Sunset Reset

by LordBrony2040


Chapter 19: The Farce Awakens

Sunset was somewhat unnerved to find that the premiere showing of Solar Battles Five was far too much like she had expected. While the amber alicorn had never actually gone to a big movie premiere before in the human world, Rarity had dragged her in front of the television to watch a show that gave the overly star-obsessed girl all kinds of information in regards to what happened at such events. Aside from any actual information on the movie, that is.

When she and Celestia exited the royal carriage, they walked down a red carpet while a veritable army of ponies with cameras created a wall of flashing lights to flank the two princesses. Like always whenever she showed up at public events, the white alicorn walked with her head held high and wings spread in a way that just screamed ‘I’M BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU!’ before Celestia had them stop for a moment to answer questions outside of the theater, most of which revolved around extremely frivolous things that Sunset had to keep from rolling her eyes at.

The most important pony in Equestria was standing in front of them, and all they could think to ask was, what pony was her favorite character? Sky Trotter, or So Low?

Of course, Sunset also had to answer the same stupid questions. And to humor them, she gave all the ponies her honest answer. “I like Dark Invader.”

It got a gasp of horrified surprise from the crowd and ended the interview prematurely. Which suited Sunset just fine, it allowed her to finally have some alone time with her mother to talk about important things that they hadn’t had any time to do on the chariot ride over.

“So Mom,” Sunset said after they sat down in the princess’s personal balcony seat. The amber alicorn got a bit distracted and took a second to admire the view. While it wasn’t the front row floor seating Cadance had gotten, the area large enough to host Celestia’s plot plus two normal-sized ponies was placed slightly beneath the front of the center stage balcony, giving them a better vantage point to see the play than most ponies. But Sunset wasn’t about to let something like that keep her attention for long. “About that mare you saw in my room.”

Celestia looked away from where the pony on the stage was going over things like the latest news, coming attractions, and announcing several upcoming events that were to be hosted in the theater despite the fact that they weren’t actually plays, or the illusionary recreation of plays at any rate. “Sunset, must we talk about this now? I would like to enjoy our evening together, not watch as you try again to compete with Cadance for my praise.”

After hearing her mother’s words, it took several seconds before Sunset managed to form a coherent thought from the mass of confusion Celestia had turned her mind into. What did helping another mare with her family problems have to do with Cadance?

Still, if Celestia didn’t want to talk, Sunset wasn’t going to force it on her.


“I still think I’d look better in a suit that didn’t need a bowtie,” Shining Armor mumbled.

The young stallion’s mother rolled her eyes as she finished helping her son put on his clothes. “Nonsense sweetie. This is what Princess Cadance expects,” she said before stepping away. “Besides, I have it on good authority that bowties are considered cool.”

Shining Armor frowned back at his mother. “Poindexter is not a pony you want to listen to when it comes to fashion tips, Mom,” he replied before frowning at his own words. He had been hanging around Sassy Saddles for way too long.

Ignoring his mother’s retort, Shining Armor looked back into the mirror. Instead of the usual tie he wore to the more important events, or even a fancy vest that didn’t make it halfway to his flank like most ponies, Shining Armor was dressed in a black coat that went all the way to his hindquarters to cover up his cutie mark, while another dress shirt of purple silk poked it way out in the front. A black bowtie did its best to cut off his oxygen supply.

There was a knock at the door, and Velvet urged her son forward to answer it.

When he opened the door to look at the mare on the other side, Shining Armor froze...and stared at his date.

Princess Cadance had always stood head and haunches above any other pony Shining had even met when it came to looks on just her natural beauty alone. But seeing her standing in front of him wearing light purple eyeshadow and in a dress of the purest white with golden designs that sparkled in the light of the streetlamps made Shining Armor reassess her standing. In the right dress and makeup, nopony could even hope to compare to the pink alicorn that had somehow decided Shining Armor of all ponies was worth her time.

The pink mare looked the stallion up and down, probably finding about a million faults, including that loose thread sticking out of his coat’s left pocket. Then Cadance smiled at him, and Shining Armor had to lock his legs to keep from turning into a pile of mush. “You really are adorable,” she said with a little giggle.

A compliment, Shining Armor managed to think after examining her words. Quick! Say something cool!

“Gaaaah ge ba huh?” he forced out when his mouth didn't respond to his mental demand as soon as it should have.

Cadance blinked in surprise at the nonsense...then smirked. “Uh oh, looks like somepony’s having a relapse,” she said before offering her hoof. “Come on stud. Let’s get you into the carriage while you still have motor function.”

By some miracle, Shining Armor managed to link fetlocks with Cadance, and she led him to the fancy white carriage that was waiting for him outside his family’s house. Once they were inside, the two ponies sat facing each other, and Shining Armor noticed that Cadance was wearing a perfume that smelled like roses instead of her usual strawberries.

Shining Armor also hoped Cadance didn’t smell his...naturally nervous odors that cropped up whenever a stallion was alone with a mare that was so hopelessly out of his league that Celestia Herself would probably throw him in a dark pit from which there was no escape if the High Princess of Equestria should happen to see them together.

“Shiny?”

Cadance calling his name made Shining Armor tense before he tried replying. “Gu ba huh?”

And then he gulped loudly as Cadance gave him a worried look. “You haven’t lost your voice around me in over a week,” she said before drawing in on herself just a bit. “Am I really making you that uncomfortable?”

Shining Armor opened his mouth...but stopped himself before anything stupid could come out.

In the meantime, Cadance put her hooves down on the seat and lowered her head. “I’m sorry,” she went on. “I know this is supposed to be a real special night for you, and I’m messing it up.”

The sad look on Cadance’s face sent a tiny shock down Shining Armor’s spine. And the next thing he knew, his mouth was moving. “W-Wait, what?” the white stallion asked before reaching forward to touch Cadance’s hooves and get her attention. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Shiny, we both know the mare you’d rather be going to the play with,” Cadance told him with a little smile. “And even if Sunset is kind of busy tonight, you and your friends had plans about this for weeks in advance, before you even met me. The view may be better, but the company isn’t going to be nearly as good. Enjoying something with your friends makes a whole lot of difference.”

