• Published 30th Mar 2013
  • 27,344 Views, 1,337 Comments

Sunset of Time - Albi



Sunset Shimmer: Princess Twilight Sparkle's most faithful student. After bearing witness to the End of the World, she travels back in time to destroy the Dark Regalia and save her future. But a ghost from the past has other plans...

  • ...
36
 1,337
 27,344

Chapter XXV: Sunset

Chapter XXV: Sunset

When Twilight opened her eyes, Sunset was still standing there. The field around them had been reduced to a gravely wasteland. When the shield faded away, the wind blew over them, still warm from Vesper’s final attack. The world was silent, save for everyone’s synchronized breathing.

Sunset stepped out of the circle of snow left behind from the force field. Twilight watched her walk forward and stop in front of the Alicorn Amulet. The center jewel was gone, the edges of the metal melted.

Twilight didn’t take her eyes off Sunset. She’s still here... she’s still here. Twilight’s heart hammered in her chest. What would happen now?

Rainbow cleared her throat. “So… did we win?”

Sunset flicked the amulet away with her magic. She turned around and smiled. “Yeah. We won.”

We won.

Pinkie jumped into the air. “Woooohoooo! We did it! You did it! You two were amazing!”

Confetti rained over them, and Twilight allowed herself a tentative smile. They won. They had fought and struggled, but they had won in the end. Twilight tried to think about what they had gained from beating Vesper Radiance, but her thoughts kept cycling back to what she might lose.

Rainbow tackled Sunset and pulled her into a hug, which turned into a dogpile when Pinkie and Spike joined in. Rarity helped Sunset up, and Fluttershy brought Applejack over to join the celebration.

Twilight jumped at the soft nuzzle against her side. “Princess Celestia!”

Celestia’s mane hung lifeless, and she held her front leg close to her chest. She still bled from several wounds, and leaned on Twilight for support. “I’m very proud of you, Twilight.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said quietly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m…” Celestia looked to the sky. Soft, powdery snow began to fall again. “I’ll live. My heart is torn in two… but I’ll live.” She followed Twilight’s eyes to Sunset. “But just because I don’t get any closure doesn’t mean you shouldn’t either.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “You know?”

“I pieced their connection together. How your Sunset’s fate intertwined with my Sunset.” Celestia sighed. “Time can be cruel, Twilight. Please, go to her while you still have some.”

Twilight moved a hoof forward, but the rest of her body refused to move. “I… I can’t. I don’t want to.”

Celestia nudged her forward. “Twilight, don’t make the mistakes I made. Go and speak with her while you can. It will be painful, yes, but it is better than saying nothing.”

“What if she doesn’t disappear? She’s her own pony! She has to be!”

“Then go and enjoy your victory.”

Twilight’s hooves shook as she moved forward, but she didn’t stop. She clung to the faintest hope that Sunset would stay. She had to believe it.

Sunset broke her hug with Fluttershy and smiled at Twilight. “We did it!”

Twilight shook her head. “You did it.”

“How did you do it anyway?” Spike asked.

Sunset pointed to the setting sun. “Our special talent is the same: harnessing the energy of the sun. But that raw power burns through us if we use it too much.”

Rarity nodded. “So you purposely antagonized her to use her magic to the fullest extent—”

“—So she overused her special talent and burned herself from the inside out,” Sunset finished. “She burned so hot, she destroyed the Regalia.”

Fluttershy said, “But you used a lot of magic too, and you’re not hurt.”

Sunset laughed weakly. “Oh no, trust me, I’m in pain. I’ve burned through at least two organs.”

“Looks like we’re all in some pain,” Applejack said with a weak chuckle. “Ah reckon we all get back to the Empire.”

“Y-yeah.” Sunset glanced at Twilight. “We should probably head back.”

“So we can have our victory party!” Pinkie cheered. “It’s gonna be amazing! I’ll convince the castle chefs to let me take over the kitchen, and I’ll bake the biggest cake, and there’ll be streamers and balloons, and I’ll paint pictures of all the awesome battle scenes!” Pinkie flailed her hooves and struck various poses. “We were like, ‘Hiyaah!’ and Vesper was all like, ‘Grrr!’ and the Frostlich was all like, ‘Roooar!’ and Twilight went, ‘Take that!’ but Vesper was like, ‘Nuh-uh!’ and Sunset was like, ‘Ya-huh!’ and—Sunset what’s happening to you?

Twilight’s heartbeat slowed to a crawl. She wanted to look away, but her eyes were transfixed on Sunset.

Sunset raised a hoof to the light. Gold flecks floated from her fading body, tiny fireflies that drifted up to the sky. “So… this is it.”

