Six Nights (and a Day) With Sunset

Chapters

Chapter One - A Night With Rarity
Chapter Two - A Night With Pinkie Pie
Chapter Three - A Night With Rainbow Dash
Chapter Five - A Night With Applejack
Chapter Six - A Night With My Friends
Chapter Seven - A Day With Flash Sentry
Epilogue - What Dreams May Come
Chapter Four - A Night With Fluttershy

Chapter One - A Night With Rarity

The final bell rang loud and clear, enough that it could still be heard over the many young colts and fillies as they eagerly made their way out of the school building. A grand and impressive structure that nonetheless came across as warm and welcoming, the Sunny Days Magic Kindergarten was, for many a young filly and colt, a stepping stone to greater things, with most of its student body going on to its parent school, Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, and a select few of its alumni having gone on to be her personal students. But very few thought of this as they left the building, their saddlebags on their backs and their parents eagerly awaiting them. They only thought of getting home and being with their mommies and daddies, of dinners and story times and of their soft beds.

“MOMMY!”

And one little filly was no exception. With youthful enthusiasm and a gleeful smile upon her face, she charged out the door towards her mother, who watched her with light teal eyes and a smile of her own.

“There’s my little Sunset!” Sunrise Glint caught her daughter with her front hooves and drew her into a tight hug. Her daughter was old enough to be embarrassed by such obvious displays of affection, but mature enough not to care as they nuzzled, the embrace ending far too soon. “Did you have a good day today?”

“Uh-huh!” A bob of her head for emphasis led to a bounce of her crimson and yellow mane. “And look!” A smile as bright as the sun on her face, Sunset closed her eyes and focused, an aura of opal-colored magic forming around her horn. After a second, a flap opened in her saddlebags, and a small book emerged, surrounded by the same aura of magic. She opened her eyes and beamed as she set the book back into her bag, “Nopony else can do it that good, Mommy!”

Sunrise smiled and nuzzled her daughter. “That’s amazing, Sunset. Your father will love to see that.” She nudged Sunset along and beckoned, “Now come on, let’s get you home so I can give the two ponies I love the most a great dinner.”

“Can we have spaghetti? Please?”

“We’ll see.”

Sunset continued to grin at the thought of having her favorite dinner as she trotted alongside her mother to their home. It was the rare unicorn who didn’t have some degree of wealth; having magic opened them up to all sorts of fields and opportunities, even in areas that earth ponies and pegasi tended to dominate. And that ignored those noble families that still retained their wealth from the days prior to the founding of Equestria, though they were few and far between. In the case of her family, however, her parents were employed in a way unique to unicorns; research and development into new forms of magic. The other two greater tribes could theorize or report on it, but they couldn’t do anything practical with it. She didn’t understand what they said about the specifics of their work, but she knew it was special, and she hoped that one day, she’d do something really special too.

After a short walk that still felt like forever, the two arrived home, a two-story house of stone that looked no different from most others save for the decorations on the front porch. Separated by the familiar address were a pair of symbols, the cutie marks for the two owners, carved in stone and lovingly painted. On the left was a full sun, four rays of light on either side shining outwards to suggest a glare. On the right was another sun, this one rising on the horizon. They entered, and a voice called out from the living room, “And just like that, my day’s gotten a little brighter.” A unicorn stallion revealed himself, his coat light yellow and his mane and tail a slightly darker due of the same, his golden eyes twinkling as he set them upon his daughter. “Hello Sunset.”

“DADDY!” With just as much enthusiasm as she had for her mother, Sunset charged and embraced her father, and received just as much affection in return. She shrugged off the embrace and beamed, “Daddy, look! I’m getting really good with my magic!” Once more, she performed her trick, picking up the book from her saddlebag and holding it up. “And someday, I’m gonna be as great as you and Mommy!”

Midday Gleam laughed and nuzzled her. “Maybe even better.”

“And here we are, darling.” The door swung open before them, and Rarity smiled and offered hopefully, “I do hope it’s satisfactory.”

With a grateful smile, Sunset Shimmer stepped into the guest room of her new friend’s home. “This is perfect. Thanks.”

The guest room itself wasn’t too elaborate, its walls an eggshell color with two large windows, one on the southern wall and the other on the western, covered by light purple drapes. The bed itself was placed at the eastern wall and to the immediate left of the bedroom door, fair-sized with a wooden frame and a queen-sized mattress and box springs, dressed in plain white sheets with a blanket folded neatly at its foot and two pillows at the head. At its right hand side was a small nightstand, an alarm clock and a small reading lamp atop it. A small closet door was on the northern wall, and a dresser was in place in the corner between the windows.

“Oh marvelous. I thought things would be awkward, given Twilight…”

“Rarity, I don’t mind, really. It wouldn’t surprise me if Twilight ended up moving into my old room in Princess Celestia’s castle.” She shrugged. “One more little parallel, I guess, her and me inheriting each other’s living spaces. I’m not going to be here long though, I promise.”

“Well, we’ll be happy to have you as long as…” The fashionista turned alarmed as Sunset slipped off her backpack and set it down on the floor against the nightstand, the gym bag she’d held in her hands finding its way onto the bed. “Oh dear, darling!”

“What? What’s wrong?” Sunset frantically checked herself over, only stopping as she noticed what had no doubt caught Rarity’s attention. A sizeable tear was in place on the right sleeve of her leather jacket, revealing some bare amber skin. She sighed in relief, and slipped the jacket off to better examine it. “Huh. Must’ve happened last night.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, darling. Usually I’m better at noticing these things. May I?” Sunset nodded and handed the garment to Rarity, who examined the tear with a practiced eye. “Well, the good news is that I can patch this up easily enough. It may take a while, however; something like this, I want to give a proper going-over. After all, you’ve had this as long as I can remember, and this tear isn’t the only damage it suffered from the Fall Formal.” Her attention turned to her friend as a thought crossed her mind. “Where did you get this, by the by?”

“I was wearing it when I stepped into your world through the mirror. It was actually kinda big on me at the time, come to think of it.” She looked down at the rest of her attire, her boots and skirt and short-sleeved shirt, and noted, “I think the mirror converted it and my backpack from my saddlebags. Everything else I wore when I came through must’ve been created by it.”

Rarity brought a hand up to her chin and tapped it thoughtfully. “The portal created clothing for you?”

“That’s the only logical explanation. I normally didn’t wear clothing back in Equestria, except for special occasions. I didn’t really get a chance to go over how the mirror worked in depth before I was expelled.”

“Rather convenient, but what happened to what you were wearing when you went back through?”

“Most of it disappeared. The jacket and backpack went back to being saddlebags, but I wore a cloak too. Part of my costume from last year’s Halloween social.” At Rarity’s nod, she added, “I left that behind back in Equestria when I was making my escape here with Twilight’s crown. It’s probably still there.”

“Possibly.” At Sunset’s curious look, Rarity explained, “You remember the ensemble Twilight wore to the Fall Formal? It was something I designed myself in my studio at the Carousel Boutique. The clothes she wore when she came through were still there when I checked in earlier today, before I came and got you from school. I’m fine if I don’t get the outfit back, she looked wonderful in it, but is there a chance it can be recovered?”

“Maybe. I didn’t really read too much into it beyond it connecting your world and mine. I caught sight of the ascension spell I told you about earlier in the same book afterwards, and my mind just latched onto that. There weren’t even any details on it, just that there was one.” She sighed sadly and noted, “Guess I wasted my time with that, didn’t I?”

Rarity gently set her hands onto the girl’s shoulders and guided her onto the bed, then sat down beside her and changed the subject. “If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to the rest of the clothing you were wearing when you came through the first time?”

Some relief was clear on Sunset’s face as she answered. “I donated them to a thrift store in town once I outgrew them. I didn’t need them anymore, after all. I’ve actually been updating my wardrobe every few months since coming here.”

“So aside from the jacket and backpack, you’ve been without any connection to your home for the last thirty months.” Rarity wrapped an arm around the girl. “I’m sorry, darling.”

Sunset smiled and picked up her backpack. “Well, I didn’t lose everything.” She opened it and revealed a number of sketchbooks as well as an old leather-bound book. “After I got here, but before I started taking classes at Canterlot High, I started doing everything I could to get used to my new body. Walking on two legs I picked up pretty quick, but hands? Those took a while.” She pulled out one sketchbook and opened it, revealing a page full of semi-legible scribbles. “First priority was figuring out how to write. Back home, most ponies tended to just hold a pencil in their mouths when they were writing. Really dexterous pegasi could use their wingtips, but a unicorn like me? We held pencils and quills with our magic.”

“That would explain some of Twilight’s more unusual moments. May I?” Sunset handed her the sketchbook, and Rarity went through it page by page, noticing the steady and rapid improvement until she got to a number of sketches with accompanying notes. “My word! These are rather detailed!”

“Yeah, it didn’t take me long to notice all the little gestures everyone made with their hands. I figured taking notes on that would be a good idea.”

“I was reacting more to the sketches, dear! They look marvelous!”

Sunset nervously laughed and admitted, “Yeah, another little trick of mine. Eidetic memory; I can remember every spell I ever learned, every place I’ve been. Once I worked out how to draw, I ended up making little sketches of things from back in Equestria.” The next page revealed a detailed drawing of a magnificent castle coming out of the side of a mountain, and she explained, “My world’s Canterlot. It’s the oldest city in Equestria, even predates the nation’s founding by centuries. It’s where I was born, and where Princess Celestia held court and had her school.”

“It looks absolutely fantastic, darling.” She turned another page and saw another cityscape, this one with a number of smaller buildings surrounding a cluster of skyscrapers, the most prominent one topped by two spires. “And this?”

“Downtown Indianapoloosa. I lived there for a short while, after my parents passed.” Rarity turned another page to reveal a sketch of a trio of unicorns, a stallion and mare nuzzling a small filly between them as Sunset mused somberly, “That’s them. And me.”

Rarity closed the book and handed it back. “You miss them.”

“More than I ever thought.” Sunset held the book close to her chest. “The sad thing is, I’ve barely thought about any of my family since I came here. That last sketch you saw? I made it that first summer. I guess I was more homesick than I wanted to admit.” She put the sketchbooks aside and pulled out the larger book, her cutie mark emblazoned on the cover. “Probably explains why I held onto this.”

“It’s a rather impressive book. Your diary?”

“No. It’s a message journal.” She opened it to some of the earlier entries as she explained, “When I became Princess Celestia’s student, she gave this to me. Twilight probably never had one because of the enchantment on Spike’s fire breath. Plus, these aren’t easy to make. It’s one of a pair. Whenever I wrote a message in this book, a copy of that message would appear in another book that she kept in her private library. That way, I could contact her whenever I needed to.” She closed the book and looked over it sadly. “I had it with me when I came here. Thought about getting rid of it once or twice, but I never did. Too much sentimental value, I guess. And that says something; I sold that guitar Flash Sentry got me for Christmas last year.”

Surprise lit up Rarity’s face, but she chose to put the matter aside for now. Her gaze turned to the book, the bicolored sun emblem upon it, and then to the identical emblem on Sunset’s shirt. “Sunset, a question. That symbol of yours. It has some special meaning, I assume?”

“It’s my cutie mark.” A curious look crossed Rarity’s face, and Sunset elaborated, “You saw the symbols on the flanks of everypony in the bridge realm, right?”

“Oh yes!” Rarity looked down at her skirt. “I thought it odd that my little personal touch was on my pony counterpart. I thought it was some sort of brand for a moment.”

“Well it’s not. Ponies do get brands, but they’re like getting a tattoo here, and not everypony does. But a cutie mark is different. It represents a particular pony’s personal skill set or talents. We all earn them eventually, just like how everyone here goes through puberty. Some are more obvious than others; your counterpart’s is probably for her talents in fashion and design, if you’re anything to go by. As for mine, well…”

“Fire magic?”

A nervous laugh escaped Sunset’s lips. “No, but one of the first spells I learned was a fire spell.” She rubbed one arm and explained, “It’s actually meant to represent my passion, and my ambition. Back home, I wanted so much for myself, and I channeled all of that ambition and energy into my studies. Over time, and especially after I came here, well…”

“It turned towards a lust for power.” A comforting hand found itself upon the flame-haired girl’s shoulder, and Rarity assured her, “Darling, there’s nothing wrong with being passionate, or ambitious. Why, if we had neither, then nothing would be accomplished. We’d be nowhere as a society, and no one would achieve their dreams.”

That did little to ease the fiery-haired girl’s mood. “I ended up dreaming of conquest and domination.”

“And that leads me to something else; passion and ambition are double-edged swords. They can help as well as hinder. What we want to accomplish is important, but how we get there is another matter.” She smiled and offered, “But I think you know that now.”

A sigh. “I hurt so many people.”

“And now, you have a chance to make up for it.” A phone rang from nearby, and Rarity shot to her feet. “Oh dear, that’s Mother and Father. They insisted on getting take out once they realized we’d have a guest for a while. Any preferences, darling?”

A shrug. “I’m okay with anything as long as it doesn’t have beef.”

The fashionista gave a relieved sigh. “Wonderful. You’ve no idea how much my father needs to avoid hamburgers.” She rushed out to answer the phone and called back, “I shan’t be long!”

Sunset smiled, relieved for different reasons than her new friend. She had no idea what Rarity had to do to convince her parents to allow her to stay, especially given the horror stories they’d no doubt heard about her, but she was glad they’d consented. As pleasant as the bridge realm could be, it had its drawbacks, and it was good to have a few walls around her rather than the seemingly unending void.

Which brought her back to this morning’s events. She’d never expected to be reunited with Princess Celestia, let alone forgiven. It made sense, she supposed, but how much did she know? Had Celestia’s counterpart kept her informed about everything she’d done? And what of her aunt and uncle and cousin – what did they know?

Her gaze turned back to the journal in her lap, and she realized there was a chance, albeit a remote one, that she could find out. She fished a pen from her backpack and opened the book to a blank page, and found herself thinking that it had been a very long time since she’d written something like this.

“Dear Princess Celestia,

“I don’t know if you can get this message, but I’ve thought about things since this morning, and I think I have more that needs to be said. First of all, thank you, for forgiving my mistakes. I don’t know how much Princess Twilight told you about what I did over the last few days, or what you know about what I’d done since I left Equestria, but trust me, very little of it was good. Putting on her crown didn’t turn me into a monster. I did that to myself. When it was all over, and I realized what I did, I felt…”

She paused, briefly tightened her grip on the book, and sighed. “Come on, Sunset. You started this, you finish it.”

“…I felt ashamed, and terrified. One of my last acts before Twilight stopped me was attempting to murder her. That’s the main reason I stayed behind, because I was afraid. I know what the punishment is for crimes like that, especially against a princess. That she didn’t force me to go back was just something I took as a gentle mercy, something I didn’t deserve from somepony who was genuinely better than me. That you forgave me, that she forgave me, means the world to me, and I’m going to do everything I can to earn that forgiveness. I only hope that I can do the same with the family I left behind, and that they can forgive me for leaving them as well. If you get this message, and you can speak with them, please, let them know that I’m alright. And that I miss them.

“Your former student, Sunset Shimmer.”

She closed the book, hoping that the message would get through. It was a long shot, but one of those had already happened today. Perhaps she was actually on a roll.

A knock at the door, and she turned to find Rarity standing there. “I hope you don’t mind Chinese food, dear.”

“Not at all.”

“Go on and have a seat, dear.”

Sunset did as instructed, a place set for her between Rarity and her younger sister and directly across from the two girls’ parents. “Thank you, ma’am.”

Rarity’s mother smiled. “Oh, you don’t need to ‘ma’am’ me. Call me Cookie, please.” The resemblance wasn’t obvious; in comparison to her eldest daughter’s elegantly-curled purple hair, hers was a greying indigo and blue done up in a beehive style, and while Rarity went for more elegant attire, she was more plainly dressed in white pants and a faded red blouse, accented by gold clip-on earrings and a pin showing three chocolate chip cookies, one with a bite having been taken out of it. Still, there was a certain way about her that made clear their relationship, between her stance and her blue eyes. “I have to admit, Hondo and I were a little surprised when Rarity told us we would have company for a while.”

“Not that we don’t mind.” Rarity’s father was much like her mother, garbed in a slightly-gaudy Hawaiian shirt and old blue jeans. Nonetheless, he had a solid, athletic build, even if he looked as though he’d gone slightly to seed. Sunset wouldn’t have admitted it out loud, but he wasn’t bad looking for an older human. He looked like a handsome television star, a dashing man of action. The moustache certainly didn’t hurt. “Either of our daughters having a friend over isn’t a problem. This was just a little short notice.”

Sunset offered an uncomfortable smile and said what was no doubt on their minds. “You probably weren’t expecting the friend to be me either. It’s alright. You’ve probably heard plenty of horror stories about me.” Just out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sweetie Belle purse her lips, obviously restraining herself.

“Well, that’s a polite way of putting it.” Cookie pulled several white boxes of take out of varying sizes from a plastic bag at the center of the table and set them down, following with a set of chopsticks that she handed to her eldest. “I wasn’t sure what to get you beyond what Rarity said, so I hope you don’t mind chicken and broccoli.”

Alarm became clear on Rarity’s face. “Mother, Sunset’s a…”

“Accepting of chicken and broccoli, thanks, but I’ll do without chopsticks. I could never figure them out.” The fashionista gave her a surprised look, but she smiled and accepted the meal, some rice and a fork following shortly thereafter.

“Oh. Forgive me dear, I thought you were a vegan.”

“I eat some meats, Rarity.” During her time in the human world, Sunset had found herself with more than a few odd urges for food, among them things she’d rarely eat as a pony. “Not beef or venison or mutton or shellfish, but I’m fine with chicken.”

“Pretty specific stuff to avoid there.” Hondo accepted his pork with relish. “Shellfish I get – Rarity hates the stuff.”

Rarity proudly took a sampling of chicken lo mein as she explained, “You know full well that I think crabs are the most horrid creatures to ever grace this earth.”

“Venison too. Never did like the idea of eating Bambi’s mother.” Cookie gave her husband a playful slap on the arm at his attempt at black humor. “Beef, though? And mutton?”

“I talked to cows and sheep when I was younger. They’re surprisingly good listeners.” This was the truth, but she didn’t elaborate. No reason to tell them she was from a place where the cows and sheep talked back and worked for a living. “And I’m just glad you were willing to let me stay for a while, given my situation.”

“Yes, we heard about the little incident last night.” Cookie looked uncomfortable as she asked, “What on earth drove you to cause a gas explosion?”

“Yeah, that.” Sunset had been given a very detailed cover story in regards to the Fall Formal; the damage to the school grounds was the result of a gas explosion, one which she had caused alongside of her two minions, Snips and Snails, in an attempt to disrupt the event after her landslide defeat to the new girl, Twilight Sparkle. That was the official version, anyway, but she suspected someone would start putting the pieces together before too long; it was too obvious a denial of what had happened, and no way did the light show go unnoticed. “I don’t have a good excuse for what I did. I don’t think there even is one for all of that. I’m just lucky no one got hurt, and that I’m not locked up.”

“Your parents must not be happy about this.” Cookie gave her husband another slap, this time for letting his mouth get away with him and joined by Rarity.

“No, they wouldn’t be.” Sunset somberly picked at her food with her fork as she admitted, “My parents passed away when I was really young. Some kind of industrial accident where they worked. I lived with my aunt’s family for a while, but I moved out before I started attending CHS.” Again, the truth, albeit with some details removed. “My landlord definitely wasn’t happy about it – he kicked me out of my old apartment. That’s why I’m glad to be staying here, at least until I can find a new place. My aunt’s family lives in another city, and going back and facing them isn’t going to be easy. Besides, I have to fix things here first.” A lie and some half-truths; she didn’t have a landlord, but staying in the bridge realm didn’t seem right after everything that happened.

“Serves you right.”

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity glared at her sister, then turned back to her parents. “I admit, Sunset and I have had our differences, but I can tell genuine regret when I see it. She’s had a life-changing experience, and she is in desperate need of help. And I for one will not turn her aside.”

Both of her parents beamed at that. “Good for you, Rarity!”

“But Daddy – !”

“Sweetie Belle, we’ve heard all the same stories you have. But that doesn’t mean we should be turning away someone who needs our help.”

“Precisely. You remember being told about Sunflower? Applejack and Apple Bloom’s older cousin?”

“Yes, but…!”

“But nothing. If she came to me asking for assistance, I would offer it.” Rarity smiled and added, “Besides, Sunset’s apologized quite thoroughly for the debacle last spring. She even gave me the crown she won that night.”

“The crown that should’ve been yours in the first place,” Sunset admitted with a grin. “I just wish everything else could be so easily fixed.”

Cookie offered the girl a sympathetic smile. “Give it time, dear.” She turned the topic elsewhere. “Now, any preference on drinks?”

“Milk is fine, thanks.”

The dinner continued, Sunset mostly keeping quiet as Rarity and her parents talked and she tried her best to ignore the odd sideways glares coming from Sweetie Belle. Even as she continued with her meal, she found her thoughts going back to the last time her life had changed so profoundly.

It was another day of school for Sunset as she sat at an activity table, idly working away with a crayon as she colored in a picture of Princess Celestia as she raised the sun one morning of the Summer Sun Celebration. Her parents told her once that she’d attended one year, when Celestia had performed the ceremony in Canterlot, and she tried her best to color in all the differing hues of the sunrise that she could remember. She was too young to remember everything perfectly, but she remembered a lot.

She was also too young to really notice that the other foals were at other activity tables, or had immersed themselves in books. It didn’t really bother her much either; if nothing else, she didn’t have to worry about asking another kid to borrow a crayon.

“Sunset Shimmer?” She looked up from her coloring to find her teacher looking over her shoulder. “Could you stop and come with me please?”

She did as she was told and hopped down from her stool, following her teacher out of the room. Uncertain of what was going on, she quietly asked, “Miss Sweet Honey? Am I in trouble?”

A gentle smile crossed her teacher’s lips as she answered, “No dear. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

Sunset wasn’t sure how to react to that answer. If she wasn’t in trouble, then perhaps her mommy had come to bring her home early for some reason? It wasn’t her birthday, so that wasn’t it. Maybe this was something else? She kept her worried silence as her teacher led her to the principal’s office and knocked on the door.

“Come in!” The door gently swung open, and Miss Sweet Honey led Sunset inside where two adults were waiting. One was the principal, Mister Hightower, an older unicorn stallion with a thinning mane. The other was a pegasus mare with a golden coat, her mane going from deep red at the roots to light yellow at the ends. She looked at Sunset with surprise, her bright blue eyes going wide with shock. “Ah, Sunset Shimmer. You have some news, little filly.”

The unknown mare recovered herself, then knelt down and tried to give a friendly smile. “Sunset Shimmer. That’s a lovely name.” At the filly’s lack of comprehension, she sadly asked, “You don’t know who I am, do you?” She reached into her saddlebags with one wing and pulled out an old photo album, laying it out for her to see. “Did you ever see this picture?”

Sunset examined what was before her. In the album was a picture of the mare before her in a silly-looking gown, several other mares in identical gowns beside her. The one standout was a mare in a very nice and very big white gown, like she’d seen in fancy stores with her mother. The picture was familiar, and she thought she’d seen it…she had seen it! “That’s my mommy there! This was her wedding day!” She put two and two together and asked, “You know my mommy?”

“Ever since we were born.” A sad smile crossed the mare’s face. “My name is Solar Flare. I’m your mother’s sister. Your auntie.”

Sunset looked down at the picture again. “Mommy never said she had a sister.”

The explanation was short, sad, and very unclear. “We haven’t spoken in a long time, not since a little bit after you were born. Your mommy and I…we said some bad things to each other.”

Sunset looked back up and asked, “Did’ya come to talk to Mommy?”

Solar Flare closed her eyes sadly. “No. But I wish I’d come sooner.” She scrunched her lips and said, “Sunset, I came here from Indianapoloosa. It’s a city not too far away from Canterlot, towards the east. I got notice from your mommy’s workplace; I’m one of her emergency contacts.”

The little filly’s eyes lit up with alarm; she knew what an emergency was. “Did something happen to Mommy?” She looked to her teacher, and then to her principal. “Where’s my Mommy?!”

“Sunset, there was an accident where your mommy worked. She…”

“Where’s my Mommy?! Where?!”

“Something bad happened.” Sunset turned back to the pegasus as she explained in a pained voice, “She got hurt.”

“Are you gonna take me to see her?!”

Solar Flare shook her head. “No dear. You can’t see her again. Not for a very long time.”

Sunset stared at her in disbelief. What was this stranger telling her? That her mommy had gone away? “Where’s Daddy?! Why isn’t Daddy here?!”

“Sunset, your father was with your mother when…” Miss Sweet Honey turned quiet as she tried to find the right words, but the only ones that came out were woefully inadequate. “I’m sorry dear, but they’re gone.”

The little filly’s eyes went from her teacher, to her principal, to the mare who claimed to be her aunt. She was hearing them, but she didn’t want to believe what they were saying. “No! No, you’re lying!”

“Sunset, we’re not…!”

“I want my Mommy! I want my Daddy!”

“Dear, we can’t…!”

“I WANT MY MOMMY AND DADDY! PLEASE! I WANT THEM NOW!”

“I’m sorry, but…!”

“I WANT THEM! THEY CAN’T BE GONE! LET ME SEE THEM!” Not knowing what else to do, she rushed into the embrace of her teacher and sobbed, “PLEASE! THEY CAN’T BE GONE! THEY CAN’T!” Her screams quieted down, and she sobbed, “They can’t…”

Solar Flare gave a sad sigh. “They are, Sunset.” She laid an uncertain hoof on the little filly’s head. “I’m sorry.”

The filly didn’t answer, only sobbing further in her teacher’s forelegs and wishing that this was some cruel joke. But it wasn’t.

“Okay, no offense, but your parents aren’t what I expected.” Her belly full of decent food and her mood lightened despite her self-reflection, Sunset returned to the guest room with Rarity in tow. “Don’t get me wrong, I get where you got your generous spirit, but…”

“But there is a marked difference between myself and my mother and father, yes.” The fashionista looked uncomfortable as she admitted, “I won’t deny that I’ve made an effort to distance myself from my parents, present an image of sophistication above my place in the social ladder. But they do genuinely love me, and I them. That they’re so supportive of my dreams, even if they don’t quite relate, is a comfort.”

A sad smile crossed her face. “I get that. I know my parents would’ve been proud of me making it into Princess Celestia’s school; my aunt and uncle certainly were.” Regret was obvious as she added, “They did so much for me, and I just…”

“Oh, come now! I’m certain they miss you, dear, and that Rainbow Dash’s counterpart will be able to find them and let them know you’re alright. And if not her, then perhaps even mine, hmm?” She pulled a pair of red glasses from nowhere and placed them on her face. “For now, we’ve more important matters. If I’m to repair your jacket properly, or do anything else, I’m going to need your measurements. Just give me a moment, I shan’t be long.”

Sunset stood dumbfounded as Rarity darted out, only to return shortly thereafter with a pencil tucked behind one ear and a notebook and measuring tape in hand. “Is that really necessary? We do have similar body types.”

“Yes, but there are all sorts of subtle differences. Besides, I have notes for everyone else who’s close to me, freshly redone in preparation for the Fall Formal, and it’s only reasonable that I do the same for you.” Sunset relented as Rarity went to work, checking over her figure and jotting notes every few seconds. “Besides, this gives me a chance to do some proper girl talk with you, if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead.”

“So then, tell me. Flash actually bought you a guitar?”

“A Gibson Flying V that matched my eye color perfectly. He’d spent months teaching me how to play, and then he surprised me with one of my own. Kinda heavy, but great sound.” A sad smile crossed her face. “Must’ve cost him a fortune.” She sighed and admitted, “I was horrible to him. And not just what I did last night, but before. I liked him, but I didn’t like him, you know what I mean? He was nice, decent, good-hearted, and the way he ended up tripping over himself just made him a little more endearing. But the only reason I dated him was to be more popular.”

“That brings up something else I’ve been curious about.” Hesitation was obvious in her voice, but Rarity pressed on as she kept up her work. “Why did the two of you break up? You were practically the school’s power couple last year.”

Sunset considered that as she answered. “I guess it was building for a while. He noticed some of the things I did, my little power plays and such. I’m not sure whether he ignored them or just put them aside, tried to focus on what he liked about me, but after what happened with the Spring Fling, what I did to you and the other girls, well, I think he just couldn’t take it anymore. He confronted me about it, pressed me on the issue, I admitted it and, well, he dumped me. Right after the dance.”

Her measurements finished, Rarity put her tools aside and slipped off her glasses as she rose to face her friend. “I’m surprised you didn’t have some elaborate revenge for him.”

A shrug. “Didn’t see the point in it. I just put him out of my mind, sold the guitar and went on with my life. Him and me being different species helped. A little. I was kinda bitter about it, but I never did anything about it until…well, you know.” A sly grin formed on her face as Sunset turned conversation elsewhere, “Speaking of, were you really doing what I thought you were doing?”

Rarity turned alarmed. “What? What was I doing?”

“Oh come on, there isn’t that much difference between our worlds. I saw the way you looked at Shining Armor.”

The fashionista blushed and nervously laughed. “Well, I…” Faced with Sunset’s sly expression, she sighed and relented. “What I was saying earlier about ambitions, dear? One of mine is to find the proverbial prince charming. If Twilight does indeed have a counterpart in this world, and counterparts show so many similarities, then it stands to reason…” She glumly shook her head and noted, “But I suppose Cadance has one as well.”

The grin turned to a smile as Sunset admitted, “If it makes you feel any better, I think he’s cute too.”

“Well yes, but you’re both unicorns. A human girl showing attraction to a pony, even a magical talking one, isn’t really approved of around here. And as for his counterpart, well, as I said, no doubt out of my reach.”

Sunset looked over the girl before her, finally really seeing the whole of Rarity for the first time. Her first impressions had been less than charitable; she’d written off the young fashionista as some vapid girl obsessed with clothes and boys, not worth her time until she’d become a threat. Her schemes, her interview, had been precisely to get at Rarity’s weak points and drive a permanent wedge between her and the rest of her circle of friends, as between the five of them, they could – and did, once Twilight had entered the scene – dethrone her. Perhaps it was due to a different perspective, or simply the generosity she’d been shown despite past experience, but she was seeing Rarity in a different light, one she could sympathize with. She gently laid a hand on the girl’s shoulder, surprising herself, and offered, “You’ll find your prince someday, Rarity. Might not be where you expect to find him, but you will.”

A small smile. “I only hope that he isn’t already spoken for when I…” She was interrupted by a very loud buzzing sound coming from Sunset’s backpack. The two girls looked down and caught sight of a magenta glow from within, and Rarity wondered aloud, “Sunset, is it supposed to do that?”

Sunset quickly knelt down and pulled the book out, opening it to where she’d left her message earlier. Her eyes scanned the page, and grew wide with delight as she recognized the very familiar script. She sat down on her bed and explained, “It’s from Princess Celestia!” She looked up to Rarity and explained, “I wrote her a quick message when you went to answer the phone! She must’ve gotten it!” She looked back down at the book, doing her best to hold back tears. “All this time…”

Her own worries and regrets forgotten, Rarity started to make her way out. “Well, I won’t…”

“Rarity, stay, please. Let me read it to you.” She complied and sat down as Sunset recited her former mentor’s reply.

“Sunset Shimmer, my dear former student. Let me begin by stating how relieved I am that you held onto something from Equestria. That it was the journal I gave you, and that you would find it in yourself to send a message to me using it, gives me further assurance of what I saw this morning. You have indeed changed for the better, my little pony.

“I should point out that Princess Twilight did indeed tell me of what you had done. I feared the worst, but could never bring myself to ask details of my counterpart during our assorted meetings since your exile began. We both made mistakes, and I hold the mistakes I made with you second only to those I made with my sister. That I failed to see the signs both times, and subsequently lost someone dear to my heart on both occasions, is something I am not proud of. In your case it was perhaps worse; I knew that Luna would return one day, and did my very best to prepare, but with you, I had no such assurances. All I could do in your case was…” Here Sunset smiled in joy and relief. “…Was ask my counterpart to look after you as best she could. I suspect I have her to thank for you finding the bridge realm.” She looked up at Rarity and explained, “I’ve had a bank account since just after I got here, money for clothes and books and food and things. Never questioned where it came from. I just chalked it up to good luck and someone else’s misfortune.”

“So she was looking out for you, despite everything.” Rarity smiled and beckoned her to continue. “Go on.”

Sunset turned back to the note and continued, “As for why I never tried to speak to you directly in all these years, it was because I thought it wrong to try and force you. Your choices, for good or ill, have always been your own, and my coming to you before you were ready to speak to me would have done the both of us little good. You were full of anger and resentment and rage, and one cannot reason with another in such a state. You needed to find your way to clarity yourself, and while the road was harsh, you did so, and that speaks volumes for your true character.

“So far as your ill deeds are concerned, yes, you’ve accumulated quite a few. But the majority of them were committed outside of Equestria, and thus beyond my ability to punish. What crimes you did commit here have already been addressed. You were expelled for breaking into restricted areas and making demands of me, and as for the theft of Twilight’s crown, well, the theft is punishable by a fine, which I’ve already seen to. The total amount has been paid from your personal account in the Bank of Equestria. Given regular deposits and interest, you should still have a fair sum leftover. The worst of your crimes were done while you were under an outside influence, and once your right mind was returned to you, you expressed remorse for them. Remorse that I and all of your new friends know to be genuine. I do not deal out the harshest of penalties to those who admit their guilt; if I did, then Luna would not be back at my side.

“I doubt this does much to negate whatever guilt you may feel; I fear you will carry that remorse with you for some time to come, as I and Luna do for our actions a thousand years past. And time will only tell whether or not those not privy to the full facts will come to forgive what you’ve done. But time will help to heal these wounds, as it always does. School is not the entirety of a person’s life, after all, only a stepping stone to greater things. And once enough time has passed, should you choose to do so, you will have a home waiting for you in Equestria. I know for certain that your aunt, uncle and cousin eagerly await your return home, just as much as I do.

“Sincerely yours, Princess Celestia.

“PS – As you are now her student rather than mine, I will be passing my journal along to Twilight. If nothing else, you’ll have a more convenient means of contacting her.” She closed the book and turned thoughtful. “I guess that’s it. If I’d known…”

“Sunset, some advice? It does no good to think of what could have been. You are who you are because of what you do, not what you could have done.” Rarity laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled comfortingly. “And you have a genuine second chance. Thus far, I’d say you’re making a very good go of it.”

“Thanks, Rarity. Hey, can I ask a favor?” She tipped her head towards the door. “Could I use your tub? It’s been a while since I’ve taken a good bath.”

“You needn’t ask, dear. Go right ahead.” Another stray thought came to her, and Rarity asked, “Speaking of, that bridge realm you were staying in. Did it have any sort of bathroom or kitchen?”

Sunset shook her head. “I found a chamber pot once when I really needed to go, but otherwise, no. Any time I needed to shower or take care of business, I had to step out into the school, and the only food I had in there I’d bring with me. Got into the habit of keeping a flashlight with me at all times, just in case I needed to use a toilet or get a drink from a water fountain.”

Rarity shuddered. “I’d never be able to deal with something like that, let alone for two and a half years. All the more reason to be glad you don’t have to stay there any further. If you want, I can…”

“No, I can run my own bath. You’ve done enough as it is.”

A gentle knock sounded at her door and prompted Twilight’s attention. “Coming, just a minute!” She trotted over and opened it with her magic. “Princess Celes… I mean…”

Her fellow princess chuckled gently at her former student’s statement. “It’s alright, Twilight. Being a princess is still new for you, and old habits are hard things to put aside. May I come in?”

“Of course, please.” Twilight stepped aside as Celestia entered, Spike snapping to attention with a scroll in claw. “Is something wrong? We didn’t forget something today, did we?”

The dragon checked over the scroll and reported, “Nothing missing from the checklist…”

“No, nothing’s wrong. I just thought it a wise idea to give you something to help with your new assignment.” A soft magical aura formed beneath one wing, and the senior princess lifted it up to reveal a leather-bound book adorned with her cutie mark. “You weren’t only unique from my previous personal students in that you became a princess in your own right, Twilight. None of them could get messages to me with enchanted dragon’s fire. Instead, I would give them one of these.”

The younger alicorn’s eyes lit up in amazement. “A message journal!” Checklist put aside, Spike approached as Twilight explained, “Spike, do you know what this is?”

“It’s a magic book that’ll let you keep in touch with Sunset Shimmer without using the other mirror.” At the odd look from his friend, he shrugged. “What? I’m not stupid, I can figure stuff out without a lot of crazy details.”

A chuckle as Celestia passed the book to Spike. “Indeed. I’ve kept this close to me since Sunset Shimmer left Equestria. Her journal, the mate to this one, has been missing since her departure.” She opened the book and flipped through its pages to the most recent entries with her magic. “With this most recent message, however, I can safely confirm that she took it with her to the human world. Now that she is your student, I thought it only right that it pass to you, so that she may contact you for advice or assistance whenever needed. At the very least, you’ll be able to coordinate your meetings a little easier. There’s just one more thing I need to do with it. Spike, if you could close the book please?” The dragon did as asked, and Celestia lowered her head, touching the tip of her horn to the book’s front cover, dead center to the image of her cutie mark. A soft glow formed over it, and her mark was swiftly replaced with that of Twilight. “There. The message journal is yours now, my fellow princess. Take good care of it.”

“I will. Thank you, Pr…” Twilight caught herself and corrected, “Thank you, Celestia.” The elder alicorn nodded, smiled and departed, closing the door behind her, and Twilight managed a nervous but eager smile as she took up the book in her own magic. “Wow.”

“Wow?” Spike regarded her with a raised eyebrow. “That’s what you’ve got, ‘wow’?”

“I know, not the most profound thing to say, but this is still sinking in.” Twilight looked up, her eyes staring into space. “I have my own student now. Celestia trusts me to pick up where she left off and succeed where she failed.”

“Well, you’ve kinda done it before.”

“I know, but…” She felt a reassuring claw on her shoulder, and turned to her assistant. Despite his presence, she couldn’t help but spiral into uncertainty. “But so much could go wrong! If I fail her like Celestia did…!”

“Twilight, come on! You’re not Celestia, you’re you! And neither of you are perfect.” He gently tapped the book and noted, “Case in point?”

Twilight sighed, and smiled, remembering something she’d learned since arriving in Ponyville. “You’re right, Spike. All I can do is exactly what Celestia could do, what anypony can do; the best I can.” She laughed and added, “But it’s still weird thinking of Sunset as my student. She is older than me, after all.”

“So think of her more as a friend who needs advice from time to time. Just don’t sweat it for now.” A yawn, and Spike walked over to his basket. “At least this way, you’ve got a better chance of being there when she needs you.”

