As graduation approaches, Sunset evaluates her life, and realizes she left a lot of ponies behind when she left through the portal. Upon her return though, she rediscovers an old friendship she had long forgotten about...
Sunset Shimmer has a fear of Endings. She hates them with a passion. Thus she is stuck with a problem. Graduation is coming up and she has no idea what to do next. Her friends are going to college, and she doesn't want High School to end. She can't face it. She needs a way out...
And with Graduation soon approaching, she looks back. Back to before... She realizes just how much she left behind when she went through the portal. Her Family, Her Parents....Her Friends
She needs to go back. Thus, she packs up, and goes back to Equestria
But what she finds when she gets there, isn't what she had intended.
Sunset let out a sigh as she sat on the steps of Canterlot High. 4 years she had gone to this school, and it was finally over.
Graduation. Something she had dreaded since her first day as a "good girl". She never gave it a thought when she was the stereotypical bully, since back then, she figured she'd just continue that shtick into College and beyond, but when Princess Twilight forced her to take a good long look at herself, she realized how stupid that plan was, and decided to give Friendship a chance.
And that's why she feared Graduation. Because now that she had that Friendship, she didn't wanna lose it. Her friends were all going away, and she knew that once they went away, they'd find new friends, new lives, new jobs. She'd be left in the past. A memory.
"Hey Sunset...you okay?"
Sunset turned her head to see Twilight Sparkle, the human version at least. She had transfered to CHS only a year ago and the two of them seemed to get along pretty well since then.
"....No..." Sunset let out with a sigh. She knew she couldn't lie to her friend. "We graduate tomorrow and...well...I don't wanna lose you girls."
"You're not gonna lose us. We'll keep in touch." Twilight spoke with a smile. Sunset couldn't help but frown.
"But....will you? I mean, You're going to Everton, Dash has her scholarship to MSU, Rarity is looking into Art schools, Pinkie's been flipping from College to College....I just, I can't believe we'll all stay together Twilight. I just can't"
Twilight sat down next to her, a frown on her face "I know Sunset....You've always been the most realistic out of all of us...and you're right. There's no guarantee we'll all stay friends. Life happens...but what about you?"
Sunset winced. That was a subject she'd been avoiding for the past year. She had no idea what she wanted to do. I mean...technically, she isn't even a legal citizen in this world. She had just been mooching off her kind landlord Blueblood by babysitting his daughter, and didn't really plan anything beyond continuing to do that...but she knew she had to face that eventuality some time soon.
"I....haven't thought about it yet"
"Sunset, we graduate in a week....do you really have NO PLANS for after graduation?"
Sunset took a moment to think, considering her options. She wasn't exactly blind to this problem, and had put some thought into it. She could attempt to apply for college herself, but her fear of her past coming back to haunt her always seemed to loom over her anytime she thought about that...on the other hand...
Sunset peered across the front lawn of CHS. The Portal. The Portal that had started her story of redemption. She had always considered going back to the place of her birth whenever things got tough, but this was the first time she had ever been given a legitamate arguement of going back beyond asking Princess Twilight for help in her friendship studies.
Twilight seemed to take notice of this. "You know....if you wanna go back home...we won't be mad at you. You came here to get away right?"
"I did..." Sunset said mindlessly, her mind clearly distracted as her gaze seemed fixed on the marble statue in the middle of the courtyard.
"So...why not go back? Pick up where you left off? We aren't going to forget you, and you can always come back if you want to visit."
Sunset seriously considered it. She had only been back a handful of times and each time it was only to visit Princess Twilight, and/or get help with a magical threat. But this...she had a lot of past she had left behind back in Equestria. Celestia, her parents....her parents. Ponies she hadn't thought of in a long time. She froze up at the thought...did they even know she was alive? She had left so abruptly that she hadn't even considered her family. They were probably back in Manehatten...
Sunset stood up. "okay Twilight...get the girls, I'm going home."
Sunset stood with her girls in front of her apartment. So many memories had been made here. The Sleepover from Tartarus, Consuling Twilight after her breakup with Timber, Fluttershy teaching her how to drive...
Sunset chuckled "there's a skill I won't need in Equestria"
Dash tilted her head "You don't have cars in Equestria?"
"Nope. Just Carriages"
"Like...horse drawn carriages?" Fluttershy asked
"Yup"
"So....You have Horses....pulling horses?" Rarity added, her face twisting in confusion
Sunset couldn't help but laugh. The girls always tried to wrap their heads around the complexities of Equine culture, but she always found new things to baffle them with. Her favorite was still trying to explain how Equstrian Hooves work to Twilight though...
Sunset frowned. She never liked endings. And this was an ending she had dreaded for a long time. As she looked over her things lain out on the sidewalk....she broke down. She knew she couldn't take it all. And she hated having to choose. All of these things, from the smallest hairbrush, to her huge TV she had been using for streaming, all had a value to her. She didn't wanna leave any of it, but she knew she had to.
Sensing her distress, Fluttershy placed Sunset's beloved pet gecko on her shoulder.
Sunset winced, looking on her shoulder and smiling, letting out a loud sniff as she sucked in her tears. "Hey Ray..."
Ray was one of the few things that always seemed to calm her down. His little smile always warmed Sunset to her core, and brought her out of any sort of funk.
"Right, let's figure out what I can take with me. Remember, I need to fit this all into my saddlebags."
We all sat on the curb exhausted. The Afternoon had been spent sorting through her stuff one item at a time, because of course, Twilight had to make a list of it all to "properly" sort it all.
"Sunset....are you sure you don't wanna wait till AFTER Graduation to go through the portal?"
A Question that seemed to be on everyone's mind as we had done this.
"Yes Pinkie...I don't like endings. I wanna get out of here before everyone raises a fuss and starts trying to 'Tell me goodbye', because you girls know how much I hate that word."
"Yes Darling...but, still. Don't you want to at least finish what you started?"
I took pause at that.
The last time I had been asked that question was back when I last saw Celestia before going through the portal.
'....No...I can't. I need to get out here by tomorrow. People will start trying to convince me to stay. I don't want to worry them with that"
The group let out a collective sigh. They knew I had a habit of charging in head first when I set my mind to something.
"Sunset...can we at least say goodbye?" Twilight spoke with a bit of concern. Twilight and I always seemed to have something special. She could read me like a book.
"No, because this isn't goodbye. It's goodbye till next time....right?" I spoke with very little confidence. I didn't want this to be goodbye. I wanted our friendship to last forever...
Twilight looked me in the eyes. At one point, I considered going out with her, but she never seemed interested. But she knew me. She knew me too well. "Sunset...you don't need to be afraid to admit you're scared"
I let out a deep breath, looking at my girls. I was scared. Going back home...
"Girls....can...can I have a hug? I just-"
Without any warning, the girls embraced me. We had spent 2 years sharing expirences, fighting magic, becoming friends...and this was the end of it all. We knew it. Life goes on, it must. but we'd never forget eachother.
As we unloaded my stuff from Fluttershy's car, I felt a lump form in my chest. I never really was the type to get all mushy about the past,but after 2 years...I couldn't help but get a little nostalgic about everything...part of me wanted to stay, but, I couldn't. I needed to get out of here. I couldn't face yet another ending.
As I grabbed my stuff, I smiled at my girls. The girls who had taken me in as their own even when the whole school was against me. The girls, who by the example of Princess Twilight, had shown me the ways of friendship. I'd never forget them.
"Sugarcube..come back when you get the chance, okay?" Applejack spoke up, tears in her eyes. She had been quiet all night, trying to keep her composure, but this was the straw that broke the cowgirl's back. AJ had always been the strong stoic type, but she was also the first to really take me in after the Fall Formal, and to her, I was part of the family. I knew she didn't want me to go.
"AJ...I promise I'll come back. Don't you worry about that. I just...I need to figure some things out and reconnect with some ponies..."
Including my folks...
Shaking my head, I cleared my mind of it all. I didn't need to have my head clouded by that kinda stuff yet.
As I picked my stuff up, I wiped away the tears, giving each of my girls one final hug, only being stopped by Pinkie.
"You know I don't want a hug."
I chuckled holding out my fist to her.
"Fist bump and a wiggle, now we just do a little jiggle. Dance to the beat, now get on your feet. we say Suck it to the hoes, and we touch our toes. Gimme a Cha-Cha-Cha, and a Oo-lala, and we lock and we pop and we pokadot, now through the hoop and we end it with a BOOP!" we both sang, doing our signature handshake before singing one last verse
"Now one last thing that we gotta do, we gotta end it off with an AWOO!" we both sang, howling at the moon like a pair of maniacs before bursting out laughing.
