Twilight listened carefully as - at her request - Sunset detailed her story. Starting with Sunset becoming Celestia's personal student and living at the castle, running through her mastering every magic that was presented to her, leading to seeing a possible future of herself as an alicorn in the mirror...and the obsession that developed as a result. She showed no judgement or disgust as Sunset described how she went against Celestia's decisions regarding her education, deliberately studying from forbidden scrolls. She heard out how she had been banished from the castle, her home...and how she fled through the mirror.
Finally, she spoke up. "So...what was your plan at that point?" Twilight asked curiously.
"I...didn't have a plan at that point," Sunset admitted. "I had some vague idea about gathering power here for some sort of confrontation...but that went out the window as soon as I arrived and saw what this world was like. I...basically had to start from scratch just to make sense of the world, and establish some sort of power base I could use to keep myself safe. I wasn't exactly the nicest filly growing up - between being Princess Celestia's personal student and...other things, I didn't exactly care for my fellow ponies-"
"Not to mention most of them reacted to your own inclinations towards shows of strength with fear?" Twilight interpreted. "As I understand, the sort of attitude you find appealing hasn't been prevalent in Equestria since Nightmare Moon's banishment."
"Born in the wrong era, I guess," Sunset admitted. "But yeah, basically. So I knew how to wrap a school structure around me, so...I did what I had to do to ensure I would stay at the top, untouchable." She crossed her arms, not quite meeting Twilight's eyes. "I'm not proud of what I had to do, but I did it. I don't know if you can understand that-"
"I'm Vice-President of the known universe, Captain of a galaxy spanning crew of zombie robot pirate ghosts, one of my BBBFFs can warp his personal reality by the power of belief, and I once rewrote the laws of causality to resurrect dead family members without destroying the space-time continuum," Twilight interrupted. "Oh, and I'm dating the universe's greatest known surviving supervillain. I well understand the concept of 'unpleasant necessities', Sunset..." Her voice trailed off as she stared at Sunset's flushed face. "I should stop talking about my exploits, shouldn't I?"
"Unless you happen to have a spare set of panties, yes," Sunset whimpered softly.
"Aphelion?" Twilight spoke up. Light appeared over Twilight's hand, and she handed the folded fabric to Sunset. "I'd suggest waiting to change until we're done though, just in case there's any more slips."
"Like asking who Aphelion is?" Sunset asked cautiously.
"She's my aunt, but she's also a starship with an artificial soul program upgraded with the energies of 117,000 Zoni giving her the ability to warp space and time at will, drastically increase her interior dimensions independent of her exterior dimensions, and a robot combat mode-"
"Your aunt is a Cybertronian TARDIS?" Sunset gasped out in shock.
"...maybe?" Twilight allowed. "I'm not familiar with those terms..."
"I am!" Nefarious called out through the communicator. "I've been accessing this world's information network while waiting for you to be ready to return. Not only is that a highly accurate description of Aphelion, if Sunset knows the terms it means she's a total geek like we are!"
Sunset buried her face in her hands. "Being hyper intelligent and having good taste doesn't make me a geek," she complained.
"Sure it does," Twilight corrected. "But there's nothing wrong with being a geek. Now, what was your plan with stealing my Element?"
Sunset blinked, momentarily confused about the sudden shift of subject. She was beginning to wonder if she actually could keep up with Twilight intellectually. "I've been studying the Elements whenever I hopped through the portal when it opened. It only opens every 30 moons on the Equestria side, but it's a bit more random on this side...probably because the Sun and Moon aren't under the control of anybody, and the portal opens any time the Earth, Moon, and Sun are in the same position relative to each other as the 'once every 30 Moons' position on the other side...which is quite random, but also quite frequent. So...I'm a lot younger than I should be, not even including appearances."
"Magically, I'd scan you to be about my age," Twilight offered as she deactivated her HUD. "So...your plan?"
