//------------------------------// // 14 - Ascension // Story: Divergence // by RQK //------------------------------// …I … …am … …Sunset … …Shimmer …I … …am Sunset … …Shimmer … I am Sunset Shimmer. … …I have done it. … …I’ve saved the world. …I’ve saved my friends. … …I’ve solved reality. …And I am here. …I am here. … … …I am Sunset Shimmer. …This is me now. … …I’m here for the rest of time. …I’m buckled up. …I’m settled in. … … … …And. … …I don’t regret what I did. …I don’t regret it one bit. Twilight Sparkle watched as everyone departed. The citizens of Ponyville collectively trotted back toward town. Her friends escorted the students from the School of Friendship back the way they came. The world leaders and the Pillars of Equestria dispersed in all directions en route to their various homes. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna took to the skies, flying back toward Canterlot. Spike and Starlight escorted the visitors from Canterlot High back to the castle where they could take the portal home. She now sat by her lonesome, silently contemplating. Without a word, Tempest Shadow trotted up next to her and took a seat. She set her eyes toward the same direction that Twilight did and watched the others depart with her. Eventually, Twilight tilted toward Tempest. “Hey.” “Hey.” Tempest looked over. “You good?” Twilight pursed her lips and shook her head. “No… I mean, yes and no. I don’t know.” Tempest nodded sagely and looked forward again. “I get it. You’re bittersweet.” “Yeah. I guess I am. We saved the world. Again. But Sunset’s not coming back.” “Well, that’s how it happens sometimes,” Tempest said with a sigh. Twilight puffed her cheeks out but said nothing. A gust of wind blew through, bringing a chilling whisper as it caressed her mane. Above, a few pegasi broke a few pieces of the cloud layer off, allowing more sunlight to poke through bit by bit. “What are you going to do now?” Twilight asked. “Are you going to go back to what you were doing before?” “Spreading word about the Storm King’s defeat?” Tempest chuckled. “I don’t think so. Seems hardly necessary now.” She glanced up at her horn. “I think I’m going to go someplace and learn how to use my horn again.” Twilight nodded. “I see.” Tempest smirked. “Or I could join the royal guard. I could secure a command position in record time.” Twilight giggled and snorted. She then looked over and smiled in return. “Truthfully, I wouldn’t be surprised if you did just that.” “Yeah, but who knows? Maybe they’ll put me in the field. Or maybe they’ll assign me to guard you.” Twilight paused as she envisioned such a future. There could be Tempest trotting about her castle, keeping an eye on things, and there could be Tempest accompanying her on diplomatic missions, making sure she got home safe. That, or simple trips to the market. Tempest could fight any threats off. And there were threats out there. Tempest could watch her back. “That’s not such a bad idea,” she murmured. Tempest raised an eyebrow, stole a glance at Twilight, and then shook her head and chuckled. After a few more moments of silence, Tempest said. “Hard to believe this whole business started with you bringing Sunset over. Seems like a long time ago.” Twilight blinked. “Yeah. Given everything that happened.” “Do you think that was why the Map called you?” Tempest asked. At that, Twilight froze. Her mental gears momentarily stopped as she tried to recall what Tempest referred to. And then she gasped. “Oh! Oh my gosh! That’s right! Sunset and I were called down to the chamber. That’s right.” “You think it was all this?” “Well, I would think so. This seems like it was pretty big.” Tempest hummed affirmatively and stared at the ground in thought. “That’s interesting. Because, Twilight, I’ve been thinking. I’m wondering if we’re actually finished with all of this.” Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced over with alarm. “W-what do you mean?” Tempest narrowed her eyes. “It’s my understanding that the Map will also let you know when you’re finished, right?” Twilight swallowed. “W-well… yes. Our cutie marks light up whenever we finish a mission.” “So… has that happened yet?” Tempest’s stare intensified. Twilight shrank. “No… No, it hasn’t.” “Why?” Twilight blinked and then averted her gaze. “I… I don’t know. No no no. That doesn’t make sense. It should have. We were called for a Map mission, and it’s… not done?” Tempest stood up and turned to stare Twilight down. “Twilight, what does this mean?” “I… I-I don’t know.” Twilight stuttered. She zipped up to Tempest. “We did Consensus, didn’t we?” “Yes, so—” Twilight backed away and paced in place. “And the Storm Kings are defeated.” She zipped up to Tempest again. “Right!?” Tempest shrank. “Yes… I confirmed it.” After a moment’s consideration, Twilight groaned and shook her head. “Then I don’t understand. I don’t know. What’s missing?” Tempest narrowed her eyes and stood back up. “Are you sure you can’t get Sunset out?” “I… don’t know!” Twilight shuddered. “I don’t…” A moment of silence passed between them as Twilight hung her head. Eventually, Tempest stepped around Twilight and sat in front of her. After surveying Twilight’s expression, Tempest turned her attention toward the mountain. “I want to. I really want to. I just… if the mechanism for the seal won’t work anymore, then I’m not sure how,” Twilight said. “You know,” Tempest began, “I had a lot of time to talk with Grimb’vltr while we crossed the wasteland. They made a comment on how weak the fragment inside Sunset was. They said that she wasn’t strong enough to make any tethers.” Twilight nodded. “Well, yeah. I-I mean… we knew that from the beginning. No one else was having the same problems she was having.” She threw a hoof into the air. “Gosh, and I imagine that if the seal is so broken right now, this would be the easiest it’s ever been to break out.” “But she’s not strong enough to break out on her own,” Tempest concluded. “Yes…” Twilight hung her head. After a thoughtful pause, Tempest leaned over. “What if she had help?” Twilight blinked and looked up. Tempest turned so that she faced Twilight. “I’m thinking about what Sunset said. And I think she was right about one thing. Things happen when we work together. We can do things that we can’t do by ourselves. That was probably the big lesson we all learned in this.” Twilight sat there, her expression almost blank. Her eyes gradually became wider and her jaw began dropping. “So she can’t make her own tethers,” Tempest said. “I want to ask you something. If Sunset was able to make a tether, and she did… could she get out?” After a moment, Twilight swallowed and nodded. “Yes. She could. Just like the Nameless tried to do with me.” “Good. So, Sunset can’t break out of the seal by herself. But if I can get my horn back from all this, then I’m sure there’s room to get her out. You know that seal better than anypony. So if she’s not strong enough to do it by herself… go help her.” Twilight stared for a few moments more. And then, slowly but surely, memories came surging forward, filling her with thoughts of what she had done in the chamber what had to be forever ago. She gasped and stood up straight. Tempest smirked and poked Twilight in the chest. “You… already know how to help her, don’t you?” Twilight, who stared at Tempest with jaw-dropped and starry-eyed awe, slowly unfurled her wings. “Of course… Of course… I can’t believe I didn’t think about that.” She sucked in a breath and turned. “I should go.” “Yes.” Tempest waved her on. “Get.” Twilight shot into the air, screaming through the sky en route toward Canterlot, leaving behind a smiling Tempest. * * * Twilight rounded the corner and came across the cavern entryway to the chamber. She paused on seeing the stone double doors that normally led into the chamber; one of the doors had mostly recessed into the wall but the other stuck out and even stood at an angle with a large crack running right through it. She surged forward, passing between the broken doors. A dim white light, courtesy of the remnants of energy still present within the sigils covering every surface, lit the hemispherical chamber. Many of the rings were cracked and broken. Bits of stone rubble gathered underneath jagged cavities in the ceiling. Twilight gasped and looked around, soaking it in. “Wow… she wasn’t kidding…” Shaking herself focused again, Twilight trotted to the center of the chamber. She came across a large symbol that tied the room together; she knew the symbol sat atop a large pillar that currently lay recessed within the rings. There was a cavity down there. But this would do. Twilight sat on the center of that symbol and she stared into space. She lit her horn. Magic flowed from her and then around her and then spread across the floor. She spread her magic across the large symbol beneath her. “Sunset,” she said, “I know you probably can’t hear me. But maybe you can tell that I’m