Departure
The next week passed in a blur for Sunset Shimmer. Her fellow students returned to school, but she couldn't bring herself to go back. On the surface, she believed it was because school simply didn't matter any more. She would be leaving and not returning to this world very soon. And yet, deep down, a bit of her panicked at the thought of returning to school. Sure, her name had been cleared of that stupid Anon-A-Miss business, but did everyone forgive her? What if they knew what she'd almost done? Even alone in her now barren bedroom, their pitying gazes burned the back of Sunset's neck.
Standing and shaking off her nerves, Sunset glanced around her room again. It was clean and barren, everything she'd be needing was tucked away into her backpack. Everything else was packed into neat boxes stacked against one wall. Some had scribbled words like 'Clothes' or 'books' scrawled across them. Others had names on them.
'Fluttershy' was a pretty large box. It was full of all her books on animals and nature, as well as her thick blankets and a few sweaters she thought the girl could use. Sunset laid a hand on the box, smiling gently to herself. If there was anyone she wished she could take with her, it was Fluttershy. Lowering her hand, her gaze shifted to the next box. 'Rarity' was written on this one. Slightly smaller than Fluttershy's, this one was full of all the clothes the pale girl had given her over the months, as well as a few other pieces she thought Rarity would enjoy. Sunset respected the way the girl had so selflessly apologized, fully admitting to her wrongs against Sunset. That was a good trait that would get her far in life. The next box was labelled 'Pinkie Pie' and was mostly full of any clothes she labelled as 'fun'. Aside from that, there was all of Sunset's scrapbooking materials. She figured if anyone could use them, it was the party girl. Finally, resting on the floor, were two small boxes labelled 'Rainbow' and 'AJ' respectively. Funnily enough she didn't have much to leave the two girls she had yet to really forgive. A pair of thick work gloves, a rainbow scarf, and a few shirts she thought the girls would wear.
To her closest friends from this world, she could only leave them bits of her past. Her future belonged to a different world now. Watching her alarm clock tick to 5 pm, Sunset knew it was time. Swinging her bag onto her shoulder, she left her bedroom for the last time without looking back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunset approached the school. The sky was ablaze behind it, rendering the empty building in shades of purple and orange. The statue seemed to glow in the days dying rays, calling to Sunset like a siren. She walked to it and simply stared into the pale marble and watched the colors inside swirl, ready to carry her away. Hand lifting slowly, she was about to place a palm to the surface when a voice pulled her out of it.
"Sunset, stop!" a frail voice called, wavering with emotion. Sunset turned and watched the five girls approach. Fluttershy and Rarity were breathing heavily from running, but the other three stared at her with emotions ranging from fear to sorrow to anger. Sunset turned her body towards the girls fully, keeping herself between them and the portal.
"What do you think you're doing!?" shouted Rainbow, anger radiating from her words like poison. Sunset winced and Rarity placed her hand on Rainbow's shoulder, silencing her. The pale girl stepped forward instead, having recovered her breath.
"Sunset, darling... don't do this" she begged, gemstone eyes shining. Before Sunset could respond, Pinkie stepped forward and gingerly took one of Sunset's hands in her own.
"P-please, Sunny, you have to give us a chance to apologize. You have to let us make things better!" she wailed. Applejack stepped up as well.
"She's right, sugar. It ain't fair to just run and not let us make things right!" she urged in her southern drawl. Gaze hardening, Sunset pulled back her hand and took a step back towards the portal.
"I don't owe you anything," she spat. "And I certainly don't care about what's 'fair'." The venom in her voice made Fluttershy whimper and Sunset's heart clenched. She walked forward and held Fluttershy in a tight embrace as the girl cried into her shirt. "I'm sorry," she whispered into the pink locks. "I don't belong here." she continued, speaking up so the other girls could her her as well. "This isn't my world. I wasn't made to be... here!" Frustration laced her words as she was unable to tie together sentences the way she wanted to. "I want to go home." She finished, bone deep fatigue lacing her voice. A single tear dropped from her eye and landed in Fluttershy's hair before she stepped back, facing the portal again. "I want to go home." she stressed. Another step was taken and she was about to step into the swirling magics as something moved in her peripherals.
