She sat alone. In a school as crowded as Canterlot High, she was isolated. Among the sounds of laughter and conversation, she was silent. In a room as vibrant as the noisy cafeteria, she was miserable. Sunset Shimmer sat alone with only her uneaten lunch and an old journal to accompany her. That was fine with her.
At the edge of the cafeteria and slightly concealed behind one of the room’s pillars, the high school student had found the perfect place to hide. It was a place that only occupied the corner of one’s eye and no one would find her unless they were truly looking. If only Sunset could hide from herself as easily as she hid from her fellow students.
Brushing a strand of her bright red hair in front of her face, the girl turned back toward the book in front of her. She made a few notes with her pen, scratched them out and then rewrote them. With a flurry of inky lines, she blotted them out again. She couldn’t concentrate on her project. It wasn’t that the noise of the other students bothered her; it was the angry buzzing of thoughts within her own head.
Sunset Shimmer’s hand froze in the middle of a sentence. Her light blue eyes locked onto her own fingers as if they were something foreign and alien to her.
It seemed only yesterday that these very fingers had been the claws and talons of a demon. Her demon. The demon that slept just beneath her skin.
With a wave of disgust washing over her, Sunset cast the pen back onto the table and cradled her head in her hands. She just wanted to go back to the way things were before. She wanted to feel confident again. She just wanted the pain to end. But she couldn’t run from a wound as deep and poisonous as the one called “Regret”.
“Sunset, darling!”
“Howdy, sugarcube!”
Sunset Shimmer glanced up to see two girls standing with their lunches in front of her table. One was fair and lightly built with long flowing hair and the other was freckled and wore a Stetson atop her blond head. Rarity and Applejack, two of the last people Sunset wanted to see.
“Mind if we join y'all?” The freckled one flashed a wide smile.
“Leave me alone!” Shimmer’s eyes flashed like blue propane flames. She immediately lowered her gaze, trying to block out the intruders, but Rarity and Apple Jack didn’t budge.
Instead, they glanced at each other and softly nestled themselves down at the table. Before the recluse could repeat her command, the freckled girl explained,
“If ya don’t mind me sayin’, hon, when a gal says she wants to be alone, it really means that she needs someone to talk to.” Applejack tried to give a reassuring smile and Rarity, too, tried to look as sympathetic towards Sunset Shimmer as possible.
“If you simply need a compassionate ear, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Rarity daintily brandished a spoon. “After all, looking out for one another is what friends are for, darling!”
“Please don’t…” Sunset pleaded. The word “friends” stung her ears.
“We were worried’s all.” The freckled girl’s green eyes filled with concern. “You’re not exactly the social butterfly ya used to be, and even when you do attend classes, you’re sittin’ in the back row.”
“Not always.” Rarity corrected. “She sometimes sits behind that large boy, Bulk Biceps.”
“I don’t pry into your life!” Sunset Shimmer continued to glower at the table.
“Not prying, dear!” The dainty girl held her hands up defensively. “Heavens, no. We’re merely… Applejack, what’s the word I’m looking for?”
“Worried as a turkey in a rain storm?”
“That will have to do, yes. We’re worried, Sunset. We’re worried about you and whatever it is that has been bothering you these past weeks. If you want to talk about it, we’re here for you.” Rarity let out a musical laugh. “Yes, we would be disobeying the princess’s wishes if we weren’t!”
An angry fist pounded the table, causing the trays and dishes to jump in fright.
“Right… The beloved Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Sunset Shimmer leaned over her fist, hissing the words through her teeth. “Heaven forbid she returns to find you negligent in your duties!”
Applejack and Rarity looked at each other, their eyes wide. Their troubled friend was little more than a smoldering kettle of rage sitting at a cafeteria table. Unfortunately, it was too late to back down now,
“See, hon? This is what we’re talkin’ about. Where is all this here animosity commin’ from?”
The red-and-yellow head slowly floated up and down as Sunset struggled to control her breathing. She was just about to speak again when two more figures approached the table.
“Finally found her, huh? Geez, Sunset, where’ve you been?” An athletic girl with a soccer ball tucked under her arm plopped down at the reclusive table. Rainbow Dash was always so sensitive to these kind of volatile situations…
“She’s shaking like the cafeteria’s jell-o!” A bouncy pink girl with a bouncy pink mane of hair followed on Rainbow Dash’s heels. “Looks like she could use some more! Hey, Shimmer! Want more jell-o? I’ve got three extra!” Pinkie Pie juggled a trio of jiggling deserts in the air.
“This is the part where you’re supposed to say, 'hi' or something!” Rainbow Dash nudged the seething Sunset Shimmer playfully, not realizing that the girl’s jaw had locked into a grimace.
