Hopes and Dreams at Canterlot High

by Rainbow Sparkle

Journal 1

Author's Note:

Here we go, it took longer than I thought it would, but that's because I had to reread a fair bit of my own story to try and check things.

I might actually start work on the next chapter of this this week, or maybe I'll get the one for AD, PotN first.

EDIT: I noticed I made a mistake in this for the date/timing, so I'm going to fix that!

This Diary belongs to Sunset Shimmer. If you are not Sunset Shimmer, be advised if you try to read past this first page, you’re in for a nasty zap.

August 7th, 2014

Well, this is the first entry since I passed through the mirror. I’d have gotten around to writing in this sooner, but I’ve been busy. Getting situated, learning things, adjusting… there’s just not been the time to write my thoughts down.

The first week of school is over and past, and it seems just about everyone at school is happy for such. I suppose after a fashion, I’m one of those people too, though not in the way most others are. After all, I still plan to be doing quite a bit of work even though I don’t have to worry about schoolwork.

Not like there’s been much schoolwork thus far. By Celestia the Ancients, if this is anything of a preview for the rest of the term or the year, becoming the top student in this school will be one of the easiest things in the world. If it wasn’t for the new things I’ve had to learn about this world and its technology, I’d be practically begging them to give me something properly challenging.

Given I have other priorities however, I’ll make use of the time my knowledge and work ethic will help provide. Though if I get bored enough, I might wind up asking teachers for their lesson plans so I can work ahead. Give me more time to work on regaining my ability to wield my magic.

Not much progress has been made on that front. I think in maybe another week, two tops, I’ll properly be able to start casting cantrips again at least, but that’ll still be trying. And it won’t be efficient in the least. But once I get there, I can work on improving my efficiency, see about doing what I can to expand my mana pool… Even see if I can figure out a way to regain mana faster.

[Sunset lifts the pen from her notebook, frowning briefly. She takes a moment to mentally review what she knows of magic, before grimacing and sighing.]

One step at a time though. In all honesty, I shouldn’t rush this. I probably shouldn’t try casting a cantrip for a month at least, possibly two or three. I need to be patient… something that, loathe as I am to admit it even here, I’ve never been particularly good at. Even as a child, patience wasn’t something I had in great quantities.

Guess this is as good a time as any to try and get some. Maybe it won’t be so hard…

[Shakes her head, grinding her teeth a bit. The squiggle at the end of the last sentence is a bit bolder than the rest of the writing.]

Who am I kidding, this is near torturous! The best I can do at this point is get the faintest of glows around my entire hand, and even that leaves me feeling drained. I could do more than this even before I started learning the actual proper mechanics for cantrips! A baby unicorn with almost no magic is literally ahead of me with the wild surges they can get!

I’ve thought of asking Toriel or the Monsters for some information on their Magic, to see if it’d help, but… Soul magic is dangerous. And besides, just from tidbits Frisk has shared, a fair bit of it is intrinsic to the Monsters. It’s almost like the magic Earth Ponies or Pegasi can use, even if its more similar to Unicorn magic.

[Sunset sighs, shaking her head. She grumbles as she bites at the end of her pen, missing the feeling of a quill. Pens were easier to get a hold of though.]

Magic is who I am, it's a part of my being. And by most definitions back home in Equestria, I can no longer use it. An Earth Pony has more magical ability at their disposal right now than I do. Me, Sunset Shimmer. Prodigy of the Princess of the Equestria, Stewardess of the Radiant Sun and Eternal Protector of the Realm! The greatest spellcaster the kingdom had seen in over five centuries!

[There’s a pause. Sunset glances from the page to the hand holding the pen. Then she glances about the still spartan room that has been given to her.]

At least… at least I was. I don’t suppose I’m Celestia’s student now, am I? Not after defying her orders, nor after I probably burned one of the guards. And I’m not in Equestria anymore either.

I’m…

I’m not homesick. That’d be so stupid and dumb. Home is still there. All I have to do is wait a few years. The portal will open, and I can if I really want to go back. I’ll regain my horn and be able to use my magic no problem.

Heck, if I try hard enough here, I’ll make my magic even stronger. Even if I don’t find or learn anything else new here, I can think of this as my own little test…

[The dour mood her line of thought had put her in fades a little bit at that, and she regains some of her confidence.]

Yeah, I just need to think of it like that. I’ll show Celestia that I AM ready for anything. By the time the portal opens back up, I’ll be better than ever before. I’ll make her see, make her understand. She’ll see how wrong she was to deny me. She’ll see that I have what it takes, that I am more than ready. I know I’m meant to be more than just another great or even legendary spellcaster.

There is so much more to my destiny, and once I return, the Princess won’t be able to hold me back any longer.

[Her phone buzzes. She checks it and sighs. She rubs the bridge of her nose a bit, then resumes writing for a moment.]

