Chapter III: Solidarity
The wood creaked underneath their hooves as Twilight led Sunset up to the guest bedroom in the library. Spike had already gone to sleep, so the two mares stepped as quietly as possible, as not to wake him. They reached the end of their climb up the creaking steps, and Twilight pushed open the door at the top. The room beyond was not very furnished, but it had a bed, and that was all Sunset’s exhausted body needed.
As Sunset stepped into the circular room, Twilight asked in a soft undertone, “Do you need anything?”
Sunset looked longingly at the bed. “No, I’m fine.”
“Alright then, you get some sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to where the Alicorn Amulet is.”
Sunset turned her head to look at the alicorn. “Thank you so much, princess… thanks for believing me.”
Twilight beamed at her future pupil. “Of course, and please, just call me Twilight. Good night, Sunset.”
“Good night, prin... Twilight.”
Sunset heard the door close behind her as she made her way to the inviting bed. The only source of light now came from the crescent moon floating outside her window. The patch of silver light illuminated the floor, allowing Sunset to navigate her way to her haven. She collapsed into the bed with a loud sigh, before scrambling around until she was tucked underneath the blanket.
She yawned and snuggled up against her pillow, broken and unfinished thoughts floating through her head. Her tired mind couldn’t bother finishing any of them as she drifted to sleep.
Twilight stepped into her room as quietly as she could, closing the door behind her. Spike was curled up in his basket, snoring peacefully, his spines giving an occasional twitch.
Twilight leaned her back against the door, suddenly feeling a mixture of exhaustion and panic welling up inside her. She inhaled as she brought a hoof to her chest, then exhaled as she brought it away, practicing the meditation technique Cadance had shown her.
It wasn’t working.
She did it again hoping to calm her nerves before she did something drastic. Yet, no matter how many times she breathed, she was still feeling a rising wave of hysteria coming on. Apparently, eternal composure didn’t automatically come with being named a princess.
Twilight rushed over to Spike’s storage chest and rummaged around until she found one of his spare paper bags he kept in case of his own panic emergencies. She put her mouth to the bag’s opening and began taking deep, heavy breaths, expanding and contracting the bag as she breathed.
Time travel… Future student… End of the world, she thought with each puff. Part of her was surprised she had been able to keep her cool for as long as she did. She breathed into the bag again, a little too hard this time as the bag expanded before bursting resulting in a loud pop!
Spike raised his head and slurred, “Wazhapinen?” He looked at Twilight and rubbed some of the crust from his eyes. “Twilight what’s wrong?”
She gave him an apologetic look. “Nothing, Spike, it’s fine. Just go back to sleep.”
“Are you sure? ‘Cause your mane is starting to look frazzled, and that usually means something’s up.”
Twilight cringed at the dragon’s observation, although part of her was flattered he knew her so well. “I’ll tell you in the morning, Spike. Please, go back to sleep.”
Spike shrugged and laid his head down again. Twilight knew he had instantly nodded off from the sound of his snoring.
Sighing softly, Twilight discarded the now useless paper bag and jumped up onto her bed.
“Okay, Twilight, calm down,” she whispered. “It’s not like you haven’t dealt with time travel before. So a pony claiming to be your future student comes back from the end of ponykind; it isn’t like you’ve experienced worse, right? Ha, ha, ha.”
Part of Twilight had desperately not wanted to believe Sunset, but when she looked into the unicorn’s eyes and saw the pain and sadness behind them, Twilight knew she was telling the truth.
“Or, she’s a really good actress,” Twilight reasoned. She shook her head of the thought. No, Sunset hadn’t been lying; there was too much emotion in her eyes for that entire story to be a lie. Still, it was a lot for Twilight to wrap her head around. A future where she had a personal student, just like Celestia, only something had appeared to cause the apocalypse and force Sunset to come to the past.
It reminded Twilight of her own time traveling experience, when she had gone back in time to try and warn her past-self not to worry about the future, only for her to deliver an incomplete message that caused her past-self to freak out anyway. What if Sunset coming back to the past would just set wheels in motion? Would her interfering only push the world down its path to destruction?
Twilight found herself in a fit of paranoia with these thoughts running through her head. She buried her face into her pillow and released a muffled groan of exasperation. She now understood why Sunset had been reluctant in telling the truth. She didn’t want anyone else to carry the burden of knowledge. Or she was afraid of messing up the space-time continuum.
