Sunset woke the next morning unsure of when she even fell asleep, although she was pleased to note that the couch was quite comfortable.
The aroma of freshly baked pancakes and crispy hay bacon drew her up from the couch. She stretched and flexed her fingers, only to remember she was in her pony form and had no fingers to flex. Her rumbling stomach told her to get a move on, so she rolled off the couch, only to step on something squishy.
“Ow!”
“Aaghh!”
Sunset jumped back onto the couch and stared wide-eyed at Twilight as she rose from beneath the blanket. “Twilight, what are you doing here?”
“I was sleeping,” Twilight grumbled, rubbing her eyes.
“Why didn’t you go home?”
“It was late. Your dad insisted I stayed here. He tried to get me to take his room since you were already sleeping on the couch, but I didn’t want to put him out.”
Sunset facehoofed. “Come on, let’s just go eat.”
Two plates of breakfast were waiting for them on the table, with Zephyr at the stove making more. “Good morning, girls.”
“Morning, Dad.”
“Good morning, Mr. Spark.”
Sunset dug into her pancakes with gusto, realizing she hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday morning. Just as she finished her first stack, Zephyr laid another one on the table. Sunset beamed at him and piled more onto her plate.
“So, what are you going to do today?” he asked.
She slowed her chewing, drawing out the answer in the hope that she would change her mind. By the time her mouth was empty, her heart was sending her the same message it had when she first woke up.
“Well, I think… I think I want to see the Princess today.” She kept her eyes on her food while Zephyr and Twilight looked curiously at her.
“Not that I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Twilight said, “but it’s kind of sudden. What brought this on?”
Sunset took a small bite of hay bacon. “Last night, I had a dream. I can’t remember a lot of it, but I know she was there. We were sitting somewhere warm and…” Sunset let out a dreamy sigh. “It was just like when she first started teaching me. Ever since I woke up, I’ve just had this feeling that today is the day. I have to talk to her.”
Twilight looked ready to say something, then closed her mouth and smiled. “That’s great, Sunset. And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“Alone,” Sunset said. “I want to talk to her… alone.” She was going to regret it later, but she knew it needed to be done.
“O-oh, right.” Twilight looked taken aback, but smiled anyway. “Well, it’s your decision. The least I can do is get you into the castle.”
Zephyr sat down with his own plate of breakfast. “You know, I’m not sure I forgive Princess Celestia for lying to us about where you ran off to.”
“Dad, what would you have done if she told you I ran away through a mirror to another dimension?”
“Gone after you.”
Sunset blushed, then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Never mind that it would have been impossible—and if he had, it would have disrupted the balance between the two worlds even further—it was the sweetest thing her dad could have said.
******
Spitfire snorted awake, lifting her face up from the pool of spittle on her desk and blinking until the rest of the office came into focus. Her hoof was still resting on the old picture frame.
Perhaps it was all the reminiscing she had been doing recently, but her dream had consisted of her and Sunset playing together in the backyard like they had done so long ago. Sunset would make bubbles with her horn, which both of them would try to catch.
Spitfire wiped the drool off her chin and slumped back in her chair. Even her subconscious was telling her to forgive Sunset. But how could she just let go of ten years’ grief and hatred?
Well, maybe hatred was a strong word. Spitfire had said it, maybe even meant it the last time she had seen Sunset. But it had waned into animosity during her absence, dissipating completely at times when Spitfire realized she would never see her only sister again.
Her only sister.
She tried to kill me.
Maybe it really was an accident.
She left Mom and Dad.
She came back.
She’s a horrible sister!
But she’s trying to apologize.
Spitfire groaned and rested her head against her chair. This was worse than filing paperwork. She reached into another drawer and pulled out a small bottle. She twisted the cap off, popped out a small pill, and tossed it back before getting up to chase it down with some water.
“This is what you do to me, Sunset. Give me headaches at…” She checked the clock. “11:00 A.M. If we were allowed to have alcohol on site, I’d be so wasted right now.” She filled a plastic cup with water from the cooler and chugged it before filling it up again and splashing it on her face.
“So now what?” she asked herself. Half of her felt justified in her decision to avoid Sunset forever. But Rainbow had brought up a point Spitfire had never considered before: because of Sunset’s actions, Spitfire had become a stronger mare.
And on a smaller, more immature note, she had technically won the sibling rivalry because of it.
She shook her face clean of the water. “That’s neither here nor there.” Maybe Rainbow was right in saying that Sunset had indirectly helped her in becoming better. But that was just it, it was indirectly. Sunset’s goal had been to hinder her any way possible.
At least, that’s what Spitfire had always thought.
Over ten years later, Sunset still claimed it was an accident. If she really wanted to patch things up, wouldn’t she have admitted she had done it on purpose?
The more Spitfire thought on the problem, the more complicated it became. Maybe everypony was right; maybe she should give Sunset another chance. The question was, could Spitfire give her a second chance?
“I need to fly.” She crushed the cup and tossed it into the waste basket. Yes, a good fly always cleared her head.
When she opened the door, she was startled to see uniformed cadets wandering up and down the hall. She sighed and hung her head. “Right. I still have an academy to run.” She shut the door and reached for her aviators sitting next to her plaque.
It wasn’t flying, but scaring newbies until they peed was almost as relaxing.
******
Canterlot Castle loomed over Sunset, a monstrous behemoth with towering horns and a thousand reflective eyes judging her, demanding to know why she had returned to the site of her greatest failure.
Or maybe second-greatest. It was a tie between betraying Celestia and blowing up Spitfire.
