The human world, from the eyes of an Equestrian, was a peculiar sight to behold. The human world was largely dependent on technology, which was understandable, considering that the humans did not possess magic. They used technology for travel, to make the roads that they travel on, to make their food, to communicate with other humans-- In short, they used technology for just about everything. This was in comparison to the ponies of Equestria, who used technology only for the bare minimum: what was necessary. So, to walk through a magic mirror to the human world after spending a lifetime in Equestria and suddenly be greeted with a world with a culture reliant on a completely different element than that of your native land... Well, one could imagine what a contrast it would be.
Sunset Shimmer had been living in the human world for years now, and as such, had grown accustomed to its unusual customs. She understood the technology as if she had been using it her whole life, so much so that she occasionally had difficulty recalling her homeland of Equestria. This wasn't entirely a bad thing, she reasoned. After all, it was best to live in the present, and her present was in the human world. Sunset rather enjoyed living in the human world, anyway. Here, she had friends, purpose, and love that she never really had in Equestria. Though, she couldn't help but remember, this had been her own fault.
Sunset tried not to think about Equestria too often. She didn't want her friends to worry about her, feel guilty for keeping her here when she could be happier in her homeland. Sunset knew that this wasn't the case (certainly, she had so much more now in the human world than what could ever await back in Equestria), because the human world, as far as she was concerned, was her home.
However, there was a certain time of the year that always drew Sunset's mind back to the world she had been born in. For all of their differences, Equestria and the human world did share several similarities, and never was this more apparent to her than in the month of December.
Near the end of the year, when the air grew cold and snow fell over the city, the humans celebrated a holiday called "Christmas". It was a time when they (kind of) set aside their technology in favor of spending time with their friends and family. They baked cookies, sang songs, and set up trees in their homes. It was nice to see them communing and spending time together, even if it was only because the holiday obligated them to.
Sunset Shimmer became a bit wistful during this season. She couldn't help it. After all, there was a surprisingly similar holiday back in Equestria, to the point that it was even celebrated during the same time of year: Hearth's Warming Eve. For the holiday in Equestria, ponies baked cookies, sang songs, and set up trees in their homes. Yes, as far as Sunset could tell, it was practically the same holiday, just celebrated for different reasons. This made it a little difficult for her not to be reminded of her home.
There was one small thing in particular that made it especially difficult for her to ignore.
When she lived in Equestria, Sunset Shimmer was the prized student of Princess Celestia. She lived there with her in the royal Canterlot Castle, with its tall walls and closed doors. Sunset spent most of her time alone, focused on her studies, gaining more knowledge and power. She chose to ignore those around her, because she was too consumed by her learning. Looking back on it, Sunset resented what she had been like. With the love that surrounded her now, she realized that she had taken what she had for granted. Even better or for worse, she could also realize that her mentor had been trying to use the holiday of Hearth's Warming as an excuse to pull her away from her life as a recluse.
When it snowed in Canterlot, Celestia would set aside the time to walk with Sunset in the palace gardens. "You need some fresh air, Sunset Shimmer," the princess had told her. "Come along. The garden is beautiful in this weather. You can go back to your books when we're done." Sunset went along with her, if begrudgingly. After all, she was the princess. She couldn't deny her request.
Sunset couldn't appreciate it back then, but the garden really was beautiful in the snow. The way that the tiny ice crystals floated down in the open air and dusted the grass, trees, and flowers. The chilly ground reflected the sunlight back up onto what continued to fall, making the world seem to shine. Sunset remembered the image clearly, and she rather enjoyed thinking of it. It was such a pretty picture, like something you would find on a holiday greeting card. But the greatest part, the part that even younger, living-in-Equestria Sunset could appreciate to an extent, was the lake.
There was a lake in the palace gardens. A big, beautiful lake surrounded by large trees of many kinds, where in the warmer weather, animals like frogs, turtles, and sometimes even large water birds would come to commune around the water. Sunset would occasionally come here to study, because it was really quite pretty to look at, and it just had such a peaceful air to it.
It was even better during the winter, when the already glassy water was thinly frozen over, and frost tickled the surface. When snow weighed down the tree branches so that they hung low over the ice. When the lake sparkled in the winter light.
This was the only part of the winter garden walk that young, living-in-Equestria Sunset could enjoy. Even with her bitter demeanor, she felt that the lake was like a safe space, where she could relax, away from the prying eyes of the castle ponies. To see it in such a way, cold and frozen, yet still remarkably warm, filled Sunset with a feeling that she couldn't quite describe. Perhaps it was because she herself had been so cold, it felt relatable to her. Or maybe that had nothing to do with it. Sunset may never know.
When it snowed in the human world, Sunset would wrap herself in warm clothes, including a soft gray newspaper cap that had been gifted to her by her friends, and head off on her own for a walk in the local park. It was a charming place with large fields and cobblestone paths, usually full of people talking and playing together. However, in this weather, Sunset was usually the only one there. She didn't mind so much, since the solitude made her a little nostalgic. She walked through the snow that covered the path, facing away from the blustering wind and observing the trees that hung low under the cold weather's weight.
