A Sparkling Sunset

by Ferhog

First published 29th of November, 2014

After all that they have been through, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle's bond has grown into a strong and deep friendship. But as their relationship continues to mature, they will have to face challenge after challenge that will test their bond.

After all that they have been through, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle's bond has grown into a strong and deep friendship. But as their relationship continues to mature, they will have to face challenge after challenge that will put the bond between them to the test.

(SPECIAL THANKS TO FEATHER FLYER FOR EDITING CHAPTERS 1-12)

Some Help With The Library-Sunset Shimmer

"I think I found it!"

The book was wrapped in some sort of thick, wrinkly brown cover, with little decoration or text on it, and any that could be found had faded almost beyond visibility, which gave a hint at the centuries or even millennia that it had seen. All that Sunset could make of the front cover was an image that looked kind of like a mirror, and some letters in an old, classic looking font that spelled something like...

'A.LO...T.H.IN..RDE.E...N.L'

Whatever the title once spelled was beyond figuring out, but it was the words underneath the title that really got Sunsets attention. The words were also blurred, possibly worse than the title, but she recognized the name anyway. She had seen the spelling and the handwriting countless times, from the countless books she had read when she was still a student of Celestia.

'Starswirl the bearded.'

Sunset smiled at the name. Now it made a whole lot more sense why Twilight was looking so desperately for this book... Her train of thought was disrupted by the sound of clopping hooves, at a rate that sounded almost like a run.

Well, speak... or... think of Nightmare moon, and she shall appear.

Sunset turned her head down the left hall to see Twilight Sparkle bounding towards her, with a wide-eyed look on her face that was almost creepy, if Sunset hadn't seen that expression so many times already. Twilight skidded to a halt so that she didn't crash into the yellow mare, and in a glow of magenta light the book was out of Sunset's hooves and levitating in front of the princesses face, its pages turning fast, but delicately. Sunset couldn't help but think that was kinda rude, but Twilight tended to act a bit over the top when it came to books.

"Yes." whispered the lavender alicorn, a smile breaking across her face. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!"
She looked just about ready to start jumping up and down.

"Oh Sunset Shimmer do you know what this is?"

Even for Twilight, this book was causing a lot more excitement than Sunset had expected.

"Um...Its a book...by Starswirl the Bearded?"

Twilight stared at her with wide eyes and a huge smile.

"This isn't just any one of Starswirl's books, this is A look at the Inter-dimensional!And this isn't just any copy of his works, this is his ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS! AND THEIR STILL COMPLETELY INTACT!"

She had to admit, that did sound pretty exciting. The prospect of reading any original text by possibly the greatest unicorn wizard in equestrian history is something that could bring the inner filly out of any student of princess Celestia. Even former students.

"Princess Celestia sent this to Ponyville DAYS ago, and I would have gotten to reading it if some...idiot, hadn't put this in the wrong section! Basic magic?! Come on! This could be a major breakthrough in my studies. Even the toned down modern copies you can find in the Canterlot libraries almost feel like Starswirl's personal magical journal. Just think of all the magical secrets that could be LITERALLY hidden in these pages."

Twilight pulled Sunset in for a quick hug.

"Thank you so much for finding this. And with the information this is said to have on inter-dimensional travel, we could learn more about the mirror, and anything else Starswirl owned regarding this subject."

Sunset smiled. Twilight looked almost adorable when rambling on about books, magic and studies. Just the way she moves around as if hooked up on a gallon of coffee, and her eyes just darting from the subject matter to whoever she's talking to, while listing every fact about what she's talking about from how old it is, to its length in millimeters to how big the explosion would be if it was touched.

"So, now that this is out of the way, is there anything else you need my help with?" Sunset asked. It was getting pretty late, but she could help find a few more misplaced books or even assist Twilight in her research.

The princess of friendship responded with a small smile, less maniacal and a bit kinder than the ones she'd displayed moments earlier.

"Thanks, but I think we're done for the day. Come on, Fluttershy brought some sandwiches for us to eat."

The two mares started to walk down the rows of bookshelves, and even though Sunset had seen Twilight's library plenty of times before, she was still impressed by how pretty it was, along with its sheer range of books. The blue color of the walls and shelves went really well the crystal design of the place, which was beautiful enough by itself, and the light shining through the windows just made certain areas shine and glitter in a way that added a sense of wonder to the library. And the number and variety of books was much more impressive given the fact that the castle was relatively new. The combination of the tree of harmonies magical gift and the books that had been generously given to Twilight by princess Celestia and multiple book doners made the library one of the main reasons Sunset had been visiting the castle so much lately. It was just incredible.

And the throne room wasn't too bad either.

It had a design similar to that of the library, only it had a much more purple tint in its crystals, and green semicircular windows that created the same glittering effect the libraries windows made. The floor was a lot flatter and more like marble than crystal, compared to the rest of the castle, and was designed with purple spirals that rested against a violet backdrop. In the center of the rooms floor was the image of a white star inside a yellow circle, and surrounding this were six thrones, each of them embedded with the cutie marks of Twilight and her council. It looked like some kind of round table.

In fact the entire castle was beautiful, if the tree of harmony can be credited with one thing, it had excellent taste. Well, it could also be credited with keeping the Everfree forest at bay and the multiple times the elements of harmony saved all of Equestria from various evil threats (Sunset herself included), but those weren't quite as memorable as the castle's design.

Rarity and Fluttershy were already sitting in the middle of the circle, eating away at some lettuce, cheese and tomato sandwiches. Applejack and Pinkie Pie were busy pushing a large cart with a stack of crates (that were unlikely to not be containing things that Twilight intended on studying or using to study something else that needed studying(y'know, to study!)) through one of the large doors. And Rainbow Dash had somehow managed to get a cloud into the castle, on which she was currently reading a book, which, being Rainbow Dash, was probably an A.K Yearling novel.

"Oh Applejack! Pinkie!" Rarity shouted, trying to get the attention of the two earth ponies, who had been pushing the cart down one of the hallways.

"You've been unpacking crates for hours darlings! Come over here and have some of Fluttershy's delicious sandwiches!"

"Sorry sugar cube, we gotta get these here crates unpacked before goin' home!" Applejack yelled from the hallway. "Twilight will be needin' these for her research tonight, well join y'all later!"

This statement seemed to have disappointed Rarity a bit, who then turned her head towards Rainbow Dash.

"I don't suppose you would like a sandwich Rainbow Dash?" asked Rarity.

Rainbow didn't even bother to look back at the white unicorn. She just waved her hoof and responded by saying, "Yeah...maybe I'll have some after I finish Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny."

"Haven't you already read that book about forty times? That's twice as much as all the times you've read the other Darin Do books."

"Yeah well, this one is just that awesome."

"Or because its the one with YOU in it."

"Maybe."

Fluttershy giggled at the banter, and turned to face Twilight and Sunset.

"I don't suppose you girls are feeling hungry?" she asked in her usual quiet, yet positive voice.

"Sure, we'd love some sandwiches." replied Twilight, while levitating a pair of sandwiches out of the basket. She brought one of them over to herself, and dropped the other one in front of Sunset, who caught it using her own telekinesis.

The sandwich floated over to her mouth, and she bit into the bread, feeling the tomatoes squirt juice down her throat, and the lettuce and cheese crunching and splitting between her teeth. She even detected some mayonnaise in the combination. Over all, it created a taste that filled Sunsets mouth with its goodness, and consumed her with a comfortable feeling that only homemade food can give you.

"This is really good, Fluttershy." She said through the muffling contents in her mouth. "I didn't even think they had mayonnaise in Equestria."

The Pegasus smiled at her. "Thank you." She exclaimed in a voice that was almost a whisper. "I made it myself. Angel does likes mayonnaise in his sandwiches, though his usually have carrots rather than cheese."

Sunset responded by gasping loudly "A bunny that enjoys carrots, WHAT FOUL MANNER OF BLACK MAGIC IS THIS!"

Small fits of laughter were brought out of each of the four mares. Since leaving Equestria over thirty moons ago, she'd never had an enjoyable social gathering with her fellow ponies. It felt good to be talking to Equestrians after all these years.

"So, Rarity," Sunset said. "What have you been doing today?"

"Oh, me and Fluttershy have spent the past few days adding more appealing features to the castles furniture. Quilts, cushions, curtains, things like that. I personally made all of it myself. Being the castle of a princess of Equestria, this place is bound to get guests, and we must make sure that they enjoy the highest quality furniture they can get. But enough about my work, what have you and Twilight been doing in the library?"

"Sunset Shimmer's been helping me organize the place, she's been really helpful" Twilight turned to Sunset with an affectionate smile. "The libraries in a serious mess, and I'm glad to have a fellow gifted unicorn help me organize it to its full potential. A few minutes ago, we found the ORIGINAL version of Starswirl the Bearded's A look at the inter-dimensional, in the basic magic section of the library! Who in their right mind would put a book of that importance in there?!"

Fluttershy looked at Twilight with a helpful look on her face.

"Maybe if you personally oversaw the organization of the library, rather than just sending other people to do it, it wouldn't be in such a mess."

"I know. Its just, with the Alicornhood, the title, the castle, I'm finding a lot more of my time taken up by royal duties now than ever before. I mean, they've settled down and now I have much more time to organize the library, but I don't think I could ever do a job like this without help. I'm just glad I have friends like Sunset to help me with this kind of stuff"

The yellow unicorn nodded in thanks, as she chowed down her last sandwich. She looked over to one of the windows, and even though the glass was tinted green, she could definitely see a change in color, signifying late afternoon.

"I'd better get going." Sunset declared. "Its getting pretty late."

"Here, let me see you off." replied Twilight.

The unicorn and the Alicorn stood up and started walking back to the library, while Fluttershy and Rarity said their goodbyes. When they reached the library they found the mirror standing where it always did, and the activation device set around it, with its two pairs of pylons, pistons, wires and all sorts of technological junk cobbled together so that they could open a portal that would normally only open for half a week every thirty moons.

Twilight picked the book up.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Sunset put on a rather sad face.

"Sorry, I don't think I'll be able to visit during weekdays, y'know with school and all."

"Okay." said Twilight, sharing in her slight sadness.

Surrounded by the magenta glow, the book was lifted and placed on the small pedestal, and instantly started to glow pink. Two streams of pink energy emitted from the book, and attached themselves to the two pylons, which sent the energy glowing down the wires. The wires sent the energy through multiple mechanisms such as pistons, rollers and couplings. Finally, the energy streams reached the two smaller pylons, where they were released, and fused together to form a purple wormhole, which joined with the mirror. The pink energy rushed through the mirror in an unstable state, before a blinding white flash of light occurred. When the light passed, the mirror glowed in stable pink energy, ready for transportation.

"Well, I guess I'd better get going." Sunset exclaimed.

"See you in five days?"

"You can count on it."

"I already am."

And before Sunset could turn around, Twilight lurched forward, locking her in a tight embrace. The yellow mare took this as a surprise. She'd been hugged by Twilight before, but never with this much affection. Not that she didn't like it. On the contrary, she liked it a lot. Its was warm, soft, and passionate. All she could feel was the violet Alicorn with her hooves around her neck.

When they finally parted, Twilight stared at her, smiling.

"Bye."

Sunset smiled back, and proceeded to walk over to the mirror. She placed her hoof into the pink glow, and that hoof pulled her whole body into the light. She felt a sensation as if her body dissapated into pure energy, and her head went dizzy.

When her mind came back to her, she found herself standing in the grounds of Canterlot high, the sun setting behind it. She could feel the changes in her body, the hooves now toes and fingers , her muzzle now a mouth and a nose, her ears shrunk into a smaller, rounder shape, and her tail and horn gone completely.

Her body and soul was very much at Canterlot high, but her thoughts were still in Equestria, particularly with a lavender Alicorn princess.

Author's Notes:

So there is the first chapter of the fan-fiction I've ever written, and my first creative impact ( however small it may be) on the Brony community.

A lot of the stuff in this story will probably get contradicted in future seasons. But hey, it is a FAN fiction after all.

If there's any problems in my writing please critique this in the comments so that I may improve in future chapters and fictions.

By the way, forgive any grammer mistakes as the G key on my computer doesn't work and I tend to forget to use the online keyboard.

Students-Twilight Sparkle

Twilight kept waiting by the journal. Waiting for the slightest hints of glowing or vibrating.

The book didn't really look that special. It had a plain brown hardback cover with some small golden clamps on its spine. The only sign of its importance was that a pink star put against the backdrop of about seven smaller white stars was embedded on the cover, that image being the cutie mark of Twilight herself. The journal used to feature the cutie mark of princess Celestia, but after the book was given to Twilight she thought it would be more appropriate if it sported her own cutie mark. But even besides that, the journal looked like it could be just any old book from Celestia's library.

But it was much more special than ANY book in Celestia's library (well accept maybe the personal journals of Starswirl the Bearded, Marelin the Robed, or Candlespark the Pointy Hatted, or any other great wizard from Equestria's history...the journal was still very special though...honest...). When Twilight wrote in the journal, the same words would appear in a book in the other world, one that looked identical to hers, but featuring Sunsets cutie mark instead. Twilight and Sunset used this to communicate with each other from their separate dimensions, and this was usually as a friendship report from Sunset and Twilight responding to it.

It had been two days since Sunset left, and Twilight hadn't received any word from her since then. She'd written to her, asking how everything was at Canterlot high, mainly as an excuse to talk to her, and she wasn't going to write to her again. What if Sunset found it annoying?

'Stay calm Twilight, she's a busy girl. Probably doesn't have time to talk with me at the moment.' She thought to herself.

But what if that wasn't the case? What if the connection between the two books was broken? What if the connection between the two worlds was broken? What if she would never see Sunset or any of her Canterlot high friends again?!

'Just keep it together girl, that sort of thing is unlikely to happen. Surely there would be physical signs.

But what if Sunset didn't WANT to talk to Twilight? What if she was sick of having to organize and find books all day? What if she was freaked out by the way Twilight acted when she was leaving the previous day...

She'd thought about the event a lot since that day, and scolded herself for her actions. WHAT WAS SHE THINKING! Just rushing forward and grabbing Sunset in a tight hug without warning? Yeah, that wasn't going to freak her out at all! Sure she was feeling sad about Sunset leaving. Sure she didn't want her to go. But that didn't excuse her actions at all. Twilight herself barely understood them at the time. She'd never hugged any of her other friends that intensely. Had she?

'Look twilight, thinking this pessimistically isn't going to help. Just be patient, and get something else done. I'm sure she'll...

Her thoughts were cut off by a vibrating noise, and she turned her head to see the journal glowing pink and shaking in a systematically.

The magenta light of her magic dragged the book over to her desk in a flash, and she opened the pages to find a new entry written in a very familiar handwriting.

Dear Princess Twilight

I'm sorry if I didn't get back to your message instantly, we were told that a chemistry test was coming up and I wanted to be prepared. Hope you didn't mind having to wait.

'Okay.' Twilight thought. 'She DOESN'T hate me.'

Big Macintosh recently got his leg broken in a football game, right before the apple families harvesting season, and A.J. made the CRAZY decision to harvest everything all by herself. Day after day she seemed to be getting more disoriented, and ended up causing a bunch of destructive accidents. I mean, who knew how terrifying a stampeding hoard of BABY BUNNIES could be so terrifying? And every time we tried to offer our help she just turned us down, saying that she had to do it herself. In the end, she finally overcame her stubborn pride and let us help. She learned that no matter how responsible your supposed to be for something, you should always accept a helping hand when its offered to you. And when someone as stubborn as A.J. understands something like that, we can all be inspired to do the same.

Your friend always, Sunset Shimmer.

This brought a smile to Twilight's face.

"I guess the magic of friendship isn't the only thing that exists in places other than Equestria." she whispered to herself.

"Really? I'd love to meet another version of me. Oooooh, I wonder if there's a janitor me in the multiverse!"

Twilight sighed in annoyance. That voice could only belong to one obnoxious spirit...

A white flash appeared to Twilight's left, revealing the grey head of a pony, sporting the beige antler of an elk and the blue antler of an oryx, attached to a simple brown furry body. The various limbs were the arm of a lion, the claw of an eagle, the hoof of a donkey, and the green leg of a dragon. Behind the legs was a red scaled tail with white fur on the end, and the face featured a white beard, an oversized fang, and two yellow eyes with red irises, both of which were staring at her.

"Good afternoon, Discord..."

The draconequus stared at her with wide eyes and a huge smile on his face.

'Well this can't be good...' Thought the Alicorn.

"Twilight Sparkle how are you?" asked the spirit of chaos. " I haven't seen you since...how long's it been? Two, three weeks? Oh never mind, I just thought I'd check on how my favorite Alicorn princess is doing."

"I've just been organizing my castle and stuff like that..."
She grumbled as politely as she could. As good and reformed as Discord was these days, especially after the Tirek incident, he was still one of the most annoying forces in Equestria at times.

"Oh yes the CASTLE." He said, turning his head in multiple angles and directions. "I really love what you've done with this place. I mean, at first I was all 'Oh what an ugly castle, that crystal theme is overused, it looks so out of place in Ponyville, I miss the old Treehouse!' you know, things like that. But now, this interior, oh yes, this interior is just lovely!"

In another white flash he was leaning against Twilight with one arm around her back and the other arm holding up...was that a cellphone?!

"Smiiiiiiiile for the selfie!"

The resulting flash left her eyes disoriented and blurry for a few seconds, and after it cleared up she found discord shoving the phone in her face, his facial expression similar to a ducks and hers as if she'd been punched in the face.

She stared at Discord with a look of severe annoyance. "Look Discord if your gonna stay in this library you better grab a book and start reading, I have some important studying to do."

He was too busy paying attention as he seemed to be...texting? She'd never seen a cellphone anywhere except at Canterlot high. WHO WOULD HE BE TEXTING?

Pinkie pie maybe?

He did at least turn to face Twilight.

"Oh yes you recently found that book didn't you? Starswirl's work I believe, yes that guy does make for an engaging read."

This sparked a thought in her head.

"Hey, did you ever personally meet Starswirl the bearded?"

The Draconequus raised his eyebrow at this comment.

"I just thought I'd ask. Y'know, since your...like...a few centuries old and stuff..."

"Yeeeaaaaaaah..." He properly looked her in the face and chucked his cellphone away, which promptly turned into a flock of butterflies. "Starswirl sadly passed from our mortal realm right before I was born. Never met him."

"Okay just...thought I'd ask..."

There was a suprisingly long moment of awkward silence.

"You know Twilight, we cant be doing this friend thing well if there's this much awkwardness and not enough chatting and getting to know each other." In yet another white flash of light he was walking circles around her. "What to do, what to do...ooh, I know, how's that new student of yours doing?"

"Student?" she asked in a confused voice (She did a lot of that talking to Discord).

"Green eyes, yellowish-orange-ish coat, yellow and red mane..."

"Sunset Shimmer?" She asked. "I don't know if I'd call her my student."

She hadn't really thought about it that much. Well, she did receive reports from Sunset and did give her helpful advice, but she never really felt like she was teaching her. It felt more like they were learning from each other.

"Oh well, suit yourself. You should start seeing her more often, I have a feeling something pretty entertaining is gonna come out of this particular friendship..." A flash of light later he was standing near the biology bookshelf reading You're in heat! by Dr. Organalysis PHD

"I really love the job she's done by the way."

What did he mean by that? Discord tended to give almost prophetic advice at times, and usually in a way as cryptic as Celestia, only it was more in an infuriatingly teasing way than in a wise way.

"Well I best be off, places to be, ponies to see, stuff like that. I did enjoy the conversation by the way." He walked over to the door and turned his head towards the Alicorn. "Oh yes and I forgot to mention, Princess Celestia told me to inform you that she's coming to visit when your little dragon comes back from Canterlot."

And in a final flash of light, the spirit of chaos was gone.

Twilight stared at the spot where he was standing just a few seconds ago, wrapping her head around what he just said. Princess Celestia was coming HERE!?

As if on cue, a purple and green puff of smoke appeared in mid air, and a note dropped out of it into Twilight's hooves.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, my fellow princess

I imagine by now Discord has informed you of my upcoming visit. Since he hasn't always been the most trustworthy kind, I decided to send this letter as well. I hope that you do not mind the surprise, as since Spike is done with his royal business and is returning to Ponyville, I thought that I would come check up on you. We should be arriving in one hour.

Your mentor, Princess Celestia

Yep, the princess was coming here all right.

"Oh no."

She ran over to her desk and looked at the clutter of books, lamps, magnifying glasses and research equipment, and thought about how the library wasn't all sorted yet.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! What is she gonna think if she finds the castle so unorderly? I don't want her to think I'm unorganized!"

Okay, she had one hour, if she called the rest of her friends over, she might be able to sort out ALL her two hundred misplaced books, and still be able to tidy her desk, bedroom and throne room up. No, that wouldn't work, they weren't all as familiar with books as Sunset was. Maybe if she got all of Ponyville to help her, she'd get it done in time. They were all her subjects after all. No, she didn't want to take advantage of them like that. What if they thought of her as some kind of bossy tyrant? What was she going to DO?!

'Keep calm Twilight.' she thought to herself. 'You've in overreacted in situations like this before, she's never thought of you negatively during her visits.'

But she wasn't a princess before most of those situations, what if Celestia thought that she wasn't taking her royal duties SERIOUSLY?!

She took a deep breath in, and then a deep breath out. Just like Cadence had taught her.

'I guess I can just tidy up my desk, and leave the rest of the castle. She thought 'Then I'll see how she reacts'

***

After about five minutes of waiting on her balcony, Twilight looked up to see the golden shine of the royal chariot appear from out of the clouds. As it descended closer to the castle and into plainer sight, she got a better look at four strong white Pegasus stallions dressed in golden armor pulling the large gold and purple chariot, on which was a white alicorn and a purple and green dragon.

As it landed on her Balcony, Spike jumped down and run into Twilight with an affectionate hug.

"How was your trip to Canterlot?" she asked

"Great!" The dragon replied. "I mean, writing and sending letters to just about every politician in Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom is pretty boring, and tiring, but I got to sleep in this really soft quilted bed, and was eating buffets of gems for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

He looked up at the sky while drooling and licking his lips. "Awesome."

Twilight giggled at the dragon and turned towards the large white Alicorn

Princess Celestia's flowing pink, blue and green mane, along with her shining white coat, golden crown and towering height, made for a truly magnificent sight that made Twilight feel tempted to start bowing, if she wasn't an Alicorn Princess as well.

She welcomed her old mentor with a quick hug. " It's good to see you, Celestia."

"As it is good to see you, Twilight Sparkle." She turned to face her guards. "That will be al,l sirs. You are permitted to enjoy Ponyville at your Leisure. Twilight, is there any spot you would recommend for my guards, they must be quite peckish after their journey."

"There's a muffin sale going on at Sugarcube Corner if your interested."

The four stallions replied with a nod, though she saw one of them lick his lips hungrily.

"Ooh, ooh, can I come too? Maybe they got some emerald muffins today!" Spike proclaimed excitedly.

One of the stallions picked him up and placed him on his back. "Fashao dude, lets roll!"

And with that, Spike and the four white stallions rocketed off onto the sky.

"Fashao?" Twilight asked in a confused voice.

"Sir Dawson hails from a beach town south of Mareami, they seem to just make up their own words in that area," Celestia explained.

Twilight chuckled at the comment. "So, what would you like to do?"

Celestia just smiled at her old student.

"I would like to see what you've been up to."

Twilight smiled back, thinking of some of the messier rooms in the castle. "Sure..."

' I am so dead...'

***

Twilight was genuinely surprised at how well Celestia was taking the tour. When they passed her room Twilight was sure that Celestia would blow a gas cap over the fact that she left a pile of books on her sheets and an empty coffee mug on her bedside table. But no...nothing.

'Maybe she's assessing and judging everything in her mind, with the intentions of writing a report?!'

As they entered the throne room, Twilight's eyes darted from spot to spot, looking for any signs of untidy-ness.

"It hasn't really changed much since you last saw it..."

It was than that she spotted it. BREADCRUMBS! Monstrous heaps of breadcrumbs on the floor! Why hadn't the girls swept it up when they finished eating!

"It all looks wonderful, Twilight." Proclaimed Celestia, her voice radiating with kindness.

'Okay, maybe she hasn't seen them yet'

"Oops, let me get that for you." In the yellow light of Celestia's magic, each individual breadcrumb lifted into the air before vanishing in a yellow flash.

'Oh no, this is going in the report isn't it!'

"I must say Twilight, I really am proud of what you have achieved with this place. I don't think any one of my students has ever accomplished anything quite like you have, even if you put aside the Alicornhood," The elder princess said in a voice that was ringing with pride.

And the subject of students put a thought in Twilight's mind.

"Thank you Princess." She said in the most grateful voice she could muster. "I was wondering...you've heard that Sunset Shimmer's been visiting me, right?"

The smile seemed to fade slightly from Celestia's lips. "Yes, Spike has informed me of this."

"Well, I was wondering...if you'd ever like to see your former student again? You know, since she's reformed and everything."

The white alicorn turned her head and looked through one of the windows.

"I have not spoken to Sunset Shimmer in many years, and while that may have been long for Sunset shimmer, by the standards of my lifetime it really hasn't been that long. The last time we spoke to each other has really left a sad feeling in my heart."

Twilight was surprised by the emotion that was in her voice. "What happened exactly?"

A sigh escaped from Celestia's mouth.

"Sunset Shimmer was an amazing student. She radiated potential and opportunity, but this came with impatience and ambition. This ambition was furthered by her discovery of the mirror. She wanted to learn more about it, but I forbade her from going near it, telling her she was not ready. In the end, she tried to study it behind my back. When I confronted her about it, she couldn't believe that I would try and hide something of that power from her. It was then that she went a step too far. She told me that she was destined to rise above me, and demanded to be brought to the next stage of her studies. She demanded Alicornhood."

This was shocking for Twilight to hear. She knew Sunset used to be ambitious but she never imagined that anyone would have the nerve to demand being made a princess of Equestria.

"This made me...spiteful. I renounced her as my student, and banished her from the castle. I hoped that she would learn from this mistake, but as she was being escorted out, she took out the guards, and escaped through the mirror. I have not seen her since then." She turned to face Twilight again. "The events that unfolded that day make me feel like I still cannot face Subset Shimmer again. What she became, and the way I acted, is not something I remember gladly."

"I can assure you Celestia, she HAS changed. For the better." Twilight insisted.

"Perhaps..." Said Celestia. Twilight could sense the doubt in her voice. "But I have seen great deception before. Non of us truly know what goes on in that mares mind. That is one reason I came to see you Twilight. I wanted to warn you, personally. You and Cadence are the closest thing I have to daughters, I don't want to see you get hurt. Physically, or emotionally."

Twilight couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she knew better than to question her teacher.

"Do you think you will ever speak to her again?" Twilight asked.

The white Alicorn stared out the window again.

"Perhaps..." She said quietly "One day..."

Author's Notes:

So, there you have it, my second chapter.

I put a slight reference to Icebreaker by Prane (which I highly recommend, especially to lovers of sunset and sonata), though I'm pretty sure a lot of other people have had that idea. I also put a slight reference to a certain theory regarding Starswirl and Discord.

I am personally surprised by how this story has been received, a hundred views and five likes in twenty four hours! Thanks!

Please comment and critique my work so that I can improve for future chapters and stories.

The Past-Sunset Shimmer

That long red corridor seemed to just disappear into a black void.

The floor was dark plain cherry red from as far back and as far forward as she could see. The walls were a blood red color, with faded cinnamon brown stripes shifting and moving constantly. The corridor was cut off by darkness both in front and behind her. Both paths were open to her, but she couldn't go back. She didn't know why, but she just couldn't.

With no other choice, Sunset trotted forward into the darkness...

As she walked down the red floor, she kept looking at the shifting brown shapes on the walls, fading, twirling, and moving like clouds during a hurricane. The shapes appeared to be random, but Sunset kept thinking that she saw...faces.

Memories.

She could feel a cold shivering feeling coursing through her body. A fear started to grow inside her, as if the physical embodiment of the feeling was standing right behind her. She looked back. There was Nothing.

Nothing but the red corridor stretching out into the black void.

She couldn't go back.

Walking onward, the feeling started to creep up on her again, as if fear itself was climbing her back. And she couldn't outrun it. It was then that she began to hear them. Sounds, like voices. But these sounded like little more than whispers. Sunset looked further into the void. How far did she have to go? How far could she go?

As the whispers grew, she could now make out certain voices, and words...

"I have better things to do than Socialize..."

She knew that voice all too well, and started to power walk through the corridor, the fear still right behind her.

"It's selfish of you to keep me from my rightful place..."

She was jogging forward. Away from the voices. Away from the fear. But the voices just echoed down the corridors. And she couldn't outrun fear.

"I deserve to stand beside you and be your equal...if not your better..."

The hallway echoed with the voice's words and the clopping sound of Sunset's hooves as she sprinted down the corridor, the darkness in front of her seeming to just get further away and the darkness behind her getting closer with every passing second.

And then she saw it. A light! Just visible beyond the void that lay in front of her. She ran as fast as her hooves could make her go. Closer towards the light. And as far away from the voices as possible.

As the light consumed the darkness ahead, she had reached the end of the corridor. She was surrounded by circular walls, like some kind of coliseum. The walls and floor were identical to those of the corridor, surrounding her completely, except for one opening, and that was the way she came in. But that wasn't an option. She couldn't go back. But then where could she go?

Then she saw what was standing in the center of the room. The source of the light.

It was a red pedestal, the same color of the floor, and nothing more than that. But the object that was placed on it was much more beautiful.

It was a golden crown, with a base of simple gold metal, stretched in a shape to fit a ponies forehead, the ends swirled like waves. On top of the base were two thinner strands of gold metal, with a similar swirling design as if they were clouds that had stopped moving. And in between the two strands was a magenta gem in the shape of a star.

The longer she stared at it, the more she wanted it. But something inside her was saying that it couldn't be hers. But it was so beautiful. She had to have it.

The crown became encased in the aqua glow of her magic. The feeling inside grew. She knew she couldn't have it. But she wanted it so much. She began to get scared as she lifted the crown above her head, but she couldn't ignore the feeling of longing that was inside her.
And as the crown descended upon her brow. All those feeling dissipated.

Pain.

Searing pain.

She felt as if her insides had caught fire, her skin beginning to burn. A stinging sensation grew in her chest, and her screams echoed down the hallway as everything erupted into flames.

The fire dancing before her eyes, she looked into the inferno, and saw two black eyes with green irises staring back at her. The flaming silhouette of a she demon surrounding them.

"I deserve to stand beside you as your equal...if not your better..." Uttered the voice of the corridor. Her voice.

"MAKE ME A PRINCESS!" It screamed, as the flames consumed her and everything she saw...

When she opened her eyes, she found herself lying in her bed, the ceiling staring back at her. She sat herself up and looked around. The room was lit by the light of the moon shining through the window. Each one of the five other beds in the room occupied. Sunset turned over to her bedside table and took a sip of water, the liquid hydrating her throat and cooling her insides. With that, she lay her head on her pillow, pulled her blanket over herself, and closed her eyes again.

***

The cereal crunched between her teeth as the spoon left her mouth, and with that, she was done. She walked over to the sink and carefully rinsed out the cereal and milk from her bowl, and did the same with the spoon. After drying them with a cloth she placed them in their separate counters. The other kids hadn't finished their breakfast yet, but most of them didn't really have places to be.

As she was leaving the dining room she was approached by a yellow skinned girl with orange hair, highlighted with pink. That was Sweetcream Scoops.

"Uh...Sunset..." she asked nervously.

"Yeah, Scoops?"

"Um...I was just wondering, I need to get this math homework done...and...its asking me for the area of a cylinder..."

"Multiply the area of the circle by the height of the cylinder, and if you don't know the area of the circle, just multiply pie by the radius squared," Sunset Shimmer said knowledgeably.

The pink and orange haired girl looked slightly confused, but seemed to understand it fine. "Height, pie, radius squared, got it" She gave Sunset a quick hug. "Thanks Sunset."

As Sweetcream walked back to her table, Sunset couldn't help but smile. Sweetcream Scoops. Nice girl. In fact, you probably couldn't think of anyone at the Peachbottom Canterlot City Orphange who wasn't pretty nice. Well, unless you counted Sunset Shimmer herself no more than a year ago.

As she was leaving through the reception she was spotted by Miss Peachbottom herself, who was busy on her desk computer.

"Goin' somewhere, Sunset?" She asked in her rural accent.

"Oh, just visiting my friend again."

Peachbottom was looking more at her computer than Sunset but still aimed a smile at her.

"Oh ain't it just the chickens cluck to see ya hangin' out with friends these days. If someone told me two years ago , that Sunset Shimmer would spend this much of her free time socializin' with other folk, why I'd tell them to pack up and get the heck outta Mustangia. You thinkin' o' stayin' over night?"

Sunset looked at the backpack strapped around her shoulders. While it was mainly filled with equipment to help Twilight with, she did pack some overnight necessities. Toothbrush, sleeping bag, the works.

"Maybe..."

"Well if ye are, I would like to be informed first. I may be all relaxed with what ma orphans do but I cant have 'em goin' and stayin' wherever they done well please. If I did I wouldn't be responsible enough to take care o' this here place now would I?"

"No."

"So we're clear?"

"Yes."

Miss Peachbottom gave another smile, this time looking completely at Sunset.

"Have fun then!"

As Sunset walked through the doors she was struck by the cool morning breeze. The sun visible above the skyscrapers in the distance, and the city bustling with morning activity. Even on a weekend, you could see cars driving and people walking in just about every direction you looked.

Canterlot high was just over an hours walk from the orphanage. Usually she and the other kids would take the nearby bus, but during the weekend she didn't exactly have that luxury. Still, it left plenty of time for Twilight to see the message she sent her, and it was always good to have some quiet walking time to think to yourself.

Sadly, last nights dream had got her thinking about thoughts she'd rather not focus on. Particularly certain memories. But as much as she tried to think of something else, her homework assignment, her friends, her hobbies...the thoughts just weren't going away.

She started to think about the time before she studied under Celestia. Back when she lived in Equestria.

Like in this world Sunset shimmer was an orphan. While the identity of her mother was unknown to her, her father was a highly decorated lieutenant in the Equestrian militaries scouting legion. He was killed in action when his squad was ambushed by a pack of changelings as they were doing a recon mission near the crystal mountains. The two surviving scouts claimed that he went toe to toe with Chrysalis herself before he was shot in the back, but those same guards suffered serious instability from PTSD, so the truth was unknown. It didn't matter to Sunset. She was only two years old when he died, and remembered almost nothing about him, except the blurry memory of his silhouette.

Growing up in the orphanage wasn't the best. While no one was every really mean to her, she couldn't help but feel incredibly lonely. The only connection she had to any family were her dad's old colleagues. He seemed to have made many good friends during his time serving in the military, since she was often visited by soldiers who had known him. They spent a large portion of their time telling her war stories and the great deeds her father had accomplished in his life. And even though over the years she was told the same stories by the same old stallions, it was the highlight of her childhood. Every few weeks she would feel excitement course through her body when she heard that one of the veterans was coming to visit, so that she could hear the stories of how her father and other great soldiers and unicorns succeeded in fantastic acts of magic and heroics. It was this that inspired Sunset to become a great unicorn. To accomplish astounding feats like her father had, so that her name and stories would be told throughout Equestria. So she started to practice her talents to the point where she would be the best in the world.

But as she tried to improve her own talents, she saw that many fellow foals had talents and skills that they bested her in, and this was slowly eating away at Sunset. How was she to be the best if there were always people who were better than her?

She spent all the time she could honing her skills, improving, so that she could show those idiots what it meant to be truly determined. But no matter how much time she spent training every skill she knew, she could rarely best anyone who had that particular talent. It was this that gave her the realization that multiple talents were almost impossible to all master. In order to become the best, she would have to master one talent. But this couldn't be any talent, it had to be a superior talent.

It was then that she began to study the magical arts.

She spent her days saving up all the money she could, buying books and artefacts that would propel her through her studies. Her nights were spent reading books and practicing spells, to the point where she would collapse to the floor in exhaustion. It was a hard and grueling challenge, but its led her to becoming a very powerful unicorn.

But even with her talent so mighty, she often encountered competition. It turned out there were many unicorns trying to be become skilled in the art of magic. While most of them did it for helping with their own talents, Sunset couldn't help but see them as threats to her goal. And those who were also trying to become great unicorn mages were even greater threats. This caused her to start discouraging them, telling them that they were too weak, and that they would never succeed. She even went as far as to deceive and manipulate them into walking away from their goals, or preventing others from reaching them. And most of the time it would work. She would let nothing come between her and becoming the greatest wielder of magic Equestria had ever seen.

Despite all this, she had never been in direct, physical competition with a fellow unicorn. That was until she met Arran Clover.

Clover was a unicorn from the north who impressed her school crowd with his amazing feats of magic. In mere days the entire school was talking about him, and how they'd never seen any pony succeed in such feats as he had. This ignited a fire inside Sunset. A raging fire that would not be quenched until she had shown Arran Clover and everyone who had praised him so much who was really the most powerful pony around.

She challenged him to a magic duel, to which he so arrogantly accepted. The following noon the schoolyard ponies were gathered around the sight of the two unicorns facing each other off, with major effects inflicted on both ponies. Sunset had a bruised eye from the forceful blast he had shot at her, Arran's face was covered in spots from the pox she had cursed him with. Clumps of hair were missing from Sunsets tail because of the angry squirrels he had summoned, and Arran's back hooves were stained with green diarrhea.

It all ended when Sunset's horn shone like the sun in its aqua light, her full power being mustered into her final spell. The energy was unleashed upon the helpless colt in a spectacular flashing beam. When the light had cleared, all that remained of Arran Clover was the plant of which he was named after.

The crowd cheered for Sunset's victory, many of them hailing her as the greatest and most powerful unicorn in Equestria.

At this moment Sunset came to a realization, She was meant to outshine all those whose opposed her magical brilliance. She was meant to be the one who was admired by the common pony. Like the setting sun, she would be looked upon in awe by all in Equestria, for her beauty, power, and spectacular displays of color and light.

And while she did not realize it at the time, the image of the setting sun became infused with her flank, as she had realized what she was born to do.

Her moment of triumph was disrupted by a flash of yellow light, as the four leafed clover was turned back into a dazed unicorn. And in another flash of yellow light, the damage and effects inflicted on Sunset were gone. It was some of the most spectacular magic she had ever seen, and when she looked in the direction of the caster, she looked upon the glowing figure of Princess Celestia.

The rest was a tale of an ambitious unicorn whose desire for power was her downfall...

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmm

As the buzzing noise reached Sunset's ears she felt strong vibrations pressing against her back. She slipped the bag off and opened its largest pocket to find her journal vibrating and glowing pink. She opened the pages to see a short message written for her.

Sunset,

I am really excited to see you again after five days but I have to go pick up some things from a nearby store, and while I've left the portal open I wont be back for an hour. Spike will keep you company if you happen to arrive before I return. I hope that's okay with you.

Twilight Sparkle.

While Sunset was a bit disappointed that she wasn't going to instantly see Twilight, it wasn't really that big of a problem.

After the book was closed and put back in the bag pack, she looked up to see that she was already at the grounds of Canterlot high.

'Wow.' She thought. 'I guess that little venture down memory lane got me thinking pretty deeply.'

Upon approaching the horse statue Sunset reached her hand out to touch the mirror. She felt her fingers dissipate as they vanished into the wavy ripples of the portal. It would appear that it was indeed open. Her heart racing with anticipation, she vanished into the shimmering light of the mirror.

Author's Notes:

I honestly did not expect to get this chapter done so fast, and I probably would've released it earlier if the site hadn't run into maintenance. I still am expecting to eventually write chapters slower due to upcoming exams.

My first two chapters of a story and I already have almost 200 views, 2 followers and 11 likes (TYI that dislike is from my brother. Because...brothers). You guys are awesome.

Speaking of which he warns me that a bunch of people will be angry that I more or less just created a backstory for Sunset. I am prepared.

You've probably noticed that a lot of the backstory I refer to between Sunset and Celestia is from the IDW comics story the fall of sunset shimmer. That dream sequence even has quotes taken straight from the pages.

As always, please point out anything wrong so that I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Blatant Emotions-Twilight Sparkle

As the pink mare came into view far off into the distance, bouncing up and down in the direction of the castle, Twilight sighed with relief.

'Finally.' She thought.

When the earth pony eventually made it to the castle grounds, the alicorn walked over to her with an annoyed look on her face.

"Pinkie Pie! You were supposed to be here six minutes and forty three seconds ago! Where have you been?"

Despite the anger in Twilights voice, Pinkie's happy expression remained completely unchanged.

"Sorry Twilight." She said in a voice ringing with joy. "I got sidetracked giving my self directions to where she could find the weeping alicorns."

"What?" Asked the princess. That collection of words made very little sense.

"Weeping alicorns." Pinkie replied. "They're these alicorn statues that move when you aren't looking at them. I fought a lot of them when I was a companion of Dr. Whooves."

"Dr. Whooves?" Now Twilight was well and truly confused. Speaking nonsense was expected of Pinkie, but this was...new.

"Yeah. Dr. Whooves. He's this time travelling space pony, who goes on wild adventures through space and time, fighting aliens and reliving history. Its super fun! He usually travels with a female companion, which tends to change every two or three seasons, usually for super tragic reasons. I can't think of a single mare in Ponyville who hasn't been a companion of Dr. Whooves. I mean, have you ever looked at the background of Ponyville and seen like...two Colgates? Well, that's because one of them is a companion if Dr. Whooves on a time travelling adventure! Like, the time when Iron will came to Ponyville..."

"Okay Pinkie that's enough."

This conversation had done a serious number on Twilights brain. The antics of Pinkie Pie were best left unquestioned.

"I'm expecting Sunset Shimmer's company, so I'd rather not be late." Her heart rate accelerated at this thought. Surprisingly so actually.

As much as Twilight loved Pinkie, she wasn't the pony that was easiest to deal with. But non of her other friends could deal with this stallion quite like Pinkie could. Not even Rarity. It took an impossible pony to do business with another impossible pony.

The walk to the center of Ponyville took a little while, and a little while of silence is not healthy to the Pinkie Pie.

"So Twilight, what would you say your relationship with Spike is? I mean, he's definitely more than your just your assistant, and you more or less raised him, but you don't officially consider him your son or anything like that. It just got me thinking like, what is the relationship? What does it mean? Is Celestia the pony god? Stuff like that!"

"To be fair, Spike was raised by Celestia before I turned eighteen, so I wouldn't really say that I brought him up, but I see where you're coming from. I think of him as a kind of little brother."

This didn't stop Pinkie from asking more questions. "Oh, and speaking of Celestia, what would you say your relationship with her is? Is she like an older sister? Mother? Second cousin? Mentor? Psychiatrist?"

This got Twilight thinking about what Celestia said during her last visit, how she and Cadence were like daughters to her. "I guess she's like a motherly figure. Well, my actual mother is more of a motherly figure, but I don't think I'd be anything like who I am now if it weren't for Celestia."

Now Pinkie was really getting into the personal questions.

"Ooh, ooh! And what about Sunset Shimmer? I mean, first you were enemies and she was constantly plotting against you and then she turned into a raging demon and tried to kill you and then you blasted her with the rainbow blast and then she was all good..."

She had entered full pinkie rambling mode.

"...come to think of it did she just have a change of heart or did the rainbow do a nightmare moon on her and force her good? Wait that's like totally against the meaning of free will and stuff. And then you two were friends and defeated the sirens together and you and her kept in touch with the journals and then you started asking her if she wanted help with the library and then you were spending so much time together and then you developed a small crush on her and then she found that book and you started researching it and...are you okay Twilight?"

The alicorn had stopped in her tracks completely. "Say that again?"

"...are you okay Twilight?" she responded in the exact same pitch, tone and volume.

"No, right before that."

Pinkie's eyes blinked rapidly as she made a video rewinding sound (that was Typical Pinkie Pie for you). "...and you were spending so much time together and then you developed a small crush on her and then..."

"WHAT?!" Twilight shouted, slightly stunned with surprise.

"What do you mean WHAT?!"

"What I mean is that I do not have a crush on Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight was bewildered at the thought.

"Ye,s you do." The earth pony replied with her usual smile.

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do."

"I do no--look Pinkie we're starting to act like childish school fillies. This conversation is over."

"Awwwwwww, but I was having so much fun."

"I don't have a crush on Sunset and that's final. I'm completely straight. Completely." Why was her heart racing so fast? "Besides, most states, politicians and higher ups would look down heavily on a homosexual or bisexual princess."

"Lyra and Bon-Bon seem to be doing fine."

"Pinkie, do you even understand that there is a difference between a musician, a confectionist (baker) and one of the rulers of the very land we live in? I would likely be rejected by society, and that could extend to the other princesses for making me an alicorn in the first place! The entire monarchy could be thrown into CHAOS!"

Pinkie giggled at Twilight's banter. "Oh Twilight, Its so funny when you take things too seriously. Just the way your eyes go all...oh look we're here!"

The store was located near the town square, with town hall just visible behind the building. The store itself was painted in a design like a fractured mirror, each fracture a different color. Red, emerald, cyan, and yellow. On the front was a brown double door, and on each side was a large window, displaying a large variety of random objects.

'I hope he's in a good mood.' Even with the help of Pinkie Pie, this certain stallion could be impossible to deal with if he wasn't in the right state.

As soon as they walked through the door, a small box flew through the air, crashing against the wall above them and spraying nuts and bolts all over them.

'Crap...'

"Where in the name of Celestia are my damn pages?!" Cried a deep masculine voice that sounded almost unnatural. "I need those freakin' PAGES!"

From the door behind the store desk entered a grey earth pony stallion. From a distance he would look like any normal pony, but from where Twilight and Pinkie were standing, they could see an unnaturally colored blood red mane, but the most notable feature were the eyes. They were pitch black, with irises the same color of his mane, and no pupils were present. The two black and red orbs stared at the mares with pure rage.

"Oh great! Customers! That's exactly what I needed!" He grumbled through clenched teeth while shoving multiple objects off his counter and looking in multiple drawers.

"Uuuuuum..." Twilight approached the stallion nervously. "Good morning, Fracture."

"Oh, royal customers! That's just greeeeeaaaaat! As if I wasn't already working my ass off!" Twilight had to duck as a kettle was chucked at her head, wether it was deliberate or not is unknown. "So what would you like, hmmm?! Lamps? Maps? Changeling repellant? Or, just maybe, would you like to GET THE TARTARUS OF MY STORE AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The princess had to duck again as a hammer was thrown at her, this time seeming a lot more intentional. First contact was failing. It was time to bring out the big guns.

"Pinkie Pie, would you please tell Fracture that I would like to buy an advanced guide to ancient magical symbols."

The pink earth pony happily bounded towards the unstable stallion, dodging an entire chair while doing so.

"What's gotten you so upset, Fracture?" She asked, a happy smile still beaming from her face.

The counter shook as Fracture's front hooves slammed on top of it. The stallion looked at Pinkie in the face with a seriously pissed off expression.

"I was in the process of writing the single greatest Daring Do fanfiction in the history of all damn Equestria. And it just so happens that I woke up this morning to discover that I have no idea WHERE THE BUCK I PUT THE PAGES!"

He continued to throw objects off his desk, from pencils to whole cupboards, more likely to release his anger than to try and find his pages.

Pinkie continued to stare at the drama with a huge smile. "Did you try looking in your room?"

"Where...do you think...I looked...IN THE FIRST PLACE?!"

"The dining room?"

"I already looked there!"

"The attic?"

"I don't have an attic!"

"The counter?"

"What the buck do you think I'm doing?!"

"The bathroom?"

"Are you just an idiot?!"

"Yes!"

The red eyes seemed to glow with pure fury as he stared the elated pink pony in the eyes.

"Keep this up...and I will unleash the Kumbertish upon you!"

Pinkie's expression suddenly turned to one of complete horror. "No...no, no, no...Not the Kumbertish!"

"Yes the Kumbertish!"

"No, please! In the name of Celestia! In the name of Luna! In the name of sweet Lauren Faust above! Anything but the Kumbertish!"

"Mwahahahaha!

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The screaming and shouting was suddenly replaced by awkward silence. The two earth ponies just stared at each other.

"What's the Kumbertish?"

Fracture put on a face of pondering. "I actually have no idea."

There was another round of awkward silence, followed by the two of them falling over in laughter. Twilight couldn't resist the urge to giggle at it herself.

When the stallion got up from behind his desk, his eyes had gone from black to normal white, and his mane and irises had gone from blood red to bright yellow, with pupils now present in his eyes.

"That was some of the most fun I've had all week." He giggled. "You know what, the fanfiction can wait. Business should always come before creative contributions to your fandom."

Twilight sighed with relief and approached the counter. "That's good to hear. Now fracture, I need an advanced guide to ancient magical symbols, and while we're at it I would also like a model-300 FRC microscope. I hope that isn't a problem."

He put on another face of pondering, and perked up suddenly. "Yeah, I think I got some of those in my upstairs storage room. I'll just go fetch those."

As he walked up the stairs, Twilight turned to face Pinkie. "Pinkie that was amazing! I don't think I've ever seen anypony convert Fracture from one mood to another like that."

Pinkie performed a smile that had a hint of smugness. "Twi, never doubt Pinkamena Diane Pie when it comes to bringing a smile to the face of the common pony."

"Yeah, I guess I never--"

She was cut off by the sound of an elated cry.

They turned around to see Fracture running down the stairs with a bronze colored microscope, a purple book, and a collection of pages. Another noticeable difference was the fact that his eyes had gone black again, and his pupils had disappeared, but his irises and mane were now cyan.

"This is great!" He yelled in voice filled with joy." I was coming back from the storage room with the stuff, but I thought I'd take a quick wizz, and it turns out, I DID LEAVE THE PAGES IN THE BATHROOM!"

He projected a huge smile that seemed to radiate the very essence of happiness.

"Well that's good to hear. So, how much would these items be?"

"That would be 320 bits please."

A purse was levitated out of Twilights small bag, and she pulled out the exact amount of bits she needed. Being a princess did have certain economic advantages.

Fracture snagged the money and presented Twilight with a bag of her purchased items. "Great, thanks for your business. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the passionate love scene between Daring Do and Ahuizotl junior."

The two mares left the stallion scribbling furiously at a sheet of paper, with an almost disturbing look on his face.

***

"...and so there we were, the Cyberponies slowly closing in on us, going all 'Delete! Delete!'. And then the doctor was like 'Bananas are good.' and chucked this banana at them. And all this white mush splatted across the leaders face, confusing the group. Using the time this bought us, he used his sonic screwdriver to open the door, get us through, and lock the door behind us. It was one of the most fun near death experiences I've ever had!"

As fun as Pinkies stories were to listen to, Twilight had to get a point across.

"Uh, Pinkie, its likely that Sunset will be at the castle when we get there, so, could you please keep your little your little theories to yourself. You're not exactly the best at keeping quiet when something's on your mind."

"Whatever you say Twilight, I still don't consider them theories though."

"Just don't talk about them."

The daylight reflected off the castle walls, causing it to sparkle like a star (as in a very small star that doesn't disintegrate everything in a ten mile radius). It felt quite fitting, given that it was Twilights castle and a star happened to be her cutie mark.

When they got to the throne room, there was a truly surprising sight before them.

A table was set in the middle of the ring of thrones, with a game of Oubliettes and Ogres set up, and playing it was one of the most unlikely groups imaginable. Sunset Shimmer, Spike, and Discord.

Sunset's head was buried in some kind of manual. "Spike, roll for damage."

The dragon shook his fist and released an eight sided dice, which revealed a four. He looked at the yellow unicorn nervously. "How am I doing?"

She looked at him with a face that revealed no emotion. "I've got good news and bad news for your archer, Spike. While he has successfully defeated the zebra witch, his arms have been cursed. He will have to use only melee attacks for the next three turns."

Spike responded by raising his arms in dismay. "Curses! That removes half my combat bonuses!"

Sunset looked at the Draconequus. "Discord, your turn."

The spirit of chaos was dressed in really well done elf cosplay, complete with a frighteningly real looking great sword strapped to his back. He rolled the dice, which projected six dots, causing him to pump his fist in success.

"Looks like you've escaped from the goblin trap, please move six spaces."

As Discord moved his figurine across the board, Pinkie Pie bounded towards them. "Ooh, ooh! Can I join in?!"

The three players turned to see the two mares that had just entered the room. While Discord was still focusing on the game, Spike and Sunset responded with happy smiles, the latter walking over to Twilight and giving her an affectionate hug.

The princess couldn't resist the blushing. "Its great to see you Sunset."

"I know." The yellow mare broke the hug. "It feels like its been so much longer than five days."

"So do you want to go to the library now?"

"Excuse me!" Called Discord. "We are in the middle of an Oubliettes and Ogres game. I spent countless hours working on this cosplay, and I would hate it to go to waste. By the way miss Shimmer, its your turn."

Sunset walked over to the table, sitting on her chair and looking back at the violet alicorn. "Sorry Twilight, I'd like to finish this game before getting on to the other stuff. Don't worry, the average Oubliettes and Ogres game only takes about three days."

Twilights jaw dropped in shock, and Sunset responded by bursting into laughter.

"I'm just kidding. It shouldn't take that much longer than two hours, you can watch if you want."

"Sure, why not?"

***

The game took more like three hours, but it was a pretty big joy to watch. As a fan of the works of J.R.R. Trotkien, she could appreciate the effort and lore put behind it.

When it was finished Discord and Pinkie Pie left the castle, Pinkie saying she had some rainbow cupcakes to bake, and Discord saying that Angel bunny had some tormenting to cash in.

Twilight, Sunset and even Spike went on to working in the library, as was promised. While Spike was put to placing new arrivals in their bookshelves (Twilight was sure that he could at least do it right), the two mares continued what they had been doing previously, properly organizing the books and collecting the ones that Twilight needed.

Twilight was dismayed to see the sun slowly setting, and the sky darkening. After the sky went full black, Sunset uttered the words Twilight had been dreading for some time.

"Its getting pretty late, it looks like I'll have to soon."

Twilight's heart sank at the sentence. Sure she would get to see her tomorrow, but she felt like she hadn't seen enough of Sunset for the time that had passed.

"I wish you could stay. I was...going to do some research on Starswirl's book. I was hoping I could read it with a fellow student of Celestia..."

Sunset's face turned to one of thinking, then perked up suddenly. "Wait just a minute."

She ran over to the mirror and levitated the book onto the pedestal, activating the process of transferring energy and initiating mechanisms. As the portal opened, it looked like Sunset intended on leaving, causing a feeling of dismay to explode in Twilight. She was surprised to see the unicorn pull a cellphone out of her bag, and even more surprised to see her successfully get a hold of someone.

"Hey miss Peachbottom? Yeah its Sunset. About the whole 'overnight' thing..."

Author's Notes:

I'm sorry if the whole Dr Hooves joke felt a bit long and tedious, I'm trying to make the story actually fit the comedy label its posted under and I'm at least trying with lazily written humour. It also allows me to spread my idea of why you sometimes see multiple of one background pony.

I'm also sorry if the character of Fracture seems sudden and random. I intended on the scene having myself in it, but that seemed a bit egotistical so I replaced myself with this idea for a character.

As always please inform my of any problems with the story in the comments so that I can improve on future chapters and stories.

A Look At The Interdimensional-Sunset Shimmer

By the bright light of the two mare's horns, the words were revealed out of the darkness of the night. Words written centuries ago by Starswirl the Bearded himself.

The alicorn was almost shaking with excitement.

This earned an eyebrow raise from Sunset. "Wow, I'd expect you to have read this already."

"I have!" Her voice was at a higher pitch than usual. "Twice! But now...I'm reading it with a microscope! And a guide!"

Sunset continued to stare at Twilight with her eyebrow still raised. The lavender mare's eyes widened. "Oh, and with you of course."

"No, its not that, its just...I'm still getting used to your...reactions to books."

Twilight's gaze dropped to the floor. "Yeah...sorry." Her voice had a hint of sadness in it.

"No worries. Its...kinda cute."

Despite the darkness, Sunset thought she saw the alicorn's face start to blush.

'Dammit Shimmer, did you really have to say that! Way to make everything awkward!'

"Why don't we start looking through the book now..." Sunset just wanted to forget about what she just said.

And forget it she did. The book was filled with information the unicorn never dreamed she would ever learn. The pages hadn't even mentioned the human world yet there was still a gold mines worth of magical knowledge. The theories he had on Inter-dimensional travel, the construction of his prototypes, even the studies he had taken on the subject. The book actually talked about Starswirl's years as little more than a student! She had rarely even thought about something like that! It was actually kinda weird to think that someone she had grown up learning about had to spend a period of their life learning themselves.

They had barely even scratched the surface with just reading the first few pages. Twilight had recently gotten hold of an advanced guide to ancient magical symbols, and thanks to this, some of the things written in the book were much easier to understand, and the two mares might have been able to replicate some of the magic that was mentioned among the pages.

It was a bit into the book that Starswirl started to talk about the prototype mirror he had built before the one that lead to the human world. Sunset was honestly surprised, she had read all she could about the mirror (without Celestia catching her), and she hadn't learnt anything about a prototype mirror. She was even more surprised when Twilight said that she and the others actually encountered the prototype themselves, and told this long story about an alternate universe with an evil Celestia, a good Sombra, and a tear jerking love story with a surprisingly deep and tragic ending (Twilight had been on some weird adventures).

The book got really interesting when Starswirl started to write a log on his progress with the main portal.

12-3-27

I hope to accomplish more with this mirror compared to the last one. If my theory on dimensions and pocket dimensions is correct, then the prototype has only sent me to pocket dimensions. That's just boring! Wheres the fun in travelling to alternate universes when its just full of different versions of ponies I already know? I want to see a universe made completely of cake, where it rains chocolate milk and has grass comprised of solid frosting. Okay, I am very unlikely to find a universe like that.

Note: Try and create something like this as side project.

Sunset was quite surprised by the tone of the entry. It didn't really...match the image of Starswirl the Bearded that she was usually exposed to.

"Starswirl sounds like a...strange guy."

"Yeah..." Twilight seemed almost as weirded out as the unicorn. "Luna did mention that his personality was comparable to that of Pinkie Pie's."

It sounded like a good idea to just continue reading.

14-3-27

I managed to replicate the process of puncturing the inter-dimensional barriers. However, this new portal is more or less the same as the prototype. It may take a while to fine tune it to the point where I can travel to more than just a pocket dimension. Possibly a few months. In the mean time, my cake palace has begun construction.

The rest was just updates on his progress that spanned over a few months. A couple of entries in, it appeared that Starswirl had successfully built a bridge between Earth and Equestria.

2-7-27

It worked! It finally worked! Travelling to alternate universes alone was awesome, but this was something else entirely! The world was filled with intelligent creatures unlike anything I've ever seen before. I intend on taking a trip into the new world again once I put together a good travelling kit.

3-7-27

I took a short trip into the new dimension and got a closer inspection at the specimens. I'll record what I know about them in my creatures section, but one of the most interesting things is that they are still alternate versions of ponies I already know. This may indicate that it's still a pocket dimension, but I don't really care anymore. This world is far too interesting to just abandon. And that wasn't all, somehow I de-aged during the inter-dimensional travel and found myself in a younger body than my current one. Another interesting thing to note is that my magic no longer worked in this world. This could come together with some of my theories on the laws of science in different universes. I would have spent more time there, but the locals chased me out with pitchforks and torches, calling me a 'Dee-mond' or something. I got a sample of one's hair, so I should be able to create an effective transformation modification and attach it to the mirror. That should allow me to be able to travel there freely without being interrupted by angry mobs.

4-7-27

The modification was very successful. When I walked through the portal I was turned into one of the alternate world's creatures at the same time. It was a strange sensation and It took a while to get used to the basics of the new body, but I managed to take enough control of it to successfully navigate the world, though it was a lot harder to take notes. Another interesting thing I discovered was that the princesses don't seem to exist there. The de-ageing process may indicate that the alternate versions in this world are younger than the ones in my dimension, and it could be that the princesses haven't been born yet. I could be wrong, and I just haven't found the alternate Princesses yet. I also took a few more samples of DNA from the worlds various creatures so that the modification can turn other species' into creatures of more compatible DNA. I bring this up because I decided to bring one of my dragon assistants with me, and his alternate form didn't look quite right, in the sense that I've seen deformed, retarded, two headed diamond dogs that look more natural than him in that form. I wonder if a dragons DNA would be compatible with a dogs? That'll be another side project. I intend on returning to the new world tomorrow.

5-7-27

It's strange. The portal seems to have closed for some reason. I checked every inch of the mirror, but it hasn't been damaged in any way. It may have something to do with the position of the stars or something ethereal like that. I've placed an arcane meter next to it, so I should be able to check on how much energy it's conducting. I'll be keeping tabs on the changing energy.

6-10-28

Over the past year there hasn't been much change in the energy levels, but there's been a sudden major drop on the arcane meter. I'm concerned that this may mean that the portal will never open again, but if the laws of equal and opposite reactions can be applied, it may be that in another fifteen moons an opposite reaction to this event will occur, and the alternate world will be accessible again. In the mean time I'll continue to monitor the portals activities.

7-1-30

I was right! Hooray! After approximately thirty moons, the portal is finally open again. This has given me the opportunity to calculate how long the portal remains open, and how long it remains dormant. This has also of course given me the opportunity to continue researching the alternate dimension. I may even bring Celestia with me on my research trips, though after the whole dramatic event with Sombra, I'm not sure if she's ready yet.

As interesting as Starswirl's exploits were, Sunset couldn't help but yawn. The words began to blur as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Sunset..." Said Twilight. "If you're feeling tired, we can go to bed now. There's always the opportunity to read it some other time, and I don't want to force you to stay up all night."

Sunset looked at Twilight face to face. The merge of Sunset's aqua glow and Twilight's magenta glow caused a beautiful cyan light to shine across the alicorn's face.

'She looks...really pretty.' She thought. 'Whoa Sunset, keep those thoughts out of your head. You're just really tired.'

"Sure." She said drowsily. "Why not?"

The book became encased in magenta light, and slammed its pages shut as it was placed back onto Twilights desk. A yawn escaped from Twilight's mouth, and she guided Sunset out of the library, the latter trying to stay upright as she walked.

The castle was beautiful enough during the daytime, but during the night, with the light of the mare's glowing horns reflecting off the shadowy crystal walls, it was something if an experience. Sunset wished that she could appreciate it more, but she was too busy trying to simply stay awake.

Sunset's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden feeling of her bumping into Twilight.