here. “I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve done this before. I’ve waited like this.” She glanced around, gaining, to no surprise, no response. Her ears picked up earthly tremors, low rumbles that seemed ever-present with this place. She shifted in her seat. “I know you might not be able to get out by yourself… And goodness knows I couldn’t get you out by myself either. But if we do this together… we can do it. I know we can. “So I’ll wait here. I’ll reach in, Sunset. I’ll give you something to tether onto. I’ll do it for as long as I have to, okay?” Her expression firmed up. Her heart raced. She even felt a tingling in her insides, not unlike when she had first stepped into the chamber way back when. “Please… Sunset… find me. Grab onto me. Come back to me.” * * * … …I am. … …Sunset Shimmer. … …I am here. … …And. … …something. …is there. … …Something is there. …Something is pulling me. … …No. … …I am. …I am pulling. … … … …There is. … …a light. …There is a light. …I see a light. …I want to go toward the light. I want to go toward the light. I am here. Please let me toward the light. Let me go closer. … Let me go… Let me go. Let me go! “Sunset Shimmer!” … “…” …Princess Celestia? “I see you. I see you. But…” What? “You’re not truly here. You’re not entirely here.” Where is here? I don’t see anything. “You don’t… see?” I… no… What is this? “…” What place are you talking about? “...This place is a special place. It’s a place very few will ever have the privilege of visiting. If I had to describe it… it’s an ethereal place full of stars. It goes on forever. You can ask Twilight more about it if you like. She’s been here before too.” She has? “I know you can’t see it, but yes. She came here when she proved herself. She came here when she completed herself and earned her place. She came here when she was ready.” Ready? “Yes. Ready for the next step in her journey. And now… you are here… somehow.” A-ah… yeah… I don’t understand how I got here either. I was just trying to get out! I was chasing a light. I… how did I get here? “…” … “I see what’s going on.” What? “I see, Sunset. I think you are indeed on your way out.” Okay. “But… some part of you had to pass through this place first. That’s why you’re not all the way here.” Huh… That’s strange, I guess. “Since I have this chance… I need to thank you, Sunset.” For what? “It would seem that somepony did a little something and left me a fixed mirror portal.” … A-ah, well, you know… Grimb’vltr and I thought it would be nice… “And that is why I am completely convinced about you, Sunset. You have definitely earned what you have.” And what’s that? “If what I think is happening… is happening… you will see what as soon as you get out. And… for what it’s worth… I think that they will suit you just fine.” * * * Sunset Shimmer’s eyes flew open. Her world, filled with a blinding white light, slowly faded into a duller light that revealed walls and floors of stone around her. She blinked as her senses came online. She could feel her hooves touching the floor; she had to be standing up. She could feel air nipping at her coat; she had to have a coat. Her body felt more wholesome and physical, but also more energetic. Sure, her backside tingled, but she otherwise felt like she could stand a little straighter than before. She sensed all of this and sensed that it was real. She had to exist. She had to be somewhere. She finally centered her gaze on an entity right in front of her. Said entity was a lavender alicorn who currently stared at her with a growing smile. “…Twilight?” Sunset slurred, blinking. Twilight stepped forward, looking awestruck. “Sunset Shimmer…” Sunset’s jaw dropped. “You… It’s you… you came back for me.” Twilight vacantly nodded. “Of course…” Sunset sobbed but couldn’t help but smile. “You came back for me!” she cried. Sunset surged forward. She grabbed Twilight by the sides of her head, running her hooves all over to see if Twilight herself was real. She then hugged Twilight tight, prompting Twilight to yelp. Eventually, however, Twilight returned the embrace. “There’s no way I would leave you there, Sunset,” Twilight said, stroking Sunset’s back. “Not if I can help it. I’m just glad you were able to find me.” Sunset giggled and pulled back to look in Twilight’s eyes. “It… well, I don’t know. It wasn’t too hard. I just followed the light in the darkness, you know.” Twilight giggled in return. “Well, then I’m glad I could light your way, Sunset.” She pulled