In the early morning hours, far earlier than what Sunset was accustomed to recently, Sunset boarded the Hogwarts Express in Londinium. Packing light, she easily made her way down the train's main corridor, looking for the most empty compartment available. To her relief, she wasn’t getting much attention, despite the antlers jutting out of her forehead. She assumed it was because while she was the only Equestrian Elf aboard, she certainly wasn’t the only one in general. Despite this region of the Federation being mainly human dominant, the novelty of knife-like ears seemed to have waned, nonetheless.
It didn’t take long for her to find what she was looking for, either, and she quickly made her way inside. The compartment, like the rest of the train, was comfortable, but fairly spartan and ordinary.
‘Humans don’t seem to have the love for colorful aesthetics Equestrians do.’
She winced slightly, mentally kicking herself for making such a generalization.
‘Well, at least these particular humans.’
The last thing she, a stranger in a strange land, wanted to do was to start compartmentalizing the people she would be spending time with.
She sighed to herself, trying to get her mind off things by glancing out the window.
The train station was quite busy. Both non-magically inclined humans (or ‘muggles’ as they were called locally) and black-robed Hogwarts students were scurrying all about, the latter saying their goodbyes to their parents or guardians. Nothing to write home about for the most part, though there was someone curious among them that caught her eye.
One student, who otherwise appeared to be a normal, teenage human girl holding a flower pot, had a rather peculiar individual walking with her. She appeared to be some form of humanoid goat, white furred with long, floppy ears and a pair of tiny, white horns. Despite her somewhat intimidating appearance, she wore a kind look in her eyes as she knelt down to be face to face with the girl. Sunset could just barely hear their conversation through her open window.
“Are you sure this is what you want to do, my child?” she asked. “You could always come with me and the rest of the teachers.”
The ‘child’ blushed slightly. “Come on, mom, you know that would be embarrassing…”
Sunset raised her eyebrows. ‘Mom?’
“Yes, yes, you’re right,” the goat woman sighed. “To tell you the truth, I suppose I’m just a little nervous. I’ve… never been alone around this many humans before.”
The young teenager giggled at that. “Is that what this is about? You’re going to be fine. Great, even! If one talk isn’t all it takes for them to like you, it’s they who have the problem.”
The goat woman smiled warmly. “Even if I make too many bad jokes?”
“Especially if you make too many bad jokes!” the ‘child’ beamed.
“Ugh, for crying out loud!” a new, aggressive voice chimed in. “Can we get this disgusting lovefest out of the way already and get on the friggin’ train?”
Sunset’s eyes widened. The voice appeared to have come from the flower pot.
“Flowey, you promised you’d behave,” the child huffed.
“And you promised to keep this kind of garbage at a minimum, Frisk!” ‘Flowey’ grumbled.
Sunset shook her head, baffled. While she had seen some strange things during her brief time in the humans’ home continent (the self-driving carriages and flying machines were particularly curious), this had topped them all. Apparently, she wasn’t alone when it came to the human Federation’s foreign exchange program, and this included species she had previously had no idea about. The curious part of her - one of the parts that had driven her to pursue foreign magic to begin with - was taking over. She had to find out more information.
“Oh, interesting, an Astral,” a new voice suddenly stated, breaking her train of thought.
Sunset turned her head. Standing at the door to her car was a blonde-haired young human. While her voice held a hint of curiosity, she had a surprisingly casual quality about it, as if she had seen all this before. This didn’t change when she glanced Sunset’s way.
“And you’re an Equestrian,” the girl said. “One of the horse people.”
Sunset blinked, waiting a second for a follow-up sentence that never came. “Er…. yeah. That’s me.”
“The antlers gave it away,” the girl said dreamily. “Only an elf from Equestria would have them.”
Sunset nodded slowly. “As far as I know.”
Without another word, the girl took a seat, immediately burying into a magazine called ‘The Quibbler.’ On the front cover were a number of odd story titles:
Third Senior Federation Official Disappears: Coincidence or Section 31 Conspiracy?
Teleportation Ban Further Rattles Magical Community - Goblin Strike Imminent
Great War Veteran Regrows Entire Arm Via New, Experimental Vulzedian Potion
Another Bureaucratic Invasion of Hogwarts Begins!
MACO Forces Repel Demon Incursion Near Ground Zero - Or Have They?
