Sunset Shimmer is back, and she's had a lot of time to think about her actions the last 30 moons.
30 moons have passed, and Sunset Shimmer sets on her way home. She's confused and upset, and she can only pray for a chance to prove her worth in Equestrian society once more. She receives so much more than that.
Season 5 and all but the first of the Equestria Girls movies are not canon to this story.
Warning: This is, in fact, a SunLight or Sunset x Twilight ship fic. If that bothers you, please don't read this.
Sunset Shimmer would have jumped out of her clothes, had she been wearing any. Instead, she gave out a frightened squeal and attempted to run off, but in her haste forgot she was now a quadruped and fell flat on her face. Celestia slowly cantered over to her former student and extended a hoof to help Sunset to her own.
Before taking it, Sunset eyed the alicorn princess suspiciously. If she held any genuine concern for her, she hid it quite well under a mask of indifference practiced over millennia. Reluctantly, the unicorn used said hoof as support. As her bearings returned to her, she answered in a matter-of-fact tone, "I knew I would need to come home right after Twilight Sparkle left; however, I had unfinished business to attend to in the human world." Subconciously, she realized that she was in Celestia's own bedchambers. The princess must have been keeping a closer eye on the mirror since Sunset's last visit. It was an expansive, yet cozy room with a large, four-poster bed, several tall bookshelves, and a fireplace, the sole source of heat for the room. It was efficient in both that purpose and in giving the room a lived-in feeling that put visitors to ease.
Her hoof still clutching the unicorn's, Celestia pulled Sunset into a tight hug. "My little pony, I am so glad that after all this time and everything that has happened, you still feel you can call this your home," She cried, tears of joy running down the sides of her muzzle and falling to the floor below.
To say Sunset felt awkward in the situation she found herself in would be an understatement. She had expected punishment. She had expected banishment to the moon, or to another land...and a dungeon in that land. Not in her wildest dreams had she expected to be welcomed back by Celestia with open hooves, yet here she was, and she felt her own hooves coming up to embrace her once-teacher as well. "I know now you never gave me a real reason to think otherwise," She responded. When she felt herself having to bite back her own tears, she pushed away. "Now enough of this touchy-feely horse apples!"
Celestia raised an amused eyebrow. "Now, Princess Twilight explained that she left you with her friends to learn the importance of friendship," Celestia mentioned with a twinkle in her eye. "Do you need further lessons after all this time?"
She was joking, of course, but Sunset Shimmer answered seriously. "Actually," She started, hanging her head humbly. Her next few words were nigh inaudible as she knelt to the ruler of Equestria. "I have come to beg for your forgiveness and to request tutelage under Sparkle, herself."
Celestia could tell that this level of humility was both excruciating for the unicorn and practiced, for hours, in front of a mirror. When Sunset looked up to her with a pout and big, doe eyes, she couldn't help but crack a smile and let loose a small giggle.
Sunset's brow furrowed and she stood, stomping a hoof with righteous indignation. "Are you laughing at me?" She asked incredulously. "I poured my heart and soul out to you and apologized, and you're laughing at me?! Why you-"
"Sunset Shimmer!" The authority in Celestia's voice quieted hers quite effectively; however, her next words were spoken in the same, soft tone she'd been using before. "I only did so because it is laughable to believe you have not been forgiven already." Sunset seemed speechless, so Celestia continued. "I will gladly send you by chariot to Princess Twilight's castle in Ponyville in the morning. Come with me so we can get you washed up. You're filthy." Celestia chuckled lightly and turned to walk out of her bed chambers, but something she said shook Sunset from her stupor.
"Hold on, did I just hear you say castle? In Ponyville!?" She asked, unable to believe her own ears. From what she remembered of Ponyville from maps, it was a small village, no more than twenty-five homes in its entirety. Surely there couldn't be a castle there of all places.
Celestia looked back at her student with a sly wink. "You will see, in time," she responded cryptically, only to turn and walk away, once more leading Sunset to the bath.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Twilight Sparkle tossed and turned in her new bed, groaning as she attempted to find a position comfortable enough to sleep in. Of course, there was no ranch, as that would be preferred. She missed her old house. The Golden Oaks Library had a homey feel to it, and it smelled of old books and maple. It was where she'd had her first adventure, her first party. It was where she'd taught the Cutie Mark Crusaders valuable skills. It was home. After Tirek decimated the tree, she had no choice but to sleep in her castle, where everything was made of cold, unforgiving stone. Well, she did have two choices. Pinkie Pie had offered to let her stay in Sugar Cube Corner, but there were no extra rooms. Twilight had actually tried one, sleepless night. Her suspicions that Pinkie Pie was never quiet were confirmed. The pink pony went on and on all night long, the subjects of her rambling ever changing, yet the central focus seemed to be yams.
Likewise, Rainbow Dash had offered solace in her cloud house, and while there were plenty of extra rooms, a cold, damp cloud bed sounded just as unappealing to her as the one she currently laid upon. When she explained such to Rainbow, the pegasus merely claimed that Twilight wasn't cool enough for her cloud house anyway. Giving up, Twilight rose out of bed, mane askew from all her tossing and turning. As if he had read her mind, Spike came bursting through the door. He looked sick. For a fleeting second, Twilight as actually worried for her dragon companion before she recognized that expression. He had a delivery. The dragon ran up to her, clutched his stomach in what seemed to be pain, and belched loudly. As his smoky breath wafted from his mouth, it sparkled and a scroll materialized from it.
Twilight caught it in her magic as Spike turned toward the door. With a sigh of relief, he said, "Letter from C'lestia. G'night!" The door slammed behind him. Twilight rolled her eyes, unsure if the dragon was even awake enough to get to his room before collapsing in the hall. Dismissing the thought, Twilight looked down at the letter he'd left. Celestia never sent overnight letters. Whatever information contained within had to be of the utmost importance, so she did what she did with all Celestia's letters. She tore the seal open and read it immediately.
As her eyes scanned the page, they slowly grew to the size of saucers until they landed on those dreaded words, "Sunset Shimmer will be staying with you, in Ponyville."
The shriek those words caused would echo off the Equestria hillside for generations to come.
Sunset Shimmer arose with a feline-like stretch and a soft yawn. The sunlight just barely touched the edge of the high, castle window just yet, basking the familiarity of her old bedchambers in an orange glow. Dust could be seen swirling slowly in the air in the beams of sunlight. The quiet serenity of it all caused Sunset to sigh softly in satisfaction. She smiled softly at the books scattered across the room, left over from some late-night study session. Celestia really hadn't touched a thing in her room the entire time she was gone. It was hard to tell if that meant that Sunset had been missed and was expected to come back, or if Celestia just didn't want to remember that she ever existed. It felt like a lifetime ago, that she slept here each night, and it all came rushing to her at once with a feeling of nostalgia and a twinge of regret. She had everything she ever wanted, and yet she demanded more. "How foalish of me," she muttered. "I suppose the grass is always greener on the other side after all."
The gentle knock on the door woke her from her reverie. With her magic, she unlocked the door. Oh, how she had missed that, being able to do so many things without lifting a hoof. "Come in!" she called. The knob turned in a golden aura, and Celestia stepped in adorned in a pink bathrobe and carrying two mugs in her magic. "Morning," Sunset greeted the alicorn. She gently grasped the mug she was offered in her hooves, still unpracticed in their use. It wasn't too hot to hold, but it did teeter in her unsteady grasp. With a brief nudge of support from her magic, she balanced the cup between her hooves. It was like chopsticks all over again.
"And a good morning to you, Sunset Shimmer," Celestia crossed the room and took a seat on the floor next to the bed. She was careful to step over and around the minefield of books in her path. She wasn't the least bit surprised that Sunset hadn't moved them. She smiled at her former student, looking her over briefly. "You look much better," she noted, "I take it you slept well?"
Sunset yawned once more as she nodded her head. "It's been a long time since I slept in my own body and home," she explained, "It's...refreshing." The corners of sunset's lips raised up just slightly in the briefest and smallest of smiles, but it didn't go unnoticed by Celestia.
"Funny," Celestia quipped with a giggle, "My sister said the same thing."
The unicorn's jaw dropped. "Wait," she replied, "Princess Luna, the real Princess Luna from this dimension, is back?" She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her host. "Why are you so forgiving, Celestia? You've been betrayed so many times, and yet you still forgive so easily..."
Celestia shrugged in response. "Perhaps I have a soft spot for family," she answered. She gave a knowing smile toward her guest, and Sunset turned her head to the side, unable to look her in the eye any longer. Celestia frowned. She hadn't expected, nor had she wanted, a negative reaction to that statement. Her hoof reached up and gently turned Sunset's muzzle to face her once more. The redhead was crying. The tears rolled silently down her cheeks, and she continued to avert Celestia's saddened gaze.
