1: New World, New Horizons.
It was the middle of the night, most ponies were either asleep or wishing that they were. The castle was mostly empty (aside from the night shift guards and staff). It felt so hollow and stiff without the usual energy of ponies of all kinds walking through the halls. Outside the Moon shone with the dark craters making a visage of a mare that stared down at the world while covering it in her soft and silver (and kinda creepy) glow. This light made it possible to see inside the library, specifically the forbidden section where a single mare stood with a serious expression on her face.
Here She was, standing in front of the mirror portal, to her it was now or never, either she did this or be looked down upon for the rest of her life. She thought it would be a hard decision for her, for she was abandoning her world, all that she loved, and all those who she knew…but it wasn't. It was surprisingly easy to tell herself that she was ready to abandon it all.
Sunset Shimmer looked back at her life in Equestria and thought about what she had here, what her thoughts yielded for her was…unsatisfactory to say the least. Everything she ever valued was connected to Miss Grumpy, an overbearing higher-than-thou whom she called Sunbutt (in her inner voice at least). She didn't have anything or anyone else. It wasn't like she needed anyone, on the contrary, she had all she needed but her ever so gracious mentor kept denying her the only thing she wanted, which was obviously to be on equal hoofing.
Well, that certainly wasn't happening and she already had all the belongings she needed in her saddlebags so she didn't need to wait further. She took a deep breath before walking through the portal.
The first thing that she saw was grass and a building, the first thing that she felt was that her limbs felt odd and with different proportions, which of course, led to her first action being introducing her face to the ground. Ow.
She grumbled as she lifted herself only to feel and find multiple odd things. First, she no longer had hooves, she had weird things that looked like griffin claws but skinny and meaty instead of her front hooves, she was wearing clothes that she had no idea about their place of origin, she was on her knees and not fully standing for some reason, and lastly the front of her face was gone.
Gasping loudly and with panic her hands immediately shot towards her face and no, it wasn't an illusion, her face was half gone…or well it was actually entirely different. She turned behind to look at the mirror only to find that the mirror wasn't a mirror, but a stone wall at the base of a statue…huh odd.
She went and extended her now weird limb into the smooth surface and indeed, the portal was still there. Huh, Neat going to the portal won't be too hard should she need something from the other side. Now to figure out where she was.
She tried to move again but found out that her posture was odd when walking on all fours, was she bipedal now? Well, she could test that theory right away, couldn't she? She held onto the base of the statue with her claw-like thingy and lifted herself. Okay, so she was bipedal now, how was she supposed to get used to this? Ugh, this might be harder than she thought.
After shaking her head and getting a feel of her new limbs, she decided to just walk in a circle around the base. It will help her move and get used to this while also giving her time to think of a plan. She tried to use her magic to pull some things out of her bag to see if they also changed but…well she felt nothing, odd. Was her horn not working? She tried again but still nothing. “hm did I hit it too hard when I fell? Is it cracked? No, I would have felt that. What's wrong with it then?” she thought as she used her claw thingies to touch the top of her head…where was it? Where in Celestia’s teats was it?
Panic took hold of Sunset as she ran her hands all over her head to find her horn only for her to not even feel a little bump to indicate the existence of one…oh sweet Celestia…she can't do magic here can she? At that moment sunset was more than ready to jump back and give up her bold endeavor but how could she? That will only prove to Celestia that she is weak and undeserving of being an equal! No! She will stay and she will deal with this! But first, she needs to find a mirror and figure out her…what was it called again? Fingers? Toes? Claws? Whatever replaced her front hooves worked.
The first thing she did other than stop walking in a circle was try to get her bag off her back. It shouldn't have been hard at all but apparently, she needed to slide it off one front (upper?) limb after the other, then she needed to use her thingies to open the bag, and then pull out her stuff and books which all changed to some degree. Of course, it all sounded so simple but that was not without mentioning that she wasted an entire hour and a half on this. This is going to be a ‘fun’ experience, isn't it?
After deciding that her legs hurt, she sat down awkwardly and started going through her books to see what changed. Many of her books changed to fit this word, apparently, she was what was called a human now if that anatomy or biology book was to be trusted. It mentioned the correct terminology for her limbs (which she was grateful for), apparently her front hooves replacement is called a hand and it's a skeletal and muscular contraption made out of 27 or so bones and what replaced her back hooves are called feet. Using that knowledge gave her what she needed to know to be able to move properly and to sit in a more comfortable position.
