End of Winter
Flash Sentry rifles through his locker as he prepares for class, thinking about what happened a few days ago with Sunset. As he closes it, he spots Applejack walking down the hall out of the corner of his eye. He takes a deep breath, steeling his resolve, and approaches. "Applejack!"
The farmgirl turns in his direction, though her expression falls when she sees who called her. "Hey, Flash..." she says unenthusiastically.
"Hey," he says in return. "Can I… ask you a favor?" he asks nervously.
Applejack’s downtrodden look turns curious. "Uh, what is it?"
Flash hesitates for a moment, taking another breath, and takes out his phone. "Can you... give me your phone number?"
Applejack is surprised, but she says, "Uh, sure, I guess."
They exchange numbers, and Flash lets out a chipper, "Thank you!"
"You're welcome..." replies the blonde girl, still confused. "But why’d you want it?"
Flash gets nervous again. "Um... well, you'll see..." He hesitates for a moment. "It's just that I want to be in touch with you. Just that..."
Applejack narrows her eyes. She can tell when someone is lying, and Flash is certainly hiding something. Suddenly, her face falls.
On the other hand, how well can she really detect honesty, if she couldn't see how Sunset told her the truth all this time...
Flash realizes something’s amiss. "Hey… you okay Applejack...?"
The farmer jumps a bit and shakes her head to dispel those thoughts. "I'm fine... I gotta head to class. See ya..."
She quickly brushes past him, her sorrowful face returning. Flash watches her for a moment, but soon, he turns around, taps his phone a bit, and sends a message.
*S*A*S*
The phone in her jacket buzzes softly. She pulls it out and sees a new message on the screen.
*S*A*S*
In the royal castle, the six ponies and the little dragon are directed straight to the throne room. All the while, Spike finds it impossible to keep his worried eyes off his best friend for long. "Are you sure you're okay, Twilight? The princess said you should come only when you recovered. It’s only been a few days…"
Twilight shakes her head gently. "I don't want to stay in bed, Spike." She takes a moment to take a breath. "I’ve been waiting for this for too long. Not only that, but now that I’m back, I have a lot of work to catch up on. Besides, I feel better; my fever went down and… I'm not so tired anymore."
Applejack comes forward a bit to walk by her side. "If you say so, we’ll believe ya. But if you feel tired or dizzy, tell us right away. I can carry you on my back, no problem."
"Thank you, Applejack, but that won't be necessary. I'm fine, really."
Silence falls once more as the others look worriedly at Twilight, but they raise no more arguments, and eventually, they pass through the great doors and enter the throne room. Celestia, sitting in all her splendor, keeps her composure as she watches her beloved student-turned-princess approach.
The group walks about halfway across the room before stopping, all except Twilight bowing in reverence.
"Princes Celestia..." Twilight begins softly.
The millennia-old princess descends the steps calmly, and upon reaching her former student, she immediately starts gently caressing her. "Twilight, you don't know how relieved I am to see you again." Her voice is soft, gentle, as is her smile. Only a very small glimpse of what seems like fear is perceptible in her words, impossible to detect by anyone without the intimate relationship Twilight had with her.
Twilight’s face falls, sensing that fear. "Princess... I'm so sorry... I know I did wrong. I worried you and everypony else... I just wanted... I'm sorry...!"
Twilight struggles to keep her tears from falling, and Celestia gently wraps the smaller alicorn in her wings, bringing her closer so as to let her rest her head on her chest. "Oh, Twilight, don't worry about that anymore. The important thing is that you're here again."
The young princess lets herself be pampered, burying her face in her mentor’s fur as her friends watch on, worried.
Celestia uses the feathers of her wings to gently lift Twilight’s chin to face her. "Twilight, do you think you can tell us what happened?"
Twilight lets out a soft sob and closes her eyes...
*S*A*S*
With the soft white wing covering her like a blanket, the purple princess leans on her former teacher, both lying on a large cushion in the solar alicorn’s room.
The other ponies are lying or sitting around, all with expressions of amazement, worry, and disbelief.
"... And although I wanted to stay... I knew that I was just a hindrance there," Twilight says sadly, sighing as she finishes, "Sunset... She didn't want to have me around... so... I agreed to come back." Her voice is loaded with sorrow and regret.
Although the ponies’ and Spike’s expressions run a gamut of emotions, Celestia’s own remains stoic throughout the whole story despite the burning anger and pain flowing through her veins.
"I can't believe it..." Rainbow mutters, breaking the silence after Twilight’s story concludes. Everypony gives her their attention, and she repeats, "No, really! I can't believe it!" she repeats. " Twilight, is that really true?!"
"It's true, Rainbow..." confirms the younger princess. "It’s all true..."
Rainbow lets out a growl. "But… she’s supposed to be like me, right? I’d never do something like that!"
