Chapter 8: We’re almost up to the 1-minute, 20-second mark before the theme song hits!
Sunset Shimmer stared up at the pair of massive thistle-colored doors; the only things that stood between her and her mother. Well, that and the massive space of the throne room that was in between the doors and the throne itself, of course.
Though the doors were twice as wide as a pony is long and maybe five ponies high before they even hit a fairly-ornate entablature of golden engravings above them, Sunset considered the throne room entrance rather plain looking compared to many of the random doors in the castle. While Celestia had stated the less grandiose door was make her seem more approachable by her subjects, Sunset was always quick to point out that the long distance still required to get from the entrance to the throne would likely counteract any such feelings. This would leave Celestia somewhat flustered, however before the sun princess could mount a proper response, Sunset would add that the throne being elevated while simultaneously being flanked by real fountains also wouldn’t make a pony feel Celestia was anything but royalty of the highest order.
And before Celestia could even process that, Sunset would point out that Celestia was easily twice as tall as most anypony she talked to with a magical mane that seemed to be full of actual sparkling sunlight at all waking hours and that the whole door thing was a farce and maybe Celestia should just admit that she just thought the door thing was a good idea at one point but failed to account for all the other factors built into the castle and that the confusing mess was constructed before she could come to her senses.
This was, sadly, something Sunset could never get Celestia to admit no matter how much shouting was done, objects were thrown, or things were set on fire…
Sunset also used to argue that the throne room was the most appropriate place to lob things around, but that was another debate entirely.
“Uh… Are you sure you’re up for this, Sunset?” Starlight Glimmer asked in a concerned voice.
“You can’t rush genius, Starlight!”
Starlight gave her friend a slight frown. “I’m not? You have been staring at the door for a while, but considering it’s your mom you have to meet for only the second time after you two stopped talk—”
“I swear to my mom, I will boop your snoot so hard Starlight!” Sunset ground out in a clearly stressed tone.
“Classic Sunset.” Starlight said with a grumble before she took a deep breath and once again looked at Sunset with sympathy. “Look, I of all ponies can at appreciate what it’s like to be confronted with something you probably should do, but don’t want to…” She rested a forehoof on Sunset’s left shoulder. “How about you have a quick panic attack here at the door, I’ll whisk you away, and in the meantime, we can solve whatever new thing has cropped up to threaten all of Equestria!” Starlight said with an earnest smile that suggested she was in no way being sarcastic. “You’ll feel a lot better about being home after you’ve saved it!”
Sunset took a few moments to blink and stare at Starlight blankly. “You… you really think that’ll happen?”
Starlight thought for a moment as her smile fell a bit. “Gee, my life is rather busy, isn’t it?”
Sunset let out a laugh as she felt herself relax a bit. “I know the feeling. Also, you’re right.”
“I am?” Starlight said in surprise. “Uh… Okay! Well, start panicking and hope maybe Tirek will have conquered Ponyville!” Starlight frowned heavily. “Just as long as it’s not Chrysalis, again.”
“Uh, that’s not quite what I meant,” Sunset said.
Starlight groaned. “But I already saved Equestria from Chrysalis!” She whined. “And even though everything worked out in the end, some parts were pretty embarrassing…” She added, shaking her head.
“No. I meant the part about a potentially cataclysmic event just popping up is not what I was talking about!” Sunset said. “The point is, I have saved Equestria as well as my new home! Now, if I can just swallow that convincing lie that my deep, unresolved emotional issues with those that I love are easier to deal with than life and death situations despite the fact that my courage always kicks in without fail during those moments and I do the right thing and save the day as if it’s core to my being, then I’ll be all set!”
Starlight immediately frowned. “When I saved Equestria, I hit a big throne made out of solid rock with a much smaller rock before I had to make up some talk about friendship to creatures that literally feed on love…”
“The important thing is you succeeded! And I’ve succeeded! So, let’s just keep on succeeding with a minimal amount of property damage!”
Starlight smiled widely. “I give myself the same pep-talk every morning! Well, with a little reminder about using mind control sparingly.”
