Chapter II: The Storyteller
Sunset Shimmer lounged upon a small cot inside an empty holding cell in the lower levels of Canterlot Castle. It was a square space made of rough, grey stone, and had a strong, earthy smell. A small barred window sat at the top of the wall opposite from the wooden door. Sunlight trickled forth, illuminating the otherwise dark cell.
The cot was unusually comfy, much to Sunset’s surprise, and came with a fluffy pillow as well. If she wasn’t so tense, she might have taken a nap right then and there. Instead, she sat on the edge, watching the dust particles swirl and dance on the beams of sunlight.
The guards had brought her down to the dungeons to wait for her trial with Princess Celestia. Sunset had tried to tell them it was just a big misunderstanding, but of course, they ignored her and left her locked up in her tiny cell. They had also confiscated the hourglass, believing that it was stolen property despite Sunset’s claims that it belonged to her—which was, in a way, true.
The orange unicorn groaned and threw herself onto the mattress. Five minutes in, and I’ve already screwed things up, she inwardly cursed. Now she would have to stand trial in front of Princess Celestia and try to explain how she had ended up in a restricted section of the library.
Sunset rolled over and stared at the grey ceiling. Back in the future, Celestia had been a gentle and loving soul, though she didn’t go by the title of princess anymore. She and Luna were more advisors to Princess Twilight. Sunset didn’t see much of them, but all the interactions she had with them had been pleasant. If the stories were true, then Celestia would be just as kind and forgiving now as she was in the future. Still, Sunset pondered what she would say to the Sun Princess. Could she tell her the truth? Would Celestia simply think her to be mad, some dangerous lunatic who needed to be locked up? She couldn’t help but wonder if telling the truth would mess up future events. Her meddling in past events was already dangerous enough. The more ponies she told, the more likely it was for her to change something for the worse. It wasn’t a risk worth taking.
She nodded her head. “I’ll have to do this on my own. The fewer ponies involved, the better.” Unfortunately, that meant she would have to lie to Princess Celestia. She wasn’t looking forward to that.
Sunset rolled onto her side and raised a grimy hoof, pulling a face at how dirty it was. She sat up and glanced at her entire body. She was an ashy mess from head to tail, and her fetlocks were covered in small cuts. Sunset didn’t realize how dirty or sore she was until just then. Her legs were tired from all the running she had done.
Wanting to look somewhat presentable for Princess Celestia, Sunset tried to groom herself by viciously rubbing a hoof against the matted fur on her foreleg. Dust, loose hair, and flecks of dead skin peeled off and fell from her fur, making a new home on the bed. She stopped and examined her work. It hadn’t done much, but it was still a noticeable difference from how the rest of her looked.
She continued to scrub herself clean until the cell door swung open and a castle guard called, “Princess Celestia will see you now, criminal!”
Sunset sighed. The faster she got this over with, the better. She hopped off the bed, where a large pile of dirt now sat in her place. She gave herself a quick once over and sighed again. She was still rather filthy, but it would have to do. She walked out into the stone corridor where two castle guards were waiting for her with their usual vigilant expressions. Sunset almost smiled at their stony faces, thinking, Some things just never change.
They escorted her through the dim hallway and up to the main castle. After being in the dark for a few hours, the sudden amount of light forced Sunset to shield her eyes as they readjusted. The trio marched along the red carpet, making their way back to the entrance hall.
It was a smoldering wreckage of rubble and charred stone. The fire burned everything, sending plumes of smoke skyward. Chunks of the ceiling and rafters had fallen and destroyed the staircase. The front wall had collapsed outwards, revealing a blood-red sky and a storm of fire. The ground began to shake, and a dark laugh filled the air…
Sunset shook her head and took a deep, shuddering breath, pushing the horrible vision from her mind. She looked around at the actual hall and saw how it should look: beautiful polished marble and vibrant colors of majestic purple. Tapestries and paintings of various art forms covered the walls, and a regal chandelier hung from the ceiling.
Keep it together; this is no time to lose your cool, she thought as the guards led her up the stairs and down another hallway. They stopped at a large pair of purple doors engraved with the symbols of the sun and moon.
One of the guards turned to Sunset and barked, “You will show the princess the utmost respect and speak only when spoken to. Is that clear?”
Sunset looked down so they couldn’t see her roll her eyes. “Yes, I understand.”
The guards nodded and pushed the door open, beckoning the unicorn inside. The audience chamber was a long room that ended with Celestia’s throne. The marble floors were so well polished that they acted like mirrors, reflecting the high, vaulted ceiling. Full stained-glass windows lined the hall, depicting murals of sunlit fields, roaming clouds, and the famous picture of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor banishing the changeling queen.
Sunset walked along the carpet, admiring the glass pictures until she reached the foot of the dais. It was a golden sculpture, decorated at the base with small flowers. Water fell from two basins into a pool around the throne, giving the room a soothing waterfall sound.
