//------------------------------// // Part I: Moon of Remorse || Chapter 1: The First Night // Story: Full Circle // by Sotharan //------------------------------// The girls…her friends…were looking over her head with amazed faces. Twilight Sparkle turned and saw a huge crater, at least 30 feet across. Smoke was rising from the center of it. She put Spike down, rose, and walked to the edge. A shadowy, prone form could be perceived through the haze, trying unsuccessfully to push itself to its knees. As she looked down into the crater, Twilight felt something she had never felt before. She had experienced anger before in her life, but this was far beyond that. Fury, she thought to herself. This must be fury. She tried to kill me, and my friends. With my own crown! She realized she was shaking, and her hands were balled into fists. And for the first time in her young life, Twilight Sparkle was tempted to abuse her power. She could feel her strength – the Magic was still there, at her beck and call, and she was a princess of her race – it was within her right and authority to be judge and jury of this treasonous unicorn. I could destroy her, Twilight realized. Celestia would understand. But Twilight hesitated. No! Celestia would not understand...Twilight found herself thinking back to Celestia’s face when she had told the story of Sunset Shimmer – she remembered the sadness and regret and concern in it. Celestia still holds out hope for her, Twilight realized. If Celestia thinks there’s a chance she could turn back to the light, then I do too! And I won’t use the Magic of Friendship to kill. Never! And so Twilight made a decision. She would spare Sunset, and give her a chance at repentance. She took a few deep breaths and allowed her incandescent fury to fade to mere red-hot righteous anger. “You will never rule in Equestria!” Twilight bellowed into the crater. “Any power you may have had in this world is gone! Tonight, you’ve shown everyone who you really are! You’ve shown them what is in your heart!” The other students had gathered around the crater and were looking down into with it with disgust. The shadowy figure seemed to recoil from Twilight’s words as though they were physical blows. The smoke was clearing and what remained of Sunset was becoming clear. A final breath of wind drew the last veil away, and Twilight saw something she would never forget. There, at the bottom of the crater, was the bruised and battered body of Sunset Shimmer – no longer a demon, but now a simple teenage girl. Her clothes were torn and her hair disheveled. Cuts and scrapes showed through the holes in her jacket and skirt. She finally managed to push herself to her knees. Her eyes were very wide, and full of tears. She looked up at Twilight. “I’m…sorry. I’m so sorry!” she wept. “I didn’t know…there was…another way!” And she made a pitiful attempt to crawl up the side of the crater. Twilight was stunned. In spite of her anger, she felt her heart beginning to change within her. She had to turn away for a moment – watching Sunset try to crawl out of the crater was unbearable. “The Magic of Friendship doesn’t exist just in Equestria,” Twilight declared, struggling to understand her own emotions. “It’s everywhere. You can seek it out! Or you can forever be alone. The choice is yours.” Behind her, she heard Sunset reach the edge of the crater and stop. She was apparently too weak to pull herself out. “But all I’ve ever done since being here is drive everyone apart!” Sunset sobbed. “I don’t know the first thing about friendship!” Twilight whirled back around. Sunset was clinging to the edge of the crater. Her tears were collecting on the ground in pools beneath her chin. She was still looking up at Twilight, her eyes begging for help. Twilight felt her heart break, and all her anger bled away. I made the right decision, she said to herself, as she felt her own eyes moisten. Moved by the most intense compassion she had ever experienced, Twilight reached down to Sunset. The entire school was watching, holding their breath. “Sunset, take my hand!” Twilight said. Her own face had changed. Gone was the visage of righteous anger. Now she smiled encouragingly at Sunset, willing her to reach back. And she did. She was weak, but she reached up to Twilight’s hand and they grasped each other. Pulling with all her strength, Twilight helped Sunset out of the crater and onto her feet. Sunset looked absolutely astonished, though tears were still pouring down her face. Somehow, Twilight knew exactly what to do next. She turned to her friends and gestured to them with her free hand. “I bet they can teach you,” Twilight said kindly. And to her relief and lasting joy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity all came forward and put their hands, one by one, over Sunset’s hand as it rested in Twilight’s. It was a moment that was to be etched into all their memories for the rest of their lives. But, like all moments, it soon passed. Seeing the girls as they held Sunset’s hand, Spike exulted: “Those are my girls! Who-hoo!” Startled out of their reverie, the girls laughed. Sunset just looked confused. She was starting to shake. “Did that dog just talk? Whoa. Weird,” one of the nearby students commented. “Seriously?” wondered Spike, amazed. “The talking dog is the weird thing about all this?” With a grin, Rarity stepped away from her friends and Sunset for a moment and picked Spike up, scratching him behind the ears. “Oh yeah…” Spike sighed, in heaven. Twilight turned as she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Principal Celestia was standing there, beaming and holding her crown. “I believe this belongs to you,” she said proudly. Somehow, an understanding passed between them. Very gently, Twilight left Sunset’s hand in the care of her friends and walked to Celestia. Then she kneeled, and Celestia placed the crown on her head, declaring loudly to all who could hear: “A true princess in any world leads not by forcing others to bow before her, but by inspiring others to stand with her. We have all seen that you are capable of just that!” Twilight rose, smiling at Celestia with gratitude. “I hope you see it too, Princess Twilight,” Celestia added more quietly. “I do,” Twilight answered. With that, the rest of the student body broke out in cheers. It was then that Flash Sentry stepped out from the crowd, looking nervous but happy. “Uh, Twilight, would now be a completely awkward time to ask you for that dance?” Twilight giggled and blushed. “No, Flash,” she said warmly, “not at all.” “Uh, Twilight…” Applejack asked uncomfortably, acutely aware that she was interrupting. “Yes?” Applejack cleared her throat. “So…what do you want to do with Little Miss Sunshine over here?” She gestured to the still crying Sunset Shimmer, who was swaying slightly as she stood near the edge of the crater. Rainbow and Pinkie were keeping her from falling