• Published 2nd Dec 2017
  • 1,167 Views, 9 Comments

Glowing Embers - Sun Aura



Sunset Shimmer, a talented Unicorn, is now alone and without Magic in another Dimension. Leaving everything behind, she tries to start anew. But, can she do that without anyone who truly knows her?

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The Past Still Haunts

While Canterlot High wasn’t like Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, it did have its fair share of jerks and bullies, people who ruined others just for the fun of it. Sunset hadn’t liked them, but she stayed away from them and they thankfully stayed away from her. These people went only for those they saw as ‘lesser’ than themselves, and Sunset was either ‘on their level’ or ‘above it’ here.

It wasn’t like CSFGU where she was younger, and didn’t have their money. Not that she’d been ‘poor’, with a bestselling author for a mom and a Royal Mage for a dad, but she wasn’t the same rich as the Nobility who paid their way into the school.

Here, she was smart, pretty, in their age group, and charming enough to be popular. And there were very few students with rich or powerful enough families to be considered ‘above’ like those back home. Sunset didn’t ‘get it’, but as long as they left her alone, she was fine.

Still, there were some who tried, thinking they were better than everyone. Sunset didn’t ignore them, but a quick rebuff usually shut them down. Sometimes, they thought she was like them, tried to get her to help them hurt people for no reason, or to help them break the rules. She’d put her foot down at that, but this time she didn’t get the chance.

“So, how’d you do so well on the test?” a new transfer student had asked her.

“I studied,” Sunset shrugged, continuing to put books in her locker.

“But you’re too pretty to study!” the girl said. “Pretty girls don’t have to be smart.”

“Well, I am,” she said. “Because people are more than tropes. And I like doing things, even if that’s homework, it’s something to do.”

“Doing things, you say,” the girl mused with a smile. “I see. So care to give some tips?”

“Open a book for once?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Not that,” the girl rolled her eyes. “I meant about Mr. Birch. Seriously, what did it take?”

“What did what take?” she demanded.

“Seducing him for a grade,” the girl elaborated in a more hushed tone. “Doesn’t seem too difficult, he seems the type that would sleep with a student. Wonder how many-“

The next thing Sunset knew, the girl was on the floor and her hand was throbbing in pain and burning rage beneath her skin. She connected the dots as one teacher led her to the office and the girl was sent to the nurse. Thankfully, she didn’t have to deal with Principal Celestia.

However, Vice Principal Luna was an enigma all her own. Her existence was a puzzle to Sunset, but one she couldn’t solve. Luna’s closeness to Principal Celestia, the Moon theme in all of her clothes, her demeanor as Equal to the Principal instead of just being a Vice Principal. Everything about her told Sunset that this was the Counterpart of the mare from the stories, Nightmare Moon. Except for the fact that Nightmare, and Luna, had never appeared. Perhaps that is why Celestia looked so sad at the sight of the Moon.

But for now, Sunset tried to focus on her as any other Human. Luna was not a Princess, but a Vice Principal. One with a cold stare so much like the Princess’s, but so different. It was a stare of authority, yet she could still see the disappointment in her expression.

“Miss Shimmer,” the VP began, keeping her voice neutral. “Would you care to tell me why you assaulted another student?”

“What do you want me to say?” Sunset replied. “She was awful. And I don’t say that lightly. You should keep an eye on her, because she’ll probably try something else while she’s here.”

“I will keep an eye on students that have shown they need it,” she said. “What makes you think she needs it?”

“Because she was….” She trailed off.

If she said it, then it could happen again. That wasn’t fair to anyone, but if she didn’t, worse could happen. But could she trust the Vice Principal? Could she trust Luna? There wasn’t a Counterpart to give her an idea. Then again, Luna was not her Counterpart, and deserved her own chance.

“She was what?” Luna asked.

“She was looking for tips to seduce a teacher for test scores,” Sunset said. “That’s why I punched her.”

“That is… Unexpected,” she said, surprise quite visible. “Before we continue, I must ask, why did she ask you?”

“Because she thinks I did,” she said. “But I haven’t. She just thinks that I couldn’t have possibly been smart enough to pass a test, even though all the answers are in the book. Whether or not the books are accurate because they’re out of date is another question, but the test questions come from there.”