Twilight laughed. “You’re right, Spike.” She set the book at her bedside, next to her crown, and climbed into her own bed, glad for the day’s worries to be over. She’d deal with tomorrow’s as they came. “Speaking of advice, do you think…?” She was interrupted as faint snores sounded from the dragon’s bed, Spike already nestled beneath his sheets. She shook her head, turned down the lamps, and pulled her own sheets up over her body, wings tucked in comfortably. “Goodnight, Spike.”

A light buzz roused Sunset from her slumber, one hand turning off the alarm clock at her bedside as she sat up and stretched. She tossed her hair back, running her fingers through it, and smiled. Her sleep had been pleasant enough, albeit dreamless, just as it had been her previous slumber the morning after the Fall Formal. Maybe that was a good sign. Better no dreams than nightmares, after all.

Another buzz, and Sunset turned with surprise to the message journal at her bedside as it glowed and vibrated in place, threatening to fall off the nightstand. She caught the book and opened it to find a new message scrawled within, immediately after the last one she’d received from Princess Celestia. The writing was unfamiliar, but there was only one pony from whom it could have come.

“Sunset Shimmer,

“I wasn’t sure which of us was intended to write the first message, so I thought that I would take the initiative and do it myself. Is it as awkward for you as it is for me, the younger student teaching the older one? To tell you the truth, I’m nervous, and excited at the same time. Or ‘nervicited’, as Pinkie would say.”

Sunset chuckled. Pinkie probably would say something like that.

“I guess I should start off by saying this. I know a little of what you’ve been through, as we were both taught by Celestia. I’ll never pretend to understand exactly why you’ve done what you’ve done, or how you’ve gotten to where you are now, but it doesn’t take much imagination to figure out that, had things been different, you and I could have ended up walking the exact same road. I don’t hold any grudges about what happened; when I said I’d forgiven you, I meant it. We’ve both made mistakes, some bigger than others, and if someone is willing to own up to their mistakes and do better, then you shouldn’t turn them down. I know I’m supposed to be the teacher, but I hope that I learn from you as much as you learn from me. That’s one of the best things about having friends; learning from one another. And yes, I do consider you a friend. And I hope you can think of me as one too.

“Anyway, I hope you can find a new place soon. That bridge world is nice and all, but I don’t think whoever created it intended for someone to live there all the time. For the time being, I know that your stay with Rarity will be a pleasant one. Trust me, she’s a wonderful hostess and a great friend, as a pony or as a human. All of the girls are, and there’s so much more to them than you’d think at first glance. And there’s more to you too. That’s the Sunset Shimmer I’m looking forward to getting to know.

“Your friend, Twilight Sparkle.”

Sunset smiled and pulled a pen from her bag, collecting her thoughts before she started her reply.

“Twilight,

“This is awkward, but after what happened yesterday morning, not so much. I hope you don’t mind my admitting that I’m still a little jealous of you. Guess that makes me ‘nervicited’ too. But knowing that you and Celestia both have forgiven me for my mistakes helps, and it’s the same with the girls. And you are right – there’s a lot more to Rarity than I thought there was, and she is a great host. And her parents are surprisingly sympathetic about, well, you know. I just wish Sweetie Belle wasn’t giving me the hairy eyeball all the time, but maybe things will improve. I can always hope, can’t I?

“I’ll keep you informed about what’s up at my end. Hopefully, I’ll get a new place for myself before my suspension ends. I might even figure out a way of sending a picture through, give you a good glimpse of it. But if you do it first, I wouldn’t mind seeing where you stay. It’s not every day you see a library fit for a princess.

“Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset closed the book and set it to one side, then got to her feet and into her slippers. She straightened out her pajama top, her cutie mark emblazoned upon it, and stepped out of the guest room and into the upstairs bathroom. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she stepped inside and let her memory guide her to the bathroom sink. She turned to face it, opened her eyes…

…And saw the demon staring back at her, a wicked grin upon her face.

She squeezed her eyes shut again and tightly gripped the sides of the sink. She’d avoided looking into the mirror directly the previous night, convinced that she’d see the monster she’d turned herself into staring back, but she’d hoped that this morning, after everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, she could be able to look at herself again without guilt distorting her reflection.

But there were some things you couldn’t forget. The maniacal laughter, the euphoria of absolute power, the glee at…

“No.” She opened her eyes, her reflection looking back at her. Her human reflection. “That’s not who I am. Not anymore.” She’d move past this. She’d been forgiven. And maybe one day, she’d forgive herself.

A smile crossed her lips, and she turned to leave the bathroom…

“AUGH!”

…Only for a stream of water to spray into her face. Sunset brought up her arms to protect herself, but the damage was done even before the stream died down. She was sopping wet, her pajamas and undergarments soaked and her hair wet and clinging to her face.

She opened her eyes just as Rarity emerged from her bedroom, clad in a nightgown and sleep mask and with her hair done up in curlers. Her sleepy expression faded as soon as she caught sight of what happened and shrieked, “SWEETIE BELLE! WHAT ON EARTH…?!”

“She’s an evil demon, Rarity!” Between the two of them stood Sweetie Belle, an enormous squirt gun in her hands with a few odd droplets of water dripping from the barrel tip. “She might’ve pulled the wool over your eyes, but I’m not gonna let her hurt anyone again!” The younger girl turned back to Sunset and half-squeaked, half-bellowed, “Now hurry up and melt already!”

Totally aghast, Rarity approached and chastised, “Sweetie Belle, she isn’t the Wicked Witch of the West!”

A critical look went from the squirt gun to the target as Sunset grabbed a towel and started drying herself off. “You’re right. I knew I should’ve gotten some holy water first.”

“Oh of all the –!”

The purple-haired fashionista’s cries of alarm were silenced as Sunset finished drying herself off. She looked at her host and regretfully sighed, “Rarity, I don’t think this is going to work out.”

Author's Note

Well everyone, here we are, the first chapter to my first story to be posted here incomplete. The remaining seven chapters are being worked on, I assure you, but time is sadly an issue. For now, expect updates either every two weeks, or the weekend following the completion of each chapter.

The names and descriptions of Sunset Shimmer's parents, Midday Glare and Sunrise Glint, come from the story "Bringing a Holiday Miracle for Sunset Shimmer" by X LunarRepublican X aka Midsummer Ocean. They're used with permission. Sunset's aunt, teacher and principal, however, are all my creations.

Parts of this first chapter, I admit, take some inspiration from "Asking A Favor" by Tinybit92. It's a fantastic story, and I happily recommend it to anyone interested. I didn't copy dialogue or anything, but there are similar story beats; they've been cleared in advance. If folks think that it's too similar, my apologies.

I'll admit, I know nothing about electric guitars. Master of Pie was kind enough to inform me properly about Sunset's guitar from "Rainbow Rocks", however, so my thanks to them.

EDIT on 9/10/2015: I've changed a little bit of Rarity and Sunset's discussion concerning Twilight's clothing. I figured what I'd previously established seemed a little silly, so I've changed things a bit in preparation for a future story.

Chapter Two - A Night With Pinkie Pie

“I am sorry about what’s happened, dear.” Rarity let out a regretful sigh as she and Sunset waited outside of her home, the pair seated on a porch swing and idly going back and forth. “Of all the immature things to do! Sweetie Belle saw what happened that night, the same as everyone else!”

“There’s seeing and then there’s believing.” Sunset idly rubbed her bare arms, suddenly feeling naked without her trademark leather jacket. She almost laughed at the thought; she rarely wore clothes back in Equestria, but here among humans, she felt uncomfortable with one less bit of clothing on. Maybe she was going native. “And just wait, I get to go through all of that again next Monday once my suspension ends.”

There had been a series of frenzied calls that morning, once Sunset’s clothes had been taken care of and Sweetie Belle properly chastised and punished by her parents and older sibling for her actions towards their guest. While she’d been assured that there wouldn’t be a repeat, Sunset had decided that discretion was the better part of valor and offered to spend the rest of her suspension with another of her new friends, Rarity reluctantly agreeing. Pinkie Pie was the first to accept, as the others couldn’t take her on such short notice.

The fashionista at her side smiled reassuringly. “It won’t last forever, dear. Time heals all wounds. And in any case, Pinkie Pie should offer you some respite. Be warned, however, you may find yourself sleep deprived.”

A half-smile. “I doubt anyone can party twenty-four seven.” She noticed the uneasy look on Rarity’s face and asked, “She doesn’t party all the time, does she?”

“Oh, no, I was actually more concerned about you getting a bit too much sugar in your diet.” A thoughtful look crossed her face as Rarity pondered, “Then again, Pinkie does burn it off quite well. I often find myself envious of her metabolism.”

“Speaking of, what does her car look like?” Sunset found herself pondering out loud, “Does she even have one?”

“No, but I suspect she’ll…” Enthusiastic honking sounded from the street, prompting the two to look to the curb as a plain grey sedan pulled up, Pinkie Pie waving enthusiastically from the driver’s seat. “Ah, there she is.” The two got to their feet, and Rarity promised, “Now then, don’t worry about your jacket, I’ll see to it that it’s repaired and returned to you by this time next week.”

“Thanks, Rarity.” They shared a brief hug, and Sunset grabbed her things and made her way to Pinkie’s car. She tucked her things into the backseat then climbed into the vehicle, buckling up as she waved goodbye. She smiled again as she realized that a couple weeks ago, she’d never imagine doing something like this. “Thanks for taking me in on short notice, Pinkie.”

“Aw, don’t mention it! If my friends need my help, I’ll be there for them!” Pinkie pulled out and made her way along the street, her driving surprisingly subdued. “So Sweetie Belle really tried to melt you? How crazy is that!”

“Yeah, isn’t it?” A nervous laugh. “So, not the ride I expected you to have.”

“I’m still saving up, but I’ve got a license, so I can borrow the Rockmobile whenever I need it.” The poufy-haired party planner patted the plastic dashboard. “Good old reliable Rocky, always there in a pinch. Anywho, don’t worry, you won’t have to deal with anything like what happened with Sweetie Belle happening at my place, no sir-ree!”

Sunset sighed in relief. “Good. I’d hate to deal with another overprotective younger sister.” One reason why she was glad that Applejack hadn’t taken her in was that she expected a similar reception from Apple Bloom. “You don’t have any younger sisters, do you?”

“Nope! I’m the baby in the family.”

More relief.

“And Marble and Limestone are out at the farm with Mom and Dad, so you probably won’t be seeing them.”

Even more… “Wait, hold on. You don’t live with your parents? Then whose car is this?”

“Rocky’s Maud’s car! She’s my big sister!”

Sunset suddenly felt like a deer caught in headlights, to use a human expression. “Big sister?” The other reason she was glad that Applejack hadn't taken her in was because she wasn’t looking forward to potential wrath from Big McIntosh – gentle giant he may be, but an angry farm hand whose strength outclassed his incredibly-strong sister’s was not one to simply ignore. She could only find herself dreading how this would go. Meeting family, hers or others’, had rarely gone well for her.

The train ride out to Indianapoloosa had been long and uneventful. Sunset hadn’t really paid attention to all that had transpired however, as her mind was still focused on her grief. It had only been a couple days since she’d been told her parents were gone, and now she was being whisked off to a city far from Canterlot. With every passing minute, she believed it a little more; her mommy and daddy were gone forever.

“Sunset?” The filly didn’t acknowledge her aunt as they continued their taxi ride, but Solar Flare nonetheless continued, “I know this isn’t easy for you. It isn’t easy for me either.”

“Why’d you bring me here? Why couldn’t I stay in Canterlot? That’s where I live.”

“Yes, but you couldn’t stay there. You’re still a little filly; you haven’t finished school or gotten a job or earned money. Maybe someday you can go back, but for now…”

“I want to go back now!”

“Sunset, you can’t…!”

“I didn’t want to come! This isn’t fair!”

The pegasus lowered her head sadly. “No. It isn’t. But Indianapoloosa isn’t so bad a place, and you won’t be alone. I have a little filly not much younger than you. If you give it a chance, I’m sure the two of you will get along great.”

She’d thought about running. There were police stations, the odd passing member of the guard, but they’d just give her back to her aunt and send her on her way. And aside from that, where would she go? She’d never met any other relatives beyond her mommy and daddy, after all.

Sunset closed her eyes and clenched them shut as she thought about her parents. That morning she’d been walked to school by her mommy, gotten a kiss from her daddy. The next day, she’d gone somewhere with the mare who said she was her aunt, and the ponies there had given them a pair of big pot things with tags, their names on them. Years later, she’d learn that her parents had been cremated, reduced to ashes and those ashes put in urns for easier burial. Right now, however, she just felt angry.

Why did her mommy and daddy have to go away? Why did they have to leave? What did they do to deserve getting put in the pots, to get her sent away? Was she just supposed to forget about them? How could she – they were her mommy and daddy! This pegasus lady might be her aunt, but she was never going to be a new mommy for her!

“I know she won’t mind having a big sister.”

And she didn’t have a sister!

“Hello.”

“Sunset, meet Maud! Maud, meet Sunset Shimmer! She’s my friend now!”

Sunset Shimmer had expected many things when it came to Pinkie Pie’s sister, but the young woman before her was a surprise. She looked to be college-age, with grayish-violet hair and turquoise eyes, plainly dressed in a long green dress. And in absolute contrast to her younger sister, Maud appeared amazingly stoic. “Um…hi?”

If Maud acknowledged her nervousness, she did a very good job of hiding it as she gestured to the plainly-colored living room with its plainly-colored furniture. “Please, have a seat.” Sunset did as directed and sat down on the sofa, Pinkie parking herself beside her while Maud took a seat in a deep grey easy chair. “Pinkie tells me that you’re between homes at the moment.”

“Yes, trouble with my landlord.” Sunset glanced about and asked, “So, do you own this place, or rent it?”

“I rent.”

“Maud’s attending classes at the local college!” Pinkie beamed and explained, “She’s getting her rock-torate in rock sciences!”

Sunset quietly assumed Pinkie meant a doctorate in earth sciences, but let the matter pass. “Well, you have a unique decorating style.”

“I like to express myself through my wardrobe and my décor. Also, it helps Boulder to feel at home.” She reached into the pocket of her dress and produced a small pebble. “He’s a rock.” She placed Boulder back in her pocket and added, “Feel free to stay as long as you need.”

“Come on!” Pinkie wrapped an arm around Sunset’s and enthusiastically led her towards the staircase. “We don’t have a guest room, so you’re sleeping with me! Comeoncomeoncomeon!”

Sunset was practically dragged into Pinkie Pie’s bedroom, which was a stark contrast to the living room. The walls went from an earthy brown paint near the floor to pink and yellow wallpaper decorated with stars and balloons, photos and posters mounted upon it along with a small shelf directly to their left. The wall opposite the door had a small window with purple drapes. A bed and nightstand were on the wall to the left, while the right had a dresser and a cabinet with a TV and gaming system. She was sat down on the bed, her bag and backpack having somehow found their way up with them, and found herself taking a second to take stock. “Wow. This is a little closer to how I imagined your house would be.”

“Yeah, I didn’t really get to decorate like this on the farm that much.” Pinkie plopped herself on the bed next to Sunset and explained, “Mom and Dad are great and all, but they aren’t really big on being expressive and stuff.” She produced a photo album from who knew where and opened it to reveal a picture of a family of six, the parents in the back and the four children in front, Maud and Pinkie standing in front of their mother while the other two girls were in front of the father. Their collective mood seemed amazingly dour. That the father was holding a pitchfork didn’t help matters any. “Maud and I were always really close though. In fact, she’s why I’m attending CHS!”

“Really?” Sunset shot the party girl at her side a surprised glance. “She’s why you’re attending Canterlot High?”

“Uh huh!” Pinkie beamed as she explained, “Y’see, us girls were homeschooled for the most part, but looking after four kids can get a little tiring even for the best parents, so once she got old enough to go, Mom and Dad enrolled Maud at CHS. Marble and Limestone really took to farm life, but me, not so much, so once I was old enough, I started attending CHS too. And by then, Maud was graduating and going on to college, so I moved in with her full-time!” She hugged her new friend and declared, “And now you’re here!”

Sunset smiled, albeit nervously, but was glad for the warm reception. “Thanks Pinkie, but you know this is just until I find a place of my own.”

“Yeah, but while you’re here, we’ll have the best time getting to know each other better!” She gasped, then broke the embrace and reached towards the nightstand and pulled out a notebook. “Speaking of, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for years!” She opened the notebook to reveal a number of names and dates, one name notable by the lack of an accompanying date. “What’s your birthday?”

It took a couple seconds for Sunset to process that question. “You’ve been waiting for years to ask me what my birthday was?”

“Well yeah! I can’t celebrate it if I don’t know what it is, and now that we’re friends, I don’t have an excuse to not celebrate it!”

The surprise that remained on her face was quickly overtaken by laughter. “Thanks, Pinkie.” She sighed and considered what she’d been asked. “Actually, that might be a little troublesome for you.”

A gasp. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what your birthday is?! You can share mine if you want, it’s November…”

“No, no, Pinkie, I know when my birthday is, that isn’t a problem.” Sunset sighed, took a moment to collect her thoughts, and explained, “The problem is that my world and yours don’t quite synch up in terms of timescales. We’ve got the same calendar, amazingly, the same names for days and months and the same lengths for time periods like months and years, and we even have some holidays in common, but…”

“But what’s the problem?”

“Seasons. When I left Equestria thirty moons ago, it was fall there. But when I emerged from the portal, it was spring, right around the time CHS was having its Spring Fling.” She shrugged. “Don’t ask me how to explain it, that’s just the way it is.”

Pinkie shrugged herself and waved a dismissive hand. “Eh, probably some kind of weird magic time dilation stuff, or something science-y like that. Still, I get the confusion. Do I celebrate your birthday with local dates, or what they’d be back in Equestria?” She reached back to her nightstand and picked up a plush alligator, holding it in front of her face inquisitively. “What do you think, Gummy?” A brief silence, and then she nodded. “That’ll work.” She set the stuffed toy down at the top of her bed and offered, “How about we go with local dates?”

“Probably less trouble for you that way. Okay. It’s August 21st.”

“Oooh, your’s isn’t long after Rainbow Dash’s!” The partial date was jotted down. “Now I just need a year for the number of candles…”

“Yeah, that’s another difference. We might have the same number of days to a year and number of months, but we number our years a little different. My world’s year zero isn’t the same as your year zero.” A thought crossed her mind as she realized, “Come to think of it, neither calendar has a year zero. Stuff that happened before a big event is counted as negative years, and from the big event on as positive. The big difference is in where the turnover starts; with us it’s the founding of Equestria, with you the birth of a religious icon.”

“So for ponies, Christmas and Independence Day are the same holiday?”

A shrug. “I guess you could look at it like that.”

“Ohmigosh, that is so awesome!” The madcap grin switched to a serious expression as Pinkie pressed on. “But that’s something for later. Just tell me how many years old you are, and I’ll work from there.”

Sunset found herself turning nervous at this. “Yeah, about that. Pinkie, there’s a big difference between how quickly a human being matures and how quickly a pony matures. I mean, there’s even a big difference between how a pony in my world matures and how a pony in your world matures. I might look to be your age, but…”

“Come on, Sunset, spill on me.”

A sigh. “I’m almost thirteen.”

Pinkie considered that admission with her mouth agape, staring at the teen girl in surprise. “Thirteen?”

“As far as Equestria’s concerned, that’s the same as being twenty-six or so, but yes.”

Another awkward pause, until Pinkie broke it. “Holey moley you’re big for your age! But no wonder you were so shy to admit it! You’re practically the same age as Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo! Plus it’d make things really awkward with Flash!” A determined expression shot across her face. “Only one thing to do! I’m Pinkie Promising myself to secrecy!” With accompanying hand motions, Pinkie vowed, “I will never divulge your true age to anyone, cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” The feeling of seriousness faded as she added, “But if you decide to tell someone else, let me know, okay?”

A little uneasy at the display she’d just witnessed, Sunset nonetheless agreed, “Okay, I’ll do that.” She smirked and added, “Just to be clear, however, I’d be considered an adult back in Equestria. So would Twilight, and she’s a couple years younger than me.”

“I know, I’m just messing with you.” Pinkie gave a teasing grin and added, “Besides, I know ponies in our world reach maturity a lot sooner than humans do. Sounds like Equestrian ponies are somewhere in between.”

“Something like that. We mature quickly, but we live a really long time. I’ve heard of earth ponies making it past the three century mark, and they’ve got the shortest lifespans of the three tribes. A unicorn like me could live even longer, even if only a few decades or so, and that’s nothing on Celestia and Luna.” A sad expression crossed her face. “You want to know something sad? Before all of this started with the portal, all I wanted was to shine above the rest. I worked so hard at it, and then I found out about that spell and…”

“And you thought it was really unfair that your Celestia could make you an alicorn and she didn’t?”

A nod. “You have a means of giving someone effective immortality, and you hold it back. That’s pretty much the same as giving them a death sentence. And telling me I hadn’t earned it? I thought she was just being selfish. Just because she raised and lowered the sun and moon didn’t mean she had the right to play God.” A heavy sigh. “I’ve been such an idiot.” She found a pair of pink arms wrapped around her, and looked to the party girl at her side to find a sad expression on her friend’s face. “What’s this for?”

“You needed a hug.” Pinkie hugged a little tighter as she explained, “I don’t like seeing anyone be sad. There’s so much bad in the world, so much pain. You gotta remember that there’s good in it too, and joy and laughter and fun. That’s why I put so much work into my parties, to remind everyone to smile. And when they smile, I smile.” She beamed and added, “And now, I’ve got another friend to share the smiles with.” She noticed the sad smile on Sunset’s face and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Sunset shook her head. “Nothing, you just reminded me of somepony I left behind.” Pinkie released her, and she reasoned, “I guess that’s why you’re so willing to let go after what I did, me breaking you and the rest of the girls up.”

“Well, you didn’t break us all the way up. And there’s ties out there that’re just as strong as friendship.” A photo album suddenly pulled from nowhere, Pinkie opened it to reveal a set of photos depicting her and Maud in the midst of holiday festivities with a few other, familiar people. “There’s family!”

Sunset’s eyes locked onto a familiar blonde girl and her two siblings. “You and Applejack are family?”

“Uh-huh! We got assigned to do a genealogy report freshman year together, and we found out that the Pie family and the Apple family are linked! Me and Maud are her fourth cousins, twice removed by a fifth cousin! It’s like I got two more sisters and a big brother! Ever since then, we’ve spent every Christmas with…!” She went silent as she noticed Sunset’s sad expression. “What’s wrong?”

The flame-haired girl considered her words before she finally explained, “Pinkie, I’m glad that you’re willing to take me in and help me out and do all this to cheer me up, but this has brought some things up that I’m not quite ready to talk about.”

Pinkie simply closed the album, put it aside, and leaned against her. “It’s okay. I get it. Whenever you’re ready, you let me know.” She sprang back up and asked, “Right now though, I’ve got something really important to ask about.” At Sunset’s surprise, she asked, “Does Equestria have a Halloween?”

A laugh. She could count on Pinkie to change the subject when needed, it seemed. “Yes. We call it ‘Nightmare Night’. And our Christmas-Independence Day equivalent is called ‘Hearth’s Warming Day’, and our Valentine’s Day is called ‘Hearts and Hooves Day’.”

“And Thanksgiving?”

“Still Thanksgiving. Same with Arbor Day, surprisingly.”

“Easter?”

“No Easter.”

“Awwww!” Pinkie pouted and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Pony me doesn’t get to have chocolate bunnies!”

Sunset laughed and wrapped an arm around her friend. “Sorry Pinkie. But knowing you, she’s got little trouble finding an excuse to enjoy candy.”

A shrug. “I guess that’s true. Still, one less holiday associated with candy isn’t something to be happy about. Only one solution to that – hot cocoa!” She bolted up and declared, “I’ll make some for the three of us! You stay here, Sunset, and I shall wrestle with the microwave!”

And just like that, Pinkie was out the door, leaving Sunset to her thoughts. She smiled and considered Twilight’s words from earlier that morning, and found herself thinking that, while there was more to Pinkie than there seemed, you didn’t have to dig too deep to find it. With her, what you saw was what you got. Of course, there was also her other bit of association.

Her thoughts drifted, and she found herself thinking of her own cousin. What had happened to the mare over these last few years? Did she remember her? Had she gotten bitter? Assurance from Celestia was one thing, but genuine proof would have been preferable. She turned regretful – she hadn’t seen Runnie since she’d returned to Canterlot, and had no idea of what she looked like now. For all she knew, she was still a blank flank.

She pulled a sketchbook from her backpack, opened it to a blank page and readied a pencil. She could certainly try to imagine it, at any rate. She already had a pretty good idea of where to start.

It was like looking into a mirror. Almost. The filly before her was about her height, with the same eyes and the same coat and the same mane colors. There were two differences, however. The first was that her mane style was very different; Sunset’s curled mane was a stark contrast to her opposite’s plain, flat style. The second was the lack of a horn, and the presence of a pair of wings.

“Sunset, this is your cousin, Sunrunner.”

Sunset wasn’t sure how to react as the filly looked at her, awestruck. What initial trepidation she had soon gave way to sheer joy as she grinned from ear to ear, jumped up and flapped her wings and exclaimed, “Omigosh! Omigoshomigoshomigosh!” She fluttered down and excitedly declared, “It’s so nice to meet you! Mommy told me you’d be coming, but she didn’t tell me that you and I looked so much alike! This is so amazing! We could be twins!” She took her by the hoof and led her up a flight of stairs as she gleefully exclaimed, “Come on!”

The little unicorn was half-dragged, half-carried up the steps by her cousin and led to a bedroom, a set of bunk beds against one wall and a desk and dresser and chest of stuffed animals against another. Directly opposite the door was a window, light streaming in as Sunrunner flicked on a switch to better illuminate the room.

“This is so exciting!” The pegasus was sprinting about the room, totally oblivious to her cousin’s dour expression. “I’ve always wanted a sister, and now it’s like I’ve got one! Best surprise relative ever!” She squealed gleefully, then turned back and asked, “First things first – nicknames! We can’t call each other ‘Sunny’ – I like being called Sunny, but that’ll get really confusing really quickly, so we’ve gotta come up with different ones. How about ‘Runnie’ for me, and ‘Shims’ for you?”

“Out.”

The pegasus filly looked at her with surprise. “Okay, I know, not a really good nickname, but I can…”

“I don’t care what you call me, just get out. Now.”

Sunrunner turned quiet, but did as she was told, slowly walking out of the room around her cousin. “Okay. I’ll go. Let me know which bunk you want and…”

Sunset didn’t hear the filly finish as she closed the door with her magic, pushing Sunrunner out the rest of the way. She slipped out of her saddlebags and set them down at the foot of the bunk beds, then carefully climbed up to the top bunk. She hated it. She hated being in stupid Indianapoloosa, she hated being with her stupid pegasus cousin, and she hated being in this stupid bunk bed.

Even if it was kinda comfy.

“Who wants some hot chocolatey good-nesssss?” Pinkie Pie stuck her head in, a plate with a pair of steaming mugs of hot chocolate in her hands, her expression turning to one of surprised as she realized what Sunset was doing. “I didn’t know you could draw.”

“It’s not something I’ve advertised.” Sunset set the sketchbook in her lap and looked up. “Plus I needed something to take my mind off of things. Believe it or not, drawing soothes me.”

“Oh, I believe it!” Pinkie offered her friend a mug, then sat down as it was accepted. “So, what’cha drawing? Or do I have to guess?”

“That cousin I mentioned. Sort of.” Sunset glanced over it with a critical eye, the same she’d used on her victims many a time in the past. She was working off of memory, basing the sketch of Sunrunner off herself rather than the mare proper, but it seemed a reasonable starting point. “It’s kinda hard to draw a pony when you haven’t seen them in years. I’m just lucky we look so much alike. Take away her wings and my horn, and we could’ve been twins.”

“Aw! You and her are adorable!” Pinkie’s head tilted thoughtfully to one side. “Something’s missing, though.”

“Yeah, no clue what her cutie mark would be, so she’s still a blank flank in my mind.” A curious murmur, and she explained, “A cutie mark…”

“It’s something ponies get when they figure out their special talent.” A shrug. “Rarity e-mailed the rest of us with the pony-related stuff you told her. Figured it’d save you the trouble of being all exposition-y five times in a row.”

“Go Rarity, points for thinking ahead.”

“I’m just wondering what it’d look like. Maybe it’s like yours?”

“Maybe. Similar cutie marks do run in families.” Sunset took a sip of her drink, glad for the little marshmallows inside it. “Pinkie, you remember all the grief I gave you last week about your decorations?”

“About how there needed to be more streamers near the stage and fewer balloons? Yeah, I had it in mind the second time I decorated the gym.” At Sunset’s surprised expression, she protested, “What? Just because you were being a meanie about it doesn’t mean I should just ignore what you say. Besides, as long as I made someone happy with how it looked, I did my job.”

A smile, and Sunset amended, “Well, I still could’ve phrased it better.” She wrapped an arm around the party girl and added, “And I am sorry about the whole thing with you and Fluttershy. And you and Rarity. And I’m glad I didn’t try to tear you and Applejack apart while I was at it. Just because I had a crummy relationship with my cousin doesn’t mean you should.”

Pinkie offered an encouraging smile and asked, “You wanting to talk about her more?”

Sunset shook her head. “I’m getting there, but I’m not quite there yet.” She gently tapped the side of her head and asked, “Let me sort it out for myself first, okay?”

“Okey-dokey-lokey. Take your time, we’ll be here for you.” Another sip of her drink, and Pinkie asked, “But can you tell me more about Nightmare Night? Why would you give Princess Luna candy? Does she go trick-or-treating too?”

Sunset laughed, glad for the change in subject back to holidays. “Well, it’s a long story. You remember me and Twilight talking about how Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon? Well, I’m not totally sure, but all of that inspired Nightmare Night.” Another sip. “The version we told you was the official, historical account, but there was another version where Nightmare Moon gobbled up the younger sister before getting banished by the older. I guess from a certain point of view, either version would work.”

Pinkie took on a sagely stance and held up a hand with two fingers pointed. “Strong with the Force, this story is.” She then gestured for Sunset to continue. “Go on.”

“Anyway, Nightmare Night’s supposed to be the anniversary of Nightmare Moon’s first appearance.” She then explained what she remembered from the stories, about how ponies dressed in costumes to avoid being recognized by the monstrous princess-gobbling boogeymare, and about how an offering of candy was left at statues depicting Nightmare Moon at parks all over Equestria for good measure. “Don’t ask me what actually happens to the candy, but I doubt Luna actually ate any of it.”

“Well duh, of course not! She was stuck in the moon! Kinda hard to…” A buzzing sound, and Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “Oh look, you’ve got mail!” Sunset pulled the book from her backpack and opened it. “Did Twilight send you a message? Tell her I said ‘hi’!”

“I’ll do that, just give me a second.” She scanned over the note, and her expression turned downcast. “Wonderful. I thought that’d be how it would go.” She turned to Pinkie and explained, “I asked if she had any advice for dealing with Sweetie Belle, and the inevitable problems with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. All she’s really got to offer is old-fashioned patience.”

“Well, sometimes that’s the best thing.”

“Sometimes, yes.” All of a sudden, she found herself thinking that the shoe was on the other hoof. Foot? Either worked. “But what are my alternatives?”

“Well, there’s yelling and hollering, but I don’t think that’ll do a lot of good either. That’s kinda the way ‘old you’ would do it, when you weren’t being all sneaky.”

“Yeah, I figured doing that was a bad idea,” came the dry response. She sighed. “I want to confront this head-on, but what assurance do I have that they’d listen to me? I mean, I was a two-faced liar who turned herself into a monster. And that was before I put the crown on my head.”

A hug. “You’ll figure it out. Right now, though, I’d thank Twilight for her advice.”

Sunset rolled her eyes with a smile, then produced a pen and got to work on her response. “Twilight, thanks for your advice. Hopefully, this blows over with little trouble; I really don’t like the idea of having to watch out for squirt guns. I’m over at Pinkie’s place now; she says hi.” A joyful squeal sounded from the girl at her side. “So far, no problems; we’ve shared some laughs, and I’ve talked a little bit about Equestrian holidays and how they compare to human ones. You’d be surprised at the analogues; I know I’m surprised at how sharp Pinkie can be.” She turned from the journal and asked, “Do you know anything about a ‘Pinkie Sense’?”

“Oh yeah! I was wondering if Pony Me could do that!”

Sunset turned back to the journal and added, “And yes, she apparently has Pinkie Sense. I’ll be sure to pay attention to it. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.” She closed the journal and sent her message on its way. “So, what’s the plan for the day?”

“Coming, coming!” Her door opened, and Rarity gained a warm smile. “Twilight, how…?” The warm smile faded as she noticed her friend’s uneasy expression. “Oh dear, is something the matter?”

“You could say that. May I come in?”

“Of course, darling, please do.” The fashionista ushered her friend into her guest suite and motioned for her to take a seat upon her bed. “What seems to be the trouble? Do I need to get the others?”

“No, I’d like just talk with you about this.” As Rarity took a seat of her own, Twilight gathered her thoughts and explained, “No offense to the rest of our friends, but you’re probably the most qualified mare I know to talk about this with, other than Cadance. And I don’t want to talk to her about it just yet.”

A knowing and slightly teasing smile. “This is about your handsome new stallion friend, isn’t it?” At Twilight’s nervous nod, she abandoned her current perch and climbed up on the bed beside her friend. “Oh, darling, none of us would object to you having a boy in your life. I would be a little jealous, but I’d be quite happy for you. We all would, and this Flash Sentry fellow is certainly nice enough. I don’t see the problem with him.”

“That’s because the problem isn’t with him.” Twilight sighed. “You remember Pinkie’s hunch, about Flash Sentry reminding me of a boy I met in the human world? He wasn’t just any boy. He was Flash’s counterpart.”

A nod. “Was he nice?”

A smile crossed Twilight’s face. “I literally bumped into him the first time after getting knocked down and crawling through a mess of students. Trust me on this, walking on two legs isn’t easy. He could have laughed at me or ignored me, but instead, he asked me if I was okay and helped me up.” She brightened as she added, “And that was just the start. As far as he knew, I was some weird new girl who showed up out of the blue, but instead of ignoring me or brushing me off, he did everything he could to help me. Don’t get me wrong, Spike and the girls were just as big a help, but…”

“But he came to your aid when Sunset attempted to frame you for trashing the gymnasium.” The fashionista swooned playfully with Twilight’s confirming nod. “A genuine knight in shining armor.” At her friend’s dry look, she smiled. “Oh darling, forgive me. It just sounds like it came right out of a fairytale. The dashing hero coming to the aid of the desperate princess and all. Of course, you saved him in the end instead of the other way around, but it’s clear he left quite an impression.”

“He did.” Twilight sighed. “You know something? I never really thought about a relationship like that. I mean, I sorta thought that I’d eventually meet a nice stallion someday, but…” She huffed in frustration as she realized aloud, “I sound like a cheap romance novel.”

“Well, it’s allowed, dear. He was your first.” She nervously amended, “Of course, I doubt anypony foresaw you meeting him in an alternate world.” She smiled wistfully and admitted, “It does sound like a tragic romance. Two star-crossed lovers, meeting briefly, touching one another’s lives and never to reunite. You unfortunately add another wrinkle; this world has a Flash Sentry of its own.” Rarity turned serious as she asked, “Are you considering getting to know this world’s Flash? I wouldn’t blame you for thinking about it, darling, but…”

“I’m wondering about it.” She held up one hoof and pondered aloud, “On the one hoof, based on everything I’ve seen, there isn’t much difference between the human and pony versions of ourselves. They’re rougher around the edges, but still, essentially the same. But on the other…”

“But on the other, you feel like even beginning to consider a relationship with this world’s version of Flash would be akin to betraying the one you’ve come to know.”

A groan. “When did my life turn into a soap opera?”

“Well, look at the bright side; neither is an evil twin.” Rarity quickly realized that her attempt at a joke fell flat, and she quickly took another track. “Twilight, I’m very touched that you came to me about this issue. I’m no expert on romance, however; we both know how my last attempt at wooing somepony went. I still don’t know which is the worst thing to be called by the gossip rags for attempting to court Prince Blueblood, an idiot or a gold digger.” She rolled her eyes and added under her breath, “As if it’s suddenly a crime to want to romance a handsome, well-off stallion.” She returned to the subject and noted, “What I do know is that you can’t simply let something like this pass you by. You said it yourself that there isn’t much difference between them.”

“As far as I know, but that’s just based on what I saw with your counterpart, and everypony else’s. Still, I barely had a chance to talk with him, let alone get to know him, and there’s a big difference between being part of the guard here at the Crystal Castle and being a high school student who plays the guitar.”

“Oh, a musician? That’s another point in his favor.” At Twilight’s annoyed expression, she smiled apologetically and continued, “Still, if this concerns you so much, perhaps you should learn more about this world’s Flash.”

“I might send the wrong message if I go up and talk to him.”

“Then you should be surreptitious. Talk with somepony who knows him, say, perhaps, his superior officer. You may know him, a handsome fellow, what was his name…?”

“You really think I should go to my brother about a potential coltfriend?”

“Oh come now darling, the worst he can do is give you some good-natured teasing. You probably did the same when he and Princess Cadance were first dating.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Someday, the three of us need to sit down and tell you all the story of how those two got together.” She then smiled. “Still, I guess that’s one idea. Thanks, Rarity.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble. But, one small favor, mayhaps?” She flashed a hopeful smile. “Keep me informed? Please?” Twilight jumped off the bed with a smirk and made her way out as Rarity teased, “Just so that I can start on the wedding gown, dear!” The unicorn sighed and smiled. “Well, worse things could happen than me being a bridesmaid again.”

Sunset stirred from her sleep, sat up in her sleeping bag and stretched. It was still dark out, and Pinkie’s alarm hadn’t yet gone off, so it was either very early in the morning, or close to daybreak. She carefully stood up and looked to Pinkie’s alarm clock – 5 AM.

She groaned and inwardly cursed her circadian rhythms. Since her arrival in the human world, she’d spent almost every morning of a school day getting up at roughly that same time and getting herself ready for the day. She’d never gotten up that early for her classes at the School for Gifted Unicorns. She was still up early, of course, but that was for breakfast with the Princess rather than to be ready before the start of classes, and it was never as early as five in the morning. Even Celestia slept in a little before raising the sun.

That probably explained why she liked the fall so much.

A glance to the bed showed that Pinkie was still asleep, Gummy held tight in her arms. Sunset considered waking the party girl, but she ultimately decided against it. Instead, she pulled herself free from the bag, slipped into her slippers, and tiptoed her way out of the bedroom. She looked back and smiled, letting Pinkie have a little extra rest. She’d get up soon enough.

