Unfinished Story Settings with Sunset Shimmer

Chapters

A different type of SunLight - Prologue
The Death of Sunset Shimmer - Prologue
The Death of Sunset Shimmer - Chapter 1
Unnamed SunLight Story - Prologue
Unnamed SunLight Story - Chapter 1
The Sun Comes to Crystal Prep - Prologue

A different type of SunLight - Prologue

Prologue

“I don't CARE if he started it, the fact is that YOU caused this mess! I don't ever want to see your face here again!” The boisterous store owner yelled, after having thrown his now former employee out the door. He grabbed hold of the handle and slammed it shut in her face.

“Well FINE!” The fiery red-head shouted back, throwing the hat of her uniform down onto the ground, “Your burgers taste like ass anyway! I didn't need this worthless job!” Her nostrils flared and she grit her teeth, letting out a growl before storming down the sidewalk.

She marched several blocks before frustration began to set in and she slammed her hand against the wall, turning to lean in and rest her head against her arm. That was the fourth job that she had been fired from now, and she needed the money to keep a roof over her head. Not that she particularly cared for the shoddy hole in the wall that she called an apartment, but it was better than degrading herself further at the homeless shelter or bumming out on the street.

Now she had to go job hunting again and she wasn't looking forward to it. Her place had terrible free wifi and the only thing she could fill out forms on were her phone, and for some reason none of the websites were ever properly formatted to work on the stupid thing. And she needed the phone or else she couldn't apply to work anywhere, because for some reason everyone in the world no longer took applications in person, it was online or nothing.

“That job sucked but it was in the perfect place...” Sunset grumbled to herself before letting out a sigh. She was content to just stand there for a while longer and just wallow in her own mystery, but fate had other plans for her that day.

“What's wrong miss?” A young, squeaky voice spoke up to her. The fiery redhead blinked in confusion, before lifting her head up and looking down at her side. There was a young girl, looking to be about the age of ten, staring up at her. She had hip-length purple hair with twin stripes of pink running down it, light lavender skin, and deep purple eyes that matched her hair staring up at her. She was wearing a light blue blouse, a knee-length purple skirt, and matching knee-high boots. “You look like you're upset about something.”

“Just got fired from my job, that's all.” Sunset turned around and pressing her back against the wall, leaning her head back against it. “It was completely stupid and not my fault, but now I gotta find a new job and just...” She lifted a hand up and waved it around, not wanting to take her frustration out on a little girl, “It's stupid adult stuff.”

“I know how stupid adult stuff can be. Adults like to say a lot of important sounding things and seem better than other ponies, but they're really just being selfish and want to make themselves more important.” The little girl huffed, crossing her arms with an angry expression on her face. The expression softened before she smiled brightly. “Some are actually really nice though! Like my mom or dad, or my teacher!”

Sunset couldn't help but let out a chuckle. “Ain't that the truth.” She shook her head lightly before looking down at the girl with a smile of her own. “What are you doing here anyway?” Sunset asked curiously, before looking up and around for any adults that would be with the girl. “Are you out with your parents or something?”

“Nah, I'm here on my own. Nobody knows I'm here actually... But it's a secret though.” The little girl lifted a balled up first to her mouth and made a shushing sound. Sunset raised an eyebrow curiously at that.

“Out on your own? I admire your adventurous spirit kid, but you really shouldn't be around this part of town on your own like this.” Sunset said, kneeling down to be eye-level with her. “If you don't know your way around you could run into people who would want to hurt you.”

“Why would anyone want to hurt me?” The girl tilted her head curiously. Sunset could only let out a sigh at the response. It really just reminded her of when she had first shown up in this world herself. She had been lucky enough to get to the homeless shelter and start learning how the world worked from there, but she had heard a lot of stories about the terrible things people would do to the naive or gullible. She really didn't want to see anything bad happen to a nice kid like her, so she needed to have her head home.

“Look, kid, it's like you said, there are adults that are really selfish, and a lot of them like to hang out in areas like this. If you don't know what they look like or how to avoid them, they'll just take what they want from you, understand?” Sunset tried to explain in the most kid friendly way she could.

“Mmmmm... I guess that makes sense.” The little girl said, balling up her fist and pressing it against her chin in thought. “They'd really be that mean? Even if I asked them not to be?”

'Have you never socialized before?' Sunset couldn't help but think to herself. “Yeah, even if you asked them not to they'd hurt you. So look, if you turn around and head home right now, I won't tell your parents you went outside without them knowing and everything will be cool, okay?”

“Okay miss!” The girl brightened up with a smile. “It's starting to get late anyway, so I should probably head home.” She then turned around and started walking off, Sunset watching her with a smile.

“Well, I guess today wasn't all bad. That cheered me up a little.” Sunset chuckled to herself, feeling good that she had helped someone that day. She was certain the little girl was gonna head straight home and never have anything terrible happen to her from that day forward.

“Oh, that's right!” The little girl suddenly spoke up, turning around and running back over to Sunset. Sunset blinked in confusion, looking back down at the girl. “I wanted to ask you for directions! I got kinda lost.” The little girl chuckled with a blush.

“Ah, so that's why you talked to me in the first place.” Sunset let out another sigh with smile, putting a hand to her head as she shook it. “I might as well escort you there, make sure you make it home safe then.” Sunset smiled down at the girl comfortingly, “My name's Sunset Shimmer. What's yours?”

“Twilight Sparkle!” The little girl beamed happily.

“Well Twilight Sparkle, I'll make sure you get home safe and sound.” Sunset said proudly holding out her hand to Twilight. Twilight looked at it curiously, before placing her own balled up fist against it cautiously. She then slowly unfurled her fingers and Sunset gently held her hand. “Do you remember your address?”

Twilight shook her head. “Hm... What about any street names near your house?” Sunset asked hopefully, only to be met with another shake. “Of course it wouldn't be easy...” Sunset hung her head with a chuckle. “Well, how about what's around your house? Do you have any landmarks I could work off of?”

“Uuuuhhh... Oh, I know!” Twilight brightened up happily. “It's near this big castle that has a pony statue out front!”

“Castle?” Sunset raised an eyebrow curiously. There certainly weren't any castles in Canterlot City that she could think of. But she did know where there was a pretty distinct horse statue in town, and it was in the middle of a neighborhood with families. “I think I have an idea of where to go, let's head out.” Sunset smiled.

“Okie dokie!” Twilight smiled back and squeezed Sunset's hand as the two of them walked down the sidewalk together.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It didn't take them too long before Canterlot High School began to loom on the horizon. Sunset's job had been within walking distance of her apartment, and the school was within walking distance of that, so she knew the route pretty well. And having judged the direction Twilight had approached her, it made sense that she had come from the school's direction.

“Is that the horse statue?” Sunset pointed towards it as they neared the school's entrance.

“Yes! Yes that's it!” Twilight yelled happily, letting go of Sunset's hand and running over to the statue excitedly. Sunset couldn't help but chuckle at her childish antics, drawing closer as Twilight stared up at the magnificent statue in awe. “I can get home now!”

“Well that's good, I'm glad you're not completely lost.” Sunset chuckled, putting her hands in her pocket. “So, where's your house from here?”

“Oh... Uh...” Twilight fidgeted in her spot, pressing her clenched hands together uncomfortably. “Its supposed to be a secret...” She looked up at Sunset pleadingly. “I can't show you! You gotta turn around and not peak!”

“What? I helped you get this far and I'm not even supposed to make sure you make it home in one piece?” Sunset shrugged with a chuckle. Twilight only pouted harder, her eyes seeming to grow the size of dinner plates as she continued her begging face. Sunset let out a sigh of defeat. “Fine fine, you win kid.” She shook her head with a smile before turning around. “Just make sure you get home before the sun is finished setting, alright?”

“I will, thank you for everything Sunset!” Twilight called out before Sunset heard her little footsteps move away. Sunset was counting in her head, trying to gauge how long she should wait before sneaking a peak behind her to make sure she was heading home safely.

However, before she could even get past five, she heard a dull thud against marble, a cry of pain, and something falling against cement.

Quickly turning to the sound of distress, she saw Twilight sitting on the ground rubbing her forehead in pain. “Whoa, Twilight, you okay?” Sunset quickly stepped closer, kneeling down to the little girl.

The little girl quickly shook her head, before she looked up, a look of horror dawning on her face. Sunset couldn't help but stare in confusion before turning her gaze to look at what Twilight was staring at. Sunset blinked in confusion as she stared at the marble surface of the Canterlot statue. It carried a lot of significance for her, but why was Twilight staring at it?

“W-Where'd it go!?” Twilight whimpered out, suddenly getting to her feet. Sunset turned her attention back to the little girl, who ran up to the statue, pressing her hands against the surface. The same surface that had once acted as a portal for Sunset to come into this world. “It was here! It was right here!” The little girl's voice was beginning to grow panicked, tears welling in her eyes.

“T-Twilight...” Sunset tried to muster, barely able to stand up on her two feet as she stared at the girl in shock. “...Where... Where are you from?”

“I wanna go home!” Twilight slammed her tiny fists against the marble, no longer able to hold her tears back as they cascaded down her face. “Lemme go home! Take me back to Equestria!”

“Oh no...” Sunset whispered to herself, dread sinking in. Another pony had wandered into this world through the mirror, and just a curious foal at that. Swallowing hard, Sunset tried to bury her own emotions and walked up to the sobbing girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. Twilight's tear stained faced turn to look at her, those large saucer eyes staring back at her.

“Twilight... I'm sorry...” Sunset mustered, squeezing the girl's shoulder a little tighter, “The portal to Equestria is closed...”

The look of realization slowly dawned on Twilight's face. Twilight began to tremble, before turning and wrapping her arms around Sunset and sobbing into her shirt. Sunset leaned down and wrapped Twilight into her own arms, and let the little girl sob her heart out.

Sunset was at a loss of words as to what to do next. She had just lost her job, and now there was a frightened young filly who had just lost her home in her arms, and she was the only who knew what that was like.

For the moment in time, all she could do was let Twilight sob her heart out.

The Death of Sunset Shimmer - Prologue

Prologue: The Coldest Day

Winter had arrived early to Canterlot that year, everyone was a buzz about the snowstorm that had swept in over-night and covered the town in a thick blanket of snow and ice. The storm had been spotted early enough to have the street cleaning crews prepped, but it still took two days for school and work to re-open.

It was a Friday night, school had been out for several hours and Sunset Shimmer had been spending the evening with her friends. However, when the festivities had started to wind down, Sunset took it upon herself to head home before it got too late. She had an essay due the following Monday and wanted to get it done before the weekend went into full swing so she could be with her friends or help them with their own homework. That was how she found herself driving her motorcycle home that evening.

The snow had started falling again as Sunset pulled into the driveway of her apartment complex. Removing her helmet she locked up her bike and made her way to her door. She was already thinking over the sources she would need to cite for her essay in her mind as she unlocked the door, ready to head inside, warm up, and get some work done.

As her door creaked open, the sound of crunching snow caught her attention. Sunset turned to see where the noise was coming from, only to quickly find a hand covering her mouth as she was forcibly pushed back into her apartment.

Sunset went to scream as she was shoved into her abode, but was stopped by the searing pain that shot through her chest. Her body turned rigid as the sharp object pushed further into her chest, tapping up against her spine as it pushed through. Sunset's body began to shake, tears welling up in her eyes as the most painful sensation she'd ever experience assaulted her mind.

“This isn't personal sweetie,” A pink skinned woman grinned viciously at her, dressed from head to toe in black, a hat placed to conceal her face. She lifted her head to look Sunset in the eyes, cold and violent blue eyes staring back at her, “But I hear you're the little leader of that... Rainbow blast thing that keeps happening. And I can't have you getting in my way.”

The knife was pulled out of Sunset's chest, and Sunset felt all of her energy leave with it. Her legs collapsed from under her weight and her back hit the floor hard. Her mind screamed at her to breathe, but the knife had cut into her esophagus, there was nothing escaping her mouth but blood. The intruder looked down, satisfied with her work, put the knife away into her coat, and walked out the house closing the door behind her.

Sunset couldn't feel anything anymore. Blood was draining from her body so fast, she wasn't going to stay conscious for much longer. She tried to move her hand, maybe reach her pocket for her phone or to cover her wound, but there was no energy to move anything. Her mind stared at the ceiling as the edges of her world began to grow dark.

This was how she died? Stabbed by a woman she had never met, because she had embraced the magic of friendship? No... No she didn't want this. She didn't want to die. There was still so much for her to do, for her to learn. She still needed to figure out how magic worked in this world, she still needed to be there for her friends.

She never got a chance to apologize to Princess Celestia.

The world grew darker, and the cold began to consume her. She was fading away, Sunset Shimmer would no longer be part of this world.

...No...

...No she wasn't going to die here...

She refused to let that happen.

