A Shimmer and Sparkle

by Skyreads

11. Right Brain, Left Brain

Tired, achy eyes stared up at the skylight above the bed Sunset Shimmer laid on. After a peaceful, quiet dinner it did not take long for the two best friends to bunker down. Unfortunately for the fire blaze look alike, she had too many thoughts about the night before and the day she had just finished swarming her brain. It left her with a strange feeling. One that she had felt before but had covered up with anger and ambition. Numbness. Her heart pounded but it felt in slow motion, as if it was sandwiched between two pillows that muffled and made it difficult for her heart to move.

The main thing stealing her away from her slumber was, of course, her parents. Certain memories of quick dismissal and blatant ignorance flicked through her memories until the most dominant moment of a painful memory resurfaced itself.

---

Filly Sunset zapped into the royal throne room of the Canterlot Castle. She was dirty, in pain, and had never felt more betrayed by every pony around her.

“You lied!” Sunset screamed, her angry and accusatory voice cracking across the large marble room. She ignored the other ponies in the room, staring at her in surprise.

The Princess of the Sun stammered on her throne with eyes wider than her dessert plate, “S-Sunset Shimmer. I’m currently in the middle of a diplomatic matter. We can discuss la-“

Her golden hoof stomped down making the throne room feel as if it had trembled in her might, “No!” Sunset commanded from her teacher.

Stunned silence rang throughout the room as Princess Celestia finally laid her eyes on the filly. Her golden honey coat was caked in mud, with medium and small spots of blood mixed with the dirt tainted the coat. Sunset's eyes were red and filled with anguish and fury, her mane was pulled in different directions and messy.

“My apologies Dutchess Primrose and Dutchess Minty. We will continue at a later time.” Princess Celestia said as she walked out two earth ponies, one with a dark pink coat and blue mane in short layered curls. The other had a mint blue coat with a stringy bubblegum pink mane.

Once the throne room doors closed, the goddess turned, her face unreadable but her disapproval apparent, “Sunset Shimmer. What did you do?”

The child unicorn stomped her hoof again, “What did I do? You mean what did they do?! You're the one who told me to make friends! Yeah well, this is the outcome!”

Princess Celestia sighed with a dressed hoof rubbing the base of her horn, “And how exactly did you instigate this to happen to you?”

The fiery manned unicorn’s jaw dropped. What was the Princess not understanding? They did this to her! She had been kind! She did everything the princess instructed and they still went out of their way to attack her!

“I-I didn’t do anything! I wasn’t mean, I was kind, friendly, listened, and spoke when spoken to! Everything you told me to do! They still hate me!” Sunset cried.

Princess Celestia walked past her to her throne, “You must simply be doing wrong. Until you can figure it out and fix it, your progression is on the line,” the alicorn tapped her golden shooed hoof, “maybe it’d be best if you stayed in the castle full time.”

“But I’ve tried so hard!!” Sunset shouted with sobs, “They hate me! Every pony will always hate me!”

“With that mindset, you’ll be correct.”

Sunset shook her head, the princess simply wouldn’t listen or understand. There were only two ponies left that could. The young unicorn stepped back and left the throne room with a blast of teal.

Sunset returned to reality and opened her eyes as she met the foyer of her family mansion.

“Momma! Poppa!” She cried like the filly she was. She hiccuped on a sob as she ran down the large marble hall of the home. She ran past the doors of the home crying for her parents until she was caught in a magic aura of orange, completely stopping her in her tracks.

“Sunset? What in Celestia’s great nation are you doing?” A gravelly voice asked her. When she was released from the aura prison she ran to her parents and attached herself to her mother, who let out a sound of disgust.

“Get your filthy hooves off me!” The noble-mare yelled as she levitated Sunset’s pry off her, her face scrunched in revolt, “Why would you ever think it’s appropriate to come running into this home, covered in filth! You could have ruined my finery!”

The filly yelped as she landed on the ground, she looked up at her parents' disgusted and angry faces, “I- it was the other fillies at school! They’re so mean to me and I just wanted to be friends.”

Both of the adult ponies rolled their eyes, and her father spoke, “Your mother and I have advised you many times, that friends are meaningless. They will do nothing but hold you back from your full potential.”

Her mother nodded and turned her back to the filly, her tail flicking into her daughter’s face in annoyance, “Maybe now, you will have finally learned your lesson.” She said in a cruel tone as she walked off, her husband in tow, leaving their filly sobbing in the hall. The maids waited patiently for her to stop as a bath was prepared. Sunset stared off into nothingness while filled with numbness until the sting of soup in the gashes of her back reawakened her.