She smiled as she made her way down the stairs. Despite her reservations, staying with Pinkie Pie had gone surprisingly well. Maud was still a little off-putting, but she’d gone in expecting someone akin to Pinkie proper rather than a stark contrast. Maybe her guilt and paranoia had been misplaced and…

…And oh sweet Celestia was she ever wrong.

The instant she’d stepped into the small house’s kitchen, hoping to make herself a quiet cup of tea, she froze, her eyes locked on Pinkie’s older sister. Maud noticed her and turned, a blank expression on her face and a very large, very sharp knife in one hand.

Sunset was off like a shot, heading for the only shelter she knew she had. She scrambled back into Pinkie’s room and climbed into her sleeping bag, curling up into a fetal position and holding it tight in the hopes that it would protect her.

A brief beeping noise sounded from her alarm clock and Pinkie Pie sprang up into a sitting position. She quickly noticed the quivering mess beside her bed and turned alarmed. “Sunset? You okay?”

“Not staying. Maud will kill me.”

A sad sigh. “And things were going so well too.”

Author's Note

This chapter was posted several days earlier than originally planned, but I figured, why not?

Pinkie's bedroom was, of course, shown in "Rainbow Rocks", and the names of her siblings are from one of the books by G. M. Berrow. The details about her home, and her living arrangements with Maud, are totally my imaginings, albeit based on what we've been given by canon. I won't deny a certain amount of influence from "The Simpsons" for that bit from the end of the story, however.

Human Pinkie Pie having Pinkie Sense is probably something that popped up in other stories. The only one I know of is ConningOfficer's excellent "Sunset Shimmer: Element Bearer". I don't know if it'll ever be a factor in my works, but I thought it a good idea to establish it anyway.

The Sunrunner depicted here is, of course, a younger version of the same Sunrunner from one of my other stories, "A Light in the Dark". I'll admit, she originally started life as not having any relationship at all with Sunset Shimmer, but the more I thought about her, the more I thought, why not make them family? Not particularly close family, mind, but still. I fear I'll get an uptick in dislikes on both stories in response to that, however, but I can live with that.

Chapter Three - A Night With Rainbow Dash

“Would Maud really do something like that?”

“Of course not!” Pinkie hugged Fluttershy and assured her, “All Maud was doing was cutting up some sausage for breakfast. Shimmy just let her imagination run away with her.”

The girls had gathered at Sugarcube Corner, in part to revive an old tradition from before Sunset Shimmer had torn their group apart but mostly to discuss what had happened to the newest member of their circle over the course of the weekend. Rarity sighed regretfully as she reasoned, “After what happened with Sweetie Belle, I can’t blame her for being somewhat paranoid. Did she at least come down for breakfast?”

“Yeah, but it took some coaxing. And oatmeal with brown sugar.” Pinkie took a sip of her smoothie and asked, “Don’t get why she’s so scared of Maud, though. I mean, Maud’s the best big sister in the world! She wouldn’t hurt a fly!”

“Sunset did almost kill us Friday night, sugarcube.”

“Yeah, but she wasn’t herself and she said she was sorry.” Pinkie shrugged and reasoned, “I mean, I can kinda get Maud attacking her during all that, but now?”

“Well, regardless, I don’t think it would be good for her to stay with you any further.” Rarity looked about the rest of the group as she took a sip of her hot cocoa. “Though I fear our options are dwindling. I’ve already been ruled out, given Sweetie Belle’s appalling behavior, and I fear we’d only get something similar with Applejack.”

“If not worse, given Big Mac and Apple Bloom both were at ground zero Friday night.” The country girl crossed her arms and contemplated. “Still, Big Mac’s right patient under the worst cases, and Apple Bloom’ll know better’n to cause trouble.”

“Well, perhaps we should keep your home as a worst case scenario.” The fashionista turned to Fluttershy and asked, “What about you, dear? I don’t see your parents turning anyone out.”

The poor girl turned embarrassed and nervously explained. “Well, no, but this is very short-notice.”

Heads turned to Rainbow Dash, who was absent-mindedly munching away at a scone between sips of cider. She realized they were all looking at her and asked, “What, my place? You kidding?”

“Process a’ elimination, Dash. ‘Sides, you don’t havta worry none ‘bout askin’ fer permission.”

“Well yeah, but…!” The athlete sighed, already knowing the odds were stacked against her. “Okay, fine. But she better be ready, it’s a bumpy ride between Pinkie’s place and mine.”

The doors to the bus opened with a hiss, and Sunset stepped out onto the sidewalk with uneasy footsteps, her luggage and new sleeping bag tightly held close to one side. Rainbow Dash stepped out after her much more smoothly and asked, “Two and a half years, and you’re not used to buses?”

“Anywhere I needed to go was in walking distance of the school. Besides, we didn’t have them back in Equestria.” The bus roared off as Sunset elaborated, “I needed to go somewhere back there, I walked or rode a carriage or took a streetcar. Or I teleported, but that’s if I was in a real rush.”

The athlete smirked. “Must’ve done that a lot close to the time you left.”

“Not that much, actually.” A nervous smile crossed her face as she added, “Thanks for this, Dash. I hope you’re not too sore about drawing the short straw.”

“Eh, I don’t mind the whole musical houses thing. I just hope you don’t mind the altitude.” She gestured to a tall blue building and continued, “Speaking of, welcome to Skycastle Apartments! Bet you don’t see a lot of these back in Equestria.”

“Not in Canterlot, no, but other places?” The building reminded her of similar architecture in Indianapoloosa, as well as pictures she’d seen of Las Pegasus, Manehattan and Fillydelphia. She could never see her parents, or her aunt and uncle, living in a cramped apartment however. Then again, she never thought of a pegasus family living in a house on the ground rather than in the clouds. “Still, where I come from, apartment buildings aren’t usually this big.”

“Well, it’s no skyscraper, but it gets the job done.” Rainbow pulled a keycard from her shirt pocket and brought it up to an electronic lock on one side of the door. The lock flashed green, and she pulled the door open and led Sunset into the building’s lobby. It was impressively sized and well-lit, with assorted columns spaced in two lines leading from the front door to the elevators and assorted doors on either side. Directly to their left was a desk, a dark-haired man seated behind it in a security uniform. He looked up as Dash called out, “Hey Sam! Slow day?”

“Nothing wrong with staying out of the fast lane, Dash.” The guard leaned forward and asked, “Hey, I caught something about a freaky light show at your school last Friday night. You know anything about that?”

A dismissive snort escaped the teen’s lips. “You’ve been paying way too much attention to Ralph and his crazy theories. Any mail?”

“Yeah, couple things for you.” The guard produced a few letters from beneath the desk and handed them off. “Listen, if anything happens…”

“I know you and the guys’ve got my back.” With a grin and a wave, Rainbow Dash went on her way, Sunset following close. They approached the other end of the lobby and she explained, “That’s Sam. He’s one of the security guys for the building. Nice guy, mean fastball. Gets along great with my dad.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Nah, he trusts me.” Rainbow pressed the ‘Up’ button for the elevator, and the doors swung open, allowing them access. On one side were a number of labeled buttons, most marking the twenty five floors of the building. The one marked for Floor 24 was pressed, and the elevator started its ascent. “You’ve got elevators in Equestria too?”

“Yeah. Some really fancy hotels have them operated by unicorn magic, but most are just like this one, wholly mechanical.” The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened, the two girls making their way out to a well-lit, nicely-carpeted hallway. “I never got why there are still holdouts. You’d think they’d want to make things easier on the employees instead of giving them more work.” Though given hers was a world where the weather was micromanaged, perhaps it wasn’t too surprising that such things existed. She noticed a door marked with a trio of familiar symbols, one of them a familiar cloud with a tri-colored lightning bolt emerging from the bottom. “Your place?”

“What was your first clue?” Another swipe of her keycard, and the door was opened. “Here we are, Casa de Rainbow! Make sure you kick off your boots, okay?”

Sunset did as instructed, slipping out of her boots and letting her sock-clad feet sink into the carpet. She put hers alongside of her host’s pair and looked about in amazement. “Wow. Cleaner than I thought. I mean, I don’t think of you living in a pig sty, but…”

“Yeah, I know, ‘neat and tidy’ is more Rarity’s thing, but the cleaning lady’s only in once a week, and I don’t like giving her more work than she needs. Keep the scuffs to a minimum, y’know?” Rainbow gestured about and added, “Anyway, make yourself at home.”

Sunset entered the living room properly, her eyes sweeping it over. In the center of the room was a luxurious-looking sofa, its back to the door and positioned for a perfect view of a large flatscreen television, a small cabinet with assorted electronics beneath and a door at each side. One corner of the room was occupied by a desk, computer and office chair, another occupied by a small fountain, the water spraying from it shifting through each color of the rainbow every few seconds. The left wall had another door, which she assumed was the bathroom. At her right was the kitchen, fully stocked with all sorts of appliances and one wall occupied by an impressive window, light indirectly coming in from outside. She set her things down at the side of the sofa and approached her host with amazement. “You never struck me as the rich kind.”

“We’re not rich, just well-off. My dad’s a coach for the local college’s football team, and Mom’s always had a good head for numbers.” A sheepish grin, and Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head as she admitted, “Kinda wish I’d gotten some of that.”

“So, where are your parents?”

“Dad’s off on the road with his team, and Mom…” She grew distant, then shook it off. “Anyway, no big. Come on, let’s get you settled properly. We don’t have a guest room, so you’re bunking with me.” Rainbow Dash picked up her things and asked, “So, you liking the sleeping bag?”

“Yeah, but I’m surprised Pinkie let me have it. She said it was one of her spares, something about sleepover-related emergencies, but…”

“Don’t try to figure Pinkie Pie out, trust me. Your head might implode or something.” She opened her bedroom door with a free hand and warned, “Just watch your head, alright?”

Sunset followed her host in, and found herself thinking that this was exactly how she pictured Rainbow Dash’s room would look. All the usual bits of furniture she expected were there, dresser-mirror combo and computer and TV and what-not, but the décor brought the friendly skies to mind very quickly. The three walls were sky blue, placid white clouds painted upon them with the remaining one occupied by another immense window that, mercifully, had a set of cloud-pattern curtains blocking it from view. She looked up and saw a number of ceiling pegs, some with various models of aircraft hanging from them and others with encapsulated posters depicting all manners of things associated with flight, from birds to aviatrixes to caped superheroines. Sunset chuckled as she recognized two or three characters from comics that she’d spied belonging to Snips and Snails. “Nice.”

“For the longest time, I thought the closest I’d ever get to flying before I had a license was this.” Rainbow Dash set her backpack and her guest’s things down at the foot of the bed and idly traced a finger along the bottom of a model of an old twin-engine aircraft, painted silver and lovingly-made. “Still want to learn how to fly a plane, but after last week? Literally having my own wings? It isn’t quite gonna match up.”

An uncomfortable smile crossed her face as Sunset remembered all too clearly the events of that evening, and the massive demonic wings she’d possessed. “Yeah, it was something all right.”

Rainbow winced, realizing that she’d said exactly the wrong thing. “Yikes. Sorry.” She quickly changed the subject and tipped her head towards the window, pulling open the curtains slowly. “So, hope you don’t mind the view.”

“No, it’s great.” Sunset approached the window, taking in as much as she could. It was a very impressive view of the town, the buildings and shops looking miniscule and the cars looking like insects. She could barely see Canterlot High in the distance. “Actually reminds me of home. My Canterlot is carved into the side of one of Equestria’s highest peaks, and it’s the rare unicorn that doesn’t mind living up high somewhere. I even took the top bunk when I was younger, after I moved in with my aunt and uncle. Never got quite as high as pegasi, though; many of them actually live in cities built of cloud.”

“Really? Awesome.” Dash stepped up beside her and admitted, “I had to beg my folks to get a place this high up. Always felt like I belonged in the sky. Then Twilight tells me I’m a pegasus in another world, and I actually meet her and it just made sense.” She turned to Sunset and asked, “So, you had pegasus relatives. You ever live in a cloud city?”

“No. Most pegasi live in cloud cities because their magic lets them walk on clouds. There are spells that let other ponies do the same, but they’re temporary, only last a few days or so. My aunt and uncle had a plain house on the ground in Indianapoloosa.” She put a hand to the window and noted, “They didn’t seem to mind being stuck in the dirt with me. My cousin actually seemed to love it, especially when it snowed. She’d count the days before a scheduled snowfall like they were the days before Christmas.” Anticipating her friend’s question, she added, “Pegasi control the weather in Equestria. There’s this massive, government-run infrastructure around weather management, factories dedicated to it in Cloudsdale, everything. We’d know when it rained, snowed, all that. It took me forever to get used to the weather acting on its own after I came here.”

“Yeah, I can see that. Kinda takes the adventure out of the weather, though, it being controlled and all. Would be plenty handy for dealing with droughts.”

“Well, but we still had those for one reason or another.” She smiled and turned to the girl beside her. “Last thing I expected from you, though. A little bit of home.”

“Well, it wasn’t part of the plan, but I’m glad you like it.” A small jerk of her head, and Rainbow Dash offered, “Hey, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Got some leftover pizza I don’t mind sharing.”

“I don’t mind at all.” Sunset had refrained from joining in before, and wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.

“Mommy! Mommy, look!” Sunrunner excitedly pointed a hoof at the front window out to the front yard. “It’s snowed! There’s snow on the ground!”

Solar Flare came up to her daughter and smiled, her husband in tow. “I’d say it has, hasn’t it?”

“Oh, that’s a beautiful sight. It’s been years since I’ve seen a snowfall that gorgeous. The weather workers up in Cloudsdale must have put in a lot of overtime for all that snow, carrying on Snowdrop’s proud tradition…”

“I wanna build a snowmare! Can I, please?”

Her mother chuckled. “Of course dear. Go get your cousin; maybe she’ll want to join in.” As Sunrunner dashed off, she called back, “And then make sure you put on your snowboots before you go out!”

Her husband looked hurt as he asked, “You’re not going to let me finish my story?”

A sly smile. “Blue Streak, I love you, but if I let you talk too long, we might miss out on a chance for some quality family time.”

At the top of the steps, Sunrunner knocked on the door to the bedroom she shared with her cousin with one hoof. “Shims! It snowed!”

“I see that, Sunrunner!” came the muffled reply.

Undeterred, the little pegasus decided to break out her best weapon to coax out her honorary sibling – her singing voice. It always worked on her mom and dad, so why not her cousin?

“Do you want to build a snowmare?

Come on, let's go and play!

I barely see you anymore

Come out the door,

Let’s not waste the day!

We could be best buddies

Don’t know why not

How ‘bout we give it a try?

Do you want to build a snowmare?

It doesn't have to be a snowmare!”

“Go away, Sunrunner! I don’t want to play in the stupid snow with you!”

The little filly stepped back from the door, surprised. “But Shims…!”

“I said no! And don’t call me that!”

Her ears went low, her head doing likewise, and Sunrunner turned away from the door in defeat. “Okay. ‘Bye.” She walked down the steps, saw her parents at the foot of the staircase, and said, “I don’t think she wants to build a snowmare.”

Solar Flare gently nuzzled her daughter and offered, “Give it time, dear. She’s still adjusting.”

The timer dinged, and Rainbow Dash opened the oven door and extracted a large pan with four slices of pizza upon it, her hands protected by oven mitts. “You’re sure you’re passing on the pepperoni?”

“Positive, plain cheese is fine.” Her selected portion slid onto a waiting plate with the help of a spatula, and Sunset smiled. “Looks delicious.”

“You can never go wrong with Piedmont’s.” The oven door closed, the pan and spatula set aside, and the oven mitt back where it belonged, and Rainbow sat down and opened her can of soda, taking a sip before taking a bite. “So why not to the pepperoni? Not that I’m complaining, but I thought you ate meat.”

“I eat some meats. I checked a while back; pepperoni’s made from a mix of pork and beef. I’ll eat pork no problem, but beef? You want to, go ahead, but not me.”

“Suit yourself.” The two started eating, the silence lasting long enough for the two to swallow their first bites. “Tell you the truth though, I’m surprised you’re even willing to eat meat. I mean, I thought horses just ate grass and hay and stuff.”

“We can eat a little meat. I had some goose liver once back in Equestria, part of a state dinner.” A queasy look passed on her face, and Sunset added, “The less said about that, the better. After I came here, I tried to stick to salads, but after a while, I gave in to being an omnivore. Still not crazy about seafood, but chicken and pork aren’t bad.”

“Yeah, I get that. Guess that’s why you stayed here; got to liking meat too much.”

“No, believe it or not, we’ve got plenty of substitutes for various meats back in Equestria. Soy and tofu and such, and it’s the rare day I don’t crave an HBLT. I stayed here…” A sigh. “Oh, so many reasons. The big one being that I’m an idiot.”

“You? An idiot? You sleep through science classes I struggle through, and you still score better than me.”

“I knew the material. Just because it’s a different world doesn’t mean chemistry isn’t the same; two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen, you still get water. And with physics, well, the laws still apply, we just bend them a little with magic. I’m not an idiot because of a lack of book smarts. I’m an idiot because of a lack of common sense.” She set her slice of pizza down and explained, “My aunt and I never really talked about what happened with my parents. All I know about how they died is that it had something to do with their work, whatever that was, and I never really got close with my aunt’s family. They tried, but I just ended up pushing them away more often than not. I never really had a bond like I did with my parents again until I became Princess Celestia’s personal student.”

“Yeah, I kinda noticed that.”

“And then I ruined it by acting like a brat and making demands of her. No wonder she refused to make me a princess.” She idly rolled her wrist, swishing her soda about in its can, and added, “Coming to this world was as much about spiting her as it was getting away. I felt like I’d been abandoned. Again.” A sip, and then she continued. “Any thoughts about going back and proving her wrong were just idle fantasies until I found out about Twilight. Over here, at least until I got out of CHS, I’d have something like the power I wanted.”

“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven?”

“Yeah, and look how well that went. No matter how you look at it, I was being an idiot; the queen bee at a six-year high school isn’t anything like being a princess. What power I had would’ve ended after five years, and I wouldn’t be able to pass myself off as a high school student forever.” Another sip. “I thought finding out about Twilight and her crown was a godsend. I could get my hands on it, I’d have what I wanted all along, not just power, but to not be forgotten. Talk about irony.” She sighed. “As it is, I’m probably lucky I failed.”

“You got blown into the bottom of a crater. I wouldn’t call that lucky.”

“Better than the alternatives. Let’s say Friday night went differently, and I’d actually managed to…” A deep breath, and Sunset brought herself to say it, “…managed to kill all of you. I go through the portal, and I’d have Celestia, Luna, Cadance and all of Twilight’s friends waiting for me. If they didn’t put me six feet under, Shining Armor would have. All the fireballs in the world wouldn’t save me from being trapped in a barrier spell and getting smothered.” She turned morose as she added, “And that would’ve at least left a body behind.” She saw Rainbow’s puzzled expression out of the corner of her eye and asked, “Don’t tell me you’re actually surprised by that.”

“A little, yeah. I kinda figured that thing with Nightmare Moon was just something by itself, one of those ‘isolated incident’ things.”

“Well believe it or not, my world’s history isn’t much different from yours. We’ve got war, crimes, innocent ponies getting hurt over the most trivial of things, all that. Our justice system is even a lot like the one you have here, even if it is a little less complicated. Light crimes get light punishments, severe crimes get severe punishments. If I’d been successful, if I’d…if I’d killed Twilight, it wouldn’t have just been murder, it would’ve been treason. That’ll net you the worst punishment of all; the Ultimate Sanction.”

“I’m guessing that’s some kind of death penalty?”

“Got it in one. It’s rarely done, the last time it happened was over a century before I was born, but I’ve read descriptions of it. I’ll spare you the details over dinner, but the short version? I’d be burned alive, from the inside out.”

A disbelieving look crossed Rainbow Dash’s face as she asked, “Seriously? That bad? No way.”

A sad nod. “We’ve got prisons in Equestria, but the ones for ponies are for low-level offenders. The really nasty criminals and monsters end up in Tartarus, but that’s only because they can’t be disposed of by other means. If she thought she had no other way, Celestia would’ve done it.”

“Yikes. I guess that’s why you didn’t go back with Twilight.”

“And why I was glad she didn’t force me to go back. Seeing Princess Celestia the next morning made things better, but still.” She sighed. “The really sad thing is that I doubt anyone would’ve complained if I went back to Equestria and died. Doubt they would’ve missed me anyway. They might even have cheered.”

“Whoa, hold on!” Rainbow brought her hands to Sunset’s head and turned it to face her. “Don’t you go talking like that! Yeah, you did plenty of bad stuff, but don’t you think for a second that anyone at CHS would be happy to see you dead! I wouldn’t!”

“Rarity’s little sister tried to melt me.”

“Yeah, well, she’s a kid! Kids don’t think straight!” She took a breath to calm herself and added, “I get you’re feeling guilty about all of that. I don’t blame you. But trust me, there’s folks who’d miss you. Especially now.”

Sunset half-smiled. “This from the girl who was the first to call me on all my bull.”

“Yeah, well, loyalty’s gotta be earned.” She released her friend and added, “Besides, I still wasn’t quite sure how I felt right there. I mean, I didn’t hate you or anything, definitely wouldn’t have been happy if you just died or something, but still, the crap you pulled isn’t something I was just gonna forget about. Then I saw you that morning and, well, I really believed you meant what you said about being sorry and all.” She smiled and added, “And don’t tell anyone else, but I almost-sorta had something in my eye when you and the princess made up.”

“My lips are sealed.”

“Good, because I’d deny it later.” A sip of her drink, and they moved talk elsewhere, “Speaking of your reign of terror, why have Snips and Snails for minions? I’d think you’d want to have a couple girls backing your plays.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I can see that, me having a girl posse.” She shook her head and explained, “I wanted power, but I wasn’t eager to share it, especially with someone who’d stab me in the back. Snips and Snails were just smart enough to be obedient and too stupid to be ambitious.”

“And that ‘amassing an army’ thing?”

“Again, me being stupid. I dismissed it anyway almost immediately; I wanted to be Celestia’s equal or superior and show her she was wrong. Even if they were willing, I’d have an army that’d stab me in the back or desert me as soon as they could. And if things went exactly like they did with the Fall Formal, well…”

“We’d be screwed.”

“Until someone shot me. Magic or no magic, I wouldn’t be bullet proof.” Sunset sighed and added, “I really was an idiot. I’d blame hormones, but how many teenage girls do you know of who seriously thought they could rule the world?”

“Personally? Too many. But I’m glad one of ‘em came to their senses.” She gave her new friend a nudge and grinned. “And I get the feeling that your Celestia wouldn’t have executed you, assuming she got you back to reality. You regretted all you did. So did she. Now you’ve got a chance to make up for it.” She moved topics elsewhere and asked, “So, if you’ve fought wars, then you’ve got armies, right?”

“Yeah. That group pony-you mentioned, the Wonderbolts? They’re a unit of elite pegasus flyers based out of Cloudsdale, founded right after the guard was expanded about a thousand years ago. They don’t get into a lot of combat anymore, though, but I can get her wanting to be one of them. They’re the best of the best.”

“You think that cousin of yours might be one of them?”

A shrug. “Maybe. She was always good with her wings.” She barely heard the sound of the door latch as she added, “Tell you the truth, I was always kinda…”

“Rainbow Dash?” The two girls turned to the door to find a tall, athletically-built man standing just inside, casually dressed but clearly mussed up from recent exertion. Between his pale lavender skin and his rainbow-colored hair, it was obvious who he was. “Are you alright?”

“Dad?!” Dash jumped to her feet, a mix of emotions including, surprise, joy and dread clear on her face. “I thought you wouldn’t be back until later this week!”

“I caught the earliest flight I could as soon as I got word about what happened at the Fall Formal.” He gave Sunset a quick glance, which made the fiery-haired girl suddenly wish she still had enough magic to muster an invisibility spell, before turning his gaze back upon his daughter. “Now, are you alright?”

“Dad, I’m fine! Really! I’ve had worse hits from soccer practice than I did the Fall Formal.”

His attention turned back to Sunset Shimmer as he asked, “Then explain what she’s doing here.” She got to her feet, but he quickly moved to stop her. “Hold it. Sunset Shimmer, right? I’m not telling you to leave. I’m asking my daughter to explain why you’re here.” He turned his attention back to Rainbow Dash again and quirked an eyebrow.

“It’s because she needs a place to stay. Dad, I know she’s done bad stuff before. I haven’t just forgotten any of it, and I’m not about to. But she needs a friend right now, and if I don’t give her one, who will?”

His expression remained incredulous. “I remember the last time something went down involving you and a bully, Rainbow Dash. I had to transfer you to a different school once everything was said and done. And now you’re telling me that this time, after a bully treats you and Fluttershy and your friends like dirt and causes a gas explosion, you’re giving her a second chance and feeding her your leftovers? Don’t tell me it was because she said she was sorry.”

“No. It’s because I believe her when she did.”

Expression unchanged, he turned back to Sunset, who suddenly felt like she was sweating crossbow bolts. “You believe her.” After what felt like an eternity, his gaze softened. “Well, I suppose that’s good enough for me. Sunset Shimmer, we’ve never been formally introduced.” She stood up and approached as he offered his hand. “Rainbow Blaze, Dashie’s father. Taught her everything she knows about athletics, including how to be a good winner. Always makes me proud when she does the right thing.”

Sunset accepted with a relieved smile. “Nice to meet you, sir. And thanks for not throwing me out.”

“Well, Dashie’s already fed you, so it’d be wrong at this point. But that only gets you a night under our roof – you’re going to have to make new arrangements for tomorrow. My daughter’s giving you a second chance, but I’m still on the fence about it.” The handshake ended, and he asked, “So, is there still pizza left?”

“Your Highness, again, I must offer my apologies for the lapse in security during the summit. That it happened under my watch…”

“Captain Topaz!” The Crystal pony stood at attention at his commander-in-chief’s order, not even relaxing as Shining Armor reassured him, “Your arrangements were excellent, you were just hit with something we didn’t see coming. Next time, we’ll know better. Now stop being so hard on yourself.”

“Forgive me, sir, but…” His golden yellow coat seemed to dim slightly, and the guard noted, “We very nearly lost an Element of Harmony. Worse, we very nearly lost Princess Twilight. There’s no excuse for that.”

“And you aren’t giving me any. If you were, then I’d be having a different conversation with a different captain.” It took everything the unicorn had to hold back a laugh, as a very similar conversation to this had taken place between him and Princess Celestia only shortly after the changeling invasion of Canterlot. In comparison, Topaz was having an easier go of it. “Now dismissed. We’ve both got work to do.”

Still nervous, but his coat having regained some of its gleam, Topaz saluted and made his way out of the office, pausing as the door opened before him. “Excuse me…your Highness!”

A nervous giggle, and Twilight assured him, “It’s alright, Captain. As you were.” She stepped aside to allow him to go on his way, and quietly knocked on the door with one hoof. “Can you spare me a minute, BBBFF?”

Relief on his face, Shining Armor beckoned her inside. “Sure, Twily. Come on in.” She closed the door behind her as he asked, “What’s brought you in…?” He then noticed the nervous blush on her face, and a sly grin formed on his own. “Oh. That’s what this is about.”

She attempted to maintain a neutral expression as she noted, “I haven’t said a word.”

“You didn’t have to. I’ve seen that look on the face of more than one mare fresh into the academy, and it’s the rare soldier who doesn’t pay attention to scuttlebutt. Add in Cadance neither confirming nor denying anything, and I got an idea of what’s going on.”

Twilight sighed and relented. “You could always tell when I was hiding something, couldn’t you, Shiny?” She recovered herself. “May as well stop wasting time. What can you tell me about Flash Sentry?”

A laugh. “So that’s the stallion you’ve fallen for. I was hoping it was him.” A bit of magic, and a desk drawer was opened and a personnel file extracted. “First Lieutenant Flash Sentry. Canterlot native and a recent graduate of Wing Point. Not valedictorian, but he was in the top ten percent of his graduating class. Earned a commendation before he graduated, got another one for his actions during the changeling invasion.”

Surprise was clear on her face. “He was in Canterlot for the invasion?”

“Grads have a mandatory tour of duty in Canterlot prior to permanent assignments, Twily. His wasn’t up yet.” He found a portion of the file and added, “According to district commander Firebolt, the young lieutenant was one of a group of four rookies who managed to fight off the changelings right up until Cadance and I were able to repel them. Between that and the group’s prior actions, all four of them were on my list for transfers out here to strengthen the Crystal Guard. He’s the only one who made it; the other three are either still on duty with the Canterlot guard or awaiting admittance to other units, but we all know how long transfers take.”

“And you’re so approving because of his record?”

The file was put back in its place as Shining admitted, “I’m so approving because I’ve met him. You meet as many troops as I have, you get a good idea of what sort of pony they are. His record called him competitive; he copped to that, admitted to a rivalry with one of the mares he worked with. Now he calls her a friend. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a good stallion.” He smirked and teased, “So how soon before you introduce him to Mom and Dad?”

“Shining!”

“I’m kidding, Twilight! Promise!” In all seriousness, he added, “But I’m the last pony who’s got the right to disapprove of a princess and a member of the Guard being in a relationship, and I trust my little sister to look after herself. If you want to give dating him a try, feel free. I won’t stop you.”

Twilight smiled. “Thanks, BBBFF.” She turned sad as she added, “I’m just not sure I should.”

“If you’re worried about him turning you down…”

She waved a hoof in the air for emphasis as she responded, “No, no, I’m fine with that.” Twilight took a moment to consider her thoughts, then asked, “Let’s say you met a pony who was like Cadance in every way, and fell for her, and then went somewhere else and met somepony exactly like her, and felt the same way about them? Would the feelings for the second Cadance be legitimate, or would they be because you’d met the first one and just transferred them to the second? And if you ended up dating the second one, despite knowing you still had feelings for the first…”

“Twilight, stop right there.” His expression was now serious, his tone devoid of humor, as Shining Armor asked the obvious question. “You met and fell for the Flash Sentry from the other world, didn’t you?”

A nod. “He was every bit the gentlecolt, er, gentleman, I promise.”

“I’ll take your word on that.” His tone became more empathetic as he added, “But I’m starting to get your problem here.” Glad that he hadn’t returned to his chair behind his desk, Shining approached his sister and laid a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “This isn’t something I’ve been through, sis. It’s your choice how you handle this, not mine, but you remember when Cadance and I were first dating?”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to smirk. “How you were falling over your own hooves trying to impress her when the two of you were already a perfect match?”

“Exactly. If either of us had decided otherwise, then I wouldn’t be the stallion I am today. Bare minimum, I wouldn’t even be able to talk to a girl who wasn’t you or Mom.”

“Or Poindexter in drag.”

A mild glare, and Shining continued, “My point is that we both chose each other. Nopony made the decision for us.” He smiled encouragingly. “Whatever you decide, I’ve got your back.” He gave her an encouraging nudge and added, “Now go on. You’ve got better things to do than get in the middle of my boring routine. Like deal with your own boring routine.” Twilight blew a playful and silent raspberry and made her way out, the stallion watching her go and hoping that he had indeed pointed her in the right direction. Love was complicated enough, but something like this was way out of his league.

“Alright, I’ll let her know. Thanks, Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash entered her bedroom to find her houseguest already dressed for bed, waist-deep in her sleeping bag with her message journal open in her lap and bathed in moonlight. “Good news and bad news. Good news is that Flutters can take you in tomorrow night. Bad news…”

“Only one night?”

“Got it in one. Sorry about that, Sunset.”

“Hey, I’m just glad to have what I’ve got.” A few more quick words jotted down, and Sunset closed the book. “Twilight sends her best, by the way.”

“Awesome. Didn’t think she’d forgotten about us.” Rainbow sat on her bed and asked, “So, how are you going to handle things after tomorrow night?”

A shrug. “I guess I’m gonna have to take my chances with Applejack and hope I don’t get a repeat of what happened at Rarity’s. Or worse.” Sunset rubbed her forehead with one hand. “Bad enough I’m beating myself up over what happened, even worse that I’m not getting a chance to let it go. I’m starting to think I’m never going to live the Fall Formal down.”

“Eh, give it time. I mean, we know you’ve turned things around, and the rest of the school will come around to it too. Worst case, you just gotta last until the portal opens again.”

“Which won’t be until two years from next spring.”

“Nothing worth doing’s easy.” Her cell phone buzzed, and Rainbow checked the caller ID before answering. “Hey squirt. What’s up? Yeah, she’s right…whoa, now hang on. You cool those jets a second, Scoots. Yeah, I remember all of it, and I’m giving her a chance.” A groan. “Look, you know who you’re talking to, right? She tries anything, I won’t need rainbows and lasers to beat her sorry bacon-haired butt. So don’t worry, alright? I’ll catch you tomorrow.” She hung up and explained, “Scootaloo.”

“I figured.” As her host sat down on her bed, Sunset smiled. “She really looks up to you. Just observing.”

“Yeah, the squirt’s got spunk. Hard not to see her being another me in a few years, and it’s pretty awesome thinking of her as a little sister.”

“Enjoy it while you can. I missed my chance, and I don’t think I’ll ever get it back.” Sunset set her journal aside and leaned back, supporting herself with her arms. “Dash, you want to know something? I haven’t dreamed since Friday night, not that I can recall. I’d call that a good thing, but…”

“But you feel like you should be having nightmares after what you’ve been through, right?” At her guest’s nod, Rainbow offered, “I’m no egghead like you or Twilight, but I figure, you’re only going to have a nightmare if you keep stuff bottled up. You’re doing the healthy thing, letting it out there and talking about what’s happened. If anything’s keeping ‘em away, that’ll be it.”

“I hope so. It’s not like Princess Luna can pay me a visit in my dreams and keep the really nasty nightmares at bay.”

A disbelieving look crossed Rainbow Dash’s face. “She can do that? Seriously?” At Sunset’s nod, she added, “I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Maybe both. Anyway, get what sleep you can.” She settled underneath her blankets and shut off the light on her nightstand. “And don’t be so down on yourself, huh? I’ve got your back.”

Sunset smiled and covered herself up. “Thanks, Dash.” A small part of her still didn’t think she deserved it, given everything she’d done, but she was glad for it all the same. Still, her regrets were with her, including not being there for her own surrogate sister.

If there was anywhere that Sunset Shimmer didn’t want to be, it was here. Compared to Canterlot, Indianapoloosa felt like a cheap knockoff. It didn’t even have a castle – what city worth being called a city didn’t have a castle? She wanted to…no, she had to go back. Her mommy and daddy might be gone, but she wasn’t going to forget them, not like how her aunt had forgotten them. The house was still there, and she could get back to it, and it’d be just like they hadn’t left. The question was how.

Earmuffs secure over her ears and a scarf about her neck, she stepped out of her aunt’s house and onto the front porch, snow softly crunching beneath her hooves. It was sunset, Celestia’s sun starting to dip into the horizon in the distance. The streetcars weren’t running, and probably wouldn’t until the snow was cleared away. Why they didn’t have teams of unicorns clearing the streets, she didn’t know. Another reason to get back to Canterlot as quick as she could; they were a lot better about weather work there. Just a bit of magic, and the weather cleared up properly.

She’d prepared for this, however. A few tentative steps forward into the snow, and she stopped and closed her eyes. It would be a little bit yet before she started going to the same foal school as her cousin, which gave her plenty of time to hunker down and study magic. Time that would’ve been wasted building a snowmare. She concentrated, and could feel her magic building up and charging in power.

“Come on, horn!” she urged. “Work!”

She focused, and visualized the spell she wanted to cast. It wasn’t one for beginners, but if she wasn’t going to aim high, then what was the point in trying at all? A warmth radiated from her horn and from her hooves, and she could feel the snow around her melting into water and then evaporating, leaving only the cold concrete of the front walk. So far, so good, and she opened her eyes, ready to go with the next part.

A buildup of magic at the tip of her horn, and a bright cyan fireball was formed and fired, two more following and orbiting about her, widening the clear area at her hooves to a circle measuring about a yard in diameter. She smiled in satisfaction and stopped the circling fireballs in front of her one at a time. With a final push, she’d send the fireballs…

“Mommy! Come look!”

That little distraction was enough to turn her attention away from her spell. The fireballs to her left and right were released, slower than intended but going along their planned trajectory, running out as they reached the street. The third had its intended speed, but went shooting upwards towards the sun. She snarled. “Nice going, featherbrain! I almost…!”

“Sunset Shimmer!”

Hearing her aunt’s voice, she turned, expecting to be admonished, but instead found her aunt, uncle and cousin looking upon her with awestruck looks on their faces. “What are you looking at?”

“Sunset, did you do all of this?” Solar Flare approached with amazement as she looked about at her niece’s handiwork, her hooves carefully stepping on the concrete at her feet as her eyes inspected the odd bits of grass that had been uncovered from the melted snow. “This is amazing! Glint tried pulling spells like that off when she was your age, but this much control? With no damage to anything beneath the snow?”

Sunset barely processed those words as the remaining fireball exploded in the distance. She turned back, birds flying away in surprise, only to find that the sunset had taken on a glowing, shimmering look. As she saw it, she smiled, and remembered. The someday that she’d be better than her mommy and daddy at magic? It had come at last. And she was gonna get better at it, and make sure that nopony forgot her or what she’d done. Sunset Shimmer would be remembered.

“You see that, Sunset? You did that. And your…” Solar Flare looked to her, her proud expression augmented by pleased surprise as she added, “Sunset, look!”

The filly looked at her with surprise, then followed her line of vision to her flank as a shimmering light vanished, leaving in its wake an eight-pointed stylized sun, bisected down the middle and colored the same as her mane.

Sunrunner approached and eyed her cousin’s flank nervously. “Mommy, what does this mean? Is Shims sick?”

“Of course not, dear.” Solar Flare turned and indicated her own flank with a wing, a picture of a horizontal streak of flame upon it. “She’s earned her cutie mark. Every colt or filly does someday, you included, and it’s the rare pony that has one they share with another.”

“Only ones I know of that share them are in legends, like the Order of Gallopfrey. At least, the natural ones.” Blue Streak approached and added, “I’ve also heard stories about…”

“Honey, let’s wait on that until we get dinner on the table, hmm?” She beckoned everypony back inside and called, “Come on, you two, I made spaghetti.”

Sunrunner eagerly dashed back inside, Sunset following much more carefully, the odd glimpse going back to her flank. Had she really earned her cutie mark this early? If so, then this was something incredible, and it showed her that she was right. She was going to be amazing. And all of Equestria was going to see it.

Author's Note

Whew! Decided to go ahead and post this, though I probably should've waited for the weekend. I have work tomorrow!