“Look! When I stack a jell-o on a jell-o, it becomes doubly jiggly!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “Then I give the doubly-jelled jelly to my best friend Sunset and she gets like Old Spice! DOUBLE SUNSET POWER!! Hey, are you gonna eat that?”
Rarity bit her lip uncertainly as she saw her earlier efforts with Sunset Shimmer daintily cast out the window. If Applejack and Rarity had made any progress in getting their new friend to open up to them, it was one step forward and a Pinkie Pie-leap back. Sunset’s eyes leered like cold diamonds and her arms folded like a fort in front of her chin.
“So wait ‘till I tell you what happened in practice today!” The athletic girl started talking excitedly with her hands. “So, we’re supposed to be practicing dribbling, right? Well, one of the sprinklers broke and there’s, like, a lake across our field! Everything. Was. Slippery! Guess who forgot their cleats? Yeah, poor Derpy couldn't-”
“Dash? Sounds like a great story, but…” Apple Jack gestured helplessly to the moping girl sitting across from her.
“Oooh! What’s this? It’s so cute!” Faster than thought, Pinkie Pie swiped the old journal off the table and began leafing through it. This got Sunset’s attention,
“Put that down!” The fortress walls came down and Sunset Shimmer emerged, raging.
“One upon a time, there was a horseshoe, horseshoe, wheat, wheel, horn, sparkle horn, sun!” The pink-haired girl read aloud.
“Pinkie Pie, dear, that doesn’t belong to you.” Rarity scolded. “Don’t mock it.”
“But that’s what it says!” Pinkie squinted at the alien writing before her. “It’s like lines of code! Hey, Sunset, did you invent this? Cool!”
“Pinkie Pie…” Applejack tried to warn her friend to put the book down.
“Oh, and there’s a picture of you, Rarity! I can tell because it’s got curly hair!”
“Oh? What outfit did she draw me in?” Rarity leaned forward, her eyebrows rising.
“A picture book? Lemme see!” Rainbow Dash leaned over Sunset Shimmer. “Hey, yeah! Me, Pinkie, AJ, Twi… Who’s tha-?”
“Enough!!” Sunset Shimmer snatched the journal away. She clutched it to her chest as she backed away from the table. “All of you! Just leave me alone!”
“Sunset…” Applejack slowly rose from her seat.
“No!” The girl screamed, tears of anguish pooling in her eyes. “Get away! Just get away!”
“But darling-”
“I won’t let you be my friends! I can’t! I don’t want to hurt you! I don’t want to live that nightmare again!” Sunset Shimmer spun and fled as quickly as she could through the cafeteria’s glass doors. The four remaining girls watched as Sunset ran, weeping, across the school’s lawn.
“Wow!” Pinkie Pie lifted her eyebrows. “What did you say, Rainbow?”
“Nightmare? Hurt us? Whatever can she be talking about?” Rarity stared after the fleeing girl. Silence fell over the table.
“Now what?” Applejack let out a deflating sigh.
“Well, we can’t just leave her like that.” Rarity decided.
“Then what are we waiting for?” Rainbow Dash hopped to her feet, but was instantly restrained by Apple Jack’s strong arm,
“Hold your horses there, RD! That’s no way to go about it.”
“Huh?” The athlete blinked her pink eyes uncertainly. “Aren’t we her friends? We need to get her to buck up!”
“Absolutely, dear, but this is a sensitive situation. We need more tact… A new 'gameplan', if you will.” Rarity hoped this analogy would help Dash understand. “Otherwise, I fear our Sunset Shimmer will only try and close herself off more and more from any help.”
Rainbow Dash snorted,
“I don’t get it, but OK. How do we go about talking to someone who doesn’t want to talk?”
“We don’t…” Applejack looked back through the cafeteria. “… Perhaps we need to find a less intimidating critter to break the ice. We need to find Fluttershy.”
Outside, Sunset Shimmer’s boots pounded an erratic rhythm upon the grass as her long legs took her further and further from the school. She kept her head down and the book held tightly to her chest, her flaming hair whipping around her teary eyes. Her breathing was broken between gasps for air and the struggle of her own sobs.
Finally, she collapsed onto the soft lawn beneath a thin tree. She couldn’t run anymore. Couldn’t run from her fears. Couldn’t run from herself. Couldn’t run from the shadow that clung to her feet. Sunset Shimmer clutched the sod in her fists, buried her face in the grass and let herself cry.
This was her secret spot, her hiding place that she had found not long after coming to this world. It was a tiny emerald knoll with a lean tree casting its shadow upon her. A whispering brook slithered nearby and the breeze was scented with the smell of freshly cut grass. It smelled like Equestria.
