Homecoming

Chapters

Chapter One - Heartbreak
Chapter Two - Departure
Chapter Three - Sunshine
Chapter Four - Remembrance
Chapter Five - Brunch
Chapter Six - Celestia
Chapter Seven - Ponyville
Chapter Eight - Saying Goodbye: I Love You, Mom...
Chapter Nine - No Rest for the Weary
Chapter Ten - Saying Goodbye: Always
Chapter Eleven - Saying Goodbye: Ashes
Chapter Twelve - Picnic Interlude
Chapter Thirteen - House and Home
Chapter Fourteen - My Walls Fall First
Chapter Fifteen - My Greatest Surprise
Chapter Sixteen - Homecoming

Chapter One - Heartbreak

Everything faded out around me, only the shock and the weight of the book registering. I read the words again, tears blurring the words.

My Dearest Sunset Shimmer,

It is with great sorrow that I must inform you of the unexpected passing of your mother, Sunburst Stream, last night.

A memorial service has been planned to take place at the Royal Palace in Canterlot in three days time.

My deepest sympathies,

Princess Celestia

A few tears fell from my face and dripped onto the pages of the message book. I slammed it shut and clutched it to my chest, sliding down the door of my locker until I was sitting on the floor, head resting on my knees and my hair formed a curtain, hiding my grief from view. The school was pretty much empty and no-one would see me, which was just fine, I needed a few minutes to at least get a handle on my grief.

“Are you ok, Sunset?” came a soft voice.

I glanced up and through the veil of my hair to see Fluttershy kneeling in front of me, her face a mixture of her usual timidity and concern. I lifted my head and looked at her, hearing her gasp as she saw the tracks of tears. I’m sure I looked like a wreck, puffy eyes and a runny nose always popped up when I cried. I chocked for a moment as tears started again.

Fluttershy leaned forward and hugged me, showing her innate kindness and compassion. I grasped her tightly, letting the sobs slip out as she rubbed my back, trying to soothe me. After a moment, I had composed myself enough to choke out the words.

“My...my mother just died,” I whispered.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Sunset.” The young woman rocked me back and forth. “Is there anything I can do?

I shook my head, wiping the tears from my cheeks with the heel of my hand. “I’ve got to get a message to Twilight and ask her if it’s ok if I crash at her castle for the funeral. We haven’t really talked much since the Friendship Games. In fact, I don’t think I’ve heard anything from her since we got back from summer break.” I reached up and brushed my hand across my collarbone, forgetting that I had left my pendant at home to avoid inadvertent empathic or telepathic visions.

“She’s probably busy, but this is important to you, Sunset,” the bearer of the Element of Kindness held out her hand and helped me to my feet. “Write her and ask. Do you want me to tell the rest of the girls?”

I shook my head. “I’ll tell them later tonight. Right now I just need to process everything.” I picked up the book and tucked it into my backpack. I hugged her again, the silent comfort giving me the strength to make it back to my apartment.

I sat down at the table and opened the book, pen in my hand. I felt some more tears try to fight their way out, but I held them at bay.

Dear Princess Twilight,

I was informed earlier today that my mother had just passed away. The memorial service is in three days, and I have a simple request to make of you.

Would it be ok to stay at your castle until the affairs have been settled? I’d stay in Canterlot but I still haven’t had a chance to make it right with Celestia quite yet. I’m still not sure how even.

In either case, please let me know as soon as you can?

Sunset Shimmer

I closed the book and pushed it away, and without meaning to I found myself wandering to a dresser drawer that I hardly ever opened. Inside were pictures from Equestria, from when I was just a filly.

A few of them showed me with Celestia, some with classmates or friends that I had forgotten, and a few with my older sisters.

And there was one with my mother.

I really didn’t take after her very much. Her coat was an earthy brown, with a rusty red mane and tail. She was also very slender, whereas I had tended to a more athletic and stocky build as a pony. Our eyes and confidence were pretty much the limits of our similarities. I couldn’t keep the tears back anymore and collapsed onto the couch, sobbing.

“Oh, Mom,” I whispered, voice breaking. “I’m so sorry I didn’t make it back even once.”

The buzzing sound in the background never registered to me until much later that night. Blinking away my tears and pushing back the veil of memories, I pulled my phone out to find I had several missed calls or texts from each of my friends, offering their sympathies and an apology from Fluttershy for having let it slip. I sent a short reply to each, not trusting my voice to make any calls.

Then I shut my phone off, the photo of my mother and I clutched in my hand until I fell asleep.

I woke sometime in the night to a thumping sound and looked over to the table I had left the book that linked me to Twilight. It was glowing, indicating a new message. Rubbing sleep from my eyes and brushing my hair out of the way, I opened it to the last page and read the words written there in the hurried cursive of a certain princess.

Sunset Shimmer,

Of course, you can stay here while you take care of your mother’s affairs. I’m so sorry that your return is because of such a sad event, and each of us here are sad to hear of your loss. If there is anything we can do, just let us know.

I have a couple of rooms that I can let you use. I’ll have it set up tomorrow night so you can cross over when you are ready.

And don't worry about smoothing things over with Princess Celestia, she’s been waiting for you to open up to her. She says that you are welcome at the palace at any time.

Your friend, with sympathies,

Princess Twilight Sparkle.

I blinked back a fresh wave of tears before picking up my pen and scratching out some unsteady words.

Thank you.

Author's Note

I've often wondered about the circumstances that would bring Sunset back through the mirror considering that she seems more at home in the EG world. Something never really brought up is her family, and considering that she's been pretty tight lipped about her life pre-mirror world, it makes you wonder.

Anyway, for those of you wondering, yes, it's going to be a dual-world story, I'm going to be FPPOV with Sunset, and there is likely going to be some SciTwi centered Sunlight in later chapters. I plan on doing a chapter a week minimal, and cross posting on Fanfiction.net.

Questions and suggestions are welcome.

Chapter Two - Departure

I sat at one of the picnic tables outside the school, staring at the weathered top. My friends were all gathered around me, waiting for me to continue. I had already told them about finding out that my mother had died and that I would have to leave for a little while. The silence was getting a little uncomfortable, so I glanced up, finding Twilight looking straight at me, an odd look on her face.

“Look, it’s all right,” I said. “I’ll only be gone long enough to pay my respects and help my sisters take care of any loose ends. Maybe a week at most. ” I forced a smile. “You’ll hardly know I’m gone.”

“Ah don’t know, Sunset,” Applejack said, scratching her head. “Ah remember when mah folks passed, and it takes longer than you think to mend things. If it weren’t for Granny, Ah don’t know what me and Big Mac would’ve done, especially with Applebloom being as young as she was.” She eyed me closely. “Ya sure you’re ok?”

I patted the air between us. “I’m fine as can be expected. I’m hurting, but I’m going to be ok.” The tug in my chest from those words made it seem hard for me to believe. “It may be a while before I can laugh easily again, but I’ll be ok.”

"And I'll be there to help you on that, Sunny!" Pinkie chirped, even though her smile wasn't as wide as normal.

“What was she like?” Twilight said softly.

The question caught me off guard. “What do you mean?”

“What was your mom like? What did she do, what did she like?”

I poked at the tabletop. “I don’t remember a lot, I haven’t seen her much since I was a filly.”

Twilight looked confused for a moment until Fluttershy leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Oh, right,” she murmured. “Pony.” She was still trying to wrap her scientific brain around that idea.

I continued as though I hadn’t heard the exchange. It was common enough since Princess Twilight had come after me a little over a year ago. “She was a painter, mainly community murals. She had a grand gift, and many families asked for her services.” I pulled her picture from my pocket, setting it before me, feeling the tears behind my eyes and forced them down. “My sisters and I would sometimes travel with her and help.”