At the end of the path, there was a lake. It wasn't quite as majestic as the one in Canterlot, but it was certainly a lake. "And what a wonderful sight it is," Sunset thought to herself as she leaned on the rail that surrounded it. Overlooking the lake in the snowy park garden, Sunset was overjoyed that there was an experience like this for her in the human world. It brought her back to Equestria, to the castle, to the gardens. It reminded her of one of the only places where she had allowed herself to escape from the unnecessary amount of stress she had placed herself under. She almost felt bad for letting herself be taken away like this, when her friends in the human world relied so much on her. Then again, it was okay for her to let go just once when she held back all the time, wasn't it?
What she did feel justified in being guilty about was that it made her wonder, wonder about what would have been different if she had never left. If she had stayed in Equestria, in Canterlot with Celestia, and hadn't gone behind her loving mentor's back to chase her own twisted fantasies, what would have changed? Would she still be studying under the princess? Had she been a little more patient, would she have moved on to greater things? Had she remained in her homeland, would she still be going for those winter walks in the garden when the air chilled?
She wondered all of these things when she visited the lake in the human world, all on her own in a place where she didn't have to be. Would her life be better, or worse? Then, what would even justify her life being "better", when she had so much to live for in this life? It wasn't necessarily that she wanted to leave what she had here. It just bothered her that she couldn't know what she would have if she never had this in the first place.
"Fine day for a swim, wouldn't you say?"
Sunset lifted her head and turned around, then recoiled, giving a short shriek of surprise. Standing beside her, staring out at the barely frozen water, was a man. He was tall, quite taller than any man Sunset had met if she could recall correctly, with a slack stature. His hair was ruffled, black and bare, graying to the point of looking completely white in some places. In spite of the weather, he was dressed in a brown tuxedo and polka-dotted tie, as well as mismatched dress shoes and gloves. These gloved hands together gripped a rickety wooden cane, which was set in front of him just between his legs. While the majority of his body was covered in clothing, his naked face revealed wrinkled, pale skin, and a stubble of a black and white beard. His crooked teeth, having obviously gone uncleaned for some time, shown in a small grin, seemingly not directed at anything in particular. But even with his entirely eccentric, appearance, the one thing that Sunset would remember best about him were his sharp yellow eyes, which showed, at the same time, every emotion that could be read, and yet none at all. The yellow eyes looked Sunset over, head to toe, in her startled stance, and the man spoke again: "What? I'm joking."
Sunset, with her brow furrowed, slowly leaned forward to replace her hands on the rail in front of her. "I'm sorry," she said pointedly, observing the man as his yellow eyes again traveled away from her to look out beyond, "but where did you just come from?"
"Somewhere far away," then man answered, "and very close." He glanced back to the young girl standing beside him. "Or, did you mean something else?"
Sunset stared at the yellow-eyed man, completely and utterly confounded.
"Better close that maw now, Sunset Shimmer, your tongue will get frostbite."
Sunset closed her mouth. "How do you know my name?" she questioned.
"Oh, I know a lot of things," the man replied.
With a skeptical look, Sunset challenged, "Like what?"
The man chuckled, and hid away his yellow eyes beneath their wrinkled lids. "Well, if I told you that," he said, "it would spoil the fun, wouldn't it?"
Sunset looked back out at the lake, attempting to process what this strange man was telling her. She wasn't getting very far. For a moment, the two stood in silence, watching the blissful snowfall as it danced around the sunlight, pirouetting about the chilled air. On occasion, snowfall would take sunlight in its hands to promenade alongside it, and the two would waltz together on the stage set by the winter air.
"So," came the man again, and Sunset turned her head slightly to her left, "Sunset Shimmer. What brings you out here on a day like today, all by yourself?"
Sunset's eyes traveled to her shoes, as her fingers played uneasily on the rail. She took her time finding an answer to the man's question, and he waited patiently beside her as she sought it out. "I just..." she mumbled, after a while of waiting, "I just needed some fresh air."
The man smirked. "Hm." He raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Yes," answered Sunset simply.
"I see." The man nodded slowly, turning back to observe the lake and its surroundings. "Frankly I find that you may have gotten a similar experience by sticking your face in the freezer."
Sunset rolled her eyes and slumped forward. "What do you want from me?" she inquired, a bitter note grazing her tongue.
The man looked down at her, pressing a hand against his chest as his yellow eyes gleamed a bit more of sarcasm than the many emotions that accompanied it. "Why, my dearest child," he gasped, "whatever would lead you to believe that I want something from you?" Returning the hand to his cane, he continued, "In fact, on the contrary, I'd argue that I'm here for your benefit."
Sunset scowled up at him. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"I dunno." The man shrugged. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Sunset groaned, pressing a palm against her face. "Look, mister," she grumbled, "it was nice talking to you, but I should really be going home now."
But when she turned to leave, the man's hand reached out, and Sunset felt the top of her head suddenly become exposed. "Hey!" she exclaimed indignantly, swinging back around to see the man, with smug expression twinkling in his yellow eyes, examining the soft, gray newspaper cap that he now held.