"Oops." The alicorn almost fell over before balancing herself on her four hooves. "Wow, I guess you are really tired. Well, its a good thing we've arrived at the guest room."

She used her magic to open the door and light up the room inside, revealing a surprisingly large chamber with a crystal themed bed, a wardrobe, a desk and chair, and a large window blocked off by curtains.

"Thanks...Twi..." Sunset stumbled over to the bed. "I guess I'll...see you...in the morning."

"You too, Sunset." Twilight said with a smile, closing the door behind the unicorn.

Despite the pitch black darkness, Sunset still managed to find her way over to the bed, and let sleep consume her mind as she crashed onto the soft, duvet covered mattress.

***

The red corridor was back.

Sunset looked back at the path behind her. Whatever it led to was cut off by black shadowy darkness. It didn't matter anyway. She knew that she couldn't go back. All she could do was walk forward into the pitch black ahead, even if she didn't know what lay ahead of her.

As she walked onwards, she once again looked at the shifting cinnamon marks on the walls. The shapes they took didn't look familiar, but for some reason they disturbed her to the point where she couldn't look at the walls anymore.

But the scariest thing wasn't the images on the walls, or the darkness. And it wasn't the return of the red corridor either.

The scariest thing was the lack of voices.

No matter how far Sunset walked on, she couldn't hear the slightest hint of sound. She should have been glad at this, but all it did was make her feel uneasy. It reminded her of that time in the human world when she made the mistake of trying to play Five Nights At Freddy's. It didn't matter whether or not one of the animatronics was at your door or not, there was always a feeling of deadly stress and uneasiness.

Like the previous night, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel. But unlike the previous night, she didn't run towards it instantly. In fact, she stopped in her tracks completely. What if there was the same room at the end of the corridor as last time? She couldn't experience that again.

But she couldn't go back either.

Reluctantly, she slowly trotted forward into the light.

What lay at the end of the corridor wasn't a room of the same color. In fact, it was nothing like the room from the previous night. What she found was...her room?

The floor was comprised of brown wooden boards, and the walls were a simple beige color. The room had nothing else besides two plain windows on one wall, and six identical beds. But the shocking thing about the scene was that on top of one of the beds she saw...herself?

That didn't make any sense. First of all, why were there two of her? Secondly, she was human. Sunset looked down and saw her front hooves. Yeah, she was still a pony. She came closer to the other Sunset to see what she was doing.

There was an expression on her face that spoke of malicious intent, and she was in the process of typing something on her phone. The pony Sunset moved behind the human to get a better look. She was sending a text message to Pinkie Pie. Okay, that seemed perfectly normal.

It was then that she saw something really odd. The spot where it was usually labelled as her own name was instead labelled as Fluttershy. That didn't make any sense. It was clearly Sunset's cellphone, so why was her identity labeled as Fluttershy? She then took a look at what the human Sunset was typing, and a wave of memories came rushing back to her.

Now Pinkie, I want this auction to go off memorably, so I want you to pull off the biggest party you can put together. Confetti, subwoofers, balloons, the lot. Please don't disappoint me.

As the human Sunset tapped the send button, a wicked laugh escaped from her mouth. The pony had no choice but to watch in horror.

She remembered that day. That was the day she had gotten hold of Fluttershy's e-mail details. The day she impersonated her and sent the message to Pinkie Pie asking for a huge party to be present at Fluttershy's auction at the animal shelter. But Fluttershy's auction was meant to be a quiet, serious event. If Pinkie threw a major party there, it would ruin it, along with her friendship with Fluttershy. But that was exactly what Sunset was trying to do at the time.

'You idiot!' Sunset thought, aiming her thoughts at her past self. 'You'll destroy their friendship! Just like you did with Applejack and Rainbow dash! Pinkie Pie and Rarity! Just like you did with EVERYONE! You're creating fractures in something beautiful! Something you were never meant to touch! How could you do something so...EVIL?!'

And from underneath Sunset's bed, cracks started to emerge.

'What?! This never happened!'

The cracks spread across the room, growing in size and numbers. They moved their way through the wooden floor, as the planks split and sent splinters flying. Then they made their way up the walls, shattering the windows and splitting the walls to reveal a dark blue void beyond them. The most horrifying thing was that when Sunset's past self turned around, there were cracks spread across her body as well, as if she was a fractured piece of pottery. And the most horrifying sight of all was when she shattered to pieces.

And as the human Sunset split into fractures, so did the entire room.

The pieces flew in multiple directions, and with nothing to support her, the amber mare fell into the abyss. All she could see around her was darkness, and all she could see below her was fire. She closed her eyes, screaming as she braced for the flames.

But the flames never came.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing on some kind of red platform. It took a second for her to realize that this was a hand. When she turned around, she found herself face to face with the she-demon.

Her skin was an unsaturated red, her hair, mane, and dress made seemingly out of fire. Upon her head was the crown with the star gem, and below that lay two pitch black eyes with aqua irises that stared into her soul. She would recognize the color of those irises anywhere. They were hers.

The she-demon that had once been Sunset Shimmer stared at the mare maliciously, the flames dancing around her. She began to laugh. A horrible wicked sound that had the stench of evil.

But the laughing was cut short as her head exploded into white light.

Her entire body disintegrated into white sparkles, and Sunset found herself falling into the abyss once more. But again, she didn't fall into the fire, but she didn't fall into the hands of her demon self either. Instead, she found herself on a flat blue floor, the color of a sapphire. As she looked up, she saw the white light that had destroyed her demon form. It had become a round shape, and looked almost solid. In fact, it looked kind of like...the moon.

And from the white light came the silhouette of an alicorn, that flew down towards the amber unicorn. When it landed in front of her, she saw that it was a navy colored alicorn mare. Her mane was sapphire colored like the floor, and sparkled like the gemstone itself, but the most striking feature about it was that it shimmered and flowed like smoke. Her flank was pitch black, as if someone had poured ink on it, and her cutie mark was a white cresent moon. She was well dressed too, as she was sporting sparkling white hoof shoes, a black necklace with her cutie mark embedded on it, and atop her head was a simple triple pointed pitch black crown. She stared at sunset with light cyan eyes.

"Hello, Sunset Shimmer."

That voice took Sunset completely by surprise. It was one of the last voices she expected to hear in Equestria. It was a voice she heard several times at Canterlot high. A voice she usually encountered when she got in big trouble.

"Vice Principal Luna?" She asked.

"Excuse me?" Responded the alicorn with a confused look on her face.

Sunset booted up her brain into remembering that even if she was dreaming, she was still dreaming in Equestria, and that there were some slight differences between this place and Canterlot High.

"I mean...Princess Luna?"

The alicorn's confused face faded away, and she spoke with a voice that sounded pretty regal, yet also pretty casual. "Yes, that is my name."

"Umm..." Sunset didn't really know what to say. "Why are you in my dream?"

Luna put on a slight smile. "As the Princess of the night, I have the ability to enter the dreams of my subjects. I can assure you, you are not imagining me. I am what you might call 'the real deal'."

"That's.." Sunset was still struggling for words. "Actually kinda creepy."

The navy alicorn let out a slight giggle. "Yes, I suppose it is. But I don't do something like this unless you are in need of serious guidance." She then put on a more serious face. "I know a lot about you Sunset Shimmer. When you can enter the mind of anypony, you'll find that you get to know some things. And one thing I know is that this isn't the first time you've suffered a dream like this."

Sunset found it hard to look straight at the alicorn's face. "I don't know why I keep having them. I thought that I had let go of my past. And I'm pretty sure that I did. My friends at Canterlot High have accepted me despite what I've done, and they've helped to put it behind me. But recently...I've been having these nightmares. It's like my past is physically chasing me, and I just can't outrun it."

Suddenly, her demon form rose out of the ground. It wasn't moving, and looked as if were nothing more than an apparation, but Sunset couldn't help but feel extremely uneasy at the sight of it. The strange thing though, was that it wasn't alone. Next to it stood a large black alicorn, whose mane was like sparkley blue mist. She wore light blue armor that was comprised only of a helmet, boots and a chestplate. Her cutie mark matched Luna's exactly, but was a pale blue instead of white. Both apparations were frozen in a position of maniacal laughter, their white fangs shining.

Luna approached the black alicorn image with a look of sadness. "I understand you Sunset Shimmer. Though we have never met, you and I are extremely alike. You are aware of the story of Nightmare Moon, correct?"

Sunset nodded in response. While just about every pony in Equestria knew who Nightmare Moon was, she was reminded of stories she had read during her studies, and stories she had heard very recently from Twilight and her friends. It was strange to think that the almost normal looking mare in front of her had once been the monster that had tried to bring forth eternal night to Equestria.

"Even now, I still feel the backlash of my actions as Nightmare Moon." Luna was face to face with the apparation of her past self. 'While most of Equestria has forgiven me, I still can't help but notice those who still shiver in fear at my presence. I too have been plagued by nightmares similar to these, and there are days when I look at my shadow and see remnants of the mare in the moon. That is why I can relate to you Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset stared at the alicorn before her, and then at the two monsters on display. She had never really thought about how much she and Luna had in common. Of course, she had never met her, and didn't even know that much about her, but it was still strange that this had never occurred to her based on what she'd heard.

Both she and the princess had walked a path of darkness, become complete monstrosities, and were reformed by Twilight and her friends. And both of them had recently sought redemption for their mistakes. And from the conversation they'd been having, it seemed that both of them had trouble letting go of those mistakes.

"So...how do I stop...having these dreams?"

The princess looked down on her with a motherly look. "The dreams will remain as long as there is something you doubt about yourself. Though you claim to have thought that you had gotten over your past mistakes, it seems that there is something in your subconscious suggesting otherwise."

"What am I meant to do?"

"That is unclear, even to me. This is something that your subconscious says is a problem, but you don't have the exact answer of what it is. All I know is that your mind has projected an obstacle personal to you, and that means that you must be the one to overcome it."

"So...where do I start?"

Luna turned away and looked into the distance. "I've done all I can to help you by pointing out why you have these nightmares, but the rest of the journey you must travel on your own, but that dosn't mean that there isn't someone who can help you."

Suddenly, the landscape started to blur, and Sunset saw that the princess was crumbling away into white dust, which was being blown away by a non existent wind.

"Wait, Luna!" Sunset called. "Who's supposed to help me?! What can I do?! What does it all mean?!"

The princess just looked at Sunset as a sparkle briefly shined in her eye, before her head was also blown away as white dust. The blurring landscape consumed Sunset's vision, and everything went dark.

She woke up to find herself sitting up in the guest bed, small fragments of the morning light shining through the curtains. Her head felt fuzzy as her mind was slowly getting fully conscious.

'What does it all mean?'

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delay. I had a week of exams and had little to no time to continue with the story. Following chapters should arrive faster.

I recently got some advice from Prane(http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Prane) possibly my favourite writer on this site, on how to write better, so I hope to improve now.

As I got into the dream scene the auto correct stopped working, so there may be a nest of grammer mistakes.

As always, please critique and comment on this story so that I may improve for future chapters and stories.

A Day In Ponyville-Twilight Sparkle

Twilight happened to be the owner of one of the largest dining halls known to ponydom.

The hall itself was about the size of the apple family's barn. The walls were shiny blue crystal, much like that of the library, and littered with yellow glass windows. Under the blue ceiling hung a giant white crystal chandelier that lit up the room with a light similar to that of the morning sun. The oval table that Twilight was eating on was about as long as the average living room, with twenty white crystal chairs set up around it. The alicorn sat at the end of the table, on a chair that looked similar to a throne, and in front of her was a plate of delicious waffles.

She was about half way through her waffles when Sunset walked into the hall. There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair was a mess, giving her a sleepy look. Twilight had to admit, it made her look absolutely adorable.

'Stop it Twilight. You are straight. Straight I tell you!'

"So, what's for breakfast?" asked the unicorn.

Twilight pointed at the larger plate in the middle of the table, which held a large number of both waffles and pancakes. Rushing out of the kitchen came Spike, with a little chefs hat on his head along with a small plate and some cutlery in his right hand. He ran to the chair where Sunset had decided to sit and quickly placed the plate in front of her before setting a knife and fork at one side. As soon as he was done, he ran straight back into the kitchen, likely to wash some dishes.

"Wow..." Sunset's eyes were wide with near amazement. "Some service you got here."

Twilight laughed a little. "Yeah. Spike is quite the chef. And waiter. And... pretty much everything else."

"So he's a collar short of being a slave?"

The lavender mare raised her hooves in innocence. "No, no, of course not. He actually enjoys it."

"Well, if this is the kind of service he gives everyday, he needs some serious paying."

"Oh come on, he's more or less family. He doesn't need to get paid for it. By living in this castle he pretty much already does."

"What ever you say, master." The unicorn said before digging into her syrup covered pancakes.

***

The Ponyville market was bustling with just as much activity as a town the size of Ponyville could produce. Each stall had at least one person haggling with its merchant, and the space that the stalls surrounded was filled with dozens of people looking for things to buy. This left the two mares unaware of what to do.

Sunset stared at the scene with eyes of wonder. "Wow. I never thought Ponyville was capable of something like this."

"Well it is coming close to winter. People will be wanting to stock up on food, along with gifts for the various upcoming holidays. But even besides that, this is a pretty surprising site. Hearths Warming Eve won't be for another two months."

The yellow mare raised an eyebrow at Twilight. "Are you sure you'll be able to get your stuff in this chaos?"

"Hello. Princess of Equestria."

"Right."

The title of princess seemed to have lost its value recently, as that did little to protect them from the onslaught of waiting, haggling, and dodging the occasional crazy shopper running towards another stall.

The first stall the duo went to happened to be non other than Fracture's, who turned emerald green with tears in his eyes as his mother forced him to sell Twilight his copy of Alchemy For Idiots. She took pity on the poor stallion and paid a whopping one hundred and thirty bits for it, which was a lot more than it honestly should have cost. Next was getting a few quills and paper from the sofa clerk, and they had to wait a surprisingly long ten minute queue. This wasn't really a bother to the two mares, who were happy to see so many ponies desiring to write. Afterwards, Twilight remembered a recommendation from Rarity to get some flowers to spice up certain rooms in her castle, particularly the dining hall. They went over to Rose's stall to find a less surprising twenty minute queue, which rewardingly paid off with them getting a hold of some Lavenders, Fuchsias, Bluebells, and a large variety of other flowers and bouquets.

A lucky break came for the two when word got out that there was apparently a goof off going on downtown which happened to be a three way between Pinkie Pie, Discord, and Cheese Sandwich himself. While most ponies flocked like a stampede to the scene, the rest went the smart route and used this distracting opportunity to get their shopping done without the chaos to stall them. Among these ponies were Twilight and Sunset, as the princess had experienced enough of Pinkie Pie to not see this event as once in a lifetime, and frankly the idea of a goof off between those three sounded almost scary.

It only took about another ten minutes to get everything else Twilight needed. A couple of books, clothes, and food was all that they had come for, and they left with this and more. The two mares decided to go over to the Ponyville café for some lunch before heading back to Twilights castle.

But a few minutes into the walk, there was a sight that caught Twilight's eye. A sight that caused her to stop walking, turn around, and take in the full view.

While most of the building's remains had been removed by the Ponyville construction team, there was one thing that they had been unable to get rid of. And this was the black, smouldered stump of what had once been a great oak tree.

That black stump used to be Twilight's library, and her home for several years. It was originally just the place where she was staying temporarily during her visit to Ponyville, but after the defeat of Nightmare Moon and her decision to live in Ponyville, it became her permanent home as a gift from Mayor Mare to thank her for what she'd done.

But, along with most of her personal possessions, it had been destroyed during her battle with lord Tirek.

The red door with the welcoming decoration of a lit candle, the upper balcony with the telescope that she would often use to stargaze, the ground floor with the shelves of precious books and the desk that she had spent whole nights studying on. In one explosive energy ball it had all been burnt to a crisp.

Several months had passed since then, but she still hadn't gotten over it. Even though she had gotten used to her new castle, and settled in comfortably, it didn't change the fact that her furniture, her clothes, her books, her home, were now little more than ashes.

Sunset just stood close by and watched her. Though she had never seen Twilight's old library before, the alicorn had told her enough about it for her to recognize the sight. Possibly to pay respect, she spent several moments standing next to Twilight and looking at the ruins in silence.

Twilight may have been staring at it a bit too long, since Sunset did eventually turn her head towards her.

"Are you okay?"

Twilight sighed a sad and heavy sigh, not looking back at the unicorn. "Its just..."

She could feel her voice cracking. "I'm still trying to get over the fact that this was my home for so many years, and now... its just... gone."

Sunset lowered her head and stared at the ground. "Every home I've lost was because of my own decisions. Having a home just taken from you, I honestly don't know how to deal with that, or how to help someone else deal with that."

The two mares continued to stare at the black stump in silence, before Sunset stretched her front hoof out and placed it around Twilight's back, gently pulling her close.

"It'll be alright. You have a new home now. And its...kind of a castle. That's a bit of an upgrade if you ask me."

Twilight sighed again. She didn't really expect someone who had lived most of their life in an orphanage to understand the emotional value of a real home, but she was glad to have a friend who was willing to put her hoof around her and try to be comforting.

She rested her head against Sunset's neck, and shed a small tear, hoping that the moment when they would have to separate wouldn't come for a long time.

***

"Are you sure you want to eat? I mean, after that incident with the tree, I wouldn't expect you to feel that hungry."

Twilight continued reading her book. "I'm fine. I was just...having a little moment that's all."

"Suite yourself." Said Sunset, who went back to reading her book.

Twilight tried to read her own book, but her mind was too distracted to really concentrate on it. The distraction in particular was the moment she had with Sunset near the tree. 'First that embrace last week, now this.' She thought to herself. 'You got a bit too intimate with Sunset there, Twilight. It has to stop. Are you trying to throw the monarchy into chaos?'

She looked over at the amber unicorn, who was busy reading Spells You Will Probably Never Learn. The look of her facial expression during reading, combined with her hair swaying in the slight breeze, caused a noticeable thumping in Twilight's chest.

'I said stop it, me!'

A distraction from her inner dilemma came when Savoir Fare arrived with their food. In front of Sunset he placed a grain and hay sandwich, and in front of Twilight he placed a bowl of tomato soup.

Sunset put down her book. "Thanks, this looks delicious."

"Enjoy your meal." Replied the stallion, before he walked off to another table to receive more orders.

While Twilight was taking some time to blow off her spoonfuls of soup into cooling, before sipping them dry, Sunset had her sandwich finished in about three minutes. But rather than continue reading her book, she instead started to talk to Twilight about it, which the alicorn found to be a much better option for her.

"So Twilight, have you ever heard of an M.A.?"

Twilight sipped another spoonful. "No, I don't think I have."

"Well, the M.A. stands for magical alteration, and it comes in four types. The most common type is an M.A. Trowson, which turns an equine into another type of equine. Then there's an M.A. Coalson, which is much harder to accomplish, but expands to non equine species as well. Then there's an M.A. Mieson, which turns one type of pony into another type. And finally, this is the one I think you'll find the most interesting, the rarest type of M.A. is the M.A. Larson, which turns an average pony into an alicorn."

This made both of Twilights eyebrows rise. "You mean like...what Celestia did to me?"

Sunset replied with a smile and a nod. "The book almost described your situation exactly."

"So this is like, a spell, that anyone can learn?"

"No, it says that only a major alicorn like Celestia or Luna has enough power to succeed at the spell, anyone else would pretty much disintegrate if they managed to get at least halfway through the spell."

"I see," replied Twilight, who suddenly came to a realization. "You know, I'd expect that you would already have known the spell that creates an alicorn if you went so far as to demand the title of princess from Celestia."

Any sign of happiness was suddenly sapped off Sunset's face, as she stared at her empty plate in silence.

'You idiot! What were you thinking?! You can't just remind her of that day and expect her to take it with a pinch of salt! Why don't you just bring up the subject of her parents while your at it!'

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bring that up! I was just..."

"Twilight, its fine. It doesn't exactly give me the best memories, but I'm sure you meant nothing by it." Sunset had a look on her face that spoke more of shame than sadness. "So I guess Celestia told you everything?"

"Not much more than that you were an ambitious student, you demanded alicornhood, and she renounced you as her student."

"Yeah..." She looked back at her plate. "I think you already know how I feel about my past."

There was a round of awkward silence shared between the two mares.

'Think Twilight! Think! Change the subject before your friendship dies!'

"Soooooooo..." Stuttered Twilight, desperate to break the silence. "I don't really know all the details about your home...except for the fact that its an orphanage...and...stuff."

Sunset looked as ready to kill the awkward atmosphere as Twilight did. "Well, after I ended up in the human world, I had nowhere to go. So I took the obvious option and slept on the streets. It sounds bad I know, but I had the...well...evil determination to endure it. After a failed attempt at theft, I ended up at the local police station. Of course, they couldn't find any evidence of my very existence, so with no other ideas they shipped me off to the local orphanage. I'm no expert on law enforcement, but I'm pretty sure they weren't the smartest cops around."

Twilight giggled, not only at that last statement, but also because she was happy to see Sunset with a bit of enthusiasm again. She was also genuinely intrigued by Sunset's story. "So is there any detail about this orphanage that you'd care to tell me about."

Sunset started to smile. "Well, its run by this nice woman named Miss Peachbottom..."

"Miss Peachbottom?" Twilight was suddenly reminded of the day when she confused a country mare from Mustangia for the Equestria games instructor.

"Yeah?"

"Nothing. Continue."

"Yeah well, Peachbottom, really nice woman. She got me settled in the orphanage in no time, and is pretty much the closest thing I have to a mother. And its not just her, the entire orphanage is more or less my family. Caramel, Sweetcream, Rainbowshine, they're all like siblings to me." Her smile faded a bit. "I've tried to be more like a sister to them recently, but even they were sometimes victimized by my past actions. They've all forgiven me by now, but it doesn't change what I've done."

Twilight leaned over the table and stroked the unicorn's shoulder supportingly. "Sunset, how many times do I have to tell you to just move on. I mean, if I've forgiven you after you tried to kill me, than I don't think there's any reason to be so regretful."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Well that's a good thing to bring up, that one time I tried to permanently end your very life. But I see where your coming from. Thanks, Twi."

Twilight beamed at the amber mare. "Anytime, Sunset."

Their little moment was interrupted by the return of Savoir Fare.

"Zat will be all I presume?" He asked.

"Thanks, could we have the bill please?"

***

Once the two mares got back to the castle, they found the place in a much better state than it had been when they had left, with the dishes cleaned, some more decor put up, and even some of the crystal furniture polished. This was all courtesy of Spike, who also went on to put away all the shopping that they had brought.

'Wow.' Thought Twilight. 'I guess Sunset was right. Spike does deserve a bit more reward than he gets. I should put something together for him when I have the time.'

Twilight had already made up in her mind that today wasn't really a work day, so the duo spent the afternoon doing activities that would be considered 'a bit more fun' than sorting out a library or researching old magic. This included critiquing books together, discussions about their various idols, and having a go at a game of chess. It had honestly been a long time since Twilight had experienced a fun afternoon like this, since she had been doing a lot of work and studying after the Tirek incident. But as with the last week, the sun began to set, and this ironically meant that she had to say goodbye to Sunset.

The mirror was glowing pink with energy, ready for transportation, as Sunset packed her bag with the last of her things. It was a Sunday afternoon, and that meant school tomorrow for the unicorn, much to the Twilight's dismay.

"You got everything?"

In the aqua glow of Sunset's telekinesis, the bag was on her pack. "Yep, pretty much."

"Remember Sunset Shimmer, I'll be expecting a friendship report on my desk by Monday afternoon."

The two mares laughed at the statement, and held each other in a friendly hug.

"You know..." Uttered Sunset. "Just because I have school doesn't mean I can't still visit you."

Twilight parted from the hug and looked the yellow mare in the eye. "Its fine, Sunset, I'd love to see more of you, but you should never put your education in slight jeopardy just to visit me. Lets just keep it to the weekends."

Though Twilight meant what she said, it didn't mean she liked what she said. She wanted to see more of Sunset. Even though it only meant a gap of five days, there was something about it that made it feel so much longer.

"Whatever you say, Twilight," responded Sunset, who slowly walked in front of the mirror, before turning around and smiling at the lavender mare. "Bye."

And with that, Sunset Shimmer was gone.

Twilight stared at the pink glow of the mirrors glass for longer than was probably needed. The book than became encased in Twilight's magenta aura and was levitated off the pedestal, shutting the portal down.

The princess let a feeling of sadness fill her, before she was struck by a sudden thought.

'Just because you don't have time to visit me, it doesn't mean that I don't have time to visit you.'

Author's Notes:

Yay! Chapter 6! I told you it would come sooner than the last one. Know that I stayed up about 3 hours later than my usual bed time on a school night to bring this to you guys, because I love my readers just that much.

That M.A. Larson joke sounded funny when I thought of it, and I hope that you guys get as much enjoyment out of it as I did.

Also, for those who don't understand, Miss Peachbottom is the green haired mare from the episode Game Ponies Play. Also know that none of the most of the characters (beside Fracture and Arran Clover) are background official named MLP background ponies, such as Sweetcream Scoops and Savoir Fare.

As usual, please comment and critique my work so that I may improve for future chapters and stories.

Unexpected Appearances-Sunset Shimmer

Sunset had to keep her fringe back from fluttering in her eyes. The wind in Canterlot city tended to pick up around winter times, so it was no surprise that she had little control over the state of her hair. She looked back to see that most of the other kids were having the same problem, though some had the intelligence to wear hats. The others were suffering from hair that seemed determined to break free from their scalps.

She walked over to the nearest orphan, Raspberry Roots, who was desperately trying to keep her hairstyle in place. "Isn't it kinda futile to try and fix your hair until we get on the bus?" Sunset asked.

Raspberry looked like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you kidding me! No one should suffer the sight of an obliterated hairstyle." She then went back to her pathetic attempts at restoring order to her hair.

Sunset turned her head to see the bus arriving. She had to stay back as all the more fashion orientated orphans rushed to escape the wrath of the convection currents. Afterwards, Sunset and the others entered the bus and selected their seats. She sat down near the back, and was joined by Coppermane, one of her male housemates. His short spiky hair was a brown color similar to the metal that he was named after, while his skin was an icy light blue.

She was on slight alert now. While she still considered all her fellow orphans good people, Coppermane was probably the snarkiest smartass at Miss Peachbottom's orphanage.

"So, how was your little trip to horseland?" he asked, in a tone of very little interest.

Sunset had to contemplate what he was saying for a second, before her memories fully kicked in. Even though it had been a while since that fall formal, it was still strange to think that everyone at Canterlot high, including her fellow orphans, were now aware of her equestrian origins.

"It was fine. Thanks for asking, I guess."

"Well why wouldn't it be fine, its the only thing you really do on weekends these days."

There was something about his tone that made Sunset feel slightly suspicious. "And is there anything wrong with that?"

"Oh nothing." There appeared to be a slight cocky smile showing on his mouth. "I'm just curious as to why you'd be spending so much time with miss pony princess. I may or may not expect you two to announce your engagement any day now."

"Oh ha ha," she said sarcastically. And while she was used to Coppermane's brand of insults and sarcasm, she was still had to force back any signs of embarrassment. "And what makes you say that?"

"Well, for one, I don't think you give any of your other friends half as much attention as this princess of yours, heck, I don't think even Flash Sentry was given the luxury of visits every weekend."

"Well..."

Not for the first time, Sunset found herself at a loss for words at his wit. The thing was that he was absolutely right. She hadn't really liked her ex-boyfriend, and saw him as more of a tool in her conquest for popularity back in her less moral days, so spending more time with Twilight than she ever did with him made sense. But it dawned on Sunset how much more time she had been spending with Twilight than any of her other friends.

"Y'know what, you look like you're going through an inner emotional crisis, so...I'm gonna go find another seat." Presenting a sly smile, he unstrapped his seatbelt and walked over to the back of the bus.

'Did he just sit here for the sole purpose of confusing me?' Thought Sunset.

Whatever his intentions were, he had certainly put her into deep thinking mode.

What was it that made her spend more time with Twilight? All of her other friends were good people. It was hard not to enjoy being with Fluttershy, with her kindness and sweet nature. Applejack was a hard working and devoted friend that could also make for a good role model. The same could also be said for Rarity, who was always willing to do favors for you, along with always having advice to give. Rainbow Dash's loyalty and competitive nature made her a complete joy to hang out with. And given time, even Chrysalis herself would be powerless against the urge to love Pinkie Pie.

But despite all the loveable things about those five, the urge to spend time with Twilight overpowered most of the urges to spend time with anyone else. For some reason she felt...drawn to Twilight. But what was it about her that clicked with Sunset so well.

She thought about it. Both Twilight and Sunset were former students of princess Celestia, that was one thing. This similarity meant that they enjoyed many similar things. Twilight was one of the very few people she could discuss books and intellectual knowledge with, and the fact that they had studied under the same mentor had built a certain bond between them. But despite this, they didn't exactly have the same personality. Though both of them loved books, Twilight was certainly the nerdier of the two, always ready to blurt her knowledge out like a living Encyclopedia, and she had an obsession with details, checklists and schedules that made her seem almost unstable at times. This contrasted with Sunset's more easygoing personality, but she couldn't help but love it.

She couldn't help but love it.

Wherever her thoughts were going then were halted by the sound of everyone getting off the bus. She looked out the window to see the grounds of Canterlot High laid out before her. As she walked outside, she felt that the strong winds had become more of a breeze, which made sense considering the school grounds had a lot more open space than the narrow streets that the bus stop was located at.

Among the school grounds were multiple buses and cars, spewing out student after student from all of CHS's various cliques. Athletes, techies, rockers, fashionistas, and just about every category that a person can fit into.

As Sunset approached the front entrance of the building, she looked to her left to see the school statue. The statue itself wasn't too special, just a large white horse proudly displaying its front legs. It was the pedestal that the horse was placed on that caught Sunset's attention. On each side of the cubic pedestal was a mirror, the back one being the portal to Equestria.

She felt the huge urge to run over to the statue and jump into the portal. To see Twilight again and get to spend time in the library together. But she knew she couldn't do that for two reasons. One, the portal probably wasn't active at the moment. Two, she had school to go to, and she didn't intend on abandoning her education.

And any urges she was feeling were disrupted by a sudden whisper.

"Psst. Sunset Shimmer."

She turned around to find a grey plastic bin placed before her. It was weird enough that she heard a whisper come from it, but she had never seen a bin placed out on the school grounds before, they were always indoors, and the school didn't have grey plastic bins. She opened the lid and looked inside to see absolutely nothing, which was also strange.

"Uh...hello?" She asked the bin, immediately realizing that she was talking to a bin. She decided that she had just imagined the voice and turned away, before she heard another whisper.

"Hey, don't walk away from me."

Sunset turned around sharply to see that there was still nothing but a grey plastic bin.

"Okay, what's going on here?" She asked in an annoyed voice.

Than, to her shock, the bin suddenly grew a pair of yellow eyes and a mouth with a large sharp tooth.

"Hello Sunset Shimmer." It said in a voice that she now recognized fully.

"Discord?"

The face on the bin smiled. "Why Sunset, I would say you were surprised to see me."

There were about a bajillion questions in Sunset's head right now. What was Discord doing here? How was he using magic? What the...WHAT?!

She cleared her head and asked one of the more important questions. "How...how are you using magic?! There isn't any magic in this world!"

"Well if you recall miss Shimmer, there does seem to be some traces of magic in this world, since the Sirens and the Elements of Harmony could access their personal magic reserves, even if ponies can't connect to the magic in Equestria. I'm not too surprised that I can tap into my own magic reserves, though I must say that I am very pleased."

The bin grew a grey arm that snapped its fingers. Sunset heard a thud behind her and turned around to see the horse statue galloping down the streets, as the pedestrians looked on in horror.

"Hey! Put that back!"

In another flick of his fingers, the horse was back on the pedestal, but there were already a few people who had collapsed at the sight.

"Thank you." She turned to face the bin again. "What are you even doing here?"

Discord looked almost appalled at the question. "Do you think I'd pass up the opportunity to go and visit another dimension? Pfft. Perish the thought you silly little filly."

"How the hell did you even get here?"

He looked slightly confused. "Hell?"

Sunset realized that she forgot Discord was Equestrian. "Basically a human version of Tartarus. Although, there was a Tartarus in greek myth..."

"Yeah. Yeah. I get it." He interrupted. "To answer your question, the portal was already open, so I thought I might as well take the opportunity."

"Wait, it was already open?" Sunset was getting curious now. "Why?"

His yellow eyes widened. "Oops. I almost spoiled the surprise. Shame on me. Best be off now. Time to find that janitor me..."

In a white flash, the grey bin had completely disappeared, leaving Sunset very confused.

'Why would the portal already be open?' She thought. A possible answer grew in the back of her head, but she dismissed it.

Inside the building she found the school community, students and staff alike, doing their usual morning activities. The actual lessons weren't going to start for about twenty minutes, so everyone had plenty of time to get ready or just chill out. The hallway was filled with a bunch of students either going through their lockers or chatting with their peers. As she passed the staff room she caught a glimpse of Miss Cheerilee, Mr. Neigh and Mr. Donkey talking over coffee.

While Sunset was approaching her own locker she checked her schedule. Math, Science, English, and...Geography. After finding and collecting everything she needed, she closed the locker behind her and continued walking down the hallway.

She and the girls usually met up in the music room. Even when they weren't practicing for any event that the Rainbooms were attending, it still felt fit to hang out in.

As she approached the music room she could already hear people talking. She listened closely, and recognized the voices of Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack. Fluttershy was probably there as well, but you could never hear her in a different room. They sounded pretty happy about something.

When she opened the door, she found a surprising site before her.

She found the group standing amongst all the musical equipment, only it was one member larger than usual.

The lavender skinned girl waved her hand a little. "Hi Sunset."

"Twilight?"

She walked over and gripped Sunset in a small hug, causing the latter's heart rate to increase.

"Well this is an...unexpected surprise."

"I know right!" said Rainbow Dash. "Fluttershy found her sitting outside on the outside pedestal earlier this morning."

Twilight smiled awkwardly. "Everyone back in Equestria was busy, so I thought I'd check on how you guys were doing."

There was something in Twilight's voice that made Sunset feel slightly suspicious of what was going on in her head. Not to say she didn't love the fact that Twilight was here.

"Well, its good to see you again. So, what were you girls talking about?"

"Oh we were just catching up on each other," replied Rarity. "Did you know she tutors the pony Sweetie Belle and her friends. I've been trying to find Sweetie Belle a good tutor for years! It just makes me wish we had our own Twilight."

Pinkie Pie had a face of deep thought on her face.

"Wait. If we have counterparts in the pony world, doesn't that mean there should be a Twilight in this world? And a Sunset Shimmer too? But wait, if there's two dimensions with two of everyone, does that mean that there should be more universes, and the multiverse theory is correct? Are there countless worlds upon worlds each with a different version of us? But if there are countless versions of us, what is the meaning of the life of one? What is the meaning of our lives?"

Everyone just looked at her.

Fluttershy was the first to speak. "Pinkie, you scare me."

Author's Notes:

I apologise greatly, I intended on finishing this chapter two days ago, but I had trouble trying to continue the story, along with having jobs to do around the house. I was also distracted by the finale of The Legend Of Korra, and I think fans of that will understand why. *cough* Korrasami ending *cough*.

About the scene with discord, I wanted to put him in the human world while still being his normal self. I thought about how the Elements of Harmony and the Sirens could still use magic, and I came up with the theory that they have separate reserves of magic that come with them. So I applied this law to Discord, and we can just presume that ponies conduct magic from Equestria itself. Wait, if the ponies are just magic conductors, how could Tirek steal their magic? Dang it, the laws of a fan fiction never make sense.

Also, while some people know this, there are those who don't, but Taratarus is not an original creation of MLP. Tartarus was a part of the underworld in greek mythology, and is like an evil pit where monsters and evil divine beings were sentenced when they died. I just thought I'd spread this info out because I hate how many people think MLP invented it.

As always, please critique and comment on my stories so that I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Confusing Matters-Twilight Sparkle

"So... there isn't a problem?"

The two white hands flicked through a large number of papers within a folder. After selecting a few particular sheets, the folder was placed into a small drawer on the desk.

"Twilight Sparkle, you managed to prevent our school from being involved with dark magic users dominating our world. Twice. I don't care whether or not you are an actual Canterlot High student. You're welcome here anytime."

Although Principal Celestia's hair didn't have the same wavy properties as Princess Celestia's hair, it still had the colors and texture that made it look almost divine. Instead of the light brown overshirt and purple inner shirt that she had worn the previous times Twilight visited, she wore a black and white suit and tie, with a black inner shirt and a white overshirt and tie.

"Thank you." Said Twilight. "I'm sorry if I was a disruption."

The principal collected all her papers and placed them on the side of her desk. "I told you quite some time ago Twilight, my door is always open. Now if you excuse me, I have some matters to discuss with Vice Principal Luna."

Twilight opened the door for Celestia as she exited the office. After closing the door behind her, she walked down the hallway to rejoin Sunset Shimmer.

"So how'd it go?" Sunset asked.

"Well, saving the school and the world seems to of given me enough of her respect for her to allow me to join you in your school activities."

Sunset smiled. "That's great. Come on. I've got biology in about two minutes."

The two girls walked down the hallway in silence. This felt wrong to Twilight, who thought that friends should always have something to talk about. But when two friends happen to live in two separate dimensions, its pretty hard to think of a subject to talk about.

'Books!' She thought. 'Of course! How could I be so dumb?'

"So, Sunset, have you read..."

Her words were cut off as she felt a sudden impact hit her from the front, sending her crashing to the floor.

"Whoa." Uttered a familiar voice. "I'm so sorry, I didn't... Twilight?"

She raised her head and found herself looking at a head of spiky blue hair and a pair of blue eyes looking down on her.

"Flash?"

Flash Sentry held out a light orange hand in a gesture of help, which Twilight accepted as she was lifted up to her feet. "Wow Twilight, I haven't seen you in like... months."

"Yeah... " Once again, Twilight found herself struggling for words, but to her luck, Sunset rushed to her side.

"Twi, are you okay."

"I'm fine," she responded, feeling happy to see that Sunset cared so much about her physical state. "I'm fine. I just bumped into Flash, that's all. Actually, I've gotten pretty used to it."

'Holy crap.' She thought. 'What is this, the...fifth time we've bumped into each other? How does that even happen? Maybe I should do some research on the science of collision probabilty.'

"So, Twilight," said Flash. "Any reason why you're here? I mean, I can't exactly think of any time you came to Canterlot High and it didn't involve dark magic and some evil bitches trying to rule the world." He quickly turned to Sunset Shimmer. "No offence."

"None taken," replied Sunset, though she did not look amused.

"Oh no worries. No evil magical plots this time. At least...none that I know of."

"Well that's good to know..."

Suddenly, a girl with light blue skin and purple hair ran down the hallway and grabbed Flash by the hand, dragging him away.

"Flash baby, hurry up. We're gonna be late for chemistry!"

He raised his hand in a gesture of goodbye towards the other two girls. "Sorry. Gotta run. I'll catch up with you later!"

And with that, they both disappeared around the corner.

Sunset turned towards Twilight, with a sorry look on her face. "I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that Flash started going out with Mystery Mint a bit after the incident with the sirens. I probably should have told you that earlier..."

"No worries. I'm fine with it."

"Really?" Sunset looked pretty surprised. "I just figured...you seemed pretty into him and...I didn't really expect a very positive reaction to...that."

Her words hit Twilight with a sudden realization. She had just learnt that Flash was in a relationship with another girl. She should have been feeling complete despair right now. Instead she felt...nothing.

"I guess I just...got over him."

"Okay." For some reason Sunset looked really happy to hear this. "Mint made a good point though. We should probably get going."

***

In Equestria, Twilight was at the mature age of twenty five. It had been years since she had any experience of school, so attending a class at Canterlot High was a very fascinating experience. She had already gone to a few classes when she first visited the school, but the experience was still fresh. What made it extra fascinating was the fact that she was attending Biology, and she got to learn some pretty interesting differences between the ponies of this world and the ponies of Equestria.

No wings, no horns and no Cutie marks. It was like a race of Appleblooms.

Afterwards, the class moved on to Physics, where the Human version of Cranky Doodle Donkey asked them if they could cause a chemical reaction with the various elements placed on their tables. Cranky didn't seem to put into account that two of his students were equestrian geniuses who had studied under Celestia herself. The resulting implosion left a grey scorch mark on Sunset's goggles, along with a new hairstyle that made her look like she was about to go out on Nightmare Night. Seeing her in a state that spoke of scientific disaster caused a strange surging feeling in Twilight's chest that she didn't recognize.

The sound of another, more violent implosion caused Twilight to turn her head and see that Pinkie Pie and Derpy Hooves had caused a similar accident, only their scorch marks were hot pink and there were a bunch of pink bubbles floating around everywhere. They were working with little more than Zinc, copper, and carbon. How was that even possible?!

Science was followed by break, and Twilight's friends started to ask a lot of questions regarding Equestria and its culture.

"How are you supposed to pick things up without fingers?' Asked Fluttershy.

"Well, me and other unicorns tend to just levitate objects, but Equestrian ponies have a type of electrostatic charge in our hooves that allows objects of small sizes to stick to them."

"What's it like to use magic?" Rarity asked.

"Its...hard to explain. To actually use simple magic like telekinesis and teleportation just requires intense thought. I think about the destination I want to go and poof, Im there. Though it gets harder to accomplish depending on the distance. And trying to lift really big objects can put some serious strain on your mind if you aren't a trained unicorn. More advanced spells are a different thing, they have this...kind of code that you have to set your mind to. Its hard to explain to non unicorns."

"What's it like being in heat?" Asked Pinkie Pie.

The questions stopped after that.

The remainder of the school day wasn't particularly special. Twilight already knew her Math and English, and it wasn't too different in the human world. These lessons were followed by lunch, where they were participating in something called Taco Tuesday. Twilight was unfamiliar with what a taco was, and asked Applejack, who explained what was in them.

Twilight then learned what beef was, and immediately regretted asking that question.

The girls continued to ask questions regarding Equestria, while Twilight, Sunset, Rarity and Fluttershy dined on some salad. The others chose to consume Tacos, which made Twilight feel almost sick.

Lunch was followed by Geography, which was a lot more interesting than the two previous lessons. The human world was very different to Equestria, and this fascinated Twilight. She felt like asking if she could borrow some of the textbooks they had.

In particular, they were learning about a place called India, and did some work on its rainy seasons. The princess was amazed that there could be so much rainfall in a place where there were no Pegasi to control the weather.

'Okay now I definitely need a book on this subject.'

As Geography ended, so did school, and the seven girls all left the building at the same time, talking about their various experiences of the day.

"Y'know I really don't see why anyone would want to live in India." Said Rainbow Dash. "Hotter than some deserts, yet you still get rained on like hell. Where's the fun in that?"

"Are you kidding me Rainbow Dash?" Replied Fluttershy. "Have you seen the beautiful biosphere that climate has created? All those beautiful trees, flowers, and all sorts of other plants. Oh, and all the animals that come with it. Frogs, lizards, monkeys..."

"Cobras." Rarity interrupted, shuddering as she did.

"Oh yes, those too. Southern Asia just has such a wonderful variety of animals."

As they reached the edge of the school grounds, where several buses and cars were waiting, it looked like the group was about to disband.

"Sunset?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah," she responded.

"Is there any chance... like... if you don't have any plans... if I can possibly tag along?"

Sunset mouth shifted into an apologetic smile. "Sorry Twi, with the window of time I have tonight, I don't think I can fit doing my homework and spending time with you in my schedule."

Twilight expected an answer like that, but she still felt sad to hear it. "Okay. I understand."

"Can you still come tomorrow?"

"Of course." Answered Twilight, who was happy to think of that option.

When they said their goodbyes to the other girls, they walked over to the statue in the center of the school grounds.

"See ya, Twi." Said Sunset.

"You too." She responded.

They gave each other a quick hug, and after parting, Twilight turned around and walked into the portal that led to her home.

And walked into nothing but solid glass.

The resulting impact to her head sent her crashing onto the floor in a dazed state. She suffered a few seconds of blurry vision and ringing ears before her senses came to.

"Twilight!" Sunset called, rushing to her side. "Twilight are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She replied, trying to sit up. "Just...help me up please."

Twilight felt Sunset hoist her back onto her feet. Not for the first time, she realized it was harder to balance when you have only two legs instead of four.

"That doesn't make any sense." Said the princess. "I told Spike to keep the book in its place."

"Well maybe he had to move it for some reason."

"But why?" Asked Twilight, who had a sudden idea. "Do you still have your journal."

"Yeah, of course."

"Maybe I can get a message to Spike using the book's connection."

"Good idea."

Sunset placed her backpack on the ground and took her journal out of the back pocket. Twilight wrote a message to Spike asking for him to open the portal, and waited for a response.

An hour later, that response didn't come. Sunset decided to let her bus leave without her, saying that she could just walk home. Twilight was elated to see that her friend didn't intend on leaving her.

"Twilight." Said Sunset. "Have you ever considered the idea that the book is exactly where its supposed to be?"

Twilight was confused. "What do you mean?"

"What if there's something wrong with the portal itself."

She let this idea sink in. What could possibly be wrong with the portal? Was it damaged somehow? If so, how did it get damaged?

Sunset's eyes widened suddenly. "Wait, this is unlikely, but did you bring Starswirl's book?"

"Yeah, I thought it would be good to bring it along."

"I think we need to give it a look through."

Twilight took the book out of her bag, and placed it before them. They looked through the pages for any sign of an explanation. After a while, she believed she found the answer.

"Wait, look there." She pointed at a specific part of the text. "Starswirl mentions that halfway through the portal's activation cycle, the arcane levels dropped suddenly, and he theorized that there was a counter reaction to the reaction that opens the portal. What if he was right?"

Sunset looked like she was catching on. "So if the main reaction allows the portal to break through the inter-dimensional barriers without assistance, than the counter reaction would prevent the portal from opening with assistance."

It dawned on Twilight what this meant.

"I don't think I'll be going home any time soon."

Author's Notes:

I;m really sorry that this chapter took so long to write. I'm not really fond of the first half of it, and think that this will probably be my worst chapter.

A problem I keep running into is that I have a small supply of different ways to say said. I was taught in basic english that you should try to avoid that word when writing. Could any of you guys give me some more options.

As always, please comment and critique my work so that I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Some Chaotic Advice-Sunset Shimmer

Seven days. One week.

That's how long the portal was normally open, and that's how long Twilight would be locked out of Equestria.

Their theory had been more or less confirmed when they checked the date. It had definitely been a year and three months since the portal was last open by itself. In the terms of lunar cycles, fifteen moons.

Twilight had made a little bed for herself in the school library, comprised of a bunch of books and a sheet. It didn't look very comfortable to Sunset, but her friend insisted that it was fine, and that it wasn't the first time she'd slept in those conditions.

It had been two nights since the portal closed, meaning Twilight was stuck in the human world for another five or six days, and Sunset was starting her day with her usual morning bowl of cereal. The problem was, she wasn't feeling that hungry.

Since Monday, her mind had been occupied with thoughts. To be precise, thoughts about Twilight. When she was spending time with Twilight and the girls, she found herself distracted by her. Sunset even found herself losing focus on her own conversations because she was too busy paying attention to what Twilight was doing. Even when she wasn't with the princess, it was still the thing she thought about most of the time.

The way she commanded a social circle like a benevolent politician. The way her pink and violet highlights just made her blue hair look like a beautiful piece of art. The way her face shifted into that adorable expression when she was trying to teach you something.

What did it all mean?

Sunset continued to stare into her cereal, trying to comprehend what was going on with her mind. But her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a male voice.

"Dude, you gonna finish that?"

She turned her head to find herself face to face with Lens Flare, a thirteen year old boy who was also known as the biggest nerd at Miss Peachbottom's.

"I don't think so..." Sunset replied, seeing a hungry look in his eye. "Why not."

She gently pushed the bowl towards him before Lens Flare grabbed it and started digging through the cereal with his spoon. Normally sharing food with other people was considered weird, but the orphans had pretty much accepted each other as family, and they shared their food with one another like it was nothing.

"Whoa," She said, noticing how fast he was eating the cereal. "Slow down. Whats gotten you so excited?"

He quickly spun around and gave her a fierce look in the eye. "Are you kidding me? I spent the last two years of my life shipping Korra and Asami from The Legend Of Korra, even though deep inside I knew that it would never happen in canon. But this very morning, Mike and Bryan themselves confirmed that the final scene where Korra and Asami hold hands was in fact intended to be romantic and not platonic, making them the first bisexual main characters in western children's cartoons! This is not just a victory for me and other Korrasami shippers, but the entire LGBT community! Korrasami is canon!"

There were a few seconds of awkward silence between them. "Yeah...I don't watch Avatar, so...only half of that made any sense to me."

He gave her a disdainful look before uttering "Hab Sosli' quch!" and running off.

"And I don't speak Klingon either!" She shouted at him.

When her spoon and bowl were done being washed, she checked the clock to see that it was fifteen minutes until the bus arrived.

As she walked upstairs and went down the hallway towards her dormitory, her head was still plagued by thoughts of Twilight and her attempts to understand why she was thinking like this.

'Maybe...' She quickly dismissed the thought, not for the first time. 'Stop it Sunset. That can't be the answer.'

Could it though?

She suddenly realised that she had passed her door.

'I really need to stop thinking about this stuff.' She thought. 'Its starting to mess with my head.'

She opened the door and made her way to her bedroom, where her bag was waiting for her. It was already filled with everything she needed, so she didn't need to pack anything. She picked the bag up and slid her arms through each strap, ready for another school day.

"So how are you doing, Miss Shimmer?"

The sudden voice made her jump and screech a little. She turned around to see Discord sitting on one of the beds, in his normal Draconequus form.

"Discord!?"

He was picking his teeth with a small wooden toothpick. "The one and only. Especially since I haven't been able to find that human me yet."

"What the hell are you doing in my room?!"

Discord lowered the toothpick and raised an eyebrow. "There's that hell word again. Honestly Sunset, if you want to speak to me you had better use proper language."

Sunset was getting impatient. "Skip the games, Discord. I don't have time for this. Why are you here?"

"Sheesh, someone's grumpy today." He flicked away his toothpick, and as it hit the ground it grew two wings and six thin legs before flying out the window. "I saw that you were having some trouble with yourself, and as a good friend, I thought I could help."

"What do you..."

She was cut off when Discord snapped his fingers, and the entire room was engulfed in a white light. When the light faded, Sunset found herself sitting on a soft cushiony chair, while Discord sat on an identical one. Another difference was that Discord was now wearing a grey overshirt, a white undershirt, a black and white striped tie, and a pair of glasses. In his hands he held a clipboard and pencil.

"Now Miss Shimmer, how are you feeling right now?"

Sunset was kind of confused but decided to get on with it. "Fine." She felt a slight rumble in her stomach. "Kinda hungry."

'Maybe I should have finished that cereal.'

Discord started to scribble on his clipboard. "Fine. Hungry. Interesting."

"Why are we doing this?" She asked.

"Sunset, don't try to hide it from me, you seem to be going through some emotional obstacles right now."

'Is he talking about Twilight!' She thought. 'I can't be thinking about her that much. Can I?'

Whether that was the case or not, she wasn't going to admit something like that to Discord.

"No, I don't think I am." She replied.

He put down his clipboard and pencil, and placed his elbows on the armchair while interlocking his fingers. "Sunset, from one ex villain to another, I want you to be honest with me. What’s been troubling you recently?"

Sunset sighed a little. 'I guess I might as well.'

"Recently..." She struggled to find the right words. "I've been doing a lot of thinking."

Discord picked up his clipboard and pencil, and continued to scribble. "I see. Now, have you been thinking about anything or, dare I say it, anyone in particular?"

She sighed again. "I've been thinking a lot about...Twilight."

Discord nodded his head. "Okay, I think I understand. So, are you team Jacob or team Edward?"

"Not the books you idiot, the princess!"

Discord responded with a slight smile that made her wonder if he genuinely made that mistake. He shook his head and put on a more serious expression.

"So, are there any details you care to share on what you think about that involves Twilight?"

'Are you kidding me, I'm not gonna talk about thing that personal with you of all people!'

So why was she about to do it anyway?

"I'm finding it hard to stop thinking about her. When she's with me, she's the one thing in the world I really seem to acknowledge. And even when she isn't with me, I still keep thinking about her. Her looks, her personality, her scent. For the past few weeks I've spent my days anticipating the weekend so that I could see her again. And when the moment comes that I have to leave, I feel something inside me suddenly become this...void. I want to feel sorry for the fact that she can't go home for a week, but at the same time...I can’t stop feeling so happy about the fact that she's stuck in this world with me."

There was a moment of silence between her and the Draconequus.

'Sweet Celestia did I really say all that to him?'

"I see," said Discord, who for once looked like he was taking something seriously. "Is there any reason why you think like this?"

Sunset thought about it, and a thought came up in her mind. It was a thought that had appeared some time ago, and had been growing ever since. Before, she would dismiss it. But now, it felt more real than ever.

"Because..." she tried to get her words out. "Because I'm in love with her."

Discord said nothing, and neither did Sunset. The world around them was replaced by complete silence, as they let the words sink in.

'I can't believe I just said that!' thought Sunset. 'Twilight's my best friend! I can't just start telling people that I'm in love with her! I don't even know if I really feel that way.'

She wanted to believe she saw Twilight as a friend. She wanted to believe they could have a normal relationship.

'But then...why did I mean every word I just said?'

Discord took his glasses off, looked deep into Sunset's eyes, and smiled. "Called it."

"What?"

"I'm just saying, I saw this coming a mile off. I mean, I told Twilight that I could see an interesting relationship coming from her friendship with you, and look where we are now."

In a white flash he was wearing a black and white suit and tie with a black top hat and shiny black shoes. He also had some kind of walking stick that he held in both hands as he did his tap dance of victory.

"Well good for you," Sunset said, trying to look unhappy even though that was a very amusing site. "Now could you please stop goofing off and help me fix this."

In another white flash Discord was wearing nothing again, while the chairs had disappeared. "In what sense?"

"I mean, could you...I don't know...make me stop loving her."

Discord raised an eyebrow. "Sunset, I may be an all powerful spirit of chaos but I'm not exactly a god. I can't just make your feelings disappear. At least, not without turning you into some bitchy grey minion of mine. And we both know that's not what you really want, your ideal resolution to this is that Twilight loves you back. Am I not right?"

Sunset wanted to argue, but the thing was that he was in fact absolutely right. "I guess."

"Sunset, just take my advice. Tell her how you feel."

"Really?"

"Heck no! That's really stupid advice. What if she doesn't love you back? What if your relationship with her is ruined forever? Its much better to be friends with someone that tortures you with your repressed feelings for them than not being friends with them at all. Trust me I know."

"Gee, thanks for the help!"

"Fine." Discord rolled his eyes. "If you insist on wooing her, just wait. See if you spot any signs of her harboring similar feelings towards you, and if the signs are clear, act on your feelings. Heck, maybe you should try waiting for her to make the first move. If there are no signs that she's into you, then you can give up and have your friendship with her that tortures you with your repressed feelings. That's all I got."

"You are really unhelpful."

Discord chuckled a bit. "You sound just like your mo..." He stopped for a second. "Oh wait, your bus is leaving in about forty seconds. Bye."

In a final white flash, he was gone.

"Jackass." Sunset whispered to herself.

She heard the door open behind her, and turned around to see Sweetcream Scoops standing in the doorway.

"Sunset, the bus driver's waiting for you, hurry up."

"Sorry, I'm coming!"

***

As always, Vice-Principal Luna's office was dark. A bit too dark. Even if she was an inter-dimensional counterpart to the princess of the night, it still struck Sunset as odd that someone would want to keep their office in a state that made it feel almost like night time.

"So you two wish to get this job done, even if it means staying after school?" Luna asked them.

Sunset saw Twilight nodding her head, and proceeded to do the same. "Yes." She responded.

"Well then, I must say I am impressed." The Vice-Principal started writing something down, though it was too dark to see. In fact, how could Luna even see what she was writing? "You're one of the only four students that volunteered to do so. But with the money we save by not hiring professionals, we won't have to indefinitely cancel Taco Tuesday."

Twilight flinched a little bit. "Honestly, I don't care much for Taco Tuesday, but I'm glad to help."

"Thank you." Luna smiled slightly. "You two are dismissed."

As Sunset was slowly following Twilight out of the office, she thought about her talk with Princess Luna a few days ago. That encounter had given her a lot more respect for the princess, and she felt a bit more respect towards her Vice-Principal as well. She wondered if this Luna had been through similar turmoils. A thought suddenly struck her.

"Vice-Principal Luna?" She asked, turning around.

"Yes?"

"Does the name Nightmare Moon sound familiar to you?"

Even through the darkness, Sunset could see Luna's face turn to shock, before she slammed her hands on her desk and leaned forward from her chair.

"Who told you about my World Of Warcraft account?!"

***

The school day was a lot like any other. But there was one big difference. It wasn't just that Twilight was a part of it all now, but that Sunset had accepted the feelings inside her. She knew why she was thinking about Twilight so much, she knew why she was trying to spend so much time with her. And because of this, her thoughts and feelings were coursing through her so much more smoothly.

But by accepting the fact that she was in love with her, she found herself slightly tormented by those feelings, as Discord said she would. He was also right when he said that the resolution she wanted was one where she and Twilight could be together as a couple. Every time Twilight smiled or laughed or did anything remotely positive, Sunset got that surging feeling in her chest and just wanted to pour her feelings out to the princess. But Discord was also right when he said that Sunset shouldn't be so straightforward. If Twilight didn't feel the same, then they could never have the same friendship again.

At the end of the school day, Sunset and Twilight headed to the school auditorium for the job that they volunteered to do earlier that day.

Sunset's home was only an hour walk from the school, so she had no problem staying after the final class had ended, and Twilight was actually staying at the school, so she didn't have a problem either.

The job itself was just repainting the auditorium and since Vice-Principal Luna said that they'd be joined by two other volunteers, it would likely take no longer than two to three hours.

When they entered the auditorium, it looked like they were the first to arrive, as there was no one else there. They had been given clear instructions on what to do if they had to start. The painting supplies were in storage room number two, which was located at a left turn from the entrance.

Upon opening the door to storage room number two, they found everything they needed. Buckets of paint, painting aprons, and ladders. But among this, they found a much more unexpected site.

On the floor was a white skinned girl with a head of spiky light blue and cyan hair, with a pair of blue headphones around her head. She wore a white jacket, a white skirt, and pink fingerless gloves, while her legs were covered by purple leggings with blue shoes. Even more interesting was that on top of her was a light grey skinned girl with hair that was such a dark shade of grey it was almost black. She was dressed much more fancily than the other girl, wearing a purple overshirt over a short sleeved white blouse, a pink skirt, long white socks within black shoes, and a pink bow tie around her neck.

They were both on the floor ferociously pressing their faces together while the gloved white hands went up and down the other girl's back.

Sunset couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Vinyl?"

The bottom girls eyes opened to reveal hot pink irises. A split second later they grew wide with shock.

"Oh crap, Octy get up!"

The grey girl fell off of Vinyl and stumbled on to her feet while Vinyl herself scrambled to get up. She slipped on a pair of hot pink shades that immediately fell onto her nose.

"Octavia?" Sunset said in a confused voice.

"Uhhhhh..." Octavia looked like she was struggling for words.

"We were early!" Vinyl interrupted, trying to maintain a cool posture. "And...we tried to get started..."

"Vinyl," Octavia said in her English accent.

"...aaaaaaand...this bucket fell from the drawers...and hit me on the head, knocking me unconscious..."

"Vinyl, this is futile."

"...and Octavia...she...was giving me mouth to mouth..."

"Vinyl Scratch!" Octavia shouted, getting Vinyl's full attention. "They aren't buying it. I think the way you grabbed my ass was a bit of a dead giveaway."

Vinyl blushed heavily and stuck out her arm, leaning against the wall in an attempt to look cool. "So...Twilight, Sunset. You wouldn't mind...y'know...not mentioning this to anyone, right?"

Twilight looked like she was still getting her head around what she just saw. "No...of course not."

"Please," Octavia said, with a slightly desperate look in her eyes. "If anyone found out about...this, our social lives could get more or less destroyed."

"Hey," Sunset answered. "We've got nothing to gain from telling anyone about this. Your secret is safe with us."

"It better be," Growled Vinyl, still blushing.

Twilight walked over the painting supplies. "Why don't we just forget about this and get to work."

"Good idea!" Said Octavia, trying to put on a smile.

The next hour and a half was filled with them repainting the faded beige walls of the auditorium into a more appealing yellow. There was little to no talking, thanks to awkward atmosphere created by them walking in on that little make out session.

"Sunset," Twilight said. "Do you mind if I take a quick trip to the bathroom?"

"Of course you can, no need to ask me."

As Twilight left the room, Sunset went back to thinking.

Was the universe trying to play some cruel joke on her. She accepts the fact that she's in love with Twilight, has problems dealing with those feelings, and BAM, she comes across two girls making out. It was like some divine force was teasing her with what might be.

Then again, what if it was some sort of sign? What if it meant that she was supposed to act on her feelings? Then it hit Sunset. She was alone in a room with two girls that seemed to be in some kind of romantic relationship. These were the perfect people to get advice from.

She walked over to Vinyl Scratch and started painting the walls alongside her. Octavia was on a ladder at the other end of the wall, painting a higher section.

"Hey Vinyl," Sunset said, before noticing that the DJ's ears were blocked by headphones. Sunset waved her hand in front of Vinyl's face to get her attention.

Vinyl removed her headphones. "What?"

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier. We didn't mean to intrude or anything."

"No problem Shimmer, just keep quiet about it. That's all I'm asking. To be fair, it probably wasn't the best idea to make out in the storage room with the paint supplies when we knew we were gonna have company that had the intention of painting."

"So...when did...this..." She pointed towards Vinyl and then towards Octavia. "...start?"

Vinyl raised an eyebrow. "Do you really expect me to tell you the story of how Octy and I got together. Um, no thanks."

'Well if I'm gonna get her help I might as well be honest.'

"Look Vinyl, I know I'm not someone you'd expect to trust, but I need advice. I think I've...fallen for someone."

Vinyl glared at her. "And...you need my help because?"

"Because It’s a girl."

The DJ said nothing, and continued to glare.

"Please Vinyl. I don't know what I'm supposed to do and after seeing you and Octavia, I realized you might be the only people I can get good advice from."

"You're...serious..."

"Yes. I am."

