How the Sunset Sparkles

by Scipio Smith

And That is Why

Chapter 3

And That is Why

Sunset got up and yawned. It was the end of today's interview with Twilight, and she was keen to get going.

"Well, if that's everything sorted, Twilight Sparkle, I'm gonna go back home and─"

"No," Twilight said.

Sunset blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

Twilight regarded her evenly, her expression inscrutable. Spike, standing by her side, looked torn between worry and triumph. Twilight closed the book lying open before, the book in which she recorded the details of her interviews with Sunset Shimmer, and probably their other interactions too.

"I don't think that you shutting yourself up in that house all day is doing your attitude any favours," Twilight said firmly. "You don't just have to keep out of trouble, you're also supposed to be changing your ways and so far I'm not seeing much evidence of that. You still look down on other ponies, desire to be seen as better than other ponies around you and have no feeling for anypony but yourself."

"That isn't true," Sunset protested. "I...don't hate having to meet you every day. In some ways I kind of look forward to it."

Twilight's expression did not alter. She continued, "I've arranged for you to spend the morning helping my friend Rarity with her stock taking at Carousel Boutique, and in the afternoon you'll be working for Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube Corner."

"What?" Sunset whined. "But I have my own stuff to work on! I was going to start gathering raw materials today."

"Tough," Twilight said, her voice not unpleasant but not exactly sympathetic either. "Frankly, Sunset Shimmer, I think you should have stayed in that other world and made amends for the things you did there─"

"They would have killed me!"

"You're being melodramatic," Twilight replied. "Since you are here, I have no intention of letting you continue with the same attitudes that you led to you to become so dangerous in that world."

Sunset scowled. "So, what you're saying is, I don't have a choice?"

"No, you don't."

"You're my gaoler then? I jump when you yell?"

"If that is how you want to look at it, then I can't stop you," Twilight said, her voice still calm. "But I prefer to think of it as an intervention."

Sunset stamped her hoof, half turning away from Twilight before she looked back. "Don't you think you're taking a big risk, leaving me alone with your friends like this."

Spike twitched, and Sunset smirked a little. Can't decide whether you want to be gleeful at my humiliation or worried for your Rarity, can you Spike?

"I'm not worried, my friends are stronger than you think," Twilight said, still without any obvious emotion in her voice. She half stood, leaning over the library table. "And besides, I think you're smart enough to realise that if you did do something stupid, then there is no way in Tartarus that I would let you get away with it."

There was such snap in her voice when she spoke, such steel, that Sunset found herself taking an involuntary gulp as she stepped backwards. She covered it with a smile and a dismissive wave of one hoof. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, Princess Twilight, your pals are safe with me. But you can write in that book of yours that I'm doing this under protest."

"You can protest all you like, I don't have to ask your permission," Twilight replied.

Sunset snorted. "No, you don't. See you around, Princess." She turned to go, striding towards the door with heavy, frustrated steps.

"Sunset Shimmer," Twilight called.

Sunset stopped and looked back. "What now?"

"Today will go a lot easier if you go into it with an open mind and an open heart," Twilight said. "And the sooner I see evidence of change, the faster your time will be your own again."

"You mean this isn't a today only thing?" Sunset asked, her eyes widening in horror at the prospect of an endless span of days in servitude stretched out before her, slaving away at the cruel whims of Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

"This will go on as long as I think it needs to go on," Twilight replied implacably. "Now off you go, Rarity is expecting you."

Sunset ground her teeth as she once more turned away and left the confines ─ more confining now than they had been when she came in ─ and slammed the door on her way out.

She muttered under her breath about the unfairness of it all the way to Carousel Boutique, giving several ponies the evil eye as she passed them by. She recognised Lyra Heartstrings from school, and glared at her more than any other pony she saw on the street. I bet she doesn't have to work as anypony's peon because Twilight Sparkle doesn't like her. She's just jealous that I'm going to become more famous than she is.

Sunset arrived at the gleaming exterior of Carousel Boutique, sighed, and decided that there was no point putting off. She pushed open the door, the tingling of a bell heralding her arrival.

"Come in, darling," Rarity trilled, trotting out of one of the back rooms. "Ah, Sunset, dear, so good of you to come. I mentioned to Twilight that I could use some help today and she said that you wouldn't mind lending me a hoof for the morning."

"Is that what she said?" Sunset muttered, her tone just the right side of being surly. She walked closer to Rarity as she said, "So, what is that you need me to do here?"

"Well, the first thing I'd like for you to do is to take inventory, darling," Rarity said, levitating a list on a clipboard over to Sunset. "I know it's important work, but I have some orders to complete so I don't have time to do it myself. This list is all the materials that I should have in stock, so I want you to go through the shop and find out if everything is present and accounted for."