"When separated from each other dimensionally, the Elements can be activated independently," Sunset explained. "I figured I would have enough connection with the Element of Magic for it to unlock my potential if I activated it on this side, which in theory should have triggered an alicorn transformation."
"Bad idea," Twilight warned. "While it might have been successful, the sheer amount of magic that would have released - especially in a human body not adapted to magic - would not only have destabilized this world's energy fields, but also overwhelmed your psyche. In all likelihood, it would have triggered a Nightmare transformation, which would have burned out your reserves until you were left a husk...or at least burned out the alicorn aspect if it weren't stopped. The Elements were designed to work together specifically to stabilize such transformations."
"...Nightmare transformation?" Sunset asked nervously. "Like...Nightmare Moon?"
Twilight nodded. "As I understand it, all alicorns have a darker aspect of themselves, representative of all their darkest impulses, worst fears, and hungers. Luna's was Nightmare Moon, driven primarily by her loneliness and jealousy of her sister." She looked away. "Mine, called Dark Star, is driven by rage and fear, against anyone who tries to take me away from my family. It's...part of my separation anxiety issues. I'm still learning to deal with those."
Sunset blinked a few times, then swallowed convulsively. "So...it's a good thing you stopped me, then?" she asked nervously.
"Definitely," Twilight confirmed. "I don't have access to the Elements over here, so if you underwent a Nightmare transformation, I'd have to hope lethal damage caused a reversion and not death...or at least a reversion in addition to death, I could probably have fixed the latter..."
"Is it too late to surrender to you utterly and completely?" Sunset asked hopefully.
"Only if I get to watch!" Nefarious called out through the comms.
"Nefarious!" Twilight snapped irritably. "She meant as a criminal for capture-"
"I could go either way," Sunset offered eagerly.
Twilight blinked several times. "...okay, I'm going to offer you two choices. First, I place you under arrest, go retrieve my Element, and bring you back to Celestia to face whatever punishment she chooses to lay on you."
Sunset swallowed convulsively. "What's...my second option?"
"I take you on as my student," Twilight continued. "I give you a communicator that can reach me through dimensions, and you stay here studying Friendship, magic, and science. I take my element back to Equestria, and provide you with the resources you'll need to deal with any other magical entities that might have passed through the portal to here from Equestria. Celestia mentioned something about Starswirl in regard to it, so there could be some old threats he dumped here."
Sunset blinked. "So...a delinquent/criminal, or super techno-mage paladin?" she asked in disbelief. "Way to make the choice difficult."
"Two important provisos about that second choice," Twilight cautioned. "First, everything you did to make yourself 'secure' here? If it involved damaging relationships or anything like that...you undo it and make it right, whatever the consequences."
Sunset winced. "Yeah...that's going to be-"
"I leave you leeway on determining how best to go about doing it," Twilight allowed. "Feel free to be political about it."
"Alright," Sunset allowed. "Sounds reasonable..."
"Second, it'll mean working for me, not Celestia," Twilight pointed out. "You won't be Celestia's student anymore, you'll be mine. I doubt if I'll ever end up going against Celestia in any sort of pitched battle...but politically we're likely to butt heads a lot in the future. You'll have to be on my side for that, not Celestia's."
Sunset sighed softly. "I...I think I can live with that."
Twilight smiled warmly. "Alright." She handed over what looked like a cell phone. "Here's the commlink. We'll talk as you get settled, and I'll send the tech through to you as you need it. For now, I'm going to go get my crown back."
"How do you intend to do that?" Sunset asked curiously. "it's currently in the display case as the crown for Fall Formal Princess. Going to try to win it?"
"Like I have time or patience for that!" Twilight countered dismissively. "I'm debating between finding the Principal and claiming that it's actually a family heirloom that accidentally got swapped with the actual crown - I assume that's the fake you left when you swiped it?" When Sunset nodded, Twilight continued. "Anyway, either a direct swap like that, or just smashing the glass, taking my crown, and threatening to blast anyone who gets in my way as I head back to the portal. Which do you think would be best?"
