//------------------------------// // The Road to Fillydelphia // Story: Sunset Eclipsed // by EldritchNexus //------------------------------// Finally, the breakfast feast came to a conclusion. Now, it was time for Sunset Shimmer to get herself ready for her journey to Fillydelphia. After saying farewell to Princess Celestia and her old classmates, she found herself being a given a fond farewell from her brother. “I wish you good luck on your special mission, Sis.” Red Dawn said to Sunset Shimmer. “Sure thing, Red.” said Sunset, not really paying attention. “No, I’m serious about this.” said Red, who was completely straight-faced as he spoke. “Ever since our mom and dad disappeared, you’re the only family I have left right now. And it would crush me if I were to lose you again! So I hope you fare as well as possible, for not only your sake, but for our family’s.” Sunset found herself flattered by her brother’s comment, and met it with a rare, but welcoming grin. “Then I guess the feeling’s mutual, Red.” She said, before adding with a soft whisper in his ear: “I love you, big brother. Even if you aren’t the best sibling I could’ve asked for, I still enjoy having you around.” “Same here, Sunny.” Red smiled. “I’ll see you later, little sister.” He patted his sister on the back with his hoof, and went back to the other unicorns. Sunset could’ve sworn that she saw his eyes watering. Princess Celestia was positively beaming at the two of them, relieved to see that they at least recognized each other as family. “Sunset, it is half past eleven o’clock.” Princess Luna said. “You should go back up to your bedroom, and get yourself packed for the journey. I even left a knapsack that you should useful.” “Right.” Sunset Shimmer replied to her new mentor, before speaking back towards the rest of the room, even as she was trotting towards the staircase. “Thanks, everypony! I’ll see you all when I return.” Red Dawn and the other unicorns left for the main entrance, leaving the two regal sisters alone in the banquet hall. “I already have a very good feeling about this, Luna.” Princess Celestia said. “So do I, sister.” replied Princess Luna. "But still, I can't help but feel that Sunset's story was...off." Celestia frowned. "That cannot be." Luna replied. "She made a very good point about that the hydra and the manticore." "No, sister." Celestia turned her head. "I was thinking about what Sunset Shimmer told us about the human world, and how she became a pariah." "What of it?" "From what Twilight Sparkle told me about it, there was no indication that the people residing there were cruel enough to do what Sunset Shimmer told us. And trust me, Twilight would know better than to describe such a place in a biased manner." "But Sunset wouldn't have lied about it, either." Luna said. "Or she probably would have remained in the human world, trying to make friends there." "That's just it, sister." Celestia said. "I think that there is something happening on the human side of that portal that Sunset Shimmer couldn't fully understand." "Do you suggest something...sinister may be at work?" "I don't know, Luna. But we should find out as soon as we can. Unfortunately, it would take us two months to get the information we need and return, even if the one-way trips through the portals were used." "I might be able to visit the dreams of someone in the human world." "Are you certain that your powers can reach that far?" "I will try." Luna answered. "We might be able to visit our counterpart there: Vice Principal Luna." "Very well, Luna." Celestia agreed. "But I don't think we should tell Sunset Shimmer that we doubt her until we have further evidence of the dangers she faced. It may hurt her already troubled mind." "Very well, Celestia. We shall make the attempt as soon as Sunset departs for Fillydelphia." Sunset Shimmer returned to her bedroom, and put many of her possessions into her leather knapsack. These included quills, ink bottles, rolls of paper, and a few books. She also had a bag of leftover food from breakfast tied to it. After she was all set to leave, an earth pony guard entered her room, and informed her that Princess Luna was ready to see her off. Sunset trotted out of the open gate of the palace, to find Princess Luna waiting for her. “Farewell, my student.” Said the alicorn princess. “You shall hear from me again