//------------------------------//
// An Unexpected Reunion 
// Story: Under A Burning Sun 
// by SuperPinkBrony12 
//------------------------------//

When Sunset Shimmer put on the very same crown she had stolen from Equestria just a few days prior, she knew that her original plans had been thwarted. Now forced to take extreme measures, she was transforming in front of everyone into a literal demon. Her entire body looked like some otherworldly creature, complete with wings and hair that actually looked like fire.

"Spoiler alert!" Sunset declared as her voice took on a low, sinister tone. She was dropping all pretenses of being nice. "I was bluffing when I said I would destroy the portal. Because without it, none of what I'm about to do would be possible. And the best part is, there's nothing you can do to stop me, Twilight Sparkle." The last part of her speech was delivered with noticeable malice.

Twilight stood her ground, refusing to budge. She had the support of five high school girls who were the counterparts of her friends back in Equestria. And she could tell that the bonds she had forged with these five girls was just as special as the bonds she had with their pony selves. The magic of friendship would prevail, as it always did.

Yet as Twilight stood silent, staring down the one who had stolen her crown and forced her to journey to this world to get it back, she could see that Sunset was not alone. Magic from the crown was spilling over, appearing to take hold of everyone within Canterlot High.

"Thanks to your crown, I now have an army. An army I'm going to use to invade Equestria!" Sunset boasted as she flew closer to Twilight. "I didn't wanna have to do it personally, but you forced my hand."

Twilight just glared back at Sunset. "Your plan will never work, Sunset. Princess Celestia is on the other side of the portal, waiting for you. She'll stop you if I don't stop you first."

Sunset scoffed at the suggestion. "Please, don't insult my intelligence! You forget, I was Princess Celestia's student long before you were. I know her even better than you do. And I know she's too soft! As soon as I come through the portal I'll be sure to reveal that my army is really just a bunch of innocent teenagers from another world," A devilish grin broke out across her face. "She won't have the guts to risk harming innocent creatures. And with an army like this I have plenty of shields to protect me. I'll make her pay, pay for holding me back and denying me what was rightfully mine!" Then she turned her attention to Twilight. "As soon as I deal with you! You've been a thorn in my side for long enough! You must be destroyed!"

Everything seemed to happen at once! Sunset's hands began to glow with dark green energy that started to concentrate itself into the shape of a ball. Twilight refused to budge, and neither did her new friends who all stood by her.

"Twilight, what are you doing?!" Spike nervously commented, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to talk where others could hear him. "You have to get out of there! Sunset's gone crazy!"

"She has to be stopped, Spike! And the magic of friendship is the only thing that can do it," Twilight replied to the dog. "I've survived everything Sunset's thrown at me, and I wouldn't be much of a princess if I turned tail and ran away now," Glaring at the she-demon she cried out. "Do your worst, Sunset Shimmer! I will not let you invade Equestria if I can help it!"

Sunset just replied. "Very well, then be destroyed. But I'll tell Princess Celestia you put up a fight." She then hurled the ball of dark energy at the only thing that stood in her way!

There was a blinding flash as Twilight and the five girls dove for cover! A thick cloud of smoke blocked everyone's view of the ground just in front of the statue at the front of Canterlot High.

The smoke eventually cleared, and to Spike's horror he saw no sign of Twilight or the girls! Where they had previously been standing there was only a crater, the ground seared and charred black all around it! "No!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and promptly ran off with tears in his eyes. There was no way Twilight could've survived the blast.

Sunset Shimmer just grinned as she hovered over the blast area and smirked with triumph. "So much for the magic of friendship. But in the end, all that matters is that I get what I deserve," She then turned her attention to the statue in front of her. "Speaking of which..."





In the Crystal Empire in the magical land of Equestria, five anxious mares and three mighty alicorn princesses kept a silent watch over the enchanted mirror in front of them. They knew only that it was a gateway to another world, and that the portal would soon close. Once it did it would not reopen again for a considerable period of time, and if Twilight Sparkle did not return with her crown before then Equestria would be left defenseless.

Suddenly, the mirror started to shimmer! Something or someone was coming through it! The ponies all stood up, ready and waiting to greet what they were sure was Twilight Sparkle returning triumphantly from her adventure!

But their hopes were dashed and turned to despair quite quickly as the first figure to emerge from the portal was a tall, slender alicorn mare whose coat was a fiery red in color, with dark red on her hooves. Her eyes were a sickly dark green in color and full of malice. And her mane and tail looked like they were actually fire due to their bright red and yellow colors. Her midriff had a dark red color surrounded by what looked like yellow flames. But her cutie mark depicting a burning sun was still visible.

Only Princess Celestia seemed to know who this mysterious visitor was. "Sunset Shimmer?!" She let out a gasp!

The fiery alicorn cackled with glee. "Oh, so you do remember me. You sure didn't show it when you decided to replace me with Twilight Sparkle, your... puppet. But your prized protege is no more!"

Everypony in the room gasped, except for Sunset! Celestia stomped a hoof down as she struggled to hold back the tears. "What did you do to her, Sunset?! Where is Twilight Sparkle?!"

"She simply paid the ultimate price for standing in my way," Sunset coldly explained. "Though I am impressed that she was able to foil so many of my other schemes," Then she cleared her throat. "But I didn't come here just to crush your spirits. I came here to deliver a message."

Princess Luna stepped forward with narrowed eyes and a sparking horn. "And why would we listen to a word you have to say?! You show up here as an invader, having brought about the demise of one of our own, and you expect us to hear you out? Guards, seize this intruder and throw her in the dungeon!"

But Sunset waved a hoof. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, princess..." As she spoke several earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns all emerged through the portal and surrounded her.

"Is that supposed to scare us?"? Rainbow Dash remarked in an unconcerned tone of voice. "It doesn't matter how many ponies you've duped into coming with you, we'll take them all down!"

"Whoever said they were ponies?" Sunset said with a grin. "You see, the world beyond that mirror isn't like the world you ponies know. In that world everyone is a human being. And I should mention that the ponies you see before you are but innocent high school teenagers in that other world. So if you want to do anything to me you'll have to get past them first, because I've instructed them to protect me at all costs."

Although Rainbow Dash and a couple of the other mares wanted to fight, Princess Celestia threw up a hoof and silenced them. "We cannot risk harming innocent creatures," And she reluctantly sighed. "You have won, Sunset Shimmer, much as it pains me to say it. This was not the reunion I had hoped for."

"Well it was every bit the reunion I wanted," Sunset grinned. "Now, let's discuss your terms of surrender to me. Don't try to be clever, Princess Celestia, because I'll know."