Although she was now able to trot on clouds, Sunset still wasn't confident about her teleportation magic. Being able to safely and reliably teleport to the ground seemed out of the question after her visit was complete. As such, Twilight had offered her a ride in her hot air balloon, which she hadn't really used since that trip to Hope Hollow. Twilight also remembered that her princess status allowed access to many forms of traveling, and thought it was a great way to genuinely compensate Sunset for all her troubles during this return.
"I suppose we can travel by balloon, if you prefer..." Twilight began. "But I do also have a royal chariot flown by my personal royal guards. If you'd like, Sunset? We can take that to go see Rainbow Dash. Anything to make this trip extra special for you, especially after what happened yesterday."
"I appreciate the offer, Twilight." Sunset said with gratitude. "But I think I'd rather just travel by balloon, to be able to appreciate Equestria's scenery more smoothly. Plus, as nice as it'd be to ride in a royal chariot, I somehow still feel the need to stay true to my modest ways. Back when I was Celestia's pupil, I actually remember taking the chariot everywhere and not really appreciating anything or anypony in my surroundings. So I'd figure this would be a good chance for once."
Twilight was impressed with just how much Sunset had changed compared to her days as Celestia's pupil. Every time she offered Sunset something she knew deep down her unicorn friend always wanted, Sunset would turn it down and show incredibly selfless motives surrounding all this hospitality. Twilight had mostly offered Sunset all these nice things, such as allowing her to stay in the royal castle, because she felt that Sunset at that point earned it all through her entire journey of accepting friendship. Although she had the most malicious intent in the beginning, Twilight began to understand psychologically where all this came from.
From what Twilight understood coming from both Celestia and Sunset herself, she realized that Sunset's past ambition wasn't necessarily bad, as much as it was her taking it to extreme levels. Twilight herself was just like her, in the sense that she had strictly prioritized her studies in magic, rather than having any care to make and accept friends. Despite this, she always had loving parents by her side, who always gave her exceptional support and motivation to succeed in her studies. If it hadn't been for them, Twilight might've never ended up where she was now, let alone the thought of becoming the ruler of Equestria. But after learning before about how Sunset never seemed close with her family, Twilight began to understand why Sunset went down the path she did.
With seemingly no parents by her side as she grew older in Canterlot, Sunset didn't have much experience or motivation to believe making friends was important, nor really taking anything Celestia said to heart. Even earlier when Sunset alluded to possibly looking for her parents somewhere in Equestria, Twilight understood Sunset feeling remorse for taking her family and Celestia for granted. But this aspect of her life lined up with her motives later down the line. It began to make sense why Sunset's curiosity for the mirror stayed persistent, despite Celestia discouraging her. With seemingly no family growing up aside from Celestia, whom Sunset at that point saw only as a teacher than a mother, Sunset felt that she never really had anypony who loved and supported her. And as she got further into her studies, the persistent focus toward schoolwork became more a force of habit, making it so she ignored all possibilities of making new friends and only worried about becoming an overachiever.
The day Celestia finally removed Sunset from pupil status must've also hit quite hard. It had to have been heartbreaking to unknowingly lose the one mother who always cared for her, and also be hit with the news that even after how hard she worked in perfecting her magic, she had still been seen as a failure in her teacher's eyes. And when Sunset felt she had enough and went through the mirror, she only wanted to prove she was ready, and that labeling her as a failure of a pupil would be a big mistake. Twilight also understood from what Celestia's mentioned about Sunset, she had never taught her to truly embrace friendship earlier on, but only focused on helping her get better with spells, which added toward this growing ambition neither of them could see before it was too late.
Bearing all this in kind, Twilight had agreed to bring Sunset to see Rainbow Dash using the hot air balloon, just as she had requested. As the two ponies went into the basket and began their ride, Twilight felt the need to have a heart to heart conversation with Sunset. It seemed necessary to understand her past more clearly and figuring out if there were other ways she could help her, especially with finding her family.
"Sunset, do you mind if we talk about something a little more personal?" Twilight asked as the balloon slowly left Canterlot.
"Sure, Twilight." Sunset replied. "We've been friends for quite a while, and I do feel comfortable with discussing these topics, even if they do get me a bit emotional at times."
"I've been wondering, since you mentioned them earlier." Twilight began. "Do you have any recollection on your parents, and how involved they were in your life before you went off to become Celestia's pupil? Any clues you may recall, it might help me do a little research in my free time to possibly find them. If I'm able to do so, it would mean the world to me to see you happy and reunited with them once more."
"That would be amazing, Twilight, you really are a true friend." Sunset said, happy for Twilight's selfless motivation. "Well, I haven't really thought too deeply about it until I saw the engraved word on my saddlebag. All I really know is that most likely, this bag was given to me by my father, because I still remember living with him before I moved to Canterlot. At the time, I only remember calling him 'Dad', not a single hint of what his real name was. And I still have no idea whether 'Solstice' is truly his name or not."
