• Published 1st Sep 2021
  • 12,249 Views, 483 Comments

Equestria: A New Generation - Phantom-Dragon



What-IF: Sunset Shimmer returns to Equestria and joins Sunny Starscout and friends on their adventure.

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Unicorns in Maretime Bay

The earth ponies all screamed in terror as they galloped in random directions, determined to get away from Sunset Shimmer and Izzy Moonbow. They were even desperate to hide themselves out of sight, from pulling down curtains, closing shop, even diving into a manhole.

"Ooh, is everypony playing hide-and-seek?" Izzy asked, looking around at all the earth ponies running and hiding for their lives. "I see you!" Izzy called to a stallion.

"Argh! It's a unicorn!" The stallion galloped away. "Two of them!" With that, he dived off a cliff, into the sea, with a big splash.

"Seriously?" Sunset asked.

"Hey, what's going on?" Hitch asked, as he and Deputy Sprout investigated what the commotion was about.

It didn't take long for him to find his answer, when he saw both Izzy and Sunset, with their horns being dead giveaways.

"Unicorn attack!" Hitch hollered, with Deputy Sprout slamming his face into the door, out of blind fright.

Hitch took the opportunity to shatter a glass case, activating an alarm, as he continued to shout, "This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!" With that, Sheriff Hitch sprinted into action, while his Deputy ran away.

Ahead, Hitch spotted a young foal, sitting on the ground, trying to make sense of all the madness, "A vulnerable young pony," With a display of great athleticism, Hitch pounced on the foal, "Got ya!" He said, rolling himself up and gave the foal to a random mare. "Your son is safe now, ma'm."

Hitch then galloped away, "This isn't my kid!" The mare called after him.

"You're welcome!" Hitch shouted back, as he continued to bark orders. "Man the Splat-a-pult! Activate the unicorn trap! Pick up that litter!" He said, pointing to a scrap, which a pony quickly complied.

In the meantime, Sunset and Sunny watched as tiles with red X's started to appear all around them, "Whoa, these ponies worked fast," Sunset commented.

"And you've been a unicorn this whole time?" Sunny asked Sunset.

"Wow!" Izzy shouted, trotting towards the railing. "Is that the sea?" She asked, completely oblivious to the trap in front of her. "I've never seen the sea."

"Izzy! No!" Sunset shouted, firing up her horn to pull Izzy away by the tail, with Sunny pushing her away from a trap that had sprinted from the ground, with a flashing alarm.

"I've got to get you two out of here!" Sunny shouted, leading both Sunset and Izzy out of the chaos.

Sunny turned her head to make sure both Izzy and Sunset were following, when here eyes were widen at Sunset.

"What are you doing?" Sunny asked to Sunset Shimmer, who was running on her hind legs.

"Running for my life?" Sunset panted heavily, asking as if it wasn't obvious. "What's it look like?"

"You've got four legs!" Sunny reminded. "Use them!"

"Oh! Right, right, right," With that, Sunset got down on her front hooves and galloped after Sunny and Izzy.

"Earth ponies are serious about games," Izzy commented.

"They're not playing, they're terrified!" Sunny confirmed.

"Oh no!" Izzy frowned. "Of what?"

"You! You're a unicorn," Sunny explained. "Earth ponies hate unicorns."

"Really? That seems harsh."

"All...except...for her..." Sunset Shimmer pointed at Sunny, while panting heavily, "She...wants us... to be...friends... Hey, can you girls please slow down?"

As if answering Sunset's wish, both Izzy and Sunny screeched to a halt, barely an inch from being hit with green sticky blobs, fired from the Canterlogic's splat-a-pult machines. Manning the machines are two of the staffs, with Phyllis pointing at their targets.

"Let's go!" Sunny said to the two unicorns.

"I got you covered!" Sunset said, as she focused her magic into her horn, conjuring up magical shields to deflect and block the fired blobs, protecting herself and the two mares, as they ran into the crossfires, and turned the next street.

Sunny galloped over the tiles with red X's, while Izzy bounced over them, humming herself a merry tune. Lagging behind, a tired out Sunset Shimmer was breathing heavy, trying to catch her breath from the adrenaline of the chase. A sad reminder that she wasn't as spry as she used to be.

