Sunset's Journalby molly wormdirtChaptersFilling Some HolesJust Another DateNew Life in an Old LifeFamiliar StrangersSmelly EncountersPreludeFilling Some HolesAfter swirling and whirling through a glittering vortex - her body stretching and curling in ways she never thought possible - Sunset was spat out onto rough pavement. Opening her eyes, she was blinded by blurry sunlight from above her. As she groaned and rubbed her throbbing forehead, her vision gradually cleared, allowing her to make sense of the bright new world. The first thing she discovered was a great brick building standing in front of her, seeming to glow in the strong sunlight. She looked behind her and was confronted by a mass of smooth stone, which upon further inspection proved to be the pedestal of a statue of a horse. The flat wall of the pedestal which faced Sunset wavered suddenly, and she realized that this was the portal she had just fallen through. As she continued to look at it, she slowly realized what her hoof was doing to her forehead. Her stomach dropped when she felt how her hoof split and contracted and even scratched her face. With growing anxiety, she lowered her hoof so she could examine it. Her pupils dilated in front of the wriggling worms she found attached to her hoof, despite the gleaming sun. She was soon covered in sweat, agonizing over how long and thin and hairless each of her legs were, how strangely they bent, and how quickly her heart seemed to be beating. The heat of the sun drenched her thoroughly, and she tried desperately to remove a thick, black jacket from her torso; however, finding that she could not use her magic, she grew dizzy as she attempted to manipulate her new appendages in order to free herself. Unsuccessful, she fell onto her side, the cool pavement providing some relief. It wasn’t enough, though, and soon Sunset’s frightened eyes closed, and she lost consciousness. An unknown amount of time passed, and Sunset awoke to someone eagerly shaking her. She propped herself up on her new forelegs, becoming aware that her huge mane was covering her face. “Oh, thank goodness you’re awake!” Sunset heard a voice say, muffled through her hair. “Hey are you-” the voice continued, then halted as Sunset lifted her mane off her face and looked at her waker. The bright sunlight flooded her eyes again, but she could tell with sharp confusion that the strange creature in front of her was some distorted version of herself - a mirror image of what she now looked like. What’s more, Sunset could see that the other her was noticing the same thing. The other Sunset gasped and dropped something out of her hand, and it clattered noisily onto the ground. Sunset watched her quickly retrieve the object, then turn from her. Unsure what her doppelganger was doing, though certain it wouldn’t help her situation, Sunset felt the muscles in her chest tighten, and before she could stop herself, her hoof thrashed out and struck the girl in the back of her head. She watched with wide eyes as her face collided with the pavement. With a moan, the other Sunset tried to lift herself back up, but she was stopped by another strike. A third prevented her from moving again, and she whimpered softly as Sunset clumsily grasped and picked her up by the hair; she saw that a thin streak of blood dripped down her face. Carefully standing on her hind legs, Sunset got a better grip on her hair, then wrapped a hoof around the back of her jacket. She continued crying, though almost inaudibly. Finally, Sunset rooted herself and hurled the girl into the statue. She disappeared through the portal, leaving nothing behind but a ripple in the stone and the strange object Sunset saw her drop earlier. "Well, that was interesting,” Sunset murmured, gently wiggling her forelegs. “Another me." As she explored her new hooves some more, the object began playing a metallic sounding song from somewhere inside of it. She glanced at the noisy device, then slowly picked it up, accidentally pressing one or two buttons in the process. The song stopped and suddenly a voice came from the object. "Sunset! Are you okay? You said you'd be here forty minutes ago!" She recognized the voice immediately. Without needing much thought, the manipulation that Sunset had mastered using back home flowed from her mouth. "Sorry, Mom. Something hit my head and I don't feel so good. Do you think you could come get me?" She stood tense for a moment, curling and uncurling her hoof worms. "Oh my, of course! I'll be there in a minute. Hold on!" Sunset couldn’t help but think it funny that her other mother had no idea she wasn’t the daughter with the aching head. “Thanks. I'm by the...the horse statue." She wondered what her real parents would think of her first act after being banished. "You haven't even left the school yet? Oh dear, I’m coming!" A low beep seemed to indicate that the connection had been severed. Sunset put the device in the pocket of her jacket and wobbled to the side of the statue, which was shrouded in shade. There she examined and practiced moving her new body, until another voice addressed her. It wasn’t one she recognized, however. “Sunny! I’m so sorry I kept you waiting.” She turned her head toward the big building and saw another creature with thin, long limbs clambering toward her. On its strange head was a short, blue mane, and on his back was a satchel and a red guitar. The creature stopped at the statue and caught his breath before saying, “Vice Principal Luna took my guitar at the beginning of the day, and she made me wait until she finished her work before she gave it back. She says it’s ‘a cumbersome distraction’ and not to bring it to school anymore.” Sunset cringed as he put his foreleg around her shoulders. He leaned his face close to hers and whispered, “But I’m gonna bring it, anyway.” He laughed and tried to walk forward, but Sunset’s legs weren’t moving. The two stumbled a little, and the funny-looking stallion turned to her. “Something wrong, Sunny?” Her shoulders felt heavy and tingly where he had touched them. She spoke quietly. “Where are we going?” “To the café, right?” The stallion looked confused. When she saw his crinkled eyes and furrowed brow, Sunset realized that this was another role she apparently had to play - though she wasn’t sure what kind of role it was, exactly. Hiding her apprehension, Sunset stepped toward him and smiled. “Oh yes! That’s right. The café. Shall we go?” He grinned back at her, holding out his foreleg. “Give me your arm.” “My arm?” He shook his leg; she looked at it, then slowly stretched out her own toward it. When she touched his, he wrapped his worms around her arm and locked it around his own. With a little laugh, he began walking forward again. Sunset hurried to keep up with him, careful not to trip. Just Another Date“Could I have mine with extra oats?” The small café was bustling with two-legged creatures like Sunset. She figured this was the form all ponies would take on upon entering through the portal, and therefore the dominant species in this area. She spoke to the warped mare in front of her, behind a counter lined with bottles boasting different flavored syrups, like cherry and chocolate. In response to her question, the blue barista froze to look at her, cocking an eyebrow. It was apparent to Sunset that oats were not on the menu. “Ah, never mind!” she laughed, putting a hand on her hip and turning out a foot, the way she’d seen several other creatures standing on her way here. She had observed many fascinating spectacles along the short distance. There were things she’d never seen before - huge and colorful chariots that moved all on their own, and creatures everywhere walked with their tiny ears to those rectangular devices, like the one Sunset’s counterpart had dropped. She also noticed that none of the creatures she saw had wings or horns. Even her own horn was missing from her forehead - a fact she noticed surprisingly