Still, none were as odd as the girl herself. Sunset stared at her for a second, trying to comprehend her behavior. It certainly wasn’t like any she had seen from other humans.
Eventually, she simply shrugged her shoulders, laying back into her seat a little.
‘At least she’s quiet. Maybe I can catch up on some--’
“Oh, hey Luna! There you are!” another new voice chimed in, disappointingly destroying Sunset’s dreams of napdom.
At the doorway stood a girl who seemed slightly older than Sunset in appearance, and even older, perhaps, in experience, given the slightly haunted look in her eyes. Nonetheless, she gazed at the blonde girl, Luna, with a friendly expression, one which the latter returned as she peaked above her magazine.
“Hello, Hermione,” she said, a hint of warmth overcoming her previously ‘out there’ tone. “I’m not surprised you decided to come back.”
“Well, unlike some lazy individuals, I’ve decided life experience still can’t make up for a proper education,” she said. “I want to complete my NEWTs the right way.”
“Ron and Harry aren’t coming?” Luna asked, clearly disappointed.
“No, unfortunately,” Hermione sighed. “I suppose I can’t be too hard on them. We’ve all been through so much and it is a little strange having barely anyone from my class around."
“An absence of old faces makes room for new ones,” Luna said, as if quoting someone, and looking Sunset’s way for a split-second.
“Oh, sorry!” Hermione said, glancing guiltily Sunset’s way. She held out a hand. “I’m Hermione Granger. It’s nice to meet you…”
“Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset replied, glancing at her outstretched hand curiously. “Um…”
“It’s a human custom,” Luna explained. “You shake hands as a form of greeting.”
“Oh, heh,” Sunset chuckled nervously, awkwardly accepting the shake. “Sorry.”
“No, completely my fault,” Hermione quickly said. “I should have realized, well…”
“She’s from Equestria,” Luna said. “Sunset Shimmer… what a beautiful name. Do all Equestrians have names like that?”
Again, Sunset found herself off balance. Nonetheless, she actually felt a little flattered. “If you mean names that sort of represent our, well, physical characteristics…” She gestured towards her natural red and orange hair. “It’s pretty common, yes.”
“Wondrous,” Luna whispered.
“Equestria…” Hermione said, stunned. “The nation the Federation just made contact with a few seasons ago, right?”
“That’s us,” Sunset said, a slither of sadness running through her.
“Sorry,” Hermione apologized, as if embarrassed for being so blunt. “I should have known. I’ve just been so busy lately with everything after the Second Wizarding War…”
“No time to look at the wider world?” Sunset said. “I can empathize. Life has a way of getting in the way of learning sometimes.”
“No truer words were spoken,” Hermione said, smiling. She gestured to the seat next to Sunset. “Mind if I?”
“Sure, no problem,” Sunset said, trying to hide the disappointment in her tone that she wouldn’t be napping.
"Have you seen Ginny yet?" Luna asked as Hermione sat next to Sunset. "I was looking for her earlier."
"Unfortunately, she won’t be coming by train,” Hermione said.
“Oh. Will she be coming by warpgate, then?” Luna asked curiously.
Hermione sighed slightly. “Luna, we’ve talked about this already: there is no such thing as a warpgates.” She shook her head. “And no, it turns out she broke her leg of all things practicing Quidditch moves with Harry. And because Skele-Gro potions are hard to come by these days - they really need better safety codes for skyship construction - they had to go to the hospital in Londonium."
'Skele-Gro?' Sunset thought, making a mental note to look into that later. If it did what its name implied, the Federation’s magical community knew a thing or two about potion making even her people didn't.
Luna frowned slightly. "So she won't be here for nearly a few days, then."
Hermione nodded. "Let's just say the doctors there are no Madam Pomfrey."
"We'll have to send her gifts," Luna said. "Maybe visit her if we can."
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
Sunset closed her eyes for a moment. She had quite clearly stumbled on a very close group of friends. Though she didn't exactly come here to form connections, she still felt a slight hint of sorrow in her gut.
'No, I didn’t come here for that,' she thought. “Everyone here has all the friends they need already, anywho.'
“Soooo… anyway, Sunset, what brings you here, if you don’t mind me asking?” Hermione asked, snapping her out of it.
Sunset glanced away from her. This was not a conversation she was particularly interested in. “Just uh… felt I needed a change. Heard about the cultural exchange program with your Federation. When they told me there was a spot at your premiere magic school open, I couldn't say ‘no’.”
