New student Lemon Hearts has come to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns to begin again. Thanks to a kind stallion named Green Fields and the careful tutelage of Sunset Shimmer, Lemon Hearts is going to do what no first-year student has done before.
She’s going to be a Princess.
---
Historian’s Note:
Set in Novel Idea’s Wavelengths timeline, wherein the Sonic Rainboom didn’t happen, the events of Little Truths occur eighteen months before The Alchemy of Chemistry, during Sunset Shimmer’s third year.
---
Cast: Lemon Hearts, Sunset Shimmer, Green Fields
Guest Stars: Raspberry Tart, Dean Silver Slate, Minuette, and Twinkleshine
---
Third-Place Finisher for FanOfMostEverything’s Imposing Sovereigns contest!
Featured on EQD on April 11th, 2017!
Cover art by Novel Idea
Sunset Shimmer art by Karzahnii
---
Beta Reader Credits
Novel Idea, who inspired both entry and submission
Beltorn, who waited patiently
Little Tinker, who could give ninja lessons
Ah yes, a story so good people already know that it's going to be good before even reading it, ever.
And the people that are smart (or haters) therefore click the dislike button.
But the people who actually like you and follow you hit the Like button.
Oh conformity, we can never escape you.
*hits the 'Like' Button*
#Conformity Is Evil.
(The above is a joke, do not take too seriously, please)
That being said, I look forward to reading this... eventually.
8038982
Of all the comments I've ever received, this is surely one of them.
Real talk for a moment, I really can't figure out what you're trying to say with this.
8038995
Basically I'm saying that I have heard your name so often in association with other people (e.g. Novel-Idea) that I will automatically assume that it's good (like with any story) until proven otherwise.
Do you think you'll win the contest?
8039035
Hope springs eternal!
I'll admit, while I did indeed give the green light for this story... it still scares the hell out of me.
If you wanted to know why things went down the way they did in The Alchemy of Chemistry and Bards of the Badlands, this is it. Ever feel that Lemon Hearts seemed to be overreacting? Why Slate simply hated Sunset? What was the deal with Raspberry Tart? This is it.
I could have never written this story. The sheer amount of guile and manipulation Sunset shows in this... well, when I first read it, I think I used the term "psychological terror." I still don't think that's too far off the mark. Ebon is a master at spinning complex tales like this. In fact, he's the reason the plot of Alchemy ended up working as well as it did. He helped me put it all together. He actually had this idea several months ago, but I shot it down. But when FoME's Imposing Sovereign contest came up... it called to him. And, I finally relented (though in truth, he could have written it anyway). I had two conditions: I get first crack at it and I get to declare if it's canon or not to Wavelengths.
You know what's interesting? When you can recognize just how freaking good a story is even while being horrified of the events that occur within. That's what happened with this. This is simply masterful... and I was completely swept in despite the fact that I knew everything that was going to occur. Hell, I even know what happens sixteen years from this story. After all, Sunset does have a flashback to the end of this story in Bards. But I still couldn't stop reading until I finished.
Now you've gotten to see the rest of it. Kinda gives everything that Sunset's gone through a whole different texture, doesn't it? Even now, this story gives me the chills. This is what Sunset Shimmer is capable of. And what the Sunset Shimmer in Wavelengths is trying so very desperately to get away from. If she succeeds in that or not... well, you'll have to wait and see.
I hope you enjoyed it. Because it's a damn good story... even if I had to read Alchemy directly afterward to remind myself of who my Sunset was. In the end, we all have our demons we have to face. You just got a glimpse on just how powerful Sunset's demons really are.
That feeling when you see the Newly Posted queue on the front page with a sub-3 hour complete turnover rate and not a single story that's breached ten votes and just know something good is getting buried.
...I do feel Sunset was being a little tropey at the end, though. What I think would have made this story even better is if it was clearly demonstrated (to the audience, not Lemon) that at least one of these things she actually wasn't responsible for and was merely trying to take credit for as much as possible. Put the possibility in, but then let readers wonder exactly how much she really did. After all, villains who are evil because they can have no qualms with taking credit for others' crimes (and especially bad luck), just to bother the good guys.