back in. “…I…I think I just want to be alone,” whimpered Sunset, hanging her head. Twilight considered this. She was now getting a foreboding feeling about what had happened to Sunset. Suddenly it occurred to her – Sunset was acting exactly like Luna after she had been hit by the Elements – weak, tearful, and penitent. This gave Twilight quite a bit of pause. Celestia hadn’t told her much about Luna’s first few weeks following her return from exile, but she had learned enough to know that they had not been easy weeks. At all. And I have to leave in an hour! she thought to herself in frustration. She needed some time to think. In any case she wasn’t going to leave Sunset alone. “Actually, I don’t think that’s a good idea at all,” she said firmly. “You’re coming with us. Obviously you don’t have to dance; you can just sit and recover a little. Pinkie Pie will get you some punch.” “You bet I will!” cried Pinkie at the top of her lungs. Sunset looked up and stared at Twilight with a complete lack of comprehension, new tears still leaking from the corners of her eyes. She was still shaking. Twilight turned to Flash, who was still looking on patiently. “Flash, can you give me just a couple minutes? I need to…take care of something…well, someone, actually. I’ll meet you in the gym, I promise.” “I understand,” said Flash gallantly. “For what it’s worth, I really hope…she’s gonna be better now, and that she’s gonna be ok.” Twilight smiled at him and nodded, then turned and went back to Sunset. “Come on,” said Twilight gently. She moved her hand to Sunset’s elbow and led her away from the crater. As soon as Twilight touched her Sunset stopped shaking, as though Twilight’s mere touch comforted her. She didn’t resist at all, and hardly took her eyes off Twilight’s face. The sound of music grew louder and louder as they approached the gym. At the gym, Twilight left Sunset in the care of Vinyl Scratch, who assured her she would make certain Sunset stayed put. She graciously gave a set of unconnected headphones to Sunset to dull the noise. Twilight pulled her five friends around her and stepped back outside the gym again for a second. She’d done some quick thinking while they had walked. Now that she could hear herself and everyone else, she looked seriously at each of the girls in turn. “Girls, do you understand what I’m asking you to do? It won’t be easy. I’m asking a lot, and I know it. I wish I didn’t have to go so soon! But I can’t be stuck here for 30 moons!” Predictably, Applejack spoke first. “Ah’ve never seen anyone quite so pathetic as Sunset was just now down in that crater. Ah think we really kicked the tar outta her, and it looks like she’s takin’ it to heart. If the Magic of Friendship can really help her to change, Ah for one am willing to try. Hard.” “We won’t let you down, Twilight,” said Fluttershy quietly. “We can see how much this means to you. You didn’t even have to say a word.” “A new friend?” yelled Pinkie Pie, jumping up and down. “A new friend who our other new friend helped us beat down with ridiculous rainbow powers of magic and friendship and who now she wants us to take care of and help reform even if it’s going to be tough sometimes and we’ll need to stick with it NO MATTER WHAT? Count me in!” Twilight closed her mouth, which had fallen open during Pinkie’s summary, and smiled fondly at her. “You can count me in, too,” said Rarity simply. “Generosity can go a long way to heal old wounds.” Rainbow Dash had not yet spoken. She seemed reluctant. “Rainbow?” asked Twilight tentatively. Rainbow didn’t respond immediately. She rocked back and forth on her heels a few times. Then she relented and smiled. “We were just really awesome. I won’t be the one to deny the power of that. I’ll do my part, and hopefully teach her a thing or two about loyalty along the way.” Twilight still seemed concerned about what she was asking them to do. “Thanks Rainbow. Are you all sure? There may be setbacks. She has a lot to learn.” Applejack spoke for them all. “Then we’ll learn her. We won’t give up on her, Twilight. That there’s a promise.” Four other heads nodded emphatically. Twilight sighed audibly with relief, letting her shoulders relax a little. She was glad she had trusted her instincts. She had hoped that her friends would understand and follow her lead – and the magic of their friendship had not disappointed her. She clapped her hands. “Okay then, let’s get dancing! I only have an hour before I have to be back at the statue. Pinkie, please get that punch for Sunset. Would the rest of you check on her every 10 minutes or so? I will too.” They all agreed. The hour passed all too quickly. With a warm farewell to Flash, Twilight went to gather her friends and Sunset. She found Sunset still crying, sitting on the chair near Vinyl Scratch. She was holding a half-consumed glass of punch. Applejack was standing next to her, looking truly concerned. Twilight’s other friends all appeared at once. Once again, Twilight reached out to Sunset with a small, gentle smile. Sunset took her hand, and with some effort, she helped Sunset to her feet. Then, Twilight helping to support her, they all left the gym and went back toward the statue. Twilight noticed, unhappily, that Sunset was limping now, and was much weaker than she had been before. As they walked, Twilight went over everything in her mind, one more time. I have to trust the Elements, she told herself. They led me to give Sunset into my friends’ care. It’s not time for her to come back to Equestria yet. Somehow, I know – she has work to do here, even if that work is just learning how to be a friend. When they reached the ruined doors to the school, Twilight handed Sunset off to Rarity and turned to face her. Sunset looked at her with undisguised apprehension, having a pretty good idea what was about to happen. Twilight’s face became stern. She did not look forward to what she had to say, but it had to be said. “Sunset Shimmer, you will remain in this world for the time being. There is work for you to do here. In thirty moons I will return, and what I find will determine your fate. This I speak as a Princess of Equestria.” Sunset’s face fell and she began to sob again. But Twilight’s face softened. She put her hand under Sunset’s chin and lifted it to look in her eyes. “Don’t be discouraged, Sunset. I see hope. There is no reason why, when I return, it can’t be to find someone who’s become honest, optimistic, generous, loyal…and full of kindness.” Sunset only stared at her, not yet daring to hope her words were true. Twilight gave her a small smile, and brushed her cheek with her hand. Then she turned and went to the portal with the rest of the girls. “Why don’t you wait here for a bit, Sunset?” Rarity asked. “You can lean on the wall. We’ll be right back, ok?” Sunset just nodded. Rarity put Sunset’s hands on the ruined wall, made sure she was stable, and then