“Pfffft, yeah, right,” a distinctly familiar voice cackled. “She’s probably just here to study you squishy humans for weaknesses.”
Sunset did a double take. She half-thought she might have been hallucinating earlier when she thought she heard a voice coming from the flower pot ‘Frisk’ was holding, but that was clearly untrue. For standing at the door to her compartment was none other than Frisk, still holding the pot, and a large, golden flower was stemming from it.
A golden flower with a wicked grin on its face.
‘Am I dreaming right now?’
Hermione, in the meantime, looked at Sunset with an expression that asked the same thing.
“Oh, so there’s two Astrals around,” Luna said, nonchalantly. Not really the pinch Sunset needed to confirm she was awake.
“Shoot, I’m so sorry!” Frisk groaned, glaring down at the talking plant. “Flowey, I swear if you don’t stop being rude to everyone I’m giving you to mom.”
‘Flowey?’ Hermione lipped to Sunset, who could only shake her head, baffled, in return.
“What? I’m just calling it as I see it,” Flowey said, a mischievous smirk on his face. “I’ve been reading up on the Equestrians. Not like I have anything else to do but die of boredom. But yeah, they have plenty of good magic schools on their home continent. So why else would one want to come here? To spy on everyone as part of an invasion, duh!”
‘A talking flower is accusing me of espionage,’ Sunset thought. ‘This is how my day is going.’
Hermione glanced at the flower, then back at Sunset. “Did a talking flower just accuse you of espionage?”
‘Huh.’
Hermione immediately started blushing. “Sorry, I suppose Ron’s bluntness has brushed off on me lately. Who, er… what are you?”
“Name’s Flowey. Flowey the Flower,” it said.
“Easy enough to remember,” Sunset noted.
“He’s an Astral,” Luna explained. “Or Monster, as they call themselves. And the one holding him is Frisk, the Hero of the Underground.”
Frisk shyly held up a finger. "I-Im not sure 'hero' is the right word--"
“Luna, how do you know all this?” Hermione asked, a hint of envy in her tone.
“Because my father knew about them,” Luna said. “He wrote about them in The Quibbler for years before they came to the surface. When they finally emerged, we went all the way to Turtle Island to study them.”
“So that’s where you were most of that summer,” Hermione said.
"Turtle Island?" Sunset asked.
"Western Terran Continent," Hermione explained.
"Ohhh," Sunset said in a thankful tone, before turning back to Luna. “Did your father also know about Equestrians? Before first contact, that is?”
Luna shook her head tersely. “Nope, that was just on the news.”
"Now that you mention it, we've… we've met before, haven't we?" Frisk said, glancing Luna over.
"Briefly," Luna said. "When we were both smaller." She cocked her head slightly. "I saw Queen Toriel with you."
"Not much of a Queen anymore," Flowey laughed. "She leaves most of the governing of the Monster Kingdom to her idiot ex. Kind of makes her an idiot by extension when you think about it."
"Not this again..." Frisk sighed, before looking the small group over. "Sorry, I know this isn't the best first impression, but could I - we - sit here? We’ve been getting some, er, awkward looks from everyone else."
Even though Sunset was sure this was the final nail in the coffin for her napping plans, she couldn’t help but feel sympathetic towards Frisk. She, too, was a long way from home and with her own burdens to carry.
Her’s just seemed a bit more literal.
“I have no problem with it,” Sunset said invitingly.
“Me neither,” Hermione said.
Luna simply nodded.
With a slight smile, Frisk took a seat across from Luna. The latter bent down slightly, levelling her face with Flowey’s.
“I don’t remember seeing you at Mt. Ebbot,” Luna said, still looking at it with fascination.
“Likewise,” Flowey grunted. “And you’re definitely unforgettable. Unforgettably weird, that is.”
“Not nice!” Frisk hissed.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” Luna said. “I’m used to being called names like that. People used to call me Loony Lovegood all the time.”
“That… that sucks,” Sunset said.
Luna merely shrugged, before gazing back at Flowey. “So, are you an Astral?”
“Yeah, I’m a Monster,” Flowey grumbled. “For God’s sakes will you humans stop using that stupid politically correct bullcrap already?”
“He was one of the last to leave the Underground,” Frisk explained.
“I wonder why?” Hermione said, earning a nasty look from the being.
Frisk sighed. “I know he’s a little rough around the edges, but… well, we’re kind of connected in a way. I couldn’t just leave him down there.”
