Sunset Shimmer entered her living room, plopped down on her sofa, and sighed,
“That was Fluttershy on the phone. The storm collapsed her chicken coop’s roof and forced her to bring all her chickens inside. She’s got to care for them herself tonight.” Flash Sentry raised an eyebrow,
“It took her ten minutes just to tell you that?”
“No, it took her one minute. The other nine minutes consisted of her apologizing to me.” A lightning strike and a clap of thunder accentuated the end of Sunset’s statement.
“Wow,” Flash said, “I guess that makes it just us tonight.” Sunset groaned,
“Ugh, I know. What am I supposed to do with all of this?” she gestured to the plates and bowls of healthy (and not so healthy) snacks she had laid out.
Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and even former Crystal Prep student Twilight Sparkle were supposed to join Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry for a night of studying for their senior finals. Sunset, having done equivalent work as a pony in Equestria years earlier, knew she would do well on these human tests, but she came to love the study nights she would have with one, some, or all of her friends just for the sake of being with them.
The cause of the multitude of cancellations was a rather violent storm that had been brewing over the town all afternoon. The group had planned to each go home right after school, grab all their books, then meet at Sunset’s house, but the untimely weather and other complications meant that the only one who ended up being there was Flash Sentry. He had come home with Sunset because Sunset’s motorcycle had broken down at school and Flash towed it with his car.
“We could try to eat it all ourselves, regret it later, then exaggerate to the others about what a crazy night we had and how much we puked,” Flash answered Sunset’s earlier question. Sunset giggled,
“As thrilling as that sounds, I think it’ll keep for a while longer if we just stock it in the fridge. Pinkie’s throwing that graduation party next week, remember?”
“Oh, yeah,” Flash nodded, a slight smile appearing on his face as he imagined another one of Pinkie Pie’s powwows, “But knowing her, she’ll already have a bunch of food. Won’t this just clutter up the tables?”
“Also knowing Pinkie and her parties, more kids are going to show up than anticipated, so I’m sure she’ll appreciate the extra grub,” Sunset said.
“Good point. Want me to help you carry some of that stuff to the kitchen?” Flash asked, noticing Sunset was already two arms full of plates and bowls and was reaching for more.
“Yeah, thanks,” Sunset rescinded her arm just in time to catch a falling cup. Thankfully it was empty.
The two carried the food to the kitchen and Sunset started wrapping it in plastic and aluminum foil. Flash Sentry looked around as she worked. The only sounds were the muffled rumblings of the storm rampaging outside and Sunset ripping sheets of foil off the roll.
“So, uh, where are your parents?” Flash asked, adding a third noise to the house. Without even pausing to peer up from her task, Sunset replied,
“Well, my mom’s a lawyer in Canterlot and my dad’s a stay-at-home inventor. If I know them they’re in their respective office and workshop taking on Equestria’s toughest cases and putting together yet more weird magic contraptions.”
“Equestria, what in the world is—” Flash slapped his forehead, “Oh, yeah, I forgot. Pony. Magic. Unicorn. Different world.” Flash’s sentence fragments were enough to tear Sunset away from food wrapping.
“Oh, you meant where are they here. Yeah, I’m kind of on my own in this house. Came here alone. Live here alone.”
“These are some pretty nice digs for someone who didn’t even know what a ‘dollar’ was four years ago. How’d you get a house in a neighborhood like this?” Flash was referring to the fact that Sunset lived in a well-kept family-sized home in a decent middle-class neighborhood in one of the nicest suburbs in the city.
Sunset pondered for a moment, harkening back to just before she left Equestria and the few weeks after.
“I brought a lot of bits and gems with me when I came to this world. As it turns out, Equestrian currency is worth a lot more here than it is back home. Who knew solid gold and a few precious stones would sell for so much?”