Sunset Shimmer’s sobs turned into a choked laugh. She remembered her special spot almost identical to this one back in Canterlot. The sun would glisten on the water while Sunset would curl up in the shade of her tree, reading her books of magic and history and poetry. Sometimes, Celestia would sit with her and they would read together. They would talk about art and politics, magical theory and stories. She remembered the first time they had read together,
“Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria…”
The sound of rustling branches above her head pulled Sunset Shimmer from her memories. Startled, she looked up to see a thin girl sitting in a branch above her. The girl had a small mouth and large, timid eyes hidden behind her silky pink hair. Sunset didn’t know how long Fluttershy had been spying on her or if she had been there the whole time. The two girls were frozen in silence.
“Um… What are you doing up there?” The girl on the ground dusted the grass off her hands and swept strands of her hair away from her soaking eyes.
“Oh… Sunset…” Fluttershy looked as though she wanted to vanish. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you would come here…”
“But what are you doing up there?” Sunset Shimmer repeated. The girl in the tree blushed and looked over to where a sparrow was building its nest.
“I… I come here sometimes… I don’t know… I like it here. Sometimes I’ll try and talk with the birds, but mostly I just like how quiet it is… With the water… and the lonely tree… and the grass… It just smells so good.” Fluttershy faded into silence. All of a sudden, she seemed to come back to herself, “But-but if you want me to leave, that would be fine with me… I’ll just go…”
Sunset Shimmer glanced back down at the green carpet under her feet. A slow, wavering smile appeared on her lips.
“No… That’s alright. You were here first anyways… And besides, I like the smell of the grass, too.” The girl on the ground gave a true laugh and shrugged her thin shoulders. “You know, this might sound crazy, but sometimes, right after the landscapers mow, the smell makes me hungry. Something about being a unicorn for so long, huh?” A blush colored her cheeks.
“Oh, so that’s… I mean... I should have known that you would eat… well… I would have asked what it was like to be a unicorn, but I was too embarrassed…” Fluttershy slowly swung herself down from the tree and alighted next to Sunset Shimmer.
“Yeah… It is pretty weird…” The former pony sniffed her tears away and smiled, “Crazy that I'd get nostalgic, huh?”
“No, not at all! I mean… Nobody can blame you for thinking about your home like that, especially now that we know just how far from home you really are.” Fluttershy placed a dainty hand on her friend’s tense shoulders.
“It’s silly, really, but that felt good.” Sunset admitted. “Just saying that I’m a unicorn. It feels funny, but it’s ticklish to say it out loud. Like a secret that I’m fed up with keeping.”
“Oh… That must feel so good!” Fluttershy closed her eyes as she smiled, “But that’s what friends are for; you can talk about anything with us.”
A shadow passed over Sunset Shimmer’s face.
“And just think! Perhaps we’ll be able to see Twilight Sparkle again when the portal opens! Or, or maybe you can show us what it’s like to be ponies and we can smell the fresh grass together!” The pink-haired girl was almost glowing. Sunset, however, placed her hands carefully on Fluttershy’s wrists.
“Fluttershy…” She began, but her words choked her.
“… Yes?”
“You’re a sweet girl… really… And I want to thank you for trying to talk to me, trying to help me… But we can’t be friends.” Sunset could feel the stinging in her nose as more tears were born. Fluttershy blinked her large eyes in confusion,
“But… Why not? We-?”
“It’s because…” The redheaded girl hung her head. “Because I can’t look at you… At any of you… Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Apple Jack… Twilight Sparkle… even you, Fluttershy. I can’t look at your face, can’t picture your image, without remembering that night. That night when I tried to kill you!” A steady stream of salty rain fell to the grass. “I can’t look at you without remembering that look in your eyes.. The look when you all knew you were going to die… That one moment!...”
“That night…?” Fluttershy whispered. “The Fall Formal?”
“The night she… I… The demon… tried to murder you…” Sunset’s shoulders shook uncontrollably. Her breathing was little more than wheezing.
A pale, thin thumb wiped a tear from Sunset Shimmer’s cheek.
“I thought it would be the opposite.” The pink-haired girl tilted her head.
“What do you mean?” Sunset asked through sobs.
“Whenever you see us!... Isn’t it great? That we’re here?... It means that you didn’t kill us. Every time we smile at you, it means that we forgive you and that there wasn’t any harm done!”
“Is that… How you see it?” Sunset’s blue eyes looked up again, but her voice sounded as if it could disintegrate into weeping at any moment.
