Chapter 1 (One-shot)
“You can’t do that!”
The outburst was fierce, tinged with a note of unyielding dedication, but certainly not unexpected. In fact, these tended to occur whenever she would indulge in her daily habit, almost as if the students purposed to intrude her office at such times. She was here for them, of course, but sometimes their problems could be easily solved without her assistance. Sometimes all it took was a teaspoon of goodwill, a drip of mutual understanding, and a heartfelt smile or two.
Being a principal at one of the most prestigious educational facilities in town was a never-ending ride with issues and antics beyond imagination at every turn. This time around, a student seemed to be telling her what she was and wasn’t allowed to do.
Celestia put a cup of yet untasted tea back on the desk. This should be fun.
“Sunset Shimmer,” she greeted the intruder. “As much as I’m delighted to see students drop by my office once and again, I would much rather prefer they declared their arrival prior to entering.”
A shade of crimson not unlike Sunset’s wavy hair flooded her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, I-I was in a rush! I should have knocked!” Sunset replied, took a step back, and knocked on the already wide open doors.
“Enter,” Celestia said, allowing herself to a little smirk. “Please, sit. Is there something I can do for you, Sunset Shimmer? Unless, of course, it happens to be a matter of what I can’t do?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk about. I don’t think what you’re doing is fair.”
“Oh?”
Sunset cleared her throat. “Well, I understand that what happened during the Showcase technically qualifies as a crime, and according to the school rules it is more than enough to have them removed, but I think a reprimand would suffice,” she said. “These girls deserve a second chance. There is no need to expel them!”
Celestia carried a teaspoon’s worth of sugar to her teacup. Aside from sweetening the beverage she gained a feasible excuse to break eye contact, and not a moment too soon because else she’d burst out laughing at how ridiculously uninformed Sunset was. Instead of clarifying the case right away, however, Celestia decided to turn it into a slight attitude exercise for the girl. She welcomed the opportunity all the more because she seldom had a chance to employ her bad cop skills, especially since she had rehired Luna, who was a natural and had no equal in that field.
Indeed, this will be definitely fun.
Celestia twirled the spoon, helping the crystals dissolve into sweetness, as if in compensation for the upcoming lack thereof heard in her voice. She leaned back in the chair and joined the tips of her fingers into a pyramid. “If I understand correctly,” she slowly said, “you’ve come to my office, unannounced, in the attempt to alter my decision, which is final, and to the making of which I have executive rights, given my position in regards to this facility?”
Sunset uttered a response, but ended lost for words in the arising embarrassment.
“Not at all! Well, yes, from a certain point of view, it’s just, uhm–”
“Just what?”
“It’s just that you gave me a second chance after that Fall Formal!” she quickly said, steering clear from Celestia’s stern gaze. “My actions left a gaping hole in the ground and reduced the entrance to a pile of bricks. What Adagio and the others did wasn’t different from what I’ve tried to accomplish.” Sunset winced and rubbed her neck. “Only that, at least they did it without ruining the courtyard. I wasn’t expelled. Why should they?”
Hearing that, Celestia loosened up. It had been brought to her attention that Sunset was behaving kinder and more generous towards others lately, but she didn’t expect to evoke such humility in her. Perhaps her act was a bit too artful for its own sake, or maybe Sunset, mostly daring and resolute wasn’t quite aware of what brought her into the office in the first place. Either way, the girl’s resolve was unquestionable.
“Have you ever wondered why I let you stay at the CHS?” Celestia said. “It was a tough call to make, and convincing the authorities to stay out of it wasn’t any easier. There may be no laws regulating extraterrestrial phenomena such as your case, but destroying public property, coercive persuasion, and attempted abduction of minors with hostile intent was a good enough reason for some to have you put in a reformatory. The fact that you’re an immigrant living on her own without a legal guardian didn’t help it, either.”
Celestia walked to the window and uncovered the blinds, as the sun had already moved past her side of the building. Pleasant, afternoon daylight entered the room, casting a ray on Sunset and highlighting tiny dust particles twirling over the desk.
“I pulled some strings, met up with the authorities, soothed a horde of parents who were absolutely outraged at what happened, or could have happened to their children,” Celestia said, then turned back to Sunset. “I allowed you to stay because I’ve known you since before the incident, and I knew that you were one of the best students CHS has ever had. There are pictures of you in the foyer, pictures of you winning three consecutive Fall Formals. Your grades were top, and your yearning for self-improvement admirable,” she added. “I let you stay because I believed in who you can be when you’re at your best. However, based on the course of these past two days, I cannot see Adagio, Aria, and Sonata as anyone but troublemakers.”
