//------------------------------// // Saying Goodbye(?) // Story: Sunset the Seventh // by SmilesPerHour //------------------------------// Sunset Shimmer awoke the next morning with the sun shining in her eyes, which gave her enough incentive to get up and go outside, although she would have preferred staying in bed to making the decision that she knew she needed to make. Twilight Sparkle was in the kitchen, making breakfast when Sunset walked in and greeted her.          “Good morning, Sunset! You’re looking well.” Twilight said in a cheerful voice. “What would you like for breakfast?”          “Oatmeal, please, with brown sugar and raisins.” Sunset responded, before sitting down at the dining room table. Less than a minute later, Twilight set a hearty bowl of oatmeal before Sunset, with brown sugar and raisins on top before joining Sunset at the table. Sunset stirred the oatmeal and halfheartedly nibbled on the steaming mush. Twilight looked at Sunset with concern, and decided to figure out what was bothering her friend.          “Are you okay, Sunset?” Twilight asked.          “Hm? Oh yeah, just great, thanks.” Sunset mumbled, even though she knew that Twilight couldn’t be fooled that easily.          “Come on, Sunset, I can tell that you’re upset.” Twilight said. “What’s wrong? Is the oatmeal too hot? Do you want some orange juice? Or toast?” Sunset shook her head, and finally spoke up.          “I’m homesick.” Sunset explained, which elicited a look of confusion from Twilight.          “Homesick? But you’re back home in Equestria, how can you be homesick?” asked Twilight. Finally, Sunset looked up at Twilight.          “I know, Twilight,” Sunset admitted. “But I have a home in that other world I visited, too. That was the place where you stopped me from creating an army and getting revenge on Princess Celestia, and helped me to make friends with the students at the school. Those students are the first friends that I’ve ever made in my life, and I miss them. But at the same time, I have friends here in Equestria, and I… I just don’t know where I belong.” Twilight Sparkle was silent for a few minutes, and then put a consoling hoof upon Sunset’s hoof while looking into her eyes with a smile.          “Sunset, I know how you feel.” Twilight admitted. “The students at Canterlot High are really kind and supportive, just like the ponies here in Equestria, and you’re trying to find out where you truly belong.”          “Yeah, but I don’t want you or Princess Celestia or any of our friends to be upset if I decide to go and live in Canterlot High.” Sunset added, but Twilight simply smiled.          “Sunset, we won’t be upset if you go to Canterlot High, just like how your Canterlot High friends won’t be upset if you stay here. We just want what’s best for you.” Sunset was silent for a minute or two while she thought about her situation, and then finally, her decision was made.          “I’m going back to Canterlot High.” Sunset announced, “They need me there, and not just because I’m friends with the students, because if anything weird or magical happens, I’ll be able to keep everyone safe from danger.” Twilight nodded in agreement.          “Well, I guess that’s it, then.” Twilight sighed. “You’re going back to Canterlot High.”          “You promise you’re not mad?” Sunset asked.          “Of course I’m not sad, Sunset.” Twilight replied. “Like I said, we only want what’s best for you. But that being said, I hope you don’t mind if we invite our friends for a little going away party.” Sunset smiled and hugged Twilight.          “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Sunset laughed.          After Twilight informed her friends about Sunset’s decision, the group met at Twilight’s castle to say goodbye to their friend.           “I’ll never forget how you beat up Inferno all by yourself.” Rainbow Dash gushed. “That was so awesome!”          “Yeah, I guess it was,” Sunset replied. “But I would’ve been a goner if you hadn’t flown in and saved me. I owe you one, Rainbow.” Rainbow Dash shrugged, as if this was no big deal.          “Hey, you’re my friend, of course I wouldn’t let you get eaten!” Rainbow laughed, but then her smile began to fade as she remembered the occasion. “Listen, we’re really going to miss you, Sunset. Are you sure you want to go back to Canterlot High?”          “I have to, Rainbow,” Sunset replied. “They need me over there to keep everyone safe. But I promise that I’ll never forget about you, or anypony here in Equestria.” Rainbow shed a tear, but then wiped it away in an attempt to look tough. “Well, be careful over there, those ‘human’ things aren’t as nice as us ponies. Just-just let us know if you’re in trouble, and we’ll come and help, okay?”          “Of course I will, Rainbow.” Sunset confirmed. “Of course I will.” Sunset pulled Rainbow in for a hug, which Rainbow happily accepted.          “Oh wait, I almost forgot!” Rainbow reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a blue pennant with the word ‘WONDERBOLTS’ emblazoned in big, yellow letters, as well as an image of a lightning bolt.          “I got you a little going away gift, you know, as something to remember me by.” Rainbow explained. “It’s a pennant from my favorite flying team, The Wonderbolts. I hope you like it.” Sunset smiled, gently placed the pennant in her saddlebag and hugged Rainbow.          “Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Sunset whispered. “Thank you for being a loyal and all-around wonderful friend.” Rainbow Dash shed another tear, and quickly wiped it away.          “I’m not crying! I just have something in my eye!” Rainbow lied, before letting Pinkie Pie say her goodbyes. In spite of the somber occasion, Pinkie Pie was just as happy and bouncy as she always was.          “Thanks so much for coming to visit, Sunset!” Pinkie giggled. “It was really fun planning that party in your honor.”          “Yeah, that was a really great party, Pinkie, the best one that I’ve ever had!” Sunset admitted. “Thank you so much for keeping everypony laughing in Equestria. It really is amazing how you are able to find joy in the most mundane or sad events.”          “It’s not that hard, really,” Pinkie said with a shrug. “You just need to keep your eye out. Sometimes, it may seem like everything is dark and sad, and there’s no happiness anywhere, but the happiness is just hiding, and waiting for you to find it.” Sunset giggled at this analogy. “See? You found the happiness!” Pinkie cheered.          “I’m going to miss you, Pinkie Pie. I promise that I’ll never forget about you.” Sunset embraced Pinkie, who enthusiastically hugged her back.          “And I’ll never forget about you either, Sunset.” Pinkie promised. “And here’s your ‘see you later’ gift!”  Pinkie reached into her pink tail, which had all the fluffiness and consistency of cotton candy, and pulled out a recipe book. “I put copies of all my favorite recipes in this cookbook, so whenever you feel like baking, just open it up and you’re sure to find a super-duper yummy treat to make!” Pinkie cheered, before giving Sunset one last hug and bouncing aside to let Rarity say her goodbyes.          “It was such a pleasure to meet you, Sunset.” Rarity said. “It’s just a pity that we couldn’t spend more time getting to know each other.”          “It’s okay, Rarity,” Sunset replied. “We’ll stay in touch, one way or another, and I’ll keep you up to date with events at Canterlot High.”          “Well, that certainly is a relief,” Rarity sighed, “But I still insist upon giving you this little parting gift as a way of saying ‘thank you’.” Rarity produced from her saddlebag a large, soft quilt, which had an interesting pattern stitched into the fabric. In the center was the image of a sun; identical to the one on Sunset Shimmer’s flank, and around the sun were six other images that corresponded to the images on her friends’ flanks. There was a cloud emitting a rainbow-colored lightning bolt for Rainbow Dash, a trio of balloons for Pinkie Pie, a trio of blue diamonds for Rarity, a trio of red apples for Applejack, a trio of pink butterflies for Fluttershy, and finally, a large pink star (with five smaller white stars surrounding it) for Twilight. Sunset was speechless.          “Rarity, did you really sew this entire quilt in the past five minutes?” Sunset asked, mouth agape.          “Oh, don’t be silly, Sunset!” Rarity laughed. “After all, I am just one mare, and I can only do so much. I sewed the entire quilt in the past seven minutes.” Rarity smiled smugly as Sunset stared at her in shock.          “Rarity, your talent with a needle and thread is amazing.” Sunset finally said. “But your thoughtfulness and generosity is just as wonderful. You always help others when they are in need, regardless of what they may require of you.” Rarity blushed at the compliment.          “Oh, well thank you,” Rarity said. “But honestly, it’s no bother at all. I wouldn’t want you to catch a cold because you didn’t have a blanket at school.” Sunset and Rarity shared a hug, before Applejack stepped up.          “Sunset Shimmer, I’m really going to miss you,” Applejack admitted. “You were willing to give up everything to come back to Equestria and make things right, and then when you fought that dragon, you were willing to give up your life to make sure that nopony got hurt. If there were more ponies like you in Equestria, this would be a much happier and safer place to live.” Sunset smiled at the compliment and looked at Applejack.          “I’m going to miss you too, Applejack.” Sunset replied. “Especially your unmatched integrity. You always tell the truth, no matter what, and that’s what makes you an especially wonderful friend. This world would be a better place if everypony learned to tell the truth, no matter what. Just promise me that you’ll do your best to tell the truth every day.”          “I promise, sugar cube.” Applejack replied, and reached into her saddlebag for her gift to Sunset, which turned out to be a large mason jar with a syrupy, rainbow colored fluid inside.          “This is my family’s most popular recipe, Zap Apple Jam. It’s made with a special fruit called Zap Apples that only grow once a year, and after harvesting the Zap Apples we use them to make the most delicious treats you can imagine. Just a little bit of Zap Apple Jam on a piece of toast makes you forget all your troubles.” Sunset smiled and gave Applejack a hug.          “I’ll really miss you, Applejack.” Sunset said.          “I’ll miss you too, sugar cube. You take care of yourself, all right?”          “I will, I promise. You take care of yourself, too.”          “I will.” Applejack promised, and stepped aside so that Fluttershy could say her goodbyes. Fluttershy was visibly upset, but Sunset consoled her with a friendly hug.          “Hey, it’s okay, Fluttershy, don’t be sad.” Sunset coaxed.          “But you’re going away to a scary new world, Sunset! We’ll miss you so much.” Fluttershy sobbed.          “Fluttershy, it’s okay, I’ve been to this world before and it’s not scary. And I’ll find some way to stay in touch with all of you, and maybe we can find a way for me to come back and visit once in a while. I promise, I’ll never forget any of you.” Fluttershy looked up and smiled warmly.          “O-okay, if you’re sure.” Fluttershy replied. “But I hope that this gift helps you feel a bit less lonely.” Fluttershy reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a cuddly stuffed animal, a white rabbit with long, floppy ears.          “This is Flopsy, my favorite stuffed animal from when I was a filly.” Fluttershy explained. “She always helped me feel safe when I was afraid or lonely, and I know that she will help you feel safe, too.”          “It’s wonderful, Fluttershy, but this is your favorite stuffed animal. Are you sure you want to let her go?” Sunset asked.          “I’m sure.” Fluttershy responded. “I’ll be happy knowing that she’s helping a friend feel safe. Besides, I can just give my pet bunny Angel a hug if I’m feeling sad or lonely.” Sunset Shimmer and Fluttershy shared one more hug before Twilight Sparkle stepped up and smiled at Sunset.          “Look at you,” Twilight said. “The first time we met, I was chasing you through the portal to Canterlot High after you had stolen that magical artifact. Your only goals in life were to achieve ultimate power and get revenge on Princess Celestia, but now… my, how you have changed. You’re a hero who single-handedly defeated the biggest and most evil dragon Equestria has ever known, you’ve gained the love and forgiveness of everypony in Equestria, including Princess Celestia, and now you’re going back to Canterlot High so that you can keep everyone safe from danger. You have really come a long way from the villain you once were, Sunset Shimmer, and I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.” Sunset was listening intently to Twilight’s every word with tears of joy streaming from her eyes.          “Do you really mean that, Twilight?” Sunset asked.          “I mean every word of it.” Twilight confirmed. Sunset enveloped Twilight in a hug, and cried on her shoulder.          “I’m going to miss you so much, Twilight! I would still be a horrible monster bent on world domination if you hadn’t intervened and taught me about friendship.” Sunset sobbed.          “Oh, don’t say that.” Twilight said. “You’re a smart mare, it wouldn’t have taken you long to figure out that friendship is the most powerful magic of all. You just needed a little bit of help finding your way.”          “All the same, I really appreciate all the help that you and your friends gave me in my time of need. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been before, and I have you and all of your friends to thank for that.” Sunset motioned for the rest of the group to join her and Twilight in a group hug, and they gladly obliged, embracing Sunset and laughing happily.          “Oh, and before I forget, here is my gift to you, Sunset.” Twilight declared and pulled out a small black box from her saddlebag. Sunset opened the box, and found that it contained a beautiful, flawless crystal hanging from a silver chain. Upon closer inspection, Sunset saw that the crystal contained the image of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle and Sunset Shimmer herself in a group hug. Sunset was speechless, but her feelings were conveyed via a single tear of joy running down her cheek.          “I took a picture of us hugging just now, and magically installed it in this crystal. Now you can have us with you wherever you go.” Twilight explained. Sunset’s only response was to hug Twilight and their friends closer as another tear of joy ran down her cheek. The group would have held onto that hug forever, but they were interrupted by the arrival of Princess Celestia.          “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt.” Princess Celestia announced. “But I wanted to say goodbye to Sunset Shimmer before she returned to Canterlot High.” The seven ponies bowed graciously to Celestia.          “Please, don’t bow down to me.” Celestia asked. “I consider us all to be equals. Besides, this is a very special occasion, and I don’t wish for it to be bogged down by royal formalities.” Celestia approached the group and produced a large box, from which she removed seven hardcover books. All of the books were brown with gold trim, but each of them had a unique embellishment on the front cover: the book that was given to Sunset Shimmer had the image of a blazing sun upon it, identical to the image on her flanks, Twilight’s book had a pink star with five smaller white stars around it, Pinkie Pie’s book had three balloons, and so forth.          “Princess Celestia, what are these?”  Twilight asked. “The mark on the front of this book suggests that it was made for me, and the marks on the other books suggest that they each belong to one of my friends. I thought you would have only given Sunset a gift, since she’s the one who’s leaving.”          “Yes, Twilight, Sunset is the only one who is leaving,” Celestia explained, “But she has a special connection to you and your friends, just as you and your friends have a connection to her. That’s why I created these seven remarkable journals: each journal is magically connected to the other, and whatever is written into one book will magically appear on the pages of the other six books. That way, no matter where you go or what you do, you will always have a way to communicate with each other.” The seven ponies stared in amazement at the journals in their hooves, and one by one, they trotted over to Princess Celestia and embraced her in a group hug.          “I know how much you want Sunset Shimmer to stay here in Equestria, my little ponies, and I wish she would stay, too. But ultimately, this is Sunset’s decision to make, and I believe that she is making a good choice to go to Canterlot High and help the students there.” Celestia admitted. “I will certainly miss you, Sunset, as will everypony in Equestria, but perhaps we can schedule a time in the future for you to return for a visit. In the meantime…” Celestia produced an eighth journal from her saddlebag, this one with a bright golden sun on its cover, identical to the mark upon Princess Celestia’s flanks. “I will expect you to stay in touch with me and your friends, and update us on any developments on your studies and activities in Canterlot High. Likewise, we shall stay in touch with you, and update you on events here in Equestria.” Celestia reached forward and gave Sunset a gentle hug, before concluding “Good luck, Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset returned the hug, and after a friendly smile and wave to her friends, she stepped through the portal to Canterlot High and returned to her human form. Sunset took a deep breath and looked around at the students milling about, talking on their cellphones, playing Frisbee on the lawn and completely failing to notice the student who had just stepped out of the statue at the entrance to the school.          “Let’s get to work.” Sunset said confidently as she walked up the stairs and entered the building.