"Rainbow, calm down," Applejack says.
"‘Calm down’?! How can I calm down?! I just heard that the other me on the other side of the mirror left a friend for nothing!" Rainbow snarls. "She’s lucky I wasn’t there to see that!"
Although the others aren’t quite as open about it, they find themselves feeling similar sentiments about the situation.
"I can't believe they did that to Sunset..." Pinkie mutters, looking nothing like the Element of Laughter she is.
Fluttershy quietly asks, "Um, but Sunset’s... She's fine, right...?"
Twilight looks down. "Yes... She attends a new school now... She has… new friends... like the other Twilight..." Although Twilight tries to be positive, saying all that only seems to hurt her. Especially the last part.
Applejack takes a moment before saying with a sigh, "Well, at least she's happy."
Rarity thinks for a moment, then asks, "And what will happen to our doubles? And the school?"
"I don't know..." Twilight responds. "The last time I saw the school, everyone was sorry.... but Sunset is so angry... I don't know if she’ll ever forgive them... I don't even know if I can..."
Celestia caresses her former student with her feathers, and Twilight takes refuge under the wing, full of grief and shame. "Twilight, I understand that you feel depressed," The princess speaks with a calm voice. "I, too, feel sorry for knowing what they have done to my student. And even more knowing that she will not return..." Celestia's composure, although she tries to remain serene, starts to crack.
Twilight hurriedly says. "I’m sure Sunset will come back, Princess! Someday. I... I know it..."
Celestia gently strokes Twilight’s mane. "Don't worry about it anymore, Twilight. It's all over. There's nothing we can do."
The young princess lowers her head at that. "I’m… I’m sorry, princess... I failed..."
Celestia is intrigued by that. "How did you fail, Twilight?"
Twilight tries not to burst into tears. "I'm the Princess of Friendship... and yet, I couldn't help Sunset, who you asked me to teach and protect. And not only that, I can't see my friends in that world anymore. I'm supposed to protect friendship, but... I ended up breaking it! I failed as a princess... as a guide... and as a friend..."
Trying to hide in the embrace of the aged princess, Twilight once again lets her tears flow as her friends watch, their spirits breaking.
Celestia comforts her little pony as much as she can. "Twilight, you have not failed. You have done your best to help Sunset. However, there are times when things do not come out the way we want..." Memories of Celestia's times with Sunset—the good and the bad—flow through her mind. "You can't force ponies—or any beings, for that matter—to make friends or learn lessons. I had to realize that the hard way..."
A sob is the only answer from the purple princess, and Celestia looks toward the others as she continues, "Neither should you feel bad, dear ponies. No one could have expected this all to happen. And honestly, I don’t think any of us can do anything to help. Sunset made her decision, and now, how things end depends solely on her."
The ponies feel uneasy, but they don't argue. After remaining quiet all this time, Spike finally decides to speak. "Princess Celestia, what... what should we do now?"
"Move on," she replies. "Wait, do our best, and be ready in case Sunset ever needs us again."
Twilight manages to look up a little. "... Spike, does the journal still work?"
"Yeah, but... Sunset gave it to Flash."
Twilight wilts at that. "She… did say she wanted to forget everything..."
"There are things we forget without realizing and things we remember without wanting to," Celestia says to no one in particular.
Her former student thinks of something. "Princess... Sunset tried to burn her journal, but why wasn’t it destroyed...?"
Celestia thinks about the question. "Though I cannot answer with certainty, I can only assume that the link between Sunset's journal and yours not only links their pages but also links their very existence. As long as your journal exists, Sunset's will also exist."
"... Then, I have to take good care of it... I don't want to lose Sunset..." With that, Twilight lies down and gently hides in Celestia's white fur.
"Nopony wants that, Twilight..." the older princess responds.
The room is silent, and soon, Celestia pulls plush cushions near her guests. Slowly, all the little ponies and Spike lie down, exhausted and ready for a much-needed rest. After a few minutes, Celestia is the only one still awake.
"Nobody wants that..."
Looking through the window at her own heavenly star, her mind drifts beyond her kingdom and her world as she considers her past... and her present.
*S*A*S*
"Sunsite!"
Sunset stops her walk and turns, seeing three familiar faces approach. "Sonata? What are you three doing here?" She asks, looking between Sonata and her sisters.
"It’s a public street. We can walk wherever we want,” Aria answers snidely.
Despite Aria’s rudeness, Sunset chuckles a little, admitting that the siren is right. "Well, yeah, but I was just wondering. "
"We’re going shopping!" Sonata answers happily. "We always buy food for the month here because it’s cheaper. Especially lemons."
Sunset raises an eyebrow. "Lemons?"
"Yeah! They’re for Aria. She loves them. Lemon soda, lemon candies, lemon cakes…” She leans over to Sunset and whispers. “She’s addicted, I swear."