Rarity took the photo and looked at it. “I must say, darling, the two of you are marvelously photogenic.”

“She loved getting photos taken of us all,” I said, a wistful smile flitting across my face. “Our house was stuffed with them, all sorts of photos from great nature views to us as foals.” I took the photo back and set it down. “This was taken shortly after I got accepted to Princess Celestia’s school. She was so proud of me, and we wrote almost constantly. It wasn’t until my ego got the better of me that I lost contact.”

The tears broke the dam, and the hurt and the accusations inside hailed against my heart. I collapsed forward and started sobbing again. Pinkie and Fluttershy were next to me and I felt both of them rub my back. For once, Pinkie was being quiet and calm.

I felt a hand cover mine, and I glanced up to see Twilight holding it, a few tears in her eyes too. All of them looked upset, sad over my pain and the fact that they couldn’t help me with it. I wiped my eyes and sniffed a few times.

“I’m sorry you guys,” I said, my voice still weepy. “I hate getting like this. I just miss her, and maybe if I hadn’t run away...”

Rainbow Dash slammed her hands down. “What, she might not have died? You can’t believe your leaving had anything to do with that!”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t even know why she died. I can’t say for sure it wasn’t my fault.”

“You can't say it was, either,” whispered Fluttershy.

I shook my head. “But there’s also the years I was here,” I traced the outline of my mother’s face in the photo. “I never told her I was leaving and I know Celestia wasn’t going to tell her I ran into an alternate world because of something I saw in a magic mirror that made me demand she make me a princess.” The memories of that stabbed deeply, making sure the tears kept flowing. “I know if nothing else I caused her and my sisters a lot of heartache.”

“You simply won’t know until you go see them, I’m sure,” Rarity said, reaching out and giving my hand a squeeze along with Twilight. “Just be sure to let us know how things are going and if there’s anything we can do to help.”

“How am I supposed to do that?” I asked with a grim chuckle.

“Leave th' book with one of us,” AJ said. “We’ll be sure to check it every day.”

“Or we could go with you,” Rainbow remarked, an eager look in her eyes.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Dash,” I hedged. “I don’t know what would happen if you all tried to cross the portal. At the bare minimum, you’d be turned into a pony, and I don’t know how the world would react to two of you. And, if the stories I heard from the Princess are true, you all are moderately famous in all likelihood.”

“But we saw the other me come through and nothing happened,” Twilight said, thoughtful.

I hesitated. “I’ll say that I’m not sure how the mirror works. But it’s still probably not a good idea. Magic can have a weird way of reacting to some things.”

I glanced at my watch and stood up. “Thanks for listening, but if I’m going to be ready to leave when the portal opens I need to go and set some things up.” I pulled the book with my Cutie Mark stamped on it and passed it to Twilight. “Can I trust you won’t try dissecting the book to figure out how it works?” I asked with a wan smile.

She smiled back, but there was something in her eyes that I couldn’t place, her mind obviously somewhere else. Ever since the Friendship Games, there had been a connection between us, and I had felt it resonate during our time at Camp Everfree. I put it down again as the fact that the magic that had awakened in her at the games had been drawn from my friends and I. Along with my newfound ability to sense emotions and memories, I figured I was just better at sensing that fading echo of magic.

The rest of my day consisted of light housekeeping and gathering what anything I’d need once I crossed over, mostly my pendant and a few bits tucked safely in a small bag slung over my shoulder. As night began to fall, I made my way to the school and the Wondercolt statue that held the portal to Equestria. As I approached, I saw a figure waiting by the statue as well, a gray hoodie against the cool air. One I recognized fairly quickly.

“Twilight?”

She turned, nervously adjusting her glasses. “I didn’t think you should go alone,” she stated quietly.

“What about the book?”

“I left it with Applejack. Seemed safer than anyone else”

“You’re not coming, Twi,” I said firmly. “You don’t know the land or it's social constructs. It is also not quite as safe as this side is.”

“From everything I’ve heard from you and from reading some of the entries in the book this afternoon, it’s a safe enough place for a few days. And I think you could use a friend to be there with you.”

“I’ll have the princess and her friends, my family,” I stated, a little annoyed that she was still arguing against me.

“Are you listening to yourself?” she said, more forcefully than I had ever heard her speak before. “The princess and her friends. They may look like our friends, act like them, but they're not our friends, not really.” Her face held a look that wouldn’t brook argument. “You may be friends with Princess Twilight, but outside of her, you’re going to be alone at first. You haven’t talked to your sisters in years, and Celestia is still going to be in the position of your former teacher and mentor. If nothing else, you need a friend that knows you from more than a few hurried letters.” She adjusted her glasses, a slight blush of embarrassment showing. "And in the case of grief through a loss like this, having a familiar person around you has been shown to help with the recovery process in some studies."

I started to open my mouth to rebuke her statements when the truth of what she was saying started to hit home. She was right, and the thought made me realize how lonely it might feel if the only real ally I had was Princess Twilight. I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose, my frustration leaking away. I knew that yelling wouldn't accomplish anything, given how she had reacted at the Games after the attack of the vines and my angry outburst.

“Ok, but let me warn you, the first few seconds are going to be disorienting, and I want you to stay still when you finish crossing through. You’re going to have a different physiology and your center of gravity will be off.” I locked eyes with her. “Not to mention you’re going to look and sound exactly like a local royal figure. Last chance to back out.”

She took a deep breath and turned towards the portal. "Ready," she said, a little tremble in her voice and body that I recognized from Lab days in science class. Just as much as she wanted to help me, she was also going to see something new and that was addictive to her.

"See you on the other side," I said and stepped through.

Author's Note

The biggest character flaw in Sunset - to me, at least - is her pride. It was what drove her to leave Celestia's school, what caused her to try and steal Twilight's crown, and I'm sure it's what caused much of her self-doubt during Rainbow Rocks.

I can see her wanting to be alone for this, but I can also see her grief blinding her to certain realities and needing someone to throw the harsh light of life onto her path, someone that felt like she owed it to her. Hence, SciTwi uses her own stubbornness to force the issue.

Again, thoughts and opinions always welcomed.

Chapter Three - Sunshine

I realized as I stepped across the threshold that I had forgotten one key piece of information to convey to Twilight.

Bend over slightly as you pass through.

I hunched slightly as I stepped through the inter-dimensional door, remembering the way I had been off balance my first couple of times through, both into human and into pony forms. Hunching slightly would put my center of gravity slightly closer to where it would be when I was a unicorn.

As I passed the far threshold and felt the lurch as I fell down onto all four hooves after pinwheeling on my hind feet for a moment. I froze for a second, getting my bearings, not recognizing the room before remembering that Twilight had taken the mirror from the Crystal Empire to her castle in Ponyville. I shook my head, feeling my mane swirl about a bit and realized that I felt physically better than I had in a while, like putting on a comfy pair of PJs after wearing a close fitting suit all day. It just felt right.

“Sunset!” a voice said to one side. I turned and saw the newest princess of Equestria trotting forward, her wings tucked close to her body. I have to admit, they kind of suited her, though having to look up at her was a little odd, since we had been eye to eye when I stole her crown. The next moment I was staring at the ceiling of the room as a body collided with me as it tumbled through the mirror as well.

“Ah, who is that?” Twilight asked, confused.

I looked back and saw a unicorn trying to stand up and was momentarily shocked. I had assumed the Human Twilight would end up looking like Princess Twilight, maybe sans wings.

Instead, her coat was a dark shade of azure, and her hair was also more subdued. Her horn was somewhat short, and the glasses perched upon her muzzle were the only thing that gave me a clue as to who it was.

“Um, Princess, this is Twilight Sparkle,” I said sheepishly. “The other you. She kind of insisted on coming along.”