“If I’m freaking out this much, I can only imagine what she’s going through right now,” Twilight mumbled.
Sunset stood between two marble pillars in one of the open halls of Canterlot Castle. In front of her was a square atrium that housed a unique type of garden. The gravel had been brushed and smoothed into waving swirls and patterns, giving the scenery a mystic look. Boulders of all shapes and sizes sat around in no specific organization. A small stream flowed through the rock garden, breaking it into two halves and creating a calm babble.
Sunset continued to stare outwards, squinting her eyes like she was trying to see something incredibly small. After minutes of trying, she finally gave up and turned to face her teacher. “Alright, I’m stumped. What am I looking for, princess?”
Princess Twilight stood next to Sunset, looking as calm and regal as ever. She was at least two heads taller than Sunset, and while her hair was not ethereal, it blew constantly, as if it were caught in an eternal breeze.
Twilight smiled, her own eyes not leaving the beautifully sculpted garden in front of her. “You mean you don’t see it?”
“See what? It’s just a bunch of rocks and sand… Oh no.” She puckered her face in annoyance. “Is this another metaphor for something? Is everything in this castle a metaphor?”
Twilight tilted her head back and let out a regal laugh that chimed through the corridors like a symphony of bells. “No, not everything is a metaphor for something. But, I’m sure if you thought about it hard enough, you could compare anything to a deeper meaning.” She placed a hoof on the smooth pillar. “This surely represents the morals and virtues our society was founded on.” She gestured to the red carpet behind them. “And the rugs represent the roads of life that we walk daily.”
Both Twilight and her student burst into fits of giggles, sounding like schoolfillies to any passing guards. Twilight ended her bout of laughter and gestured to the garden once more. “Come now, Sunset; you can’t guess the meaning behind this?”
“Not if you don’t want to stand here all day,” Sunset joked.
The alicorn placed a hoof on Sunset’s shoulder. “You know, you’re a lot more brilliant than you give yourself credit for. Go on, at least try.”
Sunset gave a halfhearted nod and stared out at the rock garden again. She took in all of the patterns etched in the sand, the number of rocks on both sides of the stream, and even tried to compare them with each other. Yet, she couldn’t see any deeper meaning beyond the simple stones. Really, it was just a rock garden.
Still, not wanting to disappoint her teacher, Sunset decided to throw a shot in the dark. “Umm, well, both sides of the garden look the same; they’re just arranged a little differently. So, maybe it’s supposed to represent the diversity between ponies? We may look the same on the outside, but fundamentally, we are all the same on the inside… or something.”
“Hmmm,” Twilight pondered, “very interesting.”
“Did I get it right?” Sunset asked, surprise and hope filling her voice.
“Not quite, but,” she added as Sunset’s face fell, “it is a very interesting perspective. I never thought about it like that. No, what the garden represents is the simplicity and beauty of friendship. One stone alone can be something to be looked upon and admired, but when several rocks come together, then you truly have a masterpiece of art. Something so simple can make truly wonderful things. Just like friends.”
Sunset sighed. “See, it’s a good thing you told me now, because I never would have guessed that.” She took another look at the rocks. “Although in retrospect it does sound kind of obvious.”
Twilight laughed again. “Don’t worry, my faithful student: your answer was still insightful. And remember, just because one pony sees something one way, doesn’t mean that’s the only way to see things. Your interpretation behind the garden could have just as easily been its interpretation.” Using one of her large, feathery wings, Twilight led Sunset away from the atrium and down the hallway, their hoofsteps muffled by the rug.
“And since we’re on the topic of friendship,” Twilight continued, “I believe Ruby Dazzle was looking for you earlier.”
Sunset’s ears perked up at the mention of her best friend. She had almost forgotten about their afternoon plans for today. “Does this mean we’re done for the day?” Sunset asked expectantly.
Twilight nodded. “Yes, be free.” She gave a dramatic wave of her hoof, smiling as her student scurried down the corridor.
“Bye, princess!” Sunset called back as she rounded the corner and out of Twilight’s sight. The unicorn made her trek through the sprawling maze that was Canterlot Castle before she finally arrived at the main doors. She threw them wide open and took in the afternoon sunlight that warmed her face. She continued on through the courtyard to where a ruby red unicorn was waiting just outside the gates.