"I am not addicted, damn it!" Aria snaps, though her face is flushed in embarrassment. "I just like lemons. And you’re one to talk about addictions, you taco fanatic."
"Hey, that’s different! Tacos are delicious! Lemons are too sour!"
As they both begin to argue, Adagio approaches and talks to Sunset calmly. "Ignore them. They get like this when the bus is late."
Sunset chuckles good-naturedly.
"By the way," continues the siren, "Sonata told us about you with the principal. Good on you, pony girl."
"It's… not something I'm proud of…" Sunset mumbles with a nervous chuckle. "Although, I guess I don't regret it, either."
Adagio smiles. "You still have that side of you. I like it. You would make a great siren."
Sunset gets a little awkward. "Um, I'll take that as a compliment. Thanks."
They share a smile, before Adagio turns to her sisters, who are still arguing about whether tacos or lemons are better, growing in volume with every word. "Enough!" she yells at them, and they both stop fighting. "Aria," the leader of the trio continues, "don’t you have something to say to Sunset?"
Aria is silent, her eyes wide. She looks away with a blush, and Sunset raises a curious eyebrow while Sonata giggles. It takes a few more seconds, but Aria finally says, "Alright, fine! I wanted to… I wanted to thank you, okay? There, I said it!" With that, Aria turns her back on the former equine, crossing her arms.
Sunset pauses a few seconds herself. "Um... you're welcome?" she says uncertainly, looking at the other two for an explanation.
"Aria can sing again," Adagio explains.
Sunset’s wide-eyed gaze snaps back to Aria. "How?"
"I don’t know," Aria responds tersely, not turning around. "Soon after I shook your hand, I felt something strange in my throat, and before I knew it, I was already singing..." Aria’s voice trails off as embarrassment overtakes the siren.
Sonata starts laughing. "Yeah! She came home spinning and dancing like one of those Broadway girls."
"SHUT UP! THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Aria shouts, her cheeks beet-red. Sunset lets out a small chuckle, causing Aria to whirl on her. "STOP LAUGHING!"
"Sorry, sorry!" Sunset says placatingly, her laughter dying little by little. "What about you, Adagio?" she asks, looking at the eldest siren, whose face remains stoic.
Sonata’s smile falls. "Um... Adie still can't..."
Sunset’s own smile evaporates, and she looks wide-eyed at Adagio. “Oh… Adagio, I’m sorry…”
Adagio just close her eyes. "It doesn't matter; if we can't charm people, singing loses most of its value, anyway..."
Silence falls as Sonata and Sunset stare at Adagio, the former with concern, the latter with shame for bringing it up.
Adagio finally speaks again. "Still... I can't not thank you, Sunset Shimmer."
"What? But… what did I do?"
"It doesn't matter. You did it, and that's enough." Adagio smiles softly, and soon, Sunset’s responds with her own hesitant smile. Without saying anything else, Adagio turns around and walks away, her sisters soon following her.
Sonata gives Sunset a smile and a farewell wave, which Sunset returns before suddenly calling, "Wait! Can I ask you something?" The three sisters stop, looking back at her with some curiosity. "It's just... I didn't think about it at the time but, you now know where the portal to Equestria is." Sunset doubts a moment. "I was wondering... Why don't you come back?"
There is a pregnant silence. Sonata looks at the ground, Aria looks away, and Adagio closes her eyes before answering, "We’ve already lived many centuries in this world, and we’ve lived many centuries in Equestria." Adagio pauses a moment as Sunset listens carefully. "Our gems were what allowed us to stay young and strong.… But now that we don't have them, the magic that kept us alive no longer exists. Our bodies are separate from that magic in this world, but the moment we set foot in Equestria… we will turn to dust in a matter of seconds."
The revelation leaves Sunset frozen, the stunned woman gaping at the sirens.
"When I say we are trapped in this world... I really mean it," Adagio finishes.
There is silence between the four, and Adagio suddenly smiles. "‘We are soulmates.’"
Sunset snaps out of her stupor. “Wh-What?”
"It's what you're thinking, isn't it?" Adagio says, still smiling. "You and we have more in common than we would like." With her smile still present, she turns around. "Well, that's all I have to say."
She resumes her walk, her sisters following.
Sunset stands still, and after a moment, she sighs in regret, then goes on her way.
*S*A*S*
It doesn't take long for her to reach that place. A mixture of feelings swirls in her head and stomach. She hesitates a moment, rubbing her neck nervously, before sighing and forcing herself to enter.
*S*A*S*
Inside Sugar Cube Corner, the colorful group of Rainbooms sits around their usual table, each with a drink in front of her. There is silence, when finally, Rainbow asks, "Are you sure it's her? Not someone trying to trick you?"