further back. “But… this… I didn’t come prepared for this.” Sunset tilted her head as a confused smile spread across her face. “What?” Twilight pointed while unfurling her wings. “Look…” Sunset blinked. Her thoughts paused as she considered where Twilight was pointing—slightly off from herself—and the tingling sensation that had been her backside. No, it was not her imagination. Sunset looked over her withers. And she spotted feathers, all lined up and attached to her back. Wings. She had wings! Sunset gasped. The wings on her back ruffled in response. Neigh, she had ruffled them herself. And then they flexed—she flexed them, stretching them outward to see them. Beautiful amber wings spread from her back. She even reached up and stroked them with her foreleg. It felt real. It was real. Sunset looked back at Twilight who now wore the goofiest grin Sunset had ever seen. And Sunset chuckled before she returned to admiring her new appendages. “Huh…” she eventually murmured. “Imagine that…” “You did it…” Twilight cooed. Sunset scratched her head. “I… guess I did… Gosh, and I wasn’t even thinking about it anymore.” She stole another glance at Twilight. “Well, okay, maybe I was a little bit.” Twilight giggled. “Funny how that works. But I think they suit you.” At that, Sunset fully faced Twilight again, raising her eyebrow as she went. After a moment, she tentatively said, “They suit me, huh?” Twilight’s smile faded. “Well, yes.” “Huh, that’s interesting.” Sunset pointed over her withers. “I heard Princess Celestia’s voice just a bit ago, and she said the exact same thing.” Twilight gasped. “Wait! You heard Princess Celestia?” “Yeah. She said I had passed through someplace right before I popped out. She told me you had been there before.” Twilight snorted with disbelief. “Well, that’s something. She did the same thing with me right before I ascended.” She pointed at Sunset again. “I guess she knew it was your time too.” Sunset shrugged and glanced at her wings again. She folded them in and out a few times, her smile broadening with each movement. Finally, she pulled her wings back in and glanced around the chamber. She now spotted the various cracks and holes and noted the dead white walls. She let her smile fade as she thought about it. “So… hey,” she began, “how is everyone else doing?” “Everyone is doing fine. We made up with the other nations, the Storm King is gone… everyone at Canterlot High went home.” Twilight giggled and shrugged. “We’re feeling good enough to keep the School of Friendship open. That’s a big plus.” Sunset giggled in response. “Hah, yeah, I can see that.” “But…” Twilight’s smile faded. “Adamantine is gone.” Sunset frowned in return. She shook her head. “I guess. Yeah. I got the feeling. How was she?” “Ah, you know… I think she took it well. She was at peace with it. Kind of like you were.” “Ha. Yeah…” Sunset shrugged. “And…” Twilight’s voice grew somber. “I’m… really, truly convinced that it’s all over. We are actually done.” She looked at Sunset. “I don’t think anything else could possibly happen. Not with this.” Sunset looked into space for a few moments. A knot moved up and down in her throat. “What a concept,” she simply said. “We actually buckin’ did it. I’m still not even sure how…” “Gosh.” Sunset sucked in a breath and shook her head. “I… I-I still feel like we shouldn’t have gotten this far. It’s just… too incredible. I don’t know how we got this far.” Twilight stared. “Because of you,” she sagely said. “How?” “You’ve…” Twilight sputtered. “You’ve been the anchor in all of this from day one. Honestly, so much of this is you. You’ve… you were the one that always figured everything out.” Her voice quivered as she said, “I’m a little jealous.” Sunset snorted. “Don’t be.” Twilight turned. “You saved my life. You figured out the infinite. You figured out the other timelines. You gave that all to us. And then you solved it all.” She flung a hoof into the air. “You won.” Sunset blinked. Her eyes remained plastered to the ground as she cycled those words through her mind again. “I… won…” Twilight nodded. “Yes. And now you’re here. You’re out.” Sunset swallowed. “I’m… out… yeah.” “Hey.” Twilight leaned over. “Are you okay?” Sunset’s lip quivered. I’m… out. Yeah. I’m out. I’m actually out. I’m not sealed away for all eternity. I… did it all, she thought. She felt her heart beating in her chest—a real heart that proved she was alive and real with each beat. I actually did all that. I did the