Decaying by choice
Life as a prisoner suited Sunset Shimmer. At least, that’s certainly what she believed.
For starters, there were no more responsibilities or stakes. Her one and only directive was to sit in a room, sit in a yard, sit in a cafeteria, and not interact with anybody, unless it was necessary. Training, working out, anything of that sort was merely a pastime by choice, and luckily for her, few dared to attempt to demand her attention. In fact, a place like this was perfect for someone for which being a bully came naturally to.
“Welcome to the land of the permanent sun, where the flowers are melted and the future is fun,”
Though it was not a problem. Other ponies knew well enough to leave her be, and what's more, Canterlot prison was a correctional facility, it was exceedingly comfortable, and made to improve the lives and dispositions of those in it, until they were free to go.
“The freeway lizards ain’t feelin' so good, on a one-way trip back to West Hollyhoof, let's go–”
Which was the only issue for her, really; Because this is exactly where she belonged. But it was certainly not a challenge to extend her stay. After all, all you have to do to stay in a place like this is to break something, or someone. And Sunset Shimmer was an expert at both, and more than eager to do so.
“It feels so good to have a, perfect song, it feels so good to be in total control…!”
It was, in a sense, almost akin to being in a permanent state of meditation. Not introspection, but rather, the absence of it, thinking of nearly nothing at all. Except, of course, her creativity was hard to suppress in a place with an absence of purpose. So she wrote songs. So she drew.
“It's so convincing, that something's missing, the sun is kissing, my face, and erasing my doubts,”
And naturally, to an ex-student of Celestia, it was easy to circumvent magical binds. She sat in her cell, in one of the highest floors of Canterlot prison, in a day like any other, feeling the rhythm of a melody that played in the distant cafeteria, and wrote her own song for it. Her horn was bound by a magic-nullifying cuff, but that was not enough to stop her, naturally. She pressed it against a wall and channeled its energy fiercely at the furthest tip, and made it work akin to a blowtorch.
“I'm going out, with a bang, and the fangs, of a parasite, I'm feeling alright, alright, alright, alright,”
Sure, she could have asked for a pencil and a sketchbook. But no. As if. Her art had the need to be something else; To be an imposition. And it sure as hell wouldn't be drawn with her mouth. She burned the tip of her horn, ignoring the pain, embracing it even, and made the walls of her cell into a canvas; moving her entire upper body, sometimes even rotating herself on an horizontal axis while remaining in contact with it. At times, she brought her bed closer to the wall, just so she could reach higher. This was her kind of meditation, being utterly in the groove.
“Alright, all night, alright, all night, alright, all night, alright, all night, alright, all night,”
A prisoner from another cell interrupted her groove, offering commentary on the fact she wasn’t exactly being quiet. “Is the song over? Is that how it ends?”
“Work in progress!” She barked, blinking, huffing, annoyed to have been pulled from her work.
“I like it! It’s interesting. ‘Metaphorical’? I guess? I don’t get it but I don’t need to.” The prisoner added, apologetically.
“Thanks, Corkscrew.” Sunset responded plainly, not wanting to make this into an actual conversation.
Another prisoner, in another cell next to her, had a different opinion. “Are ya done yapping? That song made no damn sense at all. What's with the lyrics–”
“Nopony asked for your OPINION, Peanut! Fuck off.” She barked in response instantly, dismissing any criticism.
“Right back at ya, Shimmer.”
She did not bite back. The best way to get her fellow inmates to shut up was to simply not respond; Unless they were face to face; Then she’d break their face. She returned to the center of the cell, observing her work, thinking of what she’d do next, what she’d change, considering spreading it to all the walls and even the floor. Before she could continue, fireworks sounded off in the distance, making her ears twitch, bringing her attention to the window atop the cell.
Blowing raspberries, she tried focussing on the wall before her, but as the explosions sounded in the distance, it drew her to them. She moved the bed towards that wall, jumped on it and held the bars to support her view; Using her back legs to lean her on the wall, and her front legs to hold onto the bars on the window.
In the distance, Canterlot castle was shooting fireworks into the sky. “Whoopdy fucking do.” She groaned, lingering.
And she continued to linger. Her expression softened, as she observed the shape of the castle towers in the distance. Her mind unwillingly brought her to think of how it was to walk within its walls.
“Ugh!”
She purposefully hit her head against the bars, and forced herself down. No more looking. And when she was on the floor, she bucked her bed for good measure. Bending the steel of its support a bit, but not much else.