I am a horrible pony, Sunset thought as she approached the open maw that was the front entrance. Two guards flanked the door, showing no emotion and staring only straight ahead. But Sunset knew they were eyeing her, asking what business she had bothering the Princess.
Twilight patted her shoulder. “You can do this. I have total confidence in you.”
“That makes one of us.” Sunset’s mouth was bone dry.
“I told you—Celestia isn’t mad. She’s proud of you, Sunset. You helped us beat the Sirens and proved you want to be a better person… pony… thing,” she finished lamely, invoking a laugh from Sunset.
It died away as quickly as it came. “I know. You think after saying sorry to everyone else, this would be easy. But…” Sunset brushed her hair from her face. “I was mad at Spitfire for not accepting my apology and thinking I hurt her on purpose. Celestia… I hated her for a long time. Denying me my dream… replacing me with you.”
Twilight blushed and looked away.
“It’s just hard, apologizing not only for being wrong, but for blaming her for everything.” Sunset squared her shoulders. “But I’m going to do this. I want her to know how sorry I am. She’s the last pony I need to apologize to.”
Twilight took a step back. “Go on then. I know you can do it.”
“Thanks.” Sunset swallowed her breakfast again and marched ahead, her legs shaking like jelly. The two guards shifted their eyes as she walked past them but said nothing, allowing her passage into the monstrous castle.
Princess Celestia was not waiting for her in the entrance hall. Instead, there was another guard with an even sterner face. “Sunset Shimmer?” he growled as she approached.
Sunset’s nerve faltered. “Y-yes?”
“This way, please. The Princess is expecting you.” He turned up the stairs without waiting for a reply.
Sunset hurried after him. He walked so quickly, Sunset didn’t have time to appreciate how little the castle had changed in ten years. She wanted to stop and recollect all the good times she had had within these walls, but her escort didn’t seem to be in the mood for a trip down memory lane.
When they passed the doors to the throne room, Sunset asked, “Wait, where are we going?”
“The Princess has decided to receive you within a private study.”
The cynical part of Sunset’s brain thought, Well, at least my reaming will be private.
They ascended a spiral staircase and hurried down a quiet hall. Sunset recognized it, and knew which study they were heading to. The guard opened up the predicted door and gestured Sunset inside.
It was a warm room that always smelled of springtime. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with classic adventure tales rather than thick tomes of academic reading. The windows were open, letting the curtains drift in the breeze. Sunset had spent many days in here, meditating and reading, enjoying the peace and serenity.
On the other side of the room, with her back turned away from them was the one pony Sunset feared and respected the most. She had given Sunset something to strive for, told her anything—even having wings—was possible.
The door closed with a soft thud, and Princess Celestia turned around to face Sunset. She was just as Sunset remembered her: gleaming white coat, soft feathery wings, a rainbow mane that slow-danced in the wind, and a soft smile that could calm the harshest of storms.
Neither of them spoke. They merely observed each other while time slowed to a crawl around them. If they were having a staring contest, Sunset had lost repeatedly, trying to stop herself from crying.
“Sunset Shimmer,” Celestia said in her soft motherly tone. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? Though I suppose not as long for you.”
Sunset swallowed the lump in her throat. “Time is relative, Princess. It’s been a very long time for both of us, I think.”
Celestia smiled. “You’re right. Any time away from the ones you love is too long.”
That tore it. Sunset was so sick of crying, sick of looking weak and foalish. But she ran at Celestia and threw herself into her embrace, bawling her eyes out.
“I missed you! I missed you so much, Princess! You were trying to teach me how to be a better pony and I didn’t listen and-and… I’m so, so—”
“Shhhh.” Celestia stroked her mane, folding her wings over Sunset’s back. “I don’t want to hear that, Sunset. I know you are. Yes, you hurt me, but I was more upset for you. I thought I had failed you as your teacher and drove you away from the light.”
Sunset rubbed her face into Celestia’s coat. “You could never fail me, Princess. You didn’t push me away, I just… I rejected everything about friendship. I didn’t think I needed it. I wanted to walk alone, but all I did was stumble.”
Celestia nodded, tears dripping off her face. “Yes, you stumbled and you fell.” She pulled Sunset away and smiled at her. “But look at you now. You stood up again. You found the light.”
Sunset wiped her tears away. “I had some help.”
“Something we all need from time-to-time.” She hugged Sunset again. “I’m so proud of you… my faithful student.”
******
Spitfire followed her dad through the hospital corridors, her cheeks puffed out in defiance. “But, Daddy, I don’t want a baby sister.”
“Don’t be like that, Spits. Think of all the fun you can have together.”
She stuck her tongue out. “I can have fun by myself. Can’t we give her back to the stork?”
Zephyr laughed. “It doesn’t work like that, sweetie.” He stopped and opened a door, gesturing little Spitfire inside.
Dawn was lying on the bed, a small pink blanket cradled in her forelegs. Her hair was still disheveled and she had bags under her eyes, but she smiled when the two ponies entered the room. “Do you want to meet your sister, Spitfire?”
Spitfire huffed. “Fine.” She climbed onto the bed and sat next to her mom. Inside the bundle of blankets was a sleeping foal with a tiny tuft of red and gold hair. Spitfire gave her a tiny poke. “She’s so… squishy.” She spotted the horn poking out from the foal’s head. “Hey, she’s a unicorn!”
“That’s right.” Dawn placed a kiss on her head, then kissed Spitfire. “She’s our special little unicorn. Her name is Sunset Shimmer.”
“Are you sure she’s my sister?” Spitfire poked Sunset’s pink, squishy cheek again.
Zephyr tasseled her mane. “Very sure. Trust us. You know how grandpa has a horn? Sunset gets that from him.”
