• Published 30th Aug 2014
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Sunset Rekindled - EldritchNexus



Sequel to "Sunset Eclipsed". Sunset Shimmer and her friends go on a new adventure that takes them to Las Pegasus, Saddle Arabia, and beyond..

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Family Matters

Author's Note:

This chapter commemorates not only the day Rainbow Rocks is released in theatres (and in case you didn't read my latest blog, I've decided that I will see it, even though I previously stated I wouldn't until it aired on TV), but the one year anniversary of the day I submitted Sunset Eclipsed to this very site.

Expect a blog containing trivia about both Sunset Eclipsed and Sunset Rekindled to be posted soon.

WARNING: This chapter contains extreme amounts of cuteness. Read on at your own risk.

Nearly a week-and-a-half had passed since the trip to Las Pegasus, and Sunset Shimmer decided to meet her family at Donut Joe's shop at noon. They all sat together at a table. After eating a few donuts from a platter brought to them by Donut Joe himself, they decided to talk to each other.

"So how are things going with everypony?" Sunset asked.

"Well, I've been catching up on recent Equestrian history from the past fifteen years." said Golden Sun. "And I really wish I was around to see it happen. Did you know there was a Parasprite invasion of both Ponyville and Fillydelphia a couple of years ago?"

"Parasprites, huh?" said Radiant Dawn. "Bothersome little bugs. I had a run-in with those things when I was eighteen. Took five days to get them all outta Daystar Manor--Um...anyway, being a guard is great right now. And mom's really helped me keep those guards in line."

"Oh, please." said Scarlet Blaze. "I barely did a thing after the first couple of days, son. This is all you."

"Tell me, mom." said Sunset to Scarlet. "You don't mind if I don't feel enthusiastic about being part Saddle Arabian, do you?"

Scarlet looked at her daughter.

"I mean, I don't wanna sound disrespectful of my heritage or anything..." said Sunset, quickly.

"C'mon, Sunny." said Radiant, looking rather down-turned. "The Saddle Arabians are the most--"

"No, it's completely fine." said Scarlet. "You know, Sunset. I once wasn't all that interested in my ancestry either, when I was little. But when I was older, I was able to appreciate my lineage. And I can already tell your brother's already done so."

"You got that right, mom!" said Radiant.

"I will say, though, that Saddle Arabians are a very proud breed of pony." said Scarlet. "Can you honestly say, Sunset, that you haven't felt an ounce of pride in your life?"

Sunset frowned.

"Yes." she said. "Unfortunately, I have felt an ounce of pride. Actually, more like a metric ton of pride. And it almost ruined my life and made me into an absolutely terrible individual."

Her eyes started to water. Golden Sun reached over to place a comforting hoof on Sunset's shoulder.

"It's okay, Sunset." he said. "What's past is past, and I trust you've more than made up for your actions in the past. You know, your mother actually wasn't the most well-rounded mare, either."

"Goldy!" snarled Scarlet, snapping her head in her husband's direction and bending over him as if she were about to bite his head off.

"I'm only speaking the truth, sweetheart." said Golden Sun.

"I know, I know." said Scarlet, sighing. "I just tend to be a little sensitive when others talk about me when I'm not part of the conversation."

"Fair enough." said Golden Sun.

"Just out of curiousity, daddy." said Sunset. "Why did you marry mom, anyway?"

"Well, it's not because she's of Saddle Arabian descent, if that's what you and Radiant were wondering." said Golden Sun. "It's for three prime reasons: One, she was the most beautiful mare I had ever met."

Scarlet blushed, but said nothing.

"Two, because I admired her sassy attitude and fiery temper." Golden Sun continued. "In fact, she even reminded me of a dragon at times. A very beautiful and ladylike dragon."

Scarlet quietly snickered to herself.

"And three, because the two of us had a very interesting dynamic."

"What kind of dynamic, dad?" asked Radiant.

Golden Sun took a deep, clear breath.