headed out to join Twilight and her friends. As Rarity arrived, Twilight looked at all her friends. One last time, she felt the need to confirm what they had talked about earlier. “You’ll look out for her, won’t you?” she asked them all. Rarity answered for them. “Of course we will. Although I do expect some sort of apology for last spring’s debacle.” “I have a feeling she’ll be handing out a lot of apologies,” Twilight smirked. “We’d better get going,” Spike warned her, watching the moon carefully. Twilight turned and gave each of her friends a hug. “I know we’ve only been friends for a short time, but I’m gonna miss you all so much!” she sighed. They all hugged her back, with expressions of mixed happiness and sadness. With that, Twilight turned and walked to the portal. “That crown really does suit you, Princess Twilight,” Spike said proudly. “You know what Spike? I am starting to feel a little more comfortable wearing it.” “And the wings?” he teased. Twilight chuckled. “I’ve been walking on two legs and picking things up with these! Wings? I’m thrilled that’s all I’ll be dealing with back in Equestria!” She looked back at her friends for one last time and felt her heart nearly burst – so deeply did she care for them. But just above them, far away, she saw Sunset Shimmer, hiding timidly among the rubble of the doors to the school. The forlorn look in her eyes was the last thing Twilight saw as she stepped into the portal, and it haunted her. As soon as Spike disappeared through the portal behind Twilight, Pinkie dashed toward it. Even Rainbow wasn’t quite quick enough to grab her. Fortunately, the portal had closed, and Pinkie ran into it with a thud that caused the other girls to wince involuntarily. “Pinkie!” Applejack cried reproachfully. “What would we have told your parents?!” Pinkie seemed completely unharmed. “Aw, bummer!” she said sheepishly. Applejack just shook her head as the other girls snickered and laughed. The merriment ended abruptly as their pony ears and wings all suddenly disappeared. Rainbow fell out of the sky. Luckily, she had been hovering just above head level, and so she wasn’t hurt either. The girls all felt some disappointment that the magic seemed to be over. After helping both Pinkie and Rainbow back to their feet, they all turned and walked back to the school door. Sunset was looking dejectedly at the trowel that Vice Principal Luna had just given her. Applejack took a deep breath, and then walked straight up to Luna. “Ms. Luna, with all due respect, is now really the right time for Sunset to start rebuilding the school door? It’s 11 pm!” Luna relented instantly. “You are right of course, Applejack. She can start tomorrow. But I’m not joking. She will finish it, even if it takes the rest of the school year.” “Actually, we’d like to help her with it,” deadpanned Rarity unexpectedly. There was stunned silence for a moment. “What?” Rarity asked them all, a hint of challenge in her voice. “I’m not messing around. When I get generous, I don’t hold back.” “AWWWW MAN!” Rainbow Dash started to yell, but Rarity silenced her objection with a look. Luna managed to wipe the amazed look off her face and replaced it with a look of approval. “Well done, Rarity. Of course you may help her. As you suspect, I think it will be a blessing to her in more ways than one. Good night girls. ALL of you,” she finished with a pointed but not unkind look at Sunset. As Luna walked away, her heels clipping on the tile floor of the school with a sound not entirely un-reminiscent of the sound of horseshoes, the five girls turned to look back at Sunset, who was staring at Rarity with something like awe. “You’ll…you’ll help me?” she asked, her voice a hoarse whisper. “Yes, darling, and with more besides. Now, to practical matters. You need to go to bed. Where do you…” Rarity’s question was interrupted as Sunset had quite literally sunk to her knees and burst into tears anew. “Oh dear,” Rarity finished. “Here come the waterworks again,” said Applejack, but without any real annoyance. She stepped forward, motioning to Rainbow Dash, and together they gently lifted Sunset back to her feet. As her legs straightened, however, Sunset gasped and suddenly resisted with a flinching motion. “Oooh!” cried Pinkie Pie, darting forward to help. “She’s hurt!” Sunset didn’t answer, her head still hanging and her tears dripping onto the ground. To everyone’s surprise, it was Fluttershy who stepped in and lifted Sunset’s chin. “Sunset,” she asked firmly, “are you hurt?” Sunset swallowed a couple times, and then answered without meeting Fluttershy’s eyes. “I…I don’t think it’s bad. Just bruises and scratches. But…my left knee might be a little worse. I didn’t really notice it until I tried to stand up just now. It didn’t hurt so much before.” “Ah guess we did do quite a number on you,” Applejack mused, somewhat ruefully. “Okay, how about we help you to your car, and we’ll make sure you get home safe too. Rainbow Dash and Ah will ride with you if the others follow behind.” But Sunset shook her head. “I don’t have a car. I ride a motorcycle.” “Well THAT’S not happening tonight,” said Rainbow Dash with an air of finality. “Is there anyone we can call to come pick you up?” Sunset was quiet for a few seconds, and then confessed, “No. I live alone.” “ALONE?” the girls cried in unison. Sunset Shimmer began to weep yet again. “Yes,” she sobbed. “I came here from Equestria alone, and I haven’t gotten to know anyone well enough to get a roommate or anything. You know! I’ve pushed everyone away!” The girls’ compassion intensified as they perceived the full measure of the isolation Sunset had brought upon herself. “Well, that won’t do at all. There’s no way you can be alone tonight. You can stay at…” but Rarity was interrupted by Fluttershy. “MY place,” Fluttershy finished. “ALL of you.” The other girls’ admiration for Fluttershy grew. It was not lost on any of them, including Sunset, that out of all of them Sunset had been meanest to Fluttershy. Sunset looked at Fluttershy with almost a kind of fear, but Fluttershy stepped forward again and took Sunset’s face in her hands. It was the one of the bravest things she had ever done. “Please, Sunset,” she pleaded. “Accept how we feel. Accept that we want to help you. Accept that we want you to get better.” Fluttershy smiled warmly. “Much, much better. No more loneliness for you!” This time, Sunset did meet Fluttershy’s eyes. A few moments passed as the others held their breath. Finally, Sunset squeaked, “I’ll try, Fluttershy! I promise I’ll try!” Instantly Fluttershy enfolded Sunset in a tight hug. Sunset, who had never completely stopped crying, sobbed harder again. “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry…” she wailed again and again into Fluttershy’s shoulder. Fluttershy rocked her gently. There was not a dry eye among them, including Rainbow. “Wow…maybe she really does