WARNING: SPOILERS TO EQUESTRIA GIRLS RAINBOW ROCKS IN THIS FANFIC! Ye have been warned!
THERE SHALL BE SPOILERS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD IN THIS DESCRIPTION!
You have been warned.
Pony POV Series Futures:
In Sunset We Trust
Written By Alex Warlorn
With Help from Kendell2.
(( Kendell2 and I had the exact same idea at the exact same time (when we both saw Sunset TF and aid in the rainbow blast) and it was detached from the main storyline (and is technically NOT even 100% canon to the pony pov series since it's only a POSSIBLE future), so he wanted to do it with me. ))
A possible future of the pony pov series from Sunset Shimmer's POV, telling of her experiences and the moment that changed everything for her in Rainbow Rocks. How in the heck she found a place to live on Earth. How in the heck she managed to know where Twilight Sparkle was to steal her crown. And why she acted the way she did in the second film. Along with how things go slightly differently with the factors of the pony pov verse in play. To say more would be spoilers. Not for the movie, but for the shattering reveal contained within for the pony pov verse as a whole.
This is only a possible future for the pony pov series universe, not a definite one, just one of many, but I felt it was one that needed to be shared. This does not set anything in stone in the pony pov series universe, this is, again, just one of infinite possibilities.
This was really good.
The only thing you didn't cover is her feelings (or lack thereof) regarding Flash Sentry, and I suspect you avoided the issue because it's likely to be a focus of the new series.
Having read your other work, I fully realize the significance of Sunset attuning to Trust. Both in terms of what it means in terms of her character development, and in its larger significance. Sunset Shimmer has learned to trust in others. And if bringing Magic to the Humanoid world re-sparked magic there, it is possible that brining Trust to Pony world might regenerate the element there.
Good work with the Diamond Diggers. You realized that Rarity could use them against the Dazzlings and that the direct physical approach would be worth a try. Incidentally, Rarity is the most pragmatic member of the Six (either Universe) and hence would be the one most likely to attempt a simple resolution. She's also very aggressive when she feels the need to be.
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"This was really good."
Thank you.
"The only thing you didn't cover is her feelings (or lack thereof) regarding Flash Sentry, and I suspect you avoided the issue because it's likely to be a focus of the new series."
Should I got back and add it? Or would that just be clutter at this point?
"Having read your other work, I fully realize the significance of Sunset attuning to Trust. Both in terms of what it means in terms of her character development, and in its larger significance. Sunset Shimmer has learned to trust in others. And if bringing Magic to the Humanoid world re-sparked magic there, it is possible that brining Trust to Pony world might regenerate the element there."
Give how much you love to play the cosmic forces angle I really hoping to hear everything you have to say about that part. Because the moment Ken and I both saw Sunset add her ribbon o the rainbow, both me and Kendell2 thought "Element of Trust!" And we saw it in different theaters! But maybe at the same time!
So yeah! Anything you have to say about the 'bigger picture' in Sunset being chosen by EARTH'S cosmic forces to be the Element of Trust in THAT reality, I'd love to hear.
"Good work with the Diamond Diggers. You realized that Rarity could use them against the Dazzlings and that the direct physical approach would be worth a try. Incidentally, Rarity is the most pragmatic member of the Six (either Universe) and hence would be the one most likely to attempt a simple resolution. She's also very aggressive when she feels the need to be."
Ironically that was only added in the second draft, after I read one of those 'simple solutions to the canon story's problem' and decided to address it. And I had to tone it down and add some details, just so Rarity didn't come across as heartlessly USING them.
Good.
So Sunset's demon form, was essentially a humanized Nightmare, yikes.
Same here Sunset, and we've seen that Twi has a human counterpart at the end of the movie from what I know, I've yet to watch it, so, perhaps in the 3rd Equestria girls, or in Equestria Academy, the TV Show set in EQG, which, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, will give us some resolution to that.
You and me both Sunset.
I KNEW IT! Because the dark magic Sombra used is different from the type Sunset and Rarity used when in their Nightmare forms and Inspiration Manifestation spell, so, Dark magic isn't that simple, it'd probably be fascinating to study it, completly theoretically of course.
You'd probably have Uber Charged them massively.
I like this line, it's a good one, it shows how much she's changed since the last movie, how much she's grown as a character.
That, might have actually worked now that I think about it, but how would you steal them, eh Pink?
Dangerously Genre Savvy, not surprised.