Calm deep breaths. Close your eyes, and think of nothing.
Return to your art…
“Shimmer!” A familiar voice approached her cell. She instinctively exhaled, but did not respond.
Flash Sentry sat outside her cell, with his usual lighthearted demeanor, and wearing full royal guard getup. She sat, and raised an eyebrow. “What?”
Despite the coldness he was being given, he gave her a warm smile. “I don’t need a reason to check on my favorite prisoner, do I?”
“Whatever.” She looked back at the wall, trying to tune him out, with little success.
He tilted his head; Not critically, but in surprise, looking at the burn scratches in the wall. “I see you’re defacing another cell. How do you keep doing that?!”
With a look of feigned innocence, she rolled her eyes. “Oh me? I dunno man these things just appear in my walls. Crazy right? Maybe I’m haunted. Like by a ghost.”
That actually got a chuckle out of him, but it wasn’t hard to amuse the guard pegasus. “What is that, anyways, some sort of fireball with teeth?”
She was not surprised that someone wouldn’t get her art and its meaning, but it was still a tad disappointing, a disappointment she suppressed with a shrug. “Hell if I know, man. It’s just here.”
“Well how lovely. If it’s not you misbehaving, I can give in a good word and lower your sentence–”
That statement was not a joke to her. With a snarl, she instantly lunged at the cell bars, ignoring the pain of how hitting her head on them violently felt; shaking its foundations, and igniting the tip of her horn, pointing it at his neck. He flinched, but only a little.
She said nothing as she did this.
“Huh. So that’s how you do it.” He said, looking at her horn ignited akin to a soldering iron.
Swallowing her rage, she didn’t move an inch. “I’m not in the mood for your shit, Flash. Leave me alone.”
And of course, he didn’t. His gaze was one of stern concern. “Like I said. I don’t need a reason to visit my favorite prisoner.”
No response other than her ears twitching over the sound of more fireworks.
“And besides– I got you something.” He smiled again, and with a wing, reached out into his bag, and took out a little wrapped object, unfolding it in front of her.
It was a cupcake.
Leaning her head away from the bars, Sunset smirked dismissively. “Oh great. Dessert.”
“Some crazy pony brought like a thousand cupcakes to that party happening in Canterlot castle right now. Thought I'd bring you a little something!” He handed it through the bars with a smile, and after some hesitation, Sunset took it.
On inspection, it was an overly colorful miniature cake, full of sprinkles and almost like a rainbow.
With a shrug, she took a bite. It was incredibly sweet; But surprisingly not nauseatingly so. She felt the taste of multiple different kinds of fruit, and what seemed like multiple different kinds of chocolate; And maybe even a certain spice?
She grimaced, denying its enjoyment. “Crazy is right. Who the fuck puts this much sugar in anything?”
He tilted his head and smirked. “If you don’t like it, you can give it back.”
Her response was to defiantly eat the rest in a single bite, and chew it all while making eye contact.
“That’s what I thought.” That made him chuckle; because she almost choked.
A moment of silence passed, as she finished eating, laying on the floor casually.
“Did you bring me a cupcake?” A prisoner asked in the cell beside them.
“Aww, sorry, Corkscrew. Next time, I Promise!” The Guard responded, genuinely apologetically.
Letting out sarcastic laughter, Sunset condescended from inside her cell. “Cupcakes are for special prisoners only, bud. And for some inexplicable reason, this idiot thinks I'm it.”
Flash ignored that comment, turning back to his old friend. “Want to know what the big party is about?”
“No.” She lied, turning away.
And naturally, he didn’t take the hint. “Some kind of Celebration regarding the Princess of Friendship. I guess she took down another bad guy or something with her friends, saving Equestria again and stuff?”
“Don’t talk to me about her.” She responded, coldly. Incredibly cold.
“...Celestia is there.”
“Flash. Shut the fuck up.” Now she turned to face him. And her anger was not rehearsed, it was almost like a plea. There was untamed rage behind her eyes, and with a sigh, The guard nodded, giving in.
More silence.
He waited, for a little while longer, before changing the subject. “Want to hear what me and my girl did last weekend?”
Nothing but sarcasm in her tone. “I would rather be locked up in Canterlot prison. Oh wait…!”
“Sick burn, Shimmer!”
“Thanks, Corkscrew.”
“Medium burn at best.”