“Right, going to just power right on past that one!” Sunset took another look at the door, horn glowing with her red aura before the light in the hallway went dim. Sunset looked up, feeling a sudden chill as she did. The castle was typically lit by sunlight during the day, but this felt different than the sun suddenly dropping. This darkness felt unnatural. Less the absence of light and more the destruction of it. It was as if some malevolent force was consuming the very concept of brightness itself.
Sunset sighed and hung her head. “Starlight, I appreciate the effort, but I really should stop dilly-dallying and just talk to my mom, already.”
“This isn’t me!” Starlight insisted with just a hint of indignity.
Sunset looked up at the darkness. “Wait… Don’t tell me there really is a threat to Equestria…”
One of the plates of a nearby massive window exploded with glass, feathers, and an orange pegasus stallion wearing golden armor with a blue plume and tumbled in a heap at Sunset and Starlight’s hooves.
“Oh, mom damnit!” Sunset blurted out indignantly.
Starlight gasped and bent down to help the pegasus back up to his hooves. “Flash!”
Sunset frowned. “Flash? As in… Flash Sentry?”
“Well, yeah!” Starlight said as she helped Flash to his hooves. “Who else would it be?”
“Starlight! Thank Celestia, I found you!”
“Why? Did she actually help?” Sunset asked somewhat sarcastically.
“What? No, I just need he—” Flash turned, taking off his helmet as he did. Giving his head a shake, his dark-blue tuft of a ruffled mane flowed in tiny waves in all directions as an, admittedly heroic-looking, trickle of blood dribbled down around his muzzle.
“Oh, no…” Sunset whispered to herself. “He’s hot…”
Flash, likewise, needed a moment as he laid eyes over Sunset and seemingly tried to take all of her in through his pupils. “—eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee—”
“Hey! Flash, focus!” Starlight called out. “What happened to Twilight and Spike?! Also, Trixie if you happened to see her… and, uh… everypony else, probably.”
Flash turned back towards Starlight. “—elp! Uh, right! Some sort of dark portal opened in Ponyville!”
Sunset groaned. “Seriously?!”
Starlight turned towards Sunset. “Okay, you’re my witness! I was in Canterlot when that happened!”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Uh, obviously…”
Flash continued. “I think… I think the Hay-Burger king has captured Twilight and the other Element Bearers in a terrible slime prison!” Flash involuntarily shuttered. “Just… so much slime…”
Starlight turned to Sunset, beaming smile on her face. “Yay!”
One of Sunset’s eye shot up so fast it was in danger of flying off her face. “The… the Hay-Burger King?! Twilight and everyone are literally being held hostage by a fast-food mascot?”
Flash rubbed the back of his head. “I mean… Whatever it is has appears to be a cow with the same dead-eyed smile as the hay-burger king and a paper crown.”
This statement did nothing to east Sunset’s skepticism. “Wouldn’t the Hay-Burger King have a real crown and not one possible pilfered from a store?!”
Starlight chuckled. “You can’t ‘pilfer’ a crown from Hay-Burger, Sunset! You know… Unless you’re Trixie and you’ve already nabbed about a dozen in a single visit and the staff asks you to leave some around for the kids.”
“Uh… okay, but what it’s not the reeaaal Hay-Burger King, and like… I don’t know… some sort of necromantic ram that’s disguising itself as the Hay-Burger King for extra shock value.
Starlight thought for a moment. “…I probably would be more scared of an evil Hay-Burger King than I would some evil ram, or whatever…” She turned to Flash. “How evil was this Hay-Burger King?”
Flash gave Starlight a bewildered look. “I mean… he arrived out of a land that seemed to be made out of pure evil and trapped Twilight in everyone in a slime prison that he hacked out of his own unsettling grin and is actively devouring light itself!”
Starlight nodded. “Well, obviously.” She continued with, “But would you say he’s more or less evil than creatures that inhabited typically inhabit lands of pure malevolence?”
“I don’t know!” Flash coughed up an impressive glob of green goo. “I barely got out of there with my life!” he added.
Sunset’s eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at Starlight. “How do you even have a metric for beings inhabiting lands of darkness and evil?”
Starlight opened her mouth.
