Author's Note
Because I desperately needed to write something like this right now.
Written in one take with no editing.
No messages in 2539 days
No messages in 2539 days...
Sunset Shimmer dangled her bare feet over the edge of the marble balcony and leaned against the railing, looking out over the vast, green expanse of Equestria. From the highest balcony in Canterlot Castle, everything was green and blue and gray for miles: Ponyville with its verdant fields, glistening lakes, and windmills. The dark, spooky Everfree Forest with its gnarled trees. Lakes, mountains, train tracks, towns...everything stretched out below her.
Letting out a sigh, she stood up, smoothed out her skirt, and climbed up onto the railing. Taking a deep breath, she slipped the strap for her tablet around her neck, spread her arms wide, and jumped. The wind blew her hair and whipped at her clothes as she fell toward the green fields of Ponyville, far below.
After seconds of falling, she grabbed her tablet and rapidly tapped and slid her fingers across the screen. The scenery shifted around her, and she twisted around in midair to land feet-first on the trampoline that was suddenly just two feet under her. Bouncing a couple of times and doing a merry somersault, she climbed down off the trampoline and padded, barefoot, across the wooden gym floor of Canterlot High.
Sunset walked through the cold, empty halls, brushing her fingers across the cool metal of the lockers. Without her boots, her footsteps were silent. She stopped in front of an equipment closet, opened the door, and walked in.
In the dark, dusty space, an old gym mat lay spread on the bare concrete floor amid crates of soccer balls, shelves of cleaning supplies, and boxes of disused books. She spread out on the mat and folded her arms behind her head, staring up at the dark, featureless ceiling.
She could have a bed if she wanted one, of course. She could have a house—a mansion, even. She'd actually tried that a few times, but it was dull. Besides, the supply closet was nostalgic...
Sunset found herself lying on the cold, hard ground beside a marble statue of a rearing horse. Everything around her was a bare, featureless plain. Lying next to her on the ground was a glowing crystal slate. A message in shining silver script played across its face. She picked it up with her magic and read it. She bowed her head, tears spilling down her cheeks.
The crystal slate flashed brightly, and everything changed. Sunset herself transformed into a hairless biped; the featureless plain became a bustling, noisy city. Nearby, a grand building—a school—loomed. Curious, Sunset walked up the steps, her gait unsteady on two legs, and opened the doors. She explored the empty halls, finding room after room full of desks, books, chairs, and all sorts of interesting things.
But she was alone.
For two hours, she explored every nook and cranny of the school. Finally, her feet ached and she couldn't walk anymore. She found a supply closet full of assorted sports equipment and cleaning supplies, and made herself a bed out of a gym mat and a tattered cloth banner. It was cold, it wasn't terribly comfortable, but it would do.
When Sunset slept, she wasn't alone. The halls were full of life. People of all different kinds, human versions of ponies she knew back home, others who sprang from her dreams but seemed more real to her. She lived out a story with a vast and vibrant supporting cast. A story with herself as the star—rising to power, losing herself and becoming arrogant and cruel. Then a girl, a kind and gentle but determined and fierce girl, showed up and broke her power, broke her.
The dreams continued, and she changed and grew, learning the ways of friendship, becoming a different, better person. She fought to protect everything she had come to care about. She became strong and confident.
Dream after dream, time and again, she lived out a life of joy with her friends, standing beside them, overcoming trial after trial.
Then she would try to go home to Equestria, only to find, time and again, she couldn't. Then the dreams would change, becoming emptier, darker, less vibrant.
The dreams became memories. The same memories that were her only company when she was awake.
Sitting up with a sigh, she padded out of the school and stood by the statue, her link to Equestria. She took a deep breath, then tapped her tablet again.
The school faded away, its grassy courtyard becoming a sandy beach. The warm sand shifted between her toes. The smell of salt filled the air. She took a deep breath and looked up at the bright sun above.
The sun...
Sunset begged and pleaded with Celestia, but the alicorn's sorrowful expression remained firm. Sunset felt her body lock up; she struggled to dig her hooves into the floor, strained to use her magic to oppose her more powerful teacher. She felt the cool glass of the mirror, then felt a strange, liquid pull. She looked up at Celestia and saw her sorrowful eyes, saw her lips form words she couldn't hear...
Sunset turned away from the sun and walked down the beach, her tablet swinging and swaying from the lanyard around her neck. The sand was hot, but not burning. The waves made pleasant sounds as they lapped at the shore. Tall cliffs stood to her left; lush, verdant copses of trees dotted the loamy upper coastline at the base of the cliffs.
After an hour of walking, she found herself at the end of the beach. She looked out over the sparkling waters, glowing orange with the oncoming sunset. The air smelled wonderful, the sea spray felt good on her face and bare legs.
She looked into the sky and wondered what it would feel like to fly.