“Fuck off, Peanut.”
With an exhale, Flash rolled his eyes. “It must be exhausting to act like this all the time. Don’t you ever get tired?” It was a genuine question, hoping to get a genuine answer, a hope that would not be met.
“Dude, i’m laying in a cell. I’ve got stamina for days. So are you leaving me alone, or what?” She tilted her head, laying on the floor, with a sarcastic smile.
“...Yeah. Bye, Shimmer.” He answered plainly, and turned around and started walking away.
Watching him walk away removed the smile from her face. Her ears twitched, as the sounds of the fireworks ringed louder, and her breathing got uneasy.
She didn’t want to be alone. Not now.
“...So have you shown your new girlfriend that you play guitar yet?”
He stopped, and smiled. Now that was the Sunset Shimmer he was hoping to talk to.
Turning around, he gave her a warm smile. “Oh yeah. I serenaded the hell outta her; She was super into it, too! Mostly laughing though– I guess most mares aren’t used to getting these kinds of overly lovey-dovey stuff done towards them. I was kinda nervous about it, ‘cause in any retrospect, it felt so embarrassing and dumb.”
“Dumb can be pretty cute– And you could write a book about that.” Her smile was actually kind, as she nodded. “So what song was it?”
With a bit of a fluster, he scratched his head. “‘Love boat.’ We were actually on a boat; Like, on a romantic ride through the Canterlot canals– I didn’t just– Yeah.”
Sunset let out a groan, but she was still smiling. “Aww dude, that’s like. Prehistoric! You sure you shouldn’t have played something more modern? I figure chicks would be into that more, nowadays.”
He chuckled along, nodding. “Pff maybe. But she’s a classy lady, so I had to play classy.”
And that made her chuckle some more, with a genuine smile. “Flash Sentry, ‘Classy.’ Never thought I'd see the day. Well, that’s one lucky lady. Happy for you, man.”
Another warm smile, “Thanks, Sunny. I appreciate it.”
“Ew, don’t call me that.” That little pet name reminded her of the time they used to date, no thank you.
A prisoner teased her from another cell. “Heheheheh Sunnyyyyyyy!”
“Shut up, Peanut.” She barked back.
They shared a bit of comfortable silence, accentuated only by the fireworks.
Flash inspected her with concerned eyes, top to bottom. Full prisoner garments, hair cut short, and bags under her eyes. “...Do you… Do you ever wish you had made different choices? That you weren’t… Here?” He asked, genuinely.
She spoke simply, as these were facts. “Oh, I'm not leaving. In fact, Peanut is on top of my shit list. When the end of the month rolls around for my evaluation, I'll break a couple of her legs.”
“Sunset, that’s not–” He exhaled, reigning it in. “That’s not what I mean. I just meant like… Don’t you wish you could have done things differently…?”
Gritting her teeth, she tried her best not to be angry. She tried her best to entertain. “Are you asking me about regrets, or are you asking me about time travel?”
No response, as he sighed, wondering if asking this was a stupid idea.
But that silence urged her to continue. “I’ve been in this prison for like… Six years. All I have are regrets. Maybe in some other world I would have done better. But I doubt it. It is the Sunset Shimmer way to fuck everything up for myself and others. My trademark, really.”
He tilted his head in concern. “You could always try again…?”
“That’s a funny joke. There’s nothing to try.” She looked away dismissively.
He tried his best not to be exasperated. “Why don’t you just– Why can't you just behave, and then leave?!”
“You’re asking why not, while I’m asking why would I?” She responded, with a forced smile at him. No, that statement was not objective, it was deflective, and above all, it was a subject-ender; One that wasn’t her usual angry outburst.
Whether either of them liked it or not, this conversation was over.
With a sigh, he leaned his head against the bars. “Well… I’m gonna fly back to the party, I feel bad, so I’m gonna bring some of these guys some cupcakes. Want another?”
“I could take it or leave it.” She lied, with her mouth watering at the idea of tasting more of those bizarre, strange desserts.
“See you later, Sunset Shimmer.” He gave her a frail smile, and walked away definitely, and she did not respond, simply turning to face the wall with her art again.
And there she remained. Attempting to ignore the sound of the fireworks, attempting to focus only on nothing.
“Welcome to the land of the permanent sun…”
Until something happened.
With a strange, bizarre flash, a pony simply materialized in her cell, falling to the floor.