"Smash and blast!" Nefarious screamed out eagerly. "Smash and blast!"
"...as much as I'd love to see you do that," Sunset allowed, "that...wouldn't exactly help me manage to fix things here if everyone thought my 'girlfriend' was a violent gun-toting maniac."
Twilight pouted. "I'm not..." She paused in thought. "...that violent..."
Sunset stared blankly.
"I could do the smash and grab?" Nefarious suggested. "That would justify Sunset gathering the local equivalents of your friends into a secret 'defense force' so Harmony power could be utilized."
"Well, I did see the human version of Fluttershy," Twilight admitted.
Sunset winced. "The other Element Bearers - your friends - wouldn't happen to be Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, would they?"
"I take it part of what you'll be fixing is their friendship?" Twilight interpreted firmly.
"...yeah..."
"Go for it, Nefarious," Twilight ordered. "Sunset can claim she barely managed to get the crown back from your attack, and she can use that as an excuse for a change in character as she goes about making things right...and then recruit them into that 'defense force'. Just make sure not to go back through the portal-"
"Already have a teleport set up!" Nefarious confirmed. "It'll self destruct after I go through! And I've got guns ready!"
"...Nefarious-"
"I'll make sure not to kill anyone!" Nefarious promised. "Just collateral damage!"
"But if you're taking the Element back-" Sunset began.
Smirking, Twilight handed over the actual Fall Formal crown. "Good luck, Sunset. If you do well, Nefarious and I will be sure to 'reward' you." She licked her lips suggestively.
"...don't suppose Aphelion could send me a few wet wipes, too?" Sunset whimpered.
Twilight smiled as she stepped out of the mirror as an alicorn once more, the Element of Magic upon her head. "Mission accomplished," she spoke up happily.
"So I see," Celestia observed as Twilight's friends and family crowded around her eagerly. "And...how is Sunset?"
Twilight frowned. "Before I answer that, I have a question to ask." Once silence fell, she continued. "At one point, Sunset had a slip and almost called you 'Mom'. Is that biological or legal?"
Celestia winced. "That's...complicated."
"Simplify it," Twilight demanded coldly.
"As far as Sunset knows, I adopted her," Celestia explained. "It's...better for her she doesn't know the other half of it...mostly because of how awkward explaining her true parentage would be." Seeing Twilight's gaze not letting up, Celestia sighed. "After Luna's banishment, I was...incredibly lonely. There was...one who was there with me, and...at my request, she temporarily became a he to comfort me. The result was...unexpected."
"So you had a child with someone who was normally female," Twilight concluded as others around gasped in shock. "I guess some would think that's a scandal, but I don't see why-"
"It was Philomena."
Rarity and Fluttershy both promptly fainted.
"Since she recognized your request, I presume she's fully cognizant and capable of giving consent?" Twilight clarified. At Celestia's confused nod, she shrugged. "Fair enough. What does that have to do with Sunset calling you Mom being complicated?"
"The resulting child was half pony, half phoenix," Celestia explained. "They lived a normal life as a normal pony until they died...at which point they underwent a burning day, and was reborn as a new pony. No old memories, completely new genetic code...but the same magic. This has happened to them several times. They've been unicorn, pegasus, earth pony...stallion, mare..." She lowered her head. "Only just recently did I track down her latest incarnation, and take her in as my personal student. Sunset never questioned why Philomena was so fond of her."
"...talk about a doozy," Pinkie Pie admitted, stunned.
"So I ask again," Celestia continued carefully. "How is Sunset?"
"Your daughter's hot," Twilight offered bluntly.
"Are you trying to give me a nervous breakdown?" Celestia whimpered softly.
Did you just- welp. That's going to be interesting if/when Sunset is told who she is. Or finds a way to tap into her other side.
Celestimina... Hell of a ship you just threw at us.
INTERESTING take on sunset shimmer.... also i REALLY want to see twi and sunset get together
..... that last twist came so far out of left field that it started on the right field.