Sunset never reached her friend. As she drew near to Ruby Dazzle, the ground began to violently shake, causing the pavement to split and open a wide chasm between the two friends. Ruby yelled something to Sunset, but was drowned out by the roar of the wind. Storm clouds quickly drew across the sky and began to rain down fireballs that incinerated everything in their path.
The ground continued to shake, causing everything to crumble and fall apart. The marble beneath Sunset’s hooves began to give way, and she quickly jumped back, beginning to backpedal towards the castle. Ruby however, wasn’t so lucky. The ground under her simply vanished into thin air, and she went tumbling into the dark abyss. Sunset screamed, calling her name like it would miraculously bring her back to life.
Sunset would have collapsed right there and mourned the loss of her friend if not for the ongoing firestorm. Tears still falling from her eyes, she ran back towards the ruins of the castle. She made it inside, only to find everything up in flames. The fire circled her, taking on predatory shapes and faces. Sunset trembled as they drew closer, their heat slowly cooking her alive. She began to hyperventilate as the beasts all took a crouching position preparing to attack. Sunset closed her eyes as they pounced, waiting for her fiery end.
Only it never came. Sunset opened her eyes to find all of the flaming monsters had vanished. Instead, she was standing on a large mountain of rubble, surrounded by an infinite sheet of darkness, like the mountain was floating in space.
Twisting her body, Sunset was startled to find Twilight lying next to her, looking like she was on the verge of death.
“Princess Twilight!” Sunset cried. “Are you alright? Say something!”
Twilight stirred and opened a watery eye. “Sunset, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”
Sunset shook her head. “Don’t apologize, princess, it’s not your fault!”
But Twilight continued on as if she couldn’t hear the distraught mare. Her eyes took on a vacant expression as she continued to mutter an apology. Sunset shook her and tried to call her name, but Twilight was lost in her own world.
Distorted laughter exploded above the two ponies, as an orb of darkness appeared over their heads. It had a blazing red center that gave it an appearance of a fiery eye. A black whip shot forth and impaled Twilight through the chest before dragging her up into its embrace. Twilight let out a horrified scream as the darkness engulfed her, drowning out Sunset’s own yell of horror.
The mad cackle continued as a new ring of fire shot up around the dirt pile Sunset was standing on. She retreated to the centermost spot, watching the wall of flames swirl and dance about, drawing closer and closer. The heat escalated dramatically, until Sunset could not even produce tears. She dropped onto her knees, crying weakly, “Someone, help me please! I don’t want to die!”
The fire roared closer, eating up her makeshift island little by little. The flames towered over her, reaching all the way up to the malevolent eye that continued to laugh. A face appeared within the inferno. Sunset squinted her eyes, unable to look directly at it. It opened its mouth and reared back like a snake ready to strike. Sunset threw her hooves over her head. “I DON’T WANT TO DIE!” she screeched as the beast bore down on her.
Sunset screamed as she awoke from her nightmare, her flailing hooves getting tangled within the bed sheets. She lost her sense of balance and tumbled off the bed, landing on the hardwood surface. She fought off the blankets and scrambled to her hooves, breathing heavily from the adrenaline still rushing through her. Her entire body was soaked with sweat.
The door to her room burst open and Twilight jumped in shouting, “Sunset, are you alright?”
Sunset quickly bowed her head so Twilight couldn’t see her distraught expression. Her breath came out in ragged gasps as her blood continued to pulse through her body, slowly calming down from her adrenaline rush. She let in a slow breath and answered, “Y-yes, Twilight, I’m fine.”
Out of all the lies she had told over the last hours, Sunset knew that was her worst one yet. She was far from fine. She felt sick and alone and downright terrified. But she couldn’t let Twilight see that. She couldn’t let the princess think she was an emotional wreck.
Twilight stood her ground, eyeing Sunset with a concerned expression. “Are you sure? Because I heard you all the way from downstairs.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Sunset gave a curt nod, her eyes never leaving the floor. “It was just a bad dream.”
Twilight stepped closer and noticed the tears falling from Sunset’s face. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
Sunset bit her lip and nodded again. She felt like if she said anything else, her emotions were going to burst out of her like a water balloon. She wanted Twilight to leave so she could cry in peace… so she could mourn.
“Sunset, you’re clearly bothered by something—”
“Please, Twilight,” she croaked, “please. I… I just want to be alone right now.”
