Ten years after graduation and five years since the portal to Equestria vanished, Sunset Shimmer and Principal Celestia reconnect.
A lot can change in ten years. You and your friends grow up, move on, and return. For Sunset Shimmer, something else happened. She lost her way back to her homeland. She returns to Canterlot High on a futile quest to see if the portal to Equestria has returned. Instead, she finds herself catching up with her former principal... for better or for worse.
It was late afternoon. The sun began to set behind the mountains to the west of Canterlot High School. Classes had ended an hour before and the school grounds were relatively silent compared to the hustle and bustle of the student body as they attended classes during the day.
Sunset Shimmer stood at the plinth that was in front of the school’s main entrance. The Wondercolt statue had never been replaced since its destruction during her time as a student. No budget for it, and none of the school’s many fundraisers had managed to scrape together enough to pay for a respectable replacement. By the time Sunset had graduated, no one had cared anymore. And now, nearly ten years later, no one but a few members of the faculty even remembered the statue had been there.
Of course, the statue wasn’t the only thing missing from the plinth these days. Sunset sighed and placed a hand on the concrete cube. Long ago, there would have been some give, a soothing warmth, and if one was to keep pushing, they would feel a sudden shift in density and found themselves in a magical land of talking ponies.
But that too was long ago. It had been five years since the portal inexplicably vanished from its home in the plinth. Five years since the magical journal Sunset had used to communicate with Princess Twilight Sparkle had stopped working. Five years since Equestria had become cut off from this world, leaving Sunset stranded with no way to return to the land of her birth.
Admittedly, she had decided some time ago that she would most likely remain in the human world for the rest of her life. But it had been comforting to know that she could return to Equestria any time she wanted, whether for a visit or permanently if she so chose.
Now that option was gone for good. Her self-imposed exile was now irrevocable. She knew that, deep down. But she still returned to the plinth. Usually just once a week, which could occasionally turn into a month or more, especially during convention season. But she always returned, some part of her still wishing and hoping that when she did, the portal would have returned just as mysteriously as it had vanished, and she could once again see the enchanted land she hailed from. She would probably continue visiting until she no longer was physically able.
However long that was.
“Sunset Shimmer?”
Sunset stiffened at the sound of the soft voice, so much like her old mentor’s and yet very much its own. She turned to see Principal Celestia walking down the front steps of the school. The school administrator hadn’t changed much in the last decade. Still ludicrously tall, she still had a good four or five inches on Sunset, despite her growth spurt in college. Her hair was still the pastel rainbow Sunset knew, except for the slight graying at the roots she could see as the principal came closer. Tiny laugh lines could be seen around her eyes. Unlike her unchanging royal counterpart in Equestria, this Celestia was older and most likely wiser than she had been during Sunset’s days as a student.
Time doesn’t wait for anyone on this side. Sunset stifled a sigh at the thought and smiled.
“Principal Celestia!”
The principal smiled. “It’s been almost a decade since you graduated, Sunset. I think we’re past formalities. ‘Celestia’ is just fine.”
Sunset let out a small laugh. “Right. Force of habit. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. How are things, Sunset?”
“Oh, pretty good. I’ve landed a few jobs with Zow Comics. Working with some great writers. I’m doing a prestige format mini-series right now, as a matter of fact.”
“Yes, I’ve confiscated a few of your comics from students over the years,” Celestia said. “And I’d be lying if I don’t get a little thrill of satisfaction when I see your name on the cover.”
“Really?” Sunset asked. “I didn’t think anyone here would notice.”
Celestia placed a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “I know this isn’t really the kind of thing a school official should say, but you were always one of my favorite students, Sunset.”
Sunset blushed. It was amazing how much a word of praise from Celestia, any Celestia, made her feel so loved. “Thank you.”
Celestia seemed to pick up Sunset’s embarrassment. “And how are your friends? I understand they’ve all come back to Canterlot City over the last year.”
