Another hour on the internet, another random newspaper.
Search Result #8.542: Sunset stalkers, the shimmering foxes. A short fantasy, set in the majestic world of Laok, where our hero...
Search Result #8.543: Artic Sunsets, when the sun shimmers at night. Expeditions to the far north, where our explorers found a...
Sunset.
Search Result #8.544: Jade's Shimmering Beach-Palace, where the sun never sets! Come, and discover how...
Search Result #8.545: Shimmernails, making your fingers look like the sunset itself! Buy now, and get a free discount for...
Sunset Shimmer?
Search Result #658.546: How the sun sets, an essay on the sun and its periods... besides that, one has to mention how the shimmering sometimes...
Search Result #658.5-
"Sunset Shimmer!" Someone suddenly shouted near Sunset's ear, and she felt a sudden pressure on her shoulder. She jumped from behind her computer, too absorbed in her work to notice that someone entered her room.
"What the... Twilight?" Sunset turned around to see her friend standing right behind her. "Don't yell at me like that! You almost gave me a heart attack..." Sunset said, feeling her heart thump in her chest.
"I've been calling you for five minutes now, didn't you hear me?" Twilight said, giving Sunset a concerned look. "Pinkie and Applejack will be ready with dinner in a few minutes, just wanted to let you know... you've been on your computer for a whole hour now, made any progress?"
Sunset looked tiredly at her laptop, silently sitting back down and slumping forwards a bit. "No, not really." She glanced at Twilight. "There are hundreds upon thousands of results all containing some form of 'Sunset' and 'Shimmer', but I have yet to find a single one with 'sunset shimmer' referring to a person. It's a pain that the exact search didn't bring up anything useful that isn't about... well, me, but I'm certain I'll come across something if I keep looking."
"Sunset, I know how much you want to find your counterpart, but... maybe you should start to consider that there just isn't one? I mean, we've already gone through all the local newspapers up until ten years ago, every single local register of the past thirty years, and you've been spending so many hours now on the net, and we still haven't found a single clue about your... supposed counterpart." Twilight said, placing a hand on Sunset's shoulder.
"It's not 'supposed', Twilight" Sunset corrected her. "I'm convinced she's somewhere out there, ever since I met you... I mean, while I first thought that since, while a big majority of everyone I knew back in Canterlot also lived in this town, still not everyone had a counterpart, so maybe there were exceptions like me and Princess Twilight. Now though, after discovering that, well... you, lived in a city just down the road, as well as several other people that I and Princess Twilight know in the ponyworld, I'm convinced that every single person has to have a counterpart in both worlds. She just has to be around here somewhere, I kno..." Sunset suddenly stopped, and Twilight could see a familiar sparkle in her eyes as she continued again.
"Unless, maybe she is actually not... Of course! She is not nearby, that's why we didn't find her before. Narrator's sake, why didn't I realize this before!" Sunset sat up, and began working on her laptop with a newfound vigor.
"Sunset, what are you talking about?" Twilight asked, confused by Sunset's sudden actions. "Come on Twi, think about it. I just said the obvious answer we both should have realized a month ago, a genius like you should figure it out as well." Sunset replied, searching online for... national databanks?
"Sunset, you only mentioned that you were convinced that you had a counterpart because of..." Twilight also stopped for a moment. "Me." Sunset could see the sparkle in Twilight's eyes as well, only to be replaced with a faint blush on her cheeks moments later. "Wait, wait... why didn't we think of this sooner? We should... we should know better, right?" Twilight asked, the blush darkening.
"It was too obvious. Honestly, you're blushing? I've been looking at the solution for two months now, and only now do I finally see it. You know, maybe that was just the problem, us thinking we would know better, thinking that my counterpart would rationally live nearby since I live here, and that we thus should only look around these parts." Sunset answered, swiveling her chair to look at Twilight, waiting for her to continue.
"But I didn't live here before, so I'm the proof that counterparts don't necessarily live in similar locations over both of our worlds. If I live just a town down the road, than maybe, and I have still have to underline the 'maybe' here, Sunset" Sunset rolled her eyes at this. "Maybe the Sunset of this world also simply lives somewhere that isn't this town... which is why you were searching for the national databanks before!"
Sunset turned to her laptop again. "Twi, this can be huge! We only focused on all the local news sources, but we have to go bigger! We should start with the normal registers first, and then we can go through th..." She was interrupted as Twilight suddenly put the laptop in sleep mode.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Sunset angrily began, but stopped when she saw the look Twilight gave her.
"Do you remember why I came here in the first place?" Twilight asked.