Twilight faltered, not wanting to leave the Sunset by herself, but knowing she had to respect her new friend’s wish for privacy. Twilight sighed in defeat as she backed out the door, shutting it behind her.
Sunset collapsed and burst into tears the instant the door had closed. She held her head in her hooves and sobbed, thinking of the horrible death she had managed to escape from, and everyone else who hadn’t.
Dead. Everypony she knew was dead. Part of her knew that at this point of time, they hadn’t died yet. Many of them weren’t even born yet. But the idea still held fast inside her, cutting through her heart like a jagged knife. Images of all of her friends and family flashed through her head as she dwelled on the thought. She missed all of them: her parents, Twilight and Spike, all of her friends. She even missed the spoiled brat that was Blueblood III. Just thinking about them made Sunset’s throat tighten, constricting her breathing. What if I never see them again? What if I never get home? What if I fail and can’t save anypony?
Despair took its hold over Sunset, adding to the sea of emotions rolling through her. I can’t do this! I can’t do this! I wasn’t meant to be Twilight’s student! I wasn’t meant for any of this!
Her heart ached over the crushing sadness that flooded her. She felt alone, the only survivor of a dead future, stuck in the past with the expectation to miraculously fix everything. The weight of the world crashed back down onto her shoulders. She reached a hoof up and snatched the pillow off of the bed and buried her face in it, letting out a muffled scream that quickly dissolved back into pained sobs.
She wanted to go home, back before everything had been burned away. The Canterlot here might have looked like Canterlot, but it wasn’t her Canterlot. The Twilight Sparkle here wasn’t her teacher yet. She might be someday, but for now she was just...
Sunset felt something warm wrap around her, making her jump, startled by the sudden contact. She opened her eyes to see a wall of purple fur in front of her, pulling her into a warm embrace. “T-Twilight,” she choked, “I-I thought—”
Twilight gently shushed her. “I know you wanted privacy, but I heard you crying and I just couldn’t leave you here.” She hugged Sunset a little tighter. “I can’t say I know what you’re going through, Sunset... but I want to help you any way I can.”
Sunset paused, unable to think of anything to say. Instead, she pressed her face into Twilight’s shoulder, feeling thankful that she was wrong. Twilight was her teacher, her princess… her friend, past or future.
The future. Hearing that word in her head brought a fresh wave of tears which Sunset spilled onto Twilight’s coat as she wept openly. Crying was the only thing she could do to get all of her emotions out. Sunset hadn’t realized how tightly she had had them locked up until the nightmare occurred.
She cringed as the wall of fire appeared in her mind, coupled with the maniacal laughter that drilled itself into her psyche as if to ensure that Sunset would never forget it, no matter how hard she tried. Yet despite the fear the fire and cackles tried to bring her, sitting in Twilight’s embrace gave her a sense of protection and comfort. Soon her tears had stopped falling and her breathing returned to normal save for the occasional hiccup.
Sunset finally pulled away from Twilight, rubbing her eyes and nose with her hoof. She sniffled, “I’m sorry you had to see that, Twilight. I guess with everything that happened, I never really got a chance to… vent.”
Twilight shook her purple mane. “Don’t apologize, you’ve been through a lot. I’m just glad you’re feeling better, it’s not healthy to keep things bottled up.”
Sunset finished wiping her eyes, now red and puffy, and smiled at the princess. “Thank you, Twilight.”
The princess returned the expression before standing up and motioning for Sunset to follow her. “Come on, I have a shower you can use a few doors down. No offense, but you kinda….” She trailed as her eyes scanned over Sunset.
She examined herself and blushed. A shower sounds really good right now, she thought.
Sunset sighed in relief as she stepped out of the shower and onto the fuzzy bathroom mat. She had never felt so clean in her entire life! Taking the towel Twilight had provided off the towel rack, she rubbed herself down, humming a hearty tune as she did. The simple act of being able to properly bathe herself had left Sunset in high spirits. A complete reversal of what she had been feeling an hour and a half ago.
She wiped a wide circle through the mist that clung to the bathroom mirror and smiled at her reflection. A squeaky clean orange unicorn grinned back at her. Her mane fell in wet strands across the sides of her face. She gave it a quick rub down with a towel before deciding that she’d just let it dry naturally. Part of this decision was made due to the growling in her stomach.
