Shadows of Memory
Nothing twisted Sunset’s heart like hearing Twilight whimper in the night.
“Twi?”
The shape beside her shifted and stole more of the soft blanket, enough to make Sunset shiver in the cool castle air. It didn’t matter, though, especially not when she felt faint tremors coming from the other side of the bed. A little ball of dark-blue fabric huddled against the very edge.
Sunset sat up and reached out a hoof. “Twi?”
Twilight tensed and flared her wings, as if trying to shield herself.
Sunset pulled away, sighing. “Come on, Twi. You’re okay. You’re safe.”
Another whimper. Twilight curled into a tighter ball.
Sunset swallowed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She forced herself to take a deep breath and shoved down the knot in her throat. Sunset Shimmer wasn’t one to let the pony she loved suffer.
After a moment of concentration, the light from her horn glittered off the crystalline picture frame Twilight kept on her nightstand. For just a moment, Sunset’s eyes locked onto their two smiling faces, half-covered in book dust and surrounded by arcane formulae. She lingered on Twilight’s smile. She licked her dry lips and focused on the task at hoof.
Teal magic enveloped Twilight’s wings. They glistened slightly in the light, ruffled from Twilight’s restless sleep. Last night, Sunset had done her best to preen them, but she hadn’t quite mastered the technique. Still, they’d been together long enough for Sunset to learn most of the special little spots along Twilight’s wings. Most of the time, she used this knowledge to wonderful—or at least entertaining—effects.
This wasn’t one of those times.
With a few gentle caresses of her magic upon several key flight muscles, Sunset managed to collapse Twilight’s wings.
The moment Twilight’s wings closed, she thrashed briefly and let out a little wail.
It took a few more precious seconds, but Sunset scooted closer and managed to wrap her hooves around Twilight. Maybe a little too tight. She forced herself to ignore Twilight’s clammy coat and trembling wings. Sunset winced at every knotted and straining muscle in Twilight’s body, from her twitching shoulders to her rigid hindlegs.
Every twitch fueled Sunset’s growing sense of helplessness. It took more effort than she wanted to admit, but Sunset shoved her own pain aside. Once Sunset managed to get herself under some semblance of control, she squeezed Twilight’s forehooves.
Twilight struggled for only a second before her entire body spasmed. She sucked in a breath and went still.
“Sunny?” came a small and quiet voice. It sounded like the voice of a filly, not the Princess of Friendship. “Is… is that you?”
“It’s me, Twi,” Sunset whispered into her ear. “I’m here. You’re safe.”
Twilight made a little noise that was a cross between a sob and a sigh. She wiggled backward and let Sunset hold her tight.
Sunset relaxed, if only a little. She had come to terms with the fact that, for the rest of Equestria, Twilight needed to put on a brave face. She had to be a leader. A champion. A princess. And while Sunset could respect that, she had made it abundantly clear—on numerous occasions—Twilight wasn’t allowed to be that pony when it was just the two of them.
“Another dream?” Sunset asked.
“Nightmare,” Twilight said. “Can’t… can’t really remember much of it…”
“You want to talk about it?” Sunset readjusted the covers with her magic, gently pulling out the bundle of cloth wrapped under Twilight and stretching it out over the bed. Both of them shivered for a second, then the blanket settled back down and warmth returned. She made sure the covers were securely—though not tightly—wrapped around Twilight’s shoulders.
“Mhm,” Twilight replied, which could have easily been a yes or a no. At this time of night, it was hard to tell. A long moment passed before Sunset sighed.
“Twi, it’s not good for you to keep this sort of thing inside. Luna’s told you that… like… a few dozen times.”
“I don’t like going back through it,” Twilight mumbled into her pillow. “It hurts.”
“Yeah,” Sunset agreed, snuggling closer and resting her head in Twilight’s mane. Even though it was a mess, she still smelled of lavender and rose petals. It reminded Sunset of the garden where Twilight reunited her with Celestia. “I know it does.”