These devices are a wonderful delight… and a curse. They make it so easy to communicate with anyone, anywhere! Which if you are the chatty and social sort, is perfectly fine. But if you want to be left to your own devices…

Five days at school and still I am getting pestered with invitations to join Frisk and their friends. Frisk at least has stopped asking, but that hasn’t stopped a few of them. Pinkie Pie is the worst… at least five a day from her asking about such.

I’m almost tempted to say yes, at least on the condition that they’ll stop pestering me. Aside from magic practice tomorrow, it’s not like I’ll have anything else I’ll have to do. And, okay, I never thought I’d actually say this, but I’ve actually gotten bored of meditating. It’s really the only thing I’ve been doing.

Well, aside from browsing the web… though staring at a screen for too long can hurt your eyes, so I’ve been trying to space that out. But most of my free time has been spent meditating, probably about nine tenths of it in fact. And you can only do that so much before it starts to feel like you’re not really getting anywhere.

A little break couldn’t really hurt. And it’s not like I have to be more social than I feel like.

And maybe it’ll get Frisk to stop giving me that look they’ve been giving me since Monday afternoon.

Worse comes to worst, it’s one day I’ll have wasted and maybe they’ll get the drift I’m not interested in friendship. Or at least they’ll give up for a while.

[Sunset thinks about it, snorts… then smiles a bit and chuckles softly to herself.]

Well, except for Pinkie Pie. Bet she doesn’t go more than two or three days before she starts badgering me again. Honestly, she seems the most determined out of all of them, and that’s saying something when you have someone around who's got enough Determination to stop someone with the equivalent of seven souls from getting their way.

[Sets the pen down for a moment, checks the message, types one out. Less than a minute later, a reply. Then another, and two more after that. And a message from Frisk… asking if she’s sure about it? Sunset snorts and types out a reply, then sets the phone down.]

Well, there we go. Saturday morning, I’ll go ‘hang out’ with Frisk and their friends. Pinkie Pie’s ecstatic, and Frisk is hoping I’ll have a good time. Don’t know about that, but a few hours not meditating will be nice. It’ll give me a chance to see and experience more of this place anyways. I wonder if this ‘Mall’ Pinkie mentioned is anything like the Merchant District of Canterlot…

[Sunset is about to close her diary at that point, then decides to jot a small little section down.]

Self Assessment of Magical Progress
Mana Pool at roughly three quarters capacity.
Thaumic Pathways Established, can channel magic into hands.
Magical Efficiency- Atrocious, over ninety-five to ninety-nine percent of mana bleeding out when attempting to use.
Recommend another month before actually attempting any cantrips. Stick to the absolute basics, don’t push if there’s too much strain.
REMINDER- Magical Burnout sucks. You’ve dealt with it three times before. You know what it’s like. Get it here and who knows how long it’ll take.
Note- Try talking to Toriel, see if she’ll lend any books on Magic the Monsters have. Even if can’t apply it to your own magic, it is worth studying.

Comments

[Silentwoodfire]

*Tries bribing the writer with 5 gallons of shampoo*

[Rainbow Sparkle]

11599523
o.O

That is an excessive amount of shampoo

[TheGJ90]

Ah, Sunset before the ambition and power-madness really sets in...

It is fascinating to get a glimpse of that side of herself during a time long before she turns into the physical manifestation of unresolved negative feelings and impulses (AKA: a raging she-demon).

[Azreal DuCain1]

11600624
Remember the gag where Twilight saw a series of paintings of Sunset winning the fall formal? Remember how surprised and happy she looked in the first painting?

[TheGJ90]

11600791
Eeyup

[Silentwoodfire]

11599859
Your covered in fur!

[Rainbow Sparkle]

11600624
Something to admittedly keep in mind is that this Sunset Shimmer will be at least little bit different than the canon one. Mostly in part because to an extent I have found I have trouble writing bullies and at least the Sunset we meet in the first movie is very much one.

That said, even if this Sunset Shimmer was exactly the same... she's now already surrounded by people who can give her a different influences so that'll on its own change things a bit. So things would likely turn out differently anyways.

[Inkpot1]

11600864
Cool it seems you've thought out how to develop the characters in this new storyline the only thing I'm curious about is how you would instill the conflict with the population of Mount Ebbot watching her.

[Starkeeper_Ponyfic]

Ooh, I like the idea of Sunset getting journal entries where she (and you) can expand on her thoughts and mental state in more detail! I'm definitely going to be following this fic :D

[Rainbow Sparkle]

11730147
Thank you for all the lovely comments~! It helps encourage me to try and work more on this story and its sister story some (hopefully be able to get chapters for both finished before the end of the year)

[Alpax]

11428231
Oh by the time, Frisk will convince her a lot by their wholesome kindness and it might take some chapters lol