They, kicked, SPIKE?! Who has done nothing, and is a DOG here? Someone hold me back before I do something I regret to those two!
You enjoyed writing that line, didn't you?
You have no idea.
Wow, that makes Power Ponies make a lot more sense.
My thoughts exactly Rainbow.
Amusingly creepy for us, but yes.
Because, Pinkie's sisters are awesome, she's the premier party planner of Ponyville, Octavia is a reknown musician, Photo Finish is a fashion idol and Maud can become a pony jackhammer and reduce a bolder to rubble in seconds as well as be faster than any other Earth Pony we've ever seen, short of Pinkie Pie.
*shrug* Ponies change over time.
*furious eyetwitch* She is so lucky she is under the influence of the Dazzlings.
Bingo Sunset.
To quote Joshscorcher, "Deux Ex Vinyl Scratch"
Besides, she's an extremely popular background pony, has her own humanized short, and now is a Deux Ex Machina, all right Vinyl!
Exactly, again, this movie shows how much she's changed since the original EQG.
Wasn't the Element of Trust destroyed by Discord? Forever?
Good question.
That, actually makes sense.
Much better. You're forgiven Octavia.
That line is pure yes.
In the Mirror Universe, that is pretty nice twist, but if Discord can be a superhero, then why the hell not.
Exactly.
5115193
Thanks for noticing! :-D
5113684
Persona22 5 days ago
The worst part? Pinkie had just been trying to tell Octavia she'd done a good job...
I can just imagine how that must have gone like:
Pinkie: Octy, we won but you were really good too, no hard feelings?
Octavia: Don't you "Octy" me, you... you TRAITOR!
Pinkie: What?
Octavia: You would help your friends win this contest? Placing them above your own sister? Your own FLESH AND BLOOD?
Pinkie: Octy, it's not like that...
Octavia: You would do anything to hold me down, wouldn't you!? Making that noise that you dare to call music! My own sister!
By now Pinkie Pie would be totally in tears...
The intro part where we get a recap of things that are almost entirely the same as canon (with the occasional difference like mentioning Fluttershy becoming an alicorn) felt like it dragged, I'm afraid. There's a lot of Sunset telling us things before the story shows anything actually happening.
Not your best piece.
---
" Sonata pleaded. "Look! We really weren't THAT BAD! I mean, uh, we didn't ASK to be made to eat hate and stuff! I bet eating all that hate made us bad! We're just victims of our nature!"
Aria yelled, "She's right! Punishing us is like punishing a jellyfish for being poisonous!"
Adagio declared, "What happened to us was totally unfair! What were we supposed to do!? Nobly starve to death? That's stupid!"
Havoc, currently in the seapony pony form of their foalhood singing instructor, said, "That so? Well, you might be happy to know, that in a nearby universe to this one, you helped establish King Sombra The Kind's peaceful and beautiful Equestria. You went down in history as saints and spiritual healers. When the wicked Queen Celestia threw you into another universe to be rid of you, you were mourned by the people! They still have statues of you and churches named after you in that Equestria.
"You know what the difference was? . . . NOTHING! You had EXACTLY the same hunger as you do here! You saw your sisters die in front of you! You were treated as outcasts and saw your only friends violated by a gang drive mad with revenge. You had exactly the same powers and they awoke at the same time and place!
"But instead of CAUSING fighting and misery and feasting, you traveled helping ponies be free of their suffering, their hatred and fear, giving them the peace and strength of heart they needed and letting them think clearly. You three on the other hand chose to be pigs who couldn't stop stuffing your faces. This was the path of your choosing!" "
---
I think Sonata is the only one of the three who will feel even the tiniest bit of remorse on learning that. The other two won't really care though. Yeah, only Sonata will be remotely sorry.
5117625
I tried to tell them concisely.
5122323
That so? Hm.
5123020 Yeah.
Sonata is a ditz and when made to realize the truth she will be sorry then.
The other two however went into it fully aware of what they were doing and understood it.
They don't have the excuse of being mentally retarded like she does have right now.
I like the number 7, but 6 elements of harmony was fine with me. It's okay, just feels a tad contrived.
Personally, I will always be bothered that Sunset is trapped where EQG takes place. It doesn't feel like a proper resolution leaving her there.
Otherwise, not too bad as a story, aside for being pretty close to a RR retelling.
