E
Source

Graduation is quickly approaching Canterlot High. While Sunset Shimmer is happy about this celebratory milestone, something has kept her believing there's more to do back in Equestria. Along the way, she begins to think back on her past, try to understand things she had never questioned before, and take an extended return to Equestria. Little does she know, she would eventually uncover an incredibly dark and unexpected truth...

Chapters (69)
Comments ( 395 )

Oh sweet! I've seen you a couple of times. Loved your works on Sunset, back on DA.

Nice to see you putting this here as well as DA. I would recommend grouping a bunch of these chapters together, though, they're way too short on their own.

God, this is awful...

Why have a picture per chapter? It really spoils it a lot and takes away from what could be a good story

As a bit of constructive criticism, I agree with 11186064 and 11186098.

In my experience, (and this is just my preference) chapters at least 1k words long are good. Short chapters can be a little jarring.

FimFiction is a different medium. It's totally understandable that you'd want to show off your artwork, and I do love them... maybe place them at the end of the chapter instead of the beginning so it doesn't spoil the contents.

This is fraught with tense inconsistency, both between and within parts.

Sure feels weird seeing this on fimfiction compared to deviantart but I like it, just rereading this makes me more hyped for what's to come, not to mention my eqg finale I'll be making that'll becoming out this summer. Won't say much but human sunset is in it as well as the return of someone nobody expects will see returning. :ajsmug:

I am all for bucking status quos but a 93 word chapter? This isn’t the best medium

Something tells me the actual graduation won't turn out how Sunset hopes it to be.

Sunset...?

In the shower?

To quote Jayne Cobb, "I'll be in my bunk"

No se porque todos se quejan, el que haya imágenes en el fic me hace imaginar que esto es un cómic, ademas de que a veces me da el diseño de un personaje que no recuerdo

Ehhhh la gilda humana es una completa perra, creo que más que la gilda que se mostró por primera vez

Bueno bueno bueno, pero que tenemos aquí?

*Mira la imagen de sunset en la ballera*

Pero que rico, un buen arte que puedo apreciar

Good luck, Sunset, and have a really great trip

And now Sunset's about to witness the disaster we know now as Twilight's 2nd coronation.

Well, at least Sunset doesnt have to worry about having something to wear.
Y'know, compared to Twilight's first coronation, the second one was kinda... casual. I mean, I get alicorn ascension is a big deal and all, but Twilight's being crowned ruler of all Equestria. You'd think it would be on par with the first.

Cool story. Added to my read list. :twilightsmile:

"I still can't believe she's related to Pinkie Pie..." Sunset said to herself, jokingly repeating what she once told Princess Twilight when they were coming up with plans to defeat the Dazzlings. Sunset then approached Maud from behind, before tapping her on the back to get her attention.

You and me both. 🙄

11213676
This story provides not only an expanded look into Sunset's life outside of school in the human world, but also a glimpse into the life that she had before she left Equestria.

This story will also provide a look at the life led by Sunset's human counterpart and how pony Sunset's actions have affected it...

With that said, Sunset put the bouquet of tansies into her saddlebag, before both she and Maud went toward the train station. Sunset felt rather satisfied that despite what Starlight mentioned earlier about how showing up at the coronation would've been enough of a gift for Twilight, she still managed to find a gift of flowers for her on such short notice. However, Sunset was completely unaware of how Princess Twilight had a fear for ladybugs, and that tansies were a flower that attracts them. There were even a few active ladybugs living underneath tansies' stems. Sunset didn't know about this at all, and only imagined how happy Twilight would be after seeing the flowers she got her.

Twilight is definitely gonna have a freak out once those ladybugs show up! 😬

Well at least the ladybug thing is an honest mistake, right? Twilight won't think Sunset's backsliding a little, will she?

"Ahem. Can I help you, ma'am?" Sugarcoat said in the same snarky tone of the human Sugarcoat, which Sunset was used to. "I'm gonna be blunt here, if you aren't somepony I know, kindly put your eyes toward something else. Cause you are coming across as a total weirdo right now."

How rude! :twilightangry2:

"Trixie... Lulamoon?" Sugarcoat asked before rolling her eyes. "Don't even compare me to that obnoxious, egotistical, teacup obsessed magician. I went to one of her magic shows once, it was incredibly disappointing. I'd have only given her a rotten onion as her performance salary."