Anyway, credit where credit's due. Rainbow Dash's abode is borrowed with permission from the story "Otherworldly Advice" as well as it's expanded edition, "Rainbow Reflections", both by Bookish Delight. I recommend both, though if you're going to read one, I'd say go with the latter. I omitted some details, added a few more, mostly where it suited my purposes. Oh, and I added Dashie's assumed daddy, because why not?

Sunset Shimmer's reflections with Rainbow Dash are, I admit, greatly influenced by her appearances in Reality Check's excellent 'fic "The Great Alicorn Hunt". I won't deny, the man is a serious influence on my works. I'm not using his exact words, mind, and I like to think I've addressed at least one issue he had with the first film in this chapter, but I seriously hope he doesn't object too much, especially as he wasn't the only one to raise such concerns. I only brought up a vengeful big brother, which no one else seemed to notice.

Twilight's talk with Shining Armor owes it's influence to the works of Jay-The-Brony, who's written a lot on the romance between Twilight and Flash Sentry.

And, of course, Sunrunner's song is an adapted version of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" from Disney's "Frozen". Original lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, used totally without permission.

Chapter Five - A Night With Applejack

“Well, sounds like y’all had a right pleasant evenin’.”

“We did, yes.” Fluttershy hoped that the embarrassed blush on her face wasn’t too obvious, given she’d woken up cuddling Sunset that morning as if she were a giant, warm teddy bear. “I do feel bad that she couldn’t stay with us longer, but we have so little room.”

“Good thing that won’t be a problem out at the farm.” Applejack followed her friend into the town’s animal shelter, taking a second as she entered the brightly-lit lobby to kneel down and greet a cat that looked up at her with a friendly scratch behind its ears. “Don’t quite get why she’s here though.”

“Well, Sunset mentioned wanting to do something useful during the day, and Mom suggested that she help out here at the shelter. I just hope she didn’t have too much trouble. Some of the animals can be quite a handful, especially with strangers.”

“Yeah, ‘bout that.” Applejack got back to her full height and followed Fluttershy towards the kennels. “Fluttershy, Ah think it was a good thing, you havin’ her help out ‘round here. If nothin’ else, gave the girl somethin’ to do, but ain’t’cha a little worried ‘bout how the critters would react to her? Ah ain’t sayin’ she ain’t on the up-and-up, but you and Ah both know animals don’t react good to the unusual.”

“Well, I’ll admit, that was something I was worried about, but I called my mother to check on her, and everything seemed to be…” The two girls entered the kennels, and Fluttershy’s eyes lit up. “Oh my goodness!”

The two were greeted to the sight of Sunset kneeling down on the ground, laughing heartily as a large black dog gleefully licked at her face. She turned away and laughed, “Hi girls! Give me a second, I’ve got an oversized puppy here who isn’t quite done with me!” She turned back to the dog and gently pushed the canine away. “Come on, Ellie, come on, play time’s done.”

Her eyes shone with a little regret, but her smile was joyful as Fluttershy took up the dog’s leash and led her back into a kennel, latching it closed behind her. Laughing, Applejack approached Sunset and helped her back to her feet. “Look at you, makin’ a friend. Here Ah was worried you’d be havin’ trouble.”

“I was too.” Sunset examined herself and noted, “Still, no bites or claw marks. That’s always a good sign, right?” She nervously gestured towards a nearby sink and added, “Give me a second to clean up and grab my stuff, okay?”

As Sunset busied herself with the sink, Fluttershy approached with an impressed look in her eyes. “Sunset, did you clean all of the kennels?”

“And put out fresh food and water for the dogs, and played with some of them.” She quickly dried her hands and added, “I wanted to do the same with the cats, but your mother said the dogs would be more than enough. She wasn’t wrong; Ellie especially’s a bundle of energy.”

“Well, I don’t think they’d mind seeing you again.” Fluttershy quickly amended, “I mean, I’m not asking you to volunteer, and I wouldn’t dream of forcing you to come if you didn’t want to, I’m just suggesting…”

“Can I think about it?”

“Oh yes, of course you can.”

Applejack chuckled. “Well, unless you’re plannin’ on adoptin’, we’d best skedaddle.” She led Sunset out, pausing as the girl made her way to an office to retrieve her backpack. “Look at you, bein’ a model citizen and lookin’ after little doggies. If the folks at school could see this, they’d really think you were turnin’ things ‘round.”

“Maybe.” Sunset slung the bag over her shoulders as Applejack led her out, her expression turning somber. “But we both know that won’t be so easy. And staying with you won’t be a picnic either, considering…”

“Don’t count your chickens ‘fore they hatch, sugarcube. Life’s got a way of surprisin’ folks.” The two finally exited the animal shelter to find an aged pickup truck waiting for them, painted deep red and with an apple on its grill in place of a manufacturer’s logo. Applejack waved to the truck’s driver and called, “Open ‘er up, Big Mac, we got us a passenger!”

Sunset eyed Applejack’s siblings uneasily as the door was opened to the truck’s cab and she climbed into the back, Apple Bloom seated beside her and pointedly trying not to look at her. Big McIntosh’s expression was unreadable while Applejack climbed inside and took the front passenger seat. Once the two were buckled in and Sunset steadied her backpack in her lap, the truck started. Staying at Sweet Apple Acres was not going to be easy, given what had happened last week, but she’d expected that. Compared to what she thought was coming, any tests she had to deal with in Equestria were easy.

She was back. That was the only thing Sunset could think about on her way from the train station to the campus of the School for Gifted Unicorns – she was back in Canterlot! Back where she belonged! The air smelled right, the buildings looked right, the world felt right again! And soon enough, she’d settle things so that she was back here for good!

It took everything she had to not rush ahead of her aunt and charge into the building where the entrance exam was taking place. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to get away from her – she did, but unfortunately, she was stuck with her – it was that she knew full well that if she ran off, she’d get lost and probably miss something important. Still, she wished that she could get away. Every other filly and colt she saw was accompanied by at least one adult unicorn, and she couldn’t help but feel like she stuck out like a sore hoof. Some looks were surprised, such as the one from the blue filly slightly younger than her with the white mane who’d passed by, though others were clearly of disdain, such as the one from the pale white unicorn filly with the fancifully-curled deep red mane. Either way, they spoke volumes.

“It’s alright if you’re nervous Sunset, or worried. I’ve had to deal with that so many times. Just do your best.” Sunset rolled her eyes at her aunt’s encouragement as they sat waiting, but kept her gaze firmly on the door to the hall where she was to be tested. “Just a practical test, and then a written exam. Nothing to worry about.”

It felt like it was taking forever for her turn to come until the doors opened and a grey earth pony stallion with a nearly-white mane and blue eyes behind a pair of glasses looked out among those waiting. “Sunset Shimmer?”

“That’s me!” Sunset hopped to her feet, her aunt following her from the bench into the examination hall. The stallion made his way to a door opposite him, while four more adult unicorns were seated above them and to their right. She looked up at them and quickly noticed their dour, unimpressed expressions were briefly broken by odd quirks of surprise. It took everything she had to not smile at that – she was the only applicant she’d seen with a cutie mark. “I’m ready! Test me!”

The doors opposite opened, and the stallion produced a cart with a purple, spotted egg upon it. He approached her and asked, “Do you know what this is?”

Sunset looked at the egg, scowled, and gently lifted it in her magic to get a better look at it. As the examiners scribbled notes, she reasoned, “It’s a dragon egg.”

“Correct. Now…”

“How’d a dragon egg get here?” The stallion looked at her as she set it back down in the cart and she asked further, “I mean, dragons aren’t common in Equestria. I know their migration paths go past Canterlot, but…”

“Ahem.” He gently smiled, one hoof raised to quiet her. “That isn’t something for you to worry about, dear. This test isn’t about the egg’s past, but its future.” He gestured to the egg and explained, “We want you to hatch it.”

“You have two minutes.” Sunset looked back to the examiners to find that one of them had produced a stopwatch. “Impress us, Miss Shimmer.”

Sunset smiled confidently and turned her attention to the egg. They wanted to be impressed and have her hatch a dragon egg, huh? She knew just the trick. “Stand back. I’ve got this.” Her horn lit up, a ball of fire forming at its tip, slowly growing from the size of a small grape to the size of a tennis ball, until the ball became a stream of fire, not unlike a dragon’s own fire breath and pointed right at the egg.

The earth pony watched with alarm, the same expressions no doubt on the faces of the examiners and her aunt, but the egg wasn’t hurt in the slightest, the fire wrapping and curling around it like a blanket as it was gently lifted out of the basket by the heat. Sunset kept her eyes on the egg, not taking them off for an instant as the seconds ticked by. “Come on, little guy, you can do this. Come on. Wake up. It’s almost…”

“Time! End your spell, Miss Shimmer!”

Sunset didn’t take her eyes off the egg as she protested, “What?! No, I can hatch it!”

“Your time is up!” She felt something hit her, and her magic was nullified, the heat around the egg fading within seconds only to be replaced by a magic aura that gently lowered it back into the cart. “Thank you, Miss Shimmer! That will be all.”

Sunset fumed, but followed the earth pony’s directions as she and her aunt made their way out of the exam room through the opposite door. So much for an entrance exam. What kind of test didn’t even give you time to finish?

“Are we there yet?”

Sunset was roused from her memories as Applejack chided, “Apple Bloom, don’t you start actin’ like that. We’ll get home soon enough.” The farmgirl’s head turned the other way as she asked, “You enjoyin’ the ride, Sunset?”

“Yeah, just letting my mind wander.” She glanced out at the countryside beside her and took in the pastures stretched out towards the mountains that bordered the town. A smile crossed her face as she observed, “I’ve never been out this far before. It’s beautiful.”

“We went a little out of our way to get’cha, but that ain’t a bad thing, considerin’.” The pastures gave way to farmland and apple orchards, white fences lining the road as they closed in on their destination. “Just a warnin’ for ya, life out on a farm’s a little different from the city. Not too different, mind, but don’t be too shocked if ya hear somethin’ durin’ the night.”

“I think I’ll be okay.” She made a quick glance towards Apple Bloom and Big McIntosh and reflected that it wasn’t anything outside of a farmhouse that she was worried about. She noticed a wide gate in the distance, a mailbox mounted on one side, and asked, “Is this it?”

Big McIntosh nodded with affirmation as they turned into the gate, and Sunset got her first good look at Applejack’s home proper. What she saw was more than she expected, the drive leading towards a large farmhouse with a barn, stables and several equipment sheds nearby. Arrayed behind the house were apple orchards stretching as far as the eye could see, with further fields and pastures in the distance. The truck slowed to a halt in front of the barn, and Sunset climbed out and took a deep breath of fresh air, almost distracted from Apple Bloom jumping out faster than she had. Despite the ill feelings she had lingering, with the clean air around her, she almost felt like she was home.

Applejack seemed to catch her aura of wonder and grinned as she slapped a hand to her shoulder. “Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres, Sunset.” As Sunset returned the grin, her friend retrieved her sleeping bag and luggage from the truck bed. “Ah’ll get the guest room ready for ya.”

“You don’t need to do that, Applejack. Just show me where it is and…”

Big McIntosh loudly cleared his throat to catch her attention, and Applejack added, “Sorry darlin’, but Granny Smith wants a word with ya first. Don’t worry, though, I’ll take good care a’ yer stuff.”

“Oh. Alright, but can I at least keep my backpack on me?”

“Sure.” Applejack turned her attention to her younger sibling and called, “Apple Bloom! If’n you got homework to do, you’d best be doin’ it…!”

“…Doin’ it ‘fore supper, ah know!” The youngest of the three siblings was already at the door to the house, holding the door open for the others as they entered. She gave Sunset an uneasy glance as she walked past, which the fiery-haired girl could only respond to with a nervous but thankful smile before being led to the living room, and then scampered up the stairs once everyone was inside and the door secured.

Slight creaks greeted her as Sunset entered the living room. Under normal circumstances, it would probably look very inviting, with its high ceiling and impressive fireplace and cozy-looking furniture. Granny Smith’s presence in her rocking chair, however, led her to think otherwise. Applejack’s grandmother was someone she’d seen every day since she’d started attending Canterlot High, between that one home economics class she’d taken and every day in the cafeteria, but she’d barely paid her any mind. Now, however, the old woman before her seemed more intimidating than Princess Celestia did the first time they’d met. Well aware that she’d have to do this eventually, she took a deep breath and asked, “You wanted to…?”

“Take a seat.”

She immediately did as she was told and found a seat on the sofa, her eyes fixed upon the Apple family matriarch, her backpack at her feet and her hands folded in her lap. “Yes ma’am.”

Granny Smith regarded her silently, her aged orange eyes betraying no emotion. “Never thought Ah’d see this day, you lookin’ more nervous than a cat at a dog show. Wasn’t there t’see what happened last Friday, but my grandkids done told me all the important stuff. Didn’t believe it ‘till I talked with Celestia and Luna come Monday mornin’.”

Sunset would’ve wished to still have her magic right then, but she quickly reminded herself that if there was a shrinking spell, she’d never learned it.

“Not sure how I feel ‘bout you stayin’ with us after all that. Somethin’ Ah’ve told my grandkids; if’n an apple’s gone bad, then it’s gonna stay bad, and there ain’t no goin’ good again. So imagine mah surprise when Applejack tells me you need yerself a place to stay a while, that you’ve done tried with the rest of her friends and left fer one reason or other.”

Sunset opted against bringing up her cover story; something told her that someone who prided themselves on honesty as much as Applejack did had to have gotten it from somewhere.

“Didn’t even compare to the surprise Ah got when Ah saw where you had been stayin’. Between that and the talkin’ horse with a horn and wings, Ah’m countin’ mah blessin’s my heart’s as healthy as it is.”

Her eyes went wide in surprise, and Sunset couldn’t restrain herself. “You met Princess Celestia?”

A solemn nod. “Got the whole story ‘tween her an Applejack. Got a reminder, too.” Her face broke out in a warm smile that seemed to take a decade off her face even as it lifted Sunset’s spirits. “People ain’t apples. Apples don’t get a choice ‘bout goin’ bad, after all. And if’n Applejack says you’ve done turned over a new leaf, then Ah’d best be believin’ her. You wouldn’t be sittin’ there if’n Ah didn’t.”

Sunset felt a warm hand on her shoulder, and looked up to find Big McIntosh standing at her side, a welcoming smile on his face as well. She sighed in relief and laughed as she brought her hands up to her face, hoping that she wasn’t tearing up. “You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that.” She recovered herself and smiled gratefully. “Thanks, Granny Smith.”

The older woman laughed. “Don’t be thankin’ me yet, missy. As long as you’re stayin’ here, you’re workin’. This ain’t some fancy hotel, after all.”

“I didn’t think so, and I’m fine with that, really. Whatever you need, it’s done.” Realizing what she just said, she deadpanned, “And by saying that, I just volunteered to do something really nasty, didn’t I?”

Both Apples laughed at that, with the youngest answering, “Nope. Not tonight.”

“Course not; you’ve done yer work fer the day.” A few eager barks interrupted Granny Smith as she turned her gaze towards the stairs. “Speakin’ of, the dogs ain’t quite done with ya.”

Sunset turned as a border collie charged in, barking excitedly as she sniffed and prodded at the newcomer. Rather than be alarmed, Sunset smiled and reached to pet the dog on her head. “She must smell all the other dogs I spent time with today.” The dog accepted her hand and sat down. “Hey girl. Glad you don’t mind the extra company.”

“Winona’s never been one to complain ‘bout makin’ new friends, darlin’.” Her peace said, Granny Smith slowly got to her feet. “Well, Ah’d best be gettin’ supper ready. Big Mac’ll lead ya to the guest room.”

“Um, before that.” Sunset got to her feet. “Do you need any help with the food?”

Granny Smith laughed and shook her head. “Nah, but thanks fer the offer, darlin’. Go on now, git already.”

Sunset nodded and retrieved her backpack, then turned to the eldest of the Apple siblings. “I guess you know everything too, huh?”

“Eeyup. Got a hard time not believin’ it after last Friday, too.” Big McIntosh gave her a somber expression as he added, “Apple Bloom don’t know though. Figured she wasn’t ready for it all yet. It’ll be a while, but give her time. She’ll see you ain’t the same girl you was ‘fore that night.”

“I hope so.” Sunset slung her bag over her shoulders. “Thanks, Big McIntosh.”

“Big Mac. Call me ‘Big Mac’.”

A small chuckle. “Okay, Big Mac.” She followed him up the stairs with relief and Winona following close behind, feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “So, which room is your guest room?”

“Right here!” She saw Applejack’s arm waving to her from one open door, and Sunset followed it to find the guest room waiting for her. While Rarity’s guest room gave off a feeling of simple elegance, this one presented more rustic charm, the furniture old but well cared for and the bed dressed with fresh sheets colored a warm orange, her luggage waiting at its foot. Standing at the foot of the bed was Applejack, a pleased look on her face. “Yer lookin’ better. Not worried ‘bout a lousy reception no more?”

Sunset smiled as she set her backpack at the side of the bed and scratched Winona behind her ears. “Nope. I think I can do this.”

The first words to come out of Sunset’s mouth came as she entered the reception area for prospective applicants. Few were present yet, for whatever reason, though food and drink was already laid out. “I could’ve done it.”

Solar Flare led her niece to a snack table that was filled with assorted foods, from pies to cake to fruit to donuts, and gently assured her as she gathered some food for the two of them. “Sunset, no one’s saying you couldn’t…”

“Then why didn’t they let me finish?” A plate was held out for her with one wing, some fruit and a donut upon it, and she took it with her magic before a few apple slices started hovering in front of her face. “What kind of test doesn’t give you enough time to finish? It’s like they made me fail on purpose!”

“That would be a very cruel thing to do, wouldn’t it?”

“It is!” Sunset turned to her new addressor and continued, “It’s cruel and mean and…!” It took her a second to take note of the fact that the mare who was speaking to her was the one she least expected to see, who towered over both her and her aunt. The very long horn emerging from her head and very large pair of wings only made her look more impressive. “And…”

The mare looked upon her with a motherly twinkle in her pale magenta eyes, her multicolored mane flowing freely beside her like a twinkling aurora. She managed a regal giggle as she observed, “And it seems you’ve lost your train of thought, my little pony. Maybe your guardian and I can help you find it somewhere more private?” Her gaze turned to Sunset’s aunt as she asked, “Solar Flare, I assume? Could you and your niece please join me?”

Sunset nodded as her aunt bowed gently and answered, “Of course, Princess Celestia, we’d be honored.”

The princess smiled and, a plate with a piece of cake upon it held in her magic, she led the two to a smaller, private dining room and the three sat down at a table together, Sunset perched between her aunt and her sovereign. Realizing that her apple slice was still floating off her plate, she hastily ate it, which prompted a small laugh from the alicorn.

“Sunset Shimmer. I’ve been hearing quite a bit about you, young lady.” She held her gaze upon the filly and asked, “Tell me, why do you think it’s wrong that you weren’t allowed to continue? And be honest please.”

Sunset briefly looked down. Was this a test, or was the princess genuinely curious? She didn’t know, but it would’ve been wrong to not answer. She looked up and kept her eyes on the princess’ own. “Because I could’ve hatched the egg! And I would’ve if I had a little more time!”

The princess made a small nod. “Perhaps you would have. A shame that you didn’t, given the entrance exam doesn’t allow retakes.”

Sunset remembered that, and her determined face softened. “Princess, that egg. It was found in the path of a dragon migration, wasn’t it? Ponies leave dragons alone, and no pony would steal a dragon’s egg for something like this, so it had to have been lost, or left behind.”

A soft nod. “That’s very likely, yes.”

That’s when Sunset broke eye contact and turned away. “That poor dragon. He’s never gonna hatch. Even if he does, he’s never gonna know his mommy or his daddy. He lost them before he could ever know them. He’s never gonna be loved.”

Sunset felt a wingtip under her chin, and she looked up to find the princess’ gaze still locked on her. “Sunset Shimmer, how would you react if I told you that the test wasn’t meant to be passed?” At the filly’s shocked expression, she explained, “The test’s purpose isn’t to hatch the egg, though I wouldn’t complain at all if that happened. Its purpose is to tell us something about those who make the attempt. If a student gives up immediately, or demands an easier challenge, it’s an automatic fail for the entire exam. If they at least try something, then they have the written test to fall back on. You not only made the attempt, but I can tell you were doing it for more than simply passing the test.” The princess smiled and added, “And it’s not every day I see a filly attempt something as advanced as the Dragonfire Spell. You have a great deal of potential, Sunset Shimmer.”

“Does that mean I can try to hatch the dragon again?”

A chuckle. “No, I don’t think that task is meant for you. I’ve something else in mind, something far more challenging. If you’re willing, I’d like to have you as my own personal student.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide at this thought. “Me? Really?”

“Really and truly. It will mean that you’ll have to live in the castle, of course, but…”

“Yes! Yes, of course! Thank you so much!” She heard a small laugh to her side, and Sunset turned to find her aunt covering her eyes with one wing. “What?”

“Nothing, Sunset.” Solar Flare smiled, but her eyes were shut tight and her speech was broken. She regained some composure and looked to her niece, barely making out, “I wish your mother was here to see this.”

“I do too.” Sunset turned back to the princess and asked, “When do I start?”

“There will be plenty of time for that later. Right now, finish your food. And don’t forget the donut. They’re delicious.”

Sunset eyed the confection on her plate as she took it up with her magic. She’d never had one before, but it did look good, and she bit down upon it and chewed. As soon as her taste buds made contact with it, however, she felt even better than she already did. She swallowed and declared before continuing, “It is delicious!”

More than two years of attending Canterlot High had given Sunset a good idea of Granny Smith’s skills in the kitchen. Despite the popular reputation of school food being lousy in comparison to a proper home-cooked meal, what she’d served in the cafeteria was of good quality. The spread lay out before her and the Apple family, from a very large pork loin to assorted vegetables to dinner rolls to a noodle dish that she couldn’t easily identify, gave off an aura that outright said that it had been made with love. The smell alone, however, was delicious, and made Sunset feel at home as she took a place at the table.

“Apple Bloom, Ah think it’s yer turn.”

Sunset quietly followed along as the gathered Apples brought their hands together in prayer, closing her eyes and bowing her head. She’d never considered herself to be religious, but she was a guest, and there wasn’t any sense in not being respectful.

“Dear Lord, we thank you for the food we’re about to eat, for the safety of our home and hearth, and for the friends and family that we hold dear. Please look after them where we cannot. Amen.”

With prayers said, everyone turned their attention to the meal. Sunset happily accepted her portions and started with a small piece of pork, a smile curling on her lips with the taste. “This is delicious, Granny Smith. Thanks for cooking.”

“No need to be thankin’ me, darlin’. Yer a guest in mah home, after all, and Ah ain’t about to deny a guest a proper home-cooked meal. Besides, you could probably use one, considerin’ everythin’ that’s happened.”

Sunset somberly looked down at her plate for a second before she smiled in response. “I still appreciate it.” With some hesitation, she looked up and asked, “So, how are things at the school?”

“Ah’d say they’re pretty good, even if they’re a little louder’n normal.” Applejack managed a nervous grin and explained, “Work crews fixin’ up the front entrance an’ all. Should be all patched up by next week, though; you gave ‘em a good head start.”

“That’s one point in my favor, I guess.” The two shared a nervous chuckle. “The good weather we’ve had since then probably hasn’t hurt either.”

“Nope. Not one…”

“Can Ah be excused for a second?”

Granny Smith looked to her youngest grandchild with surprise. “Sure you can, Apple Bloom, but…”

“Thanks.” The young girl pushed her chair back from the table and quickly made her way out of the kitchen, four pairs of eyes following her out.

Sunset sighed and turned back to her meal. “Sorry, that’s my fault.”

“No, it ain’t. Let me talk to her.” Applejack got to her feet and followed, the remainder turning back to their meal.

The silence was broken as Sunset noted quietly, “So, it’s just the four of you out here? I thought you had more family in town.”

“You mean Sunflower and Babs? Their family’s out on the other side ‘a town. We get on okay enough with ‘em, but we don’t need ‘em ‘round all the time.”

“Not that we don’t try, though.” Big Mac took a second to refill his glass and added, “Had some trouble after Applejack started at CHS, mind.”

“Yeah, I heard about that.” Sunset prodded at her food uneasily. “Sunflower was me before I was me. Only I was worse.”

“Didn’t stop either of ya from figurin’ out where you’d done wrong, though. That’s the important thing, learnin’ from yer mistakes.”

“Why’s she even here, Applejack?” Apple Bloom gave her sister a pleading look, even as she did all she could to keep from shouting her frustration. The living room wasn’t that far away from the farmhouse’s kitchen/dining room, after all. “What’s that demon…?!”

“Apple Bloom! Now you shush with that language!” The elder sister gently guided the younger to the sofa and sat her down, taking a place beside her. “Ah remember that night as clear as you do, darlin’.”

“But you didn’t get hexed like Ah did!” Apple Bloom hugged herself, as if trying to protect herself from the memories of the Fall Formal. “You an’ the girls went rushin’ out after Twilight, and me an’ Scootaloo an’ Sweetie Belle followed and we saw her change, and then she smashed up the entrance with magic and took us over an’…” She shuddered. “Ah couldn’t control mahself, Applejack! It was like mah body was movin’ on its own! Ah still don’t get how you an’ Twilight an’ the others stopped her, but what if she tries again an’…?!”

Applejack gently wrapped her arms around her younger sister and held her close. “She won’t, sugarcube. Ah promise ya, she won’t. Sunset ain’t a monster no more. She knows what she did was wrong, an’ she’s sorry fer it. All of it, from breakin’ me and mah friends up to shortin’ Rarity outta her crown to everythin’ last week. Now she’s tryin’ to make up fer it all, and Ah wanna be there to help her.”

“But how do we know she ain’t lyin’?”

“You know your big sister can spot a liar from a mile away, right?” A nod. “Good. If’n she ever hurt anyone Ah cared about again, you especially, Ah wouldn’t need magic to make her regret it.”

Apple Bloom relaxed at that thought, fully aware her big sister would always be there for her if she was needed. She nonetheless looked up at Applejack and asked, “But how do we know she can do good after doin’ all that bad?”

“Yer a little young to be rememberin’, but me and our cousins didn’t get on so good after Ah started at CHS. Sunflower wasn’t exactly accomodatin’ back then, and Babs was more interested in stickin’ to her big sister’s good graces and fittin’ in than doin’ the right thing.” At her sister’s shocked look, Applejack affirmed, “Yes, yer favorite cousin was mean to me. But both of ‘em realized what they were doin’ was wrong, an’ Ah believed ‘em and gave ‘em a chance to be better. Just like Ah’m doin’ for Sunset now.” She hugged her sibling close and offered, “Now, Ah ain’t askin’ ya to embrace her like a new sister. Just be polite, huh?”

“An’ don’t try to melt her or nuthin’ like that?”

“Durn right.” She nodded back towards the kitchen and offered, “Now come on, grub’s gettin’ cold.”

Apple Bloom got back to her feet, and she and her sister returned to the dinner table as Sunset continued, “I can’t believe you guys are related to Pinkie. Heck, I’m still trying to wrap my head around her and Maud being sisters, come to think of it.” She noticed them, turned and asked, “Are you two okay?”

“Should be. Apple Bloom just needed a second is all.”

While Applejack turned her attention back to her meal, Sunset and Apple Bloom regarded one another uneasily, the former flashing a small, hopeful smile before turning back to her own meal. “Anyway, I can’t say it enough. Thanks for letting me stay with you, even if it’s only for a little while.”

“Ain’t a problem, darlin’. We all need us a little love now an’ again.”

“Oh, I do love this!” Rarity clapped her hooves together gleefully as she and her friends found themselves enjoying their own dinner in the Crystal Castle. She paused as she realized her company, and turned sheepishly towards the royals. “My apologies for the outburst, your Highnesses.”

Princess Celestia smiled. “No need to apologize, Rarity. You aren’t the only one enjoying themselves this evening, after all.”

Indeed, Pinkie Pie had helped herself to a healthy helping of everything offered, and was eagerly enjoying her meal with her usual enthusiasm. “This is delicious, Cadence! You’ve got some really good chefs here! And really nice wait-staff and plumbers and guards and…!”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Oh come now, Pinkie, you’ve said that every night we’ve been here for the summit.”

“Doesn’t make it any less true!”

The gathered ponies (and dragon) laughed, and Applejack turned discussion elsewhere as she looked to Twilight. “Speakin’ a’ nice things, how’s things goin’ fer our newest friend, Twilight?”

The youngest royal present smiled happily and reported, “Sunset’s doing fine, Applejack, but I’ll be sure to mention that you asked about her the next time I send her a message.”

“Yeah, speaking of that journal, why didn’t Twilight ever get one?” Rainbow Dash turned to the Princess of the Sun and asked, “Both of ‘em were your students.”

“Yes, but the spells required to create message journals are very complex and powerful. There’s a great deal of magic in those two books, strong enough to get a message across any distance as you well know by now. In comparison, enchanting dragon fire is far easier to do, and much less taxing, even for alicorns.”

“And if she had given Twilight one of those books, then I’d be out of a job, wouldn’t I?”

Twilight gently nuzzled the baby dragon beside her and assured him, “You’re a lot more than just a quick way to keep in touch with Princess Celestia, Spike.” He gave her a smile in return, and she turned her attention back to the others as she recounted, “I’m just glad she still has hers. Being able to talk with her like this is wonderful, even if we do have the bridge mirrors to fall back on. And it’s been a learning experience too, given what she’s come to learn about your counterparts.”

“Oh? Such as?” Rarity gave her friend an eager look as she added, “Come now dear, you’ve put it out there, don’t leave us dangling.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Well, apparently, the human world’s Pinkie Pie and Applejack worked together on a genealogy project and…” Noticing the expression of curiosity on Pinkie’s face, as well as the slightly annoyed look on Rainbow’s, she stopped and explained, “Genealogy is the study of family histories and ancestries.”

The rainbow-maned pegasus gave her a disbelieving look. “They actually study stuff like that? For real?”

“Ain’t nuthin’ wrong with knowin’ where you come from, sugarcube.” Applejack proudly smiled as she explained, “Us Apples got roots all across Equestria and beyond, even if the main branch is in Ponyville.”

“And sometimes it can be very fascinating.” Fluttershy gave a small smile as she explained, “I once did some digging into my family tree, and it turns out a number of my ancestors are Earth ponies.” She then bowed her head with a little nervous embarrassment as she added, “I even have a couple thestrals in the family.”

“That is nothing to be ashamed of, fair Fluttershy. They are ponies like any of us, simply adapted for the night rather than the day, and not to be frightened of.” The shy pegasus gave a comforted smile at Luna’s words before the Princess of the Night turned to Twilight. “But I suspect there is more to this story?”

“Yes, I’m just waiting for Pinkie to finish her drink. Rather not risk a spit-take.” General nods of agreement as well as a loud murmur from Rarity showed approval for Twilight’s choice, and she waited for Pinkie to finish her drink and swallow before she dropped her bombshell. “They found out they were cousins!”

And despite Twilight’s efforts, Pinkie’s drink was spat out, Shining Armor only barely managing a shield to prevent the spit from going too far. “Me and Applejack are family?!”

“Fourth cousins twice removed by a fifth cousin. There’s no guarantee it’s the same in our world, though, so we’ll have to research it once we get back. Golden Oak Library has the family records for everypony in Ponyville from its founding in the archives.”

“And if Twilight can’t find anythin’ there, then it won’t be too difficult to check on our end.” Applejack rubbed her chin thoughtfully with a hoof as she realized, “If’n Granny Smith can’t confirm it, then she’ll know somepony who can. Not everypony made it to the reunion, after all; don’t recall seein’ much a’ Babs’ family last time save her. And even if we ain’t blood, we’re still kin.”

Luna managed a small giggle as she reasoned, “I suspect this is one of those details that won’t vary much between worlds. Despite the obvious differences, for example, I and my sister remain consistent.”

“As did we.” Rarity smiled proudly as she added, “Even if I hadn’t seen it for myself, I’d believe it easily given how quickly they all rallied to Twilight’s side. It certainly offers hope for other areas, though I do hope there are some differences.”

“I’m quite certain that my counterpart never attempted to bring about eternal night, if that gives you any comfort.” She looked to the married couple among them and noted, “No concern about your own counterparts, niece and nephew?”

“I’m not gonna say that I’m not curious about it. I’m just hoping all the similarities didn’t stop with everyone else here.”

Cadence leaned over and gave a teasing grin. “Worried that the other you missed out on something amazing?”

“A little.” He grinned right back and amended, “But who’d want to miss out on the greatest mare ever?”

“And if’n that ain’t happenin’, that means Rarity’s counterpart’s got herself a chance at yours.”

Rarity gave a scandalized gasp at her smirking friend’s remark. “Applejack! Please! Neither of us would ever stand in the way of true love!”

“Wouldn’t stop you from swooning though.”

Some rolling laughter came up among them at Rainbow Dash’s remark, Rarity herself joining in with an embarrassed blush on her face. She recovered herself as she added, “In any case, I am glad that my counterpart opened her home to Sunset so readily. If her parents are anything like mine, I doubt they’d turn her out, and she’s most likely had a wonderful stay.” She noticed Twilight’s uneasy expression and realized, “Oh dear, what happened?”

“It’s a long story.” Twilight quickly recounted what she knew of Sunset’s tribulations since the previous Saturday, her stay at each girl’s home and how things had gone, from the incident with Sweetie Belle (“Trying to melt her with a gigantic squirt gun?! Well, I never…!”) to the fears of retribution from Maud Pie (“Aww! Maud wouldn’t hurt her!”) to the all-too-brief stays with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy and finally her anxiety at staying with Applejack. “I think we all know how hard it is to overcome a bad mistake here and there, given we’ve all made a few of our own, but I think she’s having a harder time than any of us did.”

“Indeed, and even my issues on Nightmare Night were as much my misinterpretations as they were those from the citizenry.” A smile formed on Luna’s muzzle as she assured Twilight, “But her awareness that you are there for her can only be a benefit, Twilight. Do not forget that.”

“I haven’t. I’m just hoping I don’t mess things up. I’m not perfect either.”

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof dismissively. “You’re not still hung up on that mess with our cutie marks, are you? Seriously, Twilight, you goofed. It worked out okay.”

“Actually, I was thinking more about another time I made a mistake when I was trying to help a friend see something important. I didn’t think I did anything wrong at the time, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I’d hurt someone I cared about.”

“Twilight, you were right about the wedding…”

“Actually, I was thinking more about all the other times I’ve made mistakes and ended up causing more harm than good.” She winced as one such incident came to mind. “Smarty Pants, anypony?”

Her friends briefly frowned before Rarity flashed a sympathetic look. “Twilight, darling, how much of that is on us for failing to take your concerns seriously?”

“And how much of that is on me for failing to notice when my personal student had developed terrible anxieties, with me at the center of them all?” Celestia offered an apologetic smile. “That you learned from my mistake, and made sure that Sunset knew her reports weren’t expected on a tight schedule, is something to be proud of. I’m certainly proud of it.” General murmurs of agreement went out among the group, and she turned discussion back to the original topic. “And speaking of Sunset, you and she both know that it will take time for her to move past her mistakes. Knowing that she’s been forgiven, even if only by a few, is a good first step for her, and one that I’m glad she’s taken.”

Twilight smiled. “It certainly hasn’t hurt.”

Twilight,

Please thank Princess Celestia for me. I have a feeling I owe her, and Principal Celestia, for my warm reception here at Sweet Apple Acres. It’s beautiful out here. I’m no country mare, but I think I’ll enjoy it, even if I will be working as a guest until I can find a place of my own. Still, putting in an honest day’s work never hurt anyone, and it might actually help to smooth things over with Apple Bloom and her friends. No trouble like I had with Sweetie Belle so far, thankfully, but she’s still looking at me anxiously. Can’t say I blame her, but at least I’m not getting the same from Big Mac and Granny Smith. They know the facts, Twilight; it makes a world of difference.

All my best to everyone back in Equestria. Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.

The sun had long since set and the moon risen over Sweet Apple Acres as Sunset closed her message journal, a contented smile on her face. A knock sounded, and she looked up with surprise to find Applejack at the door. “Just sent Twilight a message, right?”

“I didn’t say anything bad, I promise.” As her host entered, she raised an eyebrow at her nightwear and brought a hand up to her mouth to try and contain herself.

Applejack rolled her eyes and sat down beside her. “It’s mah PJs, ain’t it?” The country girl was decked out in deep blue button-up footie pajamas with light blue apple markings. “Ah’ll have you know, mah feet get cold.”

“I didn’t say a word.” She put her message journal aside and turned talk elsewhere. “But I am glad to be here, and that your grandmother and brother know the facts. It feels nice not having to hide things behind half-truths.”

“It always does. Ah wish Apple Bloom knew, but Ah don’t think she’s quite ready for the important details yet.”

“Or that she’d believe them.” The mirth she’d felt at Applejack’s nighttime attire faded as she realized aloud, “She’s scared of me, isn’t she?”

“‘Fraid so, darlin’. Doubt she’ll ever forget what happened that night.”

“At least she has a chance at it. I couldn’t forget that night if I tried.” A sad sigh escaped her lips. “I’m never going to live the Fall Formal down, am I?”

“Too soon to tell, Sunset, but so far as Ah’m concerned, the important thing is you movin’ on from it. Got all’a us here t’help, though, and yer showin’ there’s more to ya then the bully you were.” A smile crept upon her lips as Applejack added, “Doubt the old you’d join anyone in prayer like that.”

“Hey, your house, your rules. Just because I don’t follow your faith doesn’t mean I shouldn’t respect it.”

“If you don’t mind mah askin’, do y’follow a faith? Ah mean, Ah got nuthin’ against ya if’n ya don’t…”

“You’re just curious.” At Applejack’s nod, Sunset smiled and explained, “I think it’s required for sapient life to have some sort of religion, some belief in a higher power. We’ve got quite a few in my world, just like yours. I wasn’t reared in any of them, but I’m at least aware of the main one in Equestria. We’ve got a God, even if we don’t call Them that; They tend to just be the Maker of All Things. I’m the last to ask about all the details of our church or doctrines, but we do have a Heaven, same as you.” She closed her eyes, remembering the depictions she’d seen as a filly in one way or another. “The Eternal Fields. Rolling, gently-sloping hills of green as far as the eye can see, the skies above the bluest blue you could imagine with the odd cloud floating lazily overhead. Mountains, rivers and cities in the distance, and the ones we’ve lost waiting for us.”

“Sounds beautiful.”

“It is.” The smile broke as she opened her eyes. “There’s a tiny little part of me that likes to think my parents are waiting for me there. Trouble is, I don’t think I’ll get there. It’s not faith that guarantees getting there, but being good and doing good. I haven’t exactly done a lot of good since I lost them.”

“Ya feel horrible over the bad that you did, though. That says plenty right there.”