---

Her teeth dug into her knuckles to keep her sobbing hiccups quiet. She had realized that it was futile as her bed partner couldn’t hear her anyway.

Sunset brought her fist from her mouth and both hands came up to rub her face, taking the tears with them. Her hands landed in the roots of her mane as her fingers latched onto the stands of red and gold, ‘Calm down, Shimmer. You're in a house that has your best and only friend in it with her loving parents. No need to cry like a filly.”

Sunset brought one hand to her chest and slowly raised it out, as Twilight had taught her. Her racing heart turned into a jog. When her arms fell limply to her sides she stared at the ceiling shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from the moon. How did this happen, again? How did she end up in this predicament?

Sunset had never felt so conflicted and confused in her life. She used to have direction. Ambition. A path and set goal. The powerful, strong, and all-mighty Sunset Shimmer knew exactly what she wanted and she would get it no matter what. Tear others down before they can tear you down. Friends are just distractions and hold you back from greatness… Is that how Sunset ended up sobbing in the middle of the night next to a human girl? Is that how Sunset ended up not knowing what she was doing? Where was she going to go from here? She was in a completely different world, in a completely different body. Did she really have a chance of living here permanently?

Did Twilight Sparkle… hold her back from what she was really meant to be? We’re her parents really right? Did she make a mistake by letting herself play along?

By now she’d have the crown lead of the elements of harmony in her hands and would be conquering Equestria with no problem. Instead, she was crying, feeling lost, confused, hopeless, and… regret…

Sunset's head shifted over to look at the girl who had changed everything in her life in a short time. Twilight lay peacefully, her dog by her feet, a cat sleeping on the pillows by her head, and a small smile on her face. Her long indigo hair, now out of its bun, trailed behind her back, and no glasses obscured her face.

The redhead felt her heart skip a beat. It was a weird feeling. She had always known mares were more her type. Stallion’s could be attractive but that was all she felt, but a human? A species completely from her born one. Flash Sentry didn’t count, he had just been a tool. Sunset cringed at hearing her inner voice admit that fact.

The near kiss from earlier that night entered her brain. In the moment, when she hadn’t been thinking so hard, she felt a peacefulness in someone else that she never knew existed. Sunset wanted to do it. To kiss the human girl who had been the first ever to show her compassion and genuine friendship. The more time they spent together the harder it was getting to deny the attraction Sunset felt. An attraction that was now obviously reciprocated.

That moment had been ruined thanks to a memory flash of the scared and shock-ridden face of the purple alicorn counterpart in her mind's eye. Sunset knew she shouldn’t have been surprised that that’s who Princess Celestia replaced her with. Sunset knew Twilight Sparkle’s intelligence, studiousness, and strong will had easily gained her a spot next to the Equestrian goddess. That didn’t mean it didn’t sting. Seeing that the bookworm accomplished what she wanted so badly made Sunset, guiltily, feel a strong sense of resentment… and a taste of nasty envy. The Pony Twilight was a living example of what Sunset would have been. Her Twilight, human Twilight, was an example of someone willing to help her grow into what she really is.

Teal-colored eyes moved back to the gleaming stars in the skylight, “What's happening to me?”

Did having a crush on a human make her less of a pony? Did it really matter now that the portal was destroyed?

Sunset's heart leaped at the realization. She had officially exiled herself. She would never be in her natural unicorn body again. She would never see the beauty of Equestria again.

Despair nestled itself right next to the numbness in her heart. Starting out as a young overpowered unicorn filly who craved the pride of her parents to gaining a spot next to the ruler of the nation to a mean, arrogant brat who tore down any and everyone who dared to cross her path to now being… being… whatever it is she was now. Why did life events have to deter her so far away from the one thing she craved so badly? Was this fate? Destiny? Was she clawing after something that she was never meant to have? Why couldn’t she be an alicorn sitting on the throne right next to Princess Celestia right now? Was power truly what she had been seeking so desperately for so long? Sunset already knew the answer but she wouldn’t say it, not out loud or inside the privacy of her brain.

The former unicorn sighed, ‘Jeez Shimmer. You're really smart during emotional highs. Impulsively running through a portal that leads to a completely different world and now having destroyed the only gateway back home.’

She felt the achy tiredness start to make her eyes droop. Sunset turned onto her shoulder, her back to Twilight and their animal friends. The only feeling left to drag her down to sleep was a hollow hole in her soul.

---

When teal eyes fluttered open, inappropriate bright sun rays gave the room a white glow. The redhead rubbed a curled fist against her sleep-crusted eyes before sitting up to find the astronomic-themed room empty of any other presence.

