//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 - The Fool and The Lovers // Story: Sunset Shimmer - Embodiment of Light // by Woomod //------------------------------// “Yeah, I’m fine.” Twilight said as she got up from the table, pushing her chair with telekinesis. “I just felt a little nauseous. It’s passed now.” However, the moment the final word left her mouth, she promptly collapsed. “Passed my flanks,” Sunset said as she picked up Twilight with her own telekinesis, “I’m getting you to bed.” Sunset laid Twilight in her bed. “Spike’s your assistant, right?” She asked, “I’ll have him get one your friends while I go get Celestia.” Twilight rolled over to look at Sunset “Just ask one of the servants,” She said, “It’s still day, and I hired enough to keep the place going. After a brief pause, she continues,“Just...please don’t leave.” Sunset nodded “Alright.” She said before stepping out to flag down a servant. Luckily, she was able to find one the moment she stepped out. “Yes, my lady?” Said the mare said, Sunset recognizing her voice as the one had knocked on her door the other day to let her know that Twilight was waiting for her with breakfast. “Twilight is sick.” Sunset stated, “Could you fetch Celestia and her friends?” The pony nodded, “Of course.” Sunset went back into the room and closed the door. “How do you feel Twilight?” Sunset asked her friend with concern. “Like I lost something I never knew I had.” Twilight said. “I see.” Sunset said as she patted Twilight’s hoof. “Well you rest up.” “Alright.” Twilight nodded. “SURPRISE!” Said a pink blur as it popped out of a cabinet. “PINKIE!” The unicorn and alicorn screamed. “Oh, was that a bit too sudden?” Pinkie asked innocently. Sunset deadpanned,”Twilight is sick, Pinkie.” “I know! That’s why I brought cake!” Pinkie said pulling out a cake. “Pinkie, I just had a bunch of cake, and for all we know, eating too much is what made me sick.” Twilight groaned. “Oh, well then…” Pinkie replied as she looked deep in thought. It didn’t last long. “Waste not, want not!” she exclaimed as she downed the whole cake in one gulp. Celestia sighed before entering the room. “It’s just one thing after another with her!” She thought to herself At least it was just Twilight being sick, and not some Rainbow powered threat like she had feared Starcatcher might be. “Twilight, after this, I’m having Applejack train your earth pony magic.” Celestia swore to herself as she opened the doors. “Sunset, how is she doing?” Celestia asked as she looked at her Daughter and her Protegé. She didn’t even question Pinkie’s presence. “She’s fine, Mom.” Sunset said from her post beside Twilight’s bed. “Do you know what caused this?” Celestia asked. “Probably too much cake.” Sunset chuckled. Twilight let out a soft groan and rolled to look at the Princess. “Sorry, Princess.” She said. “About eating cake?” Celestia said chuckling, “Never apologize for that.” “Gotta agree with the Princess there, Twilight.” Pinkie said as she started decorating the room. “Um, Pinkie, what are you doing to my room?” Twilight blinked. “Decorating for the Welcome to Ponyville, Sunset Shimmer / Now Twilight is All Better Party. Duh!” Pinkie replied. Twilight face-hoofed, while Sunset chuckled. “Efficient, Pinkie Pie.” Celestia said smiling. “However, don’t you think the dining hall would be a better place for a party?” “Oooohhh good idea!” Pinkie said. And with that, she grabbed the streamers and rushed out of the room in a blur of pink. Celestia turned back to Twilight. “So you just ate too much cake?” She asked. “I think so Princess.” Twilight responded, “Mostly, I just feel nauseous.” Celestia gave a sigh of relief. “That’s good. You girls have both given me a fright recently that turned out everything was fine.” Celestia confessed. “Though one fright was worse than the other.” Sunset stuck her tongue out playfully at Twilight before she opened the window with her telekinesis. “Uhhhh Sunset what’s that for…” Twilight was interrupted by a blue blur slamming through the room and landing right before the wall. “Rainbow Dash.” Sunset said smiling smugly. “Uhhhh thanks,” the cyan pegasus said uncertainly, “Sunset Shimmer?” Sunset looked at Rainbow Dash surprised. “You know about me?” Sunset looked at Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, weekly book club with Twilight, she gets gossipy, not much of a club when it’s only two ponies though, not many people wanna join a book club run by the Princess of Eggheads.” Rainbow Dash stated. After a slightly awkward pause, Rainbow Dash asked,“...Hey, you wanna join?” “Well I wouldn’t want to interrupt your private time together.” Sunset replied. “It’s not meant to be! Just… like Dash said, no