Sunset's Redemption

by ThomasZoey3000

Memories

Chapter 2: Memories

After getting over the shock of learning she had a sister, Sunset Shimmer followed her mother; Sunrise Shimmer, up the stairs to her old bedroom. She tried to open it with her magic, but the door doesn't get opened that often, so it was hard to open up.

"I don't believe this. Moon Crest! I need your shoulders again!" called Sunrise.

Moon Crest walked up the stairwell, with Sunny Rays following close behind and still hiding from Sunset's view. He walked up to the door, and first tried to use his magic, but that didn't work. He sighed, pressed his right shoulder aganist the door. He then moved away from it and banged aganist it several times before it finally opened.

"That looked painful," Sunset commented.

"Just a little bit," groaned Moon Crest, "but it's nothing to your dear old dad."

Sunrise rolled her eyes, then lead her daughter into her old bedroom. She half expected everything to be gone and for it to be empty, but to her surprise, the room still had everything she had left behind, and more surprising, nothing was covered in dust.

"We often come in here to keep the dust off your things honey," said her mother. "Opps sorry, I forgot, you hated it when I called you that."

"No it's okay Mom, you can call me 'honey' if you want to, it's better than hearing 'worthless space' or something more foal than that."

Sunset walked around the room, looking at the various books she had on her old bookcase, the little dolls she used to collect, her old toy chest full of stuffed toys and her old telescope. Like Twilight Sparkle, she used to look up to the night sky when she was younger, but judging from the tiny bit of rust on it, it hadn't been used for a very long time. The bed itself was a queen sized bed with a blanket that had her cutie mark on it. Her dresser was completely empty with only a mirror behind it. Finally there was her closest, which was partly empty, except for two dresses and a photo album.

"I was wondering where that had gotten to," said Sunrise. "I guess you had taken it the last time you were here Sunset."

"I guess so, but why? Back then, I didn't care about you guys, so why?" She looked threw the photo album, and saw various different photographs of herself as a filly alongside her parents. She was smiling in alot of those pictures, however the later years showed her with an angry scowl on her face. She felt so ashamed by her actions, "I'm so sorry, for everything I ever said or did."

"It's okay kiddo," smiled Moon Crest as he walked up beside her, "we know you didn't mean it. Oh sorry, you probably don't like me calling you that."

"No it's okay. Truth be told, I enjoyed it when you called me kiddo. But..."

"But what?"

"Are you sure you two aren't mad at me?"

"We're quite sure," Moon Crest gave his daughter a nookie like he had always done when she was little, "you know us better than that, we're terrible at holding grudges."

"Then where did I get my old attitude?" Sunset thought to herself. She shook it off, she would think about it later.

"Now Sunset, I would like to ask you, does your return to Canterlot mean that you're moving back? Or is this just a short visit?"

"I'd be lying if I told you if I was moving back," Sunset sighed. "The truth is, I'm here to make amends and pick up a few things before I return back to my friends in my new hometown. I can't just leave them you know."

"Yes we know," smiled Sunrise, "You've always been loyal in the past, so that shouldn't change now."

"I'm sorry."

"No it's okay honey, your father and I are okay with your decision, as long as you're doing your part to help the ponies there."

"Well I do help out," she said nervously, "But...you know what, I'll tell you about my home later. In the meantime, would it be okay if I just look around my old room for a bit?"

"Sure thing kiddo," said Moon Crest, "it is your room after all. To be honest, your mother and I have never allowed any other pony into your room, even when we have guests over, we just give up our bed and sleep downstairs."

"It's true," nodded Sunrise.

And while chuckling, the two ponies walked out of the room, leaving Sunset alone. Or so she thought. Sunny Rays, curious as to learn all she could on the pony that her parents call her sister, looked on from the outside of the room.

Sunset opened up her old toy chest and slowly pulled out her old toys. Nothing special, just building blocks and stuffed toys, but there was one she remembered all too well.

"Hey Cap, how are you doing?"

She pulled out a doll of a pony in a heroic costume, complete with mask and shield that looked like Celestia's cutie mark. It was a toy based on an old comic she used to read called 'Captain Equestria', a mare that stood to protect the citizens of the world of Equestria from those who wish to cause harm. The toy was rather beaten as Sunset used to play with her quite often. She would pretend that the captain was real, and she was her sidekick in training. The toy held a special place in Sunset's heart, and she knew that this was one item she was definetly going to take back with her. Using her magic, she placed it into her saddlebag, then went over to the bookcase to see if she still had all 216 comic books of Captain Equestria.

There weren't many items in the room, but what was there would remind Sunset of her past. Some memories, like her later years, were filled with unhappy moments, but the rest seemed to remind her of the good times she used to have with her parents back when she was a filly.

"If only I had been a better daughter," she sighed unhappily to herself.

She then turned her head over to the doorway and saw Sunny Rays standing there. Sunset called out to her, but the little filly took off. She sighed and walked over to her desk to begin a check-list of all that she was going to take back with her. A minute later though, Sunny Rays returned with a big floppy hat on top of her head.

