> How the Night was Lit Up
>  by Sunset_Sparkles
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> You're gonna WHAT?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Once again, congratulations, students, for completing this step in your lives. All the staff at CHS is proud of you for all you have done here. It's hard to say this, but I knew this moment would come. Goodbye, students, and good luck.” With these words, Principal Celestia ended the Graduation Ceremony.
---------------------------
“I can't believe we're actually leaving CHS! I will definetely miss this place,” said Sunset. “Ever since I came to this world, I've studied here.”
“We all know, Sunset. And I can't believe it either. I mean, I knew we wouldn't study here forever, but it all happened so suddenly. One moment we're studying, and when I saw it, we were applying to college,” remarked Applejack. “But now, let's talk a bit about our future. I know I'm going to study Agronomy, but what about y'all?”
“Wait, me first!” shouted Pinkie. “I'm going to study Gastronomy. My family wanted me to study Geology, but I think I'll like this better. I always loved cooking, so it's perfect for me!”
“Well, that isn't exactly surprising. I'm going for Fashion Design. If I want to become famous, I have to work hard and begin somewhere,” said Rarity. “What about you, Fluttershy?”
“I think I'm going to try Medicine. Veterinary, more specifically. The shelter is in need of more professionals, and I thought it would be perfect for me,” said Fluttershy.
“Wow Fluttershy, you really changed. Before, you couldn't even say your name without freezing.” Rainbow Dash, now the center of attention, told them all, “Can any of you guess what I'll do?”
“Let me guess... Physical Education?”
“Nope, but good try, Twilight. I'll study Music. I know it doesn't have anything to do with sports, but since the Battle of the Bands, I discovered I love playing in a band, and want to learn even more about music. How the first musicians created it and all that. Now, since you guessed wrong, it's your turn, Twilight.”
“Well, I'm going to study Aerospace Engineering. One of the things I really liked as a kid was the space, with so many wonders to discover, so many stars, and now, I have a chance to contribute to those discoveries, and maybe someday, I'll find something big. What about you, Sunset? I don't think you ever told us anything related to that.”
“Well, about that... I'm going to study Magic... in Equestria.” Not a second later, a chorus of six voices saying 'WHAT?' could be heard from the other side of the school. “Sorry for not telling you all, it's just that... I didn't know when to say it. It never seemed appropriate.”
“While I do understand, darling, why did you decide that? Not that there's anything wrong, but...”
“No, there's definitely something wrong! She's leaving us, and she waited until now to say it. Totally not cool.”
“Calm down, sugarcube. I'm sure there's a reason for that. Sunset  wouldn't leave us just for the sake of doing it.”
“Oooh, I bet it's because-” Pinkie tried to speak, but there was an orange hand covering her mouth.
“It's not that I don't like being with you; I really do. It's just that... after talking with Princess Twilight for a while, she asked me if I wanted to go back and study as her personal protégé.” Tears started coming out slowly from Sunset's eyes, meeting under her chin. “How could I say no? A chance to see my family again, a chance to show everypony there that I've changed. A chance to-”
Sunset was suddenly interrupted by Twilight hugging her, followed by everyone else.
“Thanks, girls. I'll never forget you. And I promise, whenever I can, I'll come to visit you.”
“Wait, Sunset. When are you leaving? We need to plan a farewell party for you before you go!”
“Well, Pinkie, Twilight said she was busy for the week, so I'll only go there in 5 days. It's enough time for her to finish... whatever she's doing there. Wait, where did she go?” Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be seen, and in the place she once stood, was a cloud of dust in her image.
“Well, if you're leaving in five days, then what are we doing here? Let's go and make these days the most awesome ones of your life here!” Rainbow Dash grabbed Sunset's leather jacket and started running to Sugarcube Corner. “You guys are coming or not? We don't have all the time in the world!” she shouted to the four girls still standing by the stairway in front of the school.
“Rainbow... Need... Air... Can't breath...” Upon looking at her hand, she saw Sunset trying to breath, her efforts useless again the force Rainbow was putting on the jacket's collar.
“Oops. Sorry about that. But we can't lose much time, we have to run!”
“Well, I think Twilight wouldn't appreciate if she found out I died because you couldn't spare some minutes. And as I said, it's not like I'll never come back.”
