//------------------------------// // Ch. 4 - Merry Christmas, Sunset Shimmer // Story: A Shimmering Christmas // by Toon4Thought //------------------------------// The seven girls all slowly peeked out the door to find Sunset Shimmer sitting down on the nearest sidewalk, quietly sobbing to herself. “Oh dear,” Fluttershy said with concern. “I think our efforts have only made her feel worse.” “I am definitely not having fun right now…” Pinkie frowned. “I knew we shouldn’t have gotten involved…” said Rarity. But Princess Twilight didn’t want to back down. “Now, now,” she said, still secretly a little unsure, “we can still fix this with the right planning and art and…” Sci-Twi, however, put a hand on her counterpart’s arm to stop her. “Girls, I think we all are going about this the wrong way.” After a moment’s pause, she finally creaked the door open enough to let herself out. She slowly walked through the flurrying snow to directly encounter Sunset Shimmer once more. Sunset, having heard the footsteps from behind her, fought the tears as best she could, but when she turned toward the glasses-wearing girl, her eyes still looked bloodshot. As she figured out what her friends were all thinking, her eyebrows arched further, her frown somewhat decreased but still remained prominent, and her eyelids rose to halfway shut. Sci-Twi couldn’t figure out why, but she knew Sunset was acting concerned… for them? Sci-Twi struggled to come up with the right words to say, knowing the delicate nature of the situation. She looked back at the others, still looking from the doorway, who were starting to look a little worried themselves. “Sunset… what’s the matter? You know we aren’t afraid to help you.” Admittedly, the wording could’ve been better, but Sunset knew the newest member of the group could be a little awkward, and thus sympathized with her. After a brief pause and hesitance of her own, Sunset Shimmer began her response with a long sigh. “I know you girls were trying to help me, and… really, I appreciate it, but…” She struggled to not tear up once more as she forced her repressed memories into her mind. “I… can’t think of Hearth’s Warming after how much of a… jerk I was during all my time in Equestria. “I was already a little greedy with my presents, bragging about my magical prowess to my parents. And after I started studying with Princess Celestia, I not only became even worse over time, but I… never thought to visit my family again. I… didn’t care about them. I really was the worst unicorn ever on Hearth’s Warming…” Rarity was the next to step forward and get a word in. “But Sunset, darling, you know you shouldn’t let your past affect the future, and you’ve come such a long way!” Sunset sniffled. “I know Rarity, but… Hearth’s Warming is such a special and feel-good time of the year that I completely squandered. I had no real family and friends to come to since I came to this world, and even when I was around my family, I didn’t let them share their love with me. It-It’s the one thing where I basically hurt myself just as much as those around me, even if I didn’t know it at the time.” Pinkie Pie bounced in, standing between the three other girls outside and spreading her arms across them. “But it’s not like that anymore!” she said in her usual bubbly tone. “You’ve got us! And we’ve arranged a great big holiday party for you!” “You… you really shouldn’t have,” she said. “I don’t deserve it from you.” The rest of the girls finally joined in around her. Applejack spoke next, “Sunset, didya really think that ya were the only one to act a little naughty and greedy during the holidays?” Sunset quietly shook her head, but before she could speak, the farm girl continued. “When I was a little gal, I was always begging my ma and pa for every neat-looking toy I would see on TV. And I would cry and whine when I didn’t get exactly what I wanted… and I was like that for way more years than I would’ve liked…” She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “I was kind of like that too,” Rarity added. “Except I would always demand the most prestigious decorating or dress-making supplies I could find. I kept thinking Santa would always deliver it to me, no matter what the cost. However, my parents knew better than to just let Sweetie Belle and I have whatever we wanted, and I learned to better appreciate what I did have.” She looked at her fingernails, which were glistening in the light of a nearby street lamp. “Though spending a little extra on looking good never hurt…” “…I would hog all the rock candy from my sisters,” said Pinkie Pie, a little somber. “They were just always so tasty, and once I had one, I could never stop!” Rainbow Dash made her description more concise. “I would fixate so much on the holiday sports games, that I would always forget about my family.” “It’s when I would always have my biggest fights with Zephyr,” said Fluttershy. “He would always try to coattail off my presents, and it would eventually get to the point where I couldn't control my temper." Sunset Shimmer found it legitimately hard to believe that kind Fluttershy could really get that upset, but she still trusted her and the others' words. It all made sense to her now; everyone sometimes acted selfish or even bratty during the holidays, some more than others, but the Christmas spirit was still strong enough to last through the rough patches. All their loved ones forgave and forget, and their past deeds never stopped them from looking forward to the holidays and all the joy that came with them. She may have