The Death of Sunset Shimmer - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Waking up is never the same

An infinite dark void surrounded her. She wasn't quite sure when she realized she was there, but once part of her was aware of it, she recognized the emptiness around her. A vast ocean of nothing that just floated around her, her being floating along with it in whatever direction it chose to coast.

Her mind was a muddled mess of blurs and confusion. Her senses were like mud; thick and slippery, sloshing about and never reaching a coherent state. Was she tumbling? Was she flying? Perhaps falling? Which way was up and which was down? She had no internal compass to guide her, she only floated. She wasn't even sure if she was alive or just existing, she at least had enough cognition to have feelings, but were they even thoughts? She couldn't be sure.

She didn't even know how much time had pass, or if time could pass. It could have been minutes or it could have been days before something changed, but ultimately something did change.

There was a light.

A dim light in the distance that steadily grew brighter as the void seemed to move away from it, or perhaps she was just moving closer to it. Whatever was happening, it drew closer to her, and it's radiance seemed to warm her. Though she was sure there was no heat, a warmth pulsated from inside her being.

The light took a shape as it drew ever neared, a tall being that stood on four legs, a head towering over her and a hair that flowed through existence as if wind existed there. It's presence drew close enough that if she knew how she could reach out and touch it, it towering over her in a heavenly radiance.

It felt caring and nurturing, perhaps even motherly. She felt safe with the light, wanting to never leave it's side. Her senses slowly grew clarity as she stayed by it's side. However she had managed to end up here, she no longer wished for things to change anymore. She would be there with the light of the tall figure who showed her such benevolence, and she would bask in their glory for as long as she could perceive.

The radiant being lowered it's head, and gently brushed the end of it's snout against her. More warmth, a gentle pleasure, she wanted to touch it. She reached out, lumpy limbs reaching out to hug. No fingers or toes, just tubes that extended from her body, wanting to reach out, to be held, to be loved. An eternal bliss of being together.

Her senses twitched, and in the distance something else changed. Not a sight, but a sound. An echo of sound that repeated and then stopped. Her senses focused in on it, trying to make it out. It came again, more clearly this time. She recognized the sound, as one she had heard before.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

It sounded so far away, but every time it sounded again it drew closer. The sound grew louder, as if it was calling to her. But she didn't want to go to the sound, she wanted to stay here with the benevolent figure. Their radiance would care for her for the rest of eternity.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sound grew more frantic, and she wished for it to go away. She felt anger begin to rise inside of her, knowing the sound was going to take her happiness away from her.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The unthinkable began to happen. The radiant figure began to recede. The rapping sound grew louder and the figure that brought her warmth retreated. She tried to call out, to keep it there, to stay with her forever. But the being was leaving. And in it's place was the knocking.

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

It grew so loud it sounded like it hurt. She could feel herself hurtling towards the sound now, as if the void had suddenly gained a presence and her being was rushing through it. Her consciousness was returning to her as she hurdled through the darkness.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Why? Why did she have to be separated from that warmth? That gentle caress? She could have been happy, she could have been free. What was so important that she had to be drawn away from that wonderful bliss?

“SUNSET, OPEN UP!”

Sunset's eyes opened wide and a sharp gasp of air filled her lungs. She lurched forward into a sitting position as her dark apartment came into view. She took several sharp, raspy breathes as she felt her heart beating against her chest. Her eyes looked up at her front door, a loud banging repeatedly coming from it.

Had it all been a dream? A nightmare she had after she collapsed in her house for some reason? If that was the case, the world had a sick sense of cosmic humor. She reached up her hand and pressed against the spot knife had cut her, but finding no knife wound. Touching her chest several times to make sure, she let out a sigh of relief knowing the wound had indeed, been a dream.

The sound of her phone ringing caught her attention next. Looking down she could see it lying next to her, buzzing and ringing with the words 'Rainbow Dash' lit up on the screen.

“Sunset, I can hear your phone! If you don't answer the door in ten seconds I'm BREAKING IT DOWN!” The clear furious voice of Rainbow Dash yelled from the other side of the door. Sunset let out a sigh of relief as she stood up and dusted off her shirt.

“Sorry Dash, just give me a moment.” Sunset called out, making sure she was steady on her feet. For having been passed out just a moment ago, she was surprisingly stable on her feet at that moment. She took a step forward when Dash's voiced called out again.

“THAT'S IT! I'm coming in!” Dash yelled, the sound of her grabbing the doorknob sounded and with a click, the door easily opened having never been locked.

“...Huh, I thought I would've locked that.” Sunset scratched her cheek in surprise as the figure of her multicolored friend came into view. “Sorry about that Dash, I guess I passed out when I got ho-”

“Sunset?” Dash called out into the dark apartment as if calling for her. Sunset blinked in confusion.

“Yes, Dash?” Sunset asked, though it seemed as if Dash's eyes weren't looking directly at her. They looked down towards the ground, the color draining from her face. Sunset pursed her lips confused, unsure of what exactly she was looking at, before Dash ran forward.

“Whoa!” Sunset cried, reflexively raising her arms to meet the athlete into a hugging embrace. That wasn't what happened though. When Sunset's arms came down to wrap around Dash, the athletic teen simply phased right through her, as if she wasn't there at all.

Sunset's eyes widened in shock, suddenly confused at what just happened. She stood there for a second before Dash's cries brought her attention. “SUNSET! OH MY GOD SUNSET, WAKE UP!”

Sunset slowly turned from where she was standing, feeling her heart fall into her gut. Dash was kneeling on the ground, reaching out in front of her, and was shaking a cold, dead body.

Dash, seeing no response from the girl and realizing how cold she felt, quickly looked at her phone and dialed as fast as she could. Her breathing was already turning ragged and tears were streaming down her face.

“MY FRIEND'S BEEN STABBED!” Dash cried into the phone, trying to suppress her sobbing to be coherent, “I came to check on her at her house and her door was unlocked and she's laying here in a pool of her own blood!”

Sunset backed away, unable to believe what was happening. Her legs gave out from under her and she stared in horror at the scene playing out before her.

It hadn't been a dream. She really had been attacked last night. She'd been killed last night.

So what did that mean she was now? Was she a ghost? She had to be a ghost. She wasn't in her body, Rainbow Dash had phased right through her, and that was clearly her dead body lying on the ground in front of her.

Dash was in hysteric sobbing, grabbing hold of her body's shirt and begging for her to wake up. But she was awake. And she was sitting behind Dash right that moment.

“Dash...” Sunset croaked the words out herself, feeling tears stream down her own face. Sunset raised a hand up to her face and felt the wet tears. Trying to distract herself from the shock of the scene in front of her, her mind thought about what she was feeling at that very moment.

Her tears felt real. She was crying. Her heart was hammering away at her chest. She was taking in deep, raggedy breathes. She could feel her carpet on her exposed skin. She was in the same clothes as the body that was before Dash right now.

What did it all mean? Sunset had no understanding of ghosts, for all she knew they were just a myth, stories told to foals to scare them or to adults looking to feel alive again. They didn't actually exist did they?

Well, she had to start being a believer if she was going to start being one.

Sunset looked down at the floor, trying to distract herself from Dash's sobbing. Her hand was touching the floor, she could feel it. She pressed down harder, and watched as her hand phased through the floor. Panic struck her and she pulled it back up, examining her hand and seeing that it was fine.

She was definitely not amongst the living anymore. It seemed if she chose to phase through something she could, but otherwise her form wouldn't phase through something. The mental image of her phasing through the planet and resting in a core of hot magma and iron made her gut churn. She shook her head to banish the thought, if that was going to happen she would've fallen there already.

The sound of sirens caught Sunset's attention, turning her head to look out her apartment's front door. In very short order, two police cars and an ambulance had showed. Uniformed officers and paramedics quickly made their way into the house, an officer cupping his hands against Dash's shoulders and leading her out of the house while the paramedics did a quick survey of her body.

It didn't even take thirty seconds to determine she was long gone.

Finding the strength to stand, Sunset slowly got to her feet, using the wall as support. Her legs were shaky, but she could stand. The paramedics quickly took to work sealing off the area for investigation, one pulling out a camera and starting to take pictures. Sunset's stomach couldn't handle the site of the people treating her body like a crime scene, even if it was, so she shakily made her way outside.

Stepping outside, Sunset could tell the air was cold but she didn't sense it the same way as when she was alive. Even though there was a layer of fresh snow on the ground she wasn't cold. She expected to see the hot mist of her breath in the air, but as a ghost she probably wasn't actually breathing anyway. The only indication she got that the air was cold was a sharp crisp sensation as she breathed in, more like she was tasting the air than she was breathing.

Looking around she could see Dash sitting in the side seat of a police car, her legs sitting out of the car as she sobbed into her hands. A policeman had grabbed an extra jacket and draped it around her shoulders, doing his best to comfort the crying teen. A few of the other officers had already set up a perimeter, securing the crime scene from anyone going in or out. At least one was going over to the neighbors who had peaked out of their own apartments in curiosity, likely asking them if they had seen or heard anything.

Sunset had seen who'd killed her. She'd never be able to forget her face. Those vicious blue eyes would give her nightmares... If ghosts even needed to sleep. Uncertain of what to do, she slowly walked over to Dash, looking to her friend for some familiar comfort, even if Dash couldn't see her.

“Take a deep breathe.” The officer next to her said, rubbing Dash's back as she was still racked with shuddering sobs. Sunset looked him up and down, noticing his white skin and blue hair. She felt like he was familiar, but for the life of her she couldn't think of any time she'd seen him before. “If you can tell me, when was the last time you got in contact with your friend?”

“F-Friday...” Dash choked out, wiping her face as she stared down at the cold asphalt. “S-She had been with us a-at Sugarcube Corner...” She took a shuddering breath, squeezing her eyes shut and pressed her face into her palms. “She went home... To work on an essay due tomorrow... S-she was supposed to hang out with us yesterday and today... But she didn't answer our calls or texts yesterday... I c-came over to check on her b-because I was worried a-and...” Dash hiccuped, unable to continue.

“I know this isn't easy,” The officer said, rubbing Dash's back in support, “That gives us a good time-frame, thank you. Go ahead and let it all out.”

“Due tomorrow...” Sunset whispered to herself, crossing her arms as she thought about Dash's words. That meant it was Sunday. Judging by the position of the sun, it was still early morning on Sunday too. That meant she had died Friday night, and it took all of Saturday for her to appear in whatever form she was taking now.

Even in Equestria, having been dead for that long meant they were gone for good. Necromancy magic did exist, Sunset had looked into it, but it was illegal for a reason. All it did was animate a corpse, there was no mind or soul in the body of the resurrected. Nor did it re-active any of the organs in the body, all necromancy did was give you shambling meat and bone puppet to control. And if you were just going to make puppets, a golem made of rocks or gems was a far more powerful and reliable tool than a decomposing body.

But, at the same time, she'd never read any scientific articles about ghosts that followed any sort of grounding in reality either. The only theory that stood any grounds was that a ghost could come about as being the manifestation of left-over magic in a pony's body escaping, taking a temporary physical construct, before dissipating into the ether like magic does.

“Wait...” Sunset said in realization to that. Her hands quickly snapped up to her head and felt around where her ears should normally be, only to find they weren't there. She quickly reached up higher and found her ears had found their home on top of her head, they'd also become much more pointy and thin than before. Sunset then quickly reached behind her, grabbed her hair and pulled it in front of her. As she thought, her hair was lengthened by the addition of a tail sprouting out of it.

“Oh sweet Celestia, I'm a construct of magic.” Sunset felt her legs getting weak again. Her mind returned to her dying moments, wishing, begging, pleading to not let that be her death. Feeling a deep rooted determination to not let that be her final moments. That she would live.

The magic inside of her, however it worked in this weird world, must have turned those thoughts into taking her conscious mind or soul and expelled it from her body and maintained it in this form.

Did that mean she was on a life line? In Equestria magic had a limit to how much of it you could use before you exhausted yourself and needed time to replenish it. While none of her friends had ponied up long enough for a stress test, she was fairly certain it wouldn't vary that much here. Magic had a time limit before it needed to be recharged, and she'd always had a body where her magic would be stored. Once her magic was used up, would she vanish because she no longer had a construct keeping her in this world?

Panic inducing thoughts filled her mind as she clutched her chest. Not only had she already died once, but was she at risk of dying again? How long would she have? Was the only thing she could do now was stand around and view the world around her? Was there no way to pass on the information she knew to the people or authorities who needed it? Even if she could, would there be any way to return to the living?

This wasn't something she'd been expecting, this wasn't something she'd ever planned or prepared for. She needed answers to what was going on with her, but testing her limits and boundaries could also potentially end her life all that quicker. Hell, panicking could be speeding up the process and she wouldn't even know it!