“I know, but this moment gotta be special. And, if I know Pinkie, she's already waiting with a cake saying 'Goodbye Sunset Shimmer!' on the table.”
When they all arrived at Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie was already at their usual table, with a two layers cake that said 'We'll miss you, Sunset!', much to Rainbow's displeasure.
“This is only the first day, Sunset. Just wait until the last day. I promise you'll never forget this week.”

After four days of Pinkie Pie, it arrived.
The day she would leave. Sunset packed all the things she'd need, which was not much. There weren't many useful objects in this world that couldn't be found in Equestria. She did take some decorations and books, though. They would be perfect reminders of the wonders of this world.
When she got to the Wondercolts statue, the others were already there.
“What took you so long, Sunset? You're gonna leave today, so we can't wait even a second.” Rainbow Dash, eager as always, pushed the main event to the center of the circle. “Seeing as we're all here, I'd like to start this goodbye party by saying some things. I’m not a very sentimental person, but I will never forget what you did as our friend, Sunset. You really changed our lives.”
“I know this is a farewell party and all,” said Pinkie, “but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it. We will all miss you, Sunset, and seeing as you won’t come back often, I want you to have fun now. No time for being sad, just Carpe Diem.”
“Thanks girls. I know you all have a lot to talk, but, as Pinkie said, let’s just seize the day. We won’t see each other for some time, so let’s not remember this day as a sad one. And I know this is my farewell party, but after all you’ve done for me, I couldn’t leave without giving you all a gift.” After saying that, Sunset opened her backpack and picked up a book with a blazing sun on the cape. “This is the book I use to talk with Twilight. Since I’ll be living with her from now on, I’d like you to keep it, so we can always keep in touch, even if we’re not on the same world.”
“Wow, Sunset. You’re just going to give this to us willy-nilly? I thought this was from when you studied under Princess Celestia,” said Applejack, picking the book, but unsure if she should. “Doesn’t this mean a lot to you?”
“It does, and that’s exactly why I’m leaving it here. You girls mean even more than that book. If the only way for us to talk was by going through the portal, I don’t think we’d make it. Giving you the book was the best option I had. So I want you to take care of it. And I hope to read from you soon.” Sunset was almost crying from all the memories, but she knew she had no actual need to cry. She would be able to keep contact with her best friends from this world.
“Don’t worry, darling. It’s in good hands. And, since you gave us a gift, I think it’s only fair we also give you one. This one’s from AJ, me, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Pinkie.” Approaching Sunset, Rarity gave her a carefully packed gift. “Don’t open it until you arrive at your new home. I want it to be a surprise.”
“Wait, why isn’t that gift from Twilight too? Is it something she doesn’t know about?”
“Actually, I have a gift of my own for you. It’s something that I hope will make you remember all the good times we had, and also help your studies of magic.” Reaching her pocket, Twilight picked up a very familiar purple object.
“Wait, is that…” Sunset was trying to remember how Twilight called it, but was cut short by someone she didn’t remember seeing since the Friendship Games.
“The spectrometer she built to track EM frequencies that could also contain anomalies and caused the whole transformation at the third event of the games.” Sugarcoat, without even needing to take a breath after saying that, appeared out of nowhere. Next to her was Lemon Zest, rocking out to her music.
“Yeah, that… Wait a minute, Sugarcoat? What are you doing here? I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just that… I haven’t seen you since Twilight moved to CHS, and that was long ago.” Sunset, still trying to understand the situation, moved her head to the right. “And Lemon Zest too? I don’t understand.”
Taking off her headphones, Lemon Zest started explaining, “I kind of have some sort of sixth sense that happens with random things and I felt that something was going to happen at CHS today, so I told Sugarcoat and we decided to check what it was. Now, can we get the context? What is happening here?”
“Sunset is going back to Equestria, and we are throwing her a farewell party before she leaves. Wanna join?” asked Pinkie Pie.
“While we’d like to join this, I don’t think me and Sugarcoat have much to do with Sunset. Of course, she’s a great person, and she helped us all see our mistakes at the Friendship Games, but I think we’d better leave this to you. But wait, if you’re going back to Equestria, does that mean we’ll never see her again?”
“No, I’ll come back sometimes. While Equestria’s my original home, this is where I grew as a person. But if any of you ever want to talk with me, for whatever reason, just talk to these girls right here. I’m sure they’ll help you out. Since you two appeared here, I think you all should try becoming friends.  Having more friends is always good.”