She hung the towel up and left the humid bathroom, feeling the cooler air of the library brush across her fur. The morning sun broke through the windows and gave the inside of the great tree a warm and tranquil feel. Following a delightful smell, Sunset hurried down to the first floor where she heard two voices conversing in the kitchen.
“Seriously, who takes a shower for almost two hours?” She identified the first voice as Spike.
“Seven hour bubble bath,” she heard Twilight counter.
“…Point taken,” Spike said in a disgruntled tone.
Giggling, Sunset pushed the door open and gave a bright, “Good morning,” to its two occupants.
Spike waved, a forkful of freshly made pancakes in his mouth, while Twilight properly addressed her. “Good morning,” she said warmly. “You’re looking much better.”
“I feel a lot better; that shower felt really wonderful!” she said.
Spike swallowed the last of his breakfast and gave Sunset a serious expression. “You didn’t use up all of the hot water, did you?”
“Uhh… no?”
“Good,” he nodded and hopped down from his seat at the table, taking his plate with him. He tossed it into the sink and grinned at Sunset. “Help yourself to breakfast,” he said as he exited the kitchen.
Sunset didn’t need to be told twice. She sat herself down and took a stack of pancakes from the pile. She lifted the syrup bottle, prepared to drown her breakfast in maple goodness when she caught Twilight’s bemused expression.
“Did you use up all the hot water?” Twilight asked. “I mean, you were in there for a while.”
Sunset shrugged. “I don’t know, hopefully not.” She finished pouring syrup over her pancakes and proceeded to stuff a few large chunks into her mouth until she remembered who she was sitting across from. She swallowed her mouthful and tried to take on an air of grace and decorum by cutting her pancakes into smaller pieces and slowly chewing them one by one.
Twilight noted the change in Sunset’s behavior and bemoaned, “Please, Sunset, just because I’m a princess doesn’t mean you need to try and act prim and proper around me. Just be yourself.”
“Oh thank goodness,” she said, before ravaging her pancakes again. The last thing she had eaten was the lettuce wrap, and she had almost thrown that up on the way over to Ponyville.
Sunset finished her meal and wiped her face off as Twilight washed the dishes in the sink. Unsure of what to do with herself, Sunset twiddled her hooves and glanced around the kitchen. It was a modest room with cabinets that lined the wall and a large ice box in the back corner. There was a sink, a stove, and even an oven on one side of the room. Sunset assumed that the tree’s interior was fireproof for Twilight to be able to use an oven without fear of burning the library down.
Sunset tapped her hoof against the tabletop, generating a small thumping noise. After a minute, she cleared her throat and asked, “So… you didn’t tell Spike about… me?”
Twilight finished drying off the plates before addressing Sunset. “No, I didn’t. I just told him you would be staying here for a little while.” Sunset was about to breathe easy, when Twilight held a hoof up. “However, I have to tell you that, while I respect you wanting to keep your mission a secret, I personally can’t condone lying. I’ll help you however I can, but I won’t advertently lie to my friends.”
Sunset nodded, suddenly feeling a little guilty. “I understand, princess. I don’t think I could ask you to do that anyway.”
“That said,” Twilight continued, “I really think you should reconsider keeping your purpose here a secret. I understand that you don’t want to mess up the space-time continuum or anything, but I think anything is better than the end of the world at this point.”
Sunset rubbed her hooves together as she reflected on Twilight’s words. She had told herself the same thing only yesterday but had opted to lie to both Twilight and Celestia instead. She blamed the overwhelming sense of panic that had been coursing through her.
Now that she was calm and refreshed, she could think through things with a clearer head. In the long run, how could telling a few ponies that she was from the future and was sent back in time to stop the apocalypse from happening make things any worse? Yeah, that still sounds crazy even in my head, she mused. Regardless, telling Twilight had been an immense weight off of her shoulders. On the other hoof, Sunset still preferred to have as few ponies involved as possible. Who knew how dangerous her journey could become?
She weighed the options before coming to the most satisfying conclusion. “Alright, Princess, but I’ll only tell when it’s necessary. I don’t want to drag anyone into this who doesn’t have to be.”
Twilight mulled this over for a bit, biting the inside of her cheek as she thought. “Well,” she started slowly, “I guess that’s fair. But, I still think it would be a good idea to tell my friends, and maybe Princess Celestia.”