“No, wait! I don’t want to know!” Sunset interrupted. She smiled once more. “Okay! Let’s quickly defeat this so-called, Hay-Burger King and then we’ll see my mom hopefully after I’m high on ‘just saved the world’ confidence!”
Starlight glanced at the doors to the throne room. “Don’t you think she’ll want to help?”
“No,” Sunset said bluntly.
“Uh… sorry,” Flash interjected as he extended a foreleg. “I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced, Princess…?”
“Sunset Shimmer,” Sunset replied as she pressed her hoof against Flash’s. “Apparently, I’m Princess of Cleaning up Other Ponies’ Messes.”
With a sly smirk, Flash took a half-step forward and hooked his foreleg around Sunset’s. “Really? I would have guessed you were the Princess of Radiant Beauty.”
Sunset couldn’t help but match Flash’s smile. “Ah, so you’re quick-thinking in this universe too.”
“I’m not sure what that means, but I’ll take it as a compliment.”
Starlight frowned. “Uh… I can’t believe I’m the one saying this, but Ponyville, and Equestria probably, is in danger?”
Sunset and Flash, somewhat reluctantly, broke the foreleg link and eye contact.
“Okay, game faces on!” Sunset declared resolutely. She turned again to Flash with an only mildly lovestruck look. “Did you make any key observations about this malignant monarch when you fought him? Any strategies we should be aware of.”
Flash let out another harsh cough. “Don’t get hit in the face with his slime,” he said.
Sunset nodded. “That’s a good note. But do we have any idea of his weaknesses? I mean… how flammable is he?”
Flash thought for a moment. “Well… I’m not sure if the slime is flame retardant or not, but the crown he was wearing was probably made out of cardboard.” Flash shrugged. “That’s probably a weakness.”
“Okay! I can work with that!” Sunset said excitedly.
The light around the ponies dimmed even further until everything was nearly pitch-black.
“I doubt that’s good…” Flash uttered as both Sunset and Starlight’s horns began to glow fiery red and electric blue, respectively, the dual colors casting the surrounding area in an eerie purple light.
Starlight just shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll be fine as long as we get to Ponyville quickly.”
Flash smirked. “Don’t you mean—”
“—in a Flash?!” Sunset quickly interjected with a smile on her face.
“Ahh!” Flash uttered excitedly as he pointed to Sunset. “She knows my thing!”
Starlight’s face turned a lighter shade of purple as she looked between the other two ponies. “Wait… does this mean I have to play ‘straight pony’ for saving Equestria, again!?”
-ooo~ One mind-blowing adventure later. ~ooo-
“Oh my gosh, that was amazing!” Starlight exclaimed as she and Sunset once again found themselves walking down a hall of Canterlot Castle. “And by ‘that’, I, of course, mean our harrowing adventure in Ponyville!”
Flapping her wings hard enough to dislodge the odd glob of green sludge, Sunset smiled. “Well, I could have done with less slime, but we saved the day, became closer as friends, and learned a bit about ourselves!”
“We also achieved brand-new transformations that I’m absolutely sure will come in handy for later adventures!” Starlight added.
Sunset grinned. “And Flash also proved himself a capable and brave warrior instead of just providing info to move our adventure forward and add a smattering of romance to the mix!” Her smile dropped a bit. “I still can’t believe he managed to eat all that slime, though.”
“And every pony learned that ‘harmony’ is something we all can achieve if we just believe in ourselves hard enough!”
Sunset smirked. “I mean… in the sense I temporarily uprooted the Tree of Harmony and beat that clearly fake Hay-Burger King with it, but what you said is technically accurate given enough focus and strength of will…” She frowned slightly. “Shame he escaped. I wonder where he went… and why it only spoke in bleats despite looking like a cow.”
Hooves click of stone floors and echo off empty walls as a creature appearing to be misshapen, perhaps somewhat smashed black-and-white bovine climbs ziggurat stairs in a land illuminated only by swirling purple vortexes that constantly disappear, reappear, and even consume each-other. As it steps up, a nearly burnt to a crisp ‘crown’ falls and crumbles to ash before it is blown away by the shifting void-winds of the land. This is soon followed by a cracked masked of a cow that is smiling too widely, which clatters on the steps and tumbles down them towards an unknown fate. Finally, the black and white ‘coat’ of this creature slumps off it. Falling into a fleshy heap with a sickeningly moist sound.
