//------------------------------// // Back Home // Story: Back Home in Equestria // by FujiwaraJunko //------------------------------// “Princess Celestia?” Twilight walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle. “Twilight, are you sure it’s ok for us to be here?” Fluttershy asked as they walked down the halls of Canterlot Castle. “I think so, Fluttershy. I mean, the Princess did call us here after all.” Twilight said. “Uh… Are you sure she called all of us and not just you, sugarcube?” Applejack asked as she looked around the empty halls. “Yep. Her letter said to bring all of you along.” Spike repeated the words from the letter Princess Celestia sent. “Well then, maybe we should’ve waited for her in the throne room or something, darling.” Rarity said. “Perhaps they were simply running late.” “You have a point, Rarity, but what if something happened to them?” Twilight asked, a hint of urgency in her voice. “Hey, guys, I just flew to the throne room and back!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she zoomed to their side with a rainbow trail behind her. “Did you see them?” Twilight asked worriedly. “Nope! No sight of either princess!” Came the nonchalant reply. “Where could they have- oof!” Twilight had looked down with a confused frown on her face, trying to think of where the princesses could have disappeared to, only for her snout to meet a door. “You ok there, sugarcube?” Applejack asked as Twilight rubbed her muzzle. “I’m fine. What’s this?” She looked up to see the mark of a sun on the door. “A sun?” “Do you think it’s Princess’s Celestia’s room?” Pinkie asked. “No, it looks similar, but it’s different.” Twilight narrowed her eyes at it. “I’ve never seen this mark, nor this door before.” “But you lived here before!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as Twilight nodded. “Right, which makes it even weirder because I remember exploring the castle on my first day here.” She replied. The door gave a sudden creak as it swung open, making all of them jump back. “L-Let’s go back.” Fluttershy whimpered. “Hold on. There’s somepony in there.” Twilight squinted into the darkness, barely managing to make out the shape of a slumbering pony on the bed. Despite the darkness, she was able to see the same Sun marking the door on the pony’s flank. Feeling her curiosity get the better of her, Twilight began to inch further in, but slight shuffling and a groan made all of them jump back, staring with wide eyes, as the pony on the bed began to stir. “…Twilight?” “And sometimes, all we need is a friend.” Celestia looked to her with hope in her eyes, but still seemed hesitant. Sunset didn’t mind. She knew that taking the first steps to moving on can be difficult and will require courage and time. “I’ve never had a real friend before.” Celestia said tearfully. “I want to become a pony I can be proud of. Will you help me be the pony I want to be?” Sunset’s smile widened. “That’s what friends are for.” Celestia looked down, allowing a small smile to grace her features, before nodding. She reached her hoof out towards Sunset’s. “Let’s go home.” As soon as Celestia’s hoof made contact with Sunset, the orange glow from her geode that had been encasing her suddenly began to glow brighter, engulfing the surroundings in its orange light as it grew. “Thank you, Sunset Shimmer.” The last thing Sunset saw before the orange glow completely swallowed her was the grateful smile on Celestia’s face. “L-Let’s go back.” “Hold on. There’s somepony in there.” She could hear the muffled voices of somepony (or was it some ponies?) talking and flicked her ears in annoyance. She wanted to get up to see who it was, but somehow, her body felt heavy. She let out a groan as she forced her eyes to open. Blinking a few times to clear her vision, she found a familiar purple unicorn staring at her with wide eyes. The only thing missing was the large black glasses that usually rested on her muzzle. “…Twilight?” “Ah!” Twilight jumped back as Sunset pushed herself up. “She knows my name!” “Well, of course, darling, you’re a princess.” Rarity said. “A…princess?” Sunset frowned. “Why is it so dark anyway? Why didn’t you turn on the lights?” She asked as her horn lit up and the lights turned on in the room. How did she go from being with Celestia in the old castle to a room somewhere? Sunset felt her confusion grow as the group of ponies before her stared at her with mouths agape. “Why are you staring at me like that?” She asked, getting off the bed and stretching. Why do her limbs feel so stiff? “F-Forgive us, we didn’t mean to intrude.” Fluttershy said as her ears drooped. “Why are you so scared, Shy? It’s fine. I’m not gonna shoot a fireball at you or anything.” Sunset waved her off. “Eep!” Fluttershy quickly ducked behind Applejack, shivering. “Uh… Shy?” Sunset frowned in confusion. “AJ, what’s wrong with her?” At the look Applejack was giving her, she looked to another pony. “Pinkie?” Pinkie Pie just stared as well. “Rares? Dash?” The two ponies she called for didn’t respond either. All of them bore looks of shock on their faces. Feeling her confusion and frustration grow, Sunset looked to Twilight. “What’s going on? Twilight?” Twilight, who finally regained her composure, clamped her mouth shut. “You…You know our names… W-Who are you?” Sunset tilted her head. “Me? C’mon, don’t joke around, Twilight. You know who I am. I’m Sunset. Sunset Shimmer?” Twilight shook her head in confusion. “Uh… I don’t…?” Sunset was growing visibly nervous by now. “C’mon, guys, it’s not funny. You really don’t know who I am?” All of the ponies shook their heads as Sunset’s ears drooped. “I don’t believe it. You have no idea who I am.” That was when Sunset began to take notice of her surroundings. “Wait. Isn’t this…my room? Huh? Hang on, are we in Canterlot Castle?” She asked Twilight, who nodded. “Yes, this is Canterlot Castle, where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna lives.” “And the Legend of Nightmare Moon, did it ever say Princess Celestia fled after banishing Nightmare Moon to the moon?” Twilight shook her head. “No. I don’t remember the Legends ever saying such a thing occurred.” Sunset sat down on the floor, her eyes wide in shock. “I can’t believe it… I’m back.” Twilight tilted her head. “Back? Back where?” Sunset looked to her solemnly. “Back home. In Equestria.”