• Published 10th Sep 2016
  • 1,016 Views, 10 Comments

Dead Mare Walking - Koekelbag



What if... Sunset actually has a "humane" counterpart? What if... Sunset has tried many things to find this counterpart, yet never found her? What if... she simply couldn't find her? And after all this, what if... the answer found Sunset instead?

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Hope rekindled, twice.

"Sunset, can you please come with me for a moment?"

Suffice it to say, Sunset was a bit surprised at this. At the moment, she had been busy creating a synthetic solution as part of a chemistry test, the last lesson of the day, together with Twi and Aj. Well, she was trying to create a solution, at least, but the sudden entry of Vice-Principal Luna caused her to add a few drips too many, causing the concoction to look way darker than it should have been.
If one were to take a quick glance around the classroom, it would reveal that she wasn't the only one with this problem, although her classmates weren't looking at their failed projects. Rather, they were switching gazes between the fuming face of mister D. S. Cord and the growing sheepish look on Vice-Principal Luna's face.

"Vice-Principal Luna, while I do like a change of pace every now and then as this isn't your normal way of behaviour, can you please not barge into a classroom where it is entirely possible that students are handling dangerous items?" Mr. Cord said, clearly angry that Vice-Principal Luna potentially endangered the students.

"Oh, eh... my apologies, mister Cord, but I need one of your students, Sunset Shimmer, to come with me." Vice-Principal Luna said, a blush on her face, but she quickly steadied herself. "I'm afraid something unexpected happened, something that Sunset should be able to clear up."

Sunset felt a knot form in her stomach, as she wondered just what Vice-Principal Luna was talking about. She couldn't remember having done anything bad in the last few weeks, nor did anything happen relating to magic, as least to her knowledge. Perhaps an outsider, like a reporter, finally got wind of all the weird things that have been happening in this school? Or did the principal and vice-principal decide to pony up and ask about her demon-episode?

...

Or, perhaps more likely, this is about all the crazy things that happened during the Friendship Games she supposed.

Still, none of these things sounded like topics Sunset wanted to discuss, at least not without preparation, which only made her more nervous when she noticed Vice-Principal Luna waiting for her to follow along.

"Oh? And might the rest of us know why this can't wait until, you know, after class? Mine in particular?" Mr. Cord asked, still visibly angry, but he also had a look of interest now. It is common knowledge that Mr. Cord likes to think highly of his classes, having stated once that 'Chemistry is only the natural limit of the human knowledge. After all, you can't go much further than playing with the very structures of existence, now can you?". This also makes it so that, if you plan to disturb his class, you better have a pretty darn good reason for doing so, as Aj would say. And if it's the vice-principal herself, well... now that is a rare thing, making it all the more intriguing.

"I am sorry, again, but the matter is both private and urgent. You will get a full explanation from Principal Celestia later, if that helps?"

"Hmmph, very well then. Miss Sunset, as per request of the vice-principal, you are dismissed for the rest of this class. As for the rest of you, since I can see that the sudden intrusion of a certain someone," Vice-Principal Luna quickly averted her eyes. "has caused some projects to fail, I suggest that all who failed stay half an hour longer to complete your projects." Sunset expected to hear some groans at this, but yet none came. But, then again, she realized that her classmates were probably as curious as Mr. Cord, for the same reason, that being that a personal visit from the Vice-Principal doesn't happen everyday. So, she swiftly packed up her stuff, whispered some apologies to her friends, and walked out of the classroom, Vice-Principal Luna following behind and closing the door.

With her pack slung over a shoulder, she waited for a moment for Vice-Principal Luna to take the lead, and they started walking through the halls. As they went, neither said a word, and Sunset could hear sounds coming from one of the classrooms they passed. If she remembered correctly, a class for one of the dead languages was currently being given in there, something she didn't particularly like herself. Still, being in there was probably better then where she was going now.
After a while, she wondered why Vice-Principal Luna hadn't said something, anything yet, and took a chance to look at her, to see if her posture or expression, at least what little she could see from this angle, gave a hint of why they were walking to the principal's office.

