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// The setting sun. 
// Story: The sun is setting. 
// by StrandedGeek 
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	Summer time was almost here, and this year was a little more important than previously. Soon it will be time for graduation at Canterlot High. For Sunset Shimmer though it’s a little different. A lot has happened in the one year she decided to make the horrible mistake of acting on her revenge. That was during the fall, then when spring came round they had the battle of the bands with the Sirens and soon after the Games with Crystal Prep. But now that Graduation was coming, she wasn’t exactly sure what to do with her life. And sadly it’s not for a normal reason.
After school today she decided to head to a near by park away from all others and just think. Tossing her black jacket aside she sat down on the soft green grass and watched the clouds go by. There was no homework to be done because  of final exams and it didn’t matter in the long run because Sunset already knew she would be passing anyway having done it all before. Getting out her more special books, she read through her old diary that she uses to talk with pony Twilight. As well as looking through her photo album, a new picture was included recently. The human Twilight Sparkle and her dog Spike sitting with the rest of her new friends and herself.
It was rather strange how things seemed to work out for her. Especially because in Equestria where she was a unicorn, she was already a full grown adult able to live on her own and have a job. Where as here, she was just now getting to that point again. She had thought of her pen pal Princess Twilight Sparkle, and the letters talking about what the others were missing out on. Apparently another Unicorn named Starlight Glimmer made similar mistakes she did and after being forgiven, is currently Twilight's own personal student. Which indecently Sunset had at least one time sent Starlight a letter to let her know that she knows exactly how she feels about learning about friendship the hard way.
During their letters Sunset would explain her knowledge of the multiverse and how she has managed to cope with her self-inflicted exile. For example because there are so many possibilities, creating such a door and rigging it up so they could visit any time is an incredibly difficult task. In fact part of the reason why she had chosen this world was because of a special, if sad, trait. There is no Sunset Shimmer in this world. At first Princess Twilight was shocked to hear this especially because of the recent news of her student counter part and when she became her dark self Midnight Sparkle. It seemed like such a terrible thing to learn. After all there was at least one Heart’s Warming movie about a 'what the world would be like without you' story. But Sunset, while sad to hear of it, just says it’s just how the multiverse works. There could be several universes where Twilight could have little siblings she doesn’t have now.
There were of course less thought provoking, boring, questions such as what exactly a Human was, how they are omnivores and what that was like for Sunset. The answer was: psychologically unpleasant. One question that several ponies have asked is where did she live. The answer was simply on a farm that raises animal horses. And no... despite her best efforts, she wasn’t able to talk with them. She of course chose to live and work there to feel a bit like home. While there were plenty of cheats to figure out how to use magic in the human world, she hardly ever used them after she manged to establish a life here. Mostly as to not draw attention to herself. Much like her appearance Sunset also had learn that traveling to other worlds can affect your age depending the rules of the world and if you don’t learn to bend and break the rules you could relive another life time before you can get back. Which explains a little bit of how Sunset and Twi are the same age. Even thought technically she was turning into a full grown mare by the time filly Twilight got her cutie mark. Or... so Sunset thought, there were still things even she didn’t know and time away from magic hasn’t helped.
And it’s because there were also doppelganger running around this High School that she actually had to grew a bit of spine and explain to poor confused Flash Sentry that Student Twilight or Sci-Twi as they call her, was not the same as Princess Twilight. Something Princess Twilight felt bad about herself and why she hasn’t really paid much attention to pony Flash because he wasn’t “Brad” as they nicknamed him. Sunset Shimmer offered her advice and explains that if she has feelings for pony Flash, it’s okay, just remember that he isn’t Brad, while there are similarities, there are lot more differences than people might think. Especially when you consider the age gap factor again.
Actually speaking of Flash that was one other question Princess Twilight was curious about. What had happen between the two of them to break up? Surprisingly it was not because of Sunset’s bad attitude. Although... she admits it probably was a factor.  But no the main reason was because oddly...she didn’t have feelings for him, and eventually she felt it was expected of her by the high school stereotypes of “bad girl with the popular good guy.” Which having only a small knowledge of high school & the clicks, Sunset then had to explain a lot of the stereotypes to Twilight as well. That was one thing about being Twilight’s pen-pal that got to Sunset, when you answer one question, you got answer all of them.	