As we calmed down, I let out a sigh "I'm gonna miss you girls..."
"We're gonna miss you too Sunset"
I smiled softly. These girls...what did I do to deserve them?
"I...I love you girls."
"WE LOVE YOU TOO SUNSET!" They all yelled as we came in for one more group hug. I didn't want this to end....but I couldn't stay. I needed to find my parents...and I couldn't bare to go through with Graduation.
Letting go, I turned to the portal, tightening the strap on my guitar, and making sure Ray was tucked into my jacket, and with a deep breath...dove into the portal.
Spike roamed the halls of the Friendship Castle. It was 3 AM and he needed his 3 AM Coffee. It was his ritual. His sacred-
CRAAAAAASH!!!!!!!
Spike jumped a foot in the air at the sound of destruction. Was it a burglar? An Assassin? His real mom?
He rushed to the source of the noise, pulling off a piece of the crystal wall that he passed in an attempt to make a make-shift weapon, opening the door to see-
"Oh....hey Sunset...what are you doing here?"
"Uhhhhh.....visiting?"
"oh cool. Hold on. I'll go get Twilight."
Sunset watched as Spike let out a booming hollar
"YO TWILIGHT!"
Sunset chuckled at the sound of Twilight, obviously very tired, yelling back
"SPIKE IT'S 3 AM WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"
"SUNSET IS HERE TO VISIT!"
There was a brief pause, the sounds of rustling echoing through the halls of the castle, and after a minute, Twilight appeared through the doors of the room, her hair in a state of disarray and her wings disheveled from rolling in bed
"Hey Twilight."
"H-hi Sunset...what are you doing here?"
Sunset chuckled, walking over to Twilight. "Just...needed some time away from the girls. Thought I'd hang around here for a while"
"Isn't Graduation soon? I remember you writing me about that..."
Sunset went quiet, Twilight rubbing her eyes "you don't wanna graduate, do you?"
Sunset looked down in shame "No...I don't..."
Twilight gave her a sweet smile. She knew Sunset had issues with confronting the idea of her friendship ending, so she wasn't surprised by this. "Hey...if you wanna stay here, you're always welcome"
"Oh thanks...because...I kinda sorta...moved everything out of my apartment and gave it all to the girls..."
"Oh....so you wanna..."
"Yeah....Mind if I live here with you for a while? I just wanna get my hooves back on the ground and find a place of my own. I'm not planning to stay here much, just need a place to sleep. Tomorrow I'm planning to head to Manehatten to look up some ponies"
Twilight raised an eyebrow at this, though with her eyes bloodshot from waking up, it made her look kinda crazy. "Manehatten? Why Manehatten?"
Sunset smirked "I'm from there. Manehatten Born. What...did you just assume I was from Canterlot?"
Twilight gave a guilty blush "I mean....yeaaaah?"
Sunset rolled her eyes. "I was born in Manehatten and was taken in by Celestia when I was seven. She saw me at a Talent show at my elementary school. I used a Lupin Ignitus spell on a house plant my mom let me borrow."
"Did she ever get it back?" Spike chimed in
"No, Spike, the Lupin Ignitus spell is the Moon flame spell! That's high level offensive magic! Where did you learn that at age 7?!" Twilight asked, bewildered by my claim of magic prowess
"I lived next door to the Manehatten National Library, and knew how to pick a lock. Well...I didn't, my friend did."
Before Twilight could respond, yet another crash came from inside the room. "Oh yeah...Ummm...Twilight...say hi to Ray."
As Sunset spoke, the head of a huge serpent poked out from behind the portal, Twilight screeching like a banshee and darting to the ceiling with a flap of her wings
"Well that's one way to wake her up" Spike said with a smirk
"WHY IS HE A DRAKE?! THOSE THINGS ARE KNOWN TO STRANGLE PONIES AND THEN EAT THEM WHOLE!"
"I dunno. Portal doing weird stuff I presume. He's nice though. You know Ray...." Sunset said, rubbing the underside of Ray's now enormous snout.
"I mean...I do...but..." Twilight carefully lowered herself down to the ground, still keeping her distance from the now 7 foot serpent. "Just...take him over to Fluttershy in the morning. She can take care of him while you're in Manehatten...okay?"
"Alright, Alright. I'll take him over in the morning." Sunset said with a smirk.
It was then the group heard the loud groan of a very grumpy Starlight, Sunset letting out a laugh.
Starlight poked her head in, her eyes still half lidded "Why were we yelling?"
"Hey Starlight!" Sunset let out with a cheery grin
"....Sunset?" Starlight took a second to rub her eyes, "What are you doing here?"
"Moving in"
Starlight gave a very uninterested stare before responding "...cool...I'm going back to bed now"
"Bye!"
Twilight gave Sunset a deadpan stare "You should go to bed too"
Sunset blinked at Twilight, before letting out a nervous giggle "Yeah...I guess I should...spent all night packing stuff up...Where's my room?"
Twilight let out a long sigh, obviously caught off guard by all this. "We got a free room down the hall. 13th room on the left."
"How you survive in such a large castle by yourself I will never understand. Thanks though!" Sunset happily replied, walking to her new room. "Come on Ray!" She called as the huge serpent followed her down the hall.
As Sunset stretched, she took note of her surroundings. A Crystal walled room with a large bed an a huge serpent curled up around her. Today was gonna be interesting.
Getting up, she fell forward as she tried to stand on her back hooves. A habit she's gonna have to try and break.
"Every time you come here Sunset...every time" She muttered to herself, before trotting over to the bathroom across the hall.
Looking around the bathroom, she spotted something she hadn't seen in ages, a Bathtub. She was SOOO tempted to start a bath..but she didn't want to impose and use up all the water...
"TWILIGHT!?"
No Answer.
"I mean...Gods, I really wanna bath...I haven't had a good soak in ages..."
Sunset sighed "Maybe later..."
Starting the shower, Sunset let the water flow over her coat. It was a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time, but she missed dearly. The feeling of water flowing through your coat, getting all your hairs evenly wet. While most ponies would complain, Sunset was in heaven. She hadn't felt this in six years.
Looking around, she spotted a bottle of shampoo on a ledge, and reached to grab it, failing as it slipped to the shower floor.
"oh come on! Darn....wait..."
Looking up at her horn, she facehooved. "Why I do ALWAYS forget you're a thing? Every time I come here, I somehow forget I have a freakin horn attached to my face."
Using her magic, she picked up the shampoo bottle and gave it a squeeze over her mane, using her magic to soak it in before rinsing. She couldn't help but smile at this.
"You know...you never really appreciate how handy it is to have magic until you aren't able to use it. Then again...hands are pretty handy too....fuck, I'm gonna miss my motorcycle...and my gaming rig...I really didn't think this through...AH!"
She let out a yelp as shampoo got in her eye, trying to rub it out with her hoof
"Okay NOW I miss hands..."
Making her way to the kitchen, Sunset sees Starlight sitting at the table "Hey Starlight"
"Wait...so you're like actually moving in?" Starlight asked, tilting her head a bit in confusion
"Yeah...I'm avoiding Graduation because, you know...I don't wanna have to deal with-"
"Seeing all your friends go away to far away places and potentially forget you exist? Yeah, I feel ya"
"You have some expertise on that front?" Sunset asked, genuinely curious about Starlight's past.
"My childhood friend got his cutie mark in magic, got picked up to go to Celestia's School for gifted unicorns...kinda drove me nuts to lose a friend."
"is that why you started a cult around everypony having the same cutie mark? Because that's a really dumb reason to start a cult..."
"Dumber than trying to take over Equestria with an army of teenagers who would end up being turned into ponies who don't know how to be ponies once they crossed the portal?"
The two stared each other down for a few seconds, before Sunset let out a snort and they broke down laughing
"We really are a pair of dumbasses aren't we?" Starlight said, clutching her chest as she caught her breath
"Yeah...so like, where's the food? I didn't see a kitchen."
"Next room over, food's in the pantry. Take whatever you want. Twilight puts labels on what's hers, but I don't really listen to them. Mostly just out of spite." Starlight said with a grin.
Sunset looked to the pink unicorn with a smirk. Starlight and her had known each other for a year now, and they seemed to get along pretty well all things considered "Wow, is that your master plan for revenge?"
"No, I'm just a jerk. Also, making Twilight mad amuses me"
Sunset couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, fair enough"
Trotting into the kitchen, she opened the pantry, looking inside
"Holy Crap....I CAN MAKE A HAYBURGER!" Sunset squeeled, excited over the prospect of making her favorite childhood food.
The next few minutes were a blur of noises emanating from the kitchen, dishes and pans clattering together, Sunset letting out occasional yelps and screeches, and most importantly...lots of fire.