Sunset involuntarily flinched at the mention of the Sun Princess. “I’ll… think about,” she answered.
Twilight gave a satisfied nod and headed towards the kitchen door. “Well then, we should get going. My friend Zecora has the Alicorn Amulet in her hut in the Everfree Forest.”
Sunset left the table and followed Twilight through the library and out the front door. Above them, Spike shouted something about cold water.
The whispers of ruffling paper and the turning of pages were the only sounds heard in Celestia’s bed chamber. Stacks of preserved parchment and census books littered the floor and were scattered haphazardly over the covers of her four-poster bed. The only spot on the floor that was devoid of any mess was the inside circumference of the door so it could be opened without hindrance, and the long trough that Celestia had created from her constant pacing.
She had been moving back and forth all night, eyes never leaving from the papers she searched through. She had stopped only twice: to fetch a glass of water and to raise the sun at dawn. Her eyes were tired and bloodshot with dark bags underneath them. Her brain yelled at her to take a nap but she stoutly refused. She couldn’t sleep, not until she found an answer.
On she read, discarding one roll of text before picking up another, only to realize she had read that one a few hours ago. She glanced around trying to find where she had left off, where the read texts ended and the untouched ones began. Her horn lit up, and all of the papers rose and began to circle around her. She quickly scanned the first sentences of each script, noting each one she had already run through.
Carefully, she organized all of the documents into orderly stacks around her bed so she would not become lost a second time. It was only when the last book landed on the top pile, did Celestia discover a new problem: she had read everything in her stock.
She sank down into the soft rug underneath her hooves, rubbing her tired eyes in frustration. “I don’t understand,” Celestia murmured, “how could you just disappear one day and reappear the next; and why now of all times?” She could feel the exhaustion from reading and over thinking all night beating her into submission. A small headache pulsed in the front of her skull, and sleep tugged at her eyes. Unfortunately, she still had royal duties to perform before she could retire.
Just as she stood up and stretched, a knock was heard at her door. No doubt, one of the guards wondering where I am, she mused.
Instead, a familiar voice drifted across the stone door. “Sister, may I come in?”
Celestia darted across the room and opened the door, bidding her younger sibling in, surprised that she was awake at this hour. She shut the door behind her and asked, “Luna, it is wonderful to see you, but why are you not asleep?”
Luna eyed the stacks of books and papers walling Celestia’s bed. She turned to her older sister and said, “I meant to ask you the same question a few hours ago. What were you up to that had you awake all night, sister?”
Celestia sighed, watching as Luna began to pick through the pile, drawing out pages at random. Of course Luna had known that she had not been asleep. The Princess of the Night was also the Guardian of Dreams. She must have noticed the lack of dreaming coming from Celestia’s room.
“I was looking for something,” Celestia explained.
“Census records, criminal records, address changes, shipping documents?” Luna picked up a thin leather bound book. “'Abnormal magical fluxes’? Pray tell, what in Equestria were you looking for, Tia?” she asked, setting the papers down again.
Celestia began pacing across the floor once more. “An answer, proof, an explanation: something to put me at ease.”
Luna trotted over to her sister and draped a dark blue wing around her. “At ease? Sister, what has you troubled so?”
Celestia took a breath before starting, “Yesterday, the guards brought in a pony, a pony I hadn’t seen in over fifteen years. Not since….” She trailed off, a faraway look in her eye. A gentle nuzzle from Luna snapped her out of her reverie. “I couldn’t believe it was her, but she responded to the same name she went by all those years ago. She looked not a day older than when I last saw her. Maybe she was even younger than before. But, when I looked into her eyes, she had no recollection of me, like she was meeting me for the first time.”
Celestia’s eyes gazed over to her piles of research. “I’ve been trying to look for something to explain what I saw, to prove that they aren’t the same mare. But every record of her ends fifteen years ago. She just vanished off the face of the earth, only to come back now.”
Luna gave Celestia a reassuring hug. “Tia, I’m sure there is some logical explanation behind this, but for my sake, perhaps you could start from the beginning so I might understand everything?”
Celestia looked down at her younger sister and gave a bashful smile. “Of course, Luna, forgive me. Most of this would sound like a babble of nonsense to one not aware of the whole story.”
“Yes, exposition would be helpful, sister,” Luna teased.
Celestia nodded and brought Luna down to sit beside her. “Very well; you see, Luna, before Twilight Sparkle I had another student named Sunset Shimmer…”
Dun dun DUN!
