Epilogue+
The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions
The black road continued to stretch deeper into the unyielding abyss. Darkness surrounded her on all sides, unaffected by the ball of light hanging on the tip of her horn. She wore only a plain traveling cloak—no crown, no regalia.
For Tartarus hardly cared for titles. Her status was just enough to get her past the gates. Beyond them, she was no princess. She was just Celestia.
Contrary to popular belief, Tartarus was cold. A haunting cold that pierced not just the body, but the very soul. The air was thick with lamentations and regrets. Sobs, moaning, and insane laughter filled the void. Prisoners were hardly tortured here. No, their punishment was solitude—to sit in their prisons, alone and undisturbed until the end of time; left to reflect on their actions and weep for their sins. Many lost their minds from loneliness.
Celestia kept a calm but brisk pace. The cold stone bit into her hooves, making every step harder than the last. Flying was forbidden in Tartarus.
She had meant to make this trip earlier. Much earlier. She had a perfect opportunity right after Tirek had been re-imprisoned, but felt her country took precedence as it always did. And nothing about this trip was certain. For all she knew, she was dragging her hooves across the rough stones for nothing.
Still, she had to be sure. If there was even a small chance, Celestia was willing to take it.
The path sloped up and branched off into three separate paths. Celestia paused and strained her eyes into the endless dark. Light flickered at the end of each path, the question was, which did she take? After examining each option, she took the far right, following it over a bottomless ravine. It was a decision of the heart, nothing more. On the other side of the ravine was a circle of rocks enclosing a prison made from a ring of light.
Celestia stepped up the ring’s edge and placed a hoof on the invisible barrier separating her and the prisoner on the other side. Her heart had led her the right way.
They sat at the far end, wrapped in a black cloak that covered everything. If they noticed Celestia, they gave no indication. They continued to stare at the cavern wall, completely still.
Celestia made a small cough. It echoed through the cave and sounded like an avalanche to Celestia’s ears. It got the prisoner’s attention, however. They turned around and shambled over to the barrier, keeping their face hidden.
A voice, raspy from disuse escaped from the hood. “The princess has graced me with her presence. I feel honored.”
Try as she might, Celestia couldn’t see into the darkness the hood provided. But she knew who was under it all the same. “Hello, Sunset,” she said, using all her strength to keep her voice from trembling. “How are you?”
“Tired.” Sunset’s hood swished back and forth. “And you still call me by that name? I am not Sunset, Celestia. Not anymore.”
“I refuse to call you Vesper Radiance,” Celestia said sternly. “You are still my Sunset, regardless of what happened. You can change your name as many times as you like, but I will call you Sunset Shimmer because that is the pony I loved. That’s the pony you still are deep inside.”
Sunset made a cross between a cough and a rattle of tiny beads. Then Celestia realized she was laughing. “Still perfect. Still the wonderful alicorn that deserves to be admired. Hahahahaha—” Her laughter dissolved into coughs, then degraded into hacking.
Celestia pushed her hoof into the barrier, but was unable to reach Sunset. The coughing fit lasted for several minutes before Sunset fell on her side, gasping for air. Celestia laid on her belly, putting herself at eye level to her. “Are you all right, Sunset?”
She struggled for air, occasionally breaking into smaller fits again. She murmured something unintelligible in between her wheezing.
“What was that?”
“...Name… isn’t Sunset.” She pushed herself into a sitting position. “Vesper Radiance.”
Celestia folded her ears. She stretched her neck out to nuzzle Sunset, but was reminded of the force field once again. “Why do you insist on being called that?”
Sunset’s hood turned away. Her voice came out, rough and sharp. “Because she took my real name away. She’s the better of us two.” It fell into a feathery whisper. “She proved that, in the end, she… was superior. She’s the real one. I’m just a phantom.” Sunset’s voice trailed away. Something small and glittery fell from the dark void of her hood.
“That isn’t true. You’re just as real as she is, despite what happened. Yes, she took a better path than you—she accepted harmony and friendship; she was prepared to sacrifice herself for her friends. But that doesn’t make you any less real than she was.” Celestia closed her eyes. “I remember all the good times we had together. I remember your laughter and your innocent curiosity for knowledge. I remember all your efforts to make me smile or cheer me up after a hard day. I remember your love, Sunset. That was all real to me.”
The silence of Tartarus seemed to double when Celestia stopped speaking. Sunset kept her back turned, remaining still as stone. “A phantom,” she repeated. “I’m a shell of who that mare was. She’s dead. She died when you crowned Twilight Sparkle. I’m not her, and my reincarnation turned herself into something far better than I ever was. So where does that leave me?” There was another rattling cough. “By all rights, I shouldn’t even be here. I vaporized myself into so many pieces, I should have never come back, in that life or down here.”
She raised the hem of her cloak and revealed something that could barely be called a hoof. It was made mostly of swirling grey dust trying to piece itself back together, combined with fragments of solid bone. “You go to Tartarus how you die. Only, there was nothing left of me to send.” She rattled again. “Perhaps the Maker was granting me a mercy by piecing together as much as she could.”