Spitfire tried to wrap her head around it. Sunset took her horn from grandpa? That didn’t make any sense. Mommy had wings, Daddy had wings, and she had wings. So why didn’t Sunset have wings? She poked Sunset’s cheek again.
She opened her teal eyes and stared curiously at Spitfire. Then she smiled.
“Look, Spitfire, she likes you,” Dawn said.
Spitfire stared at the little smile her baby sister was giving her. And she smiled too.
******
“Uhh, should we say something?”
“Shut up. She’s probably testing us.”
Spitfire’s ears twitched.
“But we’ve been standing here for twenty minutes and she hasn’t said a word.”
She blinked a few times, coming out of her reverie. Had she really been staring into space for twenty minutes? It was a good thing she was wearing her aviators. Regaining her composure, she marched up to the mouthy cadet and raised her glasses.
“You got a problem with how I run things?”
The little green pegasus started trembling. “N-no, Ma’am!”
“You sure? Because if things aren’t cozy for you, just say the word.” She leaned in closer. “After all, this is supposed to be a five star resort. You’re supposed to be having fun. You’re having fun, right, cadet?”
“Uhh…”
“Answer the question!”
“Yes, Ma’am! I’m having tons of fun, Ma’am!”
Spitfire raised her voice a decibel. “Then clearly, I’m not doing my job right, because you’re not supposed to be having fun! You’re supposed to be on your knees, crying for your mommy! Why aren’t you crying for your mommy, cadet?”
The pegasus was sweating bullets now. “B-because I’m tough Ma’am!”
Spitfire bit her tongue to stop from smirking. He looked like he was ready to pass out. “You think you’re tough, huh? Well, clearly you’re not if you can’t stand at attention for twenty minutes!” She turned to the rest of the line and snapped, “What about the rest of you? Do you think you’re tough?”
“Ma’am, yes, Ma’am!”
“Then prove it! I want fifty laps around this place! Go, go, go!”
They took off like bats out of Tartarus, leaving Spitfire alone with her thoughts again. The euphoria she got from picking on newbies was gone already. She had been spacing out a lot today. Memories of her and Sunset kept following her around; it was like her return to Equestria unblocked the dam she had built up.
She sighed. There was no point in playing drill sergeant if she got no pleasure from it. She lowered her glasses and made her way back to her office, only to find a fresh mountain of paperwork on her desk.
“Celestia, why?” She pulled on her eyelids, then backed out the door. Today was not her day. In fact, it wasn’t even her week. She moved two doors down and knocked until Soarin answered.
“Hey, Captain, what’s up?”
Spitfire took off her glasses and shoved them onto his face. “You’re in charge. Don’t burn my academy down.”
Soarin raised the glasses onto his head. “Uhh, where are you going?”
“Dunno.” Spitfire turned her back to him. “I’m going to keep flying until I figure it out. I’ve got enough vacation time saved up to circle the planet and still have some left over.”
“Oookay, but I can’t make any promises about keeping this place standing that long.”
“If you value me as a friend, you’ll try.”
Soarin lowered the glasses and grinned. “You know, I always thought of us as just acquaintances.”
Spitfire flicked a wing at him. “You’re not funny.” She walked out the door and took to the skies, letting her wings carry her wherever.
******
“…So then I picked up the mike and… I started to sing. I don’t even know where the words came from, I just sang whatever came into my mind.”
Sunset sat curled in front of Celestia, a cup of tea floating in her magic. On the table was a tray of Sunset’s favorite cookies, fresh out the oven.
Celestia looked down, shaking her head. “No, Sunset.” She placed a hoof over Sunset’s heart. “I think you sang from here.”
“R-right.” Sunset blushed and giggled. “After that, the other girls joined in, and I could feel real magic happening. Whatever happened to Twilight when she… stood up to me… happen to me too. I had pony ears and a tail! Then, we summoned this giant alicorn, and it hit the Sirens with a giant rainbow. I have to tell you, it’s much more fun not being on the receiving end of that.” Sunset laughed again. She felt like a little kid telling their parent about their dream.
Celestia laughed as well. “The fact that you could harness the power of Harmony proves how far you’ve come. And in a rather short time might I add.”
Sunset sipped her tea. “Yeah, but I’ve still got a long way to go.”
“It’s better to look how far you’ve come, than to see how far you have to go.”
Unsure how to respond, Sunset stuffed her mouth with a cookie. It was cinnamon and ginger; very strong, and always left Sunset thirsty. She chased it down with a large sip of tea.
“So, what happened after that?” Celestia sounded genuinely interested.
“Oh, well, the rainbow shattered their pendants into pieces. When they tried to sing again, it was just this horrible wailing mess. They ran off, everyone was free of their mind-control, and, well, here we are.” A rather lame way to end the story in Sunset’s opinion, but not much had happened other than Twilight almost kissing Flash. That was more Twilight’s business to tell.
“Did the school forgive you for your own misdeeds after that?”
Sunset tapped the side of her head. Duh, she had forgotten the best part! “Yeah, just about everyone sees me in a new light! No more shoving, no more glares…. It’s nice not to be despised.”
Celestia nuzzled her again. “Again, I’m so proud of you, Sunset. You showed perseverance, determination, and heart, three things a true leader needs. You’ve always had the first two, but I’m glad you’ve found the third.”
Sunset nibbled on another cookie. “So, how’s life here? Twilight’s told me some pretty crazy stories. Is it true you fought off a changeling invasion?”
A pained smile crossed Celestia’s face. “My fighting was… subpar that day. It was the bride and groom who ultimately saved Canterlot.” She looked up to the open window, watching a flock of birds flutter by. “These last few years have been quite eventful to say the least. My past seems determined to catch up to me, both good and bad.”