"Sun, look at me," Celestia pleaded. Her voice was gentle and caring, and there was a hint of hesitance in her voice. She didn't want to step on any more eggshells. Slowly, but surely, Sunset's eyes rolled back up to meet hers. Celestia steeled herself and continued, "You are my daughter. You always will be, no matter what you do, understand?" Sunset nodded. "I adopted you for a reason, and that reason wasn't for power or to find an heir; it was a spark. I saw a spark in the eyes of a young filly in an orphanage as she taught herself how to levitate three objects at once. I saw not skill, but drive and passion. These are the traits that make you loveable, Sunset."
Sunset's tears were flowing freely now, and her breath hitched several times in her near inaudible sobs. Celestia went on, undeterred by Sunset's reaction. This was something she needed to say. "I love you, Sunset Shimmer, and others will too. They just have to see you shine."
The mares embraced in a tight hug, Sunset crying deeply into Celestia's pearl fur. Her hooves grasped tightly at the fur of Celestia's back as if she would melt away if Sunset ever let go. "Thank you," she whimpered. "I-I love you too."
Celestia stroked her fiery mane and cooed, "Think nothing of it." She broke the embrace to look Sunset in the eye, holding her at foreleg's length with her hooves still on Sunset's shoulders. They shared a smile with one another, and Celestia spoke first, "Let's get you ready, alright? You have a big day ahead of you. Know you are always welcome here."
Sunset Shimmer nodded and wiped her tears. Knowing that her mother loved her, Sunset's hope had been restored.
Twilight was frantic. She was furious. She was absolutely, unquestionably confused. How could Celestia do this? Twilight thought that once she became a princess of Equestria, she and Celestia were supposed to be peers, equals. This was an affront to everything Twilight had worked so hard to obtain to this point. It was an absolute outrage!
"Spike!" she called out frantically, "Are you done with the sixth floor yet!?" She couldn't help the twinge of frustration that made its way to her voice, no matter how hard she tried. The young princess had been up all night rereading Celestia's letter. She couldn't believe her eyes. She'd even sent one back in response refusing to acknowledge the letter as a legitimate request, but Celestia had insisted. It frustrated Twilight to no end. She and Sunset Shimmer were nothing alike; they didn't get along. What could she possibly teach her? Sure, she was the Princess of Friendship, but she was no miracle worker! She left things of that variety to Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. She still wasn't sure how Fluttershy kept tabs on Discord the way she did.
That being said, she'd received the request from Celestia herself, and as such, she had woken Spike up to clean just before sunrise. She may not have liked it, and she may have fought it, but she still highly respected Celestia. She'd make sure the castle was spotless, even for Sunset Shimmer. It was now noon, and the dreaded guest would be arriving any minute, so of course Twilight was getting desperate to have everything in place. "Are you kidding me?!" Spike asked rhetorically from two stories up. "This place is huge! I can't possibly clean the entire thing to your ungodly high standards in seven hours! Hire a real servant!"
"What?! Oh no, oh no, oh no! She'll be here any minute!" Twilight teleported into the room Spike was currently working feverishly to dust with a loud pop. To be completely honest, Twilight hadn't even seen this room before. It was some sort of dining hall, she guessed. There was a large table and several china cabinets and vanities, fully stocked with items Twilight couldn't recall ever seeing either. She shook her head and addressed Spike. "Though she's unwanted, she's a guest just the same! This castle has to be spotless!" Twilight's horn burst with bright light as she concentrated. Several dozen dusters were conjured and went to work on each and every surface of the level simultaneously.
When the stone shone with the same glisten it did the day it appeared, Twilight finally dropped the spells and sighed deeply in relief. It only took a couple minutes, but that spell had been exhausting all the same. "There," She stated satisfactorily, "That was the last floor!"
"Don't you think this is a bit excessive just for Sunset Shimmer?" Spike asked, stifling a yawn less than masterfully. "I mean, she won't be here long before we're forced to run her back out of Equestria."
"Spike!" Twilight responded, aghast that he would say that.
"What? It's only true!" Spike protested.
"If Princess Celestia believes Sunset Shimmer has truly changed, I'm inclined to believe her!" Twilight huffed.
Spike rolled his eyes and trudged off, mumbling under his breath, "She thought Discord changed, too..."
"What was that!?" Twilight shrieked.
"Nothing!" Spike darted out the room and down the stairs into his own.
There was a moment of silence as Twilight sat alone in an attempt to regain her composure. She was asked to be nice, and be nice she shall. Not to say that doing so wouldn't be a challenge, especially if Spike kept up with his current attitude. She barely got a minute to herself before she heard the telltale sound of two pegasi flapping simultaneously to pull a sky chariot. She teleported and found herself at the entrance to her castle. She felt a twinge of nostalgia. She missed the old, wooden door Rainbow Dash broke down once a week. This new crystal door was just... gaudy.
As she stood on one side of the door, she heard the distinctive voice of Sunset Shimmer on the other, though the edge it had once held seemed to have all but disappeared. "When...why...how did this get here?" Sunset asked no one in particular. Twilight grinned. She was told to be nice, but she couldn't stand to let this golden opportunity pass.
Her grin became a sneer as she swung open the door. She took two steps to clear the distance between herself and the unicorn before her. Sunset gulped loudly as the princess pressed her muzzle inches from her own and placed a single hoof under her chin. After a second of careful scrutiny, Twilight jabbed, "You must be new here," in the best impression of Sunset Shimmer she could muster. Her sneer never left as she turned and retreated back into the castle, hips swaying in her victory. That little bit of revenge would be sufficient.
Sunset stared wide-eyed through the doorway for several seconds, careful not to make any sudden movements. That had thrown her through a loop, but the fact that those had been the first words she ever spoke to Twilight was not lost on her. Still, she was largely unaccustomed to being on the receiving end of such behavior. "Buck my life," She thought. Tentatively, she made her way into the castle, and Twilight closed the door behind her. The throne room in which she now stood shone with an immaculate polish the likes of which she'd never seen, and the alicorn sitting upon one of the thrones was eyeing her suspiciously. She retracted the previous statement she'd formulated in her head, replacing it with, "Buck my life hard!"
At the utterly regal sight before her, Sunset felt it was not only expected, but necessary to bow; after all, Twilight Sparkle was a princess, and Sunset Shimmer currently stood in her throne room. Sunset knelt down, eyes closed and head bowed in respect. "Your majesty," Sunset greeted. She didn't hear an immediate response; instead, the only sound to grace her ears was the familiar POP of teleportation magic. She was more than a bit surprised to feel Twilight's hooves tug at her shoulders, lifting her once more to a standing position. Sunset had expected nothing more than a quick dismissal of the customary action.
"No, no, no, no!" Twilight said frantically, almost pleadingly. She disdained being treated differently, just because she was a princess now. She'd been socially awkward before as it was. It was terribly difficult to make new friends when no one acted as themselves around her. If not for the friends she already had, it would be quite the lonely life. Twilight was unsure how Celestia dealt with that crushing loneliness for a millennium.
Sunset's eyes shot open at the intrusion of her personal space, ready to bite somepony's head off, but she found herself staring back into the most gorgeous set of amethyst eyes she'd ever had the pleasure to gaze upon. Those perfect eyes divulged to Sunset the embarrassment and concern Twilight felt at that moment, and the smallest of blushes accented them from below. Briefly, Sunset couldn't help but admire how much more attractive Twilight was as a pony, though the thought barely crossed her mind before she quickly dismissed it. She hadn't come all this way to ogle Twilight Sparkle, after all.
"There is absolutely no need to bow to me... ever!" the alicorn insisted. It was apparent Twilight detested her status, though Sunset hadn't the slightest clue why.
Dumbstruck, Sunset nodded her head slowly. Twilight's sudden shift in attitude and insistence to be treated as any other pony was off-putting. Such a thing was a foreign concept for the unicorn. She highly doubted that in Twilight's position she would do the same. In hindsight, that was most likely the underlying reason that she was not in said position. She wanted attention, but she lacked the humility and grace that warranted any. With that agreement settled between them, Twilight let go of Sunset and composed herself. However, she remained silent for several moments longer, unsure where she should begin. Should they catch up? Perhaps a tour of the castle was in order? The silence between them was already awkward, but before it could become unbearably so, Sunset broke it, snapping Twilight from her thoughts. Much to the unicorn's chagrin, her mouth moved before her brain could process the words she spoke. As such, she breached a subject she had previously intended to approach tactfully and gracefully, waiting for the precise moment while conversing. Nay, it seemed her mouth deemed it best to make a fool of herself. Surely, that was the best way to approach such subjects.