The farmer’s shoulders slump. "I have no idea, Rainbow..." she mutters. "But, honestly, I’m willin’ to try anything…"
She looks at the screen of her phone, reading that message for the umpteenth time.
Sugar Cube Corner. One hour. Bring the others.
The dressmaker looks very doubtful of the situation. "But why would Sunset ask us to come?"
The shyest allows herself to raise her voice a little. "Maybe... she finally forgives us..."
"Get real, Fluttershy..." Pinkie mutters, her voice muffled by the table she’s laying her face on. "That's not gonna happen."
Fluttershy opens her mouth to speak, but she closes it without saying anything.
There is silence while the five wait, so many mixed feelings among them.
The door opens, and the Rainbooms turn anxiously, except for Diane, who only slowly looks toward the door.
A casual, nameless girl enters and walks to the counter.
The five look down, almost missing when Sunset enters behind that girl. Sunset looks toward them, and they look back, holding their breath. After a few seconds, Sunset approaches the counter and a surprised Mrs. Cake. "Vanilla shake, please," Sunset says.
Mrs. Cake overcomes her surprise and gets the order together. After paying her and thanking her for the drink, Sunset turns again, this time walking toward the Rainbooms’ table.
The five never take their eyes off her; everyone sits frozen in her place. No one, not even Sunset, says anything, and eventually, she sits in the free chair at the table.
There is silence for a moment, until, finally, a sigh escapes Sunset's lips, and she decides to speak. "Let's skip the apologies; I think we all have something we regret," she says somewhat sharply, though her voice quickly softens. "Is there anything else you want to tell me? Or ask me?"
To say that the others are surprised and uncertain would be an understatement. The Rainbooms look at each other subtly, as if each wants someone else to start off. Finally, Rainbow Dash swallows nervously as she says, "Uh… How’s Crystal Prep? Is it as strict as they say it is?” She gives herself a mental slap; small talk is the worst way to break the silence. But at least she had broken the silence.
Sunset just shrugs. "Yeah, it’s pretty strict. The teachers don't even look back at the students; they just talk and talk and write things on the board. They don't seem to care if you pay attention or not."
Silence falls again after Sunset finishes speaking. Mrs. Cake stops by and gives Sunset her shake, which she starts sipping on. The five friends, meanwhile, get a little nervous again. This time, Rarity breaks the silence. "Um, and how are you faring at Crystal Prep? You’ve always excelled at CHS."
Sunset takes a long sip before answering, "I'm doing well, yeah. It's a lot of stuff, but I’m trying not to focus so much on the nitty-gritty. All I really care about are the basics. Just trying to pass the course."
There is another, more worried silence after that answer, and Sunset continues to drink her milkshake.
Applejack decides to change the subject. "So, uh, how’d ya meet, ya know… the other Twilight?"
Sunset takes a moment to consider how to respond. Eventually, she says, "We just crossed paths when I showed up at Crystal Prep.”
Rainbow Dash continues the conversation. "And how is she? Is she like the princess at all?"
Sunset puts her drink down and thinks for a moment about how to explain it. "Um, she's similar in a way, but at the same time, she's really different." She pauses, trying to order her thoughts. "Actually, I couldn't say they’re the same. She's still like the princess, but at the same time, she's not the princess...” She sighs. “That... doesn't make much sense, does it?"
There's a pause, and Rainbow suddenly lets out a chuckle. "No, but I think I get what you're saying."
Fluttershy finally dares to speak. "And she’s... your friend?"
Sunset can hear the tremble in the shy girl’s voice and again, Sunset seems to doubt how to answer. "Yes, she and I are friends," she says with surety. "Actually, I didn't expect to make any friends at Crystal Prep, but things happened and... now I have several friends there."
The answer depresses everyone, although they try to keep smiling, except for Fluttershy, who just looks down sadly, and Diane, who keeps her expression neutral.
Applejack takes the floor again. "You also have another band..."
The comment makes the table quieter... and somehow colder...
"So, you saw that," Sunset mumbles, her eyes turned away from the others.
"Heh, hard not to," Rainbow says. "The video’s all over the web."
"I know... It's a pain, to be honest," the Equestrian says to the others’ surprise. "Believe me, when I went to Crystal Prep, I thought I would go unnoticed. I didn't expect, or want, to be popular."
A couple of the girls snicker a little, and Rainbow comments, "It's the opposite of CHS, isn't it?"
Sunset nods and sips on her milkshake. "Speaking of bands, what about yours?"
Everyone looks suddenly unsure of how to respond. It's Diane who answers in her neutral voice, "The band doesn’t exist anymore."
"What? Why not?" Sunset asks, surprised.
"We can't play..." is her only emotionless response.
The answer only leaves Sunset more confused than surprised.
Applejack tries to explain it. "Try as we might, we just can’t make a harmony. We… We can't play even a single note."
"But why?" Sunset asks again, worried. "You were great before."