“Calm down Sunset, just... Calm down...” Sunset spoke to herself, taking in very deep breaths, trying to calm herself. “Panicking will get you nowhere... You need to calm down and approach this rationally... Even if this is the most irrational situation you will ever have in your life.” Sunset sassed herself.

Somehow the sass helped more than telling herself to calm down.

“Do you know if your friend has any family we can get in contact with?” The officer spoke up, Sunset's thoughts getting distracted by him. Dash quietly shook her head, taking another deep breath.

“She never... Talked about family.” Dash moved her hands to just below her shoulders and squeezed them tight as she stared at the ground, “The only one who'd know is Principal Celestia... You should ask her...”

“We will, thank you.” The officer said comfortingly, “Is there anything I can get you right now? Some coffee or cocoa?”

Dash shivered a bit, closing her eyes and pulling the jacket tighter around her shoulders as she thought for a moment, before she opened them in realization. A look of dread followed next, before she shook her head and curled up into a ball tighter.

“I-If you can...” Dash's breathing was shuddering once again, fresh tears pouring down her cheeks, “S-Sunset had a brown b-book with... With a sun on the cover.” Dash's breath caught in her throat, her voice croaking as she forced them out, “I-It was so important to her... C-Can you get it for me? I-It should be in her room...”

The officer frowned at the request, thinking it over. “I'll have one of my guys check to make sure it's not evidence first. If it's not I'll bring it over right away.” The officer nodded before standing up and walking towards the apartment, leaving Dash by herself for a moment.

Sunset stared at her friend, her heart breaking at the site of Dash curled up in the front seat of the police car alone, mourning the loss of one of her best friends. Sunset bit her bottom lip, unsure of what she could do, if there even was anything she could do. She slowly stepped closer to the shaking athlete, before getting down onto her knees and looking up at Dash's sobbing face.

“Hey Dash... Things will be okay...” Sunset spoke up, lifting her hands and gently placing them on Dash's knees. If Dash could feel or hear her, she didn't react in a way that made it apparent. “I... I know this isn't easy...” Sunset felt her own voice started to choke, tears welling in her eyes, “But... I'm going to fix this... Somehow, someway, I will. So... Please...” Sunset squeezed Dash's knee harder as the tears began to spill down her own cheeks, “Be strong for me... I don't know what'll happen to me if you or the others break...”

The only response Dash gave was another sharp sob as the tears continued to cascade down her face. Sunset stared at her crying friend's face for a moment longer, before lowering her head and closing her eyes, letting her own tears cascade down her face.

“Sunset...” Dash croaked, Sunset's eyes snapping open and looking into her face. “I'm... I'm so sorry...” Dash shook her head, “I should... Have been a better friend...”

“Dash... Dash no...” Sunset squeezed her knee again, trying to comfort her from beyond, “You were an amazing friend, better than anyone could have asked for. Please don't say you weren't...” Sunset's heart caught in her throat as she looked at her friend.

Dash remained quiet, the only sounds coming from her sobs. Sunset let out a mournful sigh, realizing there really wasn't anything she could do for her friend at that moment. The sound of light crunching snow caught Sunset's attention again and she turned to see the officer returning, her journal firmly in his hands. Sunset's face twisted into uncomfortable uncertainty knowing what Dash intended to do with it.

As the officer got close Sunset stood up from Dash's side and stepped back to watch. The officer went over to Dash's side and held out the book for her. Dash looked at it surprised, lifted her shaking her hands and grabbed it before hugging it to her chest.

“It seems the intruder never entered her room, and we took a quick look inside of it but couldn't really make out what it was saying. We'll want to make some photo copies of it at the station just in-case it has any clues inside as to why someone would attack your friend, but we doubt there will be any physical evidence on it. It mostly looked like she was writing letters to herself though. Was she writing a book of some kind?” The officer asked curiously. Dash's grip on the book tightened.

“Something like that...” Dash mumbled under her breath.

“Well, either way I need you to come with me to the station for now. Nothing bad, we just need to take fingerprints and get the full story of what happened down on paper, alright?” Dash didn't speak up, only nodding in response. The officer smiled and gently patted her on the back. The officer quickly informed his others of what he was doing before moving around to the drivers side of the car.

Not wanting to be left behind at a crime scene that she couldn't do anything with, Sunset walked over to the police car and hesitated for a moment. She swallowed her nerves and phased herself through the backside passenger door, finding herself now inside the police car with her friend and the officer. Feeling the cushion of the seat beneath her as she sat down, wondering if her spirit form would be carried with the car. Her question was quickly confirmed as the car slowly backed up out of the apartment parking lot and began making it's way to downtown.

“Being a ghost really makes no sense...” Sunset grumbled to herself as the car quickly drove off.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dash complied with everything the officers asked of her at the station. One officer quickly took her fingerprints while another made a full copy of every page of Sunset's journal that had writing on it. Dash recited the story of when she last saw Sunset, what she'd been up to all Saturday, and why she decided to check in on Sunset that morning. The police station was all very formal and straight forward, though most of the officers were very understanding to Dash's somber responses.

It was all over relatively quickly and the officers offered to give Dash a ride home if she wanted. However, Dash asked if they could drop her off in the front of her school and they agreed with her request, the school being not that long of a trip from the station.

Sunset stayed with Dash the entire time, unsure of what else she could do. She didn't want to wander too far and lose track of her friend, but at the same time all of her attempts to interact had failed. She had performed some tests while at the police station while waiting for Dash to finish. The first thing she had tried was to lift pencils and paper, but even those relatively light-weight objects merely phased through her hands. She tried harder to nudge one of the officers, but it was the same transparent results as before.

Out of curiosity, and having seen too many movies, she had even tried to possess one of the officers. She sat down in a chair that someone was already occupying and tried to mimic their movements and 'become' them. The result was nothing more than her feeling silly being phased inside of someone else's body.

The drive to the school only filled her with frustration at that point. What was the point of being around if there was nothing she could? She wasn't ready to give up just yet, but her morale had hit a huge low point.

The cop car came to a stop in front of Canterlot High School, Dash stepping out of the car. Sunset quickly followed before the car took off once more, looking up at the quiet school. With it being Sunday, it was likely no one was at school but the janitorial staff that day. Dash took a deep breath and walked forward, walking to the front of the Canterlot High statue and stared at her reflection that formed the portal.

...The portal! Sunset quickly ran in front of it, looking at the white reflective surface. Her own reflection was missing, but perhaps she could cross through. Magic on this side made no sense to her, but if she could get to Equestria then she could use magic that she knew exactly how it worked.

She reached up her hand, but hesitated for a moment. Would she make it through the barrier okay like this? When she had a body the magic portal would reconstruct her on the other side safely, but the actual tunnel was a magical construct of it's own. For all she knew she could be consumed by the portal's magic and simply end up becoming a part of it, or just being torn to pieces and evaporating into the void once more.

“It's worth the risk...” Sunset affirmed to herself. She was dead in this world, and she was only alive... Existing because of her magic. If she died in the portal, nothing would change anyway. But if she made it through, then maybe there was something she could do.

With a deep breath to calm her nerves, she walked forward and pressed against the portal, shifting through. The expected sensation of swirling magic and rushing through an ethereal plane never came as she continued to walk forward. Her vision had simply been blocked out and when it came back, she saw the view of the houses across the street from Canterlot High. Turning around, the familiar horse statue continued to stand tall behind her, and Sunset let out a sigh.

“Of course it wouldn't be that easy...” She mumbled to herself, before slowly walking around the statue to where Dash was again. Dash moved her hand away from Sunset's journal, having finished writing inside of it. Closing the book, she held it to her chest as she pulled out her phone and began to text.

“Must be getting everyone together...” Sunset mumbled to herself, not certain if she was ready for what was going to happen next. Her heart was already crushed from having seen Rainbow Dash wracked with sobs and grief like she'd never seen before, she wasn't sure if she could watch all seven of her friends go through the same thing as well.

Princess Twilight was the first to arrive, stepping out of the portal and seeing Dash's dour face as she adjusted the scarf around her neck, still clutching the journal to her chest.

“Rainbow Dash, what's happened? You said it was an emergency.” Twilight asked, before looking around. “Where's Sunset?”

“That's...” Dash started, but shifted uncomfortably, staring at the ground. “...I need to tell everyone at once... I'm sorry, can you wait for them to get here?”

“...Alright...” Twilight hesitantly agreed, her eyes drawing down to the book Dash was clutching so tightly to her chest. There was a sinking feeling in the Princess's gut, but she waited quietly.

One by one, all of Sunset's friends began to arrive. Applejack had arrived next, with Fluttershy not far behind her. Pinkie had bounded in with her usual energy, but upon seeing the somber mood before her began to feel herself deflate. Human Twilight arrived next, her hesitation more apparent than the others as she stood nervously next to her Equestrian counterpart. Rarity was the last to arrive, her rushing over to them with several apologies.

“Well... Everyone's here...” Dash muttered only loud enough for everyone to hear, though it wasn't hard since no one had spoken a word in a while.

“Huh? But... Sunset's not here.” Fluttershy spoke up, looking around. “Shouldn't we wait for her too?”

“Yeah, ya'll said you were going to check on her this morning.” Applejack spoke, narrowing her eyes at the athlete, “So where is she Dash?”

Sunset grimaced as she watched her circle of friends. She knew the bombshell was coming and she wasn't sure she wanted to be around to watch it. Pinkie fidgeted in her spot, raising a hand to rub the other one. She looked like she had wanted to jump in and tell a lighthearted joke, but something held her back. It was likely even she could tell this wasn't a situation to be joking around.

“She's...” Dash's voice hitched, and she lowered her head. “She's not coming...”

“Um, darling, what exactly do you mean 'she's not coming'?” Rarity asked confused.

“It means she's not coming anymore Rarity!” Dash's voice snapped back, causing Rarity to take a step back in shock. “She... She can't come anymore... She's... Never...” Dash's voice died out as her shoulders began to shake. Everyone grew quiet, looking around at each other before Princess Twilight walked up to Dash, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Dash... You need to tell us what happened.” She explained calmly, everyone giving a short nod in agreement. Dash's shoulders tensed up, she squeezed the book tight to her chest, and she finally spoke up in a raspy voice.

“I went to see if Sunset was... Was at her house this morning...” Dash began, trying to control her breathing, “I knocked but... She didn't answer. I called her phone and I... I heard...” Dash sniffed, raising a hand up to face and wiping it, “I heard her phone going off in her room so... I figured she had to be home...

“I checked her door and... It was unlocked.” Dash's knuckles were slowly turning white as she squeezed the book harder, “And... And on the floor... Sunset... Sunset was...” Dash couldn't continue, her voice was breaking into sobs again as the tears rolled down her cheeks yet again.

A gasp escaped from Fluttershy as she covered her mouth in shock. Rarity's face fell in disbelief. You could see Pinkie's heart breaking. Applejack didn't want to believe what her ears were hearing. Princess Twilight took a step back, her body starting to shake as the news sunk in. Human Twilight already had tears welling up in her eyes.

And unheard by all seven of the girls, Sunset suppressed a sob as she covered her mouth. Her stomach churned, and she turned her back to her friends, shaking as she heard the news spread between them.

“W-What...” Princess Twilight spoke up, her voice shaking, “What happened to her!?” Sunset fell to her knees, holding her body as she listened to the grief in her friend's voice.

“I don't know...” Dash croaked out. “She was in... In a pool of her own b-blood...” Dash hiccuped, “The police said she was stabbed... But I don't know by who...”

Sunset wanted to vomit, though it seemed she couldn't as a ghost. She knew the news had been coming and she thought she had braced herself for it, but hearing Dash break the news to everyone was breaking her heart.

“No... Oh my god no...” Human Twilight whispered, covering her face in her hands. That was all Sunset could take, she got up to her feet and ran around to the side of the school building, getting herself away from the scene of grief. She looked back at her friends, still reeling from the news as she put her back to the wall.

This was too much. She couldn't handle this. Why couldn't her magic have sealed the wound? Or called for help sooner? Or kept her alive until Dash had found her? Instead all it had done was leave her in this stupid ghost form that couldn't do anything, and now she had to watch her friends suffer through their grief and there was nothing she could do about it.

She fell into a curled up ball, burying her face into her knees and covering her head. Why was this happening to her? To all of them? None of them had deserved this. They hadn't done anything to anyone.

“This isn't personal sweetie,” That sickening voice spoke again, the vision of those blue eyes staring into hers. “But I hear you're the little leader of that... Rainbow blast thing that keeps happening. And I can't have you getting in my way.”

“That's right...” Sunset whispered to herself, lifting her head up to look at the sky. “She killed me to stop all of us from using our magic on her...” Sunset lowered her head, looking at her open hand. “...That means she's planning to do something... Something big... And she needed me out of the way to do it.” Sunset squeezed her hand into a firm fist.

