stallion, Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling at Sunset’s confusion "Do you wish me a good morning, or do you mean to say this is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"
‘Did he just?’ Sunset gaped, blinking in surprise, as that was an almost perfect quote from one of Celestia’s many journals detailing her tutelage under Starswirl the Bearded. Indeed, name and species aside, Sunset couldn’t help but notice many similarities between the Headmaster and the various depictions she’d seen of the Legendary Unicorn “Um…all of the above…?” she stammered, only to grimace, clutching her head “Except maybe the feeling good part. My head is killing me.”
“Unsurprising, considering how passionately you introduced it to my desk last night. Though if it’s any consolation, your skull seems to have come out of it the better.” Dumbledore noted, chuckling at the glare she sent him as he reached into his robes and pulled out a stick “Sorry, do you mind if I sit?” he asked as he waved the stick, Sunset’s eyes widening as an armchair appeared out of thin air “I’m afraid my old bones just aren’t what they used to be.”
“How did you do that?” Sunset demanded, her eyes wide with disbelief. Not at the open display of magic, she was a Unicorn after all, but rather the ease with which the Headmaster had accomplished what, up until now, she had considered an impossibility. While it was not impossible to alter the shape of an object, even the most talented of unicorns would have a hard time doing so, and even then they would have still needed an object to alter in the first place.
But Dumbledore hadn’t altered anything to create his chair, despite having plenty of options lying within sight in the room. He had simply waved his stick, no, his wand she realized, and literally created the chair from nothing, a feat that neither Starswirl or Celestia had ever been able to accomplish despite their phenomenal magical might. Indeed, to Sunset’s knowledge the only being to ever do so had been Discord, the living embodiment of Chaos itself.
“Would you like to learn how?” Dumbledore inquired, his eyes twinkling merrily as Sunset glanced up into them “Of course, as Headmaster I would not be able to teach you personally, however I can assure you that my staff are among the finest in their fields.”
“I…don’t have any money…” Sunset stammered, not entirely true, as she’d brought all of her savings with her, but it was highly unlikely that they accepted Equestrian Bits this side of the Mirror.
“The school provides a trust fund to help students lacking the means to cover their tuition.” Dumbledore assured her with a gentle smile that put her at ease despite herself “It is our pleasure to assist young minds find their true calling in life.”
‘Wow…this guy would get along great with the Princess.’ Sunset marveled, grimacing slightly at the memory of her old mentor, her wariness giving way to determination as she once again found herself on the path to achieving greatness “Where do I sign up?”
“Typically, you’d start by telling me your name.” Dumbledore noted, chuckling at her look of embarrassment as she promptly did so “Well then, Sunset Shimmer, it gives me great pleasure to be the first to welcome you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.”
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8839592
Thanks again for all your help.
8839723
I've got several chapters rough-drafted already but I like to give myself breathing space in case new show-relevant information shows up. While this is unlikely to affect Sunset given how EG is technically a branch story, better safe than sorry.
Seriously, you'd think they'd start fleshing out her character now that she's essentially the Main Character of the EG universe. Also, I wonder where she ranks in terms of power. Starlight is revealed to be about as powerful as Princess Twilight, who is apparently 'almost' as powerful as Starswirl, who was strong enough to be on BOTH teams for lowering and raising the Sun back in the day.
8839390
There will be slight deviations, mostly due to me addressing glaring plot-holes (Children's Books amiright), but the story will mostly follow HP Canon...with a few colorful additions here and there.
8838923
She's not quite 'scarred' yet. She hasn't accepted the fact she did anything wrong, she's still in the 'All Celestia's fault for holding me back' ala Anakin Skywalker ranting about Obi-Wan, only without Hayden Christensen's bad acting.
(Seriously, I stopped watching the Prequel Movies after the 2nd one. How that whiny crybaby became DARTH VADER I'll never understand).
8838722
I can only hope to live up to your expectations. If not, well as you said there are plenty of other works out there.
Hmm... I've seen so many HP fanfics and crossovers that I'm normally numb to the allure of reading one... But maybe, just maybe, this will be of equal or greater quality to that of the fic with She-Whom-Walks-On-Plush-Hooves...
Or perhaps it shall not be, and shall simply vanish someday into the ether like its successor fic from the same author. We shall simply have to wait and see...
Excellent characterizations of both Dumbledore and Celestia. I look forward to reading more.
Also, thanks for the shoutout!