"I'm so sorry, Twilight! You have every right to hate me! I was so cruel to you, and I had the losers take pictures of you, even though I know how hard adjusting to that world is. Then I had them post that nasty video, and I tried to frame you for ruining the decorations! Don't even get me started on the things I said to you, much less at the dance! I'm so, so sorry!" Sunset had planned her apology to Twilight for a long time, but it seemed she'd not taken into account that actually in doing so, the night everything changed for her would come rushing back like an emotional typhoon. She kept on rambling about all her shortcomings, but they deteriorated into nothing more than a string of nearly incoherent babbling after time. The unicorn melted into a puddle on the stone floor as she apologized.
Caught up in her sobbing, she barely registered the hooves wrapping around her neck as Twilight pulled her into a tender embrace. Their fur mingled easily, and Twilight's tickled Sunset's skin ever so slightly. It sent shivers down her spine. "Oh Sunset Shimmer, I don't hate you. I wasn't exactly happy with you, and I was unsure about this situation as a whole, but seeing you like this after all this time gives me hope that this might actually work..."
Sunset fought to catch her breath between sobs. "Look at me!" she cried into Twilight's shoulder, "I'm an emotional wreck! I did this to Mom too!"
Twilight began slowly releasing Sunset from her grip as the mare calmed down, allowing her to cry all she needed. Something Sunset said had triggered a smile upon the alicorn's face, and an excitement twinkled in her eye. She hadn't heard any word about Sunset's family previously. "You went to see your mom before you got here? That's great! Was she happy to see you? Does she live in Canterlot?"
Sunset wiped the tears from her eyes with an already damp forehoof, suddenly missing the versatility of sleeves. "Well, sort of," She started, "When I was three, Celestia adopted me as her daughter."
Twilight stared back at her, eyes growing ever wider. Her mouth opened and closed itself several times before she actually managed to form words with it. "C-C-Celestia is your... She's your mother?" Twilight's flank promptly hit the ground as Sunset nodded her head confusedly.
The alicorn continued to stare forward in a catatonic daze, even as Sunset waved a tan hoof in her face. "T-Twilight? Are you a-alright?" No response came from the alicorn. She didn't even blink.
"Nah, I'm pretty sure you broke her," a voice called down from the stairs. The voice was all too familiar to her, but when Sunset turned to see who she'd been addressed by, her own flanks hit the ground. Her jaw dropped at the sight of a dragon before her. She stared up at him with an expression that walked a fine line between confused shock and terror. Spike smirked teasingly at her reaction. He was leaning on the staircase's railing and gazing down at the mares from above. "What's wrong? Never seen a 'mutt' before?" He made air quotes with his claws and chuckled.
"Y-y-y-you're not a...dog," Sunset Shimmer stared up at Spike in much the same catatonic state she'd placed Twilight in just moments before.
Spike rolled his eyes. Sliding down the railing, he said, "Sheesh! You two are so similar, it's eerie!"
Coming-to much quicker than Twilight, Sunset shook her head to clear it of the millions of thoughts running through her mind at astonishing speeds. "Sorry...it's just, I never met a dragon that didn't want to bite my head off before," she explained.
"Don't test me," he warned with a light chuckle. Sunset wasn't sure if he was joking or not, but he passed her by as if he'd said nothing at all. Walking up to Twilight, he cleared his throat before leaning in and whispering something in her ear. She did nothing at first, just an ear twitch. That changed in a hurry.
She burst to her feet and shouted, "I'M WHAT?!" Sunset could have sworn that in her shock, Twilight had hovered in the air for a second without the use of her wings. With a loud POP, Twilight left the room in an instant.
Sunset blinked at the spot where she'd been standing several times before turning her gaze confusedly to the young dragon sharing the room with her. "What did you just say to her?"
Spike shrugged noncommittally. "I just told her she was late for the test. It gets her every time." He walked past her again, back toward the stairs. "C'mon. I'll show you to her room." Sunset followed without question, though she was still finding it difficult to get used to climbing stairs on four legs after the years she spent on the other side of the mirror.
Though, as she climbed, she became increasingly enamored with the castle. It was huge, and at least three of the floors they passed had massive libraries in them. From the outside, the thing had looked to be a massive, gaudy crystal tree with an offensively purple castle stuck in its branches, but on the inside it was actually a classy, white marble with the occasional lavender accent. The stairs winded chaotically through the building to allow access to each branch and tower.
Before she knew it, Sunset had arrived at Twilight's door. She had spent so much time admiring the décor, she'd barely taken note of how she got there. She was sure that would have proven to be valuable information. The castle was enormous!
Spike walked off, but seeming to read her mind, he told her, "Don't worry; if Twilight doesn't show you around, my room is just down the hall."
The dragon had barely looked at Sunset at all the entire time she'd been with him, and she was about to ask him about it, but he had already turned a corner. She suspected he was still upset with her about their previous encounters, and that was a conversation to have later. She didn't have an opportunity to think on it any longer, because she heard an exasperated groan on the other side of Twilight's door, and that piqued her interest.
Curious as she was, Sunset knocked three times. The door swung open at alarming speeds, startling the unicorn. If she had been wearing pants, she was sure she'd have jumped right out of them. Twilight was laying on her bed, several meters from the door, with her head in her hooves. "Ugh!" She groaned again, "I can't believe he got me with that again!"
Sunset walked in and shut the door behind her with her magic. The room was spacious. In it was a princess size, four-poster bed, three massive bookshelves, a spotless vanity, and a cluttered desk with what looked like several months worth of notes scattered across its surface. The room would have been overbearingly large if not for the piles of books that littered most of the empty floor space. Sunset took note that their rooms, though differing greatly in size, were actually extremely similar. "Maybe Spike was right about how much alike we are," she thought before addressing Twilight directly.
"Well, it's better than staring into space and waiting for your brain to work, right?" she teased.
Twilight blushed brightly. "O-oh... yeah. Sorry about that."
Sunset chuckled. "Oh, it's alright. I did the same thing when I found out Spike was a dragon," she admitted.
Twilight barely stifled a giggle, and receiving a glare from her guest for it, she decided to change the subject. "So," she started. She gave a pause, unsure how she should readdress the subject that shocked her so much. "You're Celestia's daughter? She never mentioned that before..." When Sunset hung her head, Twilight cringed, knowing she'd managed to go about it the exactly wrong way.
"Y-yeah," Sunset whispered. She was barely audible, and he voice wavered dangerously as she spoke, "She was p-probably ashamed of me...or s-s-still hurt..." When she looked up at Twilight again, she smiled, despite the tear running down her cheek. "She told me she loved me though, and I think...I think she meant it."
Twilight smiled back kindly. "I'm sure she does. How did she end up adopting you?" She patted a spot beside her on the bed, and Sunset got up from her place on the floor to fill it.
Once comfortable, she went about answering the question. "Well, I don't know much about my parents. Apparently, my mother died in childbirth, and my father couldn't handle the pressure. He ended up putting me up for adoption at the orphanage just across the street from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. I was told he died shortly after that regardless, but the actual circumstances of his death were never revealed to me."
Sunset paused to take a breath, and Twilight used that time to respond, "That's terrible! That must have been quite the ordeal..."
The redhead shrugged the comment off, replying, "It's not all bad, really. My earliest memories are of looking across the street from the playground and into the courtyard. There, I watched students at the school practicing their magic. I picked up on what they were doing pretty quickly, and I started to practice on my own. Apparently, Celestia noticed me. One day, she came to the orphanage to adopt me. She told the nanny I was some sort of 'savant.' It wasn't until later that I found out the students I'd been watching were fourth-year students."
Twilight's eyes grew wide. "That's...that's amazing! You were three years old, attempting fourth-year spells!? Being six years advanced is amazing! I was never farther than three!"
Sunset nodded, seeming to brush such compliments aside. After all, she'd just spent quite some time in a world devoid of the only thing she seemed to be good at. "The rest, I'm sure she told you the gist of. I grew up in the castle, studied under her, got greedy, and eventually left through the portal..." Sunset's voice did a poor job of hiding the regret that she felt as she spoke the last sentence. She didn't want to go into any more detail about that right that second, and she wasn't sure if Twilight would pry. She cringed at the thought, then gasped as a delicate, warm wing wrapped around her back in a quick side-hug.
Twilight jumped off the bed and motioned for Sunset to follow. "Follow me," she said gently, "I have something to show you."
The Everfree was darker and denser than Sunset ever imagined. As such, she'd begun to walk closer and closer to Twilight's side, and much to her chagrin, the alicorn had rested a reassuring wing across her back.
Despite the embarrassed blush coloring her face nearly the same hue as her hair and the feeling of being babied, Sunset Shimmer would not be complaining any time soon. The wing was a surprising and welcomed source of warmth, as chilly could not begin to describe the ominously icy feeling the Everfree gave travelers in the brisk Autumn afternoon. Beyond that, the wing was soft, and Twilight's grip was firm. Sunset sighed. "It must be nice to have pegasus magic like that," She thought.