"Well, I'm gonna be the first to admit that I'm not exactly the most aggressive pony around. I'm more of the polite and intellectual type of pony who doesn't resort to violence unless dire circumstances rule out a peaceful resolution. Scarlet, on the other hand, is the strong, assertive, and courageous type. If one of us fails at something, the other could do things the other way."

"In other words, children." said Scarlet. "He's the brains, and I'm the brawn. Not that I don't have any brains of my own, of course. And if you're wondering why I agreed to marry him, even though he's not royalty, or a strong warrior, or even remotely athletic."

"Hey!" droned Golden Sun, turned to his wife with wide eyes.

"I'm only speaking the truth, sweetheart." Scarlet responded, mirroring her husband's quote. "It's because of how smart and resourceful he is, and the fact that he can be a real gentlecolt at times."

Scarlet bent down and affectionately licked Golden Sun on the cheek.

"And so cute, too." Scarlet whispered as she pulled her head back, before adding aloud: "He's almost like a child, how innocent and care-free he is. You know, sweetie I remember one time, you fell asleep while studying your books, and I had to..."

"Put you on my back, and carry you to the bedroom." Scarlet and Radiant said at once.

Scarlet Blaze turned to her son.

"I did the same thing with Sunset last month." explained Radiant Dawn. "Remember, Sunny? You were helping me with that paperwork?"

"Um....kinda." said Sunset Shimmer, hesitantly.

"I guess we really do take after you two, don't we?" grinned Radiant, turning to his parents, and then his sister. "Think about it, Sunny: Dad's the smart parent, mom's the tough parent, you're the smart kid, and I'm the tough kid."

"You know, you're right about that, Red!" chuckled Sunset.

"I still remember that days I gave birth to you two." said Scarlet.


APPROX. TWENTY-THREE YEARS AGO...

Scarlet, after recovering from the delivery of her first child, went into the ward with her husband. The nurse showed them to the basket that held their newborn son: A small reddish-orange foal with red-and-orange tufts of hair growing from his scalp. The foal opened his eyelids, revealing two bright copper eyes.

"Aww, he's so adorable..." sighed Scarlet. "I think I'll call him...Red Dawn."

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of Radiant Dawn." said Golden Sun.

"That's a good name too, I guess." said Scarlet, reluctantly.

Radiant Dawn cooed gently.

"I guess he likes the name." said Golden Sun.

"Hi, little guy." said Scarlet, leaning over her son. "Who's your mommy? That's right! It's me!"

Radiant started chortling and reaching up to touch his mother's face. Scarlet telekinetically picked up her son, and cradled him in her front hooves, where he quickly fell asleep again.

"Aaaaawwwwww..." mused Golden Sun.


PRESENT DAY...

"And after that, we moved out of Baltimare and moved into your father's family's home at Daystar Manor." finished Scarlet.

"It's so weird to me, knowing I used to be so small." said Radiant.

"That reminds me, dad." said Sunset. "What were your parents like?"

Golden Sun sighed.

"Well, they were...well." said Golden Sun. "Well, my parents were of a rich and powerful family. Made me study hard, and..."

"Could you tell me about when I was born?" asked Sunset.

"Oh, I remember that one perfectly." said Golden Sun. "Well, you definitely did a lot of crying, from what the doctors told me."

"Almost shattered my eardrums, in fact." added Scarlet. "As if you didn't want to be in the same room as me."

"But once you saw me, Sunset, you were so quiet and peaceful." said Golden Sun. "You didn't even cry once whenever I held you."

"I guess Sunset gravitated towards you more than she did mom." said Radiant. "Like how I used to only care about mom, and nopony else."

"I suppose you're right, my boy." said Golden Sun.

"Oh!" said Radiant. "Could you skip ahead to the part where I first saw Sunset?"

"I don't see why not, son." said Golden Sun.


APPROX. TWENTY YEARS AGO...

Golden Sun went into the ward, followed by Scarlet Blaze, who was carrying their three-year-old son on her back.

"Are you ready to meet your new sister, little Radiant?" asked Scarlet.

"I don't wanna!" pouted Radiant. "I don't want no stupid sister!"