And it was not just any pony…
“I’m alive! Oh thank goodness I'm alive, I'm alive…!” The newcomer exasperatedly proclaimed, as she patted herself, checking herself for wounds.
That voice, and that mane, it was unmistakable, Sunset Shimmer was looking at herself.
But of course, not really, because this Sunset before her was an Alicorn. An image that was almost offensive to the Prisoner; Large wings, larger body.
“Twilight?! I’m here, Twi–”
That name, being said by that voice, and that face, with wings, the Prisoner was completely and entirely flabbergasted.
Their eyes met, and they were both equally confused.
“What the fuck are you?!” They both said, in perfect unison.
A brief moment of silence, interrupted by the Princess, with a flash, suddenly adorning full valkyrie armor, and raising her wings menacingly, her horn aglow.
With magic, she pinned the Prisoner against a wall, and snarled. “Are you a changeling?! Where am I! TALK!”
Sunset’s demeanor changed from frustrated confusion to utter fear, as she was entirely overpowered by Alicorn magic. “A-am I a changeling?!! Dude YOU’RE the one that just APPEARED in my cell!! What the fuck is going on?!?!”
The imagery of herself, significantly taller, significantly burlier, covered head to toe in armor, was nothing less than terrifying, from this perspective. “WHAT DID THAT HERMES GUY DO TO ME. WHAT–”
The Princess stopped, with her ears twitching. The fireworks…
With a single, fluid motion, she easily hopped over to the window, and gazed outside.
“...Canterlot…? What am I doing in– There’s no party scheduled here today…?!” She muttered, in utter confusion. She jumped back on the cell, with a loud thud, making the prisoner flinch. “Twilight. Where is Twilight?!! And what the hell are you– Some sort of– mocking illusion of me?!”
Unfortunately for her, the Prisoner was as confused as she was, unable to speak, as she sat against the wall, making no sudden movements, in surrender.
With one forceful motion, the Princess pinned the Prisoner further against a wall, and scanned her memories, an act she nearly instantly regretted.
I am Sunset Shimmer. This is my home, my forever home, the hole I deserve to rot in, and I will be here forever, paying for everything I've done. No pony could ever pry me out of these bars. I was not worthy of Celestia. I was not worthy of Twilight’s crown. And now I will pay that price forever, for as long as I breathe–
“What the hell is wrong with you?!” The Princess backed up, with a grimace mixture of disgust and pity.
“What did you just do to me?!” Her other self responded, utterly confused.
Mulling on the disbelief, on the confusion of having just seen through memories of another version of her, she looked around in concern, and then her eyes landed on the wall, with the Prisoner's art burned into it.
“It’s… It’s us… When we stole her crown…!?” With an exasperated exhale, the Princess studied the burns on the wall intently.
What the art was, in fact, was the demon version of Sunset Shimmer, a snarling, vicious thing, hair akin to flames, baring teeth and crooked horn, demonic wings burned on that wall.
“You… you just… Choose… this…?!” with a distraught head tilt, the Princess scanned the cell and her other self from top to bottom.
The Prisoner, still leaning against the wall, didn’t want any part of this, whatever it was. She forced her mind to attempt to not rationalize, or even consider an answer to why in the world this was happening, and instead, simply spoke softly. “D-dude. You’re an Alicorn– So just teleport out of here and just leave me be, okay? I don’t want any trouble…!”
The gaze of the Princess narrowed even further, baring her teeth. “Do mom and dad even know you’re alive?”
“Cupcake time, everypony!” Flash Sentry’s voice gleefully echoed on the halls of the prison, and both the Sunset’s looked in that direction, naturally recognizing it. “That crazy pony gave me like– Dozens of them in this super tightly packaged thing–”
He stopped, regarding Sunset’s cell. In utter confusion, ignoring the cheers of the other prisoners. The Valkyrie looked at him in utter disbelief. “Flash?! What is going on here, do you know what’s happening?!”
His confused and concerned look switched between the two Sunset’s. “U-um. Shimmer, why is there two of you– And why is one an Alicorn, in full battle getup–”
The Princess did not wait for him to finish, using her magic to bring him closer, a bit too violently, and as he squirmed against the bars he was just slammed against, in disbelief, she touched his shoulder.
I am Flash Sentry. And I try, so often, to make her think differently. But Sunset Shimmer has always been as immovable as a tree. Even with the Princess of the Sun herself asking me to check on her, week after week, it’s not enough. I will never be able to convince her to try–
“You’re not my Flash!?– What the FUCK is going on?!” The Princess yelled in disbelief, as she teleported the guard inside the cell, pinning him against a wall.