“Doesn’t change what I did in the slightest. Doesn’t change the fact that doing things like what I did can get you sent elsewhere.”

“Plenty of bad ya didn’t do though. Never said anythin’ ‘bout my mom and dad, didn’t hurt Spike, never physically hurt someone. Those are mighty important lines ya didn’t cross, and that makes a difference. Fer one thing, if’n ya had physically hurt someone, say Apple Bloom?”

“You would’ve put me in the hospital.”

“Without one shred ‘a remorse. Glad Ah never did, though, an’ glad Ah’ll never havta.” Applejack gently laid a hand on Sunset’s shoulder and added, “Anyway, ownin’ up ta yer mistakes makes a world ‘a difference. You and Rainbow Dash were talkin’ Milton a couple days back?” At Sunset’s nod, she continued, “Well, the Almighty ain’t afraid ta forgive Old Scratch himself if’n he repented. The fella downstairs is just too proud ta do it. That’s somethin’ Ah’ve tried to keep in mind.” She grew nervous as she admitted, “Not always done a good job of it, though. You ain’t the only one who’s made mistakes, Sunset. Yours’ll just take a little longer’n most ta forgive and forget by an’ large, is all. Don’t mean ya shouldn’t try. Like mah daddy always said, ‘Fall…’”

Sunset recognized the uncomfortable pause, and finished the old proverb for her. “‘Fall off the horse, get right back on again.’” She smiled and admitted, “I don’t mind.”

“Good.” Applejack leaned in conspiratorially and added, “Just to warn ya, we raise horses out here. Don’t know how uncomfortable that’d make ya, but ya might end up cleanin’ up after ‘em.”

“I can live with that. I might end up talking with them, though.”

Applejack laughed. “Nuthin’ wrong with that, just so long as they don’t talk back, or get too frisky.”

“Oof. That’s a scary thought. They’d have been a bit much for me even as a pony.”

“Ah can believe that.” Applejack got to her feet and started on her way out. “Anyway, we’d best get some shut-eye. Big day ahead tomorrow.”

Just as she reached the door, Sunset stopped her. “Applejack?” She turned back as her friend asked, “If the chance ever comes up, I’d like to hear more about your parents. If that’s alright. They sound like great people.”

A smile. “Wouldn’t mind tellin’ ya ‘bout ‘em at all, darlin’. And when yer ready, Ah wouldn’t mind hearin’ ‘bout your parents neither. Ah know they was good folks, the way you miss ‘em.” She winked and added, “Pinkie ain’t the only one with a sense fer stuff.”

Applejack waved off and went on to bed, and Sunset turned off her bedside light and pulled herself underneath her sheets, the sleeping bag Pinkie Pie had given her used as a makeshift comforter, and smiled. “They were, AJ.” The smile turned sad, and she crossed her arms behind her head and looked up at the ceiling, moonlight streaming in through the windows. She took a breath, readied herself, and said a few words she hadn’t said in a very long time. “Hi Mommy. Hi Daddy. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

“I don’t know if you can hear me. I’m not sure I want to know if you’re watching over me, if you can see me from the other side. I’ve done a lot of things you wouldn’t be happy about, hurt a lot of people, ponies and otherwise. I don’t have a good reason for it, just a bunch of lousy excuses. I can’t change what I did, can’t undo the past, no matter how much I wish I could. But that’d just be running away, wouldn’t it?” Her smile turned a little happier as she added, “I’ve made friends. Good friends. You’d be happy about that. They’ve seen the worst of me, still giving me a chance. Maybe they can see what you saw someday. Maybe I can too.” She uncrossed her arms from beneath her head, pulled up the sheets and closed her eyes. “Love you so much. Miss you so much. You two and Aunt Flare and Uncle Streak and… and Runnie too. The sister I could’ve had, if I just let her in.”

It was a mistake she wouldn’t make again.

Author's Note

This chapter was a lot of fun to write, mostly because I'd been looking forward to showing my version of Sunset's attempt at getting into Princess Celestia's school for a long time. For those curious, yes, that was a young Trixie Lulamoon making a cameo! The other mare isn't anyone in canon; her identity will come with time, hopefully. And for another deviation from canon, well, suffice it to say that the events of "Pinkie Apple Pie" are going to happen a little earlier in this 'verse than they did in the official stuff.

Some of Granny Smith's dialogue in this story is a reference to Pen Stroke's "Nightmare or Nyx?" - I asked about making the nod and no objections were raised. The religious elements were a mix of influence from both ConningOfficer and Reality Check; I'm not religious myself, but I've got nothing against the characters I write taking part in prayers or hoping their loved ones are in heaven. The general elements of Sweet Apple Acres are adapted from what we've seen in canon; I glanced over both Equestria Girls annuals while working on this chapter as reference material.

And yes, the bookend effect was intentional. I like the idea of going full circle, and I feel like Sunset needed to do so in order to move forward. There's still a little ways left to go for her, mind, but the foundation's almost finished. It's downhill from here, folks.

EDIT 5/19/2015 - Imperator Knoedel prompted a brief edit to this chapter in regards to religious stuff. If the next chapter gets delayed as a result of this and other edits, they're (partially) to blame.

EDIT 1/23/2019 - Minor tweaks, partly to fix a couple continuity errors and partly to fix a spelling mistake.

Chapter Six - A Night With My Friends

“Steady Benjamin, steady, I’m almost done.” A few more gentle wipes of the washcloth, and Sunset Shimmer pulled back and smiled gently at her subject, his eyes and nose cleaned of dirt and mucus. “There you go. How does that feel?” Benjamin sighed and nuzzled the girl before him, pleased with his grooming thus far. Sunset laughed, glad that the horse before her was taking so well to her efforts. Even if he and the other horses being raised at Sweet Apple Acres weren’t quite at her level, they obviously enjoyed being properly groomed as much as she did. “Well, I’m no beautician, but I’m glad I remembered how to groom myself at least. Now let me get that mane of yours taken care of.” A low whistle caught her attention as well as that of the horse, and she turned to the stables’ entrance. “Something wrong?”

Big McIntosh smiled and shook his head. “Nuthin’ wrong at all. Just not often Ah see ‘em take to a stranger so quick.”

Sunset grinned. “I think I can relate to them a little better than most.”

Since her arrival at Sweet Apple Acres, Sunset had taken to farm work well enough, making the odd mistake here and there but generally doing well with a given task once she’d received proper instruction. Her first day had been spent cleaning the house under Big Mac’s watchful eye, and while it hadn’t been pleasant, she’d left a number of clean hallways and bathrooms in her wake, which made her thankful that human technology was equal to magic in many ways that counted.

It was her second day that led her to being in the stables, grooming the horses, cleaning up after them and, as warned, making conversation with them. The horses themselves didn’t seem to mind, and generally seemed pleased at how she’d treated them. And despite them not talking back, and the general feeling of absurdity to it all, Sunset had enjoyed it as well. There she stood, dressed in a flannel shirt, blue jeans and boots borrowed from Applejack, her hair braided and a scarf to keep the bangs from her eyes, one hand on Benjamin’s back while the other gently ran through his mane.

“I noticed that none of the horses are shod.” Big Mac took a second to fetch the needed comb and handed it off to her as she finished going through the horse’s mane. “Please tell me that isn’t being done just because you can’t afford to hire a farrier.”

“Nope. Still get a certified one out here if’n we think there’s a problem, but we figure none of the horses need shoein’. You got trouble with horseshoes?”

“The actual objects? No. The game? None. But would you enjoy having something hammered into your foot?” Sunset kept up her work as she explained, “The only things I ever wore over my hooves were things I could get off in a hurry, like boots or slippers. Getting shod was, in Equestria, like foot-binding or wearing a corset in this world. It was only done by the rich or wealthy, and it led to health problems even when it was done properly. I can get why it’d be done in some cases, but it’s practically unheard of nowadays back home.” She leaned in and whispered to Benjamin, “I definitely don’t think they should do it to you or anypony here, though. It’d hurt.”

Benjamin snorted in agreement, the rest of the horses in the stable following.

Sunset moved from the mane to the tail, the comb pocketed and her hand gently running through her subject’s tail as Big Mac produced an apple and fed the horse. “So, no trouble cleanin’ up round here?”

“It was a mess, I’ll admit.” Sunset doubted the smell would ever really leave her, especially with her eidetic memory. “Kinda saddening, too.” She gently ran the comb through Benjamin’s tail, the whole of it held in her other hand, as her eyes went over the assorted horses, their coats varying in color but sticking to black and various grays, browns and tans. Here it was natural and normal, but back in Equestria, a pony living like this would be the equivalent of a human with severe mental handicaps. She shuddered, suddenly finding herself feeling a little more revolted with her old self than before; she’d have treated a pony who was like one of these horses a lot better than she treated a normal human being. And the latter were the closest things she’d met to any of the beings back in Equestria. Before last weekend, she’d been able to ignore it, but now? “At least I know they enjoy it.”

Big Mac looked at her, one eyebrow arched and looking concerned. “You feelin’ okay?”

Sunset shook her head. “Guilt getting to me again. It’s easy to be cruel when you don’t see your victims as anything worth thinking about, or when the only one who specifically reminds you of home is somepony you’d rather forget. I might have been forgiven by those I’ve hurt the most, but it doesn’t change what I did. It’s a part of me.”

“But it don’t define ya.” Big Mac smiled and offered, “Anyway, yer right, they are enjoyin’ it. Don’t know how much that helps yer conscience, but yer doin’ good now.”

Benjamin nickered, which prompted a smile from Sunset. “Yeah, I am.”

“An’ Ah doubt any of ‘em will complain if’n ya visit again.” At Sunset’s surprised expression, he explained, “Jus’ got a call from the school; when Vice Principal Luna comes and drops Granny off, she’s pickin’ ya up.”

“What for?”

“Can’t tell ya, but Ah’d get cleaned up ‘fore they get here. And given the time, you’d best be gettin’ to that.”

Sunset sighed and nodded, then gently ran a hand along Benjamin’s back before putting away the hairbrush. “Well, nothing lasts forever. Thanks for making me feel welcome.” She felt a nudge against her back, and turned to find the horse giving her a gentle nuzzle. She gently petted him on the nose and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll come back soon enough.”

Big Mac smiled as he watched her depart, and then turned his attention back to the horse as he led Benjamin to his stable. If she only knew what was coming.

It hadn’t taken long at all for Sunset to get cleaned up and redressed in her own clothing, Applejack’s spare work clothes set aside to be washed. As she straightened out her shirt one more time, she took a quick glance at herself in the mirror. A smile formed on her lips as she looked at her reflection, no sign of the monster she’d turned into a week prior. She laughed as she realized, it really had been a week since the Fall Formal. It felt like so much longer since then, after the week she’d had, and an eternity since she’d first come to this world.

Her gaze turned from the mirror to the guest room, her things packed and ready to go, and her expression turned elsewhere. Despite Apple Bloom’s obvious anxiety around her, Sweet Apple Acres felt more like a home than anywhere else had since she’d come to this world, maybe even more than anyplace back in Equestria beyond her parents’ house and maybe the castle. She was going to miss it.

She walked back over to the bed and sat down, feeling just like she had the day she’d found out her parents had died, anxiety gnawing at her insides. She dared not look at the mirror, worried that she’d see the demon she’d turned into staring back at her thanks to her unease, and she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on.

She groaned and rubbed her forehead. “Get a hold of yourself, Sunset. You aren’t being thrown out onto the streets. You aren’t being abandoned. You aren’t being forgotten. You never were, and you never will be.”

“Sunset! Ride’s here!”

“Just a second, Big Mac!” She got to her feet, slung her backpack over her shoulders and retrieved her luggage and sleeping bag, then made her way out, trying her best to remember her own words of self-encouragement. As she made her way down the stairs, she smiled as she caught sight of her hosts, the Apple family matriarch standing at the door beside her grandson. “Hello Granny. No ride home for Applejack and Apple Bloom?”

“Don’t you be worryin’ ‘bout them, darlin’.” Granny Smith accepted a warm hug from her guest and added, “Now I want’cha to know somethin’; these last couple days, you’ve been a big help ‘round here. Never seen a bathroom so clean, fer starters. Bein’ willin’ to put in hard work ain’t somethin’ to be ashamed of, and if’n you ever need to come by again fer a spell, the door’s always open.”

“Thank you, Granny. I won’t ever forget that.” Her embrace with one Apple ended, she gave Big Mac a quick hug before stepping out the door. She looked out to the drive to find, beside the familiar red pickup, a deep blue sedan, its driver standing beside it and its cargo hatch open. “Hello, Vice Principal Luna.”

The older woman’s cyan eyes twinkled like starlight as a pleased smile crossed her face. “Good afternoon, Sunset Shimmer. Do you need help with your things?”

“No, this is it.” Sunset deposited her belongings into the trunk and closed it, then followed Luna’s direction towards the front passenger side door and climbed into the vehicle, buckling in as Luna herself climbed into the vehicle. “So, what’s going on?”

“It’s a surprise. I’ll promise you right now, however, you aren’t being dumped in a foster home or orphanage. We didn’t do that after you arrived, and we aren’t about to do so now.” Luna started up her car and carefully pulled out of the drive. “You can turn on the radio, if you like.”

“Thank you, but I’m okay with or without music.”

“Very well.” Now out on the road, Luna gave the girl beside her the odd glance, finally managing a gentle and reassuring smile. “It’s alright if you’re nervous, Sunset. I’m somewhat nervous myself, considering everything that’s happened.”

“Nice to know that.” Sunset took a breath and explained, “I’m sorry. When I first came here, your counterpart was practically a legend, an all-but-forgotten story. My Celestia never even mentioned having a sister. I can’t blame her now that I know the facts, but when I saw you, it took a while to make the connection.”

“And no doubt you weren’t too impressed, given Princess Luna’s fearsome reputation.”

“No, but I wasn’t too impressed with anyone around here, especially once I figured it out.” She glanced to the car radio and its built-in CD player. “I get the feeling you weren’t too thrilled learning about what happened to her.”

“I can’t say that I was pleased, or surprised.” A sad look crossed her face as she added, “I’m not sure how much you’ve come to notice the similarities between your world and mine, but they are alike in more ways than they differ. Just because I don’t manipulate a stellar object doesn’t mean I didn’t have some issues with my sister when I was younger. It never went as far as it did in your world, of course, but still, things happened.” She shook her head and added, “Of course, you don’t want to be bored by my life story.”

“No, go on, I don’t mind.” Sunset smiled encouragingly. “I’ve spent the last week answering questions from the girls, it’d be nice to have a few of my own answered.”

Luna smiled. “Very well. As you know by now, I and Celestia attended Canterlot High School ourselves when we were young. By the time I started, however, my sister had already taken a place of prominence there. It often felt, between the attention she was showered with by our parents and that of our teachers, that I was considered the lesser of the two of us. I wasn’t, of course, but it took me some time to realize that. How I did so opened my eyes to so much.”

“You found the bridge portal.”

A nod. “And my life was forever changed.”

She couldn’t take it anymore, not for another minute. Every day at home, every day at school, it felt the same. And she hated it.

“I’m sure you’ll be just as good as your sister.”

“Just as pretty as her sister, she is.”

“Oh my gosh, you’re her sister?! Celestia’s so amazing!”

She had to get away. She had to escape. There had to be somewhere in the school where she wouldn’t run into someone who held her sister up like she was the second coming. Running into the teacher’s lounge was her first instinct, and after she heard footsteps approaching, as she scrambled to find somewhere to hide, her arm seeming to disappear through the mirror as if it were magic seemed a godsend. Without thinking about it, she jumped through.

What met her on the other side was an empty space, cavernous and vast, the only things present being a pair of mirrors. That there was light shining down from above was only a small comfort. She was alone, utterly and completely. A part of her wanted to go back, but go back to what? Being in her sister’s shadow? The constant comparisons? How was that better than being alone?

She didn’t know what to do. She was scared, so terribly scared, and she did the only thing she could think of. She sank to the floor, curled up and hugged her legs tight against herself, trying her best not to cry. Her attempts at holding back her sobs were only so useful. She needed something to ease her mind.

The soft clip-clop of hooves striking the cold ground caught her attention, and she looked up to find herself looking at a very strange…horse? Pony? It looked like both, but it had wings and a horn and a mane and tail that seemed to flow freely without any wind and sparkle, both colored in soft pastels. The crown on her head and the strange horseshoes and the strange thing around her neck, combined with her mane and tail, made her look amazingly regal. Something about her looked eerily familiar, especially when she looked in the creature’s eyes.

She barely jumped up in shock before the pony – yes, definitely a pony despite being so big – surprised her again and spoke. “Don’t be afraid, little one, I won’t hurt you.” Her voice was soothing, her tone calm and peaceful, not unlike Luna’s mother. She approached slowly and knelt down before her. “What are you doing here all alone?”

Luna relaxed and quietly bowed her head into her knees. “Trying to get away.”

“From whom?”

“Everyone. My teachers. My mom and dad. My sister.”

“Why?”

“Because they all like her better than me.” She looked up at the pony and cried, “They’re always talking about her like she’s the best thing ever! Like she’s so special! I’m special too! I matter!”

“I don’t think they ever said you didn’t.” The pony gently nuzzled her. “But it can’t be any fun at all for a little girl like you. Being compared to someone else, being told how they’re always amazing even when you do amazing things of your own. It’s disheartening, feeling like you don’t matter. That you’re not special. But you do, and you are.”

Luna reached up and gently ran a hand along the pony’s neck, smiling at the soft fur. “You’re real.”

“Of course I am, dear.”

“But we don’t have ponies like you in my world. Do you live here?”

A small laugh as the pony pulled back. “No. Why would I live here? I come from another world, where ponies like me live. They aren’t all my size, of course, and not all of them have wings or horns or wear such fancy jewelry. That all comes with being a princess.” She smiled, and the crown upon her head sparkled with strange light and floated up. “Would you like to wear my crown? I understand if you think you’re a little old for it.”

Luna managed an embarrassed smile. “Please?”

“Very well, Princess.” The pony placed the crown upon her head, and Luna laughed, amazed that it even fit. “How does it feel?”

“Nice, but a little weird.” Her spirits brightened considerably, Luna beamed and gently touched the crown with one hand. “Were you compared to someone else too? Another pony?”

The pony frowned sadly. “No. I was the one they were compared to.” She suddenly seemed much older as she explained, “I rule over a kingdom, but I am a princess rather than a queen. That’s because I ruled alongside another princess, my younger sister. We did everything together, and I loved her dearly. I still do, and always will. But as time passed, our subjects showered more affection upon me than her. And I was a fool not to see it, or its effect upon her.”

“What happened?”

“She fell. She fell into madness and I couldn’t stop her as she turned into something horrible, and threatened to destroy our very world. And I was forced to do something terrible in order to protect our subjects; I banished her, far away and for a very long time.”

Luna reached up and gently stroked the pony’s face. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“It’s easy to say things like that, little one, but hard to believe them. I keep on thinking to myself, that if I had simply done something, said something, I could have avoided losing her. She was the only family I had left, and I’ve been without her for so very long.”

“But she’ll come back someday, right?”

“Yes and no. I cannot free her from the madness that grips her; I failed to do so long ago. The most I can do is hope that others can succeed where I failed, and even that is a slim hope. She’s still gone to me, and will be for a long time. And I miss her so very much. It’s a fate I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.”

Luna turned away. “Do you think my sister would miss me?”

“Is she mean to you?”

“No, of course not! I love Celie! She’s smart and sweet and funny and…” She sighed. “And I’m never gonna be like her.”

“Then don’t be like your sister Celie.” She looked up to find an encouraging, loving smile upon the pony’s face. “Be you. And be proud of who you are, Luna, because in all the world, there’s only one of you.”

The little girl couldn’t help but smile back, feeling warmth from the pony before her just as she had with… “Wait, how did you…?”

“Luna?”

Distracted, Luna turned away to find her sister standing before the mirror behind her, her face a mix of emotions but very obviously concerned. “Celie?”

That one word was enough for Celestia to rush to her sister, collapsing to her knees at Luna’s side and wrapping her arms around her as if afraid she’d lose her if she let go. “What are you doing here?! Half the school’s worried sick about you! The principal called Mom and Dad! What happened?! Did Sapphire say something…?”

“No, Celie, no, she didn’t say anything. Nothing bad. I just…” Luna wrapped an arm around her sister. “Celie, I’m sorry. I needed to get away. They were all talking about how great you were and…”

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Big deal. If I’m so great, then why does Melvin like you better?”

“Melvin?”

Luna giggled and explained, “My cat.” Noticing the awestruck look on her sister’s face, she added, “Celie, this is…I’m sorry, I don’t know her name, but she knows mine. Don’t know how.”

“I knew your name because it was my sister’s name as well.” The pony retrieved her crown and put it back upon her head. “And I know your sister’s name, because it’s my name too.” She smiled as she looked upon the magenta-eyed girl hugging her sister, her pink hair already starting to show streaks of blues and turquoise from the roots. “Hello Celestia. I didn’t expect either of you to be so young.”

“Wow. You two must have freaked out.”

Luna chuckled as she admitted, “We did, yes, and it took a little while to accept. A world of magical ponies, where my sister’s counterpart was not only their ruler, but over a millennium old? It sounded like something out of a children’s cartoon. I was glad to be told upfront about what happened to Princess Luna, mind, but the thought of something like that happening to me was frightening.” She made a small glance at her passenger. “I suspect you know it better than I would.”

“Maybe.” Sunset frowned as she reasoned, “Princess Luna’s actions came from jealousy. Everything that happened to me came from loss. We might’ve gone down similar roads, but we started from different places.”

“You could have similar destinations.”

A smile crossed the young girl’s face. “That would be nice.” Brightened at that thought, she pressed, “So, I guess you and Principal Celestia kept in touch with the princess?”

“Yes, whenever we could. It was wonderful; the two of us had a secret all to ourselves, a glimpse at a world of magic that we’d never see or know. We found out a great deal, even about the portals, but we were warned not to use the one in front of the school to come to Equestria. Princess Celestia wanted to spare her people the confusion of dealing with two of herself, among other reasons.”

“Small wonder the two of you kept it between yourselves.”

“Only we didn’t.” Luna smiled at Sunset’s surprise and explained, “Celestia and I had mutual friends, younger than her but older than me, and they grew suspicious of us. They found us out shortly before Celestia graduated. Thankfully, the secret didn’t spread past them.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Perhaps, perhaps not. But given I was lucky enough to eventually meet my counterpart, you might end up meeting them yourself one day.”

“Speaking of, how did that go? It must’ve been, what, sometime around last Christmas?”

“Shortly before, and it was quite the surprise finally seeing her. She was so much smaller than I thought she would be. Princess Celestia explained that it was the result of her transformation being undone and her magic being weakened, and that she’d recover in time. And she was right. Within a few months, Princess Luna looked far more like how I’d expected her to look.” A softer smile formed on Luna’s face as she continued, “And it was obvious to both of us that Princess Celestia seemed so much happier with her, as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. We could tell it was there even as children. One just as bad came when, well…”

“When I left.” Sunset turned somber as she looked down at her hands, curling them up just a little bit more in her lap. “I feel like I owe the two of you a lot of thanks for looking after me. You never needed to do that.”

“We didn’t go into education for the money, Sunset Shimmer. Besides, Princess Celestia helped us to bridge a divide before it grew as deep as the one she and Princess Luna had, and helping you was the least we could do in return. I often think we could, and should, have done more.”

Sunset shook her head. “You did what you could. I was beyond help for a long time. I just wish it hadn’t taken getting blown into a crater to realize I needed help.”

“That certainly would have been less expensive.”

The two laughed, and Sunset found herself realizing aloud, “So, you two obviously figured out what was going on with Twilight and the crown.”

“Not all of the details, but most of them. Fluttershy suddenly finding the Fall Formal crown on the ground near the statue, one that you’d had a hand in designing, certainly raised some red flags, and given you had keys to get into and out of the school at night, you certainly could have stolen the local crown. That a swap had occurred was a possibility, but we had no proof. If Twilight had come to us with the duplicate, we would have simply swapped them back and called it a day. But then, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“No, we wouldn’t.” Sunset sighed. “I’m still amazed she forgave me over everything that happened. That video? Framing her? Almost killing her?”

“That video, while cruel, isn’t much different from what a politician would do, and it was tame compared to the mudslinging that was done in the past. As for the incident with the gym, well, I think we both know how obvious the real culprits were in retrospect. Why do something yourself when you can get someone to do it for you? I’m simply hoping that your minions have learned their lesson as well as you have.”

“They probably have. Snips and Snails aren’t bad kids, just easily manipulated.”

“Especially by an attractive teenage girl.”

Sunset laughed. “If they only knew what I really looked like. Oh, would they scream.”

“Or faint. I’d prefer the fainting, to be honest. Screaming on school grounds isn’t something I encourage. And the fainting would be slightly funnier.” The two laughed, and Luna admitted, “This last week has done you a great deal of good, Sunset Shimmer. I’m looking forward to seeing more of this side of you in school.”

“Thanks. Hopefully, others will see it too.” A sad sigh. “It’s a long road to travel.”

“But you’ve already taken the first steps. Where things go from here are up to you, but I think that’s a fine start.” She smiled and added, “And it looks like our trip is almost over.”

Sunset turned her attention back to their surroundings. The buildings around her were starting to look familiar, from the odd café and fast food joint on the streets to the tall apartment buildings that reminded her of Rainbow Dash’s home, even if they weren’t quite as impressively sized. “This isn’t too far from the school.”

“A very short walk, with Sugarcube Corner on the way. Do try to not be late for class if you stop in for a muffin or smoothie or something.” They made a turn into a parking garage, and Luna stopped at the gates to present a badge and allow them entrance. “We aren’t about to put you out on the streets, but I get the feeling you’d find it just a bit too awkward to move in with myself or Celestia. This seems like a workable compromise.”

“You two are getting me my own place?” The car pulled into a parking spot, and the two disembarked. Sunset retrieved her things from the trunk as she continued, “You don’t need to do this, really. I’ve been looking for a place since Sunday.”

“All of which will cost money that you can’t afford with the meager allowance you get from my sister.” Luna gave her a stern look that made clear there was to be no argument. “Sunset, the apartment is unoccupied, and you’ve been our responsibility since you arrived in this world. Allowing you to stay in the bridge realm was one solution, but we both know the limitations for it. This is better for you and for I and my sister, I assure you.”

“It sorta feels like charity, though.” Sunset sighed and admitted, “Then again, stubborn pride got me into all of this, and I’ve been accepting charity all week. How’s this any different?”

The older woman smiled back. “You’re older and wiser, for one thing.” The two made their way through the parking garage as Luna added, “Besides, this won’t be so bad. The previous tenant took very good care of the place before she moved out.”

“This previous tenant anyone I know?” At Luna’s enigmatic grin, Sunset sighed. “I guess I’ll have to figure that out on my own.” The two reached a set of elevators, entering one after the press of a button, and the unicorn-turned-human set to work at guessing. “Hmm. Might’ve been you or Principal Celestia.”

“No, though my sister does own the apartment.”

Sunset smirked, pleased at what little she had learned. “Alright, she owns it, but neither of you live there. And you wouldn’t let someone else live there unless you knew them and trusted them.” She arched an eyebrow and offered, “Cadance?” No response. “You’re gonna make me work for this, aren’t you?”

“Does it really matter that much?”

“Well, I’d hate to think the previous tenant was some kind of jerk or spoiled brat…” Horror struck her face as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. “Oh no. You and Celestia don’t have a nephew named Blueblood, do you?”

The enigmatic grin became one worthy of a Cheshire cat as Luna led her to the apartment’s door. “We might. But give the apartment a chance, hmm?” She reached into her purse and pulled out a key for Sunset to take. “It may surprise you.”

Sunset gulped uneasily and took the offered key with her free hand. She slid it into the lock and unlocked the door, then gently pushed it inwards, hoping that she wasn’t taking up something left behind by Blueblood. If this world’s version of him was anything like his counterpart in Equestria, then…

“SURPRISE!”

“Surprise! Shoot, came in too late!”

Sunset blinked, her mind not quite comprehending what was in front of her, and as it came to her, she laughed. “This isn’t…!”

“It most certainly is, darling!” Rarity approached her and ushered her inside. “It’s your surprise apartment-warming party!” She paused and admitted, “Well, I suppose loft-warming party would be more accurate. Either way, this is a marvelous place.”

The fashionista wasn’t wrong, the apartment was a nice place, and easily bigger than Rainbow Dash’s home. Directly in front of her was an expansive living room, a sofa and two chairs forming a rough square around a glass table, lamps and other chairs scattered throughout the room. The floor was dark-colored hard wood, a white plush carpet in place underneath the sofa, chairs and table. The wall opposite had three tall windows with thin drapes covering them, a table in place in front of the middle window. To her right was a set of shelves built into the wall, all bare and thus allowing her to look into a smaller room on the other side. On her left was a kitchen and dining area, fully stocked with appliances and giving an open, friendly feeling to the place. And this was only what she could see; the odd door suggested closets and additional rooms, a staircase a second floor.

But this wasn’t a major concern as Sunset warmly greeted her friends, her luggage put aside as she took the girls in a warm hug. A soft laugh, and she quickly found Principal Celestia rising from a chair in one corner. “I take it you’re pleased with your new accommodations?”

“I am, yes, but you didn’t need to go this far.” Sunset nervously smiled and noted, “It’s a bit big for just me.”

“Yeah, but you could put on a great party here sometime.” Rainbow Dash grinned and added, “Got the space for one, anyway.”

“I guess.” She doubted that anyone would come to a party that she put on, but perhaps with time, it could happen. Another glance around, and Sunset turned to Celestia and smiled. “Thanks, for all of this. It beats the bridge world by a wide margin, even if I don’t quite feel like I deserve it.”

“Whether you deserve it or not, I still need to provide you a space to live. I’d be remiss as a legal guardian otherwise.” Celestia produced a folder and handed it to her, Sunset promptly opening it to find several very legitimate-looking documents inside, from health records to ID. “Princess Celestia asked me to look after you shortly after you arrived. I admit, I haven’t been perfect at it, but I’ve done the best I could.”

“As well as she did, at least.” Sunset glanced at the Social Security documentation and asked, “None of this is going to make trouble for the Sunset Shimmer of this world, will it?”

“It shouldn’t, assuming you don’t cause any trouble outside of school.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a smartphone as she added, “And I’m confident that you won’t cause trouble in school either. Though we both know that trust is something that takes time to build.”

“And can easily be lost.” Sunset understood the message perfectly; Celestia was giving her a second chance, but that still meant she and Luna would keep an eye on her. She closed the folder and took the phone, using what little she knew of them to check about password settings, and sure enough, they’d been disabled. “I’m just going to have to make sure I don’t lose it.”

“Well, if you want a fresh start with someone, I can help with that as well. I’m told you mentioned something about getting a job? I know someone in the area who’s hiring. The information’s in that folder with the rest of your documentation.” Celestia smiled gently. “Only a suggestion.”

“It’s not a bad one.” Sunset glanced at the small kitchen and noted, “Right now, I just need to get used to this place. I don’t know how soon those bookshelves will get filled, but I definitely need to deal with the pantries, and the closets.”

“Don’t worry none about the food, Sunset; we got that taken care of for ya.” Applejack approached one of the pantries and opened it to reveal that it was fully stocked. “Principal Celestia let us in on this little plan ‘a hers on Monday. The eight ‘a us’ve been gettin’ the place ready every night since. Not all at once, mind.”

“I was hoping to bring in a few decorative touches, but the girls suggested I limit myself to helping with your wardrobe and bedsheets instead. Perhaps we can address that before Monday.” Rarity smiled hopefully as she produced a large box. “Speaking of which, I believe I had a promise to keep?”

Sunset handed off the documents and phone to Celestia, then slipped off her backpack and took the box. She opened it and smiled as she looked upon its contents. “My jacket!”

“Good as new, or at least, as close to new as I could manage.”

Sunset pulled the jacket from the box and examined it, the damage over the years and especially from the night of the Fall Formal all but gone. With a smile, she slipped it on and found it fit perfectly. “It’s perfect. Thanks Rarity.” She paused and realized aloud, “Wait, the eight of you?”

Footsteps heralded the arrival of the last of the party guests, a familiar pair of plain boots giving Sunset pause as Maud reached the main floor of the loft. “Sorry I missed your arrival. I had to excuse myself for a second. Do you like the new place?”

Sunset nodded and nervously answered, “Yes, it’s nice.”

“Good. We’ve ordered pizza to celebrate; it should arrive soon.”

“And that would be the cue for my sister and I to leave.” As Luna handed Sunset back her key, Celestia smiled reassuringly. “You don’t need us old folks around to spoil your fun. Enjoy yourself and get settled in, Sunset. If you need me for anything, my number’s first on your phone’s speed dial, cell and land line.”

Sunset smiled back. “I will. Thanks.” As the two adults left, Sunset looked to her friends and asked, “Hey, could someone point me to where my new bedroom is? I want to get my stuff there before the pizza gets here.”

Maud directed her to an open red door near the office. “It’s right over there.”

“Thanks.” Probably a little faster than she’d intended, Sunset retrieved her things and followed Maud’s direction, finding herself in a fair-sized bedroom. Aside from the door she used to get in, there were two others, one to her right leading to a small bathroom and another on her left leading to the office. A doorway without a door opposite her led to what she assumed was a closet, or close enough to it given the set of drawers waiting for her. The walls were bare, but Rarity had already offered some decorating suggestions.

A knock at the door shook her from her thoughts, and Sunset turned to find Maud standing in the doorway, her normal, blank-looking expression on her face. “If you’re open to suggestions, I think this place could use a Zen garden. Just a thought.”

“Thanks. I’ll make a note.” She set her luggage down on the bed and turned back to Maud, steeling herself. “Listen, Maud, I’m sorry about…well, what happened on Monday morning. I shouldn’t have freaked out like that, I…”

“You were afraid that I’d try to hurt you after you turned into a raging she-demon after putting on a crown with a magical artifact embedded into it and almost incinerated Pinkie and her friends. A scheme you launched out of petty jealousy over someone else getting the power and prestige that you thought you deserved in the first place. That ignores you breaking them apart for petty reasons just to hold onto a generally meaningless title that you were adamant about keeping mostly because you were trying to spite your former mentor.” At Sunset’s stunned expression, she explained, “Pinkie told me everything after she got home from the Fall Formal.”

“So, you know…?”

“That you’re really a pony, yes.” Maud approached but nonetheless kept a polite distance as she added, “She also told me that you felt guilty about what had happened.”

“And you believed her?”

“She’s my sister. The only times she keeps secrets from me is when she’s promised to do so, and she has never once lied to me. That you regret what you’ve done isn’t beyond belief. That she’s willing to forgive you isn’t something I question. Seeing you at home afterwards didn’t change that.” Then Sunset saw something that, for the first time since meeting her, made clear the familial connection between Maud Pie and Pinkie Pie; a smile, so very gentle and slight but nonetheless clear as the sun on a cloudless day. “It’s part of why I love her.”

Sunset smiled back. “Me too. Thank you, Maud, for believing Pinkie, and for giving me another chance.”

The smile faded as a knock sounded from the loft door. “I’ll get that. I agreed to pay. Make sure you get your share; both Applejack and Pinkie have hearty appetites.”

Sunset laughed. “Must be genetic.” She followed Maud out and asked, “Hey, I’ve got soda here, right? Can’t have pizza without soda.”

“Celie, I can’t help but think we’re overdoing things a little.” At her sister’s curious expression, Luna explained, “Having Sunset Shimmer move into the loft? Granted, Cadance doesn’t need it anymore, moving in with that boyfriend of hers. I’m still surprised it wasn’t the other way around.”

“Our niece has her own life, Luna. I won’t begrudge her for it.” The elevator reached the parking garage and the two exited as the elder sister continued, “I’ll admit, you do have a point. I do feel guilty for not looking after her more closely than I have. She has caused no end of trouble. Granted, we couldn’t force her to accept help, but still…” She sighed. “How does the other me do it, Luna? I’d think living so long would only make the burden of mistakes heavier than lighter.”

“Well, ponies can carry more weight than humans can.” The two moved to their respective cars, parked next to one another in the lot, as Luna continued, “This mistake, at least, isn’t ours to bear alone. We both know that Sunset regrets what she’s done, even if she hasn’t come out and said so to us. And I think all three of us are fully aware that we have our eyes on her should she backslide.”

“I doubt she will, given what happened last week. Once burned, twice shy and all that.” Celestia barely restrained her amusement at that, despite knowing it was cruel humor. “Besides, she’s not only gained friends, but she’s opened up to them. I think that’s good progress. And in some cases, a secret can help strengthen a friendship.”

“Depending upon the secret, of course.” Luna grinned and asked, “So, will you tell her exactly how we arranged for her potential employment, or will we let her figure that out on her own?”

“The second option. Sunset’s a very smart girl, after all, and give her enough pieces, and she’ll put things together. She wouldn’t have survived the last thirty moons otherwise, even with our help. Now we can just be a little more obvious about it.”

The two sisters laughed and climbed into their cars, satisfied that they’d met their goals. Things would be difficult for their charge, certainly, but burdens were always easier to carry when they weren’t carried alone.

Much to Sunset’s relief, she did indeed have several varieties of soda, more than enough for each of the girls to indulge themselves with their preferred drink to go with their preferred toppings. An extra chair had been pulled to her dinner table, and the seven of them were happily enjoying their meal. As warned, however, Applejack and Pinkie were demonstrating very hearty appetites, though the former was dining at a slower pace than the latter. There was plenty of pizza to be had, however, though between them and Rainbow Dash, there probably wouldn’t be much in the way of leftovers.

“Honestly Rainbow, pepperoni? Think of your complexion darling.”

“Hey, I ordered it, I’m eating it.”

“Oh very well, but if you break out, it’s on your own head.” Rarity turned her attention from one friend to another and ventured, “Sunset? You seem rather pensive, dear.”

“Just trying to think about how to say this without sounding too cheesy.” She laughed and amended, “Then again, magic unicorn.” Sunset’s remark was answered by a laughing snort from Rainbow Dash, and she quickly continued, “This last week’s been one of the best in my life, and I have you to thank for it. All of you.” Pinkie beamed and wrapped an arm around Maud in response to that. “I just wish all my friends were here for this. If it hadn’t been for Twilight and Spike, well, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“Ah get the feelin’ we’ll have us another chance at somethin’ like this ‘fore too long.” Applejack beamed encouragingly and continued, “Anywho, ah’m just glad all that stuff’s behind us. It’s nice to have the band back together.”

“I’ll drink to that!” Rainbow refilled her cup of soda and asked, “So, not feeling so guilty anymore?”

