//------------------------------//
// Appendix 
// Story: My Little Pony: Shadows of the Setting Sun 
// by Starswirl the Beardless 
//------------------------------//

My Little Pony: Shadows of the Setting Sun is the unseen story of Sunset Shimmer. It is the story of where she came from, and the story of where she went. It is the story of how she went from being on top of the world to abandoning her world entirely. It is the story of how she touched the lives of those around her, and how she was touched in turn. It is the story of how, even in the magical land of Equestria, even within the purest of hearts, hatred, mistrust, and anger can take root and spread if the magic of friendship is not there to stand against them. 

The story begins as it would eventually end: with loneliness, desperation, and fear. On an otherwise uneventful night, the young mare known as Sunset Shimmer suffers a terrible nightmare, her subconscious mind forced to bear witness to a horrible clash of two incomprehensible entities. Burning, seething anger meets with overwhelming, cleansing light, with the little mare trapped helplessly in between. Even after waking from her nightmare, Sunset is not be free of the incredible feelings it had instilled upon her, feelings that would end up staying with her for years to come. Thankfully, Sunset is able to take comfort from those who watch over her while she sleeps: her mentor, Princess Celestia, and the Mare in the Moon.





A few days later, Sunset Shimmer is running through the streets of Canterlot, desperate to escape the guards who pursue her. Thanks to her youthful speed and quick wits, she is eventually able to evade her pursuers and make it to a nearby park, where she meets up with one of her oldest companions. Nova Obscura, Sunset Shimmer's closest companion, is concerned for her sake, but is eventually comforted by Sunset's bravado. The two head off into the park, with Sunset leading and Nova dutifully following behind.  

The timid Nova continues to fear the consequences of Sunset's actions, the more rebellious mare having once again gone against the princess's wishes and fled her gilded cage. Sunset downplays her transgression, having gone through similar situations with her overbearing mentor on many occasions prior. Sunset's main concern at that moment is with enjoying the fleeting moment of normalcy that she and her friend have the opportunity to enjoy together, free from the pressures of their rigid upbringing.  

After spending some much-appreciated quality time with Nova, Sunset is anxious to show her the results of the latest in a long line of her magical experiments. The ever-ambitious unicorn has taken it upon herself to devise a means of magically creating weather, a feat that had been the sole domain of the pegasi since time immemorial. While the more grounded Nova has her doubts, Sunset remains confident, and decides to put her plan into action, determined to push the boundaries of her abilities.

The two mares are initially ecstatic to witness the apparent success of Sunset's experiment, although their joy quickly turns to fear as Sunset's benign creation spirals out of control. Despite Sunset's best efforts to fix her mistake, the situation continues to escalate, her experiment soon presenting a serious threat to both her and others. For the sake of Nova's safety, Sunset orders her to flee, while she elects to stay behind and heroically (or foolishly) attempt to save the city. After expending the last of her energy in vain, Sunset faints from exhaustion, but not before seeing something flying towards her from the direction of the castle.  

Sunset awakens several hours later in her bed back in the castle, with Nova watching over her. Nova tells her of how Princess Celestia had personally rescued Sunset and gotten her to safety, before returning to the park to clean up Sunset's mess. Furthermore, she informs Sunset that the princess has requested an audience with her. Despite her lingering weakness, Sunset resolves to go to the princess, not wanting to delay the inevitable encounter.  

When Sunset and Nova finally stand before the princess, Sunset attempts to explain herself, but is shut down immediately. Princess Celestia scolds Sunset for her actions, and for putting herself and others in danger. She goes on to express her frustration with Sunset's rebellious history, before declaring that she has devised a way to address Sunset's behavior.

Princess Celestia informs Sunset that she will serve as her royal ambassador from that point onward. She explains to Sunset that, as ambassador, she will travel the land of Equestria and help its citizens with the problems that they face, problems that Princess Celestia does not have the ability to personally address. Sunset has mixed feelings about the princess's decision, but chooses to accept what she perceives to be her punishment without resistance.  

However, when Princess Celestia asks to speak with Nova alone, Sunset's protectiveness over her timid friend compels her to speak out against the princess. Believing that the princess wishes to punish Nova for the incident she had caused, Sunset attempts to shield her from the blame. During this exchange, the physically and emotionally exhausted Sunset unintentionally says the worst possible thing she could have said to the princess: claiming that Celestia wanted to send away the person closest to her, never to be seen again.  

Coming in the wake of years of unruly behavior on Sunset's part, hours of stress and worry dealing with Sunset's mistake, and an intense, emotional exchange, Princess Celestia's regal composure gives way to anger as she shouts Sunset down with the royal Canterlot voice. At Nova's request, Sunset finally gives up the fight and returns to her room, leaving her friend alone with the princess. As she sleeps that night, Sunset once again experiences the same nightmare that she had on a previous night.





We rejoin Sunset Shimmer several days later, on the morning she and Nova are set to depart Canterlot. The two discuss their new positions as ambassador and secretary as they are escorted to the dock where their airship awaits them. Sunset also mentions to Nova the recurring nightmare she has been having, which had come to her again the night before. At Nova's request, Sunset also tells her about a meeting that she had had with Princess Celestia the day before regarding their mission.

Sunset had met with the princess in her private study, where she had assumed she would be given details about her first assignment as ambassador. To her disappointment, Princess Celestia had informed her that she had not yet selected Sunset's destination, but that she would do so before her departure. Instead, the princess had told Sunset that she had brought her there to give her two gifts, the first of which had been a magical journal that would allow the two of them to communicate with one another no matter the distance between them.

The second gift Princess Celestia had given Sunset had been her blessing. The princess had praised Sunset for how far she had watched her come over the years, and had told her that she felt that Sunset could become even greater still. She had told Sunset that, by sending her away, she hoped that Sunset would learn that which she was unable to teach her herself. After sharing a tender moment with her mentor, in which Sunset had promised to return to the princess when she had become the great unicorn that she wanted her to be, the two had said their goodbyes and parted.

Thinking back on this meeting, Sunset reevaluates her previously discontent feelings regarding her new lot in life. Conscious of the love and support that Princess Celestia had for her, Sunset resolves to do her best to fulfill her role as royal ambassador.  

Sunset and Nova soon arrive at the dock, where they meet the kindly, easygoing guardsman Olive Ridley, who will be serving as their captain during their voyage. Olive Ridley escorts them aboard the Opportunity, the royal guard airship they will be traveling on, and introduces the two mares to the rest of the crew. Sunset and Nova meet the first mate, the stern Steel Rain, the navigator, the surly Bleak Herald, and the two engineers, the hotheaded Firebrand and the impish Little Tinker.  

As they settle into their new home aboard the ship, Sunset's concerns over the lack of communication from Princess Celestia are finally put to rest, the crew receiving their orders and beginning their departure from Canterlot. Sunset and Nova eagerly watch as the Opportunity sails off into Equestria, taking them towards whatever adventures awaited them out there.  





Shortly after their departure, Sunset receives her first assignment from Princess Celestia. Sunset is tasked with traveling to the village of Paradise Fields in southwestern Equestria, where the local farmers had supposedly been suffering from a mysterious blight that threatened their livelihoods. She is told to seek out Rosemary, the pony who had brought the issue to the attention of the princess, upon arriving. Despite the problem being outside of her area of expertise, Sunset resolves to give it her all anyway, and spends the trip preparing for her task.

Sunset and Nova arrive in Paradise Fields later that day, only to find that the little village shows no immediately apparent signs of trouble. Shortly into their investigation, the two meet a young mare named Hollyhock, whom they discover is the daughter of Rosemary. Curiously, Hollyhock attempts to downplay the problem that her mother had written to Canterlot about, even going so far as to suggest that Sunset and Nova would be wasting their time to remain there. Sunset insists on seeing the problem for herself, however, and so Hollyhock agrees to take her and Nova out to her family's farm to meet with her mother.

Sunset and Nova learn that Hollyhock and her mother live in a small valley nearby, where the two of them grow fields of beautiful flowers for market. Upon reaching the farm, they meet with Rosemary, who is initially disappointed with Sunset and skeptical of her ability to assist her. Eventually, Rosemary agrees to accept Sunset's aid out of desperation. Rosemary explains to Sunset that her farm has become afflicted with a legendary blight not seen in Equestria for centuries: wraithrot. This disease is said to drain affected plants of their color and render any products they produce worthless. Rosemary speculates that the disease could spell disaster for Equestria if a solution is not found soon.

Sunset and Hollyhock travel out into the flower fields to see the affected flowers, while Sunset asks Nova to remain with Rosemary to investigate the family's strange behavior. Sunset is shown the affected flowers, which had had their colors changed to a sickly white, as wraithrot was said to do. Sunset attempts to use several magical remedies to cure the plants, all in vain. Meanwhile, Hollyhock gathers the affected flowers to burn them, said to be the only way of stopping the spread of the blight.

While they work, Sunset discovers that Hollyhock has a dream of leaving Paradise Fields and going to the big city, where she can make a better life for herself and her mother. Despite lacking confidence in herself, Sunset encourages her, believing that Hollyhock could accomplish her dream if she wished. Unable to help the flowers, Sunset admits defeat for the time being and returns to the farmhouse with Hollyhock.

Meanwhile, Nova assists Rosemary with her efforts to devise a cure for the blight. While the two work, Nova learns about Hollyhock's dream from Rosemary, who dismisses the idea. Rosemary says that she does not believe she and her daughter could be successful someplace else, as well as expressing her belief that Hollyhock is too immature to run their farm without her. Rosemary expresses her unwillingness to abandon their family's farm, which Nova sympathizes with.  

Sunset and Nova soon reunite when the former returns with Hollyhock, and the two share what information they had discovered. Rosemary invites the two to spend the night at the farm, despite Hollyhock's aversion to the idea, and Sunset decides to accept the offer. While helping Hollyhock make preparations for their overnight stay, Sunset learns of Hollyhock's late father Cypress, who had died when Hollyhock was very young.  

At dinner, Sunset tells Rosemary that she had been unable to cure the blight, which Rosemary is not surprised by. Hollyhock brings up the possibility that the two of them may have to abandon their farm if they cannot stop the blight in time, although Rosemary refuses to consider doing so. The two have a heated exchange, during which Hollyhock invokes her father to justify leaving, ending with Hollyhock storming off. Sunset and Nova eventually retire for the night, with Hollyhock joining them.





During the night, the sleepless Nova notices that Hollyhock has vanished from her bed. She soon sees Hollyhock emerging from the grove behind the farmhouse, and quickly pretends to be asleep. Hollyhock does not confront Nova about the late-night stroll after returning to the house. The next morning, Nova tells Sunset about what she saw Hollyhock doing, heightening Sunset's suspicions.  

When Sunset and Nova head out into the fields to continue their work, they are shocked to discover that the blight seems to have vanished overnight. Rosemary is doubtful that the blight had truly disappeared, and sets them and Hollyhock to the task of combing the fields for new infected. While searching, Sunset and Hollyhock discuss the previous night's dinner conversation, and Sunset advises Hollyhock to live her life they way she wants to, regardless of what her mother thinks.

Later, Sunset decides to investigate the grove where Hollyhock had been seen the night before, wanting to discover the purpose of Hollyhock's actions. She gets Nova to cover for her, then quickly returns to the farmhouse. Before she heads into the grove, however, Sunset stops and speaks with Rosemary, who is sitting by her late husband's grave.  

During this conversation, Sunset discovers that Rosemary had once been a florist living in Canterlot, just as Hollyhock dreamed of being. Rosemary tells Sunset that she had abandoned the fast-paced life of the big city after meeting her husband Cypress. Rosemary had realized that she had become discontent with her life, and had decided to marry Cypress and move to Paradise Fields, where she was able to find happiness again. Rosemary tells Sunset that she does not want Hollyhock to pursue the life that she herself once had, fearing that it would make her unhappy as well. Sunset sympathizes with Rosemary's desires, but expresses her belief that Hollyhock should still be free to make her own decisions.  

After parting ways with Rosemary, Sunset heads into the grove, initially finding nothing suspicious. Inspired by Hollyhock's comments about the trees, Sunset eventually discovers a hidden cache containing herbal mixes, hoofwritten notes detailing unknown formulas, and flowers displaying the same strange coloration as the blighted flowers in the fields. At this point, Hollyhock arrives, having surmised what Sunset was doing and run off to find her when Nova's back was turned.  

Hollyhock confesses to Sunset that she had been the one responsible for the “blight” which was, in reality, caused by an herbal dye devised by her to drain the farm's flowers of color. Sunset realizes that Hollyhock had done this in an effort to get her mother to abandon their farm and join her in seeking a better life somewhere else. Hollyhock had attempted to prevent her mother from seeking outside help and had tried to get Sunset to leave in order to prevent her actions from being discovered. The previous night, she had snuck out to hide her tools and had not dyed any more flowers, hoping that the disappearance of the “blight” would encourage Sunset to leave.

Hollyhock begs Sunset not to reveal the truth to Rosemary, saying that doing so would destroy her mother's faith in her and ruin any chance she had of getting her to leave the farm. Sunset considers covering for her, wondering what decision Princess Celestia would want her to make. In the end, Sunset decides to do the honest thing and reveal the truth, as she believes the princess would want. Hollyhock is saddened by this, but eventually accepts it, promising Sunset that she will confess the next day.

Sunset, Nova, and Hollyhock resume the search, Sunset and Hollyhock merely pretending to do so to keep up appearances. The three spend the rest of the day bonding, telling stories, and enjoying one another's company. When they and Rosemary do not find any more “diseased” flowers, Rosemary becomes optimistic, and the four share a friendly dinner and have a mild celebration. Hollyhock makes peace with her mother before they all retire for the night.  

Unable to sleep due to her anxiety over her decision, Sunset is able to notice when Hollyhock rises from her bed and slips out of the house. Sunset pursues her outside, and realizes that Hollyhock intends to leave the farm on her own. Sunset asks Hollyhock to remain and face her mother, but Hollyhock refuses, claiming that she is not strong enough to do so. Sunset reaffirms her faith in Hollyhock, and chooses to let her go, rather than stop her. Hollyhock thanks Sunset for inspiring her to follow her dream and expresses gratitude at her coming to their farm. The two say their goodbyes before parting, Hollyhock leaving the farm and Sunset returning to bed.

The next morning, Sunset speaks with Rosemary, who had been left a letter from Hollyhock explaining her actions. Feeling guilty for having split the family apart, Sunset apologizes to her, but Rosemary insists that she is not to blame. Rosemary blames herself for what had happened, and thanks Sunset for helping her stop the “blight”. When Rosemary expresses doubts over her ability to run the farm by herself, Sunset offers to help her further, but Rosemary refuses, telling Sunset to move on with her life and to not worry about her. Sunset obeys, and she and Nova depart the farm after saying their goodbyes.  

As they leave Paradise Fields, Sunset tells Nova of what had happened between her and Hollyhock, and about the decision she had made. Despite Sunset's increasing sense of guilt, Nova attempts to comfort her by saying that Hollyhock's actions were not her fault. Sunset writes to Princess Celestia regarding her mission, informing her that the “blight” had been stopped, while choosing not to discuss the family drama.  





