When All of Your Wishes Are Granted...

by Coyote de La Mancha


...Many of Your Dreams Will Be Destroyed.

The girl struggled as hard as she could. She fought. She cried. She even bit. But he was bigger, stronger. His hands were hard as hooves, leaving bruises on her wrists as he dragged her down the old wooden stairs to the cellar below. She choked on the musty smell as he threw her onto the earthen floor. Daylight glinted on forgotten preserves, long spoiled and useless, surrounding her on ancient wooden shelves that lined the walls.
He reached up, pulled the old door closed against the sunlight. Then, slowly, he began to descend the stairs. Unbuckling, pulling his belt free.
Then, before her punishment truly began, her tormentor shimmered like a mirage. His calloused hands, his grey shirt, his beet-red face, all fading into mist. She was on her feet in an instant, gasping for breath, looking around her for whatever new enemy may have presented itself. Yet, there was none. The cellar was empty, its dust and mold forming the sunlight filtering down through the slots in the door above into swirling shafts of gold. From all around, a voice spoke to her, melodic and kind, unlike any other.
**Be at ease, young one. I am a friend.**
Wiping the tears away with a fist, she grabbed a glass jar. A bottle would have been better, but it would do. She opened her mouth to retort, even as she readied to smash the jar against the filthy concrete wall beside her. Then, she froze, eyes widening in sheer wonder.
The very walls of the cellar faded, shifted, drifted away like mist. Gliding majestically though them was the single most beautiful creature she had ever seen. The alicorn’s coat was the color of cobalt, with eyes shining with compassion and power. Her horn glowed azure, casting the last of the nightmare away. She was an angel of the night and soothing shadows, her wings spread out as though to encompass the very sky.
Sunset closed her mouth, unconsciously growing to her adult height. “I’m dreaming,” she said.
“Yes.” The goddess figure landed before her, looked at her quizzically. “I am Luna. I am the guide and guardian of dreams and nightmares.”
Sunset looked her up and down again. “Wow,” she breathed.
“Forgive me, but you… I do not believe I have seen one such as you before. From where do you come? I do not recognize you, nor even your species.”
“I… Oh, right. Yeah, I’m, um, I’m in a transitional period.” As she spoke, her body melted from its bipedal form into its more recent pony shape. Now on four hooves again, she looked herself over, obviously not displeased. “Huh.”
The newcomer’s expression was one of concern. “And… your dream, it seemed not merely a fear but a—”
“Yeah, bad times.” Sunset nodded. “I’m usually a pretty lucid dreamer. But lately, I guess it’s all the excitement, all the changes. Dream time’s out of control.” She shrugged. “No worries, I’ll get it back.”
The alicorn meanwhile, was nodding in realization. “But of course, I should have known. You are Twilight’s new friend!”
“Sure, you would know that. And I mean, I gotta say,” she trotted around Luna a little, “I’m not sure where I came up with you, but… wow.” Her voice was a little unsteady. “Not that I’m usually into quadrupeds, but, damn, if I were…” she paused, considering. “Maybe I’m adjusting faster than I thought. Like, crazy fast. Or maybe, some of the change from crossing over is neurological? So I’m more pony-wired? Hm.”
The alicorn started to reply, then reconsidered, her eyes shining. “There may be something in what you say,” she said instead.
“Sure! That makes perfect sense. So anyway, whatever the cause, I hit catharsis. I interrupted my flashback with a… God damn, fucking beautiful alter ego to bounce ideas off of.” She nodded. “Cool. Go team me.”
Her alter ego seemed pleased. “Think you so?”
“Okay, that’s just cute. But yeah, seriously. Amazing eyes, sexy voice, and then there’s those wings… again, I wouldn’t have thought I was the type, but wow. And holy shit,” she shook her head in awe. “That ass. Oh. My fucking. God.”
Her dream alter ego blinked, somewhere between blushing and stifling laughter.
“Indeed?”
“Oh, hell the fuck yes,” Sunset breathed.
The alicorn’s wings fluttered slightly, then she took a fortifying breath and made them still.
“Well,” she said, “as I am your guide, what would you know? What questions have you for me?”
“Um. Okay, questions,” Sunset muttered. Then, “Okay, I’m looking at a fresh start in Equestria. A new life. A new shot at everything.”
“Yes?”
“How do I do that? I mean, I’ve got the ultimate opportunity. I don’t want to blow it. Where do I start?”