8839833
As Dumbledore explained, as Headmaster he won't be available to teach Sunset directly, though rest assured he'll be finding ways to keep her busy. His plan with Celestia is to keep her from becoming the next Voldemort after all.
8839852
I can make no promises as I don't have the best track record, but I intend to at least finish Philosopher's Stone.
8839932
I sincerly doubt that the first line was intended as you say. First thing first, it was adressed to the whole school, it would entice far more people like say, the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan, then a timid overwhelmed first year. Second, it's first book Dumbledore, when he was still written as a fun old man saying crazy stuff for the lulz. Case in point, his opening speech. Thirdly, why would he think that Harry is a troublemaker when he know from Miss Figgs that he isn't?
Later in the year? Sure, I could understanf that kind of reasonment, afterall, he gave him the cape, twice.
As for the "pig" line, pig are fed to be fat. They are kept happy and then slaugthered. It is the exact opposite of being prepared to fight. So even if it was indeed established somewhere that Dumbledore was preparing Harry beyond the private lessons in the sixth book, that evidence would not make any sense.
That being said, if you wan't to interpret thing that way, go ahead. It's just not established outside of fanon.
8839932
From what I gleaned online (at least as far as the first book is concerned) Dumbledore did not intend for Harry to get involved with any of the Philosopher's Stone business. Harry and his friends got involved on their own and when the situation got desperate Dumbledore was willing to provide them a hint. But he did not expect Harry to confront the Dark Lord let alone actually defeat him.
But yeah from what I can tell Dumbledore intended to let Harry remain ignorant of the prophecy until the time came when he would fulfill it in order to preserve his innocence. Basically he wanted Harry to have as normal a life as possible before his destined death arrived.
8840075
On all of your points, the HP fandom is actually quite divided. There are some who think what you do about Dumbledore and his actions throughout the series, while on the other end of the spectrum there are those who see him as little better than Riddle with his manipulations throughout the series and in particular his actions and inactions regarding Harry's home life at Privet Drive. The majority of fans usually fall somewhere in the middle, seeing Dumbledore as having benevolent intentions, but suspect and misguided means of carrying out his goals, with some leaning closer to one view or the other without going to the "Up to 11" extremes.
And if you don't believe me that the HP Fandom can get quite warped, just remember that this is the series that gave us the names for the "Draco in Leather Pants" and "Ron The Death Eater" tropes, as well as the abomination known as "My Immortal"...
8840234
I am quite aware of that (thanks to the author of another Harry Potter x MLP fic on this site) but I honestly only care about what was actually shown in the source material or what the author herself has said rather than fan speculation. That being said I firmly believe that Dumbledore tried do what he thought was right but it didn't always work out for the best. For example in hindsight it probably would have been better if he just told Harry the truth from the start but it's understandable why he wanted to protect Harry from the truth.
That said if "good-intentions manipulator" is the interpretation the author is going with I'm fine with that, it's at least more inline with how the character is portrayed in the books than what others have done.
8840264
I happen to agree, though the mental exercises for rationalizing either extreme in a believable manner can be quite entertaining at times. In my case though, my headcanon is only built around what's actually portrayed in the source material, while I reject most "Word of God" interpretations because quite often "Word of God" statements can be contradicted or brought into question by Canon Source, and the world, setting and characterizations of the Harry Potter series have some holes in them large enough do drive a Death Star through once you start critically examining them, which is why the fandom is so divided on the various here's and there's of the different characters, and why it's such fertile ground for fanfiction authors to mess about with...
8840283
Yeah well frankly I'm not too picky about fan interpretations of characters as long as it makes sense. Like I said that other story's portrayal of Dumbledore got me to look up alot of stuff from the books which does occasionally lead to plot points that definitely have you scratching your head when you actually think about them.
8840312
Yeah, I'm pretty flexible about what interpretations I'm willing to follow so long as it's done well too.
If you don't mind my asking, which story are you referring to? It's probably something I've read already, but I'm still interested in what others think of them. If you're not comfortable naming it in the comments here feel free to PM me.
8840367
Ah no problem the story I'm referring to is Magic School Days. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it though fair warning, the author leans heavily into Dumbledore bashing to the point where it has long since stopped being funny.
If Sunset treats Harry like she would with Sunburst, I doubt that she would be too happy with Malfoy.
I'd love fro her to deal with not being the most prestigious around. I imagine having to deal with characters like Malfoy would bring a whole host of interesting communications.
also, all this talk of her being ambitious, I would almost feel cheated if she didn't end up in slytherin. I get that it might be hard for her to interact with some of the books main characters, but I really can't imagine she would be in any of the other houses unless she changes drastically.