“Not as much, but something tells me that guilty feeling’s never really going to go away. You guys and Celestia aren’t the only ones I’ve hurt.” Sunset smiled as she admitted, “But having you all in my corner’s helped, especially after all I’ve done. In a weird way, I’ve learned more about all of you in the last week than I have since coming to this world. It’s about time I returned the favor.”

Fluttershy’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “You mean, you want to tell us about your life in Equestria?”

“If you’re all open to it. I promise, I’ll try my best not to bore you all.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like that’ll happen. You wanna spill, then go on.”

Sunset chuckled with a smile. “Alright. Well, I’d better start from the beginning. Like I told Rarity, I was born in my world’s version of Canterlot, Equestria’s capitol. It’s a beautiful city; if any of you saw it, you’d think of something out of a fantasy novel. It was, and probably still is, the hub of culture and travel and history for all of Equestria, and I was a little filly living a happy upper-middle class existence right in the middle of it.” She closed her eyes as she thought of her parents. “My mom and dad were both unicorns, like me. Their names were Sunrise Glint and Midday Gleam, and they were the best mom and dad a child could ask for. Mom was a great cook. Her spaghetti was the best thing in the world, the sauce mixed just right with spices and some bits of mushroom mixed in. And Dad? He was amazing.” She turned somber as she admitted, “I don’t think I ever really recovered from losing them.”

Applejack laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. “Ya don’t havta tell us if you’re not up for it, darlin’.”

“No, I can do this.” She took a breath and continued, “Both my mom and dad were researchers, experimenting in magic. In this world, they’d be scientists. It took asking Twilight about them to get any information; my aunt never told me anything about it. They were working on a project for the crown, experiments in creating small-scale solar fusion.”

“Tiny little suns?” Heads turned in surprise at Rainbow Dash, who protested, “What? I’m not stupid, I can figure things out.”

“Dash is right though. Trouble with every experimental science is that stuff can still go wrong. Tiny little suns, tiny little solar flares. Don’t contain them right, and bad things happen.” Sunset sighed. “I found out by getting led to my principal’s office at my magic kindergarten by my teacher. That’s where things went wrong for me.”

Pinkie pouted sadly, most of the others looking similarly mournful. Maud, however, maintained her stoic expression, though she at least noted, “What happened to your parents was tragic. You still had family, however.”

“Family I didn’t really know. I’ll probably never find out why my mother and my aunt had their falling out. Whatever it was, we never talked about my parents after they passed, and I didn’t find out about her or her family until I met her that day. Don’t get me wrong, Solar Flare wasn’t a bad mare, and she didn’t treat me any different from her own daughter, but at the time, it felt like she just wanted to forget about my mom and dad, and that she expected me to do the same.”

“I suspect what happened was as painful for her as it was for you, dear. She simply didn’t know how to address it.” Rarity shrugged and admitted, “At least, that’s what I’m hoping happened.”

“You’re probably right, but I wanted so much to get away from them and get back to Canterlot. In a lot of ways, that’s where things started going wrong for me.” Sunset sighed and admitted, “I didn’t feel like I belonged there. Aunt Flare, Uncle Blue Streak and my cousin? They were all pegasi, like I told you. We might’ve all been ponies, but a unicorn in a pegasus family’s going to be left out no matter what. And at the time, I found my uncle and cousin kinda annoying. Uncle Streak was always trying to ramble on about some old story or another, from Snowdrop to the Order of Gallopfrey to whatever. As for my cousin, well…” A sad smile crossed her face. “She took one look at me and accepted me immediately. I wasn’t a cousin, I was a big sister.”

“Sounds just like how Apple Bloom reacted to findin’ out Pinkie was kin.” Applejack gave an encouraging smile as she asked, “What was her name, darlin’?”

“Sunrunner. But she always wanted me to call her ‘Runnie’.” At the perplexed looks from the other girls, Sunset explained, “She wanted us to have nicknames. We couldn’t call each other ‘Sunny’; according to her, it’d just get confusing. I’d call her Runnie, and she’d call me ‘Shims’. I never did, though. I avoided her like the plague, spent all my free time cooped up in our bedroom studying magic. I thought if I could do something amazing with it, I’d be able to go back to Canterlot.”

Pinkie’s sad pouting at this point in the story was interrupted by Fluttershy asking, “Did you?”

“I did.” She gestured to the bisected yellow and red sun on her shirt and explained, “A pony earns their cutie mark when they realize where their talents lie and what they want most out of life. In my case, I wanted to not be forgotten, to shine above the rest. I managed a magical feat that few fillies my age could do when I earned mine, and not long afterwards, I ended up going back to Canterlot to take the entrance exam for Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. I was probably the only applicant there who already had their mark.”

“And you got accepted.”

“Yeah, but you knew that already. How I got there was the interesting part. There were two parts to the entrance exam, a written test and a practical one. I didn’t even take the written part thanks to what happened on my practical exam.” She straightened up in her chair and elaborated, “They had me try to hatch a dragon egg in two minutes or less. I pulled out the best spell I knew for the job, the Dragonfire Spell, and I honestly thought I’d manage it, but I didn’t.”

“Must’ve been furious.”

“I was. I fumed to myself about it. Mostly it was because I wasn’t good enough to do it; I promised myself afterwards that I had to be better and stronger with my magic. A tiny little part of it was because I felt sorry for the dragon, though.” Sunset glanced over the girls as she explained, “Dragons aren’t a part of Equestrian society. They have their own lands separated from Equestria by the sea, and as far as I know, any that live in Equestria are solitary. The only times they come through pony lands are during their migrations. I figured that was the only way a dragon egg could end up at the school; it was left behind, maybe even on purpose, and found by ponies.”

“And you related to that, having felt like you’d been abandoned yourself.” Sunset nodded, and Rarity gave a mournful sound. “Oh darling. You still became Princess Celestia’s student, however.”

“Yes, but I wasn’t the one to hatch that egg. Twilight ended up doing it years later. Another point in the jealousy column for me, though looking at it now, I think it worked out okay for Spike.” She sighed sadly as she continued, “But you all know what came after that. In the years that passed between then and me coming here, I studied hard, got better and better with my magic, but I let it all go to my head. When I saw the mirror for the first time, saw myself as an alicorn, I got obsessed with it, and here we are.”

The fashionista managed an encouraging smile. “Well, all’s well that ends well, dear. Had you never come here, we’d have never met you, or Twilight or Spike. Granted, some bad happened along the way, but it ultimately led to some good.”

Sunset shrugged. “Maybe. You’ve all forgiven me, and I’m glad for that, but what are the chances others will do the same? All my time as Celestia’s student, Runnie sent me letters. I never read them, much less answered them, just threw them all away. And that’s ignoring all I’ve done here. Flash wasn’t wrong to dump me, and after what happened last week, it’s no surprise Sweetie Belle tried to melt me, or Scootaloo was so freaked out, or Apple Bloom so scared.”

“How they treat you is their problem, Sunset. We know you’re on the up-and-up, and with time enough, they’ll figure out the same.”

“Indeed.” Picking up where Applejack left off, Rarity added, “And for now, you have us, and we’ve all forgiven you your past… well, your past boo-boos.”

“Just like Twilight said, you just gotta be patient.” Pinkie beamed and elaborated, “It’s like waiting for your gifts on Christmas! If you’re a good little girl and wait, you’ll be guaranteed to get something nice under the tree!”

Sunset laughed. “That’s one way to look at it.” Her gaze swept over the table at the girls, and she smiled. It felt good having them as a part of her life, and she was glad for it. Only time would tell if her family missed her, or if she’d see them again. “I wonder if Twilight and her friends can find Runnie and my aunt and uncle.”

“Might help some if they knew who they were lookin’ for.” Applejack shrugged. “Just a thought.”

“True enough.” Sunset briefly turned to look out one window, the moon starting to rise into the night’s sky above, and she quietly wondered what her cousin was up to back in Equestria, and if she missed her.

It was a calm, clear evening in Canterlot, slightly chilly due to it being early in the spring but not unpleasant, the moon clear in the night sky. Nights like this made Beacon Light wish his wings had feathers instead of a light bit of fur; every little bit helped on night patrol, and the cold was hardly pleasant for thestrals like him. He kept his leathery wings tucked close to his sides, looking forward to the end of his patrol and the chance to swing inside and get something hot to drink. The hot cocoa in the break room tasted terrible, but at least it was…

He stopped and caught sight of a mare in golden armor, possibly one of his counterparts in the Day Guard, standing in one of the castle courtyards. “Excuse me!” He trotted over. “Excuse me, but…!”

The mare turned to face him, her rank insignia coming into view. She caught sight of his rank and asked, “Something wrong, Sergeant?”

He halted and stood up. “No Lieutenant, apologies. I just wanted to know what you were doing out here.”

She smiled sadly and explained, “I’m looking at the moon. No problems with that, I hope?”

“Of course not, ma’am, I just usually don’t see anypony out here this time of night.” He narrowed his golden, cat-like eyes warily and asked, “Princess Celestia’s favorite aerial formation is…?”

“The Icaranian Sun Salutation.” The mare raised an eyebrow and asked a question in return. “What did Scorpan say to Star Swirl on the eve of his departure?”

Beacon Light paused, uncertain of how to answer. “I don’t know…”

The mare grinned. “Good news then. Neither of us is a changeling.” She sighed. “I don’t mind your caution, soldier. I’d check too if I found an unfamiliar pony on my rounds.” She turned back to the moon and explained, “Princess Celestia isn’t the only pony to lose a relative. She’s just the one with the longest confirmed time to wait to see them again. I’m just out here thinking of all the ponies that haven’t come home, for one reason or another.”

The Night Guard nodded in understanding. “I’ll leave you to it, ma’am. Good night.” He went back to his rounds, his mind starting to turn elsewhere as he went back to his duties. Very shortly, however, he found his attention caught by something else.

“Shims?”

He turned back to find the officer had removed her helmet, her short-cut crimson and yellow mane revealed as she looked up into the night sky. He was just close enough to see some tears form in her eyes as she softly sang.

“Please, I know you’re out there,

I still wonder where you’ve gone.

You’ll come back someday, I hear;

I know it’s true,

I’m waiting here for you,

With every dawn.

Wanted us to be together.

I wish I could see.

Whatever did I do?

Do you want to build a snowmare?”

She closed her eyes and softly sobbed, “I still want to build that snowmare…”

A soft moan escaped her lips as Sunset opened her eyes, dim light starting to cascade into her bedroom through the drapes. Her eyes went to the alarm clock on her nightstand – seven thirty AM. She sat up in bed and smiled, almost wanting to pinch herself to make certain this wasn’t a dream.

But she didn’t have to. It wasn’t. She’d had a great night… no, a great week with her friends, minor issues aside. She smiled; two weeks ago, she’d have never even imagined wanting to have friends, let alone with the girls that she’d torn apart. Then again, she had expected a very different outcome to what had happened last week. But all things considered, things had worked out better this way. She still had fences to mend, issues to fix, ponies to reconnect with, but those were issues for another time. Today, she had something else to deal with. She’d moved into her apartment, had furniture and assorted things to entertain her in her off-time, but as Rarity had said, there was decorating to be done.

First things first, however; she needed a shower.

She climbed out of bed, went over to her pseudo-closet and combed through the drawers, picking out something to wear. Rarity and Fluttershy would be by around ten to take her out shopping, which gave her plenty of time, but there was no sense in not being organized. Clothes laid out and ready on the bed, she stepped into her small bathroom and got the hot water running in her shower. Her gaze swept over the room as she found a small radio, safely out of the path of any water, and turned it on, a song from the eighties streaming out loud and clear.

Sunset smiled sadly, suddenly wishing she still had that guitar Flash had given her. It would’ve been great to learn a few songs on it. She sighed; that was another reunion she wasn’t looking forward to. One more bridge to be crossed, she supposed.

She stripped off her nightclothes and undies, the former tossed onto her bed and the latter in a laundry hamper, and stepped into the shower, warm water meeting her skin as she gave herself an initial rinse. The radio was just loud enough that she could hear it over the water, one song dying down as another started up. Her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized it as a tune she’d heard on the radio once, back when she and Flash were still dating. A small bit of body wash in one hand, she lathered up and started cleaning herself, the lyrics coming back to her crystal clear.

“Livin’ with my eyes closed

Goin’ day to day

I never knew the difference

I never cared either way

Lookin’ for a reason

Searchin’ for a sign

Reachin’ out with both hands

Gotta feel the kick inside…”

As she went into the chorus, Sunset’s head started bobbing with the rhythm, genuine joy overtaking her for the first time in a very long time. Yes, she would have trials to face ahead of her, but she’d work through it. Right now, she was free, a warm feeling building up inside her for the first time since…

She screamed and pushed her arms in front of her by instinct, heavy breathing replacing the singing. Was that what she’d thought it was? She hadn’t felt it since the week before, when she’d put on Twilight’s crown, and the only time she’d felt that before that since coming to this world had been…

…Had been her brief trip back to Equestria.

She looked up, her hands still their normal five-digited selves rather than the four-clawed talons of a demon. Her skin was still light amber, and a tentative inspection showed that her ears were still rounded and close to her head rather than pointed sharply away. She pushed herself against a wall, confirming the lack of tattered bat-like wings. She ran her tongue along her teeth; no fangs. But what relief she felt was practically nonexistent, and she spent the rest of the shower in silence as she washed herself off and rinsed out her hair. Turning on the radio probably wasn’t the smartest idea.

After several minutes, she turned the shower off and pulled a towel out from a waiting rack, running it through her hair before gently drying herself and finishing by wrapping it around her torso. A deep breath, and she stepped out of her shower, closing the door behind her and looking into the bathroom mirror…

Another brief scream as she saw not her reflection, but the demon she’d become grinning back at her, laughing maniacally as she closed her eyes tight. “It isn’t real! It isn’t real!” A deep breath, and she opened and looked again, seeing herself again, traces of fear still on her face. She stepped forward and put a hand to the mirror. If what she’d felt was what she genuinely thought it was, then maybe that monster was still inside her, waiting to come out.

“I’m better off not knowing.”

Author's Note

Whew. So very glad to have this out. Apologies for rehashing previous information, but that's just how I ended up writing this one.

For those curious, Sunset's loft apartment is inspired by that of Richard Castle. I'm very glad to say there's a lot of reference materials for said loft online, from set photos to blueprints. I've made some small modifications, as there's no clearly marked bathroom on there and nothing about the second floor. Room to explore later, eh?

Sunrunner's riddle to Beacon Light is inspired by one from Norse myth involving Odin, which inspired a similar riddle in the "Gargoyles" fandom. I don't recall the former, but the latter goes, "What did Titanya whisper into Fox's ear on the night of the Gathering?" - it does have an answer, but she doesn't know it. The answer's between Star Swirl and Scorpan.

The song Sunset listens to in the shower is, of course, "All Fired Up", written by Kerryn Tolhurst and made famous by Pat Benatar. It's a personal favorite song and I wanted an excuse to include it somewhere. Was going to use it for a later story, but then Hasbro gave her an official song along similar lines, and well, there you are. That particular song will make it into a future story, assuming I find the time to write it.

Chapter Seven - A Day With Flash Sentry

“Sister? You are being quite pensive.”

Celestia looked up from her breakfast, pancakes laced with crystal berries and lathered in thick syrup with a side of hay bacon, a cup of tea resting beside her main serving. Luna had a similar spread, some fruit on a plate between them already mostly gone thanks to one of their two tablemates. “Forgive me, Luna, but recent events have given me much to consider.” She looked back down upon her meal, spearing some of her pancakes with her fork as she continued, “My mistakes in particular.”

The younger of the two sisters rolled her eyes. “Celie, if we were to compare mistakes, I doubt yours would measure up to mine. Poor choices were made, the fault is shared between multiple parties, and so on. That others were left to pick up the pieces is unfortunate, but that often happens with life. Even in the case of nigh-immortals such as ourselves.”

A soft coo, and Celestia turned to find Philomena’s gaze upon her, the normally puckish phoenix looking concerned for her friend and caretaker. The princess smiled and assured her, “Don’t worry. I’m not thinking of doing anything too foolish.”

“One would hope not. I’ve enough to worry about.” Luna gently offered a crystal berry to her own pet. “Another, Tibbles?”

The opossum nodded and took the berry in his paws, nibbling at it with gusto. Though he much preferred to be called ‘Tiberius’, he had no objection to Luna’s pet name for him, especially so long as he was kept well-fed and had adequate sleep. Neither was a problem for the pet of a princess, however, so he was a satisfied marsupial.

Philomena rolled her eyes at her fellow pet and went back to her cup of water, gently sipping from it while Celestia stifled a giggle, thoughts of sibling rivalry going through her mind.

“Though forgive my curiosity for asking this rather obvious question, but what are you specifically planning?”

“Luna, you recall the details of Twilight’s report, what happened to her human friends and Sunset Shimmer?” At her younger sibling’s nod, Celestia added, “So far as we know, humans do not possess magic like that, at least not in that reality and not in so tangible a form. Even ignoring that, a great deal has happened over the last year that I saw coming, and prepared for, but did little otherwise to ready others for. I can’t help but feel, after everything that has happened, I’ve left Twilight and her friends out of the loop on far too much. There’s a great deal they don’t know about, after all.”

“And you think it is time to fill them in on the bigger picture, lest you risk alienating one whom you’ve come to see as a surrogate child? Despite taking a number of precautions with her that you did not with her predecessor?” At Celestia’s nod, Luna laughed and declared, “I believe the modern parlance is, ‘it’s about time’! I only hope that Twilight is not the only one whom you intend to inform.”

“Of course not. She isn’t the only one who needs to be informed, after all.” Celestia smiled as she noted, “Some will be harder to contact than others, however, but we’ve the means to manage it.”

“You can manage this, dear.”

“I know.” Sunset Shimmer found herself walking unsteadily as she and her friends made their way to the school. “I’m just suddenly wishing that week had gone by a little more slowly.”

It was early, students just beginning to make their way inside, but there was more than enough light for her to see the front entrance. As she approached, Sunset could see that the damage she’d done had indeed nearly been repaired. The crater between the front entrance and the statue had been filled in, new concrete walkways having been laid in and new soil put in place, posts and tape blocking the students off in order to protect same until new grass could grow. The front entrance wasn’t quite as far along, but it was far enough that students were able to use it once more. A part of Sunset wanted to think of it as the scars of her reign healing, but she doubted it would be that simple.

“Now don’t you worry yourself, sugarcube.” Applejack gave her an encouraging slap on the back and offered, “Just gotta take this one step at a time, and you’ve made yourself plenty ‘a mighty big steps.”

“And you know you got us on your side.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “So relax, huh?”

A deep breath, and Sunset nodded. “Alright. But it’s not a good sign that I can already feel the daggers being glared into my back.”

“And those purely metaphorical daggers will fade with time, darling.” Rarity smiled encouragingly. “Now unfortunately, our lockers are scattered throughout the building, and we don’t share our first period class, so…”

“So I’m on my own.” They finally entered the school, and Sunset looked to each of them. “Well, less on my own than I was before. Thanks girls, I think I’ll be okay. Catch you all at lunch, right?”

“That’s a promise!” Pinkie Pie gave her a quick hug before dashing off as quickly as she could, the group breaking off as Sunset made her way on her own.

As she continued on her way, her gaze went to one side, just past the trophy case and the lineup of photos for the previous three princesses between the Fall Formal and the Spring Fling; the one photo of her that didn’t suggest something evil was gone, the following two having been moved to one side to make room for a photo of Twilight. That there were a number of messages and gifts left under the photo told her everything she needed to know; Twilight wouldn’t be forgotten anytime soon.

The few odd students who were present as she continued on to her locker gave her brief glances, more than a few whispering among themselves as she nervously smiled and waved. They dispersed quickly, however, which gave her some comfort, and she found her locker, its surface bare. She took comfort in that, too, but it was small; it just meant that if anyone was going to target her, they weren’t going to be obvious about it.

Another deep breath, and she turned the combination lock and opened her locker, putting away the things she’d need for later in the day and retrieving what she needed for her first few classes. Maybe if she was lucky, she’d avoid running into anyone who didn’t bear her a grudge.

She sighed; was this how Fluttershy had felt all that time without the girls? Had she lived in fear of running into her in particular, or anyone in general? She shook her head and steeled herself. Mistakes had been made, and now was time for her to make up for them. The real question was if anyone beyond her new friends and their families, and of course Celestia and Luna, would give her a chance. She closed her locker and turned, her unease turning to surprise. “What are you two doing here?”

Before her with uneasy expressions on their faces were her two minions, Snips and Snails. They quickly snapped off salutes as the former answered, “Reporting for duty, Sunset Shimmer!”

“Yeah! So, what’s the plan?”

At Sunset’s raised eyebrow, Snips elaborated, “The plan to get back at the girls for what happened at the Fall Formal.” He turned nervous as he prodded, “Is there a plan?

Sunset regarded them for a second before she smiled. “There isn’t one. It’s over, boys. I’m done.” She slung her backpack over her shoulders and explained, “No more schemes, no more plots, no more ploys. I’m through being the Queen Bee of Canterlot High.”

The two looked at one another in disbelief, Snails finally wondering aloud, “So, no revenge?”

“Nope.” The two boys relaxed almost immediately at that, clearly relieved at hearing Sunset’s declaration, which prompted her to laugh. “Don’t want to go through all of that all over again, do you?”

“Nah, Dad read me the riot act over the suspension.” Snips slumped his shoulders and added, “When I wasn’t cleaning out the gutters.”

Snails nodded as he drawled, “And it was kinda embarrassing getting beaten by rainbows and lasers and stuff, eh?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Well, play nice and it won’t happen again. Now, you two still have anything you gathered for me? Research material, whatever?”

“Nope. Got rid of it all, just like you told us to do the last time.”

“Good, I don’t need it anymore.” She waved them off. “Now go on, you two don’t have to take orders from me anymore. So I suggest you get to class before the rumors start spreading faster.”

The pair complied, and Sunset watched them go on their way. She shook her head, hoping that the two would keep their noses clean and avoid causing further trouble in the future, before turning around and starting on her way. They’d probably be alright; she was the one giving orders, after all, and…

“Whoa!”

She was shaken out of her reverie by the sudden impact, stepping back and instinctively putting a hand against one wall. “Sorry, I was distract…!” Shock was clear on Sunset’s face as she realized whom she’d bumped into. “Flash.”

Right before her in all of his blue-haired glory was Flash Sentry, her ex-boyfriend and one of the many stepping stones on her rise to power in Canterlot High. An awkward expression on his face, he offered, “Hey.”

“Hey.” Sunset nervously smiled, not sure what to say at that point. What exactly do you say to the boy who dumped you, quite righteously, for being a self-obsessed bitch? Who had, up until said incident, been firmly in your corner despite his misgivings? The same person whom you’d briefly turned into a mindless thrall after turning yourself into a raging monster?

Thankfully, the issue was taken out of her hands as he asked, “You okay, Sunset?”

A shrug. “Yeah, I guess. You are, obviously. Okay. I mean.”

The two kept up an awkward silence, both looking away from one another before finally locking eyes and attempting to speak at the same time.

“Flash, I know…”

“Sunset, I…”

Both paused, and the tension was broken as they shared a brief smile and Flash offered, “You first.”

“Thanks.” Sunset took a breath and started, “Flash, you’ve got every right to not believe me after everything we’ve been through, but just hear me out. You were right to dump me, and to say all that you did. I was a monster, even if I didn’t see it. What I did to the girls was wrong. I meant what I said that night, after everything happened. I am sorry.” She kept her head up and eyes forward, unlike what had happened with Princess Celestia, and admitted, “You deserved much better than me.”

Flash regarded her quietly before gently telling her, “You weren’t that bad.” He smiled, much to her surprise, and assured her, “If you were, I wouldn’t believe you.” Sunset’s eyes widened in surprise, and at his nod, she laughed in joyful relief. “Wow. Never heard you laugh like that before. You must’ve really been nervous seeing me.”

“Oh, like you wouldn’t believe.” She shook her head, but kept her eyes on him as she added, “But I’ve had lots of that over the last ten days, trying to make up for being a bitch.” Before he could protest, Sunset raised a hand. “And don’t say otherwise, I was one. You and Twilight worked out much better than you and I did.”

Flash turned uneasy at the mention of his date for the Fall Formal. “Yeah, can we talk about that? Later, I mean. Maybe in the library?”

“Sure. You’ve still got a free period before lunch, right?” A nod, and Sunset revealed, “So do I. See you then.” She stepped past him and continued on her way, relief on her face. She wondered exactly what Flash wanted to talk about regarding Twilight, but this last conversation had gone much better than the one before it. That alone was worth smiling over.

Sunset Shimmer couldn’t help but smile as the words continued to float through her head. The princess of this year’s Spring Fling was exactly who it was meant to be, exactly who it was for last year’s and the Fall Formal inbetween – her. She didn’t even care what sort of unflattering picture Photo Finish had no doubt snapped of her as she’d celebrated her triumph. The crown was hers, and there was nothing anyone could do about it, especially Princess Celestia.

Becoming a princess was something to be earned? Hah! She’d reached out and taken it, and crushed all the opposition that could oppose her. As if some pretentious little nobody could match up to someone like her. That girl and her friends wouldn’t be a problem anymore; that was for certain. Now the only thing left was a dance with her ‘boyfriend’, and the evening would be finished.

If only she could find him.

Her gaze swept over the gym, a few students backing off as she approached, but she couldn’t find hide nor hair of her target. Finally getting fed up, she decided on the next best thing; asking someone else to point him out. Unlike Flash, his bandmates were a little easier to spot, Brawly Beats being the closest to her as he retrieved a bottle of fizzy apple cider. She cringed inwardly, thinking about how often she had to chug that stuff down. Couldn’t they have something else at school functions, like normal cider? She approached and, doing her best to conceal her frustration, called, “Brawly!” The drummer almost jumped in shock as he turned to face her, and didn’t even get a chance to ask what she wanted before she barked, “Where’s Flash?!”

He pointed towards the door and started to explain, “He said he needed a second…!”

Sunset brushed him off and strode out of the gym, not taking long at all for her to find her date for the evening. Flash was standing near the vending machines, his back to her and his arms crossed. She smirked and slowly approached; if he was half as thick as she thought he was, the way he acted at times, he was probably trying to work out something to say before giving her some celebratory gift. She’d accept, of course, and they’d continue on, the happy couple at the top of the heap.

A smooth smile on her face, she approached. “I was wondering where you’d gotten off to.” She gently laid a hand on his shoulder and asked, “Aren’t you going to…?”

“Hand off, Sunset.”

She paused with surprise. “What’s wrong, Flash?”

“I said ‘hand off’.” He brushed her hand off his shoulder and turned about, his eyes locking upon Sunset with a fierce and clearly angry expression. “You know exactly what’s wrong.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Enlighten me.”

“I know what you’ve done, Sunset! I’m not stupid! You sabotaged Rarity!” Before she could protest, he rattled off, “Right after she made her bid for the crown, she has a falling out with Pinkie Pie. Then Pinkie Pie has a falling out with Fluttershy, and then Applejack and Rainbow Dash fall out with each other!”

“Coincidences.”

“Very convenient coincidences for you.”

A scoff. “You act like it’s a big deal that she didn’t win.”

“Her losing isn’t the big deal, but what you did to win is! I’ve known her and her friends since our first year here! They’re close, despite all the differences they’ve got, and you tore it all apart, for what, some stupid crown that isn’t going to matter in six months? How can you justify something like that?”

Sunset looked at him in stunned silence. “What did you say?”

“I said, how can you…?!”

“Before that, you idiot!” Anger surging through her veins, she volleyed right back at him. “This crown isn’t stupid! You know what this represents?! It means everything to me! I’ve worked tooth and nail to get this on my head, and no one, especially not some two-bit seamstress with delusions of grandeur or her so-called friends are going to keep it from me!”

Flash’s eyes narrowed dangerously as his voice went low. “It means everything to you. More important than anything else. I guess that includes me.” He turned and strode off. “It’s over, Sunset. We’re over.”

It took a second for her to realize that he’d meant it, but she brushed the matter aside without a second thought. Flash wasn’t bad looking for an ape, she had to admit, but she didn’t need him anymore. She was at the top of the pecking order around here, with or without him.

Still, a part of her couldn’t help but think he had a point. She’d be going through this all over again for the Fall Formal, right around the next time the portal back to Equestria would open. She didn’t have a reason to go back, save maybe throwing all of this in Princess Celestia’s face, but being a princess here didn’t matter there. If only there was some way to get genuine power in either world…

She dismissed the thought. Time would tell, one way or another.

Time seemed to go by in a blur for the rest of the morning, Sunset somehow managing to ignore the sidelong glances and cruel looks from her fellow students and taking great comfort in that being the worst of what she got. She wondered how much of that she had to thank Principal Celestia for, and how much was thanks to Twilight.

Finally, her free period came, and she made her way to the library, Flash approaching from the opposite direction. She smiled in relief, and the two entered together. “Any reason why here in particular?”

“I thought we’d have a little privacy here.” Light was streaming in from above, the dome of glass high above their heads showing a brilliant, cloudless blue sky, as Flash led her to a disused corner of the library and elaborated, “That and I saw something last week. It’s part of what I want to talk about with you.” They reached a dusty corner of the library’s second floor and Flash asked, “What does that look like to you?”

Sunset smiled, remembering some of the messages she and Twilight had exchanged, as she looked upon the makeshift structure. “It’s a bed made out of books.” She approached and sat down upon it, her backpack slipped off and resting at her feet and her left arm resting on the ‘pillow’ at the head. “Not as soft as a mat in the equipment locker, but definitely her style.”

If he was in any way surprised, Flash didn’t show it as he sat down beside her. “I figured Twilight for a book lover. I didn’t think it went this far, though.”

“Just for her first night. Rarity offered her a room that Thursday.” Sunset caught herself, and laughed as she realized, “You figured it out, didn’t you?”

“Not all of it, just the big stuff.” Flash turned to her and explained, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but everyone who was at the Fall Formal remembers what happened, even if some of them aren’t talking about it. What happened to you when you put on that crown, what you did to us, what happened to Twilight and the girls? I don’t have your memory, but some stuff sticks out. Little details, about someplace called ‘Equestria’. That’s where she went, isn’t it? Where you and her came from?” She nodded, and he laughed. “Wow. My ex and my new crush are aliens.”

Sunset laughed and protested, “Flash! Twilight and I aren’t aliens!” She paused for a moment and considered, “Okay, we kinda are, I guess, but the portal goes to a parallel world, not another planet.” At his surprise, she added, “Equestria’s the nation we come from. We still call the planet ‘Earth’, and it’s a lot like this one, just with some differences.”

“Like magic?”

“And then some. This isn’t even what I really look like.” She offered a reassuring smile and added, “If it helps you feel any better, you did dance with a real princess that night.”

“Really? What about you?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “No. But I wanted to be one.” She sighed and explained, “I was a student of magic under my world’s Celestia; she’s a princess too, along with my world’s Luna. I demanded that she make me one too, she refused and expelled me, and I fled through a portal to this world to spite her. Finding out about Twilight just made it worse, and I went back and stole her crown, hoping to use its magic to give me what I wanted.” She turned shameful as she added, “Obviously, it didn’t work out that way. All I did with it was show the world how much of a monster I was.”

“You could still go back, right?”

“Not right now. The portal’s only open for three days every thirty moons. It closed after Twilight and Spike went through, and it won’t open again until right around the time we graduate.” She sat up and explained, “A moon in this case is the period of time from one full moon to another, about twenty-eight days. Thirty moons is about thirty months.”

“Two and a half years.” Flash turned somber at that realization. “Wow. That’s a long time. Not a really long time, but still…” He suddenly turned guilty and amended, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”

“It’s okay, I understand. You really got to like her while she was here.”

“I did.” A sad smile crossed his face. “It wasn’t like how it was with you. I remember you taking an interest in me, pursuing me, all that. I won’t say I didn’t enjoy it, a cute girl coming onto me instead of the other way around. Believe it or not, you girls are intimidating. And it was fun teaching you to play guitar.” He looked to her and asked, “You got rid of it, didn’t you? The guitar I gave you for Christmas last year?”

A sad nod. “Another big mistake, selling that thing. I was actually getting good.” She grinned and admitted, “Of course, I had a good teacher.”

Flash grinned back with some pride before turning back to the subject. “Why me, though? There’s tons of guys in this school.”

“Yeah, but there was only one you.” Sunset shamefully admitted, “I was obsessed with power. One way of getting it is to get close to those who have it. In a school like this, power and popularity are the same thing. You were popular. You still are, and it wasn’t hard to see why. People like you. Heck, even dating me didn’t hurt you that much once folks started figuring out what I was like.”

Flash shook his head. “I wish I was as sure of that as you are. There’s a reason I never tried to patch things up between the girls after you and I broke up; I didn’t think they’d believe me. Worse, I thought they’d be angry with me by proxy, or think I was just being petty.” He smiled. “That’s part of why I liked Twilight so much. She was barely here three days, and she went and did something I couldn’t do for months; she brought them back together, and brought the school together in the process.”

“It didn’t hurt that she was adorably awkward.”

The boy nervously grinned and admitted, “Well, I do have a soft spot for that sort of girl. Two for two so far, even if only one was actually attracted to me.” He suddenly turned nervous and asked, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I wasn’t a ‘beard’ for you, was I?”

“A…?” It took a second for Sunset to process that before she laughed. “No! No, I’m definitely into guys! And I do genuinely like you, just not that way.” She grinned and admitted, “You are cute though, and it’s no shock that Twilight fell for you too.”

Flash eyed her warily and wondered aloud, “You’re not trying to get back together with me, are you?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, romance is the last thing I’m worried about right now.” She offered a hand and asked, “But I wouldn’t object to trying for a different relationship. Being friends, maybe?”

A smile crossed his face, and he took the hand. “I can try that.”

“Good. Thanks.” Sunset grinned as she turned from her ex to her backpack. “Now, as your friend, I’m going to give you some advice. You need closure.” She reached into her bag and pulled out her message journal. “And I think someone else we know does too.” At Flash’s curious expression, Sunset explained, “The portal might be closed, but I’ve got other ways of getting in touch with Equestria.”

Sunset both did and didn’t miss Equestria. Over the last thirty moons, she’d gotten accustomed to walking on two legs, to manipulating objects with her hands, to living her life as a human. Here, she had what she wanted most, to stand above the rest and not be forgotten. But it was the rare day that she didn’t miss having magic, and there were times even now where she’d love a good HBLT. It’d taste different with human taste buds, but she’d probably get past it. But there was one thing she really missed about Equestria; not having to deal with laundry day.

She honestly didn’t know what was the worst thing about laundry day, but there was a list. First, of course, was having to deal with it in the first place, but if she didn’t, then her clothes would look terrible, and one of the first things she’d learned was that dirty clothes did not win you popularity, especially if you were a girl. Second was how it was dealt with – the school, being a school, didn’t have washing machines, so it was either clean her clothing in a sink or take a short walk to the local laundromat. Despite the walk, the latter option was most sensible attracted the least attention. Third was cost. Couldn’t a washing machine or a dryer have a slot for a debit card instead of coin slots? It was just another inconvenience.

Her clothes in a laundry bag, she glanced over her shoulder at the mirror opposite the one leading back to the school. She guessed it led back to Equestria, but she’d never been able to prove it; it had always been solid to the touch. As her eyes lingered on the mirror, she idly considered going back when the portal next opened, for nostalgia more than anything else. How would Princess Celestia react to seeing her most gifted student after all these years? A tiny part of her, even if she didn’t want to admit it, did miss her former teacher, and wanted to go back only to tell her that she’d gotten real power.

But she knew how that would go. Celestia still wouldn’t make her an alicorn, no matter what she did. How dare she? The laundry bag slung over one shoulder, Sunset set a determined look on her face and turned away. There was nothing for her back in Equestria, despite her idle fantasies telling her otherwise.

And that was when two unicorn colts stumbled through the portal, gawking like idiots in amazement until they laid eyes upon Sunset, her eyes locked on them in return.

It took all of a second for the two of them to scream like fillies and start running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Whatever shock Sunset had upon seeing them faded immediately as she dropped her laundry and approached them, watching as they ran into one another and fell on their plots. She took advantage of their momentary disorientation to give them both hard whacks on their horns, and then picked the two up, both back to screaming as she did so, albeit in a more coherent manner.

“It’s got us, Snips! What’re we gonna do?!”

“I dunno!”

“SHUT UP! Both of you!” They immediately went silent as she examined them, realizing that they looked very familiar. “What are you two doing here?”

The smaller of the two colts, pudgy with buck teeth and a pair of scissors for a cutie mark, gulped and answered, “We didn’t mean to disturb you, honest! We got separated from our class and found this mirror thing and we walked through it…”

“Please don’t hurt us! We’re just in Canterlot for the coronation!”

That immediately caught Sunset’s attention. “Coronation? What do you mean, coronation?”

The two colts looked to one another, and the taller one reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a newspaper in his teeth. The smaller one explained. “Uh, this coronation. For Princess Twilight.”

Sunset immediately dropped Snips, took hold of the paper and then dropped Snails – who else could the lanky freckled colt be? – and examined her prize. Pictured upon the front cover was a lavender mare a few years younger than her, dressed in a fancy gown with golden hoofshoes and a crown, wings emerging from her back and a horn from her…

“Princess…Twilight?!”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Snips looked up at her excitedly and explained, “She’s amazing! She used to be a unicorn, and Princess Celestia’s student, and now she’s an alicorn!”

Her eyes narrowed in rage as she scrutinized the photo. Who was this mare, and what had she done to get the princess treatment that she hadn’t? What made her so…?

That was when she realized that the crown upon her head wasn’t just a crown, a gem like a six-pointed star embedded in it as if to taunt her. “The Element of Magic.”

“Yeah, she found the Elements of Harmony and stuff,” Snails drawled. “It’s really awesome.”

Her gaze turned back to the two colts, both of whom looked up at her with fear. She considered what to do with them, but a part of her thought that if she waited too long, they’d end up wetting themselves. “How did you two get here?”

“We heard these two guards talking about packing up mirrors to go with Princess Cadance and this one wasn’t packed up yet, and I stuck my hoof through it and…!”

“Nevermind, stop.” She rolled up the paper with a smile and declared, “Thank you for your information. In return for this newspaper, the two of you may leave with your lives.” She pointed with the paper for emphasis and declared, “Well, go! Before I change my mind!”

The two colts scampered off, Snails muttering something about never telling anypony about what they’d just been through, and Sunset walked over to her bed and examined the newspaper in more detail. Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn from Canterlot, had become an alicorn and declared a princess by Celestia barely two weeks prior. The coronation would be her first appearance as such before a summit taking place in the Crystal Empire the following week.

Her anger threatened to get the better of her. A brother in the royal guard, married to another princess? Celestia’s prized pupil? What had this Twilight filly done that she hadn’t? She’d gotten lucky! The anger didn’t quite fade as she realized that luck didn’t always work in another pony’s favor, however, as she smiled, the dates of the summit matching up with the dates that the portal back to Equestria would reopen.