“For what it’s worth, you look awesome in armor??” Was all he managed to mutter, as she loomed over him menacingly.
Then, her first option came to mind. Teleporting out of there was easy, flying out of there was easy, but there was one thing that needed to be done before anything.
She channeled her magic, and cast the spell that would call Twilight Sparkle to her side, the same one her wife had used to call her to her side earlier that day.
Nothing happened.
“C’mon, c’mon Twi, c’mon…!” Gritting her teeth, She started getting desperate, and used the spell again.
And again, and again, and again… “Where are you, where are you…?!”
Her ears twitched, her hide shivered, and she ignored the prisoner beside her asking what the hell was she doing.
She could sense an Alicorn coming.
With a flash, Princess Twilight Sparkle teleported into the outside of the prison cell, with a flustered gaze and tail whipping about.
“U-um– Did somepony call me here? Because I felt–” Turning, she saw the three residents of that cell.
Flash was the only one in there that behaved normally, nodding respectfully and giving the Princess a salute. The Prisoner backed herself all the way into the corner, muttering desperately “not her, not her, not her…!” All the while the Princess of Valor didn’t behave much differently, with a battle stance ready, her wings quivered in expectation and shock.
“Y-you’re not my wife…!!–” Was all she could muster to mutter, with a mixture of disbelief and despair.
That was indeed not her wife. This Twilight Sparkle was notably smaller, and she did not carry herself with nearly as much calm confidence as her wife did. Her hair was on a fancy bob, and she wore a party dress.
Both of them evaluated each other in confused, flustered silence. The Princess of Friendship’s heart beat faster, a natural side effect of their calling spell. “Y-you… Aren’t you…? Sunset Shimmer…?! Why are there two of you…? And an Alicorn, no less…?”
“Not her, not her, not her…!” Sunset Shimmer cowered in the corner, and faced a wall, eyes closed, trying to be as small as possible, hoping she would be invisible, with weak, unsteady breaths.
The Valkyrie did no such thing. With one single magical motion, she teleported the Princess inside the cell, and scanned her memories too.
I am Twilight Sparkle. I will rule alone, a rule of friendship, and I just left a party in my honor in a hurry– Because I felt the strangest, deepest, most passionate calling I have ever felt. I don’t know what’s–
A task that did not last long, due to the Princess of Friendship politely and kindly asking her to let go.
That request, from that voice, made the Valkyrie yield instantly. “Sorry! Sorry. I’m sorry.” She muttered, inconsolable.
“You’re… Not my wife… Did you… Replace her…?!” Studying her from top to bottom, Sunset loomed over her, in silent grief; seeing all these imperfections, these differences, from scent to shape, it wasn’t her. She didn’t understand what was going on, but looking at this impostor was heartbreaking; And it didn’t help that from the brief scan of her memories, she could tell this Twilight Sparkle ruled utterly alone, outside of her friends.
“L-look, I don’t know what’s going on, but… That Sunset Shimmer in the corner, that I know. But you…? You’re not from here, are you…?” She speculated, studying the Alicorn before her; Her touch made the Princess of Valor flinch.
Her gaze turned to the art on the wall, unable to make sense of it, and then to the Sunset in the corner. “It’s been six years, hasn’t it…? Are you okay, Sunset Shimmer?”
No response from the Prisoner, who just cowered in the corner of her cell, covering her face.
“U-um… Has this prison treated you well…?” The Alicorn tilted her head with pity and concern.
Now the Prisoner managed to speak, just barely, through almost with a desperate whisper, not making eye contact. “...Could you three please get the fuck out of my cell…?”
“That’s it.” The Valkyrie turned to her smaller, shriveled self, and grabbed her fiercely, almost akin to a headlock.
“W-what are you doing?! Let me go!! Why can’t you all just LEAVE?!”
“We’re taking this higher.” With a flash, the Princess of Valor teleported them both out of the cell, leaving the other Princess and the guard behind. She took flight outside of the prison, with one singular purpose; Canterlot Castle.
“STOP!!! TAKE ME BACK!!” The Prisoner desperately pleaded in her grasp, unable to escape it no matter how much she squirmed. Sunset Shimmer flew towards the castle at high speeds, ignoring her other self’s fears. and without a hesitation, picked the party room, and burst through a window.