late. It seemed that nopony had anything really distinguishing about them except for their clothing. Everyone here wore clothing. Along with her black jacket, she herself wore a white shirt tucked into a pale orange skirt with her cutie mark printed on the pocket, and big black boots which covered up whatever was at the end of those skinny legs. The creature behind the counter still looked concerned, so Sunset shook her head. “However you usually make it is fine.” Sunset carefully took her drink and walked back to the table. She had managed to see herself in the windows of stores that they had passed by, but the orange stallion had insisted on holding Sunset’s arm the entire walk, so she didn’t have a chance to get a good look at her new form. From what she could see, her face looked fairly the same; however, her muzzle was much smaller. She was extremely yet silently unnerved by this discovery, and she dreaded trying to fit anything more than the straw she held into her new and tiny mouth. She sat down across from the stallion, setting her drink on the table. He looked at her with a funny smile on his face, and Sunset’s eyes shifted around uncomfortably while she patted her skirt and mane. Finally she turned to him. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she asked, trying to sound light-hearted - masking her anxiety by occupying herself with the task of removing her straw from its wrapper. She briefly realized that little chores like this were surely to be numerous from now on, seeing as she had lost her ability to use magic. He hung his arm over the back of his chair and chuckled. “Sorry. You just seem really cute today.” “Cute?” Sunset repeated, an eyebrow arching. Nopony had called her cute in years, and certainly not any boy. She wasn’t sure how she should feel about what he said, but her stomach still churned, as though it understood it for her. She stuck the straw into her drink and took the ceramic mug in her hands. Leaning against her own chair, she gazed out the window. Outside, another creature was holding a rope, which was tied around the neck of a dog. Upon seeing this, Sunset felt a tiny smile creep across her cheeks; if dogs existed in this world, maybe other creatures she was familiar with did, too. After thinking this, she saw several small birds alight themselves on top of the awning of a shop across the street. Already she felt more at home. “No, I’m sorry,” she told the stallion. “I just don’t feel like myself today-” “I completely understand,” he interrupted. “With it being the first day of high school and all, I think we’re all feeling like something big is starting. Like we’re becoming different people.” Sunset looked at him with confusion, but when he tilted his head back to her, she quickly smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that must be it,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow.” The stallion smiled back. “I’m sure, too. But I hope high school won’t change us too much.” “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll still be the same old Sunset Shimmer,” she said, striving to keep from laughing at the irony of her statement. She was successful, and he reached across the table for her arm again. “And I’ll be the same Flash Sentry.” His hand felt cold from holding his frozen drink - and slightly slimy from the condensation - but Sunset let him touch her anyway. Then that song began playing again, from inside her pocket. “One second, Flash.” She retracted her arm and reached for the device. This time, she looked at it closely before pressing any buttons. Guessing that green meant go, she answered the call. “Hello?” Her mother’s worried voice rang out from the small rectangle, and Sunset’s back straightened as she remembered that she was supposed to be waiting at the statue. After explaining where she was, however, her mother calmed down. “You really must have hit your head hard if you forgot this,” she said to Sunset. “Make sure Flash Sentry gets you home soon.” “I will, Mom. Sorry again.” Sunset pressed the red button for stop, though she thought she heard her mother start to say “I love you” just before she hung up. She tried to brush this off and turned back to Flash. He was looking at her with that goofy face again. “You really do look cute, though.” “So, have you finished your drink?” she asked, having barely touched her own. “I think it’s time to go home.” New Life in an Old LifeSunset followed Flash to her new home, a route he had undoubtedly taken many times; for Sunset, though, as she still wobbled on her long legs, everything they passed was strange. Every now and then, his guitar - which seemed to glow red in the growing darkness - would bump against her arm, and when it did she flinched, though it didn’t really hurt. Finally he noticed what was happening, and as he transferred the indeed cumbersome instrument to his other shoulder, laughed an apology. “No problem,” she smiled back, teeth gritted. At last, as the sun was disappearing behind the horizon, Flash Sentry came to a stop in front of another large building composed of bricks. Sunset halted too, and turned to look at the apartment complex. “Well, here we are.” The head of the guitar fell toward her face as Flash leaned in. The building seemed to be ancient; many bricks in its façade were missing, and the windows were dusty and stained. A small strip of grass played the role of a front lawn, just barely enough room for a decrepit wooden sign. “End’s Glow” is what it read. Sunset’s attention was suddenly torn away from her apparent home by her escort, who was now even closer to her face. He seemed to still be moving in, but when he saw Sunset’s wide eyes, he stopped. “Something wrong, Sunny?” “No! No, nothing’s wrong!” she stuttered, trying to smile again. Her heart thrashed against the inside of her chest, but she didn’t know what else she could do. Flash pulled away, his bottom lip puckering out. “You have been really strange today. Are you sure it’s just school?” She nodded quickly, then slowed down, looking him in the eye. “Trust me,” she whispered, partly because her rapid heartbeat was stealing her breath away. He sighed. “All right. You can tell me if anything is bothering you, okay?” She nodded again, and forced the smile to appear. He grinned back. “Can I still get a kiss?” Her heart stopped. She looked at the ground, then into the sky, her mouth open and gasping for words. Finally, she just faced him and nodded once more. With gratitude maybe, he snaked his fingers into her hair and curled an arm around her waist, pulling her hips toward his. Pausing with his lips an inch from hers, he glanced at her cyan eyes. Then with no more delay, he pressed against her mouth, melting his lips into hers. Sunset stood rigid, terrified to allow this to continue, but even more terrified of pulling away. She knew she couldn’t survive in this world on her own, with no magic or power at all. If she was going to get anywhere in her new life, she would need to comply with the ways of her counterpart’s old life. And if that meant letting a stranger wriggle his tongue between her teeth, then she would stay strong and let him. Finally, Flash pulled away. Worry still crumpled his brow, and he held Sunset’s cheek in his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. We have a class together, right?” “Right. I think. I guess we’ll see,” she laughed. He chuckled back and turned, waving goodbye. Sunset watched him walk away, down the sidewalk and around the corner. The small hairs on her nape bristled. After finding her family name on the list of residents near the entry to End’s Glow, Sunset pressed the corresponding button. This created a sharp buzz, which made her leap and trip over the heels of her large boots. “Sunset?” a voice asked, crinkling through the low-quality speaker system. She gathered herself and brushed her skirt, keeping her eyes on the speaker. “Dad?” she responded. She