Sunset Shimmer Wakes up in Equestria and has no idea how she got there. Afraid of going to Princess Celestia for guidance she turns her attention to Ponyville.
Darkness. It was a strange and ominous thing. It creeped through every crack and absorbed the light. The murkiness was clouded and it filled Sunset Shimmer’s eyes as they slowly peered open. She looked around, dazed and confused on what was happening, and where she was. The smell of forest filled her lungs as she stood up slowly on her feet hooves. She paused, her hooves. She screamed, ’What?!’ She examined the rest of herself. “Oh no no no no, this can’t possibly be right!”
Darkness. It was a strange and ominous thing. It creeped through every crack and absorbed the light. The murkiness was clouded and it filled Sunset Shimmer’s eyes as they slowly peered open. She looked around, dazed and confused on what was happening, and where she was. The smell of forest filled her lungs as she stood up slowly on her feet hooves. She paused, her hooves. She screamed, ’What?!’ She examined the rest of herself. “Oh no no no no, this can’t possibly be right!” But it was, and the former Canterlot High student stood there in the forest and had a small spas attack.
“How the buck did this happen!” She looked around and took a deep breath. “Okay Sunset get it together, you are not going to lose it; you just have to figure out where in Equestria you are. Literally.” The orange unicorn lit up her horn, it felt good to use her magic again.
She had missed it more than she had realized. She saw a clearing up ahead and trotted towards it. From there Sunset Shimmer could see a small cottage in the distance, she decided to go knock on the door and ask for some directions.
As the unicorn got closer she noticed many animals and birds of all sorts hanging around the small house. She knocked on the door, it reminded her so much of- just then the door opened a bit with a little “squee.” Sunset cleared her throat, “Hello? um I am a little bit lost do you think you could give me directions to the nearest town?” The door opened fully and cowering there was a small timid butter colored pegasus. “Fluttershy?” Sunset questioned the mare who was standing in front of her.
“How do you know m-y-y n-name?” she stuttered. Sunset Shimmer smiled. ‘This must be Ponyville’ she thought to herself.
“Hello Fluttershy, I’m Sunset Shimmer.” A look of confusion and terror spread across the other mare’s face. Flutttershy barley made out the words,
“You’re the Sunset Shimmer?! As in the one who took Twilight’s crown?” Sunset sighed, she horribly regretted that decision. It not only made everyone in the school hate her, but also attracted the attention of The Dazzlings.
“That’s the one-“ she was cut off by a loud scream and Fluttershy falling onto the ground and curling up in a little ball on the floor. Sunset quickly cut in; “That was in the past Fluttershy, in the other dimension, you and I are good friends.”
Fluttershy opened her eyes. “Really?” She questioned the other mysterious mare at her doorstep. “Really.” She said. Fluttershy stood up slowly, “how did you get here?” She said with all of the strength she could muster.
Sunset let out a sigh, “I have no idea, which is why I must speak to Twilight Sparkle. Could you show me where her house is.?” Fluttershy pointed to a massive castle that was glowing in the moonlight, it looked like it was made of a gorgeous crystal. “Wow” is all she said though.
“It’s a little bit big for me, but it is very beautiful.” Fluttershy said. Sunset Shimmer thanked Fluttershy and started making her way down the path to have a chat with Equestria’s newest princess.
Sunset could not believe how beautiful it was here. She had never been to Ponyville before and even in the dim lit moonlight, she could sense the peacefulness. The mare made her way down the path until she could clearly see the tall castle that belonged to Princess Twilight Sparkle. As she approached the massive doors she hesitated. ‘What if Twilight won’t talk to me, or makes me leave?’ She shook the thoughts from her mind, reached out her hoof and knocked as forcefully as she could.
For a few moments there was no sound, and then the door opened slowly with Twilight standing groggily in the doorway. She looked as she had not been asleep; her mane was tangled and unruly, and she had minuscule bags under her eyes. The mare suddenly became aware when she saw who it was who was banging on the castle door in the middle of the night.