The Alicorn trotted forward and gazed at her counterpart as the newly minted unicorn tried to gather her senses.

“Why doesn’t she look more like me? Even her Cutie Mark is different!”

I got up and moved around, and looked at my friend’s flank, and instead of the multi-pointed star I had come to recognize as a favored symbol with both Twilights, I saw what appeared to be a set of beakers and test tubes.

“I don’t pretend to know how the mirror works, Princess,” I said, stupefied. “It's beyond any of my studies.”

“If I were to make an assumption,” began Human Twilight, sounding somewhat dazed still. “I would say it’s because of how our respective magic diverged. Assuming that such a variable is the primary aspect of the causality of your Cutie Marks, we may have enough differences to warrant similar, but divergent appearances.” She tried standing again and promptly fell over like a newborn foal trying to walk for the first time.

Princess Twilight mused for a moment, hoof rubbing her chin. “Cutie Marks do represent our special talents,” she said, the voice eerily identical to the girl I had become friends with over the past few months. “And from what I understand from our brief time talking the last time I was on your side of the mirror, you were very much a scientific mind, am I right?” She offered a hoof to help the other Twilight up.

As they got the new unicorn accustomed to her new form, I glanced around the room, seeing the massive quantities of books, cushions, and writing desks. “Something of a bookworm, eh, Twilight?”

They both looked at me, then at each other before pointing at themselves.

I hid my face with a hoof. “Right. We’re going to have to find a way to differentiate between you.”

“We’ll take care of that in a moment,” the Princess of Friendship said, trotting over and nuzzling against me, a foreleg going around my shoulders. “I’m so sorry about your mother, Sunset. Everypony here wanted to do something for you but other than Pinkie wanting to plan a wake for you, we couldn’t come up with anything.”

“Which, in retrospect, was probably a good thing,” I said, returning the hug, tears welling. “Present company excluded, I still would like to be alone.”

“Tough,” human Twilight said. “I stand by what I said.”

“Which was?” her double asked.

“That nobody should go through this alone. She is going to need a friend soon.”

I looked away for a moment. “I’m telling you, I’m fine.”

I heard them both utter a “Mm-hmm.” at the same time. The stereo effect was a little unsettling. We were saved from further introspection when the surroundings finally caught Human Twilight’s eyes and she gasped.

“I think I’ll leave you two to get adjusted and see if your rooms are ready,” the princess said, trotting away and pulling the doors closed with her magic.

“This is amazing,” the remaining Twilight said, looking at the array of books and crystalline walls. She then turned towards the mirror and looked at her new form. She reached up and rubbed the horn jutting from her forehead.

“It’s odd,” she said. “I can kind of feel it, it's kind of sensitive but not overly so. I would have thought it bone like an antler or overly sensitive.” She closed her eyes in concentration, but nothing happened.

“It’s not quite that easy, Twi,” I said. “It takes most unicorns a few years to figure out how to use their magic.”

“I thought if I focused like I did with the pendant we got at the camp it’d work.” she opened her eyes and formed a frown of deep thought.

“Equestrian magic is a different animal entirely,” I murmured, glancing around. Memories were beginning to bombard me. The last time I was on this side of the mirror, it had been to steal the Element of Magic in order to take over a school and use the students to invade Equestria. Later, after being defeated I realized I’d have likely walked right into the path of the three remaining princesses and their royal guards. Between that and the mind-controlled students floundering from the form change, it was a pretty poor plan.

Images of me as the nightmare I had become flickered through my mind’s eye. I closed my eyes and forced down the guilt again.

A form bumped into me roughly. I opened my eyes and saw Twilight trying to nuzzle me like the Princess had. Seeing as how the girl was unused to her new form, she didn’t have perfect motor control yet. I wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders and moved her closer to a comfortable position.

“Twilight,” I whispered. "I..."

“Sunshine,” she said simply, interrupting my thought process.

“What?”

She pulled back slightly. “While we're here, call me Sunshine instead,” she said before glancing down. “It’s a nickname I got from my grandmother. I was her ray of sunshine. It will help with the confusion and maybe...” Another hesitation as she glanced down at her hooves.

“Maybe I could be yours while you deal with your grief.”

I felt another tug at my heart, one slightly warmer than the melancholy that seemed to have taken up residence.

“Sunshine Sparkle?” I said, smirking, not wanting to show how it had touched me. “Sounds kinda silly.”

Author's Note

I'm fairly sure that I'm going to get questions for this one, expressed or not.

Sunset may have been forgiven of her past misdeeds and become a force for good in recent history, but sometimes it takes much longer to forgive one's self. Late at night, in the darkness, in sorrow, your mind can throw all sorts of accusations at you and without a point of reference you can easily fall victim to the guilt.

Chapter Four - Remembrance

We had both been given fairly comfortable rooms furnished with cozy beds, down-filled pillows, and warm blankets. It was a little weird trying to sleep as a unicorn again, but it came to me rather quickly.

But what little sleep I got was anything but restful. My dreams were filled with disturbing images of me being grabbed by the nightmare-demon I had become, or of Midnight Sparkle laughing at me as I was torn apart by her magic, or of Princess Celestia banishing me with venom in her voice.

Of my mother, turning and walking away from me with anger and accusation in her eyes.

I woke up from the last one to find tears streaming down my face and the blankets twisted around my legs. I tilted my head back against the pillow and stared at the ceiling, sniffling as I just let the tears flow. No one could see me right now, and I didn’t have to play the tough girl. I could just be the filly that had just lost her mom. I rolled over and buried my face into my pillow to muffle the sound.

“Sunset? Are you awake?”

I looked at my door to find Twilight standing there. Her pale blue coat and glasses glimmered in the light from the hallway. Her mane looked somewhat haggard, well beyond what bed head would have been. She must have had trouble getting comfortable.

Wiping tears away quickly and making it look like I was wiping sleep from my eyes, I turned fully towards the woman-turned-mare. “Yeah, Twi, what’s up, besides you?”

She slowly walked into the room, a sheepish look on her face.

“I can’t really get comfortable. I’m still getting used to all the new sensations and..." she held up her forehooves in a helpless gesture. "It's more difficult than I thought. I was wondering if we could talk.”

I closed my eyes and tilted my head down slightly. “It’s late, Twilight. But if will help you relax, sure.” I climbed out of bed and levitated a few cushions over to sit on, tugging the blanket along with me to ward off the night chill. Twilight came over and awkwardly sat on one of the cushions. I sat near her, pulling the blanket over both of us and giving her a quick smile that I hoped was reassuring. “What’s on your mind?”

She fidgeted slightly and reached up with a forehoof, adjusting her glasses in a similar way that she always did when nervous. “I’m just worried about meeting the Princess. Celestia, that is. I don’t know anything about the proper decorum for meeting royalty here. Or royalty in general! What if I embarrass you? What if I offend her? What if I ruin your chance at mending things? Was my coming along really a good idea?” Her voice started to get higher as she sped up, obviously panicking.

I leaned over and touched my horn to hers, making her gasp as I channeled a little magic into it. Her breathing slowed and she calmed down a little. When I leaned back, she looked at me curiously.

“What was that?” she asked quickly. “It felt like a combination of getting a hug and hot chocolate on a cold day.”

“Mom used to do that whenever any of us got upset,” I said, the memories flooding back, bringing a wistful smile as my mind's eye conjured the image of my sisters and I romping in the yard. “She would push happy thoughts through her magic and use it to calm us down. My two sisters and I figured out how to do it ourselves when we needed to, but it never felt as good as Moms. Kind of like cooking, it’s never quite as good as your parent’s.

