Sunset Shimmer followed the rest of her friends into the library. None of them were due back to class for a while and Applejack had promised to show them a precious video she'd captured of her horse and her horse's foal and posted on YouTube. They all waited while Applejack got on the computer.
"AJ, why don't you just get an I-pod?" Dash asked, annoyed.
Applejack shook her head. "I'd LIKE to get one, but we don't have the money." She answered while she brought up the website and went to her account. "Here it is. Actually, she ain't a foal no more, she's a filly." Applejack explained. The video showed a large, white horse. Sunset's eyes widened. A little golden coated filly walked up and nuzzled her. The horse leaned down her great head and nuzzled her filly back. Then she began to lick and groom her. They all cooed over the adorable video except Rainbow Dash who pretended not to be impressed.
"It's comfort seeking behavior." Fluttershy said after the video ended. "Foals will do that when they're frightened or unsure."
"I've seen kids do things like that." Applejack said.
"I'll do it occasionally." Fluttershy muttered.
"Can we see it again?" Sunset asked.
"Sure." Applejack answered. After a second viewing of the video they all went back to class. Sunset stayed, claiming her next class didn't start until much later. The lie settled on her stomach heavily and left a bad taste in her mouth. She hadn't lied since her redemption. That wasn't the kind of person she was anymore. Nonetheless, she felt embarrassed to admit that she wanted to see the video a third time. She sat down, found the video and pressed play. Then she pressed it again. And again. She lost count of how many times she watched it. It was becoming increasingly blurry. Everything was blurry. Were those tears in her eyes? She blinked them back. The white horse in the video grew wings and a horn. She gained a rainbow-colored mane. The filly grew a red-and golden mane. She was crying over a broken toy. The white horse wrapped a wing around her. Sunset laid her head down and let the memory wash over her. A hand fell onto her back. Sunset stiffened.
"Are you alright, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked. Sunset turned around.
"Applejack?"
"School's closing. You've been here for three hours. I didn't see you in class so I went looking for you."
"Three hours? I...lost track of time." Sunset said, hurrying to stand up. "Fudge, I'm late for work."
"Something you want to talk about?"
"No. I'm fine." Sunset said, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.
"You were crying over a cute animal video, I don't think that's fine. What's wrong?"
Sunset sighed and cursed her nosy friends and the concept of friendship itself. "My mother has a white coat. And in my natural form I have a yellow one."
"I see. You miss your mom."
"I guess I do. I guess I do a lot more than I thought I did. I need to get to work."
"I lost both my parents." Applejack said. Sunset stopped.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Applejack."
"It's alright. Just, I know what you're going through. I miss my mother everyday."
"Your mom's dead. If such a thing exists, you will meet in the next world. My mom's still alive, but I can never see her again."
"Why not? Is it because of what you did? Did the princess banish you or something?"
Sunset shook her head. "No. I can go back to Equestria. But my mother wouldn't want to see me. How could she want to? I failed her Applejack. I was an orphan and she took me in, treated me as her own. Comforted me, raised me, loved me. I turned my back on her. Why would anyone want someone like that as a daughter?"
...
Celestia sipped her cup of jasmine-chamomile blend tea. The scent wafted from her cup and filled the room. Jasmine and chamomile had always calmed her. Twilight had joined her for tea today. She sat across from her, seemingly in a deep state of thought. It had been two weeks since she had come back from the mirror world and had told Celestia of the role Sunset Shimmer had played in defeating the sirens. Then, the youngest princess had lapsed into silence.
"Twilight? Bit for your thoughts?"
Twilight set down her tea cup. "I was thinking of Sunset Shimmer. She's changed a lot."
"Yes. It seems she has finally learned of the importance of friendship."
"What happened between you two?" The question slipped out suddenly. "I asked Sunset about her maybe coming back to Equestria and she said she couldn't. Princess...Celestia...did you lie to me? Did Sunset not leave Equestria of her own accord? Did you exile her to the mirror world?"
Celestia set down her own cup. "Twilight. There is nothing that would fill my heart with more joy than if Sunset Shimmer returned home. I have no idea what she's talking about."
"I see." Twilight took another sip of the tea.
"That she has not returned shows she does not wish to. Who know? Perhaps she does not want to see me. I failed her after all."
Twilight nearly choked on her tea. "You failed her?"