"Should...have...hit...the...gym...more often..." Sunset panted, on the verge to collapse.

Sunny screeched to a halt, as she looked back, seeing Izzy was distracted by a sign of a movie called "Judgement Neigh."

"Oh, I haven't seen this one yet," Izzy commented, walking up to the movie theater, not looking where she was stepping.

Before Izzy realized it, she was trapped in the same unicorn entrapment box, with a flashing alarm to signal her capture.

"Huh? What? Who?" Distracted, Sunset too found herself trapped in the same box, with the flashing alarm going off.

Shocked, Sunny galloped to the boxes, containing both her unicorn friends, just as Sheriff Hitch arrived on the scene.

"All right, citizens, calm down," The Sheriff began. "The threats have been neutralized. The unicorns have been captured. You may now cheer."

With that, the earth ponies all cheered from their hiding spot. All except for Sunny, who cautiously walked up to the boxes containing Izzy and Sunset.

Sheriff Hitch quickly catches onto what Sunny was planning, "Sunny!" He barked, to which Sunny flinched, for a moment, before she resumed walking to the boxes. "What are you doing?" Looking at the red buttons on the side of the boxes, Sunny continued, "Don't even think about it!" Hitch berated.

Of course, being the rebel that she is, Sunny Starscout proceeded to extend her hoof out towards the buttons, which Hitch shook his head.

"No, don't you dare. No, no, no, no," With a second thought, Sunny proceeded the buttons of both Sunset and Izzy's entrapment, freeing the unicorns. "Sunny!"

"So, your name's Sunny?" Izzy asked, having heard Sheriff Hitch.

"Sunny Starscout," Sunset confirmed. "That's her full name."

Seeing the unicorns are free, once again, the earth ponies all screamed and ran in random directions. Some of them even accidentally trapped themselves in Canterlogic's unicorn entrapment cages. Using the chaos to their advantage, Sunny guided Izzy and Sunset the way to escape.

"Bye!" Izzy called out to the earth ponies. "It was nice to meet you all!"

"Shut up and run kid!" Sunset said, in a raspy voice.

"Deputy, to the lighthouse!" Sheriff Hitch pointed.

"Uh..." In response, Deputy Sprout had purposely trapped himself in one of the entrapment box, "Oh, no, I appear to be trapped."

Hitch let out an exasperated sigh, "You gotta be kidding me."


In the meantime, Sunny galloped back to her lighthouse home, with Izzy and Sunset Shimmer in tow. Once Sunset Shimmer and Izzy Moonbow were inside, Sunny quickly shuts the door, which once again causes the photo of herself and her dad to be crooked, which Sunny straightens again.

"Nice spreads," Sunset complimented to Sunny, as she and Izzy looked around.

Sunny proceeded to close the curtains of every windows in the house, before she turned to look at both Izzy and Sunset in the room.

"Ok," Sunset began. "I know how it looks, and...I know I should've been honest with you from the start. And it's a lot to process, but...surprise. We're unicorns."

Still, Sunny was at a loss for words, as she continued to gaze at both Izzy and Sunset.

"Do earth ponies also like staring contests? Hmm?" Izzy asked, staring at Sunny, until she blinked. "Ah! You win. I blinked."

Finally finding her voice, Sunny exclaimed, "There're unicorns in my house!" She then excitedly screamed, "This is so cool!" She turned to both Izzy and Sunset, before realizing the predicament she's in. "Wait, no, it's bad, very, very bad. What have I done?"

"Well," Sunset began. "You made a public speech, got into an argument with your boyfriend, then you helped me and Izzy escape from the law, I'd say you've done a lot."

"That was a rhetorical question," Sunny replied, before she realized. "Wait. Boyfriend? As in, me and Hitch?"

"Wow!" Izzy said, as she looked through a telescope, getting a closer look at Sunny. "I've never seen an earth pony before. We look exactly the same, except for this, of course," She pointed at her horn.

"Oh," Sunny shouted, ducking her head. "Hey, be careful where you point that thing."

"Why?"

"Well, you almost poked her eye out there, kid," Sunset replied.

"Yes," Sunny agreed. "And well, I um...sort of don't want to get zapped with a wayward laser beam, but of course you know that already. You've both been reading my mind this whole time."