“I don't know how... But I'm going to find a way to stop her. I have to...” Sunset grit her teeth. “She's going to pay for what she's done to us.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

At some point, Sunset found herself in Rarity's car as she drove towards her house. Sunset hadn't paid attention to most of their conversation, finding it too hard to bear, but at some point they had all agreed to spend the night together and Rarity's house was closest. Rainbow Dash was sitting in the front seat, still clutching on to the journal as if letting go of it would mean letting Sunset go forever. Princess Twilight was in the backseat, staring at the ground as Rarity drove.

Sunset sat next to Twilight as Rarity drove, not wanting to leave her friend's side but knowing that there still wasn't anything she could do for them. She was right there, sitting next to her best friend, and yet she couldn't reach out and comfort her. The tears on her face were meant for her, and yet she was there to witness them.

Watching her friends grief but being unable to help them was like torture for Sunset. If an afterlife did exist, she wasn't against some form of punishment for everything she had done in her life, but this was too much. She wouldn't wish these feelings on anyone.

It wasn't long before the car pulled into Rarity's driveway and the girls slowly unloaded, Pinkie's car not far behind them. Entering the house, Rarity's parents were a bit surprised at the sudden slumber party, but Rarity managed to explain to them what had happened. With the dour mood spread further, her parents helped make sure everyone had a comfortable place to sleep for the night and offered comforting food, though no one was hungry.

Sunset made her way to Rarity's room and sat on her bed, watching her friends prepare sleeping bags and change into spare pajamas one by one. In a sick way, Sunset found the whole site a bit amusing. The girls loved slumber parties, and it almost looked like they were setting up for one.

But there was no excitement, no joy, no sharing of gossip or stories or preparing to play video games. There was only the occasional voice speaking up about where to set a sleeping bag or where the pajamas were or that they were going to get a glass of water.

A slumber party fit for a ghost. Sunset could feel the irony.

No one had shared a word in at least half an hour now, and Sunset found herself laying on the bed looking up at the ceiling. The girls were sitting around various parts of the room now and she wasn't sure what to do. She thought sticking close to them would bring her some kind of comfort, after all she couldn't bear the thought of being away from them while like this, but the silence was drilling into her brain now and she wished for someone to say something.

“It just... Doesn't feel real...” The voice that ended up cutting through the silence was, surprisingly, Fluttershy's. “She's... She's really gone?” She had her knees hugged against her chest, staring down at the floor.

“I saw her with my own eyes...” Rainbow Dash replied, “I wish I hadn't... I know I'm going to see her again in my sleep...” Tears welled up, “I don't want to remember her like... Like that...”

“This ain't easy for any of us...” Applejack spoke up somberly. Out of all the girls, she seemed to be holding up the best. “The most we can do right now is be here for each other. If anyone wants to say anythin', or needs a shoulder to cry on, no one in this room is going to blame ya.” Applejack shook her head, leaning back against the wall and looking up at the ceiling, “Losing those close to us... It ain't a feeling you lose no matter how many years pass...”

“But this...” Princess Twilight spoke up next, her voice hitching as she held her head in her hands, “This wasn't supposed to happen! She was doing so well here! She was making friends, she was living a happy life, she was doing what she always wanted to do!” The Princess tried to suppress a sob, her shoulders shaking. “Who would do this!? Who would just take her from us like this!?”

“Ah wish ah knew Twi...” Applejack let out a despondent sigh, raising a fist and slamming it into her open palm. “If ah got my hands on them, they'd wish for death before ah was done with them.”

“Barbaric.” Rarity commented, letting out a sniff before wiping at her eyes with a handkerchief, “...But I doubt I'd even try and stop you. Whoever they are, how dare they...” She squeezed the cloth tightly in her hand.

“I've only been to a funeral once before...” It was Pinkie this time who spoke, “When I was too young to really understand what dying meant, I went to my Grammy Pie's funeral. I asked Mom and Dad why everyone looked so sad if they were all together to celebrate Grammy's life... Dad just squeezed my shoulder and said 'We miss her, so right now we are silent to remember her.' ...I remember as a kid those words didn't sit well with me. After all, if I wasn't here, I would want everyone I loved to throw me a farewell party, and to keep being happy long after I left...” Pinkie grimaced, before squeezing her eyes shut and lowering her head, “...But I finally understand what he meant... Partying is the last thing I feel like doing right now. I just want Sunny back...”

“I wish I could come back too Pinkie...” Sunset muttered to herself, closing her eyes as she continued to lay on the bed, listening to the grief riddled words of her friends.

“I wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for Sunset...” Human Twilight spoke, taking off her glasses and resting them on the floor next to her. “Princess Twilight would've never come here and I would've just continued to be rivals with you all. I probably would've cost Crystal Prep the Friendship Games, and that would've thrown my life into turmoil...” She shook her head, wiping at her eyes. “Sunset was the one who showed me that there was more to life than science and research projects...”

“She was a dear friend to us all.” Fluttershy mumbled, though everyone heard her just fine. A series of nods and agreements circled the room.

“...Wait... Who is handling the funeral?” Applejack asked, suddenly realizing one of the elephants in the room.

“Probably Celestia.” Dash replied, looking down at the journal in her hands. “I told the police to talk to her about anything relating to Sunset, so it's likely that she's going to handle everything from here...” Dash shook her head, “We should go to school tomorrow just to talk with her. I don't think anyone will blame us for skipping the rest of the day though...”

“Oh no... Celestia...” Princess Twilight gasped, putting a hand to her mouth, her eyes quickly filling with fear. “What am I going to tell her!? How do I even tell her!? She's never going to forgive herself for this, oh no no no no no!” The Princess shook her head and curled up into a tighter ball, shaking with realization that not only had she lost one of her best friends, but that she had to deliver this news to her mentor who she knew still cared very deeply for her former student.

Applejack got up from where she was sitting, walked over to her scared friend, sat down next to her and pulled her into a gentle embrace. “Let's take things one step at a time, Twi...” Applejack said in a soothing voice, gently squeezing her shoulder. “We'll think of something for that later, just... We need this moment for us.”

Princess Twilight leaned into Applejack and let out her sobs, crying into her friend's shoulder as Applejack closed her eyes.

“We should all get some rest while we can...” Rarity quietly suggested, “The news has tired all of us out. We can start to figure out what comes next in the morning.”

“You're probably right.” Fluttershy agreed, “It's just going to be hard to get any sleep...”

“Some of us more than others.” Dash grimaced, “Is... It alright if I share the bed with someone? I don't want to sleep alone tonight...”

“I don't mind.” Pinkie spoke up, “I could probably use extra hugs while falling asleep anyway.”

“I have no objections, the bed is all yours.” Rarity nodded, getting off her bed and heading for one of the spread out sleeping bags.

“Maybe we'll all get lucky and when we wake up, we'll find out this has all been one bad dream...” Human Twilight mumbled, shaking her head.

“Wouldn't that be nice...” Applejack sighed quietly. Princess Twilight was finally starting to calm down, the idea of sleep sounding good to her too now.

“I'll get the lights.” Fluttershy spoke up, slowly standing from her spot and walking to the wall. With a quick flick of the switch, the room went dim and everyone began to shuffle towards their respective sleeping spots. All of them curled up together in the dark room, eyes closed, and slowly but surely sleep over came all of them.

All of them, except for the ghostly apparition of Sunset Shimmer who still lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Fresh tears were spilled down the sides of her face once more. At some point she had wanted to get up and walk out of the room, just to not listen to their breaking hearts for a moment, but she found her energy lacking and she had laid there the whole time.

The only sound Sunset could hear now was the quiet breathing of her friends as they fell into their restless slumber. She realized then that she had stopped hearing the sound of her heartbeat in her chest as well, combined with the fact that she was beginning to feel incredibly drowsy. She closed her eyes and reached up to her face to wipe at her tears, only to find that her face felt dry already.

Opening her eyes she looked at her hand, only to find that she could see the ceiling through it. Most of her arm was already transparent, her fingers slowly disappearing into the ether.

“So that's all the time I had huh?” Sunset murmured quietly, resting her disappearing hand on her stomach. “There wasn't anything I could have done, so I guess I appreciate having these last few minutes with me friends...” Sunset thought that when this moment had come she would've found herself to be panicking, but instead she just felt lethargic and empty.

Maybe all of her emotions up until then were just part of the construct her magic had made, to mimic functions of her body as she had in living. With her energy diminishing rapidly though, it wasn't able to maintain them and she was fading into non-existence.

“Still... I wish I could've at least said goodbye...” Sunset quietly remarked as she closed her eyes, letting the emptiness begin to consume her. The darkness quickly overtook her, and the world faded away from her senses.

Unnamed SunLight Story - Prologue

Prologue

The cold, icy sting of the harsh blizzard stung the side of her face. Her face mask made for poor protection from the elements, but she didn't need it to last long. The blistering winds made her cloak whip and howl in the air behind her, and flakes of snow kept smashing against the goggles around her eyes.

She didn't have long to wait, the attacks had come like clockwork so far, there was no reason to believe this one wouldn't be the case as well.

As if on queue, a howling roar echoed across the frozen plains before her, trumping the winds own noise and shaking the very air around her. The snow and ground beneath her hooves began to tremble and the cold air grew thicker around her. She squinted her eyes and stared into the distance, looking through the thick winds and snow.

While difficult to see, the unmistakable black gaseous smoke began to form on the horizon. It bundled together first, before taking on a relative shape. It drew closer as it's form grew thicker, stronger, forming a head in the cold winter air.

A loud hissing voice and bright glowing green eyes appeared through the smoke and snow, the head of a dark unicorn stallion finally emerging. A voice, as loud as the roar echoed above all other sounds, dripping with antagonistic venom.

“Crystaaaaaaaaals....”

This is what she had been waiting for. Her horn lit up, her magic channeling through her body and into the focal point at the top of her head. A small hole in space opened to her side and a golden handle emerged from the tear in space. Her magic grabbed hold of the handle and pulled hard, a slash cutting through the air before her. A regal black blade hovered in place, the snow passing by it as if the blade repelled the cold.

The raging smoke beast let out a hissing laugh as it drew closer, seeing the black blade but unafraid of it's sharp edge. An incorporeal being had no fear of physical objects, it mow her down and break through the barrier that sat just a few feet behind her.

She would never let it have that chance though. She raised the blade over her head, aiming it straight to the sky and waiting for the creature to draw closer. The monster picked up speed, billowing it's smoke out to it's sides to create a wall of danger to trap it's opponent within. It would capture anyone that stood before it and snuff out it's life, absorbing their magic and become even more powerful.

The stallion's head was mere feet away, the billowing smoke beginning to surround her. The stallion laughed diabolically, his entire essence about to wrap around and consume the mare that dared to stand before him. In that next moment, the light was snuffed out and she was cradled in a cage of darkness.

A sphere of magical energy exploded outward, momentarily dispersing the smoke in random directions and letting the light shine through once more. The sphere of magic crackled and shook, bending and warping the very space around them. The regal black sword stood as the epicenter of the spell, the ground and air around her shook with the very presence of the spell, and soon it's effects were felt.

The snow in the air and the ground had frozen in place for just a moment, before they began rushing towards the center of the spell. The magic sparked from her horn, the strain of such powerful magic affecting her reservoirs. Gravity magic was no simple feat, but the success of her plan hinged on it working.

Her horns were glued to the ground thanks to her magic, but her hair and cloak were being pulled up towards the center of the spell. Snow and smoke began to be consumed, the ethereal magic of the monster swirling towards the sword. He let out a bellowing roar as his form was compressed, every writhe of the shadow smoke was an attempt to escape the suction of the gravity spell that was failing.

One last shriek roared out as the magic smoke filled the regal blade, the gravity spell collapsing into the small space in the same shape as the blade. The combined properties of the sword's natural magic storing capabilities and the raw power of the gravity well spell kept the monstrous stallion sealed within her blade, unable to escape so long as she could maintain her magic.

However, she wouldn't have to hold it for long.

“GIRLS! NOW!” Her voice cried out. It carried through the barrier behind her, where five mares stood ready and on point. Hearing the voice of their friend, they each craned their heads up towards the sky as a necklace on each of their necks began to light up. The hum of magic stirring within the magical artifacts.

A beam of light shot forth from each necklace, connecting the five girls, before firing out through the barrier and striking the sixth member, who wore the connecting piece of the artifacts as a crown on her head. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the magic flowing within her, putting the final part of her plan into motion.

A familiar spell brought itself to her mind, one so powerful it carried a seal just to unleash it's full strength. She knew what she needed to do to unseal it, and she focused her mind on an old memory.

“Ah-hah! I knew I'd find you here!” She looked up from her book, a familiar green dragon walking over to her. “Head buried in a book as usual. You haven't forgotten your promise right?”

A sheepish laugh and a bit of blush in reply. He puts his hands on his hips and let's out a huff.