“Wh-what is?” Fluttershy placed a hoof on Sunset’s shoulder, surprised that it didn’t go through.

Sunset pulled Fluttershy’s hoof down. “I… I tried to tell you in the park, but…” She twirled a lock of her hair. “Vesper and I… you know we’re the same pony; I’m her reincarnation. But, if the events that led to her having a reincarnation never happened…. If I altered the course that led to my creation, I… well…”

“She ceases to exist,” Twilight whispered, her head bowed.

No one breathed. The only sound was a deflating noise that came from Pinkie’s mane. Twilight bit down on her lip to stop herself from crying out.

Pinkie hiccupped. “That’s not fair.” Her voice was softer than Fluttershy’s. “That’s not how it’s supposed to go. We… we won. We beat the bad guy. We’re supposed to go home now and celebrate. That’s what always happens.”

Sunset walked over and wiped the tears from Pinkie’s eyes. “It’ll be okay. You can still have a party. I… I just won’t be there.”

“That’s not fair!” Rainbow shouted. “That’s not fair at all! We go on this stupid journey that you started, and now you’re going to die or disappear or whatever?” She flew up and jabbed Sunset in her fading shoulder. “What if… what if I say you’re not allowed to disappear, huh?”

“Not even your stubbornness will stop this, Dash.” Sunset tried to keep her voice even, but Twilight could hear the cracks in it.

Applejack spoke next. “So everythin’ we worked for was all for nothin’?”

“No!” Sunset vigorously shook her head. “No, it’s the opposite. You guys made a new future. You don’t have to worry about Vesper ever again. It’s because we succeeded that I have to… go away.”

“But we don’t want you to leave, Sunset,” Fluttershy said between sniffles. “You’re our friend. I know it hasn’t been too long but… I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

“You’re part of the group,” Spike said, clinging to her leg.

Rarity tipped her head in agreement. “I thought maybe you’d have to go back to your own time or something of that nature. I didn’t expect you to leave us like this. After all we’ve seen and done… it doesn’t feel right.”

“I’m sorry.” Sunset inhaled to keep her voice from quivering. “I didn’t want this to happen—”

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Rainbow shouted. “We could have done something! We could have found a way!”

“When would you have had time to look, Dash? And what could you have found?” Sunset sighed. “I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. Because you all would have tried to help.” She looked at Twilight. “I was already down, I… didn’t want to get my hopes up.”

Rainbow rounded on Twilight. “You knew, didn’t you?”

Twilight turned away. “Yes. But it was Sunset’s secret to share. It wasn’t my place—”

“Wasn’t your place? She’s dying!”

You think I don’t see that!” Twilight screamed. “How do you think I feel? I promised her I'd stop it—I’d find a way to keep her here!” Twilight’s dam broke, tears flooding her eyes and pouring down her face. She forced herself to look at Sunset. “I promised you… and I failed.”

Sunset walked over and stroked Twilight’s cheek. “You didn’t fail, Twilight.”

Twilight leaned into Sunset’s hoof. “Yes I did. Look at you… you’re fading away.”

More gold sprites flittered away from Sunset’s translucent body, slowly carrying her essence away. “Twilight, I did what I was meant to do. I finished the mission you gave me. You don’t need me around anymore.”

“Don’t ever say that!” Twilight grabbed Sunset’s hoof. “You’re our friend; we always need you. You did it, Sunset, you saved the world, but that wasn’t the sole reason you existed—I refuse to believe that!”

A bubble of laughter rose from Sunset. “You don’t know how much that means to me. I’m so happy—so honored you all consider me a friend. I feel the same way about all of you.”

“Then don’t go!” Pinkie sobbed. “Please don’t leave like this, Sunset! That’s not how happy endings are supposed to work!”

“Pinkie,” Sunset said in a wavering tone, “not everyone gets a happy ending.”

“But you’re a good guy!”

Twilight would have found Pinkie’s storybook belief comical if she hadn’t wanted so desperately to believe it herself. They won, fair and square. So why were they still losing?

Her hoof slipped through Sunset’s, and she let out a strangled sob. “There has to be something—anything we can do.” She looked back at Celestia. “What if we used the Elements of Harmony?”

Celestia shook her head. “Sunset is now technically an anomaly in time. If the Elements did work on her, it may only speed up the process. I’m sorry, Twilight.”

Twilight couldn’t say anything. Not with the despair clawing at her insides. She wanted to throw up. She wanted to scream. She wanted to hold on to Sunset and never let go.

“It’s going to be all right,” Sunset said. “I promise.”