Shining Armor became hesitant again. Both unsure of what he should say and a little amazed that a mare like Cadance would actually think he didn’t want to spend time with her. “But...” Shining Armor said to her before taking her hooves in his. “Look. I know, I always talk about how Sunset saw me in trouble and saved me the first day we met. But the very next day, you walked right up to me in the middle of school and told this nerdy loser you were going to help him get this awesome mare that was so far out of his league he couldn’t even talk to her instead of taking one look at me and kicking me to the curb.”

For a second, Shining Armor had thought something stupid, because Cadance’s expression turned to one of confusion again as soon as he finished talking. “...Oh,” she finally said.

“What I mean is,” Shining Armor kept going. “You’re my friend too. Just as much as any of the other guys are, or even Sunset.”

Cadance’s mouth turned up into a little smile. "Thanks, Shiny,” she said before some embarrassment showed on her face. “Although...I stand by my assessment. I mean...I never even saw the first play, remember?”

The earth-shattering statement made Shining Armor’s eyes widen. “Oh! Uh...right,” he replied uneasily as he tried to remember when Cadance had told him that. Had it been back when they were in bed with Twilight? The filly-sized alicorns had been kind of distracting.

“So...can you tell me about it?” she asked.

Shining Armor blinked. “Uh...sure!” he replied before settling down into a much more comfortable topic. “Well, it all started a long time ago, in a land that was far, far away…”


Buck Withers frowned at the puny little horn-head ahead of him in line as he and 3D made their way to their seats along with Gut Check. Although he would have liked to have taken a pair of fillies along with him for the night, he had bigger fish to catch. The boys would help for when the play was over and it was time for him get with Princess Cadance.

Plus, any girls probably would have narced on the stallion when it came to the hard cider he was sneaking in under the large dress coat. The guys knew to keep their muzzles shut about it. Just because some new loser was running Canterlot Academy didn’t mean Buck wouldn’t smash their faces in after leaving school when there was nothing he could do about it.

After the trio took their front-row seats on the first balcony, Buck looked around for his mare and the punching bag that had attached himself to her like a leech. “Either of you twits see the Princess?”

3D gave Buck a look that would have gotten the other stallion smacked in the mouth of they were anywhere else. “Uh...she’s right there dude.”

Buck looked over to where his teammate was pointing, and frowned at the giant white pony sitting far to the left and slightly lower than the earth pony was. He hadn’t thought Princess Celestia went to these sorts of things. Although...the more Buck thought about it, the more things seemed to be lining up for him.

He could get rid of that twerp Shining Armor, show Cadance what a real stallion was like, and probably get Princess Celestia to engage the two of them all in one night.

It was one of those destiny things.


Since Shiny didn’t seem the type to brave the red carpet and its vicious paparazzi, Cadance instructed her driver to pull around to the back of the theater where all the service wagons meant to carry the food, drink, and trash were parked. Thanks to the popularity of the play, it looked like the ponies who planned such things had brought an excess of snacks, but there was still space for Cadance's driver to park her carriage before he went off to enjoy the show as well.

By some miracle, Shining Armor had finished with his story about how the first Solar Battles play went right as the stallion pulling their carriage stopped next to one of the theater’s many rear exits. Cadance had to admit that she enjoyed her time with Shiny during their trip. Sunset had been right, the young stallion really was like a whole other pony whenever he talked about something he was passionate about.

He even had the pink princess interested in the play as more than just something a good friend would enjoy. Although, Cadance had to admit that the pony that wrote the thing didn’t know squat about romance. From the sound of things, Sky Trotter and Duchess Leia would make a horrible couple.

But she wasn’t about to tell Shiny that and ruin his silly little theories about how the story should progress.

After making their way into the theater, Cadance was surprised by just how many ponies were in attendance. Since the show hadn’t begun, dozens upon dozens of little conversations all jumbled together to make a nearly deafening mass of sound that came from all directions at the same time while the pony standing on the stage shouted over all of them thanks to him being wrapped in a spell that projected his voice throughout the theater.

Halfway to their seats, Cadance glanced back up towards the royal balcony. “Shiny, how long is this play again?”

Shining Armor gave Cadance a confused look before answering the question. “Well, if it’s anything like the first...two hours, with a twenty minute break in the middle for intermission,” he said. “Why?”

The thought of Sunset and Celestia forced to be next to each other in a little box was a worrisome one. “No way they’re going to be able to last that long,” Cadance mumbled to herself as she saw Sunset give Celestia a slightly perturbed look before sitting down.

“Huh?”

The semi-question had Cadance looking back to Shining Armor for a moment before they continued their walk to their seats. For a moment, the pink princess thought she should just gloss over the little slip. What was going on was between Celestia and Sunset was private and just between them. Cadance only gave the occasional nudge.

But...Shining Armor was practically Sunset’s special somepony. He had a right to know if anything was bothering the amber alicorn.

So, Cadance took a deep breath as they sat down on the foldout seats with their lush red cushions and decided to just let it all out. “It’s just...recently, Princess Celestia has finally acknowledged the fact that she really raised Sunset. And with that, she’s trying to be a good parent to a pony she’s only really ever treated as a student. And Sunset’s...well...I’m not sure,” Cadance admitted. “At first, I just thought she had some increased expectations involving how Celestia should treat her and having them not met made Sunset angry, but...now I’m starting to think that Sunset’s just being angry all the time about...something, and she’s just been lashing out at anything that will give her an excuse.” Celestia was just an easy target.

“Except when she’s sad,” Shining Armor pointed out.

The extra bit of info made Cadance shake her head. “Depression is just anger turned inward,” the pink princess explained before she sighed and looked at the floor. “I’m sorry, Shiny. I’m supposed to be showing you a good time, and all I can seem to do is talk about other mares.”

A foreleg moved up and locked its fetlock with hers. “Hey, Sunset’s my friend too,” he told her before Cadance looked up to catch his concerned expression. “Is it really that bad for her?”