“Ugh. Then why are you so insistent about it every time?” Twilight hunched her shoulders and yawned. “You never just let me go back to sleep.”
“Because you usually don’t go back to sleep for hours.” Sunset sighed again. “And because it messes you up inside, Twi.”
Twilight didn’t answer. The silence stretched between them while the faint lapping of waves in the castle lake slipped in through the balcony windows. Twilight nestled deeper into her pillow, her ears back.
Between Twilight’s warmth and the sound of her heartbeat, Sunset found herself barely able to keep her eyes open.
Then Twilight pulled herself away from Sunset. The move left her instantly cold, despite the blanket.
Sunset frowned and shifted the other way to give Twilight a little space.
A few seconds later, Twilight turned over to stare at her. Twilight’s muzzle twisted into a grimace as she worked her jaw. Tears glittered in the moonlight streaming through a crack in the curtains.
Sunset contained her wince and tried to catch Twilight’s eye with an encouraging smile, but Twilight refused to meet her gaze.
“I…” Twilight licked her lips. “It was one of hers again. Slipping away. Darkness. Me… but not me.”
Sunset closed her eyes and swore under her breath. It wasn’t fair. She had been the one who gave Twilight the Empathy Gem for that stupid experiment. It had been months since the feedback threw both Twilights against the wall, mixing up their magic… and a tiny part of their memories.
Since then, while the other Twilight had managed to get a handle on the nightmares—most of the time—her Twilight hadn’t. Because they weren’t really her Twilight’s nightmares.
“Twi, you know—”
“I know it wasn’t real,” Twilight snapped. “You tell me that every time. That doesn’t help, Sunset.”
Sunset winced. “I know. I just… wish I knew what I could do to help.”
Twilight’s eyes unfocused as she looked into that dark place where dream and memory mingled. “She was still in there. The entire time. Beating at the walls. Trying to get out. Trying to stop.”
“I know,” Sunset whispered. “I was there. I saw what she became.”
Burning aqua eyes, surrounded by some horrific parody of glasses. Dark avian wings, like some savage bird-of-prey. A twisted horn, pulsing with dark magic. A mad cackle, devoid of any compassion.
Sunset swallowed and shoved away the memory.
“What I could become…” Twilight murmured.
Sunset grabbed Twilight into a hug so tight the alicorn squeaked in surprise. “No!” Sunset said. “I’ve told you a dozen times, Twilight! You can’t become that. The other one didn’t have friends. She didn’t understand. You understand magic better than anypony in Equestria. You understand it so well, you teach it to others.”
“That’s not good enough!” Twilight shoved her back and sat up. Sunset shivered at the sudden chill as the covers fell to the floor. “It doesn’t change how I feel, Sunset!”
Sunset sat up too. She leaned back against the headrest and watched Twilight in the light of the moon.
“I can’t stop it. It’s like… it just won’t go away. Why won’t it go away?” Tears finally fell from Twilight’s tired eyes. “Luna can’t be everywhere at once. She can only do so much. She said it was up to me! Why can’t I stop it? Am I just… not strong enough?”
Sunset slipped a foreleg around Twilight and pulled her back. The movement let Twilight settle her head on Sunset’s chest. Twilight didn’t fight it.
“You are the strongest pony I know,” Sunset said. “Not because of your wings or your magic.” Sunset tapped Twilight’s chest. “It’s because of your heart.”
Twilight looked up at her and smiled weakly. “I know what you’re going to say next…”
Sunset smirked a little. “Yeah, sue me, I was going to bring out the whole pulling-me-from-the-crater thing again.”
“You’d think you’d have better stuff by now.”
“Still the best example I’ve got,” Sunset admitted. “Twilight… I’ve never seen you stop fighting. Ever. Yeah, you’ve told me about a couple times when Discord first showed up. Or before you got your wings. Maybe dealing with the Sirens. But those don’t count.”
“And why don’t they count?” Twilight murmured, staring at a large framed picture on the far wall.