Celestia pinned her ears back and swallowed the lump rising in her throat. She knew Sunset had committed heinous crimes and needed some form of punishment. But wasn’t this a little much? Sparks jumped from the tip of Celestia’s horn, but as much as she wanted to break through the barrier and wrap her hooves around Sunset, she knew she couldn’t. The magic of Tartarus was beyond her.
Sunset retracted her hoof, and her body swished from side to side. “Why are you here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
The cloak turned away. “No. You wanted to see Sunset Shimmer. She’s dead.”
Celestia stood tall, narrowing her eyes. “No she is not. She’s only dead if you let her die, Sunset.”
There was a small scraping sound as Sunset tried to paw at the dirt. “You put far too much faith in me, Celestia.”
“Them answer me one question, Sunset.” Celestia exhaled slowly, remembering what happened the last time she had asked this question. “Do you regret anything? Do you regret any of the actions you took on the path that brought you here?”
There was no wind in Tartarus, but something swept across Celestia all the same. It left her colder than before, and she pulled her cloak tighter across her body.
Sunset, meanwhile, had not said a word. She scraped at the ground several times, and an odd sound between a cough and a pant came from her hood. She looked over her shoulder and said in an even scratchier voice than before, “I… regret disappointing you.”
Remorse. It draped itself through the air, wrapping the two ponies in a cold cocoon. Sunset’s remorse bled through her prison and permeated the air around Celestia.
And yet… it sparked a warmth in her heart.
Sunset continued. “I just wanted to make you happy. No… I wanted to make myself happy, and I thought making you acknowledge me and only me would do it. I was… blinded by my ambition to make you love me, that I forgot why I was doing everything in the first place. I…” Another piece of glitter fell from the darkness of her hood. “I’m sorry.”
Celestia gave her a watery smile. “You see? The Sunset I love isn’t dead. She was just lost and confused.” She hiccuped and wiped her face. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you find your way in time.”
Another rattling, raspy laugh left Sunset. “Celestia… my bleeding-hearted princess. Apologizing for something that wasn’t your fault.”
“I am not blameless in this, Sunset. I told you before: I’m not infallible.”
A soft pause. “You were always perfect to me.”
For a time, neither said a word. Celestia stood, staring at the back of Sunset’s cloak, while Sunset sat, hunched over and completely still.
Looking at her… looking at the remains of her daughter, broken and remorseful; Celestia’s chest knotted up. She wanted weep and cheer at the same time. More than anything, she just wanted to hug Sunset once more.
Sunset cleared her throat and looked over her shoulder. “Has… has she come back yet?”
Celestia dipped her head. “Not yet. Twilight says she can feel her though. She’s getting a little closer everyday.”
Sunset nodded. “I can feel her too. She’s… determined, I’ll give her that much.” She dragged a hoof against the ground. “To defy the denial of existence. To overcome time and space. I still do not understand… she showed me some of it—allowed me to experience some of its warmth, but…” Sunset turned around, still keeping her hood low. “Is friendship truly that powerful?”
Celestia slowly raised her hoof and pushed it against the barrier again. “It is one of the strongest forces in existence, Sunset. When coupled with love, it creates a power no one can truly understand. But it protects us and guides us, even in our deepest despair.”
The cloak trembled in hesitation. Then, very carefully, an amber hoof appeared from within. The fur around it was short and patchy, but the hoof was whole. Sunset raised it and pressed it against Celestia’s. “But what do you do when they all leave?” she whispered. “When they all abandon you?”
“True friends will never abandon you, Sunset. They’ll stay with you in your heart forever.” Celestia pressed her hoof harder into the shield, hoping she could just graze Sunset’s hoof. A simple touch to show she cared.
Instead, Sunset finally raised her head up. From within the darkness, Celestia saw one teal eye stare back at her, full of remorse and a desire for real love.
Sunset pulled her hoof away and lowered her head. “I know why I lost… why I failed. But still…” she shook her head.
She was unsure of what to say next, but Celestia still wanted to offer some words of solace. A distant roar stopped her before she could say anything else, however. She pinned her ears back, looking at the long road she would have to traverse. “I’m afraid I have to go, Sunset.”
The teal eye appeared again. “O-oh… I… I understand.” She picked herself up and trudged back to the center of her prison.
Celestia wiped a tear from her cheek. “I’m sorry. I…”
“No, it’s okay.” The crack in her voice was unnoticeable to all but Celestia. “You’re the princess. Equestria needs you. It doesn’t deserve you, but it needs you.”
You need me too, my lost little pony. Even if you don’t want to admit it anymore. When Sunset spoke no more, Celestia turned down the path. Her ears twitched and she looked back. “What?”
“... Will you visit me again?”
The corners of Celestia’s mouth folded upwards. “Of course I will. I promise.”
She had taken two steps when she heard a soft and sincere voice say, “I love you, Mother.”