5162553
Actually, the seventh Element was shown in my fanfic verse, having been destroyed by Discord 2000 years before the series takes place.
5162776
I see. I'll have to read a few more of them then.
5166452
:-)
OH MY GLOB THAT WAS THE BEST STORY EVER!!!
You did REALLY good!!!
5297624
Thanks for the praise. What was nice about it?
5297974
I like the determination in Sunset Shimmer!
I also like the Element of Trust idea! That was genius!
5298256
There are seven colors in the rainbow after all.
5298406
Yeah, they totally gave it away! WE KNOW THAT SUNSET IS THE SEVENTH ELEMENT HASBRO, YOU CAN'T HIDE IT ANYMORE!!!
I noticed a lot of the same issues I mentioned before: Clunky writing, weak narrative voice, sloppy mechanics, etc. However, what made it pretty miserable in the other story, the weak narrative voice, read much better this time around. Your interesting ideas and alterations to the movie were a lot easier to take in since I wasn't also trying to slog through a boring narrative voice. So while I wouldn't say I liked this story, I can also say I didn't dislike it, which is a pretty big jump from my previous thoughts.
Also, speaking of sloppy mechanics, do you have an editor? There were a lot of misplaced and missing commas, inconsistent ellipses (... vs. . . .), and other such grammatical flubs. Given all that, it feels like you don't have an editor, and I'd strongly suggest getting one.
You know, considering how you tend to portray mind magic in Pony POV, Battle of the Bands, Under Our Spell and Welcome to the Show just got 20% creepier, especially since they're probably going to remember everything they did while under Sirenic influence, or at least the majority of it I'd imagine. Also, I shudder to think what would happen if Tirek got his hands on the Dazzlings magic if he even could, which wouldn't surprise me, he can drain the magic of all 3 pony tribes, alicorn magic, and Discord's own magic, so, I doubt Siren magic would be very different, though he'd probably find it very exotic.
5530019
Yes I do have an editors.
What do you mean by clunky, sloppy, and weak exactly?
I thought you might like these:
This Chapter was AWESOME!!!
Ooh! I like it! I like it! I like it!
This better be cannon...please be future cannon...I'm gonna die if it's not!
Awesome job on this chapter!
6546740
Princess Solaris is my OWN idea for Sunset's Alicorn name.
6547188 I really like it!
*snerk* Pity.
Eh, didn't like the song much.
Remove.
And she's a Lightning Dust recolor.
And it is hilarious!
Hey, uniforms aren't that bad, Leather Jacket, it helps save a bit of time in the morning.
I swear having a cool name is part of the whole Nightmare Package. Also, worlDS.
Eh, it sounded better than Dyadream Shimmer.
Unable to meddle, and arguably worse due to making things even more confusin due to 2 Twilights.
6715948
Thanks for the comments!
6716013
And here I was hoping for some witty repartee.
BTW, I still think that in between this movie and the last one she became friends with Octavia. Or at least they hang out together a lot.
http://equestriagirls.wikia.com/wiki/File:CHS_students_watching_Rainbow_and_the_band_EG3.png
http://equestriagirls.wikia.com/wiki/File:Rainbow_Dash_--Crystal_Prep_students--_EG3.png
http://equestriagirls.wikia.com/wiki/File:Photo_Finish,_Trixie,_and_Octavia_impressed_EG3.png
http://equestriagirls.wikia.com/wiki/File:Pinkie_Pie_--she_was_right_here--_EG3.png
http://equestriagirls.wikia.com/wiki/File:Students_listen_to_Luna's_announcement_EG3.png
http://equestriagirls.wikia.com/wiki/File:CMCs_wearing_Wondercolt_ears_EG3.png
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https://www.fimfiction.net/story/221057/pony-pov-possible-futures-in-sunset-we-trust#comment/6716142
6716142
Not an impossibility.
6717096
I don't get it.
6717887
That's the author of this chapter.
6717919
Ah.
I just realized that the really interesting thing would be a POV story of Friendship Games NOT through the eyes of Sunset Shimmer... but through the eyes of Human Twilight! Just think about it, this is a girl that goes to a school where everyone is either mean or indifferent, she's the best at school but feels incomplete. She finds this strange source of energy. When she gets to Canterlot High all this kids that she never met before greet her like if they were all good friends and they even know the name of her dog. And that's just the start...
6777813
True, but what NEW stuff would we learn?