“You shouldn’t keep reminding yourself of your mistakes when everyone else is trying to help you move on…” The dainty girl continued. “You’re only hurting yourself. That’s why Twilight thought that we should be your friends; to help you forgive yourself…”
“Fluttershy…” Sunset Shimmer bit her lip and squinted. “If only it was so simple…”
“It doesn’t have to be complicated… And if you’re still worried about something, you should let us know. We’re not just your friends because Twilight told us to be. We really want to help you.” Fluttershy gestured across the lawn where four figures were cautiously approaching. An athlete, a country girl, a fashionista and a Pinkie Pie.
“Why…? Why do you want to help me?” Sunset Shimmer looked at each of the faces now gathered around her.
“Well…” Fluttershy gave a small smile, “Because it’s what Twilight did for us.”
“Is there anythin’ we can do to help?” Applejack whispered. Everyone was wearing such warm smiles. Sunset Shimmer wanted to let them into her heart, truly wanted to be a part of something greater than herself, wanted to reach out to them, but could she? What were the risks? Did they have a right to know? About… her?
“She’s frightened…” Fluttershy explained to the newcomers. “She was talking about the Fall Formal and…”
“It’s alright.” Sunset spoke up. “I’ll tell them…” She took out her old journal and held it for everyone to see. “You all at least deserve to know…”
Five expectant pairs of eyes locked onto the book as Sunset Shimmer slowly opened its dark brown cover. After taking a few deep breaths, she began,
“This is my magic Journal. It’s what I use to record my theories and experiments. As you all may have gathered, I used to be a student of magic back in Equestria. Actually, I was the personal apprentice to Princess Celestia herself…”
“Princess? Celestia? Not just principal?” Pinkie Pie blinked.
“Ugh!” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Princess Celestia, Princess Twilight. Too many princesses. I sure hope I’m not a princess in pony-land…” Applejack gave her a sharp nudge in the ribs.
“As a unicorn, there was nothing I loved more than reading new books or advancing to new spells and Celestia was always there with me.” Sunset Shimmer paused. “She was like a second mother to me. However, when I came to this world, I still continued my journal. Old habits, you know? And… even though I was more used to writing with my mouth instead of these hands, I still write my journal in Formal Equestrian.”
The former unicorn showed her friends the pages filled with wavy lines and hieroglyphs. There were diagrams of arcane circles and sketches of the magic mirror-portal, and also maps of human physiology with notes attached to them.
“But what does this have to do with anythi-ow!” Rainbow Dash got another jab in the ribs. Sunset Shimmer, in response, turned the page. There, in dark ink, was a sketch of Twilight’s crown. The Element of Magic.
“I couldn’t help it…” She swallowed hard. “I was so alone in this new world, and I was so angry at Celestia. She betrayed me! She used me! The mentor that I loved. The teacher that sipped hot chocolate with me while we watched the stars. The instructor that taught me how to brush my mane with magic! She betrayed me!
It all started when she brought in a new student, Twilight Sparkle, and she trained her just like me...”
“You… thought you were being replaced?” Fluttershy asked.
“I thought I couldn’t possibly be substituted.” Sunset’s shoulders deflated. “I thought that what Celestia and I had was special. I mean, the memories we had together! Like that one day we snuck out of the castle to grab some hay-burgers because the chef only gave us a fancy sliver of food that night? That’s not just a teacher and her student. That was something more. Something personal that can’t be faked. Yet, here I was, being replaced by a younger student.” The girl glanced at her hands, fingers clenching and releasing slowly. “I decided to prove it.
I became obsessed with my studies, always pursuing the next spell, always pushing just how far my theories could reach. I wanted to prove to Celestia that I was the best student she could possibly have. And I needed power. I needed to be stronger. It was almost frightening how quickly I got caught up in my desire for more magic. I… needed it… just like I needed Celestia.”
“Megalomania perhaps?” Applejack brushed a hand over her brow and whistled. “And how’d you end up here?” Sunset Shimmer just shook her head.
“It was all over in an instant. I finally put my hoof down and demanded that Celestia recognize me, and all my effort. I invaded the forbidden wing of the library and plunged into the most far-reaching magic spells I could find. The princess found me there and declared that I was a danger to myself and others. She would have banned me from the library, from Canterlot, but I escaped… I don’t know why the mirror let me through it, but nopony dared to follow me.”
“Pfft! Nopony!” Pinkie Pie giggled to Rarity. Indeed, Sunset’s blue eyes seemed to gaze into the past as if it were words upon her journal. However, she shook herself and continued,
“You can imagine my shock upon entering a world without magic. I couldn’t go back home to face the Princess and I couldn’t bear to stagnate here. I tried to find other ways to grow stronger.”
