Sunset had kept the box Princess Luna had brought along with the other things she had collected from the Palace. All neatly set near the portal, so she would remember to return with the parcel and so she wouldn't be tempted to open the box early. Princess Luna wouldn't have asked her to wait without reason.
When it came time to go home, the visitors gathered in the library. Of course, many well-wishers were with them. “You'll have to tell me what is in that box.” Twilight had been burning with curiosity over the potential contents since Sunset had brought it in, mentioning the request from Princess Luna.
“Of course I will Twilight.” Sunset took the simple bag of things in her magic, it would be interesting to see happened when they took it through the portal.
“Come visit again soon!” Pinkie Pie said, bouncing up and down. “I have sooo many more cakes to bake for you!”
“I am quite glad that flying works off so many calories.” Celestia whispered to her sister, she had flown plenty with Rainbow, even if she hadn't equalled her first feat of a Rainboom. However, it had offset the amount of sweet treats she had indulged in.
“Fortunately for you, that seems to have been the case.” Luna smirked, she had enjoyed the feeling of the living earth speaking to her instead of eating as many cakes as she could. An hour of blissing-out onver the life of a tree had no fat content but was wonderful.
“We would love to have you visit again.” Princess Twilight waved as the group stepped through the portal to return home.
-*-
Anticipating the drop as she exited the portal, Sunset held to the bag and rolled with the force as she was ejected. Landing in the human world was much easier than landing in Equestria, she was so used to having two legs.
“Ouch!” Discord had landed, butt first onto the asphalt. He caught Celestia as she landed in his lap. “How nice of you to drop in.” He grinned and shuffled them away from the portal, wisely considering Chrysalis came flying out.
With a drop and roll that would bring a tear to any Drill Sargent's eye, she was poised and ready for action, which ended up unnecessary. With graceful movements, Luna landed neatly on her feet, bending her knees to absorb the shock. “Nailed it!”
It was fortunate that no students were at the campus, it would have been the sight of the century to spot the head of discipline doing a fist pump in victory.
“I'll fetch our things from the safe.” Celestia maintained her decorum as she stood and made her way to the office.
Sunset held back her curiosity, she had to wait until she was home to open the box Princess Luna had given her. Not least because memories of her birth mother would certainly be emotional.
-*-
Celestia collected the keys and the journal from the school safe, locking up behind her. Handing over Luna's and Chrysalis' keys, they parted ways. Sunset and Discord getting in to Celestia's car, it had been simple to leave it secure in the staff parking lot, along with Luna's car.
The drive home had a little extra anticipation on Sunset's part. Just what was she going to find in the box?
-*-
Home at last, Sunset went to her room, the bag from Equestria the most important thing on her mind.
Sunset sat on her bed and took everything from the bag. Setting the box of things sent from the palace aside. She looked over what she had brought back. It had been emotional to be in her old room, so she hadn't tracked exactly what had gone into the carry-all.
There were a few trinkets and keepsakes Sunset had from her stay at the palace. Items with good memories attached and a sentimental nostalgia she had ignored the first time she had packed and left. There were some plush toys, a little phoenix and an ursa-minor she had been gifted on her first night in the palace. Setting them aside, she picked out a scarf of Saddle Arabian silk and a small box she knew held the marbles that were part of a levitation exercise.
Relics of her time as a student to the Princess.
The plushies had been a comfort to the overwhelmed filly in a grand palace. True, her foster family had been well-off and she had not lacked comfort in their care. But their home had not been an actual honest royal palace.
It was an odd nostalgia she felt, Sunset took out the marbles and rolled them in her palm. The red glass of each was smooth and cool. She had only ever picked them up with her magic in the past, weaving them into complicated patterns, choreographed by her power to demonstrate her control. They were a pretty toy here, even with her magical skills, but they would be a reminder of a time in her life she had been happy.
Setting down the marbles, Sunset turned to the box. She'd had few possessions in the palace, all she could need was provided but never owned. One more thing that had fuelled her feelings of not belonging, to being out of place.
This box though, this was from her first home. Her home with her mother.