Insta-favorited! This needs to be featured!!
Dere eet ees! The big mystery! (other than trying to save the world, that is.)
Is it the same Sunset Shimmer, sent back further in time, or are there other shenanigans afoot?
2444025 Wouldn't you like to know?
WHAT IS GOING ON?! You my friend are playing with a very dangerous and fragile thing, time... I hope you know what you're doing...
I am loving this, really well done.
2444772 Truth be told, i'm just smashing my face against the keyboard and making words.
Seems to be working so far...
2444810 and we all know that that is the best way to do everything. I really am enjoying the jumbling of time while still following a coherent path, I just can't wait to see how it plays out... one can only speculate so much. *grabs popcorn and patiently waits for next chapter *
At the very least, we know future Twilight perfectioned the time travel spell enought at least to maintain Sunset Shimmer in the past for more than a minute. I believe Twi should had more in her mind than to save her faithful student from death, so maybe the timeline is not recurrent, or Sunset´s actions can create a new alternate timeline instead of merely "putting wheels into motion".
In any case, Sunset has not option at this point but to try as hard as she can.
...I don't really know what to say about this other than GET THE NEXT CHAPTER OUT.
2442875
Well, Albinocorn and I are working on getting it to Equestria Daily, actually. The gears are in motion and he should be putting it in sometime soon. So, when that happens, it should be hitting the feature box then.
I am his editor, by the by. Nice to meet you!
And then Sunset Shimmer was Clara Oswin Oswald.
...Carry on.
This review was brought to you by Authors Helping Authors member Hoof of Approval
Sunset of Time
Grammar: 9/10 - Near flawless. You have an excellent command of the English language. I agree with the reviewer above in the fact that it could use a few less said tags. I blatantly avoided those in my story, so I can't help but notice them in this one. A slight nit pick though, doesn't take away from my enjoyment of this.
Pros: A vibrant and well done story, considering how overdone time travel is. It would be a shame to waste this opportunity to build on the mechanics you've set up, so exploit it to the fullest! The opening of the first chapter is visceral, almost brutal. It grips you, forces you into the seat, straps you down, and makes you watch as everything ends. Brilliant way to set the tone! I love it when things start in medias res, and this seems like it's starting that way, so bravo.
Cons: Stuff like this. It bugs me.
I dunno about you, but I would write it like this:
This. This right here does not make the end of the world a mere event. It turns it into a living, breathing monster that nopony can fight or run away from. Just writing this sent chills up my spine. Look for other sentences to improve in this fashion.
Notes: I'd love everypony here to review and comment on Pony Grand Tour. It only has one chapter, but I've heard it's a good start and has a good premise. Since you all have such good taste, perhaps you'd like more of the same from an equally talented writer. Just saying!
On that note, thank you good sir for reviewing my story, and good luck on yours!
I just saw the Equestria girls trailer.
Suffice to say that your Sunset is the superior Sunset Shimmer.
By a country mile.
And a half.
That is all.
Carry on.
Odd how this hasn't received more votes, it's pretty good. Keep up the good work.
Not bad. I would caution messing too much with pre-canon stuff as that will quickly land you in AU territory and require a lot of explaining to fit without being contrived.
Also, quit it with the lavender unicorn syndrome (e.g "The orange mare sighed"). It's far too distracting for something that's shaping up to be a rather interesting story.
Good luck!
Any speculation on when the next chapter might be, I ran out of popcorn a long time ago but am still patient, albeit a little concerned. I really do hope this fic doesn't just die.
2684102 Don't worry, it's faaaaar from dead. We're just working on submitting it to EQD, which should be very soon. I'm trying to beat Equestria Girls to the punch. Once that happens, chapter 4 should be out fairly soon. Sorry for making you wait so long.
2685430 Is okay. I know EQD is a long process and they can be tough. Here's hoping they approve it.
I am really enjoying the story. I think its great. You have something going here and I hope to see it concluded. Definatly a fan.
I just heard! Equestria Daily! Congratulations! Now all you have to do is submit Primoris Concordia: Mingling Worlds there and you'll be complete. By the way, do you think it'll be difficult writing both fics at the same time?
Wait, what? On the Equestria Daily post, Seth has a tag saying that Sunset Shimmer is the best pony. Seth? Not saying is best pony? WHAT IS HAPPENING! THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!