Sunset ran a hoof around the ring of her cup. “As I’ve recently learned, you can’t avoid your past forever.”
“No, you cannot. But in my lifetime, there are some things you don’t expect to run into again. It pains me to say that many of my millennia-old problems have fallen to Twilight to fix.”
Sunset curled closer, drawing Celestia from her thousand-yard stare. “We all need some help from time-to-time.”
Celestia closed her eyes. “Indeed we do.”
Several minutes went by where they simply enjoyed each other’s presence, neither saying a word. The mingling scent of cinnamon and spring flowers, combined with Celestia’s soft fur made Sunset’s eyes droop. She remembered all the naps she had taken nestled between Celestia’s forelegs.
Before she could nod off, Celestia asked, “So, how is your family?”
Exhaustion slipped away, leaving Sunset with a dull heartache. “They’ve… been better. My parents don’t live together anymore, and my sister hates me.”
“Sunset, that’s terrible! I’m sorry to hear that.”
After finishing her tea, Sunset said, “It’s my fault for leaving. If I had stayed, they wouldn’t have separated, and maybe Spitfire would have forgiven me after a while. I’ve tried apologizing twice, but she still doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
Celestia stroked Sunset’s mane. “Some wounds run deep, Sunset. You hurt her physically and emotionally. I know you said it was an accident—and I believe you,” she added before Sunset could protest. “But you have to look at it from her perspective as well. You jeopardized everything she was striving for, and I’m sorry to be honest, but back then, you didn’t show her too much sympathy.”
It was all true, but it didn’t stop Sunset from cringing. “I know, I was terrible to her. But I’m trying make up for it now. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“Yes it does. It takes a brave pony to admit their mistakes, and a braver one to try and fix them. You’ve said your apologies, now it’s up to Spitfire if she wants to forgive you or not.” Celestia hummed. “Your situation isn’t too far from Luna’s and mine. We… did some terrible things to each other. But in the end, we were able to reconcile and forgive one another.”
Sunset remembered reading the story Twilight had written about their reunion. She sincerely hoped it wouldn’t take Spitfire a thousand years to forgive her.
“Just give her some time. She’ll come around.”
“I hope you’re right.”
They lapsed into a brief silence. Sunset’s eyes grew heavy again.
“Before you take a nap, Sunset, I have one more question,’ Celestia said softly.
“Anything, Princess.”
“What are your plans for the future?”
Sunset closed her eyes and leaned into Celestia. It wasn’t the first time the question had come up. She had been asking herself more and more as the days went by. “I don’t know. I made my first friends over there, but I have my family here. I know I have to go back and finish school, but after that…”
Celestia lowered her head next to Sunset and closed her eyes as well. “I’m happy with whatever you decide. Just know there will always be a place for you here.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
******
Spitfire sat on the steps of the elementary school, wishing she could be anywhere else right now. She rested against her backpack and tried not to look at the clock sitting over the front door.
“Why can’t she walk herself home? She’s seven, and the house is only, like, three blocks away,” Spitfire grumbled. She kicked her hooves against the stone steps, willing time to go faster. “If it isn’t almost two, I’m going home and telling Mom she was just walking really slow.”
She turned around and was half-annoyed, half-happy to see the clock reading 1:59. “Finally!” When the clock struck 2:00, she stood up and faced the doors. They burst opened, releasing dozens of half-sized ponies, yelling and laughing as they climbed over each other.
Spitfire dove out of the way, not wanting to be trampled. She searched the crowd for a red and gold mane, usually easy to find. Something tugged on her tail, and she turned around to find Sunset.
“Hey, how’d you get behind me?”
Sunset shifted her eyes nervously. “Doesn’t matter. Can we just go home now, please?”
Spitfire tried to see where she was looking, but only found more students. “Yeah, sure, come on.” They started walking down the sidewalk, though Sunset was practically galloping, looking over her shoulder every three seconds. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Let’s just go home before—”
“Hey, featherbrain!”
Spitfire stopped and turned around, finding two unicorn mares with terrible haircuts. One was blue with enough freckles to make her look like she had the chickenpox. The other one was purple and would have been pretty if not for the haircut and the copious amounts of glitter she had applied to her face.
“Off to your nest, featherbrain?” the purple one asked.
“She’s probably going to try and grow her wings,” her friend said. “Might as well try since she can’t do any magic.”
Sunset scrunched her face up, trying not to cry. “Just leave me alone.”
“Aww, is the blank flank freak gonna cry? You wanna add crybaby on top of being talentless?”
“A unicorn who can’t use magic and a pegasus who doesn’t have wings, all rolled into one blank flank package!” Both of them burst into laughter.
Spitfire’s blood roared in her ears. Beside her, Sunset covered her flank with her tail and shied away, tears streaming from her eyes.
“Hey, you prissy little witches, knock it off!”
The blue unicorn rolled her eyes. “And who are you to make us?”
“I’m her sister,” Spitfire growled.
“So?”
Spitfire marched forward, spreading her wings wide so her shadow engulfed them. “So, you mess with her, you mess with me, and you do not want to mess with me.” She dropped her voice to a lethal whisper. “I don’t have magic, but I can fly. Odds are, you can’t. So, if I hear you picking on my little sister again, I’m gonna take both of you on a little trip over the side of Canterlot. Spoiler alert: it ends with the two of you flat against the ground! And if you think I’m lying, I dare you to do it!”
Both of them were shaking now, cowering in Spitfire’s shadow, lost in the intensity of her eyes. “Y-yes, Ma’am.”