Celestia looked back, seeing the young filly she had taken in so many years ago. She was struggling, but she was still alive. “I love you too, Sunset.”
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...
This gave me the feels, man.
I was shocked to see this - shocked, but definitely not disappointed!
I like this ending. It gives me hope. Happy holidays, Albinocorn!
Hearths warming present! Albinocorn-senpai has graced us all!
But in all seriousness, this was pretty beautiful. Maybe Sunset doesn't have a chance to get out of tartarus anymore, but at least her soul may be in peace.
Fuck it I'm crying.
I want this sunset to get a happy ending too, but I don't think it will happen.
Wow...This was an unexpected addition to this story, but one that I loved. I wonder if it'd be possible to see both Sunset reincarnated and Vesper released from her punishment in future story.
...As if Sunset's existence in this story isn't sad enough...
Damnit, man...
Reading a line like this... It fills you with a desire to make entirely unrelated references.
i.imgur.com/S4d8nyT.gif
About time you chucked this up here.
Nice HW present, Albi! Still an emotional epilogue, even after a second read.
Gosh darn it....I loved this story, and now this epilogue...hit me in the feels again! This is still one of my favorite stories!
static.fjcdn.com/comments/You%2Bgot%2Bme%2BOp.%2Bright%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bfeels%2B_07cd144148021d7b97d3cf41a60ffb3a.jpg
*Sniffle* By Celestia almighty! Great chapter!!!! I loved this. Despite all that she did, even Vesper/Sunset still gets a bit of a happy ending. That's nice. Y'know, I almost cried at this. Good work on bringing the emotion out. Keep this up and have a Merry Christmas/Happy Hearthswarming!
"The Wheel of Time turns, and ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legends fade to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the third age by some, an Age yet to come, an age long past, a wind rose in Equestria. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings or endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning."
Feeels, MAN!!!
I can't be the only one who wants a follow up story of Sunsets time as Twilights student. Like really, really badly!
Yaaaaaaaaay! :'D.
I honestly didn't know what to expect! I imagined we'd see more of Future Sunset, but instead we see a new scene with Vesper and Celestia. I had flashbacks to the ending "Interview with a Vampire (which you might be familiar with writing for your Sunpyre story) with Lestat/Vesper a shadow of her formal self talking with Louis/Celestia about way back when.
I suppose the biggest surprise for me was seeing Vesper at all. It seemed, in the original epilogue, that her soul was finally released from it's darkness and went, well, to whatever world comes next. That's up to imagination, but I assumed by the "Thank You" that Vesper had moved onto a happier place. That even she finally found some peace, like she originally was supposed too when the Elements were used on her the first time. Instead, she's withering away in Tartarus. I don't know if I personally feel sorry for her after everything she's tried to do...but it's something that, in Hell, she's now finally seeing the error of her ways. While I won't say this opens up possibilities for a sequel, it does at least mean she's still around and it's not completely impossible for her to somehow have a role in a future story. Personally though, for better or worse, I'd like to think her story was finished given just how well her whole arc was and how it ended :).
I think that's it! we've visually seen what Tartarus looks like, but it was fun using my imagination more. I think the best thing about this chapter is just that it exists and we get to see a tiny bit more of these characters ^^.
Happy Hearth's Warming, everyone! <3
Stop drinking my tears, jerk!
Sad but good chapter after all.
Aw, that was really (bitter)sweet, thank you for that one last bit of Sunset of Time. Celestia and Sunset reunions are usually pretty sweet as long as Sunset isn't too mad with power (which she unfortunately was for most of this story). I know the main story focused on future Sunset's fight against her past, but very heartwarming to see original Sunset get some closure too. It doesn't fix things, but at least its some solace for her, even at the end.
This was sweet.
Is there the possibility of a chapter with a brief glimpse of Shimmer's reclaimed life sometime in the future?
Ok..... wow. Just wow. So I am stuck here working on Xmas and I remember you add this so I decided to go and read it. I opened this expecting a warm holiday themed chapter. Instead I am left with a broken heart. This was so sad yet beautiful. Well done.
6766753
There's a chapter, that I believe was written long before Undertale was a thing, in LRtF that made me think of Undertale... I WAS going to post something about it later but I can't find it again
To the author of this wonderful chapter which I really didn't expect to take the turn it did, amazing job... I can't really express how hard it has been in the recent, almost two month long, hiatus from seeing your work that we've had. I REALLY like your writing and hope you'll keep on writing long into the future. Can't wait to see what you come up with next
EDIT: also, hope you had a nice hearth warming
This story was wrapped up for me. Fin. But now....now, I need this resolved. Vanilla Sunset needs resolve! Even in just a short little chapter. Can't leave Vanilla all alone like that!!!
What's this? An epilogue that doesn't feel unnecessarily tacked on?
Albino, you blasphemous monster!
*sad d'aaaawwwws can be heard in the distance*
One of the many things I like about this fanfiction is how you write the relationship between Sunset and Celestia. It fill me with 'aww' and tears all of the same time.