Princess Celestia sat at the top of the throne, her eyes closed and a smile gracing her lips, giving her a calm and dignified expression. She opened her eyes for the first time since Sunset had walked into the room and stifled a gasp.
“Sunset Shimmer,” she breathed, holding a hoof to her chest.
Sunset snapped up from the bow she had been in and stared at the princess, a mixture of surprise and fear on her face. The princess knows who I am? But, that’s impossible! What, does she have the ability to see the future or something? Sunset stood up, now aware that her legs were shaking. “You know who I am, Your Highness?”
There was a silent pause that drowned out even the noise of the waterfalls. Celestia looked at Sunset like she was trying to see through the unicorn. She closed her eyes and whispered something inaudible before looking back at Sunset and beamed. “I suppose I’m just more in tune with my subjects than I thought. Call it a princess’s intuition, if you will.”
Celestia had a distant look in her eye, a look that Sunset knew all too well. Twilight had given her that look whenever the princess knew more than she let on. It was a sagely, mysterious, and down-right irritating look.
Before Sunset had a chance to question the princess’s ‘intuition,’ Celestia continued. “Regardless, I hear you’ve caused quite a commotion in the Starswirl the Bearded section of the archives? Breaking-and-entering, vandalism, stealing,” Celestia said with a frown. “These are some serious accusations, Ms. Shimmer.”
“And none of them are true, Your Majesty,” Sunset protested.
“Oh? Then by all means, please explain,” Celestia politely asked.
Sunset hesitated for a second, trying to come up with an applicable lie. It was a harder feat than she imagined, especially under Celestia’s steady gaze. “W-well, you see, I was… trying to cast a teleportation spell… and I overshot my target?” She inwardly flinched. It wasn’t meant to sound like a question.
Celestia, however, smiled at her and said, “Really? You must be quite good at magic to be able to teleport.”
Sunset felt herself blush. “Oh, no, not really. I mean look, I completely missed my target and ended up here, and covered in dirt.”
Celestia nodded. Her smile said one thing, but her unblinking eyes were unreadable. “And what of the hourglass?” she asked.
“It, uhh, came with me, when I teleported. It really is mine; I didn’t mean to bring it along, though.”
Princess Celestia was silent again, her eyes never wavering from Sunset’s position. Sunset quickly felt her confidence fading, the smile on her face melting. Who was she kidding, trying to lie to the princess? The silence dragged on for what felt like an eternity. Sunset began sweating bullets, waiting for Celestia to say something, anything!
Celestia finally blinked and spoke in a calm voice, “Sunset, I don’t believe you have been completely honest with me.”
I’m dead.
“However, I don’t believe you are the type to willingly cause trouble. I think you were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Her benevolent smile returned to both her lips and her eyes, allowing Sunset to breathe a sigh of relief. Celestia turned to one of the guards positioned at the foot of the dais. “Lancer, please retrieve Ms. Shimmer’s hourglass from the evidence room.”
The guard saluted and galloped out of the room, bringing the princess’s attention back to Sunset. “As I said, Ms. Shimmer, you don’t seem like the type to cause trouble. So, I have to ask before you leave, is there anything you need, anything at all?”
The question weighed heavy in Sunset’s mind. The princess was offering her help, that is, if she believed Sunset’s story and didn’t dismiss her as a raving mad-mare. Part of Sunset wanted to confide in her, to take a chance at getting the aid of an alicorn. Another part of her thought that it was too great a risk. She needed to interact with as few ponies as possible to not mess up the future. Then again, anything would be better than the End of the World.
Then there was a new part of her that loathed the idea of telling Princess Celestia anything. She can’t be trusted, it said. She’ll just help you until she grows bored or you disappoint her, then she’ll throw you away like a broken toy! Sunset blinked, surprised by her thoughts. That was dark, even for her.
She tried to dismiss them, but something about those thoughts struck a chord deep within her that made her uneasy. She couldn’t believe that Celestia was the type of pony who would discard something the minute it had no use to her. But still, Sunset felt safer keeping the knowledge of the future to herself for now.
“No, Princess Celestia, I’m fine. Thank you for the offer, though.”
“Very well,” Celestia agreed. “I hope to hear good things about you, Sunset Shimmer. You seem like a very promising unicorn.”
Sunset gave an embarrassed, “Thank you,” as the guard came back with her hourglass. Sunset thanked him as well and bowed to the princess before turning to leave, the sandglass floating above her.
She exited the audience chamber as the sound of the door closing behind her rang through the hall. She stood in the middle of the carpet, unsure of where to go or what do next. Sunset knew she couldn’t go back to the archives unless she wanted recent events to repeat themselves. Celestia was probably suspicious of her by now.
With a defeated groan, Sunset set off down the hall, deciding to leave before she could get into anymore trouble. The afternoon sun shone through the windows, illuminating squares of carpet, and warming the castle. A squadron of guards passed by, eyeing Sunset suspiciously, no doubt because she still looked a mess. Keeping her eyes to the floor, she continued on her way, trying to come up with a new plan of action. Since she couldn’t use the Canterlot Library, she would need to find another place with a wealth of information.
