“Princess Celestia?” Twilight walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle.
“Twilight, are you sure it’s ok for us to be here?” Fluttershy asked as they walked down the halls of Canterlot Castle.
“I think so, Fluttershy. I mean, the Princess did call us here after all.” Twilight said.
“Uh… Are you sure she called all of us and not just you, sugarcube?” Applejack asked as she looked around the empty halls.
“Yep. Her letter said to bring all of you along.” Spike repeated the words from the letter Princess Celestia sent.
“Well then, maybe we should’ve waited for her in the throne room or something, darling.” Rarity said. “Perhaps they were simply running late.”
“You have a point, Rarity, but what if something happened to them?” Twilight asked, a hint of urgency in her voice.
“Hey, guys, I just flew to the throne room and back!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she zoomed to their side with a rainbow trail behind her.
“Did you see them?” Twilight asked worriedly.
“Nope! No sight of either princess!” Came the nonchalant reply.
“Where could they have- oof!” Twilight had looked down with a confused frown on her face, trying to think of where the princesses could have disappeared to, only for her snout to meet a door.
“You ok there, sugarcube?” Applejack asked as Twilight rubbed her muzzle.
“I’m fine. What’s this?” She looked up to see the mark of a sun on the door. “A sun?”
“Do you think it’s Princess’s Celestia’s room?” Pinkie asked.
“No, it looks similar, but it’s different.” Twilight narrowed her eyes at it. “I’ve never seen this mark, nor this door before.”
“But you lived here before!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as Twilight nodded.
“Right, which makes it even weirder because I remember exploring the castle on my first day here.” She replied. The door gave a sudden creak as it swung open, making all of them jump back.
“L-Let’s go back.” Fluttershy whimpered.
“Hold on. There’s somepony in there.” Twilight squinted into the darkness, barely managing to make out the shape of a slumbering pony on the bed. Despite the darkness, she was able to see the same Sun marking the door on the pony’s flank. Feeling her curiosity get the better of her, Twilight began to inch further in, but slight shuffling and a groan made all of them jump back, staring with wide eyes, as the pony on the bed began to stir.
“…Twilight?”
“And sometimes, all we need is a friend.” Celestia looked to her with hope in her eyes, but still seemed hesitant. Sunset didn’t mind. She knew that taking the first steps to moving on can be difficult and will require courage and time.
“I’ve never had a real friend before.” Celestia said tearfully. “I want to become a pony I can be proud of. Will you help me be the pony I want to be?” Sunset’s smile widened.
“That’s what friends are for.” Celestia looked down, allowing a small smile to grace her features, before nodding. She reached her hoof out towards Sunset’s. “Let’s go home.” As soon as Celestia’s hoof made contact with Sunset, the orange glow from her geode that had been encasing her suddenly began to glow brighter, engulfing the surroundings in its orange light as it grew.
“Thank you, Sunset Shimmer.” The last thing Sunset saw before the orange glow completely swallowed her was the grateful smile on Celestia’s face.
“L-Let’s go back.”
“Hold on. There’s somepony in there.” She could hear the muffled voices of somepony (or was it some ponies?) talking and flicked her ears in annoyance. She wanted to get up to see who it was, but somehow, her body felt heavy. She let out a groan as she forced her eyes to open. Blinking a few times to clear her vision, she found a familiar purple unicorn staring at her with wide eyes. The only thing missing was the large black glasses that usually rested on her muzzle.
“…Twilight?”
“Ah!” Twilight jumped back as Sunset pushed herself up. “She knows my name!”
“Well, of course, darling, you’re a princess.” Rarity said.
“A…princess?” Sunset frowned. “Why is it so dark anyway? Why didn’t you turn on the lights?” She asked as her horn lit up and the lights turned on in the room. How did she go from being with Celestia in the old castle to a room somewhere? Sunset felt her confusion grow as the group of ponies before her stared at her with mouths agape. “Why are you staring at me like that?” She asked, getting off the bed and stretching. Why do her limbs feel so stiff?
“F-Forgive us, we didn’t mean to intrude.” Fluttershy said as her ears drooped.
“Why are you so scared, Shy? It’s fine. I’m not gonna shoot a fireball at you or anything.” Sunset waved her off.
“Uh… Shy?” Sunset frowned in confusion. “AJ, what’s wrong with her?” At the look Applejack was giving her, she looked to another pony. “Pinkie?” Pinkie Pie just stared as well. “Rares? Dash?” The two ponies she called for didn’t respond either. All of them bore looks of shock on their faces. Feeling her confusion and frustration grow, Sunset looked to Twilight. “What’s going on? Twilight?” Twilight, who finally regained her composure, clamped her mouth shut.