Sunset could just barely make out a few shapes in it, but her mind filled in the gaps. The glittering Senior Prom banner. Twilight in her spectacular cobalt blue gown, grinning like an idiot. Sunset in her firecracker cocktail dress, grinning like an even bigger idiot. Their friends all laughing and smiling around them.
And at the edge of the group stood the other Twilight...
“Because you always got back up,” Sunset replied as she squeezed Twilight close. “Or your friends helped you get back up. But you always chose to keep fighting. Tirek had taken over all of Equestria and you fought him to a standstill!”
“I did have the power of four alicorns at the time,” Twilight pointed out.
“Yeah?” Sunset poked her in the ribs and got a little giggle and a squirm out of it. “And tell me, how afraid were you?”
“I was terrified out of my wits,” Twilight said without hesitation.
“You did it anyway,” Sunset said. “Some wise pony we both know once said ‘Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but accepting there are more important things than fear’.”
“Maybe.” Twilight snorted. “Being furious at what he did to my home helped a bit.”
“Trust me. Anger can sometimes be good short-term motivation. But it’s bad news long-term. I know.”
Twilight snuggled a little closer and sighed. “You’re never going to stop, are you?”
“Stop what?” Sunset teased. “Encouraging you? Lifting you up? Being there for you? Loving you?”
Twilight giggled. “Yeah, all that.”
“Nope,” Sunset wrapped her hooves even tighter around her. “Never going to happen.”
For a time, no further words were needed. A still silence descended on them, broken only by the sound of their hearts and their breathing.
“I don’t want to go back to sleep,” Twilight mumbled into Sunset’s chest, tickling her coat. “It’s waiting for me there. Those… those thoughts. Those feelings. The memory… that isn’t even mine. The sense of… just… just coming apart. Being torn apart from the inside out…” She was crying again. “I can’t do this anymore, Sunset. I haven’t had a good night's sleep in weeks. I… I can’t live like this.”
Sunset swallowed. For the hundredth time, her eyes wandered to the Empathy Gem on its pedestal on the far side of the room, glittering crimson in the moonlight. For the hundredth time, the Gem tempted her, promising insight into what Twilight endured every night. For the hundredth time, she yanked her eyes away from it.
She wouldn’t violate Twilight’s privacy like that. Twilight deserved better. Anyway, it’s not like it would help. The Gem granted insight and understanding… not healing.
“I don’t know how to make them go away,” Sunset said, feeling Twilight’s tears soak into her coat. “I’m not Luna.”
“Luna can’t spend every night saving me.” Twilight sniffled. “I’m a princess. I should be able to handle bad dreams.”
“This isn’t just bad dreams, Twi,” Sunset insisted. “This is fear. This… this is terror.”
Twilight tensed and shuddered. That was response enough.
“I know you had trouble figuring out who you were after you became a princess,” Sunset continued. “And you’ve questioned it all with Starlight, wondering if you actually mattered anymore with her doing so well.”
“I’m proud of her.” Twilight stiffened, a hint of stubbornness in her voice.
“You can be proud of somepony and jealous of them at the same time.”
“I never said I was jealous.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “You never needed to.”
Twilight didn’t respond.
“But…” Sunset sighed. “It’s beyond any of that, isn’t it?”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s just the fear.”
“Uh-huh.”
Sunset took a deep breath, finding a bit of pleasure in Twilight’s weight on her chest, even if her chest was soaked from her tears.
“I can tell you I understand. You’re not alone. When I stole the Element of Magic… I get it. I know the cost.” It was Sunset’s turn to shiver. “Twilight, look at me.”
She didn’t move.
“Twilight, please?”
She shook her head, like a terrified filly. Sunset had to push her off. And even then, she still had to lift Twilight’s chin. In the dim moonlight, Sunset saw her own concerned face reflected in Twilight’s reddened eyes.
“That wasn’t you.”
“But—”
“That wasn’t you,” Sunset insisted.
“It could have been!”