soon.” “How soon?” Sunset Shimmer asked. “I really have no way to sent instant messages to you. Too bad the Internet doesn’t exist in Equestria…yet.” “The Internet?” Luna asked, confused. “Long story, but it’s something I came across on the human side of that portal.” “I see.” Princess Luna tilted her head down slightly. “But you see, I'm able to enter the dreams of ponies as they sleep during the night, in order to protect them from nightmares they may otherwise languish through.” “Well, that’s…interesting.” Sunset said, thinking about the awkward implications that could invoke. “So, you want me to report back to you while I sleep?” “Only if our paths should cross in the dream-world.” “I see.” Sunset Shimmer acknowledged. “Well, it’s time for me to get going.” "Sunset, I should inform you that the railroads to Fillydelphia and Manehatten have been under renovations for some time now. The Manehatten tracks are almost done, but something appears to have delayed repairs on the Fillydelphia tracks. To compensate for this, I've taken the liberty of arranging for a pair of pegasus guards to fly you to your destination on a chariot." "Nah, that won't be necessary." said Sunset. "I'll just travel there by the main road." "Are you sure, my student?" "Sure, I'm sure. I wanna get used to having hooves again. Thanks anyway, princess." "Would you at least like an escort?" "Princess, I'm just going to make some friends. I don't need a bunch of guards following me around. I want to be able to rely on my own skills and abilities to handle whatever problems I find there. Plus, I'd like to keep a low profile, since I'm not exactly a respected member of Equestrian society and having an escort may draw unwanted attention to me." "A valid point." said Luna. "But I really don't want to seem like I'm giving you a difficult task." "Trust me, you're not." said Sunset, jokingly adding: "It's not like you're sending me to fight an army of monsters!" "Oh, I wouldn't even dream of it." chuckled Princess Luna. "If that were the case, I would've gone with you, myself." "Well, I'm going now." said Sunset Shimmer. "See ya later, Princess Luna!" “Until we meet again, Sunset Shimmer.” The princess said, before flying back to the palace. Sunset trotted down the mountain passage, and passed a pair of stallions that were staring at her with stupid-looking grimaces on their faces. “I’m worth fifty of you.” She said, turning to look at them. “Now get going, before there’s trouble!” “Ooohhhh…kay, then.” One of the stallions said, prompting his friend to continue up the path. “You know, I think that unicorn likes you.” The other jokingly muttered to the first, before shamelessly adding: “And I really like her mane.” “Yeah, good for you.” Sunset thought aloud once the two stallions were out of earshot. “If there’s anything I’m not in the mood for, it’s having a bunch of half-wit country ponies hitting on me.” Sunset Shimmer finally came to the bottom of the mountain, and saw Ponyville close by. She skulked about for a few seconds, reading the map of Equestria that was bundled in her knapsack. She could see that the mountain that held Canterlot on its slopes was in the middle, and moved her eyes down the road to the south-east. It apparently split in two separate paths. The northern path led to Fillydelphia. After an hour or two, she decided to make a stop to lay in a grassy field. She opened up her map again. She looked again at the marker that portrayed Canterlot, which already felt uncomfortably far away. It was relatively quiet, apart from the occasional chirping of bluebirds. This made Sunset relatively happy; now she had a decent place to relax herself without being interrupted by loud, obnoxious ponies bent on invading her personal space. It was the large, spacious fields around Canterlot that Sunset Shimmer had the fondest memories, out of all the places she had visited in Equestria during her time as Celestia’s pupil. Back then, she could stay out here for hours upon hours, until she would decide to return to the Princess’s side in the throne room. But the peace and quiet would not stay as such for long, since it was suddenly disrupted by the loud speaking voice of a female pony. “Ponies of Equestria, you stand before the Great and Powerful Trixie!” said the distant figure of what appeared to be a unicorn standing beside a wagon in the