8039644
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
If you're interested, I'm planning a 'Director's Cut,' if you will, that expands on the surrounding events greatly.
Lemon is unlucky enough to be the central pawn in a chess game between Sunset and Dean Slate. Everything she says she did, she did. I can explain how. I can show each move, counter-move, and each gambit in its entirety.
I just thought that might get a little dark.
8039649 I'll keep an eye out for it. Darkness is no problem at all!
Ouch, that was painful. Not because it was a bad story, quite the opposite, but because you know these characters are about to be run over and have no idea. (Something like that, I'm not that good at analogies.) This reminds me of a line from the first EQ movie, something Applejack said about Sunset- she'll play nice, then stab you in the back. Yeah, this is a perfect example of that. Honestly its kind of painful to read about Sunset in this phase of her life, especially from somepony else's point of view. Who would ever expect somepony like that to change, especially without a friendship rainbow laser involved.
Curious to see the Director's Cut. This is Sunset at her most ambitious (and amoral), I wonder if we'll see her thought process. How someone like that could grow up under Princess Celestia's tutelage and turn out like that... then again Twilight missed many of those lessons too (and sometimes students just don't listen). And the chapter titles are quite deliberate too of course, though I wonder about Empathy.
8039917
Thanks for the kind words!
Believe it or not, this is in large part why this fic exists. During the planning/editing phase of Novel's Alchemy, we talked over and over about the emotional beating Sunset gets. I felt at the time that it didn't feel quite earned. Sunny gets this huge karmic bludgeoning, and we never get to see why she deserves it.
So I took the threads from Alchemy, and had an idea.
8039470
Just double checking then, but this is fully canon, right? Neither your comment nor the story description make that 100% clear.
8039470
This was indeed a gripping tale. I could see the hammer poised over Lemon the whole time, and every chapter made me dread the drop more and more.
I iust have one question for you, Novel: Would Sunset have delivered that villain monologue at the end? I find it hard to believe she'd admit her involvement to anyone, even when they were at their lowest.
Aside from that, this really shows just why Lemon took so long to forgive Sunset. And honestly? I can't blame her. Thank you for this, Ebon, and best of luck in the judging.
8040407
Thank you for the prompt!
If I can sidle in here, I can explain a bit. If you note the reaction of other students around her, she's not been hiding her methods regarding anything else. And, if we look at Moon Dancer's explanation for writing to Princess Celestia in Alchemy, theres a whole lot of students who've been on the receiving end of this kind of thing. Finally, taking EQG into account, she appears to stop hiding her involvement the moment she gets what she wants, since each of the huMane 5 know exactly what she's doing and how she works.
Sunset's a creature of ego, especially when her Angry Little Pony's less of a passenger and more in control.
At least, that's my take on it.
8040275 Fine. You caught me. I was still waffling. Yes. It happened. Little Truths is canon to Wavelengths on the condition that I never have to write this version of Sunset!
...and Sunset will be paying the penance for her acts for a very long time. We've already seen Sunset trying to fix the wrongs she's done. Now I'll likely not go through everything. But the Sunset you come to know in Wavelengths is still fighting against this old Sunset... and that includes doing her best to repair the damage, as we've seen in Bards.
8040407
I'd say yes. First of all, they're in private. If Lemon went forward with this information, it would be Lemon against her (and we all know who would win that battle).
Second, this Sunset is arrogant as hell. She truly believes she cannot be touched. Her ego and pride allow her to enjoy the fact she utterly crushed her enemy. She wants to make sure her enemy knows it.
Third, in a twisted way, I think Sunset is trying to help Lemon Hearts. Now before you yell foul, hear me out. Now that's she destroyed Lemon, Sunset wants to teach Lemon how the world really works--at least as far as this Sunset is concerned. This is simply what's done (why she believes that is something I will be exploring). In a way, this is her trying to teach her about reality. Her final lesson, if you would.
