Should I Stay (or Should I Go?)

by fallen starr

Chapter Five

Sunset sat before the mirror. Twilight sat beside her, holding three new journals in her magic. “You’re sure about this?” Sunset nodded, reaching out for the books. “Okay then.” Twilight placed the books in Sunset’s outstretched hoof.

Sunset walked forward, looking back to Twilight. “Thanks for letting me stay. It really helped.”

“Come back anytime you want, Sunset.”

With a deep breath, Sunset turned back toward the mirror and stepped through.

It was late evening, the sun falling behind the horizon. The books clattered to the ground as Sunset fell to her knees. With a groan, she stood and looked around. There weren’t any people on the streets outside, and but there were a few cars in the school parking lot. One she recognized as belonging to Celestia.

She turned and made her way into the school. If the teachers were there, it meant it was already late July. The school was quiet, Sunset’s footsteps resounding off the walls. It didn’t take her long to find the main office and walk through, the secretary nodding to her as she walked past the desk and back toward where Celestia’s office was.

Sunset stopped at the door, her heart thudding. Celestia had been free from her for over a month. She had her life back, without a teenager to take care of. Would she even want to see Sunset again?

The decision was made for her when the door opened. Celestia’s mouth dropped open, her eyes wide. “Sunset?” she whispered, reaching out slowly and cupping the girl’s cheek with her hand. The stack of papers Celestia had been holding fell freely as Sunset was pulled into the tightest hug she ever remembered being in. She wrapped her arms around Celestia as well. Then she heard a sniff.

“Are you crying?” Sunset whispered.

Celestia pulled away from the hug, leaving her hands on Sunset’s shoulders. There were tears in her eyes and smudged mascara on her cheeks. “You came back,” she said. A grin broke across her face and she shook her head in disbelief. “I thought I’d never see you again.” She pulled her in for another hug, this one just as bone-crushingly tight. Sunset let herself relax into the hug.

After another few moments, Celestia pulled away, wiping under her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Sunset just looked at her. This reaction was more than she had even dared hoped for. Celestia sniffed again, letting out a small giggle. She bent to pick up the papers she had dropped and the door to Luna’s office opened.

“Did I actually hear a... giggle? Sunset Shimmer?” Luna stepped forward, her eyebrows raised.

Sunset looked between the two women, Celestia still kneeling down and picking up papers, but looking happier than Sunset ever recalled seeing her, and Luna, looking a mixture of cross and happy.

“Um, would it be okay if I stayed with you again?” Sunset asked. This entire interaction had thrown her off her planned apology for having to ask again. “I know it’s a hassle…”

“No.” Celestia stood, shaking her head. Sunset felt her heart fall to the pit of her stomach, but then Celestia was hugging her again. “You aren’t a hassle, Sunset. I don’t know why you say that. Of course you can come back home.” She pulled away again, holding Sunset’s hands. “You were never in my hair. You don’t have to pay me back. I’m just happy you’re here.”

A warmth spread through Sunset’s chest. She looked up at Celestia, thinking of everything that had happened since coming to stay with the woman. “I just thought you…were taking pity on me.”

Luna scoffed. “Pity, Sunset, does not look like that. You’re our family.” Luna laid a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “You are back and not just here to say goodbye, right?”

Sunset grinned. “Yes. Equestria…that isn’t where I belong. I wanted to come home. I…I can, can’t I?” She bit her lip, looking back to Celestia.

Celestia’s laughter echoed around the hall. “You can always come home.” She reached a hand out and smoothed Sunset’s hair down again. “Come on, we’ll get dinner and talk. Luna?”

Luna shook her head, looking between the two. “No, I think you two should go alone.”

Celestia nodded, a grin still plastered to her face. She wrapped an arm around Sunset’s shoulders as they walked out of the office. The car ride was so unlike any car ride Sunset had ever taken with Celestia. The woman kept looking at her and smiling. “Where would you like to eat?”

“How about Water’s Edge?” Sunset suggested. Celestia nodded. The car was silent again, but not uncomfortably so, like the last time. After a moment, she looked at Celestia. “You haven’t gotten rid of my clothes yet, have you? I’d hate have to spend more money on them. Honestly, this nudity taboo is senseless.”

“Oh, Sunset.” Celestia sighed, pulling over to the side of the rode and shutting off the car. She turned and looked at Sunset. “What can I do to make you see you are important to me? I have all of your things still. Do you think I wanted you to go to Equestria?” She reached out and held Sunset’s hand. “No, I didn’t. I wanted you to stay here, for us to be a family. I love you, and to let you walk away like that killed me.”