“I can’t hear you!”
“Yes, Ma’am!” they shouted.
“Good.” Spitfire lowered her wings, revealing Sunset to them. “Now, apologize.”
“We’re sorry, Sunset.
“Yeah, we didn’t mean it, honest.”
Spitfire rolled her eyes. She had heard that one before. “Now, get out of my sight before I take you on a trip anyway.”
They both turned the other way and ran for it, never looking back.
Satisfied, Spitfire turned to Sunset, who was wiping her tears away. “If they bother you again, just let me know, okay?”
Sunset sniffed. “I can fight my own battles, Spits.”
“Of course you can, that’s why you were trying to run away.” Spitfire wrapped a wing around her. “How long have they been teasing you?”
“All month.”
Spitfire frowned. “Well, I guess you’ve got guts for sticking it out, but you gotta say something, Sunny. Nopony is allowed to pick on you ’cept me, got it?”
Sunset nodded, then buried her face in Spitfire’s coat. “Thanks, Spits.”
Spitfire wrapped her hooves around her. “Anytime, Sun.”
******
Drifting on a cloud above the world, Spitfire yawned and stretched herself out. The sun shone in her eyes, helping her wake up from her short nap. She groaned and flipped over onto her stomach.
Once again, a memory of her and Sunset had crept into her dream. And once again, it left Spitfire longing for a time long past. She buried her face in the cloud, like she could hide from her feelings. For so long, she had been telling herself she didn’t need a sister. And it was true: she didn’t need one.
But she wanted one.
She pulled her face out and looked at the horizon. “You really meant it, didn’t you? You really are sorry.”
Sorry isn’t going to fix what happened.
No, but it’s a start.
A small piece of her wanted to hold on and be mad, forever blaming Sunset for everything that happened. But she was tired of being angry, even passively. Her mom was right. Rainbow and Soarin were right. It was time to let go of the past.
Spitfire froze halfway to a sitting position. Yesterday, she had punched Sunset in the nose. She couldn’t just walk back up to her like everything was cool between them.
Still, she had to do something. An apology would probably be a good place to start. Even if the punch had been justified, she supposed it was only fair.
Besides, she wasn’t going to let Sunset show her up by being the bigger mare, was she?
Getting to her hooves, Spitfire gave her wings a few flaps. The sun was setting in front of her, lighting the world on fire. When she looked over the edge of the cloud, she was surprised to see Canterlot sitting beneath her. And somehow she knew Sunset was down there. Perhaps it was the thin remains of their sisterly bond pulling Spitfire towards her.
Spitfire brushed her hair back, pushing away her reservations and discomfort. Maybe they would never get back to where they were, or maybe they’d form an even better relationship. She wouldn’t know until she tried.
With her wings fanned out, she dived off the cloud. “Let’s try this one more time.”
******
A gentle nuzzle roused Sunset from her slumber. “Come, my faithful student. I’m afraid you must get up now.”
Sunset rolled her neck and yawned loudly. She looked up to see Celestia smiling at her. For a moment, Sunset was transported back in time, before she had made all of her mistakes; back when she a student with a caring teacher and a wonderful, whole family.
“Did you have a good rest, Sunset?”
“Yeah.” Sunset got up and popped her back. “That was the best rest I’ve had in a while.”
“I’m glad.” Celestia stood as well. “I’m afraid duties call me elsewhere now. I already cancelled day court today, and I’m afraid to see the mountain of paperwork waiting for me in my room.”
Sunset picked up the last cookie on the tray. “Guess being a princess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, huh?”
Celestia chuckled. “It has its moments. I may be busy for the rest of the night, but you’re welcome to stay in the castle if you wish.”
Sunset’s heart fluttered in her chest. One of Celestia’s last remarks to her had been that she was no longer welcome in the castle. To hear there was a room waiting for her was like having every bridge between her and Celestia restored.
As much as she wanted to say yes, Sunset shook her head. “Thank you, Princess, but, I promised my mom I’d see her again after visiting my dad. She’s probably starting to wonder where I am.”
“I understand.” Celestia opened the door for Sunset and followed her out into the hall. “Likewise, I hope you’ll visit me again before you depart for the human world.”
Sunset gave a vigorous nod. “I will. I promise.” They walked together until they came to an intersection in the corridors.
Celestia reached down and hugged Sunset again. “It was wonderful to see you again, Sunset. I missed you so much.”
“It was wonderful to see you too, Princess. And I promise I’ll visit again.” They broke apart and shared one more smile before turning in opposite directions. Sunset carried on down the hall, her heart feeling like an inflated balloon. If she wasn’t inside the castle, she’d sing!
Turning the corner, she was startled to see a large blue alicorn with a starry mane walking towards her. Her brain clicked, and she realized who she was standing in front of.
Sunset bowed. “You must be Princess Luna. It’s nice to meet you.”
Luna acknowledged her with a smile. “It is nice to meet you too, Sunset Shimmer. My sister speaks very fondly of you.”
“Really?” Sunset felt her cheeks redden.
“Indeed. I’m glad to see you two have reconciled.”
“Yeah, it’s really a weight off my shoulders…” The wheels in Sunset’s mind turned again. She pointed a hoof at Luna. She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew. “You put that dream in my head last night telling me I should come see her.”
There was a mischievous twinkle in Luna’s eye. “I assure you, Sunset, I have no idea what you are talking about. You coming here to make up for your past actions was your choice, and your choice alone.”
“Uh-huh.” Sunset kept an eyebrow raised.
