Epilogue: My Beloved Student
Sunset closed the cab door behind her and walked briskly up to the house. She raised a hand to knock, but then hesitated for a moment with a long, deep breath. Steeling herself, she nodded with determination and rapped on the door.
Glancing down at the envelope in her hands, she discovered her foot tapping nervously on the ground.
The door’s handle rattled briefly before a sliver of light opened into Adagio in her nightshirt and sweatpants.
Sunset leapt at her and pulled her into a tight hug. She took another deep breath and exhaled, “Oh my goodness, thank you!”
Adagio stiffened for a moment, but then raised her arms and warmly returned the embrace. When they pulled back, she met Sunset’s eyes and asked, “What’s this for?”
Sunset lifted both of her upturned palms and presented the envelope resting between them.
“Huh. If that’s what I think it is, then I suppose she pulled it off.”
Sunset nodded with a teary smile. “Yeah.”
Adagio gently stroked her shoulder. “Come in.”
Once inside, Sunset saw Aria and Sonata standing next to each other waving around a set of wireless game controllers.
Aria flashed a quick sideways grin. “Hey.”
Sonata, though, turned to wave excitedly, controller still in hand. When she looked back to the television screen, she let out an “Eep!” before motioning furiously to steer whatever she was piloting back on course.
Adagio gestured toward Sunset to follow her. “Let’s find a quiet room so we can talk.” She led Sunset down the hall and into her bedroom where they both sat down on the foot of the bed.
“Have you read it yet?”
“I haven’t,” Sunset replied, staring down at the letter between her hands. “When Twilight told me what you’d done, I just had to rush over and see you.” Looking back up to Adagio, she felt tears again swelling in her eyes.
Adagio rubbed a hand across her back. “I’ll give you some privacy then—if you’d like to read it here. And you’re welcome to stay for a while. I'm sure those two will be up for a few hours anyway.”
“I’ll take you up on that.” Sunset laughed softly. She laid the envelope down on the bed and leaned into Adagio, holding her close with another hug. “I still can’t believe how wonderful this is. I really can't tell you how grateful I am. So just… Thank you, Adagio.”
Adagio tightened her hug for a moment before letting go and brushing a hand down Sunset's arm with a quiet nod. She stood up and walked out the door, closing it slowly behind her.
Sunset took off her boots and pulled both knees up close to her chest. Gently and reverently, she broke the seal on the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before finally unfolding it.
My dearest Sunset Shimmer,
Before I write further, please know that I love you so very much. I always have, and I always will.
I am deeply sorry for my silence over this past year. It was in part because I thought it best that I not interfere with your newfound growth. But in larger part, it was due to the regret I feel for my lack of vision during our later years together.
I know you blame yourself for everything that has happened. But this is not a burden which rests solely on your shoulders.
I myself had grown irresponsible as our time together drew on. I had come to hold you too close to my own heart, perhaps to fill a void within or for some other motive which still eludes me. But for that reason, I found myself in denial regarding the depth of the darkness which had begun to cloud your spirit, and I did not do as much as I should have to help you overcome it.
Were it not for my misplaced attachment, perhaps things might have turned out differently for both of us. You deserved so much more. And I am sorry that failed you in this regard.
From what Twilight has told me, I understand now that we both harbor regrets for the things that have happened. And this, I feel, is the most important step toward moving forward. Your actions and growth over this past year speak to a bright and happy future, and it is my hope that this letter will find you the closure you need to continue on and embrace it.
Regarding your three newest friends, I presume you have come to realize that you share a unique bond with them which none of the others could understand. So I pray you continue to treasure this and nurture it.
Lastly, I am certain that if you hold true to your inner flame of hope, and the passion it ignites inside you, great things will continue to follow you wherever you go.
I love you, Sunset. Please know that from this day on, you may always turn to me in times of need, or to simply share whatever joys might come into your life.
I am here for you always.
Drawing an overdue breath in and out, Sunset let her hand holding the letter fall to the bed. She looked up at the ceiling for a moment and closed her eyes. Was she laughing or crying? It was a relieving bit of both, she decided.
And as her tears fell, the years of pent-up anguish began to drain out with them. A long, dark chapter of her life had finally come to a close, and she was eager now for the next to begin. She spent several more minutes in quiet thought as the weight on her shoulders turned to dust and drifted off in the wind.
Drying her eyes, Sunset stood and made her way toward the bedroom window. She leaned against the frame and crossed her arms with a relaxed sigh. In the starlit sky above the eastern hills, a sliver of crescent hung on the emerging new moon.
Sunset again closed her eyes and smiled to herself—knowing that in a few hours she could, for the first time, watch this world's sunrise from a place of genuine happiness, and without a heavy heart.
