A Pony Displaced: Homeward

by NoLongerSober

Elsewhere

Thunder crackled violently as a downpour drenched the city below. While most people were in their homes to wait out the storm, there was one girl who stood out in the rain without an umbrella, futilely smacking her fists against the base of a statue.

No, NO, NO! the girl with scarlet and golden hair thought as her rage overrode the pain in her hands. You can’t do this to me, Celestia!

She had planned to briefly slip back to Equestria so she could see what had happened and possibly find something to become the princess she deserved to be, but despite it being the right day for her to go through the portal back to her home world, she’d found that the statue was inert as it usually was.

Is this some sort of punishment, you ancient hag?! She fumed as she kept punching. What I deserve is the take your place and… and…

The girl slumped against the statue. Her fury and sadness started to overwhelm her as she felt warm streaks sliding down her face to join the rain that fell upon her.

“Sunset?” A boy’s voice made the emotionally exhausted girl look to her left where she saw a familiar face.

It was a pale green teen with freckles and brown hair under a black umbrella. He wore a bright yellow vest on top of a forest green jacket and a white t-shirt. His pants were dark green while his shoes were bright white and he carried a blue thermal bag under his right arm.

She recognized the boy from around the school. He was one of the few teens who was staying with the history teacher with a limp after some sort of incident occurred in Vanhoover. However, Sunset remembered him as the idiot that got his book stuck in his locker and then - when he finally managed to get it out - lost his grip and sent it flying directly into her face. Were it not for how drained she was feeling, she would have plotted to get even with him.

“Oh, hello, Verdant,” Sunset weakly said as she turned to look at him. “What are you doing out here?”

“Well, I was just on the way back to Mr. Barrier’s place after getting dinner and holy crap, your hands are bleeding!” Verdant stumbled back as his eyes fell on her hands.

Looking down, Sunset indeed saw her hands were covered with bloody cuts, courtesy of the unyielding stone. Briefly turning to glance at the statue, she saw her blood on it from where her fists had smacked against it. It was only then she started to feel the dull aching pain.

“Oh, I was just upset over some… old issues,” Sunset said as Verdant cautiously drew closer.

“Must be pretty bad to make you try punching the statue and… Were you crying?” Verdant asked as his eyes moved from her hands to her face, where he spotted some redness in her eyes.

“Dammit,” Sunset weakly muttered, hoping he hadn’t seen that. She did have a reputation to uphold, after all. “Look… I’m fine, I can handle this.”

“Sunset, you’re soaked to the bone and bleeding. Can I please do something to help?” Verdant asked as he picked up one of Sunset’s hands to get a better look at her injuries.

“Relax, Verdant. I’m fine,” she said as she jerked her hand away. “I’ll see you on Monday, alright?”

“Uh, last time I heard someone say that, it was Snapshot Flash, and she’s still missing,” Verdant said with a worried tone. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

Sighing, Sunset looked up towards the darkened sky that had been briefly illuminated by a bolt of lightning. She had intended to only be in the rain briefly before stepping through the portal. But with that plan dashed, she would have to deal with the long hike back to her place.

Your place is a good deal away and you’re drenched while Barrier’s place is only two blocks away. Make the smart choice.

Taking a deep breath, Sunset let out a defeated sigh as she walked over to Verdant, who made plenty of room for her under the umbrella.

“Well, I don't want to get sick,” she said as she and Verdant began to walk away from the statue.

“Good call. I know Mr. Barrier has a bunch of bandages and a spare bathrobe you could use while you dry off,” Verdant said as he tried to sound cheerful. “Oh, and uh, try to avoid Swiftsword. She thinks you’re the one that leaked that her parents are cousins and I think she wants to kill you.”

“Wonderful,” Sunset said as she rolled her eyes.

To think, I was once the top student of a princess. A wielder of amazing magical powers, and now… here I am. Trapped in another world with none of my kind, forced to rely on those who I once saw below me for help. she thought as she looked down at her bleeding hands, recalling when they used to be hooves.

I’m not the powerful pony I once was. I’m now just a pony displaced.

Author's Note:

Alticron: Welcome to part two of today's chapters. I hope you enjoy this short little bonus as well. I wanted to have a major diverging point between the universes of Another Path/Homeward and canon, so I thought one way to have such a divergence would be to shatter the mirror to the Equestria Girls universe.

It was pretty interesting writing Sunset and a human version of Verdant here, as well as hint and some of the stuff that happened to the human versions of the privates and Barrier.

I had wanted to commission a piece of art showing what human Verdant looked like, but I couldn't find an artist who could actually emulate the Equestria Girls style at the time, so that idea went down the toilet.

Next time, we head back to Equestria to see how everyone's doing now that the battle is over and a bit of time has passed.

See ya then!

Comments

[redmar]

I wonder when the mirror might be repaired and if Sunset thinks to use the journal.

[Wysteria]

Poor Sunset. I hope we get to see more of her.

[Fetch]

There is still the portal between an island in the EqG world and the Everfree Forest in Equestria.

[Alticron]

11842995
Still, does she know about that at this point?

[Fetch]

11843079
No. However, it is there to be discovered.

Also, I figure Celestia would be writing in the enchanted book that night:

Dear Sunset,
I am ashamed to tell you that the mirror was shattered during a battle between myself and the Queen of the Changelings. If there is any way to fix it or any other way to get to the world you are in, I shall find it. I will not give up on you, Sunset. That is a promise.

Your Teacher and Friend,
Princess Celestia

[Xanderfox]

11842995
I think it's implied Sci-Twi's little "tantrum" caused that to manifest.