The only sign of where life was outside of the room was a neatly folded note sitting on Twilight’s side of the bed.

Sunset picked up the note and opened it, finely scripted letters from a pen met her,

Good Morning Sunset :),

I hope you slept well. You looked tired so I did not want to wake you. I will be back from school around 5 pm, I’m staying late to work on some research in my school laboratory. Don’t worry, Father will be picking me up later. Feel free to text me. Until then, get some breakfast!

~Your Friend, Twilight Sparkle.

After placing the message down Sunset realized her raised cheeks from the small smile on her face. She struggled out of the bed feeling the age Princess Celestia was before stretching with her hands raised above her head. She cringed when her shoulder popped back into place and her head still felt woozy. After brushing her teeth and using the bathroom, Sunset peeled off the white bandage around her head and saw a small red splotch on the bandage stuck to her wound. The redhead grimaced at the sound of dry blood peeling off along with the cloth.

In the mirror, she examined the red gash that had two stitches holding the skin back together, ‘Yep, that’s gonna be a scar.’

Oh well, if anyone asks she can claim she fought a dragon or something of this world. Only a few moments of inspection later passed before Sunset began her descent to the bottom of the stairs, her sensitive hearing let her know there were many voices talking back and forth.

The first voice she could make out was a male’s, “Mom! Where the heck is the syrup?”

A female voice answered but not the one that belonged to the mother figure in the home, “If you’d pay attention you’d see that I have it you big oaf,” the voice giggled.

As Sunset approached the kitchen she saw Twilight Velvet and a woman with rosy pink skin and long tri-colored curled hair giggling and a blushing man with pale skin, a shade lighter than Velvets, and shaggy blue streaked hair. He rubbed at the back of his neck and his navy blue shorts showed off the shiny steel bottom half of his right leg.

The three traveled to the breakfast table with pancakes and bacon waiting to be consumed. Sunset turned around, about to travel back to the room. She didn’t want to disturb Velvet and her guests, That was until the woman she thought of said her name.

“Sunset, dear! Good morning!” The pony-turned-teenager paused and turned back around to face the woman before giving an awkward smile, “H-hi, Mrs.Velvet. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to intrude.”

The woman gave a dismissive hand motion, “No apologies needed, Sunset. You haven’t intruded on anything. Would you like some breakfast?”

The rosy woman next to Velvet offered a kind and friendly smile, something like excitement glistened in her eyes. Something about the woman seemed familiar, Sunset couldn’t place why though. The man on the other side of the table smiled and nodded his head in welcome. The redhead joined the table so as to not offend the adults and Velvet slid a new plate of pancakes to Sunset’s seat.

“Oh, those are the blueberry ones! Let me know how you like them!” The woman with purple, pink, and yellow hair commented with enthusiasm.

Velvet giggled before pointing her fork to the younger woman, “Sunset, dear, this is Mi Amore Cadenza, my beautiful soon-to-be daughter-in-law” She moved her fork to point at the male, “And this is here is Twily’s big brother, Shining Armor. He’s come back from his last mission in the National Guard after five years. Twilight doesn’t know he’s home yet. It’ll be a fun surprise!”

Sunset used a butter knife and her fork to cut a bite out of the pancake, she managed to keep her eyes on the ones she was being introduced to.

Shining Armor spoke with pride, “Yep, Twily has spoken a lot about you. I’m glad to see my little sister so happy to have a friend.”

Sunset offered a wobbly smile, “It’s all thanks to her really. She’s the one who made it happen.”

Two hands clapped happily together, “Aw, the little ladybug has really been doing a lot better already ever since meeting you! Hope things have been the same for you?” Mi Amore Cadenza inquired as she leaned in closer with a bright smile.

Sunset held her mouth open agape in hesitant anxiety.

“Cadence, babe, it might be too early to start prying at Twily’s friend,” Shining said in a playful reprimand.

The young woman smiled guiltily, “You're right, Shiney. Sorry Sunset, as a relationship counselor, I can’t help it sometimes.”

The redhead smiled awkwardly for the second time, plunging her fork into her breakfast, “I-it’s okay.”

The family members began a catch-up conversation as Sunset watched the juice flow out of the blueberry when her fork impaled it. That’s when something in her brain clicked, ‘Did he just say Cadence?’

Teal eyes flicked to the excitable woman. That’s why she was so familiar! This is Princess Cadence’s human counterpart. Sunset met her at around ten years old. Cadence was older so she had only known the alicorn as a teenager, seeing her as an adult, especially a human one, it was hard to recognize her. Of course, now it was clear, the young woman was as beautiful and warm as the pony princess of love. An old pang stabbed her in the heart. Cadence had been something unexpected. She was inspirational to the golden filly.