"Don't be difficult, son." said Scarlet. "Listen, if you behave yourself, I'll get you some candy on the way back to the mansion."

"Aww...okay, mama." said Radiant, reluctantly.

When they all went inside. They came to a basket at the end of the row. An amber-colored foal with a curly lock of red-and-blonde hair was snoozing peacefully. She had the most adorable face they had ever seen.

"I'd say she inherited your good looks, Scarlet." said Golden Sun.

"I agree." said Scarlet. "She is--"

"Lemme see, lemme see!" said an annoyed Radiant, climbing onto the basket. He took a look into it, and gazed on his infant sister's face. All hostility he had towards having another sibling had disappeared. He was now positively beaming at her.

"Awww, she's so cute!" he said, attempting to climb in to join his sister.

But Scarlet used her telekinesis to lift Radiant away from the basket before it could happen.

"Radiant, your sister's trying to sleep!" said Scarlet. "Don't be nosy!"

"Sorry, mama." said Radiant, sadly. "I just wanted to look at her."

Golden Sun's horn glowed, and his baby daughter was levitated into his front hooves.

"Here you go, son." he told Radiant. "Now you can look at her. Be gentle and quiet, though."

Radiant Dawn looked at his baby sister with a wide smile on his face.

"So what's her name?" he asked.

"Sunset." said Scarlet. "Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset slowly opened her eyes, which were a bright bluish-green.

"Hi, Sunny." said Radiant Dawn, softly. "Looks like I'm gonna be your brother, huh? I'm Radiant Dawn."

"Red...red..." cooed the baby Sunset.

Their parents stood their in surprise.

"Her first word?" asked Scarlet, ecstatic. "And she's only a week old!"

"No, Sunny. I'm Radiant Dawn, not Red. Radiant." said Radiant Dawn.

"No! Red!" squealed Sunset. "Red! You red!"

"Yeah, I'm red." said Radiant, looking at his coat color.

"Red Dawn!" giggled Sunset. "I like red! I like red!"

"And I like you too, Sunny." Radiant laughed. "Let your big brother give ya a hug!"

Radiant put his stumpy front hooves around his baby sister, who slowly hugged him back.


PRESENT DAY...

Sunset Shimmer sat there, completely sheepish and flustered.

"Okay, admit it." she said to her father. "You made most of that up. That sounded way too good to be true. Sugarcoated, even."

"I think you're right." said Scarlet. "Because I distinctly remember this happening afterward..."


APPROX. TWENTY YEARS AGO...

Sunset's horn started to glow with a bluish-green aura, and hot sparks shot from her horn into Radiant's face. He fell backwards and started crying. Sunset, not yet understanding the concept of pain, started chortling in amusement, to the dismay of both of their parents.

"Bad girl!" growled Scarlet. "Bad! You do not use magic to hurt your brother!"

Sunset started to whimper.

"Scarlet, she's only a baby!" said Golden Sun. "She doesn't know better."

Sunset showed remorse and guilt from this. But then she had an idea materialize in her mind, probably the first idea she ever had in her life. She caught sight of a nearby box of tissues, and levitated to drop it between Radiant and herself. She took a tissue out of the box, and gave it to Radiant, with a smile on her face.

"Sorry, Red." she squeaked.

Radiant stopped crying, and wiped his face with the tissue.

"I no hurt Red any more." said the baby Sunset. "Promise!"

"I won't hurt you, neither." said Radiant.


PRESENT DAY...

"Okay, that was a little more believable." said Sunset. "But could we please stop this? I love you all so much, but I'm seriously getting 'cuteness overload' from this whole conversation."

"Okay, daughter." said Golden Sun. "What would you like to talk about, instead?"

"Actually, I've got to go." said Sunset. "I'm gonna check on my friends."

Sunset climbed out of her seat and left the donut shop.

"Duty calls." Radiant remembered, climbing out of his own seat. "I've got more new recruits to train! See ya later, mom and dad!"

"Bye, son." said Golden Sun.

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