A few days later, while awaiting her next assignment from Princess Celestia, Sunset again experiences her recurring nightmare. She talks with Nova about it, saying that the dream is the same, but that she is starting to notice new details about it. Specifically, the formless anger that Sunset sees in the dream has begun to feel more like a pony to her. Nova comforts her by reminding her that what she saw was merely a dream, and Sunset goes back to sleep.  

The next day, we find Sunset on the deck of the Opportunity, eagerly awaiting her arrival at her next destination. That morning, Sunset had received a communication from the princess praising her for her resolution of the problems in Paradise Fields and providing details about her next assignment. The princess had charged Sunset with traveling to the town of Pintada Bay, located on Equestria's eastern coast. Once there, Sunset was to investigate rumors of a “sea monster” that had been seen in the area, and to report her findings back to the princess.  

Sunset and Nova soon arrive at their destination where, thanks to the princess's advance notice, the town has rolled out the welcome wagon for them. After receiving a greeting befitting of a princess, Sunset meets the mayor of Pintada Bay, Akoya. The mayor is ecstatic to have Sunset and her retinue visit her town, and quickly sweeps Sunset, Nova, and Olive Ridley away on a tour. While making their way through the streets, Sunset takes note of the large number of ponies present in the town, ponies who seem to her to be tourists.  

Mayor Akoya tells Sunset the history of the town, explaining how the little boomtown had been founded by pearl divers a few decades earlier, and had prospered due to a pearl-friendly fashion climate. She goes on to explain that the town had recently found a new source of income, which Sunset correctly surmises has something to do with the sea creature. Sunset questions the mayor about this, as well as why the town is full of tourists who had, apparently, come there to see the creature. Akoya dismisses Sunset's concerns, saying that the situation will be explained to her shortly. Sunset agrees to wait for her answers, and the party head off to lunch.  

After being wined and dined by the mayor, Sunset and her retinue are escorted to a makeshift stadium just outside of town. They, as well as many of the tourist ponies, assemble and watch as a young unicorn seemingly calls forth a huge creature from the depths of the bay with the sound of as trumpet. This serpentine creature, dubbed “The Beast of Pintada Bay”, performs a choreographed routine for the entertainment of the crowd, directed by the unicorn.  





Later that night, Akoya escorts Sunset and Nova to the hotel room provided to them by the town. Akoya apologizes to Sunset for the shock she had received upon seeing the creature, although Sunset insists that she was alright. After witnessing the creature's performance, Sunset had finally gotten an explanation from Akoya about what was going on in the town. Supposedly, the creature had shown up in the bay one day and begun hanging around for no apparent reason. Later, it had been discovered that the creature responded to direction in the form of music, and so the town had employed Clarion Call, the young stallion at the stadium, to put on shows with the creature to entertain the tourists that came to see it.  

Despite having seen the creature for herself, Sunset still finds it hard to believe the story. She resolves to speak with Clarion Call the next day, hoping to learn more about the creature, while spending the evening brushing up on her magical creature lore. The next morning, Sunset and Nova are escorted by Akoya back to the stadium, where they are introduced to Clarion and allowed to see the creature up close.  

While Sunset is eager to begin her study of the creature, Akoya asks if Sunset would be willing to attend a meeting with the Chamber of Commerce first. Recognizing her friend's desire, Nova volunteers to attend the meeting in Sunset's place, leaving Sunset alone with Clarion and the creature. Sunset begins her study, although is quickly distracted by Clarion's cold attitude towards her. Sunset eventually confronts Clarion, demanding to know why he is acting the way he is.  

Clarion mocks Sunset's desire to help the town, rather than to help the creature. When Sunset questions this, Clarion brings to her attention a large net suspended across the mouth of the bay, which she had not noticed before. Realizing that the net is meant to contain the creature within the bay, Sunset questions Clarion further. Clarion is initially reluctant to say more, fearing the mayor's wrath, but is eventually convinced to tell Sunset the real story of how the creature had come to be in the bay.

Clarion tells of how he had first encountered the creature a few months prior, while playing his trumpet at the beach. While initially fearful of the creature, and it of him, Clarion had eventually managed to develop a rapport with the creature through the exchange of music. Sunset is fascinated to discover that the creature is intelligent enough to comprehend and produce complex musical patterns. When Clarion had finally managed to see the creature close up, he had realized that it had been severely injured and in need of medical attention.

Clarion had sought the aid of a local doctor, who had said that the creature would need to be sheltered in the calmer waters of the bay if it were to heal in a timely manner. Clarion and the doctor enlisted the mayor to help them arrange the creature's stay in the town. While initially objecting to the idea, Akoya had eventually given in out of a desire to get the creature away from town as soon as possible. Clarion had successfully managed to lure the creature into the bay, where it was able to be tended to properly.

The presence of the creature had raised objections from the townsponies, who had needed to be calmed by Akoya, but it had also brought the attention of sightseers who had desired to see the creature for themselves. Recognizing the potential boon that the tourist trade could bring to the town, Akoya had ordered the net to be put up, ensuring the creature would remain even after it had healed. Upon discovering this, Clarion had objected to the plan, but had been persuaded to go along with it with the promise that he would be able to spend more time with his new friend.

Sunset is horrified to discover the truth of the town. Clarion acknowledges his selfish actions, and asks Sunset to help him make up for it by freeing the creature. Sunset considers how she could potentially benefit from going along with the creature's captivity, but eventually decides that she could not bring herself to do so. Sunset resolves to help Clarion confront Akoya and free the creature. Clarion is grateful at Sunset's pledge, and he and the creature perform their music for her to thank her. In Sunset's imagination, the music conjures the vision of an estranged sun and moon being reunited in twilight.  





Sunset makes her way to Pintada Bay town hall, where she plans to confront Akoya. Clarion having chosen to remain with the creature, Sunset enters town hall alone, where she finds Nova preparing to leave after her meeting. Sunset tells Nova the truth about the creature, and tells her what she plans to do about it. Nova suggests that Sunset report to Princess Celestia before doing anything else, as per their original instructions. Confident in the righteousness of her decision, however, Sunset decides to go ahead with her plan, even if it means going against the princess's instructions. Sunset sends Nova away in order to protect her from any potential backlash from the princess, then goes to confront Akoya.  

Once in Akoya's office, Sunset confronts her about the creature's confinement and demands that it be released. Akoya admits to her actions, and attempts to explain to Sunset why she had done what she had done. She tells Sunset of how the ponies of Pintada Bay had struggled to make ends meet after the demand for pearls had dropped years prior. In a desperate attempt to help her constituents and keep the town afloat, Akoya had chosen to trap the creature in the bay, not intending to make it a long-term solution to their problem. Akoya acknowledges the wrongness of her actions, eventually asking Sunset for her and, by extension, the princess's guidance.  

Sunset reevaluates her decision, now realizing how much depends on the creature remaining in the bay. She considers whether it would be justifiable to keep the creature in captivity for the sake of preserving the livelihoods of the townsponies and the community they had spent decades building. In the end, Sunset feels that Princess Celestia would want her to show kindness towards the creature, and so orders Akoya to release it. Akoya is saddened by Sunset's decision, but accepts it, despite knowing the consequences. The two share a tender moment, parting on good terms.

Later that day, Sunset, Nova, and Clarion await the final removal of the net at the beach. After speaking with Akoya, Sunset had reunited with Nova, who had attempted to assuage Sunset's growing feeling of guilt over her decision. They had then spent their time with Clarion and the creature as they had awaited the net's removal. When the time had come, the three ponies had made their way to the beach to send the creature off. Sunset and Nova watch as Clarion summons the creature back to the sea. The creature is joyful at its emancipation, and shares a tender goodbye with Clarion before returning to its home.  

The next morning, Akoya and Clarion come to the Opportunity to see Sunset and Nova off. Akoya does not bear any ill will towards Sunset, despite believing that freeing the creature will most likely doom the town. Clarion is saddened at the departure of his friend, the creature, but is grateful for Sunset's assistance. Sunset comforts him by telling him that the creature, which she dubs the “clarion serpent”, will remember him. Sunset and Nova bid them goodbye, then depart Pintada Bay.  

Later, Sunset struggles to write her report to Princess Celestia. Nova suggests that Sunset tell the truth about what happened, although Sunset refuses to do so. Instead, Sunset writes a report claiming that the stories about the creature had been a hoax, wanting to prevent the princess from discovering Sunset's actions.





Over the next few weeks, Sunset is assigned several more missions by Princess Celestia, taking her to new places all across Equestria. As with her first two, these missions force Sunset to resolve difficult problems that challenge her skills and her morals. Just as Sunset had her value of honesty and kindness put to the test, so to is her value of generosity, loyalty, and laughter tested by the trials she faces. In each of these instances, when Sunset is given the choice to let these virtues guide her or not, she inevitably chooses to accept them, as she feels that the princess would want her to do.

Despite her best efforts, Sunset's actions continue to bring grief to the ponies that she is sent to help, even though they are done with virtuous intent. As she continues to witness the suffering she causes, Sunset's confidence in herself continues to wane, despite Nova's efforts to comfort and support her. In the wake of her perceived failures, Sunset more and more often compares herself to Princess Celestia, believing her to be wise enough to resolve any conflict without causing the sort of problems that Sunset has caused.

Meanwhile, Sunset continues to be plagued by her recurring nightmare, which does not help her deteriorating emotional state. As she continues to experience it, the dream gradually becomes clearer in Sunset's mind, and she notices details that she had not noticed previously. Both the shapeless anger and the cleansing light she had seen begin to take on the forms of ponies in her mind, her vision becoming one of a dark pony burning with anger being defeated by a cleansing wave of rainbow light by another. While Sunset still cannot recognize the ponies in her dreams, she cannot help but feel a strange sense of familiarity towards them.  

Shortly after completing the last of the aforementioned assignments from the princess, and after seeing her dream more clearly than ever before, Sunset is surprised to receive a visit from the ship's navigator, Bleak Herald. Herald tells Sunset that he has received a communication asking him to deliver a message to someone of “great importance” that he is traveling with, a description which he assumes refers to Sunset. After hearing the message, sent by someone who claims that they can help Sunset discern the true nature of her dreams, Sunset is immediately enthused. Upon further questioning, Herald admits that the sender of the message had been his mother, a “batty old witch” who made a living as a fortune-teller.

Despite Herald's dismissal of his mother's supposed powers, and Nova's attempts to get Sunset to let go of her perceived obsession, Sunset has the Opportunity take her to the village where the fortune teller lives. On the way, Sunset learns that Bleak Herald had chosen not to follow in his mother's line of work, instead choosing to attend Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and eventually join the royal guard, which he considers to be a more “legitimate” profession.  

Upon arriving at the fortune-teller's home, Sunset meets with the mare in question, who believes that Sunset is the pony she had been intending to contact. She tells Sunset that she had received a dream of her own recently, one which had told her to seek Sunset out and to help her. Sunset is willing to let the fortune-teller help her, but expresses skepticism of her ability to do so, due to the unacademic nature of dream magic. The fortune-teller tells her that dream magic is largely a long-lost art, and that only a few ponies had ever truly mastered the world of dreams. The fortune teller remarks that one of these ponies might be reaching out to Sunset across time and space, the dream world not being bound by the laws of reality, but even she believes this explanation to be extremely unlikely.

The fortune-teller tells Sunset that she can perform a magical ritual to bring Sunset's mind into closer contact with the dream world, potentially allowing her to see whatever her subconscious had been trying to show her. Nova, concerned for Sunset's mental state, encourages her not to take part in the ritual. Nova tells Sunset that her emotional and moral turmoil would best be solved by speaking to Princess Celestia, discussing her hardships openly, and asking for the princess's comfort and guidance, rather than seeking a magical solution. Not willing to admit to her failures, feeling that doing so would disappoint her mentor, Sunset chooses to embrace magic, although promises that she will do as Nova wishes if she does not improve.

On the night of the full moon, Sunset partakes in the ritual, with Nova in attendance to watch over her. Sunset falls into a trance, during which she is finally able to see her dream clearly. She sees a mare, tall, dark, clad in blue armor, and radiating an aura of anger. Sunset recalls every artistic depiction she had ever seen of the one who haunted the ponies of Equestria on Nightmare Night, realizing that the one she sees could be no other than Nightmare Moon herself. The other mare she sees, the one whom she had previously perceived as a beacon of light in pony form, she immediately recognizes as Princess Celestia.  

As Sunset bears witness, Princess Celestia unleashes a terrible wave of cleansing light, shining with all the colors of the rainbow, using the power of six strange, colorful objects. Nightmare Moon is overwhelmed by the princess's attack, seemingly being consumed by it and destroyed. As Sunset looks up at the night sky, however, she sees a very familiar face appear on the previously bare surface of the moon.  

Before she can consider the implications of her vision, Sunset is whisked away to another. This time, Sunset sees herself standing before Nightmare Moon in a very similar setting as the previous vision. Upon her head, Sunset wears a crown that shines like a star and emanates incredible magical power. Five other ponies stand beside her, each one wearing upon their neck an amulet just as luminescent as the crown on her head. Sunset cannot identify the ponies, them being shrouded in the haze of a forgotten memory, yet feels a strange connection to them, a feeling of comfort, warmth, and familiarity.

As the vision continues, Sunset feels an incredible magical power flow through her, a power which is eventually expelled in the form of a wave of cleansing rainbow light. As before, Nightmare Moon is consumed by the light, leaving no trace of her behind when it finally subsides. Unlike before, however, Sunset looks up at the moon overhead and watches in horror as its pale light slowly fades, before disappearing entirely, shrouding the land in darkness.  

The darkness turns suddenly to light as Sunset sees yet another vision. She sees the throne room of Canterlot castle, but noticeably changed, the chamber having become harsher in its aesthetics. Upon the throne sits a mare that Sunset does not recognize, a terrifying, powerful-looking alicorn clad in orange regalia with a mane that burns like fire. As Sunset gazes into the mare's eyes, however, a pair of eyes she had spent years of her life gazing into, she realizes exactly who the mare before her is. The mare lets out a menacing laugh as fire spreads from her, enveloping the room, and eventually Sunset.  

As the fire recedes, Sunset sees the sun positioned halfway above the horizon, although she cannot tell whether it is rising or setting. She hears a voice in her head, one which she is certain she has never heard before, but bears a tone of calm command the likes of which she had only ever heard from the voice of Princess Celestia. “A princess of ponykind,” Sunset hears, “raised in the shadow of the sun, turns upon her only family, seeking to rule her kingdom alone. Her fate is the fate of Equestria, to rise or fall by the power of the Elements of Harmony." 

Sunset finally awakens from her trance, allowing her to process what she had seen. Sunset questions the fortune-teller about her visions, although the mare is as clueless about their exact meaning as Sunset is. She does tell Sunset, however, that dreams are finicky things, sometimes showing the past, sometimes showing the future, and sometimes showing things that are pure fiction. As Sunset is left to ruminate on her visions, she asks Nova if she has ever heard of the “Elements of Harmony”.