“We're going to the movies remember? You promised you'd go with all of us! Plus it's my birthday, you can get your nose out of the dusty books long enough to celebrate that right?” The dragon asks with a sassy smile.

Of course she couldn't back out, it was his birthday. She agreed and he broke out in a big smile.

“Awesome! Let's head out then! The movie starts in an hour!” He starts to head out, though she takes a moment to put the books away. He stops and turns, “Come on Twilight, let's go! I'm so excited I don't want to miss a second of it!”

Twilight Sparkle's eyes opened, shining with the pure vibrant white light of her magic combined with her friend's. The seal on the spell broke open and it's power flooded her mind. The sword that contained the smoke beast shook and roared as it tried to escape it's fate, but the power of Twilight's magic combined with the raw power of the element's ensured this was where it would meet it's end.

The regal black sword was surrounded in a coat light, shining bright light a newborn star. Twilight concentrated all of her strength into that light, sliding each piece of the spell into place until it was ready, and it draw forth all of her magical energy as she cried out it's name.

“EXCALIBUR!”

A loud, pained roar of the smoke creature echoed throughout the snowy field as the bright sword engulfed the being trapped within the sword. The magic of the elements was siphoned directly into the spell, and in moment the roar disappeared as the spell shattered every part of the being.

Then, in an explosion of light the spell cascaded outwards, engulfing the entire land in it's divine light. The flash of light faded just as quickly as it came, and the violent and harsh winds began to calm. The blizzard slow to a gentle snow fall, the wind returning to a casual breeze.

The light around the black sword faded, the magic dissipating as it fell from the air and embedded itself into the grassy ground below it. In the small circle of snow where gravity had eaten the snow, Twilight stood panting heavily as the effects of Merlin's spell began to show.

Her theory had been correct though. The Sword of Light spell was intended to drain the user of all it's magic, a literal last resort trump card when all else failed. The more magic directly poured into the spell, the more powerful the results. The end result though, was a unicorn that was left exhausted and powerless. With no mana left in their body, it would only be seconds before exhaustion would consume their consciousness.

However, by using the Elements are a catalyst, she was able to consume their magic for the spell, limit how much of her own magic was drained, and would be able to summon forth a version of the spell that was however powerful as she desired it to be. The elements were a nigh-infinite source of magic, not even Merlin's spell could drain them of that.

The results of this live-test had not only proven successful, it had worked far beyond her expectations.

The violent King Sombra was truly dead. Every last trace of his magical energy had been destroyed with the Sword of Light spell, and the Crystal Empire would be free from his threats.

With a deep breath, she lifted a hoof up and removed the cloth over her mouth and lifted the goggles off her eyes. Her eyes stared up at the calm snowing sky as the realization of what she'd done didn't bring her much comfort.

She had done exactly what was expected of her.

Twilight Sparkle was the savior of Equestria. She had stopped eternal night, she had put an end to chaos, she had stopped the world from being consumed by an eldritch fog, and she had just saved everyone from a tyrannical rule by King Sombra. She knew that she was supposed to be feeling some sense of elation, some sense of joy from it all, that she would be rewarded simply for her good deeds.

And yet she felt none of that joy.

She took a deep breath and let out a slow sigh, before igniting her horn and lifting up the regal black sword once more. A quick scan confirmed that there were no traces of dark energy left, and she pocketed it within her magical reservoir once more.

She sat down on her haunches and smacked her hooves against her cheeks to get some feeling back in them. Then she forced a smile on her face, doing her best to make it look as natural as possible. Even if she wasn't feeling it from the bottom of her heart, she was still going to put on a good face for her friends.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Even with Sombra gone, the curse that plagued the crystal ponies had still lingered in their hearts. However, with the immediate threat of complete and utter destruction avoided, it was easier to focus on the needs of the empire's citizens and looking into how to lift the curse. It hadn't taken very long to find a history book about the empire, with it's magic being fueled by the love of it's citizens. With that in mind, the first Crystal Fair in a thousand years had begun with all of Twilight's friends attending to the festivities.

When they had been informed about the Crystal Heart, a search took place for it and before the sun had set the item in question was found. The citizens were overjoyed with the return of the kingdom's most prized possession and their love quickly filled the kingdom.

As the sun fell, the kingdom of crystals was alight, the bright torches of magic and flames filled the city as the citizens celebrated late into the night. It was a celebration of happiness and joy, at the end of a thousand years of torment and pain, of returning to a home they didn't even know they'd left behind. Everyone was enjoying themselves, singing or dancing, playing music or telling stories, the whole town was alive with glee.

Everyone was happy, everyone except for Twilight Sparkle.

The lavender mare stood at a balcony of the crystal castle, overlooking the brightly lit town as it's citizens danced in the streets. Foals were playing games, adults were joining in, her friends were ensuring the events were going as intended, everything couldn't have been going better. And she was happy about that, truly she was, but she couldn't bring herself to feel happy on the occasion.

“I thought it was weird that I didn't see you down there enjoying the festivities.” Twilight's ears flickered as a voice spoke up from behind her. Turning her head, she saw the regal pink princess approaching her, a gentle smile on her face. “It's not like you to not be enjoying your time with your friends.”

“I just had a lot on my mind I guess.” Twilight shrugged before turning to look back at the kingdom's citizens once more. “Everyone's in such a festive mood, but I'm having a hard time making myself feel festive. I'd rather just watch from a distance than be a wet blanket for everyone.”

“I'm sure they wouldn't see it that way. Even if you weren't at your best, they'd still be happy just to have you around.” Cadance's voice seemed to hum with her words. The princess walked up to the railing and joined Twilight in leaning against it, looking down at the citizens as well. “Everyone in town is grateful for everything you and your friends did for them, you know. You all truly are their saviors.”

“I guess I'm just not feeling it then. I mean, I've saved Equestria for the fourth time, hurray.” Twilight rolled her eyes, turning her head away from Cadance. There was sass in her voice, but Cadance knew it wasn't directed at her. “In a few months I'm probably going to end up saving all of Equestria again as well. It's my destiny to be it's savior right? I'll do what I need to do for the good of everyone I love, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.”

“Hm...” Cadance murmured as she thought over Twilight's words. “Honestly? To me, it doesn't sound like you're being very honest with yourself.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, turning to Cadance with a raised eyebrow.

“It sounds to me that saving Equestria isn't what's eating away at you. You're the type of mare who would do anything for her friends and family, it's why you were willing to jump head first into danger today to make sure no one got hurt.” Cadance inched her way closer to Twilight, opening a wing and wrapping it around the smaller mare. “No, it sounds like something is clinging to the back of your mind and dragging everything else down. Getting to the root of the problem could very well help you deal with these issues.”

Twilight fidgeted a little under Cadance's embrace. The sensation was warm and comforting, but she wasn't sure if it was what she wanted at the moment. She bit her lip hesitantly as she thought her words over in her mind, before finally letting out a quiet sigh and leaned into her foalsitter's coat. She just leaned against the older mare for a little before finally speaking up.

“It's kind of stupid...” Twilight reluctantly admitted to herself. “Not because the reason I'm this way is stupid... But that I should be doing better by now.”

“How so?” Cadance asked with a seemingly motherly tone.

“It's been months... And it's not like I've avoided the subject or anything. I've been open and honest with my friends about it, but it doesn't exactly help matters. There are still nights where I cry myself to sleep because I don't feel any sense of closure... Where so many small things just remind me of what's missing from my life, that I know it can never be replaced and just...” Twilight's voice hitched as she squeezed her eyes shut. “...I'm always reminded of how much I miss him...”

“Oh Twilight...” Cadance breathed quietly, turning her head to nuzzle her sister-in-law. “You shouldn't rush coming to terms with it if doing so only puts you in a worse place. That's when you need the care and love of your friends the most.”

“I'm getting tired of feeling like I have to though...” Twilight shook her head, letting out a sniff before raising a hoof up to her eyes and rubbing them. “My friends help and they care so deeply, and I am happy when I'm with them. But I always end up back here, always feeling like I can't move on yet, that I'm somehow not allowed to. Spike wouldn't want me to be feeling this way, my friends want me to feel better, but I just... I can't.”

Twilight felt powerless to finally let some of the pent up tears she'd be holding on to out. Even with her friend's support she felt so miserable. She didn't want to be this way, she wanted to go back to being the happy mare she remembered. The one who laughed and could take ridiculous things so seriously, who freaked out over test schedules instead of who she might let get in harms way in the next fight. It felt as if her whole world had come crashing down around her and there was nothing she could ever do to pick up the pieces.

Cadance embraced Twilight in a hug for several minutes, letting Twilight silently sob. Once Twilight's crying had finally started to calm down, Cadance gently began to caress Twilight's head and back with her wing. Twilight remembered the sensation from when she had her panic attacks as a child, and the simple motion was soothing her nerves. She leaned in more against Cadance, feeling a lot of her energy drained.

“Finding your own way to come to terms with the loss of a loved one is different for everyone.” Cadance finally spoke up, a gentle smile on her face. “I never knew my parents, at some point they had left my life and I never really questioned it. After all, I had the love of my two grandparents who raised me like I was their own and I was overjoyed and happy with them as my parents. But, at some point it came time for me to move to Canterlot to begin my Princess training under Princess Celestia. That was how I ended up in Canterlot, and how I ended up foal sitting you.

“While I was doing my training, I only got to see my grandparents a few times a year. They didn't have the strength to make the journey to Canterlot, so I would go see them. I was gone from home for three years, when I got word from town that they had passed away quietly in their sleep one night.” Cadance shook her head, a somber smile on her face. “Of course when I heard the news I was devastated. I rushed back to my home and found out it was true. They had passed away and I hadn't been there to say goodbye.

“They had left me everything in their will, but it honestly wasn't much. A few nicknacks and anything that remained in the house. I ended up giving the house to a nice family in town that needed it, and the nick-knacks are stored in a nice place back at my room in Canterlot. But for a while I was truly devastated by their loss. I didn't know what to do with myself, and there wasn't any amount of consoling in the world that could help me out of my depression.” Cadance eyed Twilight curiously, who was looking up at the Princess with curious, though bloodshot eyes.

“What changed?” Twilight managed to croak out quietly. It was a look Cadance hadn't seen in Twilight since she was a foal, and Cadance felt a hint of nostalgia over it.

“I ended up finding love, Twilight.” Cadance chuckled softly, turning to look up at the night sky. “In my darkest of hours, your brother showed up and helped pick me up. Even when I was rude to him and bit his head off more than a few times, her saw past the hurt mare and helped me to become who I am today. I still miss my grandparents, they meant the world to me. But I found something that could make me happy in a similar way that they used to, and while nothing can replace them, I was able to move on knowing they would look at me and be proud if they saw me today.”

Twilight was quiet for a moment, thinking Cadance's words over before closing her eyes and lowered her head to just rest against the older mare.

“I doubt I'd find someone to fall in love with that easily though.” Twilight murmured quietly, just enjoying the comfort of the moment.

“It doesn't necessarily have to be love though.” Cadance gave Twilight another nuzzle. “I think you just need to find something that can give you that kind of happiness. It could be something with your friends, it could be some kind of project, or it could indeed be finding someone special to love. You're a smart mare Twilight, I'm certain whatever you put your mind to, you'll solve it with ease.”

“I certainly hope you're right Cadance.” Twilight let out a yawn as she began to feel drowsiness begin to come over her. It had been a fairly stressful day and it was getting later, she could turn in for bed soon.

However, she was going to enjoy Cadance's company just a bit longer before she turned in.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The train ride the next day had taken longer than any of them had expected. The next morning had them helping clean up the aftermath of the party, before being seen off by pretty much everyone in the empire. By the time the train had finally taken off to Canterlot it was mid-afternoon, and the train didn't arrive at Canterlot station until just as the sun was setting.

“I can't wait to share these Crystal Empire treats with the Princess!” Pinkie bounced along, the hallway, carrying a take-home box of treats atop her head. “They have such a unique flavor! I bet she's never had anything like it before!”

“Ah reckon that might be true, it hasn't been around for a thousand years after all.” Applejack remarked with a smirk.

“She may have tried it once a long time ago, but I'm certain she'll enjoy tasting them again.” Fluttershy remarked with a smile.

“I just want to give the Princess our report and head to bed.” Twilight let out a sigh as she tried to crack her neck. “It's been a long two days and I'm ready to sleep it off.”

“That makes sense, you really kicked Sombra's butt with that spell of yours.” Rainbow remarked, doing a quick circle overhead as they approached the ornate double doors to Celestia's throne room. The two guards that stood before nodded to the group and the twin doors opened up, leading them down the long red carpet to the throne. Sitting in her usual spot was Princess Celestia, surprised but happy to see the group walking into her chambers.

“Welcome back girls. I take it things went well?” Celestia asked in her usual tone.