“You know, we could become friends, but will you accept that? Like, we were the ones who put Twilight under so much pressure and made here become a monster.”
“Not to mention all the times Crystal Prep won the Friendship Games and rubbed it in your face. Shouldn’t you be carrying negative feelings towards us?” asked Sugarcoat, blunt as always.
“Don’t worry. We know it wasn’t your fault. All of it was because of what Principal Cinch taught you. If you ever need someone to talk, come to us. We’ll be your friends. Things like almost destroying the world don’t bother us that much when it comes to making friends, as long as they are truly sorry for all their actions,” said Applejack, winking to Twilight and Sunset.
“Okay, we’ll consider your offer. Now, I think we should get going. We took too much of your time already. Enjoy the party, and I hope you’re happy back in Equestria, Sunset.” Lemon Zest put back her headphones and started rocking out again, saying something about 'Holding Back the Night'.
“Honestly, that girl just can’t stop listening to that music. So, I think this is a goodbye for a long time, Sunset. I know I’m not your friend, but thanks for all you did at the games. After that, a new era came at Crystal Prep.”
After seeing the Shadowbolts leaving, Sunset looked at Twilight, as a way of saying ‘Where did we stop?’
“Oh. Like Sugarcoat said, this is the Magic Analyzer I made before transferring to CHS. After the whole incident, I started tinkering with it, looking for remnants of energy. Now it doesn’t store energy anymore, so no risks of going crazy again, and you can also set it to different frequencies.” Seeing the confused look on Sunset’s face, Twilight explained. “While checking the rest of the magic stored here, I found out that each of the magics worked out in different frequencies, just like sound waves. I upgraded the Analyzer so that it could recognize them like a radio. Useful if you want to search for a specific kind of magic. Try to search around here.”
“Thanks, Twilight. I know I’ll use it a lot there.” Pointing it at the portal, she found out it was already registered in the device. “This really works. It picked up the portal’s magic… Wait… THE PORTAL’S ON! Princess Twilight told me she’d open the portal when everything was ready. I really need to go now. She’s probably waiting for me, ready to scold me for being late. She’ll throw me in a dungeon. Or even send me back to Magic Kindergarten.” Sunset then started rushing to the portal, sweating from the fear of what Twilight could do.
“Wait, don’t leave yet. We have to take a group photo before you go! It’s gonna be our last photo together for a while.”Sunset stopped midway and Pinkie Pie started looking for someone to take a photo of them, and when she didn’t see anyone, she decided to take it herself. When everyone gathered, she prepared the camera and took about ten photos. “Now, we have another photo for the collection. You better not keep the Princess waiting, though.” After hearing that, Sunset started heading through the portal, and could hear a loud “Goodbye” from the girls behind her.
“And to think I said I’d only go back to living in Equestria after conquering everything… I’m not the same person I was in the past, and it’s time to prove it. Now, another step of my life begins.”
	
> New World, "Old" Friends
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Traveling through the portal was the same as always for Sunset. Step in, shapeshift, step out. And this time, it was not different. What was different was the place she found herself. A crystal palace, different from the one she had seen during her visit to steal the crown. Right next to the portal, Princess Twilight was waiting for her while reading a book.
Trotting over to the princess, Sunset started saying, “Sorry for being late Twilight, it’s just that Pinkie made this farewell party and then Lemon Zest and Sugarcoat appeared and it took a lot of time and… Twilight?” Seeing as the princess still hadn’t acknowledged her, Sunset called her louder. “Twilight? Are you listening? I’m here already, you don’t have to wait anymore.”
Still too immersed in her reading, Twilight hadn’t even nodded, proving that she was totally inaccessible right now. Suddenly, Spike appeared on by the door. “Oh, hey Sunset. How’s it going?”
“Well, aside from the fact that I was late and Twilight’s not even paying attention to me right now, everything’s alright.” She started glancing around the library, as if looking for a specific object. “Say, Spike, do you have any objects that are hard to damage, but heavy enough for her to feel it hitting her?”
“Here, take this piece of paper and rip it in half. That’ll certainly make her notice you. Unless…” He made a pause and checked the book Twilight was reading. “Okay, this will work. If she was reading anything by Star Swirl, it’d be virtually impossible.”