“You…You know our names… W-Who are you?” Sunset tilted her head.
“Me? C’mon, don’t joke around, Twilight. You know who I am. I’m Sunset. Sunset Shimmer?” Twilight shook her head in confusion.
“Uh… I don’t…?” Sunset was growing visibly nervous by now.
“C’mon, guys, it’s not funny. You really don’t know who I am?” All of the ponies shook their heads as Sunset’s ears drooped. “I don’t believe it. You have no idea who I am.” That was when Sunset began to take notice of her surroundings. “Wait. Isn’t this…my room? Huh? Hang on, are we in Canterlot Castle?” She asked Twilight, who nodded.
“Yes, this is Canterlot Castle, where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna lives.”
“And the Legend of Nightmare Moon, did it ever say Princess Celestia fled after banishing Nightmare Moon to the moon?” Twilight shook her head.
“No. I don’t remember the Legends ever saying such a thing occurred.” Sunset sat down on the floor, her eyes wide in shock.
“I can’t believe it… I’m back.” Twilight tilted her head.
“Back? Back where?” Sunset looked to her solemnly.
“So…you basically spent the past 30 moons in…another world?” Rainbow Dash asked again, just to be sure, as Sunset nodded.
“And in those dreams, we were your friends, and you helped us solve problems?” Applejack asked, to which Sunset nodded again.
“I’m kind of doubting it being a different world now though.” Sunset admitted. “Given that I’ve probably been asleep this entire time, that could’ve just been a dream.”
“But dreams don’t usually make any sense.” Pinkie added in, to which Sunset nodded.
“Exactly. And they aren’t usually continuous. So it doesn’t really make any sense if I were to say it’s just a dream, but at the same time, I can’t fully say for sure that it’s a whole new entire world too.”
“And it wouldn’t explain your wings either.” Fluttershy said. “Since Princess Celestia wasn’t there in your world to help you with your ascension like she did for Twilight here.”
“Wings? What are you talking about, Shy? I don’t have wings; I’m a unicorn, not a Pegasus, you know.” Sunset said, looking confused at Fluttershy’s words.
“No, darling. You do have wings. You’re an alicorn.” Rarity stated as Sunset looked behind, only for a scream to escape from her throat.
“WHAT ARE THESE?!” She leapt off her bed, landing ungracefully on her face. The two appendages on her back, the source of her shock, were flared out haphazardly. “What the- These can’t be real!” She spluttered as she pushed herself up and spread her wings out behind her.
“Pretty sure they are.” Applejack said. Sunset shook her head.
“Princess Celestia. Where’s Princess Celestia? I need to see her!” She said urgently before taking off towards the throne room.
“W-Wait, we went there earlier and she wasn’t there!” Twilight shouted as they all gave chase.
“Luna…” Luna sighed as she turned to Celestia with an exasperated look.
“Patience, dear sister. It will not be long.” Celestia just sighed.
“But…” She was cut off by the doors of the throne room being thrown open, and suddenly time seemed to slow as she came face to face with a pony she had dearly missed. “S…Sunset…” Sunset on the other hoof, was rooted to the spot. In her shock at finding out that she was now an alicorn, the situation between her and Celestia had slipped her mind, until she burst into the room to see the Sun Princess staring at her. She took a step back, her ears folded and her form lowered almost to the ground.
“P-Pri-” She had been ready to bolt, afraid that the princess was still angry at her and might throw her into a dungeon for trespassing.
“Sunset!” Without any warning, Celestia had thrown her hooves around Sunset, hugging her tightly as tears ran freely down her muzzle. “I’m so sorry, Sunset! Please forgive me!” It took a while before Celestia’s words clicked in Sunset’s mind.
“What?! No, you have nothing to be sorry for!” She exclaimed, wiggling out of the embrace. “You gave me everything! I was the pony who didn’t listen to you and was just too arrogant to see that I was wrong! If anypony needs to apologise, it’s me!” Tears welled up in her eyes as she poured her heart out to Celestia. “I’m so sorry for everything, Princess. You did so much for me and I was a stupid stuck up ingrate who threw it back in your face just because you didn’t give me what I wanted. You were right to send me away.” Celestia shook her head.
“No, Sunset. What happened between us and what I did was my fault as much as yours. Luna helped me open my eyes to how badly I’ve been treating you. You were more than just my personal student, but I was so scared that I chose not to provide you with what you needed. And even when I saw you go down the same path I once did, I did nothing to stop you.” Sunset’s eyes widened as she took in Celestia’s words. It reminded her of her talk with the other Celestia.