“Like being a bully!” Rainbow Dash folded her arms. Remarkably, Applejack didn’t punish her for this remark.
“Again, I’m sorry for what I did to you all, but I couldn’t just let myself fade away. I needed to know that I wasn’t Princess Celestia’s defective little prototype student.”
“Dear! Those are harsh words! I’m sure if your Celestia is anything like our principal, then there must have been some mistake.” Rarity offered.
“I wanted to believe that, Rarity, but it didn’t help change anything. But then I got an idea.” Sunset Shimmer traced the drawing upon the open book, “I eventually learned that Twilight Sparkle had unlocked Equestria’s Elements of Harmony. She had resurrected the most powerful relics in all of the world. Let me explain, girls, but according to the ancient wizard, Star Swirl the Bearded,-” Pinkie Pie snickered. “-these Elements were a fundamental facet of Equestria’s universe. They were like the ink that wrote the laws of the world, meaning that whoever wielded them could effectively rewrite reality to however they saw fit. Obviously, they wouldn’t work in this world, but they were still artifacts with massive magical potential.” Sunset Shimmer turned the page and pointed to a new set of notes, “If one of these magic artifacts were to be brought into a world without magic, I theorized that one of two things would happen: the artifact would cease to exist, or it would force the laws of the non-magic world to bend to it. Since something like the Elements of Harmony could not be 'unwritten' from their place in the universe, I figured my experiment was worth a try.”
“But why was it so important for you do have magic?” Rarity pinched her chin in thought. “You had made a new life here. You were popular, had a boyfriend, and no one could stand in your way.”
“But I didn’t have magic.” The redheaded girl clenched her fist until her nails dug into her palms. “This world was never my home. It was a place to hide. But without magic, I was nothing. If I were to bring magic here, however, I could continue my studies and become stronger. Then… then… I could finally return home with my head held high and show Princess Celestia once and for all what a splendid student I was and she would have to admit that I was ready to take my place by her side.”
“I’m guessing that something went screwy along the way and your plan didn’t quite come out as expected.” Pinkie Pie frowned, “We all remember “angry Sunset” that night.” She used her fingers to simulate fangs in her mouth.
A tight knot instantly strangled any words Sunset Shimmer had in her throat. If not for the impossibly soft touch of Fluttershy’s hand on her arm, the former magic student might not have been able to continue.
“For a moment, I had it.” Sunset whispered, holding her hands in front of her. “For a moment, it looked like all my dreams would come true. But… as soon as I put the Element on my head…”
“Fireworks!” Pinkie cheered.
“I lost all control… The megalomania that had been a part of me for so many years, always pushing me to be stronger, rose up in me like a fire. One minute, it was a candle that had always shown me the way, the next, it was a rebellious inferno. All my rage, against Celestia, against this world, against myself, took on a life of its own. Power was the only thing that mattered.”
“I wondered.” Rarity mused. “When you finally got the crown, I thought that you would be pleased, but when you put it on, darling, I couldn’t help but notice the pain on your face. You looked like you were drowning!”
“And you would have been a cool villain, too, if you had only bothered to correct your posture and stopped monologue-ing like some recycled Disney-high-school-mean-girl-bad-guy! I mean, seriously, this isn’t High School Musical, it’s Equestria girls!” The bouncy, pink-haired girl smiled, but everyone around her glanced at her with concern.
“… I was finally the most powerful being in the world.” Shimmer’s voice was barely a whisper, “But instead of continuing my studies, all I could think about was… revenge… I could move mountains, I could wield the Element, I could even put students to sleep and puppet their bodies like my own army. And all I could think about was getting back at Princess Celestia… I was going to attack her. Take away what she found precious. Conquer my own homeland. And then… Twilight stood in my way…” Sunset felt like she was about to throw up. Immediately, Fluttershy closed her in a hug and cradled Sunset’s head.
“No… Don’t go there…" The pink haired girl pleaded. "You don’t have to relive that memory, it’s over. You didn’t hurt us… Don’t cry about it anymore.”
“But you didn’t see your eyes!” Sunset shrieked. “You knew you were going to die! In that instant! That moment of terror! And you faced it head on instead of abandoning your friend! I was going to kill…”
One by one, the surrounding girls put their hands on their weeping friend. Their warm touch said more than a thousand words. With this silent gesture, they reminded her that she was not alone. That everything was all right. They let her know that they forgave her.
Sunset managed to turn the page in her journal. It showed a sketch of Twilight and her five friends, each connected by lines of magic running through their hearts.