“So you’re sort of his caretaker?” Sunset asked.
“Pffft, more like I’m taking care of Frisk, Knife Ears,” Flowey grunted. “This naive idiot would get herself killed if not for me.”
“He loves me,” Frisk said, giving it a grin.
“No, I just hate you less than everyone else,” Flowey growled.
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Sounds like love with extra steps.”
“Screw you!” Flowey snapped.
“It really does, though,” Hermione chided.
“Screw all of you!” Flowey hissed. “I’m taking a nap, god damnit.”
And without another word, he retreated into the dirt of his pot. Everyone, including Luna, couldn’t help but giggle at that.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen him lost for words,” Frisk said over her giggles. “Thanks for that.”
“Our pleasure, really,” Sunset smiled.
“I heard that, Knife Ears!” a muffled voice came from the pot.
Sunset chuckled again, before giving Frisk a curious look. “So, you’re from out west?”
“Mm-hm,” Frisk nodded. “I never really expected to come to Hogwarts of all places, but, well, with mom volunteering to teach here--”
“To spread Astral cultural awareness,” Luna chimed in, earning a baffled look from Frisk.
“Er, yeah, exactly,” she stammered. “But yeah, with her teaching here and me ‘needing some formal magic education’, I thought I might as well.”
“You didn’t have any as a girl?” Hermione asked curiously.
“I didn’t even know I could do it until my time in the Underground,” Frisk said. “Guess it woke up something in me.”
“What year did they place you in?” Sunset asked curiously.
“Year three,” Frisk said, a hint of pride in her voice. “I already learned a lot of the basics from mom. What about you guys?”
“Year six,” Sunset said.
“Me as well,” Luna nodded.
“Seventh,” Hermione said, before raising her eyebrows at Sunset. “You must have already studied in Equestria, then?”
“Celestia’s School for Gifted Elves,” Sunset said, trying to hide the hint of bitterness in her tone. “Most of my childhood was spent there.”
“Celestia…” Hermione said in wonder. “Princess Celestia. She’s the ruler there, isn’t she?”
“For better or worse,” Sunset grumbled.
Hermione gazed at her apologetically. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”
Sunset took a deep breath. “No, you’re fine. Let’s just say I’ve had some… differences of opinion with her, personally, and with monarchies in general.” She gazed at Princess(?) Frisk apologetically. "No offense."
"Go Team Democracy," Frisk giggled.
“Wait, you knew her personally?!” Hermione said, excitedly, before immediately wincing. “Sorry, sorry.”
“I’ll talk to you about it some other time, maybe,” Sunset sighed. “Though… if you want to learn about her, I do have some Equestrian history books you could borrow.”
“Really?” Hermione said, perking up. “I’d love to. Gosh, I have so much to catch up on. The Federation’s been discovering things so quickly lately.”
“The world grows wider by the day,” Luna said, her dreamy tone returning in earnest. "Even the Second Wizarding War couldn't stop that."
Frisk looks towards Sunset, then back at Luna. “Wizarding war?”
“It’s a long story, but I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it yet,” Hermione said. “Then again, people don’t really like to talk about it, I suppose. Too many bad memories.”
A wave of sadness washed over her, and her gaze seemed distant, as if in another time. Sunset wondered just how much involvement Hermione had with it.
"I've read up on it a tiny bit," Sunset said quietly to Frisk. "I'll tell you what I know later."
The girl nodded solemnly.
"Food cart's here," Luna announced, specifically towards Hermione as if trying to distract her. Immediately after there was a knock on the door.
"Huh?" she blinked. "Oh, good. I didn't even have a chance for breakfast. Sunset, could you--"
She was already ahead of her, sliding the door open. Like Hermione, she was apparently too busy to eat anything, either. Yet another parallel she found with the girl.
"Anything for you, dearies?" an older looking woman asked, a cart full of various goods in front of her.
The group chimed in in excited tones.
"Apple fritters and water, please."
"Coffee and three glazed doughnuts."
"Um, those every flavor bean things?"
"Fertilizer."
The group paused, looking at a now visible Flowey with bemusement.
"What?" he said, annoyed.
"You know what that stuff's made out of, right?" Sunset chuckled.
In response, he narrowed his eyes. "I hate you all so much I need to think of a new word to describe it." He paused for a second, then finally announced:
"I gigaloathe you all."