Finally, if Lemon Hearts actually does read the book and "learn" what Sunset wanted her to "learn," then Sunset's actions are validated. And we know people like Sunset usually have crippling insecurity and fear (though I'm not saying that she has that... it just fits the typical mentality)... so to have her foe end up walking her own path would be validating indeed. While this could put Lemon Hearts on the road to being a threat, Sunset's sure enough of herself to make sure that never happens again.
Please note that this is written while I'm half-asleep, so I'm hoping this is as logical as I think it is.
8040477 8041204
Makes sense to me, especially the aspect of twisted tutelage. Plus, we have seen that Sunset had a tendency to gloat even in the canon timeline...
Yeah, objection withdrawn.
8048395
A lovely seafoam green unicorn whose special talent is in tidal manipulation. She's gonna work with pegasi to maintain the Equestrian coastline.
And not at all because I forgot breezies were a thing.
Oh.
Well.
Ouch.
~Skeeter The Lurker
Let's see, how do I want to put this...this is Sunset Shimmer at arguably her most anglerfish-y. In a dark world she casts a bright light that attracts others, putting on her bright and friendly persona who is all too happy to mentor a first year and help out and all other sorts of great things!
But it's all just a distraction from the big ol' mouth getting ready to eat you whole.
Very good work on this. For a moment I almost forgot that Sunset was inevitably going to stab poor Lemon Hearts in the back.
8053186
Thanks for the kind words! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
8048685
Yeah. The epigraph for "Magic" was supposed to be the warning.
Hope you enjoyed it!
8055953
I did. You've earned an applause and a giant middle finger from me.
~Skeeter The Lurker
8039470
Congratulations. You just made me both want to read this story and want to stay the buck away from it even more than I already did. Surely the coming weeks will be filled with hemming and hawing on whether or not I should take the plunge.
8066830
Hey, you can always read Alchemy after, it does wonders.
8066892
Im sensitive, alright? Alchemy already put my feelings through the wringer. You're basically saying "don't worry about hopping in the industrial washer, this here wringer will dry you right off afterwards."
(I know I can't stay away from this story forever. I will read it when I least expect it, I will love it, and I will lie awake for nights thinking about it and cursing us both for me having read it.)
So... how precisely did this lose to anyone, much less the actual winners?
As far as I'm concerned, this is the single best story to come out of the Imposing Sovereigns contest. And I say that as someone so new to Novel-Idea's universe that I thought it was one where Sunset Shimmer was nice.
8069052
Thanks for the kind words! The competition was really fierce!
There was a lot of really good stories submitted, and I freely admit mine has a couple pacing problems. Not being privy to the inner debates of the judges, I can only guess that this, coupled with the fact that it is a little reliant on someone else's world, may have cost it.
Still, I'm glad you liked seeing what she used to be, and I hope you read the rest of Wavelengths to see where she goes from here!
8069493 Please. The competition was laughable. Yours is the only one of the three winners that's entirely typo-free, the only one with a twist that both seems natural and seems surprising, and the only one that separates its 10k+ story into chapters for improved pacing. Being a bit overzealous with the time-skips is a very minor flaw, compared to the flaws of everything you supposedly lost to.
8069546
I second this.
It's killing me, because they've become such good friends, and Sunset is going to turn out to be evil or a changeling or something and Lemon is going to be completely heartbroken. ;_;
8082380
OR WORSE IT WILL BE GREEN FIELDS D:
It would have been far more easier to accept Green Fields as the bad guy than this. D: You absolute monster.
I will admit a certain level of "that's it?" at the ending. It feels like there should be one more chapter here, to tell us what happened to Lemon afterward instead of just leaving her out to dry. I mean, she deserves better, but this also doesn't feel finished. :B
8082430
This is meant to lead straight into Novel Idea’s excellent Alchemy of Chemistry, and Bards of the Badlands. This is just to set the stage, as it were.
... Also, the contest's deadline and word count limits...
However, I am planning a "director's cut," if you will, so there will be more expansion of events.