Cadance stopped herself from saying anything else. She felt like kicking herself. Shiny was here to enjoy something he was passionate about, and she was about to ruin it for him by making the poor colt worry about another pony throughout the whole play. “Well...maybe I’m just reading a bit too much into it,” the pink princess half-lied as she tried to put both her own mind at ease and Shining Armor’s. “Sunset and I haven’t been friends for very long after all, and her relationship with Celestia has always been...a little strange.”

Much to Cadance’s relief, Shining Armor took the explanation and backed off of the topic.

A few minutes later, the play started.


While fantasy stories and the like had never been her cup of tea, Celestia found herself drawn in by the story of Sky Trotter and his group of friends as they battled the Imperium with the use of a special magical force that only a very select few ponies could use. Still, the Invader character hit a little too close to Celestia’s heart with the black armor he wore.

It wasn’t the first thing in her life that made Celestia wonder if Equestria would have been better off if she had stricken both Luna and Nightmare Moon’s existence from the records rather than just saving her sister from being thought of as nothing more than a monster by the world at large.

Still, she managed to enjoy herself.

Sunset, on the other hoof, didn’t.

Only the fact that Sunset was new to her wings tipped Celestia off to her mood. Every now and then, they would twitch with irritation, or droop as her mood lowered. What worried Celestia the most was that halfway to intermission, Sunset’s wings fell down and stayed that way until the play came to a stopping point so that all of the ponies in the audience could get more snacks or relieve themselves.

Since Celestia and Sunset required neither, the bigger alicorn surrounded them in a magical field to hide their conversation from the ponies sitting slightly above the royal balcony and looked to her daughter. “Sunset-”

“Why do you always think the worst of me?” the amber alicorn asked in a nearly lifeless tone as she looked down at the seats below them.

The question froze Celestia before she could get another word out. Her mouth hung open for several seconds before she managed to close it. “W-What?”

Sunset turned her head to look back at Celestia with drooping eyes. “It’s not that I blame you,” she mumbled before looking away. “It’s just...you-or...the other you, the human you, I mean...she...even when I was at my worst, when I was much worse than I was with you...she never…”

With the mention of that other world, Celestia had to fight to keep herself from frowning. Once again, all the pain and suffering Sunset was experiencing, it all came back to that horrid place. The princess didn’t let it show, but the mention of what was on the other side of the mirror lit a fire in Celestia as hot as her sun.

Whatever Sunset was going to say never came, and she dropped her head. “I...I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…”

For a brief second, Celestia considered letting Sunset just drop the subject and pretending it never happened. She had come to the play with her daughter to forge some happy memories, to bond and share her presence with the smaller alicorn, not...speak of such things.

But...that would just be another family member Celestia ignored as her loved one slipped into a maddening depression.

I can’t allow something like that to happen again, the solar demigoddess told herself as she reached deep within herself to pull up all the resolve she could muster. Despite the fact that Celestia would rather do anything but address the latest issue that was causing her child to suffer in the hopes that it would just go away, she made herself look ready to speak when in reality the oldest princess would rather to anything but.

It was a technique she had come up with over the years. Sunset had gotten a bit used to it, but even she couldn’t see through the false calm completely. Not yet, anyway. Celestia straightened her back as she slipped into her public persona and became the very image of a strong, resolute mare that could carry the world on her back without an ounce of effort. She was strong, powerful, fearless, and sure of herself; the very definition of a perfect pony. A princess that nopony would dare to question.

And as Celestia turned her gaze towards her daughter, she saw the amber alicorn flinch at the attention.

The action shattered the mask Celestia had several lifetimes perfecting.

Celestia immediately let the worry in her gut show on her face and stepped over to her daughter before lowering herself to look Sunset in the eye. “Daughter,” the larger mare asked as she placed a wing under Sunset’s chin to lift the filly’s head up. “What’s wrong?”

After a few nervous glances back to the stage, Sunset sighed and shook her head. “Never mind,” she said before turning away from Celestia completely.

Her hoof was halfway to Sunset’s shoulder before she could stop herself. But before Celestia could complete the action, she dropped her hoof and lowered her head. Sunset didn't need a princess at the moment, she needed her mom. “Please talk to me,” Celestia begged in a voice that was barely above a whisper. “Whatever I said to make you like this... What do you mean, I only think the worst of you?”

Sunset looked back up at Celestia, and for a fraction of a second, a little frown appeared on her face. “Because you do,” she said before her expression sunk back down to where it had been. “Sorry.”

Panic threatened to set in as Celestia watched Sunset’s mood worsen. You do. The present tense wording had Celestia combing through her recent memories to try and understand what had made Sunset so upset. But when she came up with nothing, Celestia threw away hundreds of years worth of personal experience that shouted at her she should never show her ignorance and spoke to her child. “I don’t understand. What do you mean by I’m thinking the worst of you?”

“I…”

Celestia hung on Sunset’s single syllable for several seconds as she watched the amber alicorn war internally on whether or not she should continue the conversation. The fact that Sunset didn't even think she could talk to Celestia made the bigger alicorn's insides clench. When Sunset began to turn away, Celestia began to speak again. “Please give me another chance,” she begged her daughter, snapping the smaller alicorn’s attention back to her as she lowered herself to eye level with Sunset. “I know I haven’t given you much reason to have faith in me, Sunset. But…”

Once again, years of experience told Celestia that this was the chance to turn the amber alicorn’s position on its head. But if you don’t have faith in me, then how is that any different than me not having any faith in you, the ancient pony’s mind supplied as it gave her a pay to point out the hypocrisy of Sunset’s refusal to put her trust in Celestia.

And yet, the largest alicorn in Equestria went a different route.

“I know I’ve hurt you,” Celestia told her. “I’m a...lousy excuse for a mother." As always, the admission was a hard one. Admitting her faults had never been easy for Celestia. Even the completely understandable ones that a pony could only expect to have in her situation. "I’ve neglected you, and even now, my first instinct is to take an authoritarian stance when you need more compassion and love more than ever. For that, I can only apologize. But...I also know that whatever is troubling you won’t go away unless we address it. So...please, tell me what’s wrong.”