Sunset nodded. It was boring work, but it shouldn't be too difficult. "What if anything isn't here?"

"Then come and talk to me, dear, I might have used it for something and forgotten to note it on the list. It's so hard to remember trifling details like that when one is in the zone, don't you think?"

"I guess," Sunset murmured. It was disconcerting how familiar this was, considering that she had only met this Rarity once before, and briefly at that. The Rarity she knew had been the unofficial queen bee of Canterlot High before Sunset herself arrived, though she did so little with her power and authority that Sunset hadn't seen much wrong with depriving her of it. Rarity hadn't seen it that way, but looking back it had been trifling easy to break her. Rarity, after all, had been hampered by her conception of herself as a classy lady and had behaved accordingly. Sunset, for whom no trick was too dirty and no blow too low, had outmanoeuvred her with ease and socially torn her apart. The moral, as Sunset saw it, was that holding yourself to arbitrary standards was an invitation for others to walk all over you, whatever world you lived in.

Obviously I won't be telling this Rarity all about that. Though I wonder, if I could get her friends on my side, would Twilight go easier on me? She had no illusions about her ability to detach Twilight's friends from her, or make them her own; quite apart from the fact that they would be on their guard against such tactics, it had been hard enough to split up the gang in the other world and she had only managed it by using devices which didn't exist in this world to achieve miscommunication, and, to cap it all, Twilight Sparkle had undone months of hard work in a matter of days. In Equestria, she had no doubt that breaking up this six would be impossible for anything short of a demi-god. And in any case, what would be the point? It would accomplish nothing beyond giving her a moment of vindictive satisfaction, and Sunset would never get anywhere if she allowed herself to wallow in that kind of pettiness.

I am not going to descend into a morass of self-pity about how I could have been a contender if I'd been given a shot, Sunset thought. I'm not going to lash out pathetically because all I can really do is make other ponies as miserable as me. I'm certainly not going to whine about why Celestia didn't love me enough. I think I met that pony once and she was disgusting.

"Sunset?" Rarity said, sounding slightly nervous. "Are you all right? You seemed to get lost in your own world there."

"Right, sorry," Sunset said quickly. "I'll just get started on this list." The sooner I finish, the better.

"Thank you, dear," Rarity said. "Oh, by the way, my sister Sweetie Belle is staying with me while my parents are away, so don't go into her room. She's very conscious of her privacy.

So, Sunset found herself checking bolts of silk, satin and the like. She sorted through crates of gemstones. She checked that there was enough thread, enough needles and enough spare belts for the sewing machine. She knew which was Sweetie Belle's room straight away by the sign on it which said, 'Keep Out! THAT MEANS YOU, RARITY!!' She steered clear of that one. She couldn't imagine that Sweetie Belle was any more controlled or less rambunctious here than she had been in the world beyond the mirror.

Most of the stock was perfectly in order, it was a simple matter of checking items off a list. What was missing either entailed a simple conversation with Rarity or a rather less simple hunt through the organised chaos of her ideas room. It wasn't difficult work, but Sunset was at a loss how this was supposed to teach her respect for others. All it was doing was making her wonder how Rarity managed to make enough money to keep this place profitable.

"Hey, Rarity, can I ask you something?" Sunset asked as she rooted through the cupboards.

"Yes, of course, ask me anything you like," Rarity replied absently, stitching together a blue dress adorned with peacock feathers.

"Would you like to be able to sell your dresses to ponies all over Equestria?"

Rarity looked up, frowning. "Whatever do you mean? I will gladly make dresses for anypony who comes in to my shop no matter where they're from."

Sunset shook her head. "No, you're missing the point. They wouldn't have to come here, you wouldn't have to go to them. Imagine if there was a machine, that you could have in your home, that anypony could have in their home. Now, imagine if ponies could use that magical machine to find this store and look at the dresses you have for sale. Then, with the push of a button, they could order the dress or the suit they want and the magical machine would make sure you got paid. Then all you'd have to do is box up the clothes and fly it to them, and the magical machine would see that they paid for the postage as well."

Rarity's frown deepened. "I don't understand, what do you mean they would see the dresses? If they don't come to see me how would I know what colour would suit them, what style? How would they tell me what they were looking for, and how would I know that that's really what they want?"

"They wouldn't," Sunset explained patiently. "They'd see the clothes that you've already made and that would be it."

"But, I wouldn't even be able to take their measurements to tailor their outfit," Rarity protested.

"But why would you want to waste time with all of that when you don't have to?" Sunset asked. "Just come up with a few designs, make some copies and ship them out the door! Maybe hire an assistant or two to help you churn them out faster."