Thanks for giving it a chance!
8082621
Looking forward to it!
My reviews for the "Imposing Sovereigns: Schemers" are up.
...Does...karma ever hit later on in the wavelengths story? Cause...this is...
Yeah. This is VICIOUS.
8102319
It sure does. The very next story, in fact. Check out The Alchemy of Chemistry for that!
Bloody hell that ending was vicious.
Now I have got to read the other stories to see how this ends...
I started reading this a while ago and then dropped it. I was thinking too hard about the comments and couldn't enjoy the story. I'm still probably thinking too hard about the comments, but I'm enjoying the story. I read the first three and am just posting them here. Because. Will probably read and comment on the remainder tomorrow if I'm not swamped with plans.
So.
Chapter 1:
That's it. Just mahogany.
That is a name I sincerely hope is used extensively in the future Wavelengths novels.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who would want their kid to grow up to be a supervillain. I mean, really, so close to Sombra, and it means "Darkness" and/or "Silence". If that's not...wait... Is this pony blind? Or deaf? Or mute? That would be...kinda sad, but rather cool.
There were some good names in there. Also several parents that hated their children. Mallomar? Really?
Don’t even joke about having a character based on the Rule of Funny. I still harbor an intense dislike for Pinkie Pie for this reason.
Maybe it is just because I have been playing a lot of Divinity Original Sin, but the image of him engulfed in flame appeared in my mind as soon as the normal image materialized.
YAY, SUNSET! WOOOHOOOO! Hoofstomps YEAH! GO SUNSET! I know you’re evil and everything, but I really like seeing you with your self-esteem in one piece and not broken, shattered, pureed, mixed with ketchup mayonnaise and a bean burrito, eaten by a ursa major, and shat into an erupting volcano.
Really, Sunny? Okay, whatever. “Every year for two years”? The non-egomaniacal way of saying that is “two years running”, but I’m still riding the high of watching you still have your mojo to care that you can’t quite suppress the “I’m the best and I damn well know it” feelings.
That sounded like a list of possible victory conditions. Or rather, defeat conditions for everyone else. Go get ‘em Sunny!
Okay, Sunny. I understand that AoE is the most effective way to deal with opposition when they are clustered like this, but you really need to work on your subtlety.
Chapter 2:
I like this Poison Pen pony.
You’re goddamn right she is.
Everything this Sunset does looks dangerous in my head.
Brutal. Well done, Sunny.
Chapter 3:
Exactly. If you slaughter a village, make sure you get everyone in the village, along with their immediate relatives, especially the young ones. If there is another country’s ruler or something, you can fight and outsmart them, that fight is in your hands, but if you leave an underdog alive, Fate starts getting involved and mucking all the odds up.
Alternatively, you could not slaughter villages, but then you’d have to find another source of corpses for your necromantic experimentation, and let me tell you, nopony wants that in their backyard.
Okay, I’m done. Time to continue with the story.
Oh ho ho ho? My interest is piqued.
Aga--
Oh. darn. It was on the next line so I didn’t see it for a second.
Careful, Lemon, Sunny earned that position with blood, sweat, and tears, and unless you want the next few ounces of those fluids to be yours, you’d best check yourself.
Oh god, Lemon. Beg for mercy, please.
You’ve got some MASSIVE balls, Lemon. I approve, but you’re still going to die a painful, if metaphorical, death.
This might make framing her for something harder? Maybe? Might make Sunset herself appear closer to the plot than she normally seems? Then again, being the closest one to her is going to make research for the eventual play a cinch.
media.tenor.com/images/e05845c53ba72e03936007be856fed5a/tenor.gif
...
Mahogany
Chapter 4:
That...doesn't seem like it would make very effective floss...
I laughed.
Just a bit longer, Lemon. Lemmy? Lems? Hearts? Hearts.
Just a bit longer, Hearts, and a few more (text)books about alchemy and chemistry.