mean it,” Rainbow muttered grudgingly, looking away and running her fingers through her hair. “This is intense.” Nevertheless, the others quickly realized that Sunset was incapacitated, perhaps for the evening, if not longer. “Well, let’s get going,” Applejack encouraged, swallowing the lump in her throat. Pinkie Pie was bounding around the other five. “Does this mean what I think it means? Huh? Does it, DOES IT?” Rainbow Dash looked at her with genuine affection. “Yes, Pinkie. Slumber party at Fluttershy’s!” Pinkie Pie practically exploded with glee. Vice Principal Luna arrived at her darkened office and opened the door with a heavy sigh. She walked in and flicked on the light, then closed the door behind her. Allowing the mantle of leadership to fall from her shoulders momentarily, she slumped in her desk chair and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. It was then that she noticed the door to her sister’s adjoining office was cracked open and a dim light was coming through it. “Tia?” she called. “Yes, Lulu, I’m in here,” Principal Celestia’s tired voice answered. Luna rose from her chair and walked to the door, pushing it open. She found her sister seated in her own desk chair, looking similarly exhausted and concerned. Luna settled in a chair across from Celestia’s desk and let out a long, slow breath through pursed lips. “You said it, sister,” commented Celestia. Luna permitted herself a dry chuckle. “We’ve got work to do, don’t we?” “Oh yes. We’ve got to explain the damage. Somehow, I don’t think ‘collateral damage from a magical duel between a pony princess from another world and a jealous competitor’ is going to fly.” Luna couldn’t resist – she sniggered. Her sister was often able to find the humor in a situation, which Luna was coming to appreciate more and more every year. “No, I don’t think the superintendent will buy that, to say nothing of the school board. Pony princess from another world, though?” “Yes, I was able to speak briefly with Twilight before she left. She was in a hurry as the door to her world was about to close, but she was able to tell me a little bit about herself and about Sunset. It seems that the base of the statue in front of the school contains a magical portal between our world and a parallel world inhabited, incredibly, by sapient ponies.” Luna just stared at her sister. After a moment, she hazarded, “I guess I have to believe that, given what we have seen tonight.” “Yes. Twilight is apparently a princess among her people, uh, ponies – one of the rulers of a country known as ‘Equestria’, so she has a great deal of authority. As far as she was concerned, she had the right to judge Sunset and determine her fate.” “So, as you said, Sunset is from her world as well.” “Correct. Apparently Sunset fled here from Equestria two and a half years ago after a falling out between her and her mentor, who is apparently the sovereign of Equestria.” Luna snorted with amazement, shaking her head. “Such drama. It’s like something out of a fairy tale.” “A fairy tale come to life.” “So, what did Twilight decide regarding Sunset? She certainly seemed to be trying to be merciful toward her,” Luna asked with interest. “Yes. Twilight is a very sweet young lady. Or pony, I suppose. She told me that Sunset’s mentor held out hope for her, and indeed Sunset seemed quite penitent when she came out of that crater. Twilight decided to leave Sunset here with us, so that she can learn how to become a better person, and so that she won’t have to face Equestrian justice – at least not right away. Twilight asked me to be kind to her and help her to change. She seemed genuinely worried about her.” “So Sunset is in exile?” “Yes, apparently the portal opens for only three days every two and a half years, or every thirty moons, as Twilight put it.” “And she has asked us to support Sunset’s rehabilitation.” “Yes, and more specifically she has asked us to support her friends as they try to help Sunset.” “The five girls – Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie?” “Correct.” “And what is your decision?” “I see no reason to refuse Twilight’s request. Sunset is essentially alone in this world. If we were to expel her, which arguably her deeds deserve, we would leave her alone and defenseless. On top of that I suspect she has no definite home, and she certainly has no parents here. I will not endanger her life, which is what turning her over to the authorities would almost certainly do as well. No, I think we must shield her from official attention. Also, I suspect it would be harmful to remove her from the influence of Twilight’s friends.” “Indeed, they have already assumed care of her. I believe they have taken her to one of their homes.” “Good! Good. I was not aware of that – that sets my mind at ease. At least for tonight.” “At least for tonight? Tia…” “Luna, I think you know what we are called to do. If we wish to contain this, and if we wish to be true to Twilight, who has saved all of our lives tonight, we must handle the matter of Sunset Shimmer ourselves. I will do the heavy lifting personally, but I will need your help and support.” Luna just stared. “Luna, it has become abundantly clear that Sunset is not who we thought she was. While she is clearly exceptionally intelligent, as her grades and test scores cannot be argued with, in social and emotional terms it appears she has been a miscreant at best and a…well…nascent supervillian at worst. But both of us saw her tears in that crater, both of us heard her cries of remorse, both of us saw Twilight reach out to her, and both of us saw Twilight’s friends accept Twilight’s charge to care for and teach her.” Luna continued to stare warily. Celestia become very serious and almost sad. “Lulu…you of all people should understand the importance of being given a second chance…” she said softly. Luna hung her head. “I don’t mean to make you sad, or to hold it over your head. You know how proud I am of you, and how glad I am to have you back in my life. You know how much I love you,” said Celestia earnestly. Luna looked back up with a smile. “Lulu, the truth is that you might be able to be of even more help to Sunset than I, because you may understand what she is going through in a way that I can’t. Please. I know I’m asking a great deal, but in order to do this, I need you. If she responds, and I believe she will, can you imagine how wonderful it will be? It will be a deep joy.” Luna was silent for a moment. Then, as her eyes brightened: “You are right, Tia. I hadn’t thought of it that way. But now that you mention it, I…will look forward to it.” Celestia gave her sister a grateful smile. Getting Sunset to Applejack’s pickup, once she had been gently disentangled from Fluttershy, was not quite as hard as they had feared. Still, although Sunset tried valiantly to help, hopping as much as she could between Rainbow Dash and Applejack, it fell