"Ehrm... to participate in the friendship gam..." Twilight gave Sunset a harmless punch in the shoulder. At this, she suddenly noticed a faint but good smelling scent coming from the door. Sunset gave a sheepish grin, remembering what Twilight said after she made her jump before. "Pinkie and Aj have dinner ready... sorry Twi, guess I forgot through all the excitement, heh."
"Mmh, and we don't want to disappoint either Applejack of Pinkie, now do we?" Twilight responded with a raised brow. At the thought of disappointing Pinkie, more than Applejack, a lot of other, more scary thoughts joined in Sunset's mind. "Ehrm... no. Let's... not. Not is... good, yes, let's go." And with that, they both left Sunset's room to go to the dorm's dining room.
As Sunset heard the happy chatter from her friends coming from below while going down the stairs, she thought that... maybe, she shouldn't forget about her friends so often while searching for her counterpart. Sure, what she and Twilight just discovered is a major breakthrough in her search, but she should remember that, even if her search turns out to be fruitless (which she, as a devoted scientist herself naturally can't deject, but still loathes to do so), she still has people she can talk with, laugh with. Not only her six best friends, but a whole community of people now... although the latter took three ancient teenage-looking sirens and a gigantic unicorn in the sky firing a humongous laser which she didn't know what the actual hell that was all about even to this day...
Sunset was suddenly brought out of her thoughts as she entered the dining room, and was greeted by her friends already sitting at the table while Rainbow Dash was distributing the food, at which she gave a warm smile as she joined them.
Meanwhile, in a city thirty kilometers up the river, Morning Dew finally got home. A lot happened today at her work that required her attention, but she managed in the end, and is happy that she can finally rest a bit. Even if her job is tiring, which it usually is, she keeps going, knowing that a wonderful husband and two beautiful daughters are waiting for her to come home.
Come to think of it, she hopes that her husband didn't forget to bring those old newspapers with him, so that her little devils, though they can be angels, can finally begin on that creative assignment. Oh, where were the days when Dew herself had to, nay, could do these things when she was young? Searching the papers, finding and collecting pictures to make the funniest stories... Lost in thought, she was fumbling around for her keys. When she finally found the right key and opened the door, Morning already smiled at the noise coming from inside.
"Angels, I'm home!" She said loudly, making sure that everyone in the house could hear her. After being trampled by her little angels, she was relieved to see her husband. "Hey honey, how was work?" She asked, giving him a light peck on the lips.
"Oh, same old, same old. You?" Morning Shine responded, pulling her in for a tight hug.
"Ah, this feels nice... Mmh, was a bit busy. You wouldn't believe how many ways people can fudge their computers up. Say, did you bring those newpapers?" Dew continued, reluctantly letting go.
Shine turned around to walk in the living room, going straight to where their devils were busy working. "I sure did. I was kind of lucky to make it in time though, just another day and Will would have taken them to the thrash with the rest of his redundant paperwork."
Following her husband, she entered the room and sat down, happy that she is finally going to get some rest, while her husband continued.
"And such variety too. I mean, he had papers from Rainbow Falls, Cloudsdale, Manehatten, Ponyville... even as far as Appleloosa. I'm telling you, the kids are having a field day with so much variety."
"That's nice to hear, dear. Now how about you come over and give me one of those massages everyone seems to want to pay a fortune for?" She asked, looking lazily at her angels working. "Heh, could have seen that coming. Alright, you know the drill, just lay back and let me take all those worries away." Light responded, to which Dew simply smiled, laid on the sofa on her tummy, and closed her eyes.
After an hour of pure heaven, she slowly opened her eyes, wondering why the feather-like hands seems to have disappeared from her back. Then again, she supposed that she fell asleep, which isn't that uncommon if Shine gets his hands on you. As she got up, she could see her husband sitting at the table in between the kids, looking over some pages. He noticed Dew waking up, and waved her over.
"Hey there sunshine, had a good rest?" he asked, a small smirk on his face. "Why wouldn't I? Those hands of yours should be a crime." She said while walking to her family, thankful that her children were still young enough to not think about what she and Light said, at least not in a mature way. "Our angels already finished up their work, take a look at this. It's pretty good, to be honest." He said, making their children beam with glee.
He handed Dew the pages, narrating what they had told him. "On the first page, our brave hero (a monkey eating a banana, of course they would pick this) took his spacecraft (seems like the rocket of the recent launch to the moon) to a certain planet, far far away (Oh, I know this one, it's from that one special with the weirdest places on the planet.). He received a call from the mysterious Do... doch... eh, what was it again? Ah, yes, the mysterious Dogge (cute, a puppy with a top hat drawn on it). Apparently, around the eternal falls (a picture of Rainbow Falls, why not) an even more mysterious entity has showed up. (it's a... strawberry. Well, half of a strawberry, only the top. And an apple for the bottom.) Oh, how will our hero deal with this? Find out next time!" He finished, he and the kids waiting for her reaction.
