The Issue of Multiple Sunsets

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

Fishy negotiations

Once upon a time, in a classic high-fantasy universe, there was a magical kingdom. This kingdom was ruled by the Mage-Queen Celestia the Immortal. Said to be born of the sun goddess, the Mage-Queen ruled for over a thousand years, guiding her kingdom into a time of great advancement.

One day, Celestia found young girl by the name of Sunset Shimmer on the streets of the capital city. Although the child did not look like much, she showed great talent when it came to magic. So the queen decided to take Sunset home, and train her in the ways of magic.

At first, everything was wonderful. Sunset was a brilliant student and talented mage, quickly learning and casting any spell she was taught, and studying the theories behind them. She also idolized the queen, looking up to her and hanging on her every word. As time passed, a darkness began to take the child's heart. She started to desire more and more. Not simply of magic, but also of wealth, and political influence. She had even begun to felt that the queen was holding her back. Intentionally.

One day, Sunset stormed into Mage-Queen Celestia's quarters, and made two demands. One was that she be granted access to all the spell books Celestia had, even the most forbidden. The other was that she be given the titles of High-mage and Princess, along with all the power and authority that went along with it.

Celestia refused, stating that there were spells which Sunset was far from ready for, and that the titles must be earned. The fact that she would barge in on the queen and demand such things was proof in itself that she was not ready for such things. More so since Sunset forgot that with the titles came great responsibilities.

Although that was not the end of things between the pair, it was a giant step in them falling apart. Celestia tried to continue teaching Sunset, but found herself trying to discipline the younger woman more and more, arguing with Sunset, or trying to teach her about morality and compassion, only to be blown off. As for Sunset, she took to sneaking around, finding books hidden in the oldest corners of the libraries, and studying the spells contained, no matter how dangerous or above her level the queen believed them to be.

It all came to a head when, during a lesson, Sunset used one such spell against one of the guards. While no serious injury or anything had occurred, it had been the final straw for the queen. Not only had Sunset used magic she was not ready for, but could have killed someone with it.

So Sunset Shimmer was stripped of her position and banished from the castle. Perhaps time out in the world could teach the young lady things that Celestia could not. As Sunset was dragged from the castle, she swore that Mage-Queen Celestia would regret this decision.

At this point, fact and rumor begin to diverge greatly. According to rumor, Sunset Shimmer set off to visit other kingdoms and the darkest corners of the world, learning the most powerful magics possible, and making deals with monsters for a portion of their power. Some day she would return, an army of horrific creatures at her command, to lay waste to the kingdom and destroy her former mentor. Celestia, however, is not merely waiting for such to happen. Instead, she has taken on a new student, one of breeding and with great power in her own right. Not only is the new student, Twilight Sparkle, being trained in powerful magic to help defend the kingdom, but sent out to seek ancient and powerful artifacts that could protect entire cities with their power. This will allow Twilight to wipe out the monster army, leaving Sunset to stand alone against her and the queen.

The facts, however, were a bit different. During her time as the queen's student, Sunset had discovered a magic mirror, which was a portal to another dimension. While she was being dragged away, Sunset broke free, knocked out the guards, and fled through the mirror. There, she discovered a world filled with magical talking ponies. There, she plotted revenge.

When the opportunity arrived, Sunset slipped through the portal, stealing the magical artifact that Celestia's new student (now an archmage and princess in her own right) had gotten. She brought it back to the pony world, where--

"Let me guess," Rainbow cut in. "You used the magic to try and do something evil in the pony world, like brainwashing everybody, but the other world's Twilight managed to use magic and friends like us to stop you."

Unicorn Sunset Shimmer turned to look at Rainbow Dash, mouth hanging open and eyes wide.

"How did you know?"

"Well, it is very much like what happened to our Sunset Shimmer," Rarity answered. "Although, the roles of the pony world and the human world were interchanged." She rubbed her chin. "And we didn't really have magic prior to her arrival."

The three of them, along with Fluttershy, Twilight, and Applejack, sat in the back of Trixie's van, with Trixie driving, and Pinkie Pie navigating the way to their "super special top secret meeting place" to meet up with The Dazzlings. Although some of them were suspicious, Pinkie assured them that they would not be calling without a good reason. Plus, if they actually had found something to do with Sunset, it would be irresponsible not to at least look into it.

And if it was a trick, they outnumbered the sirens seven to three (not including pony Sunset), with six of them having magic while they had been stripped of their powers. Applejack alone could probably pound the three of them into fish paste.

"WE'RE HERE!"

Pinkie Pie's declaration caused the entire van to jump, Fluttershy letting out a yip, and Rainbow Dash knocking over a box of ("totally legal," according to Trixie) fireworks in the process. Trixie slammed on the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a stop and making Pinkie Pie slam face first into the windshield since she was not wearing her seat belt.

