Sun. She couldn't find the sun. No matter how hard she looked, up and down and left and right, she could not find it. Instead, she found a void and intense darkness. No, there was no darkness, there was nothing. No light, no shadows, there was simply nothing. She wasn't even sure if she existed. She tried to look down at her hands, her feet but found nothing. She could feel her body as she ran her hands over her legs and her breasts but she couldn't see. Fear began setting in as she blindly tried to figure out where she was and why she was in this emptiness.
Had she died? Was this purgatory? Was she blind? She thought and thought but could not come up with a possible answer. Then, she remembered her voice.
"Hello? Is anyone here? I-I...I can't see anything...." she called out, her voice cracking due to fear. Then, she realized there was no sound either. Or lack of sound. Was she speaking out loud or was she thinking? She couldn't tell. The fear was now rapidly building and a dizziness began over taking her, her breath becoming shallow and a struggle. She had to get out of there, where there was.
But trying to leave proved pointless. With no way to see where she was going or sound to guide her, she stumbled along. She did realize however that where ever she was, it was never ending and there was smooth surface beneath her, or so thought. When she tried to touch it with her fingers she touched nothing yet still she could feel the ground beneath her bare feet. So she continued on and seconds turned to minutes and minutes to what seemed to be hours and she could still not find the Sun or anything else at all. Her voice had long since grown hoarse from screaming for help or for any one else. Eventually, her feet grew too tired and she found herself gasping for air.
By this point she was delirious and hysterical. Was this a test? Was this punishment for her crimes? She collapsed on the invisible ground, the sensation of tears falling from her eyes.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please, someone help!"
Then she saw it. The sun. It appeared from nowhere, big and bright, illuminate everything. Sunset could now she she was in a never ending meadow, the ground covered in a thick green grass and a few trees here and three. But something was wrong. The sun was too bright. It burned. It blinded her nearly as much as the void, bringing her pain and forcing her too look away completely and shut her eyes.
'Sunset.'
Though she could not look at it, she knew the sun called her name. It's voice was both cold and warm at the same time and burned just as much as the light it emitted. The voice bore an intense similarity to the voice of her former mentor and adoptive mother, Principal and Princess Celestia. But this was not their voice or rather voices because Sunset knew that their voices were regal and never burned.
"Sunset."
The sun called her name once more, but this time it was even more intense. She could feel an anger in it's voice and she knew without a doubt it was directed at her.
"Look at me, Sunset Shimmer."
The voice commanded authority. The burning sensation was increasing, consuming her entire body. Intense pain overtook her senses, causing a scream to form in the lower regions of her throat. With each second, the light got brighter and brighter and the pain intensified. Bile began rising in throat, threatening to force it's way out of her mouth.
"I said LOOK. AT. ME!"
It was like some unknown being forced her eyes open and turned her head towards the sun. She let out a bloodcurdling scream as pain the pain reached it's climax. Before her, barely visible due to the light, Princess Celestia hoovered in place, her eyes ablaze and her hair on fire. She looked upon Sunset with an anger stronger then a thousand manticores.
"Sunset Shimmer. You have commit some greatest crimes against Equestria; stealing Twilight's crown, abusing an ancient artifact and attempting to enslave all of Equestria. Betraying me. The sentence is immediate death."
"I'm sorry! It was a mistake, I've learned my lesson!"
"That does not excuse your behavior. Your death shall be carried out in the manner of decapitation."
"Please! No! I don't want to die! I won't ever do it again!"
"Don't worry Sunset. It's not like anyone will miss you when you're gone."
Celestia raised her arms towards Sunset, a scythe appearing out of thin air. She grabbed it and then raised it above her head. Sunset tried to run but found herself frozen. Celestia approached her and looked down on her with malice, with a cold laugh she swung the scythe in a downwards motion and Sunset's exploded from pain."
-----
Sunset awoke in a cold sweat, a scream forming in the base of her throat. She gasped for air as she sat up, her hair failing into her face and her heart pounding. Slowly, she calmed herself down as she realized that she was both safe and alive. It has been a dream and yet it had felt very real and scared her. Would Celestia actually do that? Sunset knew her old mentor had an endless supply of kindness and generosity but she would protect her ponies if she needed to.