Ouch! :fluttershyouch:

With that, Sugarcoat trotted away to a further distance on the platform, before Sunset had simply shrugged things off. "Eh, some things really never do change." She muttered under her breath. While Gloriosa seemed rather friendly and inviting, Sugarcoat seemed consistently irritable and blunt like the human Sugarcoat, which admittedly made Sunset wonder if this just varied from pony to pony. After all, these ponies were technically completely separate entities with different lives, meaning it was expected that there would be differences. Though in Sugarcoat's case, she did overall still seem to be the type of pony who'd do anything but sugarcoat, despite her name.

Yep. :ajbemused:

There were several unicorns in the same coach Sunset and Derpy were in, who were using their magic for casual, everyday uses, such as levitating a book without the need of hooves. This also began to make Sunset really miss the days where she was accustomed to using a magical horn, which she always lost when she turned back into a human. Even up until now from her time in Equestria, it never really dawned on her that she technically could start using her magic instead of doing it the old fashioned way with hooves. The memory that best exemplified this lack of adaption for Sunset was when she first met Starlight, and was attempting to pick up a journal off the ground instead of simply using magic.

That sure was an awkward moment. 🙄

Derpy put a hoof on Sunset before speaking up. "Hey, I can get where you're coming from. My friend in question is always busy working on inventions and traveling all over Equestria for research. The same could be said for me, who has to work the mail route every day, and having other jobs in the meantime. He and I are still the closest of friends, because we understand each other in having a life outside of our friendship, and because we keep in touch through mail. Even though we haven't spoken in a while, he'll always look like a million bits to me. This problem you're having right now, it's really your decision. I can't tell you not to, but maybe do what's best for you for the sake of your old friends too." Derpy advised.

She's right Sunset. You'll come to a decision sooner than later. :twilightsmile:

"Do you ponies think you could can it already?" Sunny Flare said, rather annoyed. "I've been working my tail off on dress designs lately, and I don't need to hear ponies blabbing for an eternity about friendship lessons! You two are giving me a serious headache!"

Rude! :twilightangry2:

A few minutes later, the train had arrived at the next stop. Both Derpy and Sunny Flare left the train, while Sunset kept on napping. Unfortunately for Sunset, she forgot she had a habit of oversleeping, likely from the long sessions of video games and streaming that sometimes kept her up until 3 or 4 in the morning. This lifestyle she had back in the human world overall didn't make her a morning person, to where she'd occasionally wake up during noon. This came back to bite her, as without Derpy around to wake her up anymore, Sunset's nap transitioned into a more heavier sleep, and she started to lack signs of waking up anytime soon, even though the stop at Canterlot was going to be approaching quite soon.

Oh boy! 😬

Sunset quickly bolted to the dock as if her life depended on it. Coco smiled back on doing this good deed, feeling that Rarity would be proud of her for doing so, before trotting back to her home on the Manehattan streets.

You sure did Coco, Rarity would be so proud of you for this. :twilightsmile:

"Oh, no. That's my name, silly miss!" Ragamuffin clarified. "I don't really use my name a whole lot, so many ponies get confused in thinking they're the 'ragamuffins' on our cruises."

Uh huh. :unsuresweetie:

The pony versions of the Shadowbolts Sunset had met so far came across as equally snobby and irritable as their human counterparts. But as for Lemon Zest, she overall didn't seem to be in the same metaphorical boat. Sunset didn't remember too much about the human Lemon Zest, besides the fact she loved listening to loud music. The pony version of her appeared to be one of those struggling owners of a failing business. In this case, based on what Ragamuffin alluded to earlier, many ponies weren't really riding the ferry, either due to preferring the train or to avoid seasickness. In some ways, Sunset did admittedly feel bad for Lemon Zest, though her occupation as a ferry captain definitely was surprising, to say the least. It was going to take a while before the boat reached Canterlot, so Sunset figured it wouldn't hurt to strike a conversation with Lemon Zest. She walked over to the captain, trying to figure out her situation, even if it wasn't really any of her business.

I have a gut feeling we'll see the pony versions of indigo zap and sour sweet sooner than we think. Maybe. :applejackunsure:

"Business has been terrible ever since I began!" Lemon Zest moped. "My dad never supported my vision in becoming a music producer! That's all I've ever wanted to be, but not in his eyes. So instead of investing his money in music equipment, he bought me this useless boat that I have to pay monthly fees for in the parking docks! I barely make enough to make end's meet, and this week has been the worst! Not a single passenger until today, because everypony only takes the train!"

Poor Lemon. :fluttershysad:

"Yeah... I guess I've just been really feeling under the weather lately to welcome any ferry guests aboard." Lemon Zest agreed. "Bad relations with your family can really do that to you."