"Churn them out?" Rarity's eyebrow twitched. "Churn them out? You mean, sell off the peg? Without alterations? My dear Sunset, Carousel Boutique does not sell off the peg! What do you think this is, a department store? Every item I create and sell is tailor made, or at the very least tailor altered, unique couture. Every piece is bespoke, every piece is original and every piece looks fabulous upon the customer because I would never sell anything to anypony who didn't suit it. Even when somepony comes in and wants to buy something I made earlier, the dress chooses the pony not the other way around."

"Okay, I get it, don't let your mane catch fire," Sunset said, rolling her eyes at Rarity's histrionics. "What I don't get is why it has to be that way? Why take so much time and so many wasted pains on one dress like you are now, when you could get a dozen ham-hoofed earth ponies on sewing machines producing cheaper clothes in half the time."

"Because this isn't about money," Rarity made the word sound sordid. "Nor is it about time, or effort. It's about craftsmareship, about experience, most of all it is about the satisfaction of the customer. Do you understand?"

Sunset Shimmer shook her head.

Rarity sighed. Then she frowned at Sunset. "When was the last time you had something tailor made for you, darling?"

"Never," Sunset replied.

"I thought so," Rarity replied, nodding knowingly. "Step onto the podium, Sunset, I'll get my measuring tape."

Sunset climbed up onto the podium in the centre of the boutique, while Rarity buzzed around her, taking her measurements.

"Are there any colours you'd like?" Rarity asked. "How about something to bring out your eyes. You do have lovely eyes, I must say, they appear both blue and green at the same time."

"Colours, um, I dunno," Sunset muttered. Her leather jacket came to mind. "How about black?"

"Black?" Rarity asked in surprise. "But black..." She cocked her head to one side. "Yes, now that you mention it. A coat or jacket, something to go over the blouse. But then how can you wear a jacket with a dress?"

"I'm not looking for a ballgown here," Sunset said quickly. "I've never been much of a girly mare anyway."

"Well, in that case, it should be..." Rarity trailed off, murmuring to herself, before she let out an excited squeal. "Idea! Now stay right where you are Miss Shimmer, you'll see that this will be absolutely stunning."

Sunset watched as Rarity hastily sketched something down on a piece of paper and then got to work, pulling bolts of fabric and gemstones to her from all over the shop by the power of her magic. She worked fast, it was only a little after lunchtime when Sunset stood admiring her reflection in one of Rarity's mirrors.

"This is great," Sunset said. Rarity had, by some magic beyond the power of unicorns, come up with something not a million miles away from the kind of stuff she'd worn in the mirror-world. Her blouse was a light purple, shading into pink, with a fiery red and gold trim around the neckline that matched the colours of her hair. The sleeves were ever so slightly puffed out, though not so much that they would impede the jacket. The skirt was a little more elaborate than Sunset might have chosen for herself, but it felt really soft, probably let her move more easily than the kind of short skirt she'd worn over there, and looking at it, it was growing on her by the second. It consisted of three skirts of different colours, first yellow, then purple, then gold, layered so that only a stripe of the yellow and purple were visible. It covered her cutie mark and then stopped, leaving her legs free.

And the jacket. It wasn't leather of course but it looked great anyway. The cut and design were perfect, and it had tiny emeralds sewn into the lapels amongst the rhinestones to bring out her eyes.

Of course the jacket meant she couldn't wear boots on her forehooves, and boots on her back legs would have looked odd, but Sunset didn't care at this point. She wasn't naked any more! She had clothes and they looked awesome."

"Aww yeah!" Sunset grinned. "I'm back, baby!"

Rarity smiled fondly. "And that, darling, is why."

Sunset looked at her. "Huh?"

"Why I make each item specifically, regardless of how impractical it is," Rarity reminded her. "The look on your face, the look on the faces of each of my customers, makes it worthwhile. After all, if each customer is unique, it only makes sense that what I sell them should be unique as well."

Sunset looked away, back at her reflection. "I..." Her objections remained, but on the other hand, she did really like the way she looked right now. Would she have felt so good wearing something she'd brought off a rack someplace, made by strangers who didn't even know who she was?

No, she wouldn't.

"Yeah, yeah I think I get it now," Sunset murmured. And the weirdest thing was that she meant it. "I can't thank you enough for this, Rarity, you've know idea what this means to me."

Rarity smiled. "Yes I do."

Sunset looked into her eyes, and thought that maybe she did, at that.

"Thanks," she repeated quietly. "Twilight Sparkle is lucky to have you as a friend."

"And well she knows it, too," Rarity replied. "Thank you for help, Sunset, it was most appreciated. Now, I believe Pinkie Pie is expecting you."

"Yep," Sunset confirmed, and found she was not as nervous of it as she had been this morning. Well dressed and once more looking herself, Sunset felt as if she could tackle anything, even Pinkie Pie. She swaggered down the street, daring anypony to look at her in awe. She even started to hum.

