If Twilight never became a princess, then how was Sunset reformed?
If Twilight never became a princess, then how was Sunset reformed?
Seeing as how the human world is Equestria's garbage dump, that isn't a big problem. There is another "good" Equestrian in the human world, and her name is Evening Star.
This story is a side story to my story Lovely Chaos, just so you could see what was going on in the human world. You don't have to read Lovely Chaos to get this.
Sunset Shimmer couldn't imagine a perfecter life. She only had one opponent in the race for Princess of the Fall Formal. She'd make an example of the unfortunate girl, then she'd prepare herself for the portal reopening the next year. It was important that she completely wiped out the competition so that she'd have time to go through the portal without the chance that someone might steal her title. Sunset pondered her life as she strolled down the streets of Canterlot City.
I wonder if Celestia found another prodigy... not that I care. My life is great. But I can't help but think that it could be better somehow. But how? I can't imagine a better life, so how is this one not the best? Sunset wondered. A noise in the alley she was passing yanked her out of her thoughts.
"Who's there?" Sunset asked, turning to look in the direction of the sound. She listened closely, soon hearing the sound again. It was the sound of sobbing, sobbing so pitiful that even Sunset felt sorry for whoever it was.
"Do you need help?" Sunset asked, her eyes searching for the source of the sound. She spotted it in the back of the alley, a young girl who seemed as if she hadn't been cared for. She made no move when Sunset walked toward her, instead just sobbed uncontrollably.
"Did she send you?" the young girl asked, throwing Sunset an unreadable look. Confused, Sunset took a small step closer.
"Who's she? If you don't want to tell me, it's fine. But I'd prefer you do, just so I could help you." Sunset said softly.
"She is Thorny Rose, my mother. But don't tell her I said that. She says not to call her 'mother' because I am not good enough." the little girl replied.
"That's terrible! Your father?" Sunset was careful to speak loud enough for the girl to hear, yet soft enough so the girl wouldn't be scared.
"Dead. My name is Alien, by the way. She says it is fitting for a creature like me." the girl replied, standing up.
"My name is Sunset Shimmer. Is there anything your dad called you?" asked Sunset. She carefully reached out a hand to the girl, who she refused to call Alien.
"Father wished to call me Evening Star." the girl responded. She took Sunset's hand, and began to walk out of the alley with Sunset.
"Then from now on I'll call you Evening Star, maybe Star for short." Sunset said firmly, leading the girl to the abandoned house within view of the city. It was broken down, and often referred to as the House of Hope, in honor of the fact that homeless people often found their way there to spend the night. It symbolized the warmth of a home for those without one. It inspired people to find their own home.
"And that's my entire story." Star said, finishing her life story that Sunset had asked her to recall.
"So let me get this straight. Your father and his entire species was exiled from another world a super long time ago, he married your mother, and died before meeting you. Oh, you poor thing." Sunset said as she reached out to give Star a hug.
"Why do you still like me? Most people hate me for being a Tantabus. Bringer of nightmares, destroyer of dreams, the evil creature from Equestria. All the scary titles make me seem terrible, but I'm weak from never causing a bad dream. So why did you bring me home without question?" Star asked, her eyes begining to water as she prepared herself for her world to turn back into a nightmare.
"I'm from Equestria as well, except I came here on my own free will. But the reason I wanted to help you was because you needed it." said Sunset gently while she wiped away Star's tears. Her eyes widened when she rembered a book about Tantabi she had read when she was back in Equestria. Tantabi needed to create nightmares in order to collect the negative energy the ponies having them gave off. Tantabi then turned the negative energy into magic. And Star had never gotten the chance to collect negative energy.
"I wish I had magic so I could help you fix this place up." Star sighed. Sunset knew from Star's story that she was used to sitting on the floor, so the feeling of a bed must've been a luxury to her. Star was thinking of Sunset instead, showing just how sweet she was.
"Why don't I help you with that? You can mess around with my dreams. Anytime you want. In return, you allow me to become your legal gaurdian." Sunset responded kindly. Star pulled away, looking deep into Sunset Shimmer's eyes.
"I would love that, big sis." said Star, hoping that she wasn't pushing it.
"I'm glad to hear that, little sis." Sunset replied.
Evening Star looked around Sunset's dream. It took place in Canterlot High School. In it, Sunset was talking to five average girls. Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie. Star walked closer to her new gaurdian- if you lost your mind enough to call Thorny Rose her old gaurdian- and listened in on the dream conversation.
"That outfit looks fabulous on you, darling." Rarity was saying as Star wandered over. Not having enough experience with creating nightmares to be able to turn the dream into one suitable for Sunset Shimmer, she tried to wing it.
"If you were blind, of course. The bad girl look was never in style. And your emblem- if someone advised me to wear it, I'd faint." Rarity countinued. The other girls agreed, making Sunset frown angrily. Star could feel the negative energy. The sadness at being regected, the anger at the ones who did it. Star could feel all the emotions she had stirred within Sunset, and quickly turned the raw negative energy into magic.