Carefully, as she didn't want to be caught peeking at a person of authority, most of all not by said person, she studied Vice-Principal Luna more closely. While her pose seemed straight and authoritative, as is usual, Sunset also noticed that she... seems to be walking slower? Huh, she didn't take notice before, since she was just following whatever pace Vice-Principal Luna had set, but Sunset realized that their current tempo was nearly half of when they started, so... perhaps her mind is someone else? Taking a gamble, Sunset took a few steps a bit faster, and when she could see more than just hair she could see a typical expression of someone who's lost in thought. Brows furrowed, eyes downward, all that. But, it seemed Vice-Principal wasn't that lost, because she noticed Sunset looking at her. Surprising Sunset, she suddenly broke the silence.

"Of course, you want to know why you were called for, do you not?" She asked, to which Sunset nodded. "My apologies, but I can not yet talk about it... at least, not while someone can overhear us." They were still walking along classrooms, but not for much longer. The Principal's and Vice-Principal's offices lay just three more corners away, in the easternmost corner of the school. Probably so they could enjoy the sunrise every morning, but this also made their location somewhat isolated from the rest of the school. "I might suspect that you would enjoy some privacy, at least for this topic." She said, which needed some time for Sunset to process. While her worries started to flare again with what was just said, she silently fell back in line again, keeping her eyes on the ground... and hoping the vice-principal didn't catch her tinge for being caught peeking.

They both kept walking in silence again, until just a corner was left for them to reach the offices, when Vice-Principal Luna slowly stopped. Sunset looked back up, aware that they were out of earshot now, and felt the knot act more strongly than before. But, as she looked at Vice-Principal Luna's face, she was surprised to see... discomfort? Confusion? She couldn't clearly tell, but it seemed like Vice-Principal Luna wanted to say something, but didn't know quite how. Just what was going on here?

After maybe twenty seconds passed, the awkward silence was finally broken by the vice-principal.

"All right, this will probably sound... unusual, for lack of a better word. While I cannot claim to fully understand or wrap my head around it, you are a... a being... no, person, from an parallel universe, yes? Where everyone is a horse?"

For a moment, Sunset simply stood there, completely blindsided by the question. She expected something about her demon-episode, or even Twilight's moment of 'being overtaken', shall we call it. But this, a question about the ponyworld? While she had suspected that to be brought up eventually, it wasn't like this, since she can't think of a reason why this was so important nor urgent now, that she would even willingly disrupt one of Mr. Cord's classes. Oh no, did something happen with her old world? Another greater villain? A magic crisis?

No, no, she calmed down as she realised that if any of those where to be the case, she would have already heard the journal going off in her backpack, which had been silent since her last conversation with Princess Twilight.

But what else? As she was pondering what could have brought up this question, she noticed Vice-Principal Luna starting to fidget a bit around, probably trying to patiently wait for an answer.

"I am, yes. I came from another dimension, the pony-world for convience's sake, through an enchanted mirror that led to the courtyard of this school, from the base of the statue, which can only occur once every thirthy moons." She answered, hoping to be as precise as she could. Now it was her turn to wait, but she supposed it only natural that anyone from this world would need to process this, even if they have seen things that could make them question their existence a time or three, as in the principal and vice-principal's cases.

"I... see. A portal inside the school's chief statue. Well, to be honest, I have witnessed some weirder things in the past years, I'll take it. But, what I wanted to know is... When was the first time you came here?" She asked again.

Sunset replied, but wondered where Vice-Principal Luna was going with this. "Eh, let me see... About six years ago? I had been a student under the Princess for I believe eleven years when I found out about the mirror, and it took another three years for things to... well, get enough out of hand that I used the portal, so... About six years ago, I believe. If I may, why are you asking this. Or at least, why now?"

Vice-Principal Luna quietly mulled over what Sunset had said. She was about to say something, probably a reply to Sunset's question, when a sudden look of what is probably dawning realization appeared on her face.

"Wait, hold on... Doesn't that make you at least like, what, twenty-five years old?" Vice-Principal Luna asked, which Sunset had anticipated after giving such an answer.

"No, only twenty-one years old, Princess Celestia had started teaching me when I was only a year-old foal... I mean, baby, unicorn. I was what we call in the pony-world a 'gifted unicorn', for whom Princess Celestia had specifically created an institution, in no small part because babies with such powers can be difficult to handle. But, I realize that twenty-one years is still much older than the average sixteen years my classmates are. Truth to be told, when I first came out of the portal, besides being disoriented from having such a vastly different form, I quickly discovered that I looked similar to people who looked younger than my normal age group. I don't really know why this is, but I suspect it has something to do with the portal's inner workings."