This epilogue makes the story so much more complete. While I liked the original last chapter I always thought that something was missing. I never really could identify exactly what, but I guess this was it. Well done.
where is the sequel. i need moar.
Phew, done. I admit it started to get really tough the last dozen chapters, but I powered through to the end so that I could leave a review as I see the story.
The final verdict: 6.5 out of 10. While I congratulate the author for actually finishing such a long piece, it does not change the fact that it was a good concept killed by being way too over-the-top.
The drama, violence, and even cliches were all dialed up to 11 in this Michael Bay directed soup opera. Seriously, the villain had evil laughter tacked onto at least 80% of their dialogue and the henchmen were actually kind of offensive in how generic they were. And that's not even mentioning the completely nonsensical application of space/time theory . If you're a big fan of stories making sense, than this piece is not for you.
Also extremely predictable. It was written to be so I believe, but there was also much that I guessed completely right about long before they were even hinted at. There were some plot-points that I knew were going to happen, just not exactly how the author would explain them for instance. The end also surprised me, but only because of how illogical it was.
It's not a bad read at the start, but for how long it is, I can't recommend it to anyone short on time. The amount of time you'll have to invest into reading through the whole thing does not equal the payoff.
P.S.
Funny thought, but literally the entire adventure could have been made unnecessary had future Twilight told Sunset to go back 50 years... and a couple of days. Sending someone back in time to stop a crime is a lot more difficult for instance if they go back to when the crime is already in progress. Why not give yourself a head start when all of time is at your finger-tips, am I right?
6780814 Well, I suppose I should thank you for at least telling me why you didn't like the story.
6780814 I believe it's been a month or two since I read Sunset of Time; at the very least it's been long enough that my memory of it isn't perfect. However, from what I remember the time travel elements made perfect sense to me. I'm curious if you found any actual logical flaws with the time travel, or if you just found it too confusing.
As for it being like a Michael Bay movie, well it is certainly an action story, so I suppose you could compare it to one of Bay's better movies (like Armageddon or the first live-action Transformers), but personally I think Sunset of Time is better written than any Bay movie (and is not nearly as over the top).
As for the idea of Twilight telling Sunset to go back in time further, that idea occurred to me as well. The problem is Twilight didn't have time to give Sunset many details about what she needed to do in the past, and with as little information as Sunset had a few days might not have made a difference. (On the other hand, sending Sunset back 51 years or more might have worked...)
Well, I really wanted to leave a comment on every chapter, as a kind of replacement for the fact that you can only like once, but I learned my lesson about spamming. Also I'm hesitant to post a comment months after the end of a story. So this is the perfect opportunity.
One could write essays about how brilliantly this entire piece is written. If I could, I would. So many emotions run so high in the entire story, at a certain point I was so close to just crying my eyes out because it was so sad. This epilogue really fleshes out the character so much more, she is in Tartarus with no distractions but to ruminate on how she lived her life, and ironically it would have set her on the path to a better one. You weren't kidding when you said it was bittersweet.
The whole story is filled with brilliantly written characters, a fantastic plot, and brilliant twists (maybe because I didn't look up the name Vesper).
This isn't the first of your stories I have read, that goes to Sunlight, but it won't be the last. This also isn't the first epic i've read, but it is truly one of the best.
Thank you for your hard work, and everyone who contributed.
Loved it ^_^
If I could just like this chapter alone... too.
Well that's bizarre. What is Tartarus here exactly? How does anyone even end up there?
6818212 In Greek mythology, Tartarus is the lowest pit in the Underworld where the worst monsters were born. In early mythology, it is also home to Titans and many foul creatures. In Equestria, it's probably like a prison or Hell. Whichever one you prefer
I swear to all things pony, that if you don't make a sequel, i will eat your
computercandy!7060312 ... Huh. How did I never catch that?
Shit.
(huh, never started a comment off with that before).
Albinocorn... this story has literally left me feeling existential. So, in a way, I kinda hate you, because I'm all depressed. (Doesn't mean I'll stop following you though). That ending man.... that needs a... idk...
*legitimately stops typing to cry for a few moments*
This story made me cry. Well, it probably made a lot of readers cry.
This story was an amazing adventure, up to par with many bestselling novels out there. But towards the end, the entire story, (and my heart), was completely torn apart. Immensely. Like, I'm sitting here now, sobbing, contemplating life and shit. (Wow, two for one in this review!)
You've earned a favorite, (but all things come with a heavy price).
EITHER YOU'RE GOING TO WRITE A DAMN SEQUEL OR I'M GONNA DO IT FOR YOU.
Eh, probably not. But it'll keep me awake for a while.
*another pause for sobbing*
Wow, it's been 15 minutes since I started to write this review.
Great story man... great story. Loved the ending, but it made me cry.... so, yeah. Hate you... existentialism and all that shit. (3 for 1).
Damn it.
(I love ya' man. You got real talent. Keep up the good work. And no, I don't have a multiple-personality disorder.)