It sure can. :fluttercry:

That last statement hit Sunset pretty hard, as it truly summed up her own life. She responded to rely a message. "As I've learned in the past, you have to find your family, and family is forever."

Yep. :twilightsmile:

"Well... not exactly." Sunset began elaborating. "I didn't grow up with my parents, and for a while, never focused on making friends. It wasn't until after I had accepted friendship, I saw the values in having a family. But now that I've returned home to Ponyville, I'm going to have a harder time finding them, since we never kept in touch. That's why I felt the need to talk with you in not taking your own family for granted. Because one of these days, they won't be around anymore..." Sunset finished as she begun to tear up, just thinking of the mere possibility that both her parents had somehow already passed since the time she stayed in the human world.

Don't give up yet Sunset, they could possibly still be out there, or even someone else in your family too. :pinkiesad2:

As the boat soon quickly approached the stop closest to Canterlot, Sunset got off, and waved goodbye to the two ponies. She felt both proud and impressed that she had solved a friendship problem on her own, similar to the times Princess Twilight wrote to her about how she herself has had similar adventures in amending friendships. Sunset felt she certainly learned her own friendship skills from somewhere, and after all these years, they finally got to shine. She was a completely changed pony in contrast to how she was back in Magic School. As Sunset trotted off the docks and began to go up the mountain to Canterlot, she was hoping she hadn't missed too much of the coronation, as she knew that her inconvenient detour had already made her late.

Fingers I mean hoofs crossed. 😥

I hate to say this but I hope it doesn't get any worse. Hopefully someone like Starlight can vouch for Sunset, since not many on the ground know Sunset well enough.

"Pfft. You think I'm moved by your story because of some random kitten?" Max scoffed. "Now get out of here! And for the record, I prefer puppies to kittens."

Welp, seems like she's in some hot water now! 😰

"Do I look like a child to you? Does it look like it's bedtime to you, ma'am?" Max asked Sunset rhetorically. "No? Then why are you telling me stories? No means no, now I won't tell you again, leave."

Sometimes I forget how awful security guards are, even if they're still doing their job. :twilightangry2:

"Hey! Get back here!" Max yelled as he began to chase after Sunset.

Hopefully someone will stop him before things get worse. :fluttershysad:

What did I expect from that two-face, regardless of whatever dimension she's from...?
Hopefully now Sunset is safe.

Since Sunset had already ran a pretty good distance up Canterlot's walkway, she knew she couldn't run from the security guard for much longer. In fact, running the short distance in an attempt to escape him had already exhausted her energy pretty well. When she approached the broom closet, Sunset pressed her hooves on the handle out of desperation, and by some miracle, it opened. Sunset fell into the small room as the door closed behind her. She crashed onto the floor so hard, her saddlebag's strap came off of her. Max, who was right behind Sunset, noticed she went down the right hallway, and continued down that way, unaware that she had already hid herself.

Well, at least she's safe. For now that is. :fluttershysad:

"Alright, squad." Max addressed several royal guards suddenly standing outside the hallway. "I just encountered a unicorn whom I suspect is planning something malicious during Princess Twilight's coronation. Be on the lookout for a female unicorn with a light-orange coat, red mane with yellow highlights, and turquoise eyes."

Now I remember how much I hated this guy from Sunset's Backstage Pass. :twilightangry2:

Sunset had to think fast, before any of the guards opened this closet. Relying on her magic was already out of the question, due to being out of practice for so long. While looking around the room for any vents she could crawl through, or quick disguises she could come up with, Sunset unfortunately came up with nothing. It was a broom closet, after all. There wouldn't be much she could expect to work with, let alone a fully convincing disguise to completely fool the guards. Sunset had to pick her own poison, either attempting to slowly get past the guards in the hallways, or staying within this closet and risk getting cornered. The former seemed like the better option of the two options, so Sunset prepared to make an escape, while listening closely for any nearby hoofsteps. With so much on her mind, she opened the door and left the closet, but forgot to take her saddlebag with her, which was left behind.

Hopefully she doesn't forgot that she left it there. :fluttershysad:

"Wait a minute, Sunset Shimmer?" Sour Sweet began to brainstorm, realizing that Princess Twilight did mention that name to her and her colleagues earlier that day. Without seemingly any hesitation, Sour Sweet changed her attitude completely and began speaking in a more helpful voice. "Okay, in that case, I can take you to Princess Twilight. But, you'll have to come with me, so that if any other guards see us, they'll see I've at least found you." She finished, still holding a strong grip on Sunset's hoof.