At first, she only had a serious look on her face. Her youngest kid look a bit worried at this, until she saw Dew trying and failing to hold a straight face. Soon, she was beaming again when Dew began to earnestly laugh, the whole silliness of it finally coming out.
"Ha, I knew that would make you laugh. Now, for the other one, just take the second page. This story begins when a peculiar party of people meet (A picture of what seems to be high school students, all girls. Above them is a banner with 'Canterlot High, Friendship Games'. Huh, that's curious, the one in the middle looks familiar.) during a festival. They have never met before (wait... no, that can't be. Sigh, I'm still seeing ghosts from the past.), but a single woman brings them all together. Her name is Sunset Shimmer (...huh?), a secret superhero (......) who's task it was to... eh, honey, are you still listening?"
Dew was standing completely still when that name was mentioned. When she moved again, she asked where they got this picture from, and when they showed her the article going with it, she could only stare at that one name in the text. A name she never thought she would hear again, a name that had only brought grief, sadness, and tears. But yet, even while these thoughts filled her head, and tears started to well up in her eyes, making Light and her children to rush over to hold her and ask what was wrong, she also felt something... familiar.
Even as she fell down to the ground, starting to sob uncontrollably as she did so, which only made Light more confused and worried, Dew felt something she hadn't felt in over 12 years. A feeling that she had buried when she had finally come to terms with what had happened, after her life had broken down all around her in the tiniest pieces.
For the first time since so, so long... she felt it. She was sure of it.
She felt... hope.
Author's Note
Written purely when I thought of the story title.
Kinda funny, how from one bad pun one can write an entire story.
"Sunset, can you please come with me for a moment?"
Suffice it to say, Sunset was a bit surprised at this. At the moment, she had been busy creating a synthetic solution as part of a chemistry test, the last lesson of the day, together with Twi and Aj. Well, she was trying to create a solution, at least, but the sudden entry of Vice-Principal Luna caused her to add a few drips too many, causing the concoction to look way darker than it should have been.
If one were to take a quick glance around the classroom, it would reveal that she wasn't the only one with this problem, although her classmates weren't looking at their failed projects. Rather, they were switching gazes between the fuming face of mister D. S. Cord and the growing sheepish look on Vice-Principal Luna's face.
"Vice-Principal Luna, while I do like a change of pace every now and then as this isn't your normal way of behaviour, can you please not barge into a classroom where it is entirely possible that students are handling dangerous items?" Mr. Cord said, clearly angry that Vice-Principal Luna potentially endangered the students.
"Oh, eh... my apologies, mister Cord, but I need one of your students, Sunset Shimmer, to come with me." Vice-Principal Luna said, a blush on her face, but she quickly steadied herself. "I'm afraid something unexpected happened, something that Sunset should be able to clear up."
Sunset felt a knot form in her stomach, as she wondered just what Vice-Principal Luna was talking about. She couldn't remember having done anything bad in the last few weeks, nor did anything happen relating to magic, as least to her knowledge. Perhaps an outsider, like a reporter, finally got wind of all the weird things that have been happening in this school? Or did the principal and vice-principal decide to pony up and ask about her demon-episode?
...
Or, perhaps more likely, this is about all the crazy things that happened during the Friendship Games she supposed.
Still, none of these things sounded like topics Sunset wanted to discuss, at least not without preparation, which only made her more nervous when she noticed Vice-Principal Luna waiting for her to follow along.
"Oh? And might the rest of us know why this can't wait until, you know, after class? Mine in particular?" Mr. Cord asked, still visibly angry, but he also had a look of interest now. It is common knowledge that Mr. Cord likes to think highly of his classes, having stated once that 'Chemistry is only the natural limit of the human knowledge. After all, you can't go much further than playing with the very structures of existence, now can you?". This also makes it so that, if you plan to disturb his class, you better have a pretty darn good reason for doing so, as Aj would say. And if it's the vice-principal herself, well... now that is a rare thing, making it all the more intriguing.
"I am sorry, again, but the matter is both private and urgent. You will get a full explanation from Principal Celestia later, if that helps?"