Woah, nice timing on this setup, Sunny. Or at least good for you for staying in character. "Malicious grin", tho? Maybe a righteous anger sort of expression, but a grin? Ras, are you really a good guy here?
Gosh this and Gosh that. You guys and your PG curses. Use some real sentence enhancers every once in a while.
Oh. Yeah. Nice, I can see that. Good play. And you didn't even have to metaphorically kill her. Just Ras.
Wha...But Sunny! You had won! You put up some resistance to Hearts' idea of bowing out, and she wanted to anyway! Stop being so convincing!
Unless this is just you wanting her to remain a target for your cruelty. In which case I'd be very disappointed in you.
Chapter 5: Honesty
I am still really confused about how the Autumn Liege is selected. I don't understand how a points based system could possibly add decimal points to a competition to decide it, and any form of popularity contest doesn't make sense for this either.
Oh look, a strong pony for Sunny to break over her knee to prove how awesome she is--I mean a strong force for justice in this crazy Unicorn-spell-Unicorn world. For Sunset to completely destroy.
Yeeeeees, teach her, Sunny. Teach her the ways of the Sunny side.
Aaaaand I'm nervous. Sunset and storage closets at CSGU makes me nervous.
What was that? Did I hear a hint about how the magic works in this world? An incredibly vague hint? Who'm I talking to? No one
?.Heh, I don't know what game you are playing here, Sunny, but to be fair, poking fun at someone for a crush doesn't ever need an ulterior motive. Not that it can't have one.
TEACH HER! TEACH SOMEONE! Preferably Twi THE RULE OF TWO, SUNNY! MASTER AND APPRENTICE!
Don't ask me anything about Star Wars, tho. That's basically the only thing I know from the Extended Universe and I don't even like the movie universe.
Definitely thought Lemon Hearts was literally glowing at this point, and had to reread the last few paragraphs of the story several times before I remembered (I think) that Green Fields was the History tutor pony. Was thinking that Sunny was finally making her play on Hearts.
Yeah, Hearts, be awesome! It'll make your inevitable fall all the more
beautifulI mean satisfyingI mean, powerful. Yeah. That one.Seriously, tho, Sunny. If you were intentionally building her up just to knock her down farther for no reason other than cruelty or some twisted sense of satisfaction, I am going to be rather vexed with you.
Chapter 6: Loyalty
Heh,duty. AHEM. It would take at least three duties, or two cuts, to prevent a pony from having more than one leg. Unless we are talking horizontal cuts, in which case, I guess it would only take one cut, cuz the top half would be seriously out of luck. Although the bottom half would have none of the important bits...I'm now imagining Rarity dressed as a platypus.
Dawwwww. Your eventual metaphorical death is going to be so harsh.
Shit, I'd be riding that for at least a couple days.
Yay! Mane toss!
Ras...Did you do that? I wouldn't think you would, but that malicious grin makes me wonder. I certainly ain't saying she doesn't deserve a lot of shit, but is this the best way to get her back? The real question is, is this a bit by Sunny to throw Ras even further into the hole? I don't know. But I hope I know by the end of the next chapter.
Chapter 7: Magic
Alright. I'm ready for the horrifying bomb drop. Lay it on me!
What's this? Someone is going to be betrayed by a friend? It's probably Sunny. I knew Hearts was trouble the moment she almost cried on her first day of class.
Wow.
Oh, that makes sense. I thought we were suddenly playing O&O for a second there.
AHHHH! No! You can't suddenly become capable! Now I'll actually feel bad if you get metaphorically killed! You were just a puppy to kick before now!
My god, Sunny, you've done it! It's beautiful. She could be an incredible ally. Also I didn't actually think that whole Sith Master/Apprentice thing was going to be quite this appropriate.
Wow, nice. No reason to set up another mess when you can just milk the last one a bit more.
God, I'm so paranoid right now.
Awwww Yea--Wait, no. Have to be serious.