Twilight noticed the sigh, but lost in her own thoughts, mistook it for conversation. "Hmm?" She asked. A warm smile cut across her features.
Sunset's cleared her throat and rid her mind of the thoughts of jealousy. "Oh...um...nothing..." She lied.
Twilight shrugged it off and continued forward. The shrug lifted her wing just slightly and allowed the frosty air entry between it and Sunset's fur, eliciting a violent shudder from the unicorn. She noticed this and tightened her grip a bit more. Sunset gasped. She had no idea how the pony next to her, the one that had been so klutzy and unsure of herself the last time they met -even in Equestria-, could be so confident. It had been thirty moons in the human world. That was approximately two and a half years, but that meant that only a year had passed in Equestria. Why then, was Twilight so different? What could possibly have happened in just one year to have made her presence so much more...commanding, deserving of the title "Princess"?
As they neared their destination, Sunset took note of a small cave to their right, almost overlook-able. She briefly pondered what may lie beyond its stony entrance, but dismissed the thoughts quickly as she recalled it was that very curiosity which landed her in the predicament she was now trying so desperately to pull herself from, yet something about the cave seemed to draw her attention, even as she pulled away. there was something in there, something she needed to see. "Like it's my destiny," She thought. That was when she saw it. Up ahead in the distance was the largest structure she'd ever laid eyes on.
She barely noticed crossing the rickety wooden bridge, even as it swayed in the gentle breeze. Her mind was focused solely on the behemoth of a castle before her. The architecture was unlike anything she'd seen before, obviously medieval. It was a testament to the strength of the walls that they had, for the most part, endured the years. The windows which still stood told the tale of two sisters descending from the heavens to battle a mighty king. It seemed what remained of the end of the story had not completely shattered, but just as Sunset set upon the task of solving the case, her thoughts were cut short by foreign voices.
"You are worthy..."
"Come with us, and you will see..."
"We will grant you the power your heart desires..."
Sunset could hear the whispers in her head. A chill ran through her head as a dark cloud passed through her very being on its way to he castle. Twilight seemed unperturbed. "W-w-what was that?" Sunset croaked.
"Those were the nightmare forces," Twilight explained, "Ghosts of Nightmare Moon's dark powers. Don't worry. They can't harm you. Not anymore. We've eliminated most of their power. Just...do not let them persuade you..." Twilight's wing fidgeted on Sunset's back, alerting the unicorn to her discomfort. She looked over to see the alicorn avoiding her gaze and gave her a nudge on the muzzle with her own.
"Hey, I'm done with all that, alright?" Sunset said, trying to comfort Twilight. "I just want to get my old life back now. No power, no authority. I just want to be...me."
Twilight smiled and nuzzled her new student's cheek back. "Thank you," she whispered happily. They faced forward to find they'd made it. They were mere meters away from the steps leading into the castle beyond the massive, oak door. "The Castle of the Two Sisters," Twilight announced, more loudly than she had spoken before.
Sunset gulped audibly as she stared the imposing fortress down. "W-why are we here?" She asked shakily.
"Come with me, and I'll show you." Using her magic, Twilight swung open the door. She broke away from Sunset and went ahead inside. Sunset gulped once more as she observed the mare disappear into the darkness right before her very eyes. The void ate away at its surroundings, swallowing them up like a hungry timberwolf. She didn't want to go anywhere near it, but she knew she must. Drawing upon the courage granted unto her by the mask she'd worn in her darkest hours, she took the first step, followed closely by the second and third until she made her way through the doorway as well.
As her eyes adjusted to the dark, Sunset gasped. She believed now, staring at the rubble before her and statues carved away by erosion over a millennium, that she knew why the princess had brought her here. She took note that, despite the age of the place, it was in relatively good condition, as if someone had been cleaning and restoring it to its former, unadulterated glory like an antique on display in a shop.
"This was the site of Princess Luna's greatest mistake, and she deals with the grief and regret of that mistake to this day," Twilight spoke from the podium on which the thrones resided. Standing there, with wings outstretched and the moon shining behind her, she was a vision of both beauty and authority. Sunset once again found herself admiring just how much Twilight had changed.
Taking slow steps down the staircase toward her, Twilight continued talking. "This is where Luna became Nightmare Moon for the first time and faced off against her sister. This is where she forced her sister's hoof and was sent into exile. She made her ultimate mistake, and she was lucky it didn't lead to her untimely demise."
Twilight's words sent ice shards through Sunset's heart. She felt for Luna so much. It hurt her to know that that there was anypony else who had made such a grave mistake.
"However," Twilight continued. She was inches from Sunset now, and she rested a hoof on her shoulder, staring deep into her teal green eyes. "I was here when she changed back. I watched Celestia welcome her back with open hooves and a tear in her eye. Mistakes: ponies make them, but no matter how bad they are, they can be forgiven over time, and they are redeemable. You are not lost, Sunset Shimmer. We just couldn't find you for a while."
Sunset could feel the waterworks coming again, but she fought them off. She opened her mouth to speak several times, but the words never came. In the end, she remained silent.
"Here I am," Twilight told her, "To welcome you back with open hooves." Sunset gasped as Twilight extended her hooves, inviting the unicorn to initiate a hug of her own accord. "Will you be my friend, Sunset Shimmer?"
The tears finally came, and they brought reinforcements. Sunset could feel her body shake in sobs before she gently reached out and embraced her new friend. "Yes," She mumbled into Twilight's shoulder, "I would like very much to be called your friend."
Sunset woke the next morning with a crane in her neck and sore hips. In the several years she spent as a human, she'd grown accustomed to sleeping on her back with her head lolled to the side. Unfortunately, that wasn't the most ergonomic position for a pony to spend hours in.
It was with effort and a great deal of groaning that she lifted herself from the pillow-top mattress. After all, the bed was divine. It was not at fault, and she had no qualms with the object. She was sure that she would come running to find its pillowy embrace again in the evening. As far as she was concerned, the restless night meant that they had unfinished business.
It had been too dark to take in details of the room when she stumbled in late at night, but she noted with great curiosity that the blankets she'd emerged from were a bright white with four purple jewels embroidered into the surface. Something about it seemed so familiar, but she decided to brush it off for now. Surely, the stitching pattern on a borrowed blanket was of little importance in the grand scheme of things. Even still she glanced at it once more as she retreated into the restroom conjoining hers and the empty room next door.
With only minimal mess and just a bit of effort, Sunset eventually completed the task of using her horn to brush her teeth. Showering, as she hadn't had the chance to do so for two days, had been a completely different story. Try as she might, her horn just no longer granted the finesse needed to properly adjust a shower faucet. She spent the entire shower attempting to fine tune the infernal device.
Even by the end of the shower, she couldn't quite get the water to run over the entire length of her body, and as a result, she spent the entire shower turning in circles as well. Once out though, it took the use of seven towels before she finally felt dry. She glowered at the mangled mess of her mane in the mirror and sighed loudly. "This is going to be a lo-o-o-ong day, Sunny..."
Sunset poured into the book before her, soaking up the recycled information like a sponge. She was surprised just how much of the basic magical theories she'd forgotten. The way she'd been wrapped up in manipulating humans to do her bidding, the then irrelevant knowledge of how to levitate a brush through her mane using a horn had been easily dismissed. It astounded her that she'd even been capable of teleportation upon her first visit to Equestria.
"There you are!" a voice sounded from the doorway.
"GAAAH!" Sunset dropped the book she'd been holding in her magical grasp and fell back in her chair. Her teeth clenched tightly as her head hit the crystal floor. She glared vehemently at the alicorn head poking around the doorway.
As Twilight made her way into the library, she seemed unaware of the expression and instead just helped Sunset to her feet. "I've been looking for you for hours! Have you been here the whole time?"
Sunset shook her head and removed the small reading glasses from her muzzle. With much more control than she demonstrated to herself previously, she replaced them in their case and tucked it into her saddle bags. "Yes, Twilight," she said, rolling her eyes as if the answer should have been obvious. "I needed to study up on basic magical theory and levitation."
"Well I'd say you have it down by now; wouldn't you, darling?" Another voice called from the entrance.
"R-Rarity?" Sunset stammered, confused as she laid eyes upon the radiant mare.
"Why yes, dear." Rarity cantered over to the unicorn and used a hoof to raise her chin. With a wink she added, "You really shouldn't gawk, darling. It's unbecoming of a lady." Sunset stammered again, causing Twilight to raise a questioning eyebrow, but before either of them could say a word, Rarity was circling Sunset like a lion circling its prey.
"So this is Sunset Shimmer, hm?"