“I couldn’t have predicted your reaction to Twilight. With all the magic crackling in the air, you all managed to connect with each other, soul to soul, and bring out the foreign power of magic as your own. Each of you became a conduit for Equestria’s magic. But so was I. In the end, your combined power pierced the demon and destroyed its body, but I’m still here.”
“Hold up, missy, are you sayin’ that’s a bad thing?” Applejack almost laughed. However, Sunset Shimmer didn’t find anything amusing.
“Think about it! I created that demon! Me! And my thirst for power. Who’s to say it won’t happen again? All it will take is a little taste of magic and my dark thoughts might come flooding back! They could form a new demon to resume its attack on this world and Equestria! I’m dangerous!”
“So…” Rainbow Dash squinted her eyes. “When you say you don’t want us to be your friend… when you say you don’t want to hurt us…?”
“I’m trying to keep you distant because I’m trying to keep you safe!”
“Aww, Sunset! You DO care!” Pinkie Pie wrapped the girl in a tight hug.
“That’s so… touching…” Rarity pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes.
“Right noble, little missy.” Apple Jack agreed. Sunset Shimmer blinked in surprise.
“No! Don’t you see what I’m saying!? We, all of us, were magic conduits that night! If we were all wielding magic, then that means one of two things, either we were all feeding off of the power of the Element of Harmony, or my experiment and Twilight’s interference caused a crack between the dimensions, allowing a little bit of Equestria to bleed out within us! If it’s the latter, then each of you have the potential to channel Equestrian magic, thus your pony-like manifestations that night. But that would also mean that I’m still capable of magic, and it might rise up and overwhelm me again!”
“We heard ya right the first time without the more detailed hocus pocus.” Applejack assured. “Don’t sweat it!”
“Don’t sweat it!?” Sunset’s jaw dropped. “Do you have any idea what it’s like living with a monster inside you!? Do you know what it’s like to fear for your own sanity? Do you know what it’s like hiding from people who only want to be nice to you because you’re afraid that you might be the thing that kills them? Do you know what it’s like not recognizing the thing you see in the mirror!?”
“Only after a particularly rough night's sleep…” Rarity mumbled to herself.
“I envy Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde! At least they know when they’re about to change from one to the other! I just… don’t… know!” Sunset Shimmer slumped to the ground. “… Even if the source of your magic was Twilight alone, which would explain why you all changed to your normal selves after she left, then that means that her magic will light up this world once again when she returns… Only thirty moons. That will be the day I most likely go 'demon' again.”
“Ah… That’s why you’re not too keen for Twilight Sparkle’s return, huh?” Pinkie nodded. "You're nervouscited!"
“Um…” Rainbow Dash turned away and kicked the grass. “I don’t think your theory fits…”
“What do you mean?” The former unicorn quickly looked up.
“I mean, Twilight isn’t the end-all power source for this magic you’re talking about.” The athlete explained. “What if it’s more like the 'crack' idea and all of us are somewhat connected to pony-land. I don’t know. I’m just guessing…” Sunset Shimmer’s blue eyes lit up and the familiar feeling of spinning wheels filled her head.
“Rainbow Dash? Is there something you’d like to tell us?” She cautiously asked.
“No!” Another kick at the grass.
“Well, forgive me, but you’re a terrible liar, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity slowly lifted her eyebrow. One-by-one, each pair of eyes in the group turned toward the rainbow-haired girl until the weight of their stares caused her to crack. Rainbow Dash tried to fold her arms defensively, tried to look away, but she had started the topic and now she had to finish it.
“Can you fix it?” She finally burst. “Can you make the magic stop?”
“Stop?” Sunset gasped. “Are you trying to tell me that you’ve been feeling magic even now? Even after Twilight left?”
“Yeah! And I want it to stop!” Rainbow Dash pleaded. “I keep almost going full-pony in the middle of sports practice and I don’t like it! I don’t want to get disqualified for sprouting wings in the middle of a soccer game!” Her words hung in the air and a silence fell upon the group. Sunset Shimmer turned her ideas over and over in her head.
“You’ve… almost activated your magic self?”
“Mostly during times of intense inspiration.” Rarity spoke up. Now everyone looked at her and her pale face blushed. “I, for one, finished my last season’s magnum opus piece in mere seconds. I had no idea how until this moment. But I suppose it makes sense.”
“I was able to talk with the hamsters at the animal shelter that one time…” Fluttershy whispered.
“My little sis keeps wantin’ me to sprout horse ears.” Applejack admitted.
“Hm… no difference here!” Pinkie Pie looked up at the sky and searched her memory. “Although Miss Cake may have mentioned something about me talking like a chipmunk and a blur in her kitchen…”
“So… No difference, then.” Rainbow Dash said dryly.