Dodging backwards, Sunset gripped the cerulean mass that had been launched at her and slammed the girl to the ground, twisting her arm behind her back. Rainbow let out a yelp, but continued to struggle against Sunset. Gritting her teeth, she turned her head so she could look at Sunset from one eye.
"If you think I'm just going to sit here and let you run away from this, you're damn mistaken!" she spat, still wriggling and trying to get free. Sighing, Sunset looked back at the other girls.
"I'm sorry," she said, rapidly releasing rainbow and shoving her back towards the other four as soon as she rose. "But you don't have a choice."
With those words, the five girls watched in horror as their friend, whom they'd hoped to make up with, was swallowed by the portal. Within seconds, she was gone from their sight and gone from their world.
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GOT DAMMIT RAINBOW SOMEONE BREAK HER LEGS and her arms while at it.
Maybe that make her think for once.
Wow, Rainbow Dash, you're PISSED at a girl, who you THREW HER OUT like she didn't matter over some stupid photos and secrets I might add, and trying to FIGHT that girl, trying to MAKE that girl stay?
How stupid can you get?
Good chapter though, I wonder if we get to see the Rainboom's and Human CMC's perspective when Sunset left?
10663228
I hope I'm not making Rainbow too hate-able. She lashes out when she's upset and doesn't rationally think things through before she does them, but deep down she feels a lot of guilt and truly wants to make it up to Sunset. It's nice to know people feel so passionately about my story though!
Honestly, I would have been like “see ya, sunset.”
Excellent chapter. Can’t wait to see what you have in store for us.
Found a small typo:
Well Rainbow and AJ handled that about as poorly as possible. Again it was all about THEM, what they want, what they need. Sunset needs time, and they couldn't let her have it, either with words or actions.
Fluttershy and Pinkie might have been able to talk her down, but the second AJ opened her mouth it was over.
I'm looking forward to seeing what awaits for Sunset back in Equestria. :)
10663237
I do love it, and glad this is different from the other one.
I hate to say it but the other made no sense it was a huge time skip...I think or something was never explained very well, but Sci Twi was there so yeah was a mess. And was only in the chapter where Sunset was leaving.
So took me by surprised and greatly confused me.
Anyways I get Dash, which why they should kept a better hold on her, charging Sunset like that...jeeze or trying to grab her was a mistake.
Sunset had every right to put her down hard, but was understanding enough just to pin her down and then leave.
not sure what going to happen hope to read what going n with the school and if the Rainbooms are blamed, i want to point out it was because they blame Sunset that everyone fell into blame Sunset she guilty mob thinking.
ooof feel sorry for them.
i wonder how this will all end.
They made this happen, at least Sunset sort of forgiven Fluttershy.
Still really want to punch rainbow and applejack, for how they think a simple sorry will make amends
10663276
I’m actually curious to know what would have happened if they actually had a fight?
10663379
I mean, it did work for sunset, temporarily.
10663416
Well... Sunset thought it worked but technically it didn't as is evident by their initial reactions.
10666429
That may be true, too. Although, it also depends on one’s definition of forgiveness as well.
10663233
Is that a rhetorical question?
'Cause, as much as I love Rainbow (both of 'em), she can be pretty darned stupid.
As in this chapter.
And I think that she, as well as everyone else at CHS, are about to find out that actions DO, indeed, have consequences.
To the author: Quick question - Did Sunset take her journal with her when she went back to Equestria?
'Cause IF she did (and I really CAN'T see her leaving it behind), then THAT means that the portal goes back to the original way of opening for a few days every 30 moons.
And that works out to every 2 1/2-3 years, right?
10667926
I’m honestly doubting it, because worse have happened and there there no consequences. The most that might happen is they’ll get a lecture and possibly lose a friend.
10667933
I think the way it works is that there is a book on the other side of the portal that they could use.
10669090 Hmm, good point, that.
10669091 To be honest, I was under the impression that for Twi to be able TO open the portal from HER side, she has to have HER copy of the journal, while on HER side of the thing, Sunset had to have HERS, too, and the two kinda work together from each end of it to keep it open when they WANT it open.
So IF Sunset were to go home to Equestria and take HERS with her (like we all know she did at the end of this newest chapter), once she, and it, were fully ON the Equestrian side, the portal would go back to the way it originally operated.