to Applejack to carry her the last few feet. Sunset marveled at her strength – amazed in retrospect that she’d had the bravery to challenge in any way a girl who probably could have knocked her out with a single punch. Nevertheless, soon Applejack was kneeling sideways in the driver’s seat of the pickup, pushing Sunset into the middle seat as Rainbow pulled from the other side. Sunset was breathing hard. “I’m so tired,” she murmured, as her eyelids drooped. “Don’t worry,” said Applejack encouragingly. “Fluttershy’s place isn’t far. Soon you’ll be able to rest, sugarcube.” Rainbow pulled Sunset the rest of the way in and sat down in the passenger seat next to her. Sunset fumbled with the middle seat belt, but Applejack noticed and quickly reached across her to pull it home, clicking it in place. Ahead of them, Fluttershy got into her van with the others. Pinkie leaned out the passenger window and gave them a victory sign, meaning that they were ready to go. The pickup started with a throaty rumble. Soon they were headed down the dark streets, moving from pool to pool of light as the streetlights shone above them. Sunset was silent, looking down at her boots. Every few seconds she shuddered and let out a whimper or a sob. At last Rainbow Dash could take no more. She hooked her left arm around Sunset’s right arm and with her other hand she turned Sunset’s grubby, bruised, tear-streaked face to her own. “Hey. It’s gonna be ok. We take this friendship thing seriously,” she said with uncharacteristic softness and a crooked smile. Sunset was unable to respond with words. She leaned against Rainbow, and tentatively at first, but with growing confidence that it was safe, rested her head on Rainbow’s shoulder. Soon they arrived at Fluttershy’s. Her parents were away, so they had the house to themselves. Fluttershy had the run of the entire basement, which was much nicer than it sounded. She and her mother had worked hard to make it as typically homey and cozy as one would expect from Fluttershy, and the various happy small animals, some free to roam, some kept in cages most of the time for their own safety, found it to be quite pleasant. They decided against taking Sunset down the steps from the kitchen, and instead brought her in through the back via the basement’s walk-out doors. Fluttershy pointed toward her bed, and Applejack and Rainbow helped Sunset to hop over to it and sit down. Fluttershy then began moving around her room, getting things ready for what needed to happen next. Rarity was with Sunset, helping her to remove her jacket, boots, and socks and then to lie down with her shoulders propped up by some pillows. Pinkie Pie disappeared upstairs as Rainbow and Applejack headed back outside to make sure there weren’t any other things that needed to be brought in. Rarity, having made sure Sunset was comfortable, headed into the bathroom, but not before Sunset whispered a thank you to her. Sunset stared around Fluttershy’s room blearily. It took up most of the finished portion of the basement and so was quite large. There were three doors in addition to the large glass sliding door through which she had come. The room was painted a pale yellow and was decorated with pink butterfly wall decals in various locations. Most of the pictures on the wall were of ridiculously cute small animals. There was a pretty wooden dresser with an oval mirror and a matching chair, a matching desk with a laptop computer on it, a wooden chest, and, on top of a large table in one corner of the room, cages containing several small furry creatures. Sunset started as an unbelievably fluffy cat jumped up on the bed and crept cautiously toward her. Sunset had never been a particularly big fan of non-sapient animals, but she didn’t want to offend Fluttershy. With an effort, she lifted her hand so the cat could sniff her fingers, fully expecting the cat to hiss and depart angrily. Instead, the cat took a few sniffs, started to purr, and started to rub itself against her hand. “He likes you,” said Fluttershy with a small smile. “That’s a good sign. He doesn’t like anyone who isn’t nice.” Sunset had no idea how to respond, but she let the cat continue to rub against her hand and arm. Eventually he settled in the crook of her elbow, still purring. Fluttershy headed into the bathroom, and so Sunset was left briefly alone for the first time since her defeat. She continued to look around, completely disoriented. The sounds of Fluttershy and Rarity preparing a bath for her came from the partially closed bathroom door. She felt fear rising inside her in spite of her pleasant surroundings. Her subconscious was knocking on her consciousness’s door with increasing insistence. There was Business to be done with herself, and she was utterly terrified of it. But on this occasion her solitude did not last long. “PSSSSSTTT!” came a loud hiss from the interior door to Fluttershy’s room. Startled, Sunset looked over Fluttershy’s bed, trying to find the source of the hiss. Finally she discerned Pinkie Pie, who was, with elaborate, exaggerated, and comical care, sneaking into Fluttershy’s room toward her. She was carrying a large cylindrical object. Looking over each shoulder dramatically, Pinkie arrived directly in front of Sunset. “Do you know what this is?” she asked conspiratorially. Sunset looked down at the object with complete confusion. After a moment it became recognizable as a large tub of very high quality vanilla ice cream. “Uh…I think it’s some ice cream?” she ventured hoarsely. Pinkie Pie’s lips spread into a nearly maniacal grin. She nodded as though she expected Sunset to be in on some immense secret regarding the ice cream. To her surprise, Sunset found her resistance actually eroding. There was something about Pinkie that was irresistibly delightful. Pinkie Pie shoved the tub into her arms, along with a spoon. “Eat it!” she commanded imperiously. “It WILL help.” Sunset seemed unconvinced. “Are you sure, Pinkie? I don’t know…” “You doubt me?” asked Pinkie with an air of great authority. “Uh…well…no, it’s just…” “Then I have no choice but to make you a Pinkie Promise! BRACE YOURSELF, Sunset Shimmer!” cried Pinkie, pointing sternly at Sunset, who just stared, openmouthed. Pinkie stood to her full height. “The ice cream will help you feel better. I, Pinkamena Diane Pie, promise you this. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” She mimed each action with great ceremony. Sunset kept staring for a second, then, to her complete amazement, she started to smile a little. Pinkie cocked her head with a knowing look. Sunset couldn’t help it. She chuckled once, then sniggered. Pinkie was now nodding with a self-satisfied, knowing look on her face. Finally Sunset actually guffawed once, and then her brief moment of mirth settled back down to a near normal level. Pinkie’s smile softened. She reached out and gave Sunset’s head a quick, gentle hug between her chin and left arm, then bounced out of the room. Neither of them noticed the faint pink pony ears that had briefly flickered on her head. Sunset stared after her in wonder. Rarity came back into the room. She was now dressed in a set of simple – but perfectly color matched – athletic shorts and a tank top. She looked briefly surprised at the ice cream, but recovered quickly. “I see Pinkie got to you. Well, go on. Have a few bites. You can have more after your bath.” Rarity turned around and went back into the bathroom. Sunset heard her and Fluttershy talking in low voices, then heard Fluttershy emit a peal of hopelessly cute laughter. Sunset obediently ate some ice cream. And it did help a little. Though she suspected it had a lot more to do with Pinkie’s goodwill then the actual ice cream itself. Taking a break outside with Applejack and Rainbow, Pinkie was not going to let her moment of glory pass without due recognition. “I’m not exaggerating. You ask Sunset herself if you don’t believe me.” She leaned a little further into Rainbow’s face with each word. “I got a smile, a chuckle, a snigger, AND…” she paused dramatically. Rainbow Dash and Applejack hung on her every word. “…a guffaw,” she finished. Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s mouths hung open. To her credit, Applejack then elaborately mimed picking her jaw up off the ground and re-inserting it into her mouth. Pinkie’s control wavered perceptibly, but she held out. Rainbow couldn’t believe it. “You…got a guffaw…out of Sunset Shimmer…THAT girl…just now?” she asked. Pinkie threw out her left hip and put her left hand on it. She examined her right hand’s fingernails with deep satisfaction. “Yes…I…did,” she said haughtily, looking back at Rainbow. Rainbow smiled broadly, nodding in admiration. “Well done. Well done! Dang, Pinkie, that’s clutch!” she exclaimed, putting out a fist for a bump. Pinkie obliged. Applejack was smiling too. “Girls…not to be maudlin or anything, but we’ve really got somethin’ special here, don’t we?” They both nodded at her without hesitation. “And Sunset’s gonna be a part of it from now on. Somehow, Ah just know it.” After just a couple minutes, Rarity came back into the bedroom. “Alright, darling. It’s time. Let’s give this a shot.” Not knowing what else to do, Sunset tried to sit back up. This was unwise. There was pain. She flopped back into the bed with a gasp, all the color draining from her face. Rarity seemed unsurprised, and called over her shoulder, “Fluttershy!” Fluttershy appeared a few seconds later. She, too, was dressed in a simple set of athletic shorts and a tank top. “Yes, Rarity, what is it?” “It’s just as I suspected. We’re going to have to help her each step of the way.” Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Ok, right you are, Rarity.” Sunset looked at them in something close to terror. But they were relentless in their kindness. Rarity sat down on the bed next to her and lifted her arm over her shoulder. Fluttershy did the same, standing next to the bed. Sunset cried out involuntarily – all the muscles in her body were stiff. Rarity and Fluttershy were even more careful and gentle after that. Slowly, they helped Sunset out of the bed, and helped her to hop into the bathroom. Sunset almost gasped. The bath was huge. It was clearly a soaking tub, and from the wonderful smells emanating from it, various pleasant bath salts had been added. Rarity and Fluttershy waited as she tried to remove her clothing behind the bath curtain and failed. She was too stiff and too weak. With a wordless nod to each other, the other two girls stepped forward and started to help Sunset out of her battered clothes. This was too much for her. “No…no…” she tried to object. Rarity would have none of it. “Listen here. You are too injured to do this for yourself tonight. So we can either help you, or you can go the whole weekend in your current…clothing. The choice is yours.” Sunset tried to hold on to the remains of her dignity, but she had no strength left. The bath was too inviting, and her defenses had been smashed to pieces by the Rainbow Wave. She was unable to suppress a small moan of desire as she looked longingly at the bath. “Right then,” said Rarity and carefully but firmly took off Sunset’s shirt. The rest of the clothes followed in due course. Rarity tried to reassure her, speaking softly. “It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, darling. There are no cameras or phones. No one here is going to hurt you or take advantage of you. You may not believe it, but you are safe.” Fluttershy was nodding in agreement. Sunset only blushed and allowed herself to be undressed. The other girls tried not to react to the bruises that were beginning to show on her shins and forearms, as neither of them was used to causing physical injuries – even those that might be deserved. But it was impossible to ignore that Sunset was injured. Not seriously, but not slightly, either. Rarity and Fluttershy found that Sunset’s injuries brought them no joy. There were a couple other things they couldn’t help noticing. On each of Sunset’s hips were what appeared to be identical tattoos. They were about the size of the palms of her hands and consisted of yellow and red suns with eight curvy rays. Neither girl decided to comment on them at the moment. They also decided not to comment on the scars on Sunset’s back. Nearly vertically, down each shoulder blade, ran narrow, pink, linear scars. They were about six inches long. There was a similar pink circular scar at the base of her tailbone, about an inch in diameter. They weren’t bleeding or raised, and were more discolorations than anything else, but they were certainly real. Rarity and Fluttershy had a pretty good idea what the scars were from, and they agreed with only a shared glance to tell Sunset about them later, or let her discover them for herself. Pointing them out right now seemed like it would be piling on. So, they helped her into the bath, which was very warm but not too hot. Fortunately she was able to wash herself at least. Rarity and Fluttershy had agreed ahead of time that they would not leave her alone in the bath, in case she was either unable to get out of it on her own or tried to make a premature departure from her own life. They attempted to give her some privacy by pulling the bath curtain and talking quietly with each other, but still, Rarity made sure she kept Sunset’s head in view, on the off chance that if she accidentally slid under the water she’d be unable to surface on her own. When Rarity and Fluttershy heard the sounds of splashing water decrease, Fluttershy asked, “Sunset? Are you finished?” “Yes,” came the meek, almost inaudible reply. “Ok, sweetie, do you think you can get out on your own?” Rarity asked. A few seconds of silence, then some splashing and more silence. Tears beginning again, and at last