"...Uh, not right now," Sunset shook her head, while hiding the truth about her geode necklace, in her saddlebag.

"Aren't they supposed to glow, by the way?" Sunny asked, observing both Sunset and Izzy's horns. "I mean, I've seen yours glow in action," Sunny said to Sunset, before turning to Izzy. "And can yours do the same as hers? Or does it only glow when you levitate stuff?"

"Well, actually..." Izzy began nervously.

"Wait, don't answer that yet," Sunny stopped, before she galloped over to a table. "Let me get my notebook."

With an excited wave of her hoof, Sunny cleared some tin cans off the table, before whipping her said notebook from her saddle bags, and slammed it on the counter.

"Ok, 142 questions for a unicorn. Make that two!" Looking at her notebook pages, Sunny read: "Question number one. Where do you live?"

"Bridlewood," Izzy answered.

“Far away," Sunset answered, waving her hooves for emphasis. "Like outta town, really, really far away.”

"I knew it!" Sunny smiled, before she continued to ask, "Do unicorns really live in trees?"

“We don’t live—" However, Sunset finds herself interrupted when she was suddenly bombarded with more questions from Sunny.

"Do they eat pizza?"

"Pizza?"

"If so, what toppings do they like?"

"—Whoa! Hey! Kid! Slow down!"

"If not, why not?"

"I'm a..."

"Can you actually fry pony brains with a single horn zap?"

"It doesn't work like–"

Again, Sunset was interrupted when Sunny gasped, "Can you make this float?" She asked, throwing a can of baked beans to the unicorns.

"Well, I can," Sunset replied, ready to fire up her magic via horn. "But Izzy...not so much."

"But I can do this!" With a stomp of her hoof, Izzy bounced the can of beans a few times on her horn, before dropping it to the floor, spilling the beans. “Ta-Da~” Izzy sang in triumph, much to Sunny's shock.

“Ooh, I’m so sorry for the mess Izzy made," Sunset apologized. "Here, lemme get that for ya. Hehe.” With a chuckle, Sunset's horn glowed in a sparkling aura, as she cleaned up the beans that Izzy had spilled.

"Wait, you don't have any magic?" Sunny asked Izzy.

"I've asked that same question, before," Sunset said.

Before any of the mares could talk, a booming voice of a certain sheriff came blaring from a megaphone.

"Sunny Starscout!" Hitch shouted, before he recoiled from the feedback of the megaphone. "Argh, that hurt."

Sunny Starscout trotted to a window, looking out to see Hitch, shouting into a megaphone, with Deputy Sprout wearing one of the anti-mind-reading unicorn hat, and cowering behind the sheriff.

"Sunny Starscout," Hitch resumed. "I know you're in there with those unicorns! Come out with your hooves up and surrender!"

"Yeah, you're completely surrounded," Deputy Sprout added, despite the fact that there were only two of them.

"Will you let me do my job?" Hitch asked sternly, to which Sprout pouted. "You are under arrest," The sheriff barked.

"This is bad," Sunny moaned, before turning to Sunset and Izzy. "How sneaky are you?"

"Er, medium sneaky," Izzy guessed.

"I've once stolen a princess's crown, when she was asleep, so very sneaky," Sunset confirmed.

"I can work with that," Sunny perked. "OK, I'll distract them."

Izzy simply scoffed at the notion, "Relax, I'll talk to him!"

"Izzy!" Sunset shouted.

"No, no!" Sunny held her hoof out.

But it was too late, Izzy was already out the door, "Hi, guys," Izzy greeted. "Now, I know what you're thinking."

Unfortunately, that rubbed the stallions the wrong way. The red coward in particular.

"Arrgh! She's already reading our minds!" Deputy Sprout shrieked, before he turned and ran away. "Quick, before she fries our brains!"

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" Hitch asked his runaway deputy.

"To get reinforcements!" Sprout answered, after being a mile away.

"We have reinforcements?" However, when Hitch's back was turned, Sunny snuck off with Izzy and Sunset Shimmer following. "Huh?" When Hitch turned around, he was dumbstruck to see that all three mares were out of sight. "Oh come on!"