Back in black, that's right. Sunset Shimmer has returned.

[ hr ]

The sign said that Sugarcube Corner was closed, but Sunset pushed open the door anyway, and found Pinkie Pie sitting on the floor waiting for her.

"Hey, Sunset!" Pinkie cried excitedly.

"Hey, Pinkie Pie," Sunset replied more coolly, glad that Pinkie hadn't leapt on her while she was wearing her new and only outfit.

"Whatcha wearing?"

"Rarity made it for me this morning, cool, isn't it?" Sunset turned around for Pinkie to admire her new look.

"Hey, that looks like what you used to─"

"Yep, and that's what makes it so cool," Sunset said. "All I need now is a pair of sunglasses. And maybe something to put in my mouth, like a toothpick. Then I'll look cool and awesome."

"But not right now, because we've got some work to do!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed cheerfully.

"Yeah, of course, what is it?" Sunset asked.

"Mr and Mrs Cake have gone out for the day, which is why we're closed, and I've already made the cakes for sale tomorrow. I just need you to clean up around here and make sure the cakes in the oven don't burn while I make sure that the Cakes in the crib don't get up to anything too crazy."

"The cakes in the... oh, right," Sunset said as she spotted the bassinet. She levitated the broom over to herself. "Right then, I'd better get started."

The manual labour was thoughtless, requiring little more than repetitive motion, so it was easy to get to talking. And even though Pinkie Pie had her back to Sunset, her eyes fixed on the pair of incredibly active babies, she still answered any question Sunset asked or statement she made.

"You know the other world, the one you dream about?" Sunset said.

"I sure do," Pinkie replied.

"Do you ever think about it? Other than when you're dreaming?"

Pinkie shrugged. "I guess. Not often though. Even if it is my real life, that doesn't mean I shouldn't live here too, and if it isn't real then obsessing over it would just be silly."

"I guess that makes sense," Sunset said. "But, when you think about it, think about what you've seen, is there ever anything from that world that you think they have better than we have? That they do better than we do?"

"Nope," Pinkie said at once. "I'm happy the way I am right here."

"Really?" Sunset asked, incredulously. "There isn't anything you envy about the other side? Nothing at all?"

"Nope," Pinkie repeated. She twisted her head a little to half look at Sunset. "Why, what do you like better about that other place?"

Sunset shrugged. "Little things, mostly. Cars, computers, cellphones, the music on the other side, they have a good beat over there which we don't. How easy it is to be popular in high school, anypony can climb to the top if they're willing to act the right way, say the right things and─"

"And not be themselves at all?"

Sunset licked her lips, searching for a better way to phrase it. She couldn't. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"But isn't it better that here, anypony can be popular by being themselves?"

"Oh, please, I tried being myself and I had to go to another universe to find somepony who liked me. And even he didn't like me that much," Sunset said derisively. "I admit that there are a lot of things wrong with that place: everyone cares far too much about money, nobody respects anyone unless they're stinking rich, once you leave school you have to leave your soul behind - you know, I got the idea to turn all the students into zombies and invade Equestria from the fact that everyone there pretty much gets turned into a zombie anyway by their society, I thought they might as well be useful zombies working towards a purpose."
"There was this guy we had to read in school, who said that the idea society would be one where everypony - everyone - could do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted to as they had a mind to do it, because they didn't have to worry about starving or making a living. And he thought enough people would love to do the things that need doing that society would still function. Everyone in that world thought he was crazy, but we have that here, more or less. So we can't have gotten it all wrong. Although it still doesn't explain the six of you."
"Huh? What's there to explain about us?" Pinkie asked.

"Why do you do all hold these insignificant jobs?" Sunset asked. "You're heroes. You wield the Elements of Harmony, the strongest magic known to pony kind. You defeated Nightmare Moon. And yet here you are in a Mom and Pop bakery. Applejack breaks her back trying to keep that farm afloat. Twilight Sparkle is an honest to goodness princess and yet she lives in a library nopony ever uses in a town that wouldn't even merit a train station if it wasn't so close to Canterlot. Why bother? Why aren't you doing book tours, or living the high life in Las Pegasus? Why aren't you in Applewood, producing the movie adaptation of your adventures? Why do you sit here doing all this ordinary stuff?"

Pinkie looked confused, as though she didn't understand the question. She frowned, hesitated, then finally she spoke, "Because, we don't enjoy using the Elements of Harmony. It isn't fun, it doesn't make anypony laugh, it isn't what I want to do and I don't think it's what anypony wants to do either. I don't want to be a hero, I don't want to spend my life shooting bad guys in the face with magic and I don't want other ponies to remember me for that either. I want to be remembered for throwing the most awesome parties in Equestria, for making everypony laugh till their sides split, not because of how many bad guys I beat up."
"So I'll use the Elements when I have to do, because there are meanies around who want to make everypony cry and I'm the only pony who can something about that, but I won't make a big thing out of it because my real life, the life I chose, is right here in this Mom and Pop bakery."