"Hmm..." Twilight thought about it for a bit. "What about your mother, Sunset? Are you able to remember anything to do with her?"
"Unfortunately, knowing who my mother was seems to be the impossible task." Sunset said with disappointment. "I have legitimately no memory of her being in my life, not even when I was a filly. I was only living in a small house in Ponyville with my dad, and nopony else was around at all. I never really seemed to question why, even when I saw other unicorns at the school being picked up by their own mothers."
"I see." Twilight continued to analyze things. "Well, since you remember your dad and still have a possible lead on a name I could be looking into, I can still try my best to come up with something. As for not being close with your family, don't feel too bad, Sunset. I wouldn't be having much room to speak myself since I always thought the exact same thing regarding making friends before I got sent to Ponyville. But I certainly owe my parents for being supportive toward me in this entire journey."
"That's actually how I've sometimes felt about myself, even right after I abandoned Celestia's teachings." Sunset began to reflect. "With only my dad around who simply looked after me in my youth, I never really got to experience the idea of making friends at a young age. When my magical talent was recognized by Princess Celestia, I let my pride go to my head, to where I wasn't going to let anypony take that pupil title away from me, even if it meant pushing aside socializing. Really though, since I haven't had much of a family besides my dad and Celestia, I guess in some ways... I just never really felt I had anypony who truly loved me. Sure, everypony was commending me on my magic skills, but it was in the sense that I'd be a nopony to them if I didn't have that gift. And because of that, something deep inside always told me that I had to prove myself to be the top student, or else I would have nothing and... nopony to turn to."
"I'm truly sorry you felt that way, Sunset." Twilight said with empathy. "I really wish things could've been different back then, it must've been a miserable experience. Looking back, I do feel as though even our same mentor could've handled things better, as Princess Celestia regrets her own decisions too. She has mentioned to me that she shouldn't have been so hard on you, even right after she declared your removal from pupil status. You see, a princess having pupils was something rather new at the time, and according to her, you were actually one of the first unicorns she took under her wing. She also mentioned that out of all her pupils, you showed the most promise. She took it upon herself to do everything she could to help you succeed, and also in her own words, give you that mother-figure you needed."
"While trotting through Canterlot yesterday, I could definitely see that myself." Sunset responded. "There was genuinely so much Princess Celestia gave me, and I never truly appreciated everything she sacrificed for me. The home, the education, the extended love, and I took it all for granted. All I know is, whenever I get around to exploring more of Equestria, primarily at Silver Shoals, I'm absolutely doing anything I can to make it up to her, especially since I haven't really seen her in quite some time."
"Sounds like a good plan." Twilight approved. "I'll be happy to take you there anytime you're ready."
As Sunset smiled at Twilight's commitment and understanding, she suddenly remembered a subtle detail that Twilight had alluded to.
"Wait a minute, Twilight." Sunset began to brainstorm. "What was that you said just now about Princess Celestia a few moments ago? How she herself said that she felt like giving me a mother-figure that I... needed? If she worded it exactly like that, I'm beginning to think there's more than meets the eye."
"Huh, I hadn't realized that there could be a more deeper meaning to that." Twilight agreed. "But yes, I guarantee that was precisely what she said. Perhaps this is a sign that if you went to visit Princess Celestia, she could give you an answer about your parents, or at the very least, what she's referring to regarding being a mother-figure."
"I'll be sure to keep this in mind whenever I do plan on visiting my old teacher." Sunset said determined. "Thanks for having this talk with me, Twilight. For now though, my plan is to explore more of Equestria as a unicorn again, and being able to see what I've missed after being absent for so long. Looking forward to know what life is like in Cloudsdale and what Rainbow Dash has been up to."
"I hope you have fun." Twilight said enthusiastically. "I have to get started with my royal duties once I drop you off, so I'll leave the balloon at Cloudsdale to let you return once your trip is finished. And when I do have spare time, I'll look into researching who your parents might've been. I at least have the idea to look for a father and a possible name of 'Solstice' to work with."
"I would love that, thank you again for being so involved." Sunset replied gratefully. "Just like I've written to you before, back when I first getting familiar with making friends. I haven't felt so loved or accepted in... ever. And like my old friends in the human world, I feel like I finally have a family again in this world as well. All I can say now is, I should've been making friends long, long ago."
"You were always welcome to." Twilight assured from her own experience. "By the way, when we reach Cloudsdale, are you sure you'll be comfortable with taking the balloon back to the ground yourself? Once we're there, I'll have to use my wings to fly back to Canterlot for my royal responsibilities. If you have trouble, you can ask Rainbow Dash for assistance, she's had experience with it."
"Sure thing, that works!" Sunset responded.