“But as far as Princess Celestia and court decorum goes, she’s rather forgiving about social faux pas, especially in private. Since you aren't a subject of hers, you would technically be exempt from shows of fealty, but if it would make you feel better, when we enter the room, remain silent until she acknowledges you. She tends to do several things at once, so just be patient. When she acknowledges our presence, just bow your head. If you get a grip on it by then, bend one foreleg and stretch the other out in front of you as you bow your head. Outside of that, there isn’t anything else. Just be respectful and you should be fine.” The words soured in my mouth as I remembered how opposite of that I had been the last few days. My hateful and demanding words thrust sharply back into my mind, along with Celestia's face from the final day I had been here.

I deserve to stand beside you and be your equal, if not your better! Make me a Princess!

Twilight leaned forward and touched her horn to mine, waking me from my reverie. I felt a small surge of magic from her and saw a slight glow coat her horn, but nothing else. I still smiled, despite the feeling of tears on my muzzle. “Sorry, old memories, you know?”

She smiled back and shifted again, apparently finally finding a comfortable position. “You never really talk about your past,” she said. “Beyond what the girls have told me prior to my transferring into Canterlot High, we don’t really know much about you, Sunset.”

“I’m really not proud of a lot of my actions before I came to CHS. I'm actually not all that proud of some of my actions since, to be honest, either. I was arrogant, entitled, and overly ambitious. Some of the guards here used to be attached to the Royal Palace, and I’ve heard some of them talk about how I left Celestia’s tutelage under my own choices. But the truth is I was dismissed after sneaking into the most restricted section of the palace’s library and learning about the mirror after being expressly forbidden to do so. She had shown it to me a few moons earlier as part of an attempted lesson in humility - one that never sunk in until I took a rainbow-colored laser to the face.”

I sighed. “That day, I thought I saw something in the mirror, two faint images. One was likely a delusion of grandeur, an image of myself as an Alicorn. The other, however, I realize now was an image of myself as a human.

“I pestered the princess every day for more information on the mirror and she always responded with I wasn’t ready yet. But, true to form, I thought I was and she dismissed me when I stepped over the line. But instead of taking my lumps, I made for the mirror. The rest you know.”

I felt another tear slip down my muzzle. “And sometimes I think I haven’t really moved past that point. No matter how far I've come, no matter what I can do, it will never be enough to make up for all the mistakes I’ve made.” I dashed the tear from my face with a rueful chuckle. “But I guess we’ll find out tomorrow, won't we?”

“I still have nightmares, you know,” came a quiet voice.

I looked over at Twilight. She was looking down, seeming smaller than usual.

“Midnight Sparkle still shows up to taunt me from time to time. Even though I know I’ve made up for it against Gloriosa, just like you did against the Sirens, and by saving me from myself.”

“But you can’t move on, can you?” she asked. “Not fully, and not in any way quick. I was only lost for a few minutes six months ago and I’m still suffering from time to time. I can’t imagine what you’re going through.”

She shifted closer and pressed the top of her head against the underside of mine. My heart started to race as she did so. She continued on, unaware of the import of her actions. Not to mention she came dangerously close to poking her horn into my eye. I shifted slightly as she continued.

“But do you know what’s helping me? Having forgiven myself and owning up to the mistakes.”

I thought on that for a long time. I thought I had forgiven myself, but what if all I had done was accept forgiveness from my friends?

"And why did the magic change us the way it did? I don't think good magic would have been so dangerous."

"I've been thinking on that too," I said as she shifted slightly, laying her head on her forelegs. "I think the Elements of Harmony and the magic they embody could have taken virtues of ourselves and warped them, my ambition and your curiosity. Since we weren't the rightful bearers, the magic took the path of least resistance and we were overwhelmed by the influx of power." I chuckled a bit. "It was all I wanted until I got it, and it turned me into something I don't like thinking of. And I was used to magic and its quirks. I can't imagine what it was like for you, Twilight." When I didn't get a response, I glanced down. "Twilight?"

I was answered by a quiet snore by the sleeping unicorn next to me. I smiled and pulled the blanket up over her.

“Sleep sweet, Sunshine,” I whispered.

“Ahem,” a voice said the next morning, startling me awake. I blinked rapidly to see a tiny dragon standing before me, a curious smile on his face.

I blushed as I realized that I was lying next to the still snoozing form of the alternate Twilight. I snapped upright hurriedly and grinned sheepishly.

“Hey, Spike,” I said, speaking rapidly. “Twilight here had trouble getting to sleep, and we just talked and fell asleep.”

“I just came to say that Twilight - my Twilight that is - is providing breakfast for you before you head to the meet your sisters and the Princess.” He hesitated. “Do you want me to get the gang, go with you for support?”

I smiled at the tiny dragon. “I’d appreciate that, Spike, but I’d rather let them make their own choice about attending.”

After rousing a sleepy unicorn, we headed to the main hall and enjoyed a light meal of oats and fruit. The Princess and scientist kept chatting amicably about similarities in their lives and families and Twilight soon made the offer to show Sunshine how to use her magic to make her visit a little more manageable. I wasn't paying attention to the conversation, but the food.

The simple food tasted better than many meals in the alternate world. I wondered about the biological reasoning, but underlying my thoughts were two facts:

I still had to face Celestia, and I still had to say goodbye to my mother.

Author's Note

According to the Kübler-Ross model, there are five stages of grief; Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Thus far Sunset had been in the first stage, and likely won't pass beyond it in the next chapter.

I believe there are also five stages to forgiveness and love, and both are mirrors of each other. They begin with denial and end with acceptance, but the interim steps are somewhat wibbily-wobbily, never following the same pattern. But they always end the same way.

I'm pretty sure I've taken up enough of you time with this philosophical stuff. There won't be any more authors's notes until near the end.

Chapter Five - Brunch

“Sunset, the train for Canterlot leaves in a half hour,” the Princess of Friendship said gently.

I looked back from the view of Ponyville, the warm breeze trying to make me forget the inevitable trip and occasions. I sighed, giving another glance out off the balcony before turning and moving back into the room. “I really appreciate this, Twilight,” I said, meeting her eyes. “Letting me stay here, and teaching Sunshine a bit about magic while I go take care of these meetings.”

The brunch meeting was my sister Morning Glory's idea, an opportunity to reconnect and talk before the actual service. Apparently, she was the one that had asked Celestia to let me know about Mom, and I was grateful for that. Today I was going to meet with her and Dawning Dew for lunch, something that Human Twilight had decided to not take part in, thankfully. It was going to be hard enough facing my family without the awkward questions that may arise from a strange mare accompanying me. The two Twilights would be working on her mobility and unicorn magic since we might be here a few days. I had forgotten just how much of Equestrian architecture and convenience had evolved for use by either hoof or Unicorn magic, something the Twilight from across the mirror had no experience in using.

“No problem,” said the purple-coated pony as we walked to the front entrance. “Besides, with Starlight Glimmer out on a show with Trixie, I’d have nothing else to do today.”

I glanced back towards the library we had just left, the empty spots on the shelves obvious even from our vantage point. I had a momentary vision of Twilight stalking the shelves like a lion, picking books off at random.

“Right,” I said with a small grin.

“Well, almost nothing,” she admitted. “But Applejack is bringing the first batch of fall cider to the castle today and I thought that’d be a great way to teach basic levitation AND introduce her to this world’s version of her friends! It will be so amazing.”

I shook my head, my smile never wavering. “You have fun with that. I’m sure she’ll be pulling books from shelves like she was born with a horn in no time.” I hesitated as I stood on the stoop, some worry bubbling up.

"What's wrong?"

“It's been a while since I've set hoof on Equestrian soil,” I said. “I feel like I’m trespassing.”

Twilight draped a wing over my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. Nopony here besides my friends knows about what you did, only that you’re another friend of mine visiting. I did arrange for someone to go with you to the station to show you the way since you've never been to Ponyville before.”