Sunset’s face brightened. “Yeah, it’s so good to have them all back. I mean, we kept in touch through college and everything with the internet and all that, but it’s not the same as knowing you all live in the same town and can get together whenever you want.”
Celestia nodded. “And what are they all doing these days?”
Sunset began ticking off her fingers. “Well, Rainbow Dash got a job as assistant coach for the Canterlot Horseshoes. The season starts in a few months, so she’s already putting the team through their paces. They’re terrified of her.”
The two of them laughed. Sunset resumed her report.
“Twilight Sparkle – excuse me. Doctor Sparkle is up at Canterlot University. She’s teaching undergrad courses right now, but she’s also heading up the robotics lab. I don’t know if you heard this, but Fluttershy’s spent the last few years with the Peace Corps.”
“I recall running into the Shys a while back,” said Celestia. “They mentioned something about that.”
“Well, she decided to come home a few months ago. She's working for the animal shelter again. Paid, this time.”
“Unsurprising, but rewarding for her. What about Rarity? I was expecting to see her clothing line at the mall by now.”
“She took a different route,” Sunset answered. “She got a commission to make a gown for some awards ceremony out in Applewood. Next thing we hear, she's designing costumes for movies. And the next time I saw her, she's on TV getting a Osric for Best Costume Design.”
Celestia laughed. “I remember that. And the rant she went on when they tried to play her off.”
“She insists that's why she hasn't won since then. But she decided she was tired of the Applewood life and wanted to open her own boutique, like Prim Hemline did. Oh, wait!”
Sunset reached into the pocket of her blazer and pulled out a business card. She passed it over to the principal. “Grand opening is next week. She's holding a mixer the night before.” Sunset gave Celestia a sly grin. “Open bar. I know teachers like anything that's free.”
“That, Miss Shimmer, is outright slander and I resent the implication,” Celestia said imperiously. She snatched the card from Sunset's hand. “And the fact that my sister and I will be delighted to attend Rarity's opening gala has very little to do with the fact that – wait, full bar or just beer and wine?”
“Full bar.”
“ – Has very little to do with the fact that there will be a full open bar there! We are thrilled to support our former student's business endeavor.”
The teacher and the former student looked at each other, then broke out in laughter. Celestia wiped her eye. “In all seriousness, please tell Rarity we look forward to seeing her and her new shop.”
“I will.”
“And what about Applejack and Pinkie Pie? I imagine Applejack is back on her family farm?”
Sunset nodded. “But here's something I bet you didn't know. She's a certified horse trainer now!”
“Really?” Celestia's eyebrows raised. “When did that happen?”
“While she was in college, she started doing rodeo. She came to the attention of Sky Rider. He's one of the top trainers in the country. He was so impressed with how she handled her horse during the barrel riding, he offered her an apprenticeship. She took it, and now she's training horses on her own.”
“Well, that's great! And Pinkie Pie? I know she opened a bakery in Baltimare and she seemed to be doing really well. Wasn't she on Dueling Bakers last year?”
“Yep. But it was a mixed blessing. Business tripled for her, but she got overwhelmed and burned out. Sold the whole thing six months after the show aired.”
“What's she doing now?”
“Enjoying the six figures she got from the sale, as I understand it.” Sunset grinned. “She's been talking about opening another place, but she's also considering professional party planning. Nothing solid yet.”
“Nothing wrong with that. She seems to be pretty stable.” Celestia frowned, then gave a sardonic smirk. “Well, it is Pinkie Pie, so maybe 'stable' isn't the right word.”
Sunset laughed. “True. Very true. Well, this was nice, but... um... I have to go. Deadlines to meet, you know.”
Celestia frowned. “Are you sure? You seem a little agitated all of a sudden.”
“No, no, I just got feeling a little nostalgic and decided to swing by and look at the ol' stomping ground, y'know?” Sunset smiled and immediately knew it had been a bad idea.