“That. Wasn’t. You.” Sunset emphasized every word, trying to bore through Twilight’s shields of fear and denial. “For you, it’s not real.”
“It was real for her!” Twilight wailed.
“But it’s not real for you,” Sunset said. She felt sick inside. She had no idea if her words could get through. But she had to try. “She’s faced her demons. The reason you can’t face this demon is because it isn’t yours. There’s no demon to face. There’s only your fear.”
“And… how am I supposed to control that?” Twilight snapped, her eyes hardening. “I can’t just pretend it doesn’t exist!”
“You don’t,” Sunset said. “I… after what happened to me, I tried to hide it. Because it hurt so badly. But in the weeks afterward… the girls pulled it out of me. I fought them so hard. Not because I didn’t trust them. Well, I didn’t trust them at that point, but that’s not why I didn’t do it.”
“You didn’t want to do it because it hurt.” Twilight’s gaze softened and she rubbed a hoof against her muzzle. Her ears flicked back and forth a few times before going flat. And Sunset knew her well enough to know Twilight had never been angry at her.
Sunset nodded. “I had to keep talking about it. I had to let others share the burden.”
“I don’t want to burden you with this! Or anypony else!”
“And I don’t want you to carry this on your own,” Sunset replied. “I love you, Twilight. And part of that means helping you. And since you love me, that means you need to let me help you. Let everypony else help you. Didn’t you once tell me that was one of the first lessons you ever learned in Ponyville? How to accept help?”
“No fair,” Twilight muttered, a hint of a pout on her lips. “No using my friendship reports against me.”
Sunset smiled and brushed Twilight’s cheek, wiping away the last trace of her tears.
“If it counts for friends, then how much more does it count for lovers?”
Just like every other time, Twilight blushed when Sunset said the word. It was an accurate description, but it brought ideas to mind. Sunset smiled for a heartbeat.
“You’ve tried keeping this to yourself,” Sunset said. “Ever since the human Twilight came through to see Equestria. Ever since I let you do that dumb experiment and triggered the Gem so you could both get a glimpse of one another’s lives. You’ve repressed the result… but you can’t put it back. You have to let it out.”
“It hurts…” Twilight said as a tear ran down her cheek and onto Sunset’s hoof. “I don’t want it to hurt.”
“I can’t make it stop hurting.” Sunset hated the words, but she needed to hear them as much as Twilight. “But I can be here to hold you when it does. To remind you that you aren’t alone. So can everypony else. You only have to let us in. And you know that they’d want to be there just as much as I do.”
Twilight lay quiet for a long time, staring into Sunset’s eyes. Sunset smiled back. For a pony who held the title of the Princess of Friendship… Twilight still had a lot of room to grow. Not nearly as much as Sunset, of course. But that was part of being in love, right? It was part of having friends. Learning together.
Learning that you weren’t alone.
Finally, Twilight nodded. “I’ll tell them tomorrow, okay?”
Sunset smiled, but the effect was somewhat ruined by a yawn.
Twilight mirrored her yawn and glanced at the clock on her nightstand.
“I’m sorr—”
Sunset booped her on the nose. “No apologizing.”
Twilight scrunched her muzzle. “You know I hate it when you boop me in the middle of talking.”
“Yes, I do.”
“You still do it.”
“Yes, I do.”
Twilight sighed and a genuine smile flickered onto her face. She leaned over to give Sunset a gentle peck on the lips. It was little more than a thank you, yet a whole lot more.
After a few moments, Twilight pulled away with a delicate smile. A smile that conjured a little ball of warmth in Sunset’s chest. Twilight slowly slid back to her side of the bed and settled down.
Sunset snuggled up behind Twilight and wrapped her in a hug. Through her gentle grip, she felt Twilight’s steady heartbeat. But it wasn’t entirely calm, either. The fear wasn’t gone. A single night couldn’t break down an entire wall of fear.
But, there was a good-sized chink in it now. Twilight settled into Sunset’s hooves and let out an enormous sigh.