Free of its ‘outer shell’ a dark, fanged ram woozily makes it up to the top of the ziggurat and walks past an alter to a podium. A podium where a book that seems to be bound in a leathery substance rests as books do when left alone, if one ignores the faint sounds of moaning that seem to be coming from the tome itself. Slowly and painfully lifting a foreleg, the ram looks over the book with it’s one eye not swollen shut and flips open to a page full of runes, many repeating on lines, and all crossed out except for the last line.
With a dark, disappointed sounding bleat, it crosses out the last line, scans the previous lines for a moment, then begins recreating one of the sets of runes as it bleats menacingly to itself.
Starlight shrugged. “The unknown fate and peculiarities of the mystery villain aside, I’m sure you literally using the tree as a bludgeon is also a metaphor that’s empowering, but also serves as a good learning experience somewhere… Oh! And Flash got the girl!”
Sunset groaned.
“And by ‘girl’, I - of course - mean Twilight Sparkle.”
Sunset groaned louder.
Starlight frowned. “Uh, is something the matter?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Sunset replied.
“Okay, but you know you know can talk to me about whatever, right? I mean, even conflicting emotions about being attracted to a pony who’s in a relationship with one of your best frie—”
“I just said I don’t want to talk about ‘it’, and by ‘it’, I mean specifically THIS topic!”
“Okay, okay!” Starlight chuckled to herself. “Isn’t it weird how us two, relatively new to saving the day in Equestria, just managed to show up and be the big heroes even with everyone who’d usually save the day in the situation right there?”
Sunset couldn’t help but give Starlight a sour look. “Little bit. Yeah…”
Perhaps catching Sunset’s grumpy expression, Starlight quickly switched topics again. “Say, when do you think that strange curse the fake Hay-Burger King hit us with to make us converse in bizarrely specific sentences will wear off?”
Sunset thought for a moment. “I’m sensing about the time I finish this sentence. You know… soonish…” Sunset took a deep breath as she walked up to the double-doors she was standing at just a reasonable amount of time to hold children’s attention spans complete with the occasional break to maybe advertise a toy here or there earlier. “Just in time for me to be ready to talk to mom…”
Her horn glowing with a red aura, Sunset floated her geode in front of her and stared at it. “Better prepare myself for Emotional Overload 2: Electric Boogaloo.”
"Ignoring the fact I have no idea what a ‘Boogaloo’ is, why don't you just take the geode off?!” Starlight asked in a tone that was borderline insisting.
“Because that’s something a quitter would do!” Sunset exclaimed.
“Erm, okay,” Starlight responded. “But you can still take a quick breather if you feel—”
“Nope!” Sunset exclaimed as a determined look came over her face. “Time’s up! Let’s do this!” With a fiery red glow of her horn, Sunset threw open the double doors to the throne room and began sprinting “Sunset Shiiiiiiiiimer!” she shouted as she began to tear across the red carpet, her body eventually reminding her she had pushed it quite a lot in just the last hour. “Right-huff-throne still-puff-stupid far!”
“My Little Shimmering Sunshine!” an absolutely euphoric cry of maternal glee called rang out as Sunset quickly found herself engulfed in a sunny yellow glow that began to float her the rest of the way across the throne room.
“I seem to have miscalculated…” Sunset muttered to herself as she gritted her teeth and braced for impact. Almost immediately, the purple and pinks of the throne room lit by stained glass window were replaced by alabaster feathers and forelegs as Sunset was completely engulfed by her much larger mother. Thoughts and emotions hit Sunset immediately, first and foremost, simple immense joy from how happy Celestia was to see her. This would have left Sunset with a warm and fuzzy feeling, but the lingering guilt over Sunset’s banishment and the years of silence that followed were close on its heels, followed by the worry that Celestia was perhaps not yet forgiven. As perhaps enlightening as the feelings where they mashed against Sunset’s own residual guilt and anger and she could quickly feel her emotions bubbling to the surface in the form of yet another hysterical crying fit.
“M-mom! -gasp- Need space!” Sunset managed to get out.