"Wow. Well, I guess I might as well. Not much else to do besides continue painting, and I've already done a bunch of that. To start off, since the beginning of last year, I was permitted to work on my mixes for a few hours after school on Wednesdays. It was originally scheduled as a club, but since you don't find many DJ's at CHS, it became a more personal thing for me. The equipment I worked with was set up in the main music classroom, which, as you know belongs to Mr Melody, Octavia's dad. He tends to work for hours after school in his office, so Octy was stuck practicing her Cello in the music classroom with me.

"At first we weren't exactly fond of each other, I saw her as a stuck up posh brat and she saw me as 'an uneducated talentless ruffian' as she put it. But, as we spent more time together and learned more about each other and our music, I saw a bit more than some snooty classical musician, I saw a friend. And after a while, I saw a bit more than a friend. I started to look forward to Wednesdays more than anything, and she was invading my thoughts like a beat in a song. So, I tried to express my feelings by remixing some romantic songs I knew she liked, heck I more or less made my own. During one after school session, I played them for her, and she really liked it. Before I knew it we were dancing...pretty soon we were...kissing...and then...she was mine."

Sunset had been listening to every word of Vinyl's story in silence, and when the DJ was finished, the silence was shared between them for a moment.

"Crap, that sounded cheesy as hell," Vinyl said, grimacing.

"No, no, no," Sunset stuttered. "That was really sweet."

"Now I think you see why we don't want you spreading the word of what's going on between us. If you know Mr Melody well, you'll know that he can be a pretty overly posh and snooty guy. And he's definitely not one of the most liberal guys in the world. I love Octy, but I don't think her family, or pretty much all of CHS will accept something like that."

"I understand," Sunset replied. "So, your advice is for me to just spend a lot of time together with my crush?"

If that was all Sunset needed, then she was already on the right track by visiting Twilight every weekend.

"Well, that's how I fell in love with Octavia. But to be honest, I think she fell in love with me thanks to this..."

She reached into the bag on her back and pulled out a CD case. It was a simple white plastic case labeled, 'For Octy'.

"It might have been Octavia's love for music that made it so effective, but I think it could work for any girl."

She held out the CD for Sunset to take.

"Really? You want me to take it?" Sunset asked.

"Not permanently, of course, I'm not that generous. Well...unless there was twenty bucks involved. But what kind of DJ would I be if I didn't let lend out my music? Anyway, that's what we bi's do. We help each other out," Vinyl replied, before frowning a bit. "At least, I think that's a saying."

"Thank you," Said Sunset, who put the CD in her bag.

Just a few seconds afterwards, Twilight came back into the auditorium. As she did, Sunset was struck by an idea. She may have already been spending plenty of time with Twilight, but she remembered an opportunity to spend even more personal time with her.

As Twilight went back to painting the walls, she was approached by Sunset.

"Hey, Twilight."

"Hey."

"Umm... I was wondering. A smaller orphanage a few miles away is set to close down, and Miss Peachbottom offered to take the orphans in, so...we'll basically be getting a 'fresh batch' of orphans. Miss Peachbottom needs some of the more run down rooms in the building rejuvenated, and I offered to take the job. I was wondering if...like...you'd care to join me. Y'know, I could...show you my home...introduce you to my roommates...stuff like that. And it would be nice to just spend time with you. As friends. And stuff..."

'Man I am doing this awkwardly...'

But despite that, Twilight smiled. "Of course! That sounds like fun. When is this?"

"There's not so much a specific time as there is a deadline of a week. We could do it tomorrow."

Twilight nodded. "I'll be there."

While Twilight went back to painting the walls, Sunset looked at the couple that was painting at the other side of the room, and then looked at the pocket on her bag where she had put Vinyl's CD.

Things might just go her way.

Author's Notes:

Wow, I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and think that this might be the best so far. Then again I thought that the last one would be bad and everyone seemed to like it, so maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you'll all hate it. Who knows?

I'm sorry if I did another 'Korrasami is canon' scene, but I actually wrote the scene in this chapter before the one in hello 2015. Im just so happy with the fact that Korrasami is canon I just want to spread the word through all my stories (though that should be the end of it now).

I originally intended to just make a one off joke with Vinyl and Octavia making out, but I decided to extend their roles to help the plot a bit more and even put a little shipfic within a shipfic.

As always, please comment and critique my work so that I may improve for future chapters and stories.

Sunset's Home-Twilight Sparkle

Twilight stretched her eyelids open, allowing the morning light shining through the window to hit her right in the eye, causing her to shut them back again in pain. As her mind recovered from sleep, she acknowledged the aches that she was feeling all over her body. Even after she applied cushions to her makeshift bed, a bed made from books, was bound to be uncomfortable.

She sat herself up and stretched her arms, relieving some of the stress on her body. Upon standing up, she slipped on her light blue blouse, pink tie, and boots before walking down the stairs to the ground floor of the CHS library. She looked at the library's clock to see that there were thirteen minutes until lessons started.

'Moon banishment! I slept in!' She thought. 'I need to get ready!'

Twilight ran back up the stairs to where she had set up her bed and put all her things. Not being an actual CHS student, she didn't have a schedule, and had no idea what lessons she had. This was irrelevant for preparation of course, since Twilight loved to carry all her books around with her anyway.

The library doors burst open as she ran through them, headed for the bathroom. There she emptied her bladder and brushed her teeth (Yes, she had been that prepared for a simple visit to Canterlot High), before running back outside and down a hallway filled with students getting things in and out from their lockers.

Again, she didn't have a schedule, so she had to ask one of her friends what the next lesson was. They always gathered in the small music room, so she probably didn't have to go far.

She quickly glanced at a clock she was passing. Six minutes to first period.

'Its too late! I'm doomed! DOOMED!'

She shook her head.

"Calm down, Twilight," she whispered to herself. "You don't even really go to this school. Who cares if you're a bit tardy?"

'Sunset will care! She'll think I don't take learning seriously! She'll hate that! She'll hate me!'
All of a sudden, Twilight skidded to a halt.

Of all the things to think about in this situation, why think about that?

'It doesn't matter, I have to prioritise getting to class.'

She was about to bolt down the hallway again before she realized that the door to her left was the room she was looking for.
Her hands slammed the door open to reveal Sunset, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie getting their bags ready.
"WHAT LESSON DO WE HAVE NOW?!"

They all stared at her with disturbed expressions, making her realize how weird she was acting.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I... slept in and... didn't wanna be late..."

Pinkie shook her head. "Overeactivisis, horrible thing. I contracted it myself when I came across a blueberry bake sale in southern Mozambique."

"Rarity an' I got Chemistry in four minutes," Explained Applejack. "Sunset an' the others all got Biology."

"Good," Twilight replied. "I guess I'll go with them."

"Yes!" They heard a loud whisper say.

Everyone turned their head to see that Sunset Shimmer had a fist triumphantly raised in the air. She puckered her mouth inwards awkwardly when she noticed them all staring at her.

"Um... I mean... that's great..." She put on a clearly forced grin. "Twi's only gonna be here another four days... It’s good to.. .spend more time... with her... and... stuff like that..."

Not for the first time, Twilight noticed that Sunset was behaving oddly. "Sunset, are you okay?"

Sunset's eyes widened, as if some big secret had been revealed. "Sure! Why wouldn't I be okay? I'm just... hey look it's two minutes until Biology starts! Gotta go!"

She seemed to instantly burst into a run as she quickly went out the door.

Rarity gave everyone a puzzled look. "What do you suppose is wrong with her?"

"Maybe something bad happened to her recently," Fluttershy responded.

"Maybe she has something real important on her mind," Said Applejack.

"Maybe she harbors secret romantic feelings for one of the women standing in this very room," Pinkie said.

The next round of awkward stares were directed right at her.

"Uuum... I don't exactly think Sunset's the kind to be interested in... females, Pinkie. I mean, she was in a relationship with Flash once," explained Rarity.

"Well, you forget to mention that she claims to have had no real feelings for him," Pinkie responded. "And there's a little something called a bisexual you know."

"There's still no evidence to support this theory of yours."

"First of all, it’s more of a hypothesis than a theory, secondly, maybe she's going through some weird sexuality questioning college phase."

"She's not even in college!"

"Well, to be fair her chronological age is like twenty six."

"Girls!" Applejack shouted, getting effectively catching their attention. "You can continue debating on the sexuality of a magical pony from another universe, or we can all hurry up and get to class, which may I remind you is starting in a few seconds!"

The door burst open as they all ran out into the hallway.

***

Of all the classes she had attended at Canterlot High, Twilight found that Biology and Geography were by far the most enjoyable, mainly because of how different they were in a different universe. Through the few lessons she went through, along with the few books she had borrowed, she had learnt a lot about the world and the organisms that lived there.

For Geography, she was mainly interested on how nature worked in a world without magic, while for Biology, she was more interested in the creatures that did and didn't exist in each world, along with the differences between the creatures that the worlds did share.

That particular Biology lesson they learned about carnivorous plants, Heliamphora chimantensis to be exact. At first, Twilight was confused at how a plant could be carnivorous in a world where there was no such thing as magic or living plants. But this made her all the more interested in how they ate, which was by using special scents to lure small organisms such as bugs into their pouches, dissolving them with acid, and absorbing the raw nutrients from the remains. Sometimes, the most fascinating things about nature were also the most disturbing.

The remaining lessons were just standard subjects, like Maths and English. And thanks to Twilight's studies under the wisest being in Equestria, she went through them like a raging academic bull of schoolwork destruction.

Because she went through the work so fast and easily, she had a lot more time to think about what was going on with Sunset. The incident earlier that morning wasn't the first time that she had acted so awkwardly. Twilight noticed that Sunset had started behaving strangely since yesterday morning. When Twilight had tried to talk to her she started stuttering and almost sweating slightly, saying that she didn't have time to talk. Twilight didn't see her again until break, and even then she wasn't acting like her normal self, staying unusually quiet, and whenever someone started to talk to her, she gave them this worried look like they were trying to get her to spill the beans on something.

The Sunset Shimmer that Twilight knew was a relaxed and confident person, and Sunset wasn't acting like that at all. Something had to be wrong. Fortunately, Sunset had invited Twilight to spend some time at her home this afternoon, so there was plenty of opportunity to find out what.

It was strange to think about how many times Sunset had visited Twilight's castle, yet Twilight had never been to Miss Peachbottom's orphanage before. Not once. Then again, between a magical crystal castle in a land of magic and wonder, and a building struggling to support several children of various ages who all lost their parents in likely tragic ways, the former was probably the better option when it came to social interaction.

After the last lesson had ended, Twilight went out into the school grounds where she found Sunset waiting for her. As soon as the latter spotted her, she turned around as if she was deliberately trying not to look at Twilight.

"Hey, Sunset," Twilight said upon reaching her. "How was your day?"

She continued to stare off in another direction. "Yeah... it was fine."

"So... when's the bus arriving?"

"It usually arrives about four minutes from now," Sunset replied, her voice showing as little emotion as possible.

The attitude that Sunset was giving her made Twilight feel uneasy. The awkward demeanor she had adopted recently had been strange enough, but now it looked like she didn't even want to acknowledge Twilight's existence. Something was definitely wrong.

A bit earlier than Sunset predicted, a large yellow bus pulled over in front of them. The two girls sat themselves next to each other near the back of the bus, while the rest of the seats were filled by dozens of other kids, most of them Sunset's fellow orphans.

Throughout the journey, Sunset continued to remain silent and stare in any other direction except Twilight's. After about five minutes, Twilight built up the courage to confront her.

"Sunset... is something wrong?"

Sunset turned around and looked at her with wide and concerned looking eyes. "What’s wrong? Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. Why you ask?"

She said those words at a fast rate that fed Twilight's suspicions.

"Well... you haven't really been acting... normally lately."

"I said I'm fine!"

The tone in which Sunset spoke wasn't loud, but there was something harsh in it that shocked Twilight into going silent.

'Is it me?' She thought to herself. 'Did I do something that's making her act this way? But... I don't remember doing anything wrong!'

It dawned on Twilight that Sunset might actually be angry at her.

'Was it school? Did I not go to enough of her lessons? Did I not talk to her enough? What did I do?! What if she thinks I'm being too clingy? First I give her that sudden embrace last week, then without even asking I just come into her world for a visit. I am being too clingy! How could I let this happen to our friendship...'

"Are you okay, Twi?"

Twilight turned her head to see Sunset looking at her with a concerned expression. She suddenly realized that both of her own eyes were shedding slight tears.

"I'm fine... just..."

"Look Twilight, I'm sorry if I've been acting strangely recently. I've... had a lot on my mind. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything like that."

Twilight took a slow deep breath, relaxing herself as she was assured that her friendship was strong and intact.

"I understand, Sunset but there's clearly something wrong. And I can't help you if you don't tell me."

Sunset looked down and closed her eyes like she was trying make a decision. She lifted her head and looked back at Twilight.
"Yesterday, I had a talk with..."

She was interrupted by the sound of the bus doors opening and a bunch of children getting out.

"Come on, this is where we get off," Sunset said as she stood up.

While they were making their way from the bus stop to the orphanage, Twilight started thinking about what happened on the bus.

'How did I not notice that I was crying? Heck, why was I even crying in the first place? I mean...sure, the idea of losing a friendship is sad. But there wasn't even any real evidence that she was upset with me. I get her attitude making me feel upset, but crying? Crying?'

Twilight was no stranger to acting over the top in certain situations, but this was something else.

Before she could continue, she heard Sunset say "And here we are."

The building in front of them was a brown four story brick construction, with four windows on each floor. On the ground floor was a double beige wooden door, and above it was a blue sign with the words Peachbottom Canterlot City Orphanage painted in bold yellow letters.

"Looks pretty cozy," Twilight commented.

"More or less. It’s certainly the coziest home I've ever lived in."

"Really?" Twilight asked with a playful smile. "I can't imagine any place beating Canterlot castle."

"Not even your library?"

"Point taken."

It was good to see that Sunset was acting a lot more cheerful than how she had been acting just a few minutes earlier.

The interior of the building definitely had a much friendlier look to it. The walls were painted light green, and the floor was covered with a simple cherry red carpet. There were about two doors and two hallways attached to the main reception, and connected to the wall opposite to the front door was a wooden counter, and inside was a very familiar looking woman.

"Hey there, Sunset," said Miss Peachbottom. "I see ya brought your friend along."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Peachbottom," Twilight replied, holding her hand out.

'Again, to be exact.' She said in her head.

"Same here," Peachbottom responded while shaking her hand. "Sunset's said a lot about you. Some things...more believable than others. Although, after see'n her tremendous change in personality, I'll believe anythin' by now."

Twilight chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose that is."

"So, Miss P," Said Sunset. "Do we get started now?"

"Don' sweat it, Sunny! Yer friend is visitin' for the first time. Give her some time to get a good look at the place. I always appreciate a good first impression."

"That sounds like a good idea," Twilight responded. "I'd love to meet some of the other kids."

Sunset shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Twilight followed Sunset up a flight of stairs and down a hallway. On the way they passed a couple of dormitories, where Twilight got a glimpse of a few of the orphans, some of them looking like they were on the verge of graduation, and others looking no older than ten. They stopped at one door which revealed a dormitory with six beds and three other girls in it.

"This, Twilight, is my room," Sunset said.

The three girls looked over in their direction and waved.

"Hey, Sunset," Said a girl with dark blue skin and white hair.

"Hey, girls," Sunset waved back. "Twilight, these are my roommates, Salty Haze..."

She pointed at the dark blue girl.

"...Sweetcream Scoops..."

She pointed at a lime green skinned girl with orange and pink hair in a style very similar to Twilight's.

"...and Cactus."

She pointed at a pale green skinned girl with green and brown hair in a spiky style.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Said Salty Haze, shaking Twilight's hand. "Its not every day you get to meet a magical pony princess from another dimension."

"No," Twilight replied. "I suppose it isn't."

The other three girls started laughing, and pretty soon they both began to giggle as well. It was a good introduction.

The next few minutes was filled with a bunch of talking and getting to know each other. It was surprising that they asked almost no questions regarding Equestria, but then again, they were Sunset Shimmer's roommates, so they had probably asked their fair share of those kind of questions already.

Eventually, Sunset pointed out that they should probably get to doing the job now, and Twilight said goodbye to the three girls before walking out the door.

"They seemed like good people," Twilight said happily.

"Yeah, pretty much." Sunset replied with a smile. "I guess that's one reason why I consider this place above Canterlot castle. Its the one place where I really had a family."

"I see." Twilight looked to her right, seeing more orphans through the open doors as they walked down the hallway.

It then popped into her head how many orphans she had seen in this place. It had to have at least been twenty.

"Wow. This place really has a lot of parentless children for just one city."

Sunset's smile faded. "Yeah...well, sometimes life isn't exactly nice to you. Just about everyone here has a sad story to tell. Sweetcream Scoops' mother was an ice cream woman who passed away from lung cancer when Scoops was only six. Salty was even younger when she lost her parents. Her dad was an Air Force pilot who got shot down in some hostile African territory, and her mother couldn't cope and died of a drug overdose. Cactus doesn't suffer remembering the loss of her parents, because she was found abandoned in an alleyway as a baby."

Twilight was shocked to hear all this. She was no stranger to hearing about tragic things happening to people back in Equestria, but not to that extent. The idea that a child could experience watching their parents die, or that someone would just leave a baby out on the streets to fend for themselves…

"That sounds awful."

"Yeah well, no orphanage comes without sad stories, and that's just my roommates. There's a lot more kids here with even worse experiences to talk about."

"Like you?"

Sunset stared at the ground in silence for a few seconds. "Like me."

***

The room showed clear signs of several years of neglect. Whatever wallpaper that had once covered the walls had peeled off, now in crusty tatters on the floor. The wooden floorboards had traces of splinters and mold over them, and creaked as the two girls walked across the room. The part of the room that was in the best condition was the window, and that was completely covered in a layer of dust.

"Wow..." Twilight gasped. "This...looks like its gonna take a while."

"I don't know..." Said Sunset, analysing the room. "The carpet should take care of the entire floor, and the window will just need a good quick clean. The hard part is the walls, though that shouldn't take more than three hours."

"Well, lets get started then."

Sunset was right. Apparently, the area of the floor had already been measured, and the carpet they were using had been cut to that size, so they just needed to roll it from one side of the room to the other and it fit instantly.

"Are you sure the carpet is secure?" Twilight asked. "Shouldn't it be like...glued to the floor or something?"

Sunset giggled upon hearing this.

"Hey!" Twilight protested playfully. "Im a princess. I didn't exactly study construction."

"Whatever, your highness," Sunset replied, still chuckling. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure the size alone should keep it fit on the floor."

"If you insist."

For the next few seconds they just smiled at each other in silence.

"Look, Twilight..." Sunset said, putting on a more serious face. "I'm still sorry if I haven't really been acting normally recently. And I'm sorry if my attitude upset you earlier. I've just...had some problems recently. Not like...actual problems, more...emotional problems..."

"Involving your past?" Twilight asked.

"Not...exactly..."

"You mentioned that you had a talk with someone."

"Yeah...um...yesterday morning...I had a talk with...Discord."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Discord? But he's in Equestria."

"He said he followed you through the portal when you came here."

"Okay...putting that...confusing matter aside, what did you talk about?"

Sunset looked down at the floor, looking like she was uncomfortable with the subject, which made Twilight feel really concerned.. What had Discord said to Sunset?

"Twilight...you are...probably the most incredible person I know. In just a few days you changed me from some evil selfish witch into a better person. You've accomplished so much more in your lifetime than I ever did, and inspired me to accept love and friendship in my life..."

There was a slight thumping feeling building up in Twilight's chest.

"...For months now, seeing you in Equestria has been the highlight of my life. I find myself thinking about you when you're not with me, and more than ever when you are..."

Twilight could almost hear the fierce thumping in her chest.

"...and...I just..."

She was cut off when Miss Peachbottom appeared from behind the door.

"Hey girls! Wow, lovin' the job ya done with the floor!"

"Thanks," Sunset responded, looking happy to see a distraction.

Peachbottom revealed a large grey object with some buttons and a pair of speakers that she was holding in her hand. "I thought ya might want some auditory entertainment, so I brought ma stereo up here."

"Thanks," Sunset repeated.

"There's already a CD in it, but y'all can put whatever you like in. Enjoy yerselves."

She placed the stereo near the door before walking off.

"Y'know what, Twilight," Sunset uttered. "You stay here and get the window cleaned, I just need to go fetch something."

"Sure," Twilight replied, as Sunset jogged out the room.

After Sunset had left, Twilight brought a bucket filled with soapy water over to the window. Before she got started, she removed her tie, along with any other outer pieces of clothing that might get wet. She took the sponge out of the water and rubbed it against the glass, effectively removing the dust.

'What happened back there? My heart felt like it was on the verge of a violent eruption!'

Wherever Sunset was going with that conversation, it did something strange to Twilight. She felt this surging feeling in her chest that she was completely unfamiliar with. The only time she felt anything like that was with Flash Sentry, and other times with Sunset.
What if...

'No. That...that can't be right...'

As Twilight finished cleaning the window, Sunset came back into the room holding a small square case. She knelt down near the stereo, opened the case, and placed a small disc in the slot. After a button was pressed, the stereo started letting out some pleasant tunes.
Sunset turned around and smiled at Twilight. "Well, now that that's done, I think its time we move on to the walls."

They started by removing the last remnants of wallpaper that remained attached to the walls. Using some small masonry trowels they scraped it off bit by bit, leaving behind nothing but a blank grey concrete wall.

Afterwards they moved on to painting the wall, and there was a bucket of thick cyan paint and two large brushes laid out for the job. Sunset shed her jacket before getting started, leaving her in just a purple T-shirt and some jeans. As they dragged the paintbrushes up and down, coating the walls in the paint, the stereo continued playing song after song, ranging from instrumental to even one case of a capella.

"This is some good music," Twilight commented.

"I know," Sunset replied. "Its one of Vinyl's CDs."

"Wow, I didn't know this was the kind of stuff she did."

"Yeah well, neither did I."

As they continued working, the previous song ended, and the stereo started playing a different, yet very familiar song.

Love is in bloom, a beautiful…

"Wait a second, is that Love Is In Bloom?" Twilight asked in surprise.

"Yeah...do you know it?"

"Know it? I sang it at my brother's wedding!"

Sunset nodded. "Interesting."

Twilight continued covering the walls in paint as she tapped her feet to the music. There was clearly something different about the song compared to the day she sang it. Whatever Vinyl had done, the music had been altered, tweaked, and extended in a way that made all the notes fit together perfectly, to the point where the song could be described as beautiful.

Suddenly, Sunset stood up and stretched her hand out towards Twilight, and without even speaking, asked her to take it. It was obvious what Sunset was gesturing towards, but Twilight wasn't sure about it. It seemed like a weird idea.
So why did it feel so right?

Twilight joined her right hand with Sunset's, interlocking their fingers. Sunset then placed her left hand on Twilight's waist, and Twilight proceeded to do the same.

To the sound of the music, they started moving their feet in synchronization. It was nothing special, nothing fancy. Just them holding each other as they shifted their feet around the room together, their eyes locked on each other's faces. But honestly, it was one of the most beautiful experiences Twilight had ever been through.

...Love is in bloooooooom…

Everything in the world seemed to fade away except for Sunset and that amazing music. But the more she stared at Sunset, the quieter the music seemed to get.

...A beaut...bride...handso...groom

The tiny traces of cyan paint on Sunset's face mixed perfectly with her light amber skin and aqua eyes. Her red and yellow hair was in a pretty mess behind her head, strands of it hovering over her face. Twilight had never seen anything so beautiful.

...said...love...in...bloom…

Twilight focused looked deep into Sunset's eyes. Her aqua irises were like green pearls, the reflection of light making them almost sparkle. The music continued to blur as the eyes became the only thing in the world that seemed real.

...starting a life...making room…

And as she stared at Sunset, suddenly, everything made sense. What Discord had been saying, what Pinkie Pie had been saying, the way she had been feeling about Flash, the feeling in her chest. All of it came together in one answer, and that answer was Sunset Shimmer.

...for us…

Twilight couldn't hear the music anymore, and she couldn't see those eyes anymore. Because something even more beautiful was outshining them both.

And that was the feeling of Sunset's lips pressing back against hers.

Author's Notes:

Hooray, after 10 chapters, a month and a half, and over 30,000 words, I finally got them to kiss. It probably should have happened sooner but at least it happened. If you think that this indicates the end of the story don't worry, this is probably around the half way point, cause theres plenty of good stuff you can get out of an actual relationship between them.

I now have some things to say to you all.

First of all, I am REALLY sorry for the delay. Im pretty sure this is my biggest gap between chapters at over two weeks. I had a lot of homework to catch up on, and when the holidays ended, a lot of my time will be taken up from school. This will probably continue, so be prepared, as there may now be larger gaps.

Secondly, this chapter may be one of my best, or one of my worst. The longer a chapter takes, the less enthusiastic I get about it, so Im pretty concerned about this chapter. A lot of you may also see that the final scene is EXACTLY what Vinyl said happened to her and ovtavia, and I've had a lot of comments saying things like "No Sunset! Use not the CD! Woo her with books or something!". So I imagine a lot of you may be unhappy with how this scene ended. Well, I actually thought of this scene about a month ago, only it was a random CD. I only thought of putting Vinyl into the equation when writing the last chapter, so its more the last chapters fault, not this one's. I hope you enjoyed the last scene though, as I said I thought of it a month ago and have wanted to use it ever since.

And finally, do you know what you get when you shorten A Sparkling Sunset down to just the first letters of each word. ASS!
I thought it was funny...

(Actual final note: This story inspired my editor, Feather Flyer, to write her own Sunlight shipfic/dramatic Sunset story titled If She Were The Sun And Her The Moon which is dedicated to me, feeding my huge ego. Its good, so if you like your Sunlight shipping/dramatic sunset stories, go read it.

Now.)

(Supremely ironic final of all final notes, to all new current readers, all chapters after this haven't yet been edited by Feather Flyer and thus have a different structure.)

Love Is In Bloom-Sunset Shimmer

"Sunset."

Wherever the voice was coming from, Sunset couldn't see. It was too dark.

"Sunset!"

That voice was starting to bother her. Why couldn't it just go away?

"SUNSET SHIMMER!"

Sunset's eyes were forced open from the shock of the sudden noise. She stared upwards to see Salty Haze looking down at her. She did not look happy.

"Great, now that you're awake, I suggest you get up, or you're gonna miss out on breakfast."

After Salty walked out, Sunset fell facedown onto her pillow. She didn't want to get up. Then again, no one wants to get up on a school day. But these kind of things are just a fact of life, and people have to learn to deal with them.

If only life was half as pleasant as last night's dream.

Although, while the dream had been wonderful, she had trouble remembering the details. What happened in it exactly? Something to do with Twilight…

Sunset's eyes widened as the events of the previous day all came rushing back to her. The talking. The music. The dancing.

The kiss.

Her arms thrust into the air in triumphant fists while she let out an unsuccessfully restrained squeal of delight. It had actually happened! She and Twilight had actually kissed! Saying this was a dream come true was an understatement. This was something that Sunset could never even have imagined no more than a few days ago.

The memories of the previous day filled her with enough joyful energy to leap out the bed before slipping out of her pajamas and into her clothes. She ran out the door, through the hallway, and down the stairs, passing a very surprised looking Coppermane. When she reached the dining room she grabbed a bowl, filled it with Wheatabix and milk, and ran over to a table. After sitting down, she gave the Wheatabix multiple jabs with her spoon, mashing it into a state that looked similar to porridge, which she started wolfing down ferociously.

She happened to have sat next to Lens Flare, who stared at her while she ate.

"Wow, and people say I tend to eat weirdly."

No more than a second after he finished his sentence, Sunset was standing up and running towards the sink, which was followed by her washing the bowl and spoon, and putting it all back in their cupboards.

She spent the next few minutes doing her usual thing. Brushing her teeth, packing her bag, and generally making sure she was ready for school, breaking into little dances throughout the process. Before she even knew it, she was on the bus headed towards Canterlot High.

The seat on which she had sat down was placed next to Raspberry Roots, who looked at her oddly.

"Um...are you humming the tune of Love Is In Bloom?" She asked. "Last time I checked, you didn't really like that song."

Sunset turned her head and smiled. "Well, last time you checked, I wasn't this happy."

Raspberry looked at her with a raised eyebrow, clearly finding her attitude strange. Her eyes suddenly shot wide open, before she lunged forward and grabbed Sunset by the face. Sunset was too surprised to protest as her eyelids were stretched open, While Raspberry carefully inspected her eye. She then moved downwards and placed her ear against Sunset's chest, and Sunset suddenly became aware of her pounding heartbeat. And weirdest of all, Raspberry then placed her finger inside Sunset's mouth, wetting it against the inside of her cheeks. She then took the finger out and licked it, tasting the saliva.

Raspberry then looked at Sunset with narrowed eyes. "Someone's had their first kiss."

"Uhhhhh..." Sunset replied. "what...makes you say..."

"Don't lie to me, pony girl. I've seen the signs before, and you are currently covered in them. As Charles Ramses once quoteth, 'Deeeaaad giveaway."

Sunset was at a loss for words.

"So who was she?"

That last word struck Sunset the hardest. "She?"

"That saliva lacked the taste of testosterone."

"Um...do you even know what testosterone is?"

"No idea, but that's not the point. The point is that..." Her eyebrows then narrowed as a sign of thinking. "...wait a minute..." Her mouth spread into a grin. "...its that pony princess isn't it."

"Uh..."

"Ha! An Uh! The most futile kind of denial there is. You totally kissed...what's her name...Twilight Sparkle? Yeah, that's it. You totally kissed Twilight Sparkle!"

The volume that she had uttered that last part with made Sunset remember something that Twilight had mentioned before leaving yesterday.

"Um...Raspberry..."Sunset said quietly, successfully getting her attention. "You...wouldn't mind keeping quiet about that would you. Just...pretend it never happened."

Raspberry froze. "Say what?"

"Well...Twilight doesn't really want this incident to be...you know...shouted out loud on a bus."

She responded by sitting down properly on her chair and staring at the back of the chair, though her grin remained.

"Want your privacy," she whispered. "I can respect that."

***

Although that event on the bus was slightly uncomfortable for Sunset, as soon as she stepped out onto the school grounds her elation returned to her. She continued humming Love Is In Bloom while her head swayed side to side as she walked down the concrete path. It had been a really long time since she had felt this happy.

But at the back of her mind, there was something bothering her.

After she and Twilight had kissed, they went back to work in silence. When the walls were done, there was nothing more they could do, since everything else like the lights required more professional work. As soon as they had finished, it was time for Twilight to go. But before leaving, she told Sunset not to mention the kiss to anyone. And judging by the tone she was speaking at the time, she meant it.

And that was what bothered her. There were a lot of things implied if Twilight didn't want anyone else to know that they'd kissed. And some implications were definitely less pleasant than others.

But that was something to be discussed later. Right now, there was almost nothing that could bring her mood down.

And what a mood it was. She went up the stairs in more of a skipping fashion than just walking up them, and as she walked through the doorway and into the halls of Canterlot High she started to do a little dance, clicking her fingers, swaying her head, and shifting her feet to the song being hummed.

Down the hallway, all the other students and staff were starting the day in their various ways. Kids going through their lockers, teachers chatting as they walked down the hallway, the janitor clearing out a bin, all these mundane things became beautiful in the eyes of a lovestruck Sunset Shimmer.

"Morning guys!" she called over to the Diamond Dogs before doing a happy three sixty degree twirl and continuing to amble on. Spot, Rover, and Fido looked up from the pretty stone they were examining and gave Sunset a confused look, since there were little to no previous instances where she had ever directly spoken to them.

Trixie and the Illusions were gathered near Trixie's locker, also looking at something. Knowing Trixie, its was probably a plan to execute some strange magic trick in order to impress the school.

"Good morning!" Sunset greeted them as she walked by, and while Trixie and one of her cronies were still focused on whatever they were looking at, the other girl gave her a friendly wave.

Further down the hallway, she found Miss Harshwhinny walking in the opposite direction while struggling with a large pile of papers.

Suddenly, she stumbled over slightly, allowing a few sheets to fall off the pile. Luckily for her, Sunset quickly responded to the situation by skidding in front of her and catching the papers in mid air before they had a chance to hit the ground.

"I think you dropped these," Said Sunset, placing the papers back on top of the pile.

Before Harshwhinny could thank her, Sunset was already striding off again.

Ahead of Sunset was the door of one of the classrooms, wide open with noise coming from it. As she passed it she took a quick look inside to see Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie having some kind of argument. The strangest thing was that Pinkie Pie was holding on to a large blue cannon with pink wheels.

"Don't you see, Dashie!" Pinkie exclaimed to rainbow Dash. "The Equestria Girls party cannon is now canon!"

"Yes, Pinkie, I see that it’s a cannon," Dash replied. "What I'm asking is why it's in a classroom?!"

"But it’s canon now!"

"I know it’s a cannon!"

Sunset heard Pinkie let out an annoyed moan as she walked out of hearing distance.

Across the hallway she walked, Sunset gave a friendly greeting to everyone she passed, and got happier with every positive response she was given. Around the corner was a bunch of lockers, and at one of the lockers, she found one of the main people she was looking for.

Vinyl was sorting out her locker, collecting the books she required and storing those she didn't need. Slightly unaware of her surroundings due to the headphone covering her ears, she was taken by surprise when suddenly locked in tight hug from Sunset.

"Waaaaaaaah?!" Vinyl exclaimed, instinctively trying to free herself. "What the hell, dude?!"

As soon as she realized that suddenly grabbing someone likely isn't comfortable for them, Sunset released her.

"Vinyl Scratch, you are my Hero!"

Vinyl removed her headphones and raised an eyebrow behind her shades. "Say what now?"

Sunset's left hand rummaged through one of the small side pockets in her bag and brought out the CD.

"This CD worked wonders!" Sunset proclaimed, handing it back to the DJ. "It happened. Everything you talked about actually happened!"

"Everything?"

"Yeah," Sunset replied, nodding her head happily. "Dancing, kiss..." One again, she remembered what Twilight had said. "Actually...its best I don't go into details..."

Vinyl winced slightly. "That sounds...disturbingly explicit."

Traces of blush started appearing on Sunset's face when she realised what Vinyl was implying. "I suppose it does..."

"Moving on," Vinyl jabbered. "I'm glad it worked out for you. But next time I help you, please don't thank me in such a...sudden and affectionate way."

"Sure," Sunset glanced at a clock, seeing that lessons were fast approaching. "Gotta go. See ya Vinyl."

And with that, she jogged down the hallway as Vinyl waved farewell to her.

***

Strangely enough, Sunset didn't find any of her friends in the music room. It could be assumed that they had just gathered in smaller groups all over CHS. It wasn't the first time, but of all days that particular day was one of the worst for that to happen. As the time gap between the present and the kiss got larger, Sunset longed to see Twilight again.

Since she had been unable to find the group, Sunset went to lessons alone. At History she was joined by Rarity and Fluttershy, as they were part of the usual class. Next was Math, where she was joined by Applejack. But in both of these lessons, Twilight was nowhere to be seen.

The urge to see her grew stronger, but for different reasons.

Why did Twilight want to keep the kiss a secret? Was she embarrassed about it? Why would she be? Was it because both of them were girls?

Was she unsure about something?

Did she not feel the same way?

The more she thought about it, the more she felt something inside her. Something very close to fear.

Hopefully, she would be there at break, and they would have a chance to talk about it. Sunset found herself looking at the clock every few seconds, counting down the minutes to when she could finally go.

At long last, Mr. Donkey set them their homework and permitted them to leave. Sunset had to hold back the urge to run as she walked out the classroom and towards the cafeteria.

It seemed her efforts to hold back on running were in slight vain, as she was the first person to set foot in the cafeteria. To be fair, they didn't serve food during the first break, so it didn't normally have people in it at this time. But despite this, it was the regular meeting place of Sunset and her friends, along with a few other social groups.

Sunset sat herself down and locked her eyes on the entrance, waiting for her friends to arrive. If Twilight was anywhere, it had to be with them.

As minute after minute passed, and student after student came through the doors, she was beginning to doubt it. But as she was on the verge of leaving the cafeteria to look for Twilight somewhere else, she saw the strong, muscular figure of Applejack appear through the doorway.

Right behind her were Rarity and Rainbow Dash. And following them was Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy...and Twilight!

If Sunset had no willpower, she would be running towards Twilight and grabbing her in a passionate embrace. Luckily, Sunset had plenty of willpower, and did no such thing, allowing herself to sit casually as her friends sat down around her. To her indescribable joy, Twilight sat down right next to her.

Everyone else sitting at the table starting breaking into their own conversations, while Twilight just watched them in silence, and Sunset watched her in turn.

Eventually, she built up the nerve to confront her.

"Twilight?" she whispered, placing her hand on the princess' shoulder.

Twilight closed her eyes and let out a small sigh, as if she had been dreading a moment like this.

"Not right now, Sunset," she said in a voice with a hint of sadness.

"What do you mean?"

"It just...isn't the time."

"Then when is?"

Twilight turned her head to face Sunset, staring into her eyes with a mixture of emotions that were hard to identify.

"Meet me behind the school after the last class has ended. Then we'll...talk."

***

The outside air never seemed so chilly.

It had been about six minutes since the last class ended. As soon as they had been let out, Sunset had run out the back entrance, hoping to see Twilight there. She was nowhere to be seen.

Apparently there were some plans to eventually develop something behind the school, but for now there wasn't much to take note of. Just a large metal fence blocking the school from the rest of the city, under the shade of small trees. There was nothing else to speak of except for a small grey bench on top of the green grass. It was so simple, the fact that they had bothered to add a back entrance at all seemed weird to Sunset.

Yet in the afternoon light, it all seemed...remarkably pretty.

Sunset sat herself down on the bench and waited, while continuing to admire the scenery as well.

And while she sat there, she feared and anticipated whatever would come next.

All of a sudden, she heard the quiet sound of crunching grass. Turning her head, she found herself looking at Twilight Sparkle, slowly walking towards her with her hair swaying in the breeze.

"Hey."

Twilight's mouth stretched into a tiny smile. "Hi."

Sunset scooted over to the other end of the bench, leaving plenty of space for Twilight to sit. When Twilight reached the bench she sat herself down, leaving little space between the two, while not exactly touching.

"So..." Twilight mumbled. "How was your day?"

Sunset closed her eyes and let the feelings inside her run loose, as all the thoughts that had been building up that day took over her mind.

"Look Twilight, I don't want any of this 'How was your day?' nonsense. You know why I want to talk to you."

At that moment, any signs of casualness on Twilight's face slipped into some type of sadness.

"About last night?" she asked.

Sunset scooted closer towards her. "Of course about last night. We can't just ignore what happened. We kissed."

Twilight's eyes squinted shut and she looked down at the ground, as if trying to repress the memory.

"Twilight," Sunset said, her voice dripping with emotion. "I want to know how you feel about it. About me."

She continued to stare at the ground, and as Sunset looked closer, there were traces of tears in her eyes.

"I...don't...know..." Twilight mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, the fear from earlier growing inside her again.

"Last night was...wonderful." Twilight lifted her head from staring at the ground and looked straight into Sunset's eyes. "I've never felt anything so...strong..."

From these words, a great load of fear that Sunset had been feeling evaporated into relief. Twilight definitely had feelings for her, yet there was something else going on…

"But..." Sunset could hear Twilight's voice start to crack, as the tears in her eyes became more and more visible. "Its not right. I'm a princess of Equestria. I can't be doing things that are so... against... everything my society knows. If a princess of Equestria was in a relationship with a mare, there would be...complete chaos. The nobles, the lords, the aristocrats, the entire Canterlot society. They would never accept a homosexual princess. And what Canterlot does, the rest of Equestria will follow."

Twilight's hand was lifted off the bench and placed on Sunset's cheek. Sunset lost her focus on the situation for a second as she basked in the softness of that lavender palm.

"But at the same time...I can't stop the thoughts. The thoughts about you. Ever since that kiss...I've wanted nothing more than to see you again, to talk to you again, to touch you again."

Upon finishing that last word, Twilight's other hand was placed on Sunset's other cheek.

"But as a princess...I just can't do that."

As both of them sat there, with Twilight's hands around Sunset's face, the tears running down Twilight's own cheeks, Sunset thought about everything Twilight had said.

All the fear that Sunset had been feeling suddenly felt meaningless. She then understood that if anyone had a reason to be afraid, it was Twilight. It didn't matter if she wanted to be with Sunset or not. Back in Equestria, she was a princess. The highest among the high society. The one that had to be respected. The Equestria that Sunset knew always had trouble with acceptance. The common townspeople may be quite accepting of homosexuals, but from what Sunset remembered there was always racism and elitism all over Equestria, and it was most prominent in high society. Among the ponies with the most money and power.

If it was revealed to people like those that Twilight was homosexual or bisexual, the respect for the princesses might get shattered. And if that happened, the same could happen to the monarchy in its entirety.

But in spite of all this, Sunset wasn't afraid anymore. And if she wasn't afraid, Twilight didn't have to be either.

"No one has to know."

Twilight's tearful eyes became locked with Sunset's. As Sunset looked into those magenta orbs, she saw uncertainty. But at the same time, she saw hope.

"I just...the risk..." She sniffed.

Sunset took Twilight's hands off her cheeks and held them in her own hands. She stared at Twilight with a look of assertiveness.

It was the time for honesty. It was the time to get to the point.

"Do you want this, Twilight?"

Twilight stared back at her, eyes filled with uncertainty, fear, and confusion. But at the same time, the hope was still there.

"But what if someone finds out? What if we get discovered?"

Sunset squeezed Twilight's hands, tight, yet softly.

"That wasn't the question. The question was, do you want this, Twilight?"

Their gazes remained locked as a moment of silence passed between them.

"More than anything," Twilight whispered.

Continuing to stare into Twilight's eyes, Sunset saw something else besides all the emotions that she had seen previously. Something besides fear, confusion, and hope. Something similar to what she had seen in Twilight the previous night.

And at the same time, Sunset felt something inside her that reminded her of the previous night.

"Okay," Sunset whispered back.

As they pulled each other in for their second kiss, Sunset began to feel everything she had seen in Twilight's eyes. The thought of the prejudiced society that waited for them back in Equestria filled her with uncertainty and fear. But at the same time, the knowledge that Twilight was well and truly hers filled her with more hope and happiness than she had ever felt before.

Author's Notes:

I am really sorry for yet another late chapter. Even on the weekends, I have still find myself struggling to write. I have recently found myself addicted to playing Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare, despite my hatred of the COD franchise. Curse Advanced Warfare's slight Sci-Fi element and new customisation options that make it more appealing than all those other boring COD games! CURSE IT! Another problem is that even while I write I find myself struggling to think of things to write, and this may be why Im recently getting some pacing complaints. I believe that this is because I've spent too much time in the human world, and the setting is just getting boring for me. I intend on returning to Equestria in the next chapter, and my writing should speed up from then on.

Now I've continued reading If She Were The Sun And Her The Moon, and it has gotten really good. I recommend it to all of you, and Im not just saying that because its dedicated to me, it is a genuinely good story. If you are going to read it though, I will warn you that the first few chapters aren't as good as the rest, and it picks up majorly around chapter 8.

Click here if you want to read it.

Family-Twilight Sparkle

"Check."

By advancing her knight forward, Twilight had successfully endangered Sunset's King. The king would have to move from its place, and since it was right at the back of the board, and the spaces left and forward were in range of Twilight's Queen and Bishop, there was no choice but to move right. After that, Twilight just had to move a Pawn forward and the game would be hers.

Sunset spent a few seconds analyzing the board, before picking up her Queen and moving it to the upper left space from Twilight's King.

'Did she just put her most effective piece in range of my king? Where's the logic in that? All I have to do is move...'

It was then that she saw it. There was a pawn placed in the upper right space from the space that the Queen was placed on. If Twilight's King took out Sunset's Queen, then that Pawn could just take the King out. If the King couldn't take out the Queen then it would just have to evade it. But as Twilight scanned over the board, she saw that there wasn't a spot to evade to. The Queen made any spaces left or in front of the King unavailable, moving backwards would just put it in range of a Castle, and one of Sunset's Bishops made sure that the King couldn't move right. It was trapped.

"Check. Mate," Sunset proclaimed, with a triumphant grin on her face.

Twilight spent the next few seconds sitting there with a dumbfounded expression on her face as Sunset's grin grew greater in size.

"I don't think...anyone...has...ever...beaten me at chess."

"Well, my sweet Twilight, you have clearly never fought an opponent that has played against Celestia herself."

"Wait, like...you beat her?!"

Sunset looked pretty shocked at the suggestion. "Of course not. With her wisdom and experience, I don't think anyone can beat Celestia. But after you play plenty of chess games with her, you learn a thing or three."

"Well then...I clearly haven't played enough chess with her."

"Well, at least you tried."

The playful smile on Sunset's face hit Twilight with that warm rushing feeling that she had discovered so recently. It was just how beautiful she looked when she had that expression, and how it was genuinely directed at her. It had been three days since they became a couple, and Twilight was still feeling the full force of the fresh relationship. Every smile, every laugh, Twilight couldn't help but love every positive emotion that Sunset had almost as much as she loved Sunset herself. She couldn't really say that she had never been happier, as was the description so many people gave to the feeling of love. She had always been happy, but being with Sunset...it was just something else entirely.

And it seemed like Sunset was thinking similar thoughts, because all of a sudden she was leaning over the table and pushing her lips onto Twilight's.

As always, Twilight found herself lost in the kiss. With her eyes closed and the feeling of Sunset's lips on her own, everything else seemed to slip out of existence. She could feel and hear everything around her, but the kiss left no space in her mind to process any of it.

That was, until she started to hear the vibrating.

At the sudden sound emitting from Sunset's bag, the two girls separated their lips and looked at the ground. The bag itself was vibrating along with the sound, glowing with pink light.

The journal!

Sunset reached for her bag and pulled the book out of one of the large pockets. The book finished glowing and vibrating as she opened the pages, reading whatever new words lay within.

"Its for you," She said, handing the book over to Twilight.

She took a look at the open pages before her, and found a lot of new entries from Spike trying to get a hold of her with no success, similar to what she was trying to do before. However, the latest message was different.

Twilight!

I'm so glad to hear from you again. The portal suddenly stopped working last week, and no one could get it open. Everyone's been really worried about you. Please come home or at least respond to this message as soon as you can.

Spike.

She looked up from the journal and at Sunset's face, which showed a hint of concern.

Twilight let out a deep breath. "Looks like I'm going home."

***

As Twilight brushed her hands against the mirror, she felt it dissipate as ripples and light spread across the glass.

The portal was open.

Twilight looked at Sunset standing next to her, still looking a bit concerned. That wasn't really a surprise, since at the other side of the mirror was everything they had feared when they got into the relationship. But at the same time, Twilight's friends and family were on the other side as well, and she'd been gone too long.

"Don't worry, Twilight," Sunset insisted, though she still had that look on her. "Its just been a week, how bad could it be?"

Twilight had the sudden terrifying thought of an Equestria in ruins, as an alliance between Tirek, the Changelings and an alien armada lays waste to everything, and mutant cyborg zombies prey upon the innocent.

"Sure," Twilight squeaked, trying to get the image out of her head. "You ready?"

Sunset smiled, taking Twilight's hand. "Of course."

And together, they walked into the light.

In that space between dimensions, Twilight felt Sunset's fingers slip out of her own, which curled into a fist before merging together into a hoof. She felt her ears grow and stick out into an equine shape, her nose and mouth growing outward into a muzzle. Her legs shrank as her feet curled into hind legs and hooves, and her hair grew down her neck into a mane, as more hair protruded from the bottom of her spine as a tail. Every bone in her body bent, broke, and connected into an entirely different structure, her spine bending backwards and her skull changing shape. Finally, her shoulders split apart and released a mass of flesh and bone that became feathery wings, and a long piece of bone thrust out her skull, wrapping itself in a thin layer of muscle, skin and fur, creating a long, elegant horn.

This transformation that could be considered grotesque and painful, took place in less than a second, and Twilight felt nothing of it.

She did feel herself walking out the other end of the mirror, still standing on her hind legs. The efforts of gravity and her equestrian body forced her to the ground, but she prevented a painful crash to the floor by falling on her front hooves. She looked down at them, lavender fur covering them. She then looked at her back, taking in the full view of her tail and wings. She was a pony once again.

She looked to her left to see Sunset Shimmer, now an amber unicorn mare. A bit shamefully, Twilight found herself kinda missing the human forms round chest. But seeing Sunset in her true Equestrian form, the beautiful fur, the smooth horn, the snazzy mane and hair style, it all brought a smile to her face.

"Library looks nice as always," Sunset complimented, taking a look around.

Twilight herself got a good look at the library, and saw that it was a lot better kept than the last time she had been there. All the furniture was placed in good spots and the bookshelves were in excellent states. All that could almost certainly be the work of Spike.

The two mares stepped out of the library and into the hallway. As they trod on, Twilight felt the need to see some of her friends and family again.

"Hello?" She called down the hallway.

There was no response. Just the quiet halls of the castle.

"Anyone there? Spike? Applejack? Fluttershy?"

Still nothing but silence. Perhaps no one was there…

"TWILIGHT!"

She felt herself hit the ground as a pink blur crashed into her. She looked up to see Pinkie Pie lying on top of her, smothering her in a tight, passionate hug.

"Twilight, I'm so happy to see you! My fears of you being the mind controlled slave of a demon overlord can now be put to rest!"

Twilight turned her head right and looked down the hallway to see all her friends walking towards her.

"Well, I'll be," Applejack said, a huge smile on her face. "You're finally back."

Even after she got up from the floor, Pinkie Pie was still hugging her, and one by one every one of her friends joined in on the embrace. It had only been a week since she had last seen them, but at that moment it felt like it had been so much longer than that. And sure, the human world had its own versions of these girls, but her original friends just couldn't be replaced.

"So what happened?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Why wouldn't the portal open?"

As all her friends left the hug, Twilight explained everything that had happened, why the portal couldn't open and why they couldn't contact each other. They all seemed to understand and were glad that nothing truly serious had happened to her or the mirror.

"We're just glad you’re back now," said Fluttershy. "It really must of been scary being trapped there."

"No worries," Twilight insisted. "The scariest experience I've ever had there was my first visit, when the prospect of being stuck there for thirty moons was looming over my head."

"It's good to know the portal didn't stay closed for a similar length of time," said Rarity. "That would have just tragic."

"Well, it was just a week," Twilight replied. "How are my parents by the way? And Shining Armour for that matter. They must have been really worried."

"Don't worry," Rarity responded. "We sent letters to them as soon as Spike received that message from you."

"Thanks."

"Speaking of which, we also sent a message to Princess Celestia that we received word from you."

"Did she reply?"

Rarity nodded. "She wants to see you in Canterlot as soon as possible."

***

"Look, it’s gonna be fine," Sunset insisted.

As nice as Sunset's attempts at comforting Twilight were, they didn't do much to help. The halls of the Canterlot Castle never looked so intimidating, especially with the guards posted at each side of the hall.

"But I've been gone for a week! And now my mentor and superior wants to see me! What if she's angry with how long I've been gone? What if I missed out on something important? What if she’s going to take my title away?"

"Come on, Twi, you know her. She'd never do that."

She felt Sunset move closer to her as they walked, their backs touching each other. This helped ease her a lot more, but she still felt greatly concerned about how her talk with Celestia would go.

Further down the halls was a great wooden double door, with two guards posted at each side like with the rest of the hall. As the Princess and the unicorn approached it, the two guards opened the doors to reveal the hallway that lead to the chambers of the Princesses.

They also revealed an unexpected surprise.

That particular hallway was filled with a few more royal guards, only they were a bit more active, moving around the halls, coming and going in and out of various rooms, and talking with someone that looked like a captain. A pegasus with orange fur, blue hair, and golden armour.

"Princess Twilight," said Flash Sentry, bowing his head with a smile on his face. "You look beautiful as always."

He took her hoof and kissed it, a chivalrous gesture that Twilight probably would have swooned over no more than a month ago. But now, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable from it, especially in the presence of her girlfriend.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked. "I thought you worked in the Crystal Empire?"

"I was temporarily transferred here yesterday, apparently. I'm getting an important assignment pretty soon," Flash turned his head to see Sunset. "Well, well, well, Sunset Shimmer. Haven't seen you in a while. It’s been what...three, four years?"

"Forty five moons to be exact," Sunset replied. She looked clearly unamused.

"Well, glad to see you're back, and you've made a friend of the princess I see."

'Oh, you have absolutely no idea.'

The thought brought a small chuckle out of Twilight.

"Something funny, Princess?" Flash asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing," Twilight replied. "Just remembered something funny."

"Good to know." Flash put on a flirty smile. "Seeing you laugh is always a treat."

"Well then..." said Sunset, who also had a smile on her face, though the look in her eyes told Twilight that she was thinking some pretty violent thoughts. "I'm sure the Princess needs to get on with her royal business now."

"Right," said Flash, clearly unaware of how Sunset was feeling. "Down the hallway, you'll find Princess Celestia at the last and largest door."

He turned to Sunset. "Sorry, Shimmy, but this is strictly royal business. No one besides the Princesses move on from this point."

"Okay..." Sunset replied, though she was clearly unhappy with this. "I guess I'll see you outside, Twi."

After a short walk down the hallway, Twilight found the large door at the end that Flash had described. It was little more than a large white double door with golden borders and the cutie mark of Celestia on it. Despite its simplicity, it managed to look very regal.

Remembering her manners, Twilight knocked three times on the wood.

No more than two seconds later, the door opened itself to reveal Princess Celestia.

"Twilight," she greeted her happily, walking over and hugging her.

And with that, any fear or concern that Twilight had previously been feeling was washed away.

"It's so good to see you again, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine."

"Spike told me a few days ago that you had gone to the other world and hadn't returned. He said that the portal refused to open. Do you know what happened?"

Twilight explained everything to her as she had explained to her friends. How she had gone to visit Sunset, how the portal closed behind her, and how it would not work for the week at the opposite end of the cycle that it would normally work. Throughout the explanation Celestia stood there and listened in silence.

"I see," she said, once Twilight had finished. "It would appear that that mirror holds a few more secrets than we initially thought. I'm just glad you're safe now."

"Did anything happen when I was gone?"

Celestia's smile faded at this. "I'm afraid there has, Twilight. I believe you are aware that two weeks ago, the Griffin King passed away."

Twilight had been busy with her castle, so she wasn't very up to date with recent events outside of Equestria, making this a major surprise.

"King Aetós is dead?"

"I'm afraid so. At the old age of a hundred and two, I was expecting it would happen sooner or later. What I was not expecting was what would come of it. His eldest children are two twin girls, both the same age, and anyone who was present at their birth has also passed away by now, so no one knows which one is older. Because of this, no one knows which one is the rightful heir. It also doesn't help that they don't get along well, so any thoughts of them working together as co rulers have been dismissed. Both of them claim to be the rightful heir, and this has lead to conflict in the griffin kingdom."

That didn't sound good to Twilight. "How bad is it?"

"The citizens and the law enforcement are becoming more and more divided by the day. The people of the Griffin Kingdom have more or less split into two sides, both supporting the princess they believe should take the throne. There hasn't been anything as serious as death, but there has been strong violence in the streets, leading to many severe injuries and several innocents in prison. The entire kingdom is one the verge of a civil war."

"That sounds horrible."

"It is. Now, we've tried to organize a conference between the rulers of Equestria and the Griffin Kingdom, but the griffin Princesses refuse to come unless all four Equestrian Princesses are present. And with you gone, we haven't been able to do so. The conflict in the Griffin Kingdom is continuing as we speak."

That was what hit Twilight the hardest. Because she had gone to visit Sunset, and because she had been trapped in the human world, she had avoided her duties as a princess. There were people suffering in the griffin kingdom. Suffering she could have stopped if she had just been there!

"I'm...I'm so sorry..."

"You don't have to apologize Twilight, no one aside from Starswirl himself could have predicted what happened to you. And now that you're here we can organize another conference in a few days."

"But...I should have been there..."

Celestia put her hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "Its fine Twilight, it’s not your fault. Nothing has happened in the Griffin Kingdom that cannot be repaired, it will just take longer to fix everything. What's important now is that you are home, safe and sound."

Twilight smiled. "Sunset saw to it that I was taken care of."

At the mention of Sunset's name, any sign of a smile on Celestia's face was gone. "I see..."

It was evident that Celestia's view on Sunset hadn't changed. But now that Twilight realized how much she loved Sunset, she wasn't going to give up trying to change Celestia's opinion.

"Look, Celestia, I understand if you can't let go of the past, but Sunset...she’s really changed. If you'd just talk to her..."

"Twilight, we have talked about this already, I'll talk to Sunset when I am ready."

"But when will you be ready? There's nothing stopping you right now."

Celestia sighed. "This isn't about my relationship with Sunset Shimmer, this is about your safety. In my centuries I have lived I have seen more betrayal and deception than you could understand. And my distrust of her is one reason why I'm putting together a guard force for you."

Twilight was stunned into silence for a second. "A what?"

"I requested that captain Flash Sentry be transferred from the Crystal Empire. He and a select few will have the duty of protecting you and your castle from now on."

"Uh...wouldn't it have been a good idea to have consulted me on this?"

"If I did, would you have accepted?"

"No."

"Exactly. You don't understand the danger you tend to put yourself in, and I care deeply about your safety. Anyway, there shouldn't be anything wrong with having guards keeping you safe. They'll be there to protect you against danger and nothing else. It won't be any different from the guards we have here."

'Sunset is not gonna be happy with Flash Sentry living in my castle.'

"Look, Celestia, I don't really mind the idea of having a bunch of guards in my castle. I just don't think it’s necessary. Sunset would never want to hurt me."

Celestia closed her eyes and lowered her head sadly. "Your insistence of your safety is exactly why I want you protected. I won't go so far as to forbid you from seeing Sunset Shimmer, but I insist that you stay alert. I just want you safe. You are dismissed."

Twilight turned around and walked over to the door. Before leaving, she turned her head to face Celestia.

"Celestia, when I try to get you to forgive Sunset, its because I'm trying to help you."

At the distance that Twilight was standing, she could see that Celestia wasn't happy, but she couldn't tell if she was sad or angry.

"I'm the ruler of Equestria. I don't need help."

Twilight closed the door behind her as she walked out of the room.

As she walked down the hallway in silence, she couldn't help but think about how annoying it was that Celestia wouldn't even give Sunset a chance.

'Sunset would never want to hurt me. Why can't she see that? Even if Sunset turned evil once, Celestia has always been one to forgive people. What about Discord? She was pretty eager to try and reform him. What makes Sunset any different?!'

"Twilight Sparkle."

She stopped walking. Did she just hear someone whisper her name? She looked around and saw nothing but closed doors in an empty hallway.

"Twilight Sparkle."

Suddenly, one of the doors slammed wide open.

"Um..." Twilight was finding this very weird and suspicious. "...hello?"

There was no answer, just an open door that revealed a pitch black dark room.

Despite the fact that going into a dark mysterious room to follow a mysterious voice was probably a really bad idea, Twilight's curiosity was getting the better of her. Step by step, she slowly walked into the darkness.

And the moment her tail crossed the border of the door, she heard a loud slam behind her, leaving her in the pitch black darkness.

"Who are you?" Twilight asked, getting nervous from the situation.

After a few seconds of being left in the darkness, she spotted a small blue glowing light.

The light grew in size and brightness, not lighting up the entire room, but revealing that it was emitting from a horn. A navy alicorn horn.
"Princess Luna?"

As her eyes adjusted to the light, Twilight found herself looking upon the princess of the night.

"Hello, Twilight Sparkle."

"What are you doing here? What’s with the weird secrecy act?"

"I don't want anyone to know that we spoke."

Despite the fact that she now knew where the voice had come from, she was still finding the situation confusing.

"What do you want?" Twilight asked.

Luna moved closer to Twilight, unnerving her with the very serious expression on her face. "I want you to stop trying to convince Celestia of Sunset's reformation. Any efforts to do so are futile."

Twilight was baffled. "Don't tell me you refuse to see the good in her, too!"

"Of course not. You should know that I of all people understand the turmoils of a reformed former villainess. After speaking with her, I see that her situation was very similar to my own."

"You...spoke with her?" Twilight couldn't recall something like that ever happening.

"I visited Sunset in her dreams."

"You can do that?" Now she was just getting confused.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle never mentioned it?"

"No."

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that it will take a lot more for Celestia to even try and make amends with Sunset."

"But why? What makes her any different to other reformed villains like Discord, or even YOU for that matter?"

"Because to Celestia, Sunset Shimmer was more than a good person turned to evil. She was a failure."

"What do mean?"

"I mean that she was meant to be what you are. The next alicorn princess."

This wasn't really a surprise to Twilight. She had deduced that Celestia intended on making Sunset an alicorn. The problem was that it had to be earned, and Sunset had tried to demand it without really earning it.

"But it wasn't a case like yours, Twilight. Sunset wasn't a talented unicorn that Celestia saw as having the potential to be an alicorn. She was born for it."

This was making little sense to Twilight. "What do you mean born for it?"

Luna was quiet for a second. "What did Sunset tell you of her past? Her...origins so to speak?"

"She told me that her father was a soldier that was killed when she was two. Since no one knew who her mother was she was sent to an orphanage, where she spent the rest of her childhood living in. She got into a fight with this unicorn guy and Celestia was so impressed that she took her in as her student."

"Did she tell you that she wanted to become a powerful unicorn because she was inspired by stories of her father told to her by veteran soldiers that he knew?"

"Yes, I didn't think that was really important..."

"I honestly don't know if all of those veterans would have given Sunset so much attention had they not been told to do so."

"What...are you saying that Celestia told them to visit her?"

Luna nodded. "As another deed in service to Equestria. And don't you think it's strange that Celestia was there to see Sunset's duel against Arran Clover?"

This was getting too cryptic for Twilight. "What are you getting at?"

"Celestia orchestrated a great number of the most important events in Sunset's life. That's why she refuses to reconcile with her. She’s sees her as a failure that she created."

"But...why Sunset?"

"As I have done with many ponies before, I have entered Celestia's mind through her dreams. When doing this, I found out...a few things."

"You did what?!" Twilight was shocked to hear that Luna would disrupt Celestia's privacy like that.

"During the time when the portal between this world and the anti universe was closed by Starswirl the Bearded, Celestia spent many centuries trying to fix the bridge between the two universes, so that she could reunite with her beloved Sombra. But in that time, there were many cases where she found herself getting...lonely, and in those cases she would enter short relationship with a stallion."