"THERE! I DID IT!"
Starlight couldn't help but poke her head in, noticing the small flame lit on Sunset's back "You okay there Sunset?"
Sunset looked at Starlight with a crazed smile, gesturing wildly at the hayburger in front of her "IT IS MY MOST BEAUTIFUL CREATION! WITNESS MY MASTERPIECE!"
"So you're not okay...good to know..." Starlight deadpanned, internally questioning if she'd have to crack open the Elements of Harmony.
Sunset let out a groan, flopping her hooves and head onto the table, staring at her creation "Ugh...I haven't had a Hayburger in 6 years. I need this...heh, guess I did go a little nuts there..."
"A little?"
"Okay, okay...a lot. But hey...I got my burger" Sunset said with a smile, picking up the burger with her magic and chomping down on it. "Oh gods....that tastes..." Sunset had to pause for a second "Not as good as I remember...huh...all that hype for a bland piece of hay and a bun that I'm like fifty percent sure is stale..."
"Sounds like a Hayburger to me" Starlight added, trying to hold back a laugh.
It was then Ray slithered into the room, flicking his tongue as he smelled the air, and of course scaring the non-existent pants off Starlight
"WHAT IS THAT?!"
Sunset smiled, trotting over and petting Ray "He's my pet Gecko. Don't you remember Ray?"
Starlight's eyes went wide "THAT'S RAY?!"
"Yup. Portal magic never ceases to amaze doesn't it?"
"Apparently not!" Starlight let out with a bewildered yelp
"Anyways...I need to drop this guy off at Fluttershy's...wanna come with?"
"Uhhhh...sure. I could use some fresh air"
As the two unicorns walked through Ponyville, Sunset seemed to take it all in. She had visited Twilight's castle many times, but rarely didn't she ever actually leave the castle itself and explored where Twilight lived. Ponyville was such a quaint little town, large enough to be considered part of Equestria's economy, therefore recognized by the Princesses, but small enough to where you'd probably know everyone in town by the end of your first week living here. What was weird for the Sriracha haired pony, was that she could name practically everypony in town, but she didn't know any of them personally.
"Having a bit of Deja Vu there Sunset?" Starlight asked, poking her dazed friend as they walked
"Little bit yeah. Weird to see all these ponies you know the name of, but don't know the first thing about their personal lives"
"I'm surprised you're less weirded out by the fact no one seems to notices a 7 foot Drake walking around town"
Sunset rolled her eyes "I just assume with Twilight and you living here that's nothing new to them."
Starlight stopped in her tracks, realizing just how right Sunset was there "Fuck...you're right..."
Sunset let out a chuckle, letting her friend catch up to her "Hey, I had it the same way at CHS. After the 5th monster attack, people really didn't bat an eye at the talking dog running around"
"Eh, fair enough. Speaking of which, did you ever hook up with that Twi? You always seemed to have a thing for her."
Sunset let out a sigh "No. I mean...I dropped her hints left and right, but She never seemed interested. I asked those girls at Crystal Prep about it and they said Twilight just never really had any interest in romance. I dunno. I gave up after a while and just kinda moved on."
"Huh. Well...date anyone else since then?"
"Not really...I mean, I had a one off thing with Aria, but she was a bit clingy and her sisters REALLY wanted to form a harem, and I wasn't interested"
"....a harem?" Starlight finally got out, her brain blue screening for a second as she tried to process that thought
"Yeah...it got weird. Kinda figured to leave myself open to any one I find outside of my social circles from then on"
The two continued to talk, passers by seeming to notice the two as they walk, but while most of them seemed to go on their merry way after taking notice of the two, one pony had to do her job...and that was scaring the crap out of Sunset
"HI SUNSET!"
Sunset gasped as Pinkie Pie speared her to the ground, Sunset letting out a quiet "ow..."
"Hey Pinkie Pie" Starlight said with a bemused smirk. Starlight knew at this point, when anyone new entered town, you were guarenteed to get a warm welcome to town, and compliance to this welcome was less than optional
"Hi Starlight!" Pinkie replied with a huge smile and a wave, helping Sunset off the ground
"My ribs..." Sunset groaned, rubbing her chest "Pinkie...why?"
"I am legally obligated as the resident Party Pony to greet every new pony to town silly!"
Sunset let out a strained groan. This wasn't anything new to her, but you can only get tackled to the ground so many times before you start hating it.
Pinkie gave her a boop to her nose, letting out a giggle "Silly Sunset, you can't hate hugs!"
Sunset stammered for a second, trying to figure out how Pinkie knew she was thinking about that
"Anyways, I gotta go, Brad just wanted me to make a cameo to flesh out the world." Pinkie walked over to Ray and pat him on the head, before running off
"I have...several questions..." Sunset let out a sigh, "Best not think too hard on that one..."
"Yeah, We should keep going. Never known who's gonna come by next"
As they entered the forest outside of Fluttershy's cottage, Sunset took note of everything. Her Fluttershy did live an extravagant life style in the forest....but nothing like this. The White oak trees surrounding a small cottage were a thing of beauty, and critters unafraid of her as they skittered across the front lawn between the trees was something she'd never seen in her life. Even with Ray, a seven foot Drake, none of them seemed to notice.
Starlight on the other hoof, seemed to be endlessly amused by my wide eyed outlook at the forest. She'd had the same wide eyed stare when she came here the first time, and it never got old to see ponies react to this.
"Didn't you grow up in Equestria?"
Sunset gave a nervous smile at that, "I did. I just...grew up in the city. Manehatten, then Canterlot. I never saw this side of Equestria."
"You like it so far?" Starlight asked with a chuckle. Sunset was one of the few ponies that, while she did enjoy messing with, she liked enough to drop the act and have a serious conversation without devolving into snark every other sentence.
"Yeah, very pretty." Sunset let out a loud sneeze, causing Starlight to laugh "I could go without all this pollen though. Makes my nose all stuffy."
Starlight let out a giggle as the two walked up to Fluttershy's door, Ray seeming to attempt to sit down, his extra long body making him more flop than sit.
As Starlight knocked on Fluttershy's door, Sunset had a moment of nervous fright. She didn't know this Fluttershy, and even though she was sure Twilight had at least mentioned her to this version, she was terrified of awkward conversations. She considered running, but she knew she had to drop off Ray. She-
"Hey...You okay Sunset?" Starlight looked to her friend with a look of worry. She knew that Sunset had some issues, but this was a new one for her.
"Sorry...I have a bit of anxiety towards talking to ponies I don't know, and in this case I do know, but at the same time, don't. You know?"
Starlight smiled, "Hey, Don't fret. Fluttershy will probably be more anxious about this than you'll ever be."
Sunset laughed, "Yeah"
They then heard hoofsteps from inside as the door slowly creaked open, Fluttershy poking her head through "Hello Starlight..."
"Hey Flutters, how's it hangin?"
"It's hanging....good..."
"Cool, Cool...so do you mind letting us in? Sunset has something to ask you."
Fluttershy opened the door all the way this time, looking to Sunset with a small smile "Sunset Shimmer?"
"That's me" Sunset responded, her nervous grin being the only outside sign of her internal firestorm of anxiety
"You're the girl from the human world Twilight talks about right?"
"Well, actually I'm from Equestria originally"
"Oh...Is that a drake?" Fluttershy asked, noticing the 7 foot long reptile behind her.
"Oh yeah, that's Ray. Twilight told me you could take care of him while I go do some stuff for a few days. Is that okay?"
Sunset had never felt this awkward. She knew Fluttershy, but not this Fluttershy. In fact, this whole town was throwing her off her game. So many familiar faces, and yet she was the stranger once again. She needed to get home.
"Oh, well...I'd need to make some special arrangements, but I can keep him here for a few days, yeah. Where are you going if you don't mind me asking?"
Sunset smiled. This was the kind of thing she remembered from her Fluttershy. The shy, but genuine kindness. The willingness to listen to whatever you have to say, and a genuine curiosity of what you were up to. "Oh, just retreading my old stomping grounds, and looking to hook up with some old faces. Hoping I can find my parents back home in Manehatten."
Fluttershy gave a kind smile, "Well I hope you find them. I'll take Ray around back. Anything I should know about him in particular?"
Sunset thought for a moment. Ray had a habit of being fickle when it came to food...then again, he was a completely different animal now, so who knows what he'd want. "You wouldn't happen to have giant crickets on you by chance?"
Fluttershy, not even skipping a beat, answered back, "I can get some."