Celestia immediately relinquished her grasp and looked over her daughter in concern. “Sunset, dear? Are you alright? Are you hurt from your harrowing battle with the forces of darkness that I got to observe from right here in the castle?!”
“I just—” Sunset took a deep breath and took a few steps back. “—need a mom-whoa!” Sunset caught herself as she almost tripped over something or rather, somepony lying in a midnight-blue heap to the right of the floor.
Luna shot up to her full height. “Yes! I am-yaaaawn-here! What is it, sister?!”
Sunset’s surprise got the better of her and mixed with her already strained attempt to keep from crying and what came out sounded like a terrified whimper.
Luna stared down at the unexpected alicorn. “Oh! Sunset Shimmer.”
“I’m here, too!” Starlight exclaimed from the foot of the throne’s steps.
Luna continued, “Forgive me. I did not mean to frighten you.”
“N-not, frightened!” Sunset insisted. “Just, uh… a little worn out…”
“Okay!” Starlight called out. “I guess I’ll just wait for some pony to notice me!” She frowned. “Wow, this pretty much never happens to me…”
Celestia beamed at Luna. “Sunset just saved Equestria from certain peril!”
“I was also there, too!” Starlight called out.
“Oh! And Starlight Glimmer helped!” Celestia added.
“Yay! Validation!”
Luna gave Celestia an absolutely bewildered look. “Excuse me?! When did this transpire?!”
“Oh! Just a while ago while you napped in the throne room,” Celestia explained nonchalantly.
This response clearly did nothing to alleviate Luna’s bewilderment. “Why didn’t you wake me?!”
Celestia frowned slightly. “Well, I thought you’d need your sleep since you passed out waiting for Sunset and Starlight to arrive at the throne room! I mean… you did elect to nap right on the spot rather than retire to your quarters when Kibitz said Sunset needed to rest-up first.”
“Tia, you ruinous barbermonger—"
Sunset found herself giggle-snorting despite still being out of sorts
“—we’ve been over this! Please wake me if lives are at stake!”
“Oh, I knew Sunset and Starlight had this!” Celestia insisted with a dismissive wave of her forehoof. “There was no cause to worry.”
Starlight couldn’t help but send a frown up towards the ponies above. “There were, in fact, several causes to worry. Most slime and evil goat related”
Luna shook her head. “Well, did you at least help them yourself?”
“But who would make sure no pony woke you up if I did that?” Celestia replied.
Luna made an irritated gurgling sound as she held back pure rage. It was a sound Sunset was quite familiar with, particularly as she was making the same sound right at the moment.
Celestia refocused her attention on her daughter. “Sunset, dear, are you sure you’re alright?!” Celestia exclaimed. “Maybe you should sit down, or I can get you a guard to throw things at!”
“What?!” Luna exclaimed in shock as Starlight raised an eyebrow.
Sunset swallowed nervously.
“Well, it always makes her feel better!” Celestia exclaimed as she motioned to Sunset.
“Tia, you can’t just let ponies lob stuff at our guards to improve their mood, you certifiable walnut!” Luna exclaimed.
“They have armor!” Celestia replied, taking on an indignant tone. “So it’s fine so long as Sunset doesn’t aim for the shins, face, or throat.” She pursed her lips. “Which she usually does…”
“No, I’m fine!” Sunset said in a strained voice as she fought hard to return her motions to something far more balanced than she currently felt. “Just… just a little overwhelmed from being back!”
Starlight rolled her eyes. “I told you to take your geode off!” she shouted up.
“That’s loser talk, Starlight!” Sunset snapped back.
Luna snorted out a laugh. “Well, she seems to have recovered quickly enough.”
Sunset wordlessly turned to look at Luna, blank expression on her face.
Frowning slightly, Luna once again took a somewhat formal tone. “Hrmm… I suppose formal introductions are in order. Hello again, Sunset Shimmer. It is good to see you again.”
Narrowing her eyes slightly and lowering her eyes, Sunset shifted her weight to her back then suddenly pounced, using her wings to give her a little more thrust as she charge-hugged her aunt and wrapped her forelegs around her neck.