"This is a nice hat," he complimented.
"Give that back!" Sunset exclaimed, and she made a dive for it. Unfortunately for her, this man was much, much taller than her, and her chances of retrieving her possession when it was held high of her his head were slim to none.
"Now, now." The man wiggled a finger at her the way that a parent might scold his or her child. "Let's not be too hasty. After all, it would be a real shame for a nice hat like this to, say, go tumbling into the snow."
Sunset's face scrunched up into a glare. "Fine," she said, and she leaned back against the rail. She watched with her expression unchanging as the man placed the hat on his filthy head and adjusted it until it was comfortable. "Take that off," she growled.
The man's face brightened, a bit of a smile gracing his lips. "Aww, poor little Sunny doesn't seem so sunny today," he teased. He pressed a finger against her cheek in an attempt to curl her mouth upward, but she knocked his hand away. "Why the long face?" he questioned.
"Don't be such a creep!" Sunset shouted, taking a step away from him. "And that's none of your business!"
"Oh, darling." The man's smile became a grin. "It's all of my business."
Sunset shook her head. "Why," she asked, "won't you leave me alone?"
"Because I have a job to do, sweeheart," was the strange man's answer, "and fact is, you're it." He removed the newspaper cap from his head and pressed it against his cane. "So, my dear. Why don't you tell me what's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"
Sunset's eyes immediately stuck to her hat, which was now low enough for her to reach. Then she looked back up at the man. "Who..." She gripped the rail tighter. "Who are you?"
The man, with his yellow eyes once more shining unreadable, responded, "A friend of a friend."
Sunset's blue eyes met his yellow. This moment was short, however, as not long after, her gaze looked back to the lake. The man followed her lead, to observe the snow that now danced solo under the darkened sky.
"It's Christmas," Sunset muttered. "I... should be happy for what I have here."
"Aren't you?" the man questioned.
"Of course I am," Sunset confirmed. "I love my friends, and this place. They're my everything." Once more, she found herself becoming very interested in her shoes. "It's just... sometimes, I wish..."
The man's brow lifted. "'Wish'?" he echoed. "Wish... for what?"
Sunset shook herself. "I... no. It's nothing."
"Well, it must be something, or else you wouldn't feel this way about it."
Sunset closed her eyes, tenderly sliding her fingertips over her pink cheeks. "I just... wonder. Sometimes," she explained. "What if things had... gone differently." Placing her hand back on the rail, she concluded, "That's all."
The yellow eyes scanned her once more, the hat still clenched against the cane. "I see," was the man's only response.
Sunset glanced back at him, a bit of an obviously fake smile plastered on her expression. "Can I have my hat back now?"
The man scratched his stubble thoughtfully, Sunset staring unblinking at him as he did so. Then he nodded. "Of course." He placed his hand back on the cane, and with the other, took the hat up and extended it back to its owner. "I believe I've heard all that I need to."
Sunset eyed her hat with suspicion. Blue and yellow met once more in skepticism as she looked at him. He seemed sincere enough. And so, Sunset reached her hand forward to retrieve what was rightfully hers.
However, before her possession could find its way back into her waiting grasp, the wind picked up. Sunset watched in horror as the newspaper cap was swept away, over the the railing and through the snow, until it settled upon the delicate ice of the frozen lake.
Both Sunset and the man who accompanied her looked blankly at the hat that now lay so close, but just so far.
"Oops," the yellow-eyed man remarked.
In frustration, Sunset slammed a fist against the railing. She looked back to scold the stranger who was responsible for this blunder, beginning to spit, "That wasn't very--"
But when she turned around, there was nobody there. Much to her surprise, the man had completely vanished. Examining the ground, she realized that there weren't any footprints in the snow to indicate that he had left, or even come. He had only left three little indents: two for his shoes, and one for his cane. Other than that, it was as if he had never been there in the first place.
Sunset, with a lowered brow, looked around incredulously to make sure that this was real. But the marks of the man's shoes and cane were definitely visibly there in the snow, and her hat was definitely sitting out there on the frozen lake.
With another groan, Sunset slammed her forehead against the railing, immediately regretting this action due to the freezing temperature. "Great."
Seeing as she didn't really have any other options, Sunset hopped the railing and carefully walked down the snowy hill to where the lake was. She observed her hat, just a couple feet out of reach. If she didn't act fast, it could be taken away from her again. So, very carefully, she placed one foot on the frozen water, then, when it held, she placed the other. Ever so gently, she took one step, then another, and so forth, until the hat was just in front of her. She leaned over, snatched it up, and heaved a sigh of relief as she replaced it on her head.
What a peculiar experience, she thought to herself. She would have to tell her friends; there was obviously something magical going on here.
However, she would have to wait a little while to have that chance. As she attempted to make her way back to solid land, the weak, barely frozen ice underneath her began to give way. When she realized this, Sunset tried to jump for the shore. Much to her terror, it was too far for her to make it, and she landed on the cold, fragile lake, the impact spelling the last straw.
The ice gave way beneath her, and Sunset was dragged into the chilled, watery depths below.