impossible… I did it a lot. She felt some wetness in her eyes. I did everything right somehow… and I guess I... get to go home. I get to go home. Sunset whimpered. Sunset sobbed. Twilight stood up and walked over to Sunset. “Hey…?” “Stars.” A few tears slid down Sunset’s face now and she finally cradled her face in her hooves, content to cry into them for a few moments. “Hey! Hey…” Twilight placed a comforting hoof on Sunset’s withers. “It’s okay! It’s okay.” Sunset sobbed and nodded. “I know,” she whimpered. “I know. I guess I didn’t really realize that until just now.” Twilight sniffled and wiped her face with her free hoof. “I understand.” After a moment, Sunset giggled bitterly. “I’m really looking forward to not having to see this place ever again.” Twilight giggled through her teeth and nodded. “You know? Me too. I don’t even want to think about this ever again.” Sunset laughed. “Okay. True. Except we both know that last part’s bullshit.” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What do you mean?” Sunset looked up with a mirthy smile. “Let’s face it. I know you, Twilight. There’s a lot of science you could get out of this place. A lot.” “Ah…” Twilight backpedaled and chuckled nervously. “I mean, you’re not wrong. But after everything…” Sunset shrugged and laughed. “I know I’m not wrong.” Twilight blew a raspberry but said nothing. In the moment of silence that followed, Sunset wiped her face free of tears. A few errant sobs made it through, but via careful breathing on her part, those disappeared altogether. Finally, Sunset found the state of mind to sit up straight again and let out a long, wistful sigh. “So, Sunset, do you want to go ahead and go on up?” Twilight asked. Sunset pursed her lips as she thought. She eventually shook her head and looked over. “Honestly… I just want to sit for a bit, and just…” she said, trailing off as words failed her, “sit…” Twilight grinned and nodded sagely. “We can do that too.” Sunset waved her off. “I mean, if you want to go up yourself, I won’t stop you.” “No, Sunset. I want to do what you want to do. If you want to stay here, then that’s fine. I’ll stay too.” Sunset tilted her head. Her heart skipped a beat. “Are you sure?” “With you?” Twilight swelled. “Always.” * * * Sunset’s hooves dug into the ground as she trotted along. The crystal walls had since changed back into dirt ones and a few mining tools lay here and there. Long, unlit torches jutted out of the walls at frequent intervals. Twilight trotted right next to her, right where she belonged. A light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Sunset straightened up as they approached it, gaining a noticeable length in her stride. They drew closer and closer and the light, in turn, grew brighter. The sun’s rays caressed them, splashing color into their coats. The sun itself hung at a bit of an angle in the sky; an afternoon angle, as Sunset figured it. She scanned the site about the cave entrance, filled with mounds of dirt and even more abandoned tools. And she saw them all standing there. There stood Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, looking tall and regal and proud—proud of her, perhaps. There stood Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, who now wore wide smiles. There stood Starlight Glimmer, Spike, and Tempest, whose smiles then faded to awestruck shock as they craned their necks to see Sunset’s wings. There floated Discord who watched with a bemused grin and chuckled as those below him collectively gasped. And there stood uncle Blue Streak, aunt Solar Flare, and cousin Sunrunner who couldn’t help but stumble forward. Sunset swelled. “Hey…” she said with a wave. At once, Pinkie Pie dashed forward, followed by Rainbow Dash. The two plowed into her and the three flipped over in the dirt. Sunset laughed as the other two screamed and cried and otherwise laughed. Starlight teleported over and the others ambled over shortly after, gathering around Sunset. “You’re back!” Spike cried. “Sunset!” Sunset rolled about, causing Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to fall off her. She then looked up. “Yes! I’m out!” “Oh my goodness!” Rarity exclaimed, fanning herself. “Oh my goodness!” Discord gave a mad cackle. Tempest chuckled. “Welcome back.” Twilight bent over them and tried to clear them away. “Alright, alright. Let her stand up already!” Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie stood up and gave Sunset the space to stand herself up soon after. Sunset dusted herself off and glanced around. “Sunset!” Blue Streak said, stepping forward. Sunset’s eyes widened as she turned to face him. She then ran up and hugged him. “Uncle Streak!” You’re here!” She then looked over. “Auntie Flare! Runnie!’ she cried as she exchanged hugs with them as well. Solar Flare laughed and wiped her wet face. “Of course we are. Somepony told us you were okay,” she said, motioning to Celestia. Celestia smiled warmly in response. Sunrunner spread her wings. “Shims… Wings...” she croaked as she pointed. Sunset twisted to see her own wings, making sure they were still there. “Yeah… I’m an alicorn now.” “It’s just as I thought, then,” Celestia said. Everyone paused and slowly turned her eyes to Celestia. Celestia herself straightened up as she considered their perplexed frowns and their raised eyebrows. Sunset’s mouth swished from side to side. “Yeah. Huh, that really was you, wasn’t it?” Celestia smiled a knowing smile. “Of course. I have a knack for knowing when these things happen. Sunset Shimmer,” she said, leaning forward so that she came nearly level with Sunset, “I do believe that now you have completed yourself, and you have earned your place.” Luna stepped forward. “Yes, given this development, we could actually crown you as a princess, Sunset Shimmer. I know that is something you’ve wanted for quite some time, historically speaking.” Sunset’s eyes widened. She backpedaled, even. Everyone else besides Celestia and Luna either gasped or donned wide-eyed looks. Discord himself shattered into several pieces which all clattered to the ground. “You mean… Princess Sunset?” Starlight wheezed. “That we do,” Celestia said. “Sunset, you have shown tremendous growth since you left my tutelage and made a home for yourself in the other world. You’ve become a mare of exceptional integrity, compassion, and determination, and you’ve displayed all the qualities of a true leader. You’ve shown the depths of your love for your friends and those around you through your trials and your sacrifices. I have no doubt that you would make for a great Princess of Equestria.” Sunset forgot to breathe. She simply stared. “Princess…? Me…?” she wheezed. Twilight beamed. “Oh my gosh! Sunset!” She grabbed Sunset by the withers and couldn’t help but jump up and down. “This is good news! You’ve finally done it! You’re a princess!” In a flash, Discord reappeared next to Celestia. “Hang on just a moment. You’re making Sunset Shimmer a princess? And here you had put all this work into grooming Twilight Sparkle for the position of princess; I’m under the impression that she’s going to take over someday—” “Uh, I’m sorry?” Twilight tried, blinking. “—and here you go just making Sunset a princess, just like that?” Discord put his claw and paw on what served as hips on his noodly body. “Well, that’s out of the blue, don’t you think?” Luna narrowed her eyes. “She’s an alicorn now.” “That’s hardly a basis for government,” Discord countered. “W-well, yes… but it’s an indicator of how ready she is for the position.” “One of many,” Celestia agreed. “It is an important one, as it signifies that she possesses many of the qualities becoming of a princess.” Starlight raised a hoof. “Uh… you know… she also did solve literally everything, if that helps.” A moment of silence hung about. Several blinked and raised eyebrows. No one otherwise moved. Eventually, Rainbow Dash snorted. “That’s a heck of a way to put it,” she said. Discord shrugged as everyone else below him chuckled. “I’ll give you this: you’re not wrong.” “Wow… gosh…” Sunset scratched her head. “I don’t believe it… I mean… sure, I’ve wanted to be one for a while. And it would be nice…” “Yes! We would be so good together,” Twilight said. “You and me, Princesses of Equestria. We’ll do such a good job!” Sunset chuckled and laid a hoof on Twilight’s withers. “You know, I bet we would, wouldn’t we?” She paused. “Would I move in with you?” Twilight giggled. “I wouldn’t mind that one bit.” “I mean, I would have to move to Equestria, I bet. Might as well…” She paused as her smile faded. “Oh… but…” “Sunset?” Sunset looked up at Celestia. “That… would also moving away from home, wouldn’t it? That would… mean leaving my friends, wouldn’t it?” Twilight’s smile also faded, and she looked over. All others turned their eyes to Celestia. Celestia cleared her throat. “Well, in order to prepare for being a princess, you would have to spend quite a bit of time learning