Once they recovered, the side door was opened and the girls all looked out to see where they were. It looked like an old gothic mansion. Only not. Or not like an actual gothic mansion. It was more like an exaggerated concept of a gothic mansion as it would appear in a cheap horror movie or television show. The place was covered in what was clearly vinyl siding, made to look like it was old, rotting wood, with peeling black paint. A wrought iron fence encompassed the yard, with spear points on every other bar. The yard itself was dirt and rocks, with the occasional patch of weeds poking out. Wrought iron spikes also lined the edges of the uppermost roof, about three stories high, and gargoyles sat on the corners of the lower two.

What ruined any illusion of realism, however, was the massive, flashing, neon sign above the front door.

"'Doctor Heebie's House of Jeebies,'" Rarity read aloud. "I was not aware that our town had such a thing."

"I remember this place," Rainbow declared. "Went here when we were like six or seven." She rolled her eyes, letting out a snort. "It was so lame. Not even Fluttershy was scared of anything."

"...I wouldn't go that far..." Fluttershy murmured, looking down at her fingers.

"So, where are we meeting the fish-brains anyways?"

"Applejack!" Rarity chided. "We may not be on good terms with them, but there is no reason to be insulting or rude." She straightened up, running a hand down her skirt to make sure it was smooth and clean. "Especially since they are willing to help us."

Applejack let out a huff, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the side of the van.

"I bet the only reason they're helpin' is to get somethin' out of it themselves."

"You say that like we tried to hide it from you," Adagio stated. The siren now leaned her shoulder against the corner of the van, her own arms crossed as well. Her eyes were narrowed and she had a wicked smirk on her mouth. Her sudden appearance caused a squeak from Fluttershy and a yelp from Twilight, who threw herself against the far wall of the van.

"Hi, Adagio!" Pinkie Pie cried out, pulling herself halfway out of the window and waving one arm as vigorously as she could imagine.

Adagio's smirk failed as she watched the enthusiastic greeting.

"Yeah... hi..."

Applejack straightened up and turned to face Adagio. She placed her hands on her hips, trying to look as large and intimidating as possible. A scowl formed on her face as she glared at the other girl.

"A'right, Adagio. We're here like you told Pinkie Pie. Now, what did ya want to show us, and what do ya want?"

Adagio's smirk returned as she turned her full attention back to Applejack.

"Well, hello there Applejack," she said in the sweetest, most upbeat and friendly voice she could manage. "We're fine. Well... as fine as we can be all things considered. And you? Farm doing well? Family okay?" Her eyes narrowed as she bared her teeth. "How 'bout that there fine-lookin' brother o' yours? He seein' anyone?"

"Hey!" snapped Applejack. "If you touch my brother, I'll--"

"Do nothing," Adagio cut in. "Because any touching between him and me would be completely consensual."

"Adagioooooo!" Sonata whined out.

"We promised not to hit them or anything. You didn't say anything about snide or snark."

"...I'll keep it in mind for next time..."

"Just get on with it already!" Aria yelled. "I'm getting tired of holding this thing."

"Fine," Adagio huffed, rolling her eyes. She cleared her throat and straightened up.

"Sonata tells me that you met this world's Twilight Sparkle."

"Yeah?" Applejack replied. "So?"

"I want to negotiate with her."

"Me?" Twilight asked, poking her head out from the van. "Why me?"

"Because without Sunset Shimmer, you are the closest thing to a representative to Equestria that we have. Since you're pony counterpart is a princess, and we can't ask her directly, you have the best chance of knowing how she will respond to our demands."

Twilight climbed out of the van and stood up, making sure to keep Applejack between her

"Well, I don't think I can really speak for her," she said. "But, if you want to tell me what they are, I'll try my best to make sure she knows."

"It's simple," Adagio stated. "We want to go be allowed to return to Equestria, with amnesty. We give you what we found, and in exchange, we get to go back to Equestria, and have no charges pressed against us for what happened over a thousand years ago." She raised an eyebrow. "So, what do you say?"

Several seconds passed in silence as Twilight stood there, the eyes of her friends and Adagio on her. None pressured her directly, letting her take time to consider what she wanted to say.

"Well," she said slowly, "from what I've gathered about Equestria, they don't really hold a grudge against their criminals. And since it's been a thousand years, there's probably no one still alive who remembers what all you've done." Twilight adjusted her glasses, considering a moment longer. "Although, you probably will still be held accountable for anything you do that is illegal after your return."

"That's fine with me."

"Okay. We'll still have to ask Princess Twilight but--"

"Wait!" Rainbow Dash called out. "Hold on. Twilight might agree to this, but I don't."

"Rainbow!" Twilight cried out.

"Just hear me out."

Rainbow Dash turned to Adagio.

"You want to go back to your world and have your record wiped clean, right?"

"That is what I said, yes."

"And in exchange for all this, you're just going to hand over someone who you say looks like Sunset Shimmer."

"Yeah?" Adagio replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Well I don't think that's good enough!" Rainbow retorted. "We know that there are at least two others we need to get, and I bet that there are more than that." She pointed a finger at Adagio. "I think that if you really want to convince Twilight to let you go back, you should help us find as many as possible."

The air filled with tension as everything went silent. Adagio Dazzle and Rainbow Dash stared at each other a moment, air crackling with energy as they did.

"I think it's a good idea," said Fluttershy.