That was too close. 😓

"That's right, chief!" Sour Sweet replied back. "Now quickly, give me some hoof-cuffs so we can restrain her and take her down to the Canterlot Dungeon!"

I knew we couldn't trust her!!!! :flutterrage:

"She cannot be trusted, she's just wasting our time!" Sour Sweet blurted out in frustration. "And most importantly, she's robbing me of my bonus!"

That's not important right now!!! 😡

"Well, since Princess Twilight is now ruling Equestria now that Celestia has stepped down, I suppose we can let her have a say in it." Max said, meeting Sunset halfway. "But if this is just a fib, I'll make certain your punishment is even more harsh than it will be now! Lying to the authorities is a serious offense, after all."

She's not lying, your the one who needs to listen to her as she's telling the truth!!!!! 😠

I'm glad that things were all sorted out for Sunset and that Sour Sweet's true colors was exposed.

11213979
How do you know all of that? Your response makes it sound like you're helping the author write this story.

It's a shame Celestia and Luna may have left already. I bet Celestia would want to see her former student again.
But at least Sunset will have a proper introduction to Twilight's friends (even if they are incredibly familiar)

"Did she actually ditch you by refusing to show up!?" Rainbow Dash said with annoyance. "I thought you told us she's changed since then!"

She has Rainbow, but that's not the reason why she wasn't there to see it. :ajbemused:

"You don't think... something bad happened to Sunset along the way, right?" Fluttershy asked with concern.

Sadly yes Fluttershy. :fluttershysad:

Sour Sweet looked nervous at first, unable to answer, until she noticed another one of the palace guards coming around the corner, holding what looked like a saddlebag.

Someone's in trouble. :ajsmug:

"TANSIES!? THOSE ATTRACT LADYBUGS!!!" Twilight exclaimed out of pure reaction, before noticing a few crawling around the bouquet itself. "GAH!!!! GIMME THOSE!!!!!" Twilight grabbed the bouquet from Sour Sweet and teleported the flowers away to a place far from Canterlot. Without even thinking, the flowers got sent to Fluttershy's animal sanctuary.

Should of guessed that was gonna happen. :facehoof:

Twilight only put her hoof on Sunset's chin and continued the conversation in a proud tone, happy about Sunset's honesty and willingness to not let her own mistakes come at the expense of others. "Don't be, Sunset. In fact, you're right, now that I recall, I really never told you about my hatred for ladybugs. And I think it's really sweet of you that you tried to get me a present, despite the fact I invited you to my coronation on such short notice. Plus, let's just say, the coronation didn't exactly go according to plan. If anything, it was a total disaster, but the hiccups certainly made the event a whole lot more memorable for everyone."

And that's what matters. :twilightsmile:

"Yeah, that's right." Twilight said, before becoming more blunt. "But the difference here is, unlike Max and Sunset who owned up to their mistakes, you tried to lie about it and cheat at the expense of others. You know what, I've heard enough at this point. I've been hearing reports about a certain palace guard who likes to abuse their authority, and I'm glad this whole situation finally let me see who it was for myself. Sour Sweet, you are handing in your badge and armor, and for lying to a princess, you are also going to be the pony spending time in the dungeon!"

Damn, I did not see that one coming. :pinkiegasp:

"Heh, yeah." Sunset agreed, remembering how she went into the throne room and was already prepared for the possibility of Celestia never wanting to see her again. "Actually, Twilight? It's not really something I'm focusing on right now, but at some point, I do plan on heading back to to my old school here in Canterlot, and visiting Celestia again. Let's just say it's for a more... personal reason."

Oh? :rainbowderp:

"She's told us all about how much happier you've been, making friends rather than manipulating them." Rarity added. "Certainly sounds like a huge step from what we first saw of you."

Sure is Rarity. :ajsmug:

"Absolutely." Fluttershy chimed in. "It's pretty amazing how much we've all really changed over time. Most ponies even acknowledge how I'm no longer as shy as I used to be."

Same goes for your counterpart too. :twilightsmile:

"And even though she's nicer now than before, Twilight tells me Sunset's still got that spunk and attitude, which is pretty impressive." Rainbow Dash complimented. "She even knows how to play a guitar and rock leather outfits? Now that is playing it 20% cooler."

Since when did Rainbow Dash like Rock Leather outfits? :unsuresweetie:

"I admittedly haven't really interacted too much with Sunset." Spike began. "But I was definitely astonished at how much she kinder she was when me and Twilight went back to help her deal with the sirens. It's pretty impressive just how much a pony can change over time."