She landed with impact, directly in the middle of the festivities, even knocking a table aside, sending dozens of plates crashing down.
The party was beautiful, as many Canterlot parties were. Banners, tapestries, Chandeliers, and many fancy party guests, this looked much like any other party, and yet, there were subtitle differences she could see here and there. Her nerves were high, as was her adrenaline, she was in full battle mode as her eyes shot in all directions, inspecting everything.
And of course, the party guests were utterly baffled at the armored Alicorn that just savagely burst in the party.
Familiar faces looked at her with no familiarity. Her gaze landed atop the party and her nerves spiked even further. Celestia, wearing a lovely party dress, glared at her with utter disbelief.
“Why, why, WHY?! Anything but her!!! Please just take me back–” The Prisoner desperately pleaded in her grasp. With magic, she dragged Sunset across the party with her as she galloped towards the Princess of the Sun.
“CELESTIA!” She shouted, pleading for this to be her Celestia, and not some bizarre impostor like everyone around her.
“A-a… A Valkyrie…?” The Princess questioned in the distance, in disbelief.
Guards around the room immediately took action, galloping and flying towards Sunset, in an attempt to stop her from continuing her run towards their princess. Unfortunately for them, they were dealing with a Valkyrie.
She dodged each attack and countered them without losing speed. Each blow was like a sledgehammer delivered with the swiftness of a dagger, and any magic cast at her was either easily deflected or countered.
She reached Celestia, with a look of confusion and despair. The Prisoner she brought with her squirmed in a panic, with whimpers and yelps.
“Please– You have to help me– I don’t know what’s going on, is this really you, or–” But she could tell. Merely by the gaze of utter confusion and shock. That was not her Celestia; And she herself was speechless, slowly coming to the realization of who was the armored Alicorn in front of her.
Bringing the Prisoner closer, she put her in a headlock again. “WHY ARE THERE TWO OF ME?! WHAT’S GOING ON?!”
The Princess and the Prisoner's eyes met, in utter despair. “Let me go, let me go, let me go,” Sunset desperately pleaded, averting her eyes and shaking like a wild animal, but the Valkyrie ignored her fears, ignored her pain.
“S-Sunset Shimmer…!? You’ve ascended…?” Gazing at her wings, her armor, her enhanced size, Celestia gasped, and yet, she knew that wasn’t her Sunset. Her Sunset was currently having a panic attack at the mere sight of her.
“HEY ASSWIPE! BACK AWAY FROM CELESTIA!” A familiar voice made Sunset’s ears twitch, as a Pegasus flew towards her at high speeds. She didn’t bother to look, dropping the prisoner on the floor, and delivering a swift right hook to the pegasus that tried tackling her, intercepting her immediately.
Rainbow Dash tumbled on the floor violently, nearly unconscious.
“SHIT! Sorry, Rainbow! I didn’t know–” But her ears shot back again. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were all running towards her, with fighting intent. A shiver went down her spine, and she did all she thought was viable at the moment, and Lunged at Princess Celestia.
The moment they touched, Sunset showed her her own memories, in a desperate plea of demonstrating what had happened, in a desperate plea to understand what was happening.
Please. I don’t know what’s going on. One minute I was with my wife, in a party, 5 years of my Alicornaversary, and in the other, I’m here– You just gave me a lesson only a few hours ago, we embraced the sun together…?!
Why are there two of me? Why was she in prison? Where is my wife? What is–
“Stand down, everypony, NOW!!!!” With her bombastic Canterlot voice, Celestia commanded all of the ponies about to lunge at the Valkyrie to stop; And they followed that command implicitly.
Her demeanor changed entirely as her gaze rested back on the Princess of Valor.
“My… You… Sunset Shimmer… You would inherit my sun…? Together, you would inherit the sun and the moon… A rule of love…!” She mumbled, eyes teary, gazing at the Princess before her, with grief.
“Please… What is going on…?” Gritting her teeth in utter confusion, Sunset gazed back, desperately in need of answers.
With a long exhale, Celestia’s gaze alternated between the two Sunsets. “You are not my Sunset Shimmer… She is. You are from another world… Another universe.”
That made the Valkyrie sit down, head spinning in utter confusion. She was far, far, far away from home.
“Y’all mind tellin’ us what’s goin’ on here? Who’s this other Alicorn, Princess Celestia? And who’s her shivering twin over there?” Applejack tilted her head analytically, confused, pointing at the oversized armored figure and the prisoner.
