//------------------------------// // Return to Equestria // Story: Sunset Shimmer's Redemption // by 00RaiserGundam //------------------------------// After spiraling through the seemingly unending vortex that was the dimensional gateway between Equestria and the other world, Sunset Shimmer finally found herself tumbling out the other side and into Equestria. Though her arrival could have gone a lot smoother, for when exiting she found herself tumbling horn over hooves from the mirror all the way to the opposite facing wall. Luck seemingly was, or was not depending on how one would look at it, on her side for her tumble was loud enough to catch the attention of a royal guard who just happened to be passing the door to the room containing the mirror. To some level of fortune, that passing royal guard just so happened to be Equestria's pony counterpart of Sunset's ex-boyfriend from the other world, Flash Sentry. As he entered carrying a lantern in his mouth, he took it out and held it in one of his front hooves to investigate the strange noise he heard. "Is anypony in here?" he said, looking around the room for intruders. Sunset chose that particular moment to groan in pain as she tried to find her balance and bring herself to her hooves. At that moment, Flash whipped his lantern around until he finally found the source of the commotion. "Who are you?" he asked. "How did you get in here? What are you even doing here? Are you trying to rob the Princess?" "No, I'm not." Sunset answered somewhat dazedly, and then gestured with her head towards the portal. "My name is Sunset Shimmer. Believe it or not, I came into this room through that mirror, from the other side. As for your remaining question…" Suddenly, her vision started to blur, as her already-wobbly stature grew even woozier, "I am here...to turn…myself in." She managed to groan out before she collapsed into a heap on the floor. Leaving Flash Sentry confused about what to do. Some time later, Sunset woke up in a hospital bed. She let out a long moan as she began to open her eyes, everything becoming blurry. She slowly lifted her body up and put a hoof to her head as she looked around. "Oh...what happened?" She groaned. "Ah, you're awake!" A voice declared. Sunset turned to see a unicorn doctor smiling at her. "Uh... where am I?" She asked. She then grasped herself as pain surged through her. "Oh, oh, be careful, miss." The doctor warned her. "You had quite the tumble coming here. The guard who found you, Flash Sentry I think it was, had to carry you in." "Oh, that was nice of him. I need to thank him for that later." Sunset replied somewhat tiredly, before her eyes widened in realization. "Wait, I must ask...where am I? I know that this isn't Canterlot, but I do not even have the faintest ideas as to where I am. And strangely enough, this place seems very familiar to me." "I'm sure it does," another voice replied somewhat harshly as it entered the room. "Considering the fact that you stole my little sister's crown from her in this exact same castle thirty moons ago, I am surprised you don't even know what city this is." Turning to the source, Sunset Shimmer found herself face to face with a unicorn stallion with a rather large stature. His coat was white. His eyes were of a moderate cerulean. His mane was long and consisted of three colors: Moderate sapphire blue, moderate cerulean and dark phthalo blue. And his cutie mark consisted of a blue shield with a pink-purple six pointed star in the middle, which also had three light blue stars above the shield. "Shining Armor, don't be so harsh." A third voice chimed in, with a sweeter and gentler tone than Shining Armor had just given her. Sunset then gazed upon a third pony entering the room. This one was a pink alicorn with a long free hanging mane and tail that were dark-velvet with moderate-rose and pale-gold streaks . She wore a gold necklace as well as a tiara. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of amethyst purple. Her cutie mark consisted of a clear blue crystal in the shape of a heart. It did not take a genius to know that this pony was the princess of whichever place in Equestria that Sunset Shimmer just happened to be in right now. "Cadance, have you forgotten what this pony did to Twilight?!" Shining Armor argued. "I have half a mind to lock her up in the deepest and darkest dungeon we have here for life with a magic inhibitor ring on her horn." "I know what she did to Twilight, Shining Armor, but I also know that everypony deserves a second chance." Cadance countered. "And I also know that Twilight was willing to forgive Sunset Shimmer then, and is still willing to forgive her now. And if Twilight is willing to forgive her, then so am I." To say that Sunset Shimmer was dumbfounded or stupefied by this whole turn of events would be an understatement. She could not believe that a PRINCESS who did not even know her was willing to forgive her, stand up for her, and give her a second chance. "Fine," Shining Armor agreed though a little reluctantly. "I'll give her another chance, but I still don't trust her." And with that, he left the room. "Don't worry about Shining Armor." Cadance tried to comfort Sunset. "He knows that Twilight can take care of herself without him, but being the big brother that she grew up with, he can get a little overprotective of her sometimes, and that usually makes him forget that." "Honestly, I can't really blame him for that then." Sunset replied somewhat nervously before realization hit her. "Wait, that was Twilight's older brother?! So he knows what I put her through?" "Yes, Sunset Shimmer, she told both him and myself everything that happened in the world beyond the mirror." Cadance replied. "Which brings me back to the real question. Why did you return to Equestria? And I want your full honest answer." She added as her horn began to glow with a light blue aura. Knowing she did not have much of a choice right now, Sunset took a deep breath and sighed. "I came back because I knew I could not stay in that other world forever." She replied. "While it is true that I made some wonderful friends over there, even they knew I would have to leave. Besides, I may have righted all my wrongs and made all needed amends in that world, but