[ hr ]

Sunset Shimmer didn't go straight back home after she was finished at Sugarcube Corner. Instead she went back to the library, entering without knocking, to find Twilight Sparkle reading a book by candle light. Spike was nowhere to be seen.

Twilight didn't look. "Ah, Sunset Shimmer, I've been expecting you. Sit down." Sunset didn't move. Twilight continued, "How was your day?"

"This was never about work, was it?" Sunset asked. "You wanted to make me spend time with your friends so that I could talk to them. So that they'd...befriend me."

"Did it work?" Twilight looked up. "Nice clothes."

"Thanks," Sunset said tersely, sitting down. "It was weird."

"Weird how?"

Sunset scrunched up her face. "I don't understand how you can all be so content to be so small."

"We are little ponies," Twilight pointed out.

"You know what I mean," Sunset said forcefully. "Rarity told me that the satisfaction of other ponies is what she lives for. Pinkie Pie told me that she'd rather be remembered as a party animal than as a hero. I don't get how none of you seem to feel any desire to make anything of yourselves, how none of you seem to have any ambition."

"Maybe you should talk to Rainbow Dash," Twilight murmured.

"I especially don't get you," Sunset went on. "I know we didn't cross paths at school that much, but I'd seen you coming."

Twilight looked at her quizzically. "You'd 'seen me coming'?"

"As a rival, a threat," Sunset said. "Everypony had heard of you, the prodigy with a mind like a needle who wasn't going to let anypony stand in her way. The most brilliant unicorn the school had ever seen. The marble pony who never put a hoof out of line. You scared the hay out of me, I thought if I didn't make it while you were still a filly I'd have to work twice as hard just to keep up with you. That's why I pushed Celestia so hard to let me get stronger, faster, because I knew once you caught up I'd be finished. How did a pony like that ever end up in a place like this?"

Twilight took a deep breath. "Well, first of all I'm flattered that you were so impressed with the competition." A slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "But, just because this isn't what I thought I wanted when I was young, doesn't mean it isn't what I needed, or what I wanted all along deep down."
"I never set out to be a hero. I never wanted to save the day. When Equestria needs me I'll be here, but until then, I don't see that I owe this country my whole life, or even my happiness, not even as a princess. The Element of Magic does not define me, any more than my wings or my title. I will live the life I choose."

Twilight leaned forward, staring right into Sunset's eyes. She looked so earnest, so sincere in her desire to help that Sunset wasn't sure what to make of it. "Sunset, I'm not going to stop you working on your computer project, but I will give you some heartfelt advice. Don't be too set on greatness, and don't be too dismissive of a normal life. You may find that fame comes with a pricetag too steep for you to pay."

Sunset was silent for a moment, mulling over what Twilight had said. Surprising, she found that she had a point. Did Princess Celestia have time to just hang out with her friends? Did she have any friends, or was all she had her unending life of service to the land? If she'd known what her life would become, would she have taken the throne and the crown, or would she have turned her back on both and told the ponies to find somepony else while she devoted herself to...whatever it was she did for fun, Sunset had never found out if the princess had any hobbies.

"I...I'll think about it," Sunset replied, surprising even herself by actually meaning it. "But, I learnt something else today as well."

"What?" Twilight asked.

"That if you create something that brings other ponies joy, then you can take joy in that, regardless of whether or not they put you on a pedestal for it," Sunset said. "So, if it's all the same to you, I'm going to continue my work for now."

Twilight said, "Fair enough, just so long as you don't think it makes you better than anypony else."

Sunset waited for her to say something else. Nothing else was forthcoming.

Sunset said, "So, am I working for you again tomorrow?"

"No," Twilight said. "But that doesn't mean that this will never happen again, so don't book out your calendar too far ahead."

Sunset laughed. "There isn't much chance of that."

Author's Note:

A little self-referential bit in there for those who've read my earlier work. Hopefully you'll all consider this chapter to contain the stuff you seemed to like about the last chapter but without all of the self-indulgence.

Comments

[Raistlin]

3689281

And that´s why the "One-Man/Mare Industrial Revolution" trope ( like in the famous A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court) falls flat. The more advanced and complex the technology, the more diverse sciences it encompasses, to the point it requires several minds, each one with a deeply understanding of a single area, to even begin to design the basic infraestructures in paper.

[Seether00]

Sunset should just tell Twilight to buck off. What right does she have to control Sunset's life? She should go back to Celestia. Complete her training, then revolutionize Equestrian. Twilight is too closed minded.

