Twilight Sparkle spent most of her life alone. Where others had pictures of friends or family, she hung academic certificates and awards. She wasn't unhappy. She had everything to look forward to and a path to what really mattered in life - tenure.
Sunset Shimmer knocked her life off the rails. She didn't expect to care about anyone else. She never put 'fall in love' on her checklists. It was a surprise, but a welcome one. Hand in hand, they started on a path without knowing where it would lead.
It led here, far off in the brush, the path she'd originally walked only occasionally visible ahead, taunting her with what could have been.
An entry for the third Sunset Shipping Contest.
Thank you to all my Patreons and commissioners for supporting me!
Very nice.
So lovely!
I can't not shelve a story with a picture that delightfully geeky.
It's almost enough to give my Broken Symmetry a run for its bits.
I wouldn't mind seeing one or more sequels to this story following the further adventures of Sunset in Equestria.
FINALLY SOMEONE GETS THIS RIGHT
THANK YOU
I appreciate this story
Let me guess, the magical version of e, Euler's Number.
Okay, this was a good one!
Props for the realistic difficulties involved in dating an interdimensional alien who's actually ten years older than you, and a unicorn to boot. I hope Sci-Twi and Sunset can sort out their feelings and differences, in due time!
Poor SciTwi. It sucks being out of your depth, especially when you feel like you can't measure up to someone else. While I hope they work things out, the last few paragraphs makes me think that it won't and Sunny's going to end up an alicorn and with Princess Twi.
I really liked the conflict in this one, and how it's both relatable and unique to their relationship. The adventure and "romance" parts were well-balanced and fed nicely into one another, and the resolution is nice, though it does feel a tad abrupt. And the dialogue and quips and science were top-notch, so that's great.
Also, I ship SciTwi with Dahlia now, wtf.
"I offered to help."
"Months later!"
(And it's not like Oiler's number plugged in neatly when Sunset first researched her friends' magic. Different universes may present at least slightly different conditions.)
I do love the idea that Sci-Twi experimented with unstable nuclei at a tender, young age.
I don't plan on reading many entries in this contest. I like happy endings too much. But I'm glad I read this one. There's still some hope down the line for my favorite couple, in multiple senses... though I suppose some of that may be wishful thinking on my part given the prompt. Still, thank you for this and best of luck in the judging.
9808168
I think part of the confusion and contradictions in fanfic is that "Daisy," can actually refer to several types of flower that aren't that closely related. Depending on what you look up and how you can get results saying they're poisonous and inedible and others saying they're nice in a salad.
To be honest, I don't understand the issue. So, SciTwi is upset she's no longer be all end all science, intelligence and general-purpose hope for humanity amongst her friends? Well, tough cookie I suppose but there's a multitude of issues here.
First, you're trying to build a brand-new scientific theory from scratch. Despite having access to an educated member of a species that mastered this field. You never asked for help, and despite that in the span of mere months you not only got most of the things right, but also formed a strong framework, an excellent baseline from which the aforementioned species begins their education on the matter.
Now, SciTwi is supposed to be a scientist. Learned or at least aware of the procedures and methodologies of scientific work. By these standards, with the tools she chose and the start she had in the time she spent, the amount of her progress is ABSOLUTELY INSANE. And the only reason she didn't do more was her own daftness of not asking one of her many, many interdimensional contacts 'Would you kindly plexy plox bring me a middle school-tier primer on the basis of magic?' And she has the audacity to be UPSET by the outcome?! What the hell honestly!!
Second. You'd think SciTwi, so focused on personal growth and progress, would know the simple truth: your very best can be someone's 'lazy day off' through no fault of your own or theirs. And the BEST thing you can do to make progress is stick to your betters and observe/learn/try to understand them. Or just - be there and be supportive. Because odds are, THEIR 'best effort' is your 'no effort at all' as well. Both parties can learn and grow, and the absolute worst kind of idea would be - to get prissy, get jelly, get upset and get out.