Sunset was beginning to regret turning down the princess’s help. Part of her wanted to go back and ask, but the dark thoughts from before continued to whisper in her head. Celestia can’t be trusted, she’s a manipulative sham! She’s doesn’t care about you! Sunset couldn’t figure out where these ideas were coming from, it was like they belonged to somepony else completely. Yet she couldn’t help but feel that they might be true.
So involved in her thoughts was Sunset that she failed to pay attention to where she was going. The next thing she knew, she had crashed into something soft and fallen onto her haunches.
“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry! Are you hurt?” a worried voice asked.
Sunset rubbed her sore snout and stood up. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I wasn’t really looking where I was go—eeep!” Sunset jumped back as the pony in front of her came into focus. She knew that lavender coat and purple mane style anywhere. She had seen them almost every day for a decade, but had not anticipated seeing them here.
“Oh, no, It’s my fault,” Princess Twilight Sparkle apologized. “I was so into this book, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking. Are you sure you’re fine?”
After a few seconds of working her tongue, Sunset finally found her voice and stammered out, “No—I mean, yes, yes, I’m okay, princess.”
Twilight gave a nervous chuckle. “I’m still not used to ponies calling me that. I mean, I know the coronation was a few days ago, but, I guess I’m still just getting over the shock of everything that’s happened.”
Sunset gasped. The coronation was only a few days ago? She was both fascinated and furious at the time the hourglass had decided her to drop her off. She had missed one of the most important moments in history by only a few days!
“Aw, ponyfeathers!” she cursed. “Totally unfair!”
“What’s the matter?” Twilight asked.
Sunset snapped out of her thoughts. “Oh, it’s nothing, really. I just, umm, forgot something. I should probably go get it,” Sunset said, trying to make an excuse for herself to leave.
“Okay then. Again, sorry for bumping into you… umm, actually, I never got your name.”
Sunset was saved from having to answer Twilight when another voice came from down the hall. “Hey, Twi, the girls sent me to find you.” A young, slightly chubby baby dragon came down the corridor, a blue gemstone in hand.
“Spike!” Sunset said, overjoyed to see the dragon alive and healthy. She quickly shoved a hoof in her mouth, then gagged at the filthy taste that now coated her tongue. However, the damage had already been done.
Spike tilted his head. “Uhh, hey…. Do I know you?”
“Yes—I mean, no—I mean, uhh, I have to go!” Sunset bolted down the hall, leaving Twilight and Spike standing in confusion.
Sunset didn’t stop running until the castle was far behind her. She finally stopped and leaned on a lamppost to catch her breath. She couldn’t believe she had just run into the younger version of her mentor and Spike. They both looked so different from what she was used to. Well, Spike looked different; Twilight was just shorter.
Sunset slid down the pole and stared up at the sky. She had just embarrassed herself in front of Twilight. She wondered if the princess would remember that in the future.
Sunset turned her head and looked at the hourglass lying in the grass next to her. She scooped it up and held it above her, examining the figure-eight design and golden finish. Twilight said that somepony with a righteous cause could use it. And it worked; I made it to the past. But… will it let me go back to the future? The thought had been sitting in the back of her head since she had arrived. The hourglass had thought coming back to the past to save the future was a just enough cause for time travel. But would wanting to go home after she fixed everything be enough of a desire for it to work a second time? Was she trapped here in the past?
Holding it against her chest, she couldn’t help but wonder about her situation. She wanted to try and test it, to see if it would send her back to the future. But the thought of seeing everything on fire, and the possibility of not being able to come back to the past held her back.
“One problem at a time, Sunset,” she murmured. “First, save the world, then you can worry about going back home.” She got up, putting the hourglass in her telekinesis to float behind her, and continued to walk aimlessly through Canterlot.
Countless ponies walked passed her, enjoying the warm summer day. They traveled in pairs and large groups, shopping bags around their hooves: talking, gossiping, and laughing. Sunset envied their carefree nature. She wanted to be one of them, to go out shopping with her friends and sit on one of the terraces and eat ice cream as they admired the view just like they had a few days ago.
It had only been a few days, but to Sunset, it felt like another lifetime.
It was amazing how one day could change everything. Two days ago, she had been studying with Twilight while they enjoyed enormous hot fudge sundaes that neither of them could finish. Yesterday, the world had ended. Now today, she was walking through Canterlot... fifty years in the past. The more Sunset thought about it, the more her head hurt.
Instead, she focused on the scenery and ponies around her. Fifty years had passed, and yet, little had changed. Past Canterlot and future Canterlot were almost exactly the same. The cobblestone streets, the ivory towers, and even most of the stores were unchanged.
The noble and elite ponies of this time may have looked different to Sunset, but they were the same in spirit: happy with their vast amounts of wealth and looking for any excuse to go out and flaunt it. They could live their lives like nothing was wrong. Of course, for them, there was nothing wrong. Their problems were fifty years away. For some of these ponies, it would be their children or grandchildren who inherited the destruction of the world, unless Sunset did something to stop it.