Sunset Shimmer slowly looked around her. She didn’t know if this was good news or bad news.
“So that’s how it is…” She pulled a pen from her coat and scratched a note into her journal. It seemed that the laws of this magic-less world had been damaged by activating the Element of Harmony here. Maybe irreversibly.
“But what does it mean for us?” Rainbow Dash pressed. “You’re the magic egghead, what does this do for us?”
“Us? Or you?” Sunet Shimmer snapped her book shut and angrily glanced up. “You’re fine! You’re all the ones with magic now! You even seem to have some control over it! I on the other hand? I’m still just waiting to explode again! I'm like a snowball rolling down a hill; all it will take is a taste of magic and my megalomania might break out again!”
“We won’t let that happen!” Applejack clenched her fist and stomped her foot for emphasis. Her green eyes blazed with a noble light. “It hasn't since that night and I promise you I won't let it happen again! Y’all said that the whole darn root to this here problem was your power-hungry self, right? Y’all thought ya needed magic to be someone important because you were alone, right? Well, you’re not alone no more, Sunset! Remember that."
"You’ve got friends now.” Rainbow Dash smiled.
“We’ll be here for you from now on.” Rarity stood by Apple Jack.
“Then you won’t have to worry your red-and-yellow head about it!” Pinkie Pie bounced up and down. “Pop goes the monster and pop goes the psychopathic tendencies!”
“Besides…” Fluttershy spoke up, “If you’re still worried about yourself, we can always talk to Twilight or your old teacher when the portal opens up again.”
“Princess Celestia?” Sunset’s pupils dilated, “But, she betrayed me! She wouldn’t help me!”
“Well, boo hoo!” Rainbow Dash snapped. There was an instant of stunned silence.
“Rainbow!” Rarity scolded, but the athlete continued,
“You think you’re the only one with betrayal problems, Sunset? Look at us! We were all betrayed by our closest friends! For crying out loud, I thought Applejack had lied to me! Applejack, of all people!”
“That was me trying to tear you all apart-”
“And it hurt like the real thing!” Rainbow Dash finished. “The only thing that snapped me out of it was when Twilight showed up. She reminded us all that friendship is about forgiving one another as well as being there for each other. See where I’m going with this? You used to feel betrayed? We’ve all been there. You lashed out at others? We also had our fights. You needed to feel needed until it consumed you? We finally found people who needed us. See? The only difference is that Twilight was there for us. Now, if you don’t want to be a rage-fueled berserker, then don’t be. Just let us help you like Twilight helped us and you won’t have to be afraid anymore.”
Sunset Shimmer considered this. Was the only major difference between her and these girls the simple fact that they had friends to lean on when they were scared? Is this why Twilight Sparkle’s last wish was for them to be friends with the former demon? Could they really save her from herself?
The girl found herself wondering what a mirror would look like to her if it no longer had the image of her monster haunting it. When was the last time she had seen herself smiling?
“Like I said,” Applejack extended a hand to bring Sunset Shimmer to her feet, “We won’t let you hurt yourself no more. Come hell or high water or both, we’ve got ya!”
The former unicorn looked at the faces around her. Her lip trembled and she could barely squeak out her words,
“Thank you… all…” Now it wasn’t just a hug of sympathy. When all the girls around her embraced Sunset in a massive bear hug, she hugged back. They formed a fortress of friendship, supporting each other and warming each other’s hearts. For the first time in too many years, Sunset Shimmer felt confident. A new kind of confidence. The power and security of bonds that could never be broken.
Apple Jack straightened her hat,
“And, when Twilight gets here, we’ll be the first in line to say 'howdy' and shake her hand for bringin’ us all together! You’ll be able to meet her with a smile instead of worryin’ your head about her magic stuff!”
“You might not have to wait until the thirtieth moon after all!” Pinkie Pie started bouncing. “Look over there!”
Everyone looked over to where the pink girl was pointing. There, walking across the school grounds, was a small band of people. Principles Celestia and Luna walked out front, talking to two other adults while a young girl followed slowly behind. The girl was lightly built with purple eyes and a tidy swath of dark purple hair flowing behind her.
“Twilight!” Sunset’s surprise burst out of her before she could stop it. Instantly, the five figures stopped and looked over to where Shimmer and her friends stood. The bell for classes had rung about five minutes ago, and the sight of six girls outside of the building did not seem to settle well with the principles. The group began advancing on the girls.
“Ladies?” Vice-principal Luna lifted a critical eyebrow as she and Celestia crossed the lawn. “If I’m not severely mistaken, each and every one of you should be in your classes by now.” Sunset Shimmer’s feet felt as if they were rooted in the ground. Around her, her friends shied under the principal’s gaze as well.