AHHHHHH WHAT DID HE DO!?! LOOK IN A GORRAM MIRROR BEFORE YOU WALK OUT THERE! CHECK FOR MAGIC! THIS IS WHY I DETECT MAGIC LITERALLY EVERYTHING I OBTAIN IN D&D!
sigh
Not that I really think it's fair to expect you to do or even think of those things, given the circumstances, but yelling impotently into the uncaring void of the internet at stories already written and published restores a mild amount of my calm. Back to the comedy.
Oh. Well. I see.
Turns out he was
deadgay the whole time!Or
Turns out the mare he wanted to share sundaes with was actually Raspberry Tart! And this whole thing was a giant ploy to tear apart Sunny by going after the ponies she cares about. Sunny is the victim, she hooks up with Hearts and everypony (that I like) goes home happy.
Right?
FINISH HER!
FATALITY
Okay, what the hell is wrong with you? Obviously Hearts is having some serious trouble. Maybe you didn't know that nickname meant so much, but your job is to support your students, not kick them while they're down.
Wait, Sunny, you won. Don't tell anyone how you did it. You have to wait for the statute of limitations to run out before you publish your book about how awesome you are.
SUNNY! STOP IT! DON'T CONFESS TO THAT!
Excellent touch, and the Raspberry thing was fine, nothing criminal, but YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE CONFESSED TO THE FIRST THING! Dammit, Sunny, keep your gloating in check! You know you're awesome and everyone else fears you already!
Okay that kind of justifies keeping her in. I guess I could see it.
SUNNY! You keep BACKSLIDING INTO BAD TERRITORY!
I'm really conflicted here, Sunset. On one hand, you're a badass in a lot of ways, but...you pulled some shit, Sunny.
Congrats, Ebon, you finally made me feel for the normal loser ponies that the big bad always tramples on their way to godhood. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't feel bad about it if she had actually attained near-godhood. Knowing that she falls right after this makes all of this pain seem pointless. Feels like a lesson, right there. All the sacrifices and pain feel like they're worth it when the goal is in sight, or when you have crested the mountain and look back. But when you fall and look back to see the shit you did in pursuit of a goal you didn't attain, you don't have the satisfaction of victory or drive to succeed to drown out the empathetic pain. The ends didn't justify the means.
...
Bleh. What are these things, Ebon? These...unironic feelings. Yuck. Get them off me.
And there is a pun in here somewhere about "when life gives you Lemon, make lemonade." Something about aiding Lemon or maybe raising her, picking her, cutting out her Heart, wringing her out, throwing her away, and enjoying the sweet sweet taste of a job well done. Something, something, easiest way to take someone down is often through the Heart? Hmmm. Heart of the matter? There is a lot of area for puns with Lemon's name, I just need to find the right one.
Ayyy! The book! Poison Pen!
Holy shit those last 10 paragraphs made me smile so wide. I'm glad I got all those feelings out of the way.
Aaaaand now I'm thinking about it again. Dammit.
This was...This was a very good story. Far, far from my normal fare, but damn good. Made me think in ways I rarely do. 9/10 but with bonus points for having Sunny be the villain and having her win, even if we know it is short-lived. Also for making me feel, but I don't know if I want to be encouraging that.
Full review here, but in brief: a very good tale of an alternative Sunset. I haven't read any other Wavelengths stories, which may be why Lemon Hearts' background felt a bit too shadowy, but one moment in this absolutely floored me. (Not the ending!) That's actually what gained it a fave.
Oh boy the rage, this should really be the first story anyone who goes into Wavelenghts reads as otherwise they know the deal and its less powerful and probably more torture to come to the ending.
8082395
Yeah, I'm starting to wonder if this kind, generous advocate of the weak isn't some evil manipulator... or at least, being manipulated himself so that at exactly the right moment, he'll crush Lemon's dreams (and possibly everyone else's, too).
I've only read part of the Wavelengths stories, but after reading this one? Not only am I surprised that Lemon Hearts forgave Sunset so quickly- or at all- but it's pretty much convinced me that Sunset, Slate, and Celestia are ALL monsters, even if they aren't all the same level of monstrosity. There comes a point where so much damage has been done that an entire lifetime of trying to fix mistakes still isn't enough payback for redemption.