Sunset tried to take the paper and rip it with her hooves, without much success. “How do earth ponies and pegasi deal with not being able to manipulate objects using their magic? Or even fingers. Those were really useful.” Trying to use her magic, Sunset still couldn’t tear the paper apart. “I really need more practice with magic.”
“If you want, I can help you with that paper. I may not have telekinetic spells, or fingers for that matter, but these claws can do that work for me.” When Sunset didn’t agree with his suggestion, he tilted his head slightly to the right. “Why? Do you have any other ideas?”
“Actually, I have one. Can you help grab something from my saddlebags? I think you and Twilight will recognize it, maybe it’ll be able to get her attention.” Reaching Sunset’s saddlebag, Spike looked for any kind of familiar object. When he found it, he picked it up, confused.
“The thingy that other Twilight made that could store magic? Why do you have that? Isn’t it dangerous?” As soon as he finished his sentence, Twilight looked up from her book and saw Sunset talking with Spike.
“Oh, hey Spike. Hi, Sunset… Wait, Sunset? How long have you been here?” Noticing the object on Spike’s hand, she continued. “And why, in the name of Celestia, do you have that spectrometer that almost destroyed a world and conquered another?”
“One question at a time, Twilight. Let me answer Spike first. Yes, because she gave it to me as a parting gift, and not anymore.” Looking at Twilight now, Sunset started talking again. “Hi Twilight, for about five minutes, and that other question was already answered, so I see no need to repeat myself.”
“Oh. But wait, you said it’s not dangerous anymore. What happened to it? Did it break?” Twilight’s questions were coming one after another, and so were Sunset’s answers.
“Actually, SciTwi just modified it. Now, it can only track magical energy, but not store anymore. Also, she discovered magic works like sound waves, with different frequencies, so she upgraded it. Now, you can track specific types of magic.” Seeing Twilight’s eyes glowing, she continued. “Yes, Twilight. You can study it later. You probably won’t understand much, though. This is way more human science than you’ve ever seen.”
“Wait a minute. SciTwi? And what do you mean by ‘you won’t understand it’? Is that a challenge for Twilight?”
“You just love asking questions, don’t you? First, we called her SciTwi because we had to separate her from Princess Twilight during our conversations. It was also a funny nickname. And no, it isn’t a challenge. It’s just that science doesn’t work like magic. Believe me, I tried. Avalanche of apples and Rainbow explosions happened. But I do think that, with enough work, we can replicate its function. We might need to find new ways to cast spells, though. It would have too many layers, and simple magical objects, like gems, wouldn’t be able to hold it.”
“Let’s just get to the point already. Welcome back to Equestria, Sunset. You’ve never been here, so let me introduce you to the ponies of Ponyville. Come on, let’s run.” Twilight, eager to leave the castle, started trotting over to the front entrance.
“Uh, Twilight? I’m still not used to running and using magic all that much. Last time, I had managed to cast a spell that helped me walk on four hooves, but this time, I don’t remember that spell, so we can’t run a lot.” Going to the door slowly, Sunset kept talking. “Also, why do you want to go so quickly? Is there some magical disaster happening right now and we need to prevent it?”
“Sunset, not everything around Ponyville is about magical disasters. We also have attacks from the Everfree Forest creatures, friendship problems and even normal days. Today, the latter applies. I just want to show you around town.”
“Okay, if you say so. Where do you want to go first? Is there a version of Sugarcube Corner here? I’m really hungry, and I didn’t have much time to eat the cake Pinkie prepared before I realized the portal was already open.”
“Well, we do have a Sugarcube Corner, but I want to take you to another place right now. And it’s a surprise, so don’t try to ask more. I’ll just say I think you’ll like it.”
Walking by the city, Sunset saw lots of ponies, of all three kinds, walking and talking. Unlike Canterlot, Ponyville was more of a mixed city, but with Earth Pony roots, so it had that country feeling. Looking behind her, she saw the giant crystal castle that they had just left.
“So, Twilight, has that always been here? The castle, I mean. It doesn’t seem to fit the town.”
“I know, but when the Tree of Harmony gives you a castle that came out from a magical chest after defeating an evil overlord that had ALL the magic from the ponies, including all of the princesses, you just can’t say ‘No, thank you’. Seriously, that tree has some kind of power to predict the future. If it gives you something, you can’t deny it. Kind of how we saved the world after Tirek had taken our magic.”