We rejoin Sunset a few weeks after her meeting with the fortune-teller. Sunset and Nova are on the deck of the Opportunity, practicing their magic. Sunset is attempting to perfect her ability to teleport, something she has been working on for a few months. Nova having not yet reached the skill level needed to teleport more than a small object, she is unable to offer Sunset any help beyond repeating their tutors' advice. Sunset is capable of teleporting across the deck easily enough, but all too often finds herself rubber-banding back to her original location, which aggravates her to no end.

Sensing that Sunset is distracted, Nova questions her, soon realizing that Sunset has been thinking about her visions again. Nova encourages Sunset to forget about them, but Sunset says she cannot. While Sunset's dreams have returned to normal, she finds that she cannot ignore the foreboding images she had seen, and the implications they had raised. Lacking the necessary research materials to confirm or deny anything about Nightmare Moon, the Elements of Harmony, or Princess Celestia, Sunset had been forced to let her theories stew for the time being.  

Sunset had been sent on a few assignments by the princess since receiving her visions, all of which had been fairly trivial things such as groundbreaking ceremonies, ribbon-cuttings, and the like. Nova had hoped that such trivial missions would help Sunset take her mind off of her worries and perhaps boost her confidence; however, they had only allowed Sunset more time to brood. Sunset had often sent Nova off to the local library (or the closest equivalent) to do research when she could not get away from whatever official duties occupied her, but Nova's efforts had yielded no results, partially because most small-town libraries lacked books on esoteric mythic history, and partially due to Nova's lack of enthusiasm to fuel Sunset's theorizing.  

Before Sunset and Nova can resume their practice, they notice the Opportunity making a slow, but significant course correction, which they have come to associate with the receipt of a new destination. Making her way to the bridge, Sunset questions Olive Ridley, who confirms that they have been ordered to re-route to Canterlot. Sunset is mildly concerned at the potential implications being recalled home, but Ridley comforts her by saying that they are most likely being brought back for the Grand Galloping Gala, which is only a few days away. Realizing that she had forgotten about the Gala with everything else she had been dealing with, Sunset refocuses and begins planning how best to make use of the opportunity.

A few days later, on the day before the Gala, Nova goes to Sunset's suite in the west tower in order to help her prepare. Finding Sunset not there, Nova first checks all of Sunset's usual haunts, before finally realizing where she probably is. Nova makes her way to Starswirl's tower, a very familiar-looking (to the reader) tower located on the castle grounds, so named because it had once belonged to Starswirl the Bearded, supposedly. All of the tower's antique tomes had been removed long ago, relocated to more secure facilities, the tower now serving as an overflow library for those books obscure or insignificant enough to be squirreled away there.  

Nova is somewhat surprised to see Sunset there, Sunset having always regarded the old tower as too boring of a hangout spot, although realizes that Sunset would have naturally gone there searching for answers. Sunset is busy poring through books, searching for references to the Elements of Harmony. Concerned for Sunset, realizing that she had been up all night looking, Nova attempts to physically remove Sunset from the tower, only to end up knocking over one of the towers of books Sunset had assembled. While the two clean them up, Sunset reflexively scans the indexes at the back of each one, as she had done for hundreds of other books throughout her search.  

Sunset considers giving up the search, until she happens upon a tome titled Predictions and Prophesies.  Sunset is ecstatic to find a reference to the Elements, even more so when said reference links them directly to the legend of the Mare in the Moon. Sunset excitedly explains to Nova that the book provides the link she had been looking for between Nightmare Moon, the Elements, and the Mare in the Moon, seemingly validating her vision. As Sunset realizes the implications of the connection, however, her mood darkens.  

Nova again attempts to dismiss Sunset's concerns, saying that even if the legends had been conflated over the centuries, that did not make them any more real. Sunset remains concerned, especially when she considers that the supposed date of Nightmare Moon's return is less than a decade away. Sunset is finally convinced of the impossibility of her vision when Nova reminds her that Celestia could not have been the mare who had defeated Nightmare Moon, as she had always ruled alone, as everypony knew.

Despite this, Sunset refuses to abandon her research into the Elements themselves, remembering the foreboding words she had heard in her vision. Nova agrees to help Sunset track down the source of the information, on the condition that Sunset get some rest. Sunset agrees, taking a nap on one of the tower's couches, while Nova works. Despite not having high hopes initially, Nova is gradually engrossed as she follows a trail of breadcrumbs to an old tome that attributes the words “Elements of Harmony” to the diary of a mare who supposedly served as a maid to the royals of Equestria around one thousand years prior. Curiously, the historian who claimed to have possessed the diary also claimed that it had been taken from him by representatives of Princess Celestia.

The next evening, Nova is helping Sunset prepare for the Gala, ensuring that her dress and her hair are in order. Sunset, however, seems focused on something else entirely. Recognizing this, Nova asks her if she still intends to go through with her “plan”. Sunset affirms that she is, and asks if Nova will still assist her with it. Nova is conflicted, but promises Sunset that she will support her, no matter what. The two quickly finish preparing and head off to the Gala.  

As the Gala begins, Sunset is forced to stand beside Princess Celestia and help her welcome the arriving guests, as she is every year. The time passes slowly for Sunset, who has always regarded that “honor” as being painfully boring at best and demeaning at worst. As she stands there, exchanging greetings with hundreds of ponies she doesn't know and who don't know her, her thoughts turn to Princess Celestia. She recalls a meeting the two of them had had upon Sunset's return to Canterlot. Sunset had given an overall positive summation of her experiences as ambassador to the princess who, thankfully, had not forced her to delve into details. Sunset had felt guilty at the time for the praise Celestia had given her, although her adoration for her mentor is now tinged with hints of doubt and suspicion.

When Sunset is finally able to wander freely, she goes off in search of Nova, who had been mingling in the meantime. Before she can reconnect with her, however, she is unfortunate enough to cross paths with a young colt several years her junior by the name of Prince Blueblood. Sunset has had a longstanding dislike of the colt, whom she regards as a brat who acts like he owns Cantelot Castle just because of a long-defunct title inherited from his great-times-a-thousand grandmother Princess Platinum. Blueblood, likewise, dislikes Sunset just as much, mostly due to the perceived lack of respect he receives from her. Sunset gives him a forced polite greeting and manages to get away before he can aggravate her into losing her cool.  

Soon after, Sunset finds Nova, who had been politely conversing with the other guests. Sunset gets Nova alone, then informs her that she is going to go carry out her aforementioned plan. Nova once again agrees to play her part, but encourages Sunset to reconsider. Sunset remains confident in herself, and heads off away from the ballroom. Nova leaves as well, heading off to the castle gardens where she can be alone, allowing her to provide a plausible alibi for Sunset's whereabouts.  

Sunset makes her way though the castle, reaffirming the theory she had developed after seeing Nova's discovery in the old book. Sunset had figured that, if the maid's diary truly did exist, and it truly had been taken by Celestia, and it had not been outright destroyed, then it would have been kept somewhere secure in the castle, where Celestia could have kept a close eye on it. She had considered looking for it in several other places, but had realized that, if it contained what Sunset was beginning to suspect it might contain, then there was only one place Celestia would have put it.  

Sunset makes her way to the east tower, the tower reserved exclusively for Princess Celestia, finding the halls deserted, due to the castle's inhabitants all being down at the Gala. The guards responsible for watching the tower are having a little party of their own nearby, as Sunset had suspected they would be. Sunset is easily able to sneak past them as they distract themselves with their card games and cider. Having been in the tower countless times before, she is able to quickly reach Celestia's study.

On the way, she is forced to pass by Philomena, the princess's pet phoenix, who served as the de facto guard of Celestia's bedchamber. Normally, Philomena would have alerted Celestia to the presence of an intruder, but due to Sunset having developed a friendship with the bird at an early age, she is able to get past it without incident.  

Arriving in the study, Sunset begins her search, first checking all of the places she had always imagined there might be hiding places in the room. Finding nothing at first, Sunset then turns to the books, pulling every single one in the room in turn to see if they would trigger some hidden secret. When that too fails to yield results, she then examines the books themselves, scanning the titles for possible clues. Sunset grows more anxious as the minutes pass, very conscious of the limited time she has.  

As she searches, she hears noises from nearby, which she believes to be a patrolling guard. Sunset falls silent and douses the light from her horn until she hears the guard pass. As she waits in the near-dark, however, the pale light of the moon from the planetarium overhead shines down on a certain book on one of the shelves, and the book glows mysteriously. Sunset investigates the book, realizing that the glow is caused by the book being decorated with special geodes that glowed in the dark. Being nonmagical in nature, the book had eluded Sunset's earlier attempts to search for enchantments in the room.

At first, Sunset believes that the book, Songs of the Moon, is merely an insignificant book of poetry. Upon opening the book, however, she sees that is has been hollowed out. Within the hollowed-out book, she finds an incredibly old-looking tome, which she carefully removes and examines. She soon finds that the book, which lacks title or description, is written in Old Ponish, a subject that had never been her strong suit. As she skims the pages, she believes that she can make out certain encouraging words, such as “servant” and “castle”, as well as a puzzling reference to a “Princess Luna”. Deciding to put her hopes on her discovery, she quickly replaces the false book and leaves the study before she is found out.

Sunset manages to escape the tower without being discovered and takes her prize back to her own room for safekeeping. Making her way back to the Gala, Sunset tracks down Nova and rejoins her. Sunset tells Nova of her success; Nova is merely grateful that Sunset is alright after pulling such a stunt. Sunset dismisses her worry and takes her back to the ballroom, where the two spend a while enjoying each other's company.  

Later, Sunset goes off to get her and Nova some punch. While she is getting the punch, she suddenly hears a raised voice from nearby and notices ponies glancing over at where Nova had been standing. Quickly making her way back, pushing her way through the crowd, Sunset finds Prince Blueblood staring down Nova, who looks to be on the verge of tears. Nova is apologizing profusely for some unknown offense, but Blueblood is not satisfied, making vague threats against Nova and mocking her as being Sunset's “serving wench”.  

Suddenly, the little prince is drenched from head to hoof as the contents of an entire Gala-sized bowl of punch is teleported directly above him, courtesy of Sunset. Sunset spouts off a smug one-liner before realizing that almost the entire ballroom had turned their attention towards her and Blueblood. Embarrassed, Sunset quickly looks across the room towards Princess Celestia, expecting to see her angrily glaring. Instead, Sunset is shocked to see the what appears to be the princess stifling a laugh.  

The next day, Nova goes to check on Sunset in her tower, finding her busy preparing to leave Canterlot once again. Upon her arrival, Sunset worriedly asks Nova if she is alright, the two having not seen each other since the previous night. Nova assures her that she is alright in the wake of her confrontation, which had supposedly been caused by Nova bumping into Blueblood and then accidentally omitting his title when she had apologized. Sunset feels that Blueblood's anger had probably had more to do with Nova's relationship with Sunset than her minor offense, but she does not mention this.

Nova then asks Sunset if she is alright, having last seen her being taken away from the Gala by Princess Celestia, along with Blueblood. Sunset casually tells her that Celestia had given them both a stern talking-to and forced them to make peace, which they had begrudgingly done. Sunset remarks that she is not entirely sure that Celestia had been as upset as she had claimed, referencing the extremely rare laughter she had witnessed the night before.  

Nova then inquires about Sunset's mission the previous night. Sunset shows her the book she had found, which she is now certain is the diary they had seen referenced in their research. She remarks that she will have plenty of time to study the old tome while she is traveling.  





Sunset departs Canterlot aboard the Opportunity once again, resuming her duties as royal ambassador. In between her missions, and whenever she otherwise has downtime, Sunset devotes herself to studying the maid's diary. Her progress is slow, due to both the language barrier and the lack of free time her duties afford her, but she soon manages to make several intriguing discoveries. Supposedly, the diary had once belonged to a mare named Moonbeam, who had been brought on to serve as a maid in the household of the royals of ancient Equestria when she was just a young mare. The diary begins around the time she is first brought to the castle, entering into the service of “the Princesses Celestia and Luna”.

Sunset is both amazed and overwhelmed at the implications the diary makes about the princess she has known for so long. Sunset openly postulates about this to Nova, but Nova dismisses her theories as being absurd, believing that the “Celestia” in the diary must be some other pony than the princess they know. Sunset is inclined to believe her, as the diary would seem to go against everything she and the rest of Equestria knew about their beloved monarch. Still, Sunset continues her study, her interest only increasing the more she reads.  

In her vivid imagination, Sunset sees the scenes described in the diary play out like a movie. The diary tells of how, shortly after coming to “the Castle of the Two Sisters”, Moonbeam had been summoned for a private audience with Princess Luna. Moonbeam had described the princess as being stern, cold, and even somewhat frightening, and yet had found the strange familiarity of her presence comforting, as if she had been a figure from a half-remembered dream.  

The princess had spoken to Moonbeam, inquiring about her and her life before coming to the castle. She had admitted that she had taken notice of Moonbeam due to her name, and had asked her if she  appreciated its significance. Moonbeam had truthfully said, being too afraid to bend the truth, that she found the moon to be ominous and mysterious, and yet found it beautiful in its own way. After this, Princess Luna had asked Moonbeam if she desired to serve as her personal attendant, rather than remain a maid of the household as a whole. Despite the princess's warnings of her demanding standards, Moonbeam had accepted the offer, which she had described in her diary as being a clearer decision than any other she had ever made.  

As Sunset continues through the diary, she is treated to descriptions of Moonbeam's encounters with Princess Luna. While most of her activities relating to the princess had been fairly typical of a royal maid, she had also had rare opportunities to see the princess with her guard down, being able to get glimpses of what she had described as a loving, tender soul buried deep beneath a tough shell. As the years went on, and Moonbeam and the princess had grown closer, Moonbeam had even ventured to call the princess her friend, although had written that this relationship had always gone unlabeled.  

Despite speaking to Princess Luna's positive traits, Moonbeam had also ventured to share anecdotes of some of the princess's less flattering moments. Moonbeam had sometimes witnessed Luna experience fits of anger behind closed doors, feelings which had apparently become more common and more intense as the decades had gone on and Moonbeam had gradually aged into an old mare. While she had never been so bold as to confront the princess about her feelings, Moonbeam had written that the princess's sister, Princess Celestia, had often been referenced during these fits.  

Throughout the diary, Moonbeam had written of Princess Celestia as well, although not nearly to the same extent as Luna. While Sunset finds Moonbeam's description of Princess Celestia's appearance to be worryingly accurate, she finds the description of Celestia's personality to be outright alien to her. Moonbeam often describes Princess Celestia as being lighthearted and even jovial, words which Sunset would never have used to describe her mentor. At one point, Sunset even remarks that she finds Moonbeam's description of Princess Luna to be closer to the Celestia she knows that the Celestia described in the diary. So different is Moonbeam's description from the real thing that Sunset almost chooses to adopt Nova's belief that they are different ponies entirely.

Towards the end of the diary, Moonbeam describes how Princess Luna's emotional state had continued to deteriorate, the princess often indulging in cathartic acts of property destruction before crying herself to sleep. On one particular day, however, Luna had summoned Moonbeam before her, appearing as cold and distant to her as she had on the day they had met. Moonbeam had written that the princess had harshly terminated her employment without explanation, ordering her to leave the castle grounds immediately. Holding back tears, Moonbeam had complied, although had noticed that she had seemed to be the only one to have faced such an unceremonious dismissal.  