one joins.” Twilight looked down blushing slightly. “Well then, I guess I’ll have to.” Sunset chuckled. Twilight gave a slight smile. “OH YEAH!” Sunset shouted “I’ve been so busy, It completely slipped my mind. Where’s Spike? I know he was a dog on the other side but he can’t be on this side, but I guess he’s not a pony....” Rainbow Dash blurted out laughing. “Oh man, Spike was a DOG in your world?” The cyan pegasus kept laughing. “What’s so funny?” Sunset asked. “You’re in for a BIG surprise.” “Ok really what’s so fun-...” Sunset tried to ask. The door opened and a purple drake the size of Celestia walked into the room, walked up to Twilight, and gave her a big hug. “Hey big sis, sorry I’m late. I waited ten minutes but…” The drake spoke with a deep and suave voice. The only thing missing to make him like James Bond was a suit. “Rarity had to get everything absolutely perfect but nothing was gonna stop you longer than ten minutes?” The cyan pegasus asked. “You got it.” The drake said. Sunset blinked. Then with a resigned sigh, Sunset said, “That’s Spike, isn’t it?” Rainbow Dash, uses a hoof to cover her mouth, snickers out,”That’s Spike.” “That’s me.” The drake replied. “You’re a dragon.” Sunset said. “My sister is sick, kinda takes priority, thank you very much.” Spike chuckled. “Be nicer Spike, that’s Sunset Shimmer, she’s taking your old job.” Twilight stuck out her tongue. Spike whispered in Sunset’s ear, “Protip from the expert, find somepony nice and shack up ASAP or you’ll never get a moments peace.” “I AM NOT THAT BAD!” Twilight yelled. “Ok that’s true….you’re worse.” Spike chuckled, a deep hearty laugh. “So how’s my ‘big’ sister doing?” “Better, I just had too much cake.” Twilight let out a soft chuckle. “Spending too much time around Princess Celestia recently I see.” Spike said. Celestia let out a loud cough. “I’m standing right here you know.” Celestia spoke up. “And I’ve helped audit the royal desert budget.” Spike replied, with nary a change of posture nor expression. Sunset started laughing uncontrollably. When she regained control of herself, she asked, ”Was it during baked goods appreciation month?” “Thankfully, no.” Spike chuckled in reply. “Something tells me that’s probably for the best.” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “This is about Twilight, not how much cake I consume. Have some consideration for your friend.” Celestia stated. “I would prefer a different topic, Spike. Book club was a good topic.” Twilight stated. A yellow pegasus huffed as she flapped through the window. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Fluttershy asked. After getting settled, she lifts a thermos, “I also brought soup.” “You didn’t bring a full medkit?” Rainbow raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Well, all that stuff is heavy and it’s far from my cottage. I figured Rarity would bring everything herself.” Fluttershy smiled. “So i just bought soup.” Spike chuckled. “Drink up.” Fluttershy pushed the soup in her friends face. “I’m fine Fluttershy, just had too much cake.” Twilight responded. “Then the soup will wash it down.” Fluttershy insisted, continuing to push the thermos across the face. Watching all of this brings an uncertainty to mind. Sunset opened the door telekinetically. “Sunset?” Celestia looked at her worried. “I need some fresh air.” Sunset steps through the door and looks for the pony with answers. Sunset entered the kitchen a single cook on staff being run around haggard by Pinkie to prepare things, sitting serenely at the simple table sat Starcatcher with a bowl of icecream. “How did I know I’d find you here?” Sunset asked. “Wisdom?” Starcatcher smiled licking some ice cream from her snout. “Want some?” Starcatcher offered. “Considering Twilight just got sick from too much cake, no thank you.” Sunset shook her head. “Did she now?” Starcatcher asked in her flat ethereal tone. “Are you saying that’s not why?” Sunset asked. “So you came to me for a reason, what do you want to ask about?” Starcatcher inquired. “Oh Right, it just felt, off seeing all the girls together like that. But different, and for Twilight’s sake. I was with my friends and yet, utterly alone.” Sunset sighed. Starcatcher patted Sunset’s back sympathetically. “I prescribe Ice Cream.” She offered again smiling. “And my Mom would prescribe cake, I don’t feel like either.” She flagged down the haggard chef. “Tea please, Chamomile.” “Well your Mom is clearly crazy.” Starcatcher said while licking her bowl clean. “You know I looked and looked for my alternate after I realized there were more than just Celestia and Luna having alternates. I never found hide nor hair.” Sunset said. “It wouldn’t have been a real choice