"Rarity..."
"My, my. Such features!"
"Rarity...!"
"Yes a bit of black here, some purple there; you really must model for me someti-"
"Rarity!!" Sunset snapped, startling the unicorn into a sitting position before her. After a couple seconds, her expression softened to one of emotional pain. "Y-you don't remember me?" Rarity simply shook her head in response. "B-but...we were so close. You were...my best friend."
Twilight laid a comforting hoof on her shoulder, but it was Rarity who spoke next. "Darling, I'm fully aware I have a counterpart in the other world, but I assure you I am not the same Rarity you knew." The frown on Sunset's face only grew darker, so Rarity thought to add, "However, I've been told we are very similar. Perhaps we could become friends?"
Sunset gasped and grinned. To her, Rarity almost seemed a stabilizer, a dash of normalcy in a crazy world. However, her expression had an adverse effect she had not foreseen. "Excellent!" Rarity exclaimed. "Come, come! It's time for fashion!" Before she had time to think, Sunset was being dragged away to her certain doom. Just as she was exiting the library, she looked back to Twilight with an expression that read, "Help me!"
Twilight just shrugged back with an expression that, clear as day, read, "Well, you asked for it!" She was sure she heard a defeated whimper as Sunset was dragged down the hall and out of the castle.
The room had been Rarity's. Each of the elements had a wing in the castle. It all made sense now. Sunset felt like she could see many things a might clearer, like the fact that Rarity was currently at work trying to kill her as Rainbow Dash sat in the corner laughing at her misfortune. Sunset would have feared her last words would be a string of swears in the pegasus' direction if she could breath enough to make a sound as Rarity tightened her saddle. She instead settled with a glare.
Why was she wearing a saddle, anyway? There were no humans in Equestria...
"Dammit Rarity!" Sunset yelled with a fierce blush. "I said no lingerie, and you went straight for kinky!"
As Rarity sewed, she gave Sunset a sly grin that quickly turned into a pout as she felt the hot glare burning into her skull. "Oh alright," she conceded. "I'll take it off you just as soon as I-"
The door burst open, and Applejack walked in, a large smile spread across her muzzle. "Howdy, ya'll!" It dropped as she took in the sight before her.
"What in tarnation?" she ask confusedly.
Sunset galloped toward her, ripping the saddle off as she ran. "AJ! Get me out of here, and I'll pay for a keg of cider in advance for the next five seasons!" she pleaded frantically.
"Deal!" And with that, AJ dragged Sunset fast and far way from the Carousel Boutique. When they reached a safe distance, the pair slowed to a stop. AJ looked dead in Sunset's eyes. "Now I know y'all were fibbin' 'bout the cider, but that's alright."
"A-alright?" Sunset stammered, a bit cautious of her friend's equine counterpart.
"Eeyup!," Applejack gave her a smug look, "'Cause now y'all owe me one, and I got just the task."
"No!" Sunset stomped a hoof on the ground in defiance.
"No? Y'all owe me." Applejack countered.
"Yes I did," Sunset replied matter-of-factly. "and now I've eaten four-hundred-fifty-two different apple-related recipes. I even stuck my hooves together for ten minutes with apple glue! I refuse to be the test subject for any more of your products!"
"But I got 72 more recipes to try!" Applejack complained.
"Who are you, George Washington Carver?" Sunset asked incredulously.
"Who now?" Applejack cocked her head to the side confusedly, looking up from the apple hoof sanitizer she was currently brewing.
Sunset sighed and slumped down defeatedly. "Nevermind." She folded her hooves over her head and groaned into the dirt. She felt a gentle hoof tap her shoulder, and when she looked up, she was greeted by Applejack smiling kindly down at her.
"I'll tell you what: I was s'posed ta go help Fluttershy out at her cottage this afternoon, but I got caught up in all this. Y'all go help 'er out, an' we're even. Deal?"
Sunset nodded and rose to her hooves. "Alright. I suppose anything sounds better than apples right now, but I don't exactly know my way around here."
Applejack pointed her ladel at Sunset warningly. "Hey. Ain't nothin' better than apples. Imma' make an anthropomorphic apple one day, and y'all are gonna' be amazed." She paused and reverted back to her previous calm demeanor. "Wynona'll show ya' where ta' go."
She whistled and Wynona ran from her nap in the shade of an apple tree to Applejack's side, her tail wagging happily as she panted. Applejack ruffled the fur on the top of her head before ordering, "Wynona, take Sunset here ta Fluttershy's cottage." Wynona barked, looked at Sunset and started walking off.
Sunset looked between Wynona and Apllejack before saying, "Erm...bye," and running off to catch Wynona. Applejack just shook her head and chuckled. She looked down to see her "hoof sanitizer" burning in the pot.
"Shoot!"
As Sunset walked through Ponyville, led by an eerily familiar dog, she took the time to take the sight in. The village was quaint and of earth pony achitecture. She still couldn't wrap her head around why anyone would place a castle here. It threw the ambience off. As much as Sunset loved the castle itself, she thought it an eyesore to the town in general.
In the center of town there was a small fountain and a a much more sensible, if not large, choice for a head building. It was obvious that this was town hall. The marketplace was bustling, and as she looked, Sunset realized she recognized quite a few of the ponies there.
Big Mac could be seen selling apples off a cart. Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Philharmonica were walking together, saddle bags full of groceries. She even recognized Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom laying in a heap on the dirt, though she did not recognize the disgruntled cabbage merchant whose cart they'd just crashed into.
As Wynona led her, they reached the outskirts of the town, marked by a small bridge over a creek. On the other side, the road continued alongside a dark forest to the right, and on the left in the distance, she could make out a rather large cottage. She suspected this was where Fluttershy lived in this world, and her suspicions were confirmed as they neared.
Fluttershy was in her garden, desperately shooing away parasprites from her garden. Only a couple yards away now, Wynona barked to get her attention. She looked up with a smile, but it dropped as her eyes landed on Sunset. She let out a sudden squeak of surprise and took to hiding in an empty barrel in close proximity to her garden.
Sunset sighed. "Dear Celestia, why was I ever mean to this mare? She's helpless!"
As Sunset approached the barrel, the nigh inaudible sound of whimpering from the lips of the frail pegasus reached her ears. Her bored and exasperated expression, for whatever reason, melted away, only to be replaced by one of miserable compassion. Her eyes watered as she scooped the pegasus out of her hiding spot into a gentle embrace. "Shhhh! I'm not going to hurt you," she whispered. "Everything is alright." All this time, Sunset had assumed she was the weilder of devil magic. This mare could turn the stone heart of a dragon!
Fluttershy gently pried herself from the grasp of the tan unicorn, meticulous in her resolve to refrain from eye contact. "S-Sunset Shimmer, r-r-right?" she stammered.
Sunset, seemingly free from Fluttershy's spell, boredly brushed a hoof on her coat as if to polish it. "That's the handle," she answered.
Fluttershy nodded slowly. "A-and you're here to help, c-correct?"
Sunset looked up at the pegasus with brow raised. "Are you implying something?" Fluttershy made a terrified squeal and shook her head no. "Good, because I am. I owe AJ for saving my hide from Rarity's boutique." The pair shared a shudder and silence fell upon them, save for the buzzing and chomping of parasprites. "So... The plan for these things is?"
Fluttershy shrugged. "Oh, w-well... Nothing I've done so far works, and Pinkie's run off doing... Celestia knows what! D-do you have any ideas yourself?"
The unicorn tapped a hoof to her chin in thought as she answered. "Well," she started, "I have read up on parasprites before, and I think I've got just the thing..." She closed her eyes and set about concentrating on the irritating noise in her head. As her horn began to glow, the noise became reality, and the parasprites all stopped their defiling of Fluttershy's garden. A rambunctious polka song was playing from Sunset's horn, and as she led them to the Everfree Forest, the parasprites followed.
Fluttershy tagged along to see that the parasprites were properly disposed of. As the music lifted off her horn, Sunset began casting it further and further into the Everfree, but she was stopped by a gentle hoof on her shoulder.
"Not there," insisted Fluttershy, "Zecora lives there. Try down that path." She pointed to a much darker section of the forest, and Sunset complied.
"The chemistry teacher lives in there, huh?" Sunset asked rhetorically.
"The what?"
"Nevermind that." With that, Sunset released the spell and slumped to the ground. Her breaths fell in short, choppy pants. Her eyelids were heavy. Most of all, her horn ached. "That spell is exhausting!" she complained. "I think... a trip home is in order..."
Fluttershy piped up quickly. "Oh, Sunset Shimmer, you are in no condition." She helped the unicorn to her hooves. "If you insist on going, then I insist on going with you." Sunset wasn't going to argue with her sudden, worried assertiveness, so she shrugged and that was that.