On the floor, Rainbow Dash spat out a tooth, and groaned and mumbled incoherently; Fluttershy ran to her aid.
“Excuse me darling, but what is this fashionable armor you’re wearing? It’s simply divine!” Rarity approached the Valkyrie slowly and cautiously, studying it.
“Not the time, Rares!” The Farmer quickly corrected her, receiving a blow of raspberries as a response.
It was bizarre. Her friends looked at her as if they didn’t know her. And they didn’t, they really didn’t.
On the floor, the Prisoner cowered, her eyes desperately glancing at every direction in sheer panic, her heart beating miles per hour, as if she was surrounded by vicious predators. Every single pony in that party was looking in her direction, and she wanted to simply disappear– A panicked prisoner stood out immensely in this environment, and just glancing at Celestia made her stomach twist. Her heart raced even more when Pinkie Pie addressed her. “Hey, are you Sunset Shimmer? Did Flash bring you more cupcakes? It’s really nice to meet you!”
That was the last straw for the Prisoner, who, with the sheer panic and anxiety she felt, and the unintentional adittive of the overly sugary cupcake she had just eaten recently, vomited on the floor then and there, shocking all of the ponies that were staring at her. Celestia regarded her with concerned pity, which only served to make her feel worse.
As she let out a frail yelp, seeing an opportunity, with ragged, panicked breaths, she took off, in any direction that wasn’t here, at a panicked lightning speed, towards any window or door she could bolt out of.
But it was short lived. Her other self teleported right in front of her, stopping her in her tracks, and pinning her against the floor with a single hoof. “STOP RUNNING FROM YOUR LIFE! WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID?!” She yelled, utterly enraged at this other version of her.
Squirming, gritting her teeth, The Prisoner thrashed pointlessly in her grip, attempting to punch her face with her hooves, doing no damage. “L-let me GO asshole!!! What the fuck is your PROBLEM!!? JUST LET ME GO!”
“My PROBLEM is that I’m an Alicorn Princess that is happily married and will inherit the sun– And you are a cowering sniveling thing that chose to rot in a cell, and SOMEHOW, WE’RE THE SAME PONY!!” Her screams echoed in the halls of the party, as all the party goers watched in disbelief.
Thrashing still, savagely and yet meaninglessly the prisoner attempted to free herself from her grasp. “I DONT GIVE A SHIT IF YOU’RE HAPPY– JUST LET ME GO!!”
“HOW DARE YOU BE AFRAID OF TWILIGHT SPARKLE– THAT’S SUPPOSED TO BE YOUR WIFE, YOU WORTHLESS SACK OF SHIT!!” Sunset Shimmer screamed so loud it brought about a hush within the party.
All of Twilight’s friends gazed at the insane display in confusion, and behind the two Shimmers, Twilight watched in equal shock, having just teleported in.
Celestia was the first to break that silence, as she teleported closer to the two, speaking calmly. “Sunsets… it’s okay. Please, no more fighting. Let us discuss this elsewhere…”
She offered a hoof to the Valkyrie, who accepted it. Together, the three teleported away from the party.
“Did that big scary lady say ‘wife’...?” Fluttershy asked, while helping Rainbow sit up.
“It sure as hay sounds like she did?” Applejack scratched her chin in confusion.
“I suppose it could have been kind of romantic– If that other mare had not vomited. Eugh…” Rarity backed away from the puke with haste.
“Twilight! Girl! Why didn’t you tell us you were getting married?! Congrats, girl!” Pinkie hopped to her friend, who was staring at nothing, in complete confusion.
The trio reappeared in a balcony, high in the castle, where all was quieter. The Prisoner, still panicked, did not manage to formulate proper words in the presence of Celestia, all she did was curl into herself, eyes shut.
“I’m sorry, I don't know what’s happening, I’m so sorry, I don't want to be here, just take me back to my cell, I'm so sorry–” She apologized endlessly, in pained mutters, unable to make eye contact.
“Sunset Shimmer… It took an interdimensional traveler intervening for us to finally see eachother again– Please, there is no need to fret.” The Princess of the Sun spoke softly, calmly, pleading for her old student to center herself.
Shivering, fearful, she did not reply anything other than apologies, wishing to be anywhere but here.