[Narewelshwold]

I'd be enjoying this story even more than I am if it didn't boil down to Objectively Correct People's Utopia Equestria and Twilight Sparkle vs. Flawed and Silly Human Ways and Sunset Shimmer.

Hopefully Sunset will do her heel-face turn quickly so I needn't read through much one-sided social commentary 'cleverly disguised' as dialogue.

I mean, c'mon. Tell Rarity she can make her special fit super-dresses as long as she realizes this means her name goes nowhere because less than percents of percents of anypony anywhere can wear her dresses/coats/whatever. Tell Pinkie Pie that she doesn't get to nit-pick and be famous for throwing constant parties in a single town, because that isn't how fame works. Tell Twilight Sparkle that she can only say 'tis better to be humble' because in her entire life she has never wanted for much of anything. I mean, honestly!

Gah, if this is a fight of ideals either throw some punches or throw in the towel. This is so one-sided it's actually interfering with my desire to see SunLight come to fruition!
You don't know how much frustration it takes to interfere with my desire for rare ships.

[eternallybored]

3706575

Because telling your parole/probation officer to fuck off is a good way to land your ass in jail or worse. Why would Celestia bother listening to Sunset if she violates the one rule for the punishment she gave to her in the first place. Celestia isn't going to give Sunset anything if she can't even learn to get along with Twilight, she'll more likely end up sent back to Ponyville, or just straightup banished. Not to mention, it would be kind of hard to write a Twilight/ Sunset romance, if the former villain who tried to conquer a country, threw a hissy fit and cried to Celestia just because Twilight didn't lap up every word she said.

As for Twilight being closed minded, the only experience she has with the technology Sunset is talking about is humiliation, and sunset did a terrible job actually relating to Twilight what the benefits of said technology were, preferring to focus on how it would make her famous rather than genuinely helping society. Not to mention it ignores a point that the author mentions in the comments, she's basically talking out of her ass, she has none of the scientific or materials science background to pull computers and a nation wide network out of nowhere just because she thinks it's a good idea. Even then, Twilight is still letting her go ahead with the idea.

It's pretty obvious at this point that the author is setting up the technology to be something that Sunset won't just invent overnight, and it looks like eventually she will start making it for truly good reasons rather than personal glory as she learns from Twilight and her friends. Likewise, unless the author decides to go in a different direction, Twilight will likely warm up to the idea as Sunset actually comes up with good reasons for this technology to exist, rather than selfish greed.

[eternallybored]

3706932

I'm pretty sure that's the whole point, Sunset doesn't bring up the points you mention because she doesn't understand what makes Pinkie Pie or Rarity tick, she is doing a poor job arguing with them because all she can argue from is her own point of view, which is using technology to bring in money and fame. It would look even more jarring if the self-centered selfish character was making those arguments you mentioned, because it would mean that she understood their wants enough to manipulate them that way, which the first two chapters have shown that she does not have that knowledge or experience yet.

It's very likely that your arguments will crop up later in the story once the author has had Sunset actually learn a few lessons, and begin to understand that technology isn't just for amassing as much power and glory as she can. When she understands what Twilight's friends actually want, she can then make a successful argument that doesn't look like a 1980's faceless corporate exec talking about profit and fame, right now she doesn't understand that, so she isn't arguing her case very well, and doesn't understand why everyone isn't seeing things the way she is.

[Raistlin]

3706932

Tell me about it. Specially this part ticked me the wrong way:

"I admit that there are a lot of things wrong with that place: everyone cares far too much about money, nobody respects anyone unless they're stinking rich, once you leave school you have to leave your soul behind - you know, I got the idea to turn all the students into zombies and invade Equestria from the fact that everyone there pretty much gets turned into a zombie anyway by their society, I thought they might as well be useful zombies working towards a purpose."

Well, Eeeeeexcuse me missy, if the real human world doesn´t work like magical Candyland.

[Narewelshwold]

3707034
It's not so much that i want her to argue back successfully or even make good points, but selfish, egocentric people do not let things like lacking understanding stop them from arguing.
She isn't putting up any kind of resistance here, at all, effective or otherwise. Go read the rarity part, she went from not understanding her viewpoint to converted in one scene. Same for the other scenes, with a little variation in how readily she embraces the concepts she's presented with.

I'd feel much better about all this if she were arguing with them like the faceless corporate exec. It would mean there were two sides to this story at least. I'd take Integrity vs. Advancement, but this is just Right (equestrian) vs Wrong (Sunset Shimmer). Right vs Wrong is not an interesting argument, and does not make for compelling moral discourse, in my opinion.