remembered suddenly the last time she had spoken with her father - her real father. Celestia stood far behind them, but she was sure her teacher could hear them anyway, and that she would surely see no problem with eavesdropping. “You can still go back to her, Sunny. Please go back to her. We’ll help you.” Tears flooded his eyes, and he wrapped a foreleg around her neck, pulling her close to him. Sunset turned her face away, toward Celestia. Her brow lowered over her eyes. “I don’t want any help,” she told him, pushing away his hoof. She flicked her tail and glared at the princess. Magic spurted from her horn as her cheeks flushed dark red. “And I’m not going back to her!” “Sunny? Is that you? Hold the button to reply, remember?” The voice startled Sunset again, and she shook her head before reaching out to press the button again. “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry. Let me up?” “Sure thing, kid. We missed ya.” The buzz sounded again, and Sunset opened the door. Familiar Strangers“Sunny, thank goodness you’re home!” her mother cried as she embraced Sunset. She held her tightly for several uncomfortable seconds, then pulled away so she could check her cranium for bumps and bruises. “Where were you hit, baby? Are you feeling okay?” “You took so long getting up here, we thought you might have forgotten where you live!” her father laughed from a table just outside a small kitchen. From what Sunset saw, her counterpart’s living conditions were quite different from the castle that she was accustomed to. She had in fact spent at least ten minutes walking through the cramped and poorly lit hallways of the apartment building, losing herself in its dusty stairwells laced with spider webs, and straining her eyes to read the chipped paint of each room number until she found the right one. It only took her another half a minute to don her facade, which held up fantastically as her mother continued to scan her skull. “I’m fine, really. Just a little scattered from the first day of school,” she said with a grin, wrapping her fingers gently around her mother’s wrist and freeing herself from her touch. “I think I just need a good night’s sleep.” Her father nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me. Your mom made lasagna for dinner, but you can always heat it up for breakfast tomorrow.” He stood up and rested his hands on her mother’s trembling shoulders. She crossed her arms and frowned, biting her bottom lip. Sunset recognized this gesture all too well, and she felt her pretense shiver before quickly reinforcing it. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled again. “That’ll be delicious. You know I love your lasagna!” She really had no clue what this meal was that they were talking about, but her mother seemed to relax a little, so she didn’t care. “Okay, well. Sleep well, sweetie. Tomorrow I expect to hear all about what went on today.” She pulled her into a hug again, and Sunset felt her twitching fingers wiggle through her hair, still searching for her wound. After an awkward moment lost in the hall, Sunset found her new room. Her first instinct was to illuminate the room with her magic, and she even waved her head, her thick mane tumbling over her face, completely forgetting her departed power. How did these creatures accomplish anything without magic? She compared them all to earth ponies, vulnerable to disorganized weather and chaotic monsters and more. Then again, Sunset recalled the strange machines she saw in the streets, and even the worms at the end of her arms suggested that this world had an ability just as powerful as Equestria’s magic. Nonetheless, as Sunset stood in the dark bedroom, she found herself painfully missing her horn. In the morning, Sunset awoke by the light of her namesake’s opposite, leaking through a window above the bed she managed to find the night before. Well-rested and fairly calm within this new world, she lifted herself up and stretched her arms until they felt comfortable again, then brushed her eyes and looked around. Painted in the orange light from the sun, the bedroom seemed to match her perfectly. Across from where she sat, by the door, a bookshelf packed with everything from magazines to tomes creaked against the wooden floor. On its other side there sat a small wooden desk holding a stack of papers and a couple more books. A closet took up most of the adjacent wall, and a full length mirror hung from one of its panel doors. Under the window in the last wall was a large, black rectangle sitting on a short table. Looking a little closer, she saw a couple smaller rectangles on a lower shelf in the table. The walls were dotted with picture frames and other decorations. The bed she still sat upon was pink and plush. It wasn’t nearly as large as the one in Sunset’s suite at the castle, but it was more than comfortable enough to ensure her a good night’s sleep. As suddenly as these things usually happen, an alarm clock on the desk burst into life and filled the room with its cacophonous ring. Clutching the blanket below her, Sunset searched around frantically for the source of the noise. Her heart raced even faster when the door swung open, revealing her mother. She leaned on the door handle and grinned. “Good morning, sweetie! Time to start another day-” She trailed off as she saw her daughter sitting upright, eyes wide. After walking over to the desk and shutting off the alarm, she turned back with her mouth twisted in concern. “You didn’t even switch out of your clothes last night? Are you sure you’re feeling all right?” She sat on the edge of the bed. Sunset wasn’t accustomed to having guests in her room, and certainly not to sharing her space with her parents. However, she fought the feelings of violation, aware that something needed to be done before her worrywart mother called an ambulance. She set a hand on her mother’s shoulder and beamed up at her. “I just had a strange dream, Mom. Don’t worry about me.” Her mother didn’t seem convinced, but she still nodded. Standing up, she looked down at her daughter. “You sure?” Sunset nodded back. “I’ll let you know if anything changes.” She moved her warm orange hand to her mother’s dark yellow one. “I promise.” “Okay,” she whispered back. “Better get ready, then.” When she was alone again, Sunset threw herself back onto the bed. She liked the look of her counterpart’s personal library, though it was nothing compared to what she was used to in Canterlot. She liked her bed, though it seemed a little short for Sunset’s long legs. Lastly, she liked her door, though it seemed that there wasn’t any way to lock it. She sat up once more, and with wobbly patience, got to her feet. A full day stood ahead of her, and she’d have a lot to learn - some she’d like, and some she surely wouldn’t. Facing the mirror, she noticed how wrinkled her clothes were, and the mess her mane was in. Then she looked down at her big, black boots. “Guess it’s time to find out what my hind hooves look like.” Smelly EncountersSunset had never forgotten her homework before. She stared blankly into her teacher’s eyes, absently scratching her itchy scalp. “I-I don’t have it. I’m sorry.” She had always done the homework Celestia assigned her, and typically submitted it with pride. As the years dragged on and the proud Princess refused to properly reward Sunset’s hard work and dedication, there were assignments that Sunset kept to herself, unwilling to share the answers she discovered after hours of study and discipline. Her new teacher raised an eyebrow. “No excuse? That’s a relief, I suppose.” She slapped the desk Sunset had awkwardly fit herself into, causing her to pull her hand from her head to her chest, clutching the warm air around her. The students seated around her had already been watching her curiously, Sunset figuring it had something to do with her frazzled appearance. Now, however, the entire class had its attention on her, and she