The Valkyrie took a deep, long breath, calming her own nerves, exiting her combat stance and demeanor. She gazed at this version of her with utter pity.
“Sunset Shimmer… May I see your face clearly, if you please…?” Celestia asked the Princess of Valor kindly, with her head tilted, urging this unknown version of her pupil to let go of her defenses.
With an exhale, Sunset returned her armor to her horn, and there she stood. The differences between the two Shimmers were staggering, but so were the similarities.
“...You’ve grown so much… Look at you…!” the Princess asked, with a mixture of quiet prideful mourning and grief.
Because of course, this was not her Sunset. Her Sunset was a shivering, cowering mess on the floor, panicked at the mere sight of her.
“Celestia… What is happening? Why am I here? How do I get back home…?”
The Alicorn of the Sun let out a sigh, and walked over to the edge of the balcony. “I’m afraid I have no clear answers, Sunset… But if I may offer a theory– You were cursed. Cursed to be cast upon another universe, my world… And I am afraid I have no idea on how to get you back to your home… Not now, anyway. Perhaps this requires deep research– I could summon Twilight, and we can go to the royal archives together.”
That last statement passed through the Valkyrie like a cold breeze. She shuddered, unable to make sense of anything, unable to think properly. On the floor, the Prisoner felt even worse.
Her gaze turned back to her other self, who was covering her face. “So this Sunset just… gave up…?! She just chose to stay rotting in a jail cell for the rest of her life?”
Approaching the two of them, Celestia let out a listless sigh, gazing at her Sunset. “...Yes. She did not accept any of our offers and second chances. She chose to extend her sentence indefinitely… Violently, if I may add. I tried sending her only friend to visit her often, to convince her that there was another way, and yet…”
Gritting her teeth, the Valkyrie closed her eyes, reminiscing on having shifted through her other self’s memories. “Flash tried, so hard… But I’m too stubborn. I was always so fucking stubborn…”
The Princess spoke once more with a mixture of pride and sorrow. “...That you were. But I suppose that in your world… You had the courage to carry on. And to think, you even married my other pupil…!” She felt, deep down, a form of envy, that was truncated by her sorrow over the state of her own Sunset.
But before they could continue, the strange glow enveloped the Valkyrie once more, as she floated against her will and her limbs began to fade. “Oh no, goddamnit, not again…!”
“Oh no– I believe it’s happening again! I was afraid of this–” Celestia studied her, trying to decipher what was going on; Sunset’s limbs were vanishing one by one.
The last thing the Princess of Valor could do was address her other self. “Don’t you DARE go back to that cell– You HAVE to try! You HAVE to become me! Don’t you–”
And just like that, she was gone, vanishing once more.
Celestia and her old pupil were alone.
All that Sunset did was lay on the floor, quiet, shivering.
“Sunset Shimmer.” Celestia stated, sternly and plainly.
The shivering stopped, the unicorn managed to open her eyes and meet her gaze. “I’m sorry, i’m so sorry, please just take me back to my–”
“No.” Another stern, and decisive motion from the Princess, as she sat next to her old pupil. “You are no longer welcome in my Prison. I will no longer enable your desperate attempts at running from yourself.”
All that Sunset could do was mutter.
“If you wish to do so… You are free to go. Go anywhere in Equestria you would like. Perhaps return to your parents, but…” Celestia bit her lips, as if preparing herself for what she was about to say next. “But if you would have me… I would like to have you as my pupil once more…”
The mere suggestion turned a knot in Sunset’s stomach. “W-why?? I don’t deserve it– I didn’t then, I don’t now! I-I’m not her, I’m not, I’m just not–”
With a softer tone, Celestia moved strands of her pupil’s hair away from her eyes. “Didn’t you see…? Didn’t you see what you could become…? You have to try, Sunset…”
“I-it’s too late…!” Grimacing with fear, Sunset recoiled from her touch.
“No. It never is. Your other self has shown me that– Despite her mistakes, she carried on, and became stronger than ever. Her world needs her, and now I see that mine needs you. She carried on, and now you need to, too. I’ve missed you, Sunset Shimmer– Will you be my pupil once more? Will you allow me to give you purpose, once again…?” Celestia planted a kiss on her old pupil’s forehead, in an attempt to calm her.
The shivering stopped completely. The offer shocked her. It uprooted her fears and insecurities and allowed them to be in plain view.
She sat there, with ragged breaths, understanding just what was offered to her.
Now all she needed to do was make a decision.