I guess we shall see if this evolves into an actual struggle between different thought processes or if it continues to be about Sunset Shimmer being all human-y and wrong but slowly learning the correct, small-town-pony way life should be lived.

My opinions at least.

[eternallybored]

3707167

You seem to be mistakenly conflating Sunsets view with humanity, and then reading way too far into it from there, she isn't arguing from humanitys perspective at all, in the chess game she even starts dissing humanity before getting trounced by Twilight. The story isn't Sunset being wrong, otherwise her views on technology would be wholely dismissed out of hand rather than shakily being approved by Twilight who was directly hurt by that same technology. The story is dismantling her self-centered views that revolve around fame and fortune at all costs, she is shown that she treats everyone around her as pawns to be manipulated, she doesn't abandon her dreams, or even the idea of profit, neither does she actually admit that pinkie and Rarity are totally right, she so far has only acknowledged that their view is valid as well. You seem to view it as an argument with only one side being right, while it seems to me that Sunset is merely admitting that more than just her own views have merits.

I read the Rarity scene, and she isn't converted at all, she just admits that Rarity has a point, that her style of dressmaking wouldn't work on a corporate scale, she still hasn't adandoned her views, just admitted that there are other ways of doing things out there. Rarity didn't say that no clothes should ever be made en masse, just that she doesn't want her line to be made that way, which is perfectly valid, and there are plenty of dressmakers in todays society that make designs this way, they tend to be exclusive and expensive, but that fits Rarity's character pretty well.

As for anything else, it is still way too early in the story to be making sweeping statements, it's not right versus wrong yet, it's Sunset not understanding why her egotism and ambition is not shared by everyone around her, and trying to learn empathy from that. Now, like I said, it is still early, so the author may indeed take it in the direction you fear, but right now all we have is Sunset getting her ego punctured a bit, I don't think the author is making any sweeping statements about society at this point.

[Scipio Smith]

3707108
Hmm, I can see where you're coming from with that now. That's probably a product of me hating my job right now.

3707167
She doesn't sustain the argument because Sunset is driven by selfishness, not by conviction. She gets a nice, bespoke outfit which she likes so she shuts up. She doesn't say 'Well what about all the people who can't afford your clothes?' because she doesn't care about them. Also, that argument would be a lot stronger in a world where most folk didn't go around stark naked.

That said, to both of you I concede that this chapter was a bit too one-sided at times. I will aim to correct that in future.

[BenRG]

I think that Sunset needed to be reminded that money and scale aren't the be-all and end-all of having a craft. There is also the pride in achievement and the joy of one's art. For Rarity and Pinkie especially, being the Elements that they are, the sight of joy on the faces of those who receive are a reward far greater than bits. Sunset never understood that; to her "greatness" and "happiness" were always a function of power, position and fame. What she's starting to learn is that, maybe, just maybe, things aren't that simple.

The key point for Sunset will be when she realises that Twilight isn't her jailer or even her probation officer. She's simply somepony trying to get her to not make the same mistakes again rather than somepony trying to keep her under control or punish her. Any punishment will ultimately be that which Sunset inflicts on herself.

3699117

Considering Celestia's relationship with her own sister I don't know why she'd be surprised.

Celestia sometimes comes across as an optimist; even naively so at times.

For what it's worth, though, a tiny part of me wonders if Celestia was at one time imagining two young alicorns, one with a golden coat who rules the dawn and one with a lavender coat who rules the dusk. Then, at last... at long, long last... she and Luna would be able to set down their burdens and rest.

Celestia is also a mistress chess-player. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility that this plan is still in play.

[Gadman85]

I'm really liking this story so far. Sunset looks to be a 'becoming better with time' reformed baddie, while also still being Sunset Shimmer. I look forward to how this story progresses along with Twilight's and Sunset's relationship. Judging by the pacing so far, it looks like this is going to be a pretty long fic, which I say is good!

I can't wait to see Sunset interacting with the other elements like she did with Rarity and Pinkie. I can wait though. I like the fact it looks like you aren't going to do it all at once.

[The Letter J]

Okay, I feel like I should give an explanation for why I downvoted this story. I'm not trying to attack you or tell you to go back and change things if you don't want to, but in my experience, most authors seem to appreciate knowing why readers vote the way they do. (And also part of me just likes to go off on rants sometimes ) So you can pay attention to or ignore this as much as you want. It doesn't matter much to me either way.

The short version is that after three chapters there's nothing that makes me want to keep reading, and I'd just be forcing myself to keep going with the hope that the story will eventually become interesting. And that's really not something I want to spend my time doing.