"Hmmph, very well then. Miss Sunset, as per request of the vice-principal, you are dismissed for the rest of this class. As for the rest of you, since I can see that the sudden intrusion of a certain someone," Vice-Principal Luna quickly averted her eyes. "has caused some projects to fail, I suggest that all who failed stay half an hour longer to complete your projects." Sunset expected to hear some groans at this, but yet none came. But, then again, she realized that her classmates were probably as curious as Mr. Cord, for the same reason, that being that a personal visit from the Vice-Principal doesn't happen everyday. So, she swiftly packed up her stuff, whispered some apologies to her friends, and walked out of the classroom, Vice-Principal Luna following behind and closing the door.
With her pack slung over a shoulder, she waited for a moment for Vice-Principal Luna to take the lead, and they started walking through the halls. As they went, neither said a word, and Sunset could hear sounds coming from one of the classrooms they passed. If she remembered correctly, a class for one of the dead languages was currently being given in there, something she didn't particularly like herself. Still, being in there was probably better then where she was going now.
After a while, she wondered why Vice-Principal Luna hadn't said something, anything yet, and took a chance to look at her, to see if her posture or expression, at least what little she could see from this angle, gave a hint of why they were walking to the principal's office.
Carefully, as she didn't want to be caught peeking at a person of authority, most of all not by said person, she studied Vice-Principal Luna more closely. While her pose seemed straight and authoritative, as is usual, Sunset also noticed that she... seems to be walking slower? Huh, she didn't take notice before, since she was just following whatever pace Vice-Principal Luna had set, but Sunset realized that their current tempo was nearly half of when they started, so... perhaps her mind is someone else? Taking a gamble, Sunset took a few steps a bit faster, and when she could see more than just hair she could see a typical expression of someone who's lost in thought. Brows furrowed, eyes downward, all that. But, it seemed Vice-Principal wasn't that lost, because she noticed Sunset looking at her. Surprising Sunset, she suddenly broke the silence.
"Of course, you want to know why you were called for, do you not?" She asked, to which Sunset nodded. "My apologies, but I can not yet talk about it... at least, not while someone can overhear us." They were still walking along classrooms, but not for much longer. The Principal's and Vice-Principal's offices lay just three more corners away, in the easternmost corner of the school. Probably so they could enjoy the sunrise every morning, but this also made their location somewhat isolated from the rest of the school. "I might suspect that you would enjoy some privacy, at least for this topic." She said, which needed some time for Sunset to process. While her worries started to flare again with what was just said, she silently fell back in line again, keeping her eyes on the ground... and hoping the vice-principal didn't catch her tinge for being caught peeking.
They both kept walking in silence again, until just a corner was left for them to reach the offices, when Vice-Principal Luna slowly stopped. Sunset looked back up, aware that they were out of earshot now, and felt the knot act more strongly than before. But, as she looked at Vice-Principal Luna's face, she was surprised to see... discomfort? Confusion? She couldn't clearly tell, but it seemed like Vice-Principal Luna wanted to say something, but didn't know quite how. Just what was going on here?
After maybe twenty seconds passed, the awkward silence was finally broken by the vice-principal.
"All right, this will probably sound... unusual, for lack of a better word. While I cannot claim to fully understand or wrap my head around it, you are a... a being... no, person, from an parallel universe, yes? Where everyone is a horse?"
For a moment, Sunset simply stood there, completely blindsided by the question. She expected something about her demon-episode, or even Twilight's moment of 'being overtaken', shall we call it. But this, a question about the ponyworld? While she had suspected that to be brought up eventually, it wasn't like this, since she can't think of a reason why this was so important nor urgent now, that she would even willingly disrupt one of Mr. Cord's classes. Oh no, did something happen with her old world? Another greater villain? A magic crisis?
No, no, she calmed down as she realised that if any of those where to be the case, she would have already heard the journal going off in her backpack, which had been silent since her last conversation with Princess Twilight.
But what else? As she was pondering what could have brought up this question, she noticed Vice-Principal Luna starting to fidget a bit around, probably trying to patiently wait for an answer.
"I am, yes. I came from another dimension, the pony-world for convience's sake, through an enchanted mirror that led to the courtyard of this school, from the base of the statue, which can only occur once every thirthy moons." She answered, hoping to be as precise as she could. Now it was her turn to wait, but she supposed it only natural that anyone from this world would need to process this, even if they have seen things that could make them question their existence a time or three, as in the principal and vice-principal's cases.
"I... see. A portal inside the school's chief statue. Well, to be honest, I have witnessed some weirder things in the past years, I'll take it. But, what I wanted to know is... When was the first time you came here?" She asked again.
Sunset replied, but wondered where Vice-Principal Luna was going with this. "Eh, let me see... About six years ago? I had been a student under the Princess for I believe eleven years when I found out about the mirror, and it took another three years for things to... well, get enough out of hand that I used the portal, so... About six years ago, I believe. If I may, why are you asking this. Or at least, why now?"