Celestia, however, didn’t say anything. Her light hair glistened in the sun as her sharp eyes took in every detail of the scene before her. How all the girls were standing around Sunset Shimmer. How they all had their hands on her. And how the center girl’s eyes looked red from crying. Celestia smiled and turned to her sister.
“It’s all right, Luna. I’ve already spoken with their teachers and asked if these girls could meet me here today.”
“Oh?” Luna looked up at the principal in confusion, but the elder only gave a silent wink.
“Yes, I was hoping that they would give Twilight Sparkle here a tour of Canterlot High while we guided her parents. A more personal experience, if that’s all right with you?” Celestia asked the two adults standing behind her.
“That’s actually a fine idea.” The man said.
“They look like nice girls, Twilight,” The woman whispered. “Go on, at least try and make some friends.”
The purple-haired girl glanced down and brushed aside her bangs nervously.
“Twilight Sparkle is going to be a new student here.” Celestia explained to the other six girls. “Be sure to make her feel welcome. Twilight, this is Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack and Sunset Shimmer.”
“Awesome!”
“Hi again, Twi!”
“A pleasure to meet you, darling!”
“Um… Hello…”
“Howdy!”
“Nice to meet you… Twilight Sparkle.”
“Go on. Have some fun.” The man smiled encouragingly down at Twilight. “We’ll meet up with you later.” With that, the four adults turned and began walking back toward the school building, leaving the seven girls standing silently on the lawn.
“Um…” Sunset stepped forward.
“How did you know my name?” Twilight Sparkle’s voice was musical, but quiet.
“Are you kidding? You’re Twilight! How can we not know your- gurk!” Pinkie Pie was cut short as Applejack stopped her mouth with one hand.
“Your name? Oh, no… We were just discussing out least favorite book series.” Shimmer forced a smile and hoped Twilight didn’t see her blushing.
“You read?” Instantly, the new girl brightened up. “I love to read! Though, if I could add my opinion, I’d have to say that my least favorite book series was the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy… It's so illogical. It’s like the writer didn’t know what he wanted to do with himself.”
“No kidding?” Sunset kept staring at the girl before her, a perfect copy of the Twilight Sparkle she knew from before, yet… not. Something about the way she carried herself showed that this wasn’t the same woman who had emerged from Equestria and stopped a demon from razing the world. This wasn’t the princess who had wielded an Element of Harmony and prevented a cross-dimensional war.
“Right now, I’m reading The Divine Comedy.” Twilight gestured to the book she had in her arms.
“By Dant-hay? I loved that one!” The former unicorn’s eyes brightened and she could feel the ice breaking between her and the new girl.
“Um… Yes… Dante, you mean?”
“Then you would love our library, darling!” Rarity tenderly took Twilght’s arm. “It’s absolutely stocked floor to ceiling with books!”
“Sounds amazing! Where is it?”
"Right this way."
The group began moving towards the school with one accord. Rarity and Fluttershy flanked Twilight while they talked excitedly.
“Um… excuse me… but do you have a dog named Spike?” The pink-haired girl was almost skipping with excitement.
“Yes, but how did-?”
“Hey, Twilight! Do you play any sports?” Rainbow Dash spoke up.
“Not really…”
"Figures..."
“Mmmph?” Pinkie Pie still had Applejack’s hand over her mouth. She pulled it off like a strand of duct tape and gasped for air. “Phew! What’s up, Applejack? Am I the only one getting a severe déjà vu? Or maybe this is a groundhog day! How come she doesn’t remember us?” Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Sunset Shimmer hung a little ways behind the other girls.
“Because…” The former unicorn whispered, “This isn’t Princess Twilight, this is the Twilight Sparkle from this world. Human Twilight.”
“Notprincess Twilight?” Pinkie pouted.
“Should we tell her about how we know her?” Applejack frowned. “I mean, she’s kind of a celebrity in this school, even if it was only her mirror-self.”
“How would I know?” Sunset demanded. Applejack nodded at the girl and her magic journal.
“Well, you are the only representative from Equestia here.” She said slyly. “And, you’re our main consultant on all things hocus-pocus.” Sunset Shimmer thought for a moment. A small smile tainted her lips.
“Yeah, I guess I am… Huh! That feels fun to say.” She looked at Twilight’s back as the girls entered Canterlot High. “I think… I think we’ll just let her be. She’ll create her own story here and we’ll be here for her as she does.”
“Sounds familiar…” Applejack placed a friendly hand on Sunset’s shoulder. The two girls shared a smile. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up and a huge smile spread across her face,
“Hey, Twilight? Do you do any singing? You see, I'm starting this band...”