“Oh. So, what you’re saying is that Tirek came back, stole the magic from all the ponies, including the princesses and the Element Bearers-”
“He also took Discord’s magic, so he was pretty much indestructible at that point.”
“Okay, so… Wait a minute, did you just say Discord. Like, Discord Discord? The Lord of Chaos that governed Equestria before the Princesses turned him to stone? Was he freed by Tirek so he could steal his magic?”
“No, Discord was reformed way before. The first time we met, he was already on our side. Took a long time for him to truly understand Friendship, though. Ah, we’re here! Sorry, we’ll have to finish this later.”
In front of the two ponies, stood a massive tree, with a door and some windows on the upper floor. On the sign right next to the door, were the words ‘New Golden Oaks Library’.
“So, Sunset, this is where you’ll live from now on. I’d like to let you live in the castle with me, but it’s not exactly a comfortable place. Especially when you’re not used to a pony’s body. This is the place where I lived before… Tirek blew it up.” Seeing tears coming out from Twilight’s face, Sunset walked and hugged her friend. “Thanks, Sunset. It’s just that this place meant so much to me, and it simply disappeared in a ball of fire. But now, I want you to live here, just like I did when I started studying the Magic of Friendship. This is going to be your new house, so I suggest you get used to it. And seeing as you still need to practice walking as a pony and using magic, tomorrow, our lessons begin.”
Opening the door, Sunset saw nothing but darkness. When she got inside, the lights suddenly went on, and she saw a pink mare appearing out of nowhere. “WELCOME TO PONYVILLE, SUNSET SHIMMER! My name is Pinkie Pie, but you probably know that already, since Twilight said the Pinkie from your world looks and acts just like me. This is your ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party, so why don’t you enter and be welcomed by the Ponyvillians? Not to be confused with Pony Villains. We have a lot of those too.”
“Um… Thanks, Pinkie. I’ll remember that.” Unsure of what to do now, Sunset decided to just go for idle questions. “So, do you also have a party cannon?”
“Of course I have, how don’t you know already? You’re actually standing on top of it!” When Sunset looked down, she saw she was really on top of a small cannon, which surprised her, making her fall from the top of the cannon. Which wasn’t a height that most ponies couldn’t reach, but since she wasn’t expecting a cannon under her hooves, she fell and faceplanted.
“Say, Twilight. When you mentioned Discord was reformed, did you take away his chaos magic and give it all to Pinkie? Or is she normally like this?”
“She’s normally like this. I don’t even like to think about what would happen if she had Discord’s power.”
“As if you girls could actually take it from me. Tirek only managed to do it because I was caught off guard.” Looking for the source of that voice, Sunset turned her head over all directions. “Hey, don’t move that much, I’ll get dizzy!” Derping her eyes a little bit, she saw her mane had a face and was talking. A little bit after, that face disappeared and Discord appeared right in front of her. “Hello Sunset Shimmer. My name is Discord, but you can call me John.”
“Um… Hello Discord.” Hearing a slight ‘Hmmph’ coming from him, she tried again. “Oh, sorry. Hello, John. What are you doing here?”
“Oh, I’m just checking out Pinkie’s party. They are always chaotic. Say, was your world’s Pinkie as chaotic as this one?”
“Well, I guess. I still don’t understand, you are the God of Chaos and we’re simply chatting about parties. Was it some kind of reformation spell?”
“Twilight actually tried to look for one, but Discord had eaten them all.” Hovering above their heads was Rainbow Dash. “So, you’re the pony who stole Twilight’s crown some time ago. Gotta say, pretty impressive of you, managing to escape like that. I’m Rainbow Dash, fastest pony around.”
“Hey Rainbow, I’m Sunset Shimmer, best Element of Magic thief that lived in another world you’ll ever meet.” Looking over to the corner, she saw a yellow pegasus, who she presumed was Fluttershy, walking over to them.
“Umm… Hi, I’m Fluttershy. Are you Twilight’s new student?” Seeing the nodding unicorn, she continued. “Your name’s Sunset Shimmer, right?” As Sunset nodded again, Fluttershy simply said, “Good to know.”
“Well howdy, Sunset. I’m Applejack, how’s it going?” When Applejack suddenly appeared in front of Sunset, she was already used to it.