A soft buzzing echoed through Sunsets bedroom, drawing her attention away from her dream. She quickly recognized it as the sound of her cellphone, muffled by an unknown assailant. She turned her head to her window and through the small slit in between the closed curtains she could tell it was still dark out. Was someone calling? Before dawn? She climbed out of bed, the fall cold seeping into her bones as she fumbled around her room for her phone. She checked her bed and in her end table where she usually put it. After five minutes of searching, she found it in the back pocket of the pants she had been wearing the day before.
Turning on the screen of the phone, she learned two things. One that was 5:45 and the second was she had a notification that she had a text on her phone. Now even more confused and a tad bit curious, she unlocked her phone and opened her messages. At the top, was an private number. 'Sunset Shimmer. Be afraid, your time is coming.' Sunset blinked. Was this a threat? Better yet, who the fuck was texting her at 6:00 AM? She quickly composed a text back, her thumb briefly hesitating over the send button.
'Who the hell is this? Do you know what time it is?' she asked, sending along her message. A moment later, her phone buzzed in her hands as a new text appeared on the screen. 'We are the the Templars. We shall bring justice soon to the people of Canterlot.' Sunset was becoming increasingly worried. What if her dream was real? Had Princess Celestia somehow sent ponies through the portal come and bring her to justice? Was this just someone messing with her?
"Sunset?"
The familiar, soft voice of Celestia called to her gently through her door. For a moment, she thought it was the Princess before she realized how stupid she was being. Princess Celestia was not here but her earth counter part was. Sunset hid her phone as the door to her room open and a tired and concerned looking Celestia, dressed in her signature blue bathrobe and slippers, poked her head in.
"Oh, hi Celestia....uh, can I help you with something?" greeted Sunset, as she stood awkwardly in the middle of her room. The woman frowned at her as she glanced between Sunset and her room, noticing how the girl was just standing in the middle of her room in the dark. She flicked the light next to the door and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Sunset winced at the bright light, not ready for it.
"I heard you walking around and I was curious as to why you were up so early." said Celestia, a hint of concern in her voice. Sunset opened her mouth to tell Celestia about the odd dream and threatening text messages but quickly closed it, chiding herself for getting worked up over a dream and text most likely sent by some asshole trying to get back at her.
"I....I couldn't sleep so I started pacing I guess." lied Sunset, tucking her phone nonchalantly in to her pajama pants pocket. Celestia squinted at her, as if she was trying to determine the legitimacy of Sunset's answer.
"Pacing? In the dark, what for?" asked Celestia.
"Oh, school." said Sunset, lying again and pretending to be focused on scratching an itchy spot on her arm. Celestia clicked her tongue and shook her head. Sunset could tell that Celestia was seeing through her lies and yet at the same time she wasn't pushing it which made Sunset happy. "So what are you doing up? Shouldn't you be asleep?" asked Sunset, trying to change the subject from her to Celestia.
"Getting ready for work. I'm a high school principal remember? That means I'm usually there for seven. You know, before the students." stated Celestia, answering a pointless question Sunset already knew, with a small smile on her face. "Of course it would be fantastic if the Vice-Principal arrived at the same time I do but I suppose Sleeping Beauty needs her sleep." joked Celestia, shaking her head.
"Well, don't let me keep you." said Sunset, eager to be left to be left alone. Celestia shook her head.
"Actually, I have a bit of time and I've been meaning to talk to you." said Celestia, crossing her arms and giving Sunset another smile. "I wanted to ask you how your quest for making friends is going; I know you've managed to make friends with Miss Hooves." continued on Celestia. Snset looked down at the ground and rubbed her arm.
"We aren't really friends...I mean, she's been nice to me and we had lunch but I'm not sure that counts as friendship." explained Sunset, thinking about Derpy and the other two females she had encountered in the last week, Gilda and Fleur.
"Perhaps not yet, but it certainly sounds like you're off to a good start....What about other students? Have you tried making friends with anyone else?" Sunset sighed and sat down on her bed, crossing her arms.
"...Not really, I mean I tried talking to a few people in my classes but it's gotten me nothing but the cold shoulder, besides I don't know anything about friendship, I'd probably just mess it all up." said Sunset dejectedly. Celestia let out a sigh and sat down on the bed next to Sunset, giving her a one armed hug and pulling her close.