Sunset didn’t reply at once, and for a moment Celestia thought she overdid it.
“If you had expelled me back then,” Sunset finally said, “I would have never truly get to know Applejack and the others. I would have never made friends who made me who I am now. Like you, they believed in me, and I believe that these girls can learn what I’ve learned. They only need time, and a chance to turn themselves around,” she added, gathering her courage into crossing eyes with Celestia. “Please, I’m asking you to reconsider.”
Celestia’s face expressed nothing. She didn’t want Sunset to notice how proud she actually was, and how glad she was that making friends lead her student towards becoming a good person. CHS was seen as a place of knowledge, but Celestia always put heavy emphasis on teaching her pupils moral foundations so difficult to adhere these days. There was still a road ahead of Sunset Shimmer, but she was getting there, one good deed at a time.
Celestia came back to her chair. “You should probably know that I did not expel the Dazzlings,” she said. “We had a talk, and I’ve offered them a place at the CHS should they want to study and use their talents for something else than manipulating others.”
A grin as wide as the one Celestia was hiding came to Sunset’s face, brightening her crestfallen demeanor. “Then you’re NOT throwing them out! Oh, that’s great news!” she said with relief evidenced by her sliding down the chair a little. She straightened up almost immediately. “But wait, does it mean that they’ve decided to stay? I heard people talking about how Vice Principal Luna escorted them to the exit and that they didn’t seem too happy about it. They’re staying, right?”
Now that all but one thing became clear, Celestia lifted the cup and took a warming sip of her favorite beverage, to go along the fuzzy feeling which arose inside.
“Only one.”
* * *
The gymnasium was empty, as no class had PE lessons scheduled for today. On Fridays, Miss Spitfire and Mr. Soarin’ conducted some kind of specialized training at the local military unit. They were both veterans, after all, capable of turning simple warm-up exercises into a grueling drill. Especially Miss Spitfire, or Mad Colonel Spitfire as she was known amongst students.
Sunset found the one she was looking for in the grandstand, sitting alone in the top row. Out of the three, the girl didn’t strike her as one who’d be interested in taking up any kind of learning, but if she had the will, then Sunset was going to do her best to help her. Her friends did it for her many times, even when the whole school was pretty much hating her shortly after the Fall Formal. They were first to reach out and talk to her, and this time Sunset wanted to do the same for someone else.
“Hey Sonata,” she said. “Mind if I join you?”
Sonata Dusk had the blankest expression a living person could have, looking somewhere far beyond the gymnasium’s wall bars and windows covered by a protective net. It seemed as if she wasn’t exactly here, and only Sunset’s hand waving before her eyes broke her torpor.
“Oh! Sunset! Didn’t see you there.”
“You do seem awfully pensive. What were you thinking about?”
Sonata’s eyes narrowed as she gazed deep into herself to find the answer. The extreme state of focus took over the rest of her face, but as no amount of frowning or biting her lips sufficed, she gave up and shrugged.
“I don’t know. What I was meant to think about?”
Sunset chuckled, walking up to the other girl. “I don’t know that either,” she said. “Listen, I heard that you’re staying with us at CHS, and I want you to know that I think it’s great. I can’t help but wonder why, though. There has always been three of you, but the others have left.”
“I feel weird,” Sonata replied. “We’ve been together for such a long time, but now it’s all over. I mean, Dagie was the brains of our team, she was the one telling me and Aria what to do. Now that she’s gone I’m just… lost. I don’t know what I should do.”
“Well, where do you want to go from here?”
Sonata blinked at her in surprise. “Why would I go anywhere? I thought that staying at school would be nice. Neighborhood is nice. People are nice. Lunch breaks are nice!” she said, then let out a saddened sigh. “It’s not like we could go back to Equestria, anyway.”
“Why not? I could get in touch with Twilight on the other side. She can open the portal for you, if that’s what you want.”
“No, you don’t understand!” Sonata replied. She sat up, lifting her knees up to her chin. She stared off into the distance again. “We can’t go back. You’ve destroyed our pendants, the very source of who we are. Or were.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I don’t follow.”
Sonata chuckled. “Oh, I’m great at following! You only do what others tell you to do. No worries.”