Though initially surprised, Luna’s larger size allowed her to remain upright. Her initial shock soon gave way to a warm acceptance, which thankfully evened out Sunset’s mood a bit as Luna returned the token of affection.
“Uh… Sorry for making you wait, Auntie Luna,” Sunset said as she broke the hug.
Luna managed a tired smile and glanced at the spot she had been snoozing in just prior. “Well, I suppose it is alright as I made the most of my situation.”
That caused Sunset to cringe, though she too smiled. “Again, sorry! I haven’t been home for a while… and… you know… coming home after an extended absence can be kinda awkward.”
You could hear a pin drop.
“Sunset!” Celestia finally managed to gasp out.
Sunset could feel her body go cold as the realization of who exactly she was talking to set in. “Aaaand… that was a stupid thing to say!” Sunset admitted out loud as her mind raced for an excuse to talk herself out of the current situation. It’s not like ignorance was an excuse, Twilight had given Sunset plenty of details of Princess Luna’s return. Sunset’s mind began to race as she weighed her options to talk her way out of this against how much it would hurt to fling herself out of one of the courts giant windows.
Surprisingly, Luna simply chuckled, perhaps catching Sunset’s expression. “Yes. It can certainly be a taxing transition.” She gave Sunset a grin. “I suppose we should all be lucky you didn’t try to conquer Equestria on your return.”
Starlight smacked a hoof against her face.
“Luna!” Celestia chastised in a tone eerily similar to the one she had just taken with her daughter.
For a moment, one could practically see the gears tick away in Luna’s head as she seemingly acknowledged her own mistake and gave Sunset an apologetic look. “Oh! I didn’t mean to imply—”
“Oh, I like you,” Sunset said simply, which did wonders to clear most of the thick tension in the room.
Celestia cleared her throat. Something Sunset recognized as the sun princess desiring to get to the heart of the matter. “So, now that we’ve finally met up, I'm guessing you’ll perhaps want to spend some time with me? You know… catch up?” Celestia asked in a hopeful tone with a smile to match.
Sunset frowned. “Er… I would but we’re actually here because… uh…The reason we’re here… uh… erm…”
“Friendship problem!” Starlight reminded Sunset in clearly irritated tone.
“Right! That thing!” Sunset said as she disappeared in a red flash and a ‘BAMF’ before appearing next to Starlight. “Twilight’s magic dog-table-thing said there was a friendship problem that Starlight and uh… I guess I, also, need to fix.”
Celestia nodded. “I understand all those words individually.”
Luna raised an eyebrow. “’Magic dog-table-thing’?!” she parroted back to Sunset.
Sunset threw her forehooves up in the air. “I don’t know! There’s a tiny dog named ‘Order’ who lives in Twilight’s table and gives out friendship assignments to ponies! I just thought that this was common knowledge to royalty and ponies with magic destinies at this point!”
A small smile appeared on Celestia’s face. “Oh, Order! I can see him popping up back on the scene now that Discord is active.”
Luna nodded. “Right. You could have just said his name right away.”
Sunset let out an exasperated sigh and turned towards Celestia. “Well, mom could have maybe told me about the tiny dog that likes to stick his so small nose into Equestria business at some point or another!”
The accusatory tone of Sunset did nothing to diminish Celestia’s cheerfulness. “Well, you must understand that tales of my encounters with Order are, by their nature, somewhat drab and dull.”
Starlight chuckled. “I’d pay real bits to see Order’s face about now.”
Sunset thought for a moment. “Alright, I’ll let you have that one as I did prefer to hear your exciting adventures when I was a filly.”
Celestia chuckled. “Well, I always have time to go over one of those if you’re intere—”
“Friendship problem!” Sunset interrupted. “Probably super important!” she stressed.
Celestia chuckled. “Alright, business before pleasure, if you insist.” She put on a thoughtful expression. “Though, as far as I know, there’s nothing wrong here.” She turned towards Luna. “Right sister?”
Luna once again wore her tiredness the way a porcupine might curl up and expose her spikes. “No,” she replied in a tone so sour even Celestia’s lips puckered, “Everything’s perfect as usual, sister.”