“Yes your highness.” Twilight said with a short bow. “When we arrived the Crystal Empire was under attack by King Sombra, his soul was bound to an ethereal smoke that he had conjured. However, we were able to eradicate his presence from the region. Princess Cadance and Prince Shining armor are now attending to the Empire's citizens.”

“And we brought back cake!” Pinkie bounded up to Celestia, holding out the box of treats to the large alicorn.

“Well, that is all good news!” Celestia smiled, grabbing hold of Pinkie's box and opening it up. She eye'd the delectable treats and started to lick her lips, but reminded herself that she was still on official business and gently stashed it to the side of her throne.

“I'll be certain give you a fully detailed report by tomorrow Princess, but for the moment I'd enjoy getting some rest.” Twilight was almost a little too quick to explain.

“Of course, after all you've done you've earned your rest.” Celestia nodded her head, “And you may use the spare rooms in the castle to rest. I look forward to hearing the full report.”

“Thank you Princess. Let's turn in for the night girls.” Twilight turned to her friends, who all nodded in agreement. They turned and began to leave.

“Twilight.” Celestia spoke up, Twilight stopping in her place. She watched as her friends continued to head out, knowing she was going to be left with the Princess. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and turned to face her.

“Yes?” Twilight asked a little hesitantly.

Celestia had a bit of a weary but hopeful smile on her face. “I was hoping that tomorrow you could give me your full report in person, rather than on paper. I'd enjoy hearing it straight from you.” Twilight turned her head, wanting to avoid Celestia's eyesight. She bit her bottom lip as she felt the anxiety growing in her heart. She knew what the Princess was trying to do with that request, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to face that.

“...Is that an order Princess?” Twilight tried to sidestep the issue, carefully glancing back at the older mare.

Celestia's face slightly fell, but she never lost that smile of hers. “No, of course not.” Celestia said calmly, closing her eyes. “Report to me however you are comfortable.”

“Then I will, thank you Princess.” Twilight gave another short bow before leaving the hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~

There was only one thought racing through her head as she tumbled through the swirling vortex of magical energy: land on her feet. And to her credit, her advice had worked, for the most part.

She had landed on two of her limbs., however she didn't stay that way. Her front two legs flailed in the air as her internal balance was thrown askew and she ended up tumbling forward, landing with a hard thud as she stared up at the ceiling above her. It wasn't exactly the graceful return she had predicted.

She quickly glanced to her sides and saw that the room she had wound up in was empty and she counted her luck for that. The last thing she needed after that embarrassing stunt was to have enter a fight while flatfooted.

With a twist of her body she quickly rolled over and laid on her stomach. She turned her head and looked over herself once more. Amber coat, red and gold mane and tail, four solid hooves and no clothes to be seen. Yup, she had returned home alright.

“Weird... I thought I'd feel better than this.” She quietly murmured to herself before standing up on four legs. She lifted each leg up individually, flicked her tails and ears, and rolled her neck around. Her movements were a little stiff, but old instincts were very quickly coming back to her. It was just like riding a bike, you never truly forget how to, you just get rusty.

The most important test came next. She closed her eyes and concentrated, an old feeling of magic channeling through her body coming back to her. She concentrated on the rush of magic and remembered structures of spells in her mind. While she hadn't thought about them in a while, memorizing them for so long made them easy to recall. She opened her eyes and looked in front of her, as a small flame quickly began to form.

A simple fireball spell, one of her old specialties, and still as strong as ever. The warm fire burned gently and she could feel the heat against her face. The sight of her old magic brought a smile to her face before she quickly snuffed it out of existence. Her magic was as powerful as ever, it had rusted even less than using her own body had.

That was perfect, it meant she didn't have to wait long to execute her plan.

She examined her room once more, now more comfortable with her situation. She blinked in surprise as she recognized it, it was the same room that she had seen just before she had left. She turned and faced the mirror that acted as the portal to the world she had just left, in the same spot as when she had found it all those years ago.

“Some things never change, huh Princess?” She remarked with a confident smirk, before turning towards the room's door and walked towards it. If she really was still in Canterlot Castle, than that made it all the easier.

Walking up to the door she channeled her magic into her horn, closed her eyes, and pressed it against the surface. A gentle pulse of nearly undetectable magic burst forth from the room acting as a radar. Judging from how dark it was in the room, it was likely night time in the castle, which meant that the royal guard would be patrolling the halls at this time. That schedule worked to her favor, as she needed one at this moment.

The gentle spell pulsed a few times, telling her of all the objects in the room before her prey walked into it's perimeter. A unicorn soldier was walking down, doing a casual sweep, most likely with a light spell cast from his horn. With no one else in immediate view, he would be perfect.

She waited until the guard had walked just passed the door, and started her second spell. A quiet hum swam through the air, up and to the guard's ears. He stopped in place as he flicked his ears to hear better, turning his head from side to side. She continued to use her spell and the guard's body began to lightly wobble, as he lifted a hoof up to his mouth to covered a wide yawn. She pushed the spell just a little harder and the guard soon found himself crawling down to his stomach. He let out another yawn, before his head began to hang and sleep overcame him.

With a smirk she released the spells and quietly opened the doors to her room. She quickly looked left and right, making sure no one else was coming, before grabbing the sleeping guard with her magic and dragging him into the room. Once alone, she looked him over making sure he was indeed still asleep.

“Alright, just got to remember how it went now.” She murmured to herself, the spell had always been complicated and her time away from magic wasn't about to help that. She concentrated on the intricate workings of the spell, feeling it channeling through her horn, before lowering it to the guard's head. With a gentle tap, she felt her magic connect to his consciousness and a flash of light filled her sight.

Several screens began pouring into her vision, images of the guard's life rushing past her at an incomprehensible speed. There was so much information to sort through she needed to give to sift out the useless information.

First she focused on the spell filtering out personal memories of the guard, anything with family or friends were useless information. Next she focused it even down even more, searching for any information pertaining to Celestia, Celestia's Personal Protege, and any powerful magical artifacts that he would know about in his lifetime.

The flower of screens slowed to a small trickle, and now they slowly moved past her vision. The memory scan spell was working like a charm after all these years, she was impressed with herself that she had succeeded at it so well.

Then again, of course she had, she hadn't been personally chosen as Celestia's personal protege for nothing.

She focused on the memories from the last few years, told the spell to cut out anything with Celestia that only involved casual greetings, casual meetings, and anything that had no value, and copied his memories into her own.

With the spell broken, she flung her head back and let out a sharp breath, reeling from basically installing the guard's memories into her own mind. It took a moment for her mind to sort through the memories and put them into the proper place, a process that was a bit more painful than it really should be. However, the moment the spell ended her eyes popped open with the new information.

“So...” The mare glared at the dark ceiling above her, gritting her teeth, “She replaced me that easily huh?”

The image of a lavender mare standing next to Celestia was now burned vividly into her mind. She knew it was a possibility, that while she was gone Celestia would choose another to receive her tutelage. However, seeing the reality of the situation was very different from having thought about it.

She was livid. She had been chosen because she had earned that distinction, she had worked so hard to be better than everyone else, that she had so much more potential and power than them.

And then here was Twilight Sparkle. A mare who just waltzed into the castle, and with a single display of magic, usurped her and took everything away from her while she was away.

“...Hmph...” She snorted, venting her anger through her nostrils before letting a wicked grin grow on her face. “In the end, it doesn't matter.” She said aloud to herself. After all it was true, she had returned to Equestria with the plan of hiding out until she could get her hands on some powerful magic or artifacts and show Celestia that she could be far more powerful than she ever could be.

...Well, it'd be getting her hooves on them now, but the point remained the same.

However, Celestia having a new protege made this all the better. In the guard's memory, Twilight Sparkle was wielding one of the Elements of Harmony, powerful artifacts that were thought to be lost. It seems Twilight had found them and gotten them to work for her. Which meant that Sunset would very easily get the artifact to work for her as well.

Starswirl's writings on the element's had been very clear. The elements were sources of nearly unlimited magic, capable of being controlled and used by those who tied closely to the emotion the element represented. However, if the elements were ever to be taken out of this world, and into an alternate universe, their magic could potentially run wild, quickly tying themselves to the nearest conduit of magic and entrusting all of it's power to them.

The easiest way for her to obtain ultimate power was to take the Element of Harmony and jump back through the portal with it. Then, amass her power there, learn how it works, then come back through and conquer Equestria. It was a solid plan, and all she needed to do was steal Twilight's element.

Fortunately for her, the guard had gotten a good look at it as well. A crown with a star in it, that would likely be with Twilight in the room she slept in at the castle tonight. This really was her lucky night. Not only had hte portal opened up so she could return to Equestria, she knew very well that the fake regalia used to crown the 'Princess' of the Fall Formal looked exactly the same.

Her plan was going to involve a few more jumps back and forth through the portal tonight, but it'd be worth it. She'd replace the real crown with the fake one, amass her power, and conquer Equestria just like she'd dreamed of for so long.

“I'm coming for you Twilight Sparkle, I hope you're ready to see what a true protege can do.” The mare chuckle quietly. With a quick turn of her head, the mare once more jumped through the portal.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The hallways of Canterlot Castle were either a lot quieter than she remembered, or she'd always caused such a commotion that they couldn't help but be boisterous. Either way, sneaking around the castle was proving a little more difficult than she had predicted. While she still remembered the layout perfectly, the guards seemed to be perfectly spaced out, making it hard to maneuver at just the right time to not be noticed or heard.

She had grabbed an old window curtain and quickly reworked it into a robe to help conceal her presence further, reducing her noise and visibility dramatically. So far it had been doing it's job wonderfully.

Not to mention it just felt a bit wrong to not be wearing something after years of being forced to wear clothes. Even if ponies didn't normally wear clothes.

She watched as another guard rounded a corner and she dashed across the hall, closer to her target. Looking around the corner, she could see the door of her target. Looking back and forth, it seems she had caught a break, the last guard was out of sight and no one was taking his place. That meant she had a straight shot to the room.

Taking her chance, she raced for the door and came to a quick stop in front of it. With one last look around, she raised her hoof and gently pushed the door open. It opened without resistant, only letting only a quiet creak, quieter than she had expected. Stepping into the room she quickly scanned it, spotting the usual furnishings of a Canterlot Castle guest room.

Under the covers of the bed was a lump of lavender and purple that was unmistakably Twilight Sparkle. From the memories she had gathered, she had returned to the castle with the Element of Harmony, that meant she likely still had it with her in this room. Her horn lit up and she let out another very gentle wave of magic to quickly sweep the room.

Almost instantly, her magic pinged back with a positive result. The item she was seeking was currently stashed away in the bedside table. She had to blink at that. Twilight Sparkle had really kept one of the most powerful and potentially dangerous weapons in Equestrian history in a bedside drawer? The arrogance of that was even beyond her, but she wouldn't know for certain until she saw it for herself.

With quiet steps, she made her way over to the drawer and eyed it suspiciously. Igniting her magic, she grabbed hold of the drawer and carefully slid it open to not make a sound.

Clear as day, sitting within the drawer was Twilight's Element of Harmony. She did everything in her power to not make a sound about that and simply lifted it up and out of the drawer. If Twilight was going to make it this easy, she wasn't deserving of the item in the first place. She lifted the fake crown out of the saddlebags she had brought along and gently placed it into the drawer. With the same careful touch, she closed the drawer.

Looking up at Twilight's sleeping form, the mare was still sound asleep, the bed slowly rising and falling in time with her movements. She couldn't help but smirk at how easy this was. All that was left was to leave and pass through the portal. She turned to leave, heading towards the door she had come through before stopping in place.

Standing in front of the door was a lavender mare with a purple mane, looking tired, annoyed, and rather ticked off from having her sleep interrupted.

“I have to admit, this one is a new one. Stealing my Element of Harmony from right under my nose? That has to either be the gutsiest thing I've ever seen, or the dumbest.” Twilight glared at the cloaked mare in her room.

“Wha- But how-!?” The mare asked confused, looking back at the bed and seeing the still sleeping form on the bed before looking back at Twilight.

“Simple body double spell. You triggered my alarm spell the moment you entered my room and I set it up immediately. Or did you really think I was going to leave my room unguarded?” Twilight raised an eyebrow accusingly.

“Heh, well then, for a minute there I thought this wasn't going to be fun.” The mare smirked broadly, lighting her horn up. Her intent was to teleport out of the room and start making her way down the hallway back to the mirror room.

What happened next was not what she intended though. Instead of teleporting away, her body suddenly quintupled in weight and every muscle in her body was struggling to stay upright. Her eyes widened as she grit her teeth, trying to keep herself on her hooves and focusing on her magic, but the weight of the gravity spell was interrupting her every thought.

She struggled to lift her head up, to lock eyes with Twilight and stare her opponent down. Instead, all she saw were the cold eyes of a mare who didn't care that she might end up hurting her. Defeating her was the only thing she could see in Twilight's eyes, without any sign of mercy left.