“Who…”

“HI SUNSET!” a voice cried in glee as a pink pony burst out of nowhere with a cloud of confetti. “Are you ready to have a great time?”

I hung my head, mane sliding forward to hide my face as I coughed up some of the colorfu paper. “Of course,” I said. “Pinkie.” I lifted my head and looked at the pony, seeing both the similarities and differences in her grinning face.

“Aw, c’mon, Sunny!” she said, prancing in place. “I can give you a short tour on the way! There’s Sugarcube Corner, the Couch & Quill shop, Rarity’s boutique…”

“How about when I get back, Pinkie?” I asked. “The train I need to catch is leaving soon.”

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” she said, turning and starting to hop away.

“You’d better follow her before she gets distracted,” Twilight said, smiling.

I nodded and leaned towards her for a second before setting out after the party pony.

“You couldn’t have gotten Rarity or Fluttershy though?” I asked.

The train rattled and rumbled along its way, and free from the distractions of helping my Twilight get around and setting up travel arrangements with Princess, so many thoughts started to tumble about my head.

I hadn’t seen my older sisters since probably my fifth or sixth moon as Celestia’s student. About the time I started getting arrogant if I recall rightly. I frowned as I remembered my actions at the time, studying morning and night by myself. I had a few ponies at the time that might have been willing to be friends but my attitude had pushed them away, thinking them to be a needless distraction from searching for some way to keep Celestia's approval. I sighed and shook my mane, trying to focus on the upcoming reunion with my sisters.

Canterlot was exactly as I remembered it and making my way through the streets to the cafe was simple. As I entered, I had barely time to let my eyes adjust to the lighting change before I heard a lyrical voice call out.

“Sunset! Over here!”

I followed the voice and saw two unicorns sitting at a table off to one side, their gold and rust coats standing out against the cream colored walls. I trotted over and stood at the edge of the table as they stood and moved in close.

“I’m so happy to see you!” Morning Glory, my older sister said, immediately moving in and nuzzling against me, her bright smile dimming slightly. “I just wish it was a better reason.”

“I know, Glory,” I said, returning the equine version of an embrace. I turned to Dawning and repeated the gesture. “How are you both holding up?”

Dew screwed up a half smile that was the same as I remembered of my oldest sister. “About as well as can be expected,” she said, giving me a light shove as we moved to sit at the table. A teapot and three sets of cups and saucers sat there. Glory poured the tea and passed it around.

“So, I got to know,” I said, doctoring my tea with a sugar cube and a touch of cream. “What happened? Mom wasn’t what I would call old and took pretty good care of herself.”

“Nothing happened, Sunny,” Glory said. “The doctors said it was an aneurysm.” She glanced down, a tear welling up in her eye.

Dew leaned forward slightly. “She went in her sleep, Sun. She never felt a thing.” She took a sip of her tea. “I just wish she could see you now, though.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well, you were still a scrawny little filly when you went off to be the Princesses' student,” she said with a smile. “You’ve become a pretty young mare while you’ve been gone.”

“And from what I’ve heard,” Glory piped up, “You’ve had some amazing times while away. You'll have to share your stories sometime.”

“Hold it,” I said, my teacup clattering back into its saucer as my grip on it faltered. “What have you heard? And from where?”

“We were commissioned to touch up some of the murals in the Palace a few moons ago,” Dew said, putting a hoof on Glory to calm our excitable sister down. “In passing, we asked the Princess if there had been any news of you.”

“What did she say?” I said in a tiny voice.

“That you were helping those that needed it,” Dew said. “And had become somepony we could be glad to call our sister.”

I sat dumbstruck, feeling tears behind my eyes.

The rest of the brunch went back and forth between memorable stories from foalhood, exchanging tales from our absence - slightly edited or vauge from me - and finally turned to the subject we had been trying so hard to ignore.

“So,” I said. “What do we do now?” I looked at Dew, the eldest sister.

“Mom left pretty precise instructions as to what to do,” she responded. “Including letters to each of us. The service was already arranged so all we had to do was schedule it. There's only one thing we haven’t gotten done yet because we wanted to wait till you got here.”

“Which is?” I asked.

“The house,” Glory said. “Mom left the house to us, but Dewy and I already have our own places.”

“And I’ll be moving in with Hue after the wedding,” Dew said. “I do hope you’ll be able to make that? I’d love to have you both there.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” I said. Dew had started to glow when talking about Diamond Hue, a young gentlecolt that she had met at a painter’s conference a year ago. She seemed happy, even in this trying time.

“Saaaaay,” Glory said, leaning over in a way that reminded me of Pinkie. “You’ve been kind of tight-lipped about any romance stories, sis.” She poked me in the ribs. “Spill!”

“Nothing to tell, really,” I said, mind flashing through my memories. Flash Sentry had only been a way to cement power and even now was just a good friend. “I wasn’t really looking for anything like that lately.”

“Don’t be a pest, Glory,” admonished Dew. “You know Sunny wasn't the most socialble of fillies when she was younger. It’ll happen when it happens.”

“Aw,” she said, sitting back and taking a despondent sip of tea.

“After all, she can’t flit about like you,” Dew finished with a good-natured dig.

“Hey, I’ll have you know that I’ve been seeing Soarin for three months now.”

"Soarin?" I asked.

"One of the lead flyers for the Wonderbolts!" Glory crowed happily.

“You’re seeing a Wonderbolt?” I asked. “You’ve moved up in the world, Sis.”

“We'll let you decide about the house,” Dew said, sliding a set of keys over. “I understand that you’ve also scheduled a meeting with the Princess?”

My stomach twisted. “Yeah, later today.” I fidgeted with my hooves. “I’m rather anxious about it, despite everything.”

"Why are you nervous?" Glory asked.

I closed my eyes. "I didn't exactly leave under the best circumstances," I hedged. "There may be some hurt feelings to deal with."

From both of us, I thought.

“It will turn out ok, Sun.” Dew reached over and touched horns with me, sharing our own special little expression of love. “We’ll still love you, regardless.”

After a few more exchanged hugs, I departed for the palace, lost in my thoughts.

Dawning Dew, usually so serious and direct, was getting married. Morning Glory, the filly that never stayed with a colt for more than a few days was actually getting serious with somepony, and an athlete at that.

I was happy for them, but there was still that ache in my chest.

I came up to the doors of the palace and looked at the guards.

“My name is Sunset Shimmer,” I said softly. “I have an appointment to speak with Princess Celestia.”

Author's Note

I know someone is going to ask, so here you go:

Morning Glory's Cutie Mark is a morning glory flower with a sunbeam behind it, her mane and tail are a medium purple with an auburn streak down the middle, long and straight, and her coat is more of a gold than Sunset's amber.

Dawning Dew's Cutie Mark is a dew filled patch of grass with a sun rising behind it. Her mane and tail are a negative of Sunsets, yellow with a red streak in them. She keeps her mane cut as short but stylishly done and has a rust-brown coat.

I actually wouldn't mind commissioning art of these three mares........wink wink nudge nudge

Chapter Six - Celestia

As I entered the room, I couldn’t help but look down at my hooves. Before me on a familiar throne sat the Princess of the Sun and ruler of Equestria. She was focused on a scroll floating in front of her, quill swirling around as she signed it and passed it to one of her aides.

I felt the gaze more than saw it. "Sunset, welcome. Please, have a seat.”

I moved forward and dipped down in a bow before her before settling into the cushion before the dais.

“How have you been?” she asked, her tone guarded.

I worked my jaw a few times before finally whispering. “I’ve been well, your Highness.”

I heard a few steps and her hooves came into my view. She tilted my head up to face her.