Moonbeam had left the castle, making her way to a small crossroad inn nearby, where she had spent the night. The next day, as she had been trying to figure out where to go next, a panic had arisen amongst the inn's patrons. She had joined them in rushing outside, where she had watched the day suddenly and inexplicably turn to night. Soon after, Moonbeam had written that she had seen flashes of light and heard terrifying booms in the distance, coming from the direction of the castle. When the commotion had finally stopped, Moonbeam had seen the moon overhead glow briefly, and had watched as the shape of a very familiar face had appeared upon its surface, before the unnatural night had turned back to day.

That night, Moonbeam had had a dream in which she had seen Princess Luna. The princess had smiled at her, thanking her, before wishing her goodbye. Moonbeam had awoken the next morning, feeling an inexplicably intense sense of loss. A few hours later, castle guards had arrived at the inn, looking for her. The guards had taken Moonbeam back to the castle, saying no more than that Princess Celestia had summoned her.  

Upon her return, Moonbeam had seen what she had believed to be the aftermath of some great battle, describing extensive damage to the castle grounds. She had seen many of her friends in states of apparent shock or depression, although had not been able to stop and question them. Moonbeam had been taken directly to the quarters of Princess Celestia, who had apparently not been seen in public since the previous day.  

Moonbeam had been admitted into Celestia's chambers, which she described as looking like a tornado had passed through it. The princess herself had, apparently, not looked any better, Moonbeam describing her as looking disheveled to a disturbing extent, and looking like she had spent several days straight crying. The princess had asked Moonbeam if she had been the one serving as Luna's personal attendant, which Moonbeam had confirmed. She had further asked if Moonbeam had noticed anything unusual about Luna recently. Moonbeam had told her about what she had known, including her sudden firing. The princess had thanked her, but Moonbeam had felt that she had been unsatisfied with her report. Her curiosity overcoming her decorum, Moonbeam had asked Celestia if Luna was alright and where she was. Celestia had immediately dismissed her from her presence without an answer. As she had left, Moonbeam had written that she had heard the princess sobbing.  

Several days later, Moonbeam had been summoned to speak with the princess again. Moonbeam noted that the princess had appeared as regal and dignified as she had always seen her, although had been uncharacteristically cold and reserved as well. In a frighteningly unemotional manner, Celestia had told Moonbeam exactly what had happened, describing Luna's rebellion and her subsequent defeat using something called the “Elements of Harmony”. Celestia had told her that those who had witnessed the events had been sworn to secrecy, although acknowledged that rumors had already begun to spread beyond her control.  

Over the next few weeks, Celestia had spent long hours speaking with Moonbeam, talking about Luna, venting her issues, and telling Moonbeam all she knew about the Elements, despite Moonbeam's inability to comprehend much of it. Celestia had told her how she and Luna had found the Elements and had used their power to defend Equestria from its greatest foes. The two had spent years trying to understand their nature, eventually discovering that they seemed to be connected to certain character traits, which they had classified as “honesty”, “kindness”, “generosity”, “laughter”, and “loyalty”, although they had never truly understood the nature of the sixth.  

Princess Celestia had told her that, after she had used the Elements to banish her sister, five had turned to cold, dead stone, while the mysterious sixth had crumbled to dust. Celestia had speculated that the Elements had “abandoned” her in the wake of her “misuse” of them. She had speculated that, if she had been more attentive to her sister over the decades, she could have used their power to understand her sister's suffering and saved her. Instead, she had been negligent and ignorant, leaving her with no other choice but to banish her sister outright, an act that that Elements had apparently disapproved of. Celestia had said that she was unsure if the Elements would ever live again, saying that, if they did, it would take a pony greater than her to wield them, a pony who was truly worthy to do so.

In the last diary entry, Moonbeam had described the princess's plan to move to Canterlot, wanting to leave behind the castle she had shared with Luna. Celestia had asked Moonbeam if she would want to come with her to Canterlot, but Moonbeam had declined, choosing to leave that life behind. Celestia had given Moonbeam a generous retirement pension, with the unspoken understanding that Moonbeam never reveal what she knew. Moonbeam had written that she would never tell a soul, and that she would lock her diary away somewhere and forget about it. In this last entry, she also wrote that the forest that had always surrounded the castle had begun to grow “wild” in the wake of the Elements' destruction, and that ponies had since dubbed it “Everfree”.





Sunset's duties as royal ambassador continue to keep her busy, restricting the time she has to study the diary. Princess Celestia continues to send Sunset on missions all over Equestria, many of which continue to test Sunset's judgment and her understanding of right and wrong. Where Sunset would once have blamed the unsatisfying results of these missions on her own weakness while wishing she could have been more like the princess, her growing suspicions of her mentor, significantly exacerbated by her study of the diary, gradually lead her to adopt less one-sided perspectives. Increasingly, Sunset begins to questions whether the difficulties she encounters, both in her missions and with herself, are actually the fault of the princess, her tutelage, and her leadership of Equestria.

On one of these missions, Sunset is sent to a small gem-mining town on the southern edge of Equestria's borders, where the locals had reported the presence of strange creatures who had arrived recently and had been causing trouble. Sunset travels to the town, expecting the problem to be caused by an incursion of wild animals, but discovers that the creatures mentioned were neither mere animals nor any kind of creature Sunset had ever seen before. The creatures, possessing mental faculties roughly on par with the average pony, identify themselves as “diamond dogs”.

The dogs tell Sunset that their group had come to Equestria from the south, fleeing a war that had consumed their homeland. The warlord responsible had supposedly already attacked several places, including a “Klugetown” and a “Mount Aris”, names which mean nothing to Sunset. The dogs identify him as a strange, apelike creature with horns, although cannot agree on his name, as he had supposedly changed it multiple times to their knowledge.

Sunset is shocked to learn of the large-scale war taking place right next door to Equestria, and even more shocked that she had never heard of it. She questions whether Celestia knew of the war, and by extension, whether she had been keeping it a secret from Sunset and the rest of Equestria. In the wake of this discovery, Sunset is inclined to give the diamond dogs leave to remain in Equestria, despite the problems the locals had had with them. Supposedly, the dogs had gotten into minor squabbles with the townsponies, caused some minor property damage, and generally made a nuisance of themselves. The dogs admit to this when confronted by Sunset, but agree to live in peace with the ponies in exchange for being allowed to stay. The ponies are not enthused at the arrangement, but trust Sunset enough to go through with it.

Considering the matter to be dealt with, Sunset and her escort leave the town, but are recalled shortly after leaving. Sunset is shocked to discover that the diamond dogs had broken their agreement and had used the position of trust Sunset had granted them in order to take over the town, forcing its inhabitants to mine gems for them. With the aid of her escort, Sunset is able to defeat the dogs and free the townsponies, who blame Sunset for their misfortune. Angered at the dogs' betrayal, Sunset banishes the group from Equestria, forcing them to return to their homeland. Sunset remarks that, if what the dogs had said was true, then there would probably be more of their kind making their way to Equestria in the near future.





Later on, Sunset is tasked by the Princess to visit a small community that had had a foal go missing a couple of weeks prior. While the case had been taken up by the authorities shortly after the disappearance, there had been no sign of the missing colt, and ponies were beginning to lose hope. Sunset is told that she is not expected to solve the case, but is being sent mainly to offer moral support and to comfort the affected family. Despite this, Sunset promises herself that she will do whatever she can to help the family.

Upon arriving at the little town where the disappearance had occurred, Sunset discovers that the missing colt had apparently been found only a couple of days earlier. Supposedly, the colt had simply turned up on his parents' doorstep one evening without explanation. The investigators handling the case had found that the colt seemed to be in perfect health, miraculously, but that its behavior had been slightly different from what it had been previously. The examining medical professionals had declared that such changes were to be expected from the colt having gone through such an ordeal, and had not considered them to be a cause for alarm, as the changes had been relatively benign. Due to the colt being too young to properly explain the circumstances of its disappearance, the investigators had had nothing further to do but pack up and leave.

Feeling that the story was too good to be true, Sunset decides to call on the parents and see the child for herself. The parents are happy to speak with Sunset about the matter and allow her to visit with them and their child. The two are overjoyed at their son's return, so much so that they have largely overlooked the bizarre circumstances of it. Sunset questions them about the behavioral changes she had heard about. The parents admit that they had noticed certain strange behavior in their foal immediately after his return, the foal having acted as if it were unfamiliar with certain familiar things, but that he seemed to be reverting to his previous behavior very quickly. Sunset can identify nothing wrong with the foal, and so eventually leaves the family be, and yet cannot shake a strange feeling that something is off about it.

Sunset decides to investigate the area surrounding the family's isolated farmhouse with the help of her royal guard escort, hoping to find some clue that the other investigators might have missed. While it had been suspected that the missing colt had wandered off into the forest on the edge of the farm, no physical trail had been discovered, due largely to the heavy rain that had fallen the night of the disappearance.  

It is during her investigation of the farm and the surrounding area that Sunset senses a bizarre magical disturbance coming from the farmhouse. Peeking in through a window, Sunset witnesses what appears to be the foal absorbing some kind of magical energy from its parents in a distinctly non-pony fashion. Sunset bursts into the house to put a stop to it, informing the parents of what she had witnessed. Despite this, the parents seem oblivious to the foal's actions, and are angered by Sunset's accusations. The parents demand that Sunset leave them in peace and not bother their son, which Sunset begrudgingly agrees to. Despite her pledge, Sunset refuses to leave the matter be. Nova is skeptical of Sunset's claims, having not witnessed the foal's bizarre behavior herself, but trusts Sunset enough to support her investigation further.  

Having lost direct access to the foal, Sunset sneaks onto the farm in the middle of the night, silently teleporting into the foal's bedroom. Despite the foal's normal-looking appearance, Sunset decides to go forward with her plan to use a spell to discern it's true nature. As she casts the spell, she is horrified to see the sleeping foal transform into an unknown creature. The creature is pony-like in form, and yet is covered in black chitin, and possesses insect-like wings and twisted limbs. In her shock, Sunset accidentally rouses the creature, which chases her as she flees the farmhouse.  

Sunset flees into the nearby forest, with the creature hot on her tail. She is eventually able to outsmart   it and defeat it, holding it at hornpoint. Sunset is surprised when the creature speaks to her, begging her to spare it. Intrigued, but wary, Sunset interrogates the creature. She learns that the creature is a “changeling”, and that it and its kind change their appearance in order to impersonate other kinds of creatures, with the ultimate goal of feeding off of their love. Upon learning this, Sunset assumes that the changeling had been responsible for the disappearance of the foal, yet it denies her accusation, saying that no changeling would take the place of a creature in such an unsubtle manner. The changeling claims that it had merely taken the opportunity presented by the foal's disappearance to insert itself into the family to feed on the parents.  

Sunset asks the changeling why nopony had discovered its identity. The changeling replies that, even with its occasional slip-ups, such as being witnessed by Sunset, the foal's parents had been more than willing to accept a comforting falsehood than consider that someone close to them might not be what they present themselves as, a statement which strikes a chord with Sunset. Lastly, Sunset asks the changeling where the real foal is, but the changeling claims it does not know. It remarks that the foal probably had been lost in the forest, but the investigators had called off the search too early, due to the foal's supposed reappearance. Before she can question it further, the changeling manages to escape and return to the farmhouse.  

Realizing that the changeling would not allow itself to be confronted again, Sunset resolves to find the missing foal, her only other chance of proving the truth of what had happened. She enlists the aid of her royal guard escort to comb the forest, who willingly assist her, despite their doubts. Olive Ridley attempts to delicately highlight the unlikelihood of finding the missing foal on their own, and the likelihood that, even if they did find him, he would not be returning to his family. Choosing to embrace hope over an unpleasant reality, a decision which she consciously acknowledges, she forces herself and them to continue the search. A few days into the search, Sunset is approached by Steel Rain, who had been tasked with searching the nearby river. With barely restrained emotion, Steel Rain tells her that their search had concluded.

A few days later, Sunset watches from afar as a foal-sized coffin is lowered into the ground. She laments that she is unable to observe from closer, due to her not being on speaking terms with the parents. She recalls the harsh words they had lobbed at her in the wake of discovering the truth about their foal. Despite Sunset's attempts to explain the situation, the two had seemingly decided to direct all the blame towards her, a reaction which Sunset is disappointed by. The changeling had vanished before Sunset could confront it again and reveal it publicly, but her explanation, as well as the testimony of the attending medical professionals, had resolved the issue, at least on paper.

Standing beside Sunset, Nova attempts to comfort her by telling her that she had done nothing wrong, despite the hostility directed towards her. Sunset ponders the nature and extent of the changeling threat, a threat which she is unsure Princess Celestia is aware of. She also ponders her decision to ignore a harsh reality staring her in the face, wondering what other harsh truths she has chosen to overlook, consciously or otherwise.   





In a later mission, Sunset is tasked by Princess Celestia to visit the home of a famous, albeit reclusive inventor who is a friend of the princess. The old inventor had spent his life making great strides in technology, being responsible for the introduction of such miraculous inventions as electric lighting, telephones, and other such wonders that had slowly but steadily been working their way into Equestrian society over the past few decades. Several years prior, the inventor had mysteriously disappeared without a trace, but had supposedly returned just a few weeks earlier. Sunset is tasked with checking up on the inventor and finding out the cause of his disappearance.  

The Opportunity makes its way to the inventor's estate, where Sunset attempts to make contact with him. The inventor's staff attempt to send Sunset away at first, but she is quickly granted an audience after she mentions that she has been sent by the princess. While meeting with the inventor, Sunset notices strange behavior from him, such as bizarre linguistic quirks as well as the unicorn seemingly forgetting that he could use magic. The inventor, however, asserts that he is fine, claiming that his disappearance had been an impromptu vacation, and that he had not told anypony about it to avoid the publicity. Sunset notices that the inventor clearly does not wish to be speaking with her, and is presumably only doing so to put a stop to any questioning about him. Realizing that she will gain nothing from speaking with him, Sunset chooses to leave when the inventor, with the bare minimum of politeness, asks her to do so.

While leaving the estate, Sunset and Nova openly discuss the inventor's strange behavior, concerned that the old stallion might be suffering mental health issues. The night, as they are considering whether to leave or not, a visitor arrives at the Opportunity, asking to speak with Sunset. Sunset discovers that the visitor is one of the inventor's maids, whom Sunset had noticed while at the estate. The maid tells Sunset that she had sought her out due to her concerns for her master's well-being. The maid shares Sunset's belief that the inventor might be suffering from poor health, saying that the inventor's odd behavior was a new phenomenon, despite the inventor's claims to the contrary.  