how to be one, because you would have to know what all of the duties are and how to perform them, and then you would have to actually perform some of those duties. It wouldn’t be to the same level of commitment as it is to Luna and I, but it would still be somewhat time-consuming.” “So, in other words, most likely,” Luna added. “That’s…” Sunset trailed off. She shook her head. “No. T-that… that’s a deal-breaker.” “Sunset…” Rarity tried. “I thought this was what you wanted for the longest time!” “Like, I’m not against it, though!” Sunset barked. “Like, if you’ll make me a princess, then sure, but right now…” She swallowed and straightened up. “Right now, I have friends that I really want to get back home. I have a life that I want to get back to.” She looked around. “I want to go back to them. That’s all I want,” she pleaded. Everyone else donned solemn frowns and hung their heads. Celestia nodded sagely. “It occurred to me that you might say that.” Sunset paused. “You did?” “I can distinctly recall you turning down a celebration in your honor in favor of returning to your friends, once,” Celestia mused. “So this is no surprise. Sunset, your choice is perfectly acceptable.” “Oh… Okay.” “Besides...” Celestia smirked. “I never said this had to happen right away.” “Ah, yes. These things would take some time to facilitate anyway. There would be preparations on our part to give you the title, which wouldn’t take terribly long, but they aren’t immediate either.” Luna stroked her chin and chuckled. “Perhaps we’ll do it later rather than sooner.” “Perhaps, say, after your friends have graduated high school and go their separate ways.” Celestia paused. “That is something that will happen, isn’t it?” Sunset nodded. “Yeah…? I think so.” “Then perhaps we can save this conversation until then,” Celestia continued. “You can take all the time you need and live out whatever life you would like to live with your friends in the other world. We won’t force you to abandon it—or them. Just know that this opportunity is waiting here for when you are ready.” Sunset puffed back up and nodded energetically. * * * Flowerbeds lined each side of the cobblestone path that led into the large, open area. Immaculately trimmed hedges lined the border of the rectangular space. The path itself led up to a structure flanked by small fountains that trickled with running water. Sunset and the others sat in the shadow of a large statue several times her size. Two stone figures stood atop the simple cubic base. The larger of the two was a quadrupedal creature with smooth, almost slimy contours, sitting tall and proud. The body itself took after a pony’s, complete with a pronounced snout. Grimb’vltr’s smooth orbs for eyes made it impossible to tell where the likeness’ gaze pointed toward, but they held their head toward the heavens. And right underneath sat a much smaller alicorn unmare wearing a soft, hopeful smile. Adamantine sat in her master’s shadow, also looking upward. Discord drew back and motioned to the statue. “I must say, I captured the two of them pretty nicely, wouldn’t you agree?” Fluttershy smiled and clopped her hooves. “Oh, Discord, it looks wonderful.” Discord smiled and folded his hands together. “Thanks, Fluttershy. I’m glad you like it.” “Ah reckon they’d like it too,” Applejack said, adjusting her stetson. “Alright,” Celestia said, floating the remains of the crystal ball forward. There had to be a good hundred small chucks to it. “Why not put these in next?” Discord carefully considered all the gathered fragments and then glanced at the cubic base. The base itself had the design of an open book on its face, the words Twilight and Sparkle heading each page. Below lay some descriptive text and then some dates; one deathdate and two birthdates. He then snapped his fingers and the face disappeared as did the fragments in Celestia’s magic. In a flash, the fragments reappeared embedded within the base itself, spanning the entire face. They glistened in the sunlight. Twilight stood at her full height and cracked a sad smile. “Twilight?” Spike asked, grabbed her leg. “Are you okay?” Twilight sighed and nodded. “I’m fine. I can always find a new place to be buried. Well, actually buried.” Pinkie Pie laughed. “Yeah.” “Oh, but hopefully not for a while yet,” Rarity said. “These sorts of things are simply exhausting on an emotional level.” “Eeyup,” Applejack agreed. “Here’s hopin’ we don’t gotta do anythin’ like this ever again.” Everyone