6778515 None, except made up stuff about Human Twilight's life. Like her life outside of school, what motivated her to get to Crystal Prep, how is her relation with her brother and her parents, that sort of things.
This was good. I enjoyed seeing Sunset redeeming herself after what happened in the previous. My only nitpick was that this was not entirely different from the canon itself, but hey, it was still a good piece.
7201333
Well, factors and variables. Glade it entertained ya!
Well, your narrative certainly made it better than the movie somewhat. The movie's biggest weakness was that it had two to three story focuses. Since you only focused on Sunset's POV, it made the story more coherent. Nice job.
7201487
Thanks, I guess. :-)
I've been looking forward to reading the EqG chapters ever since I've started reading the Pony POV series and I have to say you didn't disappoint.
This is gonna be a much, much longer response than I usually make because I'm jotting down all my thoughts while I'm reading and I was just really, really eager to read it.
Good thing too, because I doubt Sunset would've had any defense against the wolf. And given how none of the pre-Legends of Everfree EG movies seem to take place outside of Canterlot, travel/running might not be much of an option.
Well considering THIS passage:
...There may or may not be room to believe that.
Or maybe it's just anger born from stress, I dunno.
Awww.
YES, this is definitely something they should've pronounced more in EqG1; the similarities and differences between Twilight & Sunset. Sunset was obviously meant to be a foil for Twilight. Similar names, similar talents, Twilight's status as a friend-maker compared to Sunset's manipulative bitch streak. But they could've done so much more with it!
I remember people discussing EqG1 way back when saying adding some jealousy of Twilight like you did here would've definitely fleshed Sunset out more. And there's a lot to be jealous of.
She has great friends. She has a loving family. she's a princess. She's the personal student of country's God-queen. She had immense magical power and knowledge even BEFORE (canonically) becoming a demi-goddess herself.
So it makes sense that seeing how much of a good life that Twilight had would drive Sunset completely nuts.
Especially if my headcanon about her growing up an orphan on the streets having to fight her way to survive with dead parents and a deadbeat brother who eventually abandoned her giving her or contributing to the future development of a "survival of the fittest" mentality until meeting Celestia and being taken under her big white wings was even remotely true since her IDW origin doesn't go back father than her days as a student, but that's neither here nor thereOne of the things I've always liked about this series is the examination of both the Elements of Harmony AND Chaos and how both sets can be used for both good and bad. Like with Fluttercruel using the concept of cruelty as a means of being kind for the greater good and betterment of someone as opposed to keeping the truth from them because sometimes the truth's a bitter pill to swallow and getting a loved one to take that pill is hard, but it has to be done. I remember in the dark world saga reading about the chaos elements and how apparently they had their own "purified" states like Treachery becoming Free Will when Dash finally got herself together and realized Discord was just screwing with her. Anger, when properly contained and directed, is a powerful motivator but can easily consume you. Ambition gives us the drive to reach what we want, but hurts ourselves and others when we let it overtake us and become greed. Deceit, generally, is bad, but under the right circumstances can ease suffering instead of spreading it more (hiding a would be victim from forces of a brutal dictator out to get them comes to mind).
And I REALLY loved on the flipside where the harmony elements can be taken to extremes as well shown via the nightmares. Honesty can be brutal, cold and sometimes shared for no purpose other than to hurt others. Loyalty means nothing if it's forced on you or others. Laughter and kindness are wonderful, but if we focus too much on them keeps us from growing and facing reality. Generosity shows that you have a good heart, but giving away everything you have is foolhardy and strains your mind and soul.
Nightmare Eclipse seemed to be the odd one out in that her focus was on taking revenge on Discord and less on aspects of magic/tragedy, sans her justification of making him suffer on behalf of his victims, her friends included, while oblivious to how her punishments not only exceeded the crime but made everyone she set out to "save" suffer over and over again as a result.
So I'm glad to see another take on the Element of Magic taken to it's "overloaded" extreme, this time a bit more straightforward.
Tying into the "Harmony Queens" timeline with it's similar approach to Harmony becoming domineeringly orderly and fascist in contrast to Discord's chaos, have the other elements of Harmony had their "overloaded" statuses officially named yet? Have all the "Purified Chaos" elements gotten their titles?
That's an incredibly fitting and kickass name.
And the crown's magic just brought it out.
Or it just came out naturally given how the elements work in this universe.
But if there was no crown, then what prompted Sunset to come out the mirror, have Twilight chase her to the human world, and start this whole rigmarole in the first place?