Twilight’s mouth dropped. “Sunset Shimmer?!” she exclaimed. It just could not be possible, no way no how this was happening. She was standing there with her mouth agape until Celestia’s former student spoke up.
She began, “Oh Twilight, thank goodness! I have no idea how I got here and I saw your castle and-“ Twilight wasn’t really listening though. She could not wrap her mind around how she got here with ought the portal. She stopped the mare on her porch from talking.
“Please come in, I think you better explain all of this to me with all of the details.” Sunset thanked her and followed her inside. It was massive. Tall vaulted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and it all sparkled in the light, and every shadow looked like works of art in the darkness. While they were walking Twilight explains to Sunset about how she got the castle out of a magic chest defeating Lord Tierk. After the two had trotted through the halls for what seemed like ages they made it to a small sitting sitting room with a three chairs and a large plush sofa. Twilight sat down gracefully on it and patted the spot next to her. Sunset Shimmer sat down beside Twilight and began telling her tale about waking up in the Everfree Forest, to meeting Fluttershy, and even her steps she took all the way up to the front door of the castle. Twilight sat and listened absorbing every detail that the other mare spoke and tried to make sense of it. After she realized Sunset had finished talking she sat up straight and turned towards her former enemy. She spoke, “Sunset Shimmer, that is quite a story-“
Sunset butted in, “Every word of it is true I promise.”
Twilight continued, “I believe you, but I just don’t understand how you got here.”
Sunset blushed, “I have no idea Twilight, that’s why I came to you for help. I have no idea what to do!” She buried her face into her hooves. Twilight took a long deep breath and gathered her thoughts together.
She then spoke up, “How about I show you to a guest room, and we can talk about it in the morning, with a cleared head.” Sunset Shimmer lifted her head and nodded. She had not realized how exhausted she was until that very moment. The purple princess got up and the other followed suit. After winding through a few halls and going up a flight of stairs, the pair arrived at a room and with her magic, Twilight opened the door. The room was beautiful with a plush bed, bathroom, and a vanity. Sunset Shimmer turned around.
“Thank you so much for your kindness Twilight Sparkle.”
Twilight smiled, “It’s no problem.” And she closed the door.
Sunset sighed a sigh of relief and laid down on the bed. She was asleep instantly.
The night ended abruptly. Sunset Shimmer had been hoping that Luna would have made the night longer. She was still so exhausted. The unicorn sighed. She gently removed the covers from herself and folded them as neatly as she could at the foot of the bed and swung her hooves over the side of the plush mattress.
The tile was cold against her hooves as the gentle sound of her clicked on the floor as she went into the bathroom.
It was quite magnificent. There was a crystal jacuzzi, and a diamond encrusted sink adjacent to it.
The entire aura was enticing to her.
The orange unicorn turned on the spectacular metal handles and the jacuzzi began to fill with hot steamy water.
She sat there, and she felt it.
The tears.
It started in the back of her head and worked its way into her eyes and began to pour down her waterlogged face.
“Now try one more time my most lovely student.” Celestia kindly spoke for the fifth time. She nodded her head as her student tried the spell one more time.
“I just can not do it Princess!” Sunset Shimmer exclaimed as smoke filled the room.
Celestia sympathetically smiled at her student, ‘maybe she just need to see what her priorities are.’ The Sun Princess cleared her throat, “Perhaps you need to adjust what you want to accomplish, follow me please.”
The pair arose from the library and started a slow trot towards the throne room.
The Princess spoke, “Do you remember when you asked me what that large mirror was in the throne room?”
Sunset Shimmer nodded. How could she possibly forget, sometimes she would daydream about that mirror and the mystery of why Celestia would not let her look through it.
The two approached the mirror in the center of the throne room. It was gorgeous. It sparkled in the glittering sun and reflected on the walls of the palace. but it felt so-
Cold. Sunset Shimmer looked down at her hooves and frowned. They were completely waterlogged. She sighed and pulled the plug to the tub and used her magic to levitate a towel over to her.
The Unicorn stepped out of the spa and dried herself off. Looking in the mirror in the wall, she used her light blue magic to style her mane.