Opening the lid, the first thing she saw was a doll in the box. Oddly it was human shaped. She took it out, holding it gently, almost reverently, in her hand.
“Lady?” Sunset whispered in wonder, remembering the toy. Old and distant memories of being tucked up in her tall bed with her special doll, her mommy kissing them both goodnight. Before life had become so sad, then endlessly angry.
As a foal she had never wondered about the doll being a form not familiar to Equestria, when she was taken to the orphanage, Lady had been forgotten in her grief. The doll had slipped her mind as she grew up, now the memories were returning.
Sunset carefully set the doll on her bed for later. Lady was a mystery to work out after the box was emptied. There were still things left to look at, probably from the little cosy house in Canterlot,
Sunshimmer's things.
Steeling herself a moment, Sunset whispered. “Celestia is my Mom now, she loves me, she chose me. I am not alone, I have a family.” She needed to keep that in her mind. Remembering the loss would hurt and she would surely remember, looking at her Mother's things.
Jewellery; a few simple necklaces in colours and styles that would still look good here in the human world. A folded silk scarf, one Sunset remembered her mother wearing from time to time. Sunshimmer had been practical, not really wearing the fancy outfits like the Canterlot Elite and those ponies who wanted to be part of their society.
A purse was in the box, it looked really like a human accessory, but then something else drew Sunset's attention.
A book.
One Sunset had never seen before. It had the red gem and swirling pink streams that were Sunshimmer's cutie-mark; a common feature of personal notebooks and diaries in Equestria.
“A journal?” Sunset lifted the book out and started to scan the first page.
Hi Journal
Hey Book Thing
Whatever.
My name is Sunshimmer and the princess gave me this book so I could write out my thoughts and feelings, I can't exactly go talking to all the ponies about state secrets and concealed magical portals can I? She said that I can always talk to her, but as a giant horse goddess who rules a country and moves the sun and moon she gets pretty busy.
This world is really weird compared to Earth. But I am trapped here for something like three years nearly. Which kind of sucks. For a start none of my birthing plans were set up for a horse.
Sunset nearly dropped the book.
Her mother was from Earth.
Her mother had accidentally gotten trapped in Equestria while pregnant. Pregnant with Sunset.
“I'm supposed to be human?” Sunset whispered to herself, re-reading the words on the page.
There it was, in her mother's own words.
Sunset Shimmer was a human. Born a unicorn, but she was human.
Taking the book and doll in hand, Sunset left her room to seek Celestia and Discord. They had left her to look at the things brought back from Equestria, but she knew they would be close. She heard voices from the lounge.
“I enjoyed the other world, my form was entertaining indeed. But holding you like this? I could never compare phenomenal cosmic power to this.” Discord's voice was a low rumble.
The sound was comforting to Sunset as she tried to keep her balance, mentally, after this shocking news. She reached the lounge, Discord was sat on the couch, Celestia in his lap, they were cuddling and it was sweet to see.
“Sunset?” Celestia was immediately concerned when she saw her daughter. The look on her face was so conflicted.
“Mom. The book! I, I'm Human! I should be. Mom, she was! The portal-” Sunset hurried over, book in hand her words were scattered from this revelation. “The book!”
“Sit here Sunset, breath.” Celestia could recognise the onset of panic and guided the girl to a seat next to Discord. She took the book Sunset held, noticing the doll too. A doll that looked human, it was a puzzle but Sunset was most insistent that the book be read.
It was a wonderfully crafted book, it looked like the one Sunset used to speak with Princess Twilight. The cover was decorated with a mark she recognised from the grave marker in Equestria. It belonged to Sunset's birth mother.
Celestia opened the book and read the first page.
She read the page again.
“My goodness.” Suddenly the tragedy Chrysalis had uncovered became bittersweet. Sunshimmer had gone to Equestria. The woman had been trapped but still raised a daughter. Sunset Shimmer was a truly a human, conceived in this world even if she had been born in another.
“You're from here.” She said softly, handing the book to Discord, she lifted to cup Sunset's face in her hands. “You're from Earth.”