As the Sunsets on the Past
Written by Joey Turner
Edited by Winnie Huang
Another quiet day was all that could be heard around Princess Twilight Sparkle’s castle in Ponyville. Said princess was busy with one of her favorite pastimes, re-re-RE-organizing her entire collection of Daring Do novels.
“Good. Now first it’s the Sapphire Stone, then the Griffon’s Goblet–” Twilight paused, looking nervous. “Oh, I always have trouble with this next part because the Marked Thief of Marapore, The Eternal Flower, and the Forbidden City of Clouds were all published at the same time! Hmm… Maybe I should just organize by story progression. What do you two think?” She turned towards the two figures locked in an intense card game.
Spike had come down to the castle’s library to help re-organize the shelves, and Pinkie Pie wanted to see if she could borrow one of the castle’s recipe books… That, plus there was a party cannon somewhere in the library that she had forgotten to clean up. Twilight ended up taking over the re-organizing job, so Spike and Pinkie Pie were waiting until she was done to look for that party cannon. While they waited, the two started up an intense game of Pony Poker; and so far, Pinkie had won the past few games. But Spike was sure this next hand would give him the victory.
Spike looked at his cards and smirked. It was the moment of truth. “Pair of sevens!”
Pinkie didn’t even flinch. “Three eights. I win!”
“Darn it,” whined Spike. “How do you do always win this game?!”
“It’s a little trick I know, Spikey! Never play Pony Poker without your poker smile!”
Spike pouted. “…Best eight out of fifteen?”
“Um, hello?” Twilight yelled at the two. “I was asking you two if you knew how I should arrange these three Daring Do books!”
“Ooh, I know! Why don’t you put them right next to that book that’s vibrating?” asked Pinkie Pie.
“Vibrating?” Twilight was confused, until she noticed the book Pinkie was talking about. Sure enough, a very familiar-looking journal was glowing and vibrating. “Oh my, gosh! Sunset Shimmer’s journal; the one she used to use to write messages to Princess Celestia!”
Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “Sunset Shimmer?”
“Pinkie, you remember Sunset Shimmer, don’t you?”
Pinkie smiled wide. “Of course I do, silly! She was Princess Celestia’s bestest best student even before you, and she wanted to be all super magical and powerful, but when she didn’t get what she wanted, she ran away into another world and turned these other versions of us into mean meanie pants! But then you came and blasted her with a friendship rainbow and turned her into a super friendly nice girl! And then when you went back to save the school from a bunch of evil siren meanie pants, she took her jacket off and helped you and the other us save the school!” Pinkie gasped, never stopping to take a breath as she finished her recap.
Twilight was amazed that Pinkie remembered all that, but smiled anyway. “That’s her.”
Pinkie drooped slightly. “Aww, I really wish I could’ve met her… You know, when she wasn’t trying to steal your crown.”
“Yeah. It would’ve been nice to have her come with me back to Equestria to meet you all.” Twilight lowered her head in sadness, but then instantly perked up “But at least we stay connected with these magic books. She tells me about how life at Canterlot High is going, and she even tells me some of the lessons about friendship she’s learned.”
“Nice,” said Spike. “So it’s kind of like she’s your student now.”
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far, Spike.” Twilight rolled her eyes.
“Either way, what do you think she wants this time?”
“Let’s find out.” Twilight opened the vibrating book, straight to a newly filled page, and began reading,
“Dear Twilight, how have you been? Sorry that it’s been awhile since my last letter; a lot has been going on lately. A lot of good things, of course, so you don’t have to worry about that. All the girls here miss you a lot, and send you their best.
Twilight, I know it probably isn’t my place to ask you this sort of thing, but I have something very important to ask you; summer break has come, and my friends have decided to travel with their families out of town for the next two months, so I was wondering… if I could come stay with you and your friends for the next two months?”
As soon as Twilight read those last few lines, her jaw nearly fell to the floor.
Spike look concerned at Twilight’s face. “Twilight, is everything ok?”
“…Guys, we’ve got to get the castle ready… Sunset Shimmer’s coming to visit!” Twilight’s smile of excitement rivaled even Pinkie Pie’s. Right at that moment, a large explosion of confetti blasted out of the Daring Do section.
Pinkie Pie cheered, “Whoo-hoo! Sunset’s coming to visit, AND we found that last party cannon! BEST! DAY! EVER!!”