“Love you, Sunny,” she mumbled.
“Love you too, Twi.”
It wasn’t long until Twilight’s breathing fell into a slow and regular rhythm. Still, Sunset didn’t let go. She held tight, hoping that the touch would span the immeasurable gap between dream and reality.
And maybe, just maybe, when Twilight had to endure those horrible memories of Midnight Sparkle again, she would feel Sunset’s hooves around her and know she wasn’t alone.
Sunset laid there for hours, cherishing every second. She cherished the scent of the Twilight’s mane. She cherished the warmth of her body and the softness of her coat. But more than anything… she cherished her quiet breathing.
In the slow and steady rise and fall of Twilight’s chest, Sunset found a happiness she couldn’t find anywhere else. Not in the laughter of her friends. Not in her renewed studies with Celestia. Not in her long walks through the Canterlot Gardens.
She didn’t fully understand why, but she accepted it anyway.
At one point, Twilight’s breathing quickened and her body tensed. It was enough to shake Sunset awake.
Sunset didn’t say a word. She just held Twilight a little tighter.
This time, Twilight didn’t whimper.
Slowly, Twilight relaxed and nestled herself deeper into Sunset’s hug.
Sunset lifted her head enough to see Twilight’s muzzle… and there was a tiny smile on her lips. She gave her a kiss on the cheek and settled back down.
Then, an identical smile on her face, Sunset drifted off to Twilight's calm breathing.
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Interesting. I like the dialogue especially.
media2.giphy.com/media/b9aScKLxdv0Y0/giphy.gif
I can't say I identify, as the last time I can remember having a true nightmare must have been over 10 years ago, but it sure was an emotional piece. Great read.
I don't have much to say here, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It hit certain points that I can't really put words to, publicly. Thank you for writing this.
8491826
Thank you! I really wanted the dialogue to sound authentic, so it sounds like I did a good job at that!
8491827
8491828
Thank you! While I haven't had a nightmare like this in quite a while, I have had panic attacks like this. Way too much reality went into this... just like most of my stories.
8491831
I'll take that as a good thing. I always go for resonance with a reader.
8491921
As in this is a prequel to something else or this needs a prequel? Because both ideas intrigue me, as I'd considered neither.
I liked this quite a bit. The best part (at least to me) was how you blended romance with friendship in a real, believable way. A lot of writers (and I include myself in this) have trouble doing that, so I applaud you.
8491929
No story yet, but that might be fun to explore! It might even dovetail for another "Universe" I'm playing with.
8491933
That's some of the best compliments I can get: someone who doesn't have any experience with this sort of thing still enjoying it and getting it after a fashion!
8492002
Huh. I didn't even think about that, honestly. Just off the top of my head, I think a lot of people forget that friendship is the foundation of a romance. Once you've lost that friendship, you're going to be on really shaky terrain. Now as to how to write that concept... heh, I guess I just sorta make that up as I go?
Either way, thank you!
Truth be told, for some a nightmare is just as rare as a dream is fleeting. For others, dreaming altogether is a rare thing. Makes nightmares all the more entertaining.
8492270
Quite so. Many experiences dreams differently. For example, I rarely have nightmares, but I tend to have a week of nonstop super-intense dreams once a month. Which I wish I could remember because they'd make epic stories.
Yay, new Sunlight story! I encounter too few Sunlight stories with Princess Twilight and Sunset. I can understand why the other pairing is very popular, just wish I could find more like these.
An interesting idea, pony Twilight getting a glimpse of Midnight Sparkle. The two Twilights are pretty different but they're still mostly the same at their foundation, so seeing such a... perversion of themselves would be pretty traumatizing, along with a mindmeld gone wrong. I guess Sunset's demon moment was too different (and they've gone over that moment plenty of times already, as the crater comment referenced) for her to quite understand Midnight (demon Sunset was an exaggeration, but pre-reformation Sunset was already pretty close to that). Its always nice to read a new heartwarming comfort tale, even better with my favorite pairing.