After giving Hitch and Deputy Sprout the slips, Sunny, Izzy, and Sunset Shimmer galloped up a road, leaving Maretime Bay.

"Hey, kids! Slow down!" Sunset Shimmer panted. "Phew...I've never run this much...in a long time..." When all ponies came to a stop, Sunset took the moment to catch her breath.

"You don't have any magic?" Sunny asked Izzy.

"No," Izzy repeated.

"But you still have yours?" Sunny asked Sunset.

"I'm just as clueless as you are kid," Sunset panted.

"Oh! Didn't you tell her, Sunset?" Izzy asked.

"Tell me what?" Sunny asked.


"YOU KNOW TWILIGHT?!"

Sunny Starscout screamed so loudly that her voice echoes across half of the known world of Equestria.


"Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh, omigosh!" Sunny giddied. "You know Princess Twilight Sparkle and friends? Wow! I can’t believe I didn’t realized it sooner. You’re THE Sunset Shimmer! You're a Guardian of Friendship, just like Twilight and her friends were! This is so awesome! I could just explode!"

"Yeah, I'm already feeling your feelings there kid," Sunset smiled.

"Ooh, I wished my dad was here. He was a big fan of you and Princess Twilight! And your doll is very hard to track down," Sunny added. "Almost as hard as Trixie Lulamoon's, Starlight Glimmer's, and Tempest's–OH! Can I get your autograph! Sign my notebook!" Sunny asked excitedly, holding out her notebook for Sunset to sign.

"Look, kid," Sunset began, gently putting Sunny's notebook down. "I know you're a fangirl and all, and I can relate. But can we just focus on the problem, right now? Like how did the unicorns lose their magic? And what started all this madness? And what happened Twilight? Why isn't she here?"

Processing every words from Sunset Shimmer, Sunny nodded in agreement on the task at hoof.

"You're right," Sunny nodded, before turning to Izzy, "So...no magic?"

"If it makes you feel any better, we did have it," Izzy Moonbow confirmed. "But that was many, many, many moons ago. It just, poof, disappeared. Everypony thinks the pesky pegasi had something to do with it, but, oh..." Izzy stopped herself when she noticed the sadden look on Sunny's face. "Oh, hey, you look kind of woozy. Are you OK?" She asked.

"Huh...I am on the run with a unicorn who has no magic," Sunny replied, before she perked. “Oh!” Sunny turned to Sunset Shimmer. “But you still have magic! You can restore everyone else’s magic, can you?”

“No! I can’t just…restore magic!” Sunset shook her head. "That's not how it works."

“But…you’re one of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s friends, aren’t you? A Guardian of Friendship and Harmony!”

With a sigh, Sunset Shimmer gave Sunny a heartfelt look, “…I’m gonna be real with you, alright?” She began. “Yes, I’m a friend of Twilight. But I’m not like one of the...the BEST of friends, y’know?”

"Huh?" Sunny replied, looking flabbergasted at Sunset Shimmer. "But...you're a Guardian of Friendship, aren't you?"

"Yeah, yeah. I am, I am," Sunset Shimmer replied, as she paced around Sunny and Izzy. "Or at least, I was. But that was a long time ago. I mean, I played my part with spreading the magic of friendship, in another time and place, but that's just it. Me and Twilight, we’ve only seen each other face-to-face a couple of times.”

“We’re just pen pals. I’m not like one of those big time heroes who travel around the world, solving friendship problems, fight monsters, and send the bad guys to jail, 24/7. I wasn't even there when Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow were turned to stone.”

Sunset slumped on the ground, looking at Sunny and Izzy sadly, “I didn’t even know Equestria’s lost its magic. I just wanted to pay Twilight a visit, but…looks like I was too late… I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”

Walking up to the olden fiery unicorn, Sunny placed a comforting hoof, "It's okay, Sunset," Sunny said. "But what are we going to do?"

Then, out of nowhere, Izzy Moonbow came over and sniffed Sunny.

"What are you doing?" Sunset and Sunny asked.

"You don't smell," Izzy answered to Sunny.

"Thanks. Wait, what?" Sunny asked in bewilderment.

"Was that necessary?" Sunset asked sternly.