distance. “You see before you only the greatest magic that lesser ponies such as yourselves shall ever witness!” Sunset expected at any second to hear the loud clamor of cheering for this mare. But when she looked more closely, she saw that nobody else was anywhere near the wagon; this meant that this so-called “Great and Powerful Trixie” was being ridiculously loud and hammy for no clear reason. “For foal’s sake.” Sunset Shimmer grumbled. “When I get my hooves on that…wait, I think I know that voice! It’s that girl that was always hanging around that vending machine at Canterlot High. It looks like I finally found her Equestria counterpart.” She got back up, put the map back in her knapsack, and marched towards the unicorn with the wagon. “Come one, come all, everypony!” Trixie ranted on. “I, the Great and Powerful Trixie…” “Should really keep her big, fat mouth shut before it gets bucked hard!” Sunset Shimmer yelled from across the field. Trixie abruptly stopped, and started looking around for the source of the noise. She clearly didn’t expect anyone to actually hear her speeches out here in the vast fields. “By Celestia, can’t a mare reminisce on her glory days in peace?” She mumbled, taking her pointed violet hat off her head to scratch her silver mane. She looked west along the road, to see a very angry-looking unicorn with an amber coat and a mane that was streaked red and blonde. Said unicorn was stomping her hooves along the dirt path as she approached the blue unicorn like a wild animal. “Can the Great and Powerful Trixie help you with anything?” Trixie asked. “Yes, you can.” Sunset Shimmer answered through clenched teeth. “You can start by stopping that childish showboating.” “Showboating?” Trixie repeated, offended by the mare’s remark. “Sorry, sister. The Great and Powerful Trixie doesn’t do that kind of thing, anymore.” Sunset came to a halt just a few feet from the Great and Powerful Trixie. “Really?” she said. “Then maybe you can explain that loud rambling that you were spouting a few minutes ago.” “Okay, stranger. So I’m a little nostalgic.” Trixie admitted. “Is that a crime around these parts?” “I guess not.” Sunset Shimmer said, calming down. “Which way are you going, anyway?” “The Great and Powerful Trixie goes wherever the road takes her!” “Is the road taking you to Fillydelphia?” “Why, yes it is. Were you going that way, too?” “Yes.” Sunset replied. “But I thought I’d get a peaceful moment to relax without hearing any annoying ponies blabbing on about their stupid, pointless lives.” “Well, excuse me!” Trixie said, poking her tongue out. “If the Great and Powerful Trixie wished to be taunted like this, she would have remained in Ponyville.” “Wait, did you say ‘Ponyville’?” Sunset asked. “Is the name ‘Twilight Sparkle’ familiar to you at all?” Trixie gasped when Sunset Shimmer muttered the name. “How do you know about…” she asked. “Lucky guess!” answered Sunset Shimmer, smugly. “Yes, I do know that mare.” Trixie replied. “She totally humiliated me last year, and ruined my entire career!” “So, are you going to do anything about it?” “I tried to. I even used the legendary Alicorn Amulet, but I still lost.” “Oh, I bet you really gave them a show!” Sunset rolled her bluish-green eyes sarcastically. “Enough of this!” Trixie stomped her hoof. “I have gotten over it, and so should you, whoever you are!” Sunset Shimmer realized she never actually gave her name to the unicorn. “My name is Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset said. “And I had a bit of a history with Twilight Sparkle, myself. And like you, I am trying my best to get over it.” “You don’t say?” Trixie asked, tilting her head curiously. “Say, how about we put aside our differences, and travel to Fillydelphia together?” “Fine by me.” Sunset nodded. “It just means less walking.” Trixie and Sunset Shimmer climbed into the wagon, and used their magic to roll the wagon further down the road. As they directed the wagon, they decided to continue conversing on friendlier terms. “So, what’s your story with Twilight Sparkle?” Trixie asked. “I tried stealing her crown.” Sunset Shimmer replied. “It didn’t work well for me in the end. I wound up making all kinds of enemies.” “Her crown?” Trixie asked. “Yeah.” Sunset Shimmer nodded. “Didn’t you know that Twilight Sparkle became a Princess?” “She became what?!” Trixie