She fiddled with the tablet, and the beach transformed into Cloudsdale, its puffy strata of clouds stretching out all around her. Cloud columns and rainbow fountains dotted the skyscape. She tapped her tablet a couple of times, and her human body shifted, becoming first a unicorn, then—with a bit of difficulty—an alicorn. She spread her new wings, smiled, and launched herself in a controlled glide from the edge of the clouds. Laughing happily, she soared in a wide arc around the cloud city as night fell. The skies filled with twinkling stars, and the moon hung overhead, a shining silver disc, the shadow of Nightmare Moon curved across its face.
Slowly, she flew down, down to the ground below, skimming the surface of a large lake. Rising higher into the air, she angled toward a desert settlement in the distance, beyond which lay Ponyville and the tall spire of rock upon which Canterlot stood, magnificent and white and proud.
Canterlot...
Sunset laughed happily as she cast the spell Celestia taught her, turning a shiny red apple into a ripe, juicy orange. Celestia smiled fondly down at her, mussing her mane with a hoof. Then, with an impish smile, she folded a feathery angel wing around Sunset, and the two of them teleported into the kitchens, startling the palace chefs. With a naughty giggle, Celestia served them each a slice of chocolate cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. They talked as they ate; it had only been a few days since Sunset had gotten her Cutie Mark, and Celestia showered her with love and attention as she taught her magic.
With a sigh, Sunset banked west, gliding over the Everfree Forest. At the heart of the forest, across a river that cut through the dense foliage like a battle scar, the ruins of a magnificent old castle stood. As she neared the castle, dark storm clouds gathered. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. Sunset frowned and worked her hooves over the tablet, and everything changed. Now she was flying over the suburb where all her friends lived in her dreams, and it was a cold, wintery night. Snow frosted all the buildings and sidewalks. The dark asphalt of the streets were clear of snow, but icicles hung from eaves and awnings and utility poles. Light snow flurries drifted down, dusting her wings and coat with cool, wet powder.
It was cold and snowy that night, the night they died.
Sunset sniffled, staring at the snow piling up on their graves. A gentle, feathery warmth enfolded her, and she looked up into the majestic face of Princess Celestia herself. Sunset's eyes widened in wonder.
Celestia leaned down and nuzzled her, and Sunset broke down again, sobbing into the alabaster coat of the ruler of Equestria. Celestia's feathery wing enveloped her in a comforting embrace. Together, they stood in the snowy graveyard for what felt like hours, ignoring the snow covering them both. When at last Sunset had cried herself out and felt herself growing heavy with sleep, Celestia lifted her onto her back and took off for the castle. Sunset's eyes drifted closed as Celestia tucked her into a warm, comfortable bed; the last thing she remembered that night was a gentle kiss on her forehead and a hoof stroking her mane.
Sunset touched down on the steps of Canterlot High and trotted through the doors, heading automatically for her storage closet. She curled up on her gym mat, folded her wings around herself, and cried.
No messages in 2578 days...
An endless green expanse spread before her, and Sunset ran through it barefoot, laughing as the wind stirred her dress. The cool grass crunched under her feet, and the air smelled of spring and warmth and growth. The sun smiled down on her from above, promising an eternal spring if she wished it. It never needed to be cold again. It never needed to rain or snow. It never even needed to be night. The sun and moon were hers to command, to control. Everything she could ever have wanted...
Sunset stopped running and plopped down on her butt in the grass, folding her arms around her knees.
Everything she could ever have wanted...
Her shoulders shook, and tears streamed down her face.
Suddenly, her tablet strobed and started to beep insistently. Sunset's eyes widened.
New message
My dearest Sunset Shimmer,
We're slowly rebuilding Equestria. They choked the air with magic-repellant dust, so things are going to be hard on all of us for a long time to come. We're doing our best to take back our homes a little at a time, to clear the air so our unicorns can do what they need to do.
A day doesn't go by that I don't think of you. I miss you. I want so much to hold you in my hooves again, like I did so long ago.
My only hope is that the shelter I've given you has kept you safe and happy, living in a beautiful dream. Learning the dream magic that was never meant for me was hard, so I don't know if what I set out to do for you worked the way it was supposed to. I can only hope that you are well, happy, and that one day soon, I can bring you back to me...
I love you, Sunset. With all my heart. You are never truly alone. Never forget that.
Celestia
Far above Equestria, watched over by the moon, a small, shining crystal twinkled like a star in the night sky. Occasionally, it would be noticed from the ground, but nothing was thought of it. Even were one to contemplate it, consider it unusual, it was beyond all reach. Alone. Secure. Safe.
Inside the crystal, surrounded and sheltered by powerful alicorn magic, a young unicorn mare slept, her matted copper and gold mane cascading over closed eyes as a glowing crystal cap attached to her horn pulsed.
Silent tears fell from her sleeping eyes.