“You could begin by trusting Twilight Sparkle,” The alicorn answered. “She is a good pony, and a good friend. She truly wants to help.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
“Yet, before even that, perhaps you should trust yourself.”
Sunset a raised an eyebrow. “Did you seriously just say that?”
The alicorn held up a hoof. “Please, hear me out. So many others have emphasized that they see something worthwhile in you, have they not? I merely suggest that perhaps they are right.”
“Maybe. But the person they think I am, that’s not… I mean, I want to be, sure, but... look, I’m Sunset,” she said, pacing around. “That’s not just when I was found. That’s been my whole life. I’m the one who touches a situation, and it’s either falling down, or it’s already fallen. The tower in flames, the lightning just struck. If I come in, things are coming to a close. I enter at the end.” She sighed. “Or I bring it.” She looked down. “And after me, comes ruin,” she said quietly. “Darkness always follows Sunset.”
“Yet, such a name need not have such a meaning. Consider Twilight Sparkle.”
“Yeah. A student of the sun, right? So, what follows the sun? Twilight. And she does sparkle. In a good way, I mean. She’s an amazing lady.” She shook her head. “But we’ve got different contexts, different lives. And that changes everything.”
“Then it sounds as though you have already chosen your solution.”
Sunset looked up again. “Yeah, part of it, anyway. This is a magic world. And Naming, like capital-N-naming, is a deep magic in most of the books I’ve ever read, deeper than spells. Pervasive. Subtle, but powerful. It identifies children, sometimes even helps shape them, even as they shape their name in return. And if you Name something with intent, it can give you power over it.”
“You have studied well.”
Sunset nodded. “Thanks. So, if Naming something gives you power over it, and Naming a child helps them focus their identity, then Naming yourself should grant you new power over yourself, right? A tool to re-shape your life. To become who you know yourself to be, who you want to be… even who you ought to have been.”
She looked away, running her hoof along her striped mane. “And that’s what I need right now. Not just a new start, but a new start on my own terms. It’s not enough to just change my address, or even my outer shape.”
Her eyes narrowed in determination. “I’ve got to follow through. I’ve got to define myself. I have to. Not my past. Not other people. Me.” She paused, then, “Does that make sense?”
The dream guide nodded. “It does, indeed.” Then, she considered the unicorn before her. “If I may ask, what shall your new name be?”
“Well, I always liked the ‘Shimmer’ part. I mean, sure, I always felt before like I was insubstantial, just a mirage that couldn’t matter. But ‘shimmer’ can also imply a motion of light. And more than that, a transformation. It’s a good name, and I want to really live up to its potential. My potential.”
“I like Shimmer as well. But what of your first name?”
“Well., I haven’t had many friends over the years,” Shimmer admitted. “But the few I’ve had, they called me Sunny. And I… really liked that. But I want to be a bringer of light, not its ending. Sounds cheesy, I know, but…”
“So, Sunrise?”
A rueful smile. “Yeah.”
“Sunrise Shimmer,” Luna said, as though tasting the name. “Yes. I agree: it suits well your fiery spirit.”
Sunrise smiled. “Aw, thanks.” Then, a new thought occurred to her. “Hey, do you think changing it will be hard? I don’t even know how that works here.”
“Well, who have you met by name, besides Twilight?”
“Um, well, nobody, really. Sure, we toured Ponyville, but she was seriously guarding my space. Like, a few people waved to her – I mean, ponies – but they were all like, ‘Oh, hey, Twilight… zip!’” she said, making a fleeing motion. “So, I think she’d kinda spread the word, made sure I got introduced to pony society one baby step at a time.”
“Then simply tell Twilight,” Luna smiled. “And I would say tell her why, as well. She will appreciate your reasoning. And when you are ready, no doubt you will be introduced by your new name. Your true name.”
“You know,” the unicorn reflected, “I think I’m ready now. This was probably the last thing I needed to do, just, you know, figuring myself out. Look,” Sunrise went over to her guide. “This may seem silly, but… well, no, it doesn’t.” reaching out, she embraced Luna in a fierce hug. After a second, Luna embraced her, as well.
“Thank you,” Sunrise said into the alicorn’s mane. “For listening, the feedback, everything.”
“It was my pleasure,” Luna smiled. “And thank you, as well.”
“Sure.”
After a moment, they separated again. Sunrise looked at Luna again, drinking in the vision of her: her eyes, her smile, the way she stood, even her scent. She was so beautiful it hurt. Sunrise shook her head in true regret.