"Yes, Twilight. I did. I took her under my care and could not save her from the darkness. I failed as a teacher, as a mother."
"Sunset is your daughter?"
"By adoption, yes. Yes. She is my daughter. But I do wonder if she still sees me as her mother."
...
It had been several hours since Sunset had left the school. She hadn't been in the mood to go to her job at the Radio Shack. So, instead, she merely wandered the streets. For three years she had wandered these streets. They still weren't home to her. Would they ever be? There was the city park. Across from it was a strip mall that Sunset liked to shop at. A few blocks down was her apartment building.
"I don't want to go home." Sunset muttered before realizing what a blatant lie that was. She did want to go home. She very much wanted to go home. But could she? It was the instincts of an ancient herd species calling her. Had it been her half-transformation during the Battle of the Bands? Had the magic she'd been exposed to had some sort of magnetic effect? The scientist in her wanted to analyse it so she let the feelings wash over her.
'Go home Sunset, go home, Sunset...'
There was something primal in it, irresistible. A herd instinct, perhaps, designed to influence errant members of the herd not to wander too far away.
'Equestria does't have herds anymore. We haven't in ten-thousand years. This is ridiculous. I'm just homesick. Maybe I should go visit Celestia. Get it out of my system. Maybe she won't toss me in a dungeon.'
That decided, she walked back towards the school and stopped before the portal. Taking a few shaky breaths she plunged in. After a shaky ride she landed in a spacious castle and trotted around the spacious room.
"Anypony home?"
"Sunset Shimmer?" Spike walked into the room.
"Yeah. I'm here to see Twilight."
"She's not here. She went to see Celestia."
"Oh."
"Um... do you want some cookies? I made some." Spike said.
"No thanks. I think I'm going to visit Celestia myself."
"Suit yourself." Spike said and waddled back towards the kitchen.
Sunset left the castle. It was early afternoon in Equestria. It was difficult to tell the exact difference in time between Equestria and the Mirror World, but there was a difference and it seemed rather vast. It had been a long time since she'd been in Equestria, but Sunset easily found the train stations. Train rides were free, paid by the State, so she didn't need any money to board. Around half-an-hour later she found herself before the imposing gates of the castle.
'So, this is it, huh Sunset? You once thought you'd come back here as a conqueror. That didn't happen.'
Two guards eyed her wearily.
"Hi. My name is Sunset Shimmer. I would like to see Princess Celestia."
"The Princess is not accepting visitors at this time." The guard said.
"Tell her it's Sunset Shimmer. She'll want to see me." 'At the very least so she can yell at me.'
The guards exchanged glances. "You can wait in the lobby. Do you know where that is?"
"I've been here before, yes."
The guards escorted her to the room. There were no other supplicants waiting to see the Sun Princess. Sunset sat down in a chair. The minute she'd set foot in Canterlot she had felt a wave of familiarity. This was her home town. She knew every store, every street corner. The old bookstore she'd wasted hours in was still there. The scent of baking alfalfa and fried hay still filled the streets where the the Hay King stood. Long ago, she had taken her old magic books and spent the time chomping burgers and studying occult texts. It was her home. It always would be. She could stay here and still visit her friends in the human world. Maybe she could even make friends here.
'I can ask for a maid job. I'm not worthy of being Celestia's daughter, but I can at least be her servant. Atone for some of the pain I caused her.'
That train of thought was interrupted as Princess Celestia walked into the room. Sunset crouched into a low bow, her horn scraping the floor.
"Your Majesty, I have returned. I beg your forgiveness for the evil I did. Please forgive me-"
Her words were cut off as she felt two white wings spread around her, embraced her.
"My daughter, my daughter. I can't believe it's you." Celestia said.
Sunset stood and returned the embrace. Tears escaped her eyes and soon she was openly weeping. "I'm so sorry, Mama. I'm not even worthy of calling you mama."
"Yes, you are dear Child." Celestia said, stroking her mane. "You are my daughter. You always will be. Please, I should be the one to ask forgiveness. I should have gone after you."
"I wouldn't have listened to you. Had you dragged me back I'd have only ran away again. Do you forgive me?"
"Of course I do. You are completely forgiven. Do you forgive me?"
"I don't need to, you did nothing wrong. Mama, can I come home?"
"Yes, of course. Your old room is still available. Welcome home."
Sunset smiled and held on to the alicorn a while longer. Home. She was finally back home.