“Please,” she said, a soft look in her eyes. “Don’t be afraid to face me. You are not here to be punished.”

“I should be,” I said, turning away. “I defied your orders multiple times, violated the rules about forbidden sections, made demands that I shouldn’t have made and disrespected you.”

“You made up for those actions by your deeds beyond the mirror.” She sat before me on the floor. “I have missed our conversations.”

I fought the tears that wanted to well up back down. “I…I do not think I deserve this kindness, Princess.”

“I see that the lesson on humility finally set in,” she said kindly. “Perhaps a bit too well.” She folded a wing across my shoulder. “I am sorry about your mother, how are you holding up?”

I cursed inwardly as a tear slipped free. “I kind of feel numb at times, but sometimes I can’t keep back the tears. I feel that I wasted time, that maybe I should have come back at least once to visit, that I…”

“You have done nothing wrong, Sunset,” Celestia said. “You could not have known…”

“Nothing wrong? I did nothing WRONG?!?” I exploded to my hooves, whirling away from her. “I bullied my way into power beyond the mirror, returned to steal an Element of Harmony from your final protege - who completely surpassed everything I aspired to be, by the way - in order to enact a very ill-thought out plan to return and take over Equestria and became a raging she-demon nightmare and only realized the error of my ways when Twilight followed me and managed to somehow activate the Elements to burn the evil from me.”

I looked at the princess, anger and shame warring for control, tears streaming down my face to drop to the floor.

"I was so angry at you for the longest time," I said, sobs starting to break free. "Blaming you for what were actually my mistakes.

“I’ve dishonored everything you ever told me, taught me, or demonstrated to me through arrogance, pride, and ambition.” I finally sat back down, hiding my face under my hooves. “I failed you in so many ways.”

“Oh, child,” Celestia said. “While your actions were indeed guided initially by pride and ambition, everything you’ve done since Twilight went to retrieve her crown shows that you did indeed learn what I tried to teach. I doubt you had truly turned evil, you merely lost your way.” A small mirror floated over and settled before me. “I asked once before and now I wish to know: what do you see?”

I looked at the mirror, seeing the tear-streaked face and puffy eyes. But I also saw none of the self-hate that had been there for years. Pain, yes, and some lack of sleep, but they were kinder now. Happier despite the current grief. And I also spied something in the way my mane had settled.

“I see my mother,” I said simply. “I can see her mane, I remember her laughter, how proud she was when I got accepted to the school, and when you picked me to be your personal student.” I couldn’t help the smile.

“What would you wish for now had you the opportunity?”

“Just another day, a chance to say goodbye.” The tears were still flowing, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I let my defenses down and let it all out.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” I whimpered through my tears. “I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve the treatment I gave you at the end. I missed you so much!”

She pulled me in closer, cooing gently, wings folded around us like a shield.

After a few minutes, as the sobs ended but before the embrace ended, I heard her whisper.

“I never gave up on you, you know.”

I looked at her in surprise. “But you expelled me,” I said in confusion.

“I may have dismissed you as a private student, but I never expelled you from the school proper. I was hoping that removing the expectations or illusion of being groomed to join me and interacting with other ponies more would help you get past your prideful nature. But I would have always had time for you had you not fled. You were my student, Sunset, and in many ways not unlike my own daughter.” There was an odd look in her eyes that I had seen only occasionally.

I realized that as ruler, she had made many difficult decisions over the millennia: she had been forced to banish her own sister and spend a thousand years being reminded of that fact daily as she raised the sun and moon. Every pony that came to her were either seeking advice or fawning over her due to her title. Though she had founded a school for Unicorns, she had only taken in four students personally in the entire tenure of the school. Anypony that she grew close to she was destined to watch as they grew old and passed away.

Behind the regal bearing and compassion, I could now see regret, sorrow, and loneliness alongside the compassion and wisdom.

“I see you understand now,” she said, a sad smile touching her features. “And even now, if you choose to stay or return beyond the mirror, I will always be willing to talk if you need it.”

I pressed back into her, relief flooding me.

“But some final advice, from teacher to student?”

I glanced up at her.

“Forgiveness can't truly come from without, Sunset Shimmer,” she said. “It took me many years to forgive myself for banishing my sister despite its necessity. She still struggles with her forgiveness of herself for her actions as Nightmare Moon, but she is overcoming her sorrow.”

She leveled a somber look at me, compassion in her eyes.

“When will you forgive yourself, I wonder?”

Those words stayed with me the entire journey back to Ponyville.

I had forgiven myself, hadn’t I? I had made friends, been accepted even among the people I had tried to subjugate in my blind ambition.

But deep down, I knew there was still a part of me that blamed myself. It was smaller than it had been, but it was still there. Still lurking.

And I would do anything to keep it bottled up.

Chapter Seven - Ponyville

“Sunset! Are you ready for the super-duper all points Ponyville tour?” Pinkie Pie asked no sooner than I stepped off the train.

I shrugged, not really minding the chance to walk around a bit. I followed the pink mare as she hop-skipped around town, pointing out most of the interesting landmarks. I only half-paid attention, seeing after the first couple of stops that they roughly mirrored the town where CHS was located. But at one stop, I asked Pinkie to slow down.

“Be just a moment!” a voice called out as I pushed through the door of the Carousel Boutique. I looked around, seeing the vast number of dresses arranged on various poniquins and hangers. A few seconds later a purple-maned pony trotted out from a room, glasses perched on her nose and a measuring tape draped across her withers.

“Sunset!” she cooed, stopping by a bench with some drawings on it. “What brings you to my humble boutique?”

I worried the ground with a hoof. “I was hoping to ask for a favor,” I said. “I need a dress…”

“For the memorial. Of course.” Her face took on a sympathetic look. “I’m ever so sorry, darling. Are you faring all right?”

“It’s getting better, I think,” I said. “I miss her, I’m not breaking down every five minutes, but inside, it's just so...hollow.”

Rarity stepped up close and eyed me critically. “Step up to the podium, Sunset, and I’ll grab a few quick measurements. We’ll see what we can work out.”

It was easy to see the similarities between this Rarity and the one I called my friend. But where fashion was a passion and a hobby to my Rarity, it was a lifestyle and business to this Rarity. She was all business and while she chatted me up while working, the focus was completely on the dress.

After taking my measurements, she started levitating various bolts of fabric out, holding them next to me to see how it looked with my mane, my coat, or eyes.

“Idea!” she cried, horn flaring as she took a bolt of heather gray cloth and a bolt of black and a few onyx gems and began working in a flurry. After an hour or two I was wearing a dress of close-fitted black with some gray layers, accented with onyx stones along the collar. Rarity was doing up a few loose sections while I looked in the mirror.

The skirt draped gently in flowing layers but didn’t drop too low. It fit close through the body and had an open collar reminiscent of the collar and lapels of my well-worn jacket back home.

Home. That was an interesting term now. Ever since returning, everything felt natural and normal, but so did everything in Canterlot High. Was it merely proximity and form, or was it something else?

Where did I truly belong now that I had been accepted by my family and Celestia?

Rarity did up the last stitch, and stepped back, smiling. “How is the fit, my dear?”

I did a few twists, walked a few steps and sat on a supplied cushion. I looked at the fashionista.

“Like a glove, Rarity. ”

“Watch out!”

I instinctively threw up a kinetic shield at the warning in time to deflect a book flying towards me as I entered the library of Twilight’s castle. Glancing around I saw both mares looking a little shame faced.

“Sorry, Sunset,” the Twilight from my world said sheepishly “I don’t quite have fine control down yet.”

I lifted the book and glanced at the title before letting the Princess take and re-shelve it.

“Star Swirl’s Rules of Magical Relativity?” I asked. “Did I interrupt an argument?”