‘Humans’ apparently didn't use magic at all, they didn't have horns, wings or even the enhanced strength of earth ponies. They were just bipedal monkey-related species that had a higher intellect than the other species of this world. Apparently, mares are called females or women and stallions are called Males or men in this word yet boys and girls are still the same.
Sunset got so enveloped in reading her magically changed books that she did not notice the figure that was standing in front of her until they fake coughed to get her attention.
She froze at the sudden sound and after a moment's consideration slowly looked up from her book till she was looking the ‘person’ in the eyes. It was a purplish blue-skinned woman with teal or turquoise eyes (she couldn't tell the difference) and she looked like possible trouble. Was she a guard of this place? She certainly held herself like one or so she assumed…oh wait she didn't say anything yet did she?
“Um…hello?” She said meekly while not even being sure that they spoke the same language, sure the text is still the same but that is no guarantee that their verbal language was the same, or that the text is in the language of this world.
The woman raised an eyebrow and had what she assumed was a slightly amused look on her face. “May I ask what are you doing here at such a late hour? And that is without asking the questions of why you are here in the first place. You're not a student because if you were I would have recognized you.” She said simply, plainly, and what felt like accusingly. She didn't know who this woman was, but she's one step closer to being either a pain in the ass or a major help.
“Oh um…” How was she supposed to answer that? Was this a school? A college? Or what? Ugh saying yes would mean that she could go to the Portal whenever but it still felt risky…
“Oh! I'm just trying to enrol here…but I got distracted by the book and I guess it got too late?” Sunset hoped that this sounded sincere enough to be even moderately believable.
“Enroll here? Why are your parents not here to enrol you? Or whoever your legal guardian is?” Crap. She can't say she has parents or else she'll have to bring them to get here or bring them to take her away if this was a school. She doubted this guard or whatever she was would let her leave without a legal guardian.
“Oh um, I don't have parents or a legal guardian.” Which was technically true. She did not have anyone in this world and it's not like she could contact them from here, plus she didn't know how things worked here so maybe whatever name she might give would be too ridiculous to be believable. Her words seemed to do the trick as the woman's eyes widened and now she had a worried look on her face
“Ah, I am…sorry to hear that. I hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries here but if you don't have anyone to drive you home then would you mind if I did? It's dangerous to walk alone during the night and I can't let a child do such a thing.” said the woman with what seemed to be genuine concern. That kinda shocked Sunset but she remembered that this was probably a teacher so some kid showing up and saying that they are completely alone does call for concern (well for any sensible adult but especially someone who deals with kids daily)
Although Sunset couldn't help but think that there was more to it than that. But, jokes on her because she doesn't have a home! Ha! And even if she needed to lie to this lady, how would she? She lived here and knows this city while she doesn't, she might come up with an address but the odds of it existing are purely improbable if not impossible with how low of a chance it is.
“Oh, I don't have a home.” She said simply with a smug smile on her face that shouldn't be there considering her predicament. Of course, it was met by a shocked, concerned and confused look on the purple woman. Sunset felt stupid. Why can't she control herself?
“What…so you're telling me that…” The woman stopped for a moment as she just stared at Sunset while looking like she was going through a million thoughts per second. “Do you have anywhere to stay? Or anywhere to go to?”
“This place, duh. I want to enrol at this place for a reason.” Okay, she was not even convincing herself at this point and the raised eyebrow was all the response she needed. Okay, the Sympathy ploy begins. “Okay, okay! No, I don't have anywhere to go. I thought that I could just sign here and hopefully find a spot to stay in. I was supposed to come earlier but I'm new to this town and I simply got lost so there goes my plans.” She said while pouring all her frustrations over everything into her voice to hopefully make it as convincing as she could.
Thankfully, it seemed enough as the woman's face softened and then she lowered herself to Sunset's level (huh, did she not stand at all during their conversation? She should work on that) before speaking in what could be called a gentle tone…could be, she still felt like she was punished for doing something stupid. “I'm sorry that you're going through this Ms? I’m sorry but I don't think that I got your name,” she had the sweetest of smiles on her face as finished…ugh, it reminded her of Celestia’s condescending smiles.