7069797 I contentiously toy around with the idea of a sequel but probably won't do it because it'll never live up to this one.
Buuut... I am seriously toying with the idea of turning this into an actual novel.
7069815 DO IT DAMN IT.
I NEED A HARDCOVER COPY OF THIS SO I HAVE SOMETHING TO BURN.
Not really. It was truly amazing. If you want to hear more of my blubbering, check this... (kind of) review out: http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/612583/damn-it-now-im-depressed
time travel always makes for some fun xD Another one to add to the favorites list! Even though i was able to predict mad stuff it was still fun to read because again...time travel is fucking awesome
Okay yeah...feels everywhere! Time travel is such a pain in the ass...paradoxes and all that but damn was this a good story, just finished it last night...Seriously theres no friggin' way you haven't watched the Flashpoint paradox cause I got all types of Flashpoint vibes from this story which is fine cause Flashpoint is fucking awesome! Seriously if you ever make a sequel to this i'll be incredibly happy. Another one for the favorites list
My god has this account gotten dusty since I've last been here.
Ahem, good evening sir. Before I begin I want to say congrats. Congrats on getting me to logon to this site in what must be at least two and a half years. It's funny, I thought I'd grown tired of MLP fanfiction long ago but it seems you've proven me wrong and for that, I thank you.
You see I swore to myself what seemed like only a while ago that I'd pick up another story for old times sake. So one day as I was browsing EqD I happened to come across this fic and for some reason it piqued my interest. I downloaded the ebook to my iPhone and decided I'd give it a read. It only just occurred to me that its been a year since I did that. Well just only a few days ago I was flipping through my books and spotted this one which proceeded to make me go, "Oh f
I forgot about this story," and promptly decided to read through the first few chapters until sleep took over. From there I fell into my old reading habits of being unable to put down a good story until I reached the end. Needless to say I finished Sunset of Time in 3 days and I loved it every step of the way.
Now that the backstory has been addressed, I feel the need to continue my tradition of commenting in big walls o' text. However I wont for two reasons, the first being I can't quite put all of my thoughts into text just yet after having finished reading it. Once the afterglow dies down I'll post it one way or another. Secondly, I rather not spoil any new readers, so I'll have to take the time to make sure whatever I post avoids that. What I will say though is this. Firstly, I only got on the Sunset bandwagon around the time of Rainbow Rocks and hopped off after the third EqG movie. This one has made me jump right back on it. Seriously, I love the depth you gave her character throughout all of this. Even more so now knowing you started this without any foreknowledge of what Equestria Girls and its plot would entail. When a story makes me feel for a character as much as this one has, you've done it right in my books. I could feel the emotions that the characters were going through, the tenseness of situations, I was given more world building on Equestria, your take on its history, incredible magic duels, and so much more. The ending to it all threatened to make me misty eyed which is no easy feat by any means. You and your crew of prereaders and editors have done an excellent job in crafting this story and its one I have no doubt I will re-read more than once.
If you'd love to hear my thoughts on what was good and not so good just let me know and I'll either post it here or DM you to avoid spoiling any newcomers. That being said if there is anything I hope you take away from this length rambling of mine, its that you've not only brought me back into the fold of fimfiction but you've given me the desire to read again, both fanfiction and not. So thank you once again and I sincerely wish you the best of luck in your writing and any other endeavors you take on in the future. Take care! 
P.S. The original length of this comment was twice as long and then some. You're welcome
.
7311181 I'm glad I managed to get you back into fanfiction, I take that as a high compliment!
And I would greatly like to hear all of your thoughts on the story, good and bad. Only way to know how to get better.
7311435 I will be sending you a private message later today detailing all of that. Its's quite a doozy of a doozy when it comes to constructive criticism so I'd rather not take up an entire page worth of comments hahaha.
[Note, before reading the following comment, please note that this is (believe it or not) the abridged version. If you want an in-depth analysis, review, emotional blow-by-blow, editorial and a whole lot more. If you’re interested in getting the full emotional retrospective, please head on over there to read it. But this story deserved something on the comments page, so I’ll keep the most important parts here. In case you’re wondering, the full post is nearly 10,000 words. This is only 4,000.=
Before I even started this story, I knew I would do another one of these emotional retrospectives. As usual, the following pretty much spoils absolutely everything for Sunset of Time by Albinocorn, so please, please, please...if you haven’t read it, do so before continuing.
You’ve probably already noticed that my writing for this is rather different than my previous emotional retrospectives. Usually, I let Pinkie Pie come out in full during these, bouncing around like a lunatic going SQUEE SQUEE SQUEE. However, this story has a more somber note than any I’ve done before, save for one. The final emotional climax is far closer to the end of Fallout: Equestria - Pinkeyes, though with a higher note of joy than Pinkeyes (though the ending is somewhat similar).
I want to respect the tone of this story. Once again, I stayed up far too late last night reading it. At 10PM, I knew I had already reached the point of no return and that I would remain awake to finish the story, no matter how long it took. I was up until after 1AM. And it was worth it.