“What I meant was—”
“I know what you meant, I’m not stupid. I know I’m not smart, but I’m not that stupid, at least,” Sonata said. “I just don’t know how to explain it to you. Dagie, she would do it so much better.” She glanced at Sunset. “Have you ever been a siren? Have you ever roamed free over the land, as a bodiless spirit? Like, you know, the one through which we attacked you?”
Sunset didn’t know much about sirens, save for what Twilight told her and the others. “They didn’t seem tangible, if that’s what you’re going for,” she replied. “Keep in mind that I am a pony transformed into human. The transition was a bit confusing, but not bad overall.”
Sonata shook her head. “It was easier for you, because you’ve changed from one physical form to another. I was never limited by these,” she said, wiggling her arms like a drunken octopus. “I wasn’t born into anything like it, and because of that, Star Swirl’s banishing magic could barely figure out what to put where.”
“Do you mean you’ve lost something during the process?”
“Not until recently. You see, a siren’s power comes from her ‘heart’, and gets outside as music. Through a song. A hum. A chant. It’s not this beating one,” Sonata lowered her feet off the seat and pointed at her chest. “Creatures back home like sirens, windigos, or celestials do not have these.”
“Go on.”
Sonata stared at her sneakers. Her voice was trembling, more with each spoken word. “Although they were part of us in Equestria, our ‘heart’ manifested themselves as ruby pendants in this world. We... we still exist because we were given new form, but if we try to go back to Equestria, we will be incomplete. And we will cease to be.”
Sonata lifted her head and looked at Sunset. Her eyes were all watery.
“You wanted to know why I’m still here? I chose to stay, because I choose to live!” she said. “I don’t want to go, Sunset. I don’t want to.”
Sunset had the idea of how Sonata could feel. She felt the same way after she found out she could no longer use her unicorn magic. This was her greatest talent back there, her cutie mark proved that, but in this world she was a blank flank all over again. The only difference between her and the other girl was that her magic hadn’t been taken away from her entirely, and once she returned to Equestria—if ever—she would be able to tap into the streams again. Sonata, on the other hand, was deprived of her magic. Whoever she was, and whatever she represented, had been destroyed along with the pendants. Gone forever.
Sunset moved closer. “Hey, it’s alright. You don’t have to go,” she assured. “You can even stay at my place if you want. Principal Celestia will surely help you get necessary things so you could study at CHS. We’re all going to help you!”
Sonata burst out, her breath ragged and her cheeks glistening with heavy tears. “Why would you? You were with them, and we were awful to them! To all of you! Why would you care about me? Why would you care about someone who doesn’t even know what she has become?”
“Because I believe in something.”
“Believe in what?”
Sunset’s lips twitched into a slightly asymmetric smirk. She reached out and pulled Sonata into a tight hug.
“Friendship.”
* * *
Dear Princess Twilight,
One of the Dazzlings, Sonata Dusk, has decided to stay at CHS, and Principal Celestia made me her “guardian angel”. Not bad for a former she-demon, huh? I won’t be keeping tabs on her, of course, it’s more like taking care of her. Funny, I never had to take care of anyone but myself. It feels good.
It’s much too early to share any useful observations, but did you know that Sonata was the one who made that fruit punch for the kickoff party? Personally I think it was delicious. I have a hunch that this is just one of the many things she will surprise us with in the days to come.
Gotta go. Say hi to Spike for me!
Your friend,
Sunset Shimmer
Hello there! Thank you for reading my story. I am no longer writing pony fiction, but if you want to support my current creative endeavor, check out my content on Twitch! 
---
Done already? How about a sequel?
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Hello and welcome to Expulsion!
I did not plan writing this, it sort of happened after watching Rainbow Rocks, learning why everyone loves Sonata Dusk so much, and reading Chasing Your Own Tail by devas. These three sources had me inspired, and I hope you'll find the outcome worthwhile. Inside you'll find my headcanon on sirens, properly reformed Sunset Shimmer, and of course the best (worst?) principal around.
Enjoy!
Sonata is pleased. Good to have you back, Prane.
fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/274/6/4/sonata_dusk_loves_tacos_by_pixelkitties-d817uiq.png
This makes me think that Adagio and Aria went through the portal in some sort of attempt at suicide. It's a pretty morbid thought, and I'm not convinced it's the thought you were going for. Sometimes I worry about myself...
*of, not for
*for, not from, is usually how that phrase goes.