a tiny and frustrated “…no.” “It’s all right. Just a second,” Rarity tried to reassure her. The two girls came around the curtain with a huge bath towel which they held up high to give Sunset some privacy. Rarity extended her arm around the bath towel and Sunset grabbed on and was able, barely, to pull herself out. They wrapped her in the towel and stepped back out. After a few minutes, she limped around the curtain, looking down at the ground. “…thanks,” she whispered again. “Alright, darling. Let’s have a look at those cuts,” said Rarity. She and Fluttershy helped Sunset to sit down on a stool and carefully inspected the skin of her arms, legs, and torso. Fortunately, all the cuts were small, and Sunset had managed to clean them along with her scrapes. As far as her face was concerned, she only had a couple small scrapes on her forehead. Rarity was glad of this – there would probably be no scarring. Fluttershy put band-aids on the larger cuts and scrapes, and again Sunset was overcome with gratitude and thanked them both in a gravelly whisper. “Do you think you can brush your hair?” asked Rarity, moving on to the next item of business. “…I can try…the warm water…I’m a little less stiff.” Fluttershy handed her a brush and helped her out of the bathroom to her vanity, where she was prevailed upon to sit down and brush her hair. It took her some time, as she was slow from pain in her upper arms. There were a couple times where she had to be helped with a particularly bad tangle. Each time Fluttershy or Rarity touched her hands, she started to cry again – she had been without positive physical contact with anyone for so long, the simple warmth of human kindness was too much for her to bear. Rarity and Fluttershy, on the other hand, were pleasantly and movingly surprised by how good it felt to be kind and gentle to her. It was…deeply sweet, and satisfying, somehow, to take care of someone so obviously and thoroughly remorseful and defenseless. Rarity was vaguely annoyed by this at the same time. She still expected very specific apologies for very specific issues at some point, and with Sunset in her current fragile, broken condition pressing her would have been cruel. It might be some time before she was strong enough to face Rarity’s just anger and pain. Fluttershy would have felt the same way if she had been able to admit it to herself, but right now she was in full kindness mode. Even so, Rarity’s compassion far outweighed her annoyance, and she continued to take pleasure in taking good care of Sunset. Soon, Sunset’s hair was brushed. Rarity was pleased. Sunset’s hair, in contrast to her prior disheveled state, was now lush and clean. Almost against her will, Rarity found herself experimenting in her mind with different outfits that would look good on her. She smirked to herself and pushed that out of her mind, to be revisited at a later date. Now was not the time. Once Sunset’s hair was done, Rarity and Fluttershy again helped her to her feet and back into the bathroom. Fluttershy gave her a set of her own pajamas – her best, warmest, softest, most snuggly pair. It was of a style that Sunset would never have dreamed of wearing on her own, but the quality and comfort was not lost on her. She looked up at Fluttershy, but was too moved to speak. Her eyes expressed the depth of her gratitude. And once again her tears flowed freely as they carefully helped her into the pajamas. Then Rarity turned to Sunset, holding something in her hand and a glass of water. She offered the objects to Sunset. Sunset looked down into Rarity’s hand in complete confusion. In her hand were two small, brown, cylindrical objects. She looked up at Rarity and tried to ask what they were. “Ibuprofen, my dear. We girls swear by it, you know, when a certain time of the month comes around.” Sunset shook her head. Rarity looked a bit surprised. “You mean you’ve never taken it?” “I don’t even know what it is,” Sunset answered in her small voice. Rarity looked at Fluttershy, who just shrugged. They both looked concerned, however. “Oh dear. Well, it’s medicine. Don’t you have medicine in Equestria?” Sunset’s eyes widened in comprehension. “Yes, yes we do. What does this medicine do?” Rarity smiled warmly at her. “It will help with your pain, darling.” Sunset gasped slightly. “Really?” she asked, her eyebrows knitting together. Rarity’s smile grew even gentler. The hope in Sunset’s eyes, and her total inability to hide it, were almost heartbreaking. “Well, I can’t claim it will take all the pain away, but it should take the edge off at least.” Sunset couldn’t take her eyes off the pills. “What do I do?” “Just swallow them, with some water. Here,” Rarity handed her the glass, and then tipped the two pills into Sunset’s hand. She stared at them for a few seconds, but just when Rarity was about to explain that the best thing to do was just to swallow hard, she tossed them into her mouth and took a swallow of water. She gulped a bit, but the pills went down. “Drink some more of the water, Sunset. It’s important with that kind of medicine,” said Fluttershy kindly. Sunset obediently finished the entire glass of water. It was cool and clean. “You’d better have some more of that ice cream, too. It’s not supposed to be taken on an empty stomach,” Rarity finished. They helped her back into Fluttershy’s room and then into her bed. Sunset could not suppress a moan of relief as she sank into the mattress. Rarity helped her sit up, and handed her the tub of ice cream (which Fluttershy had taken back up to the freezer during the bath and had brought back down a moment ago) and a clean spoon. It seemed a bit awkward for her to eat when Fluttershy and Rarity weren’t, so Fluttershy and Rarity turned to each other and both sat down on chairs at the side of the bed and discussed some fashion trends they were both noticing. It was not long before Sunset was finished. She had very little appetite. “Thank you,” she said again in the same small voice that seemed to be all she could muster. “Rarity, would you take it back up, please?” asked Fluttershy. “Certainly, my dear.” Once Rarity had left, Sunset asked a question that had been on her mind for some time. “But Fluttershy, where will you sleep?” “Don’t you worry about that. There are plenty of sleeping bags and couches and pillows in this house – I’ll be just fine.” “But…but this is your own bed! Maybe I should take a sleeping bag…” “Are you kidding?” asked Fluttershy a bit sharply. “With your knee, and your bruises, and your exhaustion, you think I’m going to make you sleep in a sleeping bag? No way. Tonight you get the bed, Sunset, and from what I can tell, it’ll probably be necessary for quite a few nights.” Sunset looked terrified. Fluttershy’s tiny display of being offended that Sunset would suggest such a thing, even though she wasn’t really offended, had overwhelmed her. Fluttershy realized this instantly