"What has that got to do with any of this?"

"One of these stallions was a lieutenant in the Equestrian Scouting Legion."

For a second Twilight was just confused again. But suddenly, hundreds of pieces came together. Why Celestia would do all this. Why she would send veterans to inspire Sunset to be a great unicorn, why she would train Sunset to be an alicorn princess, why she saw Sunset as a failure of hers.

'Sunset's mother was unknown..."

"Twilight Sparkle..." Before Luna even spoke, Twilight knew what she was going to say. "Sunset is Celestia's daughter."

Author's Notes:

Sigh. Some people are probably not going to like this.

See what you did Woomod! All the way back in chapter 2 you posted your comment saying:

"Oh, clearly Celestia cares about Sunset more than Twilight because at the end of EG she says 'How is Sunset?' and not 'Are you okay Twilight?' and Sunset's bond to Celestia is an important part of her character and BLAH BLAH BLAH!"

Well this was the best I could come up with to fix that problem. There, ya happy, now there bond extends to GENETICS! If I get a barrage of hate comments from this chapter, remember that it was YOUR FAULT WOOMOD!

To everyone else, I am sorry if you don't like this revelation. It was the best I could come up with to fix that problem Woomod pointed out. The idea struck me when I was watching BONUS Bronies React: Rainbow Rocks and ILoveKimPossibleAlot called Sunset Sunbutt 2.0 and the thought of Sunset being a second Celestia gave me this idea.

If any of you care, I have now coloured all of Fracture's dialogue in chapter 4, and intend on doing so for his future appearances.

Finally, how does the view count system work? It says 858 at the moment and when I hover my mouse over it, it says that the story has over 4000 views in total. Does that mean that 858 different users have read it and it has been read 4000 times in total? I refuse to believe that this story is that popular.

(A bit of a warning to those currently reading the story, beyond this point the chapters haven't been edited, so there will be a sudden change in writing structure.)

As always, please comment and critique this story so I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Inner Demons-Sunset Shimmer

To her left, she saw red walls. To her right, she saw red walls. Ahead of her, she saw darkness.

Once again, Sunset Shimmer found herself in the red corridor.

But unlike the previous times, she wasn't walking forward. She didn't want to walk forward. Every time she had, there was nothing good at the end.

Instead, she sat down, and waited.

What she was waiting for, she really didn't know, but anything had to be better than going down that red corridor.

She looked to her right at one of the walls. Like the previous nights, the walls were blood red, with smudges of cinnamon scattered across them, moving, shifting, and changing their shape. But Sunset noticed something. It wasn't like the previous nights. The cinnamon parts were moving a lot faster and a lot more erratically than before. And the more they shifted, the more familiar the shapes seemed to look.

Sunset found herself unable to look at the walls anymore, and looked down at the cherry red floor. But despite the fact that she was looking at nothing but red, the images she saw on the wall were burned into her mind. She couldn't even distinguish them, but there was something about them that made her feel sick and scared.

Suddenly, she felt something creep up on her back. It didn't feel like anything physical, it didn't feel like anything magical, it barely even felt like it existed at all, but she could feel it. In the clutches of fear, she slowly turned her head around.

And saw nothing but the corridor descending into darkness.

Despite the fact that she saw nothing there, she felt like something Was there. She found herself continuing to look back at the corridor behind her, unable to look away.

She couldn't go back.

And the more she stared into the darkness, the more the fear inside her continued to grow. She couldn't really understand why, but there was something about it that was slowly terrifying her. It was as if she knew that there was something in the darkness that was staring right back at her, but at the same time she knew there wasn't. Worst of all, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't look away as the fear ripped into her.

After what seemed like hours, she finally broke out of her paralysis, and bolted down the hallway.

She couldn't go back.

It didn't matter what lay ahead of her this time. Anything was better than what was back there. The cinnamon smudges on the walls began to blur as she picked up speed. Air rushed past her ears as she ran, making her hear a whistling sound that just got louder and louder.

She couldn't go back.

The sound in her ears changed pitch and tone in a way that Sunset couldn't understand. But as it continued to change, she realized that it was recreating the sound of the voices.

"Celestia thinks she can keep me from my destiny?!"

She couldn't go back.

"Once I get my hands on that crown, I'll make them all pay for how they treated me!"

She couldn't go back.

"How dare she give my rightful place as princess to that lavender freak!"

Sunset's eyes shut tight as she let out a scream.

"I can't go back!"

And she opened her eyes to find that she had reached the end of the corridor.

It was like the room that she had encountered the first time, only it was much larger, and there was no sign of any pedestal or crown. The walls were curved, giving the room a circular shape. They were also blood red instead of cherry red, and lacking any cinnamon smudges. In fact, when Sunset took a closer look she realised that the colours of the floor and walls had swapped.

Sunset's neck twisted as she looked back at the corridor. The darkness in the distanced seemed to bare its fangs at her as she looked into it.

She couldn't go back.

With no other options she could think of, she walked closer to the centre of the room, her footsteps echoing off the walls. As she got closer and closer to the centre, she looked up at the ceiling, only to discover that there was no ceiling. Like the corridor behind her, the walls just rose up into a blind darkness.

Once she reached the middle of the room she stopped walking. No idea of what she was meant to do entered her mind, and no opportunity arrived. In search of answers, she looked up at the walls.

And it was then that she saw it.

From the darkness above came fiery orange smudges, similar to the ones on the walls of the corridor. Unlike those though, they weren't as random or erratic. Instead, they moved similar to clouds, slowly descending. Despite this, they looked nothing like clouds, instead reminding Sunset of the fire that their colours matched.

As the orange smudges descended, Sunset saw that they were moving closer together. They treated each other like magnets. As two smudges closed in on each other, small orange tendrils protruded from them each one and on to the other, before they merged into one.

One by one the smudges joined together, creating one large fiery orange smudge that seemed to glow. And as it grew, it started to change shape, moving and shifting, becoming an image that was looking more and more familiar...

"No..." Sunset whispered.

Suddenly, the smudge began to glow. The light wasn't big, but it was certainly bright, blindingly so. But no matter how much it hurt Sunset's eyes, she couldn't look away. And before she could comprehend what was happening, the light began to shimmer.

Out stepped a cerise red leg, half covered in a pitch black boot with red edges at the top. Pulling forward, it revealed a red and yellow dress in the style of Sunset's hair. And as the light faded, revealing the creature in its entirety, she found herself looking upon cerise skin covering a monstrous female form. From its back were black and red wings covered in holes, and from under the dress, a red and yellow tail that featured a similar style to the dress was sticking out. On the head were fearsome white fangs, pointed ears, and a mop of red and yellow hair sticking up like fire. Upon the head sat a golden crown that was the element of magic, and underneath were pitch black eyes with Sunset's own opal green irises.

In short, Sunset had found herself face to face with the demon she had once become.

"Hello Sunset." It snarled. Its voice was like three Sunset Shimmer's speaking at once. One furiously angry, one weeping, and one maniacally elated.

"Get out of my head." Sunset uttered, trying to sound determined, despite the fact that her heart was racing with fear. "I'm not scared of you!"

The demon chuckled at this. "Of course you aren't, you have no reason to be. I am you after all."

Sunset stumbled back as she heard this. Partly because the very thought of that suggestion was horrifying, partly because she felt that there was truth in it. Especially since it had been true once.

But not anymore.

"I am nothing like you!"

The demon Sunset was now straight up cackling, which just made the human Sunset feel more and more nervous.

"Keep telling yourself that. It doesn't change the truth. And the truth is that deep down, you just want to be the greatest and most powerful there is, like you were always meant to be. Nothing is going to change that, not some blast by the elements of harmony, not some band of friends, and certainly...not some love for the freak who took what should have been yours."

"Shut up!" Sunset shouted, turning around and running, only to find the red corridor leading into the darkness.

"You can't go back Sunset. You know that."

Sunset found herself shaking, but she still managed to turn around and face the monster that stood before her.

"I have Twilight now. I have no reason to fear you."

The demon went back to howling with laughter. She took a few steps forward and glared at Sunset, the opal irises faintly glowing.

"You think you can get rid of me by moving on to a relationship? You think that you can just get over it?" She laughed some more. "Then tell me Sunset Shimmer, why am I still here?"

Sunset didn't want to listen. She wanted it all to end. She backed away, but the demon just walked closer and closer towards her.

"Y-Your...your not real..." It was just a manifestation of her problems that her mind had created, it had to be. But at the same time, there was something inside her that was telling her otherwise. "Are you?"

The demon smiled, baring shining white fangs. "Time to find out..."

Before Sunset could react, the demon before her burst into flames, charging at her as her vision went black and she heard nothing but a roaring scream.

***

"Are you alright Sunset?"

Sunset jolted upright. "W-What?"

The music room was so quiet, she hadn't noticed that she was on the verge of falling asleep.

Fluttershy had a concerned look on her face. "You've been acting really sluggishly today. Did you have a bad night?"

It took a bit longer for her to process the question. "Im fine...just nightmares..."

"What kind of nightmares?"

"I...dont really want to talk about it." Though she knew that Fluttershy meant well, she couldn't help but feel a bit bothered that her personal buisness was being invaded.

"Are you sure?" Fluttershy asked. "Its always better to talk to someone when it comes to mental things like dreams."

Sunset was now starting to feel irritated. "Look, just...I dont need your help."

"But isnt that what friends do..."

"I SAID I DONT NEED YOUR HELP!"

Sunset's sudden outburst was followed by a few seconds of silence. Fluttershy stared at Sunset in shock, and Sunset slowly realised what she'd just done.

"Fluttershy...Im...Im really sorry..."

Fluttershy continued to stare at Sunset with a look of shock and fear while her body shuddered. Sunset couldn't believe what she had done. She could never even imagine shouting at Fluttershy, but she suddenly had a huge burst of anger. She didn't even know why. It just...came out of nowhere.

"Its...its fine Sunset." Fluttershy, though she was still shuddering. "I guess I should have just minded my own buisness."

"No Fluttershy..." Sunset insisted, continuing to feel guilt and disbelief of what she'd done. "That outburst was my fault. I...think I lost more sleep than I thought."

Though Fluttershy had stopped shuddering, she looked at the floor, and Sunset couldn't tell if it was in shyness or fear, but either way it just made her worse for what she did.

"I think we should get to class now..." Fluttershy mumbled.

Sunset checked the clock. Classes didn't start for a few minutes, but after what just happened, it was probably best if they split up for the time being.

And it just so happened that their seperate classes were in opposite directions of the hallway. After one last apology, the two girls parted, as Fluttershy headed for geography and Sunset for history.

Walking down the halls, Sunset thought about the way she shouted at Fluttershy, and was still shocked at the fact that she had done such a thing. Even in her...less morale days, she had never shouted at Fluttershy. She'd mess with her and say some really horrible insults to her, but succumbing to anger was never her style.

But the weirdest thing was the sudden appearance of the anger that fuelled the outburst. Before Fluttershy had started talking, Sunset was nothing but tired. And then there was just this...sudden build up of rage that she couldn't explain.

"Oh, Sunset Shimmer!"

Sunset found herself knocked out of her think state and looking at Principal Celestia standing at the door of the computer lab.

"Uh...yes Principal Celestia?"

Celestia turned around and picked up a large pile of papers from a desk behind her.

"I need to get these papers to Vice-Principal Luna, but I've got my hands tied at the moment. If it isn't too much, would you mind delivering them to her for me? I believe you have history next, and the Vice Principals office is located on the way there."

Sunset felt herself shake a bit as the agitation that she had been feeling in the music room suddenly returned to her. Upon realising what was happening, she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

"Sure. No problem."

"Thank you Sunset." Celestia responded, handing the papers over to her, before rushing back into the lab.

As Sunset walked away, her thoughts returned to her sudden surges of rage. Particularly the one that just happened to her.

'Why is happening to me?' She thought. 'She was just asking me to deliver something, why would I get so angry over that?'

'Because that lazy bitch can't bother to get things done herself!'

Sunset stopped in her tracks.

What was that?!

The noise of all the students around her getting ready for class was too distracting for her to completely focus on fully remembering what just happened, especially with how tired she was feeling.

But for a second, she thought she heard...

'I guess Im more tired than I originally thought.'

A few moments later, she arrived at the door of Vice-Principal Luna. She knocked on the door, which was followed by Luna's voice permitting her to come in.

"Principal Celestia wanted me to deliver these papers to you." Sunset said as she entered the office.

"Ah yes, I've been expecting those." Luna responded. The Vice-Principal's office was dark as always, the only light originating from the open door behind Sunset, the computer screen that Luna was using, and the small remnants of sunlight peeping through the blinds.

"So...where do these go?" Sunset asked, holding up the papers.

"On my desk please."

Sunset walked over to Luna's desk and placed the pile next to the computer. "I don't really get why I had to deliver these. I mean, your office is only like a minute walk from the where she was."

"You would be surprised how busy Celestia can be." Luna said, keeping her focus on her computer. "And when it comes to work, my sister doesn't let any thing get in her way."

There was something odd about that last part.

"She doesn't let...anything...get in her way?" Sunset asked.

The Vice-Principal took her hands off the mouse and looked at Sunset. "You wouldn't believe the kind of things Celestia has sacrificed for her career."

"What kind of things?" Sunset enquired. It was probably rude of her to ask questions regarding the Principals personal life, but when it came to Celestia, Sunset always wanted to know more.

"For starters, I've lost count of how many relationships she has been in. None of them ever lasted long. She was always too busy. And then there was the baby."

It took a moment for that last word to sink in. What did Celestia have to do with a baby?

"What baby?" Sunset asked.

"A few years ago...about two decades I think it was, it appeared that one of my sisters failed relationships accomplished a bit more than the others had, as Celestia found herself pregnant."

Sunset was now a lot more woken up than she had been a few seconds ago. Celestia had been pregnant? When was this? The Celestia in Equestria never had any children. At least...none that anyone knew of.

Luna continued with her story. "I was there as she gave birth. Not a pleasant place to be in, but we were family, and I had to be there for her. The baby itself was...quite honestly one of the most beautiful things I can remember. Amber skin. Opal eyes..."

Luna stopped for a second, gazing at Sunset. "She looked a lot like you actually."

Sunset was still coming to grips with the fact that Celestia had given birth to a child. How had she never heard of this. Did the child not have a counterpart in Equestria? Was it even possible for a human to not have an Equestrian counterpart?

"Sadly..." Luna sighed. "Being single and being dedicated to the career of education meant that Celestia couldn't take care of the baby. Before it was even born, she decided to have her sent to foster care in Europe. Neither of us have seen or heard from her since then."

'Good riddance. We don't need another of her kind around.'

Sunset froze. There it was again. In the quietness of Luna's office, she could clearly hear it. A voice.

And it appeared that she had a much more physical reaction to it, as Vice-Pincipal Luna narrowed her eyebrows.

"Are you alright Sunset?" She asked.

"Im fine." Sunset insisted. "I'd better get to class. It was nice talking to you Vice-Principal Luna."

Once she closed the door behind her, she found herself in an empty hallway. Alone with her thoughts.

'Whats happening to me?'

Back in Luna's office, with little sound to distract her, she had heard it clearly.

The voice of the demon from her dream.

***

"Fluttershy!" Sunset called as she ran down the hall.

Fluttershy stopped walking and turned around as Sunset caught up with her.

"Yes Sunset?" She asked.

"Fluttershy, Im really sorry for what happened back in the music room. I just got a bit too worked up over nothing. I just want us to get passed that."

Fluttershy put her hand on Sunset's shoulder. "Its fine. Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash have had plenty of moments where they got really angry at me. People will have their moments of strong emotions, and theres nothing we can do to change that."

Sunset gave Fluttershy a small hug. "Thank you. I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again."

They both left the school together, and said goodbye as Sunset boarded her bus.

Although her mood was lifted by Fluttershy accepting her apology, nothing could stop the concern and fear she was feeling at the moment.

She had heard the voice of her demon self in her own mind. The dreams were one thing, she could see that demon as a mental projection of her own inner struggles. But this was different. It was as if the demon was its own separate entity. Was that even possible?

Or maybe it was just her lack of sleep. If she heard that voice in her dreams, it would make sense if she could hear it when she was tired.

Either way, she was really tired, and she needed her sleep.

Eventually, the bus reached its destination, and Sunset went straight from the bus to her room. She changed from her day outfit into her pyjamas, and went into the bathroom to get her teeth brushed. It was really early to get ready for bed, but she was feeling more tired than she usually did at bedtimes anyway.

Once she was ready, she left the bathroom and entered her room again.

And found Discord lying in her bed, reading a book.

"Ah, Sunset Shimmer." He greeted her, removing the reading glasses from his face. "Good to see you."

"Haven't you gone back to Equestria already!" She shouted at him, in spite of her sleepiness.

In a white flash he was out of her bed and sitting on top of it. "Pfft. Why would I do that? Nothings really happening in Equestria at the moment, besides some civil conflict going on in the Griffon Kingdom. Oh, and the cyborg ninja mice from space that intend on invading , but that'll probably solve itself. Here, I have centuries of knowledge and pop culture to check out."

One white flash later and he was wearing black clothes, his horns replaced with long black hair.

"You are tearing me apart Lisa!"

In another white flash he became a large round hairy man with brown robes and a lantern.

"You're a wizard harry."

In a third white flash he was sporting an afro, a horseshoe mustache, and a white and black suit and tie, in his hand he brandished a gun.

"Does he look like a bitch?!"

And in a final white flash he was in his normal form.

"Humans are just so creative!"

Sunset just groaned. "Discord, I need to get to sleep. Why are you here?"

"Well, first of all, I wanted to congratulate you on your new relationship with Twilight Sparkle." He said with a grin.

Sunset's eyes shot open. "How...how did you know..."

"Oh please Sunset, you know me. You should never be surprised to learn where I've been."

Sunset looked back on the moment when she and Twilight kissed for the second time, confirming their relationship. She realised that they had been sitting on a grey bench.

"That was a private moment you jackass!" She yelled at him in anger.

Discord frowned. "Sheesh. Rude much. I do have to say though, it was extremely enjoyable to watch."

One white flash later and he was standing next to Sunset. His hands were covered by two sock puppets with googly eyes. One was lavender and wearing a little Twilight wig, the other was amber with a little Sunset wig.

"Oh Twilight." Said the Sunset sock puppet in the high pitched sound of a masculine voice trying to imitate a girl's voice. "I love you more than words can describe."

"But Sunset!" Squeaked the Twilight puppet in a similar voice. "It can never be, as a princess, I must have the favour of the aristocrats."

"Blah, blah, blah, your issues, DO YOU WANT ME!"

"More than anything!"

"Oh Twilight!"

"Oh Sunset!"

Discord than rubbed the sock puppets faces together as he made kissy kissy noises.

"Such romance! Such drama! So engaging!"

"And I'd prefer to keep it between me, you and Twilight thank you very much." Said Sunset. "Well, in full honesty I'd rather just keep it between me and Twilight, but it looks like that opportunities gone. Now would you please leave, I need to get some sleep."

"Oh yes." Discord replied. "You've been having bad nightmares I believe."

Now Sunset was just plain baffled.

"Is there anything you don't know?!"

Discord tapped his chin as he pondered. "Well for one, I don't know who wrote the journals in Gravity Falls. But what I know and don't know isn't important. Whats important is that there has to be more to these nightmares of yours than meets the eye."

There was a white flash that consumed not only Discord, but the entire room. Once the light faded, Sunset found herself in a similar situation to when she'd last seen Discord, with both of them sitting down as Discord was dressed in his psychologist outfit and holding a clipboard and pencil.

"Now Sunset." Said Discord. "I'd like you to tell me in good detail about your nightmares."

Sunset moaned. She just wanted to go to sleep. But this whole situation with the demon could be a serious problem, and Discord was probably the best option she had right now for help.

So she sat up straight and told him everything. The red corridor, the room, the crown, the demon she encountered, the outbursts of rage, and the voice she had been hearing in her head. All the while Discord scribbled on his clipboard.

Once she was finished, Sunset slumped in her chair. "So what do you think."

Discord looked carefully at his clipboard. "Hmm...I think this panda drawing could have been a lot better." He turned his clipboard around to reveal the squiggly doodle of a panda before throwing it away. "As for the nightmares, I think it might have something to do with the element of magic."

"What do you mean?"

"Simple, you took the element of harmony into this world, cutting off its connection to the magic of Equestria. This made it rely on its own reservoirs of pure magic, converting it into a more raw magical state, meaning it couldn't work with the other elements but also meaning it could bond with anything, and not just someone who represented the element."

"I know that Discord, that was my plan last year."

"Let me finish. At the time when you put the crown on, you could certainly be defined as evil. So when the crown bonded to you, the element itself became corrupted with evil magic and energy. When it returned to Twilight Sparkle it reverted back to good, and back to its original state of magic once it returned to Equestria. But I believe that some of the evil energy stayed with you, its host. That raw magic merged with a part of yourself, effectively creating something of a separate entity within you. In simpler terms, the evil within you now has a mind of its own."

"Well how do I get rid of it?!"

"Sunset, you can't get rid of this demon any more than you can get rid of a part of yourself. Im afraid this is more or less permanent."

Sunset's buried her face in her hands. She wasn't crying or anything, but she was feeling serious distress at the moment.

"Its not as bad as it sounds Sunset. This demon inside shouldn't have a thirtieth of your inner strength. She can't go so far as to possess you or anything, just feed your inner rage and occasionally manage to communicate with you, but only in cases where you are consumed by negative emotions, or like today, where you were too tired to hold her back."

"So as long as I remain positive, and get plenty of sleep, Im fine."

"Exactly." He responded with a smile.

"But what about the nightmares? How do I stop those?"

"That Im not as sure about. The nightmares are likely fuelled by some kind of doubt or guilt regarding your past, and Im not so sure how you can fix that."

It wasn't the best help, but it was something. "Thanks anyway Discord."

"No problem." At the snap of his fingers there was another white flash. Sunset found that she was no longer sitting in a chair,but tucked into her bed. In front of her she saw Discord standing near the foot of her bed.

"Now get some sleep Sunset, that should keep your head demon free."

As Discord left in a final white flash, Sunset felt her eyelids lower as she drifted off to sleep.

Author's Notes:

Sweet Celestia! Almost four weeks! I am really sorry for the delay! Despite the fact that I generally have the rest of the story (mainly the end) worked out in my head, I had no idea what to do after the little revelation last chapter. I also won't deny that I was distracted by watching episodes of Arrow, Gotham, The Flash, and Power Rangers: Dino Charge (And before any of you guys judge me for watching power rangers may I remind you that this is a My Little Pony fanfiction site).

I noticed that Angius was confused at the fact I kept mentioning Sombra as Celestias ex, saying that it had nothing to do with the story. For those of you who don't know, this isn't just something I made up. There is a storyline in the comics called Reflections where it explains that a thousand years ago (of course) that Celestia travelled to a mirror version of Equestria using Starswirls prototype mirror (which I mention in chapter 5) and falls in love with a good Sombra. So when I refer to Sombra as Celestias ex Im referring to official MLP canon.

Also, it appears that our friend Woomod has published his first story. Good on him.

As always please comment and critique so I can improve fir future chapters and stories.

The Griffon Kingdom-Twilight Sparkle

"Are you sure there ain't any way we can come along with you?" Applejack asked.

"I already told you Applejack, the griffon princesses want to see the Equestrian princesses and only the Equestrian princess's." Replied Twilight. "You're all allowed in the Griffon Kingdom itself, but you wont be going within a mile of the royal palace. I'm sorry, but if the Griffon monarchs are giving us orders in their own kingdom we have no choice but to go along with them."

"I really don't see why we can't go along." Said Rarity, who was in the process of filing her hooves. "I mean we are your council after all. It doesn't really make much sense."

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Trust me Rarity, when you spend enough time with Griffons, you come to expect this sort of behavior."

Twilight sighed as she looked over the rails, watching the small waves crash against the side of the ship. "I still wish that you could all come with me, I don't think I'm ready to tackle overseas politics just yet. Especially considering what I've heard about these princesses."

"You'll be fine darling." Rarity insisted. "You always manage to overcome the really important obstacles when you have to."

"Yeah, but in all those cases we all managed to pull through by hitting a big bad guy with a magic rainbow. Now I have to convince two arguing monarchs not to start a civil war."

"That does sound pretty intimidating." Fluttershy agreed in her usual quiet voice.

"Yeah...no offence Fluttershy, but everything's intimidating to you." Said Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity responded, raising her voice. "Leave the poor girl alone."

"Hey, I said no offence!" Rainbow Dash complained.

"And how does that make it any better?" Applejack asked, her voice retaining normal volume but clearly expressing annoyance.

"Oh come on..."

As her friends descended into their argument, Twilight continued to look off into the distant sea, the morning sun spreading streaks of yellow across the water. It didn't matter how hard her friends tried to support her. The only thing they could do to really help was actually being there, and as stated earlier that wasn't going to happen.

Rarity was right at least in saying that Twilight had always managed overcome the serious challenges. But that wasn't the whole truth. She never would have restored Princess Luna if it weren't for the others, she never would have defeated Discord if it weren't for Celestia, she never have retrieved the crystal heart if it weren't for Spike and Cadance. And it was Cadance and Shining armour who defeated Chrysalis, and while Twilight did save Cadance from the crystal caverns, that didn't change the fact that Twilight and her friends ended up completely useless in the captivity of the Changelings.

And the more she thought about how useless she could be in this situation, the more worried she started to feel.

Scratch that. She was feeling more scared than worried.

If she didn't manage to convince the Griffon princesses to settle things out, the situation in the kingdom could get even worse, to the point of a full on civil war. And in the worse case scenario, Equestria could get involved as well. The chaos and conflict that could arise if Twilight and the Princesses failed was almost too unpleasant to think of.

Twilight continued to gaze at the light that the sun reflected across the sea. The orange and yellow light spread across the opal green water reminded Twilight of Sunset. Which, as nice as it was, wasn't really helping.

It was bad enough to have to wait five days to see Sunset again before. But now, with everything that had happened in the past few days...it just felt wrong in a way. And with all the politics Twilight had to deal with, could really use Sunset's comforting presence at this time.

And it probably would have been better if she wasn't still taking in what Luna had told her the other day...

As Twilight stared further at the water, a sudden gust of wind hit her as an orange shape appeared from under the view of the deck.

"Morning Princess!" Flash called while he flew along side the ship.

"Oh, good morning Flash." She responded. "How are you?"

"I'm just on a morning flight." He did a 360 degree twirl in the air. "Thought my wings could use a stretch, and getting some excercise done is always good on the body. Well...unless you're doing it like...five hours everyday, then it results in horrendous injury."

"Cardio vascular atrial fibrillation, aching quadriceps, depression, and insomnia." Twilight stated.

"You forgot to mention the weakened immune system." Flash corrected, before gliding over the rails and landing beside Twilight.

She smiled. "Looks like someones been doing their homework."

Flash raised is tail high in the air as he stretched his front legs forward, his spine curving and his wings spreading out. It was a stretch Twilight had seen Rainbow Dash do plenty of times.

"Back at camp, I had a bit of a rivalry with this other pegasus cadet. Tried to impress our drill sergeant by doing more push ups than we were instructed to do at the end of an afternoon training session, but this one look he gave me said he was also trying to make me look like a chump. So, to show him who was boss, I was doing push ups till nightfall. I ended up so sick that it was a week before I was back in training. Not a fun experiance, but the look on the his face when he found me still doing push ups that night was more than worth it."

"I'm guessing your place in the Canterlot Royal guard is what gives you the need to excercise?" Twilight presumed.

"You betcha." He answered, before stretching his hind legs out one at a time and finally standing up straight. "The waves of mares swooning over your muscles is also a decent perk."

Twilight chuckled. She was finding it a lot easier to talk to Flash when Sunset wasn't present. It was nice. Though she was still wondering whether or not to really try and befriend him with the possibility of making her relationship with Sunset...problematic.

Speaking of who...

"You seemed to recognise Sunset when we saw you at the Canterlot castle the other day." Twilight recalled. "How's that?"

"Oh yeah, Sunny and me go way back. My mom was in the ESL too, in fact she was in the same squad as her dad, who became good friends with my parents. Unfortunately she was killed in the same ambush that took Sunny's dad."

Twilight was taken by surprise with that last part. "I'm really sorry to hear that."

"Don't be." Flash insisted. "I'm sure she was a nice mare and all, but I was too young to really remember her. My dad eventually remarried. Nice unicorn named Aurora Nightlight. She's been all the mother I've needed. Back to the previous topic, the friendship between my parents and Sunny's dad was what lead to me and Sunset meeting. We were friends in school, and mostly kept in contact when she ended up as Celestia's student. Hadn't seen her since she first left Equestria."

"Are you bothered by what you might have heard about her?"

"What, with the whole plot to take over Equestria and all that? Meh, I was a bit disturbed to hear it, but she seems to be over it by now. Doesn't stop me from keeping alert though..."

He was interrupted by the appearance of a fully armoured pegasus guard from inside the ship.

"Captain Flash Sentry!" He called, saluting. "Its time to brief the troops on their positioning!"

"I'll be right there!" He answered, before facing Twilight again. "Duty calls, princess. It was nice talking to you."

And with that, he followed the other guards into the interior before closing the door behind him.

Twilight spent the next few seconds just standing on the deck, staring at the door that Flash had left through, and further pondering if it would be a good idea to pursue a friendship with him. Sunset was fully aware about how she used to feel about the human Flash, and Sunset herself had once dated him. There was also the fact that the human Flash clearly had a thing for Twilight once as well, and if it was a similar case with the pegasus...well...trying to keep her relationship with Sunset a secret would be hard enough without a stallion trying to win her heart over. Especially one that would be living with her now.

She then realized that the deck had gone awfully quite. Hadn't the girls been arguing just a minute ago.

Suddenly, she felt a hoof go over her wings as Rarity appeared from behind her.

"You know Twilight, you are a princess." She said with a playful smile. "If you like Flash Sentry so much I don't believe he would reject you."

Twilight snorted in slight annoyance. Not this again.

"Rarity's got a point Twi." Applejack joined in. "Its hard to find a man with such a caring personality and amazing muscular physique as him."

"Girls, we've been over this." Twilight insisted. "I like Flash. He's a nice guy. But I have absolutely no interest in dating him."

"Oh Twilight." Rarity responded. "Your denial over your feelings for him are almost adorable as your infatuation with him."

Wow, they really thought she was into Flash Sentry, while completely oblivious to the truth.

Twilight burst into laughter.

"So this is apparently funny to you, is it?" Rarity said, still smiling.

"You...you really think I'm into Flash?"

"It's pretty darn obvious if ya ask me." Answered Applejack.

Oh, if only they knew.

"Unless you're suggesting Twilight, that you have eyes for another stallion?" Rarity wondered.

"Or mare." Pinkie quickly stated after suddenly appearing from behind Rarity.

"Or...mare." Rarity continued, with a facial expression that was either annoyed or distasteful. "Though I don't really think Twilight is...that kind of mare."

"Sheesh. Homophobe much." Pinkie muttered before disappearing.

"Rarity, I can assure you, I don't have a crush on any guy and I don't intend on having one for a while. The day may come when I do, but that day isn't here."

"Well, I'm convinced." Said Applejack.

"I'm not." Rarity uttered as she walked away. "I know an infatuated mare when I see one, and I see one when I look at you Twilight."

Probably attempting to make her words seem more powerful, Rarity curved around the corner and was gone.

"That was sure dramatic." Applejack said before turning to face Twilight. "You don't need to worry Twi, that was immature of me to join in on Rarity's little love game, and I don't intend on doing it again. I may be your friend, but its still your personal life."

"Thanks Applejack." Twilight replied. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like some time to myself."

"Sure thing Sugarcube."

Once Applejack had gone back to rejoin the others, Twilight walked back over to the rail, and looked out to sea once again.

Something felt horribly wrong about the conversation that she had just had, and it was probably the fact that she had lied to their faces. Well, maybe she didn't straight up lie, but that didn't mean she wasn't being dishonest with them. She had denied the thought that she was in love with anyone to them, when the truth was something else entirely. And the fact that she was keeping a secret this big from her deepest and closest friends, who had been there for her since she had moved to Ponyville, who she had fought evil and saved equestria with, it just felt so wrong. How long could she do it?

And how long could she and Sunset keep the secret up?

***

Of all the places in Equestria and beyond that Twilight had been to, the Griffon capitol of Poulígatá was certainly one of the most interesting.

It was like some strange mix of Canterlot, Manehatten, and Cloudsdale, though it was definitely more reminiscent of the latter, which was to be expected considering the similar nature of Griffons and Pegasi. The docks that they had landed at were nothing spectacular, just your average large wooden beams holding up walkways made up of large planks of wood, all held together with strong bolts of bronze.

But beyond the docks, Twilight gazed upon buildings the size of those in Manehattan, along with the square and cylindrical shapes of that city. What differed it from Manehattan though were the abundance of flat and spherical roofs, decor of strange twirly shapes like wisps of steam, and buildings with ground floors that had no outside walls but beautiful columns keeping everything up. And that was only the first level of the city. Above the ground building were great conifer trees, quite possibly some of the largest that Twilight had ever seen. While some of them grew among the streets of the city, others grew right out of some of the buildings. Most, if not all of the trees were covered in buildings, predominantly made of wood, connected by stairs, walkways, balconies and bridges. But that wasn't all either, the city actually went higher than that, for above even the trees were large thick clouds carrying buildings similar to the ones on the ground, though with design and architecture more similar to cloudsdale. These clouds and buildings upon them could be found above the trees, beside the trees, and even only slightly above ground. But the most incredible thing about Poulígatá was just how connected everything was. From building to building were bridges ranging from small to huge, from tree to tree were roped bridges and even some zip lines. There were even bridges, stairs and walkways that connected ground building to tree buildings, tree buildings to cloud buildings, and cloud buildings to ground building. A notable site was a large beige domed building with a gigantic conifer tree growing out from the centre, covered in so many buildings it was like a big wooden skyscraper. It broke through a large cloud, where the building spread outward, making the top actually bigger than the midsection. In Canterlot such a building would surely end in destructive disaster, but it seemed like Griffon architects could work miracles.

"OOOOOOOOOH! Look at that!" Said Pinkie as she pointed at a building with a giant statue of a nesting Griffon atop the roof.

"Gorgeous! Absolutely stunning!" Rarity proclaimed as she got a closer look at the decor of the nearby buildings once they had left the docking walkway.

"I've never seen such an abundance of plant life in such a big city before." Fluttershy commented quietly yet happily.

It was strange to think that such a beautiful place was apparently the heart of such civil unrest.

The Guards guided them to the road as all around Twilight her friends commented on the beauty of the city before them. All Twilight could think about was the city ablaze, countless bodies strewn throughout the street as two sides tore each other apart, rivers of blood pouring into the sea as...

"Twilight, are you fantasizing about a horrible worst case scenario again?" Pinkie suddenly asked.

"What?" Twilight replied, shaking her head a bit.

"You have that look on your face. Y'know, when your all like..." Pinkie's face twisted into a fearful expression, her teeth gritting and her eyes twitching. "Oh, Celestia shalt banish us to the depths of hellish Tartarus, where the souls of vanquished demons from bloody wars long past will feast upon our innocence. OH, woe is I!"

"I guess I'm still a bit...nervous. I'm not exactly here for a vacation."

"You don't need to be nervous Twilight." Rainbow Dash cut in. "Even if we can't come with you to the actual conference, there's no way you'll be traveling this city alone."

The corner of Twilight's mouth rose in a slight smile. Rainbow Dash was right. Though they wouldn't be able to be there for her when it was most important, they could certainly stand by her side for everything else.

The Guards brought them to a small chariot reigned to two other Guards. The chariot itself was the typical royal kind, painted purple with red cushions in the seat, along with the usual gold decor. The design seemed to be modeled a bit more after Twilight in particular, as the seats had golden models of her cutie mark imprinted into them along with white and pink borders that mirrored the white and pink highlights in Twilights hair.

She also noticed that it didn't look much bigger than a one seater.

"Princess Twilight." One of the Guards said in a very authoritative voice. "Our orders are to escort you directly to the palace of the Griffon Princesses for the first formal meeting."

"Really? I figured we could just arrive at the hotel first and just...I don't know...settle in a bit." Twilight pointed her hoof at Spike, who was panting from carrying the six large suitcases topped with a very small one.

"This was a direct request from the Griffon Princesses themselves, and Princess Celestia has ordered that any order or request from the Griffon Princesses must be treated like a direct order from herself."

"Am I allowed to take my friends with me?" She asked, looking at the small carriage and doubting that everyone could fit on it. "I get that they can't come with me on the conference but..."

"I'm afraid not Princess. The Griffon Princesses have issued a strict order that no one that isn't on official business is not permitted within the place gates."

"These mares are my council. They're as much on official business as I am."

Suddenly, Flash Sentry landed beside the Guard along with another.

"I'm sorry Princess." He said. "That's not up to us. Rain Shaker here will personally escort your friends to their hotel, where you can rejoin them in a few hours."

Twilight sighed. "I guess as long as I am on Griffon soil I'll have to obey the Princess's command." She turned to her friends. "I'm sorry girls."

"No need to be, Twilight." Rainbow Dash insisted. "There isn't anything you can really do."

"Have a safe trip." Twilight hoped.

"You too." Applejack replied as she hugged her, before the others joined in on the hug.

After watching her friends leave with the Guard that Flash had instructed to escort them, the other Guards beckoned Twilight on to the chariot. After making herself comfortable, the two Guards that the chariot was reigned to galloped at a steady pace into the streets. Aside from the two in front of her, there was one guard at each side, two behind her, and two flying above her, one of them being Flash, who flew down closer to her with a satchel in his hoof.

"Excuse me Princess,but Princess Celestia asked me to give this to you for the journey." He said, giving her the satchel.

"What?" Twilight wondered, opening it to find her crown inside.

"She figured that wearing the crown would offer moral support to the people. Even here the common folk do tend to look up to royalty."

Twilight stared at the crown for a second before placing it on her head. "Thanks."

Flash flew up until he was level with the other flying guard.

Given the space that Twilight had on the chariot, she got a good view of her surroundings. The positive side to this was that she saw plenty of guards surrounding her, which, while a little uncomfortable, certainly made her feel safe. The negative side to this was that she got a good view of the inner city.

From the view of the dock, Poulígatá looked beautiful. Free from any conflicts and turmoils. But now that the dock was far behind her, and she was within the Griffon streets, she saw exactly what this conflict between the princess was causing. At first she saw a single building with a broken door, cracks on the walls, and windows that were either smashed, boarded up, or both. This wasn't too intimidating a site, there were plenty of these buildings in Manehattan, and possibly even one or two in the poorer parts of Canterlot. It could have just been very old or underused.

But further on, she began to spot more buildings in similar, even worse shape. It was especially noticeable since they were so close to other buildings in perfectly fine condition. One of the ruined buildings she passed had the words 'We're already at war!' painted in large red letters over the walls.

But the buildings were just the start. While passing a run down building that looked like an apartment, she saw a male Griffon wrapped in a ragged cloak sitting on the doorstep. In an alleyway, she saw a female Griffon with several missing feathers lying on a broken mattress, holding a young cub close to her. And at the roots of one the large conifer trees lay a Griffon covered in dirt, scratches and bruises. He wasn't moving.

An indescribably unpleasant feeling built up in Twilight's stomach. Not just in the horror of what she was seeing, but in the guilt she felt at seeing all these people suffering in the streets while she was sat in a comfortable chariot with soft cushions and decor of solid gold, surrounded by eight Guards and with a beautiful crown on her head.

To her left, she saw a Griffon couple digging through a trash can. To her right, she saw a Griffon dressed in armour dragging another Griffon with a bleeding scratch on his face into a large black carriage with barred windows, while another armoured Griffon held back two crying cubs.

"The Griffon Princesses get more paranoid by the day." Flash explained from above. "They use the influence they have over whatever divisions of Griffon military have anyone doing anything remotely suspicious arrested, thrown into the streets or worse."

"Extra! Extra!" Called a young Griffon holding a newspaper in her claws with a pile of other newspapers beside her. "Bankers perish in a fire! Foul play suspected!"

'If I hadn't been with Sunset...' She thought. 'If I was here last week, none of this might be happening...'

She closed her eyes and lowered her head, her mind consumed by this thought. How many people were going hungry, because the Griffon Princesses refused to talk to anyone but every Equestrian Princess at once? How many people were on the streets, because she wasn't there to make it happen? How many people were dying, because she had let her feelings for Sunset get in the way of her duties as Princess?

On the verge of tears, everything went quiet for Twilight.

And that was when she heard it.

Her eyes flung open as her head turned, her horn glowing magenta as she caught an object moving so fast it was a miracle she caught it at all.

An arrow. Inches from her face.

One of the guards beside her caught site of it as his eyes widened. "Men! Defensive formation!"

Within a second the eight guards formed a ring around the chariot. Four Pegasi and four unicorns. Suddenly, several more arrows were shot from the rooftops, flying straight towards Twilight. Each of the unicorn guards managed to catch an arrow each with their magic, missing only one which Twilight herself deflected with a shield.

The Guards scanned the roofs and spotted six Griffons reloading crossbows, one of them finishing up before aiming at Twilight again. Right before he could fire, he was hit by a blue electrical stun spell shot by one of the Guards. He dropped his crossbow while spasming, right before he fell off the roof and fell past several floors before hitting the ground in a sickening thud.

Every Guard with a horn sticking through their helmet shot magical projectiles at the attackers, ranging from stun spells to ice spells to simple force shot spells. Within seconds every Griffon had been hit, resulting in a moment of silence.

Right before a loud bird screech split through the street.

From the rooftops appeared another Griffon, followed by yet another, before they saw multiple Griffons above them. And from the alleyways appeared even more. They were surrounded, by twenty Griffons at the least.

"Engage!" Flash shouted, quickly turning to one of the unicorns. "Aegis, Shield protocol one, now!"

"Yes sir!" He answered.

Twilight suddenly found herself covered in a yellow bubble like forcefield as the Guard's horn began to glow.

"What are you doing?!" She asked loudly, but he did nothing but stand still and stare at her.

She looked around and saw the other Guards take on the Griffons. Flash charged headfirst into the attackers, hitting one hard in the face with his front hooves, right before another one jumped on him from behind and pinned him to the ground, before several others ganged up on the pegasus, covering him in their bodies.

Turning around she saw another pegasus guard desperately trying to fend off three Griffons warriors, before one of them was hit by a magical blast, allowing him to take out the other two. The unicorn Guard that had fired the shot then managed to take out multiple Griffons on the roof, before he was suddenly pierced right above the cutie mark by an arrow. He let out a scream of pain and fell to the ground, blood oozing from the wound as he desperately tried to get up.

"Let me out!" Twilight shouted at the Guard that was surrounding her with the shield, banging on the forcefield as she did. "You need help!"

But he just stood there, still as a statue. Behind him, Twilight saw another pegasus Guard beat a Griffon into the ground before another one flew down, scratching him across the back. He winced and stumbled for a second, then tried to fly after the Griffon, but fell to the ground as his wing went red.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle! I went up against countless changelings! Fought Tirek to a standstill! I'm an alicorn for Pete's sake! Now turn this shield off! I command you!"

She still received nothing but a blank stare.

Four Griffons flew straight at one of the unicorn Guards, who surrounded himself in his own bubble shield. While every strike they made against it did nothing, he clearly had no idea on what to do.

Twilight tried to take matters into her own hooves and hit the forcefield with a shield breaking spell. After this did nothing she tried a different one, which also failed. This Guard had clearly trained to master shield spells. It was likely that any spell that she could break it with would be too dangerous to use in such an enclosed space.

After she decided that her attempts at breaking the shield were futile, she spotted a Griffon charging right for the Guard shielding her.

"Look out!" Twilight yelled at him.

A gold and cobalt streak suddenly slammed into the Griffon, knocking him to the ground. The streak revealed itself to be Flash, who gave the Griffon a quick jab to the neck, which made him go limp. Twilight looked at the spot where Flash had been pinned down, only to find a pile of unconscious Griffons.

"Alright boys!" He called. "Let's show these chickens how ponies can deliver a hurting!"

Flash charged at the Griffons that surrounded the shielded unicorn, sidestepping right to dodge an arrow as he ran. Upon reaching the shield he slammed his armoured body against one Griffon, crushing them against the forcefield. The other three Griffons trying to break through it then focused on him. He quickly spun around, slamming his hind hooves into the closest Griffon's beak, then somersaulting as he hit another Griffon on the head with a downward kick. As the last Griffon ran towards him, he picked up one of the fallen Griffons and whacked it against the one charging at him.

With the Griffons surrounding him down, the unicorn Guard lowered the shield surround him and started firing at the attackers on the rooftops. As for Flash, he ran over to assist another unicorn Guard that was using an energy weapon he had conjured to fight off a Griffon that was wearing homemade but effective armour.

As Flash sprinted, he quickly took off his helmet and threw it. The helmet flew through the air before hitting a Griffon in the head, knocking them out as the helmet ricocheted back into Flash's hooves.

As the other unicorn was backed against the wall by the armoured griffon, Flash hit it with a sweeping kick to the feet that knocked it off balance. As the Griffon tried to get up, the unicorn hit it in the face with a freeze spell that froze it onto the ground.

"Gadman, go help Knoedel!" He pointed at the Guard with an arrow in his flank.

Gadman gave a quick salute before running over to Knoedel. Looking around again, Twilight could see that her Guards had managed to turn the tides against the Griffons, all the attackers on the roofs had been taken down, and the Guards that weren't injured were finishing off the ground forces.

As for Flash, Twilight saw him going face to face with a very different sort of Griffon. It was clearly a female, dressed in navy coloured leathery armour. There was a strap across her chest displaying several knives, her claws covered in sharp metallic armour, and a short but thick cowl covered everything on her head above the eyes.

She dramatically slashed her claws in a display of skill that demonstrated Kóndôr Pálīs, a Griffon fighting style that Twilight had looked up a while back. The scary thing was that it was a fighting style created for the sole purpose of going up against pony fighting styles.

The Griffon warrior let out a piercing screech at Flash that echoed through the streets.

The corner of Flash's mouth twisted upwards in a side grin. "If thats bird call for 'Come and kick my ass' I'd be more than happy to oblige!"

She let out a quicker shriek before flying towards him. Flash then kicked himself off the ground and flew towards her. Both of them were flying towards each other at high velocity, and right before crashing, the Griffon slashed her claws out in a double arc. But as she did this, Flash suddenly dropped from the air and ran underneath her before spin kicking around and hitting her from behind. She grunted and crashed onto the pavement, but was quickly back on her feet. As Flash ran towards her she readied her claws once more. Before he could reach her she leapt forward, slashing rapidly. With tremendous speed and reflexes Flash dodged and blocked every strike. She brought both of her claws down on him at once, which would have fatally struck his neck had he not blocked the palms of her claws with his front hooves. Before she could react, he lifted his hind legs up and thrust them into her chest, knocking her backwards. Hard. Before she could get back up, Flash gave her a light kick right in the face, knocking her out cold like the rest of her comrades.

"And that's what you get for sucking!" Flash proclaimed with one hoof held triumphantly in the air.

As the yellow forcefield dissipated around her, Twilight gave another look at the area around her. The Guards that had been injured were being assisted by the others, and those who were unscathed were panting heavily, clearly out of breath. Around them, the street was littered with countless unconscious Griffons.

***

"We are so sorry for what happened during your journey Princess." Said Pidgeo, the Griffon royal family's butler. "We are truly ashamed that this happened within the streets of our fair city."

"I'm fine." Twilight insisted. "I spent the entire ordeal trapped in a bubble shield, though not out of my choice I have to say. Its my Guards that have to be apologised to. I'm not even sure if all of them are going to survive the wounds they received."

"Let us hope for the best. Now I hope you don't mind waiting for your first meeting with the Princesses. I am afraid that in spite of their differences, they do both have high tastes for good presentation."

The room that Twilight was waiting was quite nice looking, with spotless white walls and chocolate brown wooden beams all curving inwards to form a round ceiling. But as nice as it was, the situation that she was in and the fact that a large number of Griffons had just tried to kill her made the entire castle seem very intimidating.

The dark brown double doors then flung open as Flash walked inside. Getting a closer look at him, Twilight could see that he was covered in scratches and bruises while parts of his armour were dented. Pidgeo clearly wasn't fond of this site, stepping back and grimacing.

"Perhaps I should go and see when the Princesses will be ready." He said, quickly leaving the room out one of the other doors.

"How are the other Guards?" Twilight asked.

"They'll be fine." Answered Flash, checking out the damage his helmet took. "Knoedel took an arrow in the flank, and Voxeltron and Stormie-Squall were scratched up pretty badly, but Gadman's a good healer, so they should all be fine."

"And you?"

"Oh, I'm fine. The scratches and bruises initially hurt bad, but I just needed the smallest of healing."

"Do you know why all those Griffons tried to...take me out?"

"From what we've gathered they're some kind of insurgency that had the intention of making sure you or any of the other Princesses don't end up letting the wrong Griffon Princess take the throne. Hopefully we can find out if either of the two Princesses was directly supporting them. An action like that would prevent them from ever taking the throne, and all this political crap would be over."

"Hopefully I can end it all myself." Twilight then remembered how Flash had fended off all those Griffons and taken out the Kóndôr Pálīs fighter all by himself. "Those were some amazing fighting skills there. I don't think I've ever seen someone moving that fast. Well, in close range I mean. If you were the fastest pony I had ever seen you'd be faster than Rainbow Dash, but if you were faster than Rainbow Dash you would've accomplished a sonic rainboom, which you didn't, so..."

Flash chuckled. "Well if I couldn't beat all those Griffons than I'd make for a pretty crappy captain of the guard then wouldn't I?"

It was Twilight's turn to chuckle. Perhaps if Sunset wasn't happy with the idea of Flash protecting her, she could always bring this up as a point.

One of the double doors than creaked open to reveal Pidgeo.

"Excuse me Princess Twilight Sparkle, our Princesses will see you now."

Flash saw this as a good time to leave, walking out the doorway. "Good luck." He said to her, before the doors closed behind him.

Twilight let out a deep breath. Even if this wasn't the official conference, she would do her best to work something out between the Griffon Princesses. Everything that was going on out there, in Poulígatá and the rest of the Griffon Kingdom, it had to end.

Author's Notes:

SWEET CELESTIA! Has it been over a month since my last chapter was published?! I am really sorry for that everypony. I expected this chapter to come out in about have as much time as it took, but I am apparantly now doing one of he most important (THE most important according to some of my teachers) parts of my academic life. The GCSEs! (To all my readers that don't take the British curricullum...I don't know what all the other curricullums GCSE equivilants are (Whatever happens before prom!)) I'd like to say that my future chapters will come out sooner, but theres still so much revision and schoolwork I have to do along with the fact that sometimes I need to take a break from both school and writing, I can't really promise that. Just don't believe that this fic is dying. Not for a second.

I also have to apologise for the fact that this will probably be the last important thing we see of this Griffon Kingdom business. I just wanted Twilight's relationship with Sunset to get in the way of her princess duties, so I came up with this. I intended on the entire ordeal to happen off page but my friend Esterdell said that he liked the idea and wanted to see more of it, so I wrote this chapter. I also thought that the story could just use a good action scene, so here it is. From now on however, I'd like to focus more on Twilight and Sunset as a couple. This is ultimately a romance story after all.

And if any of the names of the Guards sounded weird to you, thats because I named them after some of my readers. I thought that it would be a way to show my gratitude. I'm a bit concerned however that it might be seen as out of placed fan service forcefully shoved in there. And if any of my readers who's names weren't used are upset, there are other upcoming opportunities I intend on using names for, so theres still a chance (also some of your names wouldn't really match pony characters, like chuck-vic-norris.)

Oh, and there was also something about a season premiere, but I can't remember...

Eh, it probably wasn't important.

Feeling The Consequences-Sunset Shimmmer

The world seemed to shake side to side as Sunset walked through the other side of the mirror. She stumbled forward, her legs tripping over each other before the portal's dazing effect wore off.

"Man, am I ever going to get used to that?"

The library gave off a peaceful atmosphere as always. The afternoon light shone through the green windows, reflecting across the blue and purple crystals. It was bright enough to give the room a dazzling shine without hurting the eyes. And with the relaxing silence hanging in the air, the whole atmosphere just felt beautiful.

But not as beautiful as the lavender mare who appeared from behind a bookcase.

"Sunset!" Twilight called quietly.

As Twilight came running towards her, Sunset's entire body seemed to lose mass as raw relief and happiness entered her. After five days of school and work, seeing Twilight again was like a drink of fresh water after a marathon in the desert.

And all that exploded into elation as Twilight wrapped her hooves around her in an affectionate hug.

Once Twilight stepped back, her front hooves still around Sunset's neck, Sunset leaned her head forward with the intention of showing Twilight's lips plenty of passion. But Twilight just leaned her own head backward and blocked Sunset's mouth with her hoof.

"Sorry, we're not alone right now." She whispered.

"Mmmphmmph!" Sunset complained through the muffling hoof.

Twilight took her hoof off Sunset's muzzle. "So how was school?"

"Eh, it was school. Not much more to say." Replied Sunset, who was rubbing her mouth. As lovely as Twilight was, no pony's hooves were free of floor dirt. "So how exactly are we not alone? I'm guessing your new guards are stationed here?"

"A bit more than that." Twilight answered, turning around and walking, Sunset following behind her. "Celestia now considers this as one of the royal libraries. It's completely open to the public, as well as being first in line when receiving new books."

"Sounds like a dream come true for you. Now all we need is a danger room to practice magic and a big advanced scheduling office before you can no longer bring yourself to leave this place."

"Oh, ha ha..." Twi responded sarcastically.

When they got through the space between parallel bookcases and into the main part of the library, Sunset saw that there was indeed a guard posted at the library's entrance. Placed across the open floor were a few azure blue crystal tables with three crystal chairs of the same colour set around each one.

Sitting at one of these tables were two stallions. One looked surprisingly similar to Sunset herself, sporting a yellow and red curly mane as well as an amber coat. On his muzzle sat a pair of glasses as he read a common sized book. On the other side of the table sat another stallion with orange fur and a messy purple mane. He too was in the process of reading a book, only unlike the other stallion, this book was much larger, and he seemed to be a lot more into it.

"Sunset, this is Woomod and Angius." Twilight introduced as they approached their table. "Two stallions that are visiting from Trottingham."

"Good afternoon." Greeted the amber stallion with glasses, who Twilight has introduced as Woomod.

"Hi." Said Angius, the orange stallion. When he looked up from his book to Sunset, she saw that his eyes were incredibly bloodshot and his pupils had shrunk dramatically from normal size.

"Uh... whats up with you?" Sunset asked, trying not to sound rude.

"He's reading the third book in the If She Were The Sun And Her The Moon series." Woomod answered. "Its pretty much the only reason he's even here. He's been reading it since yesterday evening, and he hasn't stopped."

"The tale of Red Rose and Blue Belle is like Celestia's gift to romance novels." Angius proclaimed. "Feather Flyer is the greatest writer to grace the soil of Equestria!"

"Whatever you say man." Said Woomod. "I personally think that series is just full of padding."

"You think everything's full of padding!"

"Hey, its not my fault that modern writers can't just get on with the plot."

"You can't get on with the plot!"

"I'm just gonna go back to reading."

"Me too! Red Rose forgot to take her medication and it is making for a much more entertaining experience than talking to you!"

As Angius thrust my face back into his book, Woomod turned to the two mares. "Sorry about him. I think he's just tired."

"No worries." Twilight insisted. "You just continue reading. I don't think anyone else will be visiting today anyway."

Once Woomod went back to his book, Sunset and Twilight headed for the entrance. As they passed through the doorway, the Guard gave them a salute.

"So how are you feeling about these guards?" Sunset asked.

"Honestly..." Twilight sighed. "I'm still trying to get used to it. It does seem to fit the castle as well as making it seem less lonely, but... theres just something uncomfortable about it."

"What, the highly trained armoured warriors whose duty is to keep you safe makes you feel uncomfortable?" Sunset questioned.

"Would you like to have a bunch of seemingly emotionless soldiers staring at you everywhere you go in the comfort of your own home?"

Before Sunset could respond to that, a sudden voice cut in.

"I didn't see much reason to complain back in the Griffon Kingdom."

From above them landed an orange pegasus in golden armour.

"Flash?!" Sunset yelped. What was he doing here?!

"Nice to see you again Sunny." He greeted her with a smirk.

Sunset narrowed her eyes at Twilight. "Um...why is he here?"

"Right..." Twilight started, looking a bit embarrassed. "I probably should have told you before you last left but, um... Flash is the captain of my guards."

Sunset had to register this for a moment. Flash Sentry, the same Flash Sentry that Twilight had clearly once developed feelings for in both the human and pony world, was now basically her bodyguard.

If Attack Of The Clones had taught her anything, it was that this would not end well for her.

Apparently Sunset's dislike of this was pretty evident, as Flash started speaking.

"Someones clearly unhappy." He stated.

"Sunset, its not that bad." Said Twilight. "He saved my life back in the Griffon kingdom."

"He...WHAT?!"

Twilight bit her lip nervously. "Um...a few Griffon insurgents may have tried to kill me a few days ago."

"You just forgot to mention this?!"

"I didn't want to bring up something like that when you just got back."

Twilight was right of course, but wether it was because she learnt that Flash was now Twilight's guard or because she learned that Twilight had almost been assassinated, she was starting to feel angry.

"Look Sunny, you don't need to worry." Flash insisted. "Twilight was kept within a shield the entire time."

"Which is something I have to complain about." Uttered Twilight. "I wanted to help, but matter what I said, that guard wouldn't take the shield down."

"He was under direct orders from Celestia to keep you shielded in dangerous situations. Sorry if he didn't seem very compliant."

"Are you kidding me?!" Sunset shouted at him, the anger building inside her. "Twilight has saved Equestria more times than you've probably had to shave. Keeping her trapped in a shield probably put her in MORE DANGER!"

Flash raised an eyebrow at her. "Sheesh Sunset, calm down a bit..."

"How can you expect me to calm down when you're so incompetent at your job?!"

'I could't agree more.'

At the sound of that voice, Sunset froze, her eyes widening. She realised how much she had irresponsibly let her rage build up, and what that could potentially have lead to...

"Sunset?" Twilight asked, looking very concerned. "Whats wrong?"

Sunset took a deep breath, backing away from Flash. "Its... its nothing." She looked towards Flash. "Flash, I'm sorry about all that stuff I said. I guess I just felt... concerned for Twilight."

"Sure..." Flash responded, clearly noticing that something had happened with her. "I should probably go... um... perimeters to check and... stuff like that..."

"I think so too." Twilight agreed. "I want to talk with Sunset for a bit."

Flash nodded at her, before kicking himself off the floor, spreading his wings out, and flying away.

Twilight turned back to face Sunset, the look of concern still in her eyes. "Sunset... what was that?"

"I told you, its nothing."

"Don't try this on me. I saw you suddenly get angry with Flash, and then you just looked...scared."

Sunset looked at Twilight, and the look on her face. It was a face she couldn't lie to.

And more importantly, it was a face she could trust.

"Can we talk somewhere else?" She asked. "Like... your room or something?"

Twilight nodded. "My room is just fine."

She walked down the hallway, Sunset following behind her. There wasn't anything to talk about, so there was no speaking. Just the sound of their hoofsteps echoing down the hallway. They passed a guard on the way, who gave them a salute like the one in the library. Sunset was starting to understand how they made Twilight feel uncomfortable.

After they entered the throne room, they went up a set of stairs that lead to another hallway. It was a short walk down the hallway before Twilight opened up one of the doorways, letting Sunset in before she closed the door behind them.

There was no source of light in the room besides the curtainless window letting the evening sunlight in, which worked perfectly fine. Aside from the bed, which certainly looked very royal, the room didn't look very different from the guest bedroom that Sunset had stayed in.

"So..." Said Twilight. "Now that we're alone...whats going on?"

Sunset sighed. There was no way should could back out of it now, but it didn't mean that she had to like it.

"I've been having nightmares..." Sunset said quietly.

"What kind of nightmares?" Twilight asked, her voice sounding very compassionate.

"I find myself in this... red corridor. In front and behind me I see nothing but darkness, and I keep thinking that I can't go back, so I start walking ahead. As I do, I keep hearing these...voices. Saying things from my past. And at the end..."

She stopped for a moment, the memories of the dreams feeling hard to bring up.

"And...what?" Twilight responded.

"Its different each time... but it always ends with... myself. The form I took when I put the crown on..."

"That sounds horrible." Twilight uttered.

"Thats not the important part. Yes, that sounds like it was just my own insecurity and fear of my past taking form in my mind. And in a way... I guess it is. But its more than that. I started hearing... a voice. Her voice. In the real world."

Twilight's eyes shot wide open. "How?"

"I talked to Discord about it. He said that when I took demon form, the element of magic fused with a part of my soul. When you and the others reverted me back to normal, that part of me stayed."

It looked like Twilight was trying to look calm, but she was clearly disturbed from hearing this.

"He said that... its mostly inactive. Its only when I start to feel negative emotions that it starts to emerge. And when it does... not only can I hear her, but... she rides those emotions. She overcharges them to the point where I'm getting infuriated over basically nothing."

"So how do we stop it?" Twilight asked, continuing to sound upset.

"I already asked Discord. Like I said, its a part of my soul. A part of me. Getting rid of should be impossible. And if it can somehow be done, it would likely lobotomise me if it didn't kill me."

"But..."

"Its not as bad as it sounds. It just... talks to me really. Just overblows my emotions. Theres not much bad stuff that can come from that, right?"

"Sunset, we both know what you were like as a demon. We can't have that come back in any way or form."

"I already told you, we can't risk trying to get rid of it. Theres nothing we can do."

For what felt like a while, Twilight just stared at Sunset, seemingly trying to figure out something to say or do, but nothing came to mind.

Suddenly she rushed towards Sunset, wrapping her hooves around her in an intense hug. Still hugging her, she pressed her lips against Sunset's in a quick, yet passionate kiss. She quickly kissed her twice more before resting her head on Sunset's shoulder.

"Sunset, I'm... I'm so sorry..." She said in a voice that sounded on the verge of tears.

"Don't be." Sunset insisted. "Right now I'm just happy that you're okay. I still can't believe that you could have died in the Griffon kingdom."

Twilight parted herself from the hug, a sad look on her face. "Right... the Griffon kingdom..."

"What was it like?" Sunset asked, sensing something wrong.