Celestia folded her arms and fixed Sunset with a look. “Sunset, you're not one of my students any more, but I'd to think on some level we're friends. So, to be honest with you, I've seen you on the security footage. You've been coming here nearly every week since the portal disappeared. Are you sure you're all right?”
Sunset felt her teeth clench then sighed. “I keep hoping the portal will be open again. That one day, I'll come here and Princess Twilight will be waiting for me with an explanation for what happened. I miss her. I miss Equestria.”
“I can understand homesickness,” Celestia said. Sunset shook her head.
“It's not that. Well, not just that.” Sunset trailed off and she grabbed her elbow, a gesture Celestia remembered all too well. Something was troubling her former student.
“Sunset?”
Sunset stepped back and leaned against the plinth. She refused to make eye contact with the principal. Celestia frowned and stepped forward. She put a hand on Sunset's shoulder.
“Sunset, what is it?” Concern was written on Celestia's face. She hadn't seen Sunset like this since the Friendship Games when she was in school. “I'm not going to press you, but if you need to talk, I'm willing to listen.”
Sunset sighed again. “It's not just homesickness. And it's not just that the magic is fading.”
Celestia's eyes widened. “It is?”
“Everything I've seen over the last few years indicates it. Our geode powers have been gradually diminishing. The journal I used to talk to Princess Twilight stopped working around the same time the portal vanished. And there's been... other unexpected side effects.”
Sunset's voice dropped and she looked down at the sidewalk. Celestia reached down and gently tilted Sunset's face upward. “What's happened, Sunset?”
Sunset turned her head and squeezed her eyes shut, feeling like a teenager again. When she opened them, her eyes were watery.
With some prodding, Celestia had convinced Sunset to come into the school, specifically the teachers' lounge. She placed a mug of tea in front of her former student and sat down at the table next to her with a mug of her own. Sunset thanked her and took a sip.
“Cancer?” Celestia asked. Sunset shook her head as she put her mug down.
“No, not that, thank god. The doctors don't actually know what's happening, but they are sure that my body is slowly shutting down. I have my own theory, though.”
“The portal vanishing?”
Sunset nodded. “It's the only thing I can think of that makes sense. The portal vanished and the journal stopped working. A few months later, each of the girls tell me that it seems their geode powers weren't as strong as they used to be. Rainbow confirmed that to me.”
“How so?” Celestia sipped her own tea.
“A few months before all that mess with Wallflower Blush and the Memory Stone, we discovered that if any one of us started using our magic non-stop, it would overcharge all the other geodes and cause our powers to activate involuntarily. When the portal vanished, I asked the girls to keep an eye on their magic. A few months after it happened, Rainbow confessed she'd been using her super speed more or less constantly since then. But I didn't notice any random bouts of mind reading on my end, and the others didn't report anything unusual on theirs.”
Sunset took another sip of tea, then looked up again. “Ever since then, Twilight and I have been taking periodic readings on our own magic and we've noticed a sharp decline in the ambient energy around the geodes.”
Sunset started expounding on her and Twilight's theories about why the magic was diminishing, and while Celestia was able to follow her train of thought, her mind was more occupied with observing Sunset herself. Her former student was talking a mile a minute as she warmed to her subject, but there was tension in her posture. Years of watching students trying to deflect giving her straight answers made it clear that Sunset was trying to avoid talking about the subject the principal was most interested in. When Sunset seemed to be winding down, Celestia leaned forward in her chair.
“Sunset,” she said, using what Luna had termed her “getting down to business” voice. Sunset trailed off, recognizing it, and looked down at her tea.
“You don't really care about all that,” Sunset said. She looked up, once again feeling like a teenager in front of the principal. “You want to know why I'm dying.”
Celestia gave her a sympathetic look. “I would. If you would rather not talk about it, I won't press you. And I strongly suspect you have yet to tell anyone else about your condition.”