Uh huh. 😏

"Sunset's also kinda been in the same boat as me, so I was able to connect with her quite well." Starlight acknowledged. "From what little I've known about her ever since we met, neither of us really look too fondly back at our pasts, but thanks to Twilight, we've seen things in a more positive light, and even improved our own lives thanks to her teachings. Why, if it wasn't for her, I might've never even reunited with Sunburst, or met Trixie. But yeah, Sunset's a pretty chill gal, and really knows how to have an adventure."

Ngl, I sometimes think those two are almost like sisters with so much alike. :raritystarry:

"I remembered a spell that can let me see the exact date and time of other worlds." Twilight said, before using her magic to zap the journal, transforming one of the empty pages into a manual clock for Sunset. Since the journal had magical connections to the human world, the spell was automatically able to display the date and time that Sunset would've expected. "Now you can check back on this journal to monitor the time so you don't miss your graduation. According to this, it's only a little past noon in your world."

Impressive. :pinkiegasp:

As Sunset listened on to all these different perspectives and outlooks, she began to realize everyone had pretty solid points. And if her human friends truly were family, they would ultimately respect her decision in the end, regardless of how sad they'd be about her metaphorically moving away.

Because what really matters is that your happy Sunset, even if you'll have for make sacrifices you don't want to make. :raritywink:

"I did consider that, actually." Sunset explained. "It just seemed like living out life in two worlds simultaneously would be rather impractical."

Not to mention hard. :fluttershysad:

"We'll have all the time in Equestria to figure out what we might end up doing with those rooms." Spike added. "Maybe I could also give you a suggestion here and there, now that you've officially said I will be your royal advisor? How about a room completely made of delicious gems?"

Oh Spike. :facehoof:

"A key that looks like this?" Sunset said, after digging through her saddlebag for a while. She held a small, rusty looking key that was left untouched for ages. "Even if I abandoned my studies back then, it sure was a good thing I always somehow still felt I was making a mistake, and instinctively hoarded everything."

:pinkiegasp:

https://m.

"That's a really beautiful message." Sunset said softly. "Before I met up with you and your friends, I had little to no confidence in telling my human friends about my decision to stay for a longer period in Equestria. Now I feel like I have every bit of assurance on doing what must be done once I return for graduation. All I can say is, Princess Celestia certainly made an excellent choice for a new ruler. It's no wonder wonder you've had the title, 'Princess of Friendship' for quite some time."

Agreed. :ajsmug:

"Don't feel bad, Sunset." Twilight put a wing around Sunset as they trotted out the castle and into the rural area. "I may not be an expert at how magic can travel between different worlds, but I know for certain that any bit of magic in the other world wouldn't be your fault. Remember the time we researched the Memory Stone, and read that in ancient history, Clover the Clever chased the sorceress wielding it into the other world? Over thousands of moons ago, the portal was always open, and I'd imagine if Clover and a magical sorceress ended up there, then it's a safe bet that if anypony could've prevented magic from entering the other world, that ship definitely sailed long before you entered the portal yourself."

Exactly! 😏

Hello, Sunset! Being a new freshmare here at the School for Gifted Unicorns, I wanted to say that I've been impressed with you and admired how much work you put into perfecting your magic. I'm looking forward to getting to know you a bit better if you ever have time to socialize, but I'll mostly be hanging in the school library. In the meantime, I wanted to invite you to my birthday party next week. I'm right down the road at Canterlot Drive 229. Hope to see you then, I'm really excited to have you there, and I hope you write back soon!

Wow, that is sure an old letter alright. :fluttershysad:

"We can't change the past anymore, but what's important is that you feel remorse for your mistakes and are willing to correct yourself." Twilight insisted. "And hey, Moondancer does still live in Canterlot, so if you're planning to stay longer in Equestria, there's always an opportunity to make amends. Better late than never, even from my experience."

She's right, if Twilight was able to make things up with Moondancer, you can as well Sunset. :twilightsmile:

D'aww! Hearing her past with Celestia makes me want to see them meet again.

"Don't worry about not having a place to hit the hay tonight, Sunset." Twilight assured her. "I'm certainly willing to offer you a place in... well, technically now, my castle. You can take any one of the many rooms I have available. Honestly? This castle is huge, and if Spike and I are the only ones who will be living there, we'd feel bad about letting all this space go to waste."

Same problem, different castle, eh Twilight?