“Believe what you wish, Miss Shimmer,” Luna said, walking past with a smirk still on her face, “but I try not to meddle in other ponies affairs of the waking world. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am off to dine with my sister before taking on my nightly duties. Fare thee well, Miss Shimmer.”
Sunset grinned, watching her walk off. “Thank you, Princess Luna,” she said quietly.
Outside, the sun had almost set, and ponies were turning in for the day. Walking out, the castle no longer looked like a marble beast ready to devour Sunset. Instead, it was the most beautiful building she had ever seen. She smiled at the guards at the gates, and though it was probably her imagination, she thought she saw them smile back.
Sunset was a little hurt to see Twilight was not waiting for her, but remembered she had her own life to live. She was already taking a chunk of her time to help Sunset around.
Wanting to make good on her promise, Sunset started for her mom’s house. She considered stopping by Donut Joe’s to pick something up, but reminded herself that she had no bits to spend.
The more she wandered through the market, the emptier it got until Sunset was one of the last ponies milling about. A shadow flew over her, and she paid no mind until she heard it land close behind her. She looked over her shoulder, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Spitfire.
She rubbed the back of her neck. “Hey.”
Sunset faced her. “Hey.”
The sun teetered off the edge of the world, bringing about the twilight. Both mares continued to face each other, the air between them more awkward than tense.
Spitfire kicked a stray pebble. “So… you went to see Celestia?”
“Yeah. We made up and everything.”
“That’s cool… great actually.”
Silence.
Spitfire rubbed her neck again. “Look… I’m sorry I… you know… punched you in the nose.”
Sunset rubbed her muzzle and winced. “It’s all right. I deserved it.”
“Yeah.” Spitfire bobbed her head from side-to-side. “But I still shouldn’t have done it.”
More silence.
Sunset coughed. “So, what’s up?”
Spitfire opened her mouth, closed it, shook her head, and took a slow breath. “Sunset…” She shook her head again. “Let’s face it, we did some pretty messed up stuff to each other.”
“Yeah, we did.”
“But, you know, we’re sisters. We had each other’s backs when it came down to it, right?”
Sunset looked away. “We were supposed to. I didn’t do a good job on that front.”
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it: that whole Firebird Dahlia thing sucked.” Spitfire stepped closer. “Honestly, I’m still a little peeved.” She relaxed her shoulders. “But, I want to believe it really was an accident. I gave it a lot of thought and… I want to be sisters again.”
Sunset stared at her, heart racing. “Really? You mean it?”
Spitfire rolled her eyes. “No, I just came all this way to punch you again.”
“Well, I wouldn’t put it past you.”
Both of them snickered, slowly growing into full-blown laughter that echoed through the empty streets and rose into the starry sky.
Sunset regained her composure and said, “I really am sorry, Spitfire. If I could take it back, I would.”
“Apology accepted. Though, to be frank, you’re still on thin ice.”
Sunset shrugged. “Fair enough.”
Spitfire tapped her shoulder. “And I’m sorry too. I could have been a better big sister to you.”
“Apology accepted.” There was an awkward pause as they both stared at each other.
“So… should we hug now?” Spitfire asked.
Sunset looked away. “You know, I’m still kinda against touchy-feely stuff.” Mostly because it leads to freaking tears.
“Yeah, same here.”
A moment passed.
They rushed forward and embraced each other in the tightest hug they could muster, nearly toppling each other to the ground.
“I missed you, Spits,” Sunset said, her voice cracking.
“I missed you too, Sun,” Spitfire said, her tears leaking onto Sunset’s shoulder.
FEELS.
!! OMG, Twilight and Sunset are sleeping in the same bed, the ship is... oh, hang on. *lifts shipping goggles* Oh, she was sleeping on the floor next to her. My bad, that's the *other* story you write.
Great chapter, many, many feels. I loved the flashback, especially the second one, seeing where Spitfire's Drill Sergeant Nasty routine began to develop, and her "Spoiler alert" call got me snickering. Now that they're on speaking terms, gonna be fun to see where you rake this. I'm guessing they successfully pull off the Firebird Dhalia?
Such flawless pacing makes me want to sing, and I weep with joy with a double update.
Ermahgod another update! This chapter was splendid.. dare I say shimmering. :P
The ending of this chapter where Sunset and Spitfire hugged each other made me d'aww out loud.
Excellent work as always. I'm eager to read what you come up with next!
Daawww....
So... sexy time now? No? Okay, I'll go read that somewhere else.
So does Firebird Dahlia act as a sequel/continuation of Long Road to Friendship? Or should I treat them as separate stories? Because due to the timeline they could be related.
Oh my god. You... I did not have to wait for two months to finally see them reconnect! THANK YOU!!
That was super corny.
xD
The feels are strong with this chapter, yes!
Dang it, why must others do the same thing I do and do it so much better?!
The last few chapters was fantastic. But now to the final chapters Allons-y (I't is soon over right? Or am i a complete fool?)
The ending to this chapter was perfection
6205666 Nope, two separate stories.
6205967 Well, not all of it.... just a majority.
Excellent Sunset Shimmer writing, as always. Now excuse me, it appears that a ne'er-do-well sneaked into my house and started cutting onions...
Overall a solid chapter and a good story overall. Spitfire and Sunset being siblings is a clever and interesting twist and I enjoy the conflicts you establish for them regarding Sunset feeling like an outcast due to being a unicorn in a family of Pegasus and Spitfire being jealous of her sister's magic prowess, it definitely seems like something that could happen in the series and I applaud this.
Granted I figure the story is almost over since the main conflict has been resolved and odds are we'll have one, maybe two more chapters before the end but still overall a nice, creative and interesting story.
My Final Thoughts:
i.imgur.com/f86EGPB.gif
Need more.