She couldn't help but laugh at that. She wanted to have fun with her opponent, to revel in how much of a superior student she was, and yet within seconds she had been immobilized with such an intense, high level spell. She let the gravity spell push her to the ground, falling down to lay down on her stomach and grunt.

Twilight's next spell was far more simple. With her rendered immobile by the gravity spell, she couldn't resist Twilight's chaining spell. The lavender magic wrapped around her hooves and horn, and solidified into solid bindings, restricting her magic and movement drastically. With her properly locked up, the gravity spell was dispersed and she could breath normally again.

“Now tell me, who are you and what did you want with my Element of Harmony?” Twilight stomped her foot on the ground, glaring down at the captured mare. The mare could only let out another laugh at that, finding the whole situation so insanely absurd.

“It should be obvious what I wanted your element for after I tell you who I am.” She flicked her head back, letting the hood that had been covering her head fall back so Twilight could see her fully. “My name is Sunset Shimmer, and I am Princess Celestia's former personal protege.”

Unnamed SunLight Story - Chapter 1

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

The Sun Comes to Crystal Prep - Prologue

Author's Note

The first story in this compilation is just a first chapter of "What if Sunset Shimmer went to Crystal Prep after the events of the first movie" sort of deal. A random idea I had after having enjoyed the third movie, and thought it could lead to some interesting ideas or wacky shenanigans of Sunset getting to know the Shadowbolts, possibly helping reform the school a little, giving plenty of character depth to the un-tapped starting points that are the Crystal Prep kids, and just in general putting Sunset Shimmer in a new location.

My problem with this setting is that I'm pretty terrible with writing non-specific slice of life stuff, I wouldn't know how or in what way Sunset Shimmer would change the school, and while there would be a heavy emphasis on her interactions with Twilight, would it be a romance or just being friends? Also the Sirens would probably show up at some point, but what would I do with them, ugh. In the end I couldn't really think of anything or decide on anything, so it sits in my WiP folder.

I do think it's a good intro to a story like this, just sadly there's no story beyond an intro.

The Sun Comes to Crystal Prep - Prologue

Prologue – The Transfer to the Academy

“I'm still not convinced this is a good idea.” Rainbow Dash glared, her arms crossed. “It feels too much like I'm letting Twilight down by letting this happen.”

“I can understand why you'd feel that way Dash...” Sunset sighed, grabbing another book from her locker and putting it into her bag, “But even you can tell this isn't working.”

“Gotta say, I'm with Rainbow on this one. Letting you out of our sites seems like an easy for you to just go back to being the way you were.” Applejack narrowed her eyes as well, scrutinizing the girl who was currently packing.

“Are you really sure this is the only way?” Pinkie pouted, though even she had to admit that she wasn't feeling particularly bad about Sunset's idea.

Sunset grabbed the last book in her locker, a brown journal with her former cutie mark emblazoned on the cover. She ran a hand over it, removing a pile of dust that had gathered on it from neglect. She let out another sigh before pushing it into her backpack.

“It's definitely appreciate you girls putting up with me on account of Princess Twilight but...” Sunset bit her lip in hesitation to speak, before closing her eyes and steeling herself to face them, “It's not hard to notice that even you five still hold some animosity towards me.”

“...You were pretty awful.” Fluttershy murmured quietly, running a hand alongside the length of her hair as she hid behind it.

“You're not the only ones that remember that either.” Sunset shook her head, “The whole school remembers. Twilight left me behind because this is my punishment, going back to Equestria isn't an option for me. I'm supposed to make amends for what I did, but... How am I supposed to make amends when no one will give me the chance?”

The collective looks of the girls were all Sunset needed to see. Some turned away, other rubbed parts of their body awkwardly, Fluttershy had a face that spoke of regret. It was her point exactly.

“That's why I have to go.” Sunset said, picking her backpack up and slinging it over her shoulders. “I need to go somewhere when I can have a clean slate, where I won't be judged by my past, where I can prove that I genuinely want to change who I was. And as long as I'm at Canterlot High I can't do that.” Sunset adjusted the straps on her backpack, feeling the extra weight that was added to it now.

“Besides, it won't be forever. I'm sure Twilight will come back when the portal opens in thirty moons... And even if she doesn't, I'll come back by then at least as well. I'll show you all how I've changed...” Sunset hesitated, squeezing the straps of her backpack. “...And I'll even let you be the ones to judge if I'm allowed to go back to Equestria or not.”

“Nnngh... I still feel like somethings wrong.” Rainbow growled, turning her head away, “But I can't deny you make a good argument.”

“But darling, where will you go?” Rarity asked concerned, “Do you even have a plan of where you'll be going?”

“I... Figured I'd just start downtown.” Sunset shrugged, “See if I can't maybe find a new school to transfer to or... Maybe just get a job I guess. I just need a new environment. I mean, I've moved to a new area on my own once before, now that I know what I'm doing, doing it a second time sounds like a piece of cake.”

“So... I guess this just goodbye then?” Applejack asked uncertain.

“You guys have my cellphone number.” Sunset shrugged her shoulders, “If you ever want to check in on me all you have to do is send me a text or a call. I promise I won't ignore it out of spite or something, if I have to answer to anyone it's you five.”

“You won't even let me throw you a goodbye party will you.” Pinkie pouted against, crossing her arms indignantly.

“I was kind of hoping to leave today... So, sorry Pinkie.” Sunset tried to give a sheepish smile, but it only came off awkward.

“Very well, but I refuse to let a teenage girl head to downtown Canterlot without something to her name.” Rarity stomped her foot before reaching into a pocket and pulling out her purse. She reached in and grabbed several twenty dollar bills and thrusting them into Sunset's hand. Sunset blinked at the money, stammering for a moment.

“Rarity! I can't accept this!” Sunset thrust her hand with the money in it back to Rarity to try and give it back, but Rarity just pushed the hand back away.

“I won't hear of it. If you truly feel bad about taking my money then you can pay it back later.” Rarity turned her head with a huff. “Even if I have a hard time forgiving you for what you've done here, the last thing I want is to see you dead in some gutter alley.”

“Rarity...” Sunset muttered under her breath, shocked at the girl's kindness. Sunset felt a pang of regret at what she was deciding to do now as she quietly stuffed the money into her own pocket. Maybe this was a bad idea after all. If it was, it'd just be another on the list of bad ideas that seemed to pile onto her life.

“Just be careful Sunset.” Fluttershy spoke up next, “Things may have not turned out well at Canterlot High for you, but the world can be a scarier place than here.”

“Look, I hate to offer it, but if anything bad happens to you, give me a call.” Dash put her hands on her hips, a look of reluctant anger on her face. “If I fail Twilight it's gonna bug my conscious for the rest of my life. So as much as I'd rather not, I'll bail you out in an emergency.”

“I appreciate that Dash, I really do.” Sunset smiled, feeling a warmth in her chest. She started gritting her teeth as she snaked her thumbs under her straps, adjusting the backpack one more time. If she didn't leave now, she was going to start regretting this plan and stay there. “I should get going though, I was never much for sentimental goodbyes anyway.”

“Well I may not be able to give you a goodbye party, but maybe I can give a house warming party or something once you find where you're going.” Pinkie swelled with pride. Even if she didn't like Sunset all that much yet, there was no excuse for her to be a lousy party host.

“I guess I'll see you all later then.” It was more of a question than a statement, but Sunset was already second guessing herself and she needed to keep her resolve firm. She turned and made her way down the hallway, wanting to leave the school.

“Do you think she'll be okay?” Sunset could hear Fluttershy's timid voice speak up.

“I certainly hope so darling...” Rarity remarked before Sunset finally got out of ear shot. With a quick turn she stepped out into the front lawn of Canterlot High, watching several students milling about. She took a deep breath and let out a slow breathe, making her way towards the street to catch the bus.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sunset sat alone in a cafe with a cup of coffee in her hands, letting out a depressed sigh. It had only been maybe two hours since she'd made her way downtown and already she was feeling the pangs of loneliness again. It was just like when she had first arrived at this world, feeling alone and abandoned. Though now she didn't even have the benefit of having a power-driven goal in mind.

Alone with her thoughts, she sat there trying to think of how she was going to prove she had every desire to be a better person... And was drawing a blank.

“Ugh...” Sunset let out an audible groan and leaned onto the table. She rested her head on her folded arms and closed her eyes, just trying to calm her mind. She was quickly starting to get disheartened by her own plan, but she was too far committed to it to change it now. Twilight's friends had tried to stop her, but in her usual stubbornness she was going to try and do everything on her own.

It seemed that some things just don't change, even when you try to change yourself.

“Hey! Watch it nerd!” A loud male voice called out, before the sound of shuffling was heard and someone clearly hit the floor, “You just spilled my coffee all over my new shirt!”

Sunset lifted her head, noticing that a group of three older-looking males were hovering over someone else on the ground, though Sunset couldn't get a clear view of the downed recipient.

“I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!” A strangely familiar female voice called out, though Sunset couldn't exactly pinpoint why it sounded familiar.

“Do I look like I care?” The male who spoke up before reached down and grabbed the fallen student, lifting them up. They were hidden behind the male's back, but Sunset could already tell that this wasn't a fair fight at all. “This is a designer shirt that was a gift for my birthday! How exactly do you think you're going to fix this!?”

“I-I can pay for cleaning! O-Or for a new one...” The girl begged, though it was clear she was on the verge of crying. Sunset pushed her chair back and stood up.

“There's no just replacing a gift.” He snarled, before a wicked grin forming on his face. “But hey, we're reasonable guys. We'll come up with a much better way for you to repay us, right fellas?” The two guys to his left and right nodded in earnest.

“Let her go. Now.” Sunset spoke up, much to the surprise of the three males.

“And what are you going to do about it?” The male holding the girl asked, turning to face Sunset, before his face fell.

The vision of Sunset's face filled the bullying boys with terror. To the rough males, instead of a teenage girl standing before them, it was as if a demon was standing there, ready to consume their soul in the fires of hell. Gulping down his fear, the boy let down the girl and sucked his teeth in anger.

“Fine, come on guys let's get out of here.” Begrudgingly the three of them soon left the coffee shop, Sunset never letting them out of her site until they were well past the windows of the store.

“T-Thank you for helping me...” The female voice spoke up, causing Sunset to break out of her anger induced trance. She blinked for a moment, before shaking her head and putting a hand to her head.

So much for showing how different I am... She thought to herself with a short sigh. “I couldn't just stand there and let them do that. You alrigh-” Sunset stopped her sentence as she turned to look at a lavender girl with purple hair and pink stripes. “...Twilight?”

“Oh... I'm sorry, have we met?” The lavender girl adjusted a pair of glasses on her face that Sunset only just noticed. Sunset stared in stunned silence, before blinking and looking the girl up and down. While on the surface this girl looked like the spitting image of the pony princess, Sunset couldn't help but notice there were some difference. For one, she seemed a little scrawnier than Princess Twilight, if not a few inches shorter. On top of that, she wore her hair up in a bun as well as a pair of glasses on her face. Then to top it off, her outfit was a lot more harsh than anything Sunset would expect to see Twilight wearing, a mix of purple and blues with a plaid skirt. It looked like a uniform.

It took Sunset several moments for her brain to reactivate, before she shook her head and put a hand against it. “No, sorry, I just... I thought you were someone else for a moment.” Sunset tried to force an awkward smile, “Kind of weird that you're both named Twilight though...”

“That is quite the coincidence.” This Twilight couldn't help but chuckle a little, in her own awkward way, “Though I suppose it's not impossible, after all my mother's name is Twilight too.”

“That must get confusing.” Sunset couldn't help but chuckle at picturing family members calling out for Twilight and getting two responses.

“We worked a system out. I go by Twilight in the house and we call my mother by her last name, Velvet.” Twilight nodded, before blinking and realizing something, letting a small blush form on her cheeks. “Sorry, I probably should properly introduce myself.” Twilight let out a quick cough to clear her throat before extending her hand, “My name is Twilight Sparkle.”

“Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset said with a smile, taking the familiar girl's hands and shaking it.

“I don't think I've seen you around before, are you new in town?” Twilight asked curiously.

“I just haven't been to downtown much. I've only lived here for a little over two years now though.” Sunset shrugged.

“I see. So I take it you go to school outside of downtown then?” Twilight asked curiously. Sunset fidgeted awkwardly, unsure of how to respond to that.

“I... Well...” Sunset wasn't sure what the right course of action was at this moment. Should she be honest with this other Twilight? Should she lie and make something up? Sunset looked into the others Twilight's eyes and saw a genuine curiosity and kindness that seemed to be missing from most of the other people she'd talk to recently. She felt like there wasn't a way to properly lie to this Twilight without hurting her, so with a reluctant sigh she decided to go with a bit of truth. “ I do but... Quite honestly I've been considering just dropping out.”

