//------------------------------// // Refugees // Story: Ashes // by corvipony //------------------------------// ( Note this takes a few years out from the end of high school for the cast of EQG ) Sunset Shimmer, former unicorn and student to Princess Celestia De Sol of Equestria , and current human of about 25 sat on a leather topped bar stool and strummed an acoustic guitar, as the first note she strummed out lingered   around the room she pondered ho she had got here and how things had turned out for her in this once alien world . She had fled to this world after a fight with her mentor in her homeworld, ruled Canterlot High as a Queen Bee then after being foiled by Twilight Sparkle she was reformed . It wasn’t easy for her after that , though, She had to deal with her guilt, learning to be a good person and the hardest of all was forgiving her friends for thinking she had been behind Anon-A-Miss and all the all hurtful rumors that were spread around Mystable . After that and then learning about the geodes and their powers, her group of friends grew closer and actually had a pretty peaceful time finishing high school . All things change though they say , and for Sunset they changed quite a lot . Twilight Sparkle went off to the other side of the country to  Hayvard as was expected but for Sunset this was harder for her to accept then she might admit . Rarity still lived in Canterlot but do to her working the fashion show circuit , it was quite hard to catch her with any spare time . Rainbow Dash was off playing for the Los Pegasus Shadowbolts, a fairly successful soccer club . Pinkie was currently travelling learning the way of parties in other cultures . Fluttershy and Applejack how ever stuck around Canterlot , Fluttershy took a job at the animal shelter that she had volunteered at as a teen .Applejack still helped on the farm at Sweet Apple Acres when she could but she had also been busy lately with agriculture classes ...to be a Teacher of it . No one had seen that coming but Sunset agreed with Applejack’s reasons . She had said to Sunset and the others “ No one is teaching these new farmers how to do it right and not mess up the land, they just use it and move on ...Ain’t the right way to do it , you have to work with the land not just abuse it and expect it to give it’s best “ . As for Sunset , She finished high school,  she had invested her money, most of which was from the gems she had on her when she first came to Cantorlot High , and brought a small bar that was located the top floor of one of the highest skyskapers in the city. No one really knew why she had picked a bar of all things to purchase but she just shrugged and said “ I love the way it looks up here at twilight “ It was common knowledge that any of her friends were welcome at her bar at anytime , Sunset lived in a small room behind the bar after all. She had hired Thunderlane to be her doorman and he knew to let any of their class or even their teachers up to the bar whenever they wished . Sunset strummed off a few more chords and hummed  as She looked out as the sun set and the moon rose in the night sky thinking to herself “ I got a room at the top of the world tonight “ . She thought to herself “ yeah I’m doing all right and I got someone that loves me tonight “  She sat her guitar down and stepped over to the bar and took out a bottle of bourbon , a bottle of Four Roses Small Batch and poured herself 2 fingers worth and took a long sip . She savored the caramel and vanilla notes as she sat facing the bar now thinking to herself “ I wonder how long it’s been since we all managed to get back together and meet up “ She gripped her glass and took a longer swig of the brown spirit this time and whispered “ I wish I could feel you tonight little one . you’re so far away I wanna reach out and touch you like they do on those things on the tv“ Her thought was broken up by the chime of the elevator , signalling that someone was up their way up to her little bar As soon as the polished steel doors of the elevator opened Sunset’s expression changed from one of longing to a friendly smile as she seen the yellow blouse and purple slacks of her former Principal entering her bar . She had become friends with this world’s Celestia during the Anon-a-Miss fiasco and even tho it as unconventional they had stayed friends after Sunset had left Canterlot High . Seeing Celestia here at this time on a Friday night was not a good sign thought “Another strike out ?” She asked as she moved behind the bar ready to serve Celestia her drink of choice . Celestia for her part just nodded as she sat on the bar stool that Sunset had just vacated not so long ago . Seeing that it was going be one of those nights, the orange skinned woman took out a bottle of Port Wine , a bottle of Sandeman’s 40 year Tawny Port and filled a glass for her patron.As she handed it over she considered if this was her fault too, a year after HS she had a talk with Celestia and convinced her to give dating another try but to this day the pearl skinned principal had no luck . The men either no showed or were only after one of two things . it just never worked out . Deciding to speak with her former student turned friend and now bartender  “ I’m glad I have someone here that understands...and cares “ Celestia said as she took a sip of the caramel colored wine in her glass . Sunset smiled, it as a true smile, “I’m just glad I have a place where my friends can come and have a drink and forget those things that went wrong in their life “  She filled her own glass and smiled softly this time looking nostalgic “ That is why I named this place Refugees, well I am one in a way..and here is a place where people can relax and find some peace  “ and it was true that she never minded supplying her friends with drink but she never served them more then she felt was safe or right too….. Her friends at all came when things went right in their lives and when they went wrong she was there for them as well, like when Granny Smith passed on in the night ….or when Pinkie broke things off with the traveling stand up comedian she was seeing for awhile . Rarity was there at her bar most often then Sunset really felt comfortable with but Rarity had just convinced her that “an artist has to let themselves go now and then “ . Applejack visited now and then but that as mainly to deliver some S.A.A Cider and some of the Big Red Reserve Apple Brandy that her brother made . Sunset chatted with Celestia about missed chances and lost loves over the course of the evening and she had sipped even more of her bourbon down and thought to herself “ Yes I have a room at the top of the world but tonight I wish you were here ….” "I love you please love me...I'm not so bad "