I.E., opening for three days every 30 moons.
That's what I was asking Frozen Feathers.
10669106
Honestly, if I was the rainbooms, I would be mad if I got anything more than just that.
I think the way the machine works is that twilight uses her journal to power the mirror. So whether both journals are on the same side or not, I think she’s still able to control when the portal opens and closes.
10669121 *nods*
I don't think we ever found out for sure, but we all have our theories on that, so to each their own on that.
10669166
I don’t think it’s a theory, I’m pretty sure it was confirmed.
10669195 Oh?
Can you show me WHERE that is?
I'll admit to being JUST a bit skeptical about that scenario.
Also, on another note, I just noticed that Sunset's mane colors are reversed in the cover art for this story.
Her NORMAL colors are mostly red with golden colored streaks; that pictures shows them just the opposite from that.
10669279
I’m not 100% sure, but I think it was in one of the movies. I don’t think it was outright said, but i think it was hinted at.
Oh, I actually see it.
10669288 Okay, thanks.
Well, I have the first three movies (don't have Legends of Everfree, OR any of the other DVD releases yet, sadly), so I'll have to have a movie marathon at some point to see if I can find which one that's in.
Cool.
10669305
Your welcome, and good luck.
10667933
Hello hi yes sorry! I’m sorry I didn’t make it very clear in the chapter. Sunset DID bring her book with her so in this story, yes, the portal will revert back to its few days every 30 moons. That length of time will play into the story a bit later. Also the cover art doesn’t mean anything, the reference picture I found of sunset showed her hair as golden with red streaks so that’s how I drew it. Sorry for any inaccuracies! I’m so glad to see people really care about this story though ❤️❤️❤️
10669333
, thank you!
10669336 Hey!
Not a problem, hun.
I was thinking so, and I'm eager to see what happens when it gets to that point!
Well, I'm eager to see what happens next in the next chapter, but you know what I mean.
It's okay, it just kinda surprised me, as I don't think I've ever seen Sunny with her mane and tail colors flipped like that before.
She looks great that way, btw.
And you drew that?
Awesome!
From one artist to another, your art looks great!
And I really do!
Keep up the great work, okay?
I think you might have a slight miswording here. Perhaps it should say months instead.
10669362
You’re truly too kind ❤️❤️❤️ Yeah I prefer doing my own cover art to avoid any copyright or accidentally using someone else’s art if they didn’t want me to. Thank you so much for your kind words! People like you are the reason I chose to finish this story and keep writing
10671261
Perhaps; I’m not too familiar with the EQG canon so I wasn’t sure quite how long sunset would’ve been in their world. I figured it had been a few years, but I may be wrong. Thank you!
10671745
Well it's not so much a question of how long she's been in that world as much as it's a question of how long she was on good terms with Rarity.
10671799
Oh shoot good point I didn’t think of that. I’ll be sure to fix that. Thanks for pointing it out!
10671744
That's actually very wise, and I plan to do the same with my cover art (and chapter illustrations, if I get THAT ambitious) for my story, too.
Saves on the headaches, AND the other two that you mentioned (although I think MLP screencaps and vectors are pretty ambiguous where that's concerned (don't take my word for that, though)).
And you're very welcome! I love encouraging my favorite authors and artists where I can!
And I'm glad you're going to finish it, and to keep writing.
Rainbow! Just stop! You royally fucked up and the only way your friendship with Sunset is ever gonna have even a slight chance of mending is if she gets a little time away from you so she can properly figure out what she really wants!
10694774 Absolutely agree with you here.
Please continue this 😭🙏
This is the one thing IMO that doesn't make much sense in this chapter. If she really was feeling so bad just staying and had already contacted Twilight, she could've left in the night, or next day at most, and just fire off a text message or leave a note to her former friends just before stepping through.
10739986
Still had to pack up and whatnot, and in her state I could believe it would take her a week to get things sorted.
10820841
10739986
She could just have written an note that said long the lines of "screw you guys, im going home" but she desided she would get her shit sorted and give her stuff away and basicly "burn the bridges" she would have left
This isn't friendship that Dash is doing, this s possession. Anyone finding themselves in a relationship where they have to deal with behavior like that needs to get away from them. Sunset is doing the right thing here.