Sunset blinked. “I...then…why didn’t you say something?” She looked down at their hands. “I knew you were being really nice to me, and I really felt, you know, safe and taken care of and stuff, but I thought that was just you, being nice.” Sunset swallowed and took a breath, looking up at Celestia. “I would have still gone, but…I know you’re different than Princess Celestia. I guess I just thought you handled poor little orphans the same way she did. Give them a place to stay and a good education and send them on their way to be model citizens. I…” She shook her head. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I didn’t want to hold you back.” Celestia met Sunset’s eyes with a sad smile. “You aren’t the typical teenager. You don’t even really know if you’re a teenager or not, right? I didn’t want to stop you from doing what you really wanted. If that was going to Equestria, then I wasn’t going to get in your way.” She took a deep breath. “I just wanted you to be happy.”

They sat there for a moment in silence. Then Celestia smiled at Sunset. “I will always want you around, Sunset. Don’t ever thing otherwise.” She turned back to the wheel and started the car, pulling onto the road.

---

Pinkie had, as predicted, thrown a party. Her friends were ecstatic upon her return. The music was still going strong, but the punch and cookies were nearly gone. She looked around her kitchen, since the party was hosted at Celestia’s house.

She sat at the table, watching Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie dancing together. Everyone was in their pajamas and the clock said it was nearly one in the morning. Someone yawned close to her, and Sunset turned to see Twilight leaning against the table beside her. “If you’re sleepy, you can go on to bed. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity already have.”

Twilight shook her head, her eyes on Rainbow Dash and Pinkie. “No. I wanted to talk to you.”

“Ah, well, grab a chair.” Sunset pointed to the seat across from her, but Twilight pulled a chair over to sit next to Sunset.

She didn’t say anything for a few minutes, still watching the pair of friends dancing. “I don’t know how they have so much energy.”

“Me either,” Sunset said, shaking her head.

Twilight yawned again. “I’m not going to bed,” she said preemptively. “I want to talk about college.”

Sunset groaned. “Twilight. It’s late July. No school is going to accept my application.”

Twilight have a nervous giggle. “About that. I might have applied to Cloudsdale for you.” Twilight held her hand up. “I know, I know, but I really wanted you to go. I felt a little bad afterward. You were accepted, but your letter didn’t come until after you left. It had Celestia really excited until I told her.” She bit her lip, looking over at Sunset. “Anyway, we’re roommates, if you’d like to go.”

“Wait.” Sunset furrowed her brow, confused. “Roommates? You’re going to Cloudsdale, too?”

Twilight shrugged. “Everyone is? It’s an undergrad degree. Sure, we could all go to separate schools, but we could all go to this one and stay together for a while. Most of us are going go further than a bachelor’s degree anyway, so really, why not have fun with this first one?”

Sunset sat for a moment before nodding. “Okay. I’ll go.”

Twilight beamed. “Great. Now—“

Suddenly the music shut off, much to the disappointment of Dash and Pinkie. Celestia stood by the record player, looking at the girls. “As much as I’d love for this party to continue, some of us have to be awake early in the morning. Why don’t you girls go on to bed. You’ll have all day tomorrow to have another party.”

Both sporting huge yawns, Dash and Pinkie nodded and ran up the stairs. Sunset was about to follow when Twilight spoke. “Um, Prin—I mean, Celestia?”

“Yes, Twilight?”

Twilight shoved Sunlight forward. “I think Sunset has some news she wants to share.”

Celestia perked up, eyebrows raised. “Oh?”

Rubbing the back of her neck, Sunset shrugged. “Twilight and I were talking and I think it would be a good idea for me to go to the University of Cloudsdale?”

“Oh, that’s wonderful, Sunset.” Celestia smiled, walking over and giving her a hug. “I think that’s a great idea.”

Twilight yawned again, and Sunset laughed. “I think we’d better get to sleep, though. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Sunset. I love you.”

Sunset looked over to Celestia, smiling. “I love you, too.”

Comments

[badninja]

Home is where your heart is. Sunset just needed to find where her heart laid to find where she belongs.

[Shinzakura]

Do we get to see a sequel? I want to see more of how Sunset's life develops, and the mother she now has.

[ferronna]

Yay happy sappy ending, and the start of a underhanded and minuplitive twilight. Got to say I didn't see that twist coming and I am happy they all found a way to stay together. Oh ya I almost forgot in your story did celestia ever officially adopt sunset because I don't remember that being stated just sort of implyed, sort of?

[EchoWing]

Yeah, I'm not surprised by this ending. It's still a good one, though.

