In which Krickis has no sense of leaving things alone · 8:39am Jan 5th, 2021
I wrote a new scene to Looking Glass. Why did I do this, it's been finished for years...
A long time ago, when Looking Glass was publishing its last few chapters, I had a commenter tell me that the Lunaset shipping in the AU section of Looking Glass felt like it came out of nowhere. And, unfortunately, I agree with that comment. I kept thinking ever since then that, you know, all it would've taken was one more scene. Show how Sunset and Luna connected before introducing the ship, rather than just tell the reader that they had a connection. Because see, it didn't come out of nowhere in my head, it all made sense, I just didn't do a good job of showing that to the reader.
But because Another Way is already hugely long, and because the story was finished, I just left it how it was. Eventually I put it in print, and I told myself I'm not changing anything aside from like typos or whatever, the story is set in stone because the book is in print. Then I decided to make a revised print edition now that Lulu offers cheaper color printing, so I now have the chance to do things with it, like say add that one scene I always thought it needed.
So I wrote how Luna and Sunset first meet in the AU section of Looking Glass. And that's cool, but it wound up not showing their natural chemistry very well because the Luna in the scene is just depressed and broken, having only recently came back from being Nightmare Moon. But oh well, I like it, and I feel like even if it doesn't do what I wanted it to, it's still a nice addition. I've added the scene to the chapter Another Way in Looking Glass, but I'm also pasting it below for ease of reading the new content without needing to reread a whole 24k word chapter.
As a refresher, this was when Sunset saw the different paths her life could have taken, namely when she saw what could have happened if she had befriended Cadance as teenagers, where she becomes Twilight's co-teacher alongside Celestia.
The whole thing was bizarre. No, it was well past that. When it came down to it, Sunset couldn’t manage to even comprehend all that had happened.
Twilight had gone to Ponyville. That much had been expected. Sunset was even part of the plan there. Twilight had flourished under Celestia and Sunset’s guidance, but neither of them had been able to teach her friendship – likely because neither of them was much good at it in the first place.
But after that? Well, the story just grew more and more incredulous. Twilight had made friends, which was a surprise unto itself. But then she led those friends on a charge to stop Nightmare Moon, and in the process, they restored Celestia’s long lost sister back to her former self as Princess Luna.
Sunset had always known Twilight was destined for great things, but she was only now seeing for the first time how great.
But now was not the time to process all of this. Now was the time for an awkward meeting for which Sunset felt completely unprepared for. At least she was with Cadance.
“So, a trapped lunar goddess returned to us,” Sunset said as they walked up to Luna’s door.
“She’s not a goddess, Sunset,” Cadence said softly. “She’s Aunt Celestia’s sister. She’s family.”
“For you maybe,” Sunset said with a smirk. “For us mere mortals, well, that’s a different story.”
“As if you’ve ever thought yourself a ‘mere’ anything.” It was nice to see Cadance join in with the joke a little, but it was short lived. “Seriously, Sunset. Think about what she went through. Don’t say things like that around her.”
Sunset sighed. “Do you really think I don’t know when to hold my tongue?”
Cadance seemed to consider her for a moment, then she smiled a little more genuinely. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
A million smart remarks played through Sunset’s head, but she settled on an uncharacteristically subdued one to show she understood the gravity of the situation. “It’s okay. Come on, let’s go meet her.”
Sunset knocked on the door, and they waited a moment. The room was one of the only rooms in the castle that Sunset had never been to. Apparently it was Luna’s room from before she’d become Nightmare Moon, and Celestia had kept it as she left it. It was only in use again because she was back.
The seconds ticked on, and Sunset knocked again, a little louder. She exchanged glances with Cadance. They were well aware that Luna was in her room, unless she snuck out of a window or something. Why didn’t she answer?
Sunset was going to try knocking one more time, but before she did, the door creaked open. The room beyond was dark, but a mare’s shape could be seen. “Yes?”
Sunset took a deep breath. “Princess Luna? I’m Sunset Shimmer. I’m here with Princess Cadance. May we come in?”
Luna was silent for a moment, and Sunset wondered if she somehow hadn’t heard her. Eventually, she spoke quietly. “You may enter.”
They walked in, and Sunset realized the only light was coming from the still open door. Luna had her curtains drawn, and no torches lit.
Cadance spoke next. “We wanted to meet you because we’re both close to Princess Celestia. She adopted me as her niece when I became an alicorn, and Sunset –”
“I was your sister’s student, and now I am her co-teacher,” Sunset answered for herself. “Twilight Sparkle is my student.”
“Twilight Sparkle…” Luna said the name slowly. “She was the one… who saved me.”
Sunset nodded. “Yes. No one is more proud of her accomplishment with that than I am, or more surprised with her involvement.”
“I… I’m certain I caused you worry… I am sorry…”
Sunset looked at Cadance, who looked just as perplexed, then turned back to Luna. “What do you mean?”
“I… I put your student in danger, when I… when I was…”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Cadance said, stepping forward. “Aunt Celestia explained it to us, about Nightmare Moon. That wasn’t you.”
Luna was quiet for a moment, and it occurred to Sunset she hadn’t moved since they entered. “My sister is… she is very kind to me…”
This whole situation felt wrong. Luna was a battered and damaged mare, that much was obvious. Her time as Nightmare Moon and her banishment, they left her a shell of a pony.
Cadance could tell too. She took another step forward. “Let’s not worry about that right now. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”
“I… no. The guards, they tend to my needs.”
Cadance smiled sadly. “You haven’t left your room since you’ve returned. Not even for meals.”
Luna looked apprehensively at Cadance, possibly alarmed by her continuously coming closer. “No. I haven’t felt the need to.”
Cadance stopped just in front of Luna. “We’d like to be your friends. We know you don’t know anypony except your sister, so we thought we could be the first.”
Luna didn’t say anything.
Sunset inwardly sighed and crossed the room much more steadily than Cadance had. “Look, Luna… you have a lot going on. I can tell you still blame yourself for whatever happened before. But this is a chance to start over, and we want to help with that.”
“I do not understand.” Luna looked between them. It was the largest movement she had made since they entered the room. “Why?”
“Because…” Cadance looked at Sunset.
“Because I got a second chance once.” Sunset looked to Cadance. “I was on a bad path, and I had a friend show me the right way. And I want to help you do the same.”
Cadance smiled and nodded. She turned back to Luna and extended her hoof. “The important thing is that we want to help, if you let us.”
“I… I do not know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Sunset said. “Let’s all sit together and I can tell you about Twilight or something.”
“Twilight Sparkle…” Luna repeated the name. “I… I would like to hear about her.”
Luna looked at Cadance’s outstretched hoof, then turned to look at Sunset again. She nodded, and Luna looked back to Cadance. Slowly, she raised her own hoof and brought it to Cadance’s.
Can I just say that I would totally read a full story in that AU? Cause I would. I definitely would.
Okay heck maybe I really should get the new edition of Looking Glass...
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I would too tbh, but I have too much going on to write that story. It would be cool, maybe someone else will be inspired to write it some day
5428868
It'll also include Breaking the Ice as well as new illustrations, so you just might
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Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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Sorry
Every day, you convince me further and further to buy the new print edition of this when it’s available. I’ll say it again: I really like this!
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Well I mean, it's not like this is exclusive to the print edition lol, but yeah I hope up make it something really cool!
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Well it definitely makes me want to buy it more >:)