“No, not at all,” Princess Twilight said, laughing. “She was helping me do a little bit of clean up and just misjudged the angle of her push.” Another book was encompassed by a violet glow before flying up to an empty spot on the shelf. “You don’t have to force it, more like a slow, steady push,” she said to the human Twilight. "Don't focus on the object, but the intention and let the magic do the rest."

“I’m trying,” she said in a tired and frustrated voice. A book was surrounded by an azure glow and trembled before fully rising from the ground, then oriented itself right-side up and wobbling towards a vacant shelf spot.

It was a bit too low and bumped the shelf, causing the blue pony to growl in frustration, then stick her tongue out in concentration. The book rose a bit and settled into the bookshelf. The novice Unicorn gave a exhale of relief, as though she had been holding her breath the entire time.

“Good, good!” Princess Twilight bubbled. “A little more practice and you won’t even have to concentrate to do this. Soon we might be able to work on fine control!”

My Twilight had a few beads of sweat on her forehead. “If you say so,” she panted.

“It does get easier,” I said, taking a seat on one of the cushions set around and set my dress in its bag down behind me. “With each levitation, like lifting a small weight a bunch to build up a muscle.”

The Princess nodded and floated a small mug over to the tired unicorn, who accepted it gratefully, holding it with both front hooves.

“So, how’d the meeting go?” she asked after getting a mug of cider of her own.

“It was nice seeing my sisters again, especially with so many things different now. I’ve been invited to a wedding, by the way, so I may be visiting again.” I almost missed human Twilights face lighting up in interest. “The funeral was already prepared and settled before I got here. We’ll meet again after the service tomorrow and read over the documents that need all three of us present.”

“That’s good, Sunset,” the princess said. “But that wasn’t the meeting I was asking after.”

I closed my eyes. “There was some shouting and accusations, mostly from me at me. In the end, though,” I smiled. “I think it’s all going to be ok, between me and her.”

“Good,” my one-time rival returned my smile. “I have a couple quick errands to do, but I’ll see you all at dinner. My friends are going to be there so I can introduce you!” She trotted off, humming.

“That’s going to be confusing,” I muttered.

“Applejack picked up pretty quick,” my Twilight said, coming to sit beside me. “And her Applebloom is a little more relaxed than ours.” She stretched before she sat down. “And I met Pinkie already.”

“Pinkie is the same no matter where you see her, I guess.”

“Mm-hm.” She looked at the bag behind me. “What’s that?”

“Oh, Pinkie’s tour stopped by Rarity’s boutique. I don't have any Equestrian clothing, so I got something made for the service tomorrow.”

“Can I see? Or should I wait? Should I get something made too?” She looked down and tapped her hooves together. “Sorry, I don’t know what to expect. It's obviously not a matter of habit here like back home.” She glanced behind her, her tail giving a slight twitch. "I keep feeling like I should be embarrassed by the lack of modesty, but no one else seems to even notice."

“It is more for important events or social functions. Only the most vain or oblivious wear clothes all the time here. Maybe after dinner, I’ll let you see pony fashion. But if you want something of your own, that’s the mare to talk to,” I said, nodding towards one of the doors as Rarity entered with Fluttershy at her side.

“Oh, but wouldn’t that be rude? She doesn't really know me,” she fretted. "I couldn't impose."

I rolled my eyes. “Rarity!” I called out.

The fashionista paused and trotted in, noticing Twilight at my side. “Yes, Sunset?” Fluttershy glided in and stood meekly by the door.

I indicated the pony to my side. “My friend Sunshine was wondering about perhaps engaging your talents for getting something to wear to the service tomorrow, if it isn't an imposition.”

The white unicorn’s eyes lit up as she gave Twilight the once over. “Oh, but of course!” she cooed. “That coloration of yours will be just perfect with some of the new bolts I got in.”

“There you go,” I said, smiling. “Thanks again, Rarity.”

Sunshine smiled. "Yes," she whispered. "Thank you."

The unicorn smiled back, then a sly look came over her face.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing, darling, just thinking about how to best use those new cuts.” She left, whispering to Fluttershy as she did.

“Thanks, Sunset,” Twilight said, leaning in to give me a quick hug.

“No problem, Sunshine.” I smiled back and leaned into the hug. “You’ve done a lot for me.”

“Sunset?”

“Yeah?”

She looked like she was about to say something, then shook her head. “Nothing, it was a stupid idea.”

“What was?”

“Don't worry, just a stray thought. If you don't mind, could we sit next to each other at the dinner? Not that I feel uncomfortable,” she said hurriedly. “But I'm going to be the only one from our side of the mirror and you may have to explain things to me so I understand the cultural differences. Not to mention I'm still feeling silly eating by putting my muzzle in the plate.” She tried to levitate another book but broke off with a huff of exhaustion again, the book barely having moved.

I smiled, lifting my garment bag.

“Let me drop my dress off in my room and we’re good to go.”

Chapter Eight - Saying Goodbye: I Love You, Mom...

Dinner had been an interesting affair, especially when halfway through Rainbow’s and Fluttershy’s Cutie Marks started to flash.

“Aw, yeah!” Rainbow said, darting off in an instant.

I raised an eyebrow at the Princess as we all rose and trotted into what amounted to the throne room, though it was more like a council chamber. A large table had a three-dimensional map of Equestria on it. A representation of the two pegasi’s Cutie Marks were circling Appleloosa.

“Wonder why y’all are being called to Appleloosa but not me,” mused Applejack.

“Might be something more involved with the buffalo than the Appleloosans,” Princess Twilight said.

“This is amazing,” the other Twilight leaned forward, staring intently at the map. “Does this call anyone? How does it work?”

“Only those of us that held Elements of Harmony, so far,” Her counterpart replied. “This castle was born in part by returning the Elements to the Tree of Harmony.”

Later that night, I was watching Rarity fit Twilight for a dress, using a deep maroon to accent a matte black silk. She finished up and sent Twilight to change into it before sliding up to me.

“You aren’t really fooling anyone, you know,” she whispered.

“Wasn’t aware I was trying to,” I responded before turning to her. “What are you talking about?”

“Sunshine,” she said coyly. “I recognize that voice, regardless of a difference in appearance. That’s the Twilight from the other side of the mirror, isn’t it?”

“Only trying to keep separate which one we’re talking to when they are both together.” I shook my head. “What should I call her, SciTwi? Pinkie would be flattered at least.”

“That’s not all. Is there something going on? Between the two of you?”

“Me and Twilight? Of course not. She’s Equestrian royalty and I live in an alternate world. When would we even have the time to do anything?”

“Not our Twilight, darling. Your Twilight.” She flipped her mane out of her face and gave me a flat look over the top of her glasses. “You may not notice, but I think she is somewhat smitten with you.”

I pulled back slightly, thinking back to everything that had happened since camp. It could be seen that way. Not to mention the seeming bond we had. I had always chalked it up to just residual magic from the events at the games and my new empathic abilities, but what if it was something more?

"That's ridiculous, Rarity," I said. "We're just friends."

She smiled at me and gave a little "mm-hm" that served only to make me sigh exasperatedly.

I did, however, spent most of the rest of the fitting and trip back to the castle in thought. Twilight nudged me as we started up the last stretch of road to the gate.

“You alright, Sunset?” she turned to face me. “You seem distant.”

“Yeah, just pondering some things.” I glanced over to the dim lights of Canterlot in the distance. “The service, the way I feel being back,” I looked at her. “You.”

“Me?”

“Rarity said some things that got me thinking,” I said, digging at the ground in front of me. “I’m not quite sure about it yet.”

“What did she say?”

I gave a weak laugh. “She thinks that you’re smitten with me.” I shook my head. “We both know how Rarity is, regardless of world. She tends to see things through drama-tinted glasses.”