Pretty solid story.
this is actually a really good story,
I do really like the characterisation of sonata as someone who isn't smart but isn't dumb and her use of slight bits of humor as a sort of mask to hide her feelings comes across very believably the build up from sunsets talk with sonata actually made me tear up a little and the sense of sonata's conveying of sonata's lack of direction Is quite good plus the little attempts at humor during her explanation really conveyed the sense of someone who is barely holding together.
Celestia's characterisation is another thing that I like too the trying to keep a cheesy grin internalised made me chuckle, and the way she let sunset get her feelings out before revealing the truth seemed very believable of her character.
also mad colonel spitfire...pure gold.
and aside from a few easily overlooked grammatical errors nothing and a few little nit-picks of preference nothing really rubbed me the wrong way and came across as very believable
overall a great story that I personally give a solid 8/10.
Wait... did the other girls just up and kill themselves rather than live like humans?
5219542 Well unless starswirl sent them to the future as well as banishing them to earth, I'd say they were at least a couple thousand years old. There comes a point when you just get bored of living I guess. Sonata hasn't really done much living of her own over that time though, so she would still have a reason to try again for a good life.
That is a very nice and heartwarming story! Everyone deserves a second chance.
Great job!
I would love to read more of this story!
Good job!
wish this wasn't a one-shot, i would love to see more of this story
Oh man, this is a frigging beautiful one shot. I love your take on Sonata, you made her so very nicely three dimensional with that "I'm not smart, but I'm not stupid" bit.
I would love to see this idea expanded, it just... It just works so well in my mind. Sunset and Sonata as proper friends. I love it far too much, so fantastic work!
5219542
It all comes down to how the pony world and the human one are connected. Like 5219841 pointed out, the girls may as well be 1000+ years old and just want to quit. I don't think they did, though. They definitely went their separate ways after losing their siren powers - Adagio was too proud to admit defeat, Aria too grumpy to stay at school. Perhaps they're out there, either plotting, trying to fix their pendants, or trying to make the ends meet? The possibilities are, as usual, endless.
5219160
Thanks for the fixes. At least this time I've managed to avoid silly typos - success!
5218985
I aim to please, and it's good to "be back". Although technically I've never left, I found out that late autumn and winter are just better for reading and writing for some reason.
5221250 5220345
Also the worst, considering that I don't have the faintest idea where would I go with this story. Here's hoping to a random thought that'll come out of nowhere one day and turn itself into a proper sequel!
Aww, you guys are the best!
5221917
That's what I intended to show. A character can be unintelligent, ignorant, perhaps even silly, but still likable if not made into a featherbrain. Also, I think Sunset could use a friend of her own. She's hanging with the Humain 5, but they aren't quite equal in that relation. In the movie she's constantly on the side, sort of a "background friend" (who of course saved the day rocked the finale is the best pony human everything).
Thank you!
5222057 Sunset Shimmer IS now best character (apart from maybe Chrysalis), yes
EDIT: to clarify, your take on her is fricking great too, part of why she is now The Best.
Great story! I really love it!
5222019 Maybe it's because of the atmosphere.
5219510
Thanks for the feedback!
Writing Sonata was fun. From the very start I wanted to make her feel real, hence the lack of those one-dimensional tacos in the story. She's a character who is about to start a new chapter in life, with all that uncertainty surrounding her, and I'm glad that you've liked such characterization.
As for Principal Celestia, it is still unclear to me if we can treat her character as essentially Princess Celestia in human form (because the latter is 1000+ years old, something which doesn't work well on humans), so I've decided to highlight who she is regardless of the world, namely a teacher, a mentor for Sunset and others (with the slightest touch of trolling!).
Fun fact: the whole "Mad Colonel" thing on Spitfire was a last minute addition to the story.
All in all, thanks for dropping by, it's much appreciated!
5222307
Thanks, I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed it!
Fruit Bats like my story, yay!
5223786
You're probably right. Now I suddenly wish for an early - and long - winter.
5220229
They sure do! Such a redemption chain can work wonders. Perhaps in time, Sonata will find Aria and Adagio and reform them?
5222062
Ah, so you're also a fan of Chryssi? It seems that our preferences are alike, then! You can find her in Cheersalis if you're interested, while Sunset stars in Dune Goddess; that's pony Sunset from before her fall, mind you (also, blatant self promotion FTW!).
