I am all that was

"Twilight,", Sunset Shimmer said. "I want to go home.".

Home. That word struck Twilight. Home. Equestria. She had almost forgotten that Sunset Shimmer was an Equestrian just like she was. Not just anyone, but a pupil of Princess Celestia. She remembered that Sunset Shimmer had gone great in unicorn magic. Her abilities were comparable to Twilight Sparkle's.

"I want to see whats changed, I want to visit the place I'm from" Sunset Shimmer explained. "I want to say sorry"

"To who?" asked Twilight.

"To Celestia.", replied Sunset. "In her studies, I only wanted power. I didn't consider things such as the magic of friendship important". She hoped that after all horrible things she had done, Celestia would have the heart to forgive her. Part of looking at her past was the thought She would be able to rule Equestria.

"I mean,", Sunset began, "Would she even forgive me?". The though stirred in Sunset Shimmers mind until she lost the thought then Twilight put her and on her shoulder and looked at her, smiling.

"Im sure Celestia would forgive you." Twilight replied. "Celestia has a big heart". They looked at each other and smiled. Sunset Shimmer was glad to have someone who had such faith in her.

"C'mon,", Twilight said. "Its late. We should go back to Pinkies house for the night".

"When something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it" - Elon Musk, owner of Tesla Motors and SpaceX

Twilight and Sunset had returned to Pinkie Pies house. Both of them sat on the couch in Pinkie Pies living room. The TV was on, featuring a program where a series of people talked about how a satellite just left the solar system. Pinkie was baking a celebration cake as well as planning the celebration for their victory.

"What time will the celebration be tomorrow?", Twilight asked Pinkie.

"2 o'clock to....", Pinkie responded. She really didnt have a plan of when the party would end. She supposed it would be until Twilight had to go back. "What time are you going back?" She asked.

"8, hopefully", Twilight said. "As long as I get back by Midnight."

"Im pretty sure the others are busy until 2. Rainbow Dash has soccer practice, Applejack is bottling cider for the celebration, Rarity is working at her parents clothing store, Fluttershy is doing volunteer work at the local animal hospital", Pinkie Pie said.

Sunset Shimmer had been sitting quietly. She thought back to how she was before. Sunset Shimmer used to be a student who tackled challenges to gain prestige. She had only wanted more power, the content or means of how she gained said power didn't matter to her. Before her banishment, she didn't get along well with others. She blamed others for her failure, and thought that she could take control. Other ponies were just obstacles she saw in her lust for power. She recalled Celestia warning her to slow down, to reflect on what she was doing.

"If only I took that chance", She thought. That was the point at which she had time to go back. She wasn't too far gone in her studies to learn the magic of friendship. She could have fixed it all, she could have made things right, but she didn't. She couldn't wait to find out the truth and to understand how it would feel to hold Alicorn power. She recalled a special night she had at Canterlot High.

Sunset Shimmer had won the heart of Canterlot High School. She returned to her dorm, tired afterwards. She stood in front of her mirror, proud of what she had done. She was a success, she was talked about and liked. She could pave the way forward to continue, to be the center of Canterlot High forever. She thought that she knew at that point what it was like to have power. She proved to herself that she could handle such power, and that Celestia was wrong to deny her of it.

Celestia.

That word stuck with Sunset Shimmer. Celestia. Her mentor, friend, and all the motherly memories of her. How Celestia put so much faith in Sunset and how she excelled at her studies and magical abilities. Celestia only wanted what was best for her, and Sunset thought about what she had done. It brought tears to her eyes, her realization that Celestia had done so much for her, and she only turned her back.

Another idea to add to her emotional state was the thought that she couldn't return. She couldn't go back and see her friends and family, She couldn't say sorry. She couldn't undo her actions. She couldn't go back. She couldn't go home. It wasn't banishment that Celestia had given her. Celestia only gave her what she thought was best, and Sunset let her down.

"No", Sunset thought, on the brink of sobbing. Celestia didn't do this to her. Sunset Shimmer chose this path. Sunset Shimmer chose to betray her mentor. Sunset Shimmer chose to disobey. She chose to chase after power, and here she was. Alone.

Alone.

And for the first time, Sunset Shimmer felt as though she made a mistake. The biggest mistake she ever made. And she couldnt go back. There was no possibility that Celestia would forgive her for what she had done. Sunset Shimmer wept, unsure of her future, and the reflection of fate, which she accepted. She thought that there was no going back.