“Was it…Was it because you were still hurting from what happened to Princess Luna and you were afraid of growing too close to me and losing me too?” She asked softly. “Was that why you didn’t mind Princess Cadance being so close to you, but kept the relationship between us strictly professional?” Celestia hesitantly nodded.
“You mean so much to me, Sunset. I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to handle it if I had to do to you what I did to Luna. And yet, I lost you all the same.” She sighed before looking to Sunset. “When I adopted you, I knew that the responsibility I was taking would go beyond that of a teacher. And as I raised you, the more I felt the bond between you and I grow into something more, but I still never made my feelings clear to you. That was a mistake.” She hung her head in shame before reaching out to pull Sunset into a warm embrace. “I’ve always seen you as my own daughter, Sunset. Even when I had been afraid of growing too close to you, I longed to hear you call me ‘mom’. I love you so much, my little Sun, even if I haven’t been the mother you needed these past years. All of these could’ve been prevented if only I had admitted the truth to you earlier.” Sunset shook her head as she returned the hug, tears streaming down her muzzle.
“No… I’m…actually glad it happened.” Her voice broke as she nuzzled Celestia’s mane. “I love you too…mom.” Celestia felt her tears well up anew in her eyes as she listened to Sunset. “I’m sorry I was such a brat.”
“I forgive you. And forgive me as well, for being so blind.” Loud sniffling interrupted their moment as they looked over to see Pinkie bawling her eyes out. Looking to the rest of the ponies, they realised that even Twilight and the rest of her friends were crying as well.
“I…I never knew you have a daughter, Princess Celestia.” Twilight managed through her tears.
“It was something that my sister failed to inform me of as well, Twilight Sparkle.” Luna shook her head as she walked up to Sunset’s side and place a hoof on her back, shooting her a smile. “Leave it to my sister to be so oblivious to the longing of another, especially those closest to her.” She said with a wink before walking ahead, leaving Sunset with a confused frown on her face as she tilted her head. Why did Luna’s words sound so familiar?
“Oh, hush, Luna. No need to point out the obvious.” Celestia looked away, an embarrassed blush on her face. Luna merely smirked back at her.
“Anyway, sister, I believe we had a reason for calling them here, did we not?”
“Indeed, we did.” Celestia said with a smile as she pulled away.
“Oh, right, I wanted to ask about these too.” Sunset said, gesturing to her wings.
“All in due time, my little Sun.” Celestia replied with a little nod as she stood up, looking to Twilight and her friends. “I called you here to discuss something regarding the Elements of Harmony.”
“Did something happen to the Tree of Harmony again?” Twilight asked worriedly as Celestia shook her head.
“No, Twilight, it is nothing to worry about, but it will be easier to show you.”
“Should I wait here?” Sunset asked uncertainly as Celestia smiled to her.
“No, my little Sun. I want you to come along, for this concerns you as well.” Sunset only felt her confusion grow as she followed Celestia and Luna, with Twilight and her friends following along.
“Are you serious? You defeated Tirek and even befriended Discord?” Sunset said incredulously as she listened to Twilight and her friends talk about their adventures. The train ride back to Ponyville was quiet, and out of boredom, Sunset asked about everything she had missed out on.
“Well, technically, Fluttershy was the one who befriended him first. I wasn’t too keen on the idea at first.” Twilight admitted.
“No kidding, he’s the Lord of Chaos. I’d have second thoughts about befriending him too, if it were me.”
“He’s actually nice if you get to know him.” Fluttershy piped up timidly.
“Only you can tame him like that, Shy.” Sunset grinned.
“I see you’re getting along quite well already.” Celestia smiled to her as Sunset shrugged.
“I guess.” She turned her gaze to Luna, who sat quietly next to Celestia. “Um… Princess Luna?” Luna looked to her.
“Yes, what do you need from me, my dear niece?” Sunset looked down with a shy smile. ‘My dear niece’, huh… She’s not so different from the other Luna.
“I was wondering if it’s ok if I call you Aunt Luna? I mean, you are mom’s sister after all.” Luna just smiled.
“I’d like that, Sunset Shimmer.” Luna suddenly looked out of the window and stood up. “We’re here.” She announced to the rest as the train came to a stop. As they alighted, Sunset made a mental note to tell Celestia and Luna about her own adventure once this issue with the Elements of Harmony was settled. And maybe they might be able to figure out why and how I got my wings too… She added in her mind.