If not, here's a consolation in form of a Sunset/Chrysalis/NMM mash-up (I simply adore this picture!):
fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2014/128/9/b/commission__unlikely_combination_by_heilos-d7hlg4d.png
5226627 You and me both.
HiveLordLusa pretty much took the words out my mouth. Great job!
Love this cute little story. You know this could have potential for more. Don't know if you actually planned more of it but I will still hope.
Sonata is a cute character.
5227142
Thanks a lot, I'm happy to hear you've liked it!
5231782
It was planned and written as a one-shot. Sorry! Maybe someday I'll be in a mood to write more Sunset/Sonata and I'll build from the events of this story.
This story is beautiful!
I hope you can consider making a sequel to this story. I wanna see what happens next in the story!
Worked down to this one today on my Read Later list, and I like it a lot. I'll join the others in saying that I thought Celestia's characterization was really well done. Quite an unexpected treat.
And then the overall story premise is heartwarming and lines up well with my own headcanon. It could almost be a prelude to one I've been working on for the last week or so with a setting several months after this. =)
5252854
That's great! Let me know once you've published your fic, I'd love to read it!
As for Celestia, I have to confess that there wasn't any big science behind her lines. I just imagined her as a moralizing mentor/headteacher combo, and what would such individual do in her situation. I'm glad you people liked that.
5257727 Will do. Using artist terms, I just need to pen in a few remaining sketched parts of chapters 2 and 3, so hoping within the week. Lucky to have a couple of established folks here helping with editing tips and proofreading (who I'll be sure to credit in the author notes, heh).
Very nicely done
5262372
Thank you, it's much appreciated!
D'aaaaaaawwwwwww, I'm getting a case of the fuzzys.
Nice work.
Have you ever considered submitting this story to Equestria Daily? You can find out how to do so here.
5257911 Where did you get the icon for your avatar?
5301346 Ah, I made it. At risk of self-promotion, the full pic is at Inner Beauty.
5234172
You! Person! Sorry for not replying to your kind comment for so long, but I had a good reason. You see, you've asked for a sequel, and if you read through my comments responding to other people asking for the same thing you probably noticed that I wasn't going to make one. Still, you guys broke me, and your comment was the final push I needed to continue. In other words, all should hail you because inadvertently, you made the sequel possible!
5282192
For possibly more fuzzies, consult the above link!
5301402
That's a pretty pretty Sunset! Also, I really like your Messenger art. I'd love to read the full story for that one.
5308103
FTFY. ;)
But we'll see, I might some day.
Edit, Speaking of writing, and regarding your earlier question, the fic is published now and I should be adding the 3rd chapter in a day or two. Just check my profile for the link if you haven't seen it yet.
5308112
How did I miss that.
Adding to Read Later list!
ITS GENIUS! HIGH PRAISE! HIGH PRAISE INDEED!
5322611
I'm glad you like it.
Also, welcome to FiMFiction!
>>Prane
Hay, this may be the first time a creator of online art has ever replied to me, awesome...
wait a second...
it knows that I only started this account yesterday? Witchcraft!
5323977
You'll find the community here rather welcoming. Just join some groups, comment on threads and, if you so desire, write a story of your own!
Protip: if you hover the cursor over the user's name bar to the left you'll see some useful info, including how long they've been on the site. Sorry, no witchcraft in here!
5324820
Well I took Pranes advice, I have been commenting on various stories, and while I havnt joined any groups, I have written the first chapter of my first story, and will get to publishing it once I het my younger brother to read it and give me feedback.
Thank you prane for your advice and kindness.
Note: It is done, the first chapter of my first fiction has been published. HAZAH!
Have a ribbon:
i.imgur.com/j8cG26r.png
5383293
Yay! I love that new design!
Also, for what it's worth, thank you and the staff of Twilight's Library for your hard work.
5385997
You are quite welcome. Enjoy your ribbon
s6.postimg.org/dd47s96ap/Pirate_Approved.jpg
5552656
Yarr! Thank ye for yer appreciation here 'n at this tale's sequel!
I love your celestia, the way you presented her thoughts as she talked to sunset gave it this lovely sort of warmth that I think
matches well with how a Principal Celestial would be like.
Sunsets as determined as she was in RR to guide her friends.
A nice read. I'm off to the sequel!
There's a proper tag for principal Celestia now.
8566324
Fixed now - and it its sequel - thanks for letting me know!
8566335
Sure thing!
Love it!
8620218
I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it, thanks for reading! :)