This story is beautiful. It’s not without its hiccups and a few flaws, but in its own way, it’s perfect as well...especially considering the inception of the story idea itself.
In truth, I’ve been avoiding ‘Sunset of Time.’ The ‘dark’ and ‘sad’ tags scared me off. I’m one of those people--as I’ve said before--who gets far too deep into good stories. Emotionally and mentally, they can actually do damage to my thinking process for days--if not weeks--afterwards. As someone who suffers from intense depression far too often (along with several other conditions that I won’t go into), I’ve learned to walk very carefully. That’s why I usually keep to the happier stories and the romances. I’ll likely be sticking to those for quite some time after this.
Let’s get this out of the way. While ‘Sunset of Time’ deserves a sad rating and you’ll walk away with tears in your eyes (unless you’re one of those...individuals...who can get through something like this without the emotional impact), the tears will be because of the climax of the story...but they will be combined with tears of joy from the epilogues. Yes, plural. Even writing this now, I’m fighting back tears again as I mentally relive the scenes.
But it’s one of those journeys that’s worth it.
There’s a quote from another story that sums up this one very well. You may have seen it recently. With all that’s happened in the last few weeks in the world, it’s something that’s been spread around. And it deserves to go further.
That thing they’re holding into can be summed up in a single word:
Hope.
That’s the theme of this book. Hope and sacrifice. Reminds me of one of the greatest stories in all of the MLP Fandom Fiction world. It should remind you as well.
Because hope and sacrifice was the theme of Fallout: Equestria.
Hope for a better world. Hope for a brighter future. Hope for a light in the darkness. Hope for the worst of us and hope for the best of us. Hope that our past is not our today. Hope that our past will not be our future.
And hope that through our sacrifices, we can make the world a better place
Sunset Shimmer did just that. She made the world a much better place just by being in it. And she made the world a better place through her final sacrifice. She stepped into the light, knowing what it would cost her, knowing what it would do to her...but she did it anyway.
Because it was the right thing to do.
There are three things I cherish in storytelling; well-crafted worlds with passionate and vibrant characters, the power and potential of redemption and finally, the noble sacrifice. The hero who pays the price to do what must be done, knowing the price all along but still making that decision.
It’s one of the reasons I loved the character of Marcus from Babylon 5. It’s one of the reasons I love the movie “Stranger Than Fiction.” It’s one of the reasons I loved the “Siege of the Crystal Empire” arc from the MLP Comics.
Those three things ‘Sunset of Time’ has in spades.
So let’s get into it.
[Again, for the full highlight reel, please see my blog post “Let’s Talk about Sunset of Time”]
First and foremost, I’ll admit I was confused as hell at the beginning of this story. I was completely lost as to who this Sunset Shimmer was supposed to be. You see, I never read comments of a story before I read it the story itself. All I will read is the synopsis, nothing more. I’d say that confusion lasted too long, to the point where I was getting annoyed. Looking back, it’s blatantly obvious why that was left up in the air when the only note I got in the Author’s Comments was that the story had nothing to do with EqG. But it still bothered me until the end of Chapter 2, when I finally went “Okay, something’s going on here…”
The first chapter...after so much death and destruction, after the literal armageddon...ending with the line “Yes, I’m in a lot of trouble.” The only response one can have is to laugh, if only to release the pent up emotions of the first chapter.
The next scene that really caught my eye was “The Storyteller” scene. I’m delighted this technique came up later. I love the idea of this little play of sticks and leaves plays out for an inquisitive and bored kid...and soon many more. It was a great way to tell some backstory without doing a simple infodump. One could argue that it still is an infodump, but it’s told in such a unique way (and told in the third person) that it frankly doesn’t matter. This cheerful romp makes such a perfect counterpoint to the revelation as to Sunset’s first time around at the top of that hill after the memory library with Luna.
I love the way that Twilight and Sunset start out together. Sunset immediately (and very desperately) falling into the role of student, drawing comfort again and again from Twilight’s form, even though it’s not the form she knows. Especially the nightmare. We get to see the moments before the opening...just a normal, happy day...and it goes straight to hell. Sunset’s “I DON’T WANT TO DIE!” sounded so desperate, so full of panic in my head that it gave me shivers...only to have the Twilight we know come galloping to her to help her new friend. I was also sold on that moment...that Twilight took Sunset at her word because of her eyes. Because of the expression...the pain. Pinkie confirms this even better when she says that Sunset looks at Twilight the same way Twilight looks at Celestia. That really drove home their relationship.
...though you have a thing about Sunset talking to herself. To voices in her head to unicorn dolls. Hm.
Good golly, seeing Twilight completely lose it over the attack on Spike was amazing. Taking the armadillo, stuffing him in Pinkie’s cannon and firing into the side of a cliff? This entire scene was simply beyond description. SQUEE SQUEE SQUEE. That’s the most coherent thing I can say about it.