felt her forehead and the soft pits under her arms begin to moisten. Perhaps with a sort of pity, the teacher retracted her own hand, standing up straight. “See me after class,” she said. Though she walked away, the eyes of the class remained on Sunset. It wasn’t until the teacher barked the beginning of her lecture from the front of the room that Sunset was free from attention. The lesson was a brief overview of the cells in the body of creatures called “humans”, which Sunset learned was what she now was. She was surprised to learn that her current body was made up of the same things that created her pony body. She remembered the birds and cats and dogs that she had seen since coming to this new world, though, and realized that she should have already expected this. As much as she tried to lose herself in the lesson, the harsh voice of the teacher kept distracting her, reminding her of her appointment after class. Sunset’s heart raced. The moisture under her arms increased. When the bell finally rang, the other students gathered their books and moved on to their next classes. Sunset tiptoed to the teacher’s desk; she sat behind it, pretending not to notice Sunset until she stood right in front of her. She looked at Sunset from over her glasses. “High school already getting to you, dear?” she asked. The sympathetic tone she took surprised Sunset, not to mention the caring nickname. “A little, I guess,” Sunset said. The teacher rested her cheek in her palm. “That’s not unusual,” she said. “But believe me, you’ll get used to it.” She opened a drawer in her desk and rummaged around before pulling out a plain yellow folder. “Put the papers I handed out today in here, so you don’t lose them,” she said, offering it to Sunset, who quickly accepted it with trembling fingers. As she did what she was told, the teacher continued, “And you’ll be wanting a notebook for later lectures. Pencils and black pens, too,” she added, with a slight eye roll. “Y-yes! Thank you, ma’am. I’ll have them for next class-” “Do not call me ‘ma’am’,” she ordered. Sunset zipped her lips, her fingers tight on the folder. “You may refer to me as ‘Ms. Harshwhinny’ and that is all.” Sunset nodded quickly as Ms. Harshwhinny spoke. She suddenly had a terrible itch on the top of her head, but when her teacher’s sharp blue eyes snapped back to her, she could only grip the folder tighter. “Now go on,” she said. “Or you’ll be late to your next class, making another poor first impression.” “Thank you very much, Ms. Harshwhinny,” Sunset said as she backed out of the room. Ms. Harshwhinny ignored her, turning her attention to some papers on her desk. Outside the classroom, Sunset found a girl from her class standing near the door. Sunset tried to brush this off, turning her back to her, but the girl grabbed Sunset’s shoulder and made her turn around. “What is it?” Sunset asked, scowling at the unwanted contact. The girl pulled her bright yellow hand back, holding it in her other one. Big green eyes glittered from her delicate face. Sunset thought the girl was pretty, but something about her made her laugh. Maybe it was because she stood about six inches shorter than Sunset. The girl opened her little mouth as she released a hand to brush back her sky colored mane. “Excuse me for being intrusive,” she began, “but I couldn’t help but notice that your appearance is a little different today than it was yesterday.” Sunset wrapped her fingers around her own greasy mane. Her heart raced again. “I didn’t have the time to shower this morning.” With her other hand, she stretched out her shirt under her arms, where a considerable amount of sweat had dampened it. “And I guess it was hot in the classroom,” she muttered. Sunset tried to deny it, but the smell which surrounded the two girls simply had to be coming from her. She looked away from the pretty girl and crossed her arms over her stomach. Suddenly, the girl took hold of Sunset’s hand. She pulled her down the hallway, past students who turned their noses up - searching for the source of the smell as it ran by. The girl dragged Sunset into a bathroom, then stood with her backpack on a sink, searching it for something. “Look, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I have to get to my next class,” Sunset said, her hands on her hips. This seemed to let the odor out more strongly, though, so she wrapped her arms around herself again, but maintained her indignant scowl. Finally, the girl removed a small, white stick from her bag. She handed it to Sunset, with a gentle smile. Sunset looked at her present with blank eyes. The girl frowned. “It’s deodorant,” she said. “You use it like this.” She took the stick back and removed a cap from one end of it. A thick powder covered that end, and the girl pulled at the collar of her shirt to allow room for her to rub this powder against the pit of her arm. She did the same to the other side, then handed it back to Sunset. “I hope you don’t mind sharing.” Still wary, Sunset slowly moved the deodorant toward herself. “Oh wait,” the girl said. “You might want to wash some of that sweat off first.” The two moved to the sinks, and the girl helped Sunset clean herself off. Sunset couldn’t help realizing how pleasant the girl smelled. At last, Sunset applied the deodorant. The cool powder felt very comfortable on her hot skin. She thanked the girl, who replied with another sweet smile. “Please don’t worry about it. My name is Evening Primrose.” She held out her hand. Sunset wasn’t sure what was meant by this, so she was tentative in offering her own hand. Evening Primrose looked at it for a second, then quickly lifted her other hand and slid her fingers between Sunset’s. Sunset held back a gasp as she felt Evening Primrose’s smooth skin against her oily skin. “Sunset Shimmer,” she replied. When they let go, Evening Primrose asked, “So what is your next class, Sunset?” Sunset reached into a pocket of her jacket and removed a crumpled paper she fortunately found on the desk in her room that morning. After scanning the schedule, she replied, “Looks like it’s English next.” Evening Primrose’s eyes grew wide. “With Ms. Yearling?” “Yes?” A great smile spread across her face. “That’s my next class too! We should hurry, I guess. Don’t want another fiasco like in Biology.” Sunset tried to smile back, but feared that it came out as more of a smirk. As the two left the bathroom, she attempted to make up for it by thanking her savior once more. “Please, don’t worry about it!” Evening Primrose said. “I’m just glad I made a new friend.” With those words, so daintily spoken, Sunset felt that curious feeling again, and a small cackle escaped her lips. Prelude“Sunset Shimmer. You stand before us on this day in order to receive punishment for your crimes.” As Princess Celestia began reading Sunset’s various misdemeanors, the unicorn barely listened, and was only vaguely aware of the brawny castle guard that surrounded her, the magic to restrain her glowing from their horns. But Sunset wasn’t going to try to escape; her fun was over, and she was about to face the end. Behind her loomed the gleaming glass of the Crystal Mirror. “-But above all, you will be banished because of your insatiable thirst for power, and because of the darkness in your heart.” To Sunset’s side, behind the wall of security, she heard the sniffling of her mother - the consoling voice of her father. She did not look toward them. The princess stepped closer, towering over Sunset and casting a thick shadow upon her. Sunset gazed straight ahead. “Do you have anything to say?” Celestia asked. In response, Sunset turned toward the sparkling mirror, and flicked her tail. The princess looked away. “Very well.” From behind her, her mother sobbed; it echoed clearly in the chamber. As Sunset took each heavy step, she felt her former mentor’s eyes on her, boring into her flesh. But though they stung, she did not falter, and lifting her chin high, she introduced herself to the cold, liquid wall of the portal and exited Equestria.