“Here we are, at the Tree of Harmony.” Celestia said as they crowded around the tree while Sunset gaped in awe at it near the back.
“And look, there are the Elements!” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
“Luna and I discovered it some time ago.” Celestia revealed. “We felt a strong burst of magic one night, so strong that Luna even returned from the Dream Realm to find out the source. And look carefully.” She smiled as she pointed to the Elements.
“There are…seven Elements of Harmony?” Twilight felt her jaw drop as she counted and recounted again to arrive at the same number. “B-But…how is that possible? I thought there were only 6 Elements of Harmony!”
“That was what we have thought too, Twilight Sparkle, but magic works in mysterious ways.” Luna said. “Although we only knew of 6 Elements of Harmony, nopony said there couldn’t be a 7th, or an 8th, or even a 9th Element of Harmony. The Tree of Harmony is, after all, a tree.”
“But… But… Who does it belong to?” Twilight asked. She could identify all the Elements but one, which was shaped like a sun. There was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that she had seen this mark just recently, but she couldn’t seem to recall where.
“That looks awfully similar to your cutie mark, Your Highness.” Rarity commented as Celestia chuckled.
“It does look similar, but it’s not mine. I do know, however, of another pony who bears a sun as her cutie mark.”
“Me.” Sunset whispered as the rest of them looked to Sunset’s flank, confirming that her cutie mark did indeed match the 7th Element of Harmony. “But I never did anything to earn it! It’s just like my wings too! I didn’t earn them!” She said, aghast, as she flared out her wings before folding them again.
“If you didn’t earn them, then why do they exist?” Celestia asked, though her smile suggested she already knew the answer. “Sunset, the Elements of Harmony would never choose you to be their Bearer if they do not think you deserve it. You have proven yourself worthy of an Element, and it has chosen you as its Bearer. As for your wings, I’m afraid I’m not sure how you ascended, since Luna and I usually help with the ascension of a pony, but I do know that you’ve earned them, just as you’ve earned the right to bear the Elements of Harmony.”
“How? I was asleep for the past 30 moons, and before that, I was a horrible pony! I didn’t listen to you, and I didn’t make any friends either! It doesn’t make any sense!” Sunset exclaimed in disbelief.
“But you know, you did say that you solved the problems of other ponies in the other world!” Pinkie chirped in suddenly.
“And you helped our sisters and prevented them from giving into corrupted magic too.” Applejack added.
“Plus, you defeated Nightmare Moon and befriended Princess Luna!” Rainbow Dash said.
“And helped the other me make friends and extended your friendship to her.” Twilight listed.
“You even helped Princess Celestia there.” Fluttershy joined in softly.
“It wasn’t real!” Sunset snapped. “All those were just a dream! A fake! In this world, the real world, I was asleep!”
“I speak from experience when I assure you; you are worthy of your wings, as well as the Elements of Harmony.” Luna spoke up as she walked to Sunset’s side. “After all, you had wings when you wielded the Elements of Harmony before, or have you already forgotten that?”
“How do you know that?” Sunset asked, her eyes wide in shock. “You’ve never even met me before today.” She hadn’t told Luna and Celestia about what had happened in the other world. She had only told Twilight and the others, but even then, she hadn’t gone into detail, so they couldn’t have told Luna anything more than what she told them. And yet, how did Luna know what only she should have known? Luna seemed to read her thoughts as she met her gaze with a mysterious smile and a twinkle in her eyes.
“That may be what you think, but this is not the first time we’ve met, Sunset Shimmer.” She said while Sunset was busy gaping at her. “Before I found out that you’re my niece, you were my friend.”
“Y-Your friend? When? How?” Sunset asked.
“The same way you befriended a group of ponies who were fighting amongst themselves over a misunderstanding, three little fillies who tried to ostracise you, a pony who tried to bring eternal night to Equestria, and a pony who had fled in guilt and remorse after banishing her sister to the moon.” She said, watching as realisation began to dawn on Sunset. “Sometimes, to be a friend…”
“…a little empathy is needed.” Sunset finished in a whisper, her eyes widening even more. Now, the moments when Luna had spoken familiar words to her made sense. “Of course. You’re the Alicorn in charge of the Dream Realm. You were there.”
“Indeed I was, Sunset.” Luna nodded in confirmation. “I was there when you freed me from Nightmare Moon. I watched you wield the Elements with wings and a horn. I stood witness to your empathy. And I know you are worthy of what you have.”
“T-That night, when we talked… That was you too, wasn’t it?” Sunset spluttered as Luna nodded.