Huh... so the ship hasn't been burned but definitely went through the fire and flames of it all.
Wonder how much residual memory she'll actually have though since it could in theory affect her likes and dislikes.
...Okay. THAT was weird.
Welp, Sunset was born at the right time, she just don't remember it.
Twilight is sooooo gonna try to give sunset the ability to keep memories through burnings. Just to see how many times Nefarious get concurrence through the centuries. XD
I actually like how you did the whole parallel equestrias thing. Explains how sunset and twilight are the same age, despite having seen filly Twilight in Sunset's background comic. Very nicely done.
Also, I find your take on Sunset to be very creative. Nice.
Damn man, you're on a roll with B.S.O.D.ing me. However, as much as it threw me off, I admit that it does make sense... in a strange way. Sunset's character always appeared Phoenix-like to me ever since the second movie.
I always held the theory that Sunset's My Past is not Today thing was both canon, and that it signaled her ascension into an Alicorn, but because of her currently human body you can't really tell. The fact that she had wings at the end of Friendship Games is a plus towards that theory in my eyes.
Becoming an Alicorn was supposedly only possible through the creation of new magic, and I saw Sunset's little flame display in My Past is not Today as the birth of what I called Phoenix magic, or the magic of Life. I saw Sunset as the Alicorn of Life.
Also... am I detecting the start of a Doctor-Sunset here? Because her burning days sound an awful lot like a Regeneration, bar the fact that the Doctor gets to keep his memories, if not the emotional attachments that come with them, whereas Sunset can't. I wouldn't put it past Twilight and Nefarious to find a way to make it so she retained memories and emotional links.
Sorry if this feels scattered. Bad cold. I can barely think straight.
Well, I guess that explains why Sunset's anthro Alicorn form had flaming wings. Of course, now I need to hunt up an image like that on derpibooru. BRB.
That last bit regarding Sunny was such a "OH SH&$" moment I think a few gears cracked under the strain. NICE!
And anyway there is NOTHING WRONG with being a geek OR a nerd, Sunny! Better company than the IN crowd anyway.
I can SO see Twi and Nefarious doing something about Sunny's memories even without the direction this seems to be taking towards a threesome.
... nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.
Walks to window, opens said window and jumps (With wings)
nopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenopenope.
crash or fly into space, your chose!
Yes! Take that nervous breakdown Celly! and then go and get comforted by your phoenix some more! We want to see this..... (and hopefully have twilight hide a cambot somewhere for blackmail and amusement purposes...)
7839548 I actually wanna see that happen.Both th ship and the Clop... though no offense, but I wouldn't like to force Tatsoru to make the clop, he's better with the non R rated stuff, but he would do an awesome job with the ship.
7839603
derpicdn.net/img/view/2016/8/1/1214423__safe_equestria+girls_vector_sunset+shimmer_rainbow+rocks_wallpaper_wings_beach_background_artist-colon-osipush.jpeg
derpicdn.net/img/view/2015/10/21/1007056__safe_solo_clothes_equestria+girls_socks_sunset+shimmer_rainbow+rocks_fire_space_signature.png
7839611 Thank you, good sir, for making me laugh with a head-cold.
No, really, that helped brighten up an otherwise crummy morning.
got a good laugh out of it nice work
I second that...
Tap time?
omg sunset being a hybrid thats new and soo cool
That takes on an entirely new meaning when she's half-firebird.
...the pheonix thing... makes sense in regards to her sexual preferences. If that was the one single thing that carried over, then being originally born in the era where power plays were commonplace and having it carry through with each "Burning Day" makes absolute total and interestingly amazing sense.
Okay seriously sunset has the regeneration ability with the side effect of not knowing who she was, if you don't pair sunset with the doctor after this if you haven't already in will be sorely disappointed
I now have a new inspiration for a story involving something like that, only it's twilight that's half phoenix and not sunset, though I may just add that bit as well make them sisters.
