Finding Home Reviews: Chapters 1 through 3 · 12:01am Jan 20th, 2017

Video made by Me

Well, its time for my new general reviews, and to showcase what I consider some of the best of the normal My Little Pony community, I'll be reviewing two fics over the next four days.

First up we have a fic that focuses on Sunset Shimmer Finding Home by Cirrus Sky, this was a request from my friend Aceina who is a big fan of the story. I hope you all enjoy it.

So lets get started.

---Chapter 1: After the Games---

The fanfic starts out just after the Friendship Games ended and the students from Crystal Prep are getting ready to leave. Cadence tells them that the transfer process for Twilight has been expedited so that she should be transferred to Canterlot High within the week. Twilight thanks Sunset and the two share a hug before Twilight has to leave.

The rest of the Humane Six are happy that Twilight will be joining them at school and Rainbow even wonders if she'd be able to sing as well as Princess Twilight. Rarity of course comments that she wants to make a dress for her. The group finally disperses to do their own things, but Rainbow seems to be slightly worried about Sunset and asks her what she's going to be doing for the evening.

“Honestly? I think I am going to go right to bed. Between that math battle, motocross plant fighting and ascending to some kind of magical princess state to fight for the very fabric of reality, I am beat.”

Rainbow seems to accept that and runs off with Scootaloo. Sunset comments to herself that she wishes that she could help her friends not worry so much about her. She sits down and starts to work on the journal when Luna comes up to her, it seems that Sunset has been staying with Celestia and Luna, and Luna offers to take her home while Celestia works on the transfer paperwork.

On the route home Fluttershy sends Sunset a message telling her she hopes she gets a good rest and that she did good today, it seems that this has become a daily thing since the Anon-o-Miss incident. She reflects back on the incident itself, remembering how her friends had hurt her, but how things had changed once the truth was revealed.

Sunset laments on the fact that she can't tell her friends about the fact that she's been adopted by Celestia, but Luna reminds her that Celestia wants it to be kept secret for Sunset's own good. Luna says that she'll talk to Celestia about maybe letting her tell her friends, Sunset goes inside the house and falls asleep.

She's woken up after awhile to the sound of Celestia and Luna arguing:

“You have to understand 'Tia! As much of me as you see in her, we are not one and the same. She is upset about worrying her friends. Those girls would not cause issue if they knew.” Luna sounded frustrated.
“Lu, I don't want to risk it. I know she is not you, but that won't mean the same thing will not happen to her! You know as well as I just what happened before the holidays. They are her friends, yes, but they are also a group of teenagers. I don't...” Celestia sounded tense. “I can't risk losing her the same way I lost you.” There was a crack in her voice and Sunset got up in a hurry, finger-combing her hair as she made her way out of the room.
“You got me back though 'Tia. She's a strong kid, it won't happen.” Luna was embracing her sister when Sunset reached them.

Sunset of course enters and asks Celestia if everything is okay, Celestia tells her not to worry but Sunset says that she's a terrible liar and is going to worry anyway. Luna comments that the two of them really are alike and that if she didn't know better she'd have thought that they where mother and daughter from birth, that cheered Celestia up a bit and she told Sunset that they'd talk after supper.

The three of them sit down for dinner, Celestia having stopped at the Bistro to get Sunset's favorite dish Potatoes Gratin. Its a really nice scene of a family dinner, Celestia is happy about Sunset's performance at the Friendship games, and they talk a bit about what had happened with Twilight, Sunset briefly blushes while thinking about her, but Celestia and Luna don't notice.

After dinner they go to the family room in order to talk about telling her friends about her living situation.

“Yes, I do. I know that they have been worrying, and now that I actually have someone looking out for me and a home to go to, it is harder to avoid the subject. Well, avoid it believably.” Sunset said, keeping an even tone. “It was easier when I was technically homeless, I was better practised at talking around the truth when I had to. Plus for the longest time no one cared anyway.” She settled into the comfy sofa, talking about her past situation always made her feel glad for her loving and warm present.