It is, however, a fictional world which is obviously kinder and gentler than our own. In the real world, the Origins arc either never would've gotten started or else it would have ended with a homicide.
Alright... the following contains spoilers, so you should probably read the story first. It's a well-written, fascinating character study.
And it's possible you'll hate everyone in it. Now, this would be a fine prequel to a Kill Bill-esque revenge romp where Lemon Hearts goes nuts and just straight up murders Sunset Shimmer... and possibly Dean Slate as a warm up. Hell, she even has a coat that matches up. Unfortunately, this is a prequel to a story in which the villain here becomes the protagonist there who is seeking to redeem herself from... basically this story. From the point of view of that tale... this certainly sheds some light on just why Sunset Shimmer feels the intense guilt that she does... once she manages to pull her head out of her...
...Ah, rated T. Out of her ass. I suppose there's not much more to say about her, though. She manipulates everything flawlessly and no one who can do anything about it will because she's Celestia's student. We can assume Celestia doesn't know the full extent or that she just doesn't care enough to step in, ymmv and I'm not in the habit of bagging on Tia (not her fault the show can't handle what they created with her). Sunset's so confident, in fact, that she goes full villain monologue at the end. ...That honestly bugged me. Because that would be the point where some kind of actual resolution would take place with a normal story tempo. Either Lemon would find some courage and actual stand up to her, or someone would overhear, or something... but this is a prequel. None of that would happen... and so it fell flat. We sort of need it, though. Without it we're in the same 'what just happened' mode that Lemon is.
And speaking of... that's it for her, too. We don't see any comfort for Lemon, or any vindication for the idea that this isn't how to be. In the end we're left with a story that just builds a protagonist to tear her to shreds. And the shredder? Yeah, that's who we're supposed to root for in the next installment. ...Wat? And where's Lemon in that story? Scarcely a footnote... and one where she gets basically nothing. Ah well. We can't all be Sunset Shimmer. Some of us just fade out, and no one cares. There's your moral, enjoy! To really drive the point home that Lemon is garbage and we should all just let her go... even Dean Slate couldn't properly remember her name. Cue the deleted scene where Sunset informed him Lemon preferred that nickname. Practically any action she'd have taken there would have had consequences, because she's just completely outclassed by Sunset. And she always will be.
It's one thing to have Sunset get away basically scot-free when you don't know the details of just how vile she was. And before you point out Alchemy, I'll point out that that was just a scare. Nothing actually happened to her other than nearly getting framed. She got a wake up call that effectively cost her nothing. Now, it was an effective wake up call, in that she feels real guilt, and right now I don't care about that in the slightest. Because that's not this story. In this story... she just plain wins. Lemon does nothing; everypony does nothing. The villain wins, the hero never had a chance, the end. It's like a high school AU of a cosmic horror.
...And I deserved to read it. In the past, I've taken authors to task for going too soft on the 'poor Sunset' angle. They'll write everything to make it 'not her fault' and 'she did nothing wrong' and blah blah bullshit. She did. Canonically, she most certainly did. Treason and grand theft are pretty damn bad, but hell let's set those aside. Set aside everything demon Sunny did, because you can argue she wasn't in control. But by all accounts, before any of that, she was a bully for years. Much like here, she did it through social clout and manipulation. If you forget those things, you aren't really forgiving her so much as pretending they didn't happen. Seeing her for what she really is, and really was, is far more difficult. Forgiveness... real forgiveness, is far more difficult. It's so difficult that this amazing work had to sacrifice Lemon Hearts and Green Fields on an altar to the muse just to reach a proper level. Real forgiveness requires real understanding of the events. I have that now, for this story going forward.
...Now just give me a few days to process it. Have an upvote... this one doesn't go on a shelf because speaking bluntly, once was enough. But once was very worthwhile, and I'm glad I got around to reading this. As a sidenote, I have to assume that Poison Pen only knows about that 'friend betrayal' thing secondhand.
You can has review!