On this night, Twilight Sparkle's life will change forever. And so will Sunset Shimmer's.
Before that can happen, though, both must grapple with what has already occurred that day. As Sunset wrestles with guilt over driving Twilight away -- and losing a critical chance to get back her friends' magic in the process -- Twilight herself struggles over the harm she knows she's caused, and if she can possibly hope to fix it.
Fortunately for Sunset Shimmer, she has a close friend to help her work through it.
Unfortunately for Twilight Sparkle, she has Principal Cinch.
The consequences of each will reverberate through the entire night -- and once it's over, Sunset and Twilight will be left to figure out what comes next.
The second chapter of this story was written for the 2024 Iron Author contest at Everfree Northwest. It has been edited and slightly expanded to better synchronize with the rest of the story.
Pre-read by Avery Day, Dewdrops on the Grass, and The Sleepless Beholder. Cover image self-edited.
Featured on 19-21 September 2024.
Twilight will have nightmares, but because of Sunset, at least there will be someone there to help her chase them away. A simple act of kindness in one moment defused a lot of grief and Sunset handled it extremely well.
That was a lovely read, and filled in the gaps of the movie quite nicely. The Cinch chapter was painful to read, but it made this one all the better as a wonderful epilogue.
Nice job.
Pain and poison, pure and raw.
From hollow fang, and twisted claw.
Hope drowned by pain, and left to rot.
Light burns away demonic thought.
An old path dies, the way back gone,
For two new friends, the new road leads on.
How do you do this, Eileen? Introspective fics are your specialty and you are scarily good at them.
This was powerful. Only way to describe it. Raw, painful power. The way both sides are told and then weaved together in the end... It's beautiful. Teared up a little.
Into Heartstrings this goes!
It's hilarious knowing she's referring stuff from fim.
You're correct on that one Sunset, as Cinch has something horribly planned for this last round!
Go figure she'd mention it doesn't fit uniform regulations.
Princess Twilight would be proud if she saw this right now.
A perfect ending to a great story!
This is a wonderful short story. Something about that line where Cinch’s smile has teeth really creeps me out.
Nice... analysis? Portrayel? I guess a snapshot of moments that weren't in the movie but add so much depth to both characters to these moments. Definitely greatly written. Upon a recheck of the last sentences for each chapter, I also liked a lot the detail of Sunset going to her destiny, Twilight to her doom and at the end towards their future. Just small words, but impactful.
Someone kick Cinch in the shins.
Midnight? Would it happen to be for...?
Ah... The way in which Sunset could do for twilight what another twilight did for her.... Impeccable progression. literal angel. great fic!
Ah, physical scars to go with the emotional ones. But both will fade with time.
Excellent study of these two and their respective environments. It says something about Twilight, battered as she is, that her own decision was to do the right thing no matter what it cost her. There is a strength there that Sunset will be able to rely on, a sign that their relationship won't always be an uneven savior/victim interaction.
Lovely work throughout. Thank you for it.
I've got to hand it to you, Pinkie Pie is usually my least favorite character, but here you capture her ... Pinkie-ness without being purposefully grating. She's a naturally sympathetic muse when properly handled, and in this instance, she's just what Sunset needed. Well done.