Sunset sighed. “You'd be right. I haven't told anyone else, because I actually don't know why I'm dying. All I have is suspicions.”
“How did you discover it was happening?” Celestia asked.
“About a year ago, I started feeling really fatigued. Tired all the time, even after a good night's sleep. I didn't think much of it at first, but it started getting worse. Even now, I have days where I'm lucky if I'm active for more than ten hours at a time.”
Sunset took another sip of tea. “Anyway, when my fatigue started interfering with my deadlines, I went to the doctor. They originally thought it was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but the symptoms didn't match up. And they didn't match with any of the other diseases that it could have been. Long story short, after about six months of tests, they admitted they weren't sure of what was causing it, but my body was starting to show signs of shutting down.”
“Oh God,” Celestia said quietly.
Sunset gave a rueful smirk. “Yeah, that's what I said. Anyway, after that diagnosis came in, I figured if the doctors over here couldn't figure out what it was, maybe it was an Equestrian disease I'd picked up that finally incubated long enough to manifest. So I did my own research.”
“Wait,” Celestia said. “If this only happened a year ago, and the portal was gone by then, how did you research it?”
Sunset gave her a sheepish grin. “Before the portal closed, I borrowed quite a few books from both Princess Twilight and the Royal Canterlot Library. When it vanished, I still had a few at home.”
Celestia quirked an eyebrow. “I seem to recall you had 'a few' books from the school library still in your possession that you had to return before we'd allow you to participate in the graduation ceremony. Do I want to know how many you have?”
“Um... nineteen?”
Celestia gave her a look. Sunset's sheepish grin returned.
“Okay, twenty-eight. A couple of them were medical textbooks, but they didn't really have anything that matched what was happening to me. Until I found what I was looking for in a copy of Principia Mythologica.”
“Which is what, exactly?”
“Oh, sorry. It's an advanced text on how magic works in Equestria. And it has a comprehensive section on merging of magic and biology.”
Sunset sighed and her face fell. “As it turns out, magic is so intrinsic to the life of my world, if the ambient magic ever vanished, everything in Equestria would die. Which gave me a theory that made sense. No more magic coming into this world, which meant that our geodes started losing power. And if magic is that necessary for Equestrian life... well, I think you can figure it out from there.”
Celestia reached out and took Sunset's hand. “I know this sounds trite, but I'm so sorry, Sunset.”
“Thank you.” Sunset sighed again and drank more tea.
“I do have a question if that's all right?” Celestia asked.
“Go ahead.”
“Are you absolutely sure it's the lack of magic causing this? If that was the case, wouldn't you have exhibited these same symptoms shortly after you first came here?”
“That's the thing, the portal still existed then,” Sunset explained. “And it opened every thirty moons. Not only that, even when it was closed, enough magic was still leaking through to power the journal. That's how we were able to contact Princess Twilight when the Dazzlings came.”
Celestia's eyes widened. “The Dazzlings. If this is true, what about them?”
“That's how I confirmed my theory,” Sunset answered. “I tracked them down. Took some doing, but I found them in Fillydelphia. They were... not happy to see me.”
“I wouldn't think so.”
“But, after the screaming, the bitterness, and the sarcasm, we were able to talk and, yeah, the same thing is happening to them. And after I told them what was happening, there was more screaming and bitterness.”
Sunset let out another world-weary sigh and idly stirred her coffee. “I haven't talked to them since. I really do hope they're doing as well as they can.”
Celestia's heart was breaking. After everything Sunset had done from turning herself around, to dealing with a variety of magical problems around the city, to establishing herself as a successful comics artist, seeing her cut off from her home world and that having fatal consequences was a reminder that the universe could sometimes be a cold, uncaring place.
“How long do you have?” she asked.
Sunset shrugged. “However long whatever magic is left in this world lasts. Could be years, could only be a few weeks. For all I know, I could be dead by Saturday.”
“Is there anything I can do for you?”