had to struggle and perform an extraordinary feat to win over CHS, but with her family... maybe she really does have a chance to patch things back up with them... Keeping her face down, she slowly trudged back inside the townhouse, where the girls carefully followed. She took another look at the decorations before her eyes finally settled on the portraits, all lined up in a row on the table. Apart from how odd it was to see her pony form after so long (she never exactly looked at a mirror during her last few drop-ins), she found her mind wandering onto territory she was never able to reach before: the truly happy memories associated with each event. Oh, how excited she was to dig into her presents as a filly, and how magical she believed the sight of snow was. And her parents were sure thoughtful about her gifts, as much as she didn't want to admit it at the time... She knew she wasn't confident enough yet to face her parents; it's not like she could drop in on them out of nowhere. But when the time was right, she really felt like she could try. But for now, perhaps she could create new holiday members with her friends right now. "So, you want me to be happy, girls?" Sunset playfully asked. "How's about we have a good time at that big tree downtown?" Sci-Twi backed up her idea by scooting nearby. "She really seemed to like it while we were out." "It was always my favorite thing about the holidays in this world, even before I really got to know all of you. I don't even know how to describe it, but there's just something so nice about it. No matter how much happiness it gives, it never asked for anything back." Half of the group considered it a fairly bizarre analogy, but they quickly got over it and took up Sunset's offer, happy to join along on what they know would lift her spirits. Sure enough, with nightfall having completely covered the region, the area was both prettier and more populated than ever. Unlike before, Sunset actually went up to see the tree up close, and it proved even more gorgeous and vibrant than the distant landscape she knew and loved. However, what made her feel best of all was the fact that she got to share it with all her best friends. They all laughed at one another as they shared some small but satisfying holiday treats, as well as fun little stories expanding on what they had told Sunset before about their holiday memories and traditions. It was Princess Twilight Sparkle, however, that directly approached Sunset Shimmer, with nothing more than a simple question in mind. "I've been meaning to ask, but why did you bring your backpack?" "I was hoping you'd bring that up," Sunset said happily. "I've been meaning to give these to you, and I simply can't think of a better time." She clipped off the bag and carried it in front, allowing her to zip off the biggest flap. She carried out six picture frames, each of which contained a portrait of Sunset alongside one of her friends, one for each. She handed them over to their respective recipients, one by one. "Merry Christmas, girls," she said sweetly. Upon receipt, the girls met each of the pictures with varying levels of surprise and fondness. Rainbow Dash's had herself and Sunset on the school's soccer field, after the latter had gotten a bruise on her knee. Fluttershy's depicted the two with their favorite pets, Angel Bunny and Ray. Sunset also shared herself and Sci-Twi helping each other on their homework, baking her first (rather disastrous) cupcakes with Pinkie Pie, riding her first native horse on Applejack's farm (and surprisingly quite enjoying it), and trying on new dresses with Rarity's gracious assistance. She then turned to Princess Twilight. "I'm afraid I wasn't prepared to prepare a portrait for you, but..." "Don't worry about it, Sunset Shimmer," the Equestrian Princess said, putting a hand on Sunset's shoulder and spoke in a surprisingly serious manner. "You getting into the holiday spirit thanks to the others and myself is enough of a gift for me." She suddenly sweetened up once more. "Merry Hearth's... I mean, err, Christmas." And the two interdimensional friends shared a warm cup of hot chocolate. "Aww, now I feel really bad that I didn't get a present for you!" Pinkie Pie said, breaking the brief silence among the group. "Come to think of it, I don't recall any of us buying anything for Sunset," Rarity added on. "Oh, girls..." Sunset said reassuringly, with the happiest smile she's had all day. "You've given me the reassurance I needed to enjoy the holidays after so many years, you convinced me to fondly remember the good times I once had, and you went through all that effort just for me." She nearly choked on her words as she shed a tear. "That's honestly better than any present I could have ever asked for." She wrapped her arms all around them as best she could, and embraced them in a tight, heartfelt hug. The emotion warmed their hearts from the cold, crisp air, and almost as if by magic, the star on top of the tree twinkled at that very instant. "C'mon girls, it's time for caroling!" Sci-Twi said, lining up in a circle alongside the other participating residents. Her right hand started a chain of her friends, supporting each other one by one as they connected around the shining tree. They all turned their heads back, encouraging Sunset to join in with them. With no hesitation, Sunset joined in between Fluttershy and Princess Twilight in the middle, and there she was, sharing a traditional festive tune and starting her holiday traditions anew. It really was her best Christmas ever.