“My flock is injured and scattered. And - we’ve been revealed.” Chrysalis tells Sunset, having finally dared to venture into one of their preferred haunts after a careful screen for traps. “It is best if we lie low for a good while, to recuperate and regroup. A loss draws the wrong sort of attention from rival factions, and -”
“- you won’t see me for a while. I don’t want to put you at risk like that, for no useful reason.” Chrysalis admits, and Sunset swallows.
“I’ll miss you. A lot,” Sunset admits, squeezing her injured lover with all the affectionate force she dare apply and not trying to stop her tears, even if they were dripping onto Chrysalis’s shoulder. No place, no time for feeling awkward about the display. The more she could feel her emotions, the more strength they would give Chrysalis.
“I know,” Chrysalis echoes herself. Sunset considered what she could do, and felt determination stir. She could do something, and she would do something.
“Chrysalis - I promise you,” Sunset started, and Chrysalis looked to her curiously. “I will find a path to power and influence. In your world, and in my world. We will overcome our enemies and we will be together again.” Sunset pledged, tightly gripping Chrysalis’s hands.
“Thank you,” Chrysalis tells her softly. “I believe in you.
Since we have met, I have come to care for you in a way I did not know if I was capable of. You have a rare and fierce spirit, loyal and determined in love, unfailingly ambitious and optimistic in aspiration. Even on the heels of failure, already you plan for success.
You will be great, Sunset Shimmer.”
“I will,” Sunset promised, and they held each other until all the time they had to do so was truly gone.
She had some books and scrolls, from home.
Chrysalis had taught her some simple magic, even if she hadn’t the horn or fey wings to use it.
Occasionally she’d by chance run into a changeling who could help her out.
She knew where the mirror was, even if it were closed.
A few things could be done with that.
A kind new freshman met a girl with a broken heart, and reached out.
He was popular, supportive, useful. So she used him.
Even his name reminded her of Shining Armor.
Another alicorn.
Well, two more, technically, but Princess Luna didn’t count in the same way. She’d always been around, just a secret, and Sunset had suspected her existence ever since meeting her human counterpart.
Twilight Sparkle … was her. Who she should have been. Same name, basically. Same talent for magic. Student of Celestia. Unicorn who ascended to Alicorn.
She briefly entertained the wild idea that Twilight Sparkle actually was her, the her from this world having slipped through the mirror some moon, but the scant evidence she had seemed against it.
She wasn’t sure if that would have made her feel better or worse about the results, though to be fair, it was easier to improve on “incandescent rage” than to dig for further superlatives.
Her goal kept her focused, though.
Twilight Sparkle had not redeemed Luna and ascended purely through her own power. The - princess, Sunset felt like spitting the word, but she couldn’t bring herself to scorn someone so directly mirroring her own ambition as she did the provincial pink pegasus - wielded a potent set of magical artifacts, that let her draw on the magic of her flock (her friends, the article said, and Sunset mentally translated) to cast incredibly powerful spells.
Sunset didn’t think she’d need the whole set, not here. Magic was practically nonexistent outside the fey, and even they faced constraints alien to Equestria.
The most powerful one, though - the reflection of their shared talent, the symbol of leadership - the Element of Magic -
Twilight’s crown would do.