"I was told all you earth ponies smell like rotten sardines," Izzy replied. "But you do not." Just then, a butterfly came fluttering by, distracting Izzy who proceeded to follow it.

"What else do unicorns say about earth ponies?" Sunny asked.

"Don't ask me," Sunset advised.

"Oh, just that you're lazy and not the brightest crystals in the forest," Izzy answered bluntly, with her eyes still on the butterfly.

"Charming," Sunny replied, with her ego broken.

"No, just those three," Izzy replied, still chasing the butterfly.

"For the record, I never said those things," Sunset reassured. "Those sounded more like what Rarity would say, I mean, both she and Applejack would sometime argue with each other, as if they're a married couple. But hey, who am I to judge?"

Sunny couldn't help but laugh a little at what Sunset said.

"So, what's the plan?" Izzy asked, with her eyes off of the butterfly.

Sunny turned to look at Sunset, before she had an epiphany, "Wait, I got it!" Sunny exclaimed. "Izzy, Sunset, we're going on a quest," Reaching into her saddlebag, Sunny pulled out her notebook, opening the pages to show a map, pointing to a location dubbed: "to Zephyr Heights."

"Zephyr Heights?" Sunset asked.

"The pegasus city?" Izzy asked.

"Yes," Sunny nodded. "We need to find out what happened to your magic and bring it back," She stated, before she emphasized. "They have magic. Maybe they can help."

"Hmmm," Sunset said, looking suspicious.

"But the pegasi are bad news," Izzy shook her head.

"What if you're wrong about them?" Sunny asked. "Earth ponies were wrong about unicorns. They could welcome us with open wings."

"But what if they don't?" Izzy asked, before she sings her heart out.

Looking Out For You

Izzy Moonbow:Up ahead, is the sky growing dark?
Where it leads is a big question mark
And I'm scared that I'll end up a pony gone missing from pegasus-ing

Sunny Starscout:But you're not alone
You got a pony or two in your crew

Izzy Moonbow:I do? Who?

Sunny Starscout:I'm looking out for you
When you're off track

Sunset Shimmer and Sunny both stopped Izzy, from nearly falling off a cliff, after being distracted by a butterfly.

Sunny Starscout:I got your back
You can rely on me
I'm lookin' out for you

"Hey girls, wait up!" Sunset Shimmer said as they hopped across rocks.

Sunny Starscout:Back at home it was earth ponies first
Heard it so many times I could burst
And I fought for a change but it's lonely
Cos, you know, party of uno

Izzy Moonbow:Well, if you need a friendly steed like you-know-who

Sunny Starscout:I think I do

Sunset Shimmer smiled, watching Sunny and Izzy touching hooves together.

Both:I'm lookin' out for you

Sunny Starscout:When you're off track
I got your back

Both:You can rely on me
I'm lookin' out for you

Both Sunny and Izzy stacked up on each other to get an apple from a tree, while Sunset Shimmer tried to buck the trees, like Applejack once did, but looked as if she's thrown her back out. Thankfully, Sunny and Izzy got Sunset's back.

Sunny Starscout:Lost in the hills

Izzy Moonbow:I've got the skills
Pony let's get going

Sunny Starscout:Get going

Izzy Moonbow:Get going

"C'mon, Sunset! Join in!" Sunny invited the unicorn to join the song.

All three:I'm lookin' out

Chorus:I'm lookin' out for you
I'll go where you're going to
It's all I ever want to do
I am lookin' out

All three mares were galloping across the land, singing their song. Along the way, they failed to notice a familiar pony tied to balloons.

All three:For you!

"Whew!" Sunset ended, plopping herself on the grass, sending a flurry of fireflies flying around. "Are we there yet?"

"It's just at the top of that mountain!" Sunny pointed. "We'll be there by morning!"

"Great," Sunset nodded. "But...can we...stop...for the night?" The unicorn asked, already out like a bulb.

Sunny and Izzy looked at each other, and couldn't help but laugh, before they gathered around Sunset and snuggled against the senior unicorn.

"Ooh, she smells nice!" Izzy commented. "Like a crispy autumn."

Sunny chuckled lightly, as she turned rolled on her back to look at the night sky, "So far, this has been an exciting quest. I wonder how everyone's doing back at Maretime Bay?"