Filling Some HolesAfter swirling and whirling through a glittering vortex - her body stretching and curling in ways she never thought possible - Sunset was spat out onto rough pavement. Opening her eyes, she was blinded by blurry sunlight from above her. As she groaned and rubbed her throbbing forehead, her vision gradually cleared, allowing her to make sense of the bright new world. The first thing she discovered was a great brick building standing in front of her, seeming to glow in the strong sunlight. She looked behind her and was confronted by a mass of smooth stone, which upon further inspection proved to be the pedestal of a statue of a horse. The flat wall of the pedestal which faced Sunset wavered suddenly, and she realized that this was the portal she had just fallen through. As she continued to look at it, she slowly realized what her hoof was doing to her forehead. Her stomach dropped when she felt how her hoof split and contracted and even scratched her face. With growing anxiety, she lowered her hoof so she could examine it. Her pupils dilated in front of the wriggling worms she found attached to her hoof, despite the gleaming sun. She was soon covered in sweat, agonizing over how long and thin and hairless each of her legs were, how strangely they bent, and how quickly her heart seemed to be beating. The heat of the sun drenched her thoroughly, and she tried desperately to remove a thick, black jacket from her torso; however, finding that she could not use her magic, she grew dizzy as she attempted to manipulate her new appendages in order to free herself. Unsuccessful, she fell onto her side, the cool pavement providing some relief. It wasn’t enough, though, and soon Sunset’s frightened eyes closed, and she lost consciousness. An unknown amount of time passed, and Sunset awoke to someone eagerly shaking her. She propped herself up on her new forelegs, becoming aware that her huge mane was covering her face. “Oh, thank goodness you’re awake!” Sunset heard a voice say, muffled through her hair. “Hey are you-” the voice continued, then halted as Sunset lifted her mane off her face and looked at her waker. The bright sunlight flooded her eyes again, but she could tell with sharp confusion that the strange creature in front of her was some distorted version of herself - a mirror image of what she now looked like. What’s more, Sunset could see that the other her was noticing the same thing. The other Sunset gasped and dropped something out of her hand, and it clattered noisily onto the ground. Sunset watched her quickly retrieve the object, then turn from her. Unsure what her doppelganger was doing, though certain it wouldn’t help her situation, Sunset felt the muscles in her chest tighten, and before she could stop herself, her hoof thrashed out and struck the girl in the back of her head. She watched with wide eyes as her face collided with the pavement. With a moan, the other Sunset tried to lift herself back up, but she was stopped by another strike. A third prevented her from moving again, and she whimpered softly as Sunset clumsily grasped and picked her up by the hair; she saw that a thin streak of blood dripped down her face. Carefully standing on her hind legs, Sunset got a better grip on her hair, then wrapped a hoof around the back of her jacket. She continued crying, though almost inaudibly. Finally, Sunset rooted herself and hurled the girl into the statue. She disappeared through the portal, leaving nothing behind but a ripple in the stone and the strange object Sunset saw her drop earlier. "Well, that was interesting,” Sunset murmured, gently wiggling her forelegs. “Another me." As she explored her new hooves some more, the object began playing a metallic sounding song from somewhere inside of it. She glanced at the noisy device, then slowly picked it up, accidentally pressing one or two buttons in the process. The song stopped and suddenly a voice came from the object. "Sunset! Are you okay? You said you'd be here forty minutes ago!" She recognized the voice immediately. Without needing much thought, the manipulation that Sunset had mastered using back home flowed from her mouth. "Sorry, Mom. Something hit my head and I don't feel so good. Do you think you could come get me?" She stood tense for a moment, curling and uncurling her hoof worms. "Oh my, of course! I'll be there in a minute. Hold on!" Sunset couldn’t help but think it funny that her other mother had no idea she wasn’t the daughter with the aching head. “Thanks. I'm by the...the horse statue." She wondered what her real parents would think of her first act after being banished. "You haven't even left the school yet? Oh dear, I’m coming!" A low beep seemed to indicate that the connection had been severed. Sunset put the device in the pocket of her jacket and wobbled to the side of the statue, which was shrouded in shade. There she examined and practiced moving her new body, until another voice addressed her. It wasn’t one she recognized, however. “Sunny! I’m so sorry I kept you waiting.” She turned her head toward the big building and saw another creature with thin, long limbs clambering toward her. On its strange head was a short, blue mane, and on his back was a satchel and a red guitar. The creature stopped at the statue and caught his breath before saying, “Vice Principal Luna took my guitar at the beginning of the day, and she made me wait until she finished her work before she gave it back. She says it’s ‘a cumbersome distraction’ and not to bring it to school anymore.” Sunset cringed as he put his foreleg around her shoulders. He leaned his face close to hers and whispered, “But I’m gonna bring it, anyway.” He laughed and tried to walk forward, but Sunset’s legs weren’t moving. The two stumbled a little, and the funny-looking stallion turned to her. “Something wrong, Sunny?” Her shoulders felt heavy and tingly where he had touched them. She spoke quietly. “Where are we going?” “To the café, right?” The stallion looked confused. When she saw his crinkled eyes and furrowed brow, Sunset realized that this was another role she apparently had to play - though she wasn’t sure what kind of role it was, exactly. Hiding her apprehension, Sunset stepped toward him and smiled. “Oh yes! That’s right. The café. Shall we go?” He grinned back at her, holding out his foreleg. “Give me your arm.” “My arm?” He shook his leg; she looked at it, then slowly stretched out her own toward it. When she touched his, he wrapped his worms around her arm and locked it around his own. With a little laugh, he began walking forward again. Sunset hurried to keep up with him, careful not to trip.
Just Another Date“Could I have mine with extra oats?” The small café was bustling with two-legged creatures like Sunset. She figured this was the form all ponies would take on upon entering through the portal, and therefore the dominant species in this area. She spoke to the warped mare in front of her, behind a counter lined with bottles boasting different flavored syrups, like cherry and chocolate. In response to her question, the blue barista froze to look at her, cocking an eyebrow. It was apparent to Sunset that oats were not on the menu. “Ah, never mind!” she laughed, putting a hand on her hip and turning out a foot, the way she’d seen several other creatures standing on her way here. She had observed many fascinating spectacles along the short distance. There were things she’d never seen before - huge and colorful chariots that moved all on their own, and creatures everywhere walked with their tiny ears to those rectangular devices, like the one Sunset’s counterpart had dropped. She also noticed that none of the creatures she saw had wings or horns. Even her own horn was missing from her forehead - a fact she noticed surprisingly late. It seemed that nopony had anything really distinguishing about them except for their clothing. Everyone here wore clothing. Along with her black jacket, she herself wore a white shirt tucked into a pale orange skirt with her cutie mark printed on the pocket, and big black boots which covered up whatever was at the end of those skinny legs. The creature behind the counter still looked concerned, so Sunset shook her head. “However you usually make it is fine.” Sunset carefully took her drink and walked back to the table. She had managed to see herself in the windows of stores that they had passed by, but the orange stallion had insisted on holding Sunset’s arm the entire walk, so she didn’t have a chance to get a good look at her new form. From what she could see, her face looked fairly the same; however, her muzzle was much smaller. She was extremely yet silently unnerved by this discovery, and she dreaded trying to fit anything more than the straw she held into her new and tiny mouth. She sat down across from the stallion, setting her drink on the table. He looked at her with a funny smile on his face, and Sunset’s eyes shifted around uncomfortably while she patted her skirt and mane. Finally she turned to him. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she asked, trying to sound light-hearted - masking her anxiety by occupying herself with the task of removing her straw from its wrapper. She briefly realized that little chores like this were surely to be numerous from now on, seeing as she had lost her ability to use magic. He hung his arm over the back of his chair and chuckled. “Sorry. You just seem really cute today.” “Cute?” Sunset repeated, an eyebrow arching. Nopony had called her cute in years, and certainly not any boy. She wasn’t sure how she should feel about what he said, but her stomach still churned, as though it understood it for her. She stuck the straw into her drink and took the ceramic mug in her hands. Leaning against her own chair, she gazed out the window. Outside, another creature was holding a rope, which was tied around the neck of a dog. Upon seeing this, Sunset felt a tiny smile creep across her cheeks; if dogs existed in this world, maybe other creatures she was familiar with did, too. After thinking this, she saw several small birds alight themselves on top of the awning of a shop across the street. Already she felt more at home. “No, I’m sorry,” she told the stallion. “I just don’t feel like myself today-” “I completely understand,” he interrupted. “With it being the first day of high school and all, I think we’re all feeling like something big is starting. Like we’re becoming different people.” Sunset looked at him with confusion, but when he tilted his head back to her, she quickly smiled and nodded. “Yeah, that must be it,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll feel better tomorrow.” The stallion smiled back. “I’m sure, too. But I hope high school won’t change us too much.” “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll still be the same old Sunset Shimmer,” she said, striving to keep from laughing at the irony of her statement. She was successful, and he reached across the table for her arm again. “And I’ll be the same Flash Sentry.” His hand felt cold from holding his frozen drink - and slightly slimy from the condensation - but Sunset let him touch her anyway. Then that song began playing again, from inside her pocket. “One second, Flash.” She retracted her arm and reached for the device. This time, she looked at it closely before pressing any buttons. Guessing that green meant go, she answered the call. “Hello?” Her mother’s worried voice rang out from the small rectangle, and Sunset’s back straightened as she remembered that she was supposed to be waiting at the statue. After explaining where she was, however, her mother calmed down. “You really must have hit your head hard if you forgot this,” she said to Sunset. “Make sure Flash Sentry gets you home soon.” “I will, Mom. Sorry again.” Sunset pressed the red button for stop, though she thought she heard her mother start to say “I love you” just before she hung up. She tried to brush this off and turned back to Flash. He was looking at her with that goofy face again. “You really do look cute, though.” “So, have you finished your drink?” she asked, having barely touched her own. “I think it’s time to go home.”
New Life in an Old LifeSunset followed Flash to her new home, a route he had undoubtedly taken many times; for Sunset, though, as she still wobbled on her long legs, everything they passed was strange. Every now and then, his guitar - which seemed to glow red in the growing darkness - would bump against her arm, and when it did she flinched, though it didn’t really hurt. Finally he noticed what was happening, and as he transferred the indeed cumbersome instrument to his other shoulder, laughed an apology. “No problem,” she smiled back, teeth gritted. At last, as the sun was disappearing behind the horizon, Flash Sentry came to a stop in front of another large building composed of bricks. Sunset halted too, and turned to look at the apartment complex. “Well, here we are.” The head of the guitar fell toward her face as Flash leaned in. The building seemed to be ancient; many bricks in its façade were missing, and the windows were dusty and stained. A small strip of grass played the role of a front lawn, just barely enough room for a decrepit wooden sign. “End’s Glow” is what it read. Sunset’s attention was suddenly torn away from her apparent home by her escort, who was now even closer to her face. He seemed to still be moving in, but when he saw Sunset’s wide eyes, he stopped. “Something wrong, Sunny?” “No! No, nothing’s wrong!” she stuttered, trying to smile again. Her heart thrashed against the inside of her chest, but she didn’t know what else she could do. Flash pulled away, his bottom lip puckering out. “You have been really strange today. Are you sure it’s just school?” She nodded quickly, then slowed down, looking him in the eye. “Trust me,” she whispered, partly because her rapid heartbeat was stealing her breath away. He sighed. “All right. You can tell me if anything is bothering you, okay?” She nodded again, and forced the smile to appear. He grinned back. “Can I still get a kiss?” Her heart stopped. She looked at the ground, then into the sky, her mouth open and gasping for words. Finally, she just faced him and nodded once more. With gratitude maybe, he snaked his fingers into her hair and curled an arm around her waist, pulling her hips toward his. Pausing with his lips an inch from hers, he glanced at her cyan eyes. Then with no more delay, he pressed against her mouth, melting his lips into hers. Sunset stood rigid, terrified to allow this to continue, but even more terrified of pulling away. She knew she couldn’t survive in this world on her own, with no magic or power at all. If she was going to get anywhere in her new life, she would need to comply with the ways of her counterpart’s old life. And if that meant letting a stranger wriggle his tongue between her teeth, then she would stay strong and let him. Finally, Flash pulled away. Worry still crumpled his brow, and he held Sunset’s cheek in his hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. We have a class together, right?” “Right. I think. I guess we’ll see,” she laughed. He chuckled back and turned, waving goodbye. Sunset watched him walk away, down the sidewalk and around the corner. The small hairs on her nape bristled. After finding her family name on the list of residents near the entry to End’s Glow, Sunset pressed the corresponding button. This created a sharp buzz, which made her leap and trip over the heels of her large boots. “Sunset?” a voice asked, crinkling through the low-quality speaker system. She gathered herself and brushed her skirt, keeping her eyes on the speaker. “Dad?” she responded. She remembered suddenly the last time she had spoken with her father - her real father. Celestia stood far behind them, but she was sure her teacher could hear them anyway, and that she would surely see no problem with eavesdropping. “You can still go back to her, Sunny. Please go back to her. We’ll help you.” Tears flooded his eyes, and he wrapped a foreleg around her neck, pulling her close to him. Sunset turned her face away, toward Celestia. Her brow lowered over her eyes. “I don’t want any help,” she told him, pushing away his hoof. She flicked her tail and glared at the princess. Magic spurted from her horn as her cheeks flushed dark red. “And I’m not going back to her!” “Sunny? Is that you? Hold the button to reply, remember?” The voice startled Sunset again, and she shook her head before reaching out to press the button again. “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry. Let me up?” “Sure thing, kid. We missed ya.” The buzz sounded again, and Sunset opened the door.