"Ah, like that... So, the first time you came to our world was six years ago? Are you absolutely sure about this, Sunset? It is of vital importance that you remember this correctly." Vice-Principal Luna said, surprising Sunset with her sudden authoritative tone, which had been absent until now.

Sunset, growing more and more curious and anxious at these words, took her time to anwser. "I... Yes, six years ago was the absolute first time I came here."

"I see." Was all that came from Vice-Principal Luna. She seemed to think some more, before finally continuing. "This is... most troublesome indeed. Come, walk with me, we will see Celestia now, and you will understand why this is all happening." And with that she finally rounded the final corner, Sunset quickly following. When they neared the Principal's office, she could hear two voices coming from the door. Both sounded female, so... Perhaps Principal Cadence came over? No, after listening a bit closer, she only recognized Principal Celestia's voice. Then who?

Vice-Principal Luna knocked and opened the door, motioning for me to enter first. When Sunset entered, she saw that at the desk that Principal Celestis is seated at, sitting over her was someone Sunset didn't quite recognize at first... Or at all, to be honest. She seemed to be a fair bit older than Sunset, but a bit younger then the principal and vice-principal? If anything, she seemed to be old enough to be Sunset's own mother, and even had the same hair colour, though the haircut is done in a very different style. While her mother wears her hair in a fairly high-class style, with lots and lots of braids and such, this woman seems to be content to let it all flow down. As for her attire, it seemed pretty normal, she guessed? Like, nothing a rich woman would normally wear like, again, her mother, like jewelry or intricate lockets, this woman was more dressed like your everyday employee. No jewelry, no little trinkets, just... comfy clothes, that's it.

As Sunset was studying this woman she had to her belief never seen before, said woman suddenly sprang up and began to hug Sunset, surprising her.

"It has been so, so long. I had not believed it when I first read it, and still I think I am dreaming, but now... To finally see you again, to feel you... Oh, where have you been all this time?" The woman said, surprising Sunset with how emotional she acted, almost... personal? I saw Principal Celestia look questioningly towards Vice-Principal Luna who only shook her head, to which Principal Celestia only nodded, a sad look on her face.

She was quiet for a while, everyone was as the stranger kept hugging Sunset, who didn't know how to react, so she just let it happen. The only thing she did do was notice a small clipping lying on the table. If she squinted, she could make out... an article on the Friendship Games?

"Are you absolutly sure, Mrs. Dew? Is this really her?" Principal Celestia asked, the sad look replaced by a look more serious than Sunset had ever seen before.

Sunset could feel the hug tighten, like this woman just didn't want to let go, like her life depended on it.

"Yes", she answered, and Sunset could feel a wetness form in her neck. Was she crying? However, her thoughts were cut short when the woman continued, even through her sobbing, making time stand still for Sunset.

"Yes, I am absolutely sure. Even if it has been this long, I will never, ever forget."

And the woman looked up at Sunset, with one of the warmest smiles she had ever seen, somewhat hidden behind two streams of tears.

"This... this is my daughter."

Author's Note:

Finished and posted deep into the night, I fully expect there to be errs, at least for the latter half. I have literally just been writing and tweaking only a 1500 words for nearly 4 hours straight, not to mention just how many months it has been since the last chapter, how the bloody hell do actual writers put out a full book every six months.

I'm pretty sure Discord would have a better name in EQG, just don't know which (since I don't remember him being in any EQ-movie so far.)

Also, not sure about the whole age thing. Was always curious just how old/older she is compared to the other characters, both from the human and pony world, but this should suffice for now, as I don't read the comics... yet.

Also also, any idea for the time stand still sentence? Bleh, feel that could have been written better...

Comments ( 3 )

How do I know this story won't die after only two chapters?

8413438
You don't? :applejackunsure:

Sorry if that sounds crude, but that's always a possibility with fanfics. I detest shedules for creative things, and actually writing fics is not that high on my to-do list for the moment, to be honest.

But, for what it's worth... This is for now the fic that I sincerely want to finish, and have already planned the story out somewhat. While I can't promise that a next chapter might come soon (I value quality much more then anything else), I hope I sound sincere enough when I say that, yes, this story will be finished. Perhaps not this week. Most likely not this month. But it will probably be finished.

Or I just write all the remaining chapters before week ends, I dunno, I'm a bit flip-floppity like that. But I wouldn't count on that.

mister D. S. Cord, Twilight’s least favourite teacher.

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