Starlight sucked in a nervous breath and leaned towards Sunset. “I think I know where the friendship problem lies.”
“Yeah…” Sunset agreed. “Dibs on Luna.”
“… What?”
“Dibs!”
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In which we maybe see a version in which Starlight doesn't fuck up and do the panicky thing.
LEEROOOOOOOOOYYYYYY JENKINS!
9295057
Nah, that's probably still going to happen, there's just going to be 20% more fire.
Seriously? Human-Flash is a total yutz.
Literally half the people I try to explain astrophysics to. Also me when I read a technical paper. Totally stealing this one.
9295097
And yet, he was competent enough to rise to Princess Twilight's aid. At least in the first movie, before he started getting hit with the stupid bat. Lousy writers.
It's okay Sunset, it's actually good that they're cross dimensionally entangled. That means you can get the human one and help him live up to his potential.
And then drag him to Equestria for hot equine sexytimes.
diapered in a red flash
Huh. I didn't see the trigger warning for that one.
9295097 Pretty much my thoughts. But, let's be honest, he's not around anymore apparently, so that's a good thing.
9295172
Well to be fair, anyone could have done that, and all the things she was being framed for she had witnesses for an alibi to being somewhere else.
That bit of framework was so horrible I feel it was the writers needing an excuse to validate Flash's existence. While at the same time showing how utterly stupid VP Luna was. I mean he knew they were fakes by just looking at them, so we know that any student could've done the same. So yeah, total walking scenery. Not to say he's not a quick thinker ... just a quick thinker of running head first into a wall.
9295097
Lol! He is isn't he!
Although to be fair, outside of the running gag of him with Twilight, the horrible writing, and his ability to be walking scenery. He could be a quick thinker whenever purple pony princesses aren't around.
9295057
Now lets not be hasty. This is Starlight we're talking about, I don't think she can go a day without being Starlight about something.
9295085
Only 20%? I think you're underestimating Best Princesses.
9295254
Whoops. Fixed. Thanks.
9295057
Pfft. What do you think this is, a fic by Tatsurou?
9295506
Steel, TOM, and I were teasing him by making bets that he would manufacture some sort of world-ending shenanigans to further put off Sunset and Celestia's meeting for another chapter or three, thus avoid the freaky-friday section.
I think he decided to thumb his nose at us a little bit in response.
Second reading of this chapter in less than a day ... it really is that fun of a read.
9295506
A lead-in to a side story?
That or because Starlight foreshadowed such an adventure, and the writer didn't want to pad the fic just right yet? Honestly I'm hoping the former. That'd be better than a story jumping noodle incident. Especially with how awesome the noodle incident is.
i just want to let you know i will be using this as the personality basis for a new D&D character.
also, there should be gif art of this.
I saw this video and it reminds me of your version Sunset and the idiotic world she lives in:
I guess you could say that they figured out the friendship problem....in a flash!
Hurray for Flash getting with the girl! Boy he could use some exciting and character-driven story arc where he overcomes his personal demons and makes peace with his failings to transcend the somehow analogous situation that threatened to smother all of Ponyville! And he probably even works the 3rd shift on being Twilight's Cuddle Buddy!
Also, this chapter made me laugh. PINKAMENA DIANE PIE! GIVE THE AUTHOR AN ICE-CREAM-CAKE!
... I'll take it!
Either this is some kind of joke I totally missed, or it should be "Starlight Glimmer"
Luna?
Aand Flash continues to sink more ships than a U-boat. Nice Job on Luna’s insults! Heh, barbermonger...
Jesus. We haven't even gotten to the pancakes yet
Ok, and now I’m curious, would a barbermonger sell servants to act as barbers to rich ponies? Or is it like a really odd middleman that makes getting a manecut more complicated?
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Yeah, I was going to make a joke along those lines, but I couldn't think of a good way to word it.
Celestia sadly has a problem admitting when she's wrong. Comes with ruling a nation for a millenium.
He IS usually depicted as a Necromancer and barring a few exceptions, Necromancers are usually evil.
Flash?
HAHAHAHAHAHAAA!
She was KIDDING about the Grogar thing! (probably)
I should think so. Undead usually don't like Fire. And have low Dex. Fireball away!
