//------------------------------// // Friendship Is Magic // Story: Equestria: A New Generation // by Phantom-Dragon //------------------------------// It was a startling moment that no pony could ever forget. After stopping Deputy Sprout from going through with his madness, to the end, Sunset Shimmer and her new friends, from a new generation, had succeeded in reigniting the magic of friendship, between earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi. Suddenly, a blinding light erupted from the lighthouse of Sunny's home. The young earth pony mare then found herself, surrounded by the three lost crystals of the three pony tribes. Together, by the powers of the unicorn, pegasi, and earth pony crystals, they worked their great magic together, blessing Sunny with the power of, not one, but all three pony tribes. And in that very moment, Sunny appeared before her friends, and all the ponies gathered in Maretime Bay, as an alicorn. Sunset Shimmer could hardly believe her eyes. To her, she thought she was looking at her friend, Princess Twilight Sparkle again. "She's an alicorn," Sunset gasped. Then, in the blink of an eye, another blinding light burst from the sky, banishing the darkness, and bathing all of Equestria in a dazzling aura. And with it, came the restored magic. Every unicorn's horns began to lit up, in a shower of sparkles, with every pegasi wings glowing and coated in magic sparkles. "We're actually flying!" Pipp Petals exclaimed gleefully, as both she and Zipp flapped their wings and take to the sky, where they met up with Sunny. "Whoa, Sunny!" Zipp exclaimed. "Check you out!" "What?" Sheriff Hitch exclaimed, too taken in by Sunny's new appearance. "I can't believe it!" Sunny smiled. "Now that's what I call a glow-up," Izzy pointed. "You've earned it, Sunny," Sunset smiled as she walked up to Sunny. "Sunset," Sunny smiled enthusiastically towards the fiery unicorn. "I...I...I can't...I'm...I'm an...I'm an..." "You're...an alicorn," Sunset confirmed. "Just like Twilight...I think this means, you've become a Princess of Friendship," With that, Sunset Shimmer bowed her head, in respect. However, little did Sunset knew, the magic wasn't entirely finished. "Hey, look!" Izzy pointed, up in the air. Without warning, the aura worked up some more magics of its own. Appearing from the sky, galloping down to the ground were what appeared to be a herd of spiritual ponies. They danced and circled around the six friends, before it became apparent that Sunset was the center of attention. Before Sunset could fully realize what was happening, she was lifted off the ground, into the air, with the spiritual ponies still doing their dance. As their dance intensifies, so too was their magic light show, blinding Sunset Shimmer, forcing her to close her eyes shut. It was in that moment, that Sunset experienced a rushing wave of flashbacks that flooded into her mind, like a tidal wave. She remembers her first birthday candle she blew out, to the day when she got accepted into Princess Celestia's School of Gifted Unicorns, all the way to her first arrival in the other world, and her first meeting with Princess Twilight and friends. In that moment, the sound of Princess Twilight's words echoed loudly in Sunset Shimmer's head: "The magic contained in my Element was able to unite with those that helped create it! Honesty! Kindness! Laughter! Generosity! Loyalty! Magic! Together with a crown, they create a power beyond anything you could imagine, but it is a power you don't have the ability to control! The crown may be upon your head, Sunset Shimmer, but you cannot wield it, because you do not possess the most powerful magic of all: the magic of friendship!" "I...I know that speech!" Sunset remembered. "That was when I had my first taste of friendship!" "Here and in Equestria, it is the only magic that can truly unite us all!" Finally, with a burst that's more resounding than fireworks, but just as astounding than a Sonic Rainboom, the light show has ended, to reveal Sunset Shimmer...as a brand new pony. When Sunset Shimmer finally opened her eyes, she gasped in shock, looking down at herself, to find her youth restored. On top of that, she has grown a pair of wings herself. Letting instinct take her over, Sunset Shimmer flapped her wings and proceeded to fly in the air, among the spiritual ponies, recognizing some familiar faces. "Rainbow Dash?" Sunset shouted excitedly. "Applejack! Rarity? Pinkie Pie! Fluttershy! Twilight! Ha ha ha! YEAH!" With a twirl of her body, Sunset Shimmer