Upon questioning, the maid tells Sunset the truth of the inventor's miraculous reappearance. Supposedly, she and a skeleton crew had been watching over the estate on behalf of the inventor's extended family. One night a few weeks earlier, she had been woken by noises coming from the basement, where the inventor had kept his secretive workroom that only he had ever been allowed to enter. When she had gone to investigate, unlocking the workroom from the outside, she had discovered the inventor within. The maid had wondered how he could have managed to get in there, as the workroom had been locked and warded to prevent entry from the outside.  

Confronted with the locked-room mystery, Sunset remarks that it was as if the inventor had been in the room for the entirety of his disappearance. The maid explains that the room had been searched in the wake of his disappearance, but that no sign of him had been found there. Sunset speculates that some magical object within the workroom might have been responsible for his disappearance, and potentially his odd behavior. The maid is doubtful of this, as the room had already been magically examined, no significant magical items being found. When Sunset asks if she could be allowed to examine the room herself, the maid begrudgingly agrees to let her, for the sake of the inventor's health.

Sunset is taken to the workroom and allowed inside to investigate. Within the workroom, she discovers many half-finished contraptions of an unknown nature, but nothing she believes could have somehow made the inventor disappear. One item she comes across within the room is an ornate mirror, which she remarks is abnormally tall, as if it were designed for use by creatures much taller than the average pony. She is able to sense that the mirror is magical in some way, but that the magic seems to be inert, and dismisses it for the time being.  

Eventually, Sunset manages to discover a secret hiding spot in the workroom, partially by accident. Within this hiding spot, she finds what is presumably some kind of journal, containing entries written by the inventor. She skims the book, reading what appear to be descriptions of the inventor's trips to some far-off place she is unfamiliar with. Accompanying these entries are descriptions and diagrams of strange devices, some of which resemble the incomplete constructions in the workroom, while some are of the inventor's well-known creations. She sees images of colorful metal boxes on wheels, bird-shaped contraptions made of metal, and what appear to be typewriters accompanying small, colorful windows. In the more recent entries, the ones that appear to have been written within the past few weeks, she sees images of long, metal tubes with some sort of projectiles flying out of them,  mushroom-shaped clouds, as well as huge, cylindrical objects that she cannot begin to imagine the purpose of. These journal entries make occasional references to a mirror, which Sunset realizes must be the mirror in the room.

Before she can examine the journal thoroughly, however, Sunset hears somepony approaching the room. Being unable to teleport away, due to the wards on the room, she quickly puts the journal back in its place before hiding herself behind some crates. Sunset watches discreetly as the inventor enters the room, moving to the secret compartment and withdrawing the journal. He pauses, examining the journal for a few moments, before carefully putting it back. Turning to face the room, he loudly announces that he knows Sunset is there, and tells her to reveal herself. Steeling herself, Sunset leaves her hiding place and confronts the inventor.

Sunset questions the inventor about the journal and its fantastical contents. The inventor claims that the journal is merely his sketchbook, and that the descriptions of his supposed adventures through the mirror were merely works of fiction. Sunset points out the ridiculousness of his explanation, which he admits to, yet he also points out that Sunset has no way to disprove the claim. Sunset counters that, even if she has no proof, she can still give her opinion of the inventor's mental health to Princess Celestia, remarking that the princess would be unlikely to overlook the failing health of somepony she considered a friend. She remarks that doing so would most likely result in further investigation of the inventor, which she knows he would not want.

Recognizing his position, the inventor agrees to tell Sunset the truth, with the caveat that she does not tell anyone else. Sunset says that such a promise would depend upon the nature of what he tells her, which the inventor begrudgingly accepts. The inventor goes on to spin Sunset a fantastical yarn of a series of trips he had taken to a strange land on the other side of the mirror. The mirror, as he explains, had been an old family heirloom, although had been tucked away in storage within his family's estate for an unknown amount of time, with its origins being a mystery even to him. It had been by accident that he had uncovered the mirror and discovered its true nature. Supposedly, the mirror only activated once every thirty moons, and would remain active for only three days. It had been this inconvenient caveat that had caused the inventor's disappearance, him having encountered some “trouble” on the other side that had prevented him from returning for several cycles.

The inventor goes on to describe the world beyond the mirror, a world filled with strange creatures that, while lacking magic, had created technology far surpassing that of Equestria. Having put two and two together, Sunset confronts the “inventor” about him having brought technology from the other world to Equestria and passing it off as his own work. The inventor admits to this, yet defends his actions, saying that his “inventions” had improved the lives of Equestrians, and could stand to improve them even more. He says that, even if he had profited from the selling of his inventions, (which he most certainly had,) it was what he deserved for having performed such a “public service”.

Sunset criticizes the inventor for exploiting the mirror, pointing out the dangers of using such a powerful magical object that he knew little about. She highlights the significance of such an object, saying that it could have a drastic impact on magical studies, science, and society at large if put in the right hooves. She further says that the technology he had seen, technology he does not fully understand, could have drastic effects as well if introduced to Equestria. She says that she feels the mirror would be better off in somepony else's hooves than his.  

The inventor argues that, if the mirror were to be taken away from him, the flow of technology would inevitably cease. He says that he could bring technology to Equestria that could vastly improve the lives of its citizens, such as advanced medicine and labor-savers. He also goes on to say that he could bring technology that could strengthen Equestria's military might, helping it to protect itself from any enemies that might attack it. Given the things she has seen and learned in her recent missions, Sunset briefly considers his proposal, but eventually realizes that she cannot allow the inventor to go forward with his plans.

Sunset voices her disapproval, declaring her intent to have the mirror confiscated, something she has the power and legal grounding to do. The inventor angrily mocks her for her perceived foolishness, but makes no attempt to stop Sunset from leaving. Sunset quickly returns to the Opportunity, recruiting her royal guard escort to help her with her task. When they reach the workroom, however, they find that it has been destroyed, the prototype machines turned to scrap, the scattered blueprints burned, and the inventor's journal reduced to a pile of ash. The mirror, however, appears unscathed.

The next day, Sunset pays a final visit to the inventor at his estate. She tells the inventor that she has arranged for the mirror to be transported back to Canterlot, where it will be kept under lock and key. When she asks him why he had not destroyed it along with the rest of his workroom, he admits that he could not bring himself to do so. He tells her that, despite what she thinks of him, he does desire the betterment of Equestria, and hopes that the mirror will someday be used to that effect. He remarks that, despite Sunset believing she knows better than him, that she is no different than how he was when he first started using the mirror. He tells her that his time in the other world had changed him, and that it would also change her or anypony else who ventured there. Sunset leaves, choosing to keep the true nature of the mirror a secret.





As Sunset completes these missions, and her faith in her mentor wanes, Sunset becomes increasingly reliant on other ponies for wisdom and advice, such as those she travels with. Sunset begins seeking the help of the crew of the Opportunity more frequently during her missions, both for their practical skills and for their varied perspectives on the problems she encounters. As a result, Sunset slowly grows closer to the members of her escort as the months go by, to the point where she begins to think of them as friends.  

Just as Sunset learns from and is helped by her new friends, so too are they helped by her. The ever-serious Bleak Herald, the stallion looking to prove he's more than just a lowly sideshow magician from a backwater town, eventually develops a begrudging respect for Sunset when he realizes how hard she has worked to prove herself over the years. The two engineer brothers Firebrand and Little Tinker overcome much of their animosity towards each other when it is revealed that Firebrand had left his large family to join the guard in order to provide for them, and that Little Tinker had joined out of a desire to be with his brother once again, contrary to what the two had believed about each other. Steel Rain, a once-sensitive mare pressured into service by her military family, learns not to dwell on her past and to live for herself. Olive Ridley and Sunset become especially close, the old captain becoming somewhat of a father figure to Sunset.

It is on one night, after Sunset and the crew have become comfortable with one another, that they all find themselves sitting down to a meal together in the galley. When the topic of families comes up, the crew all have humorous anecdotes to share of their parents or siblings. Even Nova joins in, telling the group of her parents back in Canterlot. When Little Tinker asks Sunset about her family, Sunset's awkwardly serious reply makes it perfectly clear that she, unlike the others, has no stories to share. When the realization sets in, Tinker apologizes, but Sunset dismisses his worries, absentmindedly launching into a story of her own.

On one unremarkable evening years prior, a package was left on the doorstep of an orphanage in one of the more humble districts of Canterlot. A knock on the door summoned the caretaker, but when the old mare finally arrived, whoever had knocked had disappeared. Discovering the package, the mare quickly retrieved its contents: a unicorn foal with a golden-yellow coat and a mane and tail of red and yellow. No note or any other identifying objects accompanied the fateful delivery. As the caretaker looked around, searching for the one who had left the package, her eyes fell on the setting sun, the light of which made the gleaming city of Canterlot shimmer.  

Years later, the little filly named Sunset Shimmer ran through the streets of Canterlot, pursuing a few other fillies and colts who ran ahead of her. The children eventually arrived at their favorite hangout spot, the little Sunset arriving shortly afterwards, huffing and puffing. One of the older children teased the little filly for her inability to keep up, questioning why they had even let her come along. Another child quietly scolded them, reminding them of how Sunset had been feeling in the wake of the old caretaker's passing a few months prior.  

Despite her tiredness, Sunset wore a brave smile on her face and insisted that she could keep up with whatever they wanted to do. Annoyed at her bravado, one colt declared that they would all be playing a game of who could lift the largest object with magic. While the older unicorns were all onboard, Sunset was fearful, the young filly's magic having only recently become strong enough to lift the smallest of objects. Knowing this full well, the older children teased Sunset, saying that she ought to go home. In an effort to prove herself, Sunset attempted to display her magical talents by lifting a nearby rock, but  failed miserably, to the amusement of her fellows.  

Sunset turned and walked off with her tail between her legs, while the others carried on without her. Before going too far, Sunset's desperation to be included overcame her hopelessness, and she turned and went back. Angered by being relegated to the sidelines, Sunset declared that she would best them all by lifting the biggest object of them all. The others laughed at Sunset's boast, jokingly asking her if she planned to move the castle, the mountain, or perhaps the sun overhead. Sunset unthinkingly declared that she would move the sun, which only further amused the other children. They jokingly declared that, if Sunset was successful, they would bow before her and call her “Princess Sunset”.

As Sunset prepared to fulfill her pledge, her sense of reason returned, and she recognized the hopelessness of her task. Despite this, she made an attempt anyway, reaching out to the burning orb overhead just as she had reached out to the rock earlier. As expected, Sunset finds the sun overwhelmingly massive, feeling as if she were trying to move a mountain with her bare hooves. Spurred on by the others' jeers and by her feelings of neglect and loneliness, Sunset continued to throw herself against the immovable object, heedless of her own waning strength.  

Meanwhile, across the city, Princess Celestia was in her study, working on paperwork. Realizing that the time had come to change day to night, she made her way out to her balcony. As she reached out to the sun with her magic, as she had every night for centuries, she noticed something out of place. There seemed to be a magical touch, almost imperceptibly faint, touching the familiar orb. The princess recognizes the touch as being that of a unicorn's magic, most likely that of a foal, based on its strength. She remarks to herself that only foals who had not yet learned their own magical strength, and sometimes adults who had had a bit too much cider to drink, ever tried to move the sun. The princess waited patiently, assuming that whoever it was would soon grow tired and cease their foolish endeavor.

However, the magical touch she felt did not dissipate. The touch lingered for a surprisingly long time, and what's more, the princess got the strange feeling that the sun was somehow responding to the touch. She waited, silently watching to see what would happen. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt the titanic weight of the sun shift a fraction of an inch, more than any other unicorn had managed to move it on their own in a millennium. Immediately after this though, the magic touch suddenly ceased, and the sun settled back into its previous position. 

Celestia grew fearful as she recognized the sudden, violent manner in which the magical force had popped like a balloon, as opposed to the slow, gradual manner in which magic was typically dispelled. Reaching out, she traced the lingering path the magic had left, beginning at the sun and following it down. She followed it to Equestria, then to Canterlot, then to a certain district across the city, then to a little side street, where a group of young unicorns were crowded around a little filly lying motionless on the ground.  

Sunset awoke in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room, seemingly alone. She attempted to rise, but was stopped by a sudden jolt of pain in her head. She heard a voice advise her to remain still, and soon after saw Princess Celestia walk into her field of view. Sunset is shocked to see the princess and unthinkingly moved to bow her head, triggering more pain. Celestia walked over to her and gently forced her to lie still.

Celestia asked Sunset her name, feeling relieved when Sunset was able to provide it, confirming that she was not suffering amnesia. She then asked Sunset if she remembered what had happened. Sunset slowly recalled the events leading up to her attempt to move the sun. She panicked when she realized that it was now morning, believing that she had been gone from the orphanage all night. Celestia informed her that she had actually been unconscious for three days. Celestia asked Sunset if she understood what had happened, which Sunset did not.

Using simple terms, Celestia attempted to explain to Sunset the concept of magical overload, the result of a unicorn taking on too much of a magical burden at once. Celestia remarked that the pain leading up to it normally prevented unicorns from crossing that dangerous threshold, especially for young unicorns, making cases extremely rare. Celestia scolded Sunset for her recklessness, saying that Sunset was lucky that she had been able to find her so quickly and get her proper care. She said that Sunset could have permanently lost her magic from such a stunt, or worse. She stopped when she realized that Sunset was crying.

Sunset tearfully apologized, saying that she only did it because she was afraid of being abandoned by her peers. Celestia comforted Sunset, telling her that she would be alright. Celestia told Sunset that, despite the foolishness of her actions, she was impressed by her determination and her willingness to push herself to incredible lengths for the sake of those she considered her friends, remarking that Sunset would probably be a powerful unicorn someday.  

When Sunset expressed her doubts of this, Celestia declared that she herself would teach her, if Sunset was willing. Sunset exuberantly accepted, but questions why Celestia would want to help her. Celestia told her that, even if she had not seen such great potential in her, she would have taken her in anyway, as the sun had “chosen” her, just as it had with her. Celestia pulled back the covers from the confused Sunset's body, revealing the image of the sun emblazoned on the filly's previously blank flank.





A few days after sharing her story with her new friends, Sunset reaches the last bit of Moonbeam's diary, fervently reading through the descriptions of Luna's rebellion and the events that had followed. Sunset's theories regarding Princess Celestia resurface as they are seemingly confirmed by the diary's contents. When she tells Nova of this, Nova again questions the legitimacy of the diary, although Sunset refuses to back down again. Having seen the mention of the Everfree Forest, Sunset resolves to seek out physical evidence of the diary's claims, for better or worse.  

Sunset orders the Opportunity to fly to the Everfree Forest. The crew comply, both out of duty and out of trust for their newfound friend, but express their concerns over going to such a dangerous location. Olive Ridley tells Sunset that the forest had historically been forbidden for the royal guard to enter, due to the dangers within and the unpredictable weather above. Sunset suspects that there might be a different reason why Celestia would not have wanted ponies investigating the forest too closely, but does not voice these thoughts.  

Sunset intends to search the forest from the air in the Opportunity, but is talked down by Ridley, who warns that they could likely suffer an accident by attempting to fly though the forest's uncontrolled weather. Instead, Sunset has the ship land on the outskirts of the forest, keeping out of sight of the nearby Ponyville so that word of their expedition will not spread. With the whole crew acting as her escort, Sunset sets off into the forest. Despite Nova's trepidation, she chooses to accompany Sunset as well.  