After she thought she looked presentable the mare walked back into her room and out the door into the long hallway.
‘Now which way was it again?’
She followed the faint smell of pancakes and after a few twists and turns found herself in the kitchen. It was beautiful. Large glass windows and three massive ovens.
As she was lost in her gazing she didn’t even notice the small dragon on a stool making the succulent smelling food.
“Spike!”
The purple and green almost fell right off his stool. Twilight had told him that she was here, but it scared him a bit.
She smiled the best one that she could muster.
“Hi, I’m uh sorry if I startled you. Did Twilight tell you I was here?”
Spike replied hastily, “she did, but um, I kind of forgot.” He blushed a bit
Sunset Shimmer giggled, “I’m quite sorry.”
She started to make her way around the large island in the center of the kitchen, and sat across from Spike on one of the six stools placed around it.
Sunset was going to say something, but was cut off before the words left her mouth.
The sound of light hoof steps echoed down the hall as the young alicorn came around the corner into the room with Spike and Sunset Shimmer.
“Good morning everypony!” Twilight Sparkle proclaimed as she came up to the unicorn and the small dragon. “I stayed up all night and made lists, charts, and theories to why you are here Sunset Shimmer! She sighed. “And I came up with nothing!”
The other two gave each other a confused look.
Spike spoke up, “Twilight, if you didn’t find anything, then why are you so excited?”
“I’ve had ten cups of coffee, and I feel like Pinkie Pie!” She did a little hop. “Speaking of Pinkie Pie, you need to come and meet all of my friends! I’m sure they would all love to meet you.”
Sunset thought about it. “I don’t know Twilight, I’m not sure if they would like me very much.”
Twilight butted in, “no way! They are going to love you I know it!”
Spike got Twilight to sit down and eat some breakfast, after they had finished the purple pony visibly seemed more placid than earlier that morning.
“So,” The purple pony began. “Now that I don’t feel over energized, we can go over all of the things we have on the to do list for today.”
She continued, “I was thinking we would start by taking a tour of Ponyville first, and I have already sent out letters to my friends, we will be meeting at a cute cafe we have here. Lastly, you and I will compose a letter for Princess Celes-“
“NO!
Sunset blushed, “I’m sorry Twilight, but I do’t think that I want to tell Princess Celestia that I am here.” She took in a breath, “not just yet at least.”
Twilight thought about this for a moment. ‘Not wanting to tell Princess Celestia?' The princess found that to be a little bit hard to believe.
"Are you sure Sunset, I mean she would really want to know that your here." Twilight smiled, "and I'm sure she misses you."
Sunset laughed at herself a bit, "Twilight I am almost very certain that she will not want to see me."
Twilight Sparkle sighed, Of course the Princess wants to see you, she was so worried when you wrote her in the book."
Sunset groaned, she was not getting out of this one, when Twilight had a list it had to be followed.
"Alright Twilight, you win. Let's go take that tour."
Twilight Sparkle smiled, she snatched up her list with her magic, and the pair said goodbye to Spike and headed out the massive front doors to the world that was still a bit unfamiliar to the former student.