Vice-Principal Luna quietly mulled over what Sunset had said. She was about to say something, probably a reply to Sunset's question, when a sudden look of what is probably dawning realization appeared on her face.
"Wait, hold on... Doesn't that make you at least like, what, twenty-five years old?" Vice-Principal Luna asked, which Sunset had anticipated after giving such an answer.
"No, only twenty-one years old, Princess Celestia had started teaching me when I was only a year-old foal... I mean, baby, unicorn. I was what we call in the pony-world a 'gifted unicorn', for whom Princess Celestia had specifically created an institution, in no small part because babies with such powers can be difficult to handle. But, I realize that twenty-one years is still much older than the average sixteen years my classmates are. Truth to be told, when I first came out of the portal, besides being disoriented from having such a vastly different form, I quickly discovered that I looked similar to people who looked younger than my normal age group. I don't really know why this is, but I suspect it has something to do with the portal's inner workings."
"Ah, like that... So, the first time you came to our world was six years ago? Are you absolutely sure about this, Sunset? It is of vital importance that you remember this correctly." Vice-Principal Luna said, surprising Sunset with her sudden authoritative tone, which had been absent until now.
Sunset, growing more and more curious and anxious at these words, took her time to anwser. "I... Yes, six years ago was the absolute first time I came here."
"I see." Was all that came from Vice-Principal Luna. She seemed to think some more, before finally continuing. "This is... most troublesome indeed. Come, walk with me, we will see Celestia now, and you will understand why this is all happening." And with that she finally rounded the final corner, Sunset quickly following. When they neared the Principal's office, she could hear two voices coming from the door. Both sounded female, so... Perhaps Principal Cadence came over? No, after listening a bit closer, she only recognized Principal Celestia's voice. Then who?
Vice-Principal Luna knocked and opened the door, motioning for me to enter first. When Sunset entered, she saw that at the desk that Principal Celestis is seated at, sitting over her was someone Sunset didn't quite recognize at first... Or at all, to be honest. She seemed to be a fair bit older than Sunset, but a bit younger then the principal and vice-principal? If anything, she seemed to be old enough to be Sunset's own mother, and even had the same hair colour, though the haircut is done in a very different style. While her mother wears her hair in a fairly high-class style, with lots and lots of braids and such, this woman seems to be content to let it all flow down. As for her attire, it seemed pretty normal, she guessed? Like, nothing a rich woman would normally wear like, again, her mother, like jewelry or intricate lockets, this woman was more dressed like your everyday employee. No jewelry, no little trinkets, just... comfy clothes, that's it.
As Sunset was studying this woman she had to her belief never seen before, said woman suddenly sprang up and began to hug Sunset, surprising her.
"It has been so, so long. I had not believed it when I first read it, and still I think I am dreaming, but now... To finally see you again, to feel you... Oh, where have you been all this time?" The woman said, surprising Sunset with how emotional she acted, almost... personal? I saw Principal Celestia look questioningly towards Vice-Principal Luna who only shook her head, to which Principal Celestia only nodded, a sad look on her face.
She was quiet for a while, everyone was as the stranger kept hugging Sunset, who didn't know how to react, so she just let it happen. The only thing she did do was notice a small clipping lying on the table. If she squinted, she could make out... an article on the Friendship Games?
"Are you absolutly sure, Mrs. Dew? Is this really her?" Principal Celestia asked, the sad look replaced by a look more serious than Sunset had ever seen before.
Sunset could feel the hug tighten, like this woman just didn't want to let go, like her life depended on it.
"Yes", she answered, and Sunset could feel a wetness form in her neck. Was she crying? However, her thoughts were cut short when the woman continued, even through her sobbing, making time stand still for Sunset.
"Yes, I am absolutely sure. Even if it has been this long, I will never, ever forget."
And the woman looked up at Sunset, with one of the warmest smiles she had ever seen, somewhat hidden behind two streams of tears.
"This... this is my daughter."
Author's Note
Finished and posted deep into the night, I fully expect there to be errs, at least for the latter half. I have literally just been writing and tweaking only a 1500 words for nearly 4 hours straight, not to mention just how many months it has been since the last chapter, how the bloody hell do actual writers put out a full book every six months.
I'm pretty sure Discord would have a better name in EQG, just don't know which (since I don't remember him being in any EQ-movie so far.)
Also, not sure about the whole age thing. Was always curious just how old/older she is compared to the other characters, both from the human and pony world, but this should suffice for now, as I don't read the comics... yet.
Also also, any idea for the time stand still sentence? Bleh, feel that could have been written better...