[If that was answered earlier in the passage and I just somehow missed it, or if it's later down the page I'm sorry. I had to get this out and I keep stopping to jot down my thoughts.]
Personally I figured they would've been at least somewhat suspicious of her at first and she would've had to earn their trust in some way, but that's just me.
[To be continued]
7568165
Thank the mirror ADAPTS those who travel through.
Girl, you're a talking magical unicorn turned into a hairless monkey via a magic mirror, "realistic" is out to lunch here.
Goddamn, there's some fridge horror for ya.
Damn you Alex, you've torn my heart to shreds yet again!
That's pretty normal.
Oh man, the jokes you can make in EqG world...
I think I may have read ahead a bit more than needed.
Oops.
I almost want to see her do it, tbh.
Just have her go full on Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star (WARNING: VIOLENT), it'll be great!
You mean predecessor?
Now that's a conspiracy theory I can get behind!
Wonder how Havoc would feel about this. Would he be proud?
i.imgur.com/zdsU7xU.png
Hell yeah! Bring back the last element Sunny!
...Well shit. They're bastards and all but I certainly wouldn't want them to go out like that-
Oh good. Maybe they can become better people.
Even the vilest of acts can make fertilizer for the sweetest and most beautiful of flowers.
If EqG's human world's past is as bloody and violent as ours, then congratulations Sunny! With both you eliminating the Dazzlings manipulating and feeding off conflict AND bringing magic into the world, you've laid the foundation for a bright new future!
LIQUID PRIDE
Perhaps the latter since Sunset wasn't originally from the human world.
LIQUID PRIDE.
I
Q
U
I
D
P
R
I
D
E
Also, I love the bits at the end and how they both show in their own opposing ways that we can all choose to be good and bad. They're like mirror images of one another.
I tip my hat to you Alex, I was expecting great things with Sunset Shimmer and you more than delivered!
7568495
Everything's relative.
Thank you.
Hopefully not for arbitrary reasons.
In general or one of Celly's students?
Dammit.
Did you read the Dazzling origin story yet?
Oops.
Thanks.
Mystery is fun.
I had a friend, he and I thought the same thing seeing that scene.
Did you read their origin story?
... Don't get your hopes up.
THANK YOU!
Or Earth adopted her.
That's the idea.
7568662
Glad to help!
Arbitrary nothing! It makes perfect sense Sunset would feel ashamed after doing all that and learning that Celestia still loves her. That's the kind of shame that reminds me of Valjean realizing he'd been an asshole to the Priest who just saved his butt from being thrown in prison again and swearing to turn his whole life around, that's raw emotional cartharsis! That is some good stuff!
In general. That's something pretty much anyone except maybe the biggest and most apathetic slacker on earth can relate to.
The one showing how they're pretty much the only thing left from the G2 apocalypse and Sonata fried her brain with the Alicorn Amulet and that's why she's a total ditz?
Yeah. Could've sworn I gave it a like.
Also not to be a bother but did you see the rest of what i said here?
6777813
Agreed. So hard.
Persona, you did amazingly well with the FG chapter! I especially love the small bits of analysis you had for the shadowbolt 5 and the Alicorn name you gave to Sunset and the way you handled Nightmare Midnight/Midnight Sparkle.
The Shadowbolt 5 in particular I feel are definitely a group that would benefit from the Pony POV multiverse treatment. One of the aspects of this Fic's mutliverse is the "there's no such thing as a minor character" deal where damn near every character's had their personalities fleshed out to a noticeable extent, and Foil characters like the Shadowbolts always have the potential to be interesting, though FG sadly pushed them aside in favor of Cinch. (Sunny Flare especially. The others had their noteworthy moments, but that poor gal barely had anything.)
Lemon Zest is a pushy escapist, Sugarcoat's the living antithesis of her namesake, Indigo Zap's a competition junkie, Sunny Flare's obsessive and rude and Sour Sweet's mood swings faster, harder and more wildly than a Pendulum in a Gothic Horror tale. So what's their deal? How'd they get this way? Did people hurt them? Are they abuse victims? Is Cinch the source or does she make it worse with manipulations? Could they serve as secondary elements of harmony like Trixie and Fluttercruel? Elements of CHAOS even? The possibilities are endless!
Do you plan on adapting Legends of Everfree when it's out?
7573469
Actually that was all added by Alex's edits after I sent him the story.