But that was for later. She glanced down again at the letter in her hands, and then toward the bedroom door as her smile grew brighter. Her friends were waiting for her down the hall.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- SkycatcherEQ · 15k words · 329 9 · 6.5k views
- SkycatcherEQ · 26k words · 206 8 · 4.7k views
- SkycatcherEQ · 17k words · 758 18 · 19k views
- MrAskAPirate · 8.7k words · 406 9 · 8.5k views
- ellie_ · 1k words · 315 14 · 6.6k views
- stoopidity · 5.5k words · 275 6 · 5k views
- Azure_Shadow · 8.6k words · 236 10 · 7.5k views
- Shaud · 12k words · 168 7 · 4.7k views
Stats
Page generated in 0.053 seconds
Total duration
638 users online
889,176 hits today, 2,054,621 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
This is what I have to put up with while editing. I hope all of you are happy. This was pure torture D:
5528638
> tfw no [Innuendo] tag
For reference, I threw in that line he quoted as a joke while writing. It was in the Epilogue after Sunset sits on Adagio's bed and compliments the red color she chose to paint the walls. All of which got removed for final, as this isn't a shippy fic. (but I loooooves me some SunDagio ;)
Excellently written. I hope you continue to write more stories in the EqG universe with Sunset and the Dazzlings; you have a wonderful way of having the characters interact and bond with each other.
I look forward to your future endeavours.
Rush and Pony on!
T4E
I love your story! It is very well written, the interactions between the characters is good and the feels, especially with Sunset.
This earns a like and favorite from me!
5528648
sky pls
5529692
You're my new best friend!
Huzzah for a follow-up! Well done, and if you ever continue with this verse, I'll be happy to read it.
Princess Celestia: Making Twilight solve all her problems since 2010,
s6.postimg.org/dd47s96ap/Pirate_Approved.jpg
5530101
And I've (just) watched you, since the very first daaaaay.
5529071
Thanks. I've found that's what I seem to enjoy writing - them warm fuzzies.
5529918
5529670
And thanks as well.
5530359
Speaking of watching, I realized earlier that I'm following your deviantart,
5530373 Ah, right on. Same name there?
5530393
).
No, I think it's under ChazzmanianDevil or something dumb like that... I have zero art skillz; I just use it to keep track of artists I like to feed my never-ending stockpile of screensaver photos (65k+ pictures and counting!
SO refreshing to see this story in my tracking list! :) After a very stressful/depressing day, I decided to check FimFiction before I had planned on curling into a little ball and crying myself to sleep. While reading this, I felt all the weight on my shoulders disappear without a trace! :3 Nothing helps cheer me up more than the wonderful people in this amazing fandom! Thank you, Sky!
5530734
Oh, my goodness. Warms my heart so much to hear this. Glad to have been able to provide something there. And then seeing Jacky's cute 'dagi there in your icon only makes it that much warmer. =)
Remember how in the prequel to this I had a pair of shipping goggles on?
...Yeah, those got immediately ripped off and set aside while I was reading this. Seeing this as anything romantic would've ruined so much of the story/emotion to it. Sure, being romantically attached would clearly provoke these kinds of thoughts of helping each other like Adagio wanted to do for Sunset, but here's the thing.
She did it because of everything Sunset had done for herself, Sonata, and Aria. Doing it for any other reason would've lessened the impact immensely. So before Csquared comes charging in ripping down shipping goggles, I will personally set mine aside in favour of a much more moving story that "might" have brought a tear to my eye because I could actually imagine all of this taking place, with the faces, the emotions, the voices...everything. Once again man, fantastic work.
5530963
Agreed entirely, on Adagio's motivations. And the impact in the context of the story. That's that character development this is aiming to show. And I'm pleased it seems to be resonating with a lot of readers so far.
The innuendo bit was humorous, but was thus only there as a joke in the rough draft. ;) Because while I love these two pairings in a shippy sense as well, if that were to be imagined somewhere in this timeline, it'd be much later on and something that grows out of the long-established friendships. As opposed to the other way around.
5530963
This right here is why I despise shipping. Stories make this mistake so many times.
I'll convert you all away from your silly ships yet. Just you watch~
5531048 Oh I never said I was done. I just know when to turn it down/off from time to time.
While reading this work of art, I almost cried. Almost.
then I went over to DA, found you updated the pic you used as a cover and... well, while seeing it again, I shed a tear or two.
kind of like, it all sank in.
I'm almost sad that this is over. At least for now.
Do you have anything else on the works?
5531468
At some point, I'd really like to do something from Aria's point of view. But I don't have any ideas at the moment for what that might look like. It's going to be back to artwork for a vector or two first, though.
This was even D'awwsier than the first one, and that's saying something!
All without resorting to a few scenes of Sonata being goofy, too. Achievement Unlocked, for sure.