Sunset sighed deeply, but she she didn’t turn around before she began talking. “That mare you met before we came here,” the amber alicorn began. “She was a student at your school before she got pregnant in her final year by a young noble’s son. Shortly after that, he ditched her to avoid a scandal. I was promising to help her complete her education while being able to keep her foal. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Creating some kind of system to help ponies in her situation live up to their potential.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow at Sunset’s explanation. It all seemed much too simplistic. Plus, there was something about the situation that made the white alicorn feel uneasy. She couldn’t quite place her hoof on it, but Celestia knew when to trust her gut in such matters.

She needed more information. “Why are you so concerned about this?”

The question got another frown from Sunset. One that simmered for several seconds before bearing fruit. "What?"

Celestia sighed. "Sunset, you've never really shown interest in such things before," she explained. "I'm just...curious as to why you picked this instead of the dozens of other things you could work on. Is it because Cadance got credit for what happened at your new school, so you're wanting to launch an initiative at your old one to compete with her?"

“Maybe I have a certain amount of insight of how a little filly is going to feel when she gets old enough to learn that her mom and dad threw her away because it was easier!” Sunset told her adopted mother. “Maybe, I think that just because a stupid kid made one really stupid mistake in her life, the entirety of her future shouldn’t be reduced to the most mundane options just because she wants to do what's right!”

Celestia sighed and shook her head for a moment before looking at her daughter again. “Sunset, if what you’re saying is the case with this young mare, then perhaps it would be better if she were to give her foal up for adoption. She sounds much too young for the responsibility. It isn’t just her future we should be considering, but the foal’s as well. Many ponies have had full and happy lives despite being separated from their...parents,”  Celestia’s words trailed off as Sunset let out a growl that sounded like it should have come from a more canine-ish creature.

When the amber alicorn noticed that Celestia wasn’t going to go on, she peeled back her lips and spoke through clenched teeth. “Really? That’s what-okay then. Come on. Tell the orphan how much better a foal’s life could be if she gets thrown away like trash so her parents can get a better job!”

So that’s what this is about, Celestia thought to herself. She had believed Sunset had gotten over the loss of her parents a long time ago. Right before she...turned Celestia into her replacement mother...that rejected her. “Sunset,” the High Princess of Equestria said as she dug in her hooves. Celestia could apologize to her daughter for being a foolish parent all day, but matters of government were another matter. Celestia needed to make Sunset see she was being too emotional about this.

“You know what? Never mind!” she said before her horn started to gather magic. “I’m gonna go get some air before I end up doing something stupid, like trying to smack some sense into you!”

Celestia noticed Sunset’s teleportation spell and took note of the arrival location as an afterthought while she tried to think of something, anything to get her daughter to remain with her long enough to calm down. “W-Wait! You...um..." There wasn’t anything she could do personally to make Sunset stay, so Celestia grasped at the one straw available to her. "You’ll miss the end of the play!”

A cloud of steamy anger shot out of Sunset’s nostrils as she snorted at her mother. “Spoiler alert, Invader is Sky Trotter’s father!” she said before disappearing in a bright flash of light.

Despite the situation, Celestia couldn’t help but gasp in surprise.

But once that was over, she towards the direction that Sunset had teleported and frowned. Despite years of experience, the alicorn found herself at a loss about what to do. If Celestia were to pursue Sunset, the amber alicorn could very well become even more upset over the fact that she wanted to remain alone.

But leaving her to her own thoughts...Celestia remembered the last time a family member had been upset for a long period of time, how she had done nothing, and how it had all ended. That was something she could not let happen again.

Finally, the solar goddess found a compromise with herself. I’ll give her some time, Celestia thought as she tried to put things in a positive light. Sunset didn't explode. She left to calm down. That was a good thing. I know where she went. When the play is over, I’ll go and see her. She will have cooled down, and I… Once again, all of Celestia’s instincts rebelled against the coming thought. She managed to push it through anyway. And I’ll have my apology ready for her by then.


Sunset adjusted her footing and reappeared on the theater’s rooftop and trotted forward in a fit. Stupid Mo-stupid Celestia! she thought with a frown before putting her butt down on the tiles that were serving for her ground and snorting again. Who in the hell did Celestia think she was, bringing up something like that?

Even if...Sunset knew her life really was better since she had been taken in by Celestia before her parents were killed. It hadn’t just provided the alicorn with unlimited opportunities, it might have even saved her life since both Sunset’s parents had died.

Plus, it had been her parents who had thrown her away, not...well, not this Celestia, at any rate.

Not yet anyway.

And...Celestia hadn’t meant to bring it up.

Although she sure as hell hadn’t put enough care into her words to see where they were going to lead either.

Sunset frowned as her mind constantly bounced back and forth between defending her loving mother and rightfully pointing a finger at the damn bitch.

It was just...Celestia should have known better than to bring something like that up!

But...Sunset wasn’t acting much better about it.

She had thrown another tantrum like a stupid child that didn't get her wings by demanding them.

“Ugh! I hate it when I get wishy-washy,” she grumbled before an idea struck her.

Years ago, after Sunset had gotten in real trouble with Celestia for the first time because a doofus unicorn had wrecked a project she had spent months working on for a school magic competition and Sunset had returned the idiocy by laying a curse on him, she had asked Celestia why what she did was wrong. In response, Celestia taught Sunset a spell that ‘always let her listen to that little voice inside of her that would know what to do’ by creating a thought projection to advise her.

Being the self-centered genius that she was, it only took Sunset a week to improve the spell so that the thought avatar it created only said things she wanted to hear. After that, Celestia had told her to never cast the spell again and make up her own mind. Although, Sunset wasn't sure if Celestia knew the spell had been changed or not. She had looked pretty horrified after hearing some of the advice it offered.

And, with it being so long since she had talked to ‘herself’ the amber alicorn wasn’t quite sure which was the spell Celestia had taught her, and which was the spell she had invented.

So, Sunset cast them both at the same time.

Just like when she had been a filly, a small but bright light exited her horn before slipping into two glowing balls of magic of equal size. One was red, the other a bright gold. A second later, the golden glow reformed itself into a miniature version of her old human body with wings and a horn made of light. As for the red light, Sunset frowned and got a little closer as the second magical sphere continued to take its time in coming up with a shape.