Considering was a good word, there really wasn't much point in telling Twilight she basically was already planning to just drop out completely by not showing up ever again. She didn't have any records for them to track her even if they came looking for her, so it was a solid enough plan in her book.

However, Twilight reaction was a look of abject horror.

“Drop out!?” Twilight said in shock, reacting as if she'd just been told her mother had been murdered. “Why would you want to drop out!? Don't you know how hard it is to get into college if you don't have a High School degree!? Sure, SOME community colleges will take a GED but no University worth it's name will take you in! Not to mention you'll even have difficulty finding a job that isn't entry level! Do you want to be stuck grilling burgers for the rest of your life!?” Twilight got up in Sunset's face as she yelled, causing the red headed teen to back up in surprise.

“It was just a thought, yeesh.” Sunset rolled her eyes, turning away from the girl being overly dramatic at that moment.

“Well you shouldn't even consider it in the first place!” Twilight stomped her foot, genuinely upset by Sunset's thought. “Seriously, what would make you even consider skipping out on your education!? I want an answer!”

Sunset let out another sigh, adjusting her jacket as she felt a little uncomfortable. “I don't have anything against getting an education Twilight... It's more like...” She hesitated to say what was on her mind before getting her words, “...There's nothing left for me at my old school.”

“Nothing left...?” Twilight murmured quietly at Sunset, before putting a hand to her chin in thought.

“It's not like I don't like learning or something, in fact my grades are probably the highest in school. But there's just... I don't have any friends and I don't have any aspirations. I actually came to this cafe to just sort of get away from it a bit and think things over.” It wasn't the whole truth, but somehow Sunset felt the whole truth right now might just make the situation worse.

“Well...” Twilight hesitated for a moment, as if she was about to say something crazy. “If things aren't working at your old school... Maybe... You'd like to come to my school instead?”

Now there was something Sunset never quite thought she'd be hearing. Being invited to go to another school instead of being relegated to her only option. She furrowed her brow at the thought, not sure what to make of it though.

“Would it even be that easy? Not to mention, what exactly would make your school different from mine?” The only thing that came to mind for Sunset was that no one there would know her, which was what she was looking for after all...

“Well, my school is very strict and rigorous about it's academics. If you aren't being challenged at your old school, then it likely just means you need a higher standard, and it can definitely provide that!” Twilight beamed, almost as if she was gloating. It was weird talking about someone so positively about school. “Plus... If you have no friends at your old school...” Twilight paused awkwardly again, adjusting her glasses as she looked away, “I suppose... I could be your friend...”

“I dunno Twilight. Don't you think the whole 'becoming the friend of the person who saved me from bullies' thing is a little cliche?” Sunset couldn't help but tease Twilight. Twilight's flushed as she stammered, her hands tapping against each other as she fumbled about.

“W-Well I mean, I guess we don't have to if you don't want to, it was just a suggestion! P-Plus the academics really are the more important parts-” Twilight was struggling with her words, but this only caused Sunset to laugh at the antics.

“I'm teasing you Twilight.” Sunset said with a smile, “I'd like to be your friend.” The words came out far more naturally than Sunset ever thought they would. Making friends... It was how Twilight was so strong, and it was likely how she was going to redeem herself in this world. Though making friends with an alternate version of the girl who defeated her was a little out there, she couldn't but feel it was a perfectly ironic starting point.

“Really!?” Twilight lit up like a beacon, before blushing again and clearing her throat, pushing out the creases on her skirt with her hands, “I mean, that sounds fun!” Twilight cleared her throat again, before putting her arms behind her back with a smile. “We can talk to my sister-in-law about getting you transferred to our school! She's the Dean there, so she has a lot of pull, I'm sure she'll be able to get the paperwork done lightning fast!”

“Sounds convenient.” Sunset chuckled. “When did you want to set up a meeting?”

Twilight thought carefully about that. “Why not right now?”

“Uh, what?” Sunset asked blinking.

“Seriously, why not?” Twilight smiled, “We could probably walk to my school from here and she's gonna be working late, so I'm certain she could squeeze in a meeting with us! So the sooner the better right?”

“I guess so.” Sunset mumbled, though she couldn't help but feel like life was suddenly speeding off at 60mph on her. One moment she was depressed over what she was going to do, and now here was Twilight telling her to come to school with her.

“Great!” Twilight was beaming once more. She reached out and grabbed Sunset's hand and quickly led her out of the coffee shop and leading the way.

'I feel like I'm getting swept away again.' Sunset thought to herself. She wasn't even sure if she knew just what she had fully agreed to, but in some way she didn't mind. It was like life had just handed her the perfect opportunity to show that she really had changed, and all she had to do was let go of her anxiety and seize it.

'I guess it's just nerves.' Sunset shook her head, picking up the pace as she followed Twilight. She was going to leave her past behind and start making a new future for herself.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sunset had been taken aback by the look of Twilight's school, which she introduced as Crystal Prep Academy. While in layout it didn't look all that much bigger than Canterlot High, Sunset couldn't deny that it had a far more imposing feel to it. It practically towered over you and made you feel small and insignificant, with a somewhat cold and rigid exterior.

The inside wasn't much different, pristine floors and walls that seemed to sparkle as if freshly polished, brand new lockers lining the walls, classrooms that looked like they all had new equipment and seating, it was all a bit much for Sunset to take in. It was nothing like CHS, to the point it felt like she had walked into yet another brand new world.

They finally came to a stop outside an office door as Twilight declared they had arrived. As she knocked on the door, Sunset took a look at the name engraved on the class window and felt yet another shock to her system.

Dean Cadance... She couldn't help but shake her head. It seemed there was no escaping the names from her past. At CHS it had been Celestia, and at Crystal Prep it was Cadance. Memories of terrifying the poor scared pink alicorn came to mind, and she had to let out yet another sigh of past regret.

“Come in!” Another familiar voice called from behind the door. Twilight quickly opened it and led the way in, Sunset following behind. From behind a desk, a woman with multi-colored pink hair and skin looked up from her desk, and without a doubt Sunset recognized her as the Princess of Love, Cadance.

'Twilight and Cadance in the same building... I guess this is fitting for my punishment.' Sunset couldn't help but put on a bit of a cynical smirk.

“Oh, hello Twilight. I thought you went to the cafe for your after school studies today.” Cadance spoke in a kind manner that Sunset remembered, another pang of guilt plucking at her heart.

“I did, but while I was there I ran into this girl. She was looking into transferring to Crystal Prep and I thought you could help.” Twilight explained with a smile.

“Oh?” Cadance raised a curious eyebrow, turning to look Sunset up and down. “And who might you be?”

“My name's Sunset Shimmer ma'am.” Sunset expressed a bit stiffly, trying to both maintain her manners and not break out into apologies to a woman who she didn't owe them to.

“Well Sunset, I must say, it's a bit unusual to have a student come to my office asking to transfer.” Cadance opened her hand to two seats in front of her desk, “Why don't you two have a seat and we can discuss it?” Not one to argue, Sunset took an open seat and Twilight took the one next to her. “I must ask for the sake of curiosity first though, how did you meet Twilight, Sunset?”

“Oh, uh, well, you see-” Twilight began to explain, but she was cut off but Sunset.

“I was at the cafe when I saw Twilight run into some trouble with some bullies. I scared them off and she wanted to thank me.” Sunset shrugged her shoulders. Cadance's eyes widened in surprise and Twilight looked as if she had frozen in her seat.

“Twilight, is this true? You're being bullier?” Cadance asked, frowning hard at the lavender girl. Twilight didn't move for several seconds, and Sunset looked back and forth between the two.

'Oh...' Sunset realized what she had done, Twilight finally looking down at her legs as her shoulders collapsed, a forlorn look on her face.

“It didn't look like they came from this school though.” Sunset explained quickly, “They purposefully bumped into Twilight and spilled coffee on themselves to make it look like she did it. They were just trying to extort money from her.”

“I see...” Cadance said, her lips pursing at the hasty addition to the story. “While I can't say I'm happy about hearing that my sister-in-law ran into some hooligans, but I'm glad you were there to help her Sunset.” Cadance looked at Twilight, whose gaze hadn't moved from her lap, “As for you Twilight, if for any reason you're being bullied at school you need to inform me. Crystal Prep has a very strict anti-bullying code of conduct and we will enforce it. We don't want our students feeling unsafe on campus, understand?”

“Yes Dean Cadance...” Twilight mumbled just loud enough to be heard.

“Good.” Cadance took a deep breath, before her smile returned and she focused on Sunset. “Alright, with that out of the way, tell me Sunset, why do you think Crystal Prep would be a good school for you?”

“Well, from what Twilight's told me it'd be a good place for me to get a fresh start.” Sunset shrugged. “Plus while I had the highest grades at my old school, I wasn't feeling academically challenged. So with the chance to have a new place to make friends and feel like I was actually learning something, I thought I might apply.” It was a fabricated truth stapled together by her own half-lies and what Twilight had talked to her about, but to anyone not in the known it sounded perfectly reasonable.

“Hm, yes, those are good reasons to apply.” Cadance nodded her head in an understanding smile. “Are your parents aware of this? I assume you've talked to them already.”

Sunset grimaced looking away from Cadance. The look raised an eyebrow of suspicion from her as Sunset reached up and rubbed the back of her neck.

“I... I don't have any parents...” Sunset mumbled.

“Oh...” Was all Cadance had to say to that, “What about your legal guardian then?” Sunset shook her head again, causing Cadance to furrow her brow in confusion. “How were you enrolled into your previous school then?”

“I'm not entirely sure.” Sunset said shrugging, “They gave me a form to fill out, I filled it out and they accepted me in. I guess they didn't care as much because it was a public school.” It was the best answer Sunset was going to be able to give. It wasn't an answer that sat well with Cadance.

“Mmm... Well Sunset, if they have enough information to enroll you into school, then it's likely you have enough to enroll here. We can even have your files transferred to us.” Cadance lifted her hands and curled her fingers together on her desk, “The main problem, however, would be talking about financing.”

“Financing?” Sunset raised an eyebrow curiously.

“It seems Twilight dragged you in here all excited but neglected to tell you everything about trying to enroll here.” Cadance glanced over to Twilight, who just shrunk into her chair embarrassed. “Crystal Prep Academy is, as it's name implies, a preparatory school focused on making sure it's students are college bound. This gives them early college credits, scholarships they might not otherwise be available for, and the chance to quickly enter the field of their choice. However, these services come at a premium, which means that to be part of Crystal Prep, you have to pay to enroll for classes.”

Sunset let out a sigh as the reality of the situation hit her. “I guess it really was too good to be true then.” She mumbled, shaking her head. “I'm sorry for wasting your time Dean Cadance, but I only have the money in my pockets right now. And I doubt it'll be enough to cover the cost of learning.” Sunset stood up from her chair, Twilight looking up with wide eyes.

“Thanks for trying Twilight, I'm still willing to be friends if you want, but I should probably look elsewhere.” Sunset shrugged her shoulders and made her way for the door.

“W-Wait! B-But! Cadance! Isn't there ANY way for her to be able to afford the entrance fee!?” Twilight begged her sister-in-law, eyes as big as a newborn fawn. Sunset reached up to the Dean's door and gripped the handle when she was stopped by the Dean's voice.

“You know...” Sunset turned to look at Cadance, “It really isn't every day that Twilight drags someone new into my office begging me to help them get enrolled...” Cadance tapped a finger against her desk, before swiveling her chair and reaching down into one of the side cabinets. “While it's true that most scholarships are meant for college, it is possible for you to get a scholarship for Crystal Prep as well.” Cadance pulled out several papers before placing them on her desk.

“It's not a guarantee, but if your grades really are as good as you say they are at your old school, then you should have no problems getting enough payment through them to come here.” Cadance explained with a smile.

Twilight lit up happily again, turning to Sunset with a bright smile. “This is it Sunset! This is how you can come to Crystal Prep with me! You'll be able to get it for sure!” Sunset couldn't deny that there was something about the girl's enthusiasm that was catchy. It was like, if she was happy you had no choice but to be happy with her.

“Alright, I'll give it a shot.” Sunset couldn't help but chuckle as she turned from the door and walked over to look at the paper work on the desk.

“Very good. While you two fill that out, I'll go ahead and make some calls about getting your paperwork transferred over to the Crystal Prep database. What was the name of your old school?” Cadance asked quizzically.

“Oh, I was going to Canterlot High before all this.” Sunset said, still reading through the paperwork. Cadance couldn't help but blink at that, before letting out a bit of a chuckle.

“Yeah, that might explain a lot. And will make things a lot easier for us as well.” Cadance smirked a little.

Sunset had no idea what that look was supposed to imply, but it seemed like this weird plan of her was becoming a reality.

Sunset Shimmer was going to become a student at Crystal Prep Academy.