She found herself in the middle of a plaza with a large fountain in the center. Stopping to look into the pool of water, Sunset saw her reflection for the first time, and truly appreciated how dirty she was. Adding to the grime and filth that still clung to her coat, she also saw how much of a disaster her mane was. Parts of it curled and stuck out at odd angles, while other parts were singed at the tips. She didn’t dare count the number of split ends she saw.
Beyond her reflection, she saw numerous bits sitting at the bottom of fountain, no doubt thrown in by ponies making wishes. It was then Sunset realized two things: she was hungry and had no money whatsoever.
Her stomach groaned as if to put a fine point on her plight. She stared at the golden coins, mocking her with the idea of being able to buy food. She was sorely tempted to dive into the fountain and snatch them. Doing so would also clean her fur by a substantial amount. However, she’d look like a desperate beggar.
Then again, I’m not from here, so what does it matter? No one here is going to remember me… probably. She mulled the idea over before deciding against it. Hungry or not, she had standards. And stealing coins from fountains was against the law. She had already been arrested once and wasn’t looking to do it again.
Sunset moved on from the fountain and away from the plaza, still unsure of where she was really going. She wandered aimlessly, passing many shops and eateries that tantalized her with the idea of food. Her stomach gave another rumble as she passed a particularly delicious smelling sandwich shop.
Sunset kept walking, wanting to get away from the delightful aromas surrounding her. She moved through a few narrow streets where several ponies gave her outraged looks at her appearance and turned their noses up as she walked passed them. She wasn’t really surprised; she knew she looked ghastly.
The buildings eventually submitted to more scenic areas, as Sunset found her way to one of Canterlot’s parks. Foals and their friends or parents were out frolicking and enjoying the summer sunshine. The park itself was of modest size, with a small pond in the center and a hill with an old oak tree near one end. Sunset decided to take a break from her wandering, and climbed the small hill, finding shade underneath a large tree.
She dropped onto her belly and let the hourglass fall next to her with a thud. She looked out over the park, taking in the picturesque beauty of everything. She inhaled slowly, the scent of fresh flowers and cut grass tickling her nose.
“Everything is just so… peaceful,” she said, lying her head down, as sudden sleepiness came about her. A vision of the park swept away in a fiery maelstrom flashed before her eyes until she shook it away. “I won’t let that happen, even if it’s the last thing I do.”
She let out a yawn, feeling the grass brush against her cheek. Her stomach groaned again, reminding her of her other predicament. Only half aware of what she was doing, Sunset moved her mouth over a tuft of grass and tore into it. She chewed slowly before swallowing, gagging at the awful taste. “When I get back, princess, you so owe me a sundae,” she said, her brain starting to go fuzzy. A quick nap wouldn’t hurt. Although she knew she would only be hungrier when she woke up, perhaps she’d have a better idea of what to do.
Just as she was closing her eyes, Sunset heard hoofsteps crunching through the grass, approaching her. She tried to ignore it, but she could feel a presence staring at her. She opened one eye and saw a small, green coated earth pony colt. He might have blended into the grass if it wasn’t for his bright blue mane.
He stared at her unblinking for several moments before Sunset finally asked, “Can I help you with something?”
“Whatcha doin’?” he asked in a squeaky voice.
Sunset gave him a look before closing her eyes. “Sleeping,” she said, hoping the answer was enough to get the kid to leave her alone.
It wasn’t.
“Why are you sleeping here?” he asked.
“Because it’s nice here.”
“But why don’t you go home and sleep?”
Sunset took in a slow, breath through her nose. “Because… I don’t want to.”
“Why, are you a hobo?”
Sunset shot her head up. “No, I am not a hobo!”
“Then why are you so dirty?”
“Because… I haven’t had a chance to take a shower yet.”
“Why?”
Sunset grit her teeth. This kid was quickly getting on her nerves. She was about to tell him to leave when he jumped to his next question. “What’s that?” He pointed to the hourglass lying on its side.
“What, you’ve never seen an hourglass before?”
The colt shook his head. “No, what does it do?”
Sunset sighed. “It keeps track of time.”
“Why do you have it?”
“Because.”
“Because why?”
Sunset slapped her forehead. “Listen kid, can you please leave me alone? I’d really like to get some peace and quiet,” she said, trying to keep an even tone.
“But I’m bored,” the colt whined.
She groaned in defeat, knowing the colt probably wouldn’t leave her alone until she amused him. “Fine, if I tell you a story, will you leave me alone?”
The foal nodded enthusiastically.
“Alright then.” Sunset sat up, quickly thinking of a story that would entertain a young mind. Lighting up her horn, she summoned a gentle wind that picked up leaves and loose twigs off of the tree behind her. She caught the foliage in her magic and began to roll the leaves up into slender shapes, then stuck twigs into them, creating tiny, ponylike crafts. A hoofull of berries came zooming in from across the park, which she used as heads for her figurines. On two of the berries, Sunset used her magic to pull up some of the skin to create a small, pointed bump that acted as a horn.