A random Pegasus had gained ascension without even trying! That meant Sunset would most definitely gain it when she was trying. All she had to do was triple down on that goal and she too would stand next to Princess Celestia and now Princess Cadence. The news and theory left her giddy. It was the first time Sunset Shimmer had ever actually gone out of her way to make sure she got close to some pony. If she learned and studied with Cadence then Sunset could use it as a reference for herself.

Fortunately, Princess Celestia put the young magically gifted unicorn up to the task of teaching the former Pegasus how to use her new horn and the basics of magic. That left them to constantly be together. Sunset Shimmer teaching the new princess magic had given her a new confidence within herself, in her abilities, and in her goals.

Only a year in and it all came crashing down, the friendship they built slowly dwindled away when the alicorn had a good grasp on magic and spent more time out of the castle. Princess Cadence moved on from Sunset, left her behind, and left her to deal with her own growing troubles with Princess Celestia. Further proving that no pony would ever stay with her. Instead, the prissy princess chose to start to play with a purple… unicorn filly and hang out with a… blue-haired unicorn in guard training. Sunset's thoughts slowed as she came to the realization of who the alicorn Cadence began hanging out with which led to leaving Sunset behind.

The former unicorn found herself giggling without her consent. It was becoming hilarious to her how small the world was, even when two were involved. The table looked at Sunset.

No one gave a contempt face to the giggling girl, “See Shiny, told you that story was funny.”

Shining threw his head and sighed dramatically. They continued their banter and Sunset sat, simply watching, listening, and enjoying her food. The three family members made sure to include Sunset in whatever topic that came about.

As breakfast came to an end Sunset dismissed herself to Twilight’s sanctuary after plucking her kitten into her arms, after his and Spike's play time had tired them out.

Sunset sat on the bed after surfing through Twilight’s novel collection and scooted out the one that caught her attention the most—another mystery.

---

Twilight's teeth gritted together in an attempt to keep in the short cry wanting to escape as she was pushed harshly to the ground. When she collided with the dirty and cracked concrete that would damage Crystal Prep’s reputation, dirt kicked up underneath her weight.

The person responsible for her fall thundered their heeled uniform shoes above her, taking away her only route for escape. Two other pairs of feet cornered her, prepared to stop her from fighting, “Aw girls, I think our little nerd must have some kind of dirty pain kink!”

They giggled and chuckled at the claim, “Sounds right to me! No wonder she never fights back,” the girl on the right laughed.

“Yet they claim that you are just ‘oh so smart’!” The main intimidator scoffed, “You’ll never amount to anything, little bug!”

Twilight grunted when a heavy shoe pushed into her stomach, “You’re just a bunch of brutes. I’m intelligent enough to use my words. Unlike you, I don’t need to brawl like a beast!”

The girls grew angry faces at the offense, the leader of the pack grabbed Twilight harshly by her vest and pushed her against the outside wall of the school, “Be quiet you! Learn your place!”

The girl to the left had Twilight’s backpack and zipped it open before dumping out all of its contents into the large dumpster, a sadistic grin on her face. The third of the group joined the verbal assault, “Just because you ‘know’ a few formulas doesn’t mean you're smart! I bet you do extra ‘favors’ for Mr.Graph! It’ll all be known when you end up as nothing and useless on the streets,” she growled out, hate filling her voice.

Twilight felt an icky disgust wrestle in her gut at the accusation, “That’s not true, I worked hard for my academic success, unlik-!“

A rough shove into the wall cut her off. Twilight could feel her back start to ache from the abuse.

“You shut the hell up, Twilight Sparkle!” She was thrown back to the ground, landing harshly on her shoulder. The young teenager cried out when a kick was made to her back and another to her stomach as the three mean girls stared down at her with anger and disgust. The leader leaned down to Twilight’s level and grabbed her face harshly, “We’ll let you off the hook now, but keep this little bravery act up and we will send you crying home to your mommy again.”

She let go of Twilight's face with a shove and stalked off the school grounds with her posey practically stepping on her heels.

The lavender-skinned girl finally got up when she was sure the three were gone. Her back and stomach ached from the kicks, but nonetheless, she managed to climb over the edge of the taller dumpster and collect her necessary items. Unfortunately, the little things would have to be lost.

Twilight opened the back door to her school and began her descent to the basement where her tiny closet lab lived. As she did her phone vibrated, when Twilight pulled it out of her skirt pocket she sighed at the discovery that her phone screen had been cracked. A long shatter broke across the screen. The thing that uplifted her mood was the message had been from her one and only true friend. It contained an adorable picture of her puppy and Sunset’s kitten playing together on the bed, and along with the picture was a wishful sentence for her return.