All of a sudden, the magic popped inches away from her muzzle, and Sunset found herself staring at another version of her human form with leathery wings and bright red skin that was topped by hair that looked like it was on fire.

“AHHHH!” the amber alicorn screamed as she jumped away, only to fall back on her butt.

The little devil floating the air crossed her arms underneath her breasts and frowned down at her creator. “Good going there idiot.”

“Well, you do look like that.”

Sunset blinked and looked over to the golden version of her human form, then back to the red one. With the moment of surprise gone, she took a closer look at the floating representation of the darkest point of her life and frowned. There was something off about the devil’s body. Very off. “Uh...why do you look like that?”

“Hm?” The devil blinked and looked down at herself. “Well, I guess it’s because of all the guilt you’re feeling towards your past actions, your better understanding of your psyche,  and the negative view you have of the version of the spell that constructed me.”

With the obvious explanation done with, Sunset frowned and pointed a hoof at the floating little monster. “Not that! Anybody that’s taken a high school psychology course can figure that out,” she told what was most likely the magical representation of her Id. “I mean, why do you have those?”

Once again, the little devil looked down at herself, this time taking a moment to cup the pair of large breasts she was sporting before she also shook her butt a little bit to show off the other half of her hourglass figure. Then she looked back up to Sunset. “Your sexual desires are the one thing you’re not repressing, and you have to ask me why I look like some teenage boy’s wet dream?”

Rather than dignify that with a response, Sunset turned her attention to the angelic version of her human form with a horn. “So, that makes you my superego then?”

“Why are you asking me a technical question like that?” Goldie replied. “I’m just part of your personality given shape and brought to the surface. I only know what you know about the way the world works. You didn’t call us out to ask those kinds of questions.”

Sunset let out a long sigh. “Okay, fine,” she said before focusing on her shoulder angel. “So, what should I do about Mom?”

“Smack her!”

Sunset frowned and turned her attention over to her shoulder devil. “I’m not going to attack my mom!”

The devil rolled her eyes. “I’m not saying you should put her in the hospital or anything,” Red replied. “But after everything she’s put us though, she needs a little instant physical payback!”

“Give her time,” the angelic member of the duo told Sunset, making the amber alicorn turn her attention back to the good manifestation. “Celestia is still adjusting to our new relationship. You know she didn’t mean anything hurtful by what she said.”

“Except we don’t have any time to give,” the devil went on. “One week, and then she replaces us with Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

The comment made Sunset put her full attention back onto her darker manifestation. “Hey! Don’t talk about her like that. Twilight’s just a little kid right now.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with the little wingless one, even I love that girl,” Red told Sunset. “But the big one that left us stranded and crippled? Yeah, big problem with her. Listen to Mom and the hottie on this one girl, the princess ain’t worth crap.”

“She’s a good pony,” Goldie added before Sunset could jump to Princess Twilight's defense. “She saved us from ourselves-”

“And left us stranded on Earth where we would be forever cut off from out magic,” Red went on right on top of her counterpart. “She didn’t come through the portal to defend us when the rest of those asshats thought we were spreading secrets about everybody else AFTER we saved them all from becoming mindless rage zombies, and she didn’t even fucking bother to reply when our lives were in danger! And YOU!”

Sunset reared back as the demon pointed a finger at her. “You’re just planning to give everything up for her?” Red demanded before she flew right in front of Sunset’s face. “We have our mother’s love and respect, a real friend that actually understands and sticks up for us to Celestia, a cute stallion we actually want to fuck, and YOU’RE JUST GOING TO THROW IT ALL AWAY BECAUSE OF HER? WHY THE FUCK SHOULD WE GIVE UP ANYTHING FOR THAT PIECE OF SHIT?”

Unable to form a retort to the devil’s angry questions, Sunset looked over to the angel with pleading eyes. “W-Well?”

“Because,” she angelic expression of Sunset’s unconscious said before laying it out for her in three simple words.


The play was...disappointing.

Cadance hated to think of it in such a way, especially with Shining Armor so wrapped up in everything about it, but...she couldn’t help but be disappointed. While there had been some action, such things really weren’t Cadance’s cup of tea. Duchess Leia and Sky Trotter were supposed to have kissed in the first play. Yet there was a complete lack of romantic interaction between the two of them. They might as well have been brother and sister! In fact, the closest thing to relationship in the entire play was how the duchess and the smuggler So Low played off one another, and that was almost pure antagonistic! The stupid pegasus with his dark black jacket and sandy mane was a total jerk.

And now Solo’s going to get frozen in crystalite, the pink princess thought as she watched the scene play out in front of her. Good riddance.

“SO LOW!” Leia cried out as the two thunder troopers grabbed the unicorn pony to stop her from galloping forward. “I...I love you!”

Cadance rolled her eyes. Yeah right sister, there’s no way he-And the pegasus looked back to Duchess Leia with a small smile before he nodded. “...I know.”

All of a sudden, the world shifted, and Cadance gasped in shock. Wha...what? All along, he knew...but he was just pushing her away because a pony like him could never be with a noble like her. That… The pink princess blinked as the scene continued and So Low was lowered into the vat where the crystals would grow to encompass his body in seconds.

But of course, Duchess Leia simply stood there while Cadance fumed at her inaction. No...what’re you doing? You’re just standing there. Why’re you just standing there? Save him! He’s your So Low, HURRY UP AND SAVE HIM YOU STUPID HORSE!

But, it was not to be, and Cadance reached over to grab Shiny as her most beloved character in the play was kind-of-but-not-really-sorta-killed. Then, she watched the rest of the play as So Low’s friends attempted to get him back from the griffon bounty hunter...and that Sky Trotter guy had some big confrontation with that jerk in black, who was apparently his father or something. Cadance was too upset over the horrible ending to Leia and So Low’s tragic romance to give much of a buck.

The play ended shortly after that, and Cadance was left in her seat as she waited for the rest of the crowd to head out of the theater. She looked up to Princess Celestia as she waited for the packed rows to thin out and saw the big alicorn disappear in a flash of light not two seconds later.