The little colt watched in wide-eyed wonder as Sunset began her tale. “Once upon a time, there was a little unicorn who lived in a city.” Her horn glowed brighter, and she picked up loose grass and bigger twigs to form makeshift buildings. The little leaf pony began walking around the buildings, eliciting an ‘oooh’ from the colt. “She decided she wanted to be a princess, like the one who ruled the city. So, she got her two best friends—” Sunset dropped two more figurines next to the first one, another unicorn and an earth pony—“and decided that they would go and vanquish a monster so they could become royalty.” Sunset broke from her story and looked up at the sky. “Why they agreed, I’ll never know.”
“Anyway,” she continued, “the best friends left the city and ventured down the mountain to the dangerous forest at the bottom.” She took the buildings and re-formed them into tall trees, earning her another gasp from the young pony, and a few others as well. Sunset looked up and saw that she had gathered a small crowd of onlookers. Adults and foals alike had been drawn to her visual story. Sunset smiled and continued her story with more enthusiasm.
“The three ponies knew the rumors about the forest, that creatures in there could eat a pony in one bite, or turn you to stone! But, the unicorn wasn’t afraid; she thought she could handle anything the forest threw at her.” She leaned in towards the colt and whispered, “She had a bit of an ego back then,” causing him to laugh. “So, deep into the forest they went, traveling across fallen logs and dangerous rivers...” With each new scene, Sunset changed the props using the resources around her. She had pulled a thin stream of water out of the pond to act as the river, drawing in a few more audience members along with it.
“The unicorn’s friends wondered how they were supposed to cross the river, for it was moving way too fast to swim across. Luckily, the little unicorn was pretty good with magic. She froze a section of the river so she and her friends could safely walk across.” As she spoke the words, a portion of the water froze, and the little pony figures trotted across. “Finally, they reached a deep valley where timberwolves like to sleep.” Sunset stripped pieces of bark from the oak tree and shaped them into three, wolflike shapes, complete with sharp teeth.
“Seeing the sleeping timberwolves made the three ponies rethink their plan. They decided it might not be a good idea to try and beat a timberwolf. But, just as they were leaving, one of them stepped on a branch that made a loud snap, and the timberwolves woke up.” She looked at the colt and asked, “Can you guess what our heroes did next?”
“Umm, did they fight the timberwolves?”
Sunset laughed. “Nope, they ran like cowards.” The little ponies began running away from the three timberwolves. “They ran, and ran, and ran, trying not to get eaten by the hungry monsters, until one of the ponies tripped and fell!” The audience gasped as the timberwolves began circling the fallen pony. “Seeing her friend in danger, the unicorn felt a great surge of magic and used it to blast the timberwolves to pieces!” A bright light came from both Sunset’s horn and the stump on the berry’s face, momentarily blinding the crowd. When the light faded, scattered splinters were the only proof of the timberwolves previous existence.
“The three friends celebrated their victory, happy that they were all still alive. They quickly left the forest, only to be met by the princess herself when they reached the edge.” She quickly crafted a fourth pony with a horn and smaller leaves for wings. “The ponies’ parents had told the princess their children had gone missing, and she had decided to look for them herself. She wasn’t happy when they told her what they had been doing, but she decided to leave their punishment to their parents. So, the princess returned the three little ponies back to the city in her royal chariot.” Sunset fashioned a wooden chariot from thicker pieces of bark and stuck the ponies inside before making it zoom through the air. “The foals were reunited with their parents and received the scolding of a lifetime. But, the princess took the unicorn and her parents aside. Although she was upset that the unicorn had put herself, and her friends in danger, she was also very impressed by the power the unicorn had used to vanquish the timberwolves. The princess asked the unicorn’s parents if she could take the foal under her wing as an apprentice. After a little begging and pleading from the unicorn, the parents agreed that it was in their daughter's best interest.”
Another gust of wind picked up and scattered all of Sunset’s props away. “And so, the little unicorn got to live in the castle and study magic under the princess... after she had been thoroughly grounded first. She and her friends continued to go on adventures together, though most of them weren’t quite as life threatening. Thus, they lived happily ever after, the end.” The crowed stomped their hooves and cheered, causing Sunset to blush. One of the audience members came up and dropped a few bits at her hoof before thanking her for the performance and walking away. Another one followed suit, tipping his hat in thanks, followed by a mom and her two foals who each dropped a bit. Soon, Sunset had a small pile of gold coins lying at her hooves and was grinning from ear to ear.
The young colt she had originally been telling her story to was the last to drop a coin into the pile. “Thank you for the story, Ms. Hobo!” he said before running off.
“I am not a—you know what, forget it.” She scooped up her hard earned coins and her hourglass with her magic, and walked off towards the plaza.
