You can't go home again. That's what they say--and Sunset Shimmer happens to agree. You can't go home again. You really, really can't.

Coverart: bakki

During her time-twisting battle with Starlight Glimmer, Twilight finds herself in an Equestria ruled by a tyrant alicorn that calls herself the Queen of Equestria. In this world, Twilight's friends are gone and beyond her aid, and Equestria's citizens live in fear of their ruler's wrath should they anger her.

But no one has ever seen the pony who suffers the most in this world.

Pre-read by MythrilMoth and RT Stephens. Cover art vector by kindkristy99

War. Noun. (1) : a state of armed conflict between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state.

"Soldiers are always preparing to fight the previous war" is a saying that is common amongst those of military profession. Equestria has not seen a war on her own soil in several hundred years. As such, would she be prepared for when such a thing happens? Of course not.

Battling the griffons and the minotaurs has been a challenge due to lack of experience. Fortunately, her armies adapted and started to hold her own. That was, until Tirek returned and aided in the fight to defeat Equestria. To keep his friends safe, Discord successfully defeated Tirek and sealed him away. The cost of fighting Tirek? Dying. Knowing that he would die, Discord summoned several creatures to protect his friends. These creatures, never seen before in Equestria, are very familiar with the concept of war.

This world has experienced their second industrial revolution and Equestria is at war, a World War, the first this world has seen. Equestria and her citizens have a lot to learn if they want to see the end of this conflict with their culture and way of life preserved.

Author's Note: I have deployed so updates won't exactly be plentiful. I'll definitely try to put them out but I'm pretty busy.

Author's Note V2: Deployment is done.

Author's Note V3: Gearing up for the next deployment, busy again.

Author's Note V4: Not deploying with unit, got run over by a car while walking

We could tell that the Rainbow Laser emitted by the Rainbooms at the end of the Fall Formal was powerful, just look at the crater it left. But what else could that do to Sunset Shimmer?

After my dad was arrested, I was sent to Canterlot to move in with my biological mother, who my dad told me died. Now I'm going to her high school and dealing with a group of annoying students and one adorable nerd.

Sunset Shimmer couldn't ask for much more. She has a great group of friends, a place to herself, and an amazing girlfriend, Adagio Dazzle. Except, the Rainbooms don't know she has a girlfriend. Or that they've been dating for six months now. And there's the tiny little detail that her best friends know Adagio Dazzle as the leader of the Dazzlings, who tried to use their magical singing voices to brainwash the whole school. And drain the students' negative emotions to grow powerful enough to take over the world. Sunset can handle it, though. Even if it means juggling the woman she loves with the friends that are like family to her.

Written to the prompt of, but not an entry for, Oroboro's Sunset Shipping Contest. I had originally intended to only edit a friend's entry, but I had so much fun with the idea of a Sundagio story I decided to try writing one myself.

After talking to some of the readers, my friends, and my family, I have decided to actually enter this fic into Oroboro's Sunset Shipping Contest: Journeys.

Teen/Sex tags for heavy alcohol use in two scenes and implied sex scenes.

With everyone now on holiday break, Adagio's accompanying Trixie to a family get-together. And all she wanted was just a nice, peaceful Christmas Eve with her girlfriend.

Christmas Gift for all of you. Thank you guys, and Merry Christmas.

For Sunset Shimmer, letting a group of impressionable high school students in the know about another dimension where magic reigns and talking ponies are the norm is not the easiest thing to handle. It does not help that the portal to this dimension is right in front of the school.

Sooner or later, though, she has to deal with more than mere questions about Equestria. Twilight becomes curious enough that words won't cut it for her anymore. She wants to see this dimension for herself.

So, Sunset begins by offering to bring her camera through the portal to take pictures and videos of her next trip there in Equestria.

Starlight succeeded in her plan for revenge against Twilight Sparkle. She prevented the pivotal sonic rainboom from ever happening, effectively destroying the timeline that lead Twilight on the path to befriending the rest of the Six. Which also kills the three of them. Because Starlight is an idiot blinded by a quest for vengeance. But before Twilight fades away, she tells a slightly younger Princess Celestia and Sunset Shimmer several things they will need to know to have any hopes of keeping Equestria safe from the many countless terrors that await it in the near future.

The story of Celestia and Sunset picking up the pieces of a mirror yet to shatter. Destinies will change. Fates will intertwine. Hearts will break. And forbidden knowledge will eventually come back to bite the Princess in the... Plot adaptation prequel of the original series.

/x/x/x/

Tags:
Death: Spike (sad), Starlight (violent), Twilight (eh sorta) but their story counterparts are still alive
Profanity: nothing you won't see on tv
Violence: one particularly brutal scene near the beginning but everything else is pretty mild

Genres:
AU: takes place in universe with with no sonic rainboom
Drama: focus is on the dramatic dynamics of Celestia and Sunset
Sad: melancholic themes concerning main characters throughout
Tragedy: major canon character deaths at the beginning ONLY
Romance: possibly a romantic subplot or two that isn't the main focus

Characters:
Primary: Celestia and Sunset
Secondary: Luna and Twilight/Spike
Tertiary: Rainbow Dash and Starlight Glimmer
Supporting Cast: Pinkie/Rarity/Fluttershy, Wind Rider, The Oranges, Maud Pie, Stormy Flare, Firelight/Stellar Flare/Sunburst

Sunset Shimmer had everything. Personal protégé of the Sun Princess herself, top marks in the School for Gifted Unicorns, and the honor of being dubbed the greatest arcanist since Starswirl the Bearded.

Until she threw it all away.

In the last moments before leaving Equestria forever, her destiny is snatched away right before her eyes. Once upon a time the story of the lives of herself, Twilight Sparkle, and the path of Equestrian History went one way, a story that we all know well. But in every stand of woods there is a path untrotted, one with a different story and new experiences.

About the deleted comments.

Discussion of this and other works can be found on my Private Discord Server

New cover by DVixie. If someone knows how to contact them I'd be appreciative. It more accurately portrays the current evolution of the story.

Arc One, Filly Steps: Complete.
Arc Two, What Twilight Learned Today: In Progress.