Sunset blinked, bewildered by the prospect. She was joking, and yet the butter coated mare seemed to reply with complete certainty...She decided it was best not to question it. Sunset knew that when someone answers a question with that kind of response, asking questions will either gonna get some convoluted answer that you'll most likely never understand, or you'll get an answer that only makes you ask more questions. Questions you don't want an answer to.
"Okay...well, I need to get going. I need to figure out the train schedule to get to Manehatten." Sunset said, looking to Ray with a stern look "Now you be a good Drake. I know momma's going away for a while, but Fluttershy is gonna take care of you. Can you promise me you're gonna be good?"
Ray simply looked at Sunset with a derpy smile, flicking his tongue a few times before blinking twice.
Sunset smiled, patting the drake on the head and scratching under his snout, "Good boy."
Sunset and Starlight walked up to the Ponyville Train Station. Sunset was beyond nervous at this point. 6 years she had avoided coming back home, and 9 years since she had actually been back to Manehatten. She was never the type to ditch her studies for a "Home Visit", especially in the prime of her time as Celestia's pupil, always preferring to keep herself on track no matter how much stress and emotional stunting it did to her. The last time she saw her parents, they had left her in the care of a lonely goddess, and while Celestia was a good teacher of the magical arts, she wasn't exactly a good parental figure.
"Soooo...I guess this is goodbye."
Sunset snapped out of her daze. She hadn't thought of Starlight until now. "I mean...I guess. I'm not gonna stop you if you wanna come with."
"Eh, I think I'll let you have your fun. Big cities aren't really my thing. I prefer small towns."
An evil grin formed on Sunset's face "Because they're easier to form cults in?"
Starlight punched Sunset in the side, Sunset laughing "Oh shut up! Go have fun catching up with your folks, you walking lightbulb!"
Sunset paused "Walking Lightbulb?"
"Look, I'm out of witty insults. You have an orange coat. It's the best I could come up with on the spot! You try coming up with a new witty nickname on the spot every time you talk to someone."
Sunset smirked. She had a history with this kinda thing. "Okay Mr. Bubbles."
Starlight squinted "Who in the hay is Mr. Bubbles?"
Sunset laughed "It's Pinkie's favorite shampoo. Their mascot is a giant pink dude who can create bubbles...it's weird."
"Oooookay then."
They two of them heard the sounds of the train pulling in, the conductor yelling in the distance "I should go get my ticket. Don't wanna miss my train."
"You go do that. I'll see you when you get back."
The two exchanged one last glance, smiling before Sunset rushed to the ticket booth
"One ticket to Manehatten please!"
The pony behind the booth gave Sunset a tired look "That'll be 15 bits please..."
Sunset winced. She hadn't paid in bits in 6 years. Panicking, she dug into her saddlebag, pulling out nothing but lint and an empty wallet. She cursed under her breath, her brain internally burning to the ground before a cloud of pink energy phased into existence next to her.
"Don't worry Sunset. I got this." Pinkie said as she pulled out a hoofful of bits and laid it on the table
"P-pinkie, you don't need to-"
"Oh don't be silly filly! Brad needs to move the plot along anyways, and I get tax free trips all over Equestria as part of Twilight's posse. Don't sweat it!"
Sunset, knowing not to question that first part, decided to take the act of kindness at face value, and just accept the ticket "Okay...but I'm gonna buy you a cupcake when I get back."
Pinkie squinted her eyes, getting right up in Sunset's face "is that a....Pinkie Promise?"
Sunset looked at Pinkie with fear for her life. She knew the gravity of a Pinkie Promise...
"No....?"
"Okie doki Loki! At least you were honest! Here." Pinkie handed Sunset a pouch, it seeming to have a hefty weight behind it "here's some more bits to get you around Manehatten. Don't question it, just take it. It's dangerous to go alone."
And before Sunset could even question it, Pinkie had evaporated into a cloud of pink dust, leaving Sunset to question what just happened.
"Lady....your ticket..."
Sunset turned around, looking to the pony behind the booth, who looked as if they were dying a little every second.
"Oh, right. Thanks!" Sunset took her ticket, taking her seat at a bench on the side of the tracks.
"Guess this is it Sunset. No turning back. Time for Sunset Shimmer to go home..."
Sunset could smell the city air from the train. It was familiar, yet, filled her with yet more anxiety. She hadn't been home in 6 years, and hadn't stayed longer than a few days in 10. The hint of smog brought her back though. Playing in Celestial Park, going to the local cafes for lunch, roaming around the back alleys in search of treasure. Manehatten held a special place in Sunset's heart. This city was something special. Where anypony could do anything. She cherished those memories, but the more she thought back, the more she worried.
Her parents. She hadn't told them a word before going through the portal. Even though they had raised her, she hadn't even bothered to send them a letter telling them she was alive. In fact, in the months leading up to her running away, she had cut ties with pretty much everypony she loved, instead burying herself in her studies of magic, and the study of alicorns. Sunset sighed at that. Back then, she had assumed ascension was something a pony could achieve through academic prowess and magical ability, but she had forgotten to factor in the most important part of the process: Alicorns stand for something. Celestia, the Alicorn of Truth. Luna, the Alicorn of Justice. Twilight, the Alicorn of Friendship, and Cadance, the Alicorn of Love. But what did she stand for? Back then...nothing. Celestia always told her she had the potential to ascend, but lacked the willpower, and the understanding of who she was.
And to this day, she still didn't know. Who IS Sunset Shimmer? What does she stand for? What is her desti-
Sunset jolted forward as the train came to a halt, falling into the lap of the stallion next to her, a dark blue coated pegasus with a leather jacket and a pair of bronze rimmed goggles hidden behind his long brown mane, a single red stripe going down the middle of his mane and tail.
"Watch it lady!" the stallion huffed, pushing her off him, and into the aisle in front of them both.
Sunset picked herself up, brushing herself off before letting out a hearty sigh. That was something she certainly remembered. Good Ole Manehatten Spirit. The city where everypony is in a hurry, and is only out for themselves. While she wouldn't call the ponies of the city mean, more rude if anything, she would certainly pin them as cut throat. See, the caviate to the unlimited opportunities of Manehatten, is that there are bound to be at least three others looking to take the same opportunity as you, so you either give it all you got, or starve on the streets. There was no hoof-me-downs in Manehatten.
As Sunset exited the train, she took a big wiff of the air, smiling as she looked around Grand Lunar Station, the largest train station in Equestria. She loved this place, and while she didn't exactly spend too much time here as a filly, it was a staple of the city. You wanted to get into the city, you started at Grand Lunar.
Walking to the entrance, she looked out on Mane Street, looking at the Skyscrapers lining the skyline, as if in defiance of the gods. To think a small fishing village would become the economic hub of all of Equestria.
"Right..." Sunset gulped, dreading what came next "Guess I better get on my way....home..."
While the student of Friendship completely intended to find her way home, that didn't mean she didn't dread it. Her parents had always been very loving, and supportive, but they also had a tendency to freak out, or, at least her mother did. Her Father had always been a stone faced smartass, while her mother, was a bit of the social butterfly, yet extremely caring mother that, while everypony loved, Sunset knew was an emotional trainwreck just waiting to make you awkward around your friends, even if it was unintentional.
Sunset looked around, weighing her options, when she heard the sound of a honking taxi-carriage. Before her eyes, was a sight she hadn't seen in years. An old friend named Fuji, strapped to a taxi carriage.
"SUNSET! IS THAT YOU?!"
Sunset blinked, stunned by the sight of the Apple Family cousin. Fuji had been Sunset's first real crush, though she later realized it was more of a 'Hey, I'm a filly who's going through puberty, and you're a the first colt I saw on the playground, so therefore I am in love with you' situation. "Fuji?"
The bright red stallion pulled his cart to the side of the road, smiling like crazy "Well git in Sunny! Where do ya wanna go?"
Sunset, trying to grasp the amount of cosmic irony required for this type of coincidence to occur, decided to go with it, and trotted into the parked taxi. "Uhhhh....you know what? I'm starving. Take me to Joe's. I could use a slice a' 'Za right now."
With a whinny, the stallion reared up, starting onto the busy road "GOT IT!"
It took a minute for Sunset to adjust to the speed of the carriage, Sunset still getting used to her hooves again. "Geez Fuji, you sure got swole."
"Swole? Sunny, where in the Zap Apple jam have you been? Everyone on 16th street had assumed you wer' dead!"
Sunset winced hard at that. 16th street was a block away from her house, so she could only imagine what her parents thought. That was one of the benefits/downsides of growing up in the city. City blocks were like little communities of their own, and streets were like little subdivsions. Everyone from 14th to 17th probably knew the name Sunset Shimmer, and the fact she had been Celestia's star pupil probably extended that to at least 10th to 20th street. And the fact that she had dropped off the face of Equestria probably was the talk of the town when it happened.