Sunset sat at a table on the veranda of a small lunch shop. A lettuce wrap sat in front of her, along with a plate of hay fries and a glass of fruit punch. The hourglass stood by her hoof. She was glad to have food in her stomach for the first time in hours. When she had first walked into the restaurant, the maître di had tried to shoo her out, calling her a “street urchin.” He began singing a completely different tune when she showed him the bits she had acquired.
She took a sip of her fruit punch and thought about the story she had just finished telling. The little unicorn who had convinced her friends it was a good idea to run into the Everfree Forest alone and fight monsters. Sure, she had been grounded for a month, but she became Princess Twilight’s first personal student as well.
Yep... she lived happily ever after... until yesterday. Sunset sighed and returned to eating her lunch, pondering about what she was supposed to do next. She needed more information on the Alicorn Amulet and the Dark Regalia. If she could find a book describing what or where they were, she could move on from there. Since she couldn’t go back into the Canterlot Archives, she needed to find another library that had a vast store of worldly books.
Sunset looked over the veranda to the valley below. It was a breathtaking sight, seeing the patchwork hills and sparkling river that ran through Ponyville.
“Ponyville…” Sunset said softly. Twilight had always mentioned her time in Ponyville. She said that she had lived in a library while she was there. If Twilight had lived in a library, then it must be stuffed with important books!
Sunset scarfed down the rest of her lettuce wrap and sprung from the table, grabbing the hourglass as she went. She was grateful that she hadn’t spent all of her bits on lunch.
She raced through the city, weaving in between angry pedestrians calling her rude names as she sped towards the train station, eager to reach her next destination. The station was jam-packed with ponies waiting on trains to distant destinations like Fillydelphia or Manehattan. Lucky for Sunset, the train for Ponyville was fairly vacant. She paid the fare, using up the last of her bits, and hopped into the last compartment.
Ten minutes later, the train was rolling along the mountainside tracks, sloping down into the valley where Ponyville rested. Sunset watched the scenery rush pass her by. Vibrant greens and shades of brown whisked by the window, blurring together like a watercolor painting.
The cart rattled along the rails, bumping and bouncing all the way down the mountain. The constant rocking motion was starting to make Sunset sick. She hardly traveled by train. Anywhere she needed to go, she would teleport or take an airship. Unfortunately, she knew Ponyville didn’t have an airship dock. They had never built one in the future, so there was no way they would have one now.
Sunset clutched her stomach and moaned, her face turning a pale green. She was starting to regret eating lunch. The train gave a powerful lurch, and Sunset threw a hoof up to her mouth. She gave a painful swallow and muttered, “Of all the books I’ve read, I couldn’t take the time to memorize a simple motion-sickness spell?”
She curled up onto her side, just as the train bounced skyward again, tossing her off the side of the bed. She hit the floor and growled into the carpet, “Second worst day ever!”
The train finally pulled to a stop in at the Ponyville Station. Sunset wasted no time in getting off the infernal contraption, grateful for being on steady ground once more. After her stomach had settled down, she began her march to the library.
The sun was on its descent as Sunset moved through the rural town. Ponies around her were all preparing to turn in for the day, a far cry from the nightlife of Canterlot, where there was always a party or galleria opening. Here, parents were ushering their kids in from the park and closing up their market stalls.
Not wanting to get lost in a foreign town at night, Sunset stopped and asked a teal unicorn for directions to the library. The mare had been completely polite as she gave Sunset instructions—another difference from the ponies of Canterlot, who would give a pony directions like it was the last thing they wanted to do.
Sunset thanked her and galloped off, still trying to keep interaction to a bare minimum. A few minutes later, she reached the Golden Oaks Library, a large, homey-looking tree that looked like it hadn’t seen any visitors in days. All of the lights were off, and the windows had been closed tight. Sunset knocked on the door and received no answer. She tried the doorknob and was surprised to find it open.
She stepped into the main room, closing the door behind her and casting a light spell to illuminate the dark room. In front of her were shelves upon shelves of neatly organized books. She gave a small victory dance and ran over to the first row of books, reading through the titles, hoping to find something useful. Sunset grabbed a few tomes and set them down, along with the hourglass, around a small desk in the corner of the room. She lit a single lantern and began reading through the first book.
As the sun vanished, giving way to Luna’s starry night, Sunset had quickly built up a pile of discarded books next to her, while an even larger tower of unread books sat on her other side. She pored over every history, legend, and artifact book she could get her hooves on. Her eyes were growing tired, and she found herself losing her focus several times over the last few hours. She couldn’t recall the last time she had slept, but a short nap was sounding like a great idea.
“Hey look, there’s a light on in the library.”
“Spike, I thought you said you locked the door?”
“Well, I thought I did. Guess not.”
Sunset’s weariness quickly vanished as she heard the approaching voices. Why on earth is Twilight here? She’s supposed to be in Canterlot! Jumping from the desk, Sunset tried to look for a place to hide, but she knew it was too late.
“Maybe it’s Owlowiscious trying to study?” Twilight said.
