//------------------------------// // First Impressions *UPDATED* // Story: As the Sunsets on the Past // by Da Joestanator //------------------------------// As consciousness started returning to Twilight, she slowly started opening her eyes only to be greeted by a swarm of butterflies. “Ugh, what happened?” she groaned. “Why am I in Fluttershy’s butterfly grove?” Right as she said that, the butterflies disbanded, revealing her seven friends looking worried at her, and they were all now in the dining room. “Oh, thank goodness you’re alright,” exclaimed a relieved Fluttershy. “For Celestia’s sake, darling, you gave us a scare when you passed out,” scolded Rarity. Twilight fidgeted her hooves awkwardly, “I overdid getting the castle ready again, didn’t I?” Sunset smirked, “Only a little. But it was nice… sort of.” Twilight was embarrassed, “Sorry. I guess I was just so excited about you coming here, that I got a little carried away with trying to get things ready for you.” Sunset looked around and smiled. “Well you didn’t have to go to so much trouble, Twilight. This place looks amazing! When you said you had your own castle, I didn’t imagine it’d be this big… or clean! I don’t think it could get any cleaner!” Applejack and Rainbow Dash smirked knowingly at Twilight. “Well, since I don’t have to prepare anything anymore,” Twilight slowly rose to her hooves, ran straight towards Sunset, and wrapped her hooves around her in a big hug. “It’s just so great to see you, Sunset,” smiled Twilight, “I’ve missed you so much!” Sunset smiled warmly and returned the hug, “I’ve missed you too, Twilight.” A certain dragon cleared his throat loudly, “Uh, hello? I missed you too.” Sunset smiled again and wrapped her hoof around Spike, “It’s good to see you too, Spike. It’s a little weird seeing you as a dragon instead of a dog.” “Yeah, well I’ll take being a dragon over being a dog any day… though I do miss getting scratched behind the ears,” Spike admitted awkwardly. “Well, now that we’re reconnected,” Twilight began, as she addressed her five friends. “Sunset Shimmer, I think you know who these are; but I’d like you to meet my friends.” Sunset Shimmer looked nervously at the five friends in front of her. Each one of them gave her a friendly smile; even Rainbow Dash managed a smile while still keeping an eye on her. It hadn’t even been that long ago since Sunset said goodbye to her friends in the other world, but it was still eerie seeing the pony versions of them standing right in front of her. Taking a deep breath and imagining talking to her friends back at Canterlot High, Sunset finally spoke up. “Uh… hello everybody- er, everypony. It’s really nice to mee-“ Before she could finish, she found herself being pile-driven into, and then pulled into an extra tight hug by Pinkie Pie. “Ooooh, it’s just so super awesome to finally meet you, Sunny!” Though her ribs were being partially crushed, even Sunset felt Pinkie’s contagious smile crossing her own lips. “It’s great to meet you too, Pinkie Pie. Wait, did you just call me ‘Sunny?’” “Yep-er-oonie! Short for Sunset, long for Sun. Duuh!” Sunset didn’t know how to respond. Even the other world’s Pinkie Pie called her ‘Sunny’, but she just didn’t expect this Pinkie to do it also. “Well howdy-doo, Ms. Shimmer,” hollered Applejack, tipping her hat. “Fabulous to finally meet you, darling,” complimented Rarity. “Um… hi,” Fluttershy squeaked meekly. “It’s very nice to meet you. Twilight told us so much about you.” “So much?” Sunset shrunk awkwardly after Fluttershy said that. She wiggled out of Pinkie’s hug, and looked very self-conscious. “Did uh… did Twilight mention anything specific?” The air in the room felt very awkward now, “Uh… certainly not,” fibbed Rarity. “Well she did mention a few things… But uh, they were all good things! Certainly not anything bad or… demonic-like.” Fluttershy pitifully elbowed Rarity. Sunset sighed, “It’s ok. Just tell me; it’s nothing I haven’t heard before.” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck. “Twilight maaaay have mentioned the part where you… Turned into a raging she-demon and tried to take over Equestria with a hypnotized army. But, uh… I bet you were an AWESOME looking demon!” Applejack elbowed Rainbow Dash fiercely. “We didn’t want to bring it up because we didn’t want to make you think we didn’t want to be friends with you,” confessed Applejack. “If it helps,” chirped Pinkie Pie, “Twilight also talked about how you saved everyone at the school from turning into a bunch of cranky mean-meanie-pants!” Sunset couldn’t stay sad. “It does help, Pinkie Pie. And none of you have to worry; I’m not going to let what happened to me in the past ruin my chances of making new friends.” The awkwardness in the air finally subsided, and everypony sighed in relief. Sunset then remembered the teal saddlebags, “Oh, I just remembered; I brought you guys some things from CHS.” “Presents? Aww yeah!” Rainbow Dash hoof-pumped in the air. “Well ain’t that neighborly of ya,” Applejack smiled, “but ya didn’t have to, sugarcube.” “I know,” Sunset continued, reaching for something in her bags with her magic. “But I promised my friends I would give you the presents they wanted to give. They said they wanted to give you all a piece of their world.” She levitated two glass bottles of fizzy apple cider. “Applejack and Rainbow Dash, the other you’s thought you two would really like these.