8492379
The thing that got my interest for this is that Princess Twilight has never really gone dark side. So, seeing a version of herself doing exactly that... that's going to be freaking traumatic! I wanted to capture that essence. Sounds like I did. Thank you!
I... I have no words besides these, so I'll just leave them here. Bravo, damn good show sir! This... This is exactly why I follow you.
8492423
These words are MORE than enough.
Hmmm. Looking at the title. Looking at the tags. No [Fluttershy].
What.
"In the darkest hours of the night, when our thoughts are the loudest, the ones that scream, pierce, and torture us in silence, sometimes the one thing that helps us face our demons is the warmth of another's embrace. To remind us, that the morning dawn, and the day with the one you love, isn't far behind."
This was a touching fic Novel, and you've captured the struggles of a couple in the dead of night trying to fight their demons so effectively. Very few of us have had the luxury to have someone to hold us that way in the darkest of nights (and days). But for those of us who have, you have captured it well.
Thank you.
Cute fic, and with pony Twilight/Sunset, one of my favorite ships!
8492870
Thank you. It's a hard thing to capture such draining and difficult moments, but comments like this make it worth it. Because I've been on both Sunset and Twilight's side of things. Neither is easy. Both are better together.
8492917
I know! Princess Twi had her first, dangit.
Is NOBODY going to say anything about the obvious Patrick Rothfuss reference? REALLY?!
That's why I read this story! It was good, just like A Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss (which was decidedly more weird)
8493047
Well, I couldn't do it. That'd be cheating. I'm glad you enjoyed both the title and the story!
Night terrors are usually like this. I had a roommate once who had these horrible PTSD-related nightmares every few nights. Our conversations were never quite like this (aside from the obvious), but he told me that just talking to a supportive friend afterward always helped.
8493113
They're pretty painful. But yeah, no matter what, it's always better not dealing with them alone.
Loved this! So sweet and genuine. It feels like it could be the start (or end) of a bigger story too.
Neat.
Princess Twi and Sunset together are too rare, and when they happen, it too often falls into the same tired storyline and set of cliches. Thank you for giving them this. They deserve it.
I'm the same way... but sometimes it's totally worth it.
Eternal comes to mind.
8493158
Hm. You're the second person to say that. Interesting, since I had intended this to be a one-shot! Hmmm. I shall have to think upon this!
8493392
I still say Princess Twi had her first, before SciTwi ever showed up! So yes! They do deserve it! Thank you!
8493565
(And sometimes, yes... but I don't wanna).
To each their own!
This really got me to smile, and gave me a deep, warm feeling inside. Thank you, dear author! This is well worthy of being one of those stories I like to look back on sometimes to remind myself of important morals, this one being about sharing the heavy burdens of your heart with those you love and cherish. It's a very hard lesson to learn, but those bonds, once forged, can be the most unbreakable and profound things in the world.
8493940
Wow, that was better than anything I said in my author's note! Well said! Well said, indeed!
Not my most prefered iteration of Sunlight, but still wonderfully done. That there's a compelling premise and great character work to go with the comfort fluff is cake under the icing. Thank you for this.
8494065
You'll get your version in other stories, I promise. Let me have mine!
(Translates: Thank you kindly. I'm glad the layered approach worked!)
I was tearing up while reading this. It was really well written.
8496006
Thank you. There are few things more rewarding than hearing something like that for a heartfelt story.
This was absolutely amazing. I love how incredibly genuine the love between these two feel (dunno if genuine is the right word but its the best I got at describing how I felt). I also agree with a few others in the comments that this feels like the start of something bigger. I would love to see this expanded on, but even if you don't, I enjoyed every word of this one. Bravo sir.
If you keep tearing out pieces of your soul to write these stories, we're eventually going to be able to build a phylactery out of them, to keep you alive for all eternity so that you can keep writing these wonderful stories for us.