“I didn’t know that bird knew how to use a lantern.”
The door opened, and in walked Spike, followed by Twilight Sparkle. Both of them stopped and stared at Sunset, whose expression was that of a foal who had been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar.
Twilight blinked, then her entire face brightened. “Hey, you’re that unicorn I met in the castle! You know, I never did get your name.”
Sunset, caught off guard by Twilight’s appearance, decided on the best course of action her rational brain could think of: lying her flank off.
“My name is, uhh… Starburst!” Sunset half shouted, saying the first name that came to her head.
“That’s a nice name,” Twilight said kindly before frowning. “But, umm, if you don’t mind me saying, Starburst, you look terrible.”
“Botched a teleportation spell,” Sunset said automatically, recycling the lie she had told Celestia. Hey, I’m getting pretty good at this!
Twilight now looked completely thrilled. “You can teleport? Oh, wow; I don’t know many unicorns who can do that too! You must be really good at magic!”
Sunset smiled weakly. “Yeah, I’ve been told I’m pretty good with magic. Ha, ha….” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Umm, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here… and not in Canterlot?”
“Well, since the coronation and everything is over, I decided to come and stay in Ponyville with all my friends. I couldn’t possibly leave them behind, princess or not. Princess Celestia understood completely. So, I guess right now, the title of ‘princess’ is just that, a title. Although Celestia says I’ll have bigger responsibilities from now on... but I’m sure it’s nothing me and my friends can’t handle!” Twilight finished, holding a hoof to her chest.
Wow, she’s a lot perkier in the past, Sunset noted.
Twilight continued, “So, what are you doing in here? I’ll be honest, we don’t get many visitors to the library who actually want to read.”
“Oh, I was just, uhh… studying… for a research project. Yes, that’s what I was doing!” Sunset fidgeted nervously, hoping Twilight hadn’t developed clairvoyant powers like Celestia yet.
Twilight nodded, oblivious to Sunset’s behavior. “Well, don’t let us distract you, we’re just going to go get settled back in. Come on, Spike.”
The duo walked up the wooden staircase. Spike waved to Sunset and said, “Just shout if you need help finding something,” before vanishing to the upper floors.
Sunset gave a sigh of relief as she sat back down at the desk and began her search again. She hated having to lie to her mentor. Even if Twilight wasn’t technically her mentor yet, it still left an uneasy feeling in her stomach.
She ignored it and went back to her book, reading a few lines before her head popped back up. “Who comes to a library and doesn’t read?” she whispered.
Two hours later, the pile of discarded books had grown into a mountain, and Sunset was running out of material to go through. Twilight had come down twice, asking if Sunset needed anything, but she had politely declined each time.
She flipped through the next book, scanning the table of contents before paging through and reading the subtitles for anything helpful. Her search finally stopped on a picture of a dark looking amulet with a red jewel in the center. Metal wings stuck out from the sides and a pointed pony head rested at the top. Sunset’s heart began to race as she read the text accompanying the picture.
“The Alicorn Amulet: A powerful relic that blesses the wearer with untold power. However, prolonged exposure from wearing the amulet can cause corruption in the user’s mind and soul. The user is also the only one capable of removing the amulet. Its current whereabouts are unknown.”
The hope that had blossomed in Sunset’s chest died as quickly as it had been born. She couldn’t stop reading the last sentence over and over again, hoping that it would magically rewrite itself and tell her where the amulet really was. But alas, it stayed the same.
Sunset smacked the book onto the floor and cried, “Ponyfeathers!” She dropped her head against the desk, and muttered a stream of curses.
Twilight came bounding down the steps. “Is everything alright, Starburst?” she asked.
Sunset waved her hoof, not willing to lift her head up to properly address the princess. “Fine, fine, everything is just fine.”
Twilight walked over to the mess of books and saw the one Sunset had smacked onto the floor. It was still open to the picture of the amulet.
“The Alicorn Amulet,” she mused. “I had to deal with that once before.”
Sunset snapped her head up, her eyes wide with hope once more. “You did?”
Twilight nodded. “Yeah; a jealous showmare came to Ponyville and beat me in a magic duel using the amulet. She enslaved the entire town until me and my friends tricked her into taking it off,” she said, reminiscing.
Sunset couldn’t believe her stroke of luck; although she also couldn’t help but wonder how future Twilight had never mentioned that story before. She placed that thought in the back of her mind as something to ask Twilight when she got back.
“Do you know where it is now?” Sunset asked a little too quickly.
Twilight’s smile vanished and her eyebrow rose in suspicion. “Why do you need to know where it is?”
Sunset racked her brain, trying to think of another lie to quell Twilight’s suspicions. “Umm… It’s for my research project. Yeah, I’m doing research on the Alicorn Amulet and whether it’s real or not. Knowing where it is would really help my paper… and stuff.”
Twilight began giving Sunset a look similar to the one Celestia had given her earlier. “So tell me then,” she began, walking around the wooden table with a sculpture of a pony’s head on it, “what class is this for?”