The entire sequence in Los Pegasus was excellently done. I was surprised it was spread out over so many chapters and I felt the breaks were odd, since I usually see/treat chapters as self-contained arcs rather than retelling the “same” story from different perspectives, I was only thinking about it when I came to the chapter break. Afterwards, the narrative just flowed.
And Spike was amazing in here. He deserved all the flirting that Rarity threw at him and then some (yes dammit, I’m a Sparity fan too. Sue me).
This is one of the greatest lines in all of MLP Fan Fiction. Ever. In any possible universe, past, present or future. EVER.
The entire memory sequence was heartbreaking, heartwarming and terrifying all at once. Yes, it’s an infodump. I don’t care. It shows a very natural progression of Sunset’s obsession and what drove her to such extremes. It was a corruption of love itself. She was almost the anti-Cadence. Cadence wanted to share love and spread it...Sunset wanted Celestia all to herself. She’d been abandoned so many times...forgotten so many times. The most terrifying part of it is how relatable it’s been. We’ve all had people abandon us, some more than others. For some, it’s defined their entire existence, for others, it’s been a painful period at the end of a traumatic sentence. Sunset is the first...so desperate to be loved and not abandoned. And the strongest emotion is love...how easily that can shift…
When Sunset accidentally gets sent to Twilight’s coronation...my heart ached for her to see her tortured soul and mind finally crack...and shatter, obliterated by a spell cast at precisely the wrong moment. She was going to help herself. She was going tell herself not to be a freaking idiot...instead...she ends up at the worst possible time. Tragic beyond measure.
Pinkie Pie.
Despite the fact that she drive a lot of people crazy, when Pinkie is used properly, she is one of the greatest storytelling tools in all of the MLP universe. Boundless, endless joy, hope, optimism and love. Besides the whole Fourth Wall breaking thing...she is the perfect pony for this one moment. There’s no doubt that Pinkie knows that Vesper had killed her, slowly, agonizingly...but she doesn’t let that stop her. She gives Sunset a hug for the simple and desperately true reason that Sunset needed one. It’s so essentially Pinkie Pie...so full of life. This is the true core of Pinkie Pie, her soul.
Albinocorn, you wield Pinkie Pie like a master as if you were given a key to her by Lauren Faust herself.
Throughout the course of this story, you handle Pinkie so perfectly that I don’t think she’s even handled this well in the show itself. You manage to bring her into serious mode when it's appropriate, but even then, it’s still her. Pinkie Pie can be mature, very mature, when needed (I’ve always thought “Too Many Pinkie Pies” was an awesome character development episode for her). You don’t have her shatter the Fourth Wall, only poke it a little for fun, just like we see (usually) in the show. It is a masterful execution of a difficult character.
You called this out in the postscript and you were right. This is another perfect scene. Another perfect moment of character. Fluttershy isn’t a coward, not a true coward. She’s just scared and just like in Dragonshy, she had enough of Vesper’s horseapples. This felt so satisfying I can’t even put it into words how powerful this is to me.
Forgive me, by my response was as follows
“Okay seriously? <BUY SOME APPLES> You!”
“...cordially invited” after stabbing Sunset straight through. That’s just mean.
I just was howling with laughter at this scene. Just...so great. So fantastic. “Oh dear...she fainted.” HA!
Dammit Twilight, you learned from Celestia far too well.
This entire message from the Mentor Princess Twilight Sparkle was beyond words, but I’ll try anyway. The truth behind both Twilight and Celestia knowing about Sunset and both of them agonizing over it. Desperate to find any other way...but knowing that the fate of the world depended on this. And all the words came rushing back. “Don’t blame yourself.” “Forgive me.”
It wasn’t fair. They knew it. It tore them apart inside. It wasn’t fair....but it had to be done.
When Mentor Princess Twilight Sparkle tells Sunset just how much Sunset means to her...it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever read.
I think we all want someone to say something like this to us at a critical point in our lives. I think far too many of us get to fulfill that wish, especially in this day and age of internet anonymity. Far too many people get off on tearing down others when they should be building them up. We even have our own voices (as is shown by the next passage) constantly demanding that we give up, that we give into the darkness that we show nothing but hate and bile for everything around us. That cares for nothing about our own selfish desires and wants.
These moments, when you have the chance to speak this words or words like them into someone’s life, make sure you do it every time. It doesn’t need to be perfect, but it needs to come from the depths of your soul. You never know what someone else is dealing with in life. I’ve had friends who have lost their battles with their own inner demons and ended up leaving this world as a result. I’ve always wondered if the right words would have helped. Maybe, maybe not.
But no matter what, I do know that words spoken in love, kindness and friendship will always have power. The other person may not hear them or respond right to them (as we see with Vesper), but if we don’t try...then are we any better than those voices that want to draw us into darkness and hate?
There’s a lot of hate in this world. You can’t fight it through more hate. You can fight it only one way: with love. Yes, it sounds like a cliche. But it’s also true.