"We were..." Rainbow Dash answers with her head bowed. "It’s been weeks, and we just can’t play. We even tried different instruments. It’s something about us..."
Sunset doesn’t know what to say at first. The others certainly don’t look eager to say anything. Finally, Sunset mutters, "That's stupid." The comment surprises the five CHS girls, and they all look wide-eyed at the Crystal Prep student. "I know this whole thing has affected us all," Sunset continues, "but that's no reason to stop playing."
"It's not that we want to quit, " Rarity responds. "It’s just…"
"We can’t play anymore."
Pinkie’s somber response causes Sunset to raise an eyebrow. "Since when has being unable to do something stopped you from doing it?" she suddenly asks. Once she is sure she has the others’ full attention, she continues, "I've only known you for a year or so, but I've never seen you give up when you want something."
The phrase only receives a sad silence. Fluttershy tries to talk. "But... this is..."
"Look, I left CHS because I was tired of crying. Tired of thinking about everything that was going on. It was too much for me... It hurt..." Guilt looms over the five girls again, dragging their gazes downward, but Sunset marches on. "That's why I decided to forget it. I didn't want to continue living with the thoughts and feelings I had there. I wanted to move on... and that's what you should do now."
They all look up at the former equine. Sunset herself, after seeing that she had finished her milkshake, crosses her arms and gives them a neutral look. "This whole Anon-A-Miss thing has gotten out of control. You’re not the same girls I met, and that sucks." Sunset plows through the guilty silence following those words. "But you can’t let yourselves wallow in this. You gotta put it behind you and move on."
"But... You... We..." the athlete stutters, unsure of how to respond.
"We don't want to forget ya..." the farmer says sadly.
Sunset closes her eyes but maintains her neutral expression. "Yeah... and I can't forget you, either..." All the others’ eyes widen in surprise. "The reason I went back to CHS was to put an end to all this crap so I could finally move on. But, instead, the school was worse than I left it. Talk about failure."
"We’re so sorry..." Fluttershy says in a voice that’s extremely soft even for her.
"I also felt all this remorse and hurt those months after the Fall Formal, but I didn't cry. Although I felt terrible, I tried to do my best to keep pushing onward."
"But... we wanted to talk to you, and..." Rainbow doesn't know how to continue.
"The school rejected me back then, but I kept trying." She looks away from them and sighs. "Sure, you helped me. And that’s my point." She returns her gaze to them. "Sometimes, we do things we end up regretting. A lot. But crying won’t make it any better. I wasn’t alone back then, and you’re not alone now."
To everyone's surprise, Sunset stands up and stretches before looking back at them. "Stop feeling sorry for yourselves. You’re not like that. The Anon-a-Miss incident won’t end until you let it. You and everyone else at CHS."
Sunset lets out a sigh through her nose and turns around, starting to walk away. It isn’t long before Rainbow’s voice stops her.
"Sunset, wait!"
Sunset stops and turns around, seeing the athlete standing and looking back at Sunset with an uncertain but determined look. "Why are you telling us all this...?"
Sunset doesn’t respond immediately, looking down as she ponders her response. "I was also part of Anon-a-Miss. And… it's something I want to leave behind. But I can't until CHS does and until everything is as it was before."
Diane gets up and stands behind Rainbow to look at Sunset. "It can't be like before. You’re gone."
"Maybe not, but it doesn't mean that everything should look like this." She takes a deep breath as the others get up. "I have a new life at Crystal Prep. I have friends and people I trust."
They all look down for a moment in guilt.
"But... it's not the same as being with you..." Sunset continues, ignoring the others’ surprise. "Trust is like a vase; if you break it, even if you fix it, it will never look like it did before. Even if I forgive you one day, it will never be the same among us."
The girls’ spirits all sink like a stone, but Sunset trucks onward. "But you can discard that vase or leave it in its place and continue living, even with that defect." She pauses, watching as everyone seems to meditate on that. "I made my choice. Now it's on you and CHS. It’s your turn."
There is another silence, and after another deep breath, Sunset turns again and leaves the premises. The five remain standing in their places, all mired in the thoughts that their former friend just left them.
After closing the door and taking a deep breath of air—instantly regretting it as the air freezes her nose—Sunset stands silent for a moment. "Well... that wasn’t as bad as I expected..."
After resting her mind for another moment, she starts walking.
*S*A*S*
She isn't sure how far or for how long she walked, her mind focusing on absolutely nothing. There is a blank, peaceful calm in her mind.
A vibration and ping in her pocket snap her from her stupor. She sighs and pulls her phone out to read the message.
"Can we keep your number?"
After a moment of doubt, she sends her response.
"Don't call me if I don't call you."
Would she regret that? Maybe. But little could make her life more complicated than it already was, so... it would be a lateral shift at worst.