I feel like youre giving subtle hints to some things.......
I can't wait for when things actually start to turn around, seeing the direction of this fic, it seems like this might have 100 chapters or more 0-0
I'm ready for super long fics! >:)

Lol just the thought of Sunset having a Master's degree in magical studies while her friends haven't even graduated high school yet is quite amusing. Then again, she's a magical prodigy who may or may not be older, and they're only teenagers (with superpowers).

"Well, that's actually something I was going to discuss with you when I had the chance." Twilight replied. "See, earlier while I was looking at the school records to see everypony currently enrolled, I noticed that your name was still listed on the roster. Not only that, but all the classes you've already taken and passed are still on record and accounted for. So it seems like to me, while Princess Celestia might've removed you from pupil status, she didn't expel you from the institution. You would've still been allowed to continue your education in magic, even after what happened. Normally, the school's policy states that inactive enrollments would be erased after a year, unless Princess Celestia makes an exception. And according to what I've read in the student files, you're still a student enrolled here, even if you haven't registered for any new classes for a while."

Guess Celestia kept it after all this time hoping Sunset would return and continue her studies. :applejackunsure:

"Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt to spend a little more time with my parents." Luster said, thinking about Sunset's words. "I haven't really done so in quite a while, maybe you're right. Now that you've mentioned it, I have been growing a little distant from my parents, so I'll keep this in mind once I'm finished with the rest of today's classes. Thanks for the advice, and it was good meeting you, Sunset!"

That worked out well. :twilightsmile:

"I really wish I could help you with that..." Twilight said in a sympathetic tone. "Unfortunately, not only do I have no clue who your parents are, or even their names, but neither does the school. It's against school policy to ask for unneeded sensitive information from the students, meaning that on record, we only have your name, date of birth, student ID, and address at the time of attending the institution. I'm not sure if any of those would help you get a lead?"

Should of guessed that was gonna happen. :fluttershysad:

Sunset had now unintentionally encountered all five Shadowbolts.

Um... Coincidence?

With seemingly no parents by her side as she grew older in Canterlot, Sunset didn't have much experience or motivation to believe making friends was important, nor really taking anything Celestia said to heart. Even earlier when Sunset alluded to possibly looking for her parents somewhere in Equestria, Twilight understood Sunset feeling remorse for taking her family and Celestia for granted. But this aspect of her life lined up with her motives later down the line. It began to make sense why Sunset's curiosity for the mirror stayed persistent, despite Celestia discouraging her. With seemingly no family growing up aside from Celestia, whom Sunset at that point saw only as a teacher than a mother, Sunset felt that she never really had anypony who loved and supported her. And as she got further into her studies, the persistent focus toward schoolwork became more a force of habit, making it so she ignored all possibilities of making new friends and only worried about becoming an overachiever.

I hope wherever her parents are, they know that their daughter is alive, and searching for them. :fluttershysad:

"Unfortunately, knowing who my mother was seems to be the impossible task." Sunset said with disappointment. "I have legitimately no memory of her being in my life, not even when I was a filly. I was only living in a small house in Ponyville with my dad, and nopony else was around at all. I never really seemed to question why, even when I saw other unicorns at the school being picked up by their own mothers."

Guess that means that either her parents got divorced when she was little, or she sadly passed away... :fluttercry:

As Sunset was ready to head off to the Wonderbolts Academy, where Rainbow Dash was currently at, she suddenly noticed a pegasus flying at an incredibly imposing speed. Because she was flying so fast within a single direction, Sunset initially couldn't make out who it was, other than the fact it was a pegasus fast enough to only be seen as a blur from below. Sunset's initial feeling of wonder took a sudden change when she began to realize what direction the pegasus was headed. As the pegasus had finally zoomed over Sunset's head, she turned around and saw almost within the blink of an eye, the pegasus had crashed right into the hot air balloon, popping it with an intense force and sending the dazed pony backwards a bit.

:twilightangry2:

https://m.

"That was Princess Twilight's property!?" Indigo said, now afraid of the severity of her consequences. "I can't face the music after vandalizing royal possessions!"

Well, looks like Sunset won't have to deal with a negative attitude like the human Indigo has, as it seems like it's the opposite for her counterpart. :ajbemused:

"While trotting through Canterlot yesterday, I could definitely see that myself." Sunset responded. "There was genuinely so much Princess Celestia gave me, and I never truly appreciated everything she sacrificed for me. The home, the education, the extended love, and I took it all for granted. All I know is, whenever I get around to exploring more of Equestria, primarily at Silver Shoals, I'm absolutely doing anything I can to make it up to her, especially since I haven't really seen her in quite some time."