“How?” Rainbow’s voice cracked.

Sunset closed her eyes. “I could tell you. But that’d spoil everything.” She smiled. “Just believe me when I say you’ll all do great things. You’re some of the best friends a pony could ask for, and as long as you keep being yourselves, you’ll make the world a better place.” She looked over to Pinkie. “So go throw that victory party. The world still needs Laughter.” She looked at Rainbow. “And Loyalty. Honesty, Generosity, Kindness…” She looked at Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy in turn, then stopped on Spike. “Bravery.” She gave him a phantom kiss on the cheek.

Her eyes rested on Twilight. “And Magic.”

Twilight’s fought against the smile forcing its way onto her face.

Sunset finally addressed Celestia. She shifted nervously, flicking her ears before speaking. “Princess… I… I’m not your daughter.”

Celestia looked at her with soft eyes. “No. You are not. You are a different pony.” She limped closer and leaned down to Sunset. She spoke quietly, but Twilight was still able to make it out. “And that, I think, might make all the difference.”

Sunset nodded. “Still, I feel like I owe you an apology.”

“Do not apologize for her mistakes. What happened here was ultimately hers and my responsibility. It is I who should be apologizing to you, Sunset, for you are the one paying the price.” A tear ran down Celestia’s cheek. “Truly, I am sorry.”

“Apology accepted.” Sunset’s voice began to sound distant. Her eyes fell on Twilight again.

Twilight stared into Sunset’s teal eyes, unable to look anywhere else. Her heart was ready to snap in two, yet Sunset just stood and smiled at her. Twilight took a shaky breath. “I… I guess this is it then?”

“Yeah. Guess so.”

Twilight bit her lip. There were so many things she wanted to say—so many questions she wanted to ask. It all wanted to explode out of her at once. She was an overinflated balloon of emotions ready to pop. “Sunset—”

“Would you like to hear what I’ve learned from all this, Twilight?” Sunset asked.

“I, er, well…” Caught off-guard, Twilight wasn’t sure how to respond at first. She relaxed her shoulders and said, “Yes, I’d love to hear what you’ve learned.”

Sunset cleared her throat. “Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle: Today, I learned that we aren’t defined by our past. Ponies have done terrible things before; sometimes they’ve done things they think no one will ever forgive. But real friends don’t care about that as long as that pony is trying to be better—trying to correct their mistakes.” She closed her eyes. Gold flecks floated away like tears of light.

“Everyone is given a choice in life to do what is easy or what is right. The right choice is never easy, but it becomes bearable if you have friends to help and motivate you. Real friends will stand by you and help you through even the hardest times. They’ll help you find hope, even when you’ve given up on it.

“I have a new hope now. That no matter where I go next, whether it’s to another life or into oblivion, I’ll never forget any of you. I’m so glad I got to meet you all, and I’ll treasure the memories forever.”

“We’ll never forget you either, Sunset,” Spike said.

Rainbow sniffled. “Y-yeah. We’ll think about you every day.”

“Thank you,” Sunset said with the most sincere smile Twilight had seen on her. “Friends are with you, no matter where you go. That’s something I learned a long time ago, but I think it’s the most important lesson I’ve learned. Whatever happens next, I know you’ll all be there with me.”

Sunset bowed her head toward Twilight. She was almost gone now; gold poured off her in an upwards shower of light. Twilight bowed her head too. Her horn touched the tip of where Sunset’s should have met hers.

“Love, your faithful student…”

A single spark jumped between their horns.

Then, Sunset was gone. A burst of light sent the last golden motes up into the sky.

Twilight raised her head and watched them float away, vanishing after a few seconds. She continued to stare even as the last one faded away, wishing, hoping, praying that Sunset might come back. No one interrupted her. Twilight knew they were hoping as much as she was.

When a fine layer of snow had built upon the ground, Celestia gently pulled Twilight from her trance. “Come, Twilight. We should all see to our injuries. And I’m sure Shining and Cadence are desperate to know if you’re all right.”

Twilight nodded weakly. Her mouth was dry, and she was suddenly very tired. “Yeah… okay.” She let Celestia lean on her as they started their trek back. Fluttershy and Rainbow assisted Applejack, while the rest followed close behind.

Twilight stopped and looked back. The field was still empty. Just like her heart.

“Goodbye, my faithful student… Sunset Shimmer.”

Night had fallen again. Stars glittered above the Crystal Empire, filling the black canvas with beautiful diamond dust. While the rest of the city slept under the peaceful blanket of night, the palace was awake, and in a much more somber mood.