That was just lovely.
5539169
God—
Son of a—
...I hate everything.
5541219
5539169
Oh, you.
Yes, I refer to SunDagio as my "battleship" (and ghaaaa, ship this so hard). But there's not meant to be an obvious pushing of that agenda within this story here. Friends first. If that comes later, it'll be based on this solid foundation. ;)
The way I like to see Adagio is that her recent experiences with Sunset and the others have opened her eyes to just how good genuine (not spellbound) affection and tenderness can feel. That realization sort of turned her world-view on its side, and she's reached a point now of not being afraid to express it.
I loved this. And I feel like your writing has improved a lot since An Open Door. Well done all round.
Also, I kinda feel like I should be on the side of defending a SunDagio interpretation here. Honestly, though? I don't think it matters. Firstly, because it's a secondary element to Celestia and Sunset, but also because it's clear compassion is the mainspring of Adagio's behaviour -- and that holds whether the context is romantic or platonic.
5533506
5534325
Thanks.
5543610
And thanks as well. I did want to give a slight nod to that SunDagio aspect, but without taking away from the main focus for Adagio on that illustration of compassion, as you very aptly termed it. When it comes to romance-y subjects, I've found I like to tease just a bit in certain directions, but then leave the rest up to reader interpretation.
Wait a minute... I thought this story was finished a long time ago....
Well, it certainly hasn't gotten worse.
Very nice work.
5546934
Wat
Are you thinking of An Open Door?
5547996 No, a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, the story Messenger was just a oneshot, sans mention of Rainbow Rocks.
5548293
5547996
Hm, if there was such a thing, it wasn't mine. You talking about another with this same cover art? I noted that in description if so.
5548293
Um, I'm pretty sure that was an entirely different story.
5548411 It's a distinct possibility. In fact, now that you mention it, it probably was a different story. I could swear on my still-empty grave that they both had the title of Messenger, though.
Personally, I would recomend tagging Sequel every time, if they are.
The only reason not to, is if you fear readers would judge this story by the previous, but this is still not right.
I have nothing to say but:
It made me cry.
Is it possible to die from feels? 'Cause that's how well-written this was......
5602034
That is potentially really scary - if they went back without their clothes, would they come out missing their fur or worse?
OW, OW, OW! MY FEELS!
I just read this story again and I just... I-... ;-; Sky, do you think you'll write another sequel in this series? That would be so awesome I might die from happiness. :')
P.S. Btw congrats on 100 likes for this story! :D
5699843 I'm having a tough time finding inspiration for what to write, so it's been back to artwork for while. I'd really like to do something for Aria, but it might require an alternate timeline of events versus in-line with these two. And thanks again. I came back myself and re-read this a few days ago and that second chapter sort of got to me similarly, heh.
5531048
Pah. Don't hate the game, hate the players. There's nothing wrong with shipping, just the authors who contribute to Sturgeon's.
5803915 Heh. I saw this comment come in as I had the editor open still fine tweaking a few parts of chapter 1. Just little words here and there in that second scene still. =) Thanks again.
5803915
Nah. I hate the game.
The problem with shipping is that too many people don't know how to bloody wait. It's a tool for bringing joy like anything else, but too many wield it like a blunt object because... I dunno, hormones, I guess.
derpicdn.net/img/2014/5/24/635287/small.gif
Now.
Lest anyone get it twisted: there will be time enough for neverending, ooey gooey, body-exploring, emotion-searing, shining golden Sundagio with Sparkly stars on top, on a beach under the moonlight amidst the rolling tides... when and only when the time and situation are right. Neither of which existed here. This story wouldn't have worked with romance (though the tiny hints in AOD and this are most appreciated). This was a Mission of Mercy, and it was executed near-masterfully.
I say near- because yes, there are things I would change, some things I would add (I think the Epilogue is missing a suitable coda, for one), some paragraphs I would break up.
Still, I don't know what you've done to this story specifically between our talks and right now, but this is a complete 180 from my experience with An Open Door, and quite frankly, it's a story I've waited a year for someone to craft in my absence.
Thank you for it.
5803966
5804040
I honestly didn't change much of anything content-wise. I trimmed a couple of extraneous sentences, tweaked a few words here and there and broke up some paragraphs. But 99% of what's here was the original content from January, I'd say. =)
However, those subtle rearrangements accounted for much more than a 1% difference in impact. I'm still quite amazed at that effect. So thanks again.
5804040
If you'll allow me to be super cereal for a moment...
...is that people do it. Shipping, by definition, is stupid and never benefits any story. Ever.
See, shipping is not romance. They are two very different things. Shipping is all about the destination. Shipping wants two characters to kiss. That is the whole reason behind the concept. Sure, occasionally you get oddball who writes a shipfic and stumbles about and develops a halfway decent relationship, but anyone who goes in to a story with the mindset of, "NOW KISS!" is not gonna have a very good story.