“Oh, you know, an advanced class at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.”
Twilight continued nodding, her eyes never leaving from Sunset. “Mmhmm, you know, the Canterlot Archives are open to all students, right?”
Sunset was sweating now. She tried to smile, thinking it might help in her lie. “Well, I just thought everypony would be using the archives for research. You know how school goes. I thought I’d try studying somewhere nice and quiet.”
Twilight’s horn began to glow, causing Sunset to flinch, thinking Twilight was going to curse her. When she felt nothing, she opened her eyes and saw all of the books around her lifting up, wrapped in Twilight’s aura. Her back was to Sunset as she began restocking all of the bookshelves.
“Yes, thinking the archives would be full of students trying to study would be a good excuse for coming all the way to Ponyville,” she said calmly. “If school were actually in session right now,” she finished, giving Sunset a cold look from over her shoulder.
Right, it’s summer. School’s out for recess right now. “Umm… It’s a summer research paper?” Sunset tried.
When the last booked tucked itself into its place on the shelf, Twilight turned around and gave Sunset a stern glare. “Listen, Starburst, I don’t appreciate ponies coming into my house and lying to me. Tell me what you’re really up to. Why do you want to know where the Alicorn Amulet is?”
She stood rooted to the spot, shrinking under Twilight’s scrutinizing gaze. Sunset had received this look before, when she had cast a spell on Prince Blueblood III that left him mute for a few days. He had called Sunset a “flame-headed know-it-all,” so Sunset felt justified with her actions. Princess Twilight had scolded Sunset for her immature use of magic while she gave the small unicorn her strongest disappointed stare.
Sunset squirmed, unsure of what to do. Twilight was demanding the truth from her. Unlike Celestia, Twilight wasn’t going to let Sunset leave without an acceptable answer. Sunset knew she didn’t have much of a choice now. She was caught between a rock and a hard place. She could run, but then Twilight would think her some sort of criminal and have the royal guard after her.
She had to tell Twilight the truth. Part of her was screaming that it was a horrible idea; it sounded like the voice that had convinced her that telling Celestia would not be in her best interests.
Ignoring it, Sunset fell back onto her haunches and let out a tired sigh. She stared at the ground with her matted mane covering her face. “I’ll tell you the truth, Twilight, but you probably won’t believe me.”
Twilight stepped up to her and looked down, a cross look still on her face. “I might, provided that you tell me the actual truth.”
Sunset nodded slowly. She inhaled and started, “My real name is Sunset Shimmer, and fifty years in the future, I’m your personal student.” She looked up to see Twilight’s reaction to her news, and wasn’t surprised to find a look of shock and wonder on the alicorn’s face.
Twilight quickly regained some composure and said, “Alright, let’s say you really are my student from the future, how did you end up here?”
Sunset’s horn glowed and the hourglass drifted over and landed in between them. “This thing let me travel back in time. It only works if you have an important enough cause to travel through time.”
Twilight picked up the hourglass and examined it. “Hmm, interesting… it doesn’t seem like it has any special properties. Actually, it kinda looks like the hourglass in the Starswirl the Bearded section of the library.”
“That’s because it is.”
Twilight was silent for a moment, lost in her thoughts. “Okay,” she said slowly, “let’s assume that I did believe you so far. But, if you are from the future, why did you come back?”
Sunset pawed at the ground, trying to think of the best way to word her next sentence. She decided there was no way to sugarcoat it. “Because, fifty years in the future… the world ends.” She looked Twilight straight in the eye as she said it, trying to prove that she was telling the absolute truth.
Twilight’s eyes grew as wide as saucers and she breathed, “You’re not joking, are you?”
Sunset shook her head. “Some… thing, I don’t know what it was, appeared and… everything just started falling apart. Before… before you… died, you told me how to go back in time and that I needed to find the Alicorn Amulet and the Dark Regalia and destroy them to stop all of it from happening. So, here I am.” She wiped a tear from her eye, not wanting to show weakness in front of her future teacher.
Twilight held a hoof to her mouth, her own eyes growing misty. “Sunset, that’s… I don’t know what to say. That must have been terrible for you.”
Sunset turned her head away, wiping a few more tears from her face. “It was… it was tough. But, I’m not gonna let it happen again. I’ll find a way to stop it.”
“You mean, we’ll find a way to stop it.”
Sunset felt a wing drape over her. She looked up and saw Twilight beaming down at her, a few tears running down her cheeks. “If you’re my student fifty years from now, then it’s my job to help you however I can!”
Sunset stared at the benevolent figure in front of her. In that moment, Twilight looked so much like the princess Sunset had grown up with and loved like a mother. Twilight believed her and wanted to help! It was like a weight had been lifted off of Sunset’s shoulders. She threw herself into Twilight’s chest and softly cried. “Thank you, princess; thank you so much. Thank you for everything.”
Twilight held her and whispered, “Of course, Sunset. Everything is going to be just fine. I promise.”