“You don’t think I can do it, Celestia? Time to prove you wrong.”

“I can’t do it.”

“Can’t do what?” Spike zipped up the last of their luggage, the carry-on bag that Twilight had used to transport her crown to the Crystal Empire in the first place, even as he asked further. “Oh no, don’t tell me you’re still anxious about Sunset.”

“No, not that.” Twilight smiled reassuringly as she turned away from her window to the baby dragon. “You were right about looking at her as a friend who’d need advice from time to time, and I’m happy to give it. Nervous, but happy. She does need friends, after all, and she did regret what she did. I’m talking about something else.” The smile faded as she corrected, “Well, somebody else.” She turned back to the window and explained, “I’ve been trying to figure out if a relationship with Flash is worth pursuing. I’ve talked about it with Rarity, Shining Armor and Celestia, and none of them think it’s a bad idea. And I don’t disagree with them. I just don’t want to hurt the Flash Sentry I know by being with the Flash Sentry in this world.” She huffed and closed her eyes, only to feel a familiar warmth on one side. She opened her eyes to find Spike hugging her with a smile on his face. “What’s this for?”

“You needed it. Plus you’re usually going postal in cases like this.” He raised a claw, ticking off incidents with his digits, “The Smarty Pants mess, that freak out before getting sent to save the Crystal Empire, most times Celestia’s visited us in Ponyville…”

Twilight groaned and protested, “There’s a difference here, Spike. I’m not trying to live up to my responsibilities or to whatever Celestia thinks of me. I’m just not trying to let down someone I care about. I barely know the Flash from this world. What I know about him I like, but I’ve met the one in the human world. He liked me, and I liked him, and I don’t want to feel like I’m going behind his back.”

“So you’re not going to even try getting to know the Flash in this world? Geez, Twilight, this is nothing after all you’ve been through.” Spike scratched behind one ear absentmindedly and admitted, “Then again, I’m probably not the one to talk to about this. Human or pony, getting affection from Rarity’s not something I’ll complain about.”

Twilight giggled and hugged him close with one wing. “Says something, doesn’t it? I charge in against Nightmare Moon and changelings, I go into panic attacks about Celestia, but give me trouble with boys and I don’t know what to do.” She sighed. “But I still wish…” She was interrupted by a knock at her door. One breathing exercise later, she called, “Come in!”

The door swung open, and Princess Celestia entered. “Hello Twilight. Already packing for the return home?”

“I’m just making sure that I don’t leave anything behind by mistake.” Twilight tilted her head in confusion and asked, “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong. I simply need you to pass a message along to…” A loud buzzing interrupted her, and the princess laughed. “I’ve missed that sound.” Twilight trotted to her carry-on and opened it with her magic to reveal the message journal. She opened it and flipped to the newest message, her eyes going over it twice. Both her assistant and her mentor approached, the latter asking, “Is there a problem, Twilight?”

“Yes and no.” Twilight looked up to her and asked, “Were there ever times when you wondered about a decision, and how badly it could go?”

“Too many to count. But more often than not, there were wonderful results, and I’d much rather live with the consequences of my decisions than with the question of what I could have done differently.” An encouraging smile. “And doing nothing was never my style, or yours.”

Twilight smiled back. “No, it wasn’t. Spike?” Her friend produced a quill and inkwell, and she set to work on her response. “Sunset wants me to meet her and a mutual friend in the bridge realm.”

“Good. If you can, please pass a message onto her for me. There’s something I’ve needed to do for a very long time.”

It had felt like an eternity since Sunset had stepped into the bridge realm, despite it only being less than two weeks. It was different this time though, and not just because of her obvious company or the reason behind her visit. “Huh. All the furniture’s gone.” Anticipating Flash’s curious look, she explained, “There was a bed and desk and dresser and chairs and everything.”

“I guess you’d need it if you were living in here.” He nervously smiled and admitted, “Here I thought your parents just wouldn’t approve of you having a boyfriend.”

Sunset grinned and gently nudged him. “My mom and dad would’ve loved me dating someone like you. Same with my aunt and uncle.” She rolled her eyes and added, “That’s probably one of the only things I’ve done in the last few years they would’ve approved of, even if I didn’t do it for the right reasons.” She shook her head and noted, “Anyway, enough about me. Twilight might be a little while, but she’ll be here soon enough. She’ll look a little different from how you saw her last, but don’t worry, you look fine, and you shouldn’t have any trouble recognizing her.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.” Already seeing the unease on his face, she asked, “You’re nervous, aren’t you?”

“A little. I was nervous enough talking to her before, but now? After all this? Magic and portals and other worlds? How do you greet a princess?”

“You could just say hello.”

Flash’s gaze went from Sunset to the mirror opposite them, and soon found itself looking into a very familiar pair of violet eyes. Instead of a cute girl, however, they belonged to a small pony, a horn coming from her head and wings tucked up against her sides. “Twilight?”

A nod. “Hi Flash.” The face was different, but the nervous and friendly smile was the same as she waved a shy hoof. “Surprise.”

He approached slowly and knelt down before her, still processing what he was seeing. He raised an arm and gently ran his hand down her neck, fingers going through her mane before going back up, his fingertips reaching her ears and eliciting a giggle. “Whoa, I…!”

“Sorry!” Twilight gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m kinda ticklish there. Are you alright?”

Flash smiled back. “Yes. And you look beautiful.” He leaned forward and wrapped both arms around her, Twilight reciprocating with one leg. “I’m gonna sound like a complete dork, but I never thought I’d see you again.” They released one another, and he grinned and asked, “So, does everyone dance like you did that night, or just you?”

Twilight blushed and admitted, “Just me. You didn’t hurt anything, did you?”

A nervous expression flashed across his face as he admitted, “Maybe.” He then turned back to his ex and offered, “Thanks, Sunset.” She smiled back and approached as he turned back to Twilight and stated the obvious. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting this. Both girls I’ve liked are really horses.”

The two girls laughed. “Ponies,” Twilight corrected. “We’re ponies, Flash. Small difference.”

Flash smiled. “Doesn’t matter. It’s still great seeing you, no matter how you look.” He gently stroked Twilight’s neck and idly thought out loud, “You must have lots of boys after you.” He paused and corrected himself, “Colts?”

A blush crossed Twilight’s cheeks as she admitted, “Either works. And actually, you were the first.” The blush faded, and her expression became uncertain. “I’m sorry.”

“What’s wrong?”

Twilight took a breath and gathered her strength. “Flash, has Sunset told you anything about the world where she and I come from?”

“Not a lot. I’m guessing making friends isn’t much different between them.”

“No, but I had some help. Fluttershy and Applejack and the rest of the girls? They have counterparts in my world, ponies like me. They’re my best friends.” She spread her wings and added, “I wouldn’t be a princess if it wasn’t for them.”

“There’s another me running around in your world, and Twilight and Spike have their own counterparts according to Pinkie.” Sunset half-shrugged and admitted, “Though her Spike probably doesn’t talk, him being a dog and everything. The Spike from our world’s really a dragon.”

Flash turned to Twilight in surprise. “You have pet dragons?”

“Hey!” The three turned to find the familiar baby dragon approaching them from the direction of the mirror back to Equestria with a disapproving look on his face. “I’m no one’s pet, thank you very much.” He looked to Twilight sheepishly. “Sorry, Twilight, I know you wanted to do this alone, but…”

“It’s alright, Spike.” She wrapped a wing around him and explained, “Officially, Spike’s my number one assistant, but I helped Princess Celestia raise him after I hatched his egg. He’s like a little brother to me.”

“And before you ask?” Spike grinned and flashed a quick thumbs-up. “You had Twilight’s back. That’s good enough for me.”

Flash grinned. “Thanks.” The grin faded as he came to realize what Twilight was building to. “But what you were saying about counterparts. There’s one for me too, isn’t there?”

A nod. “A pegasus. He’s a lieutenant in the Royal Guard, our military. I only just met him the night before I came to your world. I haven’t even said a word to him since I got back.”

“But you like him.”

She smiled. “It wasn’t hard after meeting you. Shining Armor certainly didn’t object to him.” At Flash’s surprise, Twilight explained, “He’s my big brother, and a high-ranking member of the guard. But like I said, I haven’t talked to the Flash Sentry from my world. I kept on…” She groaned. “I’m going to sound like a cliché.”

“She thought talking to the other Flash would be like betraying you.” At Twilight’s sharp look, Spike protested, “What? You gotta get to the point sometime.”

Twilight relented with a bow of her head, then turned back to Flash and explained, “Like I said, you were my first. I didn’t want to hurt you. And what would hurt someone more than going off with someone who was pretty much the same person?”

A tense silence followed, none of the four quite knowing what to say next, before Flash finally asked, “You say there’s another you in my world. Would it hurt you if she and I got to know one another? Had a relationship? Dated?”

Twilight turned away. “I don’t know.” She put on a brave smile and turned back as she admitted, “But if she made you happy, then I wouldn’t mind.”

Flash smiled back. “What makes you think I wouldn’t feel the same way?” He gently put a hand to the side of her head and assured her, “I only saw you for a couple of days, Twilight, but those were good days. He’s got a chance to spend a lot more time with you than that. Don’t deny it to him because of me. Give him, and yourself, a chance to be happy together.” A little more nervously, he added, “But if it works out, and you two start having a real relationship? Tell him about me, and all this. If he can accept that, then you two will have something.” He shrugged. “But what do I know?”

Twilight laughed. “You know enough to be a good man, Flash. That’s more than most.” She turned to her new student, a goofy smile refusing to leave her face. “Thanks, Sunset.”

“My friends needed my help. How could I do nothing?” She grinned and promised, “And I’ll make sure the girls get the message.” At Flash’s curious look, she explained, “Nothing you need to worry about, but I’ll let you know if anything comes up that you should know. Promise.”

Flash nodded and turned back to Twilight. “Well, we need to get going. Free period’s almost over.”

“Go on then, enjoy your lunch!” Twilight waved the two off with a hoof and prompted Spike to follow her out. He made it out first, but she paused before reaching the mirror and took a look back as Sunset and Flash departed. It was time she took a chance of her own.

“So, how does that one work? I mean, can you only go in there for a short time a day or…?”

Sunset laughed. “The bridge realm’s open whenever the other portal’s closed. So if you wanted to, you could see Twilight every once in a while.”

“I could, huh?” Flash smiled at the thought. “Maybe.” He put the thought aside as he turned to his ex and offered, “Thanks, Sunset. You didn’t have to show me all this.”

“No, but I wanted to, and I feel like you deserved it after everything that’s happened.” She chuckled nervously as she added, “That said, it might get awkward if either of us runs into the Twilight of this world, for obvious reasons.”

“Yeah, but that video suddenly makes a lot more sense.” A thought came to him, and he realized, “But one way it could get really awkward? If our world’s Twilight attends Crystal Prep.”

“Ooooh.” Sunset hadn’t cared too much about Canterlot High’s rival school, but she was aware of the rivalry, particularly considering the other school had routinely beaten them in major sporting events. “Yeah, that would get awkward.”

“Sunset Shimmer?” The two turned to find Vice Principal Luna looking upon them curiously, the bell for lunch ringing around them. “Is there something going on I should be aware of?”

Sunset smiled reassuringly. “Just trusting a friend with a secret, Vice Principal Luna.” Flash gave her a surprised look, to which she nodded. “You understand, right?”

Luna gave them a small smile in return. “Yes, but do try to keep things civil? Anyway, that’s not why I’m here.” She held up a folded piece of paper and explained, “One of the custodial staff found this wedged into one of the vents on your locker. I was going to throw it away, but I thought you might want to know about it.”

“Probably not the first hate letter I’ll get now.” Sunset sighed and accepted the note, then unfolded it and examined it, pleasant surprise forming on her face. “Flash? Are these what I think they are?”

Flash Sentry examined the note over her shoulder. “Yeah, and this isn’t hate mail.”

“What does it say?”

Sunset smiled at the vice principal, glad for some privacy, and recited, “I don’t give a damn ‘bout your bad reputation, they’re living in the past it’s a new generation…” She laughed, recognizing the words as lyrics from a song, though it continued with different words. “You shouldn’t care about what they do, just know that I forgive you.” Relieved, she folded the note back up and stuck it in her pocket. “No signature, but I don’t mind.”

“Nor should you.” Luna beckoned them onwards. “Now get on to lunch, both of you.”

The two complied and wordlessly made their way to the cafeteria, several students milling ahead. Most were discussing one thing or another, one bobbing her head to unheard music and causing her striped blue hair to bounce slightly, but no one gave them too much mind as they reached their destination.

What talk had taken place in the lunchroom lessened slightly as Sunset entered, but she kept any trepidation she felt about that to herself, getting in line for lunch and accepting her meal with a smile, Granny Smith smiling back in return. Flash went off to eat with his bandmates with a short wave, and Sunset quietly answered back before she quickly found her way to the girls, Pinkie enthusiastically waving her towards them. “Hey girls. What’s up with you, Pinkie?”

“Pinkie Sense! My ears were tingling!” At Sunset’s curious look, she explained, “When that happens, usually a lotta people are all complaining about something silly and pointless. Usually comes up every Wednesday whenever I’m near a comic book shop.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, not a shocker there.”

“Well, onto other topics.” Rarity gave Sunset an eager look and asked, “Darling, I’m hearing some rather interesting rumors concerning you and Flash Sentry. I can understand him wanting to move on from Twilight…”

Sunset rolled her eyes at how fast rumors flew in a high school. “We aren’t dating again.” She smiled and admitted, “But he and I have patched things up. We’re going to give just being friends a try. And as for Twilight, well, I might’ve helped him and her to get some closure.” She winked. “I think we can trust him with our secret.”

“I agree, and it’s good that you and he are friends now.” Fluttershy smiled and gently added, “It’s a good sign of things to come.”

“Just so long as he ain’t poppin’ inta the bridge world all the time or somethin’.”

“Yeah, speaking of, are any of you up to anything after school?” Sunset smiled at the general chorus of negatives. “Good, because we’ve got a meeting this afternoon with our friends out of town.”

“Whatever for, dear? Is something the matter?”

“No, but Princess Celestia wants to talk with us.”

“Oh?” Rarity gave her a curious expression that was quickly shared by the rest of their tablemates. “Anything in particular?”

Sunset nervously answered, “Everything.”

The Crystal Empire was a beautiful place. Most anypony who went there agreed, and those who didn’t were probably being stubborn. Flash Sentry still was amazed at the fact that he of all ponies ended up being given an assignment out here, in spite of everything that he’d done. Yes, granted, he’d been one of the few ponies still standing towards the end of Queen Chrysalis’ attack on Canterlot, but a tiny part of him worried that he’d be seen as a joke in spite of it, given one reaction during a nightly patrol.

In his defense, opossums had very nasty-looking, needle-like teeth.

Regardless, he was here, and he’d had a very good time thus far. The odd mission in the surrounding areas, yes, a brief command of a retrieval mission that dug up some odd-looking red and black thing that might’ve been a horn, but nothing strenuous. That probably had something to do with him being in the castle guard, of course, and he wasn’t going to complain. He had enough combat to suit him for a while back in Canterlot, and he was glad that the closest he’d come to being injured was literally bumping into Princess Twilight Sparkle twice. Both times had occurred when she was distracted, the first as she’d been presented before her fellows and the second among her friends. Poor mare was probably nervous as all get-out both times. He could relate, after so many reviews with his superiors.

It took everything he had to not crack a smile at that. If his classmates at the Academy had seen him, they would have teased him relentlessly about his new marefriend. He wasn’t about to deny that she was attractive, of course, but somepony like her taking an interest in somepony like him? And even if she did, her brother was his CO, and…

“Excuse me, Lieutenant Flash Sentry?”

He snapped out of his reverie and came to a halt as he turned to face the very mare he’d been thinking of, a friendly if somewhat nervous smile on her face. “Yes, your Highness? How may I help you?”

“I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me to lunch.”

Flash wasn’t quite sure how to process that. “Excuse me, ma’am?”

“Lunch. You and me, eating together and talking. In a restaurant.”

It took a few milliseconds for him to realize what she was asking before he blurted out, “Are you asking me on a date?”

“Yes!” Nervousness took over as she continued, “I’ll understand if you refuse, of course…”

“No, ma’am, it would be a pleasure.” Still not quite believing this as hoofsteps sounded coming towards them, he quickly added, “Just give me a few minutes to report on what I’m doing and…”

“Lieutenant.” He turned to find Prince Shining Armor approaching him, a stern look upon his face. He remained calm as his commanding officer stopped, looked him over, and smiled. “Consider yourself relieved of your duties for the afternoon. I’ll take care of signing you out. Go and enjoy yourself.”

“Yes sir, thank you.” He couldn’t help but notice the two siblings exchange smiles before he and the princess made their way down the corridor and out of the castle. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, ma’am. You looked very nervous your first night here, and exhausted after those first few days. I hope whatever trouble you were having was sorted out.”

“It was, thank you. And you don’t have to be so formal. Just ‘Twilight’ is fine.”

He wasn’t entirely certain that was protocol, but he wasn’t about to argue. “Alright then. Twilight.” He had to admit, it felt very good to say that. “So, you asked me out, I assume you have a place in mind?”

Twilight laughed. “I’ve had very good recommendations for several restaurants near the palace, actually.”

Neither knew, but somewhere in the castle, a pink party pony’s ears tingled, and she found herself wondering what a “why-fue stealer” was. Elsewhere, a pink alicorn felt a stirring, and smiled to herself. And further elsewhere, a cup of tea sat and grew cold as it waited for an older stallion to finish playing the spoons. So far as Flash Sentry was concerned, however, he was in the presence of one of the most famous mares in Equestria, and she’d taken an interest in him.

And he quietly prayed that he wouldn’t screw this up.

Author's Note

And this chapter's where all the hate will start pouring in. Been ready for that for a while, however, so I'll deal.

For the record? I like to try and fit the comics into my storyline wherever possible. I've referred to "Neigh Anything" earlier in the story, and Tiberius made his fuzzy little Quiververse debut here. I was also going to include a nod to the "Friendship Ahoy" story, but that would've complicated the timeline a bit. So far as I'm concerned, it took place after the coronation but before the events of "Equestria Girls". Expect more nods to the comics and the expanded universe in general in the epilogue.

No nods to other fanfics this chapter - at least, no purposeful nods - but if the events of "My Past is Not Today" came to mind for all of you, then I did my job. Also, the note left for Sunset! Those lyrics, of course, come from Joan Jett's "Bad Reputation", but who left it for her? I know who did it, of course, and I intend to reveal their identity in time. And if anyone guesses, well, good for you.

Epilogue - What Dreams May Come

“Now darling, what precisely did you mean by ‘everything’?”

Sunset Shimmer smiled and assured her friends, “That was what Twilight said in her message. Princess Celestia wants to talk with us, and a few others, about everything. I’m guessing all the stuff that went down at the Fall Formal is part of it.”

Rarity pursed her lips as she pondered that while Sunset led them into the teacher’s lounge, Pinkie Pie dashing off to the vending machines for snacks. “Well, it’s no doubt important, and I don’t like the idea of turning down an audience with royalty.”

Applejack grinned as they approached the mirror leading into the bridge realm. “Ain’t exactly the smartest idea last Ah checked.”

One by one, the six entered, all curious as to what would be discussed and eager to learn. The bridge realm had changed its furnishings, still a mostly empty space but lacking the furniture that Sunset had been accustomed to since her first time visiting. Waiting for them near the portal that led back to Equestria were Twilight, Princess Celestia and Spike, the little dragon carrying a stack of books in his arms. The elder alicorn’s gaze swept over the gathered group as she gave them a welcoming smile. “Hello girls. Hello Sunset. I’m glad you could all come at such short notice.”

“Oh, it’s no issue at all, your Highness.” Rarity gave a small curtsey and noted, “You wouldn’t call us here if it wasn’t important, after all. Now, what is it that you wished to discuss?”

“I’m afraid much has weighed upon my mind since Princess Twilight came to your world, and I’ve found myself thinking that it was long since time that I made an effort to fix some of my other mistakes. This meeting, and what will be discussed here, is a crucial part of that.” The princess levitated each of the books out of Spike’s grasp, gently sending one to each of the girls and explained, “One such mistake was keeping others out of the loop when there was important information they needed to know.”

Pinkie Pie quickly looked over the cover and read aloud, “A Brief History of Equestria: Abridged Edition.”

“I’ve highlighted a few areas that you all might be interested in.” Twilight looked to Sunset and explained, “Princess Celestia already filled me and everypony else in on the details earlier today, but there’s some things in there that you definitely need to know about.”

“Thanks, but it might take us all a while.”

“Yeah, especially if we have to leave these here.” Rainbow Dash briefly skimmed through her copy and admitted, “If I’m gonna read a doorstopper, it better be an exciting one.”

“Don’t worry, you can take them with you.” At the curious looks from the girls, Celestia gave a small laugh and asked, “You aren’t curious about how Spike managed to take a piece of paper from your world back to ours without incident?”

“Hey, yeah, I was wondering about that!” The little dragon turned to the princess and asked, “How did I do that?”

“You did nothing. Despite coming from another world, that paper has a similar or identical chemical composition to paper found in our world, making it practically indistinguishable. The same is true of the ink. So long as an object is indistinguishable between the two on a chemical level, and isn’t a living organism, it can use the bridge mirrors to traverse the two realms.”

“Really?” Pinkie’s gaze went from her book to the portal back to Canterlot High before she stepped through, her cargo going with her. She stepped back through none the worse for wear and declared, “Yep, it works! Yay loopholes!”

“I wouldn’t try coming through by wrapping yourselves in paper, though,” Twilight warned. “Whoever made the portals probably considered something like that.”

“I wasn’t about to try it anyway.” A stray thought came to her, and Sunset asked her former teacher, “Who did create the portals? I didn’t get that far in my reading before you caught me.”

Celestia looked briefly to Twilight, then grinned and offered, “Twilight, would you like to tell her, or shall I?”

“Please?” The elder alicorn nodded, and Twilight turned to the gathered students of Canterlot High and gleefully declared, “Star Swirl the Bearded created the portals, back before Princess Luna turned into Nightmare Moon!” Her very un-princess-like squeals of delight rang through the realm as she started hopping up and down on her hooves in excitement. “My mind is still blown!”

“Whoa there, sugar cube!” Applejack let out a low whistle at the young alicorn’s enthusiasm before she asked, “Sounds like this Star Swirl feller’s a big deal.”

Twilight’s eyes glittered with glee. “You have no idea! Star Swirl was one of the most brilliant sorcerers in pony history, dating all the way back to the pre-classical era, and probably the most powerful of all high-level unicorns! He’s the father of the amniomorphic spell, and created over two hundred others, from time spells to age spells to…!”

Sunset laughed despite herself and gently set a hand on her new teacher’s back to calm her, then turned to her new human friends and summarized, “He’s basically our Merlin.” The five girls nodded in understanding, and she turned back to Celestia and realized, “I should’ve known he had a hoof in creating the Crystal Mirror. But why have a feature like that?”

“That I don’t know, but it’s possible he met someone with whom he wanted to collaborate with. Having an easy method of sharing research would be useful in a case like that, and you can’t deny this hasn’t been useful for other things.”

A sad smile crossed the flame-haired girl’s face. “No, I can’t.” She took a quick breath to steel herself and offered a grateful smile. “Thank you, by the way, for everything. You didn’t have to do all of this, looking out for me and everything. We didn’t exactly part on good terms.”

“No, but if I could maintain a thousand year vigil for my sister, could I do less for a brilliant student?”

A small, saddened grunt, and Sunset noted, “I’m not that brilliant. What happened the night of the Fall Formal showed me that. Safe to say I was never meant to carry an Element of Harmony, probably the same to say I was never meant to be a princess. It was never my destiny.”

Celestia extended a wing and gently stroked her former pupil’s face, a reassuring smile on her own. “Sunset Shimmer, you should have realized by now that I do not choose my students on a whim. I made you my student for the same reason that I made so many others before you my students, and for the same reason that I did Twilight after your departure; because of your potential.” She smiled and offered, “In all honesty, I was hoping I’d have a chance to discuss this properly with you. Now seems the perfect time.”

“That’s probably our cue to skedaddle…”

“No Applejack, I’ve something I need to discuss with each of you as well. Please, stay.” Celestia looked about and noticed some waiting chairs and cushions off to the side. She gently brought them over with her magic and arranged them so that all present could sit comfortably, then began her story. “All of you know by now the story of my sister Luna’s fall a millennium past. Afterwards was a dark time for Equestria as a whole, and myself in particular. I was the last alicorn, the only remnant of the fourth pony tribe. What family I had was long gone, what descendants I had left far from me due to distance and time. Such an existence is not something I’d wish upon anyone.” She looked to Sunset and admitted, “Alas, it still happens.”

The former unicorn offered a small smile. “At least you didn’t purposely push them away.”

“No, but my negligence was just as bad. While I had friends left, they were a small comfort. My own mistakes had damaged some of my stronger friendships, particularly with Star Swirl himself.” The alicorn smiled and added, “Still, we had enough of a bond that he was able to help me through that difficult time, and some good resulted from it. In particular to this discussion, the founding of my school.”

“The same one that you and Twilight are both alumni of,” Rarity reasoned.

Sunset looked nervous as she countered, “I don’t think I really count. I did get expelled.”

“You still attended, Sunset Shimmer. That is the important detail.” Celestia turned back to the discussion and explained, “I will admit, my reasons for doing so were varied. I had a lot more time on my metaphorical hands, and I enjoyed being in the company of young colts and fillies. I’d taken personal pupils before, and opening and managing a proper school was not only the logical next step, but it was also the right thing to do and a worthy challenge. But I also had a more selfish reason, one which Star Swirl suggested. He was quite old by unicorn standards at that point, knew that his time was swiftly coming to an end, and was acutely aware that, even if Luna’s fall wasn’t permanent, I would still be alone for a thousand years. And in his wisdom, he suggested I do something even I hadn’t thought possible – find other alicorns, or at least, their descendants.”

The girls looked among themselves in surprise, and Rainbow Dash gave the princess a disbelieving look. “Hang on. You’re saying you wouldn’t be aware of who all your however-many-great grandkids are? Or Luna’s?”

Celestia shook her head. “I’m aware of most, if not all, of my and Luna’s descendants, but we were not the only alicorns in existence. Long ago, alicorns made up a small but clear part of Equestria’s pony population, roughly a tenth of the total upon its founding. Our kin moved on from our plane of existence long ago, however; the exact dates are in the books. Now, Luna and I are the only remaining natural-born alicorns. At least, that I’m aware of.”

“But wouldn’t it be hard to miss a baby alicorn?” Fluttershy nervously amended, “I mean, I’m not saying they couldn’t be hidden, of course, but…”

“Just because the foal had an alicorn parent doesn’t mean it would be an alicorn themselves, Fluttershy.” Sunset quickly explained, “My mother and my aunt were twins but one was a unicorn and the other a pegasus. If the genes are somewhere in the family history, they can crop up under the right circumstances.”

“Though alas, it seems the most likely way for an alicorn foal to be born is if both parents are alicorns. Luna and I were both parents at one point, but all of our children were unicorns, with pegasi and earth ponies appearing in future generations.” Anticipating another question, she added, “And before any of you ask, no, neither Sunset nor Twilight are my descendants or Luna’s.”

“And Princess Cadance?”

“My niece by marriage and several generations removed.” The princess turned from Rarity to Sunset, whose expression had turned pensive. “You look to be considering something, Sunset Shimmer.”

The unicorn-turned-human looked up, but answered quickly. “You’re talking about genetics being a part of it, but before you expelled me, I found a spell that could cause ascension in the same book that I found information about the Crystal Mirror in. I thought you used that spell on Twilight.”

Celestia shook her head. “You found part of a spell. Star Swirl had a tendency to jot down notes wherever he could, including in other books, before he copied them into their proper volumes. The copy of the book that you found, I’ve since personally checked and recopied to remove that spell fragment, just in case another student found it and got their hopes up, or worse, hurt themselves attempting the spell. Still, you bring up an important point.” She looked over everyone present and explained, “Star Swirl believed that, given the right combination of circumstances, a pony from one of the three greater tribes could ascend to alicorn status. Heritage was one factor, of course, and he believed an outside infusion of magic from another alicorn was also required, but there was a third part that eluded him all the way until he left us.” She quickly amended, “And I don’t mean that he died. Star Swirl literally vanished a long time ago. Where he went, even I don’t know. Still, the purpose of the school was not only to help unicorns harness their natural talents, but also to help find unicorns with exceptional magic. There was a chance, however slight, that such magic was the result of alicorn heritage. I continued his research the best I could, but it was a very long time before I made headway. Which brings us much closer to the present day, to within the lifetimes of almost everyone here, and very shortly before Spike’s birth.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in realization. “Cadence’s ascension!” She looked to Sunset and her human friends and explained, “She was found as an orphan by a village of earth ponies, but she was born a pegasus, not an alicorn. She ascended after defeating an enchantress who used a magical artifact to drain the love from the villagers.”

“The artifact contained within it an empathic gemstone, a rare magical artifact able to amplify both positive and negative emotional energies and which are strongly believed to be tied to the Elements of Harmony. You’ll find further details on them in the books I’ve given you.” She turned back to present matters and continued, “In any case, until I had that detail available to me and the spell was completed, the best I could do was teach my students as best I could, and it was very rare indeed that I refused a student. It’s only happened once within your lifetimes. The same day you applied, I refused admission to a young mare. She was talented with magic, but she was also quite spoiled, led to believe by her parents that she could and should get whatever she wanted simply because of her wealth. Her behavior made yours prior to your departure seem saintly in comparison. For all your faults, you at least put effort and work into achieving your goals.” Pride was now in her smile as she added, “It’s not every day an applicant comes in having already earned their cutie mark, with enough skill to attempt the Dragonfire Spell on their entrance exam.”

Twilight’s face lit up in shock as she looked at her new student. “You used the Dragonfire Spell for your entrance exam?!”

A half-smile, and Sunset elaborated, “I used it, but it didn’t work. I figured the best way to hatch a dragon egg was to subject it to heat like a dragon could create and…”

“Wait, you tried to hatch me?” A nervous nod from the fiery-haired unicorn-turned-human, and Spike cried out, “That is awesome! Sure, you didn’t do it, but still, awesome!”

“And that, combined with other things I saw, convinced me to take you as my student.” Celestia’s tone turned regretful as she amended, “When I showed you the Mirror, it was my hope that it would give you a glimpse of what could be. Obviously, it was a poor choice on my part. That you learned the lesson I hoped to teach you is something I’m glad for, though I do wish that it had been done differently.”

A sigh. “I don’t know if you could have helped me. I may have had some compassion and sincerity in me, but it was drowned out by my ambition and my pride, and that started long before you became my teacher, after…” She turned away. “…After I lost my mother and father. I thought my aunt and uncle wanted me to forget my parents and think of them as replacements, so I turned them away along with a cousin who just wanted a big sister. I’d lost everypony important, I didn’t want or need to replace them with anypony else. Shining brighter than anyone else, the thought of gaining power equal to or surpassing yours, that all made it worse. Like I said, you were right, and I wasn’t ready.”

Rarity tapped at her chin with one finger, then looked to her friend. “Darling, when you looked in the mirror, what precisely did you see?”

A shrug. “First it was just my reflection. Then I saw a glimpse of myself as an alicorn, and then…” Her eyes widened as her memory set to work, and she remembered exactly what she saw. “…And then me as a demon!” She turned to Celestia and realized, “The mirror was trying to warn me! You were trying to warn me!” She shook her head in amazement. “If I’d paid attention…”

“As I said, choice. We all have free will, Sunset. You were not the first to choose poorly, nor will you be the last. And as much as we may like to, we cannot undo our past decisions, only try to avoid them again. A possible destiny, to ascend and become an alicorn, is still before you, and I think you’re now better prepared to achieve it than you were as my student.”

Sunset looked to her former teacher with hope. “You really think I can?”

“I knew from the moment we first met that you could, just as I did with Twilight after she surpassed all expectations and passed the unpassable test, and helped to bring Spike into the world. You are of alicorn descent, Sunset Shimmer, and the potential remains for you to show it. But such a thing is not done alone; Cadance ascended as much because of the love of those behind her as she did her own initiative. You always had the initiative, and now…”

“Now you’ve got us!” Rainbow Dash called, with affirming cheers coming from the rest of the gathered young mares and girls.

Sunset laughed, genuinely happy. If only Runnie could see her now. “So, I guess by now, the spell’s been completed?”

Celestia nodded and looked to Twilight as she elaborated, “It was, in a way, Twilight’s final exam as my student, to finish Star Swirl’s unfinished spell. I suspect something similar to her completed version was said by accident during Cadance’s ascension. For all of Star Swirl’s knowledge and greatness, the magic of friendship was one area where her knowledge outstrips his. That spell, in concert with her alicorn heritage and the Elements of Harmony, allowed her to ascend.”

“But I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my friends beside me.” Twilight beamed as she turned to the gathered girls and added, “That’s probably never going to change.”

“And brings me to the reason I wished for all of you to remain.” Celestia rose to her hooves and approached, a glowing ball of magic at the tip of her horn as she gently pressed it against Fluttershy’s head. “My apologies for startling you. This is just a basic magical scan.” The glow halted, and the alicorn smiled before stepping back and elaborating. “Twilight has given me a full account of her time in your world, particularly the night of your Fall Formal. I’ve corroborated her account with that of my counterpart, and I do believe that something amazing happened that night.” She settled back down into her cushions and turned to her fellow Princess. “You told me that you briefly regained your crown and Element before Sunset donned it.”

“Yes, and when it was back on my head, I felt this pleasant warmth spread through me.” She shrugged and offered, “I thought maybe I was just overthinking it.”

“There was more to it than that, darling.” Rarity looked among her friends and recounted, “When you looked out at us from the stage, your Element flashed. I thought it could have been a reflection from the lights in the gym, but…”

“But it was the Element recognizing its intended bearer, just as it did at Twilight’s coronation as princess in Canterlot.” Celestia smiled and added, “It also recognized that Twilight, despite her changed appearance, was in proper balance with herself, just as she was in Equestria. And the Elements of Harmony are intended to preserve and restore balance when it’s lost. But they work their best when all together, and when their users are in harmony with themselves and one another.”

Sunset’s expression turned incredulous. “So you’re saying what happened that night, turning into a raging she-demon and all, was because I was out of balance?”

“Only we can change who we are, Sunset. And without the other five elements present to help you realize what you had become, the crown did the only thing it could, and changed your outside to be as monstrous as your inside. And once the transformation began, it could not be stopped.”

“I’m still surprised it even happened at all. I thought when I went through the portal, I lost my magic.” Twilight looked to Spike and guessed, “But if that was the case, then Spike wouldn’t have been able to talk.”

“Magic cannot be truly lost. In this instance, it was simply disabled; you had no horn or wings, and your hooves had been replaced with hands and feet. The magic was still there, you just had no means of accessing it. Sunset acted alone, and while she was attuned to magic itself, she had no link to the other elements. Friendship has a powerful magic all its own, and without the elements that go into a good friendship, what results is something monstrous.”

“Domination.” A chill went up Sunset’s spine. “The logical extreme of what I thought I wanted, to be on top and for everyone to know it. I knew something was wrong the instant I put the crown on and felt all that magic rush into me. Even before I put the crown on my head, physically hurting someone, the idea of…” She shuddered, but continued onwards, “…Of killing someone was out of the question. But like that, without what little goodness I had left, I was laughing at the idea of being rid of Twilight.” She looked to her new friends and regretfully finished, “Of all of you.”

“But one thing that isn’t a part of balance is evil. It exists, but it is an imbalance rather than a natural part of life. Give things a chance to correct that evil, and it will be defeated.”

“Just like how the student body didn’t take much convincing to rally behind Twilight.” Sunset’s expression brightened as she reasoned further, “Just like all of you did individually when she brought you back together.”

Twilight smiled, reaching the same conclusion. “Fluttershy helped me when I asked for it, and even offered me some good advice for hiding Spike. Pinkie Pie didn’t bat an eyelash at me signing up, even encouraged it. Applejack warned me truthfully about the danger I’d be in…”

“And once that video was posted, I immediately acted to disguise you.” Rarity pointed to each of her friends, and then herself, and counted off, “Kindness, Laughter, Honesty, Generosity…”

“Rainbow Dash coming onboard to help once I got you back together as friends was a big help, but the clincher was what she did when things looked darkest.”

Sunset remembered her own words clear as a bell. “I had magic. Twilight had nothing.”

Rainbow Dash grinned and declared, “She had us!”

“And when I threw that fireball, all of you jumped forward to protect her…”

“An act a’ loyalty! And we got transformed by the crown, got ya back to yer senses and saved the school!” Applejack looked to Twilight and realized, “It must’ve recognized us as bein’ just like our counterparts, same as with you.”

“It didn’t just do that!” Twilight clapped her hooves together excitedly as she realized, “The crown enabled my magic, enabled Sunset’s, and infused the five of you with Equestrian magic!”

“And it’s still there.” Sunset looked at her friends with amazement.

Stunned looks were on the five human girls until Rainbow Dash broke the silence. “That. Is. AWESOME!” From that came wild cheers among the five until she asked, “So how do we turn it on again?! I mean, I’d love to get back in the air some more! I was flying like a natural!”

“That, unfortunately, remains unknown.” The mood dropped as Celestia explained, “This is entirely unprecedented. We don’t know how you can trigger your transformations again. All we ask is that, should you discover how, you report it immediately to Sunset Shimmer so that she may relay word to Twilight.” She gently smiled and amended, “And that you don’t do anything dangerous in an attempt to activate your new powers, obviously. I’d hate for you to hurt yourselves, just as my counterpart would.”

“Well, it was friendship that helped us to gain this magic, so perhaps that will allow us to activate it.” Nods of agreement went out among the five, and Rarity looked to Sunset and offered, “And that’s something we should share, hmm?”

Sunset smiled. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I’m sorry to say dears, but we can’t stay much longer.” Rarity tucked her phone back into her purse. “We all have homework, Sunset included, and our parents will worry if we don’t get home soon.” She looked to Twilight and smiled. “But I do look forward to hearing from you again soon, dear.”

Twilight smiled back. “Me too.”

Various goodbyes were exchanged, books packed away and departures begun. Celestia departed first, Spike following. The remaining pony nearly joined them, but Sunset called, “Twilight, can you stay for a second? I’d like to talk, just the two of us. Please?” She turned to her friends from Canterlot High and assured them, “It won’t be long, I promise.”

“Okay, but don’t forget about you know what, alright?” At Sunset’s nod, Applejack ushered the others out. “Come on, y’all, give ‘em their space.”