With that thought, Sunset moves to stow her phone, but she’s interrupted by a phone call. After seeing the name on the screen, she smiles and answers it. "Hey, Twi, what's up? The mall? Heh, sure, but I’m a little far from it. I’ll be there in an hour, okay?"
With that, she hangs up and puts her phone away, taking a deep breath. Despite the frigid air freezing her nose, a smile decorates her face.
*S*A*S*
Sunset arrives at the mall, grinning as she sees her bespectacled friend excitedly waving at her and calling her over. Indigo, Lemon, and Sunny are with her. She hurries over and joins them, spending the afternoon just window shopping and enjoying the simple pleasure of being in a group.
You know, it’s weird, and really annoying.
Whenever I want something, life ends up shoving me down.
I wanted to be powerful and a ruler, but right when I was on the cusp of it, I ended up alone in a crater, with no one by my side.
Then, I wanted to be accepted, and soon after I finally was, I ended up being rejected and abandoned...
And when I wanted to forget that and just live my life without anyone noticing me, I ended up being the center of attention. Some attention good, most of it bad...
Soon, the sun starts sinking beneath the horizon, and Sunset says her farewells and starts walking home, the streetlights turning on as she walks.
*S*A*S*
One morning in Canterlot High School, the Rainbooms meet in their practice room.
I guess life isn’t always what we want. Sometimes—a lot of times, actually—shit happens...
The room is silent. No one has any idea what to do. Until Rainbow decides to pick up her guitar and take an experimental strum...
And when that happens... we just want to get away from the problem.
Everyone gapes in surprise, even Rainbow, who can’t stop the tear from rising to her eye. It sounded… perfect...
*S*A*S*
But it seems that the more you try to avoid your problems, the more persistently they come back to haunt you...
Ditzy Doo hurries around the hall, distributing hot muffins to everyone at school, receiving an occasional smile in thanks. Soon, she arrives at Flash’s locker and silently extends a muffin. The guitarist stows that important book safe in his locker, turning with surprise as he notices the muffin, which he gladly accepts.
But despite that... I don't think it’s a good idea to keep focusing on them and torturing yourself.
Seeing Octavia's depressed state, Vinyl puts her headphones on her friend’s head and starts up a lively beat, which makes the black-haired girl smile softly. They both walk on until they meet Lyra and Bon Bon, who stand smiling and waiting for them.
I don't know if it’s my place for me to give advice, or if this can be useful to everyone…
*S*A*S*
The atmosphere at Crystal Prep is livelier than it’s ever been, with students greeting each other and smiling at each other. The teachers and classes haven’t changed, but the halls feel much warmer than they ever have before.
But I think I could learn something from all this.
*S*A*S*
The young pony princess watches the sky from a balcony of her castle, letting the wind flow through her mane. When she hears a call, she lowers her eyes and sees her friends waiting for her below. She smiles, and with a jump, she spreads her wings and descends to meet them.
*S*A*S*
The principal of Canterlot High stands hesitantly in front of the entrance to that bar, the cold night’s wind billowing her long hair.
She feels someone behind her, and she turns to find Adagio. They stare at each other a moment, until the siren walks forward and opens the door, holding it for her with a questioning eyebrow.
That although some mistakes you can’t repair, you can overcome them and move on.
The woman remains motionless for a moment, but in the end, she smiles and shakes her head. The orange-haired girl smiles for a moment, and then, she enters the building, closing the door.
The woman is left alone outside, until her younger sister approaches her. They smile at each other and begin walking away.
*S*A*S*
Sunset walks calmly along the sidewalk, trampling the half-melted snow. The clouds in the sky have broken, and the sun shines down on the city.
Don’t hide in the shadows.
She stops, looking at a nearby patch of snow. Leaning down, she slowly separates the snow.
As cold as winter is...
A small bud pokes out, freed of its snowy prison. Its bud is open just a pinch, but it’s enough to see the colors inside.
... spring will always come.
Sunset smiles, gets up, and keeps walking.
.
.
.
Sunset Among Shadows
End
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Nice end :'3
A near 2 year journey has come to a beautiful end. Red, my friend it has been a honor & a privilege to have been with this masterpiece, since day one. I don't know, if a sequel is in the works, but it'll be fine by me, if there isn't. Take care, Red, til next time.
Thanks for the Story Red!
Nice ending but I do hope a sequel is in the works
It feels to soon for me... then again, I only found your story a few months ago so I havent been here for as long as these other guys have been... Nice ending none the less
What a wonderful ending to a wonderful story
Even if it was only for a short time, it was a pleasure to help you out with my limited skills, my friend
From begining to the end it was awesome. Thanks a lot for your work. Congratulations!
This was a great story, sad to see it and but also happy. Good job.
Vaya voy a extrañar las actualizaciones de esta magnífica historia
Espero historias tan geniales como estas
This was an excellent story. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Is there going to be a sequel?