DAMMIT!
I'm not surprised.
I am amused by this.
What IS a boogaloo?
It was a calculated effort but boy are you bad at math.
As am I.
Daaw,
Eh, about that.
I've ALSO been there.
Yeah.
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Boogaloo or bugalú (also: shing-a-ling, Latin boogaloo, Latin R&B) is a genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s.
Captain Wikipedia saves the day again!
While I am sad that I didn't get to "see" Sunset literally beat Grogar with the Tree of Harmony, I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter, even more than I would have thought! <3
Also, now I am really looking forward to what happens next <3
Poor Sunset though....she lost her chance to hang out with Best Princess.
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Fixed. Thanks!
At least she has moonhorse.
In any case, I do feel a little bad for Sunset. She had a cute thing going with pony Flash. Ah well; even with the distraction goat, we've gotten to the meat of the story. Looking forward to seeing how newspaper beatings can expedite the solution.
And other conflict resolution methods, I guess, but Sunset will likely stick to what she knows.
So...Do we get to see Sunset and Starlights' new transformations? ^^
I'd criticize the implied adventure, but that mental image gives you a pass
Great choice, Sunset!
Let's keep this fun train going!
Starlight: *Looking at Sunset with a look of curiousness and a bit of arousal* A....Ar....Are you coming on to me?
Not sorry. It was just too good to pass up.
Am I having a complete senior moment in saying that doesn’t the stuff with the Princesses and Starlight take place BEFORE the stuff with the Pillars?
Which I would have LOVED to see!!!!
For anyone who hasn’t seen this EXTREMELY OLD meme.
This sounds like something Luna does on a daily basis.
I can't blame Sunset here. Psychoanalysing one's own mother is awkward to say the least. She doesn't have the same history with Luna and...
Crap, I just realised how Starlight's spell is going to go wrong. She and Sunset is going to end up the Princesses of Day and Night whilst Tia and Luna get to be ordinary unicorns for a while and learning to function together and appreciate each other's roles in the universe.
I think this chapter is the better for the revision. We now have an excuse to put Grogar in other places rather than just checking off names sitting on his Orcus throne, as well as the Hay-Burger King, who I'm willing to believe is also a real being everypony only thinks is just a fast-food mascot. And is creepy. In fact, the title including 'Hay' alone makes him creepier than his counterpart. If I wrote I'd be tempted to use him.
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It's from the same Hasbro-property movie as certain other shout-outs in the fic. :)
Oh you big cocktease, xD
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Ahhhhhhhhoooookkkeyyyy...... ... still have absolutely no fucking idea what that means, but cool, :D i really need to pay better attention, xD
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Hasbro has a number of long-running properties, some with movies. One of these is the Transformers brand. The original Transformers movie, the animated one, was released in 1986. It has a number of memorable lines. There's been some discussion in the comments already about the "Coronation? This is bad comedy" line, which came from there. It's also where the line "I knew you had potential, lad" is sourced from - in the movie, it's the older character Kup addressing the young hero, whose color scheme is red and yellow, and who has just ascended into a larger, more powerful form.
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Ahhhhhh, oke, it has just been a long time since i watched the old transformers, :p
When Sunset meet's Daybreaker.
Sunset: Someone better pick up that phone...
Starlight: Why?
Celestia: OOOHH MMMYYYY GOOOOOD!!
Sunset: Cause I fucking CALLED IT!!!
Luna: Damnit! I wanted to say it!
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I did not know that. Good catch!
Good to see they finally reached Celestia and Luna. And of course Sunset would try to keep her distance from Celestia and her feelings by dibbing for Luna. I can't wait to see how they repair things as this story goes along.
Also I can imagine order having save the image Starlight wants and charging her for it.
That bit about Sunset bopping snoots made me think of calling her Sunset Vulcan Shimmer.
Nosebleed?
Oh you tease, you...
I can easily see this happening.
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Originally either a genre of Latin music or an unrelated form of street dance. Then a gratuitous and formulaic movie sequel to a movie about breakdancing. Then any gratuitous and formulaic sequel (which was what it was when you wrote that). Now a civil war sequel that certain people think (and/or "think") is imminent.