“Sunset, Sunset Shimmer. I don't believe I got yours either though, care to share?” What will she say next? That she can't be here? Or that she has to find a place to stay? Or that she needs parents to enrol in this establishment?
“Ah, right. My name is Luna, Luna Hurricane, I'm the vice-principle of Canterlot High. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Shimmer. Now as I was saying, I'm sorry to hear that but you can't enroll without a legal guardian. Now I may be able to do something but for it to work it would require you to make a leap of faith and trust with me. Is that understood?”
Who in the pit of Tartarus speaks like that? She doesn't know who this ‘Luna’ is or who she thinks she is but for all she knows she broke this random orphan and homeless girl’s hope and now she asks for some leap of faith? Sunset visibly frowned and didn't even acknowledge what else she was told
“Oh yeah? And what might this leap of faith be? We just met! vice-principle or not, it feels like you're asking too much.” Sunset all but spat while looking at Luna sceptically
To her credit, Luna just took a deep breath with closed eyes before she sat down instead of just squatting. “It’s sudden, it will be weird and most of all, it will be hard to do but I propose that you stay with me so you can enrol and then we can start looking for foster homes or something that might work for you,” Luna then opened her eyes and stared at her with an even calm expression.
Sunset felt her jaw drop. She didn't know if this woman was kind, stupid, or if she had some ulterior motive. Why would she offer such a thing? Did the sympathy plan work too well? Does she just want to keep an eye on her?
“I'm sorry, but I just met you yet you are asking me to live with you? I find that hard to believe,” Sunset wanted her scepticism to be known to Luna. Unless she provides actual reasoning she can't see or fathom why would she agree to this ridiculous ask!
“I don't need much of a reason, you're a young girl who has no home or anyone to go to, yet here you are trying to get into school. My job is to keep order in this school and to help students. Unlike most students out there, you want to be here, you want to learn. I simply want to help you with that.” Luna then paused to give Sunset some time to digest her words, after 5 seconds of silence she spoke again. “I will also help you find a home, a proper home and family to help you and for you to stay with. I'm only asking you to stay with me because of the lack of options at the time. So what do you say Ms.Shimmer?”
Sunset stayed silent as she sat to think about it, here she was getting a promise of free home, food and a way to enrol and have a place at ‘Canterlot’ high school which also granted her free access to the portal. Honestly, it was a deal as sweet as can be, but the question is, can she trust this woman? What other options did she have?
She sighed before standing up (still a weird thing to do) and grabbing her stuff manually. She then turned to Luna with a small smile on her face, appearances are an important part of the game after all.
“Well…I don't see what other options I have, plus a place to stay doesn't sound too bad. So how far is your home? I hope it's not too far, I doubt I can walk for much longer today.”
Luna smiled as she stood up and started walking towards some metal box thing. “not too far but we'll take the car, so you don't have to worry about walking Ms Shimmer “
“Sunset is fine, I'll feel like an old lady if I get called Ms this early. Can I call you Luna or do I have to use Ms.Hurricane instead?” Sunset was actually curious about that, it'll show how comfortable she is with her after all.
“Luna is fine when we're not in school but in school, it's Vice-principle or Vice-principle Luna. If you behave, you won't have to encounter me a lot so you don't need to worry about that,” she said as she pulled out something out of her pocket and opened the door to the metal carriage thing. She then sat down and motioned for Sunset to sit down. Sunset was a bit nervous but managed to get inside and sit down. She said nothing as the thing started to shake and let out some loud noise. No, she did not panic by not even one bit. She simply held onto her seat for comfort reasons.
Soon the ‘car’ started to move and take her to her new home, for now at least. It only now occurred to Sunset's body that she was tired and she was about to curse at herself as she started feeling her consciousness slip away slowly and steadily as the streets and buildings started blending inside her head.
Hopefully, she'll wake up before they arrive or otherwise, it might be embarrassing. Actually, she might as well tell her to insure it. “Um, Luna?” She didn't get an answer but she saw the woman slightly shift her head towards her. Rude, she couldn't have just said yes or something. “Wake me up when we arrive,” She said as she turned in her seat and allowed blissful sleep to welcome her into its realm…HAH. Sunset's last action in the waking world was a small chuckle that was followed by light snoring. The former mare was really tired.