Sunset says that a broken vase glued back together is a defect. But that's not entirely true. There's an old Japanese art called Kintsugi. It's where you take broken pottery and repair it with gold. The original philosophy that often coincides with it is that stuff happens, and it's just a part of life. But I think another way of looking at it is that you can be shattered by an event, but can come out of it for the better; like you've been rebuilt into something even more beautiful. And, in a way, that's what this story is about; even if not everyone has a completely happy ending.
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I can see potential in a sequel that's a collection of short stories where Sunset, the Rainbooms, and Princess Twilight - after taking a couple years or so to sort their own emotions out - have one-on-one moments with each other to actually bring some closure to the situation. But I'd be satisfied with this story either way.
Though while I really liked this final chapter, I can't say that Sunset really put closure on the matter of her old friends and their behavior. It felt more like she was saying that she was choosing to ignore the situation. While that could help her in the short term, it may just damage her later on once she's had time to sort everything out for herself. But that's just my opinion.
9878176
Yep
Good story, it give good flesh to the characters and don't leave character that are just there and do nothing like many other stories, it give flesh to it.
Like many others, I hope to see a sequel, maybe see what is Sunset going to do in the battle between the Crystal High against Canterlot High... Of course, this time I guess Twilight will not need to steal magic because Finch
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Thank you very much to everyone.
I'm really glad you liked the end.
Being honest I debated for quite some time how the story should end, and decided that this was, perhaps not the best, but the most appropriate.
As for a possible sequel, everything is possible.
Although I could not promise that if I did, it would be just as interesting, but I would do my best.
Thanks to everyone, maybe we'll see each other again.
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Your welcome.
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You're very welcome Red & we'll see you down the old dusty road
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After this story, I'm considering looking into your other work! And I may just perhaps leave a follow!
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Thanks for saying so
But I feel like duty, to warn you that my other works are of a much lower quality than this.
These are stories with which I essentially started and experienced fanfiction for the first time. So they probably don't like you.
On top of that, this story was edited and corrected grammatically by another user, I have a terrible grammar in English, so it surely feels bad to read them.
I just feel you should know, they are much inferior jobs for more than one reason.
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While poor grammar is a bit distracting for me, I can set that aside if I like the concepts presented.
Get rid of the bold text. Bold text is for shouting. Not for conversations.
Example.
"Hello." said Sunset.
"Hello!" shouted Sunset.
See the difference. ... Now go and fix it.
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I like to write the conversations in bold.
I will not "fix it" because I like it that way.
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*cues Hurt by Johnny Cash*
Well, I thought this story was pretty good. Occasional clumsiness in sentence structure or the like, but nothing important; sadly, I've read much, much worse from native english speakers. The bold font didn't bother me once I was used to it. It's not my thing, but it's not my story, either, so have fun with what makes you happy.
More importantly I thought the story had a certain style that made it a bit more unique than most fanfics. I'm glad I ran across it.
I'll be honest, this was the first time I actually cried to the ending of a story, absolutely beautiful, keep it up!
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Thank you so much!
I'm glad you liked it
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After finishing reading the story, can we get a sequel?!
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I am open to the possibility
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Good to hear!
Sad to have come to the end of this. I remember taking a break from it until the grammar was fixed, but decided to reread it all. Hopefully there will be a sequel or at least some stories to close everything off.
Best story, about Anon-A-Miss, ever. I love it. Is there a sequel??
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Its posible
Thanks for reading, I'm glad you liked it
Ah, that was an excellent story. Thank you so much for writing it
First things first as a warning to anyone else who reads this: this fic has some odd typeset choices as well as some minor grammatical errors. Despite that this is an excellent fic with some odd minor pacing/timing issues. 8/10 very good.
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Oh.
Bets fic I've EVER read on Fimfiction, HANDS DOWN
Despite the grammatical issues, this was an enjoyable read. Some choices annoyed me but overall I enjoyed it.
If somebody is reading this and wondering whether or not to read it, I'd recommend it if you're willing to get through the grammar issues, it get's better as the story progresses.
I really enjoyed reading this wonderful take on Anon-A-Miss storyline from start to finish. You did a super awesome job on it!
Now I look forward to seeing how the sequel will go and what will happen during the Friendship games.
I have to say, this is one of the best fanfictions I've ever read. Keep up the amazing work!
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because I like to put the dialogues in bold
and if there are spaces, what happens is that the style change makes it seem like no
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No, apparently the fire wasn't hot enough.
