Sunset Imperishable

by EldritchNexus


The University of Baltimare, Part 1

Sunset Shimmer and Golden Sun were walking down one of the many streets of Baltimare.

"Dad, how're you feeling?" asked Sunset. "Being back in Baltimare, I mean."

"Not sure, kiddo." said Golden Sun, adjusting his spectacles. "It's been so long since the last time I was here. I love this city, but so much has changed."

He looked around, and frowned when he saw a vacant lot.

"There used to be a candy shop over there." he told Sunset. "They sold some of the tastiest saltwater taffy you've ever---aahhh...and the root beer. Always had a nice crisp taste, if a little--"

"Dad, do you think we could go to the university?" asked Sunset. "I mean, if you feel up to it."

"Sure, sweetie." frowned Golden Sun. "It's just down a ways..."

They kept walking along the street, passing other ponies. After a while, they turned onto a long dirt road that led into a forest. They walked along it. Suddenly, they heard a screeching from behind them.

"Bathilda?" Sunset turned around, recognizing the sound.

The fruit bat caught up to the unicorns.

"Your bat seems to really want to be with you." Golden Sun observed.

"Of course she does." Sunset smiled. "Bathilda, did you miss mommy?"

Bathilda nodded, even as she fluttered her wings in place. Then she landed on Sunset's back, and tangled herself in her mane.

"Awww..." Sunset sighed.

Suddenly, there was a rustling, and a pony dropped down from a low-hanging tree branch, between Sunset and Golden Sun. The sound of the impact frightened Bathilda, and made her bury herself even more in Sunset's mane.

"Who? What?" Sunset exclaimed.

She felt a prick in the back of her head.

"Bathilda, will you calm down? You're hurting mommy." she whispered.

"Professor Sun, I presume?" said a voice.

Sunset turned around, and saw a middle-aged earth pony facing Golden Sun. The earth pony had a beige coat and white-blond mane. He was wearing strange goggles over his eyes, and his flank was emblazoned with the shape of a C-battery.

"Professor Fusion, is that really you?" asked Golden Sun.

"The one and only." said Professor Fusion. "My, my...I wasn't expecting to see you again. And my word...you've hardly aged a day."

"Dad, is this one of you colleagues?" Sunset asked.

"Better than that, sweetie." said Golden Sun, with a big smile on his face. "This right here is Professor Turbo Fusion, the stallion that introduced me to the University of Baltimare. I didn't think you were the type to climb trees."

"Oh, I was just deploying my latest invention." said Turbo.

"Invention?" repeated Sunset, curiously.

Turbo held up his hoof, which had a silver bracelet on it. He flicked a switch on the bracelet. Down from the canopy of the trees came a floating probe-like device with mechanical insect-like wings, beating endlessly.

"Look familiar?" Turbo asked them.

"It looks like a...parasprite." said Golden Sun.

"It's a Mechasprite." said Turbo Fusion. "It's my eyes and ears in the sky...up to fifty yards, anyway."

"No way." Sunset's jaw dropped. "You built a machine like that all on your own?"

"It's not entirely a machine." said Turbo. "On the outside, it's a bunch of nuts and bolts with wings...but inside, it has the brainwaves of an actual parasprite running through its core. Isn't that right?"

The Mechasprite started tilting itself up and down in mid-air, as if to nod.

"That thing used to be an actual parasprite?" asked Sunset.

Bathilda climbed out of Sunset's mane, and took off. She flew up to the Mechasprite, and started sniffing it. She hissed, stuck her tongue out in disgust, and flew back to latch herself to Sunset's mane.

"Sort of." said Turbo. "I transferred a parasprite's mind into the machine."

"How, though?" asked Sunset.

"A very good question, ma'am." said Turbo Fusion. "I could tell you how I did it, but perhaps it would be better to show it. How would you two like to come with me to the university?"

"Of course!" said Golden Sun. "That's what my daughter Sunset and I were just about to do when--"

"Ah, so this is your daughter?" asked Turbo, looking at Sunset. "Yes, I can definitely see the family resemblance. I can tell, just by looking in your eyes, that you are much like your father: Smart, clever. A classic example of the phrase, 'chip off the old block'".

"Thanks." Sunset started to blush. "My name's Sunset Shimmer."

"A remarkable name." said Turbo. "Though admittedly a very familiar one. I think I knew another unicorn around your age with a name like that...maybe two others, actually."

He cleared his throat.

"Anyways, onto the university."

He led them further down the forest path, until they reached a vast clearing just beyond the city's outskirts. In the clearing was a massive walled area. There was an arched gateway in the middle of the nearest side. Sunset was able to peek inside and see a variety of large buildings with old-fashioned architecture. The three ponies went through the gateway into a courtyard lined with sculptures and fountains. There were several other ponies, presumably staff and students, trotting by or talking to one another. Golden Sun had a big smile on his face as he looked around.