Twilight sat with everyone else in the dining hall. Her plate of food remained untouched. Bandages ran down the length of her back, and one sat on her cheek. She considered herself fairly unharmed compared to some of her other friends.

Applejack sat in a wheelchair, her entire back leg bandaged up. The crystal pony nurses had reassured her she’d still be able to use it, but only after a few months of serious rest.

Celestia had her left eye bandaged and her foreleg in a cast. She still carried a number of burns and scars, yet retained her natural grace.

Everyone else had escaped with only a few scratches and bruises, much to Twilight’s relief. Cadence and Shining had joined them for dinner, where everyone had taken turns explaining what had happened in the wasteland.

Now, all was quiet. Most of the plates still had copious amounts of food, despite the doctor encouraging them all to eat. Pinkie hadn’t even touched her food; she had pushed it away and rested her chin on the table. She still had not moved.

“She told us to have a victory party,” Pinkie mumbled. “But celebrating is the last thing I want to do.”

Twilight lifted her fork and speared a few vegetables. She slid one into her mouth and chewed slowly. When it came time to swallow, her stomach nearly rejected it, like it had with every other scrap of food before it. She dropped her fork and buried her face in her hooves. She had no more tears to cry, having expelled all of them between the walk back and when they retold the story twenty minutes ago.

Now, Twilight only felt sick and empty. A piece of her was missing, gone with Sunset. Twilight blamed herself for making a promise she couldn’t keep. She didn’t deserve to be a princess.

Someone stroked her hair, and Twilight lifted her head to see Shining looking doleful. “I know what you’re thinking, Twilight. You did everything you could.”

“That’s just it,” Twilight said, her voice small and scratchy. “I know I could have done something else—I know it.”

Shining hugged Twilight against his chest. “You’re brilliant, Twilight, wonderfully brilliant. But the truth is… we can’t always bring everypony home. Sad fact of war.”

“It’s not fair.”

“Yeah… it isn’t.”

Twilight’s broken heart stabbed at her chest, and she pushed away from Shining. “I need some air.” She stood up and walked to the dining hall doors.

“Twilight,” Cadence called. “You know we’re all here for you.”

The scenario was so familiar, Twilight was almost compelled to laugh. She wondered if Sunset would have found it funny as well.

“I know,” she said. “I just need a little time alone.” She pushed the door open and slipped out. The blossom of mirth died when she closed the door. “I’m a hypocrite.”

Twilight walked down the dim corridors, ignoring the guards on duty. She had friends to lean on and support her. They knew what she was going through. So why did she crave solitude?

After a few minutes of walking, Twilight found her destination: the palace balcony. She rested on the railing and looked out over the city. She knew she wouldn’t be long. She craved solitude, yet, at the same time, she longed for the embrace of her friends.

She let out a frustrated yell and pressed her face into her hooves again. She didn’t know what she wanted.

No, that wasn’t true. She wanted Sunset to come back. She wanted their circle of friendship to be complete.

Her eyes welled up again, proving she still had tears left to shed. She sobbed as quietly as she could, lest she wake the rest of the city.

It’s not fair! Why couldn’t she stay? Why’d she have to leave like that? She deserved a happy ending.

Twilight wanted to be angry at something or someone, even herself. But as Shining’s words played through her head, she wondered…. What could she have done?

Part of her accepted that this had been unavoidable, but the starry-eyed foal in her still believed that friendship conquered anything. Even time.

Hoofsteps approached. Twilight swung around to find Princess Celestia limping across the balcony. Twilight moved to help, but Celestia shook her head and reached the railing on her own.

“The stars look lovely tonight,” she said with soft admiration.

“Y-yes, they do.” Twilight wiped her eyes and nose. “Princess Luna always does a really good job.” Twilight blanched. “N-not to say you didn’t while she was gone—I didn’t mean—”

“Twilight.” Celestia’s gentle voice instantly put an end to Twilight’s stammering. “I know you meant no offense. Luna was always better at the arts than I.” She pointed her nose to the moon. “When I lost her, I locked myself in my room for two months. I refused to talk to anypony, I barely ate; I only raised the sun and moon. I did it again when I had to turn Sunset away.”

“I’m sorry.”

A firefly floated past them. They both watched it until it flew out of sight. Celestia spoke again. “The first time, Starswirl finally broke my door down and dragged me outside. The second, it took all of the castle staff knocking on my door to convince me to come out.” Celestia smiled empathetically. “I understand your pain, Twilight, terribly so. I know you want to be alone, but don’t forget about the other ponies who care about you.”

“I haven’t—I won’t!” Twilight pinned her ears back, knowing how defensive she sounded.