The group slowly makes their way though the forest, searching for the castle from the diary. After encountering several dangers, which the party struggle to fend off, Sunset's companions begin to question their mission, asking Sunset to consider abandoning it. Sunset, having grown increasingly obsessed with her discoveries, forces them to continue, which only makes them worry more about her.  

Eventually, the party finds the old ruin they had been searching for, making their way across the ravine surrounding it via the rickety old bridge. Once inside, they discover ancient decorations showing symbols of the sun and moon, a ruined throne room with two thrones, and finally, a chamber containing a strange display that matches the description in the diary of the Elements' resting place. Upon this display, Sunset finds the Elements: five spheres of cold, dead stone reverently placed upon the display, each with a simulacrum of its former appearance etched onto its surface.  

Nova is astounded at their discovery, although Sunset is unexpectedly reserved at having her theories confirmed so undeniably. Sunset chooses to leave without further investigation. Nova asks Sunset why she doesn't want to take the Elements with them. Sunset remarks that the Elements truly are dead, as she had feared they would be, and would be of no use to her or anyone else until they could be revived. As the party leaves the ruined castle, crossing the bridge and heading back into the forest, Sunset stops and looks back. In disgust, she fires a blast of magic that severs the bridge at the far end, causing it to fall and hang from the near cliff face, preventing anyone from crossing to the castle again.

A few hours after the Opportunity had returned to the skies, Nova goes to check on Sunset in her cabin. She expects to find Sunset upset over their discoveries, as even she has had her worldview shaken by their revelations. Instead, Sunset is remarkably calm, almost worryingly so, which Nova questions her about. Sunset admits that she is surprised at her lack of emotion as well, but has realized its cause. Sunset believes that she is not upset because of how much it all “makes sense”. When Nova probes further, Sunset explains.  

Sunset remarks on how she had always been confused why Celestia had chosen to take her in and train her, why Celestia had always commented on her potential, and why she had given Sunset the position of royal ambassador in the first place. Sunset declares that Celestia recognizes her own mistakes, her own weaknesses, her own failings, and is seeking to find somepony who did not share them. According to Sunset, Princess Celestia wanted to find a replacement, somepony to take over and solve the problems she could not, learn what she could not teach them, and be a ruler worthy of Equestria, and perhaps even of the Elements.  

Nova is fearful as Sunset's blasphemous line of reasoning continues, but Sunset does not stop. Sunset remarks that she has the perfect opportunity, the perfect resources, and the perfect upbringing to take Celestia's place. Sunset remarks that Celestia had kept the truth of her rule a secret for centuries, and wonders to herself what lengths Celestia would go to to preserve that rule, recalling her vision of the fiery alicorn. Sunset repeats the pledge she had made to Celestia to become the greatest unicorn ever, but adds that she will do so for the sake of Equestria, not to serve as Celestia's puppet. She declares that, one day, she would be called “Princess Sunset” and would have the power of the restored Elements at her command.  





In the wake of her discoveries, Sunset takes on a drastically different approach to fulfill the missions she is assigned by Princess Celestia. Having lost so much faith in her mentor, Sunset no longer attempts to confront the challenges set before her as she feels Celestia would have wanted her to, choosing instead to solve things her own way. This change in attitude leads Sunset to make drastic decisions and enforce harsh solutions to the complex problems she is confronted with.  

In her first mission after the Castle, Sunset finds herself investigating a group of magical creature poachers and traffickers. While she and her royal guard escort are eventually able to thwart the group and have their members arrested, they also discover that many of the creatures they had captured had already made their way to a major zoo over the years. Despite her investigation of the zoo revealing that its operators had no knowledge of the poached creatures' true origins, and in fact had no way of knowing, Sunset decides to punish them as well, feeling that to do otherwise would be unjust. Despite the passing of such a judgment being well beyond her implicit powers as royal ambassador, Sunset orders the zoo to be shut down and its operators arrested.

During the course of this mission, Sunset discovers a large purple egg in the possession of the poachers, who believe it to be a dragon egg. Infuriated that they have taken the child away from its parents, she interrogates them about the egg's origins. The poachers truthfully claim that they do not know where it came from, having acquired it from a traveling merchant long ago, and proclaim that it would be impossible to find the egg's origin. Nova suggests that Sunset turn over the egg to Princess Celestia for safekeeping, or to at least ask her for her advice on the situation. Sunset, annoyed by this suggestion, chooses to keep the egg for herself, believing that she is a better person to watch over it than Celestia.  

Throughout their subsequent missions, Nova finds herself questioning Sunset's increasingly harsh judgments more often, and in some cases, openly confronts her about them. Correspondingly, Sunset grows increasingly annoyed with her, and listens to her longtime companion less and less. After an emotional confrontation in which Sunset tells Nova that she is merely her secretary and should not be going against her, Nova meekly stops questioning Sunset openly. In lieu of seeking advice from Nova, Sunset begins spending time alone in her quarters with the rescued egg, speaking to it and venting her problems to it.  





A few weeks and several missions after visiting the Castle, Sunset receives a communication that she had been anticipating for just as long. Princess Celestia sends Sunset a curt message instructing her to return to Canterlot immediately, a summons that Sunset does not have to speculate about the motivation behind. Even with her attempts to conceal the more questionable decisions she had been making recently, sometimes going so far as to outright lie, she had known the the princess would catch wind of the truth eventually. She had hoped that she would have had more time before being discovered, time that she could have used to demonstrate her leadership abilities, but realizes that might have been asking for too much from the seemingly omniscient princess.  

Sunset begrudgingly allows the Opportunity to ferry her back to Canterlot, knowing that it could very well be her last trip aboard the vessel she had called home for the past few months. A few hours into the journey, however, still a good ways from their destination, the Opportunity receives an unexpected visitor in the form of a messenger pegasus who claims to be from Cloudsdale. The messenger delivers a scroll directly into Sunset's hooves, an unconventional form of communication that Sunset noted would have kept the message out of the royal guard's log books. The messenger leaves before Sunset can ask him who sent the message.

Upon examining the message, however, Sunset recognizes the seal of the consul of Cloudsdale. Sunset recalls that the position of consul is an ancient one, dating back to the time before the founding of Equestria, when the consul served as the leader of all the pegasi. Over the centuries, however, the position had gradually lost most of its formal powers, to the point where the consul was not much different than the mayor of any other major city. Of course, the history of the position, as well as the critical role Cloudsdale played in Equestrian society, did lend the consul quite a lot of clout, making them one of the most politically powerful ponies in the country.

Sunset is confused as to why the consul would be contacting her, and doing so in such a discrete manner, but quickly proceeds to read the message. The message, on the surface, is merely a humble request by the consul for a visit from her eminence, the royal ambassador, and asking for her advice on matters of state. The astute Sunset realizes, however, that the message contains several worryingly coincidental references to her recent missions, including references to things that she believes few others had known about. Most worryingly, the message seems to imply that the consul is even aware of Sunset being recalled to Canterlot, despite the short amount of time that had passed since the summons.  

For more reasons than one, Sunset decides to go against the princess's wishes and travel to Cloudsdale. The crew of the Opportunity questions her decision, partially out of concern for their friend's emotional state, but eventually obeys. Sunset recognizes that Nova is not voicing her objections, but does not care to discuss them with her. With the new destination set, the Opportunity makes for Cloudsdale, the flying city currently being located far north near the Crystal Mountains.

When the Opportunity arrives, Sunset is given a royal welcome, complete with a flying escort courtesy of the praetorian guard. Olive Ridley explains that the praetorians, like the royal guard, were a mostly ceremonial military force charged with guarding the consul and, by extension, Cloudsdale. He further remarks that many of the praetorians were pegasi that, for whatever reason, could not get into the royal guard, meaning that there had always been some negativity between the two forces. Sunset, however, sees none of this dislike on display as the praetorians escort the Opportunity into port.

Sunset is met by a representative of the consul, who had been sent to escort Sunset. Sunset considers bringing Nova along, deciding to first check with her and ensure that she will “behave”. When Nova promises to do so, Sunset decides to take her along, and the two depart the ship. A golden chariot takes Sunset to the consul's palatial residence nearby.  

Upon meeting the consul, Sunset is surprised to find that the old mare is friendly, warm, and much more down-to-earth than she had expected the high-ranking politician to be. As the consul welcomes her, Sunset quickly finds herself put at ease by her demeanor, laughing along with her and thinking to herself how similar the two of them are. Nova, however, feels uneasy around the socially aggressive mare, retreating behind the polite mask that she had often employed when dealing with such ponies. Furthermore, Nova gets a strangely unnerving feeling about the consul, who she feels is giving her odd, probing looks throughout their meeting.  

When the consul invites Sunset on a tour of the city, Sunset eagerly accepts, having always wanted to see the gravity-defying metropolis for herself. Sunset is taken around the city, seeing everything the beautiful, centuries-old place has to offer. She is given a tour of the weather factory, during which the consul makes a casual remark about clouds being much more difficult to create than one would think, a statement that Sunset awkwardly agrees with. Sunset is even treated to a performance put on by the Wonderbolts, joining the consul in her private box in the colosseum.  

Lastly, Sunset is taken to watch the praetorians perform ceremonial drills in honor of her visit. Sunset is impressed by their performance, finding them to be noticeably more disciplined than the royal guard, albeit colder and harsher as well. When Sunset voices her appraisal, the consul agrees with her, explaining that the praetorians believe themselves to take their jobs more seriously than their counterparts in the royal guard. Despite this, the consul shares her worries that the praetorians would not be enough to protect Cloudsdale should a true enemy ever threaten it. Her comments force Sunset to recall what she has learned of threats such as the changelings and the warlord to the south, but she does not share these thoughts.  

After the tour, Sunset begrudgingly states that she must leave and return to Canterlot, her already being very late. The consul asks her to stay at least till the next day, saying that delaying till then would not worsen the consequences anymore than Sunset's detour already had, a fact which Sunset is forced to agree with. Sunset and Nova are given rooms grand enough to rival those of Canterlot Castle to spend the night in.  

The next morning, as Sunset is lamenting that they must leave Cloudsdale and praising the consul for her leadership, Nova finally breaks her silence. Nova shares the concerns that she has had about their stop at Cloudsdale and about the consul, saying that they ought to say their goodbyes and return to Canterlot as soon as possible. Sunset is annoyed by her, defending her decision to come and defending the consul, saying that Nova was just being a worrywart, as always. In desperation, Nova begs Sunset to leave, fearing for Sunset's emotional state. Sunset tells Nova that, if she does not wish to accompany her, then she can return to the ship and wait for her. When Nova cannot bring herself to go with her, Sunset leaves in a huff.  

Sunset meets with the consul in her office, which offers a breathtaking view of the city and of Equestria at large. The consul probes Sunset, recognizing that something is off about her. Sunset confesses to the argument she had had with Nova shortly before. The consul sympathizes with her, remarking that being a leader often involves making difficult decisions, decisions which ponies often object to unjustly. The comment about difficult decisions forces Sunset to recall her missions and, by extension, what the consul had seemingly known about them.  

Sunset cautiously asks the consul why she had really called her to Cloudsdale, remarking that it had surely not been for a simple meet-and-greet. The consul remarks that Sunset is an intelligent young mare, and that she will be frank with her now that she is alone. She tells Sunset that she has brought her there to address her growing concerns with Equestria, as well as its leadership. The consul believes that Princess Celestia has grown increasingly withdrawn, increasingly unknown, and increasingly secretive over the centuries, especially so within the past few decades. The consul remarks that the princess seems to be increasingly focused on some secret project, neglecting her other duties, although cannot say what that project might be. Sunset has a pretty good idea of what might be consuming so much of the princess's attention, but does not share her thoughts.  

The consul says that Celestia's increasingly neglectful behavior has led to a number of problems cropping up across Equestria, great and small, an opinion that Sunset has increasingly held herself. When the consul references specific problems that Sunset has had to deal with, Sunset finally breaks down and asks the consul how she knows about her activities. The consul not-so-subtly implies that she has had ponies keeping an eye on Sunset for a while. Sunset is shocked by this, but the consul says that she really shouldn't be, as even the princess has been spying on her. Sunset denies this, but the consul does not press the issue, merely remarking that Sunset ought to be more careful about who she lets close to her.  

The consul says that she does not think poorly of Sunset for the questionable decisions and harsh judgments she has made during her time as royal ambassador. Instead, she praises Sunset for her determination and her willingness to do whatever it takes to right the wrongs she is confronted with. For this reason, she says, she has chosen to let Sunset in on a secret. She tells Sunset that she is not the only pony whose faith in the princess's rule has declined over the years. The consul tells Sunset that she has allied herself with several other powerful figures in Equestria's political elite, and that together, they are planning to stage a soft coup to take control of Equestria.

Sunset is predictably shocked, but asks why the consul has chosen to let her in on the secret. The consul tells Sunset that her unique position as the princess's longtime protege, a position that has allowed her to get closer to the princess than anypony else in living memory, would make her an invaluable partner in their plan. Furthermore, the consul has a strong suspicion that Sunset has begun to doubt the princess as well, an accusation that Sunset cannot bring herself to deny. Once again, Sunset thinks back on what she has learned of her mentor, as well as her vision of the terrifying, fiery alicorn sitting on the Equestria's throne.  

At the same time, Sunset also thinks about what she knows of the last time somepony tried to rebel against Princess Celestia. Sunset tells the consul that her plan is doomed to fail, that the princess will not simply sit back and let Equestria be taken from her, peacefully or otherwise. Surprisingly, the consul agrees with Sunset, saying that, even with all the political weight she has on her side, she knows the princess will not simply roll over. The consul tells Sunset that she and her allies have come up with a plan that will ensure that even the nigh-omnipotent Celestia will be forced to bend the knee. She offers to tell Sunset more, to show her exactly how they will ensure their victory, but only if Sunset wishes. She tells Sunset that, if she wishes, she can leave and return to the princess, swearing on her honor that she will never attempt to implicate Sunset in their plan. She gives Sunset the option to wash her hooves of the whole thing, provided Sunset does not attempt to impede their efforts.  

Sunset considers her options, and considers what it is she truly wants, whether that be to return to her mentor, continue to serve her, and continue to live under the shadow of a waning sun, or whether to take hold of her own destiny and do whatever she felt was right for her and for Equestria. Eventually, Sunset chooses to remain and see what the consul has to offer. The consul praises Sunset for her decision before escorting her out of the building. The two board a carriage and are quietly transported by the praetorians out of the city.  

Meanwhile, Nova returns to the Opportunity, still angry and fearful over her argument with Sunset. She encounters Olive Ridley, who draws her into a conversation about Cloudsdale, his hometown. Remembering the captain's references to his family on previous occasions, Nova asks him if they live in the city. When he affirms this, bringing up his daughter, Nova questions why he does not take the opportunity to go and visit her. He gives a vague response about his daughter probably not wanting to see him, which only encourages Nova to probe further.