"It was..." Twilight said quietly, her breathing getting louder. "It was just... just horrible. Everywhere I looked I was seeing... suffering. Citizens being arrested, adults and children alike living on the streets, Griffons that... just weren't moving..."

Tears were now running down her face.

"And..." She sobbed. "I think about how they may still be going through Tartarus right now, and yet I... I have everything I could have ever wanted or needed. And then I think about the fact that it all could have been stopped earlier... if I had just been there..."

Whatever she was going to say next, she didn't get to. She didn't need to. Sunset raised her hoof, stroking Twilight's cheek, which was wet with tears.

"Don't tell yourself that any of it is your fault. You didn't know that the portal would close behind you. You didn't know that you'd be gone for a week. You didn't know what was happening in the Griffon kingdom. Theres no reason to be blaming yourself for any of this."

Sunset and Twilight stared at each other, the latter's eyes red from crying.

"That doesn't change the fact that its still happening."

Her horn glowing aqua, Sunset magically brushed stray strands of Twilight's hair out of her face. "Well you can't help anyone if you're busy being so sad over it."

Twilight's reaction lasted as long as it should have. For a moment , they just stared at each other, Sunset trying to comfort Twilight with a smile. Eventually, Twilight in turn smiled, before leaning forward and giving Sunset another quick kiss. This one was less passionate than the previous ones, but there was something... more heartfelt about it.

"Thank you." She whispered.

"Thats what girlfriends do." Sunset whispered back. "We support each other."

"Come on." Said Twilight, rubbing the water out of her eyes. "Its getting late. We should go get some dinner."

"I think you're right."

Twilight headed out the door, Sunset following behind her. As Sunset left the room, closing the door behind her, a thought formed in her head.

A thought that had been growing in her mind as Twilight was explaining what had been going on in the Griffon kingdom.

If she hadn't gone back to get the crown that fateful day, she and Twilight likely wouldn't have met. If she and Twilight hadn't met, they never would have developed their friendship and eventual relationship. If they had never been friends, Twilight wouldn't have gotten herself stuck in the human world.

She would have been in Equestria as the civil conflict erupted.

'Its not your fault Twilight. Its mine.'

Author's Notes:

Before I state anything regarding this chapter, I would like to reveal to those unaware that in the time between this chapter and the last, I published a new short story titled Gliding In The Night which tells my origin story for Night Glider, one of the ponies from Starlight Glimmer's village in the season finale who participate in the final conflict of the episode. It focuses a lot more on drama than comedy than A Sparkling Sunset, as well as being much shorter. Check it out if you're interested (It has pony ninjas! You can't refuse!)

The other non chapter related thing I wanted to mention was my portrayal of Flash. I feel like because of the terrible characterisation we saw from human Flash in EG, everyone seems to hate him. And I thought 'Well, pony Flash only got like two lines, why should he get the hate? Not to mention hes a soldier. Theres so much to work with when you put it like that!' So in these past few chapters I'd try to make him something of a kickass cocky action hero. What do you guys think.

As for this actual chapter, I have once again paid tribute to my fans, only now its a lot more obvious and may potentially damage the chapter's story for everyone who isn't them What a good writer I am. I also gave my editor something of a cameo.

Other than that, theres not much to say. I was going for sweet and dramatic with this chapter, though I feel I may have rushed it.

As always, please comment and critique so that I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Waves Of Relief-Twilight Sparkle

"...finally out of strength and energy, Daring Do collapsed into the warm embrace of Ahuizotl Jr's arms, her passion spent. As his tail hand gently stroked her mane, her eyelids fell as she drifted off to peaceful sleep."

Once Fracture was done, he lifted his gaze towards them, his glowing cyan eyes wide with excitement. "So what do you think?"

Twilight was struggling to find the words. She had encountered fanfiction before, even pretty sensual ones. But none of them were quite... like that.

"Um... it was... certainly detailed..."

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." Sunset groaned.

"It could have been shorter..." Twilight continued.

"On that we can agree on." Sunset responded.

"Hmmm... " Fracture mumbled, his eyes quickly scrolling over the eight pages of intense descriptive love. "Maybe I did overdo it a bit. Eh, the guys at the fan club probably won't mind. You should see how long Bulk Bicep's stories tend to get."

"I really don't think I want to..." Sunset stated, displaying the cutest face of disturbance a pony could muster.

Twilight had certainly found Fracture's story to be... less than pleasing, though thankfully not to the point of feeling any sickness.

"So Fracture, now that we've... participated in your reading, is there any chance you can give us that lens now?" She asked.

"Right." He replied, ducking under the counter. "I have a small box full of these things somewhere here." He continued, a rummaging noise coming from his position.

Twilight looked to her left at Sunset, who was in the process of rubbing her head as her eyes shut tight, like she was trying to telepathically erase her memories of the past few minutes.

"Ah, here it is!"

Twilight looked back at the counter to find Fracture placing a small brown box on the surface, a rattling noise spawning from the impact.

"Pick your size and thickness!" He declared with enthusiasm.

The inside of the box erupted with magenta as dozens of small lenses floated out, a large variety of sizes presented before her. One by one Twilight inspected the individual lenses, finding two bronze framed ones of around five centimetre diameter and two centimetre thickness.

"These ones should do." Twilight stated, levitating all other lenses back in the box.

"Lets see..." Fracture started, picking up a small notebook and flicking through the pages. "Lenses... size... number... that should be about... sixty bits."

It may have been a bit pricey, but there wasn't any other way of getting a good telescope lens in the area, so it had to do. After the payment was handed over, Fracture happily bid them farewell as they left the store.

"Never make me go through that again." Sunset demanded, the door closing behind them.

"Would you have preferred we try to deal with him in his previous mood?" Twilight asked, referring to his green misery state, which he had been going through when they arrived. Something about the Stark family...

"Well it didn't mean we had to go through his erotic fantasies in the form of literature!"

"Have you really never encountered that kind of writing?"

Sunset's lips pursed. "The internet is a strange place my dear. There is many an artwork and a pop-up advert that I wished I never saw. But not once have I ever dared to see what horrors the written world has in store. Except for when I did. Five minutes ago!"

"You look so cute when you're grumpy." Twilight commented, nudging Sunset on the head. "How about we go get some lunch, will that cheer you up?"

Her eyes narrowed in an unamused expression. "I believe I just stated twice that I felt disgusted. Do you want to give me vomit fuel?"

"They have waffles."

Her eyes subsequently un-narrowed, a slight smile appearing. "With whipped cream?"

"And raspberries if they haven't run out yet."

Sunset was now looking considerably happier than she had been a few seconds ago. "Then screw my digestive system, lead the way!"

***

The Ponyville Café was dealing with very few customers besides them, so it wasn't very long before their food arrived.

Sunset was busy digging in to exactly what Twilight had promised her, a pile of waffles topped with whipped cream and raspberries. Unlike Twilight's promise however, there were also some chocolate chips among the cream as well raspberries.

Twilight herself was enjoying very similar food. A pancake as opposed to a waffle, also topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips, but with blueberries rather than raspberries.

"Hooweba mabe deesh wufoof nids a raith!" Sunset declared through a muffling mass of pastry, cream, fruit, and chocolate.

Twilight nodded. She usually paid more than was required anyway. Though she wasn't quite focused on the quality of the food at the moment. She was more focused on the food itself...

There was something about the two meals that the two mares had chosen to eat that caught her attention. She noticed how different, yet how similar they were. On one side, both of them had decided to have their food with whipped cream and chocolate chips. But on the other side, she and Sunset had gone for pancakes and waffles respectively, as well as choosing a different type of fruit to go with them.

It reminded her of something she read about the strength of a relationship, how a bond between two people relied on a balance of their differences as well as their similarities. The idea was that they needed to be similar enough to understand and relate to each other, as well as different enough to learn from each other. To complete one another.

She looked at the half eaten pancakes in front of her, then at the remnants of Sunset's waffles. If you were to compare the separate meals to the ones eating them, than the whipped cream present in both of their food could represent their academic side. Their strive for knowledge and ability to pass it on to others. In short, both of them were complete nerds. As for the chocolate chips, they could represent their kindness and compassion. Both of them had been emotionally withdrawn and cold to others, but became better people once they experienced true friendship. Developing friendships, as well as being helpful and forgiving all became a second nature to them.

Then there was the differences in their food, the traits they didn't share. As Twilight had chosen pancakes while Sunset had chosen waffles, Twilight was sweet and eccentric while Sunset was cool and confident. Twilight's lunch was topped with dark and round blueberries as she tended to be unstable and prone to panic. Sunset's lunch was topped with bright and lumpy raspberries as she tended to be regretful and prone to sadness. In the case of how the differences worked for each other, Sunset's confidence was needed to cancel out Twilight's instability, and Twilight's eccentricity was needed to cancel out Sunset's darker moods.

If lunch was anything to go by, things were looking good for them.

"Okay, I changed my mind." Sunset declared as she sighed happily, her plate now holding nothing more than crumbs and flakes of cream. "No amount of disturbing fanfiction can make this stuff unappealing."

"Glad to see that cheered you up." Twilight replied, finishing off her pancakes.

"So whats next?" Asked Sunset.

Twilight had to finish chewing the pancake in her mouth before she could answer. "Back to the castle I guess, since we have the lenses and all. Unless theres anything else you want to do?"

"Not really." Sunset answered. "Going back to the castle sounds just fine."

With going home now secured as the next goal, Twilight finished off the last of her pancakes and called for the waiter. Once the bill was paid, they left the café and headed for the castle.

During the walk back, there was nothing but silence between them. It wasn't too surprising, with the amount of time they spent together there naturally wasn't going to be much to talk about. Sunset wasn't too familiar with Ponyville, but Twilight figured that she could just let her admire it herself.

As for Ponyville itself, it was looking like the usual nice environment that it was. There was that refreshing scent of fresh plants and clean streets in the air, one that gave a hint of the pride and care the ponies took when it came to their town. The state of the houses made them looked as good as if they had been built just last week, and the sound of friendly chatter emitted from the colourful townsfolk. Above the rooftops the sky was filled with little to no clouds, allowing the light of the sun to...

The sun...

At the sight of the symbol of her mentor, Twilight was struck by the memories of everything Luna had told her that day. It was hard to believe that it could have slipped from her memory in the first place.

Sunset was Celestia's daughter, and she had absolutely no idea that she was.

Of all the things she had learned about Celestia in the past few short years from the fact that she banished her own sister to the moon for a thousand years, to her secret visits to an alternate world to be with an alternate Sombra, this was by far among the most shocking. As an ancient being that has weilded divine power to rule Equestria for thousands of years, something as simple as family seemed like something that Celestia simply didn't involve herself in. And the fact that this daughter of hers was the mare she had spent the last few months knowing and the last few days loving was probably what was most shocking about it.

After knowing and learning from Celestia for so long, Twilight knew that the decisions that Celestia made had to be for what she thought was a good reason. Especially since she knew what kind of person Sunset once was, it wasn't too hard to believe that Celestia would see her as a failure and want to get rid of her.

But still...

"Sunset?"

"Yeah?" Sunset responded, looking back at her as they walked.

"These days..." Twilight struggled to find the words. "How would you say you felt about Celestia?"

It didn't take a scientist to instantly spot the hints of sadness that appeared in Sunset's eyes. "You mean how I feel when I think about her? Its more or less the same as everything from my past really. I regret a lot of things I said to her, and wish I could undo the choices I made back then. Why do you ask?"

"How would you feel... if you got to see her again?"

Sunset seemed to think for a moment before answering. "Honestly, its not like anythings keeping me from seeing her again. I guess I'm just too scared to confront her after everything that went down back then."

"You make it sound like she'd want to kill you or something."

"Well I don't see why she wouldn't want to, after declaring that I was better than her and trying to conquer Equestria. The least she would probably do is banish me to Tartarus."

"Oh please, she'd never go that far..."

"Hey, I was just kidding... mostly. I mean she banished her own sister to the moon for a thousand years for trying to conquer Equestria. I tried to more or less do the same thing and I'm not even her family."

'If only you knew...' Twilight thought.

If only she knew indeed. But as much as Twilight wanted to tell Sunset the truth herself, she had recently come to the conclusion that this was a family matter and was going to be sorted out by family. No matter how long it took.

"So you think its best if you don't see Celestia again?" Twilight asked.

"I'm not saying that." Sunset insisted. "Honestly, Celestia was something like a mother to me..."

'You don't say.'

"I still regret the fact that we last saw each other on the terms that we did. I want to fix the broken relationship that we had, but I just don't think I'm ready yet. I doubt she is either."

Taking a closer look at Sunset, Twilight could see that she was clearly pained by the situation she had created between her and Celestia.

"Don't worry." Said Twilight. "I'm sure it'll all work out in the end."

"Thanks." Sunset replied with a smile. "I hope so."

With that sorted out, Twilight looked ahead to unexpectedly find the castle just ahead of them. They had walked a surprisingly long distance during that one conversation.

Once they had reached the top of the stairs, Twilight intended on opening the doors herself. But before she could do so, they started glowing orange before opening themselves. Upon entering the castle, she found a unicorn guard saluting her, his horn glowing the same colour.

"Um... thank you?" She said to him. Even after the week of living with these guards and the years she lived in Canterlot a while back, it was a difficult process getting used to it.

The two mares walked ahead into the throne room to find a group of about five guards huddled in a circle. Standing out among them was Flash's golden armour. He caught sight of Twilight and Sunset as they approached, and when the guards parted, Twilight saw that he was holding what looked like a letter.

"Whats new?" Twilight asked.

Flash's face displayed a smirk. That wasn't unusual for him, but this one seemed happier than most.

"You might want to read this." He stated.

Wrapping it in her magic, Twilight levitated the letter into reading distance. She felt Sunset lean against her, trying to take a look as well. And even from the first word, she recognised the handwriting of Celestia.

Dear Twilight Sparkle, and the Guards in her service.

I have recently been informed by messengers from the Griffon Kingdom that the civil conflict in their territory is coming to an end. It was recently discovered that the insurgents who attacked you were under the command of the Griffon Princess Geráki. Upon further investigation it was also revealed that she had also been responsible for the destruction of any documents stating which Princess had been born first, as well as the deaths of most of those present during the birth. It is also suspected that she may have poisoned her father, but that is still being looked into. It appears that she has been plotting to take the Griffon throne for quite some time, an act that has earned her life imprisonment. Her sister, Princess Grípi, is to be crowned Queen within a week. With the conflict over, it is hoped that the kingdom will return to its regular state in a few months. Princess Grípī thanks you for everything you have done, and I thank you for the service you have provided for Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom.

Yours sincerely.

Princess Celestia.

Even after she finished reading, Twilight continued to stare at the paper in her magical grasp, processing everything she had just read.

It was over.

There was no reason to worry about the Griffon Kingdom anymore.

'But isn't there?' She asked herself in her mind. 'Things aren't just going to return to normal overnight. After everything that I saw in the Griffon Kingdom, there will be people that won't trust others, especially the royal family. There will still be fighting. There will still be suffering.'

There will still be dying.

"Are you okay Twilight?" She heard Sunset ask from behind her.

"I'm fine." Twilight replied, looking up at Flash. "Thank you for informing me of this."

"Hey, I'm not the one that should be thanked here." Flash insisted. "You're the one that should be thanked. For visiting the Griffon Kingdom. And having to confront two raging monarchs. And almost being assassinated. I should probably shut up now."

"Please do." Sunset mumbled.

Flash took notice of the insult and smiled at Sunset. "What, you don't like the sound of my voice?"

"Drop the charming musician tone and I may find it the slightest bit more bearable." Sunset replied, her eyebrows narrowing in a position that made it hard to tell if she was taking this playfully or seriously.

"Well I'm sorry if Your eggheadedness can't handle this sexy voice of mine."

"You call it sexy, I call it the sound of a dying vulture."

"That certainly gives me a clear impression of your taste in music."

"Can we get back to the part where you were saying that you should shut up now?"

The banter between Sunset and Flash brought a slight smile to Twilight's face. It was nice to be present during something like this to get her mind off the Griffon Kingdom.

She could only hope that her mind stayed off it.

***

It wasn't long after Twilight had received the news from the Celestia that her friends came over to congratulate her and celebrate the occasion. Pinkie had brought over an entire five foot 'End Of A Foreign Civil Conflict' cake, with the usual balloons and confetti cannons accompanying them. They spent the next few hours digging into the cake while talking, which largely consisted of asking Twilight questions regarding how she felt about the incident. Sunset spent her time socialising with the others, trying to continue building up friendships similar to the ones she had with their pony counterparts.

As much as Twilight enjoyed seeing the others celebrate over the end of the conflict, as well as Sunset having a good time with the others, she couldn't enjoy herself as much as everyone else. All she wanted to do was stop thinking about the Griffon Kingdom, and this party was accomplishing that.

Eventually, the time had come for Celestia to lower the sun and Luna to bring out the moon. With Equestria now under the blanket of night, the other five mares saw it as time to go home. Together they all left the castle, wishing Twilight and Sunset a good night.

With them gone, the castle was nothing but silent. The Guards that were normally active during the day, including Flash, had all retired for the night, another group of Guards taking their place.

"So, is there anything else you want to do tonight?" Sunset asked Twilight as they walked back towards the throne room.

Twilight sighed. "I think I'd just like to go to sleep now."

If anything was going to take her mind off everything, it was a good nights sleep.

"Sure, if thats what you want." Sunset agreed.

Following this agreement that it was time for bed, the two mares trotted up the stairway into the upper floor of the castle. They both went to the bathroom, brushing their teeth side by side. Once they were both prepared to sleep, they walked down the hallway to where all the main bedrooms were.

Stopping at the room that Sunset was staying in, Twilight opened the door for her.

"Have a nice night Sunset." She wished her.

"You too." Sunset answered back before kissing Twilight on the cheek.

Sunset entered her room, closing the door behind her and leaving Twilight alone the hallway.

Twilight stood quietly by the door for a moment, possibly out of sadness, loneliness or just tiredness. When that moment passed, she let out a deep breath and headed further down the hallway to her own bedroom.

On the way, she spotted a door that was left wide open. Recognising it as Spike's door, she took a look inside. It looked as it normally did, all of Spike's stuff kept in a clean and orderly state. Unlike the general impression most people had of children, Spike always kept his room nice and tidy. It probably came from the lifetime he spent organising things for Twilight.

In his bed slept the dragon himself, snoring quietly. He always looked so cute when he was asleep. He just seemed so sweet and innocent. At the end of of his bed the frame rose into a blue crystal tree design, and on top of that slept Owlowiscious. Owlowiscious had several places to sleep in the castle, but he tended to sleep in either Twilight or Spike's rooms most nights.

Twilight slowly closed the door so that they wouldn't be disturbed, and walked a few steps further down the hallway, finally reaching her room.

Entering the bedroom, Twilight slowly walked towards her bed. But instead of tucking herself under the sheets and going to sleep, she turned to face the large window, moved closer to it and sat down on the floor before it.

She gazed through the open curtains and out the pane of glass to the night sky before her. There wasn't anything special about this sky compared to all the other night skies that came before it, but for some reason she just wanted to stare at it. That plain space, a dark purple colour that turned pitch black the higher it went, with glowing white spots scattered across it. It was looking clearer to Twilight of why pony's neglect of the beautiful night would drive Luna to do what she did a thousand years ago. At that moment, Twilight wanted to just stare at the night sky for the rest of her life, and forget about everything that was going on beyond Equestria.

"Are you okay?"

Twilight turned around to see Sunset standing at the doorway. She realised that she had somehow forgotten to close the door before she entered the room earlier.

"I'm fine." Twilight answered, getting up from the floor. "I just thought I'd take a look at the sky for a bit before going to sleep."

"I don't think so Twilight." Said Sunset, closing the door before walking towards her. "I came here because I realised that you had this look on you earlier. Like something was upsetting you. I wasn't so sure of it before, but looking at you now, there is definitely something wrong."

Twilight looked at the floor sadly. She felt like she wanted to tell Sunset, but the words just couldn't come out.

"Its the Griffon Kingdom isn't it?" Sunset inferred.

Still unable to get the words out, she could only nod.

Sunset walked herself in front of Twilight and placed her hoof on the princess's shoulder. "Twilight, the matters in the Griffon Kingdom are done. Its over."

"Is it?" Twilight asked, lifting her head to face Sunset as her strength returned to her.

Sunset looked at her for a second. "You think that theres still going to be fighting?"

"Why wouldn't there be? Just because the new monarch has been chosen, it doesn't mean that everyone's suddenly going to forget the past two weeks. You think the Griffon people are going to get along after they were more or less trying to kill each other just a few days ago?"

Sunset's eyes drifted away from Twilight. "I don't how to answer that."

"I think you do know, Sunset. You just don't want to." Twilight went back to looking at the ground again. "And neither do I. All I can really do is think about it... and regret..."

Twilight suddenly felt the feeling of Sunset's hoof under her chin, before her head was lifted to look at her in the eye.

"You need to stop blaming yourself for this." Sunset pleaded.

"Well who else am I supposed to blame?"

"Blame me..."

This phrase stunned Twilight for a few seconds.

"What do you mean? This has nothing to do with you." Twilight pointed out.

"If it wasn't for our friendship at the time, you wouldn't have been in the human world when this all started." Sunset stated, her voice starting to crack. "You could have been to there to stop it before things got serious. If anyone is to blame here, its me."

Looking closer at Sunset's face, Twilight spotted the tears that had started to run down her cheeks.

That was when it hit her. She thought about the fact that Sunset had never been to the Griffon Kingdom, never seen anything that had happened there. Yet here she was, claiming all the blame for herself. Regardless of who was to blame or not, feeling guilt for something was purely psychological. Having never seen the state of the Griffon Kingdom herself, there was no motivation Sunset could have had to feel guilty about all of it.

Except for her.

The state that Twilight had sent herself into. The guilt. The sadness. The tears. It was what had hurt Sunset. It was what had caused her to feel guilty about everything. And by openly telling Twilight that it was her fault, she was trying to take all the guilt off her. Trying to carry it for her.

At that moment, whatever Twilight had been feeling for Sunset before was paling in comparison to what she was feeling for her now.

"I love you." Twilight whispered.

Sunset's eyes widened, her face displaying complete surprise, possibly from the suddenness of this comment, or the fact that she was finally hearing these words from Twilight.

"I... love you too." Sunset said back to her.

A surging feeling appeared in Twilight's stomach and went up her body, charging her with this alien feeling that made her heartbeat go faster and her breaths go deeper.

And all of a sudden it exploded inside her as she lunged forward, fusing her lips with Sunset's. The amber mare was initially taken aback by this, but quickly eased up and pushed her mouth back against Twilight's. They had kissed a few times before, but this one was... different.

Sunset began to push harder against Twilight, forcing her to start moving backwards as they continued kissing. All the while the feeling inside Twilight expanded through her entire body. It was like her heart was releasing an electrically charged gas that was coursing through her blood stream. She felt that she needed... more of Sunset.

Sunset continued pushing against Twilight, until the alicorn felt her backside collide softly with the end of the bed. She leaned back against it, allowing Sunset to start climbing on top of her, continuing to assault her with passion.

And that was when Twilight realised what was happening.

"Stop..." She panted, releasing her mouth from its lock with Sunset's.

Sunset gave her a confused look, before she seemed to realise what she had been doing.

"I'm sorry!" She apologised. "I... I didn't mean to suddenly get so... I wasn't trying to..."

"No, its fine." Twilight insisted. "I'm just... not sure if I'm ready for this kind of thing. I mean... I'm not very experienced. There aren't any books on this subject that I've read."

Sunset looked at Twilight with a very indecisive look, before she broke into a small hint of a smile. "Do you want to?"

Twilight thought for a second, before giving her the honest answer. "Yes."

Sunset nodded, and Twilight suddenly felt her whole body vibrate as her vision went opal. She felt herself levitate through the air before landing softly on the bed. Looking forward, she saw Sunset step on to the mattress and start crawling towards her. She stayed flat on her back as Sunset positioned herself on top of her, her horn glowing brightly.

"Then we can learn together, okay?" Sunset whispered, her eyes looking at Twilight lovingly as she smiled.

"Okay..." Twilight replied, smiling back.

And while no one knew what happened in that room, those who may have been in the area that the window overlooked would have witnessed flashes of stunning opal light, dazzling magenta light, and even once, a beautiful turquoise light as the two colours fused into one.

Author's Notes:

Well... that was a thing...

Don't get any ideas, I'm keeping this story teen rated. I just thought it would be cute to add a scene like this as long as I keep out the mature stuff.

In other news, my attempts at keeping this story as close to the show as possible have exploded in my face with the release of season 5 episode 8. That was actually the reason I tried to avoid going into details with the Griffon stuff, like when I cut away before Twilight met with the Griffon princesses, as well as my avoidance of naming them until now. I tried to match the show as close as possible, but look how that turned out. (At least I was right about the tree houses. That counts for something right?)

I'd like to say that this chapter took this long because I was doing the final big exams that would decide my future, but I will admit it was also because of a case of writers block as well as a sudden new addiction to anime. (Freaking Gurren Laghann man!)

I also feel that this chapter may seem rushed. Please tell me if it is so... well I can't do anything except feel bad about it...

As always, please comment and critique so that I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Seeing Red-Sunset Shimmer

Get up Sunset.

Sunset's eyes flung open, discovering a dark yellow void before her. She tried to move, and realised she was lying on a cold hard surface. Her head flopped to the side, and she saw that the floor that she was lying on was a dark garnet red.

Groaning, she turned sideways on to her belly and lifted herself on her four hooves. It was at this point that she knew that she was dreaming, but when she looked up, she realised that there would be no red corridor waiting for her this time.

The garnet red floor that she woke up on turned out to be a straight and narrow surface that split up into multiple parts. A pathway. At each side of the path the floor rose up into a slightly higher layer. This higher layer was instead coloured a brighter crimson red, and appeared to be made of smaller individual bricks. But the most startling thing that Sunset saw were the scarlet structures that shot up from the second layer. Each of these had black square windows with no glass panes covering them, and on the ground level they had dark rectangular doorways.

Sunset then realised what she was looking at. A road, a sidewalk, and a collection of buildings.

A red city.

Taking a closer look at the buildings, she saw no resemblence to any particular buildings or style of buildings she knew. But judging from her memory, Canterlot city back in the human world was the only city like this she had ever known, so that was likely what her subconscious was using to construct this.

Or rather, this was what she was using to construct this.

One step after the other, Sunset walked down the road, further into the city. Like with the red corridor, she didn't know where she was going. Unlike with the red corridor though, she felt more confident. These streets made her feel like she could choose where she was going.

Reaching a crossroad, she decided to go right. It was like the opposite of the red corridor. Rather than feeling like she had to get away, she felt like she had to get closer to something.

The buildings she saw all seemed to retain a similar style and shape, but their size certainly varied, from towering skyscrapers to smaller cube shaped structures. Looking up at the buildings Sunset then took full notice of the yellow sky. It looked similar to orange juice, as its colour shifted across the sky, going from lighter and darker shades of yellow to light tones of orange, like mixed clouds of colour.

At another crossroad that Sunset encountered she decided to go left, walking into another empty street of red buildings. She knew that she was trying to go somewhere, but the exact location alluded her. She did however have some idea of what she would find when she got there.

For a period of time that Sunset couldn't determine, she continued exploring the city, changing directions at crossroads where she felt it was right. The city kept changing in its individual buildings, but overall each street seemed the same. The entire thing felt like a big red urban maze, one that she wasn't sure she was navigating right.

Until she found it...

Around the corner of one of the larger red buildings Sunset discovered a site that was very different from the rest of the city. A large square shaped space where there were no red buildings. It had to be around half a mile long at each side, the floor consisting completely of the garnet road.

And at the centre, stood Canterlot High.

It looked exactly like the real one, in shape and detail. It was even coloured the same, being the only building that wasn't red. Its walls were the same purple, its roof a matching brown, and its grass as green as the real thing.

The only difference it had in comparison to the real CHS was the ten foot Demon standing at the foot of the horse statue.

She didn't seem to be doing anything, just standing there, possibly looking at something. Sunset stepped out from the cover of the scarlet buildings, and walked deeper into the garnet space, towards Canterlot High. That demon was the reason she was having this dream, and confronting her was the only way she would get any more answers.

It didn't take long to cross the garnet plains before she reached the edge of Canterlot High. It was strange to see the garnet floor just stop at the floor of the school grounds, the world of red suddenly changing into colour. It was like walking into a separate universe.

Her demon self hadn't moved from where she was standing in front of the statue. This left only a few metres of distance between them as Sunset stepped onto the school grounds. It was a distance that Sunset didn't want to make any smaller.

Sunset stood at the end of Canterlot High, refusing to move any further. She didn't feel anything like fear or disturbance, but there was something that made her feel like she didn't want that monster to get any closer. For a few minutes there was nothing but silence and stillness, neither of the two present beings taking a single action.

"Brings back memories doesn't it?" Sunset heard from in front of her.

She remained still for a moment, questioning wether she should respond or not. "What do you mean?"

Demon Sunset's head turned around slightly, giving Sunset the view of a wicked grin baring several sharp teeth and an evil black and green eye staring at her.

''This is where it happened. Remember."

Sunset wondered what she was talking about for a second, before remembering that this was the place that she had put on the element of magic and transformed into the monster that was standing before her.

"Putting that crown on was the worst mistake of my life." Sunset declared.

The Demon responded by laughing. A monstrous sound that seemed to echo across the entire red city.

"Bold words considering what you've done in your life. Abandoning Celestia. Interfering with the lives of those at Canterlot High. Theres a lot of things you've done that you are anything but proud of. If anything, I consider wielding the element of magic to be among your smartest choices.

"Why, because it resulted in your creation?" Sunset asked angrily.

Another, lighter laugh echoed across the garnet plains. "I've been around a lot longer than that Sunset. It just may have taken a bit of dark magic to release this part of yourself. The crown was special for far more important reasons Sunset. With it you could have conquered Equestria. You could have surpassed Celestia. You could have accomplished what you were meant to do from the start."

"You think trying to take over Equestria with a small group of teenagers was a good plan? In what way do you call that a smart choice?" Sunset questioned.

Demon Sunset turned around further, her shoulder facing pony Sunset and both of her eyes looking right at her. "Its not as stupid as you think. I imagine the students and staff alike would have converted into their pony counterparts, and in that case it would have been an army that included Celestia and Luna themselves. Even then, with the power of the element, we could have turned them into creatures far more powerful than any pony. Combine that with our ability to control the minds of weaker individuals, and the world was ripe for the taking."

That entire explanation left Sunset feeling uncomfortable. Not only in how it reminded her of how she had controlled the wills of so many innocents, and tried to used them to conquer Equesrtia, but also in the way that her demon form had referred those actions as if both of them were responsible.

"You were the one that tried to do all that, not me." She told the Demon.

In response to that, she just smiled. "So you think it was all my doing? Tell me then Sunset, do you remember eveything that happened when you were wearing the crown?"

Sunset stepped back, not wanting to go further into this. But that didn't stop her from thinking about it. And that was because it was all true. She remembered every detail of the time she spent when infused with the power of the crown.

"Of course you do." Uttered Demon Sunset, like she could read her mind. "You remember it because it was you. And at the same time it was me. Beacuse you and I Sunset, are one and the same, no matter how much you want to deny it."

"SHUT UP!" Sunset suddenly burst out, her horn glowing furiously with bright opal light. "We are nothing alike!"

Demon Sunset let out yet another cackle, turning around so that Sunset was now face to face with her whole front body. "So you think that you can stand up to me because you and little miss Princess tried playing at being big girls last night? My, that is bold."

This comment drove Sunset to the edge. She let loose a pulse of intense burning energy from her horn at the demon. But in an eruption of fire, she was gone, reappearing a few metres to the right. The statue that had been behind her was struck by the shot, exploding into charred stacks of scattered rubble.

"Leave my personal life out of this!" Sunset yelled at her.

She smiled further. "Oh, I think I can get into your personal life all I want. We are the same person as I said. You can't change it. You can't undo it. You can't go back."

"Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!" Sunset screamed, turning around and running away. She had to get as far away from this... thing as possible. She had to get out of this dream.

As soon as she was off the school grounds and back on to the garnet floor, she heard another bout of demonic laughter from behind her.

"You can't avoid who you are, Sunset. You can't run from it or hide from it. All you can do is embrace it."

Sunset tried to stop listening, and continued running away from the school and towards the buildings. She glanced behind her to discover that the Demon had disappeared. Looking back, she then saw that she had reached the buildings in an impossible amount of time.

She ran through the streets, making random turns around the buildings out of some subconscious hope of evading her pursuer. All the while, the demonic cackling seemed to echo across the streets, constantly changing from uncomfortably distant to frighteningly close.

Turning around another sharp corner, Sunset found the Demon waiting for her a couple of metres down the street.

"Trying to avoid who you are is a futile effort. It will always manage to find you, no matter how long it takes."

Sunset wasn't listening. She lowered her head towards the Demon and let loose a shimmering ray of burning energy. Just before the beam could strike her, a fiery orange energy bubble formed around her, deflecting it in two separate streams that ran across the buildings at each of her sides, cutting them in half.

The unicorn looked up to see that the top halves of the buildings were starting to slide off balance. She spun around and bolted away from the streets as the structures came crumbling down. At the sound of a booming shockwave she turned back to see that everything was now buried under tonnes of rubble.

She stared at the pile of scarlet rocks, feeling her heavy breath enter and leave her lungs. It was hard to understand how her body and soul worked in her dreams, but she was definitely feeling exhausted by all that action. If she was going to wake up, she might have to explore the city more. Letting out a sigh, she turned back...

And found Demon Sunset standing right in front of her.

With distance now lacking between them, Sunset had a good look at her. She was definitely standing over three times taller than herself, a factor that was intimidating Sunset into near paralysis.

The Demon bared her fangs at her. "Don't think I'm going down that easily. Nothing here is real. Not you. Not me. Not these buildings. Its all just a construction of your mind. And as long as it stays that way, I'm not going anywhere."

Sunset started to back away out of fear, before she realised something. It was all in her mind. Her actions were only limited by her perception and imagination. Esentially, if she could picture it in her head, it was possible.

Coming to this realisation, she stopped backing away and instead closed her eyes, trying to visualise in her head that her body no longer obeyed the rules of physics. It was difficult to accomplish while trying to ignore the intimidating presence of the Demon in front of her, but within seconds she suddenly felt the feeling of the ground disappear. Opening her eyes, she looked down to see that she had in fact acheived flight. Looking back up, she saw that Demon Sunset had noticed this, and didn't look pleased about it.

"So you think you're in control?" Her hand stretching out and summoning a red energy ball with a glowing yellow aura. "We'll see about that."

Using her thoughts to navigate her body, Sunset found herself flying upwards as the energy ball was flung from Demon Sunset's hand and exploded against the ground that Sunset had previously been standing on. With mild knowledge on how to control her newly acquired flight, she shot herself higher into the air and further away from the Demon. Refusing to stop, she flew over the buildings under her at rocket speed. In spite of the terrifying situation she was in, she still managed to take notice of the incredible sensation of flying, even if it wasn't real.

Looking back, she saw no sign of Demon Sunset in sight. Looking in all other directions, she saw no end to the sea of red buildings.

It then hit her that there probably wasn't an end. As a construction of her subconscious, it was likely that her mind was just creating new buildings ahead of her, while destroying any building that she couldn't see anymore.

When would this dream end? Was there a goal she had to find? With this theory of a constantly shifting city, it was unlikely. Did she have to wait until she woke up? If so, she didn't know how long she could stand Demon Sunset's tormenting.

"I am an unstoppable force that will lay claim to all power that I lay my eyes on. I am the bane of all that the elements of harmony stand for. I am the one whom all of Equestria and countless other worlds will surrender their will to. And so are you."

"NO!" Sunset cried out to the voice lingering in the air. "None of this is the real me!"

From the jungle of buildings in the distance, Demon Sunset emerged, her wings rising and falling against the air. On her face was a look of determination and rage. Bursting into red and orange flames, she flew towards Sunset.

"I AM YOU!"

At the speed of which she was moving, Sunset had little to no time to think before she collided with her Demon self.

As the two Sunsets impacted, the unicorn felt herself consumed by a burning feeling. A searing pain like the one she felt when she put the crown on that night. The entire world before her blurred into darkness, and her whole body seemed to dissipate into nothing.

It was as if her very existance had crumbled into dust.

And then, as suddenly as it had gone, it all came rushing back. Her vision cleared up as her body reassembled into being.

But at the same time... there was something wrong. She could feel her four hooves and her horn. But at the same time, she also felt the presence of a pair of wings, legs and arms.

And strangest and most terrifying of all, while she could feel the semi presence of all those limbs and body parts, she couldn't move any of it, no matter how hard she tried.

When the blurry mix of dark colours before her cleared into visibility, she recognised the location as Canterlot High. But this wasn't like the recreation she found in the red city. This was a specifific event.

The sky above her was dark and cloudy, the school covered in the shadow of this darkness. Down on the ground in front of her was Twilight, in human form and wearing a bright violet dress. Grouped around her were Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash, all dressed in similar formal wear. And while she couldn't see it, she knew that behind her was a huge hole in the walls of the school, through which there was a crowd of people under the control of dark magic.

This was that night.

Her head started to move, despite her not trying to move it. With the new viewpoints this gave her, she realised that the arms, legs and wings she had been feeling were really there, while the pony anatomy she had been feeling wasn't.

To add to the list of strange and frightening things that were happening at the moment, she realised that everything was completely silent. The sound of talking, wind, and distant city noises were absent, replaced with absolutely nothing. She even felt her own humanoid lips movings, yet no sound came from it.

She then felt her demonic arms rise above her head, her fingers stretching out. She felt a rush in her arms as energy coursed through them, creating an energy ball between her hands. Focusing her gaze on Twilight, she realised what was happening.

No! Stop...

She tried to take control of her arms, but to no avail.

Please!

With the orb of burning energy fully comprised, her arms flung forward, launching it at the group. The others quickly huddled around Twilight in a protective shell, but were helpless as they were struck by a destructive red explosion.

NO!

As the energy from the explosion erupted across the ground, the entirety of the school grounds shattered into countless pieces, revealing an empty black void. The sky above her swirled into a vortex before vanishing into the same blackness. Sunset's Demon body also disappeared, leaving behind her fully formed pony body, which fell helplessly into the abyss.

No...

No...

No...

***

Out of the darkness, Sunset's eyelids slowly parted, revealing a shining persian blue ceiling above her. The room was lit up by the light of the morning shining through the open curtains of the window. As she moved, she felt her back pressing against a soft mattress while the rest of her body was covered in an even softer duvet. Her head lay on a large pillow, a head that was currently running with sad memories.

She had fired at Twilight. She had fired at all of them. She had tried to kill them. She...

She turned her head to the left, and that was when she saw her.

Covered by the same duvet that covered Sunset, lay a sleeping lavender alicorn. On her face was a blissful look of sleep, with closed eyes and a slight smile letting out peaceful breaths. Her mane was left in a messy state, the kind that looked just adorable.

And with that look, all the memories of the previous night came rushing back.

Sunset smiled, letting out a small chuckle, as she shifted over and placed a hoof over her.

Twilight wasn't dead. She was right here. Right next to Sunset, as safe as ever. The sight of Twilight sleeping next to her, and the feeling of her hoof around her, was all Sunset needed to forget any nightmare. Sunset shuffled even closer, till their muzzles almost touched and she could feel Twilight's breath on her face.

"I won't let anything hurt you." Sunset whispered to the sleeping mare. "I love you Twilight Sparkle."

The slight smile on Twilight's face suddenly stretched into a bigger smile. "Ditto."

Sunset's eyes widened. "You..."

Twilight's eyes flung open. "Good morning."

Sunset began to blush at the realisation of how cheesy her previous statement was. The look on her face sent Twilight into a state of chuckling.

"Well good morning to you too Princess." Sunset said grumpily.

When Twilight's laughter finally subsided, she leaned forward and gave Sunset a quick kiss. "Sleep well?"

"In a princess's bed, why wouldn't I?"

Twilight nodded, and smiled at Sunset in silence. Sunset smiled back. Honestly, there wasn't any need to talk. She could just stare at her for hours, her nightmares and regrets nowhere to be found.

"So... how was last night?" Sunset asked.

Twilight's eyes narrowed playfully. "What, my outstretched wings and vocal expressions didn't give a hint?"

"Sorry, Just making sure." Sunset apologised. "I've never used some of those spells before. Honestly, I didn't think I'd ever get to."

"Where'd you even learn those?"

"Knowing my past, do you even have to ask that question?" Sunset's mind travelled back to when she would sneak into more restricted parts of the Canterlot archives and libraries to read about magic she was too young to know about.

Twilight chuckled again. "No, I suppose not."

Sunset stared at the smiling princess, fully taking in the fact that she was hers. It made her question how she ever managed to receive Twilight's affections, and if she really deserved it. But at the moment, that didn't matter to her. What mattered was that they were now lying in bed together, basking in each others loving company.

"You know, its funny to think that this all started because I tried to steal your crown." Sunset pointed out.

Twilight's hoof stretched out and stroked Sunset's cheek. "Well, you managed to steal something a lot more valuable than that."

"If you say 'My heart', I'm going to shoot you."

"Doesn't change how true it is."

Sunset looked back at the window, and saw how high the sun had risen above the horizon, indicating that the morning was getting later. It looked like a time of day when the castle wouldn't be too active, but that wouldn't last long.

"How awake are you feeling?" Sunset asked.

"Completely awake." Twilight answered "Why?"

"I think we should probably get up now, since it won't be long before Spike and the Guards start moving around the halls. It would look a bit suspicious if we were both found leaving the same room."

Twilight definitely looked displeased, probably wanting to cuddle for a bit more, but she also clearly understood what Sunset meant. The duvet that covered them both was lifted off them and placed on the other end of the bed. Sunset stretched her hooves and neck outwards before pushing herself on to the floor. Twilight proceeded to do the same. They then both walked towards a mirror while Twilight pulled two brushes out of a cabinet.

Sunset took a look at her reflection and saw that her mane had been just as messed up during the night as Twilight's had been. Twilight handed over one of the brushes, and both of them simultaneously brushed their hair into their usual states.

Once they were ready, Twilight was the first to go through the door and check to see if any one was there. Once it was evident that the hall was empty, Sunset followed behind her.

They first went to the bathroom, where they brushed their teeth and washed their faces, getting the morning hygiene issues out of the way. Following this, they trotted down the hallway and walked down the stairs on to the ground floor, before making their way to the dining room.

At the dining room they found that Spike had sat down at the table and was helping himself to a mixture of cereal and emeralds. Also at the table were two sets of bowls and spoons, along with three different boxes of cereal and a carton of milk.

"Good morning Spike." Twilight bid the dragon as they approached the table.

"Morning." He responded, waving his hand at the two mares.

They both sat down at the two spots next to him and poured themselves separate bowls of cereal. For the next few minutes all three of them ate in silence...

When Spike suddenly coughed up bits of cereal and emerald shards, before burping out a burst of green fire. A scroll appeared out of the fire and landed in front of Twilight.

"Are you okay Spike?" Sunset asked, noticing the gagging expression he had on his face.

"I'm fine." He insisted, before coughing out smaller bits of cereal as well as little green embers.

"It looks like a letter from Princess Celestia." Twilight commented, picking up the scroll.

Sunset mentally agreed. It had been a while, but she recognised the look of a royal Canterlot letter.

Twilight unfolded the scroll and started reading it while Sunset went back to eating her cereal. She felt that unlike the previous letter, this one was probably meant only for Twilight, and she figured that she should stay out of the business of the princesses.

Once Twilight appeared to be finished reading, she set the letter down. Sunset looked at her, and noticed that she looked concerned.

"Is everything okay?" She asked her.

Twilight turned to face her. "Celestia wants to speak to me personally about how to help the Griffon Kingdom recover from the past few weeks. She says that she intends on visiting the castle. Today."

Sunset quickly understood what this meant. If Celestia was coming, it was best that she wasn't here.

"So I guess I should go gather my stuff up." Sunset said sadly.

She then felt Twilight place her hoof on her shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Sunset replied. "I have school tomorrow anyway. Its best if I go home soon."

"Sunset, if theres any time to talk to Celestia again, it'll be a while before you get another chance like this."

Sunset was about to turn down Twilight's offer, but she then though about it. There were few days that passed when she didn't think about Celestia, and the tragic way they had parted. While she was afraid of it, since the night that Twilight had shown her the meaning of friendship, she had been longing for a chance to make things up with her mentor. And that chance was right here.

"I think I'd like to go outside, and... think about it. Alone."

Twilight nodded. "Okay. Take as much time as you need."

***

After a short walk, Sunset found herself at a little spot of nature near Twilight's castle. There was small pond, with lily pads and algae growing on the surface of the water. Next to the pond were three large trees that kept it half covered by shadows. Around the pond and trees, Sunset found one of the largest varieties of flowers she had ever seen, while a few bushes were found scattered all over the spot.

Walking over to the pond, Sunset discovered a large rock that lay next to a tree near the edge of the water. Sitting herself on top of the rock, she thought about what it would be like to see Celsetia again.

Sunset was very familiar with the kind of person that Celestia was. After all those centuries she spent ruling Equestria, she had become a very wise and compassionate person to her people. But all the good leaders in the history of both Equestria and the human world were known to have been hard and ruthless when they had to be, and Celestia was no exception. From sentencing Tirek to tartarus, to banishing her own sister to a millennia on the moon, she had never strayed from severely punishing those who threatened the safety of Equestria. The fact that Sunset herself had once posed a threat to Equestria was one of the reasons she felt so scared to see Celestia again.

Another one of the reasons she was so afraid of it was the memories. The memories of the night she left Equestria. When Celestia denounced Sunset as her pupil and ordered the guards to escort her out the castle, she had this look on her face. A look of anger and disappointment that made made Sunset feel like she was dying inside. The feeling it had given her, and the fact that she had driven Celestia into doing what she did, she didn't want to deal with that again.

Sunset looked at the patches of flowers surrounding the pond. The different types of flowers she saw were uncountable, from purple irises to white roses. The beautiful variety of shapes and colours managed to slightly take her mind off those haunting thoughts.

That was when she spotted an intriguing sight. Among the collection of plants was a very unique flower. It looked like an average tulip, except for the fact that it was completely grey.

Unnaturally so.

"Discord." She said in an annoyed tone. "I know you're there. You can stop hiding."

There was no response from the flower.

"Discord!"

"Yes?"

Sunset jumped at the sound of the sudden voice behind her, causing her to fall off the rock. When she looked up from the ground, she saw that one of the three trees now had the Draconequus's face protruding from it.

"Good morning Sunset." He greeted her gleefully.

"But..." She started, pointing at the flower.

"That? Thats a rare Grey Everfree lily. You didn't think my shapeshifting was really limited by the colour of my fur did you?"

Sunset groaned, lifting herself back on her four hooves. "I see you finally left the human world."

In a flash if white light, the tree disappeared, replaced with Discord's normal body. "Why yes, thank you for noticing. I was having a blast going through centuries worth of history and culture, then I discovered Neon Genesis Evangelion. After watching the entire series, I decided to go home and rethink everything that ever existed. Then I heard that you were questioning wether or not to be around when Celestia arrived at Twilight's castle. As I loyal friend, I thought you could use my help."

"No offence Discord, but I don't really consider you to be one of my close friends." Sunset confessed.

"Oh don't worry, no one does. Except for Fluttershy. And the Smooze. And George Takei..."

"Sorry, but I really don't see how you can help me with this." Said Sunset. "Again, no offence."

"None Taken." Discord replied, before his eyes widened. "Oh my, I just stole your catchphrase." He then teleported in front of Sunset, now down on his knees and holding his hands in a pleading position. "Please don't sue me!"

Sunset's face twisted in confusion. "Um.. I don't think I can do that."

Discord sighed in relief. "Phew. Well then, I suppose that I can get away with stealing from you in every other way too..."

He disappeared in a white flash, then reappeared a bit further away, now wearing Sunset's usual human clothes as well as sporting her red and yellow hair.

"Look at me." He said in an over the top high pitched voice. "I'm a generic high school bully antagonist. Cower in fear as I steal your prom dates."

Sunset's hoof collided with her face in a face palm. "Could you please get on with your 'help', so I don't have to deal with your antics any more."

Discord then teleported on to the top of the rock, no longer looking like Sunset. "Very well then. Sunset, from one reformed villain to another, I can honestly tell you that the process of confronting your past mistakes is a hard and difficult process. Its so hard in fact, I'd even say that Iron Will's biceps would be jealous of its hardness."

"So how'd you overcome it?"

"Simple. I betrayed my only friends, joined forces with a tyrannical overlord to conquer Equestria, and ultimately saw the error of my ways before rejoining the forces of good, earning their absolute and undying trust. Except for when they don't trust me. Which is still most of the time."

"I don't think thats really an option for me."

Discord frowned. "Darn. I was really riding on you agreeing to that tactic. Well, I've got nothing."

He teleported down to the ground, now wearing an undershirt, overshirt, tie and bowler hat. In his hand he held a suitcase.

"I suppose I'd better be off. Chaos business to deal with and all that."

"Gee, thanks for the help." Sunset said sarcastically.

"Look..." Said Discord. "If you feel so upset about how things ended between you and Celestia, its likely that she feels the same way. In fact, she probably feels the same way about everything you feel sad and concerned about. And if you both feel the same way, why should you feel so afraid to see each other again? Ta ta."

Tipping his hat towards her, he disappeared in a final white flash.

Left in the silence of the natural enviroment around her, Sunset thought about what Discord had just said. And the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Her bond with Celestia was a two way street. Both of them had cared for each other as teacher and student. If Sunset had felt so sad and regretful about what had happened, why shouldn't Celestia feel the same way.

Sunset turned around, looking at Twilight's castle in the distance.

She was going to be there when Celestia arrived. And she was going to make amends.

Author's Notes:

Now originally I wanted to include Sunset meeting Celestia in this chapter as well, but for reasons I'll explain later I was running out of time. It also might be better if the meeting plays out from the perspective of the main character that knows that this is also a reunion between mother and daughter.

Its been almost a week since the last chapter was published and there has been absolutely no response to it. I'm assuming this is because the chapter was accidentally published before being finished, and when it was legitimately published it didn't inform you guys. Either that, or you have now caught on to how crappy and amateur this story really is and aren't even reading this message. I hope its the former, but I'll continue writing even if it is the latter.

I must also apologise for the last chapter. Looking back at it, it feels very rushed. Personally, I feel that the lunch scene was either the smartest or dumbest thing I've ever written.

I also regret to inform you that tonight, I leave for my home country of Ireland, as I usually do for the summer. During this, my acces to internet technology tends to be restricted as my parents see it as a chance for a 'Detox'. While I may have opportunities to write, I won't have full writing capabilities until around August 27th when I return home. Until then, I'm labelling this story as On Hiatus.

As always, please comment and critique so I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Maternal Connections-Twilight Sparkle

You'd think that with the ability to teleport naturally fused with the body and soul of Unicorns and Alicorns alike that the arrival from a Princess would take little more than a few seconds. Sadly, there was some kind of unwritten rule from days long past that Princesses had to arrive at a location in a display of power and splendor, meaning that it always involved a long chariot ride.

And this made it all the more uncomfortable to wait for Celestia's arrival. As the seconds and minutes passed, Twilight couldn't stop thinking of more and more horrible situations that ranged from Celestia banishing Sunset to some other plain of existence to the appearance of her former student driving her to such levels of anger that her opinion on the meeting is twisted to the point where she declares bloody war on the Griffon Kingdom.

But while Twilight was having a hard enough time dealing with the concern that she was feeling at the present time, she could hardly imagine how Sunset was feeling.

After Sunset had declared her intention to be there when Celestia arrived, they had decided to keep her waiting in the library until Spike was sent to fetch her. Twilight wasn't very fond of this plan, wanting to stay by Sunset's side as Celestia's arrival drew closer, but they had agreed that it wouldn't be a good idea to have Sunset present at the moment that Celestia arrived. It would be better if the reunion of the former teacher and student was slowly eased in to the meeting.

'But it will only be a reunion of teacher and student to Sunset.' Twilight thought. 'To Celestia, it will be a reunion between mother and daughter.'

That was another thing that bugged Twilight. Sunset likely thought that Celestia saw her as a close student that let her down years ago. She had no idea that Celestia also sees her as a failed attempt to give Equestria a new ruler. Another member of her family who had once betrayed her. A mistake from her past.

It certainly made it seem impossible to mend the relationship between the two, but after all that she had been through in the events that led to her ascension to princesshood, Twilight knew that no obstacle was impossible to overcome when it came to friendship and love.

The bright sun shining in the clear sky made the strong winds that Twilight was experiencing on the balcony feel unusual. Wind was usually prominent on cloudier days, yet she kept having to move her fringe out of her eyes every few seconds in spite of the open blue sky above her. A possible explanation was that the pegasi of a distant town or city may have had to create a small storm for whatever reason, and the winds had managed to reach Ponyville. Whatever the cause of the wind, it was likely the reason why Celestia's journey had taken long enough for them to organize everything.

Staring into the open sky, waiting nervously for her mentor's arrival, Twilight was reminded of Celestia's last visit around a month ago. The day she had first brought up the idea of reuniting her and Sunset. It was strange to think that at the time she saw Sunset as little more than a close friend.

'Did I though?' She wondered. 'At one point could I really say that I was in love with Sunset?'

There were many moments that Twilight had saved in her memory that could be classified as the moment where she had really fallen for Sunset, from the night they had first kissed to the intimate conversation they had shared in Pinkie Pie's kitchen before they faced the Dazzlings. This question in itself brought up the question of how the process of falling in love worked. Was there a particular moment when it happened, or was it a process that spread over a variety of time?

Why did love have to spawn so many confusing questions?

Twilight's eyes were struck by a spontaneous bright flash in the distance, forcing her eyes to squint for a second. When she focused her sight again, she saw that the flash had come from the sun reflecting off the gold of Celestia's chariot, which was coming closer into view. With the vessel approaching her castle, Twilight realized that her heart rate was increasing along with sweat dripping from her pores. Celestia's appearance was causing the nervous feeling she was already having to grow even further.

A few minutes later, the royal chariot finally descended towards the castle. While the balcony was quite large, to the point where it could barely be considered a balcony, the chariot still had to slow down before making contact with the floor. Upon hitting the surface the carriage moved a few feet across the stone as the four Pegasus Guards piloting it skidded to a halt.

The individual Pegasus Guards themselves, though trying their best to give off an impression of strength, certainly looked like they were tired from the journey. The mixture of wood and metal on the carriage itself looked shiny and polished as always, the beauty and majesty of it very fitting for the transport of the high ruler of Equestria.

"Good evening Princess Twilight." Celestia greeted her, gracefully stepping out of the carriage before bowing. In spite of the wind, her hair seemed to be completely unaffected, flowing as it normally did.

"... uh... hi... I mean... good evening to you Princess Celestia..." Twilight stuttered as she bowed in return.

'Put your act together Twilight! You're not going to be able to hide anything if you're cracking like this!'

At the moment it seemed that Celestia didn't have any suspicions, simply turning around and excusing her Guards from the castle. Now permitted to leave, they simultaneously thrust themselves into the air, flying off with the chariot following them.

"So how have you been lately Twilight?" She asked kindly.

'I HAVE SUNSET HIDDEN IN THE LIBRARY WITH THE INTENTION OF BRINGING HER IN ON OUR MEETING AND TRYING TO MEND YOUR RELATIONSHIP! WE ALSO HAVE A ROMANCE GOING ON BEHIND YOUR BACK AND THE BACK OF THE WHOLE OF EQUESTRIA PLEASE DONT KILL US!' Was the answer that was trying to break out of Twilight's mouth.

"Great! Never been better! How are you!?" Twilight replied, a lot louder than she intended.

This time Celestia clearly noticed something, her right eyebrow rising. "Is everything alright?"

"Ofcourseitiswhywhouldyouask?" Twilight answered, once again mentally berating herself for lacking control of her own mouth. "So... Spike should have set up some refreshments in the dining room by now. I was hoping that we could discuss the situation over that."

Celestia smiled cordially. "Twilight, this is your castle. I listen to you here, not the other way around."

"Sure..." Twilight replied, though it was definitely going to be a long time before she would ever try and tell Celestia to do anything.

The two alicorns left the balcony and entered the castle through two large double doors that Twilight opened telekinetically. She shifted the hair out of her eyes one last time as she closed the doors behind them, preventing the wind from bothering her any further.

They made their way to the dining room, Celestia asking various friendly questions on how things had been in Ponyville lately. Twilight answered them all as best as she could, but the closer they got to the dining room, the further the stress inside her built up. There was now a question lingering in her mind on whether she would crack and spill the beans on everything sooner or completely break down into a weeping mess later.

Entering the dining room, Twilight was relieved to see that Spike had prepared everything correctly for the occasion. In truth, the room itself looked no different from usual, but the food and cutlery that he had set up was all that was necessary. Each one of the six chairs at the table had a plate, cup and saucer, and a variety of knives, forks and spoons. Looking at it now, Twilight was starting to feel that it was a bit overkill, especially since only three people were going to be at the table. If things went well that was. The food itself was simple, but fitting for a visit from other royalty. Next to the small sculpture at the centre of the table was a large pot of tea, and at other spots around the sculpture were plates of small snacks like crackers, biscuits and cakes, along with various condiments.

"So... is there... any particular seating arrangement you'd like?" Twilight nervously asked her mentor.

Celestia looked at the table for a moment. "I think that just sitting next to each other would be perfectly fine."

Twilight nodded, and as they approached the table she wrapped a set of chairs in a violet glow and pulled them outwards. Celestia sat on the right chair while Twilight sat on the left. Stage one, getting Celestia to the dining room, was complete.

Stage two, setting the right mood for Sunset's appearance, was a go.

At this point it felt like there was a thunderstorm going on in Twilight's chest. And to match the energy of her thumping heartbeat, the rest of her muscles appeared to be suffering from an electric current running through them.

'Pull yourself together Twilight.' She thought, engaging in Cadance's breathing techniques. 'This isn't the time to lose your cool. Sunset needs this.'

"Now..." Celestia started. "To begin, we should discuss how we are going to physically aid the Griffon kingdom."

"What do you have in mind?" Twilight asked, her breathing continuing to calm her nerves.

One of the many small cakes on the table was surrounded in a yellow glow as it flew over to the plate in front of Celestia. "I can be sure that we will be sending ponies over to the Griffon Kingdom. Soldiers, Senators, ponies that can help the current state of the Kingdom. However, we need to make sure that we don't inadvertently send a large militarised force that runs the risk of scaring the Griffon population into hostility, nor should we just send a large number of our people into possibly dangerous territory with a lack of security defending them."

"Do you intend on having any of the Equestrian Princesses going to the Griffon kingdom?"

"Possibly, but after what happened the last time we went there, I'm thinking that it may be a while before any Equestrian royalty sets foot on Griffon soil."

"But if the insurgents have been dealt with, why do we still need to worry? Shouldn't the tensions have died down?"

Celestia smiled in amusement, taking a bite of her cake.. "Your optimistic thinking is admirable Twilight, but you must make sure that it does not evolve into naivety. Even with Princess Geràki and her own insurgents in captivity, its doubtful that there aren't any other rebellions active in the Griffon Kingdom at the moment. Even then, many innocents have lost much in the past few days. They will be hateful towards their new ruler, along with many others amongst royalty and their fellow citizens alike."

"Oh..." It was a hard enough time thinking about what the people of the Griffon Kingdom had to go through in the past couple of days, but to think that they were to go on hating each other was making it a lot harder for her to keep calm. "I see... "

Celestia swallowed a second bite of cake. "That is another issue that has to be addressed. The Griffon Kingdom may not be a part of our territory, but as guardians of harmony it is nothing less than our duty to ease the tensions amongst them. Not only must we send physical aid, but we must also make sure that the Griffons don't start making enemies of each other."

"That sounds like the kind of thing me and my friends can get to fixing." Twilight brought up, thinking of how many lives they had changed with their actions.

Celestia nodded, but there was a look in her eyes as if she wasn't very sure. "I agree, but that brings us back to the problem of sending Princesses over their borders, and the security issue that comes with it."

Twilight pondered on the issue, looking back on her own trip to the Griffon Kingdom. The troop of Guards accompanying her had barely been enough to hold back an attack party of around forty Griffons. She certainly hadn't noticed anyone looking intimidated or hostile towards them, but she might have been too distracted by the suffering she was seeing at the time to acknowledge any of it that might have been present.

"I wouldn't call myself an expert on this subject, but maybe a troop of about a hundred Guards would do?" Twilight suggested.

"That's certainly a possibility, but still... even that number could be enough to concern the Griffons."

Twilight continued thinking about the situation she had been in, trying to compare the ability of her Guards in comparison to the attacking rebels. She would wager that on average, a single Pony had managed to defeat five Griffons by the end. But at the same time, some of her Guards had been injured before they had even fought a single Griffon. And then there was Flash. In comparison to the others, Flash must have taken twice, if not three times as many Griffons. He moved so fast and hit so hard he could probably have made up for a whole squad. It was no wonder he held the rank of captain...

There was an idea.

"If we're looking for strength, but a lack of numbers, maybe what we need to do is put together a group of higher ranking soldiers. Or at least... soldiers with a lot of experience and decorations. Soldiers that are skilled enough to protect a Princess or two without requiring large numbers."

Celestia nodded slightly. "That sounds like a step in the right direction, though it isn't a perfect plan. Even the wisest and most powerful soldiers can be helpless against a stealthy foe. I'll consult the commanders in our military,and your suggestions will be put into account."

"So what about the possibility of me and my friends going over to the Griffon Kingdom?"

The cake that was once on Celestia plate had been replaced by three buttered crackers, which the white alicorn was currently munching through. "It shouldn't be a problem if we manage to set up a good security force. Now, you and the other five have certainly succeeded in seemingly impossible tasks, especially those that involved restoring harmony between people. Even so, I'm not sure if you could manage something on the scale of the Griffon Kingdom, especially since these events were so recent."

"I'm sure we can do it. The six of us..." Twilight then realised that there was an opening here. "Actually, maybe we could use some help."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

'Okay... here it is...'

"Well..." Twilight started "I was wondering..."

"You wish to organise a reunion between Sunset Shimmer and I."

This sudden remark left Twilight temporarily speechless. "W... What..."

"Twilight, I have have lived over the lifetimes of countless ponies before you." Celestia explained. "Its not difficult for me to see something like this coming, especially when the plan being executed is immediate."

The lavender alicorn realized that her jaw was currently hanging slightly open. Even after she shut it closed again, she knew that it had to be blatantly obvious that she was both shocked and incredibly nervous. She then took notice of the fact that she was both shaking and breathing rapidly.