Sunset Shimmer stepped out into the cobblestone street, the former student of Princess Celestia thought the scene reminded her of the other world in a way. Ponies trotted into shops and went through the farmers market. The pair made their way through the crowd and toward the old cafe near where Twilight’s library once stood. As they neared the cafe, Sunset noticed that ponies everywhere around them gave the new princess a head nod, of a slight bow as the passed by. Sunset could not help but be a little jealous. After all that was supposed to be hers… “Twilight!” shouted a voice with a bit of country twang Sunset immediately realized belonged to Applejack. “Applejack! I’m so happy you could make it.” The lavender pony replied. “Oh um, hey Twilight.” Replied another small voice. Twilight Sparkle turned, “Fluttershy, I almost didn’t see you there." “It-it-it’s fine Twilight.” The butter colored pegasus replied sheepishly and looked at the secular pony that was standing beside Twilight. Twilight Sparkle followed her gaze over to the orange unicorn. She cleared her throat. “Girls, this is Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset smiled her best at them. She just could not get over how much they resembled the girls she knew very well. She tried her foremost reply to them. “Hi, I’m Sunset Shimmer, you uh, have probably heard a lot about me.” The unicorn looked at the girls and waited for them to yell at her for the things she had done to Twilight. Applejack jumped right up off the hay bale she was sitting on. “Well, I’ll be! Your Sunset Shimmer! Applejack looked like she was seeing the zapp apples form. "We have heard so much about you, and we are so happy you're here!" Before Fluttershy had the chance to say anything, Rainbow Dash came flying in carrying Pinkie, with Rarity trotting slowly behind them trying not to get her cape in the mud. The cyan pegasus dropped Pinkie Pie gently onto a pile of loose hay nearby the table and Dash landed swiftly on the ground next to Fluttershy at the table the group had. “So,” she stated “You’re that Sunset Simmer chic from the other world huh?” The pegasus twisted around so she was now facing Twilight. “How do you know she has come here in peace Twilight?” Twilight gave the rainbow pegasus a disapproving glare. Sunset was now facing Rainbow Dash with a hurt look on her face. “First off, it’s Shimmer, not Simmer, And I know that you may have heard horrible things about me, but I have changed. I’m in a much better place now.” “Well I for one am delighted that you are here with us darling!” Rarity stated while she had finally made it to the table the girls were sitting at. “Rainbow is just being skeptical.” She whispered in a hushed tone to Sunset. The calm day was suddenly shook when BOOM there was an explosion and the air was filled with pastel confetti. “SUNSET SHIMMER!” There was a pink blur and Sunset was knocked onto the ground by the pink pony. Sunset looked dazed for a moment and then looked up at the pony jumping up and down infant of her. “Pinkie Pie?” The earth pony smiled “Well duh! Who else would have a party cannon as amazing as mine?! Sorry it took me a minute though, when Dashie dropped me in the hay I had to run all the way back to Sugar Cube corner to get my cannon, and when I got there I couldn’t help myself from eating some cupcakes-“ Applejack cut her off “I think she gets the picture Pinkie Pie.” The food came out to their table a few minutes later, the waiter didn’t look happy to see the confetti on the floor. The sun was starting to set, and the girls finished up and went their separate ways. Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer were trotting back to Twilight’s Kingdom Castle. Sunset had a solemn look on her face. Twilight looked over at Sunset and saw tears forming over her aqua eyes as her hooves tripped over the rough cobblestone. Twilight started to worry, what if she didn’t like my friends? What if she didn’t feel welcome? She paused for a moment, What if she doesn’t like me? The purple alicorn pushed her thoughts aside for a moment to see what was bothering her friend. “What’s wrong Sunset?” “Nothing, I’m fine.” She spat with a scowl on her face. “Are you sure, because I know they are a little skeptical, especially Rainbow-“ Sunset cut her off “It’s not that Twilight,” she paused and contemplated her words for a moment and inhaled deeply. “I’m just worried about Princess Celestia, and what she’ll say to me when I see her.” “I know she won’t be mad at you Sunset Shimmer,” Twilight stepped in front the orange mare, stopping her in her tracks. “I know that It may seem that she’s disappointed in you, but I know she’s not. I’ve seen you, the real you, and it is not that mare you used to be.” Sunset didn’t say anything for a moment, but just stood there and studied Twilight’s deep purple eyes, “God they’re gorgeous.” After a few awkward seconds Sunset Shimmer stepped aside and cleared her throat, “Thank you Twilight.” “Don’t mention it.” The pair continued and saw the castle glowing with a gorgeous aura surrounding it in the moonlight. Gorgeous Why had she thought that about Twilight’s eyes, she had never had any thoughts about her friend like that before. She shook the thought out of her mind and entered the castle behind Twilight. "SPIKE!" The princess yelled down the corridor, giving the other mare a heart attack. "We're up here!" "We're?" Twilight thought, "that's strange." After trotting up two flights of stairs they reached the Library. Twilight stopped dead in her tracks. Sunset followed her gaze and gasped at what she saw. "Discord!?"