"So great to be back here..." he sighed, dreamily. "But still, this place seems a little gloomy."

He was right; several of the buildings looked rather old and decrepit, and some of the sculptures had cracks and crevices here and there.

"Accursed budget cuts." scoffed Turbo Fusion. "So many ponyfolk don't seem to understand our university staff doesn't just stand in front of blackboards and teach algebra. We also pave the way to Equestria's future. But with each cut, we're being forced to drop certain divisions and...perks."

Suddenly, two earth ponies in protective gear came by, and started smashing one of the more dilapidated sculptures to pieces with sledgehammers. Then a third came with a wheelbarrow, and started piling the fragments inside of it.

"So sacrifices have to be made to keep the university going." said Turbo Fusion. "We can't afford all we want, only what we need. Staff gets let go, buildings have to be condemned or outright demolished."

They went inside and walked through the hallways.

"And there don't seem to be many ponies around here." Golden Sun slowly began to frown. "When I was a professor here, this place was packed."

"And we had to sell much of our discoveries and et cetera to other collectors." said Turbo Fusion. "A lot of professors weren't too happy about this, and some of them even left town. Either to go overseas or join the Neo-Equestrians."

"Neo-Equestrians?" asked Sunset.

"Yes, I hear that the Neo-Templars, with all their faults and disagreements with the princesses, actually do manage a stable government with their own citizens. Or so I've been told."

Turbo seemed slightly disgruntled now.

"And with all that power, they still refuse to pool their resources with the princesses. It's pathetic. Not that we're getting much help from our own side of the government."

They came to a room with the word "B.R.E.W." scribed on its door.

They went inside, where other professors were talking with each other.

"Ah, Fusion!" said one. "Finally came back. I take it the prototype is in working order?"

"Definitely so, Professor Rocket." said Turbo. "I take it you all remember--"

"Professor Sun!" Professor Rocket exclaimed.

He rushed to greet Golden Sun, as did a few other professors. Rocket was clearly one of the more recent staff.

"I can't believe I'm actually meeting you."

"Please, please...there's no need to get excited over me." Golden Sun chuckled.

"Sorry." Rocket chuckled. "I'm guessing I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself. Welcome back to the university. And who's the lovely young lady behind you?"

"Oh...this is my daughter, Sunset Shimmer." said Golden Sun. "And she's every bit as intelligent as me...maybe even more so."

"Oh, dad." giggled Sunset.

"Sunset, I'd like you to meet my colleagues. Here's Colt Smolder, top physicist in Whinneapolis! And there's Kris Bridle, from Trottingham."

"'Allo!" said Professor Bridle.

"Ja?" nodded Professor Smolder.

"Nice to meet you!" said Sunset.

"And don't you dare forget about me" said a female voice.

A pale blue unicorn mare with a particularly sour expression on her face approached Golden Sun. She was wearing horn-rimmed spectacles, and her dark purple mane was tied in a bun.

"Of course..." nodded Golden Sun. "How could I ever forget you...Abacus?"

"That's Professor Abacus to you."

"You work at the university now?" Golden Sun said, shocked.

"I run the university now." Professor Abacus told him, with a scowl. "I'm the dean of the University of Baltimare, as I have been for the past two years."

"Oh, no." scoffed Golden Sun.

"What's wrong?" asked Sunset. "Who is she?"

"Another student at the university, when I first enrolled." Golden Sun explained. "Always got better grades than me, and never let me hear the end of it. I thought that I'd seen the last of her."

"And I would've thought the same of you, Golden Sun." said Professor Abacus. "I thought you ran off with that brutish Saddle Arabian mare?"

She turned to look Sunset in the eyes with a nerve-wracking steely gaze.

"Ah...and I see you did. And got busy. So you're his daughter?"

"I am." said Sunset. "And proud of it."

"Somepony around here has to, I guess." snorted Professor Abacus. "I'd love to hear your interesting life-story, but I'm afraid I have an important business meeting in town."

She turned to face the other professors.

"I expect to see you boys clean up the mess from your latest experiment by the time I get back. Understand?"

"Yes, Professor Abacus." the other professors droned in unison.

As soon as Professor Abacus left, Professor Rocket scoffed. Bathilda even climbed out of Sunset's mane and spat in disgust as soon as the door closed.

"What a terrible lady!" Bathilda thought. "And that smell of hers...ugh! She smells like...that one stallion that Sunset seems to like a lot."

Her eyes widened.

"I think there's more to that Abacus than she's letting on."

"I thought she'd never leave." Rocket said. "Maybe now we can all get back to work."

"So, where are we exactly?" Sunset asked.

Professor Rocket took a deep breath, and now wore a relaxed expression on his face.

"This right here is our B.R.E.W. chamber." said Professor Rocket.

"B.R.E.W.?" asked Sunset.

"Biological Reconstruction Environmental Workshop." said Rocket. "This is where we hope to create the next great wonders of the world. Would you like a tour?"

"Sure."