All the actors except SciTwi feel perfectly in-character. Sci-Twi feels like a soulless constructt, shoe-horned into the story because the story has to have a conflict point. The exact same issue was in the author's old Lunestia fic, with pony Twilight. Casual disregard for everything the character stood for destroyed an otherwise very solid work. Here, it's less jarring, but unfortunate all the same.
If you remove her from the picture though, the story is excellent. You have to appreciate a 10k word read that's not a part of some awful 'verse, with 2.5m words of reading required just as a step one.
9810012
I guess Cinch rubbed off on Sci-Twi more than we expected.
I found this to be one of the more interesting interactions between Sci-twi and Sunset as far being a couple goes. Most stories that do ship them in fact make it too easy. Maybe some early social awkwardness at first then fairy tale lives. Truth is, relationships are hard. Two friends can wear on each other in ways you would not imagine or anticipate.
Mechanically speaking I thought you handled the characters well and while Twilight did come off as being a bit more short on patience than usually portrayed her preexisting frustrations justify it (even if they were mostly her own doing).
Most important takeaway is if you date a friend, even if you become more, you need to remember why you became friends to begin with. It helps in those bumpy times.
Three point six, it’s not great but it’s not terrible...
Wow, Wowwie wow wow. How you so good at this?
I have never felt so sorry for a character in a single line.
I'm confused by the ending. Is it alluding to an alternate reality? Suggesting that Sunset and pony-Twilight will get together?
Wow. So much I love here, but especially... this is really good and really sad and I completely understand how Sci-Twi feels. You may be able to do things with atoms and circuits that would blow the Princess’s mind... but that’s not what you’re dealing with today.
Sunset will be an Alicorn. And there was no mention of sci-twi. Ouch :( She’d better become someone amazing on the other side, magical or not.
But the sad bits aside? I loved the adventure and how it progressed naturally and the nature of the problem. And I’m so happy they’ll be/stay friends again even if it’s hard.
And everyone reacting to swapping the coffee like some dire poisoning incident XD
9808978
Wait hang on
... Cherenkov radiation is emitted by pool-type nuclear reactors. It's a blue glow that acts like a sound wave, emitted by charged particles traveling faster than the speed of light in the given medium.
9965009
Correct! The glow is essentially an optical 'sonic boom'!
Also, while water is a wonderful shield against radiation, and you could swim at the top of most reactor pools without getting a significant dose of radiation, diving is a no-no. Also it's probably against OSHA regulations.
9965042
You can actually get pretty close to the rods without radiation poisoning. Because uh, that's what the water is actually there for, to slow down emitted particles enough that the uranium in the other rods can actually capture them and decay, which gradually heats the whole system. Water is a very good insulator and doesn't take radiation very well.
Also you'd end up getting lead poisoning before you took a single sievert.
You also receive a lower radiation dose inside a reactor complex than you do outside! Because they're shielded from stellar radiation.
I kept reading this as Black Dahlia, and immediately my brain wasn't sure how many levels of OUCH this story would get to.
9873557
Yeah, I found it confusing too.
AHHHHHHHHHH YESSSSSSSSSSS
Wait damn this is marked as complete, great job loved it though.
"How about we adjourn to my quarters and I show how rigorous my work really is."
You joke, but I recall reading about this mathematician who retired to live on Bermuda and almost got himself lynched when people thought that his equations were part of a Satanic ritual.
Always knew that Sunset and Human Twilight aren't meant to be (kind of) . Sunset's purpose is her Cutie mark which is Magic, it's her nature, her calling. Sci-Twi loves research, technology and nerdy stuffs so she belongs in the human world given her characteristics and attitude. Not saying that I don't like the ship but these are just my headcanons.
Don't get me wrong I love every SunLight fic but my main point is that Sunset will return to Equestria still visiting her human friends while they each pursue their own dreams.
Seems kinda sad but it is reasonable, Sunset Shimmer, the former student of Celestia, the so-called prodigy, a powerful sorceress. She is meant to be on Equestria where she could belong with everypony and do what she was destined for, which is pursuing magic
Anyways it's not like Hasbro would prove me wrong by making a new episode or movie of Equestria Girls, pppshhhhhhh
(Hasbro, do it, I dare you)