Sunset shook her head and looked up at the principal. “I wish there was, but short of somehow being able to recreate the portal and restarting the flow of magic, I don't think so.”
“What about your friends? You still have those geodes. Couldn't they re-open the portal?”
“I already thought of that,” Sunset answered. “When Rainbow got back, we all met up at the plinth. We all wore our geodes. Nothing.”
“What did they say afterward?”
Sunset swallowed and grabbed her elbow again. Celestia frowned.
“You haven't told them?”
Sunset shook her head. Celestia sighed.
“Sunset, they're your closest friends. I'd even go so far as to say, after all this time, they're your family. Don't you think they'd want to know their time with you is limited?”
Sunset looked at the floor. “I can't,” she whispered.
“Sunset, you have to. They need to know.”
Sunset's head shot up. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes. “I can't! I need their help!”
“With what? What on earth could be more important than your life?”
“Something Princess Twilight asked me to help her with before the portal vanished. Something which, if I don't deal with it, could mean dire consequences for everyone else further down the line. I can't just sit here and wait for my clock to run out. I have to take care of this, I need the girls' help, and I can't have them worrying about me while we do it.”
Sunset took a deep breath. “I know I need to tell them, sooner than later. But this is something that has to be done and I can't do it by myself. And I can't do it if they're all worrying about me.”
“What exactly did Princess Twilight ask you to do?” Celestia asked.
“Apparently, the Memory Stone wasn't the only Equestrian magical artifact that ended up in this world.”
Celestia straightened up in her chair. “How many artifacts are here?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“Twenty-seven?!” Celestia yelped.
Sunset nodded, sadness on her face. “She and I were going to track them down and return them to Equestria, but the portal vanished. Now, all I can do is track them down and purge the magic from them before anyone figures out what they can do.”
Celestia frowned as an ugly thought came to her. “Wait. If you purge the magic from these artifacts, won't that – “
“Drastically shorten my own potential lifespan? Yeah, I thought of that. And most likely it will. But between the potential for people abusing the magic and causing unbridled chaos across the world and something that will, when you boil it down, only hurt a small handful of people for a while here... I have to choose the option that will help the majority of people.” Sunset idly toyed with the spoon in the remnants of her tea and looked back up. “Is that selfish?”
It was Celestia's turn to sigh. She gave Sunset a sad smile. “No. In fact, that may be the least selfish thing I've ever heard.”
She looked at the table for a moment and back up. “It's a shitty situation, Sunset.”
Sunset blinked and began to laugh. “I'm sorry. I just never expected to hear you swear. Ever.”
“You never heard me in my car on the way home some nights,” Celestia smirked.
The two laughed again and Sunset stood up.
“Listen,” she said. “I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me about this, but if happen to see the other girls around town, could you not mention this to them?”
“Sunset,” Celestia sighed. Sunset held up a hand.
“I will tell them, but not right away. Once we start finding the artifacts, then I'll tell them.”
Celestia looked at Sunset, then deflated. “All right, Sunset. I'll keep this to myself... for now. But, I have some conditions.”
Sunset quirked an eyebrow. “What kind of conditions?”
“I want you to check in with me every week. Someone needs to know what's going on you as you do this. And with both Princess Twilight and my counterpart unavailable and the fact you trusted me with this information, I would think I'm the best person to help you.”
“You do realize I'm twenty-eight, right?” Sunset said with a half-hearted laugh. Celestia fixed her with a firm stare. Sunset's shoulders slumped. “All right, I'll give you my number.”
“Good,” Celestia replied. “Second condition. Total honesty about how you're feeling at these check ins. I know you'll try to deflect if I tell you something you don't like. So, no lying. Understood?”
“Yes,” Sunset hissed through her teeth.
“Final condition. Two months.”
Sunset looked up. “Two months?”
“That is how long I will indulge you. You have two months to tell your friends about your condition. If you don't, I will.”
Sunset's eyes widened. “You can't!”