“I’m fine AJ, thanks. Does your family here live at Sweet Apple Acres too? In my world, they had the best apple-related products I could find.”
“Well, I guess some things don’t change even between worlds, then. Come by someday, we can always use some company from outside the family.”
“Okay, so that’s Twilight, Pinkie, AJ, Fluttershy, Rainbow and Discord. Wait, where’s Rarity?” Sunset looked all over the library, but couldn’t find anypony that looked like Rarity.
“Oh, she couldn’t come today, taking care of the CMC. Speaking of them, you should have a story of how you got your cutie mark done by tomorrow’s morning. They’ll probably appear and start hitting the door a while after you wake up. I swear these kids have some kind of Pinkie Powers.” After making a pause to gather her thoughts, Twilight continued. “So, I guess that covers your close friends from CHS. Now, just enjoy the party, Sunset. I know this is a library, and it’s supposed to be quiet, but when Pinkie throws you a party, doesn’t matter where, you must have fun.”
“Well, I guess I could… Say, is there any cake? I couldn’t eat the one from my farewell party earlier, and I’m kind of needing something sweet right now.”
“What kind of party would it be it if there was no cake? Of course there is, it’s right there.” After finding it, Sunset carefully trotted over to the cake. A while after, she remembered she still didn’t have much practice with using telekinetic spells, but she still tried to grab a piece. Surprisingly enough, she managed to get one.
“Well, it looks like I’m already remembering how to use magic. It’s like riding a bike.” Taking a bite of the cake, Sunset’s face was filled with joy. “Wow, this is really good. Did you make it yourself, Pinkie?”
“Yes, I can give you the recipe for it later, if you want. Also comes in Cupcake version.” When Sunset looked at the table to pick another slice, her face was filled with confusion, since the cake disappeared and the cupcakes took its place.
“How did you… You know what? It’s Pinkie, no amount of knowledge will ever explain her.” Sunset ended up picking one of the cupcakes, which was far easier than cutting a piece of the big cake.
A lot of idle chatting later, and about ten cupcakes, Sunset decided it was time for her to sleep. “Sorry girls, but I’m really tired from what happened before coming here, so I have to call it a night. I still have to organize some things.” Sunset shifted her eyes to Pinkie. “It was a great party, thanks Pinkie. And I’ll definitely get that recipe later.”
“Way ahead of you. Just go to your bedroom and you’ll see.” Not questioning Pinkie, Sunset said goodbye to the ponies on the room and went upstairs. There, she found a paper containing the recipe for the same cake she ate.
“How in the world does she manage to do this? She never came up here after I asked for the recipe.” Stopping for a while to take some objects from her saddlebags, she came to her senses. “Why am I still trying to understand Pinkie after all this time?”
Looking over to the small gift she had gotten from her friends at CHS before leaving, she decided now was a good time to open it. Upon carefully removing the wrapping, she found out why Rarity wanted it to be a surprise. It was a photo of her and her friends. “Thanks, girls. I’ll never forget you.” Putting it over the nightstand, she noticed she was actually using her magic to do it all. “I guess there’s no way to forget how magic works. Makes it easier for me.” Leaving the Magic Analyzer right beside that photo, Sunset decided it was a great time to rest. “Tomorrow’s a big day, so I better sleep now." Looking at the photo once more, she said, "I'll never forget this day. I’m really lucky for having friends as good as these."	
> A Test of Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When she was in the human world, she never had to worry about someone waking her up. Because of Celestia, she always liked to wake up early to see the sun rise. Even after all that happened, she couldn’t drop that habit. But apparently there are some ponies who like to get up earlier than the sun. And trying to ignore the childish voices calling her name wasn’t working that well. “I give up,” she said as she went downstairs, without even brushing her bedmane. Opening the door, she saw three fillies.
“Hey Sunset. Got some time to answer some questions for us?”
“If it will make you three stop shouting my name, I’ll do anything. What do you want to know?” Sunset started pondering if this was her best option, but she couldn’t do anything now.
“First of all, let us introduce ourselves. I’m Apple Bloom, Applejack’s sister. This here’s Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. We’re the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and we’re on a crusade to-”
“I know, I know. Just get to the point already. Crusading for Cutie Marks. It’s kind of obvious based on the name. I guess you want to know how I got my Cutie Mark then.” Seeing the three fillies nodding with excitement, she continued. “By using magic. Is that all you want to know?”