When Twilight entered her lab, a rare emotion flooded her veins. Anger. Anger for those three girls. For what they were doing to her, for what they said to her. They were just mad she refused to do their homework now! They were wrong. She would be something! She was going to be the greatest scientist! The youngest one to ever win a Nobel prize and with the knowledge of magic and multidimensional existence she would prove it!

The portal was destroyed, yes but that was fine. In all honesty, it just gave Twilight an opportunity to fully record and collect data on the how of multiple dimension portals. This was her chance to figure it out. To prove to those mean girls and all her other doubtful classmates that her genius was her own and she needed no help.

The indigo-haired teen flipped on her radiation measuring machine and pressed the power button to her computer before she placed a pebble she had taken from the portal holder while it was active. The pebble shone a weak bluish-white light, it was noticeably weaker than before.

Not to worry, using Sunset’s insight, Twilight would figure this out. Twilight didn’t need the help but her otherworldly friend was useful in more ways than one and Twilight Sparkle would make sure that was put into the records.

Paper spewed out of the machine analyzing the small piece of limestone. A smile stretched across her face and her glasses gleamed in the light. She was going to be a recognizable scientist. She had to be. Twilight didn’t know how it worked in Sunset's world but in this one, men dominated nearly every workforce and put down any woman that deserved their place next to them. That wasn’t the only minority group she was in. She had heard way too many stories of other people’s orientations holding them back. Not this time. Twilight would prove to those who had underestimated her and continued to do so that she deserved her place. The scientific world would learn that they need her.

Author's Note:

Howdy Y'all

Welcome back, this is a bit of a slower chapter but one that helps set up a stage as both girls are going through their state of mind changing. Oooooh, that will be fun and turn out well

Also, I plan on updating the cover soon, I've grown not to like its current one, so I hope that's a thing to look forward to for the readers :)
I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Comments

[Ri2]

Screw you, Celestia.

And I'm worried about Twilight.

[Revel Montaro]

5 year deployment?! Good gods. Hope he at least got some shore leave in that time. Also, if you beat someone and they don't fight back it's assault. An expellable offense. Use that big brain of yours, Twi and fight smart.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

“Get your filthy hooves off me!” The noble-mare yelled as she levitated Sunset’s pry off her, her face scrunched in revolt, “Why would you ever think it’s appropriate to come running into this home, covered in filth! You could have ruined my finery!”

That's the last thing any parent should say to their child!!!

Her mother nodded and turned her back to the filly, her tail flicking into her daughter’s face in annoyance, “Maybe now, you will have finally learned your lesson.” She said in a cruel tone as she walked off, her husband in tow, leaving their filly sobbing in the hall. The maids waited patiently for her to stop as a bath was prepared. Sunset stared off into nothingness while filled with numbness until the sting of soup in the gashes of her back reawakened her.

I feel sorry for what Sunset had to suffer when she was younger.

Sunset had never felt so conflicted and confused in her life. She used to have direction. Ambition. A path and set goal. The powerful, strong, and all-mighty Sunset Shimmer knew exactly what she wanted and she would get it no matter what. Tear others down before they can tear you down. Friends are just distractions and hold you back from greatness… Is that how Sunset ended up sobbing in the middle of the night next to a human girl? Is that how Sunset ended up not knowing what she was doing? Where was she going to go from here? She was in a completely different world, in a completely different body. Did she really have a chance of living here permanently?

Seeing you destroyed the portal, I'm afraid you're right Sunset.

In the mirror, she examined the red gash that had two stitches holding the skin back together, ‘Yep, that’s gonna be a scar.’

I know the feeling. I have one myself.

Velvet giggled before pointing her fork to the younger woman, “Sunset, dear, this is Mi Amore Cadenza, my beautiful soon-to-be daughter-in-law” She moved her fork to point at the male, “And this is here is Twily’s big brother, Shining Armor. He’s come back from his last mission in the National Guard after five years. Twilight doesn’t know he’s home yet. It’ll be a fun surprise!”

daughter-in-law." She*

The girl to the left had Twilight’s backpack and zipped it open before dumping out all of its contents into the large dumpster, a sadistic grin on her face. The third of the group joined the verbal assault, “Just because you ‘know’ a few formulas doesn’t mean you're smart! I bet you do extra ‘favors’ for Mr.Graph! It’ll all be known when you end up as nothing and useless on the streets,” she growled out, hate filling her voice.

I've seen and witnessed a lot of mean things by bullies, but that one is just too cruel!!!