The trip to the castle was a short one, as had been the trip to the cottage, and there were less ponies about town in the late evening. In fact, the pair didn't see a single soul on the way to their destination. This was in no way suspicious to Sunset, as the sun was setting in the horizon already. As they neared the door, Fluttershy flew to get there first and open it gently. It was at that moment that a pair of pink hooves grabbed Sunset from the darkness and dragged her in. She, of course, screamed as she was hurled into the air and the lights turned on. She fell into the open hooves of what seemed to be the entire town.
Sunset Shimmer stared wide-eyed at the myriad ponies supporting her in their hooves. She wanted to run, to hide, but her body remained stiff as a bored, frozen in fear. She felt the urge to scream or cry, but when she opened her mouth, all that she could manage was a squeak and the most pitiful whimper she had ever produced in her lifetime. Here was a group of perfect strangers treating her with respect and welcoming her to the community as if she hadn’t spent the majority of her life as a social pariah. She didn’t know how to handle it. She didn’t want to handle it. She needed to escape or fight. “I need a drink…” she decided, speaking aloud to no one in particular. Still, it got the whole crowd laughing. “They think I’m joking, don’t they? Well, funny is better than a dangerous she-devil at least. I can deal with the entire town thinking I’m a clown.”
As she was sat down, Sunset got a chance to scan the area, looking this way and that at what the castle’s throne room had been transformed into. “What? No ballroom? This castle has everything else in it, but no ballroom?” Her name was strung up in gigantic letters across a banner nearly an entire story up. Sunset could guess that the banner was tied to the staircase, but she had no idea how the streamers managed to stay up. They seemed to be everywhere, and the ceiling was an entire three stories high. Sunset scarcely had a chance to look at much more, nor could she further inspect the insanity of the decorations, before she was tackled by a ball of what seemed to be cotton candy.
Before Sunset knew it, the ball of cotton candy began to speak, shooting off words at machine gun speeds. “Ooo! Ooo! You must be Sunset Shimmer! Twilight’s told me so much about you! Like the time you turned into a demon who shoots fire balls and tried to mind control a bunch of teenagers to do your evil bidding!” The eyes of the ball of cotton candy swirled a bit as she mentioned mind control, and now Sunset was sure Pinkie Pie was the pony who currently stood over her.
Pinkie continued. “Speaking of teenagers, Twilight said you spent lots of time with me! I mean… not me, me, of course, but human me!”
“… Uh… ”
“So! How am I! I mean me… I mean other me! The me that lives on the other side of the mirror! Mirror me, but not mirror pond me. You probably haven’t met mirror pond me, or even mirror pond me two, or me three even…”
“… Er… I don’t …”
“Am I pretty? I mean, for a not pony that is…”
“… Well, you’re…”
“Ooo! Ooo! Am I Happy? Dopey? Sleepy? Bashful? Sneezy? Grumpy?” Pinkie tilted her head slightly. “Doc?”
“What? How can you be…?”
“Not me silly! The other me!”
“Pinkie Pie, stop pestering the poor girl,” Rarity interjected as she sashayed her way toward Sunset and Pinkie. She wore a crimson dress with black lace socks, and she’d added a white bow in her hair to lighten the outfit. It looked rather fetching on her, and Sunset caught herself staring a bit, hopefully before anyone else could. “She’s had a long day, after all,” she continued. She helped Sunset to her feet with a winning smile, something hidden beneath it. “Haven’t you, Darling?”
“Well, duh!” Pinkie answered, though she wasn’t the intended recipient of the question. “That was the plan, remember? You all kept her busy while I set up this party.”
Rarity let out a heavy sigh as she shot Sunset an apologetic look.
The pink pony motioned to herself with a forehoof as she gave Rarity a slightly hurt expression. “But pestering? Moi? I’m just getting to know Twilight’s magical pen-pal from another dimension.” Pinkie tapped her chin thoughtfully as she stared up at the ceiling. “But I have been asking an awful lot about me… I mean other me….” Pinkie turned back to Sunset Shimmer. “But enough about me, let’s talk about me. My name is Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie said as she extended a forehoof.
Sunset smiled as she raised her own forehoof and pressed it against Pinkie’s “Pleased to…”
Pinkie quickly reached out with her other hoof and gave Sunset’s a vigorous shake. “Oh! But if you didn’t know that, you couldn’t have known I was talking about me! And if you didn’t know I was talking about me, who knows who I could have been talking about! I’m not sure I even know any more.”
“Pinkie!” Rarity cried. “Give the poor girl back her hoof!”
“Whoops, silly me!” Pinkie said as she released the vice like grip she had on Sunset’s hoof.
Sunset shakily returned her leg to the ground, it feeling not unlike a well-cooked strand of spaghetti.
“So enough about me, or even me two, or me three… What about you!” Pinkie asked with a massive grin as she placed her face inches away from Sunset’s.
Sunset swallowed and leaned back slightly.
“Pinkie! Personal space!” Rarity barked as she placed a forehoof on the excited pink mare and pulled her back a few inches.
Pinkie simply barreled forward like a runaway train. “Are you excited to be home? I think I’d be excited to be home! I know I’m excited to have you home. A real live pony who’s been a human and a demon! Wowie-zowie! Talk about awesome~!” And suddenly, everything about Pinkie froze. She sat straight up on her haunches. One by one, the smallest of movements exploded onto her like a paintbrush to blank canvas. Eye twitch, ear flop, tail twitch, leg shake, GASP! “Someone in this party is having way too much fun without me! Gotta’ go!” Pinkie was gone so quickly one could wonder if she was ever really there at all.
Rarity let out a sigh of relief with Pinkie Pie finally gone. She turned her gaze to Sunset with an almost apologetic look. “You said you needed a drink, Darling? I think I could use one myself after all that.”
All Sunset could do was nod in reply, sitting in the same position she’d been in with Pinkie in her face and staring forward with a shell-shocked expression. Rarity sighed and dragged Sunset along through the crowd by her forehoof. They were going to find the drinks if it would kill them!
It didn't take too long, only as long as you would expect to get through an entire town-full of ponies moving to the beat of Vinyl Scratch's new single, played live for the enjoyment of the party guests. It must be nice to be a princess living in the same town as Equestria's premier DJ. With that thought in mind, Sunset had yet to even see Twilight since arriving home.
What she did see, however, was the table set up across from the door as Rarity dragged her along toward it. Along the surface of the table, Sunset noticed several large punch bowls, filled to the brim with punch, and behind those there were several empty bottles of vodka. Sunset grinned, thinking that was exactly what she needed to loosen up a bit.
Even in the random strobe light of a Pinkie party, Sunset and Rarity could make out the figures of Applejack and Rainbow Dash as they shared mugs of what Sunset recognized as the extra hard cider Applejack kept for special occasions. She felt herself tearing up a bit at the thought of her arriving in Ponyville being considered anything special. As they neared, Rarity waved gracefully at the pair.
Applejack waved back, but Rainbow Dash just smirked at Sunset. "Hey, Sunny. She making you wear any more saddles tonight, or does she have you completely wrapped around her hoof now?" Rainbow joked.
This elicited a heavy blush from Sunset, but Rarity just rolled her eyes. "Don't tease her, Rainbow. I'm just being friendly. Besides, it's always fun to have a sexy mare model for me in my boutique. Why, if I'm not mistaken, I believe you may have been enjoying yourself too much this afternoon," Rarity teased, smirking at the pegasus. This caused Sunset's blush to deepen even further, and Rainbow provided one to match.
Sunset could tell that Rainbow attempted at that point to change the subject, but she'd stopped listening, deciding instead to sneak over and pour herself a cup of spiked punch. One proved not to be enough, but after three she felt buzzed enough to return to the conversation.
"O-oh dear..." Fluttershy squeaked out, blushing and cowering as Rarity went on and on about the yellow pegasus' body. It didn't take long to figure out that Applejack had thought it a good idea to give her some cider, and by this time, even Pinkie had joined the fray. Sunset sighed heavily. These ponies were almost too much like her friends in the other world.
The unicorn made her way around Rarity to stand beside Applejack. She leaned in and whispered, "What the hay, AJ. How much did she drink already?"
Applejack just kept staring forward. Not bothering to whisper her response, she answered, "She ain't had but one mug!" She finally turned to look at Sunset and gave her a confused shrug. "Not even I'm this honest after that much."
After watching the scene for several more moments, and after careful consideration, Sunset decided she would leave. She began backing away from the ridiculous scene unfolding, thankful for the ambiance, as it helped her get away more easily. Once she judged she was far enough away, Sunset turned tail and ran upstairs to her room, locking the rest of the world out.