“Just you in this big space… doesn’t it get lonely?” Flash asked. Sunset shrugged,
“A little, I guess, but I spend so much time with my friends outside the house that I’m not here long enough to feel that way.” As they spoke, Sunset finished putting away the last of the food. The two returned to the living room couch and turned on the evening news to have some background noise while they pored over their schoolbooks.
“Y’know, if it ever does get lonely here, I could… come by and keep you company sometimes?” Flash suggested, edging his hand closer to Sunset’s knee.
“Thanks, Flash, but I think I’ll be—” she spotted the wayward digits headed for her leg, “Whoa, were you making a move on me?” Flash ever so expertly threw his hand behind his head,
“Uh, no, I mean, yeah, I just thought with the mood and all…”
“Flash, I think you read that mood a little wrong. This… we already happened, and you know what a train wreck that was,” Sunset pointed out.
“But you were different back then! I thought we could give it another shot now that you’re…” Flash Sentry trailed off. He wasn’t thinking and already dug himself deeper into the hole he was already in. How was he supposed to finish that sentence? Now that you’re good? Now that you’re not rotten? Luckily, Sunset was able to put his mind at ease. She put a hand up,
“I don’t even want to hear the end of that sentence. You make it sound like I’m some thing that you only want because there’s a new version of it. That’s really hurtful, Flash.” Sunset crossed her arms defensively.
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Flash stammered, “I guess it really wouldn’t work out.” He looked at the TV, not really paying attention to what was on. “I do like you, Sunset.”
“I like you, too, Flash, just not that way. You’re a great friend to me and that’s not bad. If going through what I’ve gone through has taught me anything it’s that friendship isn’t some second place or consolation prize to something more. It just means you’ve found a place just as special as a boyf—er, lover would be to me. You know, just without all the romance,” Sunset explained. Flash nodded his understanding and was silent for a moment.
“Is there someone else you’re interested in?” he asked. Sunset furrowed her brow,
“Flash, you’re pushing it. I gave you a straightforward answer and I meant what I said—”
“I only ask because you stopped saying ‘boyfriend’ and switched to ‘lover’ pretty quickly. That seemed like a pretty conscious move,” Flash said. Sunset’s mouth hung open. He was right on the money,
“Y-yeah, there is… It’s Twilight Sparkle,” Sunset admitted.
“Crystal Prep Twilight or Princess Twilight?” Flash asked.
“Princess Twilight. I mean, Crystal Prep Twi is cool and all but she’s more of an intellectual gal-pal. Princess Twilight, though,” Sunset sighed wistfully, closing her eyes to get the form of the object of her affection in her mind, “She’s the one that helped me be who I am today. She’s pretty and wonderful and insightful. I knew I had a thing for her during that whole fiasco with the Dazzlings, but it was when we started writing each other more often and during the Friendship Games that I really feel like it grew to something more. We really began connecting and I think if it wasn’t for the whole ‘being in different worlds’ thing we might actually…”
“Be together?” Flash finished for her. Sunset blushed and nodded,
“But I wonder if it’s just the pain of not being able to see her more often that’s making me want her with me so much. I’m sure there are much more interesting ponies over there for her.”
“Hey, you’re plenty interesting!” Flash assured her, “I don’t think anyone else on the planet has traveled here from a different world, much less changed species. I mean, I guess you could count the Dazzlings, but they’re not you. You’re…”
“The word ‘better’ works this time,” Sunset smiled. The two finally decided to actually get to studying while watching the sitcoms that came on after the news. After about two pages of work, Flash Sentry spoke up,
“Say, if Twilight can’t come here all the time, why don’t you take a visit back to Equestria?” This immediately got Sunset Shimmer’s attention.
“What?” she asked, fully aware of what Flash had just said but taken aback at the sudden suggestion.
“Well, we’re about to graduate soon,” Flash began, “You’re going to have a lot of free time. Why not go for broke and lay it all out there? At the very least you should visit home and see what’s going on, even if you don’t confess your feelings to Twilight.”