for you, if there had been another.” Starcatcher stated in her ethereal tone. “You’re saying I was destined to go through the portal then?” Sunset blinked. “Destiny is just a fancy word for the fact other people get to make choices, and our choices have consequences we can’t foresee.” Starcatcher replied. “One Celestia chose to have a daughter, one didn’t. Ensuring it was a real choice for me which world I chose.” Sunset mumbled. “If i asked you what choice was, would you tell me a fancy word for destiny?” Sunset spoke up. Starcatcher smiled and nodded. “So….how many of them are out there.” Sunset asked thoughtfully. “Well less than there are worlds.” Starcatcher stated. “So infinity then.” Sunset said. “Now I have a question for you.” Starcatcher said. “In turn how many Sunset Shimmers do you think there are?” “Why would you ask…..” Sunset asked slowly as comprehension dawned. Sunset’s tea arrived, she didn’t touch it. She had more important things to do. Sunset rushed back to the Twilight’s room opening the door. “I want to apologize for leaving so abrup-” Sunset stopped mid sentence as she looked around. “Where is everyone?” She asked. Twilight poked her nose out from a book. “They left, I’m not that bad off.” Twilight said. “Mom too?” Sunset asked. “She has been gone for nine days, I mean imagine how Luna must be doing running the entire country single hoofedly.” Twilight reminded sunset. Meanwhile in Canterlot Castle “MORE COFFEE FOR THE COFFEE GOD! AND IF OUR SISTER GETS NATIONAL BAKED GOODS MONTH WE SHALL ADD NATIONAL COFFEE MONTH! NONE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO SLEEP AT NIGHT DURING IT! IT’S BRILLIANT WHY DIDN’T WE THINK OF THIS SOONER?!” Luna shouted from her coffee cup throne which she had Discord create earlier during the day. An advisor on the side that actually has morals is finding himself questioning said morals and wondering if it was possible to slip in a sedative into the coffee. “Hey, other egghead, you promised you’d be in book club, we have an impromptu book club meeting, you’re late.” Rainbow Dash spoke up from the other side of the bed. “I thought everyone had left.” Sunset blinked. “Friend, sick, not going anywhere.” Rainbow stated. “So got any cool books from earth?” The cyan pegasus added. “I…..had no idea you were an avid reader, Dash.” Sunset replied. “Why do you say that?” “Your. My.” Sunset tries to figure out the terminology. “My version of you doesn’t really like to read.” “Man, my alternate is missing out.” Rainbow Dash chuckled. Rainbow Dash suddenly jumps up in excitement,”Oh yeah, You’re the newbie, you get to pick your first book!” “Really?” Sunset blinked. “It’s in the club bylaws.” Twilight responded, her nose back in the book. “Of course you would have written up bylaws for a book club.” Sunset giggled. “Alright.” Sunset opened up her saddlebags which were hanging beside twilight’s bed. “We did like to watch movies together, though Dash. And for some reason you sent a copy of a favorite we liked to watch together. Don’t know why with no home movie players, but whatever.” She pulled out a book. “Portals are weird.” Later that night “Psssst, pssst, hey Sunset, you awake.” Rainbow failed horribly at whispering. “I am now, and Twilight probably is too.” Sunset said. Twilight snored loudly simply to prove the flame colored unicorn wrong. “Nevermind then,” Sunset sighs.” What is it Dash?” “Is something wrong? You seem guarded around me, look is it about my alternate? Because what she did was way uncool” Dash said. “That place is different Dash.” Sunset sighed. “That doesn’t matter she shoul-.” Dash was silenced by Sunset’s hoof. “Dash listen, it isn’t about her. You aren’t her, I know that, just like Twilight” Sunset pointed to the purple alicorn for emphasis “Isn’t her alternate, trust me on that. Only you made the choices that brought you where you are.” “Then what is it?” Dash asked. “You aren’t the same, but some part of you is, and knowing that bit of you I hope will let me make friends with all of you easier than if I just met random strangers.” Sunset took a breath before continuing.”Me and the girls were in a band, with Me and Dash as the guitarists. That was what we shared, always competing, always striving to best the other. But I can’t compete with you athletically, nor can I fly with you, and you can’t use magic. So...how I connected with the other Rainbow Dash, I can’t connect with you.” Rainbow Dash blinked and thought for a moment. “You’re saying you don’t just want to see me be Awesome, you want to be Awesome with me and you don’t know how?” Dash simplified. “Pretty much.” Sunset giggled. “Yeah, I can see how that’s a problem.” Dash stretched and yawned. “Night Sunset.”