Familiar Strangers“Sunny, thank goodness you’re home!” her mother cried as she embraced Sunset. She held her tightly for several uncomfortable seconds, then pulled away so she could check her cranium for bumps and bruises. “Where were you hit, baby? Are you feeling okay?” “You took so long getting up here, we thought you might have forgotten where you live!” her father laughed from a table just outside a small kitchen. From what Sunset saw, her counterpart’s living conditions were quite different from the castle that she was accustomed to. She had in fact spent at least ten minutes walking through the cramped and poorly lit hallways of the apartment building, losing herself in its dusty stairwells laced with spider webs, and straining her eyes to read the chipped paint of each room number until she found the right one. It only took her another half a minute to don her facade, which held up fantastically as her mother continued to scan her skull. “I’m fine, really. Just a little scattered from the first day of school,” she said with a grin, wrapping her fingers gently around her mother’s wrist and freeing herself from her touch. “I think I just need a good night’s sleep.” Her father nodded. “Sounds like a plan to me. Your mom made lasagna for dinner, but you can always heat it up for breakfast tomorrow.” He stood up and rested his hands on her mother’s trembling shoulders. She crossed her arms and frowned, biting her bottom lip. Sunset recognized this gesture all too well, and she felt her pretense shiver before quickly reinforcing it. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled again. “That’ll be delicious. You know I love your lasagna!” She really had no clue what this meal was that they were talking about, but her mother seemed to relax a little, so she didn’t care. “Okay, well. Sleep well, sweetie. Tomorrow I expect to hear all about what went on today.” She pulled her into a hug again, and Sunset felt her twitching fingers wiggle through her hair, still searching for her wound. After an awkward moment lost in the hall, Sunset found her new room. Her first instinct was to illuminate the room with her magic, and she even waved her head, her thick mane tumbling over her face, completely forgetting her departed power. How did these creatures accomplish anything without magic? She compared them all to earth ponies, vulnerable to disorganized weather and chaotic monsters and more. Then again, Sunset recalled the strange machines she saw in the streets, and even the worms at the end of her arms suggested that this world had an ability just as powerful as Equestria’s magic. Nonetheless, as Sunset stood in the dark bedroom, she found herself painfully missing her horn. In the morning, Sunset awoke by the light of her namesake’s opposite, leaking through a window above the bed she managed to find the night before. Well-rested and fairly calm within this new world, she lifted herself up and stretched her arms until they felt comfortable again, then brushed her eyes and looked around. Painted in the orange light from the sun, the bedroom seemed to match her perfectly. Across from where she sat, by the door, a bookshelf packed with everything from magazines to tomes creaked against the wooden floor. On its other side there sat a small wooden desk holding a stack of papers and a couple more books. A closet took up most of the adjacent wall, and a full length mirror hung from one of its panel doors. Under the window in the last wall was a large, black rectangle sitting on a short table. Looking a little closer, she saw a couple smaller rectangles on a lower shelf in the table. The walls were dotted with picture frames and other decorations. The bed she still sat upon was pink and plush. It wasn’t nearly as large as the one in Sunset’s suite at the castle, but it was more than comfortable enough to ensure her a good night’s sleep. As suddenly as these things usually happen, an alarm clock on the desk burst into life and filled the room with its cacophonous ring. Clutching the blanket below her, Sunset searched around frantically for the source of the noise. Her heart raced even faster when the door swung open, revealing her mother. She leaned on the door handle and grinned. “Good morning, sweetie! Time to start another day-” She trailed off as she saw her daughter sitting upright, eyes wide. After walking over to the desk and shutting off the alarm, she turned back with her mouth twisted in concern. “You didn’t even switch out of your clothes last night? Are you sure you’re feeling all right?” She sat on the edge of the bed. Sunset wasn’t accustomed to having guests in her room, and certainly not to sharing her space with her parents. However, she fought the feelings of violation, aware that something needed to be done before her worrywart mother called an ambulance. She set a hand on her mother’s shoulder and beamed up at her. “I just had a strange dream, Mom. Don’t worry about me.” Her mother didn’t seem convinced, but she still nodded. Standing up, she looked down at her daughter. “You sure?” Sunset nodded back. “I’ll let you know if anything changes.” She moved her warm orange hand to her mother’s dark yellow one. “I promise.” “Okay,” she whispered back. “Better get ready, then.” When she was alone again, Sunset threw herself back onto the bed. She liked the look of her counterpart’s personal library, though it was nothing compared to what she was used to in Canterlot. She liked her bed, though it seemed a little short for Sunset’s long legs. Lastly, she liked her door, though it seemed that there wasn’t any way to lock it. She sat up once more, and with wobbly patience, got to her feet. A full day stood ahead of her, and she’d have a lot to learn - some she’d like, and some she surely wouldn’t. Facing the mirror, she noticed how wrinkled her clothes were, and the mess her mane was in. Then she looked down at her big, black boots. “Guess it’s time to find out what my hind hooves look like.”