Sunset thought deeply. She hadn’t been to Equestria in years, unless she counted the one “visit” to steal Twilight’s crown. Sure, Twilight might accept her back, but what about the pony counterparts of her friends in this world? Even more daunting, how would Princess Celestia react to her former student so casually returning, especially after all she had done? What about the ponies that knew her before she left? Would they remember her at all? What if Equestria had changed so drastically that Sunset couldn’t handle it?
Then she remembered the magic of Friendship. She had that power now. With Twilight’s help she would be able to get through anything post-Sunset Equestria had to throw at her. She had to have confidence in herself that she could have confidence in Twilight.
“All right, I’ll do it!” Sunset decided. “Thanks, Flash. You really are a great friend.”
About a month later, Sunset Shimmer and all her friends had passed their finals (some with more flying colors than others) and stood next to the statue in front of Canterlot High School, still adorned in their caps and gowns.
Graduation was over. Sunset told her friends about Flash Sentry’s suggestion some time before and all of them, including Flash, were there to see Sunset off.
“My, you do have quite a bit of luggage, darling. How long did you say you were going to be gone, again?” Sunset’s fashionista friend, Rarity, asked.
“Well, I was only going to be gone a couple weeks, but since I don’t plan on going to college, Princess Twilight suggested I may as well use all this free time to really get re-acquainted with my old home world.”
“And that means…” Rainbow Dash pressed.
“Indefinitely. I’m going to leave for at least a year,” Sunset admitted. Various expressions of concern passed through her friends.
“And you’re totally sure you wanna do this?” Applejack asked, “You said one reason you were goin’ was to pour your heart out to the Princess. If she don’t bite, won’t that make for a pretty awkward year?” Sunset shrugged,
“If it doesn’t work out, I’ll just travel. No doubt I’d be devastated, but one way or another, this is the start of the next stage of my life, just like graduation is for all of you, too.”
As if on cue, one face of the pedestal of the statue sparked and twinkled, indicating that Twilight had just opened the portal on her end. Sunset Shimmer took a deep breath and gave each of her friends one last long look. They all embraced in a group hug.
“It’s been such a great time being with all of you. Don’t worry—this isn’t goodbye forever, but I’ll miss you all so much! I love you girls!”
“Uh, I’m here, too,” Flash Sentry pointed out.
“Right, sorry. You, too, Flash.” Sunset gave him a big hug personally, “Thanks for everything. I wouldn’t have known what to do without you.”
“You just go get your girl!” Flash cheered, followed by similar rally cries from the others.
“Luggage coming through!” Sunset called through the portal before rolling her many suitcases in one by one. When the last of it was through, she took one last look at Canterlot High, and the last look in a long time she would have at the friends she had come to know and love so dearly. For luck, she also took one last deep breath of this strange, wonderful world’s air.
“All right, Twilight,” she whispered to herself, “Here I come!”
Sunset stepped through the portal. Having not experienced the pull of the transporting force in a while, she immediately became dizzy as she tossed through the link between worlds. Just a few seconds later she was burped out the other side, back to the unicorn form she hadn’t taken in years. She promptly landed on her face. After the sounds of the portal closing died down, Sunset was greeted with the sound of stifled chuckling.
Its source was the very pony she had come to meet, as well as her young dragon assistant.
“Welcome back to Equestria, Sunset Shimmer. I guess getting used to being a pony again will be as challenging as it was for me being a human.” Sunset looked up to meet the smiling visage of Princess Twilight Sparkle—in alicorn form.
Sweet Celestia, she’s beautiful no matter what species she is, Sunset thought. She didn’t want to waste a moment. There was no reason to beat around the bush if she came here for a purpose. She didn’t even care that Spike was there.
“Twilight, there’s something I want to tell you.”
Author's Note
Short little bloob of a story I thought of while working on the, uh, other Sunset Shimmer story I have going on.
The two are not related.
Enjoy!