Sunset mumbled as she watched the Matron walk away before turning her attention to the Headmaster, who continued to smile in a manner she couldn’t help but return “Um…good morning?”
"And just what do you mean by that?” the stallion, Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling at Sunset’s confusion "Do you wish me a good morning, or do you mean to say this is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"
The Hobbit references are greatly enjoyed
So much potential! Only hiccup is that I feel like Dumbles AND Celestia are both so used to being mysterious, they are going to omit the fact that she contacted him and he knows... leading to a lot of hurt feelings later on for Sunny...
I even liked your author notes, where you clearly stated your reasonings (and one theory on pony psychology) that while I may have interpreted differently, are valid and I can live with.
Hope this stays strong!
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Out of all the Harry Potter crossovers I have read, this is by far the most well-constructed and written. Favorite and Tracking.
8840779
I would be surprised if she didn't end up in slytherin especially since the author seems to be intentionally drawing parallels between her and Voldemort.
8840234
DO NOT SPEAK THAT TITLE!
8840994
I did say it was an abomination.
8840234
8840994
YOU LINKED TO THE ABYSS! DONT CLIKC FOR YOUR SANITY.
8840264
To be fair, Dumbledore would HAVE to be something of a manipulator considering the political clout he has. Putting aside his duties as Headmaster, he's Head of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards.
However, while I don't doubt he always strives to serve the 'Greater Good', I like to think of him as more of a 'Death of Spock', needs of the many type than the 'Hot Fuzz', send Harry to his death so he can keep his power mentality.
So yes, I can understand Dumbledore wanting Harry to still have a 'childhood', especially considering how he failed Tom Riddle, but at the same time I can also imagine him using his years of experience to prepare the boy for the challenges ahead.
That being said, he's not 'Omniscient', and unlike Celestia he doesn't have the benefit of 'Prophetic Dreams' to explain his more confusing decisions (Like sending the Mane 6 to move the dragon instead of Mobilizing the Guard and doing it herself.)
Case in point, I highly doubt he was aware Voldemort was possessing Quirrel, because if he did he'd have stunned him then and there and the series would have ended with Book 1. Sure he wouldn't be able to KILL Voldemort, but imprisoning him would be just as good.
He also openly admitted to having no clue how the Chamber of Secrets was re-opened, and something tells me if he suspected Sirius' innocence he'd have used all his political clout to get him out of Azkaban, if only to ensure Grimmauld Place was secure.
So yeah, Well-Intentioned Manipulator Dumbles is my Head-canon.
8840655
Her attachment to Harry will be slow-going, but yes, Malfoy will soon learn that not everyone is willing to bend over to kiss his father's backside.
8840779
Sunset's used to working he way up from nothing. She wasn't always Celestia's student and while Human Politics are decidedly more cut-throat than Equestrian ones her time in Celestia's court has prepared her for uppity Pure Bloods.
8840903
Sunset won't touch the Diary out of pride, but Dumbledore erased their conversation using magic just in case she does check it (he has an alternative means of communication).
As for her finding out about their conversations...well the portal will re-open in two and a half years, plenty of time for Celestia and Dumbledore to plan how to break the news.
8840941
Please don't hurt me Princess Twilight.
8840944
Thanks.
8840985
Spoilers.
8841047
Which basically means she'll either be making some Major waves in Slitherin as she breaks all the molds and out-maneuvers the "Older" students (because in reality she's probably older than the seventh years given the effects of the mirrors on physical ages) and classmates alike... or you're going to find some reason/excuse to put her in one of the other houses and have her build her power base there while cutting them off at every turn.
Either way:
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This story kind of makes me sad. Like, I'm about to cry kind of sad. It doesn't help that the music 'I'm listening to is so perfectly timed with this story (Harry Potter). This is very well written so far.
8841028
I definitely agree that it's plausible that he is a skilled manipulator given his positions, I just couldn't think of an example of Dumbledore ever really manipulating Harry in a way that intentionally put him in harms way. He often seemed to try to do whatever it took to keep Harry safe (as he does with all his students) which is why Harry and his friends often had to sneak around to investigate anything.
But it's definitely a better interpretation than blatantly evil Dumbledore.