7839629 I'm glad I am able to put a smile on your face.
That fact also helped me and my crappy morning.
That is probably the third weirdest backstory for Sunset I've ever read.
...Sunset is the closest thing we have to a Time Lord, here. That girl is on fire!
Celestia has gone further than a lonely/crazy cat lady.
Lately this story has gotten this from me:
My sides hurt from laughing and my face hurts because my smile gets too wide
Okay, now I want you to do something with Sunset being raised by someone. Maybe something with mechs, like Voltron, or Robotech or something.
This incarnation of twilight is just SO much fun!
7839838 or megas xlr. Though Gundam G would also be awesome.
7839838 Is Team Star Fox good?
7839838
Sunset will be in the Star Fox universe.
I wonder what would have happened if Twilight had stated that she wanted to bang Sunset to Celestia.
7839595
Idea: if she ascends, regeneration through fire becomes something that she only does when she gets mortally wounded, and doesn't cause her to lose memories, and maybe she can (perhaps because of something twilight and nefarious do) regain her past life memories.
7839816 What are the other 2?
7839605 7839625 7839884
Now when Sunset is a Twi student and probably also future lover, Twilight must:
-as the absolute minimum, allow (somehow) Sunset to keep (from now) memories of past lives/incarnations
-also very important is, make that from now after each rebirth, Sunset new incarnations will stay female (I don't think that Nefarious will like the idea of another male in their harem (as Twi and me))
-as the above points seem to me a (absolutely) necessary,the third one is rather a bonus one/not required:
Let Twilight go all out (again) and allows her to ascent Sunset into alicornhood (or something similar,along with previous improvements/adds)
7839617
Possible Celestia reaction on that, priceless
So what do you think about my ideas?
Wow. You wouldn't mind me eventually using the half phoenix thing for Sunset, would you? It's just too good.
Yes. Yes she is.
...Say wha?
...Say WHAT?
...Took the words right out of my mouth...
...
...Meh, I'd still tap that. Go for it, Twi!
That last part....
Your
extra unnecessary "for you"
You and your crazy and convincing headcanons, Tatsu...
So basically Sunset's a Time Lord without the ability to retain memories between regenerations?
I'll just leave this here...
Totally safe for work link that doesn't lead to some rauncy clop fic. You can trust me, I'm some anonymous guy on the internet.
Whats weird is that i already used the pheonix hybrid idea in the story i am currently writing!
........ you now that explanes so much right now of sunset's transformations in side movies & such.
7839886
His first attempt with Megas didn't go down so well. As for Gundam...well, G would probably be the only one fun enough to use, and let's face it, that one is made of racism. A lot of it.
7839888
Hmm, now that's going to be interesting, especially given the sporadic nature of Star Fox's story telling.
7840216
Yet.
7839590 So, she would essentially make her a full Time Lord to spent eternity with. Because Sunset is already half Time Lord. The Time Lord lookalike and the girl whose bitch is time itself. Yeah, them being together fits perfectly.
7839569 THANK YOU so much for putting into words how I feel about this chapter.
7839938
Go ahead. It apparently isn't exactly original based on other comments.
BOOOM!
WHO WAS RIGHT ON ALL POINTS OF SUNSET SHIMMER!?!
ME! DAT'S WHO!
Okay, not all points. I figured it was either biological relation or part phoenix. Not both. And certainly not with Philomena.
BUT MOST POINTS!
Also awesome chapter.
And then they fu--kissed. They kissed.
"STFU and elaborate, Celestia."
*Celestia opens her mouth to say something that isn't what Twilight just asked her to say.*
*Celestia pauses, closes her mouth, then opens it to begin explaining*
EDIT:
Also, this is the story I was thinking of. I haven't actually read it, but, assuming from the title, it seems like this.
Daughter of the Phoenix
7840842 gotta admit though, it makes for one hell of a twist!
....WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS MESS WITH PEOPLE'S HEADS? STOP IT.....if you want to of course...