Reluctantly, he confesses that he and his daughter are not close, despite his best efforts to maintain their relationship. He tells Nova that, when his daughter had been a filly, her mother had died, leaving the two of them alone. Olive had left the guard in order to take care of his daughter, doing his best to raise her on his own. Despite his love for his daughter, he had eventually been overwhelmed by the responsibility and his fears that he would not be able to be a good father to his child. In the end, he had entrusted his daughter to his late wife's family and returned to the guard in order to provide for her.  

Olive tells Nova that he had tried to be a part of his daughter's life as much as possible over the years, but that, as she had grown older, she had become resentful over his perceived abandonment of her. He had kept his distance from her out of respect for her feelings, but had tried his best to keep in contact with her. He tells Nova that his daughter had become a fine young mare and that she currently worked at the weather factory, where she was one of the finest cloud-sculptors of her age, something that he is extremely proud of her for. Nova eventually convinces Olive to pay his daughter a visit, saying that they will never grow closer if he does not try to reach out to her. He agrees to visit his daughter, but asks that Nova accompany him for moral support, which she agrees to.

The two make their way to the home of Olive's daughter. She greets the two and eventually invites them in for a visit, but it is clear that she does not really want to and is only doing so out of politeness. The three sit down to tea, but despite Olive and Nova's attempts at friendly conversation, the mood remains awkward. Olive asks his daughter whether she has been getting his letters regarding his current mission, acting as the escort of Sunset Shimmer, she says that she has.  

When Olive proceeds to sing Sunset's praises, Nova notices that his daughter is upset by this. Nova politely attempts to question her about this, but she responds that she is not upset, sarcastically asking why she should be mad over her father having found a “replacement daughter”. An increasingly heated argument follows, during which Olive attempts to defend himself from his daughter's accusations of abandonment. Despite Olive's claims that he loves, and has always loved her, his daughter refuses to accept this, accusing him of having run off and left her out of apathy. Realizing that nothing would be gained by remaining, Olive apologizes for his past actions and politely takes his leave, with Nova accompanying him. As he leaves, his daughter remarks that she does not care, and would not care if he never came back again.

Meanwhile, Sunset and the consul are taken north, into the mountains, arriving at a flying facility carefully hidden amongst the clouds. Sunset marvels at the sheer size of what appears to be some kind of warehouse or industrial building at first glance, estimating that it might be as big as Canterlot Castle itself. The consul escorts Sunset inside the facility, revealing it to be an airship hangar. Sunset is staggered to discover that the entire facility is devoted to a single vessel of unbelievable size. The consul introduces the vessel as a Leviathan-class airship, the first of its kind, bigger even than the single huge Cachalot-class ship owned by the royal guard, and big enough to make the Bottlenose-class Opportunity look like a child's toy by comparison.  

The consul tells Sunset that the vessel had been constructed in secret over the course of many years, financed by her and her allies. She says that the heavily armed and armored vessel was designed to be capable of facing down the token aerial forces the royal guard maintained, a goal that Sunset estimates that it would be more than capable of achieving. The consul tells Sunset that the vessel would serve to intimidate Princess Celestia, discouraging her from responding to their coup with force, as she would not risk the devastation that the ensuing violence would inevitably cause.  

When Sunset expresses horror at the prospect of a civil war engulfing Equestria, the consul attempts to calm her. The consul tells Sunset that she does not enjoy the thought either, but feels that what she is doing is the only way to ensure peace and prosperity in the long run. She tells Sunset that, if all goes well with their plan, then there will most likely be no need for violence, especially if Sunset agrees to aid them. The consul offers to give Sunset a tour of the vessel, but Sunset declines, feeling suddenly uneasy.  

The consul and Sunset leave the hangar and return to Cloudsdale. On the way, Sunset thinks deeply about what she wants to do, wondering if she can bring herself to support the consul's plans. When they finally return to the consul's office in her residence, she formally offers Sunset a place in the conspiracy. She tells Sunset that she could help them shape the fate of Equestria for the better. She tells Sunset that she could become the most powerful young unicorn of her age, and be free to do whatever she wishes, rather than being cooped up in Canterlot Castle. She says that Sunset could have whatever she wanted...if she merely agreed to serve her.

The consul's comment puts Sunset on alert, and she immediately questions her about it. The consul explains that, while she admires Sunset's abilities and character, considering her to be one of the finest fillies she has ever known, that she is still just a filly, and would be treated appropriately. The consul tells her that she will be given significant powers of her own, but ultimately, the rule of Equestria would be handled by the consul and her allies, ponies with decades of political experience behind them. She tells Sunset that, due to her respect for her, she would be willing to take her under her wing and help her become a mare worthy of standing beside her as an equal. She tells Sunset that “maybe someday”, it could be Sunset sitting on the throne herself.  

The revelation that the consul had never intended to give Sunset true freedom, true power, slams Sunset's open mind shut. The prospect of being used as a tool by the consul, as she has come to view her relationship with Celestia, is repugnant to her. She refuses to sit idly by and wait for her destiny to find her someday, recalling all of the “maybe somedays” that she has heard from Celestia over the years. Recalling the promise she had made to herself after visiting the Castle of the Two Sisters, Sunset makes her decision.

Sunset angrily rejects the consul's offer. Sunset declares that she will not allow herself to be used by the consul. Furthermore, she declares that she will not allow the consul to carry out her plans, saying that it will not be the consul, her allies, or even the princess that would lead Equestria, but that it would be her. Sunset declares that it is her destiny to take Celestia's place, and that she would take that place without anypony else's help.

The consul is predictably upset by Sunset's decision, but attempts to kindly reason with her, efforts which prove in vain. When she realizes that Sunset has made up her mind, the consul expresses disappointment, before sending Sunset away. She tells Sunset that she may return to the princess, but that she and her allies would not stop their plan, and that Sunset could not stop them. Sunset threatens to tell the princess what she has seen, but the consul calls her bluff, knowing full well that Sunset's actions over the course of her missions will have destroyed any trust the princess might have had in her. Sunset bitterly recognizes that what the consul says is true, having already known it in her heart. The consul says that she will take no action against Sunset if she stays quiet, but that she will not ignore any attempts to thwart her. She casually remarks that old airships such as the Opportunity sometimes suffer unfortunate accidents in rough weather, and that it would be a shame if Sunset's new friends should suffer such a fate. Sunset storms away, angry at her powerlessness over the situation.





Later that day, Sunset is back aboard the Opportunity at it makes its way back to Canterlot. Sunset is alone in her cabin, venting her feelings of rage, fear, and hopelessness at the dragon egg, as usual. As she stares out her back window, looking back at Cloudsdale far in the distance, her emotions finally overpower her good sense, and she decides that she will not stand idly by while the world goes to tartarus around her. She charges up to the bridge, ordering that the ship be stopped and that everyone onboard should assemble before her.

When her orders have been carried out, Sunset tells Nova and the crew about what she had learned about the consul and her plans. They are predictably shocked and in disbelief over hearing of the conspiracy, but Sunset assures them that she is telling the truth. Sunset bitterly admits to her shortcomings and to the questionable morality of the decisions she has made, begging them to believe her. She tells them that, despite her increasingly harsh demeanor, she values them and their support more than anything. She makes a point of including Nova in this, realizing that Nova had been right to distrust the consul and apologizing to her oldest companion.  

Nova and the crew tell Sunset that, despite their concerns for her, they had never lost faith in her, and that they would continue to follow Sunset. Sunset is grateful, and proceeds to tell them her plan. She says that the only way to stop the conspiracy, due to no longer having the princess's trust, is to eliminate the military threat to Equestria. Sunset intends to return to the Leviathan hangar and destroy the vessel, preventing the conspirators from using it against the princess. The others question the need for her to do this on her own, saying that they should at least try to get additional assistance from the royal guard. Sunset shuts this idea down, saying that the consul and her spies would most likely take note of any official military actions and hide the hangar before they could reach it.

Not wanting to put her friends in danger, Sunset tells them that she will handle this mission alone, and that the rest will flee to the safety of Canterlot and tell the princess what is going on. The others refuse to let Sunset go off on her own, however, saying that they will assist her regardless of the danger to themselves. Sunset eventually gives in and agrees to let them go with her on her final mission.  

That night, in the darkness of a new moon, an unremarkable cloud quietly drifts towards the Leviathan hangar. Within this cloud is hidden the Opportunity, with Sunset and her friends ready and waiting. When they are close enough to the hangar, Olive Ridley and Steel Rain stealthily fly over to it, carrying Sunset and Firebrand with them. Bleak Herald, Little Tinker, and Nova remain aboard the ship to act as getaway drivers and to get the word out should Sunset be unsuccessful. Sunset and her team manage to get past the few patrolling praetorians and into the hangar. Sunset's team are as astonished at the Leviathan as she had been, the confirmation of her claims only strengthening their resolve.  

The team makes their way to the construction overseer's room, quickly yet quietly, so that they can find the vessel's schematics. After a brief altercation with some praetorians, the team gains access to the room and the schematics. With these, Firebrand is able to identify a vulnerability in the vessel's unfinished pump system that could potentially be used to destroy it. With this information, the team make their way onto the vessel itself, carefully avoiding the patrolling praetorians. Eventually, they reach the ship's massive engine room, where Firebrand gets to work sabotaging the pump system.  

Before they can finish, however, they are happened upon by a group of praetorians, and a fight breaks out. The praetorians are eventually incapacitated, but one of them manages to escape and sounds an alarm. The team prepare to flee, but Firebrand realizes that the pump controls had been damaged in the fight. When the others question this, he tells them that the only workaround would require one of them to remain there and operate the controls manually. Sunset objects to this idea, saying that they cannot leave anypony behind.  

Olive Ridley, however, calmly orders Steel Rain to escort the others back to the Opportunity, taking Firebrand's place at the controls. Realizing what he intends, Sunset refuses to leave him, outright ordering him to flee with them. Olive Ridley remains, however, saying that, if anypony is to go down with the ship, then it ought to be the captain. He tells Sunset that he had spent his whole life wandering Equestria because he had been too cowardly and too weak to face his responsibilities, to do what needed to be done. He tells Sunset that, no matter where she might go, she cannot outrun her destiny forever. When the time comes, he says, she must be willing to face her destiny, and to do whatever it takes to see it through. At his command, Steel Rain and Firebrand drag Sunset and the unconscious praetorians away.  

As they flee the vessel, they see the effects of their sabotage taking place, the vessel visibly beginning to weaken. They manage to make it out as an emergency alarm sounds, prompting all personnel in the hangar to flee. As they make it out of the hangar, the Opportunity approaches and picks them up. Steel Rain orders orders the ship to flee, despite Sunset's protests. The Opportunity quickly flies away, managing to put a good distance between itself and the hangar, before Sunset hears a tremendous explosion. Looking back, she sees a blazing ruin where the hangar had once been, a sight that she is sure could be seen for leagues around.  





The next morning, Sunset watches the sun rise over the horizon. In the distance, she sees a huge plume of smoke rising through the air from the place where the hangar had been. She, as well as the rest onboard the Opportunity, had been up all night, waiting for Olive Ridley to return. Steel rain begrudgingly orders the ship to leave, which Sunset objects to. Steel Rain says that they cannot delay any longer, having seen no sign of the captain from where they were or in the numerous scouting trips Steel Rain had made in the preceding hours. Steel Rain tells Sunset that they cannot ignore the communication they had received a short time earlier: a direct order from Princess Celestia herself commanding them to return to Canterlot.  

Sunset lambastes the crew for their perceived apathy, going so far as to blame them for what had happened to the captain. She storms off to her cabin, thinking to herself that the crew had betrayed her by going against her orders and abandoning Olive Ridley. She finds her and Nova's cabin in disarray, its contents scattered about by the evasive maneuvering the ship had done while escaping the hangar. Sunset begins cleaning up the room to take her mind off of her troubles.  

Mixed in with all the books, papers, and clothing laying on the floor, Sunset happens across a very peculiar book that she is certain she has never seen before, despite having lived in the cabin for months. The book is small and unremarkable, which Sunset realizes would probably have led her to ignore it had it not been emanating the distinctive aura of a magic item. She opens the book, realizing quickly that it is some kind of hoofwritten journal, and that the hoofwriting belongs to Nova. She instinctively moves to close the book, out of respect for Nova's privacy, until she notices the words “Dear Princess Celestia” written at the beginning of an entry. She quickly realizes that the next entry is written in a much different kind of hoofwriting, one that she is just as familiar with as Nova's.  

Before she can investigate further, she hears hoofsteps approaching the cabin, and instinctively teleports the book to a hidden spot amongst her belongings. Nova enters the cabin, saying that she has come to check on Sunset. Remembering her anger, Sunset claims that she is fine, which Nova does not believe. Nova begins to clean the room, which Sunset assists her with. Sunset remains in the room as the Opportunity makes its way back to Canterlot, not wanting to face the crew. She keeps an eye on Nova, who does not seem to notice her missing book.

Eventually, the Opportunity arrives at the royal airdock in Canterlot. Sunset notes that theirs is the only airship there, realizing that the others had probably been deployed to deal with the incident she had caused. As she leaves the ship, Sunset takes in her saddlebags her dragon egg, Moonbeam's diary, as well as Nova's mysterious book. Before she disembarks, the crew give Sunset one last sorrowful bow, which Sunset in her anger does not acknowledge. Sunset and Nova meet a team of guards from the castle who have been sent to escort them. Sunset notes that the guards address her they way they had before she had been made royal ambassador, recognizing the implication and accepting it.  

Sunset and Nova take a quiet carriage ride back to the castle. On the way, Sunset notices that the streets of Canterlot are oddly empty, and that there is an above-average number of guards patrolling. As they reach the castle, however, they see that it is a flurry of activity, with guards and messengers running about everywhere. Sunset asks whether Princess Celestia wishes to see her, knowing full well what the answer will be even before a guard tells her that the princess is busy. Sunset goes to her bedroom with Nova in tow. Nova attempts to console Sunset, but Sunset sends her away, too exhausted, emotionally and physically, to deal with her.  

Hours later, having caught up on her sleep, Sunset sits down at her desk to investigate Nova's book. She hesitates for a moment, fearing what she might find within, but forces herself to confront it. As she had suspected, she finds a series of communications written by Nova to Princess Celestia, and a corresponding number of responses. As she reads through, she sees that Nova's messages describe the events that had occurred during Sunset's missions, but as they had really happened, not the sanitized versions that Sunset had shared with the princess. The princess's responses were brief, typically no more than mere acknowledgments or instructions to continue monitoring Sunset.  

As realization sets in, Sunset recalls the words of Cloudsdale's consul when she had told her that Princess Celestia had been spying on her, and that she should be careful of who she let close to her. Angry at her perceived foolishness, Sunset throws the book into her fireplace, allowing it to burn. When the book had been destroyed, she leaves to go find Nova. As she traverses the castle grounds, she notices that the chaos from earlier has calmed down significantly.