“And you believe she deserved to be hit for that?” she questioned. “Why not report it?”

“Report what exactly?” she asked. “Firstly, hitting her was spur of the moment, not something I planned on. Secondly, do you know what happened last time someone suggested that my grades were fabricated like that?

“Fair enough, you don’t,” She continued, not giving a chance for Luna to interrupt. “But it reached the faculty before I even knew about the rumors, and the teacher was put under investigation. Even with me insisting that nothing happened, and no other students coming forward to say it happened to them, the parents still tried to get him fired. The only reason he wasn’t was because Pri- because someone the parents liked to suck up to took my side.”

“So yeah, I hit her,” she sank back in her chair. “Because it just reminded me of that. And I didn’t want Mr. Birch to go through that Hellscape.”

“Language,” Luna automatically chastised. “However, you do have a point. Not for punching her, but for what would happen. By law, we do have to investigate. But considering your testimony, we can keep this quiet and ask directly.”

“That said,” she continued. “You still did hit a student, and there needs to be some sort of punishment. Given that you reported a potential crime in progress, I believe we can call that Community Service and go with two days of detention instead of suspension.”

“Thank you,” Sunset nodded, knowing better than to fight that. “Can I go back to class now?”

“Yes,” she nodded, writing her a pass. “And I will be dropping by the nurse’s office, so I suggest you avoid its occupant.”

She nodded again and headed out the door. Sunset wasn’t sure she was able to breathe until she was back in class. Flash tried to ask what happened, but she didn’t want to tell him here.

She waited until they made it to her place again. He wasn’t sure how to react, but Sunset didn’t care. She just hugged him close and tried not to cry.

“I didn’t want to ruin someone else’s life,” she said. “I’m sorry. I know I’m not the best person. But I don’t want… I don’t want that.”

Once more, she wanted to tell him everything. Not just that she lied to him about everything, but about Equestria and why she left. He deserved to know, and she knew he’d believe her. Even if he never forgave her for lying to him.

But she couldn’t, because it would hurt him. She knew she’d have to tell him eventually, either when he figured it out or when she broke and couldn’t stand it anymore. Yet some irrational part of her thought that maybe if she just kept from saying anything, she’d never have to hurt him.

The only thing she did was apologize over and over, hoping it would get through. That it would be enough.


They made it back to Flash’s place after a particularly disastrous basketball game. Not that their players were a disaster. But when the college student that had been shadowing the retiring theatre teacher decided to give a grand finale to his prank war with the principals, well, there were a few literal and metaphorical explosions.

The duo relaxed in Flash’s room, exhausted from even processing the Gym incident. Instead, they talked of anything else.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Flash began. “You wanted me to tell you about any more Pegasus dreams.”

“Yeah, they’re interesting,” Sunset said. “So, what now? Capture any villains?”

“No, but there was a guy that reminded me of you,” he said.

“What did he look like?” she asked, bolting to attention.

“Well, at first, weird,” he said. “I thought it was just because it’s a dream so all the ponies in armor looked the same because of that. But apparently their armor is magic and makes them look the same.”

“Magical uniforms,” she shrugged, pretending to guess. “Wait, you don’t look like them?”

“Maybe because I’m dreaming?” he suggested. “Anyway, this guy, this Unicorn, at first he was all gray and blue except for the scar on his cheek, but then he took the helmet of and he changed. He was yellow with orange hair that had a silver streak, and eyes just like yours. That’s what made me think of you.”

“Anything else?” she asked, her heart tight in her chest.

“Uh well,” he began, turning a little red. “I think he was flirting with me? Not really sure it I was into that since he’s some kind of horse, but if he were a person….”

Sunset didn’t hear the rest of his comment. That was Lance, it had to be. While it wasn’t much, she was glad he was okay. Of course, it made her want to know more. How’d he get the scar on his cheek? When did he get switched to the Lunar Guard? And most importantly, was he being generically flirty or had he lost interest in the Unicorn he’d been in love when she’d left?

In the end, it didn’t matter too much. Lance was okay, he was alive. And that was all she could really hope for.