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Keep reading
Caught up with the fic, and imo it's one of the better anon-a-miss fics out there. There's a few things to note about the story tho, it's a decent story, with good pacing, good characterization etc. A lot of the characters are written really well. Sunny Flare for example, got a much better treatment compared to Friendship Games. Sunset's new group of friends is an interesting choice. I wish we got to see more of their interactions, especially with Lemon Zest and Indigo Zap, both of them practically worship Sunset at the end of the story. That brings up the next point, Sunset's small harem. Seriously, when you said there's no romance and shipping in this fic, I didn't expect this at all. Like most anon-a-miss stories, Sunset is an absolute badass on this fic, pretty much all the main characters fell for her, Twilight, Sci-Twi, Suri, Sunny.... Like damn, I do wanna know one thing tho, out of all these shippy teasing, if you were to pursue one of these romantic lines, which would it be? The theme and focus of this fic is also quite interesting, Sunset wanting to move on from the past, but ever since the first chapter it's been portrayed again and again that the past won't leave her, I especially love Luna's line in response to Sunset's "The past is not today" quote, if the past is not today, then what is today? It shows that Sunset is not quite prepared to face "today" either, the way the line is used in this fic is very different than how its used in the actual music video, Sunset used it in this fic mostly as an excuse to escape from her predicament from CHS, wanting to move on, but stuck in the same place, until she faces her obstacles directly, only then did the healing process for everyone truly begin. The take on Anon-a-miss aftermath is perfect, I disliked the fics that have Sunset repair the relationship perfectly, with no cracks at all, but at the same time, I also hate how writers portray her hating all the M5 after all that has transpired. Anon-a-miss is a big deal, I get it, but if Sunset deserves a second chance after all that she had done in CHS before her reformation, then the M5 at least deserves closure, just a way for everyone to move on, nobody needs to hold a grudge, no matter how justified it may be, and that's what the story I think you're trying to tell, at least from my understanding. Unlike many others, I think Sunset's reaction to Princess Twilight showing up is reasonable, she's already frustrated for the school week she had, and when she wanted to rest, the universe drops a massive bomb shell on her. Yeah, resenting Princess Twilight like that is not okay, but then again, Sunset isn't perfect either, she's a teenager, and teenagers don't make the best decisions sometimes, but I really do pity Princess Twilight's treatment in this fic, the poor mare sat in a library for 2 weeks, almost freeze, got her heart broken, got sick, think of herself as a burden, got her heart broken multiple times again, and immediately got send back to her home after realising that nothing is the same in the human world again, and she has to lay in bed for at least a couple day again, before she saw Princess Celestia. Pretty harsh, wouldn't you say? Was minorly dissapointed that Sunset and the gang doesn't go to Equestria in the 3 parter finale, that would've been sooooo cool, and there's really no reason to not have at least Jet Set overcome by his curiosity and at least go there for like a minute lol.
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Hello and thanks for your comment. I'm glad you liked the story.
I thought a lot about who would be Sunset's new group, and I'm glad you like them, I also think they're an interesting group. Especially for Sunny who as you say, I took the opportunity to give her a more marked personality, since the film did not do anything with her. About Zap and Lemon adoring Sunset, I honestly think they are both the most easily impressed by Sunset, hence it was easy to become friends.
Honestly, that harem came out by accident, I really had no plans for it, but it was so interesting, that I couldn't resist ha ha. I am a complete fan of SunsetxSciTwi, I think they are too cute together.
Thank you, I wanted to do something different, a story where Sunset is not the victim of the problem, but she is also part of it.
About the princess, she had to swallow a dose of reality, and realize that the human world is not the same as Equestria, that has been clear many times, and therefore in this story she has had to suffer a lot.
I never really considered the group going to Equestria, and Jet Set is too scared of Lightning to do so, hehe.
Thanks again for commenting. I am currently on hiatus with the sequel to this story, but hopefully I can continue it sometime soon.
I hope we read us again.
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Thanks for replying! I'm also a huge fan of Sci-Set, it will be great to see you write a fic on that, or maybe in Friendship Among Games! I liked Friendship Among games so far, there's not a lot of huge problems in that one, but it lacks a lot of creative freedoms present in Sunset Among Shadows. Its too predictable, and that's not your fault, when its a retelling of a movie, its easy to guess and predict the next plot point, and thus isn't as exciting. Sunset Among Shadows works for me because its based on a very creative story that i personally enjoyed, yet you are able to take it up to the next notch and add in a lot of world-building and character development missing in the other Anon-a-miss's fics. That being said, I still love Friendship Among Games, and I hope you'll be able to continue it soon!
Uhm hey, not sure if it matters but I found a repost of this story on ao3 by a user named 'Fenixyz20' and they claim to be you. Can you confirm or deny this? I'm sorry if I sounded rude, I just wanted to check.
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Ja ja, yeah, its me. Thank you for your concern.
I loved the ending, as well as the story.
This fic had some pretty good moments, like Twilight's farewell, Sunset's Pipe Bomb against Cinch, but especially the epilogue.
By the way, I think this soundtrack would be good for the final part: