1. With Love, the Royal Family
Sunset Shimmer caught a letter out of the air after it appeared in a swirling burst of green flame. The purple envelope steamed between her fingers, still hot to the touch. She’d grabbed it on instinct, but it took seeing her name written in cursive and a pink wax seal of Princess Twilight’s cutie mark to register what she had in her hands.
Then the fire alarm went off and Sunset swore in Equestrian.
Shoving the letter into the breast-pocket of her leather jacket like it was evidence she’d pulled the fire alarm, Sunset followed the rest of her chemistry class as they flowed out into the hall.
Maybe her chem teacher hadn’t seen? He could be a pretty distracted guy. Dr. Whooves ushered his students out, bellowing after them, “There, you see? The calm and orderly movement of students from a classroom is akin to the diffusion of a substance poured into a beaker! Spread out evenly to fill your new environment, children! You’ll feel like chemicals!”
The one person Sunset could depend on to be appropriately freaked out by weird magical occurrences fell in step with her. Of course, it helped that Twilight was her lab partner for chemistry and, more importantly, her girlfriend. “What on earth was that? You’re getting mail by fire now?”
Sunset didn’t have to keep her voice down with the bell drilling into their ears and the talkative students flooding the halls from every door, but she still didn’t love throwing the word fire around where the evacuating student body could overhear.
Still, her eyes locked onto her girlfriend’s. “I think it’s from Princess Twilight. But, I don’t know why she wouldn’t just message me using the journal or how she would’ve done that in the first place! It looked like... dragon fire—” Smelt like it, too. The few run-ins she and Princess Celestia had with visitors of the scaly kind left the royal draperies stinking of ash and cinders no matter what material burned. “—but I’ve never heard of dragons who can replace the postal system.”
Rainbow Dash caught up with them first as they made their way down the main stairs. She slid down the banister and all but danced down the two remaining steps before pumping her fist. “Haha! Yeah, baby! This is so sweet! No more algebra test! And I didn’t even have to pull the fire alarm this time!”
Twilight gaped at her. “Did you really just say those words? Out loud? And mean them?!”
Pinkie Pie bounded over from the school’s kitchen with a backpack overflowing with rescued baked goods. She hugged Twilight from the side, who was checking her own pulse by her smartwatch to test for cardiac arrest. “N’aww, don’t be too hard on her, Twi. I’ve set off the alarm oodles of times!”
Sunset smirked. “Yep. And that’s how we learned you probably should open a window when you fire a cannon. One of my personal favourite friendship lessons.”
Fluttershy tailed the group, ‘excuse me’ing her way to her friends. She wasn’t making much headway, so Pinkie Pie grabbed her by the hand and pulled her towards them. Fluttershy shared a smile with her. “Oh! Thank you! I was really worried when I heard the alarm go off. Is it crazy that I thought it might be a villain with evil magic?”
Sunset felt her friends’ eyes dogpile onto her. She was used to that whenever the subject came up (even if the magic scholar in her still took issue with the phrase ‘evil magic’). Since losing the fight with King Sombra, she could sense more than just looks waiting for marching orders. They needed security. They needed normalcy.
And not that Sunset thought of herself as the leader or had any right to, but they could use one of those, too.
That was one of the countless reasons she was glad to have Twilight around. Okay, sure, maybe Twilight didn’t think of herself as someone ready to step in and be the group’s de facto leader, but Sunset knew she could. Even apart from her princess counterpart!
She was humble, caring, a great listener, and a certifiable genius (as an added bonus, Sunset had recently found out she was a good kisser to boot). When it came down to it, Twilight was stronger than most anyone Sunset had ever met. It made Sunset a little sad to think Twilight couldn’t see the greatness in herself, but that was getting better, and Sunset firmly believed it was only a matter of time before Twilight figured it out. The girl was smart that way.
Sunset held up her hands. “I’ve got it on good authority that whatever magic it was that caused this wasn’t evil.”
They followed the flow of traffic out onto the front steps of Canterlot High and into the chilled courtyard not quite ready for snow. Pinkie Pie shimmied in place. “Ooo-hoo-hoo-hooo! My party senses are tingling big time! And this one is gonna be a doozy!”
"Party senses?" Sunset mumbled. “Pinkie, this is an evacuation.”
Pinkie laughed like Sunset told a great joke, patting her on the shoulder. “Silly Sunset. Anything’s a party if you believe hard enough.”
“Doesn’t seem like everyone else is ready for a party,” Twilight muttered.
Following her girlfriend’s gaze, Sunset saw the other students of CHS gathering outside the school together but looking pretty on edge for a bunch of students who just got out of class.
Seniors and freshmen alike tossed around theories. Walking through the student body, Sunset could swear she heard Octavia ask Vinyl Scratch, “You don’t think this has anything to do with the crack in the sky, do you?”
Sunset cast a look over her shoulder, her eyes snagging on the so-called crack in the daytime sky. In truth: it was a rip in space-time. Leftovers from a fight she and the girls had lost. Badly. More than that, a reminder that the danger that caused all this, a King Sombra with unknown dimensional origins, was still out there somewhere.
Sunset just hoped they’d be ready and tried her best not to think about it.
Up ahead by the base of the broken horse statue, Applejack emerged from the crowd holding Rarity bridal-style. Applejack looked at her, miffed. “I don’t think this is how firemen are supposed to carry out civilians, Rarity. I could sling ya over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes if you want me to be more accurate.”
“No, no, darling dearest, I’m quite certain this is exactly how it’s done,” Rarity informed her, arms draped around Applejack’s broad shoulders and stealing her stetson for her own. As soon as she noticed their other friends, Rarity brightened. “Oh how marvellous! We’ve all survived the fire unscathed! What a relief. You know, with our luck, I would have expected some—” She twirled her wrist as if wielding a wand. “—utterly ridiculous magic to implicate us in all this.”
“Uh, actually…?” Sunset offered a guilty grin. The letter felt toasty against her chest as the fire alarm rang and unnerved to outright panicked students vacated the school behind her. Bulk Biceps sounded girlishly terrified.
Rarity’s carefully shadowed eyelids fell to a humourless height. “Assorted magical brouhaha?”
“Of sorts, yes.” Twilight shrugged next to Sunset. “But in Sunset’s defense, this time wasn’t her fault: it happened to her. My theory on our increasing trouble-magnetism is proving exceptionally true.” While she thought it was beyond sweet for Twilight to speak up for her, Sunset couldn’t help thinking that if there was any law of ‘trouble-magnetism’ in effect, it had to be attracted to the magical unicorn from another dimension here. Twilight went on, adding, “Although, at least this time we didn’t blow up a significant portion of the school, so… hooray?”
“For you girls, I call that a win.” Flash Sentry shuffled forward through the crowd, holding his phone up like a life-preserver. These days, Sunset hadn’t seen Flash without it—even now he paused to text someone and poorly conceal a big, dumb smile. He seemed to remember he was in the presence of the girls and blushed. “Uh, sorry. Timber woke up with his bed in the lake again and Gloriosa won’t admit she’s doing it. I also told Timber about the fire alarm. He wants to know if you’re all okay.”
Sunset chuckled, crossing her arms. Tempted as she was to tease him, she rooted for that kid too much to damage that smile when he looked this happy. She could always tease him later. “You can tell your boyfriend we’re fine. There wasn’t much fire. Weirdly enough, I think it was a message from the Princess.”
Double-checking the perimeter for principals or teachers, Sunset took the letter from within her jacket. The envelope cooled completely, but a fire of curiosity still burned inside her, trying to work out why Twilight would ever be so... formal. Even their student-teacher correspondence in the journal had only ever been nothing but friendly.
Sunset broke the wax seal with her pocket-knife and found a folded scroll waiting inside. Royal white parchment paper, embossed with a golden T at the letterhead. Sunset’s eyebrows raised further and further the more ornate details she noticed. “‘Dear Sunset Shimmer and friends.’”
She shot a smirk to the girls and read on. “‘I hope this invitation finds you all in good spirits. Because you have made an invaluable difference in my life, by your friendship and love, it is my honour to personally request your company at my upcoming coronation as I prepare to succeed Princess Luna and Princess Celestia.” Sunset’s breath hitched, the words stumbling, rushing from her mouth. “From the desk of the royal family, your friend, Twilight Sparkle.’”
As the word coronation left her mouth, a pregnant pause overcame her friends. Looks exchanged, lights brightened in their eyes. By the time Sunset finished her sentence, her friends all but erupted into cheers around her.
Their laughs and excited babbling drew the attention of the other students, but none of them seemed to care. Or even notice. Applejack spun Rarity around before finally letting her down (and taking her hat back). Chortling, Pinkie Pie pounced on a whooping Rainbow Dash, who was already holding Fluttershy in a rocking, tearful hug.
Twilight laughed more at her overexcited friends than anything, sharing an amused look with a shrugging Flash Sentry. Then she looked toward Sunset and her smile dimmed. “Sunset?”
Sunset Shimmer stared ahead. Her head was so light that the heaviest part of it was the cold sweat at the nape of her neck. She tore her eyes back down and tried to reread the letter, but the calligraphy blurred, danced, and darkened. Sunset didn’t so much feel her eyes rolling towards the back of her head as she did waking back up with Flash and Twilight, bracing her biceps as they caught her before she could fall back into the portal, fainting all the way to Equestria.
Sweet Celestia.
Twilight was at her left. “Sunset? Sunny, are you okay?”
Flash shot a bewildered look over Sunset’s head. “Sunset lets you give her pet-names?”
Twilight didn’t really answer, helping Sunset back to her feet. The rest of their friends had crowded around her at some point; Rarity patted Sunset’s cheek twice, as if to correct the colour. “Good heavens! Are you all right, dear?”
Fluttershy dug around in her backpack. “I have smelling salt here somewhere if she needs it. Sunset Shimmer? Can you speak to us?”
“... yeah,” she said, sounding weak and pathetic even to her own ears. Sunset shook her head and pushed past her crowding friends—mostly just to get air. Celestia love ‘em, sometimes she thought the best friendship lesson her friends could learn was the concept of personal space.
Giving the invitation another glance, conflicting emotions battled for supremacy. That in and of itself deeply disturbed her. Sunset should’ve been happy. She should’ve been irrefutably, indubitably thrilled. She retreaded the words again as if that might jumpstart the joy. And Sunset was happy, wasn’t she?
She thought about how much Princess Twilight deserved this. How long her friend had worked and strived and earned this. How Twilight was the measure of a mare most ponies would be lucky to ever reach and how much Sunset admired her for it.
But I’m not just happy for her, she thought, which was why the emotion that won out over all others was fear. Princess Celestia decided she was worthy...
Sunset blushed a mortifying red at the thought that her friends saw her react that way. Turning back toward them, she put on a smile that she was scared didn’t entirely belong to her. “Sorry. I’m okay, it’s just, well not shocking, I mean, who didn’t see this coming a mile away? But still! It’s big news, right? This is so... cool!”
This is so cool, she repeated. This is cool, and I’m really, really happy for her.
While she could see some of her more perceptive friends picking up on the small shake to her voice—so cool so cool so cool so—Rainbow Dash barked a hack of a laugh. “Ha! Big news? Try biggest news ever!”
“Yeah!” Sunset agreed gratefully, nodding. Cool news! Tamping down every emotion she didn’t like with a drill-press, she took the opportunity to lay an arm around Pinkie Pie’s shoulder. “And where there’s a coronation…?”
“There’s a coronation party!” Pinkie finished, practically trembling at the suggestion. She smushed up her own cheeks. “Oh my gosh! I’ve so wanted to see how you ponies party it up, and now we’re going to the party of the century!? Ahh! So! Amazetacular!”
Sunset found her laugh again thanks to Pinkie Pie, which was far from the first time she could say that. “Who needs high school parties when we’ve got a queen’s coronation, am I right?”
That got Rarity clutching at her collarbone, or rather, the lack of pearls thereby. “Goodness gracious,” she spoke as if seeing her own death before her, “you’re both absolutely right! We… we need gowns! We need accessories! We need haute couture!”
Applejack gave her a strange look. “I still ain’t entirely convinced you didn’t learn those words to sound fancy.”
“It’s Prench,” Twilight offered. “In reference to a style of high end fashion originating in Mareris.”
Applejack nodded. “You know that and I know that, but the real question is does Rarity know more Prench than just enough to sound like she knows Prench.”
Shrugging, Rarity offered her a smile. “I prefer to keep the mystery alive.”
“Whoa… a queen, huh? Wow. I guess it was only a matter of time.” As Flash Sentry’s shoulders slumped, he rubbed one of them. He turned his gaze to Sunset. “So, when you said the letter was addressed to ‘Sunset and friends,’ do you think maybe…? You know, that you girls get plus-ones? Uh, totally platonic plus-ones?”
Maybe it was bad, but Sunset was glad for the distraction from her own insecurities. Her smile quirked up. “You really think Princess Twilight wouldn’t include you? Dude. Obviously she means all her friends on this side of the mirror. That’s you, too, Sentry. You get a plus-one.”
The delirious laugh that came out of Rarity startled Fluttershy. “Gowns and suits! For a coronation!”
Sunset crossed her arms over her unruly, defiant chest, a smile on her face. She gripped her arms a little too tight, listening to her friends babble on about what they would do to prepare for Twilight’s ascension to the throne. I’m happy, not jealous. I’m happy, not jealous. I love Princess Twilight, she’s one of my best friends! She deserves this so much more than I ever did or ever will.
So why did that feel like a cigarette twisting on her skin?
Stop it! Stop feeling sorry for yourself when you should be happy for her! For the whole ‘royal family!’ Sunset scolded, grinding the teeth in her smile. An unsettling shiver, like a spectre passing through her, came with the thought: Holy Celestia... I thought I was a better friend than this.
Sunset dug her hands into her pockets and leaned against the cold brick at her back. She was surprised her friends let her wander off on her own after nearly fainting, but to their credit, Sunset did everything in her power to look steady. She hoped in all that time learning to be genuine and true she hadn’t lost her skills in the art of deception.
Not that she needed another reason to feel like her old self. The sunny sky above sent swelters through her heart remembering the way Princess Celestia used to let a very young Sunset sit out on the balcony and pretend she’d raised the sun all by herself, like a big filly. Watching clouds slide into the tear in the sky now, still hanging over the school as if to remind of all the damage she could cause (and had caused), Sunset felt like her stomach was crumbling in on itself with the force it took to keep from tearing up.
Instead, she took out her magical journal from her backpack and skimmed through all of the messages there. Lesson after lesson, letter after letter, until she got to what Princess Twilight had written in response to her when Sunset’s friends had all forgotten her thanks to the memory stone: Of course we’re friends!
Exhaling a shaky sigh, Sunset hugged the journal tight to her chest.
When Flash Sentry and Twilight came around the corner, Sunset made an attempt at a laugh. “Not my most convincing performance back there, huh?”
Flash smiled the same way he usually did: warmly, but also like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to or not. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. For someone who just passed out, that was a pretty good impression of someone keeping it together.”
Sunset groaned. Flash seemed genuinely surprised because, of course, he thought that was a genuine compliment.
Regardless, Sunset wasn’t surprised in the least that Twilight picked up on it; Sunset’s girlfriend could read her better than anyone in the multiverse. Occasionally something would get lost or bungled in translation, sure, but for the most part Twilight was getting better and better at noticing details most didn’t. She’d make the perfect leader and didn’t even realize it. Sunset thought it would be adorable if it wasn’t a little tragic.
Twilight crossed her arms, but not impatiently. More so to hold herself up. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Sunset shook her head. “What’s there to talk about?”
Flash clapped his hand on her shoulder. “Hey. You don’t have to hide anything with us.”
In a better headspace, Sunset might’ve noticed the glow around his hand before the blast. But she didn’t see it coming whatsoever, which made it all the more disorienting when her own geode reacted, as if supercharged.
Quite literally.
A swarm of a thousand thoughts and a hundred different feelings paralyzed her in place. Lyra’s unwavering crush on Bon Bon. Bulk’s deep insecurity. Principal Celestia’s almost maternal love for her students. All of it came crashing into her at once with so many thoughts. The sound in her head was undecipherable, with absolutely everyone talking at once.
Sunset clutched her hands over her ears, like that would help the overstimulation. She opened her eyes to see Flash’s hand still on her shoulder. His eyes were frozen owlishly wide, staring directly at her. She tore herself away from him, reeling back, and without the calamity of a whole school’s thoughts and feelings crashing down on her, the quiet of the empty street at midday settled in.
Twilight clutched at her chest, shaking her head. “Oh, Sunset… is that really how you feel?”
Her stomach dropped through a trap-door. Looking from Twilight to Flash, Sunset could see their concern for her had skyrocketed, nearly high enough to reach the crack in the sky through the clouds. They saw right through her. The sheer aghast horror in their expressions couldn’t just be from seeing her use her magic, and if Sunset felt the entire school’s emotions and thoughts…
Sunset panted, backing away. “What was that?! Flash, what did you just do?”
Waving his hands, Flash backed closer to Twilight, nearly tripping backward over his own sneakers. “I-I only wanted to help! I wanted to understand… I didn’t know I’d… I didn’t know I could…”
Twilight gave Sunset a soft look, as if to forecast a conversation they needed to have ahead, but turned to Flash with a smile. “Well… congratulations, Flash. Your superpower isn’t just holding Timber’s hand.”
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You know, I (disappointingly) hadn't even considered how seeing Twilight take the throne would bring up those emotions from Sunset. She's got some angst coming on this one for sure.
Also - awesome unexpected sequel! Surprises like this are great.
It's here! Huzzah!
And so, we're off to the races. Sunny's still dealing with her insecurities, Flash's powers seem to be an amplifier, Princess Twilight's impeccable timing with dragonfire mail. I'm really looking forward to where this goes.
From what I gather, Twilight and Flash got a dose of what Sunset was feeling due to proximity. I hope Twi's going to spend some time giving her girl some extra affection to help her feel better. I have a feeling Sunny's going to need it.
Interesting start, I'll keep watching where it goes.
oh my god, okay, first of all, love the art!! Bevin did such a good job! second, i loved this chapter. i can definitely understand all that Sunset's going through, especially the parts where she forces herself to be 100% happy with things going on when she's not. and so far with Flash, my theory right now is that he somehow amplifies (??) the girls' power (basically agreeing with The Voice in the Water) and that's so cool. but even if it's not that, i'm excited to see what comes out of this!
Been looking forward to this for a while and its off to a fantastic start. The artwork is also fantastic.
Well this is interesting. Also, really like the artwork. Is it your or did someone else draw it?
I will definitely follow this! It reads great and the art is awesome.
"(vulgar horse noises)!"
Oh, Sunset. Burying your feelings don't make them any less real. It just twists them up something awful. This won't end well...
Oh, good, people are calling her out on that.
The irony is palpable.
And Flash is a supercharger. Makes sense to me. He always strives to be helpful. and in Timber's case, it was a case of enhancing the faintest spark of magic into something visible... presumably. I could be making some invalid assumptions there...
In any case, Sunset's issues have been laid bare. What her friends do with that information remains to be seen, to say nothing of what else may come from the interplanar fissure. Eagerly looking forward to more, especially since I've seen the art going up on Derpibooru for weeks now.
You’ve got my attention. This will be interesting.
This looks really good!
I'm sorta waiting to see how that image for the cover fits with the story...That's what I'm waiting for.
That was great!! Definitely tracking this one
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Bevin Brand is the kickass artist behind all the rad art in this story! She used to be a storyboard revisionist for Equestria Girls back when it was still in production. We're best buds, so this collab is 1000% out of passion and the joy of working together.
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"art by bevin brand" right there on the cover...
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Its "right there on the cover" if you expand the info page. But thanx for taking time out of your day for snarky come back. Hope it made you feel special.
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Thanx!
Good first chapter!! :D I'm intrigued ^^ I really would like to do a reading of this someday O:
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Wow, oh my gosh, thank you so much!!! It's entirely up to your interest (and schedule) as the story progresses 💯
If you ever feel you want to give it a try, you know where to find me! ^^
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Only reason I thought about is because when I saw the MLP finale, I was hoping beyond hope that they'd sneak Sunset in even just in the background of Princess Twi's coronation. Just somewhere. Wishful thinking on my part, for sure, and I wasn't disappointed she didn't make a cameo, but well, fanfiction is a wish your heart makes 😉
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Hahaha, I think Sunset hopes that, too
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HAHAHA! This single the best interpretation of that line. One of my friends who preread for me had this very thoughtful explanation that using the phrase "swears in Equestrian" makes it sound like Equestrian is a whole other language than (presumably) English, and how it raises all these questions about Sunset's linguistic abilities. Meanwhile I'm here all basic thinking it's something along the lines of "Ponyfeathers!" (a swear that just wouldn't make sense in the human world).
But the best and now canon way to interpret that is that the first thing out of Sunset's mouth in this story is a horrible braying horse noise. Now that's how you open an Equestria Girls story
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😉
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Oh, that's a good point. Do you think I should change it to "ruler of all Equestria"?
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No. That’s not what I meant. You seem like a good writer. Don’t waste your talent on anything concerning that terrible final season and its premise.
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She did make a cameo in the Last Problem in the song The Last Song where you see her in a montage.
Huh. The girls holding hands at the Fall Formal, Sunset and Princess Twi holding hands at the Battle of the Bands finale, Sunset and Sci-Twi holding hands at Friendship Games, the girls holding hands in the climax of Legend of Everfee, the girls holding hands when frying the Memory Stone.....
Wow, okay. It isn't friendship or music or Elements of Harmony; that's all FiM stuff.
Gay handholding is the real superpower behind the EqG universe.
Thank you for the delightfully sapphic headcanon. Reading on!