ESunset Glimmer

• MLP: FiM
• Equestria Girls
• Comedy
• Sad
• Slice of Life

Is the happiness of one child worth the entire world?

• Twilight
• Celestia
• Sunset Shimmer
• Starlight Glimmer
• Sunburst

Ninjadeadbeard · 37k words  ·  116  1 · 2.3k views

Summary:: Sunset Shimmer has returned from the Mirror Universe in order to work with her friend and mentor, Princess Twilight Sparkle, now the Ruler of Equestria, on a personal project, only to be waylaid by the announcement that her other friend, Starlight Glimmer, is soon to give birth. What a happy occasion!

However, not all is as it seems. And when the newborn foal bears more than a striking resemblance to a certain Alicorn, the very fate of the universe will hinge upon the greatest sacrifice a mother can be called upon to make.

And in the end, is one child's happiness worth the entire world?

Initial thoughts: *Deep breath* There is a lot going on in this story and if you aren't familiar with the prequels or lead up to this point you will be confused at the beginning, the author does a good job of trying to explain what is going on without being over bearing, which I appriciate, but I also feel I'd have better knowledge of the story as a whole had I read the prequels. So my opinions on this are purely on this story alone. And for this story we get a gut wrenching tale of loss, suffering, growth, and characterization of Starlight Glimmer and Sunset Shimmer. And time shenigans. Oh boy. This is either going to be really good or really bad? So what did I think? It was okay. Like it's not a bad story at all, nor is it something I'll be favoriting anytime soon, but I enjoyed it, so yeah take that for what it's worth. 6/10.

Heart of the story: The heart of this story is a mixed bag. What do I mean by this? Well...I mean the focus is on Starlight Glimmer, but also Sunset Shimmer, and a lot of the plot involves time shenigans. It's not the easiest to explain, so I'm going to dumb this down the best I can for anyone to follow. There are two Sunsets. Sunshine, and Sunset, and yet somehow they are both Sunset. And a lot of that attributes to the flow and prose of the writing and characterization. Each element brought together is supposed to create a unique feeling that leaves you both aching and happy at the same time. I didn't feel it was as strong as it could've been. I felt strongly for Starlight, but I feel Sunset's emotions were a bit downplayed. Whether this was intentional or not, it still affects my score. Starlight and Sunset are both well written, and you easily see the bond between, but there's still much to learn and room to grow. 7/10.

Characterization: : Starlight and Sunset are both well written here. Starlight Glimmer shows just how much she has grown and yet is still reclulant to accept change. Sunset Shimmer on the other hoof, is a lot more mature, and doesn't get angry or upset as easily as she used too. It shows she's learned a lot from being friends with Twilight. Now, these aren't the only characters. So I'm going take time to mention the minor characters, Celestia, Sunburst, and just a hint of Trixie. Trixie isn't in the story for long, and she doesn't contribute much in terms of plot or development, and yet you can't help but find her actions and dialogue humorous and entertaining. Celestia shows that as long as she has been around, she still has a lot to learn about being a ruler, and even more so about being just a pony. Finally, Sunburst. I feel his characterization even though not as impactful as Starlight, was handled excellently. Kudos to the author. It takes a lot of focus to write multiple characters and made sure they all have moments where they shine. This story does that, and it does well. 9/10.

Story/Concept: : The story...where do I begin? Shall I warn about spoilers? Probably.
This story is about Sunset being Starlight's daughter and how they lost her, and how they had to cope with that, while also exploring what might've happened if they kept her. Of course it doesn't go like you would think but I won't say more, and let you see for yourself. I think the story itself is a good one, just I'd advise reading the prequels to this if you truly want to understand the universe. As a stand alone story, it...doesn't really stand out on his own. I've seen plenty of stories similar and this one doesn't really do anything new. 6/10.

Originality/Execution:: The originality...is debatable. As said this sort of story I've seen before. And having two Sunset's reminds me of the story about Pinkie pie and her other world self. Both stories are different, but yet have similarities. The execution of this one in particular is gut wrenching and will leave you in the feels. It will make you sad or angry, or both. But by the end of it, you'll leave wanting to know more, which is good hook for it's sequel. And shows it's not over yet. But for this story, I'd say it's good. It was worth the time, worth the read, and I'd recommend if you can get past it's issues with not really explaining everything that is going on, and expecting you to put the pieces together. 8/10.

Overall score and final thoughts: : Overall, I liked this story. I didn't love it, it's not a favorite but it's still a good read. I'd recommend for fans of Starlight and Sunset. If you like time travel, and alternate universes where stuff happens, and not everything is crystal clear, you might get a chuckle out of this. As whole, it's a solid story, but I still feel the impact would be greater and more powerful with more Trixie. I mean more explaining of the previous books, but I do understand the author's decision not to go this route for it can lead into long winded exposition which most of us readers hate. So I get I do.

Total score: 6+7+9+6+8=36/50
7.2/10

Headpat worthy:
Boop worthy: Yes.
Meh worthy::

To the author: Keep up the good work, I know it can be hard to know what to include without it seeming overbearing, but try to have more ease on your readers if you want this to be a stand alone story, for it was a bit confusing for me at first. Thankfully, I have enough experience on my hooves to get some of these references. Not every pony does. Keep being awesome.

Next time we have "The life and times of a Bit Monger by KarmaSentinal" see you soon!