"Would you help me pick out an outfit, then?" Sunset asked calmly. However much she wanted to deny it, Star enjoyed turning the dream into a nightmare. For one thing, she wasn't hurting Sunset. Star was feeling all the emotions she caused so she could turn it into magic, so Sunset wouldn't be able to feel any negative emotions.
"Help a meanie like you? I'd prefer to give up my secret cupcake stash then do that!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. The other girls agreed, and soon the emotions Sunset would be feeling was instead being felt by Star.
Star, feeling her magic stores full up at Sunset's rejection, decided to try going into other dreams.
Thanks to the fact that Thorny Rose wished that her daughter was never born, getting Sunset to be Evening Star's legal guardian was a piece of cake. But now, Thorny was beginning to regret that. She had wanted to put as much distance between her and her daughter that she hadn't thought of the sweet girl who had offered her help as Star'sAlien's legal guardian. Thorny gazed into her mirror as she tried to convince herself that she did the right thing. After all, a little white lie every now and then was healthy for any relationship, including a mother daughter one.
"He would want...." Thorny couldn't finish telling herself what North Star would want. Her husband had died 10 years before, on StaAlien's birthday. So what he would think of her lying to Alien, she had no idea. Had he wanted her to say that he had been a prince? Had he wanted her to say that Alien would one day face Traitor? That Alien's life depended on her making friends?
"Of course not, she can't feel emotions. Another reason she's an alien." Thorny whispered to herself. She would sit back and wait for the announcement about an alien being found and brought in for testing. But wouldn't Thorny herself be in danger? They'd want the alien's mother to experiment on as well. And she couldn't depend on an unfeeling monster when her life depended on it. Alien could- and probably would- betray Thorny without any remorse.
"Maybe he left something for me to use against her." Thorny said before walking over to her bed. She reached under what used to be North Star's pillow and pulled out his journal.
Dear (inevitably) Wife and daughter,
I am writing to you about Tantabi. We cannot fell emotions of our own, so we feel whatever emotion we make others feel. From that we also draw magic. We can share that magic, and we can have it stolen. If a Tantabi should steal another's magic, they would not be able to use it against the one(s) it originally came from. Doing so would allow the stolen magic to go back to the one(s) it came from. This is very important, daughter, when facing Traitor. Always remember that even a single friend can make the difference between winning and losing. As the first Star with Bright Star's abilities, Traitor will be attracted to you. His battle was with Bright Star, and you are truly Bright Star's heir.
Sincerely, The Tantabi Prince, North Star
It would explain the nightmares she was plagued with every night. Nightmares of her 'family' turning against her and attacking her. Alien's inevitable battle would not effect her. She would just retake the magic created using her dreams if she was drawn into the battle somehow. Then she would leave. The only thing binding her to her house was Alien. Her income came from Canterlot Open Charity Of Abundance, or COCOA. She received enough money to tide over three people every week. Maybe she should pay them a visit to update her account. Her poor daughter was sick, and needed more money. Money was needed for going shopping for a sick little girl, and she intended to get it.
She wasn't lying. Despite the fact that she intended to use the money for herself, she was indeed sick. Her mind was twisted by grief to believe that an innocent young girl was a monster. Her sickness was not a medical one, but a mental one. One that could only be cured when she came to terms with her husband dying and not ever feeling any love for her. Her own daughter was working to create a cure, one way or another.
"But Rarity, we have to talk to the new girl! She's super rich, and Diamond Tiara might steal her before we get there." Sweetie Belle protested.
"You and Apple Bloom are free to do that. But Scootaloo is in trouble for the last stunt you pulled. Honestly, who's idea was it to start a dance mob while Fluttershy was doing her petting zoo presentation- which she volunteered to do. Didn't the one responsible know that the presentation was to get your school to agree to make a mini-zoo in order to get some of the shelter animals a home?" Rarity ranted.
"Mine." Scootaloo admitted. The Canterlot Musketeer Club- inspired by the three musketeers of course- were all collectively wishing that Fluttershy was babysitting them instead. The shy girl wouldn't have had the heart to stop them from meeting a new friend. Even Rainbow Dash would have been an option. She would have at least taken them to the park, the place where the new girl liked to hang out. But no, Miss Beauty Queen was the one that had to be the one that Scootaloo's parents dumped her on.
"Come on, Sweetie Belle! We have to go now or we'll miss the opportunity to get to her before Diamond Tiara does." Apple Bloom urged her friend.
"Go on, or you'll miss it. I wouldn't want to be responsible for making you miss meeting the new girl at our school before her first day." Scootaloo said firmly despite the smile on her face. The smile wavered as her friends ran out of the house.
Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had the better afternoon by far. They had played soccer with the new girl. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had showed up and began teasing the CMC about how the were middle-class while them and the new girl were both super rich. Unexpectedly, the new girl had cut in. She offered them the chance to learn her name before everyone else as the prize of a two-on-two soccer match. Diamond had requested time to prepare, obviously up to her old tricks. But the new girl had said the match was gonna be now or never. The CMC won and learned that the new girl's name was Evening Star.
Scootaloo's afternoon consisted of her being Rarity's mannequin. After her parents had picked her up and brought her home, she had promised herself never to try and test out her marketing skills during one of Fluttershy's presentation again.