Sunset finds Nova in the castle gardens, the place Nova often went when she needed to relax. Nova attempts to ask Sunset about how she is feeling, but Sunset shuts her down, immediately confronting her about her spying. Nova poorly attempts to deny her actions, but breaks down under Sunset's intense gaze. Holding back tears, Nova confesses that she had been reporting to Princess Celestia about Sunset's activities ever since they had first left Canterlot. Sunset berates Nova for her perceived breach of trust, believing that she had chosen to side with the princess over her. Nova denies this, claiming that she had done what she had for Sunset's sake.

Nova recounts the meeting she had had with Princess Celestia on the day Sunset had been declared royal ambassador. After Sunset had left the two alone together, Princess Celestia had spoken to Nova about Sunset, sharing her concerns over Sunset's behavior, concerns which Nova had shared. The princess had told her that she believed Sunset's new role would help her deal with her issues, but that she needed a way to be sure Sunset did not stray from the right path. For this reason, the princess had decided to make Nova Sunset's secretary, a position which, in addition to its more mundane functions, was not-so-subtly implied to require Nova to act as a spy for the princess.

Sensing Nova's troubled feelings, the princess had told her to share them. The timid young mare had attempted to share her predictable distaste for spying on somepony she considered a friend. Princess Celestia, with a persuasive skill honed by centuries of diplomacy, had taken advantage of Nova's concern for her friend to convince her to go along with her plan. She had told Nova that she had always hoped that Nova would be a positive influence on Sunset, helping to curb her more rambunctious tendencies. She had gone on to say, however, that if Nova continued to “enable” Sunset's rebellious actions, then she would consider separating them. Fearful at the prospect of losing her best friend, Nova had agreed to do the princess's bidding.

Sunset is not satisfied by the explanation Nova gives. Sunset still resents Nova for her betrayal, thinking to herself that, in the end, it had been Celestia's superior power over Nova that had determined her loyalties, not Nova's supposed friendship with her. Sunset declares that, because she had chosen to side with Celestia over her, that Nova would no longer have the option of siding with Sunset. Sunset renounces Nova's friendship before leaving to go and confront who she believes to be the source of all her suffering. Nova watches her friend walk away, sobbing.





Princess Celestia sits in her throne room, listening to reports from several royal guard commanders and other personnel. Suddenly, the huge double doors of the room are thrown open, and Sunset enters. The door guards attempt to stop Sunset from entering, coming close to using physical force. Before an altercation breaks out, however, the princess orders the guards to stand down, and orders all in attendance to leave the room. The room quickly empties, leaving Sunset and Celestia alone.

Princess Celestia attempts to start the conversation, but Sunset immediately shuts her down. Sunset proceeds to launch a verbal assault on the princess, channeling the rage and resentment bottled up within her. Sunset criticizes the princess's rule, blaming her for the numerous problems she has encountered over the past months. She reveals what she knows about Princess Luna, Nightmare Moon, and the Elements of Harmony, throwing Celestia's failure in her face. She goes on to share what she believes she has figured about about Celestia's plans for her, that the princess had been grooming her to be the new bearer of the Elements. Sunset finishes her rant by declaring that she will no longer serve Celestia, that she will become even more powerful than her and right the wrongs that she could not.  

Princess Celestia remains silent throughout Sunset's monologue. When Sunset finishes, and Celestia finally speaks, Sunset is surprised when Celestia calmly affirms everything that she has said. In an uncharacteristically meek manner, Celestia says that she is aware of the problems that Equestria faces, and that she blames herself for them. Furthermore, she speaks of her sister, acknowledging her perceived failure to save her from herself. Celestia even goes so far as to confirm that she had hoped Sunset might someday wield the Elements, using them to do what she had been unable to do almost a thousand years prior.  

However, Celestia goes on to tell Sunset that she has gone too far in thinking that she knows better than her mentor, much less thinking she is worthy of replacing her. Celestia speaks of how she had ruled Equestria for over a thousand years, and that everything she had done during that time, even her more unscrupulous actions, had been for its benefit. She says how, as the leader of her people, she is personally responsible for keeping them safe and happy, and that only she is capable of doing so.

Celestia says that she had always hoped that Sunset might have been her out, a way for Celestia to right her most grievous wrong and restore what had been broken a thousand years prior. She admits that, if Sunset had grown to become a greater pony than her, then she would have gladly accepted her as such. She remarks, however, that she does not believe Sunset has come close to that point, and expresses doubt as to whether she ever will. She says that she had trusted Sunset to learn on her own what she could not have taught her, but that that trust had presumably been misplaced.  

Sunset retorts by bringing up Nova's spying, saying that Celestia had never truly trusted her, merely giving her the illusion of freedom. Celestia tells Sunset that she had given her more freedom than she should have, saying that she had considered recalling Sunset after her first few missions, but had decided against it out of hope that Sunset might find the right path eventually. After seeing what Sunset had done when left to her own devices, however, Celestia says that she believes it will be a very long time before she places that kind of trust in her student again. She says that she hopes that Sunset might still overcome her issues and become the pony she has hoped she would be, but if that did not happen, then she may be forced to look to another to fill that role.  

Sunset is only further incensed at the prospect of being “tossed aside” should she fail to live up to Celestia's expectations. Sunset scoffs at the idea that Celestia could ever replace her, declaring that she is more deserving than anypony else to wield the Elements and take Celestia's place as the ruler of her people. She declares that she will obtain those powers on her own, regardless of what Celestia wishes.  

Celestia is saddened by her student's decisions, and outright apologizes for what she perceives as a failure on her part to guide Sunset. Celestia tells Sunset that she will be confined to her quarters until she can decide what to do about her. She says that Sunset will be watched 24/7 from then on in order to ensure that she would not be exposed to any further negative influences. Celestia tells Sunset that she is doing this for her sake, that she is doing it because she loves her.  

The uncharacteristically heartfelt remark does nothing to calm Sunset, who perceives it as just another lie. Sunset says that Celestia does not love her, but fears and hates her, which is why she has always taken efforts to control her. She says that the hatred is mutual, and that she does not need Celestia's “help” any longer. Recalling the perceived betrayals of her friends and allies, she further declares that she does not need anypony else's help either. She declares that it does not matter if Celestia locks her up for the rest of her life, because she will never submit to her again. Sunset storms out of the room while Celestia looks on, holding back tears.





Several days later, Sunset is in her room, staring out her window at the night sky overhead. She gazes at the moon, poring over the face on its surface. Tearing herself away, she turns and looks at the painting hanging over her bed, taking one last look at the face of her mentor. Finally, she retrieves a sealed scroll sitting on her vanity and carefully places it on her bed, before leaving the room.  

She stops in her study, retrieving her saddlebags from where she had tossed them days prior. She absentmindedly throws some office supplies into them, along with the bundle of food she had collected from the meals the maids had been bringing her. As she does this, she finds her journal still sitting in the bags, staring down at it. She reaches forward to remove it, but stops suddenly, her hooves slowly withdrawing. Frustrated for reasons she cannot understand, she closes her bags, putting the book out of her mind.  

Slinging her bags across her back, Sunset takes a deep breath, then teleports herself through the floor below, bypassing the guard standing outside the door to her suite. She appears in an empty hallway, one she has seen countless times before, and begins to make her way through the castle. Having spent her whole life evading the castle guards, she is easily able to make it to the basement, arriving at the storage room that she was looking for.  

Entering the room, she searches through the multitude of crates and containers piled high around her, eventually finding the tall, rectangular one she remembered. A quick spell looses the nails from the crate, sending its sides falling to the floor, revealing the tall mirror within. Sunset gazes upon its reflective surface, recalling what she had once heard about the deceptively mundane object. She counts the days in her head for the hundredth time: thirty moons and two days since the inventor had made his miraculous reappearance in Equestria.  

Tentatively, she steps forward, touching the mirror with her hoof. To her shock, her hoof passes through its surface as if it were made of water. She steps back, feeling the gravity of her situation weighing down on her. For a moment, she thinks of Nova, whom she has not spoken with since their falling out. She recalls all the happy times they had spent together over the years, part of her wishing that those times could have continued forever.  

She thinks of Celestia as well, recalling the image of her beautiful face in all of its forms, every smile and every frown. She gets a bittersweet feeling in her heart as she sees memories of their lives together flash before her eyes. Looking back at the mirror, she forces those thoughts out of her head, reaffirming a decision she had made days ago. She would never truly be free from Celestia's control so long as she remained in Equestria. Nothing in that world was beyond Celestia's grasp, should she put her mind to it. If Sunset wanted to have the freedom she desired, the control she desired, the power she desired, then she would have to leave that world behind. She didn't know for sure what lay beyond the mirror, but she was sure that it could not be worse than the fate she had been consigned to. Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes, and steps through the mirror.

The next day, Celestia is sitting in her study, going over some papers, when she hears a knock on the door of her suite. Confused at the interruption, she goes to answer the door, finding one of the guards. The guard apologizes for disturbing her, but says that Celestia had told the guards to alert her if Sunset tried anything. Inwardly annoyed, Celestia asks what has happened, figuring that the guard have found Sunset wandering the castle or, if they were particularly incompetent, the city streets. To her annoyance, the guard tells her that Sunset has disappeared without a trace, none of the guards in the castle or the city at large having seen her since the day before. Celestia is surprised at Sunset's apparent ability to move undetected, and tells the guard to continue the search. Before he leaves, the guard presents Celestia with a sealed scroll, saying that it was found in Sunset's room.  

Celestia returns to her study, where she opens the scroll and reads it. As she pores over it, her eyes widen and her heartbeat quickens. By the time she finishes, she is visibly shaking. After a moment of stunned paralysis, Celestia teleports to the basement, arriving at a certain storeroom. She bursts into the room, running up and down the aisles of crates frantically looking. She stops when she finds a large mirror sitting in the middle of an open crate and surrounded by packing material.  

Celestia tentatively steps forward, extending a hoof towards the mirror, which she can sense is some sort of magical object. Her hoof meets the solid surface of the mirror, which feels no different than that of any other mirror. She frantically runs her hooves over the mirror's surface, searching with increasing desperation for something. When she cannot find what she seeks, she begins pounding on the mirror's surface, cursing. She stands back and unleashes a magical barrage on the mirror, casting a series of spells upon it. After exhausting her repertoire with no apparent effect, she once again pounds on the mirror desperately. She calls out for Sunset as tears begin to stream down her face.

Several minutes later, a pair of guards enter the storeroom, drawn there by the sound of tremendous crashes, booms, and the ripples of intense magical output. Entering the room, they find a landscape of broken crates, smashed objects, and rubble knocked from the walls and ceiling, thinking to themselves that it looked like a tornado had passed through the room. Amongst the rubble stands a tall mirror, untouched and undamaged. Sprawled out before the mirror, sobbing into the dirt, is Princess Celestia.





In an epilogue, the doors of Celestia's throne room slowly open, and into the chamber walks a now-adult Nova Obscura. Nova slowly walks over to Celestia, who is standing at one of the large windows, gazing out of it. Nova drops into a bow before the princess, who does not take her eyes from the window. Celestia acknowledges Nova after a moment, asking if Nova has finished her work. Nova replies that she has, and produces a book from her saddlebags, presenting it to the princess. Celestia tears her gaze away from the window to inspect the book, The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide.

Celestia asks Nova if she had much difficulty completing it. Nova says that she did not, as Celestia's notes had been so helpful. Celestia thanks her, telling her that her work will be of great importance someday. When Celestia looks back out the window, the curious Nova follows her gaze down to the castle grounds below. Sitting under a shady tree far below, reading a book, is a unicorn filly with a lavender coat and a dark blue mane.

Nova asks Celestia if the filly is the one she had heard about, the one who had hatched Sunset's dragon egg, which Celestia confirms. Nova is shocked that such a young filly could have done such a thing on her own, having heard Celestia's belief that the egg would never hatch. Celestia repeats what she had told Nova previously, that dragon eggs needed the warmth of fire to stir them to life. Sunset, however, had spent so much time drowning it in words of fear, of anger, and of hatred, words born of a cold heart, that Celestia had doubted that any flame would have been able to coax it out into a world it had been lead to believe was so harsh. Celestia remarks that it had taken a fire older than Equestria itself to do the job, and that she did not believe the little filly had done it truly on her own.  

Nova asks if the book she has written is meant for the filly in question. Celestia remarks that she hopes that it is. Nova asks Celestia if she has had any contact with Sunset, saying that Sunset could have come back through the mirror by that point. Celestia says that she has not, neither in the form of Sunset's return or via her journal, despite Celestia's many attempts to write to her. Nova says that she would still be willing to go through and find her, but Celestia tells her she cannot, just like the last time she had asked. Celestia says how she had studied the mirror, finding it to constructed with a magic that even she did not understand. She had feared that the delicate magical balance the mirror maintained would be pushed too far if any more ponies crossed through it, the same reason she herself had not gone through.

Celestia goes on to say that, even if she could have gone through and found Sunset, she does not believe that Sunset would even want to speak to her, much less return to Equestria. Sensing that Nova is holding something in, Celestia asks her to speak. Nova tells Celestia about how Sunset had always been ambitious, even as a little filly, but that she had never felt it was power that she had truly wanted. Nova believes that all Sunset had ever wanted was to be loved, to have friends, to have a family, which is why she had always tried so hard to impress the only family she had ever known. She says that she is sure Sunset still loved Celestia, even at the end, and had just wanted Celestia to love her and accept her in return.  

Celestia says that she knew what Sunset had wanted, and had known it ever since the day they had met. She says that she had tried to be a good mentor to Sunset, but that, at some point, her fears and anxieties about her sister had clouded her judgment. At some point, she said, she had conflated what she needed from Sunset and what Sunset needed from her. In an uncharacteristically pitiable fashion, Celestia remarks that she had failed Luna, and so lost her, and had failed Sunset, losing her too. She expresses fear that she might fail again, and lose yet another pony she had come to love so much.

Nova asks Celestia if she really cares that much about her new protege, which Celestia affirms. Nova tells her that, if she continues to keep that love in her heart and put it above all else, then she will never truly lose her. Celestia doubts her ability to do so, recognizing her own control issues, and fearing that they will manifest again with her new protege. Nova recalls a time many years ago when she heard Sunset say that there was nothing Celestia could not do. Nova retells this, adding that she has come to believe it as well. Celestia is comforted by this and chuckles, something Nova has never seen her do.

Celestia remarks that she had been so focused on Sunset for so long that she had not noticed the other bright young mare growing up in her castle. She tells Nova that she had noticed her having become braver and more confident in herself, saying that she is not the same timid filly that she had been years ago. Nova says that, despite Sunset's faults, she had always looked up to her, and was glad to have adopted some of her more positive traits.  

Celestia says that, now that Nova is a grown mare, she should not feel obligated to remain in the castle. With her last service to the her complete, Celestia tells her that she is free to do what she wishes with her life, although she will always be welcome there. She says that she had considered asking Nova to become her royal ambassador, but had decided to do away with the position and devote more of her time to helping her people directly. Nova thanks her, saying that she is not sure what she wants to do with her life, but that the castle will always be her home, regardless of where she goes. Celestia says that she is sure a mare like Nova will go far, no matter what she decides to do. The two say their goodbyes, then Nova leaves.  

Celestia turns back to the window, looking down at the little filly beneath her. She tells herself that things will be different this time, that this time, she will not fail.