Twilight gestured for her pony friends to do likewise, Spike being the last to go as the two found themselves alone. “What brought this on?”

“No tricks, I promise.” Sunset nervously laughed as she explained, “It’s not like I can swap bodies with you or something. I might still have my magic, but…”

“But you don’t know how to use it.” Twilight noticed an uneasy expression cross her new student’s face. “You think you do?”

Sunset sighed. “A couple days ago, the morning after the last day of my suspension? I was in my new place, taking a shower. I was singing and, well, I started feeling a magic surge come on.”

Alarm spread across the alicorn’s face. “What happened?”

“Nothing. I stopped as soon as I felt it and calmed myself down before it went any further.” She rubbed one elbow uneasily and added, “I don’t think it was taking a shower that triggered it.”

“No, probably not. Music has a magic all its own, so you singing probably did it.” A small tilt of her head, and Twilight reasoned, “Certainly not the weirdest way to use magic.” Her attention turned back to Sunset as she asked, “Did you tell any of the girls about that?”

Sunset shook her head. “Wasn’t sure how they’d react.” Her gaze went downwards. “I’m scared, Twilight. I remember everything that happened that night, and I don’t want it to happen again. I don’t want to turn into a monster, or kill anyone, or…” A comforting wing draped over her back, and she mused, “Two weeks ago, I wouldn’t have given them getting hurt a second thought, but now? I don’t want to lose them, Twilight. Aside from Flash and whoever left me that note, they’re all I have in the human world for the next two and a half years. They’re amazing and wonderful and…” She smiled and turned back to the pony at her side. “…And you sure know how to pick your friends.”

A smile was returned. “They knew how to pick me too.” Twilight withdrew her wing and settled down. “And to tell you the truth, I’m a little scared too.”

“Really? Twilight, you’re a princess now. A national hero, beloved by all Equestria, with an amazing brother…”

“Pair of brothers.”

A laugh. “Fine. You have an amazing pair of brothers, three princesses as friends and advisors and family both surrogate and actual, and some great friends. You have everything a pony could want, everything I ever wanted. What do you have to be scared of?”

“Everything.” Twilight raised her wings and explained, “I never saw being a princess coming. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining about being an alicorn, and I’m really looking forward to flying.” The two shared a grin before she continued, “But ever since, I’ve had so many concerns on my mind. The thought of having to rule over my own kingdom, for one. I know enough about politics to know that I’d be terrible at it. Plus there’s the thought of not being able to see my friends as much, or worse, losing them entirely. And that ignores the physical changes. I remember what Cadance looked like after her ascension, and trust me, she didn’t look nearly that slender.” She prodded her horn with one wing and added, “It’s already longer now than it was before, and I’m taller. Ascended or not, it’s only a matter of time before I reach Cadance’s proportions, and then Luna’s and maybe even Celestia’s.”

“So get a place with bigger doorways.”

“That solves one problem, but what about the rest? Not even Celestia and Luna know if Cadance and I are mortal like other alicorns, or if we’re immortal like they are. I don’t want to lose my friends or my family. And ignoring that, just because Celestia and Luna can’t die of old age doesn’t mean they can’t die. And my friends definitely can.” Her wings folded at her sides, and Twilight mused, “When I came to Ponyville, I wasn’t interested in having friends. Now, I can’t imagine my life without them. They deserve this as much as I do, and I wish I had a way to give them what I have.”

Once more, Sunset found herself thinking back on what she’d thought about the princess at her side. Her first impression had been from a newspaper, a notice that a student of Celestia’s had gotten something that she’d wanted more than anything. Twilight had surprised her at every turn, from her refusal to call in guards to her simple act of helping her out of the crater the night of the Fall Formal, to outright forgiving her. Her old illusion was gone; this wasn’t a spoiled brat, but a girl who was thrust into something she wasn’t expecting, and despite being more than up to the challenge, she didn’t think she was. “I don’t know about the rest of them, but you’re already helping me to give you what you have.” She wrapped an arm around Twilight and offered, “Celestia said it herself, I’m a lot closer to being an alicorn now than I was when I left. That’s one friend you won’t lose so quickly.”

The two shared a smile, and found themselves interrupted as a voice admitted, “Seems I’ve something else to apologize for, don’t I?” They turned to find Princess Celestia back among them as she approached. “Twilight, it was always my hope to see you become an alicorn, just as it is with Sunset and so many others. But I’ve known you long enough to know a few things.” She knelt at Twilight’s left and smiled. “You are a brilliant scholar and a gifted spellcaster, approaching if not exceeding Star Swirl even before you ascended. You’re also a brave, dedicated young mare, humble and with a good heart. If a foe comes to you, genuinely repentant and asking for forgiveness, then you most likely will grant it to them. And if your adventures have proven anything, you’re an excellent troubleshooter, and a more than capable leader. But a leader and a ruler are two very different things.”

“Then, you’re not expecting me to rule over a kingdom? Like Cadance is the Crystal Empire?”

“The Crystal Empire was Cadance’s birthright, Twilight. So far as I know, you don’t have one. You will probably be expected to take charge should something happen to me or Luna, but I hope that is a long time yet in coming. For now, however, I think the three of us know where you’re happiest; at Golden Oak Library, in Ponyville.” The smile went wider as Celestia suggested, “Unless, of course, you want a kingdom…”

Twilight frantically shook her head and waved her wings and fore hooves. “Oh, no!” She calmed down and reiterated with a smile, “Please, no, I’m fine without.”

“I thought as much.” Celestia turned to Sunset Shimmer and added, “That said, I hope that when you do take a throne, you do not do so alone. I had Luna, after all, and I like to think you’ll have another alicorn at your side one day, in addition to your other friends.” She smiled and added, “If nothing else, it will be good to see two of my students standing side by side.”

“I still have a chance at it, I guess.” Sunset smiled and offered, “As long as I still have a choice.”

“You were never without.” The elder alicorn leaned forward and added, “Though I think it would be a good choice for you to share some information about your family with Twilight? It might help her and Rainbow Dash to find them.”

“Probably should’ve done that the last time we were all here, huh?” Sunset chuckled nervously, and sighed, picturing her aunt, uncle and cousin in her mind. “My aunt’s name is Solar Flare. She’s got a light golden coat and a mane that goes from deep red at the roots to light yellow at the tips. Her cutie mark is a horizontal streak of flame. My uncle is Blue Streak; silver coat, black mane, blue lightning bolt cutie mark. Be warned, he’s a motormouth. My cousin…” She smiled. “She could’ve been my twin. Same mane color, same coat color, same eyes. Don’t know what her cutie mark looks like. She always wanted me to call her ‘Runnie’. Her full name is Sunrunner.”

“Solar Flare, Blue Streak, Sunrunner.” Twilight nodded with a smile, but quickly turned sad. “Rainbow Dash and I will find them. I promise. Might be a while, though; after the summit, I have my goodwill tour of Equestria, and then there’s the Summer Sun Celebration, and that ignores everything with the library…”

“I get it, you’re a busy princess.”

“But not too busy to take a message from you every once in a while, or see you and the girls.” Twilight looked up at Celestia and asked, “May I take the bridge mirror back to Ponyville with me?”

“Of course, but try not to advertise it too much.” Celestia carefully inserted her head between her two former students, gently nuzzling them both, and asked, “And do keep me informed, hmm? I doubt either of you are my however-many-great-granddaughters, but I still think of both of you as dearly as I do my own children, even after all this time. We’re still family, my little ponies.”

Sunset warmly accepted the nuzzle, Twilight doing the same. “And I don’t have an excuse to not talk anymore, do I?” The three laughed at that, and she got to her feet. “Thanks for that, Twilight. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.”

Twilight smiled reassuringly. “Nopony’s alone, Sunset. But someday, you need to tell them. They’ll understand.”

A shrug as she slung her backpack back on. “Maybe. I’ll let you know when I do. I promise.” She approached the portal back to Canterlot High and laughed. “Wow. I feel so relieved, but…”

“Nervicited?” Twilight smiled. “Me too. But it’s a good kind of nervicited.”

A nod, and Sunset Shimmer departed with a smile, leaving the two alicorns to make their own way out.

“Celestia, where did Star Swirl get the idea for the portals anyway?”

A laugh. “That’s actually an interesting story. There are other Equestrias beyond ours, Twilight, some similar but with their own radical differences. There’s at least one, for example, where Luna and I were the only alicorns, period. At least, at the time they contacted us.”

“Really? They contacted you?”

“They had a mirror that let them communicate across dimensions, and they thought to use it to seek out advice on some things. Economics in particular. I have to say, it was very interesting talking to myself like that.” She sighed, “They also had one other difference which caught my attention. Unlike in our world, alicorns were always immortal, barring illness and injury. They were actually quite surprised to know about that difference, as I was that they were researching means of granting their immortality to the rest of Equestria’s population.”

“Were they successful?”

“I don’t know. They haven’t contacted me since then, but I expect if things have been for them as they’ve been for us, they’ve been very busy indeed.” Celestia smiled and added, “That said, I did ask them to get in touch again, should they perfect their method. It would be nice to compare notes, and see how things went on the road untraveled, and there’s always the chance that their methods could work for us.” She gave her student an encouraging grin and said, “For now, however, I think the road we’re on is exciting enough.”

The two smiled again, and Celestia went through the portal back to Equestria, Twilight following a second later. She didn’t know exactly what was to come on the road ahead, how long she’d have or whether she’d have Flash by her side, but two things weren’t in doubt. That good or bad, it would be exciting, and that she wouldn’t be traveling the road alone.

And she knew Sunset knew that too.

Author's Note

My apologies to everyone who commented upon the original version of the epilogue - I didn't know that deleting it would mean deleting your comments! Sorry!

Now then, for those wondering - no, future stories will not involve chasing down other potential alicorns. You want something like that, read Reality Check's "The Great Alicorn Hunt". Excepting Sunset Shimmer, however, there is one very firm candidate for alicorn ascension in my stuff. I'll let you guys all guess about who that could be. I've also got a good idea of other potential alicorns, but I'm waiting for the rest of Season Five to pan out and for future comic book releases before I elaborate further.

Speaking of whom, I offer my thanks to him for allowing a reference to his stories involving Nyx, particularly "Nyx's Family". If his world's versions of Celestia and Luna would end up consulting folks outside their world, why not consult versions of themselves, maybe even discuss their other plans?

Anyway, as of right now, the Quiververse has branched off from the official stuff quite firmly. Some events will still happen as they happened before. Others, such as the events of "Pinkie Apple Pie", will actually happen sooner, and others will happen slightly differently but still have the same general results. And that, of course, ignores stuff in the human world - the Sirens are still out there, the Friendship Games are still to come, and who knows how many other adventures await. I only hope you folks keep on following me as the story continues.

For those curious about the original version of the epilogue, links follow...

http://fav.me/d8uhkmk
http://fav.me/d8uhkym

What's discussed in them still hold for the rest of my 'verse, but I'll be splicing in the relevant bits of exposition where appropriate.

EDIT on 9/12/15 - One bit of dialogue tweaking for this installment.

Chapter Four - A Night With Fluttershy

It had been a few days since Sunset Shimmer had earned her cutie mark, and she’d spent the time since then researching and practicing at any magic spell she could find, squirreled away in the bedroom she shared with Sunrunner. What time she wasn’t doing so was spent taking care of daily needs like food and drink, and of course the trips back and forth to the library. Having one only a few blocks away from her aunt’s house was a help, especially with her spells to help clear the way. She’d be studying as she went about other things, but alas, no reading at the table while they were eating.

“Flare, please, how am I supposed to…?”

Solar Flare regarded her husband’s pouting protest with a stern face as she portioned out their meal. “Streaks, I told you, you can read the paper before or after breakfast, but not during.”

“That’s the rule, Daddy.” Sunrunner chimed in. “You can’t have the paper, Shims can’t have her magic books, and I can’t have my comics.”

Sunset allowed herself a small smirk. At least the rules were being applied equally.

“Besides dear, we don’t want to distract ourselves from anything important. We aren’t going to have too much longer with the girls after all.”

“Oh yeah! We’re starting school together soon!” Sunrunner squealed gleefully and clapped her hooves together. “Oh, this is gonna be so much fun!”

“Yeah, fun.” Sunset rolled her eyes; she was hardly looking forward to having to go into some local public school day in and day out. Some tiny part of her doubted that some school that mixed in a bunch of different kinds of ponies and whatevers would be able to really help her with her magic. And worse, she’d be joined at the hip with her cousin whether she wanted to be or not. She’d been sensible enough to figure out her boundaries, but still, she could just see them getting stuck together in class.

“Yes, about that,” The two looked to Flare as she gave them an anxious look. “Girls, promise me that you won’t get your hopes up about this.”

Sunrunner gave her mother a curious look. “About what, Mom?”

“Well Runnie, your father and I were talking about what your cousin did a couple days ago.” Already anticipating her daughter’s reaction, she quickly amended, “Sunset isn’t in trouble, I promise! I’m not about to punish my niece for getting her cutie mark. But since then, it’s become obvious that she might be a little ahead of the curve.”

Sunset grinned.

“And I shouldn’t be surprised. Mom, Dad and Sunrise were all great with magic, same with your father. You earning your cutie mark so early, doing magic at that level, means that you’re either a very early bloomer, or you’re a prodigy.” She reached over with one wing and produced some of yesterday’s mail. “So them applying you for Princess Celestia’s school isn’t a shocker.”

The grin turned to surprise. “They what?”

“I was asked if I wanted to withdraw it, but I decided not to. It was one of the last things they did for you, and I know they’d be happy to see you there.” She shook the bit of paper with one wing. “They aren’t around to see you attend. Now I can do it for them. The rule’s being bent this once, Sunset. Take a look.”

Amazement clear on her face, Sunset took up the paper in her magic and brought it close. She read over it enough to see what was most important. “I’ve been accepted!”

Sunrunner looked to her mother with anxious surprise. “Does this mean Shims is going back to Canterlot?”

A nod. “And I have to go with her, at least for a while. She’ll still need to take the entrance exam, but…”

“I’m going back.” Any concerns about tests were out of her mind as Sunset realized the implications of what she was being told. She was going back to Canterlot, back where she belonged. Best bit of mail ever!

Twilight,

Here I am, Day Two of the suspension. Not too worried about missing out on classwork – the girls made sure I had everything I needed to keep up. Just one more surprise, I guess, them doing what they can to make me feel like one of the group. It turns out this world’s Rainbow Dash knows how to play the guitar. It suits her, but I never saw her and me having something in common. Wish I could’ve gotten some practice in, seen if I could remember a few chords, but her guitar’s a bit past it’s prime. And that’s putting it politely. Now that part wasn’t a surprise. No offense to her, but playing hard can be a problem if you don’t maintain things, right?

What else isn’t surprising me is that I’m running out of places to stay; after tonight, I’m going to have to take my chances and hope Sweet Apple Acres doesn’t turn out to be a repeat of Rarity’s home. I’m not going to complain, though. I’m grateful for what little I’m getting.

Hey, can you do me a favor? I don’t know if she’ll know anything about it, but can you ask Princess Celestia about what happened to my parents? If you find the time, I mean.

Your friend, Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset closed her message journal with a contented smile. She’d had a decent enough day for herself, thanks mostly to Rainbow Dash’s father. He’d seen to it that she was left in relative peace in the library at the college he worked at, and she’d taken the opportunity to deal with her schoolwork and catch up on missed assignments. One thing she hadn’t done during her tenure as Canterlot High’s resident alpha was have others do her homework for her, something that she took greater pride in now than she did before, and she wasn’t about to change that. She was almost tempted to offer the girls her help as a tutor, but she got the feeling the others wouldn’t go for it, for one reason or another. One thing at a time, it seemed.

“Um, excuse me?” She looked up from where she sat to find a familiar pink-haired girl standing at the information desk, and quickly made to pack up her things in her backpack. Her voice was still more quiet than a mouse, but years of practice had given her all she needed to find it, particularly in a quiet place like this. “I’m sorry to bother you, miss, but I was told I could find my friend here? Her name is Sunset Shimmer? She’s about my height, with red and yellow hair?” Her belongings packed, Sunset slung her bag over her shoulders and cleared her throat just loud enough to be heard, Fluttershy spinning about to see her. “Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t notice you.”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy.” She approached with a smile. “I didn’t want to draw too much attention to myself.”

“Oh. I understand.” A nervous laugh, and Fluttershy led her out of the library and into the nearby parking lot towards an old van. “My house isn’t too far away, and my parents are okay with you staying the night. I’m just sorry we can’t keep you much longer than that.”

“It’s alright, I don’t mind.” If anything, this was going to be a respite before the inevitable trouble at Applejack’s family farm. “After everything that’s happened, I’m just glad to have a roof over my head tonight.” She climbed into the van and caught a quick glimpse of her luggage and sleeping bag, no doubt having been relayed by Rainbow Dash that morning. Seatbelt in place, she asked, “I’m actually curious to see what your place is like.”

“Well, I like it, but the other girls do have nicer places.” A modest smile crossed her face as Fluttershy turned the key and started her van up. “And I expect you’re used to nicer.”

Sunset smiled reassuringly. “Let me worry about that.”

Fluttershy’s home, as it turned out, was a very small house, practically a cottage. “My parents won’t be home for a little bit yet, but don’t worry, they know you’ll be here.” Fluttershy paused near the door, a birdhouse hanging beside it, and whistled, a familiar rose-colored bird emerging and singing back before landing on an offered finger. “Hello Wesley. I’m glad to be home too.”

Sunset had expected the house to be packed to the brim with animals and assorted strays that Fluttershy had brought home, but she was surprised to find no animals rushing to get out the door as she closed it behind her and slipped off her boots. Even more surprising was part of Fluttershy’s menagerie had been with them the entire time, as her friend opened her backpack and released the white rabbit inside. “Here we are, Angel, home sweet home. Now, you be nice to Sunset and don’t give her any trouble.”

The rabbit glared at Sunset with his beady little black eyes, instantly making her nervous. She steadied her nerves and asked, “So, am I bunking with you, or do you have a guest room?”

“Oh, you’ll be with me. I just hope that isn’t a problem.”

“Of course not. I slept in the same room as Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash without any trouble. All I need is a place to set my sleeping bag and I’ll be fine.”

“Oh, um, about that.” Fluttershy gestured to follow, and she led her guest to her bedroom door, opening it to reveal the contents. “My bedroom isn’t all that big.”

Indeed it wasn’t, as furniture was packed in as close as it could get and there was still barely enough room to maneuver around. Sunset suspected that Fluttershy’s bed ended up doubling for a chair fairly often. There certainly wasn’t enough room on the floor for Sunset to lay out in her sleeping bag. “Wow. I guess I’m sleeping on your couch.”

“Oh no, I can’t let you do that. You’re my guest. I’ll take the couch.”

“Fluttershy, I…” She stopped and took a breath; arguing like this wasn’t going to get them anywhere. “Tell you what, we’ll settle this the old fashioned way. Got any loose change?” Fluttershy wordlessly pulled a quarter from a nearby bowl. “Okay, coin toss. Heads, you take the bed. Tails, I take it.”

“But what if it lands on the floor, on its side?”

“Then I’ll stomp on the floor and knock it flat.”

“And if it still stays on its side?”

“Then we both take the bed and Pinkie Promise not to say a word of it to anyone. Fair?”

“I suppose so.” Resigned, Fluttershy performed the coin flip, the quarter spinning in the air but utterly missing her hand, landing on the floor and spinning about on its rim until it stopped, stuck on its side. A light stomp from Sunset, and then a heavy one, and it refused to budge, and the two girls looked to one another with the same expression, host starting off the gestures. “Cross my heart and hope to fly…”

“Stick a cupcake in my eye.” Resigned, Sunset knelt down, retrieved the coin, and gave it back to Fluttershy. She then set her luggage into a free corner with a nervous smile. “Well, tonight’s going to be awkward, isn’t it?”

“A little, I guess. Um, would you like to sit down and talk for a while? Or just sit down?”

“I’m fine with talking. And sitting.” Both perched themselves on the bed, now growing nervous for their own individual reasons, and Sunset opted to break the silence. She looked about for something to start talking about, launching into talk with the first thing she found that looked interesting, assorted yarn and craft supplies on the dresser. “You knit?”

Fluttershy smiled. “Yes, a little here and there. It’s nothing special, though.”

“Special enough.” Now she knew how Fluttershy and Rarity could bond so well. “Listen, Fluttershy, about everything that’s happened? I’m sorry, for treating you so horribly and mocking you all the time.”

“It’s alright, Sunset.”

“No, it isn’t alright. No one deserves to be treated like that, you especially. You’re not pathetic.” Shame clear in her voice, Sunset admitted, “If any of us is pathetic, it’s me.”

Both her arms were wrapped around her friend, and Fluttershy soothingly countered, “Sunset, you’re not pathetic. You were just doing what was natural in your situation is all. You were the alpha predator and I was one of the weaker prey animals. It’s how nature works.”

“That doesn’t exactly help things.” Sunset laid her hand upon both of her friend’s. “Still, you’re not the weak one here. It’s easy to be cruel, especially when you think that you’re better than everyone else. Being good to others, being nice? That’s hard. You do it a lot better than I ever could.”

“You were better than everyone, though.”

“No, I was different. I still am when you get right down to it, and the only ones who know how different are you, me, the rest of the girls and this world’s Celestia and Luna. Everyone else just has a part of the picture, and it isn’t a really good part. And it didn’t give me the right to treat you like I did. That you can let me into your home after all that is a miracle as far as I’m concerned.”

“It’s not a miracle when you do something for a friend, Sunset. At least, not a big miracle. It’s just a small one, and life’s filled with small miracles. And besides, now you know better.”

Sunset smiled, and wrapped her arm around Fluttershy, who giggled happily. “What’s that about?”

“Oh, nothing, it’s just, well, I’ve never been hugged by a unicorn before.” Both girls laughed, Sunset more loudly than her host, and Fluttershy offered, “I’m still a little amazed that you’re so willing to eat meat, though. I mean, I know equines can eat some meat if they really need to, but I’m surprised at how specific you are.”

“Well, I’ve got reasons. The thought of eating any cooked flesh freaked me out at first, until I broke down and had a chicken sandwich that first fall. Not going to bring that up very often back in Equestria, of course, but still, you do what you need to do, right? Anyway, eating chicken and pork was an easy justification; we raise them back in Equestria, even if we don’t eat them.” She leaned in and explained, “We harvest the eggs from the chickens we raise, and pigs are either garbage disposals or truffle hunters. We love truffles.”

“Still, Rarity mentioned you not eating specific meats. I’m not questioning you abstaining from seafood, but the rest?”

Sunset shrugged, already knowing what the response to this would be. “Well, how many people do you know who would eat a cow if it could talk?”

“Oh, not many would…” Wonder dawned upon Fluttershy’s face as she realized exactly what Sunset had said. She looked up at the girl beside her and asked, “Cows talk in Equestria?”

“And sheep.”

Fluttershy pulled out of her hug, only for her to pull her arms in gleefully, her blue eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as she squealed at the thought. “Oh my goodness! Spike was enough of a surprise, but cows and sheep?!” She gasped and asked, “Do all animals talk in Equestria?”

“No, but all animals do have some degree of sapience. A few are considered equal members of society to ponies like me, though, and that includes cattle and sheep. I think them being able to talk is the big point in their favor, not to mention being able to negotiate as economic equals. We buy milk and wool from them.”

“Really? What about goats?”

“No, goats can’t talk. Last I checked, the list of races equal to ponies included cattle, sheep, buffalo, donkeys, zebras, and some orders of deer. Most of them are considered Equestrian citizens, though there are exceptions. Zebras are mostly native to Zebrica; it and the various deer kingdoms have diplomatic relations with Equestria, but it’s the rare individual of either race who interacts with the greater citizenry.” A disgusted look crossed her face as she amended, “Well, except caribou. The stories I’ve heard about the border skirmishes with their territories aren’t nice ones.” Anticipating another question, she added, “And yes, there are mules, and they’re equal under the law to ponies like me.”

“Oh good. I was wondering about that. But what about Spike? He’s a dragon. I’d think that dragons would prey on ponies.”

“It depends on the dragon. They come in all shapes and sizes, but most are wild and migratory. I never met one until Spike came along; most ponies haven’t, given how dangerous they can be. They tend to leave ponies alone, for whatever reason. In fact…” A thought occurred to her, and she quickly retrieved her journal and jotted down a quick question. “Let’s get back to the dragons in a minute; they aren’t the only creatures your world has in its mythologies that are real in mine.”

“Really? Are there any that are part of Equestrian society?”

“Some. I’ve met griffons, both native to Equestria and from the Griffon Kingdom proper, hippogriffs and minotaurs. They’re all definitely a part of society, but there are other races capable of speech that aren’t among Equestria’s citizenry. Princess Celestia’s spoken of lands for gremlins, centaurs, gargoyles, and so many others. I’ve also read about chimera, Diamond Dogs and changelings, but I’ve never met them.” At Fluttershy’s curious expression, she elaborated, “Large dog-like creatures native to Dimandia and pony-like shapeshifters with insectoid traits, exoskeletons and such.”

“Oh, that part wasn’t what got me curious. You’ve heard of the Diamond Dog boys, right?”

“I’ve seen those three once or twice, but they gave me a wide…” The realization struck her, and she slapped her forehead. “Okay, now I really feel like an idiot. Should’ve made the connection before now.”

“Well, I don’t want to sound like an idiot too, but why did the portal turn Spike into a dog? I mean, it’s fine if you don’t know, but…” Sunset’s journal buzzed. “Oh, did that have something to do with what you asked Twilight?”

“Actually, yeah.” Sunset quickly found the anticipated response and skimmed through it. “Thought so.” She turned to Fluttershy and explained, “Part of the entrance exam to Princess Celestia’s school was a test; every prospective student is told to try and hatch a dragon egg. I don’t know how long the test was there for, just that I wasn’t able to manage it. According to Twilight, she actually did the impossible and hatched the egg.”

“And the little baby dragon who came out of it was Spike?” A nod, and Fluttershy reasoned, “So Spike became a dog because, as far as the portal was concerned, he wasn’t equal to other Equestrian citizens?”

“Or just because he was a dragon. No way of telling.” She jotted down a quick reply. “I never found out who made the Crystal Mirror, only what I told you and the girls. We may never know exactly why it’s set up the way it is.” She closed the journal and set it aside. “Still, I’d hate to see them try to get a full-grown dragon through the portal. How would it fit? And that’s ignoring the really uncomfortable questions.”

“Like if Spike’s counterpart was to remain a dog or turn into a dragon after going through the portal?”

“Exactly.” She noticed an embarrassed expression on Fluttershy’s face and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s…well, when Twilight and Spike told us the truth, I didn’t even think of Spike as a dragon. I saw him talking, and I was so caught up in having a cute talking dog in front of me that…well, I’ve dreamed of having an animal talk back to me for so long…”

Sunset smiled. “I don’t think he took too much offense to it.”

“Still, I treated him like a pet. I don’t think Twilight treats him like a pet. I mean, if she hatched him, then wouldn’t that make him an adopted son?”

Sunset shrugged. “Maybe. Twilight may see him as a baby brother instead. She is a little young to be a mother.” She offered a hopeful smile and asked, “Does that help any?”

The smile was returned. “A little, yes. Still, Rarity’s right. He’s adorable as a dog or a dragon.” Fluttershy gave a small squeal. “Though that does make me wonder if ponies do have really exotic pets.”

“Some of us do. Princess Celestia’s got a pet phoenix.” At her friend’s awestruck expression, she added, “That said, Philomena’s got a strange sense of humor. Lots of fun, though, trust me.”

A joyful squeal, and Fluttershy took hold of Sunset with both arms. “Oh, thank you for telling me all that! It’s all so amazing!” Her hold loosened as she added, “And what you were saying about how hard it is to be good? It’s not easy, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Like being a friend. And you’re doing really good so far.”

Sunset smiled and leaned in. “Thanks, Fluttershy.” The smile faded slightly as her thoughts went back, a memory flashing into her mind from far too long ago of a mistake she’d only recently started to regret. One mistake, out of so many.

“Mrrow?”

Sunset looked down at her feet to find a white kitten adorned by a blue bow, purring contentedly as she rubbed herself against her amber legs. She gently scooped the kitten up as Fluttershy cooed, “Aww. Cordelia likes you.”

“And here I was worried your pets would hate me.” Sunset gently petted the kitten on her head with a smile. Some mistakes could be forgiven, she supposed.

Sunset could barely contain her excitement as she packed her saddlebags and got ready for the trip. Today was the day – she was going back to Canterlot! Yes, she had to take some silly test, but she wasn’t worried about that in the slightest. She was going to ace it, and when that happened…!

A knock sounded at the bedroom door before it slid open. “Shims?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yes, Sunrunner?”

Her cousin entered and gently offered. “I just wanted to tell you, before you and Mommy left for Canterlot, how happy I am for you. I’d wish you luck, but I know you don’t need it. You’re amazing, Shims. There’s no way they won’t let you attend.”

A smile crossed Sunset’s face. Her cousin wasn’t wrong; she would get in.

“After all, you’re my awesome big sister.”

The smile faded instantly, and Sunset turned to face her cousin with a glare strong enough that the filly backed off a step. She wasn’t sure what she was angrier about, her claims of them being siblings or the fact that the filly before her had stolen her manestyle. “Sunrunner, there’s something you need to get through that thick, bird-brained skull of yours. I don’t have a sister. I never had a sister. It was just me and my mommy and my daddy – I didn’t want a sister and I didn’t need one. We’re not sisters, and we’ll never be sisters.”

“But…”

“But nothing. My mommy isn’t your mommy. You never knew her, just like I never knew your mommy. And I wish I hadn’t. I’m going back to Canterlot, back where I belong, and I’m staying there, and everypony will know my name.” She stepped past her and added, “Sunset Shimmer. Not some stupid nickname like ‘Shims’. If I ever hear it again, it’ll be too soon.”

Sunset trotted out of the bedroom, her cousin left in her wake. Her hoofsteps were just loud enough that they muffled out the sounds of the odd sniffle from a pegasus filly trying to hold back tears.

“Come in.” The door to her temporary office opened, and Princess Celestia looked up with a smile. “Hello Twilight.”

The younger alicorn smiled in greeting, closed the door behind her and quickly glanced about the ornate office. “Wow. I almost thought this was a guest suite.”

“The royals of the Crystal Empire made it a rule to have offices for their peers done up as well as their own. I think it was a way to avoid complaints from some of their more obstinate guests. I think it’s a little much, but I don’t mind.” As her former student approached, she gestured to a waiting seat and asked, “I assume what brings you here wasn’t to do with today’s discussions?”

“No, I thought this was something best kept between the two of us.” Twilight shifted her wings to reveal her saddlebags and then gently lifted out the message journal with her magic. “It’s something to do with Sunset Shimmer.” At her fellow princess’ concerned expression, she quickly clarified, “She’s perfectly fine, not hurt at all, but the last few days haven’t been perfect for her. She hasn’t really had a chance to settle in with any of the girls. They’re getting along fine, but things just keep on happening.”

Celestia relaxed, an enigmatic smile crossing her face. “Well, I think things will work out for her well enough. But I doubt you came here just to let me know how your new student is doing.”

“No. Sunset asked me to ask you if you knew anything about what happened to her parents.”

“Ah.” Her expression was now laced with guilt, and the Princess of the Sun stepped out from behind her desk and approached her former student. “I wondered when this would come. Has she told you anything about her parents?”

“Not much, beyond their names and occupations and what little she surmised about how they died. She thought it was a workplace accident.”

“Calling it that would be a gross understatement.” The elder princess took a breath, collected her thoughts, and asked, “Would it surprise you to know that I have a number of research projects going on? Nothing truly absurd, of course, just things that I think could have genuine, practical benefits, among them efforts at alternative energy sources, cleaner and more efficient than what we already have.” She paused and recognized the sound of a pencil striking parchment, then looked to her former student to notice she was taking notes. “Twilight?”

“I don’t have Sunset’s eidetic memory.” Twilight looked up and asked, “I’m guessing that programs like that led to things like Ponyville’s hydroelectric dam?”

“Among other similar facilities, like wind and solar farms. But there are those who said we still had the means to improve. After all, we still use steam engines to drive our trains and power construction equipment. Sunset’s parents were part of a project that would have allowed us an alternative power source to coal; small artificial suns.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Small-scale solar fusion? Is such a thing possible?”

“When the project was suggested, it came with very compelling math and some strong supporting evidence. I gave it my approval, but nonetheless, I monitored it closely. As someone who controls the sun itself, I know full well how dangerous it can be. Careful precautions were put in place, but nonetheless, they weren’t enough.” A sad sigh, and Celestia explained, “Work progressed far enough to create an artificial sun, but the containment field wasn’t strong enough, and the sun itself was horribly unstable. It burned itself out within a few minutes, but in the process of doing so, it put out small-scale coronal ejections.”

“Solar flares,” Twilight translated. “That’s something even you would have difficulty controlling.”

“And I take great comfort in the fact that I’ve yet to deal with one, and that if one did occur, I’d be able to deflect most of the damage. In that case, however, I would have several minutes warning. In the case of Sunset’s parents, I had none.” A mournful expression crossed her face as she explained, “Two flares struck them both. Their bodies were recognizable enough, but what was left was horribly burned. My only comfort is that their deaths were quick.”

Twilight looked up from her notes, a horrified, pained expression on her face. “And you never told her?”

“She never asked me, and I never asked her what she knew about their passing. I later found out that her family never talked with her about it, for one reason or another.” Remorse was clear as she added, “We all have regrets over one thing or another, Twilight. They aren’t simply limited to those of us who wear crowns.”

“But that doesn’t make dealing with them any easier.”

Celestia gently nuzzled her protégé. “You act as though you have something you regret.”

“Nothing really terrible.” Twilight made a small smile and explained, “I was just thinking about how I treated some of my peers back in school. I don’t know if Sunset and I had any classmates in common, but…”

“You had several, some of whom may surprise you. But the two of you treated your peers very differently, as I’ve told you. Her dismissal of them was always very brusque, while yours tended to be polite, even if it was standoffish.” Celestia gently laughed and reassured her, “But I wouldn’t worry too much. In comparison to my past sins, yours are minor, and far more easily rectified. Do so when you get a chance, hmm?” She gently nudged her and offered, “Now go on. You’ve a question to answer, and I think other issues to address?” At her former student’s shocked expression, she smiled and explained, “I’ve made a point of paying attention, Twilight. I don’t like repeating mistakes.”

An embarrassed blush crossed her face as she asked, “How much do you know?”

“Enough to know that you and I are in very different boats, though probably from similar manufacturers.” She gently smiled and suggested, “All I can offer in terms of advice is that you do what you think is right. And that’s something you’re very good at.”

“But?”

“But I know from experience that love isn’t something that comes by every day. Which doesn’t help, I know, but…”

“But I’ll take what I can get.” She turned discussion away from her love life and back to what she came for as she asked, “The project that Sunset’s parents were working on. Was it cancelled?”

“No, but it’s been put on hold until we can improve our containment methods. As I said, I don’t like repeating mistakes. Give her all my best, hmm?” Twilight nodded and departed, and Celestia smiled, thinking back on her own love life. She wasn’t immune to it any more than anypony else, but it had been a long time since she’d had a special somepony.

Perhaps it was approaching time that she reconnected. The risks were great, of course, but nothing was without risk. And she’d been around long enough to know that hope should never be abandoned.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Sunset’s stay with Fluttershy had been the smoothest so far. Her friend’s parents had been nothing but gracious, though apologetic that they could only keep her for the night. When the evening came, and the two girls found themselves sharing a bed as agreed, Sunset found herself unable to sleep, her arms crossed behind her head and her mind on what she had learned from Twilight earlier in the evening. Now she had some closure, at least, though other thoughts weighed on her.

“Sunset?” She looked to her side to find Fluttershy looking at her with bleary eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just thinking to myself.”

“You’re not still feeling guilty, are you?”

“Some, but it’s other things too.”

“Would you like to talk about it?”

“Yes, but not right now. You have school in the morning, and I’m still sorting things out. So get some sleep, okay?”

A smile crossed her friend’s lips. “Okay, but you need to get some sleep too. You’ve got a big day ahead tomorrow.” Fluttershy closed her eyes, settled beneath the blankets, and softly started singing.

“Hush now, quiet now,

It’s time to lay your sleepy head.

Hush now, quiet now,

It’s time to go to bed.”

Sunset smiled, softly laughed, and found herself thinking back to an old memory from a happier time. As if they had a will of their own, the next few words of the song escaped her lips.

“Drifting off to sleep,

Exciting day behind you.

Drifting off to sleep,

Let the joy of dream land find you.”

At Fluttershy’s surprised expression, she explained, “My mother sang that same lullaby to me when I was little.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t be. You sang it beautifully.”

“…So did you.”

Sunset closed her eyes, putting her concerns aside. A tiny part of her was still thinking she’d face nightmares, despite Rainbow Dash’s theory against it, but she found herself less worried about them, given her company. Fluttershy might not believe it, but she was stronger than she knew. After all, she was the first to really forgive her, despite how horrible she’d been. “Thank you, Fluttershy. For being so strong. For being my friend.” She felt an arm draped over her, Fluttershy hugging her gently, and smiled as she wrapped her arms around her friend and drifted off to sleep. “For forgiving me…”

Author's Note

This was a shorter chapter than the others to write, mostly because of poor Fluttershy. I love her dearly, but alas, she has no canon relatives, so it was mostly her and Sunset for this chapter. A tiny bit of Angel Bunny, but still, mostly the two of them. I don't ship them, mind, but if you're into that kind of thing, feel free to check out the feel-inducing "Goodnight Sunset, Good Morning Sunrise" by Twilight Nightmare.

Fluttershy driving a van is something I've seen in two other stories - "Taking Another Career Option" by DJLowrider and, again, ConningOfficer's "Sunset Shimmer: Element of Redemption". I like it, I like the explanation, so I rolled with it. The various races discussed between Fluttershy and Sunset that have sapience status all come from canon materials, save the caribou, but they're related to deer so that gives them a smidge of authenticity. Aquatic races go unmentioned mostly because Sunset hasn't met them or heard much about them, but suffice it to say, seaponies, mermares and (of course) Sirens exist.

The Hush Now Lullaby is, of course, credited to Chris Savino and Daniel Ingram. Amusingly, Rebecca Shoichet provided backing vocals to Sweetie Belle's rendition.

EDIT 5/20/2015 - A few more small tweaks as prompted by Imperator Knoedel, mostly to include Fluttershy's other pets from the first film. I also snuck in a nod to Fluttershy's Micro Series comic that I failed to include originally. Also, please forgive the theme naming; I think Fluttershy's a Whedon fan.

EDIT 12/2/2015 - Another small tweak.