6206111 Alright. That makes this much easier to read knowing that there isn't a huge gap in the continuity.
So much feels! Awesome chapter!
D'aaawww.
That was sweet.
You could have ended it here and I'd be happy.
That was very sweet. Great chapter!
Oh my god I needed this. Seriously, this gave me the warm and fuzzies something fierce.
Awwwwww.
SO. MANY. FEELS. This was a seriously wonderful chapter
God I so loved this chapter. The ending...wow, it got me big. Well done. Wonderful story!!!
Awwwww!
This was the most endearing chapter of this story yet :3.
(Awww, they were sleeping together )
It was just full of nostalgia and really really sweet. I feel it's safe to say that it was the climax of this story and what it had been leading up too!
Sunset has been so wrapped up in making up with her family, it was fun to switch gears and return focus back to her and the Princess. "Witch of the Everfree" flashed in mind with Sunset making up with Celestia. I know you also really enjoyed that story ^^. We've never seen however post-RR Sunset like this. I keep saying this over and over, but that's probably my greatest fun with this story. That we're seeing the sweet and humble post-RR Sunset Shimmer in a story like this :).
I think the most interesting bit about this was actually Celestia asking Sunset what she intends to do with her future. Personally, I'd love her for to remain in Equestria and finish her studies with her and/or Twilight. That's usually how I feel whenever this comes up and I'd really love for this to happen in the Canon. I know however that it's equally likely that she'll remain on Earth where she made her very first true friends. It's more probable that it's what will happen in this story.
Sunset not recognizing Princess Luna was a bit of a surprise, but not really at the same time. It's clear you're working from the canon a lot more closely than you've done before, and Sunset has never met Luna as far as we know. She certainly couldn't while she was studying her Celestia.
Spitfire and Sunset reminded me a lot of filly Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy at Flight Camp . It was adorable watching Spitfire eventually come around. It reminded me a lot of Sunset making up with her future friends in 'Sunset of Time', especially hugging it out at the end ^^. Sunset making up with Princess Celestia also reminded me of 'Witch of the Everfree'. I couldn't help but make all of these parallels as I was reading through it .
And that's it :3. I don't know why, but I keep finding it difficult to say much on this story. I suppose it's just because it's such a straightforward story and I can't really theorize or come up with different twists. That's not a negative at all though! it's a breath of fresh air to get something that's relatively simple in comparison to your other Sunset stories :).
Which leads back to that curious question before: what will Sunset do now with her future? I guess only time will tell. I always personally love it when she returns to live in Equestria, but the right thing to do would be to return to Earth for the time-being if that's what she intends to do anyway. I can only hope that's what happens in the canon as well!
I have the feeling the next chapter will be the last one for this story! as for me, time for LRTF
Aww, this was such a sweet chapter. I loved it!
Welp, I'm crying again. I guess I should have penciled some tears in when I decided to read the updates.
Beautiful story. It could end here and I would be 100% satisfied. But I know you've got at least one more chapter up your sleeve. Can't wait for it.
*sweatdrop*
Yeesh, and here I thought Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were bad.
Wow...for some reason that quote just really lingered in me. Not only is it a really great moral and quote, but it deeply expresses the core of Sunset's journey as a character And it came out of Celestia Bravo my dear author, bravo I also loved how Celestia compared Sunset and Spitfire to her and Luna, nice touch:) Tehee oh Luna you little mink you Yay Spitfire and Sunset made up! I can't wait for the next chapter!
6220308 Yeah, I really like that quote. I think that's just going to be my new life motto now.
Nice chapter for Sunset and Spitfire, however I found her interaction with Celestia too heavy handed. It's one thing that they make up and all but then it goes all the way to Celestia calling her "faithful student", which she is not, Sunset's entire character is built around the fact that she refused to believe in others, Celestia included, so her being faithful is an outright lie and it's something that would rub both of them in the wrong way.
There is just no way it wouldn’t be incredibly awkward and make Sunset cringe every single time she heard it while Celestia wouldn't do it unless she was getting some perverse passive-aggressive pleasure out of making Sunset uncomfortable by reminding her of her failure. At best it sounds like cruel sarcasm.
Part of character growth is accepting that things change and being ok with how they are now which you do great with Spitfire, but with Celestia this felt like it went so far back to "the good old days" that it came out feeling forced.
6221735
I can kind of agree, but her willingness to go full circle says something about her/for her. It's also clear that, like Spitfire, she never really let go. Sunset wanted something in particular and when Celestia wouldn't give it to her she tried to take it. Eventually she succeeded, in a sense, but the results were not at all what she was hoping for. In some sense the way she behaved in the movies was still an act of sorts. Not that she wasn't fairly genuine there, but it's clear that not every result was acceptable to her. Being a demonic human wasn't cutting it for her and she wasn't quite ready to vaporize anyone.
I would argue that Celestia was trying to convey that she hadn't given up on Sunset. Perhaps faithful is a better adjective for Celestia than either Twilight or Sunset in this context. There might be a better word, but I can't think of it and 'persistent' doesn't quite convey the same meaning. You have a point that it could, and likely would, be an awkward matter, but Celestia was never promising elevation to a Princess to either pony I don't think. Canon and the writers simply dictated that it should be so for Twilight Sparkle.
Another part of character growth is recognizing that the path you were on wasn't the right one for you, no matter how excited and or happy you might have felt in the moment. That's not always true, but I'm not sure canon Sunset or the one here would have made a good Princess even if she had managed to get almost as far as Twilight had. They're just different ponies with different priorities. Sunset wanted power and prestige, but Twilight just wants to be like Celestia. Or so I would suggest.