“When I returned from the moon, I took up my old duties once again, one of which was watching over our subjects’ dreams. And I sensed a powerful magic from you, which drew me into your dream. But when I entered your dream, I found my nightmare instead, of being Nightmare Moon.”
FLASHBACK
“What’s this? Why am I Nightmare Moon again?” Luna spoke, fear creeping onto her when she found that she couldn’t control her actions. She tried to leave the dream, but found herself trapped within the body of Nightmare Moon. “No, please! I’m not her anymore! Please stop!” She begged to no avail. She was forced to watch as Nightmare Moon terrorised the ponies of Ponyville. “Please… stop this… Stop me...” She shut her eyes tightly, trying to will herself not to listen to their terrified screams. “Stop! Sister! Twilight!” She howled as she looked around. “I don’t want to do something like this! Somepony, stop me! I don’t want this!” Suddenly, she caught, through Nightmare Moon’s eyes, the gaze of a pony down below. She could recognise that pony as one who had charged at Nightmare Moon with all kinds of spells, Twilight’s friends backing her up, only for their efforts to be in vain when Nightmare Moon had simply shrugged them off. While the other ponies looked at her with fear and terror in their eyes, this particular pony regarded her with understanding. Luna felt as though she was seeing her, as Princess Luna, rather than Nightmare Moon. It was a strange feeling that she couldn’t explain. Somehow, she just knew that this pony could save her. And as if reading her mind, the pony stood firm, looking to the ponies surrounding her.
“We need to stop her. We’re the only ones who can save her!”
NEXT FLASHBACK
Luna watched in awe as the pony named each of Twilight’s friends as the representatives of the Elements of Harmony.
“I have my friends with me. And when those Elements are ignited by the spark that resides in our hearts, it creates the 6th Element; the Element of Magic.” Twilight represented the Element of Magic and was therefore able to summon and wield the Element of Magic. How did this pony manage to do the same? It was almost as if she was Twilight, back when she had stopped Nightmare Moon in the real world. But something was different. Twilight’s friends projected beams onto the pony and Luna watched, fascinated, as the pony’s horn grew longer and she sprouted wings of pure energy from her back. “True magic comes from Honesty, Loyalty, Laughter, Generosity, and Kindness! And this creates the most powerful magic of all; the Magic of Friendship.” The resulting magic that blasted her was strangely warm and comforting. It felt purer than anything Luna had felt before. The transformation reverting her back to her true form wasn’t painful, nor did it drain much of her magic. She didn’t feel tired when she awoke after the blast, and her form remained that of a powerful dark blue alicorn. She didn’t change to her light blue alicorn form like she did in the real world with Twilight, reborn with very low magic levels. And somehow, Luna knew the key was the pony who had led the group and wielded the Elements of Harmony.
NEXT FLASHBACK
Luna watched the Sun shining brightly in the sky. She could sense Celestia somewhere, but she couldn’t seem to pinpoint her location. Wherever her sister was, she was certainly not in Canterlot. She could only frown in confusion, before her attention shifted to the fiery-maned pony who was talking to Twilight’s friends.
After the battle, Luna had listened as the pony spoke of having witnessed the night Celestia had banished her. From what Luna understood, the geode the pony and Twilight’s friends wore were remnants of the Elements of Harmony, and though the Elements supposedly bear the cutie mark of their bearers, the geode around this pony’s neck did not bear the cutie mark of the Element of Magic, but rather a sun, matching the cutie mark on this pony’s flank. Does that mean that there is another Element of Harmony, and this pony is its bearer? Is it even possible for there to be another Element of Harmony? I thought there were only 6. And what does her Element represent? Why does it give her the power to witness the past? How was she able to read the thoughts of ponies?And she even managed to share her thoughts with the other ponies as well. Luna wondered to herself, remembering how the pony had told her that she read Celestia’s mind in the past, and how she had read her thoughts from within Nightmare Moon and shared it to the other ponies so they could understand.
For a while, Luna had almost forgotten that this was a dream, which she assumed belonged to this particular pony. But that brought about another set of questions. How did she know how the events of Nightmare Moon’s defeat occurred? And how did she know of the Elements of Harmony? There was no other pony in that old castle except us and Celestia. This was too similar to the actual event for it to be a coincidence. For something that’s supposed to be just a dream, it’s rather frighteningly realistic. What exactly is going on here?
“Hey, um, Princess Luna?” Luna snapped out of her thoughts to see that the pony had bid Twilight’s friends goodbye at some point and had walked up to her. “Sorry to disturb you.”
“It’s fine, um…” Luna trailed off when she realised that she still didn’t know the pony’s name. A fact which the pony herself seemed to have realised as well.
“Oh, sorry. I never really introduced myself, did I? My name is Sunset Shimmer. I just wanted to ask about how you’re feeling. I mean, we did just blast you with a magical rainbow beam.” Sunset shuffled her hooves nervously.
“Don’t worry, I am alright. The magic of the Elements did not hurt. In fact, it was strangely warm and comforting.”
“That’s good. I, um, I was actually kinda worried that you might be angry at us for defeating you.” Luna shook her head.
“No, I’m glad you saved me. Though created from me, Nightmare Moon was not an entity I could control at will.” Sunset just nodded.
“Yeah, I got that when I read your mind in the past on the day you turned into her and caused a solar eclipse.”
“Ah, yes, your mysterious power. I was wondering about that.” Luna said simply. “It seems that much has changed since a thousand moons ago. I was thinking you might be able to fill me in on everything I’ve missed out on.”
“Well, I don’t really know much since I didn’t exist a thousand years ago, but I can tell you what I know. Don’t expect too much though. I’m a bit of a newcomer myself, so I won’t be able to tell you about anything that happened before I came here.” Luna listened as Sunset fed her tales of her adventures, as well as the myths that exist in this dream world. Just as Sunset neared the end of her story, Luna noticed a missing detail about the pony. She was fairly certain that Sunset had ascended into an alicorn during the battle with Nightmare Moon, and yet the pony that now stood before her did not bear any wings upon her back. She did a double check just to be sure and confirmed that Sunset was indeed a unicorn. It didn’t make any sense. Where did her wings go? Was it even possible for an Alicorn to revert back to the form they had before ascension?
“By the time I returned to the real world, I felt even more confused than I did when Nightmare Moon was first defeated. I had so many questions, and yet no answer. Even though I knew it was a dream and the dream of the same pony would likely not be the same should I return the next night, I just couldn’t seem to let it go.”
“Bet you were surprised when you returned to find it the same.” Sunset grinned as Luna nodded.
“I was indeed surprised to find that the dream seemed to have continued onto a new day as well when I returned again the next night. I was admittedly intrigued by you, especially since your name is one that I have never heard of. My sister didn’t mention you even once when she was telling me about everything that happened while I was gone.” Celestia gave Sunset a sheepish smile at that.
“You have to understand how important you were to me, Sunset. When you casted that spell and fell into a deep sleep, I was devastated. I even thought you were dead when the guards first presented your limp body to me. After that, I tried various ways to wake you to no avail. When it became obvious that I would not be able to wake you, I thought I had lost you forever. It hurt to even think of you. So I didn’t. Or at least, I tried not to.” Sunset recognised her words. The Celestia I met in that world really is her counterpart. They’re so similar. “I had you placed in your old room, and hid your room away with an invisibility spell, holding onto the smallest glimmer of hope that you would one day awaken and return to me.”
“And I did.” Sunset said as she gave Celestia a brief hug before turning back to Luna. “So, what happened next, Aunt Luna?”
“That very night, when I first met you, both Celestia and I felt strong magic from the Treehouse of Harmony and I immediately exited from the dream after giving you the excuse of wanting to rest. We knew that it was connected to the Elements and rushed over to find this.” Luna said, gesturing to the Tree of Harmony with the 7 Elements.
FLASHBACK
“It seems that this is the source of the strong magic from just now.” Luna noted as she stared at the new Element of Harmony, bearing the mark of a sun. It was familiar to Luna. “This mark…”
“It’s not my mark.” Celestia whispered, eyes wide.
“Sister?” Luna looked back to see Celestia frozen to the spot, her gaze fixed on the Element.
“I…I know that mark… But…how can this be possible?”
“Sister? What’s wrong? Do you know the pony this mark belongs to?” Luna asked, yet it felt as though Celestia didn’t hear her.
“She…She is alive after all…” Tears made their way down Celestia’s muzzle before she teleported away with a blinding flash of light.
END OF FLASHBACK
“I teleported after her, tracing her magic to follow her.” Luna said. “And I found myself in a room that didn’t exist in the old castle.”
FLASHBACK
“Sister! What’s wrong?” Luna asked worriedly as soon as she appeared in her destination. There, in the middle of the unfamiliar room, she found Celestia looking at a pony on the bed.
“Sunset? Can you hear me? Sunset! Please, wake up!” There was a rare desperation in Celestia’s voice as she repeatedly called out to the pony who didn’t stir even the slightest in her deep slumber.
“This pony…” Luna frowned as she approached the bed to get a closer look at the pony, confirming that she was indeed the pony she met in the dream, Sunset Shimmer. Celestia collapsed onto the ground, sobbing into her hooves.
“Oh, Luna! What am I going to do if she never wakes up?” All Luna could do was drape her wing comfortingly over Celestia as she cried for hours on end.
END OF FLASHBACK
“Wow. That bad, huh?” Sunset said to Celestia, who gave her an embarrassed smile.
“I excused myself afterwards, and it was only in the morning that I told her about you.”
FLASHBACK
“Sister, where are we headed?” Luna asked as she followed behind Celestia.
“Just follow me, Luna. I would like to tell you about that pony from yesterday.” Celestia said as she stopped before a wall. She pointed her horn at it, revealing a door with a sun mark. Luna recognised it as Sunset’s cutie mark. They entered, Luna following after Celestia, and Celestia turned the lights on, only to freeze.
“Sister?” Luna trotted to her side to see Celestia with a confused frown on her face.
“That’s not right. Why does she have wings?” Luna followed her gaze to Sunset, noticing her wings, peeking out from beneath her covers. They were different from the wings of pure energy she saw in Sunset’s dream, but the fact that she has wings remained unchanged.
“They were there yesterday as well. I thought you knew, but I guess you just didn’t notice it.” Luna said.
“But…the last time I saw her, Sunset was a unicorn. How and why did she ascend?” Luna did have an idea why, but chose to keep silent.
“Who knows, Sister. Magic works in mysterious ways. So, what is it about this pony that you wanted to tell me?” She reminded Celestia of her initial intention.
“I suppose you are right, Luna.” Celestia sighed. “Well, to begin, this pony’s name is Sunset Shimmer.”
END OF FLASHBACK
“She told me about you being her personal student who had gone astray, and everything that happened between you two, leading up to how you ended up in that state. I, on the other hoof, kept everything that I witnessed in your dream to myself.” Luna said. “To tell anypony your dream would mean invading your privacy, and I am very strict about not revealing our subjects’ dreams to anypony.”
“Not even to me.” Celestia said with a pout as Sunset laughed.
“It was only until the morning on the day I saw you again that I finally decided to confide in my sister that I had actually met you. And that was actually the reason why I went back to talk to you.”
FLASHBACK
“You’vemet Sunset?!” Celestia all but screeched as she teleported right in front of Luna from where she had been standing a few feet away in a split second. “When?! Where?! How?!” Luna leaned back to avoid having Celestia’s muzzle pressed against hers.
“In a dream, Sister. Two nights ago.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Celestia pressed forward, making Luna frown and shoot her head forward to headbutt Celestia.
“Calm down first, Sister. You know I can’t tell you about our subjects’ dreams.” Celestia rubbed the spot on her head where she was hit.
“I know.” She sighed, before looking up to Luna with pleading eyes. “I just want to know if…if you can bring her home?” Luna paused, contemplating her request. “Please, Luna. I want to see her.” She gave in with a sigh and turned around.
“So you went there to bring me home?” Sunset asked, to which Luna confirmed with a nod. Sunset could’ve face-hoofed. That really would’ve explained a lot about Luna’s mannerisms in the other world. Speaking of which… “Then…you already knew that I represented the Element of Empathy?” Luna nodded.
“To be more precise, I came with the knowledge of the existence of the new Element of Harmony, but I only realised what the Element was after our talk.” She said. “And when I returned…”
FLASHBACK
“Luna!” Luna had returned in time to see the Sun practically being thrown up into the sky before Celestia appeared with a flash. “Did you meet her? What did she say?”
“Please treat your Sun with more care, Sister. We wouldn’t want another repeat of the time you dropped it just because you wanted to get back to bed quickly.” Luna scolded, deadpanned.
“Nevermind that, did you get to meet Sunset? How is she? Is she ok?”
“Rest assured she is doing well, Sister. However, she cannot return yet.”
“Why?! What do we have to do for her to wake up?” Luna shook her head.
“Nothing. She has a purpose she has yet to fulfil there. Once she has attended to her duties there, I’m sure she will return.”
“Duties?” Celestia asked. “She is an Alicorn here. So does that mean she’s the Princess over there?”
“Not quite, but I do know that her accomplishments there have proven her to be worthy of being one.” Luna said, her eyes twinkling as she added, “As well as to be the Bearer of the Element of Empathy.”
“The Element of-?” Celestia had confusion on her face briefly, before realisation dawned on her. “The new Element of Harmony!” Luna nodded.
“That’s right. And I have a feeling the reason for her current state might have something to do with the mirror you showed her.”
“The Crystal Mirror?” Celestia put a hoof to her muzzle thoughtfully. “Now that you mention it, she did say that she saw herself as an Alicorn in the mirror. And she is an Alicorn now…”
“Right. The spell she accidentally casted on herself put her to sleep, and if we assume that the Crystal Mirror had an influence on it somehow, then it would explain why her dream manifested as a nearly entirely new world, a world that’s not quite part of reality, but not completely just a dream either.” Luna explained. It would explain why the events of this world occurred in her dream.
“I see… So she really did take her lessons to heart after all. I’m so proud of her.” Celestia relaxed with a smile. “I can’t wait to see her again and hear more about her achievements.” Luna nodded.
“I’m sure you do, Sister, but before that, we need to have a talk.” Celestia tilted her head.
“About what?”
“About Sunset Shimmer, whom I just found out to be your daughter and effectively, my niece.”
END OF FLASHBACK
“Believe me when I say I was utterly flabbergasted when I realised that she had done the same thing to you as she did to me.” Luna shot a piercing gaze at Celestia, who quickly averted her eyes. “I made her spill everything about how she had met you and how you grew on her over the years, as well as how she really felt about you. Everything which she should’ve told you, but never did.”
FLASHBACK
“So, let me get this straight. You see her as a daughter,” She paused, squinting her eyes at Celestia, who nodded. “and yet you didn’t tell her? And me?” Celestia nodded again, squirming under Luna’s deadpanned stare. “Are you bucking kidding me?”
“I was- I was afraid of losing her. I had come to love her so much, I didn’t want to lose another pony I love.”
“Well, you’re off to a great start, Tia.” Celestia winced at the sarcastic jab from Luna. “You did the exact same thing to me! You pushed me away when I needed you most, and see where that got us! What could’ve possessed you to think it was a good idea to do it again?!” She gave a frustrated growl. “And to make matters worse, you adopted Cadance as our niece, allowing her to address you as ‘Auntie’ but didn’t allow Sunset Shimmer to do the same! Do you have any idea what that looked like to her?”
“I know now, after you lectured me for so long about it.” Celestia murmured, lowering her head.
“And? What are you going to do about it when she comes back?”
“I know. I’ll tell her the truth.” Luna nodded in satisfaction.
“Good. And you better do, or so help me, I will force it out of you.” Celestia gave her a small smile.
“I will, I promise. Thanks, Luna.”
END OF FLASHBACK
“I never knew you had that side to you.” Twilight commented. “I mean, you always seem so calm and collected. It’s hard to see you in any other way.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised.” Sunset smirked. “Just because she doesn’t show them doesn’t mean she doesn’t have other sides to her.” She chuckled. “For one, she’s just as prone to overthinking and panicking as you are, Twi.”
“Really?” Twilight’s eyes were wide and curious, almost like a little filly’s, discovering something new.
“Sunset!” Celestia had an embarrassed blush on her face while Sunset just stuck her tongue out at her playfully.
“Indeed, she is.” Luna spoke up, sporting a similar smirk as Sunset. “Even when Sunset first returned earlier, we were late because she was too busy overthinking and worrying in her room.”
FLASHBACK
“What if she doesn’t want to see me? What if she hates me? What if she doesn’t forgive me?” Luna watched, her face impassive, her eyes following Celestia’s movements as she paced anxiously back and forth in her room. “What if she’s still angry?”
“Forget my niece, I am going to be if you make us any later than we already are, Sister. We were supposed to be in the throne room to meet Twilight Sparkle and her friends nearly an hour ago.” They had been in the throne room, patiently waiting for Twilight and her friends, when there was a sudden surge of magic from Sunset’s old room. As soon as they sensed it and recognised its source, Celestia teleported back into her room in a fit of panic, followed closely by Luna, and had been pacing about frantically ever since.
END OF FLASHBACK
A sudden surge of magic? Must be that bright glow when I talked to the other Celestia, Sunset noted to herself as she listened to Luna with an amused smirk on her face. “Sounds like mom all right.”
“I tried coaxing her and almost had to literally drag her to the throne room because she was worrying so much.” Luna sighed. “Really, Sister, you shouldn’t dwell so much on-”
“-what ifs and what could be.” Sunset cut her off, gaining her a smirk from Luna.
“Exactly. You took the words right out of my mouth, my dear niece.” Sunset met her smirk with a grin.
“I learnt from the best.”
“Well, I’ll be!” Celestia huffed. “My daughter and my sister ganging up on me! Oh, woe is me!” She exclaimed with a dramatic flair on par with Rarity, making all of them laugh.