On the contrary, romance is all about the journey. Romance wants to know how the characters interact with each other. Romance wants the relationship to develop organically. Romance doesn't even necessarily know where the characters are gonna end up because it lets the characters decide that.
Romance is the way to go. Shipping can go die in a hole.
5804078
That is shipping, though. In fandom, they're two terms related to near-interchangeability. Shipping is the desire to see two characters in a relationsip, which by sheer definition of relationship, means the "shipper" wishes to see two characters interact in a deeper manner than they are used to. Kissing may or may not happen as a part of it. Hell, the whole thing may end in a trainwreck. But in the end, the practice of shipping, if an artist is so inclined, leads to the writing of actual romance.
It also leads to the writing of a lot of actual schlock, yes, but what you described before this paragraph isn't the essence of shipping, or "shipfic."
It's laziness. (Which, even in itself, isn't inherently bad, but usually does lead to shallowness in artwork, yes.)
And while I agree with your views on laziness, I can't help but feel they're being given an unfair association here. As in all creative works, in the end it's all about expression.
5804123
In theory, sure, I agree with you. But in practice, shipping more often than not amounts to little more than, "I want these characters to kiss, so they're going to kiss." That's lame.
And when it happens so often in practice, the old theory of what it should be is lost in the muck. So to distinguish actual romance from the muck that shipping has become, separation has to happen.
You know exactly what I meant there.
What, so they can drink from sippy cups together?
On a more serious note, that's a very vague definition, and it hardly means anything. Relationships, as you should know, aren't necessarily romantic. The definition you just told me just says a person wants to see two characters become (closer) friends. And while that's cool, that's hardly a useful definition. So I'm not at all inclined to budge from my earlier definition of shipping.
Even if there was a useful definition in there somewhere (where useful means that it tells something more concrete), I'm not inclined to believe that definition is still widely used by people today. Shippers want characters to be in romantic relationships, and they don't care how it happens so long as it happens. This is a useful definition because it 1) Tells me something specific 2) Differentiates itself quite a bit from romance (journey vs destination) 3) This difference allows me to separate the garbage from the greats. Whereas the other definition is pretty synonymous (or it at least tries to be) with romance. This again doesn't give me much useful information. If we're making a whole new term, why is not different than romance on some significant level? And if it's not different on a significant level, why not just call it romance? But it is different on a significant level, and that difference is a matter of caring about the journey vs caring about the destination.
So if you'll allow me to repeat myself:
Also
Don't worry. I hate all shippers equally
Except for Tcherno. He's the worst.
5804219
As regretfully confrontational as this may sound, this is actually, objectively, a lie. You probably didn't mean to tell it. But I figured I'd point it out for you for the future.
How Darth Magneto of you.
I'm sorry, sir, but that is also laziness, as is the concept of hate that you seem so eager to embrace. There's mutual exclusivity all over your post, to the point where I'm guessing you've gotten burned by lots of crappy romance brainfarts. Which sucks, I sympathize. Been there. On Fimfic, so yeah, actually, kinda still there.
But while it's fine not to like lazy romance (see what I did there), painting concepts with broad brushtrokes only limits the painter in the long run.
The definition I stated is "vague" because romance, relationships, and the expression thereof, cannot be pigeonholed. It is all on a case-by-case basis, and there is no objective "depth," whether the relationship is front-loaded or back-loaded. You have quick flings, long angsty romances, long-standing marriages, frenemies, friendship with benefits, agape, just being bros/girlfriends, and everything in the spaces between. Are you going to dismiss every story with a linear characterization path that ends in a happy ending? For crap's sake, professional fiction doesn't have what you want in that regard, let alone stories people write for free, to their own temporal detriment, because they want some smiles in their lives that they can't get from their nine-to-five.
Got me. I wasn't around when the Fandom Council decided to make new words. I'd've just kept the old one myself. I don't like character-name portmanteaus, either, but I learned to live with them.
Also, you... do realize that it's possible to care about both the journey and the destination, right? Take the high wooden horse if you want, but it won't make you right. It's like porn vs. erotica. Those who deal in the latter very much like to act like they heed a higher calling, but in the end? Those people down themselves without knowing it. The two concepts are each other, they contain each other; the only thing close to a separating aspect is degree of intensity.
So you may as well embrace that fact and enjoy what you enjoy. Hating everything else, though? Just a waste of energy. Those "shippers" out there you so despise? Not only are they actually romance writers, but there are some who may have written your favorite story you've never read, or who love exploring interpersonal relationships in depth and would love to have conversations with you, as far away from "the destination" as possible.
And for all your anger, you'd never know. Though I'm pretty sure you edited for one of them right here.