Celestia comments that it would be difficult for her if they found out that Celestia had adopted her, apparently Luna had gone through similar difficulties because their mother had been the principal of their high school.

“It got out eventually.” Celestia sighed. “It was easy enough for me to ride out the silly tattle and chatter. I was popular, in varsity sports, had high grades and was voted class president off hard work and friends. Nothing from my mother at all.”
“I wasn't so fortunate.” Luna had slid a little deeper into the couch, now she had her knees close and was hugging them. “I hadn't been very popular, not the sociable type and I dressed in the more alternative styles... I was also coming to terms with being attracted to other girls.”

Yeah, it seems Luna had a hard time in High School, something Sunset can relate to, even to the point where Luna tried to kill herself, thankfully Celestia had saved her. Sunset understands of course, but she says that she wants her friends to know anyway, and Celestia finally agrees because she's sure that they'll keep it a secret.

Sunset goes to bed reflecting back on what her mom and aunt had told her, she's glad that she had been able to help by becoming part of the family and it occurs to her that this was the kind of thing Princess Twilight had to deal with all the time, so maybe not becoming a Princess wasn't such a bad thing.

---Chapter 2: Winter---

Video made by Miracle of Sound.

The next day (I assume at least) Sunset is dropped off by Celestia at the park where her friends are waiting, and we get this line from Pinkie after Sunset calls her mom:

“Mom?” Pinkie Pie asked as soon as Sunset joined them. “When did you get a Mom? I mean of course you had a mom at some point but I thought she would be a pony in the world you came from and not someone who can drive a car and bring you here to the park today now.” She took a massive breath after that sentence.

Sunset assures them that she's going to tell them what's going on because she knows they've been worried about her. So after a few more interruptions from her friends, Sunset starts to tell her friends the whole story starting after winter break.

It starts out with Sunset being called to the Principal's office, it seems that things are finally starting to calm down at this point after the Fall Formal and Anon-o-Miss. She tells her friends that she'll talk to them later and goes to Celestia's office where she says that she wants to talk to her about something. We get another brief summary of the Anon-o-Miss incident, and apparently a few students have even apologized to Sunset by this point about how they treated her.

Its at this point that we get to the real point though, it seems that Celestia can't connect to Sunset's home number and doesn't recognize the home address, which concerns her. Sunset tries to pass it off as the house being new so there are problems with the phones but Celestia tells her that she has footage of Sunset sleeping at the School's Library. Sunset finally admits that she is alone and had slept in the library because it made her feel closer to Princess Twilight.

“I see. Alone though? You don't have anyone at all?” Celestia looked through the file. “I knew your claim that you parents were overseas had to be untrue after the fall formal, but I had assumed that there was someone in your life who could look out for you.”

I admit that this is something I have wondered about in the past about Sunset, its not something that's ever been addressed in any real capacity in the movies where exactly she lives. This is an interesting way to address this to be sure.

Sunset tries to assure Celestia that she's okay, but Celestia says that she has a duty to her students, she then suggests that she may have to get Children Services involved. Sunset of course doesn't want that because then people might find out what she is and about Equestria, Celestia agrees to not get the government involved as long as Sunset takes her to where she's been staying.

Sunset says that she's doing this because she's grateful to Celestia for the past when she let her into the school. Celestia says that she'll drive her to the house. When they get there apparently the house had been in a state of limbo between two groups. Its an older building and Sunset has basically had to improvise a lot of it to stay there, it seems that Celestia says that while its nice, she's still very worried about Sunset, questioning how she's able to live like this and what she does in the event of an emergency.

“I will keep my promise though. This is... tolerable for now. However, I am going to look into what options are there so that we can improve your lot without risking your liberty and attendance at the school.”

She tells Sunset that she'll be there for her if she ever needs anything and Sunset sees her of, she mentions that she'd need to talk to Chrys and Discord about this.