I really need to learn that spell, the pink princess thought to herself before the ponies blocking off the back exit finally cleared out enough for her and Shining Armor to get through. Without waiting a second to waste her opening, Cadance grabbed her date’s hoof and led him behind the crowd.

“So um...did you like the play, Cadance?” he asked hesitantly.

With Shining Armor being so enthralled by the whole thing, Cadance chose her words carefully. “It was...nice,” she said after several seconds of hesitation. As nice as a performance where the mare’s stallion, a stallion that was much too good for her in Cadance’s opinion, was taken away by an evil griffon to be sold to a giant slug.

They made it into the back area behind the stage, and then out the rear exit to the theater where the various food, soda, supply and waste carts for the play had been parked along with Cadance’s carriage. The pony she had hired to pull them around wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but Cadance had suspected it would take him a bit longer to make his way out of the building since she had provided him with a third floor seat. Until then, she could just spend time talking with Shiny.

“So…” Cadance said to her ‘date’ actually a little unsure of what to do next. She wanted Shining Armor to have a good time. But he was Sunset’s coltfriend!

Best friends didn’t have good times with each other’s coltfriends.

Even if...Cadance and Shining would make a better pairing than the meek unicorn and the fiery alicorn currently were.

For some reason Cadance couldn’t understand, Shining Armor got all tense, and looked around nervously. “Um...well...so...uh...w-what do we do now, P-Princess?”

Cadance giggled at his unease. Shiny really did make it hard for her not to find him impossibly cute sometimes. Just for some fun, she stepped close enough to smell the little bits of melted butter from the popcorn that had gotten in his coat around the lips and gave the young stallion a sensual smile. “Well, we’ve got you...me...and our own private mobile room over there for about another twenty minutes,” she asked in a low voice. “What do you think we should do, Shiny?”

The stallion gulped. “W-Well...um, I-I saw Gaffer and the others during intermission…”

The smile Cadance had on her face grew wider. Even though she was cranking up the seduction, Shining Armor was turning her down. Now, she didn’t have to worry about having seconds thought about the whole thing due to a lack of effort on her part. It was perfect! “I remember. I was there to meet Fleur and her friends.”

Shining Armor’s whole face turned red. “So...I just...I-we thought, you know...we’d...uh…”

“HEY!”

Cadance frowned as the time of adorableness ended, and she looked back so see what monster had put an end to her fun with his rough and slightly slurred speech. When the big stallion bully that had bothered Shining Armor back at the academy came lumbering forward with a slight sway in his trot, the pink princess let out a sound of displeasure. “Ugh. Buck. What’re you doing here?”

As the large pony came out of the shadows with his two cronies behind him, the one that thought 3D glasses needed to be worn all the time and the other earth pony that was unusually short and pudgy. Even from half a parking lot away, Cadance could practically smell the amount of cider coming off him. “Hey you little punk!” Buck yelled while wildly cantering forward. “What’d I tell you about messing with my mare? A princess needs a real stallion, not some stupid little colt like you!”

Shining Armor went stiff at the demand, and Cadance moved in front of the poor stallion to put herself between Shiny and his tormentor. “In case you haven’t realized it yet Buck, I’m not your anything,” the pink princess stressed before she frowned. “And for your information, Shining Armor is ten times the stallion that you are.”

For a moment, Cadance thought about putting her wing over Shiny’s back and completely enveloping his side the way Sunset had done with both of them in front of everypony. But, that probably would have been a bit much. Instead, she just frowned at him. “Get get to trotting Buck. You’re not wanted here. So move along before I call the guards and have you arrested for public intoxication.”

The pony with the red and blue glasses nervously reached over to the earth stallion. “Uh, Buck. Maybe we should-”

“Shut up!” the earth pony demanded before he threw off the other colt hard enough to knock him into one of the wagons storing several casks of juice. The wagon tumbled over, and all the contents fell to the ground hard enough to break open several casks of red, blue, yellow, and purple liquids that ran down the rather steep incline the lot behind the theater had.

As his so-called friend lay on the ground, completely drenched and dazed, Buck stomped forward. “Now you’re coming with me, Princess! And I’m gonna show you a real good time!”

For a moment, Cadance’s attention was divided between Buck, and the pony he had just knocked down. With the bigger stallion barreling down on her, the pink princess had to admit that she was a little worried.

Until Cadance remembered the company she was supposed to be counted among. Princess Celestia had defended Equestria since before Cadance’s great-grandfather had been in diapers. And Sunset...well, the alicorn that actually acted like a guardian of the downtrodden wouldn’t have batted an eyelash at some schoolyard bully.

So...Cadance wouldn’t either.

Right before Buck could reach her, she stepped forward and poked a hoof into his chest. “Get this through your thick skull you bonehead,” she said with a frown, which actually caused the bigger pony to stop. And since she was on a roll, Cadance saw no reason to slow down. “ I. DON’T. LIKE. YOU!”

The pink princess spread her wings to emphasize the point. “You’re just a big jerk with more ego than sense! Even your friends can barely stand to be around you,” Cadance told the stallion, making sure to speak loudly enough to help drive the points home.

As for Buck, he tried to work up a retort, but was only able to stutter a few words. “B-B-But, y-you-”

Cadance poked the other pony in the chest again with her hoof. “Do you know what a real stallion is, you paleolithic pony?” she demanded. “A real stallion knows what he wants out of life. A real stallion builds others up instead of knocking them down like you! You are nothing-”

“-s-shut up,” Buck got out between Cadance’s words.

“-but a pathetic, overgrown-”

“Shut up!” he said, a little bit louder.

“-poor excuse for a-”

“I SAID SHUT UP!” Buck screamed before Cadance felt something collide with the side of her head.

Then, for some reason she couldn’t quite understand, the whole world went sideways and she was left looking at Buck’s hooves at the oddest of angles.


Celestia blinked in on the rooftop of the Canterlot Theater, glad for the extra time she had been granted that allowed her to think of what to say to the amber alicorn that was currently just laying down on the roof as if she had not working legs or wings. Thinking of how she would talk to Sunset about the...issue, it had been difficult.