"I'm sorry I ran away, but I had to get my 'Meet a New Pony' hat."

"You wear a hat when you meet a new pony?"

"Yeppers!" she cheered and bounced high into the air. "Are you really my big sister? Were you really a student of Princess Celestia? Where have you been all this time? Why haven't Mom and Dad mentioned you before? What is your..."

"Whoa slow down there, uh Sunny Rays was it? I can answer your questions, but only one at a time."

"Oh sorry, I do that from time to time," she giggled with a smile on her face. "Are you really my big sister?" Sunset Shimmer nodded her head. "Were you really a student of Princess Celestia?" With a heavy sigh, Sunset nodded her head. "Where have you been all this time?"

"I've been at a place that's similar to Canterlot, but I'll explain that later to you and our parents."

"Oh okay. So why haven't Mommy and Daddy mentioned you before?"

"I don't know, I like to ask them that myself. Any other questions?"

"Just one more. What is your new home like?"

"Well it's not like this house, but it serves as a nice place to live." Sunset walked past Sunny Rays and over to the window, which had a good view down to the streets of Canterlot, "my home comes with a nice balcony, which allows me to look down on my hometown and wave to others whenever they pass by. Either that, or I use it to get some fresh air when I accidently burn my own supper."

Sunny Rays giggled, she thought it was funny.

"I do love it there, and once I got used to their ways, I grew to call that place my home. But still..." Sunset tried to hold back the tears, "even after making amends with everyone there, not seeing Mom and Dad, or my old friends, hurts me."

"But then, why didn't you come back sooner?"

"I don't know, I guess I was just too scared to come back and own up for what I've done." She wiped her tears away from her eyes and turned back to Sunny Rays, "but I'm here now, and I'm ready to own up for my mistakes. Even though I know it'll be hard."

"Well we all have to do something that scares us, so Mommy says, but once you do, you'll be a better pony because of it."

Sunset Shimmer smiled and walked up to her baby sister, smiling the entire time, "Wise words to live by."

"Sunny! Sunset! Supper time!" called the voice of their mother.

As soon as she heard that, Sunny Rays took off faster than Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie, and somehow not losing the hat on her head. Sunset followed slowly behind her. When she reached the kitchen, she saw a surprising sight, Sunny Rays was actually lifting herself into the air with her magic and gently placing herself in her booster seat.

"What the? How did she...?"

"Shocking isn't it?" asked Moon Crest "First time she did that, your mother went into a complete freak out, it was so funny to watch."

"As I recall," Sunrise said with a raised eyebrow, "you were running underneath her with a pillow to make sure she wouldn't hurt herself, and you were balling tears from your eyes. So really, I'd say your freak out was bigger than mine."

"Okay you got me there."

"It's a special talent she's had for about a year now, and when Princess Celestia saw that, she said that Sunny Rays is a very special unicorn that could one day become a Princess."

Sunset groaned at this. Celestia had said stuff like that about her, yet look at her now. Her first return in over forty moons, and trying to make amends with other ponies. Still, with her cheerful attitude, maybe Sunny Rays could be Princess.

Using her magic, Sunrise brought all the food to the table. Moon Crest and Sunny Rays thanked her for the food and started eating.

Sunset meanwhile took the time to smell the food, "Mom, I know I've been ungrateful about all you did before, but I just want you to know that I've always loved your cooking, especially tonight's meal."

"Oh Sunset..."

"No I mean it, it's the best home cooking I've ever smelled, and as I told Sunny Rays, I sometimes burn my own meals back home. Thank you so much for making this."

"Well thank you honey, I'm glad to hear you like my food."

The family soon got into eating the wonderful food and soon, there was nothing left on their plates. Sunset was a little disappointed because she wanted to taste more of her mom's cooking.

"Well as long as you stay here Sunset, you'll get plenty of chances."

"And I'll be grateful for that too."

"Now kiddo," said Moon Crest, "you said earlier that you wanted to tell us about your new home."

"Oh yes, well it's a really long story, so I hope you're comfortable in your seats." The three other unicorns nodded their heads. Sunset sighed and began her story, "it all started back at Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. The Princess had only just shown me a magical mirror that leads to other worlds, and I wanted to know more about how they work, so I..."

Comments

[Magic135]

Nice to see family bonding.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"We often come in here to keep the dust off your things honey," said her mother. "Opps sorry, I forgot, you hated it when I called you that."

https://m.

Aside from the door that is.

"No it's okay honey, your father and I are okay with your decision, as long as you're doing your part to help the ponies there."

That's reluctant, I was expecting they'd say something completely different but I'm glad. Reminds me of my own parents.

"As I recall," Sunrise said with a raised eyebrow, "you were running underneath her with a pillow to make sure she wouldn't hurt herself, and you were balling tears from your eyes. So really, I'd say your freak out was bigger than mine."

Lmao.