Not only was the jig up, but she was clearly going to break down in seconds. The only option left was to calmly settle the matter out.

"IMSOSORRYISHOULDNTHAVEMEDDLEDWITHYOURPERSONALLIFEPLEASEDONTSENDUSTOTARTARUSILLNEVERDOITAGAIN!" Twilight exclaimed, putting her hooves together in a pleading position.

For the next couple of seconds, Twilight remained in this position, unable to muster the strength and courage to look upon her clearly outraged and dissapointed teacher and maternal figure.

That was until she heard the chuckling.

Looking up, her eyes confirmed Celestia was indeed laughing. It wasn't exactly hysterical laughter, but it was enough to show that she found amusement in the situation.

"Um..." At the current moment Twilight was nothing if not confused. "Shouldn't you be... I don't know... raining heavens wrath upon me or something?"

Celestia let out her last few chuckles before smiling softly. "Don't think so extreme, Twilight Sparkle. I know you well enough to understand that this was inevitable."

"So you're okay with it?" Twilight asked, her voice still showing confusion but now with a hint of a sort of hope.

"I hold nothing against you particularly." Celestia insisted, her expression becoming more serious afterwards. "However, I am still not comfortable with the thought of facing Sunset, not now at least."

Before Twilight had a chance to respond in any way, a third voice hit the dining room.

"That makes two of us."

The two alicorns looked away from the table and towards the doorway, where they found Sunset standing. Two seconds later, Spike appeared from behind her.

"I'm sorry Twilight, I tried telling her to stick to the plan, but she came here anyway!" He apologized.

Celesia's deduction and breaking down of the plan, along with Sunset's sudden appearance was causing the organizer in Twilight to have a mental breakdown. Despite this, she kept a calm demeanor. Or at the very least a sane demeanor.

"Its fine Spike, nothing here is your fault." She told him.

"Yeah, I think the plan went out the window anyway." Sunset commented, her eyes locked on Celestia.

Twilight looked to the face of Princess Celestia, a mentor and mother figure to her, then to the face of Sunset Shimmer, the first person she could ever say she was in love with. They were two ponies she knew so well, yet she was currently finding it impossible to read either of their faces, especially with Sunset standing a few meters away. They were both so stoic, but at the same time there were signs of various emotions as well. It was like a complex mathematical equation of feelings on their faces that she just couldn't solve.

For what felt like countless minutes there was a passive silence between the four. It was so quiet that one could practically hear the tension in the air.

"I'm... just gonna go... brush some... bananas... " Spike stated, scurrying off.

'Don't just abandon me here!' Twilight mentally screamed at him. Now, he didn't really have a reason to be present during this, but his presence was certainly comforting, especially since she still had to make sure everything went smoothly by herself.

Looking at it in person, the situation seemed even weirder than she imagined. For Sunset, the person she was meeting was nothing more than her teacher and mother figure, unaware that this was her actual mother. For Celestia, and even Twilight in a way, there was a lot more going on than there was to Sunset. And then there was the added layer of the fact that Celestia was unaware of the fact that Twilight was aware of the fact that Sunset was Celestia's daughter. Fact.

Looking at everything now, maybe it would have been better if Luna had just kept her mouth shut on this secret, then this little web of dishonesty wouldn't be nibbling into Twilight's soul.

"Hello Sunset Shimmer." Celestia finally spoke, her voice as hard to read as her face.

"Hi." Sunset said back in a similar tone, though there was something a little... different in her voice.

'Well this is an... okay start.' Twilight thought, then realizing that Sunset was still standing in the doorway. "Sunset, why don't you have a seat over here."

Sunset looked at her, seemingly like she had just discovered her presence, before nodding and walking over to the table. Twilight was then struck by the question of where Sunset would sit, but before she could say anything Sunset was already sitting on the seat next to her left side. This made sense since Sunset and Celestia probably wouldn't feel comfortable sitting next to each other, but it also left Twilight sitting right in the middle of the two, a spot she was finding unspeakably uncomfortable.

"So... anything you want to eat, Sunset?" Twilight asked in a shaky voice.

"I think I'll help myself, thanks." Sunset responded politely, yet in a voice that sounded on some level of upset.

"Its certainly been a long time, Sunset." Celestia stated.

"Don't give me that." Said Sunset, her voice as stoic as before, but that other little something else in her voice more prominent. "Compared to how long you've lived its probably been no time at all. Come to think of it, it hasn't even been that long for me either."

"I see the intellectual part of you hasn't changed." Celestia responded. "That was certainly something I was expecting."

"So you're going to stick with this idea that I'm no different than I was back then?"

"You're the one who just said that it hasn't really been that long, so why should I expect any different?"

During the next period of silence that followed, Twilight looked at Sunset, whose eyes were closed as she breathed heavily through her nostrils. Twilight was afraid that Celestia was still unconvinced that Sunset had changed while at the same time it looked like Sunset was starting to get angry.

'At this rate they'll be at each others throats in seconds. What do I do?!'

Twilight began to nervously speak. "Maybe we..." She then cut herself off at the sight of Sunset opening her eyes...

Which were now much redder.

"You really want to see evidence that I've changed?" Said Sunset, her voice cracking while light reflected off her watering eyes. "That I've learned my lesson? How about the fact that your disappointed voice has haunted me since the day I left. How about the countless nights I've stayed up thinking about what I've done. How about the pain I've gone through, the tears I've shed, because I let this happen to us, and I've wanted nothing more than to fix all that I've done since Twilight showed me how wrong I was about everything!"

By the end of her speech she was almost screaming, and it was certainly enough to surprise, if not shock Twilight. Looking at Celestia, it was clear to see that her reaction was the same. Evidently the only two outcomes of Sunset's emotional outburst would be that Celestia would either understand what Sunset had been through after seeing this sudden release of emotion, or she would have the opposite reaction and do who knows what to her. And if this and everything else wasn't already pushing Twilight to the breaking point, there was something else.

'It doesn't look like Sunset will be able to hold back her other side, if it isn't already breaking out.'

But if there was anything that Twilight could do to help her with it, she couldn't do it at the moment. Not with Celestia present. The last thing they needed now was for Celestia to learn about what had happened to Sunset's mind.

As for Celestia she was currently looking at Sunset with a surprised look. But aside from the fact that her gaze was strictly locked on her daughter, it was still difficult to tell how she was feeling or thinking. There were just confusing hints of all kinds of emotions like sadness, rage, disgust or...

She then sat herself up straight, lost the emotions in her eyes, and looked at Sunset in a way that projected control and regality.

"Sunset..." She began to say calmly. "Of all the ways I imagined a reunion between us, this is... not what I was expecting. I now realize that I let my emotions get in the way of myself being open minded, and for that I am sorry."

Some of the sadness that Sunset had been expressing was replaced with confusion.

"However, there is still a lot more that I will have to see before I can trust you again. But that doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to hear more from you. But first..." She then looked at Twilight, which caused the younger princess to jump as the attention suddenly shifted to her. "I've now realize that Twilight has been watching us this whole time, likely stressing over the desire to make sure everything goes smoothly between us, and it looks like its putting a strain on her."

Twilight was surprised that the subject had suddenly changed from Sunset and Celestia's reunion to her own current feelings. Ironically this just made her feel worse.

"I'm fine... really..." She lied, her heartbeat and breathing going into overdrive. "I don't want to bother you two."

She looked at Sunset, who was now looking back at her.

"Twilight... I... I didn't realize..." She said, her expression of sadness and regret now directed towards her instead.

"I think its obvious that we haven't been considering her feelings at the current time." Celestia explained to Sunset, before smiling at Twilight kindly. "I appreciate your concern for both of us, but I think you've done all you needed to do. You don't have to stay if you don't want to."

"I don't?"

Sunset closed her eyes again, shook her head slightly, and looked at Twilight with a new look of confidence. "Shes right Twilight. I should have taken your feelings into account. You don't have to be here for me anymore."

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked, worried of what could happen if she left her alone. "But..."

Sunset smiled at her. "I'll be fine, Twilight."

Twilight turned to Celestia. "So I can go?"

She nodded endearingly.

"Thank you." Twilight quietly said to both of them.

She then fainted on the spot.

***

The first thing Twilight noticed when she began to stir was the familiar feeling of being in her bed. Opening her eyes, she found that was exactly where she was. Turning her head to the left, she then found that there was a chair placed next to the bed. One that Sunset was sitting on.

There was a smile on her face. It was a small smile, but it portrayed indescribable affection.

"Hey."

"Hey." Twilight quietly said back.

Sunset's horn glowed for a few seconds as she magically shifted her chair closer.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Tired I guess. A little dizzy." Despite having woken up by herself, she felt like immediately going back to sleep.

"Well, that's what happens when you stress yourself out too much." Sunset told her. "But what else was I to expect from the princess of overreacting."

"Hey..." Twilight protested weakly. "I was just worried for you. Both of you."

Sunset took one of Twilight's hooves in both of hers. "And I appreciate it. All of it. But you do really need to work on the whole keeping calm thing."

"Why would I? I have you to do that for me."

Sunset let out a giggle. It was the kind of laughter someone makes that just fills the hearts of those who care about them with burning electricity, in all the best ways.

"So what happened exactly?" Twilight wondered.

Sunset's face became very neutral. "Well... after you... passed out, I got over my shock from it, and we put you to bed... surprisingly... not much. In the end all that really happened was that she asked a lot of questions regarding my newer life."

This had to be harshly processed in Twilight's mind. "That's it?"

"Pretty much. Once I explained everything to her she told me that it was time she went back to Canterlot. Then she said that she looked forward to speaking to me again."

That was really it? No long emotional speeches about how much they missed each other shared? Or violent magical battles that left half the castle in ruins.

"That sounds... really underwhelming." Twilight admitted.

"I'd imagine it does in context, but honestly... I think after what happened and how long its been, nothing could have been underwhelming for me." Sunset told her. "I think my little... outburst made that clear."

Twilight remembered the moment when Sunset's emotions had overflowed, and the concern it made her feel.

"Was that just you... or..."

Sunset's eyes squinted shut. "Both of me."

"Are you okay?"

The closed eyes opened again. "Right now? Yeah. What worries me is what this could do to me and Celestia. To me and everyone really. I've worked so hard to fix my relationships with them all, I don't want lose them again."

Twilight wanted to comfort Sunset with a pat or a hug or something like that, but the strength to do so was hard to muster with how tired she was. All she could do was passionately squeeze Sunset's hooves with her own.

"Sunset, I promise I'll find a way to fix this. I'm not going to let your mistakes ruin your life." Twilight assured her.

A little smile formed on Sunset's face. "You just don't stop trying to help your friends do you?"

"You're more than my friend Sunset."

The little smile on Sunset's face expanded into a larger, more loving one. And Twilight smiled back. For whatever period of time lost in the vortex of love, they just smiled at each other. Somehow, despite what little was going on, there was something incredible about it that seemed to bypass space and time.

But no matter how wonderful a moment could be for them, it didn't stop the sigh that inevitably escaped Sunset's mouth. "Its getting late. I should get going."

To say that this made Twilight feel sad was an understatement was in fact its own understatement. But that didn't change the fact that Sunset had a life in the human world. One that clashed with her one in Equestria. And this was to be accepted.

"Should I see you off?" Twilight asked, not exactly wanting to get out of bed though she wanted to be there for Sunset.

"I'm fine. I know how the portal works." Sunset responded kindly. "I can get myself home on my own."

Leaning over, she brought her lips over to meet Twilight's with a kiss. Like the moment they spent smiling at each other, it seemed to last a lot longer than it really could have.

"I love you Twilight." Sunset said once their lips separated.

"And I love you." Twilight whispered back to her.

Sunset then got off her chair before walking over to the door. Taking one last affectionate glance at Twilight, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

There was nothing left to fill Sunset's absence but the empty silence and the darkening light coming through the window. With the tire that Twilight felt overtaking her entire body and mind, she lay against the soft mattress and pillow beneath her and closed her eyes.

'Let Sunset find peace. Please.'

It wasn't long before the Princess found her own peace in the depths of sleep.

Author's Notes:

I live!

I'm REALLY sorry this took so long. I mean its been what... 3 months? That's definitely a record for me. Admittedly I was able to bring my I-pad to Ireland, but I forgot to mention the fact that my family recently bought a pub (I'm not sure if that's a term used globally so if you're not familiar with the term its basically a European bar) that I spent the whole summer working in. Between that, my sudden anime craze on a scale I have never seen before (Expect a LOT of references in future), school being harder and more taxing than ever, and a trip to my old home in Kenya that took a week, I've found it very hard to find time to write. I also have to admit that I really want to move on to other stories I have planned, which makes writing this one kind of a chore. Hopefully this wont affect my actual effort, and in the future I should aim for a maximum of around 60'000 words for my stories.

So you can put your fears of this story dying to rest. The only time a story of mine or my account on this site dies will be if I actually die. Probably.

And while I'm loving season 5 and loved Friendship games, don't expect me to refer to them in this story. This story can probably be classified as a sort of alternate universe set just after season 4. I don't feel like fully attaching it to the show after the Griffon Kingdom situation occurred. (Curse you expanding show lore! Have you no sympathy for my fan written pony love stories!)

As always, please comment and critique so that I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Choices Of Grief-Sunset Shimmer

For any normal person, two textbook pages of advanced physics questions would mean countless hours of work and research. But for someone like Sunset Shimmer, who had already known so much about forms of science and beyond that no born human could even comprehend, long before she had even encountered any human education system, it was little more than a short exercise for her mind.

Had Sunset not been the genius that she was, it was difficult to imagine what her current life would have been like. Balancing her life in the human world with the one she had in Equestria was a bit much to deal with without spending several hours on school work.

She sat cross legged on her bed with her back almost touching the headboard, writing her answers into a book that was resting on her lap. In front of her lay the textbook from which she was reading the questions she was answering. The bed itself was nicely kept, with the sheets firmly stretched over it, but on top of it was a jumbled mess of books, pens and pencils spilling out of her bag.

This was one of the more common ways Sunset spent her time during the weekdays, when she wasn't hanging out with her friends. She liked to get all her work done as fast as possible, that way there was nothing getting in the way of her being with them and Twilight.

Though despite the relatively short time she was spending on it, she was already feeling discomfort in her seating arrangement. It was strange, since she had never really found her bed to be uncomfortable before.

'I guess it wouldn't feel as comfortable as before when I've been exposed to the beds they keep in the homes of royalty. Heck, I even slept in the bed of a Princess. Of course some cheap bed in an orphanage that has to constantly find ways to save money is gonna pale in comparison to that level of comfort.'

Without meaning to, in thinking about the beds she slept in at Twilight's castle, her thoughts drifted over to the last night she spent there, and how she and Twilight...

A sudden crashing sound forced a quick yelp out of her mouth as she jumped at the loud noise. She looked to the door, which was now wide open. Standing at the doorway was Raspberry Roots, her younger sister Cherry and their friend Fox Eyes standing behind her.

'Oh no...' Sunset thought. It was bad enough that Raspberry had gotten involved in her kiss with Twilight, but combined with these two it made a gossiping trio that could hunt down any dirt on a person. Especially if that person lived in this building.

"This is where you felt the disturbance?" Raspberry asked, scanning the room. She seemed to be asking one of the other two.

"Yes." Answered the voice of Fox Eyes behind her. "There is an aura of thoughts of a sexual nature in this room. Reminiscent thoughts."

Cherry let out an excited squeal.

Raspberry's eyes locked on to Sunset, since she was the only person currently in the room.

"Sunset. Of course." She said, smirking.

She walked towards Sunset, Cherry and Fox following behind her. They spread out and closed in on her, like a menacing pack of wolves. Or rather, they would be menacing if they weren't just three teenagers curious about her love life.

"So Sunset, busy with homework?" Raspberry asked.

"I guess." Sunset replied. At this point they had surrounded her bed, trapping her within strong walls of privacy invasion.

Cherry smiled sweetly, reaching out a hand which held a small plastic Tupperware box containing her namesake fruit.

"Cherry?" She asked innocently.

Sunset nervously took one. It might have seemed weird that a girl named Cherry Roots always seemed to have cherries in her possession, but since her own friend Applejack was an actual apple farmer it wasn't really something worth questioning.

"Lets just get right down to business." Raspberry began, taking one of her sister's cherries and rubbing it between her fingers. "I believe you heard Fox a few seconds ago when he stated that he sensed a certain... aura of thoughts coming from this room."

It was a pretty... confusing ability that Fox seemed to possess. He was so good at finding out your secrets it was like he could smell them... or... sense them. In full honesty whatever it was defied any known logic.

"There's no mistake here." Fox declared. "I can feel the presence of arguably dirty thoughts. Normal for a teenage girl and her raging hormones of course, but this is different. These thoughts are memories!"

He pointed his finger at Sunset, almost accusingly so.

She knew what they were getting at, and the thought of it was probably making her blush, though it was hard to tell at the moment.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She claimed semi-frantically.

"Please... " Raspberry stated mischievously. She raised her hand near her mouth and popped the cherry between her fingers, the juices flying into her mouth, followed by the rest of it. "I think you know exactly what we're talking about."

Sunset knew that she was definitely blushing now. "I'm pretty sure that's just my business. As in... not your business."

"Oh when is it ever our business?" Cherry squeaked cheerfully. "That just makes it more fun to snoop into."

"So then, are we right?" Raspberry asked.

"Like I'd admit it to you." Sunset proclaimed.

Raspberry's face turned noticeably smug. "Well then, that was more or less confirmation. I mean lets be honest, if someone isn't saying yes or no, they always mean yes."

"Agreed." The other two said in unison.

"But who it was that claimed Sunset's maidenhood is what I really want to know." Fox announced in an exciting and curious tone.

"Oh..." Raspberry smirked maliciously. "I think I know exactly who."

Sunset glared at her in a way that was hoping said 'Don't you dare...'

"Who?" Cherry asked giddily. "WhoWhoWhoWhoWHO?!"

"Sorry." She apologized unsympathetically. "I'm afraid I promised Sunset not to tell anyone who her first kiss was. And that is the person who I suspect our little culprit is."

Cherry tapped her chin while pondering. "Flash?"

"Hell no!" Sunset denied in disdain.

"Come on." Fox pleaded. "We promise we won't tell anyone... that you know."

Raspberry's hand fell on his shoulder. "Let it be, Fox."

"But sis..." Cherry protested.

Her spare hand went to Cherry's shoulder. "You too, Cherry. I gaveth mine solemn oath that I was not to tell anyone of Sunset's secret, and so a secret it shall remain."

They both slumped in disappointment.

"THANK YOU!" Sunset cried in frustrated relief.

Raspberry grinned suspiciously. "Anyway, it has now come to my attention that Sunset straight up admitted to never kissing Flash, let alone letting him anywhere near her junk. Away my comrades!"

Sunset had barely processed everything that had just been said before the three of them went dashing out the room, the door slamming behind them. While there was little to no evidence that they had been there at all, they had left plenty of impact on Sunset's mood, which was surprisingly positive.

She slumped back against the board of her bed, sighing in exhaustion. While the other kids at Miss Peachbottoms's tended to get on her nerves at times, she couldn't help but hold a fondness for them all. They were like siblings in that sense, and she liked to think of them as such. And it was because of this that she felt that her and Twilight's secret was safe with Raspberry, and should they come to know more, Cherry and Fox as well.

'But would Twilight be okay with any of them knowing?' She wondered. 'What would her reaction be if she found out how much those three already know? Would she be mad? She doesn't really know them, and hasn't ever had a relationship with anyone like the ones I have with the other kids here. Is it right for me to allow this secret thats as much hers as it is mine get passed on to these people she has no reason to trust?'

They were just small rapid questions popping in and out of her head, and didn't really bother her on a large scale.

'I guess she doesn't really need to know if it could cause her to start freaking out over nothing, like she tends to.' She thought amusingly.

Keeping secrets from her, especially one regarding this subject, may have seemed like a bad idea, but ultimately it wasn't a very important secret since nothing was really at stake.

She thrust her upper body off the headboard and reverted back to her previous sitting position, putting her books back into place and picking her pen back up in order to return to her work.

***

"So what are your living conditions in your new home?" Celestia inquired. "I've been wondering how you might have been able to find a place to live in a world where you previously didn't exist."

Sunset found it strange how casual Celestia was acting when this was the first time they had spoken in years. As a former student of hers, she knew more than most people that there was always more to Celestia than what appeared on the surface, multiple layers that hid whatever she was really thinking. But she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong with this picture.

"I think you'd understand that I spent the first few days on the streets before I was found by the local authorities on the other side of the portal. Since I had no identity there and wasn't giving them any useful information, they sent me to an orphanage. I've been living there ever since."

"I see. Hows that for you?"

"Well its not the first orphanage I've had to live in, as I'm sure you're fully aware. It certainly feels more homely than the first one though, which I suppose can be attributed to my change in attitude on life."

"Who else lives there?"

"It's your typical orphanage set up, with a bunch of other kids living there aside from me. Its all run by a nice woman named Miss Peachbottom."

Celestia seemed pretty interested. "So how do you get along with them?"

"I treated them about the same as I did everyone back in the day, which is to say not very well. After Twilight helped me become a better person, I started treating them better. These days... they're more or less my family."

That last line hurt Sunset surprisingly, and she wondered if it hurt Celestia in any way as well. Before she turned her back on her, Celestia was the closest thing Sunset had to family. In a way Miss Peachbottom and the kids could seem like a replacement for her. But as was to be expected, Celestia gave little visible sign that she was affected in any way.

Why did she have to make it so hard to understand what she was really feeling? Couldn't she just make her real emotions clear for once in her life? Why couldn't they just have a normal conversation where they were fully honest with each other?

Sunset felt a surge of frustration that erupted into burning anger.

'No!' She thought frantically. 'I can't let my emotions run rampant like they did earlier! Not now!'

'Why not?' The voice in her head hissed. 'She deserves nothing more and nothing less than our rage. Our hatred. Why not just give it to her?'

'NO!' She fought back, desperately trying to keep calm while also looking composed in front of Celestia. 'I can't let this rift between us get bigger! Not after all this!'

'She held you back from your true potential. She treated you with motherly affection, but in the end she just threw you out like a piece of trash. In reality you meant nothing to her!'

'Thats not true! I let my own ambition get the better of me! It was my fault!'

'It was because she feared you would rise above her, because you had the potential to. You still have that potential!'

Sunset's thoughts drifted to Twilight, currently resting in her bed after passing out from the stress of trying her hardest to make sure that the relationship between Sunset and Celestia was properly mended. This meant that much to her.

'I can't let Twilight down! I can't let Celestia down! Not again!'

'The only person you're letting down is yourself.'

Sunset tried her best to push back these thoughts that were feeding the influence of her inner devil, immersing herself more in the present moment. It was only then that she realized that Celestia had been speaking.

"...so I do have to admit, I am impressed with what I've heard. And judging from the way you are currently behaving, I have no reason not to not believe it."

Sunset mentally shook off as much of her negative emotions as she could off her mind before fully engaging herself in the conversation again. It was helpful that she was relieved and delighted when she comprehended what Celestia had just said.

"I'm glad to hear that." Sunset replied.

Celestia nodded happily, but only a second later she took on a more serious demeanor. "But as pleased as I am with your change in behavior, that doesn't change some parts of your personality. You still have the potential to hold as much ambition and avarice as you did before. And because of that, you also have the potential to be just as dangerous as you once were."

Inside, Sunset felt like she had just fallen off a building. It seemed like she had come so close to making amends with her teacher, only for her to shoot those hopes down. Had anything really changed between them?

"I... I understand." Sunset answered quietly.

While it was true that she did understand where Celestia was coming from, it didn't change how upset Sunset still was over it. She was trying her best to prove that her darker days were far behind her. Why couldn't she see that?

'See! She's still afraid of you! And she has every reason to be! You could become so much more than she ever was!'

'Thats not what I want!'

Sunset could feel a hard thumping in her chest.

'What you want is your revenge. Give her what she deserves for treating you like she did.'

'I can't! I won't!'

Her heart was beating so fiercely she could hear it.

'Unleash your anger! Show her your wrath!'

'Please, just stop!'

The raging feeling of her pulsing heart was almost painful.

'TAKE WHAT YOU DESERVE!'

"JUST SHUT UP!"

As if the lock of the cage holding her emotions in had suddenly shattered, Sunset's grief, frustration and rage overflowed, gushing out of her body as a bursting flare of opal green energy pulsing from her horn. And with the forward swing of her head she sent it flying towards Celestia.

A deafening crashing noise ripped through the air as the room was consumed iby a blinding white light.

And just as quickly as it had erupted, the explosion vanished, the noise fading into a nauseating ringing sound and the light dimming into a red glow. Where Celestia had previously been sitting, an ebony black scorch mark spread across the sunken floor, blood red flames crackling over them. Any section of furniture that had been standing above it was gone, the remains mostly black and crumbling, while the air was filled with flying embers and countless floating specs of dark ash. An invisible essence of destruction, carnage, and chaos radiated from the fiery remains.

Sunset slumped sideways, collapsing onto the ground in exhaustion and despair.

She didn't know wether to cry out in anguish or to break down into a flood of sobs. In the end, all she could let out was a weak groan of depression and sadness.

The small red flames burning over the black rubble flared up suddenly, intensifying the crimson glow the lit the room. Sunset was hit with waves of blistering heat and flashing red and white light that stung her eyes as the flames roared like a demonic lion. As the flames reached their peak, they exploded outwards, splitting into smaller and smaller shreds of fire that all died out, one by one.

Sunset's eyes widened in fear and horror. The fires had returned to normal, quietly crackling over the burnt ground. But what she was staring at had little to do with the fire itself. At the centre of the scattered flames stood... herself.

It looked exactly like Sunset, in almost every detail. The same twisting red and yellow mane and tail, the same amber fur and the same sun cutie mark embedded on its flank. The only and very noticeable differences were the eyes. They were as black as night, devoid of light, which contrasted with the irises, which were the same opal green as Sunset's own, only they were glowing menacingly. At the centre of each iris was a tiny dark pupil that seemed to stare at her, through her, and into her.

The mere sight of this caused tears to leak out of Sunset's eyes. She had given in to her own emotions, and now she was paying for it.

"Now, was that so hard?" The other Sunset asked, smiling maliciously.

"No..." Sunset whimpered, not as an answer to the demon's question but as a message to herself. "This isn't me. This isn't me. This isn't me. This..."

"This is the REAL you!" The other Sunset yelled, the flames surrounding her briefly jumping. "The you that you could be! The you that you should be! Why can't you just accept that this is who you are?!"

"NO!" Sunset screamed, throwing her head upwards and sending tears flying through the air. "I'm not a monster! I'm... I'm not!"

The other Sunset gestured to the state of the room around them. "Then why don't you explain this?"

"This is just a dream! A memory! Its not real!"

"Your talk with Celestia was real, so why couldn't the part where you blow her up be real?"

"But I didn't! I wouldn't!"

"But you could."

"How many times do I have to tell you to SHUT UP?!"

Sunset stood herself up, her horn glowing brightly. She directed the tip towards her demon self and fired a pulse of burning green energy.

The other Sunset casually tilted her head slightly to the left, allowing the pulse to fly right over her shoulder and explode against the wall behind her, causing the room to shake slightly and specs of rubble to fall lightly from the ceiling.

She smiled smugly. "Whats this? I thought you were against shooting people."

Sunset cried out in frustration. "Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

"A lot of people learn the hard way that they can't leave themselves alone." The other Sunset declared. "Besides, if you want me to stop bothering so much, why do you keep coming back to Equestria?"

Sunset was caught off guard. "What are you talking about?"

The other Sunset cackled. "Oh please, its impossible for me to figure something out if you haven't already."

Sunset knew where this was heading, and the thought of it made her feel sick.

"You started to visit Twilight in Equestria, and then all of a sudden you start having these nightmares. Pretty soon you were spending whole weekends there, and your nightmares become more potent. And now, here I am. A manifestation of the darker sides of your personality given life by the magic of Equestria, because you wouldn't stop exposing yourself to it for the sake of Princess Bookworm."

"Thats... thats not true..."

"Equestrian magic is what caused you to transform into a monster in the first place. Did you really think it was just a coincidence that these nightmares showed up and I came into existence when you started spending time in the place where it all came from?"

"YOU'RE LYING!"

She giggled malevolently. "I think you're aware that I couldn't lie to you even if I wanted to."

"No... its... not true. It can't be." Sunset whispered to herself, trembling.

Her visits to Equestria. Her relationship with Twilight. It couldn't be the reason this was happening to her.

But her demon self was right. As another part of her soul, it was impossible for her to lie, which meant that the only way it couldn't be true was if...

"You must really be in denial if you're going to say that I'm wrong. Because if I'm wrong, that means you're wrong. And when have you ever been wrong?"

"You know how wrong I've been over the years."

"Well, thats how you look at it. But as you know, I personally think it was the part of your life where you were the smartest you've ever been."

"I thought there wasn't anything personal when it came to us."

The other Sunset grinned. "But isn't everything personal between us? Like how if Equestria is really whats fueling my existence and causing you to go berserk, maybe you should just cut ties with it..."

"Don't say that!" Sunset cried. It was exactly what she had been fearing to hear.

"Eh, its not like it would have worked out between you and little miss replacement anyway, not with the damage your secret lesbo affair would have inflicted on Equestria. Heck, it already allowed the Griffon Kingdom to get screwed over. And then theres the matter of your life here. It won't be long before your two lives start clashing, and then you'll have to make the choice. Your family and friends here, or that one mare that happens to make your hormones go nuts? I guess the choice will have to be yours."

Everything she had said was exactly what Sunset had been secretly feeling recently, even if she hadn't admitted it to herself. And hearing it said out loud left her paralysed with fear. It wasn't the kind of fear she had felt before when she had faced danger or the unknown, but a fear she felt deeper within herself. A fear for a future poisoned with grief.

Though her body was trembling and her voice was weak, she spoke as strongly as she could. "I won't let that happen."

"And neither will I!" A powerful voice boomed from behind her.

The other Sunset's black wrathful eyes opened wide with terror, a sight which shocked Sunset almost as much as the sudden presence of a third voice had. And the terror in those eyes was from whatever was behind her.

And with the turn of her head, she saw exactly who it was, and the reason why the other Sunset was so afraid.

"Sunset Shimmer." Princess Luna greeted her. "It appears your dreams still won't give you any piece."

"YOU!" The other Sunset called out in as much loathing as there was fear in her voice.

Sunset wondered what business her demon self could possibly have with Luna, since she didn't have any herself.

Then it clicked in her mind. She already knew that Luna had power over dreams, which were intertwined with the mind and the subconscious. She now realised that because of this, to a being that spawned from the mind like her demon counterpart, Luna was nothing less than a god.

And not a very happy god.

Luna walked forward, each step slow, but powerful and majestic, leaving behind clicking sounds that echoed across the room. She stopped herself between the two Sunset's, looking towards the demonic one authoritatively.

"You are not welcome here!" Luna bellowed at her in a commanding voice. "As Princess of Equestria, ruler of the night, and master of dreams, I banish you from this realm!"

"I'm not gonna be told what to do by any Princess of Equestria. Especially Celestia's inferior counterpart."

"Valuable words coming from an entity that exists as nothing more than fragment of another's personality." Luna responded.

The other Sunset's face twisted into an expression of sheer scorn. "A FRAGMENT?!"

The blood red flames surrounding her spun into a vortex that rotated around her. Then, like iron to a magnet, the fire attached itself to her body, dressing her in a crimson inferno. She crouched for a split second before leaping forward, roaring like the flames coming off her body. But as she came within three metres of the Princess, a white field engulfed her, holding her completely still in mid air.

"I meant what I said." Luna spoke calmly, her horn glowing ghost white. "Now BEGONE!"

Countless streams of white light shot from the tip of the horn, ripping the other Sunset into tiny shreds that faded into nothingness, leaving behind nothing but an echoing scream of rage in the air.

A moment of pure silence entered the room with the other Sunset gone, a void of silence hanging over the two mares standing alone in the ravaged dining hall.

"I have to say, it feels good to be the one doing the banishing for once." Luna turned around, a friendly smile on her face. "So how are you feeling, Sunset?"

In a flash of faded blue light, a tissue box appeared. A pair of tissues were pulled out, glowing the same colour. They levitated over to Sunset's face and gently wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks.

It took a little bit of time and effort before Sunset found the strength to speak. "So... is she gone?"

"Not forever." Luna explained. "I believe your talk with Discord confirmed that isn't possible, and could potentially destroy your mind and soul if it was. You won't see her again for the rest of the night, but she will return."

Sunset's heart began to sink at the thought of having to go through all of this ever again, but she quickly pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind in favour of the present.

"Thank you." She told Luna.

"When it comes to something like this, I don't need to be thanked. Knowing that I helped is all I need." Luna looked around, examining the destruction left behind by the other Sunset. "Any chance you'd like a change of scenery?"

"Yes." Sunset replied quietly. "Anywhere but this place."

Luna nodded, her horn once again glowing white. The white light engulfed the room. It reminded Sunset enough of the explosion that had destroyed the dream Celestia to make her shut her eyes and flinch. When she opened them again, she found that they were no longer in Twilight's wrecked Dining room, but a strange spacial void. It was made up of a spectrum of colours that went from white to darkening shades of blue to a dark black. Surrounding them were floating orbs that glowed with bright colours.

"If its not too much to ask... how do you feel about the things you were told?" Luna asked her kindly.

It was true, Sunset didn't want to talk about it. But she knew that there was no point in avoiding to ask Luna any important questions that she could.

"Do you... do you think she's right?" Sunset asked fearfully. "Do you think its Equestria thats doing this to me. Is that the reason she came to life?"

Luna looked like she had already been contemplating this question. "I can't be sure. But I'm not going to deny its certainly possible, and very likely. The element of magic is what created her, and just as it came from Equestria, so did its magic. We have every reason to believe what she said."

It stung Sunset's heart to hear these words, because it meant that everything else her other self had said could be taken to heart.

"So... what do I do?" Sunset asked desperately.

"I hate to admit it, but I don't know..." Luna answered, before looking at her with concern. "I imagine you're thinking about everything else she said. About abandoning Equestria."

"Yes..." replied Sunset. "But thats the last thing I want to do."

"I understand. You don't want to open another rift between you and Celestia, nor do you want to separate yourself from Twilight."

Sunset then realised something. "Um... how much do you know? About me and Twilight? Y'know, since you seem to have heard everything me and my demon self had been talking about. As well as the fact that you can... basically read minds."

"I try to avoid what isn't my business when I'm in someone else's mind." Answered Luna, looking a little embarrassed. "But it wasn't hard for me to see signs of how you feel about her in your mind. I can see that you... care about her deeply."

Sunset sighed. If anyone from Equestria was to find out about her and Twilight's secret, than aside from Twilight's friends, Luna was probably the pony she was most fine with it being. She didn't really know why. She just felt like she could trust her.

"But Sunset..." Luna began. "If you really do have the potential to lose control because of this part of you, cutting ties with Equestria may be the best option for you. Even if it isn't Equestria thats causing this instability, staying away from Twilight and Celestia is the best way to keep them safe."

"I know that." Sunset admitted sadly. "I just... I..."

Luna put a hoof on Sunset's shoulder assuringly. "I know what its like to pose a danger to everyone, or at least... to be seen as such. I'm not telling you its the choice you have to make. Something like this... you're the only one who has any right to make this choice."

"But it doesn't change how right you are. So was the other me. She was right about everything. Eventually I would have to choose between Equestria and my home here. My family here! And... I don't think I could make that choice..."

She thought about the other kids at Miss Peachbottom's. Though she never said it out loud, she loved them all. And as much as she loved Twilight, she couldn't bring herself to just abandon them. And she knew that it may come to that. If she was to keep a more healthy relationship with Twilight than it was hard to imagine that it wouldn't result in a permanent move to Equestria, which would surely cause her to lose her relationships with the others.

Then there was the consequences that their relationship had on Equestria. The Griffons who suffered and may still be suffering in the Griffon Kingdom. Suffering that could have been avoided if Twilight had been in Equestria instead of in the human world with her. And then there was the possibility of what could happen if their secret got out. She couldn't let Equestria fall into chaos because of her.

And then there was the danger she posed to Twilight and the others. Her visits to Equestria were very likely to be causing her to suffer from her sentient dark side. She had to stay out of it in order to just stay sane. And even if that wasn't true, it didn't change the fact that her condition could be getting worse. She was already a danger to Twilight, but that danger could have been getting stronger each passing day. She had already caved in to her emotions and destroyed an apparition of Celestia. If something like that happened with the real Celestia... or with Twilight...

It was then that Sunset made her decision. A decision she knew would haunt her for the rest of her life, no matter how right it was.

If either of them would achieve any happiness in the end, it wouldn't be with each other.

"I... I can't let this go on between me and Twilight." Sunset declared, though it grieved her to say so. "But Celestia... she..."

Sunset felt the sudden touch of soft paper on her face, and she realised that Luna was once again wiping tears off of it. She hadn't even noticed that she had started crying again.

"If you feel that you don't want to let go of the hope that you can repair the relationship between you and Celestia, you don't have to." Luna assured her. "She does care about you. She just... doesn't show you. She easily succumbs to pride. It runs in the family."

There was something strange about the way Luna looked at her as she said that last sentence. But it quickly disappeared and Sunset hadn't gotten a good enough look at it to give it any proper thought.

"But do you really want to let Twilight go?" Luna asked in concern. "It could heavily affect you both."

Sunset shut her eyes and let out a few more tears as she tried to keep her breathing steady. "Its for the best."

"I know." Luna agreed. "And I promise you that even if Celestia can't forgive you on her own, I'll make sure that she does."

"Thank you..." Said Sunset, her voice cracking.

Luna smiled. It was the kind of smile that a family member would give another to make them feel like everything was all right, and it was certainly effective at giving Sunset a warm feeling in her stomach that made her feel the closest thing to happiness in this blizzard of despair she was making her way through.

"Now then, I believe I've helped you in every way I can." Luna explained. "And you have been through a lot more than you deserve, and I don't think I'm being too far-fetched when I say you need a rest. A real rest."

Sunset felt like she had used up all the strength she could muster, and all she managed to do was nod in agreement.

Luna gave her that smile again, and Sunset felt like she could trust her with whatever she intended to do.

Once again, a white light began to glow at the tip of Luna's horn. She closed her eyes and bent her head forward. As the glowing point made contact with Sunset's forehead, she felt a light feeling in her head, as if her brain was expanding while splitting into tiny pieces. She felt a surge of weariness hit her, and the only thing she could think about as she fell back into the void of sleep was how hard it would be to break it to Twilight that it was all coming to an end.

Author's Notes:

Yeah, yet another chapter has taken several weeks to complete. This is such an improvement from the days when I was normally writing a chapter a week. Hooray.

Unfortunately school has once again reared its ugly head with higher standards of work quality to meet and exams on the way. My parents are also saying that I should stop writing (Its not that they hate that I write MLP fanfiction, they just don't approve of it getting in the way of my school work). And if that wasn't bad enough, I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing with the next chapter (though I figured out how I would end this story LONG ago so don't worry about that). So you can all probably expect the next chapter to come on in six years.

With the new categories added to the list, I thought I'd lane this story as 'Equestria Girls and Drama as well now. I'd like to hear if you agree with this, or if theres any other new category you think this story deserves.

On the subject of labels this story has, I'm starting to feel concerned that I'm pushing the sexual content a bit far for that teen rating. I don't exactly know what the limit is.

And finally, a fun story I forgot to mention last chapter, since the new school year started I got a bunch of new class mates. Because of this my english teacher asked us to individually say our names to keep track of the new students, and I ended up saying Ferhog instead of my actual name. Hahahahaha...
This is why I will die a sad and lonely man...

As always, please comment and critique so I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Building Some Character-Twilight Sparkle

There were very few things that Twilight would consider more important than her friends. And all those things went beyond her personal feelings. For example, if she ever had to choose between her friends and the safety of the world for whatever hypothetical reason, she wouldn't be so selfish as to choose the former. But along with her family and her dedication to her duty as a Princess, she considered her friends to be the most important part of her life.

However, that didn't mean she didn't feel like telekinetically strangling them from time to time.

"Twilight, just admit it already." Rarity persisted. "You are head over heels for Flash, and this is just an excuse for you to spend more time with him."

Actually, it would probably be more satisfying to drag them all into the human world so that she would have actual hands to strangle them with.

"I am not head over heels for Flash." Twilight groaned in frustration. "I'm not head over heels for anyone! What does that saying even mean? 'Head over heels'? I guess I get the head part since heads are important for... well, everything. But heels? Whats that got to do with anything? Heck, we're Ponies! We don't even have heels!"

"I have heels!" Spike pointed out, looking at his feet. "I think..."

"It doesn't matter who has heels! I'm asking why there's a saying about them!"

"Sound's like someone's trying to change the subject." Rarity sang playfully.

Twilight groaned as they continued walking down the crystal hallway. Even after living in her castle for the months that she had been, it still amazed her how large it was. They had been walking for an approximate three minutes and they still hadn't reached Flash's office. It was particularly amazing since she was pretty sure that the exterior of the castle didn't look this size. Was it somehow bigger on the inside? And if so, how was that possible? Some kind of magic originating from the Tree of Harmony? She'd need to organize a study of it at some point in the future.

"Inconsistent sizes are nothing new to me." Said Pinkie. "You should see Dr Whooves' telephone box. Now that's a jaw dropper."

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Pinkie with a look of shock.

"Did you just read my mind?!"

To be honest it wouldn't be that surprising considering all the other things she'd seen Pinkie do.

Pinkie giggled. "Mind reading's got nothing to do with it Twilight. I'm pretty good at reading faces, and I can recognize your 'contemplating a scientific and magic anomaly and considering conducting a study of said anomaly' face.

"Fair enough." Twilight responded, returning to her walking. "So does that mean you can read this face that says that I am NOT INTO FLASH?!"

"Denial..." Rainbow Dash mumbled mischievously.

Twilight let out another groan that was drowned out by the laughter of her friends. She felt almost relieved at the sight of a door at the end of the hallway with a plaque labeled 'Captain Flash Sentry' hanging from it. Hopefully they'd drop this stupid subject now that they had reached his office.

Looking back on Celestia's visit, Twilight felt ashamed of what had happened. She had straight up fainted in front of her mentor and her girlfriend because she couldn't handle the stress of reuniting them. As a Princess of Equestria, she couldn't let something like that happen again. She had to strengthen herself, both physically and mentally. And for that she would need a trainer.

And she could think of no better trainer than someone like Flash.

She hesitated upon reaching the door, wondering if it was too much to ask. A Captain of the Royal Guard had be a daunting responsibility. Did she have the right to add more to the load he probably had to deal with?

"Wondering what kind of place you want to ask him out to?" Said Rarity. "I personally think that Canterlot has plenty of romantic spots. Though you probably already knew that, given that you grew up there..."

"AAAGH! I said I just need a trainer, and Flash is the most qualified pony for the job!"

"Well if you really think you need a trainer, why couldn't you just ask me?" Rainbow Dash inquired. "I've had plenty of successful clients."

"I can only list two, and last time I checked, Applebloom still has no Cutie Mark and Fluttershy still can't fly at anything over 3.0 wing power." Twilight then realized how harsh that sounded. "Um... no offense Fluttershy..."

"It's all right, Twilight." Fluttershy replied. "I've never really cared about my physical capabilities. Unless someone else cares. Then I guess it's pretty important. Unless it isn't."

"And should I also bring up the fact that I've been trained by the Captain of the Wonderbolts?" Rainbow Dash brought up. "Cause that was a thing that happened!"

"Exactly." Said Twilight. "You were trained by a military captain. And you are currently one of the most promising athletes in Equestria. I need to get trained by someone of that level. Do you see the connection?"

"I guess." Rainbow Dash agreed. "Still doesn't mean that you aren't just using this as an excuse to some spend time with Señor Sentry."

She then mimicked the sound of a strumming guitar through humming.

"I disagree." Said Pinkie. "To answer Twilight's question of whether or not I can read that face that says she isn't into Flash, I can confirm that she isn't. Besides, I'm personally in the Sunlight camp myself."

"Sunlight?" Uttered Applejack in a confused tone.

Pinkie raised an eyebrow at her. "Sounds like someone needs some more exposure to the shipping community."

"I have a few distant cousins in the apple shipping business if that's what you mean."

"Ha!" Spike laughed. "If that's what you think of when you hear the word 'shipping', you have some maturing to do."

He then received a raised eyebrow from every mare around him.

"What?"

It occurred to Twilight how off topic things had gotten.

"I think I'm just gonna knock now..."

"Go ahead. I don't mind."

All sound disappeared as everyone turned their heads to find Flash standing right behind them.

He looked at all their surprised stares casually. "Something wrong?"

"How long have you been standin' there?" Applejack asked.

Flash shrugged. "A couple of seconds. Maybe a minute."

"Well, why didn't you say anything?!" Asked Twilight.

"Isn't it like... part of the gentleman's code not to interrupt a lady or something?" Flash answered.

"What, you don't have any questions as to why a bunch of Ponies are hanging around outside your office?"

"I'm used to finding groups of pretty mares queuing up outside my digs, so I don't exactly have any questions to ask."

"Well, you can't argue with that." Said Rainbow Dash.

"So then, completely disregarding what I just said about having no questions to ask, what do you need?"

Twilight stepped forward. "Well you see... I was wondering if..."

She hesitated again, wondering if she had the right to burden him.

"Let me guess..." Said Flash. "You want me to personally train you to become physically stronger so that you don't end up passing out during stressful situations like you did during your recent meeting with Celestia. Is that right?"

Twilight's mouth gaped slightly open in shock. "Has... has everyone just gained psychic powers recently? How did I miss out?"

"It's less psychic powers and more deductive reasoning." Flash explained. "Your little 'incident' has become a popular topic of discussion with the Guards here, and it's probably gonna leak out of that social circle pretty soon. I figure it won't be long before the masses start calling you 'Princess Collapsia' or something."

Sweet Celestia, it was worse than she thought.

"And I figured that there isn't really any other reason for you to be here than that." He continued. "Hence my conclusion."

"I wouldn't say that's the only reason she'd be here." Said Rarity playfully.

Flash eyed her suspiciously.

Afraid that Flash was about to get involved in her friend's misunderstanding, Twilight moved on with the subject.

"So I think you understand why I feel that I need to make myself stronger." She explained. "If I can't deal with that kind of pressure, people will start losing their faith in the Princesses. I need to make sure it doesn't happen again. So... can you help me?"

Flash's gaze turned to the ground as he thought about the request. After a quiet moment, his attention returned to Twilight, his head shaking apologetically.

"Sorry Princess, as much as I'd love to help, this isn't really the best time. You remember the incident at the Griffon Kingdom?"

Twilight's friend's all looked at her with concern. It was no secret that she wasn't too fond of her experience there.

"Of course." She replied.

"Well it turns out that as the guy in charge of the military operations during that event, a lot of the responsibility goes to me. And where there is responsibility there is... paperwork."

A dead silence ensued.

"That's rough, dude." Said Spike, who had many past experiences with the evils of paperwork.

Flash's eye twitched, his mouth stretching into a weak smile that told stories of unspeakable pain. "You don't know... the half of it..."

He walked forward, Twilight and her friends stepping out of his way. With a trembling hoof, Flash swung the door open, revealing a sight that would cause even the bravest of ponies to cover in fear.

It was as if the whole of the Everfree Forest had been converted into paper, and that paper had been given to Flash. Whatever his office normally looked like, it was invisible under the countless sheets that bathed the floor. The only thing that really stood out from this paper pool was a wooden desk, but even that had piles of paperwork stacked on top of it. And some of the piles that weren't on the desk were so great that it would have been no surprise if it was revealed that Lord Tirek himself was concealing himself in them.

"Property damage, injuries, repairs, insurance, finances, international affairs, FREAKIN' ELECTRICITY BILLS! SOMEHOW IT'S ALL GOING TO ME!" Flash cried in despair, "I'd say I didn't sign up for this shit, but ironically signing is LITERALLY THE ONLY THING I'M DOING!"

"Jeez man..." Rainbow Dash said with sympathy. "I think I can actually feel a gravitational pull coming from all that.

"And I thought that Applebuck season was a hefty workload..." Said Applejack.

Flash's face displayed nothing but horror and despair. "Sometimes I come back and... and I swear there's more of it than there was last time. My theory is that paperwork has finally learned how to breed."

Looking at this Tartarus level punishment that had been inflicted on the poor stallion, Twilight felt sorry that she had ever considered asking Flash to train her.

"So like I said Princess..." Flash said, looking back at her. "Sorry that I can't help you."

"Oh no, Flash you don't need to apologize for anything." Responded Twilight. "If anything I should be the one apologizing for trying to take time off you."

He tried his best to genuinely smile. "It's all good. Not like you knew about this. But I am sorry that I can't help out right now. Now if you'll excuse me... I have work to do. So you in a few years..."

With that, he carefully flew into his office, remaining airborne so that he wouldn't step on any of the papers. Twilight had one last look at him as he stared at his workload with terror before she closed the door.

"Poor guy..." Fluttershy whispered.

"No wonder he was nowhere to be seen in season 5..." Said Pinkie.

"If he doesn't become an alicorn after finishing all that, I think I'll lose my faith in Ponykind." Rarity expressed.

Twilight turned around to face them all. "Looks like I'm gonna have to find another trainer."

"Well aside from me, there are probably a bunch of Royal Guards with... more free time..." Rainbow Dash said. "Then I guess that there's always Bulk Biceps..."

Twilight felt the ground vibrate softly as a familiar voice suddenly boomed through the air.

"Why look for mere mortal assistance... when you can receive training from an all powerful spirit!"

In a bright flash of white light, Discord was then standing between Twilight and her friends. Atop his head sat a white cap that matched his T-shirt. Around his neck hung a whistle, while a pair of sunglasses lay over his eyes.

"Coach Discord, at your service!" He declared.

"No." Twilight instantly responded.

"Why not?!" Discord protested. "I'm completely qualified! I'll have you know that my collection of Equestria Games medals includes thirteen silvers and eleven golds! And I earned them fair and square! Do you know how much I had to pay that antique store?! And they say I'm a villain!"

"Look, it's not that I don't trust you, Discord..." Twilight explained. "It's more that I'd like this to be taken seriously, and you treat taking things seriously the same way most people treat doing the dishes."

Discord's shoulders lowered glumly as his expression saddened.

"I don't know, Twilight..." Rainbow Dash began. "Maybe looking for help from ordinary Ponies was the wrong idea. I mean, you are an alicorn. Someone like Discord would be much better, since they're actually on your level."

"Exactly." He agreed, reverting back to a happier demeanour.

"That actually sounds about right to me." Applejack joined in. "I reckon you should go for it."

Twilight considered what they were saying, but remained hesitant. A more powerful individual was probably more suited to be her trainer than a normal Pony. But this was Discord they were talking about...

"I think you'd do a great job as Twilight's trainer." Fluttershy told Discord supportively.

"He certainly wouldn't be the worst..." Rarity considered. "Though he's certainly no Flash Sentry. Not a strong, brave, charming..." Her voice began to drift off dreamily. "...Handsome, kind, gifted... actually, Discord's great. A much better option than Flash. Twilight, you should definitely spend several hours probably alone, training and likely bonding with Discord. Not Flash. Because he's a better option. Discord."

"Then... it's... settled..." Spike said slowly, eyeing Rarity with concern. "Discord's our man!"

"Agreed." The others said in content unison.

"Great! We'll get started right away!" Said Discord.

"Don't I get a say in this?!" Twilight asked.

"Twilight, this is the option that we think is best for you." Rainbow Dash insisted. "So of course you don't get any say in it."

Discord walked forward, putting one arm around the Alicorn while extending the other as if to gesture towards a vision visible to no eyes other than his own.

"Come, Twilight. Before us lies a path most men fear to tread. The path of pain. The path of hardship. The path of sorrow. The path... of exercise."

On a blank side of the wall appeared a wooden looking door, the words 'Inevitable Exhaustion Migraines' written across it in clear black letters. The door opened slowly, revealing nothing but bright white light.

"Bye." Said a waving Pinkie Pie.

"Have fun." Said Fluttershy.

"Break a leg!" Rainbow Dash called. "I'm sure it'll regenerate or something.... Alicorns can do that right?"

Twilight stared into the light, which reminded her of the common interpretation of the afterlife. That could NOT have been a good sign.

"Help me..." She whimpered to no one in particular as Discord pulled her into the white void.

***

When Twilight thought about getting her body trained, she thought more about where she'd get it from and less about where she'd do it. If anything she just subconsciously assumed that it would be done in some part of the castle. After all, there had to be at least one training hall in the seemingly limitless rooms it had. But she never put much thought into it, mainly because she didn't think that the location mattered.

Of course, she had never even considered the Crystal Mountains to be a possible location.

Discord claimed that the reason he had chosen the mountains was because they were renowned for serving as the training grounds for the Shaolin Ponies. Having studied and read about the Shaolin Ponies a while back, Twilight understood this, but it didn't stop the area from being SO DAMN COLD!

It certainly wasn't the coldest part of the crystal mountains, as the snow covering the rocky grey terrain was barely more than a white sheet, and there wasn't even any snow currently falling. But the wooden stool that Twilight was sitting on almost stung with how cold it was. And though her fur usually did a great job keeping her warm, it was essentially useless against the freezing mountain air. Thankfully, Discord had been nice enough to summon a black hoodie for her, the particular colour being a nice touch since black was good at absorbing infrared energy. But even with this act of kindness, Twilight couldn't help feeling frustrated with his choice in location. Though admittedly Discord's choices frustrating her was nothing new.

Discord, still in his coach outfit, stood in front of a large whiteboard, pointing at a variety of diagrams with a ruling stick.

"Now then..." He began, tapping the tip of his stick against a diagram of a bunch of fruits and vegetables. "One of the many secrets to a healthy body is a healthy diet. There is one thing I have to say about the foul trap that is obesity, and that is that it puts the kill in kilograms."

"Um... are you saying that I'm fat?" Twilight asked in concern, looking down at her body self consciously. She did look a bit chubby, or was that just her hoodie?

"Oh no, I'm not saying that you're overweight in any way... though to be fair you could loosen up on the pancakes... but a true Royal must have strength! Power! Ripped abs that cause even the mightiest foes to kneel in fear!"

He dramatically threw away his ruling stick, which grew six legs upon hitting the ground before scampering away.

"I think I'll just settle for being fit enough to take stress, thanks." Twilight responded, trying to ignore the thought of herself with Bulk Biceps' body.

The whiteboard behind Discord disappeared in a bright flash, and in its place stood a glass containing a mysterious liquid on top of a small metal and glass table.

"Remember Twilight, the substance of a healthy balanced diet is a healthy balance of substances!" Discord announced. "Try saying that multiple times fast. It's... actually not that hard, what am I talking about? But that's not the point! The point is that you need the appropriate amounts of each food category. Minerals! Protein! Carbohydrates! Sugar! Vitamins! Pizza Hut! The good stuff!"

Walking over to the table he picked up the glass. The substance inside looked like an unappealing beige colour.

He held the drink up proudly. "In order to simplify the process of healthy eating, I, the mighty and intelligent Discord, have created this special concoction I appropriately named the Discord Drink! It contains the perfect balance of all these elements and poses no danger to your body! Drinking this at least two times a day is guaranteed to set you on the course to fitness."

He turned his head to face Twilight directly, pointing his finger upwards and sporting a professional facial expression.

"DiscordDrinkistrademarkedbyDiscordAnyviolationofcopyrightwillresultinlegalactiontakingplaceDiscordDrinkisnotresponsibleforthechaoticdistortionofrealityBatteriesnotincludedIfyouhaveanyissueswithDiscordDrinkthenscrewyounoonecaresaboutyouropinionunlessyou'realawyertowhichI'mthenverysorrypleasedon'tsueme."

Discord silently held the drink in front of Twilight for a few seconds, the only present sound being the lightly blowing wind.

"Um... seems legit?" Twilight expressed with a bit of confusion.

"It's more than legit!" Discord proudly claimed, holding his chest high. "It's Discord approved, bitches!"

"Meaning I'm dead."

"Pffft, it's not going to kill you." He assured her. "Or at least it shouldn't. I don't know, I haven't tested it. Consider yourself ninety nine and a half percent safe."

"I guess I've heard worse odds..." Twilight said, taking the drink with her magic.

She took a closer look at the liquid. It's colour looked even less appealing up close, resembling expired milk. It's thickness didn't help either. The sight of it reminded her of vomit, and given it's apparent contents that wouldn't have been a very surprising twist. Even if it wasn't toxic in any way, it was probably going to taste horrible.

'For Sunset...' She thought to herself as she quickly chugged it down in hopes of getting as much of it in her body before the taste hit her. Admittedly, Sunset didn't have much to do with the situation, but it was probably the thought that would have given her the most courage, so she went with it.

Twilight prepared herself to retch, but no retching happened. It didn't actually taste that bad. Probably the best comparison would be to compare it to a liquefied bread. It wasn't exactly tasty, since it was so plain, but at least it was bearable.

"This is... actually pretty OK, Discord..." Twilight complimented him.

"Of course it is." Discord replied, crossing his arms smugly. "And there's plenty more where that came from. You'd be surprised how easy it is to collect Diamond Dog saliva."

"Diamond Dog WHAT?!"

"Figuring out how to get all those substances into one drink was a difficult process, but I eventually realized that the saliva of a Diamond Dog was perfect for the job since they consume all those ingredients on a regular basis." He explained.

Coming to terms with what she just drank, Twilight tried to spit out whatever was left in her mouth. Maybe it would have actually been more appealing if it had actually turned out to be vomit.

"Can we..." She spat out a bit more. "...just get on with the physical stuff?"

Discord looked slightly offended by Twilight's reaction to his creation, but shrugged. "If you insist."

With a snap of Discord's fingers the world around them very briefly disappeared in a flash of white. After it subsided, Twilight initially thought that they were in a new location, but was quick to see that they were still at the Crystal Mountains, just with a big change in what was around them. It was difficult to tell whether or not they were on the same exact mountain as the ground seemed to be a lot flatter, but this may have just been another result of Discord's magic. The table was gone, replaced with a large jogging track that surrounded a great collection of sports equipment such as javelins and shot puts. Above them, a series of large rings were floating in the sky.

Discord was now dressed in a drill instructors outfit, complete with sunglasses over his eyes and a bunch of medals that Twilight doubted he actually knew the meaning behind attached to his buttoned up jacket.

"PRIVATE SPARKLE!" He shouted at her intimidatingly. "DROP TO THE GROUND AND GIVE ME ONE HUNDRED PUSH UPS!"

Twilight found his army voice to be unexpectedly scary. "Um... are we really jumping right into this? Shouldn't there be... like... warm ups or something?"

"I SAID GIVE ME ONE HUNDRED, PRIVATE SPARKLE! DO YOU WANT YOUR WINGS CLIPPED OFF?!"

"NO, SIR!" She cried back nervously, dropping to the ground and bushing her body up and down with her legs, counting how many times she did so.

"AFTER THIS I WANT YOU TO GIVE ME ONE HUNDRED SIT UPS! THEN ONE HUNDRED SQUATS! THEN A TEN KILOMETER RUN! REPEAT THIS PROCESS EVERY DAY FOR THREE YEARS, AND NO BEING IN EQUESTRIA WILL MATCH YOU'RE STRENGTH!"

"Are you serious?" Twilight asked nervously while progressing through the push ups. The prospect of doing that sounded grueling, but certainly plausible.

"THAT DEPENDS! HOW MUCH DO YOU LIKE YOUR LIKE YOUR HAIR?!"

"What?" Twilight asked in confusion.

"HOW MUCH DO YOU LIKE YOUR HAIR, YOU SISSY LITTLE SACK OF SHIT?!"

"I LIKE MY HAIR A LOT, SIR!" Twilight responded in fear.

"Oh..." Discord replied, taking off his sunglasses. "That's not gonna work. Doing that training course inevitably results in baldness. Guess we'll have to try something else."

After finishing with the hundred push ups, Twilight moved on to various other exercises. She managed to lap the jogging track four times at jogging speed before tiring out and moving on to using the equipment. She spent several hours going through the different sports, from the aforementioned javelin and shot put, to the discus and even hula hooping. Once she had spent consistent time on all of them, she tried the air exercises, flying through courses in the sky marked by the floating rings while Discord timed her speed. After spending another few hours on this activity, she had finally exhausted herself to the point where a break was needed.

Twilight sat on a wooden bench, chugging down a bottle of water. Her hoodie was feeling a little thicker with all the sweat that it had absorbed, and her whole body was pulsing with aching pains. It actually felt kinda nice, since it came with the feeling that she had worked hard.

Discord, now wearing his own grey hoodie, sat himself next to her, offering her a sandwich.

"So what species of saliva can I expect to find in this?" Twilight asked, taking it with her magic.

"Hey, I can make normal food." Discord protested. "I just don't like doing that."

Twilight took a reluctant bite of the sandwich, and was pleasantly surprised to discover how normal it tasted. Butter, cheese, and tomatoes. A simple but delicious combo. It was completely possible that there was some kind of undetectable but disturbing substance hidden among all that tastiness, but she chose to just ignore the possibility of that in favour of simply enjoying getting to eat after all that work.

"So Twilight, I happened to have overheard that little conversion regarding Flash earlier." He asked giddily. "What's up with that?"

"What do you mean by that?" Twilight asked, looking at him in suspicion.

"I mean that the girls seem quiet convinced that you like him." Discord continued. "Romantically speaking."

Twilight looked at him like he was an idiot. "Discord, you of all people should know that I don't feel anything towards Flash. Well.. not anymore at least. I've moved past the whole High School crush phase."

Discord summoned his own water bottle and took a drink from it. "So how does it feel letting them jump to conclusions like that instead of letting them in on you and Sunset's secret?"

Twilight closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "I hate keeping something so important from them, but... I just don't think its the right time yet."

Each one of her friends gave her a reason not to share her secret with them. Applejack couldn't lie. Fluttershy was susceptible to peer pressure. Rarity loved gossip. Rainbow Dash had issues with pride. And Pinkie was notorious for being unable to keep her mouth shut at important times.

"Frankly, I'm amazed that all of Equestria doesn't already know the secret considering you found out." Twilight told him. "The chaos that it would cause sounds like the kind of thing you'd want."

Discord initially looked a little hurt, but quickly gave her a friendly and sincere smile. It the kind of look she didn't get from him often.