To apologize for hurting her daughter as a mother, Celestia could do. Despite her advanced age, it was a new territory to the ancient alicorn. Both foreign and terrifying. Missteps were to be expected.

But apologizing to another princess when it came to matters of state?

That would be a bit more difficult.

Still, she silently thanked Sunset for not gliding off somewhere after teleporting away and trotted over to the mare. “Sunset-”

“I’m sorry,” the amber alicorn said in an almost lifeless tone before Celestia could get another word out. Sunset slowly stood up and turned to look at her mother with half-lidded eyes that seemed tired more than anything else. “I’m sorry for yelling at you, Mom. You did all this to try and give us a good time together, and I went and screwed things up...again.”

The complete lack of anything that made her daughter so vibrant made Celestia’s heart increase its pace. What in the name of Equestria has she been doing up here? Celestia asked herself before she reached down with a hoof to guide her child around to face the rest of Canterlot. “Sunset, can we talk?”

“Okay,” she said before letting Celestia push her forward with a wing until they were on the edge of the roof, then looked out towards the city.

After she sat Sunset down, Celestia did the same and draped one of her wings across the smaller alicorn’s back. Then Celestia used one of her feathers to guide her daughter’s attention up to the city. “Sunset, tell me what you see.”

The amber alicorn looked around for a second, and then back to Celestia. “This is some sort of test, right?” she asked before looking back to the city and sighing. “Well, since you probably don’t just want me to go Canterlot...I see a pair of guardsponies doing routine air patrols, a dejected young mare that looks like she either tried to sneak into the play and got caught or just got dumped while on a date if her clothes are any indication, an apple vendor that looks like he’s hoping to make a lot of money by parking his wagon near the theater for when it lets out, and-is that Cadance and Shining Armor?”

Celestia blinked, her plan to explain to Sunset their differing views and work in an...explanation for her earlier comment came to a screeching halt. Before she could get things back on track by saying ‘I see Canterlot’, Sunset leaned down and frowned. “W-What’s she doing?”

Joining her daughter in a closer inspection of what was going on, Celestia leaned her head over the edge as well. “Hmm, she appears to be seducing him.”

Sunset’s entire body went rigid at the observation.

With what looked like the beginnings of another one of Sunset’s moments appearing before her eyes, Celestia pulled her daughter back from the edge and looked at the amber alicorn. “Sunset, what’s wrong with you?”

The tension in the other alicorn’s body drained out of her, and she slumped forward. “Everything...apparently.”

Celestia frowned in concern at Sunset’s sudden change in mood. It was obvious to the demigoddess that her daughter was upset over Cadance’s actions with the colt, and after factoring in Sunset’s odd behavior when this Shining Armor boy was first mentioned, the reason became obvious. “You like him, don’t you?”

Sunset flinched and looked away from Celestia. “Um…”

A sigh escaped from Celestia’s lips. A little jealousy over some fame or praise was easy. She could simply tell Sunset to get over it and be proud that her friend was doing so well. But when it came to stallions, things weren’t so cut and dry.

“Do you think she’s right for him?” Celestia asked after a moment of consideration.

Sunset looked back up at Celestia with a frown on her face. “Of course I do! I’m the one that’s shoving them together! I’m the one that’s stepping back, and letting this all happen. I...I’m being the good friend here,” she said as the area around her eyes became moist. “L-Like you...want me to be.”

A tiny part of Celestia cried out in joy at the fact Sunset hadn’t fallen for some colt, but the larger part of the pony felt her heart break at seeing her daughter in tears. She swept up the little pony in a hug and held her tight.

Celestia held the amber alicorn and listened to her take deep even breaths to remain calm. She waited a solid minute before pulling back to look Sunset in the eyes with loving concern. “The last thing I want is for you to be unhappy, my little sun.”

She pulled the smaller alicorn back into a hug, and let out another sigh. She needed to give her daughter something to smile about right now. “You’re right about that mare I met,” Celestia said despite her instincts telling her otherwise. “And I’m sorry for saying...what I said.”

Not how Sunset had interpreted it, like Celestia had planned to say nearly an hour earlier.

“I’m sorry too...Mom,” Sunset mumbled. “I know you didn’t mean it like…like I talked about it.”

Once again, Celestia pulled back, and a nervousness overtook her. They had made up. She could stop now and just let things continue on. But… “Sunset...as wrong as it is for me to think and say this...I am glad that you are with me now.”

Sunset blinked. “I’m-”

“I. DON’T. LIKE. YOU!”

Cadance’s shouting cut Sunset off, and she looked over to the edge of the roof that Celestia had pulled them away from for their private chat. “What the?”

For her part, Celestia blinked. “Well...it sounds like your problem with Cadance and Shining Armor might not be much a problem at all,” she mumbled before a slightly terrifying thought entered into the back of her mind. Of course, you chasing after a mortal colt has its own very large list of problems too.

But...that could be solved in the next decade. She didn’t need to bring it up tonight.

Curiosity getting the best of her, Celestia followed Sunset as she looked down on the lot below to see a scene her ears had not prepared her for. Instead of Shining Armor, Cadance was yelling at some big earth pony that looked somewhat familiar to Celestia while another pair of his tribe looked on. “What’s-”

“SHUT UP!”

The absurdity of what was occuring froze Celestia solid. While she had seen several things in her life, it had been an extremely long time since she had born witness to a pony actually attacking an alicorn. So, the teenage earth pony’s hoof connected with Cadance’s cheek, and sent her sliding into a small river of beverages that were flowing down the artificial hill Canterlot Theater was built on.

“...I’ll kill him!” the amber alicorn growled before she lunged forward almost too quickly for Celestia to react.


Shining Armor’s mouth dropped open as he watched Cadance collapse on the street and slide a good six inches from Buck punching her in the jaw until she was laying in the trail of drinks Buck had spilled earlier. “C-Cadance,” he mumbled in shock.

It was a reaction that the other two stallions that had watched the events transpire shared. “Dude, y-you just...hit a princess,” 3D said.