“Well, we actually wanted to hear some… in-depth information. What kind of magic was it? Were you already Celestia’s student? Is it because of her?”
“Yes, I was already Celestia’s student, but it wasn’t because of her, which is actually weird, seeing as it is a sun. It just happens that I had… some affinity with Fire spells. Want me to demonstrate?” Preparing her horn, she started focusing on a twig near Sweetie Belle.
“Actually, that’s enough. Haveagooddaythanksbye!” All the Crusaders simply ran away, probably because of the fire.
“Hm. Should have tried that from the start. Now, since I probably won’t be able to sleep again, I guess I should get ready. Twilight didn’t say what time we should meet, so I guess she’ll just message me or something.”
Looking through the window, Sunset saw the sun was rising, and decided it was a good time to get ready for the day. “Let’s see if I still remember how these things feel as a pony.”
After a bath, she picked up her Magic Analyzer, put it inside her saddlebag and left her house. “If I’m going to get used to walking in this body, I’d better practice.” After walking for a while, she found herself in front of Carousel Boutique. “Well, since Sweetie Belle was awake, I guess it’s safe to say Rarity’s also awake by now.” After Sunset knocked on the door, she saw Rarity opening it.
“Oh, hi Sunset. Twilight told me you arrived yesterday. Sorry for not going to your party, but I had to take care of my sister and her friends. They’re not easy to deal with.”
“Yeah, they came by my house earlier. Also, if Sweetie ever tells you I tried to burn her, it’s a lie.”
“Oh... I see. So, how does it feel to be a pony again? Is it hard to walk?”
“Kind of, but not too hard, just takes some time to get used. Do you have any news about Twilight? She didn’t mention what time I should go meet her yesterday.”
“Actually, yes. She told me that, if you came by, I should tell you to go there at… 7:02.” Looking at the clock over her head, Rarity continued. “And it looks like you must run, it’s already 7:00. I still don’t know why she picked such a random time.”
“No idea either. Wait, I have two minutes to get there? It was good talking to you, but I gotta go. Bye Rarity, I’ll come by later.” After running for a while, Sunset remembered something. “Wait a minute, I’m a unicorn. I should be able to teleport to her castle.” Channeling her magic, Sunset disappeared and reappeared in front of Twilight’s castle. “Well, I still have four hooves and my mane, so I guess it all worked.” Opening the door and entering the castle, she saw Twilight waiting.
“Hi Sunset. I guess Rarity found you.” Twilight walked towards Sunset and hugged her. “And, from the energy around you, I guess you teleported. Pretty impressive.”
“Thanks Twilight, it means a lot. Also, you could have left a note under my door. The chances of Rarity finding me in time were pretty low.” Looking over Twilight, Sunset saw Spike reading a comic. “Hey Spike, what are you reading?”
“Huh? Oh, hi Sunset.” He put down the comic and got up from the chair. “It’s nothing special, just a new issue of ‘Power Ponies’. Picked it up yesterday at a store in Canterlot.”
“Wait a minute. Did you say a shop in Canterlot?” Twilight looked worried, which confused Sunset. “It wasn’t the House of Enchanted Comics, was it? Please tell me you didn’t go back there.”
“No, I got it from a normal store this time. That time was already enough adventure.” Sunset still didn’t understand anything, so Spike explained. “Once, I bought an edition of the Power Ponies at that store, and we all ended up entering the comic. In the end, we managed to come back, but it was pretty hard.”
“Oh. Anyway, Twilight, I know yesterday you said I needed to practice my magic, but seeing as I teleported here, I guess there’s no need to go back to the basics. Can we just skip to learning new things?” Sunset was as excited as a filly who had just gotten her Cutie Mark.
“Actually, I had something else in mind. I know you think you’re already good at magic, but I have a test for you. Can you try teleporting to Canterlot? If you manage to do it, we can start going through something more advanced.”
“All the way to Canterlot? But where, specifically? It’s a big city,” said Sunset.
“You have a point. Do you know where Donut Joe works?” When Sunset nodded, Twilight decided. “Then, try teleporting there. I’ll be waiting for you.” And, in less than a second, Twilight wasn’t there anymore, and neither was Spike.
