Sunset Shimmer has always been a hot-headed, impetuous girl. She's always been prone to making snap decisions, and later finding herself regretting them. It was exactly this temperament that had brought her to the human world, penniless and alone. When the opportunity to get back on her feet presented itself in the form of a stranger's outstretched hand, she leaped at the chance.

This is the story of a woman who has made many bad choices, and the life those choices have made for her.

Tags, and even rating, may change as the story goes on.

Thanks as usual to Magello for the cover art!

For years, Sunset Shimmer has happily held her place at Celestia's side. She was her prized student, her number one prodigy. In return, Celestia was Sunset's world, her passion and drive. However, with time and age come change, and Sunset cannot take it any more.

She doesn't understand why Celestia won't look at her any more, why she is so enthralled by the talent and simple nature of her newest discovery. All she knows is that as much as she may aspire and hope, she'll never again be the object of Celestia's interest.

Sunset Shimmer intends to leave, and she has no plans of returning.

Written for Oroboro's Sunset Shipping Contest: Changing Seasons

Special thanks to Ceffyl Dwr for pre-reading as well as helping me to iron out the creases in my original idea.

Overwhelmed by her new duties as a princess, a newly-crowned Twilight Sparkle seeks solace within the quiet confines of Canterlot Castle's royal archives, where she discovers a book she'd never seen before. Within its pages was a story about both Princess Celestia and Starswirl the Bearded, as well as a mare that Twilight had never heard of.

Details of their lives, their history, and their relationships puzzle, intrigue, and even worry Twilight. The more she read, the more curious she became and the more questions that arose. But there was only one question to which she truly sought the answer:

Who was Sunset Shimmer?

Years spent learning and sacrificing. Years spent turning down friendship. Sunset gave up everything. That was ok though. She was willing to be strong and make those sacrifices. She had to be. Sunset was Princess Celestia's star pupil and was destined for great things. Her faith in Celestia and her future at her side burned brighter than the sun... or at least it did...

The books in the libraries forbidden section revealed much. They revealed that everything she had strived for was and has been in reach for years. They revealed just how easy obtaining her goals were. Worst of all they revealed that Celestia had kept her from rising. Nothing could have hurt her worse...

The artist of the cover pic is InuHoshi-to-DarkPen. This is an amazing picture!

Prequel to Fat Stacks... of Books.

Little filly Sunset Shimmer needs something to occupy her time. She’s already read all her adoptive mother’s books, so a trip to the library is the logical solution. Unfortunately for everypony not a princess or the daughter of one, things quickly get out of hoof. The consequences of what follows means things will never be the same again!

These things are mostly books… Almost exclusively books.

Cover art created for this piece by the wonderful and talented Nova Quill!

Check out her stories in the link above and more of her wonderful art here!

Alone and afraid, Sunset Shimmer has been living off of the streets in Canterlot ever since she ran away from home. She is barely holding on as it is and winter is coming soon, and Sunset doesn't know how she's going to survive this one. On a particularly cold night, she's out searching for something to eat when she bumps into the last pony she expects to see walking through the slums: Princess Celestia.

Edited by Alcatraz
Cover art drawn by Dilarus

YouTube Reading!

Sunset Shimmer ran away. There's really no other way to say it. One can call it exile, tactical retreat, or even a permanent change in residence, but the facts are the same. She turned her back on the only reality she had ever known, and ran away. By the time she stopped to look back, the damage was done. It was too late. Celestia would never forgive her. She would never forgive herself.

There's someone else who will, though.

Written for Fan of Most Everything's Imposing Sovereigns contest.

The first time it happened, Sunset didn’t pay it any mind due to the circumstances. The second time it happened, she noticed it and brushed it off as the action of a concerned friend. The third time it happened, she finally figured out that Rarity was flirting with her.

6/20/2016: Now with cover art designed by the very generous Novel-Idea! Thank you so much!

No one has seen Sunset Shimmer in a week after the Fall Formal. Principal Celestia is getting worried. She doesn't really know much about Sunset Shimmer, but she is aware that she is alone in this world. When Celestia finds Sunset it is worse than she knew. Now, Celestia moves to heal the heart of the girl from another world. It is to be a difficult and hard fought battle against Sunset's own perception of self.

Can Sunset turn her life around from the downward spiral that it is in? Or is she right to believe that she is only a demon and deserves only the worst in life? Sunset's journey to forgiving herself starts with allowing her mentor's alternate into her life, but does she deserve to have the chance to disappoint two Celestias?

Now being edited by devas and The Albinocorn

Featured! August 18th 2014! For all of 10 minutes! Still counts!
Freatured again! September 15 2014! For a much longer time! Last time I update this bit though.

This story is a sequel to Last Light

"You probably thought the pain would disappear with you, but it didn't. It just passed on to someone else."

Twilight Sparkle returns to the human world following her conversation with Sunset. She's not sure what she's looking for.