“I can and I will,” Celestia said. Her expression softened. “You won't be able to keep this a secret forever, Sunset. Especially if purging these items is going to accelerate the process. You're going to need help and support. The fatigue is probably only the first major symptom, and as time goes on, there will probably be more. You know I'm right.”
The two stared each other down, then Sunset blinked and her shoulders sagged. “All right. Two months.” She gave a rueful laugh. “Sometimes, you're so much like the princess, it's scary.”
Celestia smiled and stood up. She put a hand on Sunset's shoulder. “I'm pretty sure it's for the same reason: we care about you. I may not be your principal anymore, but I am your friend, and I am going to do what I think is best to help you.”
“I know.” Sunset gave her a small smile. “Tough but fair, that's you.”
“It's worked for the last thirty years for me.”
They laughed again. Sunset looked at her watch. “I have to go. I'm meeting up with Fluttershy and Rarity for dinner.”
Celestia nodded. She put the mugs in the sink as Sunset opened the door. “I need to be heading home myself.”
They left the lounge and headed for the exit. They walked in silence for a few minutes, then looked at Celestia.
“Thanks for listening. It helped.”
“You're welcome. I'm not lifting the conditions.”
The deadpan delivery caused Sunset to let out a snort of laughter. “Okay, okay. Two months. I'll tell the girls.”
“Good.” Celestia reached the front doors of the school and held it open. They left the building and walked down the steps. “It's not entirely hopeless, Sunset. Something may come to you. One of these artifacts could help, somehow.”
“Maybe, but I'm not going to hold my breath.”
They reached the plinth. Sunset turned to Celestia and pulled out her phone. “What's your number?”
Celestia gave it to her and they exchanged information. Sunset pocketed her phone.
“Thank you... Celestia. I'll call. I promise.”
Celestia smiled and nodded. “Good. And feel free to call if you need to. Any time.”
Sunset nodded, then leaned forward and embraced Celestia. Celestia returned the embrace, holding her former pupil for as long as she needed. After a minute or two, Sunset stepped back and wiped her eyes.
“Well,” she said. “I need to get going. I'll call you next week.”
Celestia nodded. “Good night, Sunset.”
“Night, Celestia.”
Celestia watched as Sunset began walking away from the school. When she was out of sight, she sighed and headed around the building for the faculty lot. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
“Luna? Yeah, I'm heading home now. No, not work, just an unexpected reunion.”
A thought occurred to her. “Listen, Luna, do you want go out for a drink tonight? I need to talk. Something happened. No, I'm fine. Just something's on my mind and I could use a friendly pair of ears.
“Yes, I know it's a terrible metaphor, Lu. Do you want to get drinks, or do you want to correct me all night? Of course, you want to do both. Fine, I'll be home in twenty minutes. Be ready, will you?”
She hung up as she reached her car. She smirked and unlocked the door. She could always count on her sister to make her feel better. As she started the car, she felt her mood change.
Yes, Luna always makes me feel better. I just hope Sunset lets her friends do the same for her.
She pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.
Sunset Shimmer unlocked the door to her apartment. She tossed her keys on the table next to the door. She had come a long way since the small studio apartment she had lived in during high school. Her current place was clean and modern. She couldn't afford luxury, but she did have this decent two bedroom, one of which she used as her studio, and an entertainment system that made anyone who saw it jealous as hell.
She stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, before heading into the dining area. She looked down at the papers scattered across the desk. She took the rubber band off a roll of sheets and spread them out on the table, using a couple of paperweights to keep them from rolling back up.
They were blueprints that had cost her a considerable sum to get. Each sheet detailed a different floor of the Canterlot City Museum. She looked them over for a few minutes when her phone rang.
“Hello? Oh, hi Rarity. Yes, we're still on for dinner. I just need to jump in the shower and change. Say about forty-five minutes? Cool. Oh, and Rarity?
“I need to talk to you and Fluttershy about a project I need some help with.”