The bully looked down at the pink mare, then over to his hoof. “I...I…” he mumbled before he looked back to his friends in a panic. “Self defense! You guys saw! She was gonna do something to me!”

Both of the stallions backed away from the scene. “Uh...yeah dude, I don’t think that’s gonna fly,” the smaller one told Buck.

“Hey!” Buck shouted out in anger. “Where you do you guys think you’re going? Hurry up and help me clean this mess up! We just-we just…” He looked back to Cadance. “I know! She got drunk, and then she...she…” Then he looked over to the empty ride Shining and the princess had come to the play in. “And got in her carriage, and…” He turned his head back and forth wildly enough to turn his mane into a mess. “And knocked off the break, and it crashed and that’s what happened!”

Shining Armor blinked. “You can’t be serious,” he mumbled.

Cadance moaned from her place on the ground.

For some reason Shining Armor just couldn’t understand, his mouth just kept moving despite the fact that everything about the situation said that keeping his mouth shut or running away was the much better option. “I’m going to tell Princess Sunset what really happened. Not to mention, Cadance is just dazed, not dead. When she gets up, you’re going to be under arrest for assault, and...whatever else you were planning to do to her.” Did trying to drag her off count as attempted kidnapping? And then there was what Buck implied afterwards...Shining didn’t really want to think about where those thoughts were leading him.

“Not if I smash both of your heads in before I throw you both in the carriage,” Buck said before he stepped forward.

Shining stepped back. “W-What? You can’t do something like that!”

“I’m the captain of three sports teams at school and the son of an important pony! I CAN DO ANYTHING I WANT!” Buck shouted before he stumbled forward, making Shining Armor back away from the from the sloshed stallion.

This...this is crazy, Shining Armor thought to himself in a panic as he tried to figure a way out of the situation. Buck had always been a jerk, but what he was talking about was just insane! What in the hay had made Buck think like this?

The frightened colt looked around desperately for some kind of help. The last time he was in a situation like this, Sunset had just some swooping down and saved him. But it didn’t look like she was coming this time around. It was just him.

And what could he do?

For the briefest of seconds, Shining Armor thought about running over to Cadance and putting up a shield. If he could do that, and if it held out long enough while Buck beat against it, and if Cadance didn’t have too much of a headache when she recovered from being kicked in the face so she could use her magic...Shining Armor threw his hopes for that plan away before it could get to its fourth if.

“B-Buck, think about this,” Shining pleaded as he tried to buy some time.

“I’m thinking I should have done this a long time ago!” the stallion told him as he continued to trot forward. “Cadance was MINE! THEN YOU AND THAT HORSE OF A PRINCESS RUINED HER!”

Shining Armor had to stop himself from reminding the stallion that Cadance had never been his, and her own words had proven she would have never even considered the two of them for an instant. Now was not the time to make the much bigger, stronger, and faster stallion so mad he stopped talking and just broke Shining Armor’s neck.

“I’m gonna snap off your horn and shove it so far in your plot hole it comes out your mouth!” Buck threatened.

The threat made Shining Armor look up at said appendage.

His horn.

The first law of magic that everypony in Equestria knew with their first steps stated that unicorns were never allowed to use their magic to attack another pony. Those that did soon learned that it was one of the absolute, no second chances kind of laws that had no wiggle room whatsoever. To do so always meant the harshest of punishments that led to said pony never being heard from again.

But… Shining thought to himself before he looked over to the advancing stallion, and then to the barely conscious alicorn on the ground. If I don’t, then he’ll shove Cadance in the carriage and…

A thought entered Shining Armor’s head. It wasn’t really using magic on another pony…

Buck suddenly stopped advancing as Shining Armor lit up his horn. A worried frown appeared on his face. “H-Hey! What’re you doing? Unicorns can’t use magic on other ponies! That’s illegal!”

“Yeah, and like what you’re planning to do is well within the rules,” Shining Armor said before a smirk appeared on his face. “But don’t worry Buck, I won’t do much.”

The comment made the other stallion frown. “Oh Yeah! Well I’ll just mess you up before-” was as far as he got before the trash cart Shining Armor had taken out of park slammed into him from the side at a faster than normal speed thanks to Shining Armor giving it a boost and carried them both off into the street.

With the danger gone, Shining Armor...blinked.

Had he really been frightened by...that?

Dealing with Buck had been...easy.

“Uhhgh.”

Shining Armor’s eyes widened. Cadance! he thought before galloping over to her and crouching down to take her in his forelegs. “Cadance! Cadance, are you okay?” he asked frantically as the pink princess looked up at him with slightly dazed eyes. “Please be okay. I’m sorry I didn’t do anything to help! I...I was afraid, and stupid...and worthless, and-”

A pink hoof reached up to caress his cheek. “Shiny.”

“Y-Yeah.”

“I saw everything,” she told him before moving closer. “And you were wonderful.”

Shining Armor blinked as the pink princess smiled up at him. “I…”

Then the smile became a little goofy, making Shining Armor wonder if Cadance had a concussion as she spoke. “Saved the princess from the dragon,” she said with a little giggle.

The mention of Canterlot Academy’s team name got a roll of eyes from Shining Armor. Well, if she can make jokes, she’s-Shining Armor’s thoughts were cut off as Cadance yanked him down on top of her.

And then...they kissed.

Shining Armor’s eyes went wide as Princess Cadance moved her tongue past his lips, and felt up his own. Some of the juice from before must have gotten into her mouth, because she tasted like a wet fruit salad with extra sugar mixed in. At first the unicorn didn’t quite know what to do, but he soon found himself just going with the flow as their tongues gently danced.

At least until a fiery meteor shook the earth with its impact before an amber pony galloped out of the  smoke, while a much bigger alicorn who looked extremely worn out floated down from above made Shining Armor’s eyes go wide and nearly sent him into a bow.

“Are you guys okay?” Sunset asked with fearful concern.

Cadance’s mouth separated from Shining’s with a loud smack as she turned her attention to the new royal pony. “S-Sunset!” she exclaimed before looking back at Shining Armor for a moment, and then to Sunset again. “Oh no.”