"I was...finding myself. Still am. I just needed some time to myself." Sunset replied, doing her best to try and hide the truth.
"What kind uh nonsense is that? I mean, you wer' always a bit of a lost soul, but y'all just droppin off the face of the planet? What kinda answer is that?"
Sunset chuckled. She had always found Fuji's accent amusing, even if it was a little mean to make fun of it. Fuji wasn't a dumb pony, he was actually incredibly intelligent when it came to farming and could tell a story like nopony else could, but he was never the strongest mathmatician, and had a bit of a "breaks everything he touches" problem. "Don't worry about it Fuji. I'm back, and that's all that matters, right?"
"Ah guess so."
As the carriage pulled up to the little pizza store tucked away between the theaters on Broadway, Sunset let in a huge rush of air into her nose. That smell. the intoxicating aroma of fresh Pizza, Manehatten style. It was like a drug. If there was one thing that Sunset would absolutely say is worth the trip through the portal, this was it.
Climbing out of the taxi, Sunset smiled at Fuji, "You wanna join me?"
The Earth pony let out a snort, smiling as he left off his harness, "Ah could go for a break."
The two made their way inside, Sunset's brain getting all giddy at the sound of the little bell ringing as they opened the door. It was a blast from the past that she had always loved that little bell, because that meant Pizza Time.
The Owner, a stone grey stallion with a burnt coal mane gave them both a grimace, "What'll it be?"
Sunset, out of instinct, got her usual, "Stuffed Crust Triple Cheese with apricots on top please!"
The Stallion raised an eyebrow at this, almost as if he recognized the order. "Alright....and you?"
"Ah'll have a large cheese slice."
"Roight....That'll be done in about 20 minutes. Ya can both wait at the table ova' there." the Stallion pointed to a small table by the window, with a pair of wooden chairs set up on either side.
"Cool." Sunset said as she took her seat.
Fuji followed, taking his seat and looking at Sunset "So where have ya really been?"
Sunset sighed "it's complicated. I think the only pony in this town that would probably understand a lick of it is my dad. How...have my parents been?"
"Aren't ya gonna go find out yerself?"
Sunset closed her eyes and took a breath "That was the plan...kinda avoiding it at this point."
"Well Ah'm not gonna tell ya. Ya'll'll just have to find out yerself."
Sunset stuck her tongue out at Fuji in retaliation, showing that, while she was almost 20 in pony years, she still had the maturity of a 5 year old.
A teenage colt then approached their table, Sunset nearly choking on her own breath at the sight of him. She knew him purely by the sight of his dark brown coat, and jet black mane, which she remembered being much lighter when she last saw him.
"Would you like any appetizers or refreshments?" The Colt asked, clearly having not slept the night before.
Sunset failed to summon words, being stuck with the worst case of Deja Vu she had ever experienced. She knew this colt. She had been there when his parents brought him home.
"D-does your name happen to be Sparkplug?" Sunset managed to stammer out.
"Yeah, why? Actually, you know what, I don't care. Do you want something to drink?"
Sunset smiled nervously, "Y-yeah. I'll take an Ice Tea, lemon please."
Sparkplug wrote it down in his notepad, seeming to be annoyed by the whole situation, only added by his grogginess.
"And you?"
"Water sir. No Ice."
"Cool...." The colt spoke, his voice almost sounding like he was high on something, writing it down before walking to the back.
"Ya know him?"
Sunset smiled, looking to the back "I was there the day his parents brought him home. They lived a floor above us."
"Huh..."
After a minute or two, Sparkplug came back with their drinks, Sunset smiling at the colt as he went back to the kitchen, "He seems like he grew up nice"
"Eeyup. Lots of ponies 'round here grew up pretty well. It's a good neighborhood."
Up until this point, Sunset had been hesitant to return home, but this little series of cosmic coincidences warmed her heart. Life goes on it seems. Even without her, the city never sleeps, and the ponies in it never stop moving forward.
It was then Sunset heard that bell ring again, and froze in place as she spotted a pony she hadn't seen in 10 years.
Sunset sat stunned. There, standing in the doorway was her old best friend and partner in crime, in a few cases quite literally. Spitfire had a habit of getting them into sticky situations, a few less than legal, whether it be breaking into an abandoned warehouse for the sake of 'adventure' to sneaking into the restricted section of the Manehatten National Library to feed her friend's ever expanding obsession with spellcasting as a foal. Sunset was the brain, Spits was the brawn. They were a team, or at least...they used to be. It had been 12 years since The Troublesome Two had roamed the streets of this city.
"Yo Pizza Joe! Gimme my usual, I need some 'za before the show!" Spits yelled as she slammed the front counter, Joe yelling back as his Nieghtalian accent slipped through.
"Hold yer horses lady! I got's a special order ah need to fill first fer Celestia's sake! Broad in the booth wanted Apricots on her pizza!"
Spitfire squinted her eyes, as if she had heard a ghost, the pale blue stallion who had entered with her raising his eyebrow "Who puts apricots on their pizza?"
Sunset, quickly pulling her jacket out of her saddlebag did her best to cover her appearance, but it was no use. Spitfire was already making her way to the booth.
"Soarin, there's only one pony I know who likes apricots on their pizza, and she's been long gone for 6 years....but if this is her..." Spitfire said, as she pulled the jacket off the bacon horse's head, her pupils dilating to the size of watermelons as she locked eyes with her.
"Hey Spitball...." Sunset said, a slight blush on her face, Fuji who sat across from me just rolled his eyes.
Spitfire stood there, her face going from shock to glee as the smile on her face grew astronomically
"YOOOOOOO, SUNBURN! Where the fuck have you been?!"
Soarin, who was thoroughly confused at this point, only let out a single word " Sunburn?"
Fuji, who couldn't help but laugh at this point, asked the same question Spitfire had "Yes Sunset, please explain where ya been to us city folk."
Sunset let out a sigh. She knew, while she could get away with telling Fuji that he wouldn't understand the idea of "the multiverse", Spitfire was not going to take that. Spitfire was, if anything, stubborn as a donkey, arguably more so. Even if she didn't understand what you were talking about, she'd get the answers she wanted out of you.
"Fine....but it's gonna take a while."
Spitfire, using her wing, pulled a chair from a nearby table, flipping it around so she could lean forward in it with her front hooves perched on the back support. "I've got an hour before we gotta get to our show...in fact, Soarin, you go tell Fleetfoot I'm gonna be late."
Soarin looked a little peeved by this. Obviously this was supposed to be important. "But Spitfire, you're supposed to be there for-"
Spitfire shushed her flymate. "Hey, show doesn't start till I get there. They can wait a bit while I catch up with an old friend. Listen to your Captain and go tell the gang I'll be a bit."
Soarin grumbled, taking off as Sparkplug brought out refills for our drinks, Spitfire grabbing Fuji's water with one wing and taking a sip. "So Apricooch, tell me where you disappeared to."
Sunset rolled her eyes. Spitfire always had a terrible habit of overcompensating around her. She wasn't always this way, but it seemed whenever the two were together, Spitfire always seemed to act just a bit more of an arrogant asshole than she usually was. The stranger part of that was that Sunset found it endearing.
"Well....it's hard to explain. Do you remember my dad's old mangled together theory about 'multiple universes'?"
"Yeah, you dad always had those crazy theories about the universe." She said, taking another sip of Fuji's water. Fuji didn't even attempt to argue, as he knew Spitfire was simply being a dick for the sake of looking cool.
"Well....he was right. I found a...portal. In the back rooms of Canterlot Castle. It took me to another universe, where, well, I got turned into..." Sunset had to think to herself 'How does one explain humans to equines?'
"Into...?" Spitfire asked, leaning farther and farther forward into her chair, her face getting closer and closer to Sunset. "Come on Shine, you're busting my balls here!"
Sunset blushed. Shine had always been Spitfire's primary nickname for her, and what she called her whenever Spitfire felt like being 'cute'. "I....okay, this is gonna sound weird. I got turned into...you know those apes in Zebrica? Well, imagine a hairless version of that, with long hair on their heads and they wear clothes all the time...I know that sounds weird."
Spitfire didn't seem to flinch at that, simply smirking "Sounds hot. Bet you got some hot ape sex there didn't you?"
Sunset's eyes went wide. While, Spitfire wasn't wrong, her and Flash were far in the past, and Twilight had never happened in the first place....and the less said about the sirens the better. "I mean...NO!!!"
Spitfire chuckled. She knew Sunset too well to fall for that. "Alright Shine. Whatever you say" Spitfire said before taking a big sip of Fuji's water.