and took her hands. “Please don’t be afraid. I’m not really upset at you. This kind of thing – giving you my own bed when you’re in need – is just what friends do for each other.” Sunset looked relieved. “I actually enjoy it. There’s something special about taking good care of someone who’s in pain.” Sunset looked at Fluttershy in true, open wonder. “Wow,” she breathed. Fluttershy could tell that Sunset’s wonder was honest – there was no hint of sarcasm or cynicism. So, she just smiled at her. They could hear footsteps on the stairs. Soon, all four other girls came into the room. They all looked at Sunset with gentle smiles. “Wouldn’t you like to sleep now, Sunset?” Rarity asked. Sunset looked at Rarity and nodded with a wide-eyed honesty that would have been humorous if the situation wasn’t so serious. “Well, we have come to say goodnight to you. Normally, at a slumber party, you would be welcome to partake in the festivities, but we understand – in fact we actually probably insist – that you rest,” Rarity continued. Applejack spoke next. She waved to Sunset from the end of the bed, where she was leaning on one of the posts. “Sleep tight partner. Trust us. Tomorrow will be better than today was. And the next day a little better than that. One day at a time.” Rainbow Dash nodded, “I hope you sleep really good.” Pinkie Pie just winked and smiled. Fluttershy had one final thing to tell Sunset before she turned out the light. “Now Sunset, we’ve all agreed that we’re not going to leave you alone completely tonight. So one of us will be here at all times, until we all go to sleep. When everyone finally goes to bed, we’ll all come down here with you. We just think that’s for the best. I’m afraid you don’t really get a vote on that one.” But they had no reason to be concerned. Sunset’s relief was obvious. “Thank you. Thank you all. I…I don’t know what to say. There’s so much I need to say, and to each of you, but…” “But you are so tired, we know,” Rarity finished for her. “You’ve actually done just fine. We all heard you say you were very sorry, quite a few times, actually, and we heard you say you know you were wrong and that you want to change. I think that’s entirely adequate for tonight. It would make us very happy if you could sleep now, and hopefully sleep in peace.” Sunset’s eyes filled with tears again, but she was able to nod back at Rarity. Then Fluttershy started to reach for the light. Sunset sat up suddenly, wincing as she did so, and reached for Fluttershy’s hand. “Fluttershy, please wait!” Fluttershy paused and asked what was wrong. It took them a couple tries to get it out of her. As exhausted as she was, she was clearly afraid to sleep. They were unable to reassure her, and after some gentle but firm pressure it was admitted that she was terrified of both nightmares and the dark. The dark issue was easily solved by leaving a dimmered lamp on low in one corner of the room, but the potential nightmares were a different story. “I’m so sorry; I feel like such an idiot. But I can see that…thing…whenever I close my eyes! I know it can’t come back, but maybe it can, because it’s inside me, isn’t it? Will I ever be free? Even sleep is lost to me now…” They became aware that, in her fatigue and anxiety, she was babbling. The girls looked at each other in confusion, at a loss as to what to do, when something truly beautiful happened. Fluttershy began, very softly, to sing. Her beautiful voice seemed to cast a spell over the entire room. She sang Sunset a lullaby that her mother had sung to her when she was little. Sunset stopped babbling and stared at Fluttershy. The other girls looked on in rapt and silent amazement, which grew as the faint outlines of pony ears glimmered on Fluttershy’s head. Hush now, quiet now It’s time to lay your sleepy head Hush now, quiet now It’s time to go to bed Hush now, quiet now It’s time to lay your sleepy head Hush now, quiet now It’s time to go to bed Drifting, drifting off to sleep Exciting day behind you Drifting, drifting off to sleep Let the joy of dreamland find you Hush now, quiet now It’s time to lay your sleepy head Hush now quiet now It’s time to go to bed… Slowly, Sunset’s eyelids grew heavy and her breathing grew easier. Her tears dried, and, after about two minutes, she fell into a deep and peaceful sleep, her chest slowly rising and falling. Fluttershy had tears in her own eyes. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, sighing as she did so. The pony ears faded away. At last she looked up to find the other four girls staring at her. They too were deeply moved. Rarity was the first to speak. “Fluttershy…I…think that’s the most…beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know what to say.” Rainbow Dash was hugging Pinkie Pie shamelessly. Applejack was drying her own eyes. “Dang it,” she said, shaking her head as though to clear it and avoiding eye contact. To everyone’s surprise, Fluttershy looked straight at Rarity and said, “What? I’m not messing around either.” Rarity smirked affectionately. “Fair enough, darling. Fair enough.” When the other girls got upstairs, they all collapsed in various pieces of furniture and started to discuss the inconceivable events of the past few hours. “Well, what a contrast,” Applejack mused. “Not three hours ago that girl was a ten foot tall demonic archvillain, but now she’s harmless as a kitten. More harmless, actually. “I have to admit I’m completely surprised. Floored, actually,” Rainbow Dash commented, shaking her head. “What do you mean?” Applejack asked. “I expected bitterness and/or anger. I thought she’d lash out at us, at least occasionally. I didn’t expect this,” Rainbow clarified. “What would you call this?” Applejack probed, genuinely interested. Rainbow tried to think of an answer, but Pinkie had one ready. “Total surrender,” she said, her mouth a flat line. “Are you saying what Ah think you’re saying, Pinkie?” asked Applejack. “I’m saying I don’t think Twilight meant to destroy her personality. Humble her? Defeat her? Teach her a lesson? Sure! But not leave her a shell. Not permanently anyway.” Applejack was nodding. “That’s what Ah thought you meant. And Ah think Ah agree.” She shook her head. “Listen to us! We sound like psychologists or something. When did we get this kind of…well…wisdom, Ah guess?” Rarity was ready for that one. “It changed us too,” she said quietly. They all looked at her. “Whatever happened tonight, it changed us too. You can’t go through something like that and not be changed. We even transformed physically. You and Fluttershy had wings!” she said, pointing at Rainbow. “This may sound strange, but maybe the Elements, or whatever they are, or maybe Twilight herself, gave us the wisdom we need to take care of her.” “Ah hope you’re right, Rarity,” Applejack answered. “Because if we have to rebuild Sunset Shimmer from the ground up, we’re gonna need a lot of wisdom.”