“Wow,” she sighed. “There is just no fucking justice.”
“Because I am dream?
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, some things cannot be helped, I am afraid. Incidentally, Twilight gave you books to help your transition, I assume?”
“Sure.”
“Have you read about the governing body yet, or of Equestrian ancient history?”
“Not yet. I figured I’d start with modern stuff. You know, more immediate concerns.”
Luna nodded. “Yet you realize, she will want to introduce you to her fellow princesses eventually.”
Sunrise winced, ran a hoof along her mohawk. “Yeah, good point. I’ll start boning up. She’s pretty awesome, I don’t want to embarrass her.”
“You will not.” Luna glanced around them. “But it seems as though you are waking. I must go.”
“Yeah. Take care. Maybe I’ll dream you up again sometime?”
Luna’s smile was amused. “Mayhap.”
Then, the last vestiges of sleep were cast off, and Sunrise Shimmer opened her eyes with a smile.


Sunrise stretched, yawned, and rolled over onto the floor. She could hear someone trotting down the hall, past the door. Twilight was already up, of course, and full of cheerful energy.
Sunrise shook her head. Morning people. Too weird.
She enjoyed her shower (unicorns apparently had showers, as well as pancakes, which was awesome), less so the rest of her toiletry. Seriously, how the fuck did these people grip anything with hooves? Twilight said it was just muscle control and practice, but each leg seemed to end in something more like hard rubber than chitin or whatever hooves were made of back home.
Keratin, she corrected herself. Which is flexible, I guess. Like fingernails. Still, how ridiculous is this, it’s a fucking toothbrush…
The good news was, her hair seemed to have decided it was just going to stay an upright stripe, with minimal management. Good thing. A little bizarre, but if that meant not having to buzz-cut the sides of her head regularly – with hooves – she was all in favor.
Meanwhile, a toothbrush was still her nemesis. She stared at where it rested by the sink.
A fucking toothbrush.
Seriously.
At the same time, Twilight seemed to be running on the assumption that Sunrise loved apples. Which, okay, yeah she did. And not just for their effects on her teeth and breath, though for right now that was sure as hell part of the equation, since this brave new world was full of hope, and joy, and light, and magic, and absolutely no fucking thumbs…!
She sighed. Not that Twilight really needed thumbs, anyway. Or hooves, for that matter…
A new thought struck Sunrise as she stared at herself in the mirror. Maybe Twilight would be willing to teach her magic! She grinned at her reflection, thrilled at the thought.
The sun streamed in pleasantly as she exited her bathroom and finished off her hair. Then she grabbed a nice apple with rosy cheeks between her hooves, and took a bite.
Oh, that was so fucking good!
Then again, everything seemed to taste better on this side of the mirror. At least, everything vegetarian. Sunrise hadn’t wanted meat since arriving, and since everypony else was all veg all the way, she’d figured no sense in worrying about it.
Also, she’d noticed nobody swore around here. Sure, they’d say things like ‘hay’ and ‘feathering.’ But when she’d been out with Twilight there had been a couple of shopkeepers who had stared at her like they’d never heard the word ‘fuck’ before.
Sunrise swallowed, the sweetness of the apple forgotten. In her dream, she’d said she didn’t want to embarrass Twilight. But in reality, she had to admit: she already had. Twilight had played it off, but there was no getting around how those other ponies had acted, or how Twilight had to have felt about it. Which was not cool.
Up until now, if her life’d had a narrator, they’d better be ready to use the word “motherfucker” almost constantly. But now, she was here. When she’d been Sunset, she’d sworn like a sailor. As Sunrise, she would stop. And she would learn everything she could about Equestria and its people.
Today, she resolved as she donned her cloak. Right now.
“Well, you’re looking chipper this morning,” Twilight smiled as Sunrise exited her room.
“I reached a resolution,” Sunrise grinned. “Couple of them, actually.” She closed her door, then turned to her friend with eager eyes. “Tell you over breakfast?”
“That would be great! Plus, you can meet Spike.”
“Looking forward to it!”
A short time later, they were at the door to the kitchen.
“So, is Spike, like, your boyfriend?” Images of badass biker ponies cuddling with Twilight danced across her mind.
Twilight chuckled. “Not even close.”
A second later, the door was open, and Twilight watched as her friend’s eyes widened in wonder.
“Oh my god, this is so fucking awesome!”
Dammit.