6223307
If my best friend got thrown in jail after being found guilty of a running a huge scam, and did his time, and became truly repentant and reformed, I wouldn't start call him Honest Joe once he came out unless I was trying to be an asshole. If he was a recovering alcoholic I wouldn't call him Sober Mike.
The intentions being genuine doesn't have anything to do with it, even if the adjective fits now it's still not a thing to do unless you're being sarcastic, and periods of personal weakness are not forgotten except by those who live in a state of denial.
I wasn't really talking about the wings or anything specific that Sunset was promised or what not, or questioning if she was truly pardoned by all those involved, she did still run away, stole royal property, became a she demon, attacked a princess, endangered countless people and was generally an ass to everyone.
In any case, those are my 2 cents regarding her interaction with Celestia, mainly pointing it out because it felt like a low point in what is otherwise a pretty good story when it comes to character interaction.
6223401
You'd probably still call him Best Friend though, yes? Running a scam or being an alcoholic doesn't really change that. I suppose it's possible you might discover that he never was your friend, but that you were laboring under delusions. That's different than truly being someone's friend and then changing your mind.
Intentions are important. Perhaps they are secondary to actions, but they still matter and are the motivation behind the actions. If you can't move on from periods of personal weakness then you have bigger problems. If no one else can move on then, ultimately, that is a sign of a problem with them.
Running away and being a general ass aren't crimes. The theft of royal property is well within the powers of said royal to pardon. Becoming a 'she-demon' was not the plan or intention and the apparent whims of magical artifacts are beyond the control of most. Endangering people is easily forgiven provided that the actual harm done was limited. Although to be honest, the number of people in real danger was fairly small.
I thought it was poorly done, but the whole situation seems a bit flawed. The statement alone is excusable.
Beautiful as always
Eh... I feel Spitfire and Sunset made up too quickly. But other than that, overall, good chapter.
6479402 I kid you not! Today, I randomly remembered this weeks old and thought to myself, "I forgot about the fourth option."
Guess you have that covered!
andreaaahwashere.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/lie-down-try-not-to-cry-cry-alot1.jpg
6221735 Honestly, I understand when people are saying the celestia and sunset makeup is really fast, but if you think about it, celestia has several millenniums worth of experience and patience to call upon, so it would not be that hard to figure she would openly accept sunset back. However, When sunset ran to the princess and saying how much she missed her and was sorry, The feels man, the feels...Why do you do this to me?
6570199
Note that I did not say it felt too fast or that Celestia wouldn't feel inclined to forgive Sunset, I said the interaction felt heavy handed and that it pushed so hard to get "feels" that it came out feeling like Celestia was being a condescending ass by pointing out a virtue Sunset specifically lacks, all just to get to use the phrase "faithful student".
This story is such an emotional rollercoaster. I absolutely love it. Why did it take me so long to get around to reading this?
6570251 Oh my gosh, your profile pic is amazing. It's as if Twilight is purposely trying to grab her eyeball and pull it out.
Back to the story, I look forward to when it finally updates. It's been quite the adventure.
...I also want it to update so you can eventually start on the sequel to Long Road to Friendship, Albinocorn...I'll be waiting...
Sunset being related to spitfire makes so much sense its not even funny xD
The fact is that both Sunset and Spitfire are very, very alike - Results-focused with superiority complexes and extremely flexible ethics. It's one of the reasons why Rainbow has almost quit the Wonderbolts at least once.
I suspect that Spitfire probably fell in with a bad crowd in the 'Bolts led by Wind Ryder. Of course, Sunset didn't need a bad mentor to turn her into a narcissistic megalomaniac psychopath. However, in truth, I think that their parents may have had more than a little to do with it (although not deliberately). It's odd isn't it that both of them have the same complaints: That they felt second best next to the 'wonder filly' and that this drove them to excess in an attempt to prove themselves the other's equal? It is that realisation, more than any other, that I suspect will be the core of any deeper reconciliation.
However, they're both also very strong willed so I can't see them finding it easy to back down. However, even if they'll never be as close as they were as fillies ever again, it is my hope that, at least, they'll learn to tolerate each other.
They have hay bacon? How does that even work? I know vegetarian bacon exists, but that's only because we're a traditionally omnivorous species. It's also probably not made of hay.
Avatar: The Last Airbender reference?
Does she kiss her mother with that mouth?
I just realized that if it's only been 2.5 years for Sunset and 10 years for Spitfire, they're even further apart in age now. Funny that nobody's brought that up yet.
7394975
Oh hey, you read this too. But that's been on my mind since that was even brought up. Time stuff is usually such a pain in the butt. Hopefully she'll spend her whole available month because of that time stuff making up with everyone and all that. Definitely a great chapter. It was great seeing teacher and student make up, and even better at the end. The first big hurdle between them has been passed, now they just have to slowly strengthen that bond once more. I can't wait to see it happen.
6205633
If you find it, you should totally let me know. I need that in my life.
~SolidFire
The high school coach in me is a huge fan.
RIP comma
Terrorizing newbies starts young.
Perfection.
Pretty sure there's a missing apostrophe. Luna is also full of it. She knows it, too. It's great!
Hmm. They seem happy, and there are five chapters left. Hmm
Oh dang. :D
So tell me, that scene where Spitfire stands up against Sunset's bullies and makes them apologize: that's the reason she loves berating Wonderbolt recruits, isn't it? XD
I've read up to chapter 7 so far and I'm really enjoying this story. Dang it's been keeping me interested, you're really good. Now onto the next chapter, and I'm sure to love the rest of this story just as much as I've enjoyed the first seven chapters.