Sunset couldn't help but be flustered by the golden coated mare. 12 years and still she knew exactly how to push her buttons. She was off her game as well. Usually Sunset would make some sort of witty retort to Spitfire's snark, usually leading to a sort of snark dick measuring contest of who could come up with the better comeback, but it had been a long time since Sunset had been that way. That snark, that ego was what lead Sunset down the path of going through the portal in the first place.
And yet Spitfire hadn't seemed to have changed in the slightest.
Sunset laughed like she hadn't in a long time. Watching Spitfire sloppily try to eat pizza using only her mouth was a riot. It made Sunset almost...Nostalgic. The two of them used to come here after their little excursions for a bite, and usually Spitfire would make a mess of herself.
Although, one thing Sunset did notice was Spitfire's curious front outfit. It was way too formal for Spitfire to ever wear it out in the city, and with that stallion that had come in with Spits earlier, it made Sunset wonder...
"Hey Spits, didn't you have to be somewhere?"
Spitfire stopped, looking at the time "Oh shit....yeah, I need to get going. Show is supposed to start in like 15 minutes. Hey, Shine, meet up with me tonight at the Garden okay? Say like, 8 o' clock?"
Sunset blinked. She hadn't been to the Garden in years. The place was way too crowded for her tastes, and was ususally hosting some big event, as it was Manehatten's biggest stadium outside of the Hoofball stadium being build on the other side of town last time she had been here...which means it was probably already done and in use by now. Sunset internally sighed. She really needed to catch up with this city.
"Alright. 8 PM Sharp, at the Garden. Got it. See you then Spits. Nice hanging out again." Sunset said, smiling as Spitfire did her best to shove a slice of pizza into her mouth as she bolted out the door. She heard Fuji chuckle at the both of them, causing Sunset to raise an eyebrow, "What are you laughing at?"
"Oh Nothin'. Y'all just seem to just act like no time has passed. It's strange. Ya both hare full grown mares now, and yet ya act like fillies still. I mean, Spitfire's a Wonderbolt, and-"
"Spitfire's a....Wonderbolt?!" Sunset cut off Fuji, her eyes widening as she realized why Spitfire was wearing formal wear in the city. This was something Sunset didn't expect. Even though, in hindsight, she really should have. Spitfire had always dreamed of becoming "The Greatest Wonderbolt in all the land" which, to Sunset as a filly, was stupid. Back then, the Wonderbolts were a joke. A flight team that hadn't been relevant in over 4 decades since the Griffin Skirmishes, back then they were Celestia's elite defense force. But if Spits was one of them...
"What...are the bolts up to these days?"
Fuji smirked, "Oh, they do shows all over Equestria. Spitfire revamped the entire routine to be more....flashy. Really brought the group out of the dumpster it was in. Now it's the most popular event in the country, well..save for the odd rock concert"
This took Sunset off guard. Spitfire had always been a showpony at heart, but to put in the work for all that...takes perseverance, dedication, and drive. All things Sunset always assumed Spitfire lacked. Spitfire was driven, but only when she WANTED to do something. But I guess 12 years can change a pony...Sunset certainly knew that firsthand.
"Right...so what now?"
Sunset shook her head. She couldn't let her thoughts get stuck on Spitfire for too long. She came home for a reason, and as much as she wanted to reconnect with Spits, she needed to get home. Even though, she REALLY wanted to avoid home. 6 years. 6 years since she last talked to her parents. She feared the worst when it came to reuniting with them.
Sunset took a deep breath as Fuji pulled his carriage into 15th street. The street that Sunset had grew up on hadn't seemed to have aged a day. Same old trees lining the same old sidewalks, which still had the same cracks in them that Sunset used to pretend were tight ropes. Same old stone and mortar walls of the apartments, all buildings that was almost 150 years old at this point. Same dark alleyways which Sunset and the neighborhood kids would use as "dungeons" for little adventures of the imagination. She smiled at that. She had a lot of good memories here. But even then, returning after all these years was not gonna be easy.
Stepping out of the carriage, she pulled on her jacket as she felt the sidewalk below her hooves. It was almost fall, and Sunset couldn't help but shiver at the cool air that filled the city, as it did every year. While places like Ponyville changed the weather practically overnight, Manehatten always did it gradually, allowing the seasons to change as they would in nature.
"Ya ready Sunny?" Fuji asked, trying to console the obvious nervous wreck that was his old friend.
"Do you want the honest answer?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Then no, I am absolutely not ready. Mom and Dad always saw me as their little girl, and I can't even imagine what they did when they found out I disappeared."
Fuji sighed. She was right. Her parents didn't take it well, in fact, they took it more or less as a grieving parent would, even when the princess told them there was always a chance Sunset would come back. "Yer right Sunny, but you can't just avoid this. These are your family Sunny. They need to know yer okay."
Sunset sighed. She'd come a long way since stealing Princess Twilight's crown, and she knew that facing her parents was the right thing to do...but it didn't make it any easier. She had to bite the bullet on this one.
Clenching her teeth, Sunset took another deep breath. It was now or never. She was just hoping she didn't give them a heart attack.
Sunset made her way up the steps of the building, walking into the lobby and scanning the list of residents posted on the wall, making sure her parents still had the same apartment. She smiled, seeing her old apartment number, and reaching into her saddlebag, pulling out a small key that looked like it had seen better days. Sunset couldn't help but inspect it for a moment. it had been 6 and a half years since she had been in this building, and this key was all she had left of that time.
Sunset couldn't help but recall the day she got it.
"Alright Sunshine, now I know you wanna go out and play with your new birthday presents, but I've got one more thing for you."
Sunset looked up to her almost brown coated father, Blazing Atom. He was her idol. Someone she held in the highest regard, and a gift from him was like getting a gift from the Princess herself. "Yes daddy? What is it this time?!"
Blaze couldn't help but crack the smallest of smiles at his overly excited daughter. Blaze had always held a stonefaced demeanor, in an attempt to show his daughter that he meant what he said, and to teach her firmness, but there was no denying that he was proud of his child.
Holding back his pride, he looked down at his daughter with his signature stern look, showing her his hoof with a small key on the bottom side of it, a little string looped through the hole at the top of the key. "Sunset, this is your key. I want you to take extra care of it. Never let it out of your grasp, and take it everywhere you go. Can you promise me you'll do that?"
Sunset nodded, taking it and slipping it around her neck. The string was oversized for her, but it was obviously meant for Sunset to grow into it, as the string made the key droop to the floor, Sunset's father looping it around her neck twice so it wouldn't drag.
Sunset smiled, the string now fitting her perfectly as the key hung from the string at her chest as it was meant to. As our burnt orange mare made her way up the stairs to the 5th floor, she listened to the sounds of the creaking floor. While the apartment was very old, the landlords did a very good job keeping the place from collapsing in on itself and maintaining the internal facilities. All except for the floors, as they were "Antique" and, more importantly, drove the value of the building up.
But she loved the creaks and groans of these old floors. Something about the sound of old oak just made her happy, probably because of how it reminded her of the ghost stories she and her apartment gang, the little posse she had growing up of kids who lived here, would come up with to explain the weird sounds they'd hear in the night.
It was then Sunset had to stop, her seeing a pair of kids playing in the fourth floor hallway. Sunset didn't even need to know these ponies to know who they were. These were the kids of her old babysitter, Lemon Tart and her old boyfriend-
Sunset shook her head. Enough delays. Just get to the fifth floor already. Right....
Making her way up the final flight of stairs, she looked out the staircase window, seeing Fuji parked outside and waving at her. There was no turning back now. She let out one last deep breath. You got this Sunset.
She walked up to 519. This was is. The apartment she grew up in. She caressed the door, seeing all the dents and imperfections she had caused to it. A burn mark from when she cast her first Pyronius spell. A dent from when her father tried to teach her Hoofball. She needed this. She'll admit that. Graduation, the struggles of the human world, stress over math finals...yeah, she absolutely needed this.
Pulling her key off her neck, she slowly slipped it into the keyhole, smiling as it slide in the slot perfectly. It was time.
Opening the door, she stuck her head in, hearing the distinct sounds of her father snoring on the couch. She smiled. Her father was a chronic oversleeper, and was known to be infamously hard to wake up.
Sunset listened for the sounds of her mother, flicking her ears as she tried to pick up some sort of singing or humming....nothing.
"Sounds like mom isn't home..."
Sunset snuck in, slowly walking past her father in the living room, and to the kicthen. While she did just fill up on pizza...she had to check the fridge. It wasn't out of hunger, but out of morbid curiousity, and need to know.
