Sunset Shimmer doesn't live in Equestria. She hasn't for a long time. But she's been visiting, more and more, having found herself drawn closer and closer to the alicorn princess who once saved her from herself, and having also found her affections were reciprocated.
Now, Sunset's been invited to spend Hearth's Warming in Ponyville, together with Twilight in her castle. There's no doubt that Sunset's happy to do so, and every moment Twilight's there makes that clear. But as she looks out upon the snow-capped small town decorated in its bright lights, she finds herself still at a perpetual distance from the world she once belonged to, both in spirit and in body.
It's not a sentiment she'd expect Twilight to relate to. But there might be more in common there than she thinks.
Written for AFanaticRabbit for Jinglemas 2023!
Pre-read by Avery Day, Dewdrops on the Grass, and The Sleepless Beholder. Featured on 12/25/23.
In which I am literally Twilight whenever my partner compliments me.
This is characterisation I love. Twilight always feel a little out of place with her castle.
Full body shivers.
Thank you for writing this. This is just the write balance of
angsty and cute that I was expecting. Hopeful and looking forward, ugh.
Thank you again!
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It was a fun challenge to take a new approach to pairing Sunset and Twilight, and I’m ridiculously glad you enjoyed it.
Not afraid to admit that I can relate to the feeling both Sunset and Twilight have. Not being sure where you are is where you belong and all that. Glad they have each other to help get through it.
I can somewhat relate to this being I'm autistic and sometimes don't allow people to help me when need it.
https://m.I see what she was doing there.
Why does it say that? Sunset isn't a princess?
It's not like she experienced a true ascension to compare it to.
Also, I did appreciate the noted parallels with Sunny Starscout, to say nothing of the implication of mutual, cross-temporal geek-outs between Sunny and Twilight.
I can see why you resisted using "Namepending Castle" for this one. Definitely would have undercut the soul-searching drama. As it is, lovely piece of Celestia's students commiserating in a way that none of their friends really can. Thank you for it, and Merry Jinglemas.
Really loved this, the holiday atmosphere+incredibly adorable interactions between Twilight and Sunset was the kind of fluff my soul needed right now.
This was excellent. I can never get enough of Sunset returning to Equestria, and you did a great job in characterization with both of them
I will never not be amazed by how you well you can deep dive deep into character’s minds. This was an absolutely stunning piece, exploring Twilight and Sunset’s feelings of being other. And you dove right in with that opening line.
From the get-go, we get the feeling that despite the fact that Sunset is home, she still isn’t.
I was originally going to put this in Best of Jinglemas, but damn this Heartstrings material.
Very nice! I can only imagine what it must feel like to be so powerful and important to want to long for normalcy. I have had similar thoughts that this would be a struggle for the book horse as the years go by. At least she has her friends and a special somepony to share the burden with.
Daydream powers on command. YES!
I, still to this day, feel that Sunset was snubbed in not having some sort of ascension following the Games. Be it a permanent form or like this, something she could access. The tie in with Sunny's ethereal alicorn powers was an excellent tie in.
This was such a nice read. Thank you!