"I think you'd make a great friend to someone, you just need a little bit of help and practice. What about Princess Twilight's friends? I was under the impression they were going to help you out in the Friendship field." Sunset snorted at her adoptive mother's mentioning of Twilight's friends. Like those girls were interested in actually helping her. Besides, she wasn't particularly fond of them anyway so it wasn't really a loss.
"I don't think they're interested." said Sunset, simplifying the situation. Celestia squeezed her tighter and kissed her on the forehead.
"Well I'm sure you can figure it out and if not, I'm always here if you need me, though helpful suggestion, if you plan on looking outside of Canterlot High for some friends, Starswirl's School of The Gifted is having their Open House day on Friday, most of their student body will be there as well as many students from both here in Canterlot and out of town. It would be a great chance to make some friends." explained Celestia.
"Can I do that, just show up at an Open House? I'd be out of place." said Sunset, uncomfortable with the situation. Celestia let out a small laugh.
"It's Open House for a reason; anyone, so long as they don't go and commit a crime or misbehave, is allowed inside. You won't be the only teenager from another school walking around. Besides, it's more fun then it sounds. They have free tours, lectures, you can sit in on the classes and then at around two or three, they have luncheon which of course isn't free, but I can spot you some money there." stated Celestia, very familiar with what could easily be Canterlot High School's biggest rival.
"Isn't that during school?" asked Sunset, trying to find a way out of the situation. It just felt wrong, even though her old self probably wouldn't give two fucks about it. Or anything. That was a new thing about her, she felt a sort of desire to not piss people off which was why she was so reluctant to befriend people at her school. Still, Celestia's plan was a good one mostly because it had been hers originally; scope out the other schools and look for any potential friend candidates. That plan had been pushed into the back of her mind due to school and her encounters with the trusting Derpy, the brave Gilda and empathetic and beautiful Fleur. True, Gilda and Fleur were nothing more then casual strangers and Sunset knew she was unlikely to see either of them again....well, Gilda anyway, but despite their brief encounters she had felt something when she had been with them. Happiness? It was strange, she couldn't place the feeling.
"Well I'm sure your studies won't suffer if you miss one day." stated Celestia, which in turn cause Sunset to stare. Celestia, condoning her to skip school? Mind you it was to go to another school but still, it was for non-Academic reasons. Unless you were sick, someone died in the family or another family emergency, Celestia didn't like students playing hooky especially when two of those students were her children. "Besides, I'll make sure you get all your homework from your teachers as well as all class notes." Sunset groaned, of course there was a catch. "Well you don't have to give me an answer now, but if you do want to go I'll drop you off and pick you up. Now, I need to get ready for work before I'm-"
Celestia found herself cut off by the familiar chime of the doorbell. Almost instantaneously, she was on guard. While she had no reason to feel for her safety, having someone ring the bell at 6:00 AM was not a everyday event. Briefly her mind turned to Tirek but she pushed him out of her mind. He was in jail and he wasn't likely going to notify her of his arrival if he was out.
"Stay here." she commanded Sunset as she hesitantly made her way out of Sunset's room. Sunset, ever curious debated on following through with the order before curiosity got the better of her and she followed after Celestia, to her annoyance. Celestia gave her adoptive daughter a disapproving look over her shoulder but chose not to push it as the doorbell rang again, this time followed by heavy knocking. She descended the stairs and made her way to the front door, Sunset shadowing her all the way.
As she approached the front door, the knocks and ringing got a little more insistent. Whoever was on the other side of the door was desperate for an answer. As she stopped in front of the door, she considered a series of scenarios on to who was on the otherside. A burglar? Unlikely since they had rang the doorbell. And probably not an early morning ding-dong ditcher because they were still ringing it. Someone looking for help? 'There is only one way to find out.' thought Celestia. She fumbled with the locks, paranoia gently eating away at her.
The moment she opened the door she was greeted by both confusion and concern. Standing on her stoop was a pair of police officers, one male, one female, both looking annoyed and tired. Behind them, Celestia could see their police cruiser parked next to her curb. "Can I help you officers?" she asked, wondering what would warrant an early morning visit from the police.
"Are you Celestia Solaris?" asked the male police officer, adjusting his hat and straightening up. She hesitantly nodded in response, unsure where the conversation was going.
"If it's alright with you, we'd like to come in. I'm afraid we have important matters we need to discuss."