joined the spirits in their graceful dance, as she gallops in the sky, until the spirits disappeared in puffs of sparkles. With that, Sunset turned her attention back to the ponies below, and she landed back to the ground, standing before an excited Sunny Starscout. "Sunset!" Sunny exclaimed, excitedly. "Sunny," Sunset began. "I am very hungry." "Ooh! I've got some sandwich!" Izzy held up, one of her homemade sandwiches. "Not that hungry..." Sunset shook her head. Unable to contain herself, Sunny ran up to Sunset and the two mares-turned-alicorns, wrapped their hooves and wings, in another loving embrace. "Thank you, Sunset!" Sunny Starscout smiled. "For everything." "Hey, you little ponies are the real heroes here, not me," Sunset Shimmer reminded. "I just happened to drop in." "Still...I'm glad you were a part of this quest," Sunny smiled with newfound admiration. "I'm glad I got to meet someone like you! Some pony who knows a lot more about friendship, than I do!" Once again, the two ponies, old and young, both exchanged loving smiles, as they moved in closer and shared another hug. Wanting in on the loving embrace, Izzy Moonbow was the next to jump in and wrap her hooves around the two mares, followed by Hitch, Zipp, and Pipp. "Yay!" Izzy cheered. "Two alicorns for the price of one!" "So I guess we have two Princesses of Friendship then," Zipp guessed. "Except one of them's young and the other is old." "Hey, want to see how fast you can fly to the moon?" Sunset threatened, in a teasing manner, with a glow of her horn. "So, uh...your majesties," Sheriff Hitch began, as he bowed his head. "How...may I be of service?" Sunset and Sunny both exchanged looks, before they laughed. "No need to be formal, Hitch," Sunny reassured. "Just Sunset and Sunny is good enough," Sunset added. "We're all friends here." "Oh! Okay," Sheriff Hitch smiled as he got up on his hooves. "So, Sunset," Sunny began, as she turned to Sunset Shimmer. "I have like about a gazillion questions right now! Like...how do I even begin to use magic? Do I need to concentrate? Do I need to think positive? Do I just need to believe in friendship? Or-" "Questions for another time, Sunny," Sunset stopped the excited young mare. "I believe we have a town to clean up." "M'lady," Sheriff Hitch bowed. "You are a mare after my own heart." And so, for the rest of the day, Sunset Shimmer, Sunny Starscout, and all of their friends worked together to clean up Maretime Bay, and fixed all the damages done by Deputy Sprout in his corruption of power, and his time as Emperor. Needless to say, however, watching all the ponies befriending one another, in spite of their differences, was the greatest reward for the heroes, who made it all possible. Everywhere they looked, young foals from different pony tribes were running around, playing and laughing together. One earth pony foal was happily chasing with Queen Haven's winged dog, Cloudpuff. "Aw, you made a new friend!" Queen Haven cooed, cuddling her cheek against Cloudpuff, before he resumed playing with the foal. "Hi there, buddy!" Alphabittle greeted a young colt, who stared in awe. Meanwhile, Sheriff Hitch and some earth ponies were working on getting a trolley, back up on its wheels. However, Izzy and Sunset were already working on it, courtesy of their magic. Of course, Sunset had to teach Izzy the proper method to use telekinesis first. "Concentrate," Sunset lectured. "Focus. Focus on the trolley. Think nothing, but how to flip it back up, on its wheels." "Okay, I got it," Izzy did as she was told, as both she and Sunset successfully lifted the trolley in the air, before they gently placed it back down, on its rail. "I did it. I DID IT!" "Good work, Izzy!" Sunset smiled proudly. "Hmmm. You could make an excellent magical protege. How do you feel about taking friendship lessons, from a pro? Sunny could use a fellow classmate." Izzy gasped in awe, "You're going to be our magic teacher?!" Izzy asked. "First thing, at 6 AM sharp, tomorrow," Sunset instructed. "Don't be late." "Yes sir!" Izzy saluted. "I mean, ma'm!" "Hey...uh..." A voice asked, revealing himself to be the former Emperor Sprout. "About the whole...trying to arrest you and Sunny...thing. Can we...forgive and forget?" "Hmmm, what do you think, Sunset?" Sunny asked. "I think...he should do some community service," With a blast of her magic, Sunset Shimmer stripped Sprout of his medals, and badge, and put him in an orange reflective vest, complete with a trash picker. "Clean up your litters, and then we'll consider