On the second thought, that doesn't sound so bad. The world needs more stories like this, and the world needs more people to read stories like this. Wild, passionate romances are great and all (and I've written my fair share of them), but as I've said before, stories have power, and I think we could all use a little dose of reality to remind us why real love is worth fighting for.
8497008
Genuine was definitely what I was going for, so even if it's not the right word, I love it! And I don't know why everyone keeps saying this feels part of a larger saga... it was never intended as such!
8497809
You'd had to fight my wife for that. Good luck. (You're hosed).
Even if one person gets a better idea of what relationships are in the long-term... then I'll be happy.
8497824
).
This is just me and my thoughts on why that is but, the two big things is the whole empathy gem thing feels like it could have been a cool story (the idea of SciTwi and PonyTwi interacting is fun, even if its already been done), and the story leaves off with Twi deciding to go to her friends about her troubles, which to me implies the buildup of a story of twilight overcoming her fear with their help (FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT
8492317
I'm seeing you pop up in stories I'm interested I reading. Which is very unusual. But this means I've gotta follow you now, apparently you make good stuff!
Also, a tip from a lucid dreamer: keep a dream journal. You'll find it takes longer and longer to write down your dream because of how much more you can recall. It was actually really annoying, haha. But then you won't have to forget epic vivid dreams.
I saw this in the feature box, and I thought it looked like it was worth a read. And I met you at BronyCon, so hey.
I have to admit, this ended up in my "tried to read it" folder. And I can't really figure out why.
The prose is good. I like your version of Sunset. It was a sweet scene, and put together with care and adorableness. I can't really point to anything other than... just taste, I guess? No thumbs-down from me, but I couldn't trudge through the rest of the story.
I'd love to read something else of yours, but it's kind of intimidating to look at your story list since a great many of them are sequels. Do you have any recommendations?
8513132
Hmmm! Well, I'm not really sure, especially if Kind Regard didn't work for you. So, I'll give you the short list.
The Alchemy of Chemistry - The beginning of the Wavelengths Timeline, the story of a young Sunset Shimmer's adventures as a tutor at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.
Diamonds Amidst the Stars - Completely different AU where the newly-crowned Astra Princess Twilight Sparkle can't seem to escape the flirty machinations of Lady Rarity, the new ambassador from the deerkin! A grand romance set against the background of the invasion of Canterlot.
And a Sky Full of Stars - One of my favorite reviews is "this is 15K words of Warrior Princess Sunset Shimmer delivering holy vengeance against her enemies." A wild action piece set in a completely different AU of a high-magitech Equestria (that I hope to come back to one day)
8514107
I will have to check those out, thanks!
Great work here! I love the more subdued nature of the fic. Seeing hints of past events without full explanations is also good, even if I now really want to know exactly what happened (and how they got together :v).
And it's great seeing SunLight with Princess Twilight. I mean, the Sci-Twi version is great and all, but it can't beat the original!
I featured this on episode 203 of my podcast, Pony 411.
8520541
Amen! Nothing like the original SunLight, is there! Thanks for the feature!
8520549
Amen. hallelujah.
This was grear! You teally got the feel of the emotions down. But, I think the part you did best was showing Sunset constantly trying to get through to Twi, while still feeling helpless. It hurts me when I'm unable to help my friends, and feel helpless to do so. But, that does not mean I stop trying, but it means I push harder.
I also like what you said about courage. One of my favourite quotes about courage is from G. K. Chesterton: "For the only courage worth calling courage must necessarily mean that the soul passes a breaking point, and does not break."
8883884
I've been on both sides of this and it hurts like hell. The trick is to learn how to push and when. Sometimes people do need time... but trying to figure out what those times are and how long they last... that's the hard part.
Either way, thank you! I'm glad this story resonated with you!
8493047
I was looking for this comment! Happy to have found it ^-^
8520549
Nyet! Sci-Set is a hill I will fucking die upon.
8493047
I came here just to ask this question.
Based by the title I expected a longer introspective style fic with little to zero dialogue...