Opening the fridge...she held back a barf. The smell of week old ham sandwiches stunk up the fridge. Her father had a strange fascination with meat, as with his theories on the mutliverse, he concluded that if alternate universes exist, and he were to find a way to travel to them, he must adjust himself to their forms, in every way. Thus, he ate practically anything that COULD be deemed "edible", and while ponies COULD digest meat...it wasn't something most ponies would do willingly.
Closing the fridge, she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. Her mother...she needed to hide. Luckily, the path to her old room was through the kitchen. Being as quiet as she could, she snuck her way to her room, only to nearly slip on a hoofball in the hallway connecting the bedrooms to the kitchen.
"Blaze? Is that you?" She heard her mother call. She couldn't get away with this....she needed to face it.
Hearing her father grumble, sounding almost drunk as he let out a "I'm awake...I'm....awake...", Sunset having to hold back a laugh as she heard her mother yell "Get up you lazy oaf! I heard something in the hallway!"
"Oh it's probably just a pigeon that got in. Go check the old bedroom. they occasionally get in."
Sunset knew what she had to do. Teleporting to her bedroom, she looked around...it was the exact same. Everything. a hairclip that she had forgotten the day she left for the princesses was still on the floor. It nearly made Sunset tear up, but she didn't have time for that. She needed to-
"......Sunset?"
Shit.
Sunset looked to her parents. Her mother with her front hooves covering her mouth as tears flowed from her eyes, her father stone faced as usual, squinting as if he didn't believe she was real. "H-hey mom...and dad...."
"Sunset....is that....really you?" Sunset's mother was in tears. She could barely form a sentence as Sunset came over and hugged her.
"Yes mom...it's really me. I'm so, so, so sorry. I just...I'll explain in a bit..."
Sunset looked to her father, who seemed to still be staring at her like she was some sort of hologram or illusion. "Dad?"
"How do I know you're not some alternate reality-"
Sunset put her hoof to her father's face "Dad...it's me...I'm alive, I'm home..."
Blaze seemed to falter for the first time in his life. The stern, unphased demeanor dropped, as tears began to flow, Blaze pulling his daughter in for a tight hug "It's...really you....isn't it?"
Sunset pulled her mother in, the three having a warm moment of reunion "Yes Dad...Mom..it's me...I'm home..."
Sunset seemed happy for the first time in a long time. Being home, sitting at the dinner table with her folks, talking like no time had passed...it was nice. And seeing her father smile like this only made it better, then again, when you prove without a shadow of a doubt his lifelong theory of the multiverse, he's bound to be ecstatic.
"I mean, the quantum theory of magic had always pointed towards the idea of multiple parallel universi, but this is undeniable proof! the Multiverse exists! It was right under our noses the entire time!"
Sunset chuckled, her father had been going on about this for an hour, and yet she didn't mind. She was just glad to be home.
Looking to her mother on the other end of the table, she saw a mare who was off her game. Dawning Light had always been fascinated by Blaze's crazy theories, but one being proven with solid evidence had her a caught off guard.
"Hey mom, you okay?"
"Huh? Oh yes, I'm just...trying to process this. It's a little bit too much for me at the moment honey."
Sunset took her mother's hoof. If there was one lesson Princess Twilight had taught in the ways of Friendship, it was how to console someone who was out of their comfort zone.
"Hey, I know. This is all a bit weird, and I had to get used to it. If it makes this any better, I did make a lot of friends in the other world."
This made Dawn smile. She had always pushed Sunset to make friends, as it was something her daughter always struggled with. Save for Spitfire and Fuji, Sunset had always seen other ponies as "gross" or "not worth her time", something Dawn had always chalked up to Sunset being anti-social.
"What are they like?"
"Well, they''re all pretty great, I mean, Rarity is-"
It was then Sunset spotted the clock on the wall. 7:25. She had promised Spitfire she'd meet her at the Garden at 8.
"Ummm...can we hold this conversation for later? I promised someone I'd meet them at 8."
Her parents gave Sunset a crooked look at this.
"Who are ya meeting?" Her father added, having finally come down from the high of ranting endlessly about his science fetish.
"Spitfire. I ran into her back at Joe's when me and Fuji stopped for a slice. She wanted me to meet her outside the Garden"
Both her mother and father went silent, smiling. Sunset almost felt unnerved...then she remembered. The last time Spits and her hung out was at the Garden. It was that big wrestling show...
"Look Shine, I hooked us up with these wicked ticket in the front row. We'll be right next to the action!"
"I dunno Spits...This whole...wrestling thing. Isn't it fake?"
"Yo...predetermined, but it's not about who wins or loses, it's about the Experience Shine, plus, hey, I wanna hang out with you before you go away for the summer in Hoity Toity land."
"Spits...it's not for the summer..."
She remembered the heartbreak from that night. She could only curse whatever cosmic entity had set this whole thing up.
"Sunset...go. Go spend time with Spitfire. You and her used to be such good friends. Go get that back." Dawning Light gleamed towards her daughter. Dawn had always seen the connection between those two, always pushing Sunset to spend more time with the golden pegasus.
Sunset looked to her father, as if searching for an excuse to bail on this. Sunset was a master at finding ways out of uncofortable situations, but this time..it was on deaf ears.
"Don't look at me. I'm with your mother. Go hang out with Spits."
Sunset hung her head. While she had promised to meet Spits there...this new revelation haunted her, something Sunset never seemed to be able to escape the feeling of. Something was always creeping up on her from her past. And of course, she always defaulted to her response to avoid it as best possible...it was here she didn't have a choice. She'd have to face this head on, and to say this made Sunset uncomfortable, was an understatement.
Not only did Sunset hate endings, she hated conflict. Seeing people argue, especially her friends, made Sunset's anxiety skyrocket. So she tended to avoid situations like that at all possible. But this...this wasn't a situation she was ready for. While she knew Spits wouldn't argue...she knew Spits well enough to know there would be some yelling. But...she had to face it either way.
Best get this headache out of her mane.
Catching yet another cab, Sunset stepped off and onto the sidewalk in front of The Garden, Manehatten's largest indoor stadium/music hall, though it did have a state of the art retractable roof which made it perfect for air show viewings, and the yearly fireworks show around Solstice time. It also happened to be the home to some of Sunset and Spitfire's greatest blunders.
Sunset couldn't help but smile at the site of this giant building, something she seemed to be finding herself doing a lot lately. This old building...it held a lot of memories. She watched as the doors opened up to the building, a sea of ponies pouring out of the building. Looks like she just missed the show.
"Hey! Sunshine!" Sunset heard call out from the crowd, a team of security ponies seeming to rush to get fans from barraging the pony speaking as she pushed through them.
"Hey...Spitfire...."
Spitfire, finally making her way to the sidewalk where Sunset stood, seemed to be only half dressed in her Wonderbolt formal wear, still having the jump suit mostly on still, even still covered in sweat from the show "So like...wanna come back stage? I wanted to introduce you to the gang!"
The crowd of onlookers seemed dumbstruck at this. A random mare, who they had never seen before being ushered backstage by Spitfire herself? The pressponies could only try to formulate what was happening in their heads, meanwhile...Sunset just rolled her eyes. Same ole Spitfire. Throwing caution, and her reputation to the wind on the chance to do something stupid with her best friend.
"Sure, let's go." Sunset said with a grin.
Pushing back through the crowd, Sunset couldn't help but laugh at all the chaos. All the anxiety, all the nervousness...all seemed to melt away at the sight of her and Spits trying to push through a crowd of bewildered press and fans, Spitfire joining in on the giggling as they made it back into the building.
"That was stupid and you know it." Sunset exclaimed, regaining her composure.
"Yeah, well we've done stupider in the past....so how's it hanging?" Spitfire asked, catching her breath.
"Eh, I've been better. certainly didn't expect this."
"What did you expect?"
Sunset went silent for a second, trying, and failing to figure out what other extravagant ways Spitfire could have made her entrance. "fair point, anyways...so you're a Bolt now eh?"
"Damn right Cadet. I'm the top of the pecking order round these parts." Spitfire spoke, slipping into a terrible Apploosan accent. "Wanna meet the crew?"
Rolling her eyes, Sunset relented to Spitfire's snark. That was always the one category Spits had her beat in "Alright. Let's go. I am interested in what kind of ponies you work with I guess"
Walking to the backstage area, Sunset saw a door marked "Locker room" and Sunset immediately felt a ting go down her spine as memories of Canterlot High ran through her head "Uhhhh...Spitfire, are you sure it's a good idea for me to go in there?"
Spitfire could not help but tilt her head at this "Uhhh...why won't it?"