And the longer version:
The biggest problem is that you've turned Twilight into a huge jerk who I legitimately cannot stand. She seems to be set on making Sunset miserable and controlling her life. Canonically she basically forgave Sunset right after blasting her with the Elements and just told her to make some friends. She also seemed to have no problem forgiving Trixie right after the Alicorn Amulet thing, and I think she was even more tolerant of Discord after his reformation than she's been towards Sunset here. So why does she now refuse to be nice to Sunset?
And then there was her whole anti-technology speech. I really wanted to stop reading right there, but I forced myself to finish that chapter and the next before finally giving up. First of all, the whole "technology is inherently evil" viewpoint that Twilight seems to be encouraging is a load of crap, and if that's going to be one of the lessons of this story, then I don't think that there is anything that can convince me to keep reading. Second, I can't come up with any reason why Twilight would have that view. Being the science-loving pony she is, she should be encouraging breakthroughs like this, not insisting that Equestria stays technologically stagnant. And in her lab she's got what is probably the most advanced technology we've seen in the show. The only thing that might compete with her stuff is Button's arcade game. Your justification for her dislike of technology is that she had some bad experiences with it and saw it drive people apart. She had one bad experience with Youtube. If she's letting that color her entire opinion of technology, then she is, to put it bluntly, a fool. If she applied that same logic to the rest of her life, she never would have become friends with the rest of the mane six after the first episode. Then again, we've already established that this version of Twilight apparently doesn't care much for second chances, so it kind of makes sense that she would hate technology for the same reasons she hates Sunset, whatever those are. And the photo manipulation wasn't done with anything more complicated than a copier, and I would be shocked if they don't have magic that can do the same stuff, so that argument is invalid. And as for technology driving people apart and ruining relationships, Sunset really didn't do anything that couldn't have been accomplished via more mundane methods anyway, and Twilight is just blaming the tools. And we didn't see anything to suggest that the people in the human world weren't just as friendly and didn't build just as many meaningful real world relationships as the ponies do.
Basically even if you ignore the problems with Twilight's arguments themselves, they are opinions that it just doesn't make sense for her character to have. And even if it did, I really doubt she would have been able to develop all of those opinions after just three days in a world where she was preoccupied with more important things the entire time anyway.

And then there are the arguements here. They all seem to just boil down to "Equestria is a perfect place just the way it is and everypony is happy it. The human world is awful, and don't you dare bring any of that here. Also, ambitions are bad." Though the most annoying part of it is probably that Twilight tries to be so humble that she actually comes across as being at least as prideful as Sunset.

And finally, after three chapters, I have no idea why this is tagged as a comedy story.

[ferret]

the idea society would be

[Texus]

sometimes it can´t be helped, but i don´t like the ponies or let´s say princesses if they start to force somebody, i think that was not part of twilight´s job there was it?

I nearly wanted Sunset to say her ,,no i wanted not"

But in the end i liked that, even Rarity was somehow no weird, i honestly expected her to be in her own way a bit to weird. It is probably becaus i had to much stuff about Rarity being into gossip or taking nasty revenge´s and such stuff. That maked her look like Sunset a bit.

[Kind of Brony]

you've know idea what this means to me."

"no"

"There was this guy we had to read in school, who said that the idea society would be

"ideal"

"Why do you do all hold these insignificant jobs?"

Either: "Why do you all hold these insignificant jobs?" or "Why do you all do these insignificant jobs?"

You know, I find the author to be a bit of a hypocrite. They're writing a story which has the poorly hidden message that technology is bad, and posting the story online. If you really think the internet is bad, maybe you should buy an old-school printing press and pass out your believes door to door. Oh, and people becoming disconnected from others as a result of tech is a pretty limited view. Parents giving their ten-year-olds iPhones is a big contributor also. Really, at least look at the undeniable good it's done, like for the advancements that have come in the field of medicine thanks to the ability to share discoveries from across the globe.

[Spartan Brony]

4110496 well said good sir well bloody said this story was actually interesting till the the moment I read it

[The Real McCoy]

Jeeze. people have absolutely no patience nowadays. Anyways, why do ponies even need technology to begin with? I mean, that's what spells are for!

[Omaewamoushindeiru]

5002143
It isn't technology as a whole.

[Luna Aeterna Solutae]

She muttered under her breath about the unfairness of it all the way to Carousel Boutique, giving several ponies the evil eye as she passed them by. She recognised Lyra Heartstrings from school, and glared at her more than any other pony she saw on the street. I bet she doesn't have to work as anypony's peon because Twilight Sparkle doesn't like her. She's just jealous that I'm going to become more famous than she is.

How? Lyra was Twilight's friend at school.

[Luna Aeterna Solutae]

"Are there any colours you'd like?" Rarity asked. "How about something to bring out your eyes. You do have lovely eyes, I must say, they appear both blue and green at the same time."

You mean, turquoise?

[Luna Aeterna Solutae]

Ah hm.
And then you surprise with solid characterization. Brava.