shortening your sentence. Hitch!" "Yes, ma'm?" Sheriff Hitch asked. "Uh, I mean, Sunset Shimmer?" "You'll be in charge of seeing this earth pony doing community services," Sunset ordered. "Make sure he actually does his jobs, and don't let him lay down on the job, or its...you know what," She winked. "You got it," Sheriff Hitch returned the wink, before he turned to Sprout, with a stern look. "Well, you heard the mare! Pick up those litters! That's an order!" "Yes sir!" Sprout whimpered as he immediately went to work. "Sheesh. From Emperor of Maretime Bay, to community service. My life's gone to the dogs," No sooner did Sprout say that, he heard an angry growl, to which he turned to see an annoyed Cloudpuff. "Hehe, nice doggy." "That should teach him a lesson he'll never forget," Sunset smirked, confidently. "Still, I can't believe it's...it's finally over," Sunny frowned, looking up at Sunset Shimmer. "The adventure, the crystals, and everything." "Over?" Sunset scoffed. "Far from it. I'd say this is just the beginning." "But Sunset..." Sunny began. "What about this...this other world you came from? Won't your friends there notice you're missing?" "Well, technically, I...I did leave a note, saying I'm on vacation, so...I wouldn't be missed," Sunset shrugged. "Still, don't you have to get back, sometimes soon?" Sheriff Hitch asked. "Yeah...maybe later. Right now, I'd say I'm booked for an extended engagement. Even with the magic of Equestria restored, there's still so many questions I need to find the answers for. Like how did this all happened? Will it happen again? And how we can prevent it, for the next generation, or so? And what happened to Princess Twilight." "Well, whatever happens," Sunny began. "I know we'll figure it out, together." "And we'll never be apart!" Izzy smiled. "We're all in this together," Sheriff Hitch added. "And we'll do our parts," Zipp added. "Hooves to heart." "Pipp Pipp hooray!" Pipp sang and flapped her wings. "Hooves to heart!" The six ponies said together, putting their hooves together, and lifted them up in celebration. "Pipp Pipp hooray!" Suddenly, at that exact moment, a familiar pony dropped down, after his long balloon trip around the world. "Whew! Hey, guys. What did I miss?" He asked the ponies. Meanwhile, somewhere in Equestria... "My prince! The sky is awake. The light has returned! The ponies...they...they are united!" From the darkness, a pair of evil green eyes pierced with a menacing glare. "It's back!" An evil voice hissed. Meanwhile, back in Maretime Bay, after helping the town of Maretime Bay getting cleaned up, Sunset Shimmer was walking through a field, when she noticed a trio of foals walking pass her. "Glowing up!" A unicorn foal sang. "Kind of looove," An earth pony followed. "We say high! You say what?" The pegasus sang, with their friend saying the last part together with a laugh. "Race you the bridge!" "Oh it's on!" The unicorn raced. "No using your magic this time!" The earth pony foal shouted, chasing after her friend. "Last on there is a rotten sardine!" "I'm gonna win this time!" Sunset Shimmer couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head in delight at the little foals, happy to see Equestria back to the way it was supposed to be. But in the blink of an eye, in their place, she could've sworn she saw pony version of the CMCs, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. Shaking her head, bringing herself back to the reality of the present, Sunset continued on her way, towards Sunny's lighthouse. Later that night, Sunset Shimmer was writing a friendship letter: Dear Twilight, I don't know if you are reading this, or if you'll ever get it. I'm just writing for friendship sake. I came back to Equestria, hoping I could find you and talk to you about something that's been bothering me. I thought I needed to talk to you to find some kind of closures. But I think I've figured it out, and a young pony Sunny Starscout has helped me. I'm currently in Maretime Bay, with my new generations of friends, and...I think I'll stick around with Sunny and her friends for now. I don't know what the future may hold, but I'm excited to find out together with these new generations of ponies...and friendship. Hopefully, someday, you and I will see each other again. Sincerely, Sunset Shimmer. After she was done writing her letter, Sunset Shimmer turned to Sunny Starscout, who has a balloon at the ready. Together, the two ponies tied the letter to the balloon and sent it floating into the night sky, to an exciting future.