present exchanged hums of affirmation. Discord tapped his chin with his claw as he looked around. “Hmmm. There is one more thing that I would like to add to this… Let’s see…” He passed over Celestia and Luna, Starlight and Spike, and he passed over Tempest. He finally settled on Sunset. He smiled. “Hold still, my dear,” as he folded his claws together and poked Sunset in the back. Sunset yelped and buckled somewhat underneath. Rainbow Dash lurched forward, flying right up to Discord. “Hey! What’s the big idea!?” she yelled, getting right in his face. “My, Rainbow Dash,” he replied, pushing her away with his paw. “I’m simply extracting the Nameless fragment from Sunset here so that I can put it there.” He motioned to the base with his paw. He then looked down. “You don’t need it anymore, do you?” Sunset shuddered and glanced up. “No…?” Starlight narrowed her eyes. “Wait wait wait. Now you can get it out?” Discord pulled. What looked like a solidified, jagged mass of black slime emerged from Sunset’s body. He held it up for a moment, admiring its features. “Well, of course. It’s much easier when it’s not spread across multiple timelines. I was confident that you knew this.” Twilight pointed at him but looked at Starlight. “He’s right.” Starlight scratched her head and deflated again. “Yeah…” Discord snapped his fingers again. The fragment disappeared and then reappeared with the fragments of the crystal ball, taking a spot in the middle of all of them. Sunset arched her back, noting a certain lack of a solid sensation within her chest which she swore had been there for months. She cooed and moaned, relishing how unobstructed she felt. Twilight giggled. “All better, huh?” Sunset almost melted. “Oh. Yeah. You Bet.” She groaned with satisfaction. Discord chuckled and then motioned toward the base. “Okay,” he announced, “now it’s ready for the text.” Sunset nodded and straightened up. “You got this.” With another snap of his fingers, a few lines of text appeared etched into the stone’s face. With that done, Discord floated over to Fluttershy and shrank himself down so that he could stand head to head with her. As everyone fell silent, Sunset straightened up and trotted forward and read it over. Here we memorialize Grimb’vltr who flung far more light than shadow into the future and gained true redemption. Here we memorialize Queen Adamantine whose love, kindness, and overwhelming sense of goodness and purity saved us all. Sunset couldn’t help but smile, especially as a gust of wind came through and caressed them all. As her friends of Equestria—Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Spike—stood behind her, as her companions who had also walked paths of darkness—Starlight Glimmer, Tempest Shadow, and perhaps Discord the draconequus too—stood to her left, as the royal sisters—Celestia and Luna—stood behind her, and as Twilight Sparkle stood right by her side and considered the statue with her, Sunset thought about them all. They now stood here with her. They had all made it. She heard whirring and whining, and Sunset paused. She looked over her withers to see her cutie mark glowing and spraying out several sun-shaped symbols. Her eyes widened. She then spotted Twilight’s cutie mark similarly whining and shooting out star-shaped symbols, which Twilight also watched with wide eyes. Sunset then met Twilight’s eyes. And a starry-eyed grin spread across Twilight’s face, an expression that Sunset somewhat reciprocated. With awe in her eyes, Twilight looked back up at the statue. Sunset swelled, ruffled her wings, and returned her gaze as well. It was done. There was nothing left to do. Looking at Grimb’vltr’s and Adamantine’s likenesses now forever captured in stone, and remembering what she had gone through with them and because of them, Sunset followed their gazes to the clear blue, promising skies above. They were probably looking down at them right now, smiling. What had once started with a split and a descent into madness later became a fight for a life, delving into infinity, exploring and saving realities gone different, fighting for some poor souls, and finally had become one last sacrifice, a few schisms, a few reconnections, and a few battles on the side, was now well and truly behind her and the rest of them. Six thousand years, and everything that had come with it, had come to a close. And today was a new day. And so too would be tomorrow. A contented, relieved smile spread across Sunset’s face.