This could be good. This could be bad.
I just don't know what went wrong.
dtlux1
2733584 Ha, ha. No, Seth didn't put that. On the submission page they ask you to put five words that best describe your story. Guess what mine were.
2733755 shh... I know that, don't tell the other peoples.Be as quiet as ... On second thought, be the exact opposite of that pony. She is loud. And crazy.
dtlux1
2733755 Were they, "I want to eat books."?
Good news: You have my attention enough to go on my read later list.
Bad news: My read later list is hell ass balls long.
This story is fantastic so far, looking eagerly forward to much, much more!
Also, the short description might need a bit of editing.
Though I hear ghosts of the past are quite fond of a good paln now and again.
2743354 Thank you for catching that.
2743508
No problem, thank you for leading this fantastic tale out of the depths of your mind and onto the internet where it can be seen and drooled over by all!
So, now that I've been engulfed by this awesome story, I note that the last chapter came out eight weeks ago. But it appeared on EqD a few days ago.
So, will this be updating... updating?
Oh my Celestia, this story is epic! I MUST HAVE MOAR. NOW!
2743551
SYKE, IT HAS BEEN A WHILE! How have you been?
2749593
My my TL, it's been ages! I am doing absolutely fantastic, if a bit saddened by my lack of contribution around here! Yourself? What've you been up to all these
yearsmonths?2749669
Well, editing this fair story here, along with many others. I now edit for eight people, proudly. I have advanced rather far indeed in the editing world.
And I would love to see you around more! It has been indeed ages since you last edited for Raven, and it would be cool to see you around again.
2745630
Do not worry, fair patron! You will not be disappointed.
2749683
Well you certainly did your job well here! I must say this story is something I am looking forward to seriously following!
Anyway, I would like to do more work with Raven, I've just got to find the time. It's always running away from me these days... I blame the sadly idiotic part of me that believes I can write my own stuff.
And Albinocorn just so this isn't completely off topic here, it seems that there's a joruney to be had in the Crusaders, Go! short description!
Now that I think about it, that's still pretty off topic. Still, it can't hurt to fix!
On a completely related note: Sunset Shimmer here has climbed the ranks of Best Pony like no other in these three chapters. I especially like the story telling show, that was a great touch!
2749743
He had done a lot of revisions and rewrites on this story to make it to EQD, and it has been quite a journey. Expect the next chapter this weekend. Until next time, my friend!
2749743 Those darn typos! Thanks for pointing that out. And Im sure Sunset appreciates your compliment.
I can see there is little bit of... Timey whiney stuff going on here...
24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lt9wfjvX6d1qcy4dgo1_500.gif
I feel that entirely to many people, ponies and humans alike, fail to realize this.
So this is at least Equestria Girls back-story complaint. I was suspecting as much. Still doesn't lessen the intrigue, if anything it heightens it! So we shall sally forth onto chapter the fourth!
This:
This leads me to believe that Sunset Shimmer is going to go back in time again.
A couple of times after camping, I've certainly wanted to.
I realize this was written before EqG actually came out, but that makes the movie seem even creepier. That would make EqG!Sunset approaching 30 when Twi steps through the mirror.
2444066 ....yes.
Celestia nodded and brought Luna down to sit beside her. “Very well; you see, Luna, before Twilight Sparkle I had another student named Sunset Shimmer…”
Ah! Now we're getting somewhere!
Especially if we're talking about Luna.
Truly Amazing!!! Only 3 chapters in and already I can see why you felt disappointed that this fanfic didn't get as popular as your other one. Your portrayal of Sunset Shimmer is absolutely remarkable, because this is kinda how I pictured she would be if she hadn't left Equestria, or had someone like Twilight for a mentor [I really hope I can be able to pull off something at least half as good as this in my current fanfic].
I've finally decided to start reading this and I'm already in love. I will be sure to add to favorites once I catch up to the current chapter which I can say with some confidence will not take me very long.
A clone, a descendant, or a stable time loop. It's gonna be either one of those, or vastly overcomplicated.
But every record of her ends fifteen years ago. She just vanished off the face of the earth
earth? isn't it supposed to be She just vanished off the face of Equestria
>the opening scene with Twilight
Well, that puts to rest my concerns from the previous chapter.
So very curious.
Also >;
Probably should make that a period.