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw those bottles, “Is… is that-“ “Fizzy apple cider,” Sunset finished. “The Apple family back at CHS make them by the crate-full. The old me thought they were gross, but really they’re very–“ Sunset, once again, didn’t get to finish. Rainbow Dash swooped in and snagged one of the bottles. “You had me at cider!” Rainbow Dash hastily uncorked the bottle, and chugged half the bottle down without a second thought. She shivered in delight, “It’s like heaven in a bottle dipped in apple-flavored sunshine!” She slowly lowered to the floor, holding the bottle close to her heart and her lips. “it’s almost as good as our Applejack’s!” “Almost as good as Granny Smith’s recipe?” Applejack was shocked. She grabbed the bottle from Sunset and uncorked the bottle. “Now let’s not go crazy, Dash! Just because it’s another version of my family, doesn’t mean it’s gonna taste…” Applejack took a large sip of the fizzy cider. Her eyes widened in awe and she looked as if she was mesmerized. “…Perfect.” Applejack looked around hastily, and then continued drinking the cider. “Glad you both like it,” Sunset beamed. She then searched her bag again, and levitated a large Tupperware out. “Pinkie Pie, the other you thought you’d really love these.” She removed the lid revealing– “CUPCAKES!!!” cheered Pinkie. She leaped four feet in the air, but then halted mid-jump, seeming to hover in the air. “Wait… did she remember the special ingredient?” Sunset winced slightly. “Well, she did tell me to mention that these are her special hot sauce-filled cupcakes for when she needs a snack?” “She knows me so well!” Pinkie squealed. She then dove straight for the Tupperware, and dug into the cupcakes eagerly. “Uh… You’re welcome?” Sunset just shook her head, and dug into her other bag, pulling out a collection of books. “Fluttershy, these are some of the other Fluttershy’s old zoology books. She thought you’d love learning about some of the different animals that they have.” Fluttershy’s wings fluttered in joy as she grabbed the books. “Oh my! Thank you, Sunset Shimmer.” She then gently opened one of the books and stopped at a page. “Oh my; the vampire bat?” Applejack stopped drinking and glared, “What?! You mean that world has those apple-sucking varmints too?” Fluttershy nodded, “But it says in these books that instead of drinking apple juice, they drink…” Fluttershy flew close to Applejack’s ear and whispered into it. Applejack’s eyes widened and her face became incredibly pale. Fluttershy was amazed by her readings. “Nature is so fascinating.” Digging into her bag again, Sunset pulled out a small jewelry case. “Rarity; the other you insisted I give you these.” Rarity levitated the case in front of her and opened it, “My, my, earrings?” “Well clip-on earrings, actually. I was going to ask her for a necklace, but she said these would look perfect on those ‘adorable pony ears.’” Rarity inspected the earrings, “Hmm… the other me… was absolutely right!” Without a second thought, Rarity placed the clip-on earrings right on her ears. “It’s like she was inside my head the whole time! These earrings, albeit false ones, will look absolutely stunning when I add them to my newest ensemble!” She grabbed hold of Sunset and pulled her into a tight embrace, nuzzling into her chest, “Oh thankyouthankyouthankyouthank thank you, Sunset Shimmer! Oh I can’t possibly imagine how I can thank you, or the other me, for this step up in fabulousness!” “Uh, don’t worry about it.” Sunset replied, as she awkwardly wiggled out of Rarity’s embrace. She looked awkwardly at Spike, “Uh… now Spike, I wanted to get you something really special to make up for kidnapping you the day we met, but Fluttershy suggested I give you… well…” Reluctantly, Sunset levitated a box out of her bag. Spike looked at the box and instantly frowned. “Dog biscuits? Seriously?!” Rainbow Dash and Applejack couldn’t help but snicker. Sunset was embarrassed. “Yeah, see Rarity and Fluttershy kind of forgot that you weren’t actually a dog.” Spike just pouted in an insulted fashion. Pinkie looked at the box, “Oooh! Are those cheese and barbeque flavored?” She then immediately grabbed one out of the box, and ate it, ignoring the disgusted looks from her friends. Spike peeked one eye open, and grabbed a biscuit out of the box. He then slowly ate it, “Actually, these things aren’t that bad,” he admitted. Twilight couldn’t help giggling herself. Finally, Sunset turned to one special pony, “And to Twilight, this is a gift from all of us.” she levitated a picture frame out of her bag, “This is our way of saying thanks. Thanks for bringing the students back together, thanks for teaching us more about friendship…” She paused and wiped her eyes. “And especially thank you for giving me a second chance.” Twilight grabbed hold of the frame with her magic and gasped. The other ponies and Spike scooted right next to her and looked at the picture. Right in the frame was a picture of the last time Twilight was in the other world; she, Spike, Sunset Shimmer, and the others’ counterparts all standing together during the sleepover party. Twilight couldn’t help but tear up at the memory, while the others just smiled warmly. Sunset looked down and frowned sadly, “Are you sure you don’t mind me staying for the next few months? I didn’t know where else I could go back at the other world; and with the others out of town, it just felt like the perfect time to come home and…” Sunset was interrupted one last time; this time by a large, warm group hug from her friends. She melted in their embrace, knowing well what their answer was.