[BenRG]

Here's the thing that a lot of fans tend to miss: Sunset doesn't have any emotional bonds with Equestria. Even her relationship with Princess Celestia must necessarily be strained by how her ambitions and arrogance prevented her from forming any serious emotional bonds before Twilight defeated her at the end of Equestria Girls. Actually, I think it would be fair to say that Twilight is Sunset's only serious emotional connection to Equestria. I agree that she would want to formally apologise to Celestia and make her peace with her old teacher but I don't think that they ever made the same connection that Twilight did with the Princess.

The simple fact is that almost all of Sunset's friends and the really emotionally and spiritually meaningful connections Sunset has are in the human world. Apart from the issue of magic (something that the writers are rapidly setting aside as the EqG series progresses) there is very little to attract Sunset back through the mirror now she's given up her dreams of power.

So, as you can tell, I think that this is a nicely-thought-out and very well-considered story that gets Sunset as well as her likely thoughts and feelings just right. Nice job!

[Insane]

This clearly that title is inprised by something, can't my hand on it

[Superbowl]

Nice. Always love proper human emotion-having normal-age non-regal-voice Celestia. Despite her affection for Sunset being completely new from the movies, she still felt like herself, and Luna too, heck, everyone else too. Great little slightly-bitter-mostly-sweet story!

[Blake Skies]

media.giphy.com/media/b9aScKLxdv0Y0/giphy.gif Bravo, a lovely finish!

[PegasisterTheBrony]

This was AMAZING. A very good coming-of-age fic... Very well done.

[fallen starr]

7598359 Indeed my friend.

7598423 There might be a sequel. I wouldn't mind writing about the whole college experience and whatever might happen there, but it'll be a bit. Probably.

7598635 I don't think Twilight was being underhanded or manipulative, and I didn't intend her to be. No, Sunset isn't officially adopted, but they are still family.

7598848 I wasn't going for surprising, just nice, so i'm glad you enjoyed it.

7598852 Fun fact: I tried writing an emotional scene between Celly and Sunset where it was hard for Sunset to say no the studying again, but it didn't seem to work out, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized how special the relationship between Celestia and Twilight is and how Sunset probably, most definitely, only saw Celestia as a mentor. It makes me happy to hear that you like my portrayal and enjoyed the story, so thank you.

7598861 It's a song, i forget by who. Watched Stranger Things and it was a part of it, and the title just stuck.

7598973 It does take time for affection to grow. But also I knew I was stretching it a bit there, but it was what I wanted for the story. There isn't really anything in canon to say it isn't true, so why not? Thanks for all your comments and support, and i'm glad you liked the story.

7599005 Thank you!

7600525 Thank you!

[ferronna]

7601130 when i was talking about twilight i was talking about how she sent an application to clousdale university with out letting sunset know. i know y she did it and know mater how good her intensins where i would have been mad if a friend did that to me behind my back. but like i said i do get y twilight did it.

[fallen starr]

7601198 no, you don't sound like a jerk. You're actually completely right. It is a bit rushed and I know I could do better. This isn't reallyy best work and I'd love to just redo the whole thing, but I don't have the time, sadly. I look to make the next part thst I might eventually write better.

[fallen starr]

7601309 oh, okay. She did that before Sunset left, soon after Sunset announced she wasn't going to college, and Sunset could always just be like, yeah, sorry, not going. Otherwise I wouldn't have a set up for a possible sequel.

[Enduring Man-Child]

Beautiful, lovely, heartwarming story! I wish someone would write a series on the girls post high school (there are a few, but not many). Come to think of it, I would have loved for "Kim Possible" to continue into college as well.

There's something about our beloved cartoon friends in college that just seems appealing.

[silverMEGAlicorn]

7601967 Yeah, I was hoping for a bit more interaction between Sunset, the rest of the mane 6 and also Flash.

[MrAskAPirate]

That was sweet,
s6.postimg.org/5pzpmopep/Pirate_Approved2.jpg

[PhycoKrusk]

It's good, and I am happy.

[reboot-this-pc]

This is awesome, I look forward to new chapters as they are available:-) also I'm 100th like woo yay me ... can I have a cookie ... lol jk

Edit ... wait what .... what do you mean that's it , (*flips book over dramatically*) there's more right a companion book , a second story ... *channels darty vador* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

[Rune Soldier Dan]

You don't have to work too hard to sell Momlestia to me.

[Superanon74]

Good story, has a few minor spelling/wording errors. Nice job, dude.

[Cheer]

Don’t ever thing otherwise.”

"Think"

Good little story