But enough about the past. Sunset Shimmer was considering what to do with her new future. Sure her other friends were going hang out during the Summer but eventually everyone including both Flash and Sci-Twi  were all going their separate ways for collage and such. For Sunset though...all that she had was the horse farm she worked on. Sure there was always the possibility that the Sirens could come back and some how stir up trouble again. And Principle Celestia assured to call her if they did, but minus them the human world and Canterlot High was relatively safe and to be blunt...boring. She hasn’t considered her magical transformation when she fought Midnight Sparkle, some wonder if this meant she would be an Alicorn Princess herself and if so what that would mean? It was a title Sunset had hope for and the reason why she was jealous of Twilight in the beginning, but since then... things have changed. She hadn’t really thought about what she wanted to do with her life after this was all over. Princess Twilight had offered a room in her castle as there were more than she could count. With only Spike, Starlight, and Owlowiscious to keep her company, the friendship castle was still empty.
Sunset had considered going back. The farm was okay and she grew to love her human world over the few short years she had spent. But there is one reason why she felt she couldn’t ever go back. Princess Celestia. She was certain that she would be punished for what she had done. She had made a mess of everything. She was spoiled, prideful, impatient, rude, power hungry, and hurtful. She had demanded that Celestia teach her the most powerful of magic and turn her into an alicorn. Something she believed to be her destiny. She had tampered with forbid dark magic, she blamed her teacher for her own failures believing she was holding Sunset back from being the best she could be. And then she had spent several years of her life plotting her revenge, stealing Twilight’s crown which had one of the Elements of Harmony at the time. Despite how everyone in the human world forgave her, and even Twilight forgave her. She was convinced Celestia would not. Even though Twilight had insisted that she would.
Not going back would seem like a foolish choice. It was where she was born and raised. Her native world, and she does have a place where she could stay and get back to studying magic like she always wanted. True she had her friends here, but they were moving on in their lives. And she has been around long enough that friends, intentional or not tend, to lose contact with each other. It maybe years before they get themselves comfortable & have the spare time to reconnect. Working on the horse farm while nice isn’t fulfilling. She certainly could try and apply at a college herself maybe find a different job. And Sunset had considered going that way. But thinking about the adventures she had, the friends she had made, she was certain Princess Twilight’s friends would be just as fun, getting to meet Starlight would be nice. And with Princess Twilight now fixing the portal to make it so she could come and go anytime, the door was always open for her. So if anything it’s not like she couldn’t come back here again if she really wanted to. In fact both Princess Twilight and Sci-Twi being the brainy ones they are, had suggested sending trusted ones back and forth to study and learn about each world to help bridge the gap.
In Equestria she would not only have Twilight but maybe even new friends, friends she could spend time with. Share her experiences of this strange world with them. Bond with another pony who had similar troubles in her life, and do more with her life than she could here. Only one thing stood between her and happiness, her own guilt with her former Teacher. She was scared and running away from her problem. She had thought she had gotten over it but this...this was different. The Princesses could do more than force her to do grunt work like repairing the school, and her Celestia was someone who had more respect, she looked up to her. Like Twilight, Celestia was like a second mother to her. Teaching her with such devotion and having such a caring heart. And foolish Sunset threw it away. All Princess Celestia wanted was to protect her, trying to teach her that there was more to life than magic, and that friendship was a greater power than any magical object she could hold. 
Brushing her red and gold locks from her face, drying a few tears, she reread the entry about Starlight Glimmer. And that got her thinking. Perhaps...if Celestia knew of these things and had forgiven her just as Twilight did then perhaps.... She knew if Twilight would stick up for her then maybe...just maybe.  Perhaps it was time to grow up and graduate. There were a few things that minor things that needed to be settled but it would all work out. Picking up her things and putting her jacket on, Sunset Shimmer looked up at the blue sky and says to herself, “Well...Time to go home.”