With her back to the door and heart thumping in her chest, Sunset let out a relieved sigh. That was far too much for her to handle just yet. She felt she wasn't emotionally stable enough to deal with social events of that caliber, nor was she prepared. Pinkie parties were nowhere near as crazy in the other world, and that was saying something!
"These ponies are crazy," Sunset said to no one in particular. She shook her head in sheer disbelief and walked toward her window, carefully stepping over the piles of books she'd already scattered across the floor. She slid the window open, and a gentle breeze wafted into the room, bringing with it the pleasant scent all small towns seem to carry. Sunset breathed heavily of this scent and exhaled slowly. It was relaxing almost to the point of being therapeutic.
Outside, the night was nowhere near as wild as the party downstairs. Alternatively, all was calm and still. Not a soul stirred throughout the town. This would have been more surprising if every adult in the town wasn't currently occupying space in the castle beneath Sunset's feet. She sighed, staring up at Luna's beautiful moon.
The celestial body was far more vibrant than in the human world, and she enjoyed that the stars were brighter as well. It was a full moon, and the night sky was clear. Everything was right with the world.
"Not much of a party pony, hm?" Twilight asked, suddenly staring into the room, hovering right outside the window. She startled Sunset, nearly enough to cause her to fall to her untimely death out the window. She surely would have, had she not been caught by the violet alicorn. Twilight giggled a bit. "That was close," Twilight surmised as she set Sunset back down in her bedroom. "I was taking an evening flight around the castle. Pinkie's parties can get a bit too wild for me too, especially when I first moved here. Care to join me?"
Sunset offered a glare in return. "Look, I know we're friends and all now, but that doesn't mean you can just make fun of me for not having wings. I mean, that's so low, it's probably something the old me would have done." She turned her head away and exhaled a huff from her nostrils, clearly peeved that Twilight, of all ponies, would say such a thing. She was once again startled when a hoof gently rubbed her shoulder. She turned her head back to Twilight. Much to her chagrin, tears were quickly flooding her eyes.
Twilight was frowning back, but a gentle smile made its way to her face after a few moments. "I meant climb up on my back, and I'll fly you around. I thought it'd be fun."
Sunset blushed a bit and looked away again to wipe her tears. "O-oh. S-sorry. I shouldn't have-"
Twilight cut her off. "No, no, no, no, no. It's alright. I can see why that might be a bit of a sore subject for you. I'm the one who should be apologizing." She stepped over the window sill and into Sunset's bedroom. She was promptly embraced, and a gentle gasp escaped her lips.
Twilight grinned as her horn glowed with a magenta aura. Within seconds, Sunset was placed upon her back, and Twilight was rearing up for take-off. "Hold on tight!" Twilight exclaimed. Sunset obeyed without question, wrapping her forehooves tightly around Twilight's neck, though not tight enough to cause harm. She squeezed her eyes shut, and as the pair shot out the window into the clear night sky, her scream could be heard echoing through Ponyville.
After the initial fear of falling passed, Sunset's terrified screams gave way to joyous laughter. Twilight carried her higher and higher through the air, even going out of her way to soar through the few clouds that littered the night sky. She wasn't the strongest of fliers, but it was clear she was well practiced.
Somewhere in the middle of her own excitement, Sunset Shimmer took the time to glance at Twilight; however, what was meant to be but a glance became so much more. She was mesmerized by the way the moonlight lit up Twilight's eyes, by the way her mane was whipped back by the wind, and she was once again reminded just how beautiful Twilight Sparkle really was. She felt her cheeks redden, but she held a bit of a dreamy gaze on Twilight for quite some time, only snapped from her thoughts as the alicorn spoke.
"Are you alright, Sunset? Still having fun?" Twilight glanced back to see if Sunset was still enjoying herself.
She was met with a simple nod at first, followed closely by, "Yes! This is so much fun. I suppose I'm just... a bit tired?" Sunset tried. The excuse was a poor one, and she didn't necessarily want this to end, but it seemed to work. Twilight faced forward once more and angled her wings in such a way that the mares glided around in a turn toward the castle once more.
In no time at all, they were landing back in Sunset's room. They parted and shared a nervous moment of silence between them before Sunset once again embraced Twilight in a hug. "That was fun," she said. "Good night, Twilight."
Utterly confused and mind flooded with conflicting thought, Twilight hugged Sunset back. "G-good night, Sunset. I'll see you tomorrow." She broke away and gave Sunset an awkward smile before retreating to her own room next door. It would be quite some time before either mare fell to sleep, both their minds racing as they lie awake in bed. In stark contrast to the surprisingly, and quite accidentally, romantic moment they had shared, the party raged on below them through the night.
A princess in another castle was having very different thoughts nag at the back of her mind, though they too concerned Sunset Shimmer. As Luna stared up at the moon from her balcony, Celestia quietly approached her from behind, sitting down next to her sister. Celestia thought it better to remain silent and sip her hot cocoa as Luna sat just inches away, brooding.
"Sister, why did you never tell me that Sunset Shimmer was your daughter?" Luna finally asked. The question had been bothering her since she first learned about Sunset's adoption. "For what reason did you keep something so important from me?"
Celestia frowned and stared forward into the vast hillside of Equestria. It was lit up beautifully by Luna's moon. She exhaled a breath, visible in the cold, Autumn air. "It was easier to forget," she responded.
It was clear that such a vague answer alone was hard for Celestia to muster, but Luna pressed on with the need to know more. "What do you mean? Why would you ever want to forget that she was your daughter?"
Celestia hung her head. Her tears caught the light of the full moon, glistening as they trailed down her face. "Because everyone else did, Luna. It's the magic of the mirror. Those who pass through are lost to the ponies of this world. Only alicorn magic and the magic of dragons can counteract the effects. Because Sunset is a unicorn, and you were on the moon, there was not a soul in Equestria who remembered Sunset Shimmer ever existed, save myself."
"And Twilight?" Luna asked, confused and surprised by the answer. She wrapped a comforting wing around her sister, and Celestia rested her head against her, crying into Luna's shoulder.
"She was a unicorn when Sunset traveled through the portal, and an alicorn when she herself did so. Though the two grew side by side, almost as sisters, neither remember the other. It was heartbreaking, Luna. I couldn't stand to tell you or Twilight. It was just... too much to handle." Celestia sobbed against her sister. Her hooves wrapped around Luna's waist. "They can't know, Luna. Not yet..."
Luna nodded slowly, running a hoof through her sister's mane to calm her. "It's alright, Tia. I understand. Fret not, for your secrets are safe with me..."
This was chaos. Discord himself would surely shed a tear at the sight before her, but all Sunset could do was stare, jaw to the floor. She was utterly speechless, her mind having difficulty making any sense of the wreckage. There wasn't an inch of floor space visible. Stretched across the cold, marble floor were the partygoers, still sleeping away the drunken antics from the night before. Between them lay the scattered remnants of the party favors, primarily discarded cups, bottles of alcohol, disposable kitchenware and the food they had once carried.
Several ponies were stirring finally, others already sneaking out the door to resume their day-to-day lives. Pinkie had evidently been crowned Princess of Parties by popular demand. She sat snoring obnoxiously upon her own throne, a gaudy plastic crown adorned upon her head and a cardboard horn and wings taped to her body. Sunset shook her head with an amused grin and continued to survey the area. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had constructed a bed of confetti and streamers. Fluttershy was still sleeping, but Rainbow Dash was already up. Looking up from her Daring Do book, she waved eagerly to Sunset, a gesture that was readily returned.
She found Applejack passed out on a table, bottles of cider scattered all around her. Momentarily, Sunset wondered if the farm pony might have drowned herself in booze, but the steady rise and fall of her chest eased the unicorn's mind. Rarity was in a rather compromising position, spooning between a stallion and another mare. Sunset snorted in mild amusement, causing Rainbow to chuckle a bit as well. Apparently the chromatic pegasus had found her friend earlier, her mirth revived by Sunset's.
Spike was in the most interesting situation and was inadvertently the hardest to find. The young drake was nearly buried under the pile of mares clinging to his scaly body, an expression of pure bliss stretched across his face. Sunset rolled her eyes. "No wonder he turned into a dog in the human world," she joked.
The drunken masses had caused a pungent musk to replace much of the oxygen throughout the castle, and Sunset decided quickly that she was in dire need of fresh air. Taking a breath to steel her resolve, she took the first step toward the front door, a journey that proved to be especially arduous.
Though she took great care not to, several ponies groaned their complaints as Sunset stumbled over them. The trash between the ponies made it nigh impossible not to trip over her own hooves. It didn't help that she still wasn't quite used to them. Years of living as a bipedal ape creature had caused her to be incredibly unprepared for unfortunate situations such as the one she found herself in.