Oh I'm definitely looking forward to that, since Sunset missed the boat on meeting Celestia again (not to mention the group hug), due to being late and almost imprisoned.

Celestia definitely knows something. Either she knows Sunset's mother is deceased (or divorced) even when she was a filly or (and this might be a bit of a stretch) maybe she is Sunset's mother.

Looking back, Sunset's worst memory with her human friends was when they accused her of posting their secrets publicly under the screen name 'Anon-a-Miss' despite Sunset showing genuine feelings assure them that she would never do anything like that. In all fairness, she did understand looking pretty culpable after how guilty Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle presented her as. But being a changed person at that point, she still wished her friends had just a little bit more faith in her than they ended up having. It did feel more crushing than the Wallflower incident, since in that case, their treatment toward her was caused by magic, rather than them feeling genuine disgust toward her.

I still dislike the memory stone incident 10 times more than Anon-A-Miss. :ajbemused:

"Actually, Sunset?" Derpy began in a more saddened tone. "I just got laid off from my job. My boss had been receiving too many complaints that I somehow didn't deliver the packages to their correct destinations, even though I did! I just don't know what went wrong with those packages."

Poor Derpy. :fluttershysad:

"Well, I can see you're one busy pony." Sunset observed, as the pegasai trainers left the field. "I'm definitely impressed you've become a Wonderbolt, as I've heard from Twilight. I also vaguely recall watching their performances when I was little. I think I liked Spitfire the most."

Well, at least she won't upset Rainbow about the Wonderbolts. :ajsmug:

"You're a fan of the Wonderbolts?" Rainbow asked in surprise before breathing a sigh of relief. "You're already a step up from Starlight, she's never even heard of them. I might already see you as a better Starlight, due to the both of you having troubled pasts."

I can, somewhat agree with that. :twilightblush:

"Oh save it!" Indigo snapped. "Maybe before you accuse me of being a bad pony, you should look at yourself first! I've never felt so humiliated in all my life! In front of my Wonderbolts mentor too! There's only one thing you've instead stolen from me, and that's my willingness to still be a Wonderbolt! I quit! And I'm now glad I destroyed your hot air balloon!"

:pinkiegasp:

https://m.

With that, Indigo huffed and quickly flew off of the academy grounds, before Rainbow began to speak. "You really just made me lose my apprentice over believing she's the only orange pegasus in Cloudsdale!? Twilight mentioned that you're out of practice with your teleportation spells to reliably get down to Ponyville and that I should step in to help you if needed. But after what you just did, I say forget it! I agree, I am glad that your balloon is destroyed, have fun getting to the ground by yourself, Sunset Shimmer! And you know the saddest thing? I legitimately thought for a minute you had changed. I even had my doubts yesterday when I thought you had ditched Twilight's coronation! Looks like I was right after all. Goodbye, you so called friend!"

Talk about a bad first impression.:fluttercry:

Well that was unfortunate. Hopefully it's just Rainbow and nothing goes wrong with the rest of the Mane 6, though they might be more forgiving. I mean, seriously Rainbow, cut her some slack. She may have jumped to conclusions but she was trying to help another pony, a friend even. At least Sunny still has Derpy.

Oh geez. Either Indigo was telling the truth or she's been lying the whole time. Either way, I sure hope Sunset can make things right with Rainbow and nothing bad happens with the others. But at least Sunset has Derpy for comfort
P.S. What Rainbow Dash said was REALLY harsh

Taking inspiration from that one blooper about the two Pinkies switching I see.
Nice.

Regardless of Sunset's mindset of the situation on hindsight, it was far too late now. This was essentially what most of her life lessons taught her, that making mistakes couldn't be undone, and the only option was to move on with the knowledge learnt from the whole experience. Despite this, she still couldn't help but feel disappointment in herself after already knowing she had been a legit changed pony. Had Sunset still been the same manipulative and selfish person she once was when controlling CHS by force, she couldn't imagine what might've become of Lily Pad when she caught Gilda threatening the child that night. No, she instead stood up for the helpless ones who couldn't defend themselves from the dangers of society, and she had even taught the other Twilight Sparkle how to embrace friendship instead of abandoning it.

See, it's not all doom and gloom. :twilightsmile:

"Mr. Crafty Crate can be just as much a stick in the mud as those rude mares we encountered by the train yesterday." Derpy explained. "I hear he even attempts to scam others, like the time he tried to charge one pony 20 bits for a cherry! If he wants some muffins after throwing away his number one employee like that, I'll just give him the stale batch that's been sitting in my truck for a week. I'm already fired as it is, and I don't need him. You and your stomach however, definitely need these scrumptious baked goods I made with love."