All eyes were suddenly on her, making her let out a squeak and pull back. She looked down at her feet, taking a deep breath.

"Well...it's just... I mean... It would show that you are serious about going home, and helping us would probably help sway the other Twilight's opinion of you so she's more likely to consider it."

"For fuck sake, Adagio!" Aria shouted. "Either accept the terms or tell them to fuck off! I'm tired of standing around playing prison guard!"

Adagio's eyes narrowed as her lips pursed. Her fingers of drummed quickly against her arm as she let out a small hum.

"ADAGIO!"

"Ugh," Adagio cried out. Turning away from the others, she turned to face Aria and Sonata. "Why do you always have to ruin my dramatic moments?"

"Why do you always have to be such a drama queen?" Aria called back.

"We are performers! Being dramatic is a part of performance! Just like your act of being surly and short-tempered!"

Adagio let out a huff before turning back to Twilight.

"Fine. We help you find some other Sunsets, and in return, you help convince pony Twilight to let us return to Equestria with a clean record. Deal?"

Twilight gave a shrug before saying, "That sounds acceptable."

"Great. ARIA! Sonata! Bring her out!"

The two came out of their hiding spot, siren Sunset Shimmer between them. The siren that looked like their good friend was gagged, with her hands tied behind her back. As she came into view, her eyes narrowed to glare at the group of girls in front of her.

"Excuse me," Rarity spoke up. "Am I to understand that you just carry a ball-gag with you?"

"It was in the back of the Jeep," Adagio answered. "Besides, we had to gag her somehow." Her eyebrow quirked up. "Or would you rather try and deal with her using her powers to try and stop you from keeping her prisoner?"

"Pretty sure it wouldn't affect us," Applejack stated. "Just like your magic didn't work on us when you had it."

"Perhaps," Adagio conceded, "but it would still affect others. Which means at best, you would have to try to explain what you're doing, and at worst, fight off a bunch of mind-controlled people who will do anything in their power to save her."

Applejack let out a grumble, but couldn't really argue.

"So, what next?" Fluttershy asked.

"Adagio, darling," Rairty said. "You said that you have a car?"

"I have a car," Aria cut in. "Specifically, a Jeep." She turned to Adagio and smirked. "Of the three of us, I was the only one smart enough to actually get one prior to losing our powers."

"Okay," Rarity acknowledged. "Well, with The Dazzlings, we now have ten people and two cars. As such, perhaps we should split into two groups. One goes with Twilight to Crystal Prep, while the other goes to Principal Celestia's."

"Wait," Twilight spoke up. "We also need to get Sunset's journal."

"Oh!" Pinkie cried out. "You mean the journal Sunset Shimmer uses to write to Princess Twilight with, right?"

"Right," Twilight confirmed.

"Twilight," Applejack said, "should't we find Sunset Shimmer first before we talk to her?"

"But see, that's just it. I've been thinking that the princess could help us. If she can't come across to actually search, she might have been through something similar or be able to research something like it that had happened in their dimension."

The girls went quiet as they considered that. Equestria had much more experience with magic, lifetimes of it as opposed to it being a recent development on this side of the mirror. Plus, a lot of the magic problems was somehow tied to Equestria. The Dazzlings and The Memory Stone were the most direct examples of that, having come from that dimension directly. Although, "being dumped" would be a more accurate description since they were basically tossed there by ponies to keep Equestria safe, not even thinking about the possible consequences for where it ended up.

"Normally she carried it with her," Twilight continued, "but she didn't have her backpack with her during the magic show. So, it's either at school in her locker, or at her apartment."

"I can go get it," Rainbow Dash offered. She then smirked. "And hey, with my necklace, I can run to the school faster than a car."

"Okay. So, you can go to the school and look for the book, then let us know if you found it or not. The rest of us can split up to go to Crystal Prep and Principal's Celestia.

"...Now... who goes with whom?"

Comments

[Comickook]

VERY good work on this latest chapter. The exchanges, humor, characterizations and future chapter set-up are all quite well done in all the right places.

I particularly liked "Pony" Sunset's inverted backstory as well as Dazzlings trying to strike a deal to return to Equestria (wouldn't THEY be surprised to know the Pillars have ALSO recently returned? [:-D]) AND Sci-Twi's point concerning how her Equestrian counterpart has considerably more experience on dealing with magic.

Anyway, I'll most definitely be looking forward to more of this.

[aceina]

so what is the back story of siren sunset

[shy sad jaded shard]

9003291
I too would like to know I have read two stories where she becomes a siren but this one seems to be born one

[Hopeful_Ink_Hoof]

9003291
9492598
Well, it's open to interpretation. If someone wanted to write their own version of Siren Sunset Shimmer's story based on this, they could, and it would be up to them.

As it is until then: get rid of Aria and Sonata, put Sunset in Adagio's place, and replace Starswirl with Twilight (or the pillars with The Elements depending on which version you go by).

[Ocean Waves]

Okay, so we've got Ponyset, Sirenset, Sci-Set, and Daughterset.

Whelp, time to see where this goes.

[MelodiousCreschendo]

What about Demonset?