This is really interesting so far, really excited for the next chapter
8841148
The basis of the "Manipulative" Dumbledore school of thought isn't based on him directly leading Harry and Co. into danger, so much as it's about the "breadcrumbs", (items and information, sometimes sensitive that "he should have known about and hidden more securely", sometimes seemingly benign but vital to their success, that seem to be left around willy nilly for them to find and use that a lot of people trace back to Dumbledore either rightly or not...) while seemingly "turning a blind eye" and often even rewarding what could be considered either suspension or expulsion offenses, to a Lot of what happens regarding Harry and his group of friends.
Then there's that a lot of people see his role in placing Harry in what by any Modern standard would undoubtedly be considered an abusive home, the sort that would have Child Services knocking on the Dursley's door to take away both Harry and Dudley, and how they see that "there's no way he can't know about it but still does nothing", and drawing parallels of the psychological effects of such an upbringing to children in militant states that are essentially raised to be soldiers or weapons. A harsh home life bereft of any semblance of love or affection, so he would latch onto the first person to show him any kindness and actually stand up to his abusers and protect him (Hagrid) and establish a hold over him through that connection since Hagrid is unfailingly loyal to Dumbledore and constantly parrots how "Great" he is and "Good Man Dumbledore" and how he was the only person able to stand up to and push back Tom Riddle/Voldemort during the darkest days of the war.
The "Manipulative Dumbledore" almost always works by proxy, rarely leaving a trail that can be definitively traced back to him and only getting directly involved with his designs for Harry's future destiny when either left no choice or the opportunity to do so without exposing himself as a manipulator comes around.
Now, This isn't me saying I entirely agree with this school of thought, but as I said in an earlier post, the mental exercises of logic-ing out believable circumstances behind the extreme good or bad views on Dumbledore can be quite entertaining at times.
8841229
Ah yeah I can understand that. Though I never really agreed with the thought in regards to leaving Harry with the Dursley's since Dumbledore did have a good reason to place him there despite how he was treated. Whether or not it was the best choice is debatable (and frankly at that point it would all just be speculation) but it's hard to argue that it didn't work out well in the long run (it was the whole reason Harry ultimately was able to survive the prophecy). But at least Dumbledore did show remorse for doing that in the end.
8841047
ah, I guess I'll have to find out how she acts. Either way, I can't wait to read more.
This seems like a good start to a story so far and I like how you showed Dumbledore asking Hagrid to get Harry, I thought that was a nice touch. At this time, does Celestia know that Sunset changed species or do Celestia and Dumbledore assume the other is their species?
We know that Celestia knows there's a possibility that he isn't a pony but we haven't gotten any confirmations on that.
One thing I think you should change is removing items 3 & 4 at the top. I assume that you're going to be infusing these points organically as the story progresses, but as it stands having both of those being right at the top spoils things for people. I can understand you wanting to stem the tide of questions people will have about how Sunset and Harry will relate to each other, but I think this is the wrong way to approach things.
Like I said tho I thoroughly enjoyed what I've read so far and I hope to see more in the future.
8839771
Out of all the MLP/HP crossovers I've read, this has got to be the best. Just looking at the premise, and how well-written the blurb was, was enough to earn it a like. And after reading this, I believe you've just gained yourself a new follower.
My opinion on Dumbledore is pretty much identical to yours, although the whole "Greater Good" thing peeves me a bit. I don't remember Dumbledore ever actually saying that phrase in the series, except when it mentions his teenage letter to Grindelwald. And it was Grindelwald's slogan, so it would likely be a bit of a trigger to most wizards and witches. I'm pretty sure Dumbledore wouldn't like that phrase anyway, and it would have at least some baggage. His sister was killed as a result of this "Greater Good", after all.
That said, I'm not peeved enough for it to diminish my enjoyment of this story. Well done. I can't wait to see what happens next.
8841061
please do more
8841657
Have you read The Wizard and the Lonely Princess? It's pretty much the definitive HPXMLP crossover.
8841701
I've read some of it, can't really remember why I stopped, though. I think I just got distracted with other fics. Might give it another go.
Official MLP tabletop RPG has a spell/talent... "creation", if I remember it correctly, that allow user conjure things. And not just a simple thing like a chair but complex things like all sort of devices and even entire castles.
And in the magic duel with alicorn amulet!Trixie Twilight able to conjure a living thing - parasprite.
Although these things not permanent and
disappear when unicorn stops concentrating on them.
8841024
I will not Fear. Fear is the Mind-killer. Fear is the Little-Death that brings Total Obliteration. I will face my Fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
8841797
why u no have Arakis as avi?
lel, nice quote.
8841074
She's going to be taking it slow. She might know the game but she no-longer has the support of being Celestia's Student, which was the main reason most people tried befriending her back in Equestria.