"I admit that I'd love to do it..." Discord explained to her. "The kind of chaos that would ensue would be nothing less than a party for me. But... I can't betray your trust like that. Not again."

Twilight was a little confused at first, before realizing what he probably meant. "Are you talking about the Tirek incident?"

"Well, there's not many other incidents I could be referring to." Discord said, looking slightly ashamed. "Even after betraying you and Equestria, you still considered me a person worth saving. You were still willing to call me your friend. For that reason I owe it to you to keep your secret. It's basically the same reason I've done all this for you as well."

He gestured to the training course around him.

Twilight looked at him in amazement. Yes, she did acknowledge him as a friend, though she could get really annoyed with him at times. But she never imagined that she meant that much to him.

She rubbed her hoof against his back comfortingly. "Discord... I'm grateful for what you've done. Not just for keeping the secret and helping me out now, but for everything else you've done for me and Sunset."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked.

"I mean all the counseling you've given her." She explained. "She told me that you were the one who pushed her to meet with Celestia again. You were even the one who helped her come to terms with her feelings for me. You might say that you're the reason she and I are together now. And then there's the fact that you helped her understand the situation with... her soul..."

Twilight went quiet at the thought of Sunset's problem. Discord didn't say anything for a moment either.

"What do you plan to do about it?" He asked.

"You said yourself, it's pretty much irreversible." Twilight responded sadly. "All we can do is help her fight it."

She looked at all the exercise equipment and courses around her.

"Y'know, we could do the same thing with her that we're doing with me now. That might help."

"I suppose it would." Said Discord looking at it himself.

Helping Sunset with her problem was one of the only things on Twilight's mind these days. She didn't want to be naive and think that she and Sunset would be together forever, but she just couldn't help it. Having Sunset in her life was like having a whole new side to her life entirely, a side that she couldn't imagine a future without anymore. And once they made it past this obstacle, they could move on with their relationship. At that point they could let their friends in on the secret. And eventually, maybe in a few days or a few decades, they could reveal it to the world. And then...

Twilight smiled. She knew that she and Sunset would make it through this together. And she had a feeling that Sunset knew that too.

Author's Notes:

To start off, it has now been over a year since I published my first chapter of this story and my first fanfiction chapter overall. It's a bit depressing considering I'm still writing this story, but I'm pretty sure we only have four chapters left to go. I also published a Vinyl x Octavia oneshot titled 'Coming Home for Christmas' as my first holiday oneshot. You can look at it right here. Unless you don't want to. I'm not forcing you.

Or am I?

Now if anyone finds the tone of this chapter odd considering the last one, that's because I figured a more light hearted comedic chapter would be needed considering the boatload of feels I plan on dumping on all of you in the next few chapters. Hopefully I suceeded in getting a chuckle or two out of you.

I have a feeling people are going to point this out, so yes, Twilight does mention in this chapter that Applebloom has no Cutie Mark. Well I started this story a while before season and not that much time has passed since the beginning. And given the whole Griffon Kingdom situation I've given up on following post season 4 rules for this story anyway. Why did this not stop Pinkie straight up mentioning Season 5 in this chapter. Because Pinkie freakin' Pie, bitches!

So then, what will happen next? Who will live? Who will die? Will Spike figure out whether or not he has heels? Found out next time! Same Pony time! Same Pony channel!

As always, please comment and critique so that I may improve for future chapters and stories.

Also One-Punch Man or something...

The Door To Despair-Sunset Shimmer

In the perplexing mash of the subconscious that was the world of dreams, concepts like time and understanding of reality were lost. For this reason, Sunset had no idea how long she had been laying on her knees before the door in front of her. In actuality it could have been no more than a few seconds, but to her, it felt like it had been eons.

The door itself was a familiar lavender colour, as was the frame that bordered it, which rose from the ground with each side being parallel to the other before joining together in a pointy half ellipse shape as the top. On the front of the door was a six pointed pink star surrounded by five smaller white stars that Sunset recognized as Twilight's cutie mark.

It was something that looked so simple, but Sunset couldn't muster the strength to get any closer to it.

She couldn't even look at it most of the time, as she just stared at the floor beneath her. It was the same shifting shades of red that she had grown used to, spreading out in all directions before disappearing into a black void that surrounded her like a dome of emptiness.

What kept Sunset on her knees was a mix of fear, despair, and loneliness. All emotions that she had associated with this place, and emotions she knew she would experience if she walked through that door. The only feeling that was missing was the anger, but she knew that she had no one to be angry at but herself. And she considered herself too pathetic to deserve even that.

"Wallowing in your self pity isn't going to help anyone."

Sunset looked up to her left, where the other Sunset was standing over her. Like before, it was an exact copy of her aside from the black eyes with glowing opal irises. Only, as Sunset was currently in human form, so was she.

Not long ago, the sight of this darker side of her would have sent her into a state of sadness, anger, and denial. But as she had accepted that she had to cut ties with Twilight for the sake of them both, she had also accepted this side of her soul as a part of her. There was no point in ignoring it.

"I know what I have to do, but... I don't feel like I can do it..." She told her.

"Oh, you know that you can do it, because you think you have to do it. You're just trying to stop what's impossible to stop for as long as you can, cause that's all you can think to do."

She was right, and Sunset knew it.

With as much effort as their was regret, she lifted herself off the ground and walked towards the door. As she approached it, the feelings of fear, despair, and loneliness escalated, while a feeling of uncertainly joined them. Stopping right in front of the door, she nervously put her hand on Twilight's cutie mark, letting it slowly slide down the flat image.

"What can I expect if I go through with this?" She asked.

Demon Sunset appeared suddenly from behind the closed door, casually walking out from the right side.

"You mean what happens to us if you cut ties with Equestria? Well, I'd say I know as much as you given that we're the same person, which is to say I don't know jack shit."

"But if being in Equestria was what caused you to appear in the first place, than if I stop going there, does that mean you'll eventually disappear?"

She let out a laugh as she walked past Sunset. "How much influence I'll have over you is questionable, but I'll always be here, just as I always have been here. Everyone has that part of themselves that they try to keep buried inside of them, yours just happens to be magically influenced to almost have a will of its own."

"I see..." Sunset responded halfheartedly.

She stared at the door that her hand was still touching. Even though she understand what the right thing to do was, it didn't make it any easier.

Once again, the other Sunset appeared from behind the door, this time walking out the left side.

"Wondering which choice is right and which choice is wrong is just a waste of time. There aren't any right and wrong choices in this world, only choices that cause varying amounts of damage, and you just want to go the route that ends in the least amount of damage. Simple as that."

"But why do you treat it so casually? If Equestria is really whats making you grow stronger, why are you just letting me cut my ties with it? What do you have to gain from that?"

Demon Sunset leaned against the side of the door, letting out another cackle. "You know I can't do anything about it even if I want to. While your awake, all I can really do is blow your emotions out of proportion, and maybe influence your thoughts and actions slightly if you're broken enough. But like I said earlier, I'll be here no matter what you do, so whether you ever go back to Equestria or not doesn't really matter to me. Equestria or no Equestria, everyone you know will eventually come to know the real Sunset Shimmer."

"I won't let that happen." Sunset told her.

The other Sunset smirked. "You don't have to..."

All of a sudden, the top of the other Sunset's head burst into red and orange flames, which quickly spread across her whole body, engulfing her and leaving behind nothing but scattering embers and a menacing cackle echoing through the void.

Sunset knew that she should have felt some kind of relief at her other sides departure, but at this point her presence wasn't going to change anything about how she felt. If anything, it just made her feel more lonely and afraid of the path that was in front of her.

She let out a deep breath. It didn't matter how she felt about it. It was what was best for her. And more importantly, it was what was best for Twilight, and the two worlds they had gotten caught up in their idiocy.

"I'm sorry Twilight..." Sunset whispered, before pushing forward the hand pressed against the door, swinging it open to reveal nothing but pitch black darkness behind it.

Letting out another deep breath, Sunset took a heavy step forward, passing through the threshold of the door and entering the darkness. After a short moment, she took another step onward, and preceded to walk forward faster and more effortlessly with each step she took. She looked back to see that the door and the red world she was previously in were completely gone, leaving her surrounded by nothing but the black void around her.

The compassing empty darkness around her made her feel even more lonely and afraid, and she instinctively began to run. The farther she went, the faster she seemed to go, and the less of her surroundings she could feel. Eventually she couldn't even feel her own body, and she was too focused on running to even check if it was there at all.

Sunset's senses numbed and her mind warped as she found herself in complete and total darkness.

And a surge of light hit her vision as she opened her eyes.

The very real feeling of a soft blanket covering her body and a firm but equally sift pillow under her head told her that she wasn't sleeping anymore. She sat herself up on her bed, looking around to see that her room was illuminated by the dark blue light of the early morning. On the other side of the room, her roommates were sound asleep in their own beds. The the room itself was dead silent, the usual morning city sounds echoing quietly outside.

Sunset threw her legs over the left side of the bed, sitting on the edge as she adjusted to waking up. After standing up she dressed herself out of her pajamas and into her jeans, light blue shirt, and black jacket. Picking up her bag, which she had packed the night before, she slipped her arm into one strap before swinging it over her back. She walked towards the door, stopping to adjust her boots on to her feet.

"Sunset?"

Sunset turned around to see that Sweetcream Scoops was sitting up in her bed, looking at her with one eye half open while she rubbed the other with the back of her hand.

"What... are you doing?" She asked tiredly, letting out a yawn. "Is it like... school or something?"

"Um... it's Saturday..." Sunset told her.

"Oh... right..." She replied, blinking a few times. "Why am I up then? Wait... why are you up?"

"I... have something to do. I shouldn't be long."

"Are you okay?" Scoops asked her.

Sunset felt slightly on alert. "Why would you ask that?"

"You just sound... down..." She responded wearily. "Or maybe that's just me... I don't know, I need more sleep..."

She fell back into a lying down position.

Sunset looked at Scoops for a few seconds. She looked so sweet, peacefully resting with her hair all over the place and her face so relaxed. Looking at it gave her this ticklish feeling inside her stomach that was the closest thing to sibling love she knew. Taking a brief look at Cactus and Salty Haze as well, the feeling was still there

Making sure that she caused as little noise or overall disturbance as possible, Sunset left the room, passing through another door.

As Sunset walked down the stairs and through the halls of Miss Peachbottom's, she thought about the three girls that she had just left behind in that room. They, along every other person who lived in this building, were the only real family that she had ever had. They were one of the many things that her relationship with Twilight put at risk, and one of the reasons she had to do this.

Her talk with Sweetcream Scoops may have been short and seemingly pointless, but it was enough to give her the resolve to go through with it.

After making it to the ground floor and passing through the lobby, Sunset stepped out into the chilly morning air. It had brightened up a bit in the short time it had taken her to get down there, as the sky had turned to a lighter shade of blue that became more yellow the closer it got to the horizon. It was definitely an unusual time to be awake, but she needed the sounds of a city morning. It wasn't so quiet that she felt helplessly alone, nor was it so loud that she felt distressed.

As Sunset walked, she became too distracted by her fear of confronting Twilight to fully acknowledge her surroundings. Because of this, the walk to Canterlot High went by so quickly to her that she almost passed the school before realizing where she was.

Sunset had seen the portal between Equestria and the human world in varying lights over the course of the past few years. When she discovered it back in her days as Celestia student, she had a curious but malicious interest in it. After going to the human world, she saw it as one of the tools that would be used to accomplish her goals. After she had turned her back on those goals and discovered friendship, she thought of it as the thing that connected to the Equestrian part of her life. And after she and Twilight became a couple, few things made her feel as happy or excited as walking over to it.

But now, she could barely look at it as she approached it. She knew that once she walked through it, there was no going back. Once she returned, she would never set foot in Equestria again.

She stopped herself at the base of the statue, mustered the rest of her courage, and took the bag off her back, placing it on the ground. Taking out her journal and a pen, she prepared herself to message Twilight.

Many times had she considered breaking up with her through the journal, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Twilight deserved better than that.

Holding the pen firmly in her hand, she wrote her message across an empty page.

I'm ready.

And she wasn't just saying those words to Twilight.

She then sat herself against the pedestal and waited. At this point in the morning she didn't expect Twilight to respond so quickly, not that she minded. If anything, she needed a little more time to ease herself.

Her perception of time was lost again as she retreated into her own thoughts. The only physical things her mind processed were the feeling of the cold, hard concrete and marble she was lying against as well as her hair gently brushing against her face in the light breeze. She wondered what would happen to herself and Twilight after the break up. There would definitely be a period of emotional pain they would have to endure, that was for certain. How long it would last was the real question. There was also the question of how their lives would be affected as well. While removing themselves from each others lives was the best choice for themselves and Equestria, what would actually change? Twilight had made her better as a person, and she had a feeling that Twilight would say the same for herself, but it didn't seem like they had affected how the other lived their life, but what if there was some impact that they just hadn't realized? How would their goals in life be affected? Or their future relationships?

Sunset smacked herself on the head when she realized how much thought she had put into thinking about Twilight's future. She couldn't afford to do that anymore, nor could she think about what would happen to Equestria. All she could do for their sake was put them behind her, and after that, it was best she tried forget that they had ever existed, for her own sake as well as the sake of Twilight and Equestria.

Her heart jumped as she felt her bag start vibrating, which could only mean one thing.

It was time.

Whatever Twilight's message was, she didn't want to read it. What was important was putting an end to this, anything other than that was meaningless to her.

Standing up, she turned to face the mirror. As she mustered the strength to press onward, she looked into her own reflection, reminding herself of why she was doing this.

Either because of her own imagination or the work of some kind of magic, the eyes of her reflection suddenly went dark as the irises started glowing.

'Having second thoughts again?' The voice in her head mockingly asked her. 'You know you can't let Equestria go. You want it too much.'

"I don't deserve Equestria." Sunset told herself. "Any more than I deserve her. That's why I have to do this. For Equestria, for Twilight... and for myself."

'Keep telling yourself that...' The voice echoed in her head as the darkness left the eyes of her reflection.

Not wanting to waste a second more, Sunset walked forward, allowing the glowing light of the mirror to consume her body as she shifted between worlds.

The transportation process felt strangely... different this time. The process of her body morphing felt uncomfortable and wrong. She felt each strand of her muscles twitch and stretch into different shapes, her skin molding over her shifting body frame, and her individual bones forcefully morphing into different forms. It was almost painful. Was this Equestria rejecting her, as she was going to reject it?

Despite the unusually rough transportation process, Sunset found herself walking out the other side of the mirror into Twilight's library normally.

Twilight was nowhere in sight, which was strange since she usually insisted on being there the moment Sunset arrived. Since someone had to have activated the portal, either her or Spike were probably nearby. Sunset walked ahead through the hallways of bookshelves until she made her way to the entrance of the Library. And sure enough, as the doorway came into view around a bookshelf, so did Twilight and Flash.

Seeing Twilight hit her almost like a physical strike. She looked so cheerful and perky this morning as she spoke to Flash that Sunset couldn't help feeling a little spark inside herself. But at the same time it burned to look at her, knowing what she was going to do.

Twilight quickly spotted Sunset headed towards her and Flash, waving her hoof. "Morning Sunset."

"Hey." Sunset replied as enthusiastically as she could lie.

Now closer to the other two, Sunset saw that Twilight was currently in the process of writing on some papers that, judging by the satchel hanging from his neck, were given to her by Flash.

"Just a sec..." Twilight told her as she scribbled down on the last two sheets of paper, before levitating them into Flash's satchel neatly. "There you go."

"Much appreciated." Flash thanked, turning to Sunset. "Nice to see you as always Sunny."

"Same here." Sunset responded.

Flash's eyes suddenly narrowed into a look of suspicion and concern. "You Okay? You don't look too upbeat today."

Sunset's heart jumped upon recognizing the look he was giving her. It was a look she was pretty familiar with from the time they had spent together as kids, and the time she had spent dating his human counterpart. It was a look he gave people when he felt something off about them, when they were upset about something, or had something to hide. He was good with people like that.

"I'm fine." Sunset told him, uncomfortable with how he was clearly trying to figure out what was going on in her head. "Don't you have hallways to pace or something?"

Flash briefly glared at her with that same look, with a little bit of anger aimed at her as well.

"Sure..." He responded, before turning to Twilight. "See you later."

He walked with a strange fusion of casualness and formality that only Flash Sentry could achieve as he left the library, Twilight shutting the doors behind him.

"What was that about about?" Twilight asked in confusion, gesturing to the doorway Flash had left through.

"I'm... just not feeling so great today." Sunset told her. "What was with you and Flash?"

"Oh, just some paperwork. Nothing you need to worry about." Twilight explained. "Flash needed some signatures from me. The world just seems to have this huge thing against him. Have you SEEN his office?"

Sunset shook her head in response, she hadn't checked out any of the Castles mild renovations after the Guard had been established. She never felt the need to, given her dislike of the fact that the Castle was now crawling with soldiers whose jobs probably involved making sure certain reformed Crimminals were kept in line.

Twilight looked at her with concern. "Flash did have a point, you don't look so good. Did something happen in the past week."

Sunset knew it was hard to hide something from Twilight's strong perceptiveness, but she summoned the best smile she could fake. "Really Twilight, I'm fine."

It seemed to work, as Twilight smiled back in response. Maybe she just trusted Sunset enough to take her word for it, a thought that further bit into Sunset since she as essentially lying to her. The pain all this was making her feel was reaching the boundary of what she could stand. She had to put a stop to this now.

And now seemed like a good opportunity, as they appeared to be alone, but she had to be sure.

"So... is anyone one else here?" Sunset asked.

Twilight shook her head. "Aside from the Guards, it's pretty much just us. Spike's currently on a trip to Manehattan, and I haven't made any plans with any of the girls. I was actually planning for it to just be us for the day."

So they were alone. The opportunity was perfect. It was time to tell her the real reason that she was here.

That they were done.

But when she opened her mouth, all that came out was an almost silent groan that leaked through her throat as her body stiffened up. This was clearly as hard for her as she feared it would be. Panicking a little on the inside, she tried forcing more willpower through, but the signals running through her nerves seemed to just stop within her frozen muscles.

'Come on Sunset, just tell her!' She desperately thought to herself. 'You can't afford to be this weak now!'

But no matter how much effort she put into it, her body refused to let her do it. Selfish as it was, she couldn't bring herself to destroy that which had given her and Twilight so much happiness over the last few weeks.

What was happening to her must have been very subtle, as Twilight hadn't noticed anything. Or at least she wasn't reacting to it.

"Sunset... there's something I want to talk to you about." Twilight said softly. "Something regarding us."

A small shock hit Sunset. Twilight wanted to talk about their relationship as well. Was that just a coincidence?

"Um... what's that?" She asked

"I think it's best if we take this to my bedroom." Twilight explained. "We don't want anyone to overhear anything, and the room's probably the most private place here. Well... except the bathroom I guess, but the bathroom's not exactly my ideal location for talking about this kind of thing."

"Sure..." Sunset replied. "Lead the way."

Twilight smiled, opening the library doors and leading Sunset into the hallway. As was to be expected, there were a few guards on patrol. Sunset could see at least three of them in the hallway they were walking through. Their prominence concerned her, since it would be easy for them no notice something wrong if things between her and Twilight got intensely emotional. And considering Sunset's past, she was unsure how they would react.

"By the way Sunset, do you notice anything... different about me?" Twilight asked as they made their way up the stairs.

Nothing seemed different to Sunset, though she hadn't exactly tried searching for anything new, since it was too hard to look at Twilight directly most of the time.

"No." Sunset responded. "Why?"

"Well, I didn't expect any noticeable changes yet, since it's only been a week, but I've recently been working out a bit."

Sunset was surprised. She had never taken Twilight for the 'working out' type, aside from maybe reading about how to do the mathematically perfect push up.

"Why's that?" Sunset asked as they reached the top of the stairs.

"After my... event... with you and Celestia, I thought I could use some intense training to build myself up physically and mentally. It's been working great so far. The days just feel so less... stressing. I actually ended up getting trained by Discord of all people."

"How was that?" Sunset asked.

Twilight telekinetically opened the door as she and Sunset approached her room. "He was... well... Discord. But he actually did a pretty good job. Like I said, I've been feeling great. I think my days of fainting in front of Celestia are over."

"That's nice." Sunset told her as the two of them entered the bedroom.

"Actually Sunset..." Twilight's voice got more serious as she closed the door behind them. "I had a lot of time to think while I was training. A lot of advice to hear as well. I've started to... consider something."

There was definitely something new in her voice. A type of confidence Sunset had never seen in her before.

Twilight turned from the door to face Sunset, their faces separated by just a few inches. It had previously hurt her to look at Twilight, but now that their eyes were locked, she instead felt total paralysis. Twilight's eyes were full of confidence, determination and adoration. Adoration directed towards her.

"I love you Sunset, and I don't want to hide that fact from anyone anymore."

Sunset felt like her head had suddenly hollowed out. She wasn't sure she had heard her correctly.

"What are you talking about?" Sunset asked in bewilderment.

"Sunset... I can't imagine a future without you anymore." Twilight confessed to her in a voice ringing with passion. "These past couple of weeks with you have been some of the best of my life, and I don't want it end. I want us to stay together for the rest of our lives."

Sunset stared at her, eyes wide with shock. Twilight couldn't see it, but the amber mare could feel it. They were having completely opposite thoughts. Surely Twilight knew that their relationship was a threat to themselves and those around them. Sunset knew that Twilight would be reluctant to separate, but not to the extent of desiring eternal companionship.

"And if we're going to stay together, we can't keep it a secret from everyone. I can't lie to my friends anymore. Or Celestia. Or my family. It should be safe to let them in on it. And while it will have to take time, maybe we can eventually reveal it to the rest of Equestria. To the world. And perhaps... though it won't be instant... they could actually accept us."

Sunset tried to object. This wasn't right. But her body continued to stiffen, refusing to move. She felt like her heart had been crunched into a small ball, the emotional and physical pain coursing through her body like fire.

"We can do this Sunset." Twilight whispered, her face getting closer to Sunset's. "I'm yours... forever."

Sunset could do nothing as Twilight's lips pushed against her own, the kiss sending a charge through her body. It felt so good, but it burned so horribly at the same time. Her heart raced in her chest in the most frightening way. This was selfish. This was wrong. This was exactly what she wanted to stop.

Suddenly she could feel her muscles again, her hot blood rushing through her veins as control returned to her shaking body.

"NO!" Sunset cried, separating herself from Twilight's kiss and frantically stepping away from her.

A look of fearful confusion spread across Twilight's face. "What's wrong?"

"This! Us! Everything!" Sunset groaned in despair. "We can't do this anymore Twilight!"

Twilight's eyes were now smothered in confused fear as she let out a chuckle of disbelief. "What... what are you talking about?"

Sunset's head shook as she felt her eyes get mistier. "You're smarter than this Twilight! You how much this relationship will hurt the two of us."

"Sunset, if this is about us being accepted, I told you we can make it through that. Why are you acting so hysterical?"

"It's not just about that, Twilight. If we stayed together I'd have to choose between you and my human family. And I can't make that choice! And what about Equestria?! Do you want the rest of this world to end up like the Griffon Kingdom?! And have you forgotten about what's wrong with me! I'M A DAMN MONSTER!"

Twilight stared at her in pure disbelief, the light reflecting off her increasingly tearful eyes. "You're not a monster Sunset, you're the one I love."

"Well then you fell in love with a monster, and I can't let you do that."

A moment of silence and tension hung in the air between them for a second as they stared at each other with eyes drenched in salty tears.

"Sunset... please..." Twilight uttered in a cracked voice. "I want this."

"Well I..." Sunset could feel her own voice cracking. "I don't..."

Twilight's pupils shrank, gazing at Sunset with horror and despair, like she had only just really come to the realization of what Sunset was saying. She sank to her knees, her gaze reverting to the floor. Her body trembled as her quiet sobs accompanied the existing silence.

The sight of it was too much for Sunset. She knew that nothing could be done about about it, but she couldn't help but feel like it was her fault. Perhaps it was. Maybe her and Twilight should never have fallen in love in the first place. It probably would have been better if they had just never met at all.

"Goodbye Twilight." Sunset whispered as she opened the door, leaving her beloved to cry alone.

She walked towards the stairs, the despair she felt vibrated through her muscles, filling her with painful energy. She suddenly broke into a run, rushing past the many doors of the corridor and down the stairs. The Guards were nowhere to be found, but that didn't matter to her. What mattered was that the deed was done. She had cut ties with Twilight. Now it was time to do so with the rest of Equestria.

Making her way into the library, she sprinted towards the direction of the mirror. Once she had made it to the human world, she would never have to go back to Equestria. Maybe she could also make sure she never could. Possibly destroy the mirror. It would certainly stop Twilight from following her. But she couldn't do that, not when Twilight still had friends in that world. Her friends. Even if it meant that she would still see Twilight again, she couldn't do that to them. She would just have to live with it.

And she knew that she would. This was what was best for everyone.

'How Pathetic.' The voice echoed in her head. 'You can't even bring yourself to witness the anguish you're giving her. To think you could once claim that you loved her!'

'Do you want me to leave her or not!' Sunset responded in her mind. 'Do you have any idea how hard this is for me?!'

'That's a stupid question to ask yourself.' The voice snarled back. 'And I want her to be more than just heartbroken, I want her corpse bleeding out on the stone cold floor!'

Sunset found the mirror, but the book that was meant to power it was nowhere to be found. Had one of the Guards removed it to keep the portal closed for security purposes? This had to be the worst time for it to go missing.

Running frantically from shelf to shelf, Sunset pulled out countless books, trying to recognize the journal that would bring her home, and hopefully put an end to this nightmare.

'You're only delaying the inevitable, Sunset. Your desire for Equestria will soon bring you to return to it, and take it for yourself. And who knows, maybe you won't end up killing Twilight. You can always keep her as a toy.'

"Stop..." She cried out, not even caring to keep the conversation inside her head anymore. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"

She continued to pull book after book out of their shelves, but she stopped trying to see if any of them were the one she was looking for. The opal glow from her horn glowed intensely bright through the library as she ripped the endless books that she and Twilight had organized together from their places and threw them on the ground in sadness and frustration.

"SUNSET!"

Sunset spun around to where the familiar cry had come from to find Twilight walking towards her. The burning light from Sunset's horn bathed her in an opal glow, bright reflections shaking in her drenched eyes.

"Stay away from me Twilight!" Sunset screamed, her horn flaring more intensely. "IT'S OVER!"

"WE CAN WORK THIS OUT!" Twilight screamed back, getting closer to her.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LET ME GO!?" The inferno pulsing at the tip of her horn grew more intense with every cry, flooding the room in it's almost blinding light.

"SUNSET PLEASE!" Twilight tried to cry over the sound of the roaring mass of pure magical energy as she almost reached Sunset, who didn't want to be anywhere near her.

"JUST GET AWAY FROM ME!"

That was when everything went wrong.

In pure uncontrolled emotion, and the possible influence of her other self, Sunset released the pure state of destruction that she had inadvertently created at the end of her horn. And she sent it screaming right towards Twilight.

The room was engulfed in a blinding white light as a wave of heat struck Sunset. She felt her strength leave her body as the energy was released, a roaring screech ripping through the air from the eruption of destructive magic.

Sunset fell to the ground from exhaustion and the shock of the release, her vision going blurry and her ears ringing. Her throbbing brain tried to comprehend what had just happened as she tried to regain focus. After a few seconds, the ringing faded and her vision returned to her, allowing her to properly focus what was in front of her.

While the library itself looked miraculously unscathed from the explosion, several bookshelves had toppled over while countless books were scattered everywhere. The only other sign of destruction was the large black scorch mark on the ground, smoke coming off a lump of black mass sitting at the center of it. Sunset focused on it, dazedly trying to figure out what it was.

And her eyes widened in horror, her heart seemingly stopping as she realized that she was looking at an alicorn's charred, smoking body.

She stretched her shaking hoof out as she realized just what she had done.

"Twilight..." She croaked weakly.

The last thing Sunset saw was the ravaged remains of the person she cherished most in the world lying lifeless on the floor before a sudden tremendous shock at the back of her head made everything go black.

Author's Notes:

HA! You fools thought you were reading a sweet, romantic ship fic when in reality you were just reading my Twilight hatred in the form of literature. I have played you like a fiddle (Because Irish). Feed me you pain! FEED ME!

In actuality Twilight is best pony (but that doesn't mean she's... lets just say 'safe') and you don't need to worry (or do you), there's still about 3 chapters left planned and a few more twists to go. It feels great finally getting to publish I chapter I thought of like a year and a half ago.

I actually had like half of this chapter finished within a week, but suddenly lost the will to write for around two months before suddenly getting that will back with a writing frenzy. I guess I just needed to rejuvinate or something. I hope to release the next chapter in a week or two, let's just hope that school and/or writers block stay out of my way.

As always, please comment and critique so I can improve for future stories and chapters.

Contemplating The Sacrifice - Discord?

Twilight Sparkle was dying.

A day before, Discord had been experimenting with creating the world's greatest bathing experience by filling a tub with melted rubber duckies when he felt a sudden magical disturbance coming from Twilight's castle. Warping to it's location, he found himself in the library, taking the form of a book so that could analyze the situation while also avoiding detection. He preferred to only be seen when he wanted to.

The first thing he noticed was the intensely bright opal light shining against the entire library, which was coming from a large mass of magical energy, like an extremely miniature star. He realized that this was originating from Sunset Shimmer, who was clearly in an emotionally broken state, as was Twilight, who walking towards the former against the erupting storm of energy.

Discord couldn't make out the emotional conversation between the two ponies over the rumbling blaze, but he quickly understood that he was looking at one of the many outcomes that he had anticipated from the romance between the two. The heartbreaking split.

But it was a lot more serious and dangerous than he had predicted.

It was then that Sunset threw her head back before pointing her horn at Twilight, the magical energy disrupting as it prepared to be released. Discord had less than a second to figure out what was occurring before he desperately tried to minimize the damage. As the ball of destruction was launched at the alicorn, he created a series of shields out of pure chaotic energy, forming around every important target he focused on. Sunset, the surrounding area, and the magic itself were all encased in protective fields, but he focused the greatest amount of energy into protecting Twilight, who was right in the path of devastation. However, in the minuscule time he had, he hadn't managed to create anything close to the strength he needed. The comet broke through it's shield like it was nothing, exploding against Twilight's force field and breaking it like thin glass. While he had prevented Twilight from completely disintegrating, she still took the brunt of the impact, merciless waves of pure heat and force crashing against her, burning and ripping through her body. Twilight may not have had the longevity of Celestia and Luna, but as an Alicorn, her body was extremely durable, which was likely the only thing that allowed her to survive the blast. The remaining shields managed to contain the explosion and reduce the damage it would've done to the library to simply knocking a few shelves over. Sunset wasn't hit nearly as hard as Twilight, but it was hard enough on top of the strain of releasing all that energy that she definitely wasn't going to stay conscious for long.

But Sunset wasn't given the chance to pass out on her own, as it just so happened that a certain Captain Flash Sentry, likely noticing the commotion, had walked in just at the moment that Sunset had snapped. It was fairly obvious what he was thinking when he saw an apparently former criminal 'attack' the Princess, as he quickly rushed around the dazed Sunset before striking her at the back of the head, knocking her out cold.

Within minutes Flash had roused the rest of the Guards to get Twilight medical attention as quickly as possible, as well as bring the unconscious Sunset into custody. It wasn't long before the entirety of Ponyville was aware of what had happened, and Twilight was swiftly transported to Canterlot, accompanied by her devastated friends.

Twilight was now receiving treatment at a secure wing at the Canterlot Hospital, while Sunset was lying unconscious in a cell within the castle, a trial with Celestia awaiting her.

Discord had done little more than watch the situation in secret, a habit that tended to be picked up by near god like being such as him. He had considered telling everyone the truth, but that would inevitably involve mentioning Sunset and Twilight's relationship, something that Twilight had seemed content to keep a secret. And even then, there was the matter of trust. Twilight's friends would probably trust him, but as far as Celestia and the rest of Equestria were concerned, he was still a mischievous and unpredictable spirit who had betrayed them to Tirek only a few months ago. What a coincidence it would be for him to suddenly stick up for a fellow 'reformed' enemy of Equestria. He'd likely be accused of conspiring with Sunset against the Princesses.

And all that aside, proving Sunset's innocence could be dealt with later. A much more pressing matter was at hand...

Discord was currently in a quiet part of the Sweet Apple Acres orchard, which was secluded enough for him to do some serious thinking, something he rarely ever found himself doing. Pacing around in circles, he thought about Twilight's condition and what could be done about it.

It didn't matter how much medical attention Twilight was receiving at the moment. No mortal force in the world, scientific or magical, would save her. The damage done to her body was far too extensive. The only thing keeping her soul bound to the living realm was her alicorn magic, but even that would inevitably wear out. There was only one thing Discord could think of that would save her, and he had spent the whole previous night and morning contemplating it.

His power to bend reality to his will could do many things, and some would say that what he could do was limited only by his imagination. This wasn't entirely true. While he could change things around him into whatever his mind concocted, that was all he mainly did. Change. He could change anything, but creation and destructive were a very different matter.

While his usual antics appeared to create and destroy matter on a whim, from the perspective of chaos itself this was still just him reshaping reality. True creation and destruction, that of life, energy, and the mind, were beyond his power. Or rather, it was beyond his power if he wasn't willing to go through the cost and effort.

His chaos magic could be used as a tool for destruction, such as being used to kill someone, but it wasn't directly responsible for it. Similarly, while his magic could warp a persons mind into various states of reversible madness, permanent damage such as trauma or dementia wasn't directly possible and would require significant... creative efforts.

And creation was a whole other ball game entirely.

Similar to the average pony, he was filled with magical energy, only on an abundantly larger scale. And like the average pony, this magic would drain him were it depleted too much, but restore itself over time, much like natural body energy. However, while this energy served as the source of his chaos powers, it was never truly depleted due to the magic simply being used to just change the state of reality, before it ultimately returned to his body. A sort of magical recycling. But as a certain Alphonse Elric once put it, to obtain, something of equal value must be lost. In the case of restoring mental disorders, or on a larger scale, life itself, this cost was his own energy.

Raising the dead was an act no mortal being would dare attempt for the toll it would take on them. It would almost certainly kill them in the process, and success was essentially impossible. And while Discord was no mortal, the consequences were almost as dire. If he survived, he would at the very least be reduced to an extremely vulnerable state. And while Twilight wasn't exactly dead yet, she was close enough to death for just as much energy to have to be sacrificed in order to restore her.

There were many beings in the world that were just as powerful as Discord. Beings that would definitely be able to sense the shift in power, and use the opportunity to take one of their most prominent threats out of the picture.

And that was where Discord was frustratingly conflicted. Twilight was his friend, something he had very few of. Though she probably didn't realize it, she was his closest friend aside from Fluttershy, and someone he held very dear. And as his friend, he was willing to do almost anything to keep her safe.

But was he really willing to give up his own life for her?

The thought of himself facing death was something that had always seemed like a mere fantasy to him. He was the Spirit of Chaos, a being even great Alicorn's like Celestia and Luna couldn't hope to lay a scratch on. His most prominent threat had been the Elements of Harmony, which could only imprison him in stone. It wasn't until he had been betrayed and depowered by Tirek that he considered death as an actual possibility.

And the thought of an end to his days in this world, and the unknown fate that awaited his soul, it scared him just as it would anyone. Actually, as a relatively new concept to him, it scared him even more.

But this was Twilight. Not only was she his dear friend, but she had done so much for Equestria. She had been an instrumental piece in saving the land from countless threats, and was responsible for helping so many. That wasn't even including all of her friends and family, who would be distraught if she passed. Discord hadn't been responsible for much more than trying to conquer Equestria and betraying it after they had shown him kindness. How could his life have anywhere near the worth of Twilight's?

But he had turned himself around. He now had his own friends who would miss him if he died. And after all he had done to Equestria, he couldn't pass away before he could atone for his sins. Twilight had already done enough to have lived a satisfying life. He still had so much to do before he died.

But if Twilight died, who would be able to prove Sunset's innocence?

But...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

As Discord cried out in distraught frustration, burning cracks swiftly spread out from beneath his feet, striking the bases of nearby apple trees and incinerating them.

It took a brief moment for him to regain his composure, but that didn't stop him from being astonished at his actions. In spite of his chaotic nature, he was usually in constant control of his emotions, letting out only his childish happy side most of the time while keeping the rest of his emotions locked away. Only recently had he experienced true sadness a few times since his reformation, and anger was something he never let out. At least not in recent memory.

An outburst like this was... alien to him. As was the confusion and frustration that caused it.

Thinking about and rationalizing the situation wasn't going to solve anything. It certainly hadn't helped in the past couple of hours, and it likely wasn't going to help any time soon. He had to act. Now.

Discord's mind focused on the hospital in Canterlot. He visualized the ward that Twilight was currently being treated in. It's white walls, floor, and ceiling. The metallic bed designed for both comfort and practicality, and the various machines attached to it. The clear window letting sunlight seep into the otherwise dull room and the small table with a vase of bright flowers, creating a comforting atmosphere for patients. He saw all this as it really was, all the way in Canterlot, the watchful eyes of a spirit capturing every detail.

As well as the ward itself, Discord also saw those currently in it. Twilight lay in the bed, surrounded by her closest fiends, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Spike, each in their own state of despair at the sight of their friend's suffering. It would be best for them to not be aware of his presence, so he decided to take a much less physical state than usual.

Expressing in his mind the desire to enter the Hospital, Discord's body warped into a different state of reality. A sort of space between the physical and magical plains that he quickly traveled through as he made his way across the many miles between Sweet Apple Acres and the Canterlot Hospital. But upon swiftly reaching his destination, Instead of transferring back into the physical realm as he normally would during transportation, he simply stationed himself as a watchful ethereal presence within the room, his presence unfelt by anyone in the ward.

In this state, he had a perfect view of Twilight Sparkle. And it was anything but an appealing sight.

Her devastated body was covered in various pipes and wires connecting from her to the surrounding machines, monitoring her condition and filling her with various fluids in a desperate attempt to save her life. But one look at Twilight could tell anyone that these efforts were futile. Her Lavender fur had severely darkened from her burns, a large portion of it now completely black. The exposed skin that her incinerated fur could no longer cover were various red shades of burnt skin and exposed flesh, along with black charred crust. Beneath the visible layers, he Discord could also sense that most of her organs had been ruptured or crushed. Her face, slightly obscured by an oxygen mask, may have looked asleep in her unconscious state, but behind her closed eyes, Discord could see a deep despair. Whether it was from her physical suffering, her losing Sunset, or both, he couldn't tell.

"How much longer due we have to wait?" Rainbow Dash asked, her voice shaky with frustration and fear.

"The Doctor said that they really aren't sure when she might wake up." Rarity answered, her voice similarly broken, but with a greater hint of depression and sadness in comparison to that of the pegasus. "They can't even be certain if... if she'll even wake up at all..."

Spike whimpered as he sat on a chair next to the bed, his red eyes indicating that he had been doing a lot of crying. Applejack stood next to him, rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him. Though she was the most composed of the group, the way she wore her hat so low hinted that she was trying to hide her own desperate concern for the Alicorn.

Pinkie Pie frantically paced around in a circle, her mane drooping much lower and looking much darker than usual. Her facial expression shifted constantly, as if her emotions were battling over whether she should cry for her friend or try to encourage hope.

Fluttershy simply stared at Twilight with wide eyes that showed little emotion. It was clear that she was struggling with her own thoughts and emotions like Pinkie Pie, but it was a lot harder to figure out behind her almost blank expression.

The sight of his friends in such states of distraught saddened him, but he imagined that his feelings were nothing compared to how they must have been feeling about Twilight themselves.

"Aaaaaah!" Rainbow Dash roared in anger as she kicked the wall behind her. "I can't believe we ever trusted that bitch!"

Pinkie Pie stopped her pacing and looked at Rainbow Dash with disbelief. "Dashie, you can't really think that Sunset was really responsible for this?"

"Don't be stupid Pinkie!" Rainbow shouted at her. "Flash saw her attack Twilight! Who else could have done it?!"

"It has to have been a misunderstanding. Sunset would never do that!"

"What do you know about her?! What did any of us know about her?! Oh yeah, we know that she once tried to kill Twilight! And now she's tried to do it again, and you know what? SHE'S PROBABLY SUCCEEDED!"

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity cried in disbelief.

At the sound of Rainbow Dash's declaration of Twilight's imminent death, Spike curled up into a ball and began sobbing into his crossed arms. Applejack continued trying to comfort him as she looked up at Rainbow.

"Rainbow Dash, please..." The Farmer said with a calm tone. "We can't be certain that Twilight's going to die. She's receiving the best support Equestria can offer."

"Are you idiots BLIND?!" Rainbow Dash screamed, her eyes tearing up. "Look at her! If she ever wakes up from this, how can we expect her to live that much longer with what's happened to her body!"

"Rainbow Dash, think about what you're saying!" Rarity yelled at the Pegasus, her own eyes welling up.

"What I'm saying is the truth! And ignoring it isn't going to miraculously stop her from dying!"

"We can't just give up on her Dash..." Pinkie pleaded. "We've always managed to make it through impossible odds through miracles, there's no reason for us to lose hope now."

Rainbow Dash glared at Pinkie with disdain. "You're stupid idea's aren't helping anyone, Pinkie. Why don't you just go and take your ignorance out of here..."

"If any here needs to leave, it's you!" Rarity shouted. "The last thing we need right now is someone berating others for caring!"

"Don't you dare imply that I don't care!" Rainbow snapped back.

"EVERYONE, SHUT UP!"

Silence hit the room as everyone turned their heads towards Fluttershy, who stared back at them with red eyes full of sadness and anger.

"We're all distressed about what's going to happen to her..." Fluttershy told them all in her usual quiet voice, but with a much more commanding and emotional tone than was normal. "But we can't afford to start breaking down and fighting like a bunch of foals. That's not what she would want."

Her words seeping into everyone within the room, they all began to hang their heads low, silently expressing their shame in losing their composure with each other.

Rainbow Dash looked like she felt the most ashamed. "I'm sorry Fluttershy. You're right. I'm just... scared..."

Fluttershy's expression softened, her more hostile demeanor reverting into a more worried demeanor as she turned to face Twilight again. "I know. We all are."

The way that Fluttershy was acting was baffling to Discord. It was completely unlike her to take control of a situation like that, and he couldn't help feeling a little bit of pride for her. But such a change in someone's normal behavior usually meant that they had been intensely shaken up, and the anguish in her voice as she released her outburst indicated that she had been shaken up severely.

This situation clearly wasn't healthy for her, or any of them for that matter, and it would only get worse when Twilight finally passed. And it was coming. Fast. He focused on the presence of the magic originating from her soul, which was losing stability and leaking from her body as it lost the ability to remain within it. He estimated that she only had an hour or two at most. A few minutes at worst.

That was when he suddenly felt much greater waves of magic being emitted from her body. Some factor had suddenly changed. Either an important part of her body had succumbed to her injuries, or the soul had just given up on trying to live. Whatever it was, it was causing her life to start breaking down fast.

On the physical plain, the signs of this sudden disturbance were in the heart monitor attached to her. The readings started spiking immensely at a greater pace, a loud and haunting rhythmic beeping noise accompanying it.

Spike lifted his head from his arms and stared at the Alicorn with tearful fearing eyes. "Twilight..."

"We need a doctor in here NOW!" Applejack quickly commanded.

Fluttershy swiftly turned to the other Pegasus. "Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow Dash took a moment to take the order in on top of taking in Twilight's sudden change of status to critical.

"Right!" She responded as she turned around and burst threw the door before taking off and shooting down the corridor.

If Discord was in his physical form, his eyes would have widened with horror. He realized that Twilight didn't have anywhere near the amount of time that he initially assumed. At best, she had a minute.

"Darling, stay with us." Rarity desperately told the dying Princess. "We're getting help."

Pinkie's body shook while her face consistently twitched as she struggled to remain optimistic in this dire situation. Spike's claws fearfully gripped the blanket covering Twilight while his tears streamed down his body. Applejack continued trying to physically comfort him while staring at the heart monitor with the same fear.

Discord himself gave the monitor almost all of his attention, and caught every detail of the line going flat as the rhythmic beeping became a single continuous noise that broke the hearts of anyone who heard it with it's message.

Twilight Sparkle was dead.

"TWILIGHT!" Spike cried as he shook her body. "TWILIGHT, PLEASE..."

Pinkie Pie dropped to the floor as her fur darkened and her mane deflated completely. Rarity fell beside her and embraced her as she began breaking down herself.

Applejack, her hoof still on Spike, lowered her head so that her hat would obscure her face, but it did nothing to hide the tears leaking from the shadows.

Fluttershy gazed at her dead friend with an expression of disbelief that slowly twisted into pure unfiltered rage.

"I swear..." The Pegasus whispered in a shaky but venomous voice. "If I ever find her..."

The scene before him allowed Discord to fully understand what consequences Twilight's death would have on the world. Fluttershy's subtle declaration of her desire for revenge against Sunset was all he needed to imagine how this was going to affect her as a pony. Though the others didn't show it as much, he could see that their futures were going to be similarly filled with a lot of pain. This was especially true for Spike, who had essentially just lost his family. And he could only imagine how Rainbow Dash was going to react once she found out.

He thought of Sunset, and how no matter how much he could try pleading her innocence, the grief brought on by Twilight's death would cause those close to her to seek something to blame, which included Celestia, the one who would ultimately decide her fate.

He couldn't just watch anymore. It was time to act.

Shifting his presence into the physical plain of reality, Discord's body materialized within the ward in a brief flash of bright white light. Due to his quite literally flashy entrance, he quickly garnered the attention of the grieving ponies and dragon.

"Discord?" Fluttershy said in confusion through her broken voice. "What are you..."

"I'm doing what I should have done the moment this happened." Discord answered her.

He approached Twilight's body. Though her life force had left it, it hadn't exactly disappeared. He just had to pull the magic back in and use his own life force to fill in the blanks and stitch it back together. Though it may sooner or later result in his own death, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't take the chance. It was what a friend was supposed to do.

His right paw stretched out and touched Twilight's forehead. Everyone else in the room looked at him, a look of sadness, confusion, and a glimmer of hope on all of their faces. It was his last chance to turn back.

But as he looked down upon Twilight's face, despite how lifeless it was, he could still see the pain behind her closed eyes. This wasn't how she was meant to die.

"Your time hasn't come yet, Twilight Sparkle." He told her softly. "I beckon you to return."

Closing his eyes, Discord focused on channeling his magical energy into her. He immediately felt his body draining as the point where his paw touched Twilight's head began to glow white. As he felt his own energy transferring into her, he could also sense the invisible traces of Twilight's own life being pulled from the surrounding magical space back into her body.

The four Ponies and Dragon present in the ward watched in awe as the light spread across Twilight's body, obscuring her completely in a bright white glow.

Discord's instincts told him to stop as he felt the strain building up on his body and soul. An almost painful weakness spread through him as he continued to lose his power. The effort to remain conscious even became a struggle, but he couldn't let himself stop. He was so close to saving her.

Giving it one last push, he felt the last of the necessary energy leave his body and enter the Alicorn. He felt a light feeling in his head as he removed his paw from Twilight's, and he felt himself fall to the ground.

But the ground never came. Instead, he felt himself being caught midway through his fall. Looking to each of his sides, he realized he was being held up by Fluttershy and Rarity on each of his sides.

His body was filled with a sensation he hadn't felt since Tirek stole his power months before. He felt tired, weak...

Mortal.

The white light from Twilight's bed faded, revealing the Princess lying in it as she had been before, but with the key difference of all her injuries being gone, as if they never happened at all. Her burns had vanished, the exposed flesh sealed behind her restored patches of skin. Her fur had returned to it's saturated lavender colour. Her Mane had even grown back as well as recovered from the singeing. In fact, it was actually noticeably longer than it had been before.

And when Discord saw the Alicorn gasp for breath as her eyes flung open, the indescribable joy he felt in his heart told him that the consequences he felt were more than worth it.

After staring at Twilight in complete bewilderment for a few brief seconds the others all leapt onto the Princess with tearful embraces. Unfortunately, this also included the two who were supporting him. And while his slumping to the ground was quite uncomfortable for him, he completely understood that seeing your close friend get resurrected would probably make you forget about anything else.

"TWILIGHT!" Spike cried, tears of joy replacing his old tears. "I... we thought..."

"We thought we lost you darling." Rarity finished for him, as she wiped her own tears away.

Unsurprisingly, Twilight looked extremely confused at the all the affection she was suddenly receiving after just coming to. Feeling her probably dazed head, she removed the oxygen mask and stared at it in confusion.

"Wha..." She mumbled as her brain kick started. "What happened?"

"Twilight..." Said Fluttershy, who had started crying herself. "This may sound... completely insane, but..."

"TWILIGHT!"

Discord felt a gust of forceful wind hit him as Rainbow Dash flew into the room and joined in on the great collective hug currently crushing the newly resurrected Alicorn. Looking back at the door, Discord saw that a Doctor and Two nurses were standing at the doorway.

"Impossible..." The Doctor said with a baffled expression. "Last I checked she was in critical condition, and that was just a few minutes ago..."

Upon simultaneously realizing that Twilight was squealing uncomfortably underneath the mass of Ponies collectively embracing her, they all backed off to give her some room to breath.

"Could someone... please explain to me what's going on?" Twilight asked through her heavy breathing. "Where am I? What..."

"YOU DIED!" Pinkie interrupted her with a yell, her mood having quickly shifted to her usual cheerful self in true Pinkie Pie fashion. "You were dead but then Discord touched you with his glowing paw hand thing and then you weren't dead but you were fully alive instead of being undead like a Zombie which is great because if you were a Zombie then we would have to kill you to prevent the Equestria Zombie apocalypse which would really suck because you already died so that would be your second death and your first death was bad enough so I can't even imagine how depressing it would be to experience both of your deaths but that doesn't matter cause' YOU'RE ALIVE! AND YOU'RE NOT A ZOMBIE!"

Twilight spent a few seconds staring at Pinkie while somehow looking even more confused than she was before.

"Um... could you run that by me again?" She asked as politely as her dazed mind could.

Rainbow Dash looked similarly confused. "Yeah, I kinda lost it at the part where you said she died, which I'm pretty sure I misheard because normally people don't get told that they died. For obvious reasons."

Pinkie looked like she was preparing to tell the whole story again, but instead found her mouth blocked by Applejack's hoof.

"What Pinkie Pie was trying to tell you was... as hard as it is to believe... you actually died." The farmer explained to Twilight. "That is before Discord..."

As Applejack reached the limit of how much she understood of the situation, she turned her head to the Draconequus, everyone else doing the same as they began to fully comprehend what he had just done.

"How... did you you do that?" Rarity asked. "Bringing someone back... that shouldn't be possible."

"Damn straight it shouldn't be possible!" The Doctor exclaimed as he approached Discord. "Why was I not informed that someone could apparently raise the dead! And return them to peak physical condition in the process! Do you have any idea how easy that would make my job?"

Discord groaned as he rubbed his head in response to a quickly growing headache. "Sorry, but I'm afraid this is just a one off. The strain this puts on me makes doing this on a regular basis basically impossible. Trying this even once within the next few years would probably kill me in the process."

"You mean... you risked your own life to do this?" Fluttershy asked.

"Of course I did. I may not have the most glamorous track record when it comes to deeds good and bad, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to sacrifice myself for my friends."

"That's... really something I didn't expect from you." Rainbow Dash admitted. "But we can't thank you enough. You have no idea how much this means to us."

"Do you think I would have done this if I didn't know how much it meant to you all?" Discord responded. "I did say I was willing to sacrifice myself for my friends. As in plural. Don't think that I didn't consider you all when I did this."

"Regardless, Dash's point still stands." Applejack told him. "Thank you."

Before Discord could tell them that he appreciated the gesture, the Doctor put himself between him and the others, a look of interested curiosity on his face.

"You're certain you wouldn't be able to do this again? This could be a major breakthrough in magical medical care." He explained.

Discord found the Doctor's intrusiveness quite aggravating, not helped by the pain he was feeling from his previous action. The Doctor crept backwards fearfully in the face of Discord's annoyed glare.

"I already told you, it's a one off." The Draconequus growled. "Now, while I appreciate the treatment you've given my friend before I revived her, I'd prefer it if you didn't pester me after I just drained myself of the majority of my life energy. Now please get out of my face before I mess up yours, Bill Cipher style."

"OF COURSE!" He squeaked in fearful response before running towards the door. "Come Nurses, we have other patients to treat. The normal way. Without resurrecting them. Resurrection is unnatural anyway. We don't wasn't any of that witchcraft in our Hospital am I right?"

The two nurses chased after the fleeing Doctor, leaving Discord and his friends in peace.

"So..." Twilight began. "How exactly did I... die?"

It was evidently something she found strange to say.

"You mean you can't remember?" Spike asked.

"No..." Twilight's eyes squinted as she looked like she was struggling to remember. "I last remember... me... and... Sunset..."

Her eyes widened.

"SUNSET!" She cried as the memories came flooding back to her. "WHERE IS SHE?!"

Author's Notes:

Fun fact: I was originally going to continue this chapter by having Discord explain the situation to Twilight before teleporting her to the Canterlot Castle and blacking out as he watched Twilight fly away to save Sunset. But, I figured this made for a niftier cliffhanger, and I've honestly lost count of how many Blackout cliffhangers I've already used.

Once again, I apologize for this chapter being so late. On top of this being generally hard to write because of the new character perspective I've also started working permanently at my family's pub, which will likely unfortunately affect my writing schedule in the future.

Despite me thinking of this chapter like a year ago, I never realized before I actually started writing it that I would basically have to make up my own rules of how magic works as well as Discord's in particular. It's basically resulted in me bullshitting my way through this chapter. But as I once said in some random comment "The world is full of Deus Ex Machina's ripe for pulling out of your ass" (That's right ladies, I'm a writer, artist and genius philosopher).

As always, please comment and critique so I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Also new profile pic. Yay.

Endgame-Sunset Shimmer

The first thing Sunset comprehended as she began to awake was her body's state of complete discomfort. She not only felt weak and sickly inside and out, but at the same time she could also feel the touch of cold air biting at her. Meanwhile, the bed she could feel herself lying in was not helping with her discomfort at all, if anything it was adding to it. The blanket and pillow, while pretty soft, were far from being thick enough to protect her against the cold or prevent her back and neck from stiffening. The mattress was also uncomfortably thin, allowing her whole body to suffer a similar painful stiffness.

Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at a light grey wall in front of her, which was all she could see in her position. As she moved around to get a better look at her location, she felt aching waves of pain pass through her body, roughly informing her that something unpleasant had happened to her.

Taking a look at the rest of the room she was in, she noted the bed she was lying in, a desk, a chair tucked under said desk, and strangely, what looked like a toilet and sink. This was all contained within a small square room that had a light grey colour in its walls, floor, and ceiling, which had a single light attached to it.

However, what stood out most to Sunset was the fact that there was no fourth wall to complete the other three. Instead, the space in front of her was blocked by a set of metal bars, a barred door built within them. Taking everything she saw in as she fully regained consciousness, Sunset quickly realized that she had in fact just woken up in a jail cell.

And not just any jail cell, she realized. It had been a while since she had seen it, but she recognized that she was in the dungeon beneath the Castle in Canterlot, one of the many places she had become familiar with through her explorations of the Castle when she was Celestia's Student.

But answering the question of where she was only brought up why she was there in the first place. What could she have done to have ended up in here? Was it connected to how her body currently felt?

She looked back into her memory as she tried to recall the last thing she could remember...

And felt a jolt run through her chest as she was hit with the memories of what she had done. Images of Twilight burning up in a green inferno flashed in her mind as the screams echoed in her head.

Suddenly, the pain she felt in her body seemed to vanish. As a matter of fact, the world around her seemed to vanish. The only thing that existed was herself, and her mind, which she had locked herself in.

'This isn't right...' She thought to herself as her eyes welled up. 'I was trying to protect her. How could I have done this? This was exactly what I was trying to stop.'

'Maybe you weren't meant to stop.' The other voice hissed in her head. 'After all, you seemed pretty content with letting her go. What's the difference in shooting her in the face in the process?'

'Stopping that from happening was the reason I wanted to leave her in the first place! I wanted to keep her safe! But instead I let my emotions get the better of me! Now she's been hurt, or... worse...'

'Oh she's definitely dead. We released a lot of energy in that blast. Enough for it to hurt every time you move. There's no way anyone, Alicorn or not, could survive that.'

'NO! That can't be true! I couldn't... THIS IS YOUR FAULT!'

'My fault? You're the one who insisted on choosing your human family over her. How can I be blamed if you just wanted to take her out of the picture entirely?'

She thought about the Orphanage and everyone in it. Miss Peachbottom, Sweetcream Scoops, Cactus, Salty Haze, Coppermane, Lens Flare, and all the other kids who had treated her like a sister for years. She thought about her friends at Canterlot High. Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie... even Flash. She didn't want any of them to suffer the way Twilight did.

'It doesn't matter anymore. It's best they all just forget me. It's not like I deserve them.'

That was the truth that Sunset Shimmer had accepted. She was long past the point of cutting ties with Equestria and trying to stick with her new life in the human world. In actuality, she had gone past that point a long time ago. Her fate had been sealed the second she discovered the mirror. It had turned her into a monster undeserving of the love of someone like Twilight or those she called family back in the human world. The only thing left for her was the fate Celestia would decide for her. And after what she had done to Twilight, on top of everything she had already done, she knew there wouldn't be a shred of mercy left for her.

Exactly what she deserved.

'So you're just going to give up?' The disgruntled voice said in her head. 'You're even more pathetic than I thought. It's a wonder I ever considered us the same.'

Sunset wasn't listening anymore, though she knew there was no real escape from it. That voice was going to follow her for the rest of her life. Nothing could change that, so why bother? She only cared about one thing now...

A noise that sounded like a mix between a Bang and a Clang suddenly echoed down the halls of the Dungeon, bringing Sunset out of the cave of her subconscious mind. She moved herself out of the bed, feeling an ache pulse up her legs as she hit the floor. Walking over to the border of the bars that kept her from the rest of the world, she was surprised to discover that there had been a Guard standing by her cell all this time. That actually made perfect sense when she thought about it, she was just surprised that she hadn't noticed him. What was even more surprisingly, or more accurately speaking unnerving, was that the sound from earlier had come from the entrance of the dungeon being opened, the one who opened it being another Guard who was accompanying none other than Flash Sentry.

And he did not look happy.

Sunset quickly pieced together what had happened. Royal Guards usually came in pairs, and she understood that the one accompanying Flash must have been with the other one currently at her cell before leaving once it had been noticed that she was waking up. And it wasn't exactly unexpected that Flash would want to be notified of when she was awake.

"Captain Flash Sentry!" The Guard by her cell addressed him. "The prisoner has awoken!"

"Really?" Flash said with sarcastic unamusment. "I'm sorry, I was unable to see her standing right in front of me!"

The Guard looked down in shame. "I apologise, sir."

The attitude that Flash gave the Guard was not something she was familiar with, and the way the Captain quickly looked ashamed of himself made it evident that he felt the same.

"I'm sorry, man..." He said as he put his hoof on the Guard's shoulder. "Let's just say I'm going through a lot right now. I don't mean to start giving off bad vibes to anyone."

"It's alright sir." The Guard responded professionally as he saluted. "We'll leave you alone with the prisoner."

As the two Guards linked up into a side by side formation and walked down the hall towards the entrance, Flash turned to face Sunset. As quickly as he had gone from seemingly frustrated to empathetic, he reverted back to his more malevolent attitude as he stared at her with eyes full of anger, disgust, and sadness.

"Why'd you do it?" He asked coldly as the sound of the distant door shutting indicated the Guards' leaving.

These words hurt a lot more than Sunset expected them to. Though she wasn't too keen to show it, she did care for Flash as quite possibly the first real friend she'd ever known. Hearing him speak to her with such a mix of hatred and disappointment... it felt like something akin to a kick in the stomach, and she figured her bodies' state had nothing to do with it.

"Flash, I... I didn't mean for any of this to happen..." She told him through a broken voice. "I didn't mean to hurt her..."

"Don't give me any of that crap, Sunset!" He raised his voice at her. "I saw what you did! If you think you can try manipulating me like you do with everyone else, you can forget it! I know you and your tricks well enough!"

She figured as much. Flash did indeed know her, which included the fact that she was a skilled manipulator. He undoubtedly saw her despair as little more than an act.

'Why are you even bothering to try and tell him the truth? You've already accepted yourself as a monster and what's going to happen to you. Why not just play the part. Hell, you don't even have to really play it when you can just let me take the lead.'

'I may know what I am, but that doesn't change the fact that I still care about these people. Flash deserves the truth. I owe it to him. Even if my actions overshadow anything I say.'

"Flash you need to understand, I really haven't been manipulating anyone." She explained. "Twilight and I were just... in an argument. Things got out of control."

"Out of control?!" He exclaimed in disbelief. "You lobbed a giant fireball at her! I wouldn't call that 'out of control', I'd call that a direct attempt to kill one the leaders of Equestria!"

Sunset couldn't say she didn't at least try to tell him the truth. She didn't really expect him to believe her, she just wanted the comfort of knowing that what would likely be the last thing she said to her childhood friend wasn't a lie, something she had done too much of in her life. There was only one thing that really mattered now.

"Look Flash, I know you have no reason to believe me, and frankly I don't really care." She told him. "I just need to know... how is she?"

"Princess Twilight?" He assumed. "I got a good look at her when I saw you blast her to pieces and I had to organise the Guards to get her some medical attention. Last time I saw her, she was covered in so many burns she can barely be classified as a pony anymore."

That gut kicking feeling Sunset felt evolved into a sensation as if her stomach was sucking in everything within her body when he explained this to her. Even though she knew Twilight couldn't have taken the blast very well, actually hearing the description of what happened to her was something she couldn't have prepared for, no matter how much time she was given.

"Is she... is she going to make it?" Sunset asked as she felt her composure crumble further.

"Why would you care?" Flash asked cynically. "You're the one who shot her."

"Just tell me if she's going to die!" She practically screamed at him.

Flash stared at her with a look that could only really be described as confusion. With his perspective that Sunset was just a fiendish manipulator merely faking any empathy, such a genuine breakdown would probably leave him confused.

"My honest opinion..." He began, a deep sadness in his eyes. "Even if she survives... I wouldn't give her much more than a few years. Her injuries just looked way too extensive."

And with that Sunset slumped to the ground. For a second, Flash seemed to briefly move as if to help or check on her, but stopped, possibly because he quickly suspected a deception, or just realised he couldn't do anything from behind a set of metal bars.

Sunset breathed heavily as she lay in a slumped sitting position on the prison floor. She didn't want to think about it, but she knew Twilight would likely die because of what she did if she wasn't dead already. But hearing those words physically hit her ears made her feel like she had been struck by a shower of solid bricks. Actually, she'd rather be hit by thousands of brick showers than hear those words again.

But as with all words, it wasn't the words themselves that hurt, it was the meaning behind them. In her attempt to protect the one she loved, she ended up doing the complete opposite. There was no way around it. She had killed Twilight.

"Flash..." Her cracked voice made out. "Could... you do something for me?"

She looked up at the Pegasus, who looked back at her in complete confusion. He did indeed know her and the vile manipulator she could be, and this wasn't it at all. The unicorn before him was a broken mess, her eyes as red as her hair with tears pouring from them like a stream, and her broken voice shaking as much as her own body. This clear contrast between the attack he saw on the Princess and the genuine despair he saw in his old friend clearly made no sense to him.

"Um... sure..." He responded to her.

"If... if you get to talk to Twilight. If she... isn't dead yet..." Sunset choked up. "Tell her... tell her I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I did to her. That it... was my fault that... her life was cut so short. Tell her I'm sorry... that I stole her crown. That she followed me back to the human world. That she convinced me to be her friend. Tell her... I'm sorry that I got to know her. We... we never should have met..."

Sunset found that her clenching throat couldn't speak anymore. At this point, she wasn't just saying these words to Flash so he could pass on the message. She was saying them to her beloved Twilight, even if she couldn't hear them. And she was saying them to herself. A final assurance that her entire relationship with Twilight was the greatest mistake of her life. One of many mistakes and sins that she was finally willing to be punished for.

She let out the last of her sobs as Flash watched from the other side of the bars, completely baffled at what he was seeing, but completely sorry at the same time.

"Sunset... I... what happened?" Flash asked in confusion. "If you really cared about her, why did you attack her? How did you attack her? Just... what happened?!"

Sunset turned her back to Flash and leant against the bars as she spent a moment regaining her composure as best as she could.

"It... doesn't matter how it happened." She sniffed. "What matters is that it did happen. And no one can forgive me for that. Not Celestia. Not myself. Not even Twilight..."

"But Sunset, you shouldn't be punished for this if you didn't mean to do it." Flash tried to convince her. "If Twilight manages to make it through for now she'll forgive you. That's the kind of person she is. And maybe she can convince everyone else to forgive you as well. Heck, maybe we can find a way to save her! We can put this all behind us!"

"I don't want to put this all behind me!" Sunset exclaimed. "I've done too much in my life to be able to forgive myself. If I can't take responsibility for what I've done what worth do I have?"

"You have the worth of being my friend."

Sunset froze for a second upon hearing his proclamation. It came completely out of nowhere, but for some reason, it actually gave her some comfort within her world of sadness. Maybe it was just the satisfaction of hearing Flash finally come over to her side. She couldn't even understand why she wanted it. Did she want to have one last thing go her way as it seemingly always used to? Did she want Flash to trust her enough so that he could pass on her last message to Twilight? Did she just want to tie up loose ends with her childhood friend? Whatever it was, it didn't matter to her anymore.

"Thank you, Flash. I don't know why, but... I needed that." She told him with grateful sadness. "Now get out."

Though her tone was quite soft, Flash was taken aback by the sudden harshness of her statement.

"What?"

"I said get out." Sunset repeated. "Leave. You're better off without me... and so is everyone else."

"But..."

"JUST GO!"

Once the echo of her suddenly raised voice faded, there was a moment of silence between the two before Sunset heard Flash walk down the hall of cells towards the exit.

"Goodbye Sunset."

Despite the fact that she wanted him to leave, Sunset felt something inside her empty as she heard the sound of the door shutting. It seemed that even if she wanted it, she couldn't resist the sadness that came with being alone.

Although, alone wasn't exactly accurate.

'Are you sure you want to go through with this? Celestia may not exactly be the ruthless type, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have it in her. There's a good chance she's going to have you killed for this.'

'Is that sympathy I hear? I didn't expect that to come from you.'

'Hey, looking out for you is the same thing as looking out for me.' The other Sunset corrected her. 'But I'm serious. Do you really think you're ready to die?'

Sunset leant her head back against the bars as she closed and let out the last of her tears.

'I really don't care. This world, and the human world... they'll be better places without us... no offence.'

For once her head was truly silent for a moment.

'None taken.'

***

Once word got to Celestia that Sunset was awake, the unicorn's trail was quickly arranged. It was clearly too organised for Celestia to have organised it in just a day though. Sunset figured that Celestia began arrangements as soon as she heard what she had done. Hell, judging by how she had been viewing Sunset before, it was completely possible that she had plans for this for quite a while in case Sunset tried anything that threatened Equestria.

Now, Canterlot didn't normally have trails, and thus didn't have a courtroom. Due to its importance and high security, crime was basically nonexistent, and the cities only threats were usually things on the scale of invasions or attacks by super-powered beings, which obviously normal law couldn't be dealt with. Because of this, Sunset's trial was to be held in the Royal Throne room. The perfect place to demonstrate the power of Equestria's ruler and what she does to those her threaten Equestria or it's people.

The shackles on Sunset's hooves rattled as a whole squad of six Royal Guards, each magically lifting a deadly lance, escorted her to through the halls of the Castle to the Throne room. A single thick metallic ring had been placed on Sunset's horn in order to inhibit her magic, as obscuring a unicorn's horn was surprisingly effective at disturbing the flow of magical energy and disabling magic entirely. It was also possible that the ring had been enchanted to further neutralise her magic. Since from their perspective they were putting a psychotic potential murderer in a room with their leader, it was likely that they would take these measures.

When Sunset finally made it to the throne room she got a good look at the crowd that Celestia had assembled for the event. Behind the protection of temporary metal fences and Royal Guards stood the Nobility of Canterlot on the left and the common folk of Equestria on the right, a lot of them muttering quietly to each other. It was a lot more than Sunset had expected, and it told her that Celestia felt some guilt herself for what had happened to Twilight. She had grown too passive, maybe even too soft. Now she would show as many Ponies as possible that she wasn't as incompetent as some would call her, and that you do not get away with an act of violence against Equestria.

And upon the thrown at the end of the great hall sat Celestia herself, ready to pass judgement. Sunset looked up at her from the other end of the room, and the Alicorn looked back. Though Celestia's face and posture were calm, composed, and commanding, behind the facade she stared at Sunset with pure hatred, disgust, and disappointment.

Sunset averted her gaze from her former mentor, the shame she felt rivaled only by her guilt. Celestia had no reason to hold any empathy towards her. Not after everything Sunset had doen, and after seemingly stabbing her in the back when they had finally begun rebuilding their relationship.

All eyes in the room were on her, except those of the Guards surrounding her. The Ponies to her right stared at her with varying faces. Hate. Fear. Controlled curiosity. To her right the faces of the Aristocrats of Canterlot looked at her with similar emotions, except she also saw the belief that she was mere scum beneath their hooves that she had grown too familiar with during her time living in Canterlot. It wasn't on all of them, but it was there. The feeling of superiority and arrogance that made them dismiss anything they didn't believe in. The thing that scared Twilight so much when she entered her relationship with Sunset. It was one of the reasons Sunset felt she couldn't continue that relationship. One of the reasons she was here.

And now it was watching her like some comedic sporting event. It made her feel sick.

But she knew they weren't nearly as sick as herself.

Of all the faces watching her, the only one showing any sympathy for her was Flash Sentry. He stood by the left side of Celestia's throne, evidently taking part in the trial because he was pretty much the only known witness to the assault, and probably to serve as a commanding figure amongst the Guards at the same time. He appeared to be as composed as the Princess herself, but like the Princess, this was merely a mask hiding the face of his true feelings. And as the only one who had any idea of what really had happened, he felt sorry for Sunset, as the Unicorn could see. But as Sunset had asked, he appeared to hide this and not act on it. She felt grateful, but couldn't help feeling a little sad at the same time.

Once Sunset was brought within approximately ten metres of the Princess, the Guards all halted their march, turned to face Sunset, and pointed their lances at her, creating a ring of deadly confinement to make sure she was kept in check. With a raise of Celestia's right hoof, all chatter died down, leaving the hall in complete silence.

The time for judgment had come.

"Sunset Shimmer, you stand accused of the violent assault and attempted murder of one of the four Princesses of Equestria." Celestia spoke with a commanding tone. "How do you plead?"

Unexpectedly, Sunset suddenly found speaking to be quite difficult. Was it the pressure of being faced with the person she had let down more than anyone else? The discomfort of being accusingly watched by so many? Perhaps it was just the weakness she felt from her drained body and her consuming despair. Whatever it was, it made it a struggle for her to admit what she had done.

"Guilty..." She confessed. "What do you expect?"

The crowds quickly broke into chatter when they heard this. Now Sunset wasn't too familiar with how courts worked, but she was pretty sure Judges usually stopped things like this. However, Celestia ceased to attempt to stop the talking, and Sunset wondered if she was deliberately letting them feed each other's fear and hatred of herself, so that whatever judgment was passed to Sunset would seem like a major act of justice, giving Ponies more faith in the Monarchy.

Eventually, Celestia did once again silence the Ponies with a raise of her hoof.

"Captain Flash Sentry." She said, gesturing towards the Pegasus. "You are currently the only known witness to the attack. If you would, could you please recount your memories of the event."

Flash Sentry stepped forward, his eyes quickly locking with Sunset's. He seemed to be silently asking her what to do, as he clearly didn't want to do this. She hoped that her own eyes told him not to care about her.

Flash cleared his throat and stood up straight before speaking. "At approximately 12:00am Yesterday morning I was checking on on the morning patrols in Princess Twilight's Castle when I heard voices coming from the Library. They sounded like Princess Twilight and Sunset Shimmer, and they appeared to be shouting. I rushed over to see what was going on, and just as I located the two I saw Sunset Shimmer fire an extremely powerful looking energy blast at the Princess. I quickly reacted by knocking out Sunset Shimmer and checking on the Princess, who's body was badly burnt and mildly torn apart by the energy blast. After assembling the Royal Guards, we quickly gave the Princess medical attention before sending her to Canterlot to receive proper treatment. We are currently unsure about what's going to happen to her."

Sunset felt once again like she was being almost literally crushed by her own self-loathing and sorrow for Twilight as she once again heard what she did in more detail. It wasn't helped by the groups of Ponies looking at her with disdain as they heard these details themselves. While she couldn't make out what any one of them was saying over the many talking voices, she could easily pick up the disgust in all of them.

"Thank you, Captain." Celestia silenced the crowd with her voice. "Your help in apprehending the convict, treating the Princess, and assisting in this case are greatly appreciated."

Flash bowed to the Alicorn, before returning to his original position.

"Sunset Shimmer." Sunset froze up a bit as Celestia looked directly at her again. "Would you care to explain your actions?"

Sunset had no idea what to say. She couldn't say the whole truth, revealing her and Twilight's relationship to all these Ponies watching. Keeping the secret was one of the reasons this had happened, and she couldn't let it be in vain. So was simply lying the right option? The last great manipulation of Sunset Shimmer? No. She had no right lying to Celestia after what she had already done. And was it even possible to lie to someone who had over a millennia of knowledge and experience?

It seemed that half-truths were the only option for her.

"The... shouting between Princess Twilight and I... was an argument, as you might have assumed." Sunset told everyone in the throne room. "I... decided that I wanted nothing more to do with her or Equestria. I realised that in my attempt to befriend the Princess and reconnect with my homeland... I found nothing. I just wanted to spend the rest of my life in the Human world, and put Equestria behind me..."

At this point, she felt like she wasn't telling a convincing enough story to explain her actions. It seemed she would have to use her manipulating skills after all. She looked up at Celestia, converting the intense emotions she felt into a facade of bitter hatred that she transferred through her eyes and voice.

"But Twilight didn't like this. She apparently didn't like the idea of one of her little friendship projects ending in failure. She agitated me. I retaliated. A simple natural response."

Sunset hoped that was convincing enough. And the chaotic outcry coming from the crowds of Ponies told her it was. For the first time, Celestia had to forcefully act to make them stop.

"SILENCE!" Her shout echoed across the throne room, successfully putting an end to all talking. "Sunset Shimmer, you mean to say that you assaulted and almost killed a member of the Equestrian monarchy over a mere disagreement?"

While Sunset could hear the slightest hint of anger in Celestia's otherwise controlled voice, it was nothing compared to the fury she saw in the eyes of the Alicorn. Sunset's sight switched to the floor, as she was once again unable to look her teacher in the eye.

"Of course. I'm a monster aren't I?" Sunset quietly declared with conviction. "Hurting people is just what monsters do. It wouldn't be the first time a tried to kill Twilight. Like I said, I tried the friendship approach. I hated it. And I destroy what I hate. All I do is destroy..."

The hall was silenced yet again, but this time, Celestia had little to do with it. Every pony in the room was simply staring at Sunset in horror. Just as they should.

'All I do is destroy...' Sunset thought to herself, hoping no one noticed the thin tears she felt leaking from her eyes.

"Sunset Shimmer..." Celestia began, finally breaking the silence. "I knew you were ambitious. I knew you were dangerous. But at the very least I thought you were sane!"

"WELL THINK AGAIN!" Sunset cried as she threw her head up to face Celestia once again, this time with no intention of looking away. Her movement and loud voice was so sudden that several Ponies in the crowds nervously moved further away from her while the Guards standing by them moved into action positions and the Guards surrounding her moved their lances into a closer distance from her. This was Sunset Shimmer's final push. She was going to make it count.

"Here I am Celestia! The real Sunset Shimmer! The monster who wants nothing more than to have everything she wants and destroy everything she doesn't! I'm a threat to Equestria, aren't I? Then banish me! Imprison me! Execute me! If you hate me so much, JUST GET RID OF ME!"

Everyone looked at her like they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Sunset herself could hardly believe what she had just said. She knew that she was putting all her emotions into trying to convince everyone she was a monster, but she hadn't meant to declare her own loss of self-worth like that. And in hearing herself declare it so passionately...

'Is this really what's best for me? For everyone?' She began to question herself. 'Is this... what Twilight would want for me?'

She looked at Celestia, who seemed almost as shocked as everyone else at Sunset's possibly suicidal behaviour. The Princess looked at her with the same anger that had been there before. The same shame. The same disappointment. But there was something else there as well. A sadness existed in her eyes. A sadness that had undoubtedly come from seeing someone she cared about so much, someone she had so much pride in, reduced to such a low, despicable creature.

"Very well..." Celestia eventually spoke, doing her best to hide her many emotions. "If it's judgment you want, then you can have it. Sunset Shimmer, for the attempted murder of a Princess of Equestria, for the attempt to conquer Equestria with an army of slaves, for the countless crimes you have committed in your life, I, Princess Celestia, sentence you to..."

"STOP!"

Everything did stop. The Aristocrats, the Guards, the Common Ponies, and even Celestia all halted what they were doing, whether it was talking or watching Sunset, and turned to face the source of the sudden shout, eyes wide with disbelief. But Sunset barely noticed this, as she felt that the only thing that had really stopped was her heart as she comprehended the sound of that familiar voice.

She turned to face the direction that everyone else was looking in.

"Twilight..."

At the end of the throne room the doors had been flung open, and under the threshold stood Twilight Sparkle, somehow completely okay and free of any injury, despite what Flash had told her and what she had seen herself. The sight was so unbelievable, Sunset instantly questioned if it was real. It couldn't be...

Twilight's vision fixed itself on Sunset before she dashed towards the Unicorn. Everyone in the hall was so shocked at the younger Princess's sudden appearance that they could only watch as she ran past the Guards in front of Sunset and flung herself at her, wrapping her hooves around her.

"Sunset..." Twilight whispered joyfully.

Sunset was still staring at the doorway Twilight had appeared from in disbelief. "But... you..."

Twilight stepped back from Sunset, her hooves still holding the Unicorn's neck. "It's really me, Sunset. I'm here."

Sunset stared at Twilight. She was really there. She could really see her. More than that, she could also feel the touch of her hooves. She was right in front of her. Alive. Unhurt. Just as beautiful as ever. Was her hair longer? That was irrelevant. She thought she had lost one of the things that made her feel that her life was worth anything, but there it was.

She might have kissed Twilight right there if they didn't hear Celestia suddenly speak.

"Twilight Sparkle..." Celestia's voice rang across the throne room, causing Twilight to look in her direction and Sunset to turn in the same direction. "How..."

"This doesn't make any sense!" Flash yelled in confusion. "You looked like you were on death's front yard! How are you... not?!"

"I can explain that!" Another new yet familiar voice cried from the doorway.

Sunset turned with Twilight to see that Discord of people... or... Draconequss' was standing within the open doors. The Guard who had been standing by the Doorway, shocked by his sudden appearance, pointed his glowing horn at him defensively.

"Um... I'm with her." Discord said as he pointed in Twilight's direction. The Guard's horn quickly stopped glowing, and Discord turned to face the rest of the Ponies.

"So sorry about being late." He apologised. "I had to bring Twilight Sparkle here back to life, then I had to teleport us here before Sunset could receive whatever unspeakable punishment Celestia was going to give her... it's surprisingly tiring."

Discord certainly did look exhausted, as he wasn't really standing in the doorway so much as leaning against the threshold, his back drooped over as he breathed heavily, dark circles under his eyes on his sunken face. But that didn't concern Sunset as much as that one thing she thought she heard him say.

"Brought you back to life? What does he mean by that?" Sunset asked as she turned to face Twilight.

"Oh yeah, I might have... died... a little bit." Twilight explained. "But I'm better now thanks to Discord."

Sunset now felt as confused as everyone else at this revelation. "Um... okay..."

"Hello!" Flash called from the other end of the hall. "Could we rewind a bit here. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU BROUGHT HER BACK TO LIFE?!"

"You couldn't..." Celestia said in disbelief. "Discord, the consequences you could have suffered..."

"Hey, as you can see, I'm completely fine." Discord declared happily. "No consequences here. Well, aside from the fact that I'm going to pass out in about 10 seconds. Don't mind me though, you Ponies continue. Twilight, you get back to convincing Celestia of your Girlfriend's innocence. Let me know how it turns out."

And with that, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed onto the ground.

Everyone stared silently in confusion at the Spirit of Chaos' unconscious body before Twilight gestured to the Guards surrounding Sunset.

"Don't just stand there! Get him some help!"

While they were just as confused as everyone else, if there was one thing that Royal Guards could do, it was taking orders from a Princess, and they quickly rushed over to Discord, each of them lifting him onto their shoulders and walking off to get him to the Hospital.

"Discord was right..." Twilight said as the Guards left with the Draconequss and she turned to Celestia. "Celestia, Sunset didn't mean to hurt me! I'm fine!"

Celestia, possibly the least confused person in the throne room, quickly got over Twilight's appearance and Discord's collapse, returning to the subject of Sunset's fate.

"Yes Twilight, I'm happy to see that you are alive and well, but this is only because Discord has made a great sacrifice, one that could have been, and still could be much greater. His current state serves as the greatest evidence of what Sunset Shimmer has done."

"But it wasn't her fault!" Twilight responded desperately. "Her magic accidentally erupted because I pushed her too far emotionally! It's my fault I was injured!"

"Regardless of what happened, Sunset Shimmer has is still responsible for killing you as I just heard, as well as trying to exploit the power of Starswirl's mirror, taking control of the minds of several innocents, and attempting to conquer Equestria with an army of these slaves."

"But I stopped her! I taught her what it meant to have friends! I forgave her! And you were going to as well!"

"She stole your element of Harmony, she threatened to destroy the mirror and leave you trapped in her world forever, and she tried to kill you TWICE! And she succeeded the second time! Why are you trying so hard to protect her?!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HER!"

Of all the times that the throne room went quiet, never did it become as completely silent as it was now. Ponies were staring at them not just with eyes wide but mouths gaping. Sunset herself stared at Twilight with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, completely baffled by what she had just said. Here right in front of Celestia, Flash and countless Ponies, nobility and regular citizens alike, Twilight had just declared her love for Sunset.

"Ha! Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!" A random voice shouted from the crowd.

Well, that kind of wrecked the moment.

"Twilight..." Sunset squealed in horror. "What are you DOING?!"

Twilight turned to the Unicorn. "I already told you Sunset. I can't imagine a life without you anymore. I don't care if the Ponies with power try to tear us apart. If they're going to take you, they're taking me with you."

Leaning forward, Twilight locked her lips with Sunset's, kissing her in front of everyone, including the people who had scared her so much after they had kissed for the first time.

With that, the Ponies around them erupted into chaos, countless voices crying countless different messages in response to this new revelation, ranging from supportive to disgusted. Even the Guards, normally so collected and emotionless, started expressing their differing opinions on the matter. At the end of the hall, Flash stood, completely paralysed staring in disbelief at the two lovers.

Once again, Celestia was the most controlled, and was clearly annoyed at the crowd's sudden explosion of chaos.

Her horn glowed a bright gold, and suddenly every Pony in the room was frozen in the same light, excluding Twilight, Sunset, Flash and the Guards, who all froze for a completely different reason. It was quite hard to believe how easy it was to forget that Celestia was someone who was powerful enough to raise the sun each morning, and how telekinetically holding a hall of Ponies must have been a piece of cake in comparison.

"I apologise for this sudden act of force my subjects, but I'd like to remind you that we are still currently in the process of a trial." Celestia told everyone in that commanding tone of hers. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like us to continue in order. If anyone wishes to continue in their reactions to this... unexpected new, they may do so elsewhere."

The Ponies held in Celestia's magical grasp were all simultaneously released. While no more sound came from them, all eyes were still on Sunset and Twilight.

"Twilight Sparkle, while I respect your feelings, I can't let them get in the way of Sunset's deserved judgement." Celestia told her pupil. "If you are unwilling to comply, I'd suggest you leave and wait for this trial to end."

"NO!" Twilight yelled defiantly at Celestia, something which shocked Sunset once again in this day full of shocks. She had never seen any Pony openly defy Celestia, except herself.

But Twilight wasn't finished. "This isn't just about Sunset and the things she's done. This is about you! You want to get rid of Sunset because she's your greatest failure! Your biggest regret! You can't stand to look at her, or even think about her, because you can't help but think of her as your failed attempt to create a successor!"

Once again, Sunset found herself confused. Failure? Regret? Successor? What was she talking about?

Celestia seemed similarly baffled. "What makes you think..."

"I know about Sunset's heritage!"

"Huh?" Sunset was really confused now. "What about my heritage?"

Twilight was unresponsive, continuing to glare at Celestia as if trying to break her down and find what was hiding inside her. Sunset turned to look at Celestia as well, and was surprised to see that she had turned white! As in whiter than usual. Her face had paled, her hair ceased it's flowing and she stared at Twilight with wide disbelieving eyes.

"How do you know this?" Celestia asked in disbelief.

"Because I told her!"

Once again, a new but familiar voice rang through the air, this one filled with the same commanding presence as Celestia's. Everyone in the hall turned around to see none other than Princess Luna herself standing under the threshold. With how many people had turned up suddenly with shocking news, Sunset wouldn't be surprised if the damn Smooze suddenly showed up with the revalation that Celestia was actually a robot from the future.

"Luna... how..." Celestia facial expression changed to one of realisation before switching to anger. "You had no right..."

"It doesn't matter whether or not I had any right!" Luna declared as she marched down the throne room. "What matters is that you are about to make the biggest mistake of your life!"

"Do you think you know me so well you can just tell me what I should do with my own responsibilities?!" Celestia asked. "I don't think so!"

"She knows you well enough!" Twilight declared. "And so do I! We both know you don't really want to do this! You just don't know what else to do!"

"What can I do then!" Celestia cried. Sunset watched in disbelief as she heard the voice of the great and might ruler of Equestria begin to shake and her eyes start to water.

"Sunset is your kin and mine!" Luna said as she stopped next to Twilight. "She is no different to me! If you could forgive me, you can forgive her!"

"Wait... what?" Sunset asked, confused as ever. "What do you mean 'kin'?"

If they were going to answer her, they were interrupted by Celestia fully breaking into tears, a sight Sunset was sure very few people must have seen. It's unbeleivability really didn't help with her confusion.

"But how can I forgive myself?" Celestia asked in her broken voice. "After what I did to her... after what I let her become... after I failed her..."

Seriously, what was everyone talking about?

"You can move on, just as she has." Twilight told Celestia. "And we can help you."

"But..." Celestia seemed to be struggling for words.

"You have to be honest with her, Celestia." Luna declared. "You can't hide from this anymore. She's your family."

"OKAY, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

All eyes turned to Sunset, surprised by her sudden outburst. She actually felt a little embarrassed for it.

"I'm sorry... it's just... I really need an explanation right now." Sunset admitted.

"I believe my sister can help you with that." Luna told her before facing Celestia with a look of encouragement.

Sunset herself turned to Celestia, seeing her in a way she never had before. Emotional. Weak. And helpless.

But as this state faded from her face, a new one took its place, something Sunset was equally unfamiliar with. It was a look that resembled... love. The kind of love only found in a...

Mother.

"Sunset Shimmer." Said Celestia as she wiped the tears from her face. "There's something I should have told you a long time ago..."

Author's Notes:

If anyone is wondering why this chapter is titled 'Endgame', I just thought that since this is basically the major climax of the story that I'd name it after most major story climaxes from my childhood. However that doesn't mean that this is the end, we still have one more chapter to go.

I'm really sorry if there's any mistakes in this chapter right now. Long story short I have to publish this before school starts since it will likely hinder my writing as usual and I've run out I've time. I now have to put my faith in Grammerly for now before I check for mistakes myself.

I really hope that the use of that F-bomb is permitted in Teen rated stories at least once, since I have no idea what guidlines the age ratings have. I'm hoping it's kinda like PG-13 with just one allowed.

As always, be sure to comment and critique so I can improve for future chapters and stories.

Also, TWO CHAPTERS PUBLISHED IN ONE MONTH?! WHAT IS THIS, 2014?!

Sunset Shimmer-Twilight Sparkle

"So how long have you known?"

Sunset's eyes seemed to bore right through Twilight's skull and into her mind as she asked the question. Since learning the earth shattering news about her heritage, she had been consistently quiet about the whole thing. That was aside from the little breakdown she had after Celestia had told her everything, where she had asked several rather justified questions with some rather justified anger and confusion. Since then it had been difficult to tell what she was thinking, aside from the fact that she was trying to take the whole thing in. But now Twilight could only think that Sunset looked extremely frightening as she stared at her demandingly.

"Um... not long. Comparitively. Only around two weeks." Twilight answered nervously.

"And you didn't think to tell me?!" Sunset hissed in response.

"Of course I did! I just... thought it would be better for Celestia to tell you. It was between the two of you. You're not... mad at me, are you?"

"Well, I should be!" Sunset slumped back down in her Hospital bed. "If I wasn't so happy that you weren't dead I'd probably be yelling my throat hoarse. That is if it wasn't already hoarse enough."

Twilight giggled, though that didn't mean she had no sympathy for Sunset's state. The mild hoarseness was only one of the many consequences Sunset's body was facing after she had unleashed so much energy. There was a reason she was in the Hospital after all. She looked weak and exhausted enough, it was hard to imagine how she actually felt.

"I'm sorry Sunset..." Twilight began sadly. "I shouldn't have acted so... rash. Now you can barely stand, and I was dead just a few hours ago, and it's all my fault..."

"Don't say that." Sunset took Twilight's hoof encouragingly. "I think we've spent enough time feeling angsty and blaming ourselves for everything. It's time we started focusing and what we've actually done right. Besides... you're okay, I shouldn't be here for too long, our secret's out with seemingly no consequences so far, and I learned that I've actually known my mother for years now. It's all good."

"That sounds awfully optimistic for someone who, from what I've heard, was pretty much borderline suicidal merely a couple of hours ago."

"Look, I had a lot of reasons to be emotionally broken at the time!" Sunset defended herself. "I wasn't in the right state of mind! I'm fine now!"

Twilight smiled. "Good to hear, cause I'm gonna make sure that you're not going anywhere."

Sunset smiled back. "Same here."

Twilight leaned down for a kiss, and Sunset was happy to oblige. In an instant, any memories of whatever pain the two of them had felt in the past day were gone, replaced by absolute bliss.

"I really don't think I'm going to get used to seeing that." Said the disturbed voice of Rainbow Dash.

The two of them hastily departed from each other upon remembering the fact that their friends were with them. They had been so quiet, it had actually been forgotten that they were there at all.

"Sorry!" Twilight exclaimed nervously as she started blushing. "I didn't... we... um..."

Even though the six of them were now fully aware of her and Sunset's relationship, Twilight still felt uncomfortable with being openly affectionate in front of them.

"Let me specify for Dash here, it's not you bein' with a Mare that's a problem for us..." Said Applejack, clearly noticing Twilight's embarrassment. "It's the fact you'd been a couple for who knows how long without telling us. Why?"

"I totally called it, though..." Pinkie stated gleefully.

AJ frowned in annoyance. "Yes, Pinkie. You called it. We got the message the first bunch'a times you pointed it out."

Indeed, aside from Pinkie, they had all been quite surprised by the news. After Twilight had told Discord to take her to the Castle as fast as possible when she had heard what was happening to Sunset, the Draconequus teleported her and himself out of the Hospital, leaving the six of them left alone in the Wing, feeling very confused. By the time they made it to the Castle themselves, the incident was already over, and they had learned from Royal Guards as well as passing citizens about the declaration of their love as well as all the other things that had been revealed. They'd had to confirm this information from Twilight herself once they'd caught up with her, but they'd been very quiet afterward since they'd all focused on getting Sunset to the Hospital.

"Look, we really wanted to tell you... it's just..." Twilight tried to explain.

"You were afraid you weren't going to be accepted?" Rarity guessed. "More importantly, that the Aristocrats of Canterlot wouldn't accept you, and in turn start turning against the monarchy. Is that right?"

"Bingo!" Sunset answered. "Perceptive as always, Rarity."

"Well, I know the Canterlot Aristocrats, and I know you, so it wasn't hard to figure out." Rarity explained. "But that doesn't mean I agree with it."

"What?" Twilight didn't get it. If Rarity understood where they were coming from, why would she disagree?

"Twilight, I'm not going to deny that most of the Canterlot high society are... well..." Rarity was evidently struggling to think of the words.

"Closed minded, snooty morons with a superiority complex inverted to their own intelligence?" Fluttershy suggested quietly.

"Yes. Thank you, Fluttershy. But I've spent enough time dealing with them to know that most of the one's with real power are a lot more open-minded than you might think. Take Fancy Pants for example. He essentially has half of Canterlot waiting on his every word, and he liked you all just fine. I don't see what he'd have aginst one of the Princesses loving a mare. Heck, I think he might be gay himself considering how many mares he surrounds himself with despite how long he's officially been single. Sounds like compensation to me. And don't even get me started on Prince Blueblood..."

"You're getting off topic." Rainbow Dash quickly stated.

"Right. I apologise. But my point still stands. I don't think there was much for you to worry about, and even if there was, I don't see why you'd keep it from us."

"If you were afraid we'd end up telling someone, you could have just made us Pinkie promise." Said Pinkie Pie. "I don't care how much I'd want to tell someone that two of my friends were dating, I wouldn't want to risk the wrath of the ancient Gods."

"Besides, you know us Twilight." Rainbow Dash expanded. "There's no way we'd let something like that slip if you didn't want us to. We're your friends."

"I know." Twilight responded. "I guess I just didn't want anyone to know because I wasn't too sure about it myself. From day one we weren't sure if it was going to work out, and I didn't want to make a big deal of something that could have quickly crashed and burned."

"Well, so far the only thing that ended up crashing and burning was you." Pinkie Pie pointed out. "So... moral of the story, don't do it again."

"Ouch. That was a bit of a harsh way to put it, Pinkie." Fluttershy winced.

"Well, metaphors and poetic irony are the best way to learn lessons." Pinkie replied. "That's a Pinkie Pie approved fact!"

Twilight smiled. "Thank you all for being so understanding. Although, I don't think I've heard what you have to say about this, Spike."

"I just want to know how long this has been going on." The little Dragon demanded.

"Um... not much longer than I've known that Celestia was Sunset's Mother. About two to three weeks."

"Two to three weeks..." He looked almost horrified. "You were being all lovey dovey in my home for two to three weeks, and I didn't even notice? What kind of assistant am I?"

"Well, they managed to fool all of us, and that includes the Element of Honesty herself." Rainbow Dash pointed out. "Don't be so hard on yourself kid."

Pinkie Pie smirked "Not all of us..."

"We get it, Pinkie!"

"I wouldn't exactly say we managed to fool you, more that you were never really looking." Sunset claimed. "I mean we did a pretty bad job hiding it. It was less than a day before one of the other kids I live with caught on, and it took Discord even less time than that."

"That's not exactly a surprise." Said Fluttershy. "It's essentially impossible to keep anything from Discord. Speaking of whom..."

She proceeded to trot over to the Hospital bed to the right of Sunset's. Opening the curtain around it, she revealed that Discord was now awake, after having been put there when he collapsed earlier.

"Hisssssssss!" The Draconequss rolled away from the open curtain as he wrapped himself in his blanket. "The light! It stings my divine eyes!"

"It's going to be a while before you're anything close to 'divine' again, Discord." Twilight told him. "At least, that's what the Doctors say. Though they've freely admitted that they have almost no clue what to make of you or your condition."

Similar to Sunset, Discord looked drained, only on a much greater scale. His Doctors may not have been able to figure out much, but it didn't take a Doctor to see that he was going to be feeling the effects of bringing back the dead for a long time. His eyes were noticeably bloodshot, especially with how they contrasted with the dark circles underneath them and the desaturation that had happened to his fur. And even if his body had looked like it was in perfect condition, his expression and body movements were basically half dead.

He was weaker than Twilight had ever seen him, and he was apparently weaker than he had ever been, according to himself. All for her.

"How are you feeling?" Twilight asked.

Discord tried to sit up. "Physically? Like a bowl of mashed potatoes achieved consciousness. And believe me, I've done a lot of things with the power of chaos. I know what that feels like. Emotionally? Well, I happened to save two lives in one day, so I'm feeling pretty good about myself."

"I don't think I had the proper chance to thank you for that." Said Twilight. "To be honest... I don't know how I can..."

"You don't need to. Like I..." He let out a cough. "Like I said, it feels good to have actually done something... well... good. The impassioned praise from my peers helps too. Also, you now owe me a lot of favours. And I mean a whole lot of favours. Like, endless favours. You're essentially my eternal servant now."

Twilight smiled. "I think I can live with that."

"You'd better. It's because of me that you're living at all."

The whole group erupted into a round of laughter.

"I was actually wondering..." Fluttershy said once she was done chuckling. "If it's not too much to ask, Twilight... do you remember what it was like? Dying?"

Rarity gave her a funny look. "That's a rather intense question, darling..."

"I'm just curious. If it's too much to ask, I can wait."

As a matter of fact, it was a bit too much to ask. Fluttershy's question, curious and innocent as it was, brought Twilight back to thinking about her state after the incident with Sunset. For what seemed like forever, she could feel herself slipping in and out of various stages of consciouses, the only thing she could think of being her endless pain. Both the physical pain she could feel on her body as well as the emotional pain she felt from Sunset rejecting her. As for when she died... she honestly couldn't remember. The only thing she could faintly recall was seeing a light in all the darkness before she woke up. Apparently she had emanated a bright light during her resurrection, so that might have been it. If not... she preferred not to think about it. She was in no mood to start losing her sanity to the contemplation of the nature of life, death, and existence.

"I'd... rather not talk about it." Twilight answered them. "Not now at least."

"We understand." Applejack replied.

"We're just happy you're here now." Said Rainbow Dash.

There were some clicks and a thud as the Ward's doors were opened, and by the magic of none other than Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

"How is everyone doing?" The elder sister asked.

"We're all fine." Twilight answered her. "But I think we should be the one's asking that question. There's been a lot of news for Equestria to take in."

"Oh, it's horrible." Celestia said calmly. "The nobles are calling for our blood. There's rioting in the streets. Bodies everywhere. It's complete anarchy out there."

"WHAT?!" They all cried in horrified unison. Twilight felt her heart rate instantly go from unnoticeable to practically exploding.

In response to this, Luna facehoofed herself while Celestia began chuckling.

"Really Sister..." Luna asked.

"What?" Celestia continued giggling. "It's not often you get an opportunity to say."

Luna turned to them. " I assure you, this is just my Sister's unamusing excuse for humour. Nothing has happened outside of some complaints. Very strong complaints, but mere complaints nonetheless."

A huge collective sigh was let out by the group.

"So... we didn't destroy Equestria?" Twilight asked with relief.

"I imagine it's going to get worse, but I doubt it will rise to anything significant." Luna explained. "And if you feel concerned about how the upper classes feel about your... um... feelings, then you don't need to worry. Any outrage they feel towards that has been severely overshadowed by the revelation that their 'Glorius leader' had been hiding a Daughter from them all this time."

"Tell me about it..." Sunset said in annoyance.

Everything went silent as everyone's attention turned to Sunset, most notably Celestia's. With the recent revelation's initial shock now over, Sunset and Celestia were now present before each other with a full understanding of the connection between them.

"Would you like us to be alone for this?" Celestia finally asked.

"I have no problem with everyone else being here." Sunset replied coldly. "So who's going to talk first?"

"I feel that's my responsibility..." Celestia answered, clearly looking troubled as she did. "Responsibility... I suppose that's my biggest fault here... I sired a child as an experiment to create a new Princess for Equestria. When that child lost her father, I took advantage of the situation to make sure she went in the direction I wanted, neglecting how this would affect her as a person. And when she strayed from the path I had envisioned for her, I simply... gave up on her. Abandoned her. I decided to make myself a Mother, even though I was unwilling to participate in the responsibilities of a Mother. And at the same time, I neglected the responsibilities of a Teacher and a Ruler. I failed at all those things. I failed you. And for that I'm sorry."

"But why?" Sunset asked with a small fix of sadness and anger. "Why couldn't you tell me that I was your Daughter?! What reason would you have to keep that from me?!"

"I believed you had to earn it." Celestia explained. " As such, I wanted you to grow up without the belief that you were born for the purpose of becoming an Alicorn, so that you would understand that power had to be earned instead of just given to you."

"Then if you'd given up on that, why couldn't you just have told me then? Or after I turned my life around? What made this secret so important?"

"It wasn't, honestly..." Celestia admitted with shame. "It was my own pride that kept the secret. I couldn't admit my failure to myself, and I certainly couldn't admit it to anyone else. Convincing myself that you were an irredeemable force of evil was the only way I felt I could cope. But in reality, it just made things worse. Deep down I still felt the love of a Mother, but I simply chose to interpret it as my feelings on my attempt to create a future Princess. And when things didn't go how I wanted, instead of trying to help you as your Teacher and your Mother, I just considered you a failure and wanted to throw you out of my life. Ignore your existence. Several lifetimes worth of knowledge and experiance, and I still succumbed to something so... childish..."

Celestia said nothing more, looking like she was on the verge of tears. Similar to Sunset's trial, everyone present stared in awe, the sight of their perfect Ruler in such a state of emotional weakness being so new to them. Even her Sister looked like she wasn't familiar with this.

"To be fair, it's not the worst thing you've done." Discord broke the silence. "I mean, remember when you decided to stop Tirek from getting your Alicorn magic by just putting it in someone else? And by that, I mean your youngest, most inexperienced Princess? And then Tirek found her anyway because no one thought to do anything about the stain glass window with her on it? That was pretty stupid!"

"DISCORD!" Fluttershy exclaimed in shock and appalment. Everyone else stared at him with varying degrees of those same feelings.

"What? I'm making her feel better about her mistake by reminding her she's done worse, because I'm a supportive person."

"Yes, thank you Discord." Celestia said with annoyed sarcasm. "Now please... stop talking before I make sure you have to bring yourself back to life."

"Kinky."

Celestia's magic had his bed curtains close themselves.

"Now then..." Celestia turned back to Sunset. "Where were we?"

"You were apologizing for being a crappy mentor and an even worse mother." Sunset responded.

"Yes..." The way that was put obviously not helping Celestia's mood. "There isn't really any other way to put it. From that perspective, I understand why you'd be upset with me. I don't expect you to forgive me anytime soon. But please understand that that I just want us to move on. Fix the relationship we had and catch up with the one we should have had. And I'm willing to wait until you finally forgive me so that we can do so."

Celestia stopped talking, probably because there wasn't really anything else to say. Sunset was also silent, simply glaring at her Mother with these cold, analytical eyes, trying to figure out what to make of her.

"You're asking me to forgive you?" Sunset finally asked.

Celestia struggled to answer, either because of the shame of admitting to such a thing or because she felt she had no right to.

"Yes..."

Sunset continued to stare at Celestia, who was struggling to look her Daughter in the eye. Twilight could understand, considering how terrifying Sunset looked. Not the kind of terror you feel when you fear for your safety or your life, but the kind of terror you get from seeing someone close to you start freaking out. Twilight could see all the anger and frustration behind Sunset's eyes, and as her Girlfriend it was disturbing to look at it. What Celestia felt as not only her Mother, but the one who caused this in the first place was likely too much for Twilight to even TRY imagining.

But then something happened that Twilight, along with everone else, did not see coming.

Sunset's mouth cracked into a smile, before she breathed out a few chuckles, that then exploded into an eruption of laughter.

The silent staring persisted, only now it was in complete disbelief instead of any kind of discomfort. Twilight was expecting a lot a lot of possible outcomes. Fury. Despair. Even reluctant forgiveness. Thay all made a lot more sense as responses to Sunset essentially being abandoned by her Mother than whatever this was!

Celestia also seemed just as surprised, if not more so, than Twilight felt. Her wide eyes looked at Sunset with pure bewilderment.

"You're..." Sunset struggled to speak through her laughter. "You're actually <b>asking</b> me to forgive you!"

"Um... maybe?" Celestia looked pretty nervous about this.

"Celestia..." Sunset let out her last chuckles. "Mother... if I thought I had any right not to forgive you, then I'm pretty sure that would make me a complete hypocrite. In case you forgot, it wasn't too long ago that I was plotting to enslave an entire world in order to take over this one. And it was during the process of doing that I straight up tried to kill Twilight. That didn't stop her and her friends from trying to reform me, and doing a pretty good job of it. Plus, reforming the evil and forgiving people's mistakes is... kinda the business with us. I mean, aren't you the one who encouraged the reformation of the Spirit of Chaos himself? The one lying in the bed right next to me after nearly sacrificing his life in order to save another, something he probably wouldn't have done just a year ago had it not been for said reformation? You think that after all that, you'd suddenly be the one who didn't deserve to be forgiven?"

"I was ready to imprison you for the rest of your life! Or end it entirely!" Celestia attacked herself, rather bizarrely.

"I could have killed Twilight, and I actually did, even if you didn't know at the time. Of course you'd be driven to that point. Besides, you heard me during that trial. I pretty much felt the same way about myself."

"You... you're not angry with me?" Celestia seemed downright baffled. "You really should be!"

"Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm mad. Like if I didn't feel like I could move I'd probably punch you. What you did was unbelievably stupid and irresponsible for someone who should know better. But holding a grudge isn't going to help anyone, considering it's been the source of our problems for a few years now. I can see that you're sorry, and I can get over it. Coincidentally, me and Twilight were just talking about letting go of the past and looking to the future, and I don't think I have to tell you the same thing."

Celestia still looked at Sunset with disbelief, only the actual type of disbelief had changed. The look on her face was now one of awe more than anything else.

"Sunset..." Celestia began to smile. "I feel I have one more thing to apologise for. I'm sorry that I failed to recognise how much you've learned."

Sunset smiled back. "Thanks, but I think you need to give credit where credit's due."

"Correct." Celestia turned to Twilight. "Thank you, Twilight Sparkle, for everything you've done for my Daughter, and for myself as well."

Twilight felt herself blush at the sudden praise. "I wouldn't really consider myself worth all the gratitude. It was more of a group effort. Though, my Human friends are in another dimension, so you can't really get around to thanking them at the moment..."

"But she can totally thank us!" Rainbow Dash cut in. "I mean, being their alternate counterparts is credible enough right?"

"Under that logic, you'd also be responsible for the actions of your alternate counterpart that conquered the universe through gaining immeasurable power by devouring handicapped orphans." Applejack pointed out. "Ah' think we're good just being on the sidelines for this one."

"Now that this is all over and done with..." Celestia began. "I believe we have a more important matter to attend to..."

Sunset looked rather confused, and Twilight felt the same.

"Um... what else is there?" Sunset asked.

Celestia's face went more serious. "Luna has informed that you've been facing a... side effect of your use of the Element of Magic."

Twilight could feel the mood between them revert back to being significantly darker.

"Yes..." Sunset responded. "What about it?"

The other's looked a bit lost, which made sense considering that they hadn't been told about what Sunset was going through.

"A side effect?" Fluttershy inquired.

"To put it simply..." Luna started to explain. "The temporary corruption received by the Element of Magic due to its temporal displacement spread to Sunset when she used its power, infusing her with a powerful but dangerous amount of dark, negative energy. While it had initially been believed that Twilight and your Human counterparts had purged Sunset of this with the remaining positive energy of the element, we have recently discovered that some of this dark magic merged with Sunset's soul, giving something akin to a whole new sentience to the more malevolent part of her personality. As such, she is consistently haunted by the lingering feeling of her past self, a phantom of hatred and vengeance that she can't get rid of."

Her friends didn't look any less lost.

"That's a lot of three syllable words." Said Spike.

"To put it even more simply then... a bit of bad Sunset lives in good Sunset. Like a split personality."

"Okay, that makes sense." Pinkie responded. "Actually, no it doesn't. That sounds incredibly contrived. Like some teenager was trying to find a forced conflict for his gay horse fanfiction, and was just making shit up as he was going along."

Whatever that meant.

"Sunset..." Celestia walked over to Sunset's side. "I believe I can help you."

"What?" Sunset looked both shocked to hear this and skeptical at the same time, with a hint of hopeful curiosity. "Discord told me that this was now a part of me. It is me. Anything that could 'cure' it would kill me, if it didn't lobotomize me."

"That's true. However, I don't intend to get rid of it. We just have to repress it."

Sunset clearly didn't like the sound of that, and Twilight felt the same.

"I already tried that, and it only made it worse." Sunset explained. "That's normally what happens with repression."

"Normally, you'd be doing it alone." Celestia declared. "But that's why I brought this up. I can assist you."

"How?"

"I know a spell. One that can expose this side of you in a vulnerable state. Don't mistake it for a sort of cure. We've already discussed that such would be impossible, or at least would have extreme negative side effects. I can simply make it weak enough for you to control it."

Sunset looked unsure, but slightly hopeful. "You can stop it? Like... right now?"

Twilight understood how she must have felt. They had been previously accepted it as a fact of life, a hard one they had to deal with. Now Celestia had suddenly declared she could end it. It seemed too good to be true.

"Again, don't mistake it for a 'cure' of some kind. It will still exist, just in a state that you can conquer. I will warn you, however, that the process won't be pleasant."

That didn't sound very assuring. As much as she and Sunset wanted to be rid of this problem, if there was a chance that it might hurt her, Twilight wasn't sure if she wanted to go through with it, especially after everything that had just happened.

"Do it."

Sunset's quick, confident reply surprised Twilight, and it seemed to do the same to Celestia.

"Are you sure?" Celestia asked. "You might want to think about this..."

"If you can get me to overcome this, then I want it done as soon as possible." Sunset declared.

"Sunset..." Twilight was nervous. "Are you sure you're in the right state? She just said this would be unpleasant. You don't know what this could do to you..."

"Anything is pleasant compared to having to live with this." Sunset persisted. "The sooner I can get rid of it, the better."

Sunset was evidently determined to go through with this, even if Twilight wasn't too sure.

"Understood. It should only take a moment anyway..." Celestia looked at Twilight and her friends cautiously. "Are you alright with being here? This may not be comfortable to watch."

That question didn't even need to be asked. There was no way that Twilight was going to leave Sunset. As for the others, while they didn't know Sunset as well as she did, they still cared enough to do the same.

Celestia's horn began to glow white at the tip.

"Are you ready?" She asked her daughter.

"Of course." Sunset said with determination, closing her eyes.

Celestia leaned forward until her horn touched Sunset's forehead. With this, the aforementioned 'unpleasantness' had begun. The light connecting the head and the horn started glowing brighter, and Sunset began to struggle with apparent discomfort. And that discomfort was clearly escalating with every second as she struggled harder and groaned in pain. The most disturbing part about it was that in spite of all of Sunset's moving, her head remained completely still and fixed, as if it was glued to the tip of Celestia's horn, unable to rip free.

Celestia's prior warning definitely made sense, since Twilight took no enjoyment in seeing this. She felt a strong urge to intervene and stop this procedure, but resisted. She had faith in what Celestia was doing.

Sunset continued to writhe horribly as her groans turned into screams, and that's where things got truly unnerving. Sunset's screaming voiced seemed to split into multiple voices, each a distorted version of her own, and each in as much pain as her. Sunset had told Twilight about the voice in her head, but she had never imagined that it would sound so... skin crawling. How she had managed to live with this... Twilight couldn't even comprehend.

At last, Celestia stepped back from the thrashing Sunset. Although 'stepped back' wasn't exactly the right way of putting it, as she looked like she had to put significant effort into separating herself from Sunset, almost stumbling as she did. She also looked quite tired and disturbed from the experience.

Despite their seperation, Sunset continued to flail in her bed, screaming monstrously. Twilight was about to ask what was going on if Celestia was apparently done, but she didn't get the chance to, as she was stunned into silence by the sight of Sunset opening her eyes, revealing the black and opal eyes of her Demon form. They stared at Twilight, Celestia, and everyone around them with pure hatred.

"I AM SUNSET SHIMMER!" She roared. "WEILDER OF THE TRUE POWER OF THE ELEMENT OF MAGIC! THE RIGHTFUL RULER OF EQUESTRIA! YOU ARE ALL SPECKS BENEATH MY FEET, AND YOU WILL ALL BURN IN THE FIRES OF MY RAGE AND MY VENGEANCE! I WILL..."

No one got to hear the rest of her speech, due to her being cut off by Celestia slapping her in the face.

Everyone stared at this unexpected turn of events in complete astoundment, but no one looked quite as astounded as Sunset, who looked at her Mother with complete confusion and shock.

Celestia herself looked back with stern composure. "Sunset Shimmer! Control yourself!"

"YOU DARE TO STRIKE ME WITH YOUR PATHETIC HOOVES?!"

"Don't speak to your Mother like that, young Lady! No Daughter of mine is going to act so disrespectful towards others, let alone think she can take over the world!"

"I can speak however I want!"

"Not with that tone! If you're going to get anywhere in life, you have to learn the value of humility and respect..."

"Don't lecture me!"

"Don't interrupt me!" Celestia leaned suddenly towards Sunset until their faces almost touched, Sunset slanting backward with actual fear in her eyes.

"You are going to improve your attitude and grow up, or I am going to make Nightmare Moon's banishment and Tirek's imprisonment seem like trips to the water park compared to what I'm going to do to you until you do so! Do I make myself clear?"

The evil Sunset seemed to struggle to put words together before Celestia's stern aura.

"But... but MOM!"

"No buts! Now, you are going to give control back to the rest of yourself, and you are going to let yourself be a better person from now on. Understand?"

Any glare of intimidation Demon Sunset tried to give her Mother faltered under Celestia's own authoritative gaze. With a mix of fear and resentfulness, she closed her eyes, shuddered for a second, and reopened her eyes to reveal the regular opal eyes of the real Sunset Shimmer.

"Ouch." Sunset said as she rubbed the cheek that Celestia had slapped.

"Are are you feeling Sunset?" Celestia asked, her tone much warmer than just a second before.

"What part of 'ouch' do you not understand?" Sunset asked sarcastically.

"Wow..." Said Discord's voice, and Twilight turned to see that he was sticking his head out of the curtains of his bed. "There was me thinking that this was the kind of fate you couldn't escape, and it turns out that all you needed was maternal love and discipline. Shows what I know."

"So that's it?" Sunset asked, with a kind of awe. "It's over?"

"So long as your feelings don't start aligning too much with hers, you should be fine." Luna clarified. "She should be too weak to directly influence or even communicate with you otherwise."

"If she does, she's grounded." Said Celestia.

Everyone else seemed to be lagging behind a bit on what they just saw. Twilight herself was struggling to figure out how to respond to all that, hence her silence.

"That's gonna haunt me for months isn't it?" Fluttershy said with wide, horrified eyes, likely referring to Sunset's exorcism like treatment.

"I hear you." Spike agreed in a similarly discomforted voice.

"To think, such a thing spawned from the Elements..." Rarity contemplated.

Twilight approached Sunset's bedside, gesturing to take Sunset's hoof, which she accepted.

"Um... how are you feeling?" Twilight was aware that Celestia had already asked that question, but she really didn't know what else to say. "With a bit less sass maybe."

Sunset chuckled. "Honestly... I don't think my head's ever felt clearer. I guess that ticks another box on the list of things we can put behind us."

Twilight smiled. "Yeah... I guess it does."

While she continued to hold Twilight's hoof, Sunset's attention turned to Celestia. "So then... fixing one of, if not my greatest problem in life... I think that puts you on the right track for forgiveness."

Celestia smiled. "I think I still have a long way to go."

"True." Sunset agreed. "But until then... come here, you..."

Letting go of Twilight's hoof, Sunset stretched out her own hooves in a hugging gesture. For a moment Celestia reacted with silent surprise, but quickly gave in and leaned forward, embracing her daughter.

"I promise you, Sunset..." Twilight might have seen a tear going down Celestia's face, but she couldn't tell. "I'm going to do everything I can to make up for everything I've done, and everything I haven't done. I'm going to make you the happiest girl the world. Multiple worlds if I have to."

"Thanks... Mom..."

***

"Are you sure you're ready to leave?" Twilight asked with concern. "You haven't rested for even a day. I don't think it's okay for you to be this active."

"Well, what are we going to do? Send someone else over to tell my family 'Sorry, Sunset can't come home at the moment, due to the fact that she's recovering from killing her secret girlfriend and almost getting severely punished by magical pony law for it. Sorry for the inconvenience.'? I think I can just put up with the pain." Sunset responded. "Besides, I can't just miss school now can I?"

Twilight's concern was swiftly dispelled. "Stubborn, much?"

"You know it."

"Pride is a prominent trait in our family." Said Celestia. "Even if we don't like to admit it."

Twilight levitated the book into its pedestal, starting off the chain reaction of energy transferring as the portal began booting up.

Unlike Sunset's usual departures though, today seemed like more of a special occasion. Not only were the rest of Twilight's friends, Spike, and the two Sisters there, but a lot of Twilight's Royal Guards, Captain Flash included, were standing around the library in formation. Increased security measures in response to the number of important Ponies assembled in the room? Or just a big quiet apology for what had happened to Sunset? Whatever the reason was, it didn't bother Twilight.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along?" Sunset asked Celestia. "These people have been my family for a few years now. It makes sense for you to meet them."

"I'm sure I'll get around." Celestia replied. "I'm interested in seeing what kind of woman was able to put up with the you of the past. I could take notes. But for now... I don't think I've quite earned that privilege yet... not until I consider myself redeemed as a Mother."

"I understand." Said Sunset, giving her Mom one last hug. "I look forward to spending more time with you. As your daughter."

"As do I, Sunset."

Departing from the hug, Sunset looked towards Luna. "Thank you for everything you've done for me, Princess Luna. Or should I start calling you Aunt Luna?"

Luna actually looked mildly embarrassed. "Yes, um... I think 'Princess Luna' will do for now. I don't think I'm really ready to be called 'Aunt' yet. I mean... I didn't exactly do much better than Celestia in the family department..."

So she said. But if Twilight didn't know any better, she'd say that Luna just didn't want to feel old by being called 'Aunt', which would be odd, considering she spent a thousand years in the moon.

"Got it." Sunset responded, turning to her friends. "I'm sorry for what you had to go through, girls... watching Twilight die and all... I hope I can make it up to you."

"Don't worry about it." Said Rainbow Dash. "I should be the one apologising. I didn't trust you enough not to blame you for what happened. I should have known better."

"Me too." Fluttershy followed. "If I shared what I wanted to do to you if I ever saw you again at that moment... well, I don't think anyone would want to speak to me again..."

"I wasn't free of doubt either." Rarity apologised. "Sorry, darling..."

"Apologies aren't needed on your parts either." Sunset responded. "I don't think I spent enough time with you for me to earn your trust. And considering my past, I understand how you might have felt about me in the moment. Now that I don't have to hide my relationship with Twilight from anyone anymore... I hope we can spend more time together."

Applejack fumbled with her hat nervously. "If I'm to be honest, and you know how I am with honesty... I think we might have all been jealous with how much time Twilight was spending with you. That probably didn't help our skepticism."

That was certainly a good point. Twilight felt a little bad for spending so much time with Sunset over the friends she'd known for so long. Well, as Sunset said, they wouldn't have to be so separate anymore with their secret out.

"I was still was totally on to it from the beginning!" Pinkie boasted. "No secret romance can hide from the Pinkie sense! Or just common sense for that matter. I mean, with how much private time you spent with each other, it was pretty obvious you were doing a lot more than just reading."

"We get it Pinkie, you're smarter than us." Rainbow Dash groaned. "You're not going to let this go are you?"

"I wouldn't call myself smarter..." Said Pinkie. "Just better at recognizing when I'm in a mediocre romantic fanfiction."

"It's a shame that Discord isn't here to see you go." Fluttershy said regretfully.

"I may be moving around more than I should after what happened to me, but Discord definitely shouldn't be going anywhere." Sunset stated. "Besides, we already said our goodbyes."

Before leaving Canterlot, Sunset had made sure to thank Discord for everything he had done, as well as give him a proper goodbye.

"I'll come around with my counseling fees as soon as I can!" Was the last thing he said to them before they left the Hospital.

Having said everything she needed to say to everyone else, Sunset turned to say something to Twilight, but was interrupted by the sudden approach of Flash Sentry.

"Miss Sunset Shimmer." He said formally with a salute. "I assume you'll be departing now?"

"Indeed, Captain, I most certainly will be." Sunset responded sarcastically. "Now will you cut with the formalities and just get to the apologising already?"

"Yes, ma'am." Flash smirked. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Like I've said before, you had every right to assume the worst of me. Heck, I did technically do it. I'm just thankful that I had someone who had faith in me before I prepared for the worst. So thank you."

"Don't mention it." Flash briefly eyed Twilight. "So... you and the Princess, huh?"

"Yes." Sunset confirmed quite firmly. "Envious?"

"Not at all." He assured her. "I'm happy for you. This certainly explains the mysterious wailing Ghost some of the Guards were saying stalked the halls at night."

"Huh?" Twilight didn't get what he was talking about. "What wailing Ghost?"

Sunset, on the other hand, was turning quite red. "Nothing you need to keep thing about, Honey. This conversation is over."

Sunset pushing Twilight, they both headed towards the mirror.

"I'll see you around, Sunny." Flash bid Sunset farewell.

The two mares stopped at the foot of the portal, which was now glowing actively.

"You sure you want to come along?" Sunset asked Twilight. "I mean, you were dead not too long ago. You should really be weaker than I am."

"I think I've already made the point that I feel perfectly fine." Twilight answered. "Better than fine actually. Discord might have overdone it a bit with healing me."

She took mental note of her hair, which had grown noticeably longer during her resurrection, to the point where she had to constantly keep her fringe out of her eyes. She didn't mind it too much though, in fact, she thought she might actually keep it that way. A new look would go well with the new direction she was going in life. She could even change her hairstyle altogether. Maybe a ponytail would be nice?

"Besides... now that pretty much everyone in Equestria knows about us, there's no reason to keep it from your family." Twilight continued. "It would be nice to tell them together. Not to mention, you probably need someone to make sure you don't collapse on your way home, right?"

Sunset smiled. "I love you."

"Love you too."

The two of them quickly turned to face everyone else.

"See ya, everyone!" Sunset waved them goodbye.

She received a large collection of waves and goodbyes from her friends and family in response.

"I'll be back soon!" Twilight said as they turned around to face the portal again"

"Ready?"

"Always."

Taking each other's hooves, they walked into the light. As they traveled through the space between dimensions, they once again felt their bodies change from Pony to Human, their hooves turning into hands, with fingers firmly interlocked.

And they weren't going to be letting go anytime soon.

Author's Notes:

Finally... after 2 years, 24 chapters, 116,000 words, 2 MLP seasons and 2 movies, I have finally finished my first story! It... went on a LOT longer than I intended, and a lot longer than it really should have. If I'm going to be honest, I mostly feel incredibly relieved by finishing this. I wouldn't say that I had grown tired, more that I just wanted it done as soon as possible but was constantly plagued by writer's block. While I'd still enter big writing frenzies, which were incredibly fun. It was generally unpleasant to deal with the constant pressure of having to get this done. My opinion of the story itself is also mixed. As my first story, this was mostly just a testing ground for me, and as Pinkie pointed out in this Chapter, I was just making stuff up as I went along, and I feel this messed the story up, as you can clearly see it from weak fluff to overly melodramatic... drama. In the end, while I have problems with this story, I still appreciate it as my first story and the springboard for my writing hobby.

If you wonder why this chapter took so long, it's actually more than just the fact that it's my longest chapter as well as me having no idea what to do with it most of the time (Turns out concluding 2 years of writing is hard!). I recently made an AO3 account for non-Pony stories, and you RWBY fans among my readers may be pleased to hear that between these last 2 Chapters I wrote the first 2 Chapters of a story titled The Cat. At least, you should be pleased as long as you don't despise the Bumblebee ship. I figured I'd get that story going before concluding this one, because marketing my work is more important to me than uploading quickly. HAHAHAHAH!

But, if you're not a RWBY fan, you can also check out my other stories on my account. I'd mostly suggest reading Gliding In The Night, since, as a story where I actually had the begging, middle, and end planned out, I'd actually consider it overall better than this one. It's also in the first person if that catches your attention for... whatever reason.

What really keeps my story going are the comments. View counts and likes are fine, but they tend to just feel like numbers. Comments tell me that there are real people reading and enjoying/disliking my work, so I greatly appreciate everyone who's commented during this story. If it's too much to ask, I'd like it if anyone who's now reading this after finishing the story would write a comment about their opinions on the story as a whole, even full reviews if you can. I really enjoy watching/reading reviews and seeing some for my own work would make me extremely happy. I'd also be interested to hear if you've been here since the beginning.

Thanks for the support, and HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!