Back in the present, Sunset pauses her storytelling when her friends hugged her. They insist that if she had told them about what was going on they would've been glad to help her out. They now want to hear the rest of the story, which continues in the next chapter.

---Chapter 3: Magic---

There is a brief discussion at the beginning of what exactly would have to be done in order to basically create a new life for someone like with Sunset. It of course was even more complicated because she came in as a teenager, but it seems that Celestia has some contacts that where able to help her with it.

As it turns out the human world's Chyrsalis had been Celestia's roommate in college and she now does some secretive black-ops job for the government. Celestia had called on her for her help in creating a background for Sunset, and Chyrsalis is about as enthusiastic about it as you can imagine, and asks her reasons and Celestia gives her a synopsis of Sunset's backstory:

“Sunset Shimmer is actually from a world parallel to our own. One with some pretty powerful and dangerous energies. For whatever reason, a portal links the school with a portal in that world. Sunset came through, some of that power has followed. Long story short, she started to exist as a person here the moment she stepped through, turning up as a teenager. If she is going to have a future past high school, we need all the documents.” Celestia waited for the laughter.

Video Belongs to Fox.

Apparently Chrysalis isn't surprised by this new information because there have been strange readings picked up by their X-Files division (no, this isn't a joke, they actually call it that), Chyrsalis assures her that Sunset will be okay. She also seems to recognize how much Celestia cares about Sunset, and says she'll do it for her. Also it seems that this world's Discord still carries a torch for Celestia, I feel like there's some sort of story behind that.

Then we get this line:

“Thanks Chrys. Though if you are going to nag about Discord then I'm going to tell you to hurry up and wrap that tongue of yours around Luna's. I swear that girl is blind and you are too stubborn.” Celestia said, grinning, leaving her friend stumped and seeing herself out before the woman started stammering excuses.

Anyone else in this fic oblivious to love?

So Celestia finally makes it home after having visited a bookstore, they talk more about what they're going to do while they're eating. It seems that they are getting a room ready for Sunset to live in if she wants to. Luna reminds her that Sunset may not choose to live there with them, but Celestia wants to at least try. We also learn that Celestia had been robbed of the ability to bear children by a disease, which is likely a factor in her decisions.

They start to set up the room for Sunset, Celestia tells Luna about what her meeting was for. Luna also asks if Chyrsalis had said anything about the upcoming Friday, though won't go into any further detail on why.

Back where Sunset is staying, she's making herself comfortable and trying to stay warm, using her pyromancy magic to do so. She writes a letter to Princess Twilight, although we aren't given much in the way of details. She finishes up and lays down to try and get some sleep.

So back in the present Pinkie Pie interrupts the story to ask about Sunset using magic, to which Rainbow reminds her that they had seen her use magic before. Rarity wonders about exactly how Sunset's mother had so many contacts with the government, and we end on this line:

“I'm getting to that. I kind of like keeping you all in suspense.” Sunset chuckled at the indignant sniff and other protests. “What? It makes the story better!”

That is so true.

---Final Thoughts---

Its a good start to a fic that sets out to kind of answer the question that you never really think to ask about where Sunset lives. It gives her some interesting backstory, as well as exploring the possibilities of Celestia and Luna's pasts.

The fact that Sunset is telling the story also gives it a more personal touch even if its done through flashbacks. Its a nice idea for the story, and I hope to explore it more in the future.

Its a really good story that I highly recommend, and I will be reviewing it more in the future. I suggest it for anyone who is a fan of Sunset Shimmer or Equestria Girls in general.

I give Chapter 1 a score of 5/5.
I give Chapter 2 a score of 5/5.
I give Chapter 3 a score of 5/5.

Read it Here.

My Little Pony and Equestria Girls belongs to Hasbro.
Finding Home belongs to Cirrus Sky.

Next time, which will hopefully be tonight, we leave one canon alternate universe and go to a fan made one where things are a bit more different from what you'd expect.

See you then.