Celestia nuzzled the top of Twilight’s head. “I’m not accusing you, Twilight, just reminding you. We all need a little solitude, but don’t drive everypony away. Don’t forget the rest because you lost one.” Warm tears dripped onto Twilight’s head. “Even… even if that one meant everything to you.”

The tears came faster now, a steady trickle against Twilight’s scalp. She had never seen Celestia earnestly cry before, and was unsure of what to do other than nuzzle her back.

Twilight cringed, thinking of how selfish she was. She lost a friend, but Celestia had lost the pony she had called her daughter. At least Twilight got a goodbye. Celestia had only watched her Sunset die after becoming a monster.

“I’m so sorry, Princess. This must be even harder on you than me.”

Celestia stepped back. Her eyes were already red. “It’s not a contest of pain, Twilight. You and I have both lost something today—something irreplaceable. It’s unfair to both of us to measure who is hurting more.”

Twilight bowed her head. “You’re right. I’m—ahem, I mean… you’re right.”

Her head was lifted up by Celestia’s unbound wing. “And, if anything, I should be the one apologizing.”

“Why?”

“As I told Sunset, I bare most of the responsibility for what had happened.”

“But Vesper—”

“Made her choices and mistakes.” Celestia stood up straight and looked at the moon again. “But I am far from blameless. There isn’t a day that goes by where I wonder what I could have done to steer her down another path. I-I tried my best for her. But I failed in the end. I helped create a monster.”

Twilight moved to close the gap between them. “Princess—”

“And I sent you and your friends after that monster. I ignored the voice in the back of my head telling me who Vesper Radiance could be. If I had confronted her at the start of all this, you would have never been put in harm’s way. I’m so sorry, Twilight.”

For several minutes, Twilight said nothing. It was true; if Celestia had sought after Vesper, her friends wouldn’t be sitting in the dining hall, nursing injuries after coming close to their deaths. But at the same time…

“If you hadn’t… I wouldn’t have gotten to know her,” Twilight whispered.

“What?”

Twilight smiled. “If you hadn’t sent us, I wouldn’t have gotten to know Sunset.”

Celestia joined in Twilight’s smile. “Yes, I suppose that is true.” Her eyes wandered over to the mountains surrounding the city. “Don’t be sad that it’s over. Be glad that it happened.”

They stood side-by-side, watching the still landscape. Twilight reflected on everything that had happened over the last couple of days, thinking about all of her time spent with Sunset. Glancing at Celestia, Twilight knew she was doing the same thing.

Twilight fiddled with her hooves. “You really loved her… like a daughter?”

“Yes. I did.”

The next question was out of Twilight’s mouth before she could stop it. “Did you ever love me like that?” She clasped a hoof over her mouth and looked away, shame burning her face. Celestia was looking at her, she knew it, but she couldn’t bear to turn back.

A wing draped over her and pulled her close. Celestia kissed her forehead and held her as tight as she could. “Twilight, you are brilliant, wonderful, kind, and loving. I’ve watched you grow from a little bookworm into a beautiful butterfly. I love you deeply. But you have a mother and father, and I could never take you away from them.” She turned Twilight’s face to her. “Sunset holds a special place in my heart. As does Luna.” She kissed her on the head again. “And so do you, my special filly.”

Twilight’s face burned brighter. “I love you too, Princess.” She thought to apologize again, but reasoned they had both said ‘sorry’ enough times for today.

When their embrace broke, Twilight’s mind immediately centered on Sunset again, and the light in her breast dulled. Be happy that it happened. Be glad you met her. Twilight was infinitely grateful she got to meet Sunset. That still didn’t stop her from wanting to see her again.

“The ones we love are never really gone, Twilight,” Celestia said.

Twilight placed a hoof over her heart. “I know. They’re right here. But I still miss her.”

Celestia smiled, then turned toward the door. “Friends have a funny way of coming back to us. Hold onto her, Twilight. Hold onto her memory, her dream, what she fought for. Believe in her.” Celestia walked away, her mane beginning to flow again. “The ties with your friends are strong, Twilight. If you believe in Sunset Shimmer, if you remember she existed… perhaps, someday, you’ll see her again.”

She disappeared into the darkness of the palace, leaving Twilight alone once more. She sat down and looked up at the stars, mulling Celestia’s words over. Of course she believed in Sunset. She refused to believe Sunset didn’t exist anymore. It just couldn’t be possible. She was out there somewhere—she had to be.

Twilight smiled. Then she laughed. Yes, Sunset existed. She could feel it.

“We’ll meet again, Sunset. I promise.”