there are still some here in Equestria that I need to do as well, especially with Twilight and Princess Celestia. I know that I am more than likely the last pony that Princess Celestia wants to see right now, especially after everything I've done, but I want her to know that I now regret everything I ever did when I was still her student as well as after our falling out. Right now, I am willing to beg for her forgiveness even though I probably don't deserve it. And whatever form of punishment she gives me, I will gladly follow through with it without question, even if she decides to banish me or worse." Cadance could only stare in mild shock as her spell scanned Sunset's heart and mind for any falsehoods to her words or if she was hiding anything. She was even more surprised to find none whatsoever in both Sunset's mind and heart. Sunset Shimmer had just indeed given her the full hundred percent honest truth. "You really have changed." Cadance breathed almost soundlessly before continuing, though Sunset could still hear her. "Well, I most certainly believe that you are telling the truth, seeing as how I could not sense any hidden ambitions in your heart, nor sense any deceit in your mind and thus any lies in your words. Also, I would not give up hope on your end when it comes to Aunt Celestia. Believe it or not, when Twilight came back from the other world with the recovered Element of Magic thirty moons ago, the first thing Celestia asked her was if you were all right." Sunset could only slightly widen her eyes in response to this. "Is she here right now?" She asked with just a bit more hope in her heart. "No, I am afraid she is back in Canterlot." Cadance answered. "Which, reminds me. I knew this was not Canterlot." Sunset began. "But, if this is not Canterlot then, where am I? If I am going to see Princess Celestia, and try to earn her forgiveness, I would very much like to get there as soon as possible." "Well, first of all you're in the infirmary of my castle, which is located right in the heart of the Crystal Empire." Cadance said and was about to continue until Sunset started speaking with even wider eyes than before. "Crystal Empire?" She asked. "THE Crystal Empire? The one that was taken over and enslaved by a practically demonic unicorn king who then cursed it, causing it to vanish for a thousand years? THAT Crystal Empire?!" Cadance could only giggle before responding. "Well that's one way of putting it." She said. "How did you know?" "I think I read about it in a book once back when I was still Princess Celestia's student." Sunset could only respond somewhat bashfully. "I mean I do remember this castle from when I last came to Equestria during the whole… you know, but I never really knew where this castle was located before now. Oh, I am so sorry Princess Cadance. I just realized you were about to say something else, but I cut you off before you had a chance to say it. I am so sorry!" She then bowed her head in shame. Cadence could only giggle. "It's quite alright." She replied. "I was going to say I will be happy to provide you with some travel accommodations to Canterlot, but I am afraid that will have to wait for a while." "Yes" said the unicorn doctor who was still in the room this whole time. "I am afraid you can't be discharged from this infirmary until at least tomorrow morning. After that tumble you took into the wall from that mirror, we wish to make sure that your injuries are not too severe." "Oh," Sunset replied. "That's alright then, I completely understand, which reminds me. How long was I unconscious?" "According to the doctor here," Cadence began, "About the remainder of that night, and the next whole 48 hours." "I was unconscious for 2 and a half days?!" Sunset exclaimed with her eyes wide as saucers at this point. Cadence could only nod. "In that case doctor, you take as long as you need to check me before you discharge me. I can wait a little longer to rest if I need to. Plus, the portal should be closed by now, so that means my only means of escape is now long gone." The doctor nodded while Cadance immediately caught the joke and began to giggle, and Sunset could only join in on the laughter herself. "Besides, I don't ever want to see that accursed mirror ever again. It brings up too many bad memories." Sunset said while reaching for the locket on her neck with her right forehoof only to find the locket gone. "Wait!" she exclaimed lightly. "When I came back through the mirror and tumbled into that wall, I had a gold locket around my neck. Could either of you tell me where it is?!" She asked worriedly. To this the doctor then replied "Oh it is right there on the nightstand to the right of your bed. We had to take it off when we started examining you for any injuries." Sunset then looked to her right, and to her utmost relief saw her locket on said nightstand, then immediately grabbed it with her right forehoof and put back around her neck before using her left forehoof to open it. To her relief, as well as utter amazement, the picture stayed exactly the same as it was when she looked at it in the other world. Showing her and her friends, all smiling, and all in their human form. "It amazes me how much they looked like all of Twilight's friends." Cadance acknowledged. "I hope you don't mind if I looked at it, but curiosity got the better of me when I first saw it, and you were still unconscious at the time." "No." Sunset responded. "It's ok princess, I don't blame you, and if nothing else I deserved to have my privacy invaded like that, especially after all I have done." "Well, anyway" the doctor said. "I am sure after being unconscious for nearly 3 days, I am sure you must be famished?" Sunset could only nod yes in response. "In that case, I shall see what our chefs can whip up for you." And with that he left. "I shall let you rest as well," Cadance added, "after all I still have my royal duties to attend to." "Of course." Sunset could only respond. "And thank for everything you've done for me so far, princess. I really appreciate it." "I am glad to hear that, Sunset." Cadance replied before leaving the infirmary. After which she added to herself mainly "And I am sure that will Twilight and Aunt Celestia will definitely be happy to hear that as well."