Despite the obstacles writhing beneath her, she did manage to make it to the door, unfortunate enough to trip into it and plant her face against the marble with a solid thunk. With a groan, she ignored Rainbow's muffled chortle and swung open the door, stumbling into the brisk, morning air. With a huff, she slammed shut the heavy door behind her and made her way onto the dirt path toward town.
Relieved to get a moment of peace, she breathed in the pleasant Autumn air and exhaled it in a sigh. The sun was still low in the sky, just beginning its ascent. The morning sky was a pale blue, hues of bright yellow and faint orange encroaching upon it over the horizon. Even the clouds that had blotted the sky overnight had dispersed, most likely the reason Rainbow Dash was already awake. Sunset grinned as she began to understand that she had returned for Fluttershy's sake. True to her element, she refused to let her timid friend wake up alone in such a situation.
The running of the leaves had yet to occur, and they livened up the town in brilliant colors. Ponyville was beautiful this time of year, shades of yellow and orange, a splash of red here and there. In fact, Sunset was so caught up in taking in the scenery, she was shocked back to reality when she ran straight into the fountain in town square and painfully stubbed her hoof on the hard stone.
"Oww oww oww!" she shouted, "Stupid statue! Stupid water! Stupid hooves!" She bounced around on three hooves, waving the other in the air as if she could shake off the pain for nearly an entire minute before she felt comfortable gingerly setting her hoof down once more. She sucked in a breath through clenched teeth and cringed as a sharp pain shot up her leg.
"Are you alright?" Twilight asked. Startled, Sunset whipped her head up to see the alicorn laying on the outer edge of the fountain with a book in front of her and an adorably concerned frown.
"I-I'm fine," she replied, hobbling over to sit across from her friend. Once nestled onto her perch, she asked, "Were you sitting there the whole time?"
Twilight nodded bashfully. "Unfortunately, yes. You startled me from my book. I didn't even see you coming."
"Ugh," Sunset planted her nose between her hooves, hiding her face from the world. "That's so embarrassing!" came her muffled cry.
Twilight giggled. "Oh quit being so dramatic. It's only me."
Sunset looked up from her hooves to argue, "But you-"
Want to know a secret?" Twilight interrupted.
Sunset blinked. "I... Ugh, sure. I'll bite."
"I've made that same mistake, myself, twice! I never told a soul until now." Twilight winked and giggled a bit more. "Your secret is safe with me."
Sunset blushed and made a point to keep her eyes trained on her reflection in the water. "Th-thanks..." Minutes passed between them in silence, slowly turning into an hour. More and more ponies began to shuffle home from the castle. Most stayed quiet, still fighting hangovers. Sunset was content to watch them, happy to feel invisible to the zombies as they passed her by.
Twilight returned to her book, and the world faded from existence for her. It was some time before Sunset pulled her back to reality, curiosity taking over. "What are you reading?" Sunset asked.
"Hm?" was Twilight's initial response as she looked up at her companion. It took only a second more before her brain registered the question. "Oh! Nothing spectacular, really. I wanted to get out for some air, so I grabbed a book from my shelf at random before ducking out my window."
Sunset raised a brow and smirked. "Fascinating, but that doesn't really answer my question."
Twilight blushed and pouted, knowing she couldn't argue. "Like I said, it's not particularly interesting. It's just a slightly outdated book about archeological findings in Saddle Arabia. I read it for the third time just last week."
"Ah, is that the one written by Dr. Digger Down? I'm particularly interested in the mummified remains of Czar Knight they found in that underground temple east of Khobar."
Twilight gawked in surprise. "You've read it?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, I was Celestia's personal student before you came along. I read all the time. That's how I learned about the mirror in the first place."
"I just... I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable," Twilight responded, barely capable of holding in her excitement. "I guess I should have. I mean, of course Celestia would have chosen all her students carefully. I just... I've never met anyone quite like... well, me."
Sunset shrugged. "I guess we've got more in common than we thought." She smiled casually and Twilight smiled back, a light blush coloring her fur a darker lavender. "Would you like to go out for lunch with me?" Sunset asked.
Twilight's smile became a grin. She hopped off her perch on the fountain and levitated her book behind her back. "That sounds lovely. I know just the place."
"And then Celestia said, 'Parent-teacher conference? What does that even mean???'"
Twilight busted up laughing, Sunset along with her. They were sitting at a table outside one of Twilight's favorite restaurants. Most of the town had returned to normal functionality, and the regular bustle of the nonresidential districts had resumed. The particular restaurant they currently occupied was fairly small, a quaint "mom and pop" place with only a few places to actually sit inside. The main draw of the establishment seemed to be enjoying ones food in the sunshine. There were far more tables outside, each adorned with a red and white striped parasol.
They had both ordered a sweet tea and a dandelion sandwich, but their food had already gone untouched for over half an hour. The mares were far too engrossed in conversation to be bothered with eating. It was amazing just how much the two had in common with each other, and it seemed to Twilight they had even shared many of the same experiences while growing up on the castle grounds, the main difference being that Sunset seemed completely incapable of recalling any of the staff members or their names.
It had all started with Twilight asking Sunset what it had been like having Celestia as an actual parent, and that had somehow blown into the most engaging conversation either mare had held in years. They certainly had enough combined knowledge of their mentor to tease her relentlessly, something both of them were considering doing in the near future.
Twilight's stomach gurgled, and she blushed brightly. "Erm, sorry. Maybe we should start eating now," she said, smiling sheepishly.
Sunset giggled quietly and nodded. "Yeah, we've put off lunch long enough," she agreed. It was only then she realized just how hungry she was. The pair ate in silence for several minutes. They hummed their delight as they finished their food. Sunset had missed Equestrian food. It had taken quite some time before she became comfortable eating meat, and she still doubted she could look a cow in the eye again. Lucky for her, the cows of Ponyville kept to themselves for the most part. She had, however, become very fond of fish. She knew there were vendors in Canterlot who catered to griffons, avid fish eaters themselves, and she wondered if she could get away with that being her guilty pleasure.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Rarity approached, leaning on the table between the two of them, turning her head back and forth to look each of them straight in the eye. She had the biggest smirk on her face either had ever seen. Uncomfortable with being watched like some sort of zoo exhibit, Sunset swallowed her bite of food to ask, "Yes, Rarity? Can we help you with something?" She seemed incapable of completely masking the irritation in her voice.
"Oh, no. That's quite alright, Dear. Seeing you two on a date has provided me enough gossip for a lifetime!" Rarity replied, absolutely giddy with mischievous excitement.
Twilight blushed so hard her face turned a deep violet. "W-w-what!?" she stammered, incredulous and highly embarrassed. Sunset, however, was able to keep her cool.
She raised a brow and deadpanned, "Rares, this isn't a date. We're just having lunch, as friends."
Rarity completely ignored the statement and tapped a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, I wonder who I should tell first. Oh, the press in Canterlot would be ecstatic to know anything about their newest princess's love life."
Twilight just kept blushing. Though she opened and closed her mouth several times, she was completely incapable of forming a single word.
"This is not a date, Rarity," Sunset repeated, "and if you tell anyone otherwise, I will not hesitate to gut you like a fish."
Rarity rolled her eyes and stopped leaning on the table. She turned around to walk away, but she turned back to look at Sunset once more. "It's a shame, really. You're a very sexy mare, in a fiery sort of way. You certainly had my attention, but it seems I was beat to the punch."
"That wouldn't end well for either of us, Rares, trust me... and we are not on a date!" Sunset practically yelled the words as she repeated them once more. By now a vein had begun to protrude from her forehead as her irritation progressed into anger. Once rarity had her mind set, there was little that could change it, a fact Sunset was all too aware of.
"I suppose we'll never know, will we?" Rarity answered with a wink.
This seemed to be Sunset's turn to blush, and she turned her eyes away. "A-actually, I dated the Rarity in the human world for a time. It... didn't work," she admitted in a mutter.
Rarity let loose a low chuckle to match her mischievous grin. "Well, perhaps you've found something that will. Don't let the opportunity slip away. That goes for both of you." With that, Rarity continued on her way, walking in the direction of her boutique. "Au revoir!" she called.
Sunset stared blankly at Rarity for several seconds as she left. When she turned back to Twilight, the princess was staring wide-eyed back at her, still blushing like a madmare. "Are... you alright, Twilight? Do you need me to get you some water or something?" Sunset asked, genuinely concerned at this point.
Twilight eventually broke from her catatonic state and shook her head violently. "N-no! I just... I need to go!" Before Sunset could so much as get a word out in reply, a bright flash of white light blinded her, as well as many of the other patrons, voicing their own discontent at the light and loud POP that accompanied it.
By the time Sunset's vision returned to her, Twilight was gone. Only a small black scorch mark on the wooden chair she vacated indicated she'd ever been there at all. "...Great," Sunset sighed.