It was then that Sunset remembered...Ponies don't usually wear clothes.
"oh...right...nevermind."
"What?"
"It's just...humans...have certain...delicate features that we hide with our clothes...locker rooms have a bit of a.."
"Sunset...You've seen my-"
"SHUT UP! Let's just...get this over with. I made it awkward, now don't make it more awkward by mentioning THAT!"
"Hey, you seemed to enjoy it back then"
Spitfire then felt her front legs being magically pulled from under her, making her fall on her face. "Ow....really Sunny?"
"We. Do. Not. Talk. About. That. Spitfire." Sunset said, with the most strained face she had ever seen.
Picking herself up, Spitfire smirked at her friend, "You'd make a good drill instructor Sunset."
"Enough chit chat, let's just meet your fucking friends"
Laughing, Spitfire led them into the Bolts Locker room, all of the bolts looking at them like they had murdered someone
Soarin, who Sunset recognized from earlier, shot Spitfire a death stare "Spitfire, I thought bringing civilians into the locker room was forbidden."
"it is. For you. Besides, this ain't no civilian, it's Celestia's Protege-"
"Former" Sunset interrupted, having a nervous smile on her face
"'Scuse me?" Spitfire asked
"I...long story there. I'm actually training under Princess Twilight now."
"Ah, well, same thing different princess. Anyways...." Spitfire stopped to think, talking to herself "Don't know where I was going with this actually..."
"Pleathe explain to me why the's allowed in here Spitthire." A mare with a sleek arctic blue coat spoke up, having a notable lisp.
"Look Fleet, that rule I set up under the assumption that this mare was dead, so-"
"You thought I was dead?" Sunset once again interrupted her
"I mean...what was I supposed to think? You go away to Canterlot to train with Celestia then just...disappear off the face of Equestria. What was I supposed to think?"
This of course, send Sunset's anxiety into the stratosphere, but she didn't have time to worry about that.
"Look Spitfire, we're just saying if you're gonna make rules, you have to follow them too." A pink mare with a bright blue mane spoke up. Sunset actually recognized this one. She was Firefly, one of the Wonderbolts from days past. Spitfire's idol.
Spitfire sighed, they were right, still...this didn't deter her "Look, I just wanna introduce you guys to Sunset. I haven't seen her in like...10 years, and I am understandably excited about it. So just lemme have this okay?"
The team reluctantly grumbled. Sunset could tell this wasn't the first time Spitfire had pulled something like this...but she was also the boss, so she probably got away with it more often than not.
"Uhhhh, Hi I guess, I'm Sunset Shimmer, Spitfire's-"
"Yeah, we know who you are. Spitfire only mentioned you every few months when she gets drunk." Another Wonderbolt lamented from the back of the room, a golden maned stallion this time
"Oh shut it Blaze! Like I haven't heard the story about your mom a thousand times while you were stumbling all over the base!"
As the other bolts argued, Sunset slowly slipped out of the room, feeling incredibly unwelcome, a feeling she had grown far too familiar with for her liking in the past.
After a few minutes of arguing, Spitfire finally noticed the disappearance of her friend "Oh gods dammit"
Searching the building, Spitfire began to panic. She had only just gotten her best friend back, and she didn't want to lose her so soon. If she had only been more careful she could have...No. She can't think that way yet. She has to earn that.
Running all over the complex, she ended up in the stadium itself, finally spotting Sunset sitting in the front row, Spitfire desperately flying over to meet her "Sunset you scared the shit out of me! You can't just run off like that!"
"Why not?" Sunset said, staring at the stadium field in front of her "Never stopped me before. Never stopped you."
Spitfire sat down next to the unicorn. She hadn't seen her like this since...oh no
"You know...You never apologized for that night. All the things you said..."
Spitfire was at a loss. She expected her reunion with Sunset to be all happy and smiles. She was prepared for frowns and...this...
"Sunset...I just..."
"I know, you're really bad at apologies. You always have been." Sunset chuckled slightly, "Remember when you tried to apologize to me for stealing my lunchbox accidentally after school?"
"Didn't you end up punching me in the face?"
"I did" Sunset sighed, looking to Spitfire with a smirk "Spits...Can we...start over? Like, not from scratch, but like...just, from where we left off? Forget the Wrestling show, forgot all that nonsense you said, just...let's start from before I left. okay?"
Spitfire didn't know what to say. I mean...This was a great chance, but at the same time, deep down, she didn't regret those words. She meant them. Sunset was a egotistical asshole who took herself way too seriously back then. But...she wanted this to work. She wanted her old friend back. "Alright. Ummmm....so like...how are we doing this? Hoofshake?"
"Spitfire...let's just go get some pizza."
"....sounds like a plan!"
There was an awkward silence between the two as they ate their pizzas, Spitfire trying, and failing to come up with something to talk about, and Sunset perfectly content with leaving Spitfire to stumble over her words. This was a first for the two. Usually it was Spitfire in control of the situation, but now the tables were turned.
"I....uh....ummm..."
"Yes Spitfire?"
"Oh come on! Just, say something to me!"
"Spitfire...what do you know about me?"
"I know you like Apricots on your pizza. Heathen."
Sunset took a bite of her Apricot pizza. "But why do I like Apricots on my pizza?"
Spitfire paused, trying to remember. She...couldn't. She had always assumed that Sunset was just...a weirdo.
"I...don't know."
Sunset scoffed "My mom used to give me apricots as a reward for being a good girl. If you knew me, you'd remember that." Sunset said, giving Spitfire's snout a tap before getting up "Spitfire, if we're gonna start over, you need to put some effort into this friendship." she said, before walking out of the pizzeria, leaving Spitfire in her dust.
"I....what just happened...Who is this mare?"
Sunset walked down the dark streets of Manehatten. Doing that to her old friend hurt, but she knew it had to be done. The old Sunset was dead. She was no longer the egotistical asshole who buried herself in her studies was no more, and any assumption of the opposite needed to be buried along with it. She was a new mare. A new...
Sunset felt a shiver go down her spine. While it was not yet winter, fall had set into the city, and the air was starting to get cool.
Sunset didn't see any taxis running about...
This may have been a mistake.
Turning back to the pizzeria, she started back, only to be stopped by a pair of thugs in ski masks. While, usually she would be able to take these guys no problem...she was tired, hungry, and not used to her magic again...
This was absolutely a mistake.
Sunset closed her eyes, but in an instant, she heard the rush of the wind as it brushed past her face.
Hearing the sounds of struggle, Sunset opened her eyes to see Spitfire standing in front of her, dusting herself off.
"You know, I leave you alone for five minutes..."
"....thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, let's get you home."
".....actually...can we go to the park?"
"Sure."
The two mares lay under a large, and old tree in Celestial Park, gazing at the stars above them.
"So...what was all that about at Joe's?" Spitfire asked, her eyebrow firmly raised at her friend.
"I...needed to make a statement. Spits, I'm not the same mare I was back in Middle school. I've grown a LOT as a pony, and as a person...You can't see me as just "Sunny" anymore."
"And you proved that point by...acting like a dick?"
"Learned it from the best." Sunset said with a smirk.
"...touche..."
The two shared a moment of silence, as the sounds of crickets, midnight snack runs, and homeless ponies filled the air.
"So like...how long have you been a Wonderbolt?"
"Eh, 5-6 years on the main team. Got Captain my 3rd year. It's a pretty sweet gig."
"You're still hoping you get to fight a dragon one day, aren't you?"
Spitfire paused, remembering the absolute curbstomping they got handed by that dragon in Ponyville "Yeah..."
"So like...do you have any signature moves?"
Spitfire smirked, "Yeah...you wanna see one?"
Sunset sat up straight, confusing Spitfire as she crossed her legs in a very human fashion, "Go for it"
Never one to turn down the chance to show off, Spitfire took to the sky, preparing herself for her Sonic Fireball.
Sunset watched, Spitfire flying higher and higher before taking a huge dive, building up a ton of speed "What is doing? A Sonic Rainboom? that's just a legend."
As Spitfire went faster and faster, she felt the Rainboom energy building up in her, but she had other plans in mind. As soon as she hit rainboom velocity, she slammed her wings shut, storing all the energy inside of her, as her body ignited into a rainbow fireball, shooting straight at Sunset.
"Ummmm...Spitfire....."
Sunset slowly backed away in fear, Spitfire with the biggest grin on her face as she opened her wings to pitch up, going at Mach 10 as she dipped back up into the sky, letting off a huge ring of fire from her, as she flew skyward, Sunset, for a brief moment, feeling like a kid again.
Seeing Spitfire perform like this...reminded her of days gone by...but also...days to come.