Sunset and Twilight had slowly begun to approach a landing cloud which led into the city itself. Once they had arrived, the two ponies came out from the basket and onto the cloud. The balloon was then secured with a strong rope onto a nearby building hook, before Twilight waved goodbye to Sunset and flew back to Canterlot. Just as Sunset could no longer see her princess friend in the distance, she turned around and saw the rather amazing view of Cloudsdale. Being a unicorn, she would've fallen right through the clouds under normal circumstances, to where being able to visit such a beautiful city felt like a great privilege.
Everything about this city stood out in an impressive way. The many pegasai flying together in groups, the luxurious architecture, and just the thought of everything here being built out of simple materials and clouds. Sunset had only just begun exploring bits of Equestria, and she already felt she had made the right choice in taking a break from the human world to really see more of her true home's magnificent sights. Not only to genuinely appreciate the surrounding world she grew up in, but also tie up loose ends, which she'd imagine would be resolved when she had time to visit Celestia.
For now though, Sunset's current focus was to look for Rainbow Dash, who would be expecting her as a guest for a tour of the place. It also seemed like a great way for both of them to get to know each other a bit better. Sunset had to bear in mind that this Rainbow Dash was already proven to be similar to the human version she was familiar with, but she was still a separate entity with a different life. After all, the Rainbow Dash she knew wasn't someone in the metaphorical military, whereas this one was part of the Wonderbolts. Sunset might not have been interested in the Wonderbolts as much as Rainbow, but was at least equipped with the basic knowledge of who they were and the many stunts they've performed over the years.
As Sunset was ready to head off to the Wonderbolts Academy, where Rainbow Dash was currently at, she suddenly noticed a pegasus flying at an incredibly imposing speed. Because she was flying so fast within a single direction, Sunset initially couldn't make out who it was, other than the fact it was a pegasus fast enough to only be seen as a blur from below. Sunset's initial feeling of wonder took a sudden change when she began to realize what direction the pegasus was headed. As the pegasus had finally zoomed over Sunset's head, she turned around and saw almost within the blink of an eye, the pegasus had crashed right into the hot air balloon, popping it with an intense force and sending the dazed pony backwards a bit.
Sunset had a natural feeling of shock after what she had just witnessed, but also a hint of worry when upon realization. Without a balloon, she definitely had no choice but to rely on somepony to safely get her to the ground once her trip was finished. Regardless of this, she felt the need to check on the pegasus to see if they were okay. As Sunset got closer, she noticed it was a mare wearing goggles with an orange coat and dark blue mane. The goggles were certainly a dead giveaway, as Sunset deduced she had now encountered the pony Indigo Zap.
She had been finding pony versions of certain humans she knew back in the other world, and by some miracle, Sunset had now unintentionally encountered all five Shadowbolts. Out of all of them so far, it was only Lemon Zest whom Sunset didn't have any particular form of disdain toward. While trotting back over to check up on Indigo, Sunset crossed her metaphorical fingers in hoping she was all right and that this Indigo would not be giving her any attitude. Much as Sunset wasn't happy with the fact that her ride was now destroyed thanks to her, she still wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and perhaps work something out.
"Hi, are you okay?" Sunset asked Indigo as she slowly began to regain consciousness and took notice of the unicorn. "That was certainly some flight there, I was pretty impressed with what I saw."
"Oh, thanks miss." Indigo answered as she held her head to ease some of the pain. "I'm a little dizzy still, but I'm more worried that I just vandalized this hot air balloon that was parked here."
"Well, yeah." Sunset replied, before looking at the remains of the balloon. "I was just about to talk to you about that. You see, that's Princess Twilight's hot air balloon, and I-"
But before Sunset could even finish what she was saying, Indigo shrieked in fear.
"That was Princess Twilight's property!?" Indigo said, now afraid of the severity of her consequences. "I can't face the music after vandalizing royal possessions!"
With that said, Indigo Zap flew away in the other direction, seemingly scared of what the current princess of Equestria might do to her, knowing that her balloon was destroyed. Since Indigo flew away too fast, Sunset couldn't catch up with her, even if she somehow teleport like an expert. No doubt, this Indigo was an incredibly fast flyer, perhaps even on par with Rainbow Dash. Since Sunset couldn't really do anything about her after fleeing the scene, she felt that the best thing to do from this was simply find Rainbow. She figured it would be best to simply explain what had happened, and check to see if Rainbow had other solutions to help her return to the ground.
Sunset was somewhat concerned she was now at the mercy of Cloudsdale having ways to accommodate for ponies who normally lack pegasai traits. As Twilight was now back in Canterlot to take care of her royal responsibilities and wouldn't be returning, Sunset was essentially stuck in the sky. When it came to telling Rainbow about Indigo, it would likely be wiser to simply describe her rather than use her name, since she technically hadn't met this Indigo properly. With this in mind, Sunset went forward deeper into the city, hoping to find her new rainbow-haired pegasus friend soon.