gasped. “You mean that she has wings and everything now?” “Uh-huh.” “You must be pulling my leg!” “Nope.” “Well, there goes my revival tour.” Trixie said, solemnly. “If my only known rival has surpassed me already, then I don’t think I could maintain the illusion of being a powerful spellcaster for long!” “So you’re not a powerful spellcaster?” Sunset asked. “To be honest, I’m not.” Trixie confessed. “The most I’m experienced with are flashy tricks by comparison.” “Well, don’t worry, Trixie.” Sunset Shimmer said, with an encouraging grin on her face. “I was once a student of Princess Celestia herself. I could teach you some spells that I learned in Canterlot.” “You’d do that for me?” Trixie asked, surprised. “Maybe.” teased Sunset. “And maybe not.” “Please teach me some of those spells!” Trixie whispered desperately. “Okay.” Sunset Shimmer said. “But it’ll have to wait until we reach Fillydelphia. And you’ll have to do what I tell you to do.” “That sounds very shrewd, but what the hay! The Great and Powerful Trixie shall be ready for anything you throw at her.” “Trixie, this sounds like the beginning of-” “What, a ‘beautiful friendship’?” Trixie moaned. “Even to the Great and Powerful Trixie, that’s a very clichéd thing to say.” “Actually, I was going to say:” Sunset Shimmer continued, only to be distracted at what stood in the middle of the road before them. “What in the name of Celestia is that thing?!” A massive creature of some kind was crouching in the road, under the shadow of the surrounding trees. It saw the wagon approaching, and lunged at it with a loud roar. The two unicorns were able to leap out just before the monster crushed it to pieces. Trixie was absolutely furious about what happened to her wagon, which was her only method of transportation across Equestria. Not to mention, most of her possessions were in there, But now it was all gone because of this behemoth that stood before them. “You’re totally going to pay for that, you stupid brute!” Trixie shouted, before charging headlong at the creature. “Gee, I wonder what will happen?” Sunset Shimmer groaned sarcastically. As if on cue, Trixie was grabbed by the creature, and hurled back down the road. Luckily, Sunset was able to use her magic to catch her companion just before the fall would become fatal. The amber-coated unicorn galloped up to Trixie, who was dazed from the attack. “C’mon!” Sunset said. “We need to do this together!” “Right behind you!” Trixie breathed, getting back on her hooves. The two unicorns’ horns illuminated into twin orbs of light, which blasted magical energy through the air, both hitting their mark on the creature’s grotesque head. As the beast reeled in pain and disorientation, Sunset Shimmer prepared an elaborate set of spells to send it away from them. Her horn and eyes glowed with a pale light, and a whirlwind blew all around them. Over the loud screeches produced by the rushing air, Sunset’s voice rose up. However, the tone of her voice dropped by five octaves, and blared the following words: “Leave us now, you abomination!” bellowed the distorted voice. “Or you will not escape my wrath!” The creature quailed, and disappeared into the darkness under the trees. When it became clear that it was sent away for good, Sunset canceled out her spells, and looked triumphantly on to the open road ahead. Suddenly, she heard the sound of whimpering behind her. Sunset Shimmer turned around to see Trixie sniffling over her ruined wagon. “Now what am I supposed to do with my life?” Trixie whined. Sunset looked at Trixie with pity. After pausing to see if the creature wasn't in sight, she trotted up to her companion, and lay down beside her. “If you’d like,” she suggested, her voice back to normal. “You could stay with me while we’re in Fillydelphia.” Trixie calmed down, and looked at her amber-colored ally. “Are you serious, Sunset?” “Sure, I am. You helped me fight that thing off, didn’t you?” “Of course I did!” “Then it should make up for losing that old wagon of yours. You can bunk in with me at…wherever I’m going to be staying.” Sunset Shimmer said. “You don’t even know where we’re going to be staying?” Trixie scoffed. “Do you?” Sunset retorted, to a speechless Trixie. “No? Then shut up and follow my lead!” The two unicorns trotted on side-by-side along the dirt road, each as eager as the other to reach Fillydelphia.