Shining Together

by Bookish Delight

28: Meeting of the Minds

"I want to do better," Starlight whispered. "That's all I've wanted to do, ever since Princess Twilight gave me the chance to see Equestria with new and fresh eyes. And I thought I was doing better! But then that whole... thing happened, and all of my old fears just came rushing back. I'm back to not knowing what to do. Who I should be. And if I should even keep trying."

Starlight lowered her head and closed her eyes, realizing that she'd surprised even herself with her statements. At this point, she lamented, she'd never be a 'good' pony. Whatever that was. She'd be lucky if she could serve as a cautionary tale for Equestria at large.

She felt drops on her knees. Oh. There they were. She wondered when those would show up.

Her eyes reflexively opened upon feeling Sunset holding her hands, but her vision was too watery to make anything out. However, she soon felt a soft handkerchief wiping her eyes, and her vision cleared to see Sunset wearing a tender, tranquil expression.

"I think we've made a lot of progress today," Sunset said.

Starlight tittered despite herself. "That's my line. And I'm not sure if I'm qualified to say it tonight."

"That's because tonight, I was doing the listening. And after finally hearing your story, I'm actually sure enough of one thing for the both of us."

"Really?" Starlight asked. "What's that?"

Sunset got up off the couch, and held her hand out to Starlight. "Come with me."

===

Starlight had never been atop a roof before. Certainly not one this high, anyway. Sometimes she'd be called on to fix leaky roofs after the odd storm over her old town, but they were a far cry from something like this.

She could see everyone, everything, and they were all so small, but still detailed and distinct. They were still people. Oh, and cars. Those large, strange mysterious things that were still boring compared to Sunset's bike. The sky stretched out forever. She could see the evening countryside in the distance, see the streetlamp-dotted city below, smell both from where she stood along with the faint smell of diner food and tea.

Honestly. Pegasi had all the luck sometimes, being able to hover high up anywhere they wanted, without having to devote tons of mental and magical concentration to the task like she did if she wanted to even levitate.

Sunset had led Starlight up to the roof of Zecora's building, holding her hand the entire way—which was good, because even now, a couple of days removed from her scary lucid dream, Starlight still wasn't sure how much of a grasp she held on reality. But looking over the roof's view now... this was the first time she saw that as something approaching a good thing.

Sunset turned to her. "Twilight and I have been working on all of our Harmonic Geodes—analyzing their natures, exploring their possible connection to Equestria, and testing the limits of the powers they grant us. She came up with some exercises for me to try out and... well, I've been practicing. I want to see if something will work, though." Sunset took a deep breath, exhaled, then unclasped her pendant from her neck and placed it in her hand. "Hold my hand again."

Starlight looked down at the orange, shining-sun-embossed pendant. "Just... hold it? While touching the stone?"

Sunset nodded. "It's safe. Worst that happens is... nothing, and I have to do a big speech. But if you can see this in person, feel what's happening, I think it'll help a whole lot more."

"All right, then." Starlight clasped Sunset's hand, and at the same time, Sunset closed her eyes.

And in moments, the world Starlight stood in was no longer her own.

===

Starlight floated in space, in a haze, until things cleared up just enough for her to see that she was no longer on Zecora's rooftop.

She was, however, still on a rooftop. She saw that Sunset was, too. "Sunset?" she asked, before noticing that the entire world was off-color. Briefly, a pang of fear hit her. Was she having the same vision she'd had days ago?

"Sunset!" she said again.

Sunset didn't answer. She also looked... different. Much different. A much brighter outfit. Bouncier hair that swayed in the light breeze. Starlight looked around herself, finally noticing a flagged tower that she vaguely recognized as belonging to Canterlot High School.

These must be Sunset's memories.

She studied Sunset, who had a different look on her face too. Different looks. A new one every moment, constantly switching as she moved around.

Fear and exhilaration.

Sunset walked along the roof, jogging at points, singing at the top of her lungs at the dawn of the morning—oh, it was dawn. Starlight wished she had that amount of courage.

Wonder and sadness.

Starlight could hear the lyrics, now that she was actively listening out for them. About who Sunset had been, who she was trying to be, what she was going through now. How she felt about herself and the world.

Regret and curiosity.

But what if she pushed forward anyway? What if she did admit her past, but refused to wallow in it? What if she refused to make her past her every day?

Determination.

And naught else.

To live with the fear. To love herself anyway. Starlight was beginning to feel... was it possible to be intimidated by a memory?

She saw tufts of magic swirl around Sunset as she made her decision, smiling through the sadness, enjoying the rush of magical affirmation, however temporary it might prove to be in the future, along with improvised, burning wings, signifying the princess Sunset had always wanted to be...

Only now of a different sort.

Starlight was sure of it now. She envied Sunset Shimmer as much as she respected her. Every single facet of her. She was strong, strong enough to face the danger, to dance through it, even.

But all I can do is run away from myself.

Comments

[superfun]

The feels were strong with this chapter

[FanOfMostEverything]

Then it's a good thing you ran into a condiment-colored roadblock, isn't it, Starlight?

[Herald of Opera]

But all I can do is run away from myself.

Nope, you discovered the same thing everyone discovers when they try to do that: no matter where you go, there you are.

Also, dance through the danger, huh? I see what you did there.

[CapNTilfy]

This was beautiful.

[Lurks-no-More]

Oooh. You clever author, you! That's a nice use of Sunset's song short there.

[BenRG]

The deepest secret that I believe Sunset Shimmer keeps. Something that was born that nightmarish afternoon when the Friendship Games came to their near-cataclysmic end, For a long time, people have called that person Daydream Shimmer but I have my own name for her:

Sunset Shimmer - Princess of Friendship of the World Beyond the Mirror.