“Okay. Now, let’s go through everything once again. Concentrate, focus on the place, and unleash the magic. I should be able to do it. Let’s hope I have enough magic power for it.” What she didn’t see was that the Analyzer she was carrying was somehow feeding her magic. “Let’s do this!”
After that, Sunset appeared in front of Twilight and Spike. “Well, I guess you passed the test, Sunset. Did you have any difficulties? Let me check your magic reserves for you.” After saying that, Twilight’s horn lit up and scanned Sunset. “How weird. This shouldn’t happen.”
“What is it? Am I out of magic? Is the spell not working? Tell me already!” Sunset was nervous because of those words she just heard. “Be honest with me, Twilight, what happened?”
“Calm down, Sunset. You won’t die, and you’re definitely not out of magic. It’s the complete opposite, actually. Your reserves are still at 100%, even though you teleported all the way here.”
“How is that even possible? Could it be a side effect of my transformation in the Human world?”
“No, that’s not it. I think something, or maybe somepony, fed your spell, so you ended up not using anything. What could have done that, though? Few ponies know about Magic Essence, and even fewer about how to channel it.”
“Magic Essence? What is that? Some kind of new spell developed while I was in the Human world?”
“Later I’ll tell you. Let’s just eat some donuts now. After all, you passed the test, even if not with your own magic. That proves you still have the abilities you need for being my student.” Entering the establishment, Twilight ordered some donuts and a cup of hot chocolate for each of them. “Now, what did you think about teleporting to such a distant place? Was it hard focusing?”
“No, it was really easy. That Palace is a really quiet place. Still weird seeing it in the middle of a small town like Ponyville.”
“Yeah, I know. By the way, have you ever met Princess Cadence in this world?”
“Actually, yes, but I never talked to her. Didn’t think she would be as skilled as I was with spells. How is she doing? Is she at Canterlot?”
“No, she’s in her castle at the Crystal Empire, along with Shining Armor. After we beat Sombra, the curse was lifted and she became the Crystal Princess.”
“So, let me see what I’ve gathered so far. The Crystal Empire’s back, and you also beat King Sombra? How many super villains have you and your friends beaten while I was out?”
“Well, there was Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Queen of the Changelings, Sombra, the Plunderseed Vines in the Everfree Forest and Tirek, so 6. Not counting the parallel versions of Celestia and Luna from another world. Also, you and the Sirens.” As Twilight said that, their order arrived.
“Gee, thanks for calling me a super villain, much appreciated. Thanks for the donuts though, these look really good.” Taking a bite of one of them, she continued. “And taste really good too.”
“Sorry. Anyways, let’s eat fast, I still have something else for you today.”
After the three finished eating, Twilight paid Joe and they all left the shop.
“You said you still had something planned, are we going to do it now?” Sunset asked, wondering what it could be.
“Yes. It’s kind of another test. First, give me your saddlebags.” Confused, Sunset stopped for a while before taking them off. “Great, now, we already know you can teleport to specific places. But can you teleport to somepony? I’ll go somewhere random around Canterlot and you’ll have to track me. Then, just cast a normal teleportation spell, focusing on me instead of a place.” Sunset agreed to those terms, and in a flash, Twilight had disappeared, along with Spike and Sunset’s things.
“She said I should track her. I guess that’s why she took the Analyzer with her. First, focus on her essence.” When her horn lit up, a lavender aura appeared on the air, going to random places. Suddenly, Sunset could hear Twilight’s voice inside her head, saying ‘I told you to track me, not my magic.’ “How in the world did she do that? And how am I supposed to track her without tracking her magic? Wait, that’s it! I should try a sonar spell.” Casting that spell, Sunset scanned the whole city, and she found Twilight’s location. “There she is. Now, focus on her and teleport.” Sunset vanished from the shop and reappeared in front of Twilight.
“Amazing, Sunset. You managed to do it. Let me check your reserves once again.” Once again casting the spell, Twilight’s face was filled with confusion once again. “This is getting weirder. First, you didn’t spend any magic power. Now, you did. We’ll have to study this later. Here are your things,” said Twilight as she gave back Sunset’s saddlebags.
“Thanks, Twilight. Wait a minute, I think I recognize this place.” Looking around, Sunset’s eyes opened more than they should be able to, and she saw somepony from her past. "Princess Celestia..." That was all she could say, looking at her former mentor.