Words have power. If you’re writing a story, writing a comment, typing in a chat room, playing in a video game or posting on Facebook, your words matter. They will impact someone.
So no matter what, always let your words be spoken out of love and friendship. Because as Celestia said toward the end...there is no more powerful force than those two combined. After all, “Love God and Love Others” are the two greatest commandments.
Love and friendship.
In the end, nothing can stand in the way of these two forces.
When Sunset shows up in Vesper’s mindscape...I was between sobbing and screaming “It’s about bloody time you showed up!” God, you know how to push my emotional buttons.
I cringed a little when I first read this. Then I realized why. I was hearing it in Twilight’s voice from Rainbow Rocks. Because that’s a cringe-scene. But now as I look at it again and I see two mares who have fought and given everything for each other, cherishing each other and loving each other as student and teacher, teacher and student and friends beyond measure. Love not of romance, but a deeper bond that transcends logic and will. Love that won’t stop, won’t give up, won’t ever quit.
And now? It’s perfect.
Side note: “Take that you bitch!
God Sunset. Still snarky even in the face of all this. Rainbow’s got nothing on your awesome level.
And that’s why you’re awesome.
Verbatim Comment: “YOU’D BETTER!” (While still crying, you jerk).
Okay. As I try to get myself back under some semblance of control to finish my longest emotional retrospective ever, I want to say there are a hundred other points I could and probably should mention. But more than anything was seeing Sunset’s soul free once more, echoing the scene between her transformation from Vesper to her second incarnation as Sunset, but this time was the light of love and life burning brighter than ever. Enough that she could quell the darkness beneath her and enough to focus on a single name.
...and once more, Sunset is given a third chance. Because she did the second chance right. Because she fought. She gave herself and of herself, knowing what it would cost her, because it was right and to protect those she loved.
There is no finer way to go in all creation than falling to protect those you love.
Gorgeous. Thank you for this. God, this story needed this note so badly. So very badly. Hell, I needed it for my sanity. Not because it wouldn’t have worked otherwise...because it would have been too tragic otherwise and I just couldn’t handle it. We get our happily ever after. And with the world being what it is...we need all the happily ever afters we can get.
---
And there we are...somehow, I got through this. I don’t know how, really. I think last night I was so caught up in the desperate need to see how it ended that I didn’t even let myself feel the whole breadth of emotions. But this time, I didn’t have any such pressures.
As was the case in 'Long Road,' 'Sunset of Time' is a masterpiece of characterization, adventure and the passionate power of friendship. How friendship can overcome anything. How we are better together than we are apart. Though the stories are very different (and I’d say “Long Road” is my favorite between the two because the tears are almost all happy tears there!), both stand as giants of fiction in this fandom, equal to such tales as 'Hard Reset,' 'Hocus Pocus' and 'Fallout: Equestria.'
Sunset Shimmer has had only three movies about her, as well as a couple shorts, a few comics and a book or two. But she has captured the imagination of so much of the fandom. The original Twilight Sparkle, who was to be the Bearer of the Element of Magic until she rejected Celestia’s teachings and forged her own path. Twilight’s equal in so many ways...the path not taken. In Rainbow Rocks, she becomes Twilight’s student (hmm...sound familiar…now someone get rid of that imposter Starlight) and in Friendship Games, she becomes Twilight’s true equal, defending the world against a threat that threatens to destroy two worlds. The Sunset Shimmer we now know could easily return to Equestria and take her place at Celestia and Twilight’s sides. She’s grown so much in such a short time, yet it is by this hard road that we love her all the more.
Because in the end, we’ve all made mistakes. We’ve all wondered what was down that path we didn’t take. And we all wonder...can we make up for what we’ve done? Can we be forgiven by others...and can we forgive ourselves?
The answer to both questions...is yes. But I think more than anything, it is the second question which is by far the hardest. Those who won’t forgive you aren’t truly worth your time. True friends will always forgive mistakes (Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow’s bickering was a great example of this and utterly hysterical at the end). But Sunset couldn’t accept forgiveness for herself until Twilight showed her just what lengths Twilight will go to to save Sunset.
Friendship isn’t just about others. It’s about us too. It changes us. It makes us better. It strengthens us, empowers us, shores up our failures and brings us back from the brink of destruction...and sometimes, from beyond that brink.
Sunset Shimmer is the embodiment of that failure...and that potential. After all, sunset and twilight are all about potential. The end of the day...and be the beginning of a new one.
But more than anything...it’s a new day where you aren’t alone.
So find those friends and face dawn together.
Because it’s up to use to make the world a better place.
So go forth and do it...together as friends.
-Novel Idea
Urgh!!!! I more need more feel killers!
Anyway... THIS IS THE ONE OF THE BEST STORIES I EVER FOUND!
ANYONE WHO STUMBLES INTO THIS MUST READ IT! ESPECIALLY THE SUNSET SIMMER FANS!
Wow great story dude. Liked! Btw any one know what is the source for the picture on the cover page? I'm planning to make it as my laptop's save screen