Huh, didn't know Derpy had that in her to do that. :applejackunsure:

"That's right!" Derpy said proudly. "You can really taste the love I put into them. As for my mail delivery job, I'll just check if there's hiring positions at another post office. I actually recently heard Crafty Crate in particular has a pretty high turnover rate. I was sad at first for getting fired, but you standing up for me also inspired me to finally stand up against my corrupt boss too. You deserve such wonderful baked goods for your kindness for sure. In the meantime, I'm just going to finish this last delivery and head off for the day. Hopefully we can see each other again soon? Oh, and good luck making things right with Rainbow Dash."

That a girl. :yay:

"Yeah, if only we had magic to change time or something." K-Lo replied. "Then we wouldn't have to keep waiting for this cake."

Should have expected that to happen. :facehoof:

Just as she said that, three mangy but muscular figures entered the bakery, ready to carry the couple's enormous cake. Sunset didn't recognize who these creatures, nor what kind of species they'd be. Though to Sunset, they did somewhat resemble dogs, similar to Spike when he entered the human world. This was confirmed to be true as they spoke up.

Huh, they must have hired them for this. :duck:

"That's because... it was actually me." Pinkie began to explain. "You see, when Twilight was in the other world, me, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, and Princess Cadance were waiting around the mirror for whenever Twilight would return. However, it got a point where we couldn't continue watching the mirror, since Twilight was in the other world for too long, and we had to take naps in between. In those between times, I used my Pinkie sense to detect that the human version of myself was near the entrance of the portal, and while everypony else was asleep, I made my way in. The human me was so much like myself that we figured nopony could tell us apart. And since we were curious about exploring each other's worlds, we made a deal. She would come into Equestria to pretend to be me, and I would go into her world to pretend to be her. It was just one method we both came up with to share the wonder of being in another world without anyone from our respective worlds noticing we were missing, but we switched back at the last minute, right before Twilight came back through the portal. After all, the portal would've closed every 30 moons, so we had to act fast to avoid being trapped, at least until she used the journal to keep the mirror open indefinitely. That's how I knew Twilight's plan in the other world, and how she had a sudden crush on some guy named Flash Sentry. But we alternated back and forth at times secretly just to see what's going on in the other world. For example, I'm actually the same Pinkie you went to the Postcrush festival with, as well as the time we went to Camp Everfree together. Our camp counselor turning out to be Gaea Everfree sure was unexpected, wasn't it? I think I hugged you and exclaimed the camping was going to be so much fun, right after you said that people as chipper as Gloriosa make you nervous. And I still remember the amazing aroma of those churros made by Puff Pastry. But the main reason we wanted to keep this a secret was because we wanted to see how long each of us could fit in within another world before somepony would notice the difference. And I guess you just did when I accidentally told you a joke you weren't supposed to hear from me. Oh, and I only pretended to not recognize you back at Twilight's coronation just to make sure nopony grew suspicious of me. We've actually been through a number of adventures together in the other world, you just never realized it until now. Pretty clever, right?"

:pinkiegasp:

https://m.

"Well, it wouldn't exactly be fun to keep this up with my human self if everypony knew something was up. From what I can tell, when she acts like me, nopony here in Equestria was able to see any difference between her and myself, so I guess that means she does a good job at being me. That, and the fact that when Twilight went into the other world to get her crown back, Princess Celestia demanded Twilight should go alone. She was worrying about how sending me and the rest of the gang with Twilight could upset this alternate world's balance or something. I wouldn't want Celestia and Twilight mad at me."

Fair enough. :trollestia:

It didn't take long for Sunset to surmise that the stallion was Derpy's corrupt boss, who had just gotten what was coming to him. After hearing the way he just talked to Pinkie, Sunset didn't feel bad for him in the slightest, and was instead proud of Derpy for doing what she did with those stale muffins. She simply smirked out of the corner of her eye and exited the bakery, now wondering where else in Equestria she could explore. Sunset was still somewhat shaken up by how well deceived both Pinkie's had played her all these years, but it was certainly a respectably impressive gig. At the very least, even if it wasn't at all what she was expecting when getting to know Pinkie a bit better, Sunset still remained happy that she finally got to know the real pony Pinkie, and that her experience with her at least went better than with Rainbow Dash.

Yep. :pinkiehappy:

Login or register to comment