Smelly EncountersSunset had never forgotten her homework before. She stared blankly into her teacher’s eyes, absently scratching her itchy scalp. “I-I don’t have it. I’m sorry.” She had always done the homework Celestia assigned her, and typically submitted it with pride. As the years dragged on and the proud Princess refused to properly reward Sunset’s hard work and dedication, there were assignments that Sunset kept to herself, unwilling to share the answers she discovered after hours of study and discipline. Her new teacher raised an eyebrow. “No excuse? That’s a relief, I suppose.” She slapped the desk Sunset had awkwardly fit herself into, causing her to pull her hand from her head to her chest, clutching the warm air around her. The students seated around her had already been watching her curiously, Sunset figuring it had something to do with her frazzled appearance. Now, however, the entire class had its attention on her, and she felt her forehead and the soft pits under her arms begin to moisten. Perhaps with a sort of pity, the teacher retracted her own hand, standing up straight. “See me after class,” she said. Though she walked away, the eyes of the class remained on Sunset. It wasn’t until the teacher barked the beginning of her lecture from the front of the room that Sunset was free from attention. The lesson was a brief overview of the cells in the body of creatures called “humans”, which Sunset learned was what she now was. She was surprised to learn that her current body was made up of the same things that created her pony body. She remembered the birds and cats and dogs that she had seen since coming to this new world, though, and realized that she should have already expected this. As much as she tried to lose herself in the lesson, the harsh voice of the teacher kept distracting her, reminding her of her appointment after class. Sunset’s heart raced. The moisture under her arms increased. When the bell finally rang, the other students gathered their books and moved on to their next classes. Sunset tiptoed to the teacher’s desk; she sat behind it, pretending not to notice Sunset until she stood right in front of her. She looked at Sunset from over her glasses. “High school already getting to you, dear?” she asked. The sympathetic tone she took surprised Sunset, not to mention the caring nickname. “A little, I guess,” Sunset said. The teacher rested her cheek in her palm. “That’s not unusual,” she said. “But believe me, you’ll get used to it.” She opened a drawer in her desk and rummaged around before pulling out a plain yellow folder. “Put the papers I handed out today in here, so you don’t lose them,” she said, offering it to Sunset, who quickly accepted it with trembling fingers. As she did what she was told, the teacher continued, “And you’ll be wanting a notebook for later lectures. Pencils and black pens, too,” she added, with a slight eye roll. “Y-yes! Thank you, ma’am. I’ll have them for next class-” “Do not call me ‘ma’am’,” she ordered. Sunset zipped her lips, her fingers tight on the folder. “You may refer to me as ‘Ms. Harshwhinny’ and that is all.” Sunset nodded quickly as Ms. Harshwhinny spoke. She suddenly had a terrible itch on the top of her head, but when her teacher’s sharp blue eyes snapped back to her, she could only grip the folder tighter. “Now go on,” she said. “Or you’ll be late to your next class, making another poor first impression.” “Thank you very much, Ms. Harshwhinny,” Sunset said as she backed out of the room. Ms. Harshwhinny ignored her, turning her attention to some papers on her desk. Outside the classroom, Sunset found a girl from her class standing near the door. Sunset tried to brush this off, turning her back to her, but the girl grabbed Sunset’s shoulder and made her turn around. “What is it?” Sunset asked, scowling at the unwanted contact. The girl pulled her bright yellow hand back, holding it in her other one. Big green eyes glittered from her delicate face. Sunset thought the girl was pretty, but something about her made her laugh. Maybe it was because she stood about six inches shorter than Sunset. The girl opened her little mouth as she released a hand to brush back her sky colored mane. “Excuse me for being intrusive,” she began, “but I couldn’t help but notice that your appearance is a little different today than it was yesterday.” Sunset wrapped her fingers around her own greasy mane. Her heart raced again. “I didn’t have the time to shower this morning.” With her other hand, she stretched out her shirt under her arms, where a considerable amount of sweat had dampened it. “And I guess it was hot in the classroom,” she muttered. Sunset tried to deny it, but the smell which surrounded the two girls simply had to be coming from her. She looked away from the pretty girl and crossed her arms over her stomach. Suddenly, the girl took hold of Sunset’s hand. She pulled her down the hallway, past students who turned their noses up - searching for the source of the smell as it ran by. The girl dragged Sunset into a bathroom, then stood with her backpack on a sink, searching it for something. “Look, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I have to get to my next class,” Sunset said, her hands on her hips. This seemed to let the odor out more strongly, though, so she wrapped her arms around herself again, but maintained her indignant scowl. Finally, the girl removed a small, white stick from her bag. She handed it to Sunset, with a gentle smile. Sunset looked at her present with blank eyes. The girl frowned. “It’s deodorant,” she said. “You use it like this.” She took the stick back and removed a cap from one end of it. A thick powder covered that end, and the girl pulled at the collar of her shirt to allow room for her to rub this powder against the pit of her arm. She did the same to the other side, then handed it back to Sunset. “I hope you don’t mind sharing.” Still wary, Sunset slowly moved the deodorant toward herself. “Oh wait,” the girl said. “You might want to wash some of that sweat off first.” The two moved to the sinks, and the girl helped Sunset clean herself off. Sunset couldn’t help realizing how pleasant the girl smelled. At last, Sunset applied the deodorant. The cool powder felt very comfortable on her hot skin. She thanked the girl, who replied with another sweet smile. “Please don’t worry about it. My name is Evening Primrose.” She held out her hand. Sunset wasn’t sure what was meant by this, so she was tentative in offering her own hand. Evening Primrose looked at it for a second, then quickly lifted her other hand and slid her fingers between Sunset’s. Sunset held back a gasp as she felt Evening Primrose’s smooth skin against her oily skin. “Sunset Shimmer,” she replied. When they let go, Evening Primrose asked, “So what is your next class, Sunset?” Sunset reached into a pocket of her jacket and removed a crumpled paper she fortunately found on the desk in her room that morning. After scanning the schedule, she replied, “Looks like it’s English next.” Evening Primrose’s eyes grew wide. “With Ms. Yearling?” “Yes?” A great smile spread across her face. “That’s my next class too! We should hurry, I guess. Don’t want another fiasco like in Biology.” Sunset tried to smile back, but feared that it came out as more of a smirk. As the two left the bathroom, she attempted to make up for it by thanking her savior once more. “Please, don’t worry about it!” Evening Primrose said. “I’m just glad I made a new friend.” With those words, so daintily spoken, Sunset felt that curious feeling again, and a small cackle escaped her lips.
Prelude“Sunset Shimmer. You stand before us on this day in order to receive punishment for your crimes.” As Princess Celestia began reading Sunset’s various misdemeanors, the unicorn barely listened, and was only vaguely aware of the brawny castle guard that surrounded her, the magic to restrain her glowing from their horns. But Sunset wasn’t going to try to escape; her fun was over, and she was about to face the end. Behind her loomed the gleaming glass of the Crystal Mirror. “-But above all, you will be banished because of your insatiable thirst for power, and because of the darkness in your heart.” To Sunset’s side, behind the wall of security, she heard the sniffling of her mother - the consoling voice of her father. She did not look toward them. The princess stepped closer, towering over Sunset and casting a thick shadow upon her. Sunset gazed straight ahead. “Do you have anything to say?” Celestia asked. In response, Sunset turned toward the sparkling mirror, and flicked her tail. The princess looked away. “Very well.” From behind her, her mother sobbed; it echoed clearly in the chamber. As Sunset took each heavy step, she felt her former mentor’s eyes on her, boring into her flesh. But though they stung, she did not falter, and lifting her chin high, she introduced herself to the cold, liquid wall of the portal and exited Equestria.