Silence reigned for a few minutes.

“Twi?”

The unicorn had slowed her steps and tilted her head down, the light from her horn as she haphazardly levitated her new dress throwing shadows along her face, making her eyes hard to see.

But not the tear that started to slide along her nose.

“Twi, are you ok?” I asked. A feeling started to force its way into my perception. Fear. What was I afraid of?

“Twilight, you can tell me anything. After everything we’ve been through, what’s the worst that could happen?”

She turned away slightly and sniffed. “Everything,” she whispered. "Or nothing." She sniffed again and went into the castle.

That night I went to bed early. I tried to think about what had happened and why it bothered me like it did, but grief for my mother intruded into the darkness. I drifted to sleep and fell into those dark dreams again, only now Midnight Sparkle took turns with my demon self in torturing me, my friends, my sisters, Twilight herself.

And especially my mom.

I tried to fight, to enact the same power that I had at the friendship games, or even - Celestia forbid - the nightmare demon form. But nothing I could do could stop the horror in front of me. I was bound with invisible bonds, my human form too weak to break them. "Stop," I sobbed."Please stop."

The scene restarted, the images even more horrific.

"Stop,"

Mocking laughter started to filter in.

"Please,"

“STOP!” a voice bellowed, and the entirety of the scene vanished swiftly, leaving me in a mist-washed plane. I looked around, no longer bound and now in my unicorn form. I swiveled my head in confusion just in time to see a dark-coated form step forward, wings and horn appearing. I had never met her before, but I knew who she was instantly.

I dropped my head. “Princess Luna,” I said.

“Sunset Shimmer,” she intoned in response.

"Princess," I said, still not looking up. "Why are you here?"

"It is my duty," she said as if that answered everything.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." I paced nervously. "While I was a filly, you were still locked away in the moon. I wasn't around when you were released." Anger was rising in me. "Why are you here? Why give me these nightmares? What joy do you get from tormenting me?"

"I did not give these images to you, Sunset Shimmer," she replied softly, remaining calm in the face of my anger. "These all come from within you. My duty is to come to anypony that suffers to help guide them back to the light."

I stared at her, not comprehending, rage turning into regret and fear. I had just shouted at Nightmare Moon! "I'm sorry," I started hastily but was interrupted.

“These dreams have plagued you oft of late. Yet tonight caused more terror than ever. Tonight was the first time you were unable to rise above the fear, and the first time you allowed me to enter.”

"Allowed you to," I stammered. "But you're an Alicorn, how could I prevent you from entering a dream?"

"First, you were beyond my reach in the land beyond the mirror. On your return, I had to await your ventures into my realm." Luna's horn lit up, an illusion forming of an amorphous blob, so dark it seemed to absorb all the light. "I too know the grief and self-recrimination of past misdeeds. I created this, the Tantabus, to force me into nightmares myself as an attempt to repent for the atrocities I committed as Nightmare Moon." Her eyes went distant for a moment and the illusion vanished. "It did not go entirely as planned."

She looked at me, her face reminding me of her sister for a moment in its compassion. "You still harbor the belief that you have not yet repaid your debt. But nothing can undo what has been done."

"I know that here," I said, pointing at my head. Then I pointed at my heart. "Here, not so much."

"And why does this particular dream trouble you so much, where others you have had do not?"

“I can’t bear the thought of Twilight hurting anyone,” I said. “Especially…”

“Your mother,” the Princess of the Moon said. “Her death weighs heavily on you.”

I nodded. “I never even got the chance to say good-bye,” I whispered as I fought tears.

“That, perhaps,” she said, spreading her wings. “Can be remedied.”

My mother appeared, standing off to the side.

“In dreams, time is somewhat fungible. I am aware of your mother’s dreams her last nights.” She nodded towards the pony slowly sitting up off to the side. “I leave you to your conversation.”

I walked over to her, an uncertain look on my face. “Mom?”

She looked at me. “Sunset? Is that you, Sunny?”

I nodded, tears flowing. “It’s me,” I said rushing over to her to be wrapped in her forehooves.

“I’ve missed you, Sunny,” the image of my mother said, stroking my mane.

“Me too, Mom,” I sobbed into her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, I’m sorry I never got back to visit,”

She shushed me gently. “It’s ok, little filly. It’s ok.”

“No, it isn’t, Mom,” I stepped back enough to see her face. “I never got the chance to say goodbye.”

“I know you were where you needed to be, sweetheart. Life isn’t always ours to dictate.” She leaned forward and touched horns, her love and joy flowing through it. “But I never stopped loving you, and I never will.”

I leaned into the magic, returning it in kind. “Me either, Mom.” I looked into her eyes, seeing the tears of joy and sadness echoed in our cyan eyes. “I love you, Mom,” I said, pressing into her again, my tears breaking the floodgates.

She stroked my mane, shushing me quietly. For a moment, nothing else registered, and I was just a filly in her mother's embrace again.

"So, little one," my mother whispered. "Have you managed to make any friends while you've been gone?"

I giggled and smiled. "Oh, if you only knew," I said, wiping the final vestiges of the tears from my muzzle. "There are these six girls that mean the world to me. I wish I could introduce you to them someday."

"Well," she smiled gently. "There's time enough for that in the future, my dear."

I choked a little. "Yeah, time enough."

"I always worried about you when you were a filly," Mom said. "You always had difficulty interacting with other ponies. I'm glad that you've been able to overcome that."

"It hasn't been easy," I said. "And there was a lot of stumbling blocks along the way. In fact, if it wasn't for those girls, I probably wouldn't be the pony I am today. There were times that I was sure you'd be so disappointed in me."

She laughed. "Oh, but a silly filly," she leaned down and nuzzled me. "How could I ever be disappointed in you? Even when you had a tantrum as a foal, I knew that it had a reason and that it would eventually pass." Her smile never wavered.

"I'm not sure I agree," I whispered. "I did some horrible thing when I left Celestia's tutelage. Things that I hate looking back on, things...things that I wish I could change."

My Mom smiled, touching horns again. "We all have things we're not proud of," she whispered to me. "You should hear some of the things I did when I was your age! Your grandmom called me a little Tartarus raiser."

I laughed. "I can't picture you causing trouble."

She laughed along with me. "Well, I was a blank-flank for quite a while," she said. "And I did a lot to try and change that. Things tended to get out of hoof from time to time."

I smirked. "So that's why you never got upset with me when I still didn't have my mark before heading to Celestia's school."

"Guilty," she smirked back. She reached up and rubbed her head, a look of pain momentarily crossing her face.

"Are you ok?" I asked, concern flashing through me.

She nodded. "Just a bit of a headache, sweetheart," she said. "I've been having one off and on all day. Maybe I just need a nap. I'm kind of sleepy for some reason."

A memory rose. An aneurysm in her sleep.

"Yeah," I whispered. "That might be a good idea."

"Will you be here when I get up, sweetheart?" she asked, her mane slipping down, reminding me of how my own would lay sometimes. "I've missed you so."

"I'll be here, Mom," I said.

My mother nuzzled me. "I love you, Sunny. Always."

"I love you too, Mom," I whispered.

My mother laid down, resting her head on her forehooves, face peaceful as she drifted off to sleep.

Luna walked up, an apologetic look on her face. "It is time to go, Sunset Shimmer."

I looked towards my mother, some of the grief starting to flood back as I realized her breathing had stopped. "So soon?"

"I can only bend the time so far," she said.

"Goodbye, Mom," I said, tears dripping along my muzzle as her form faded from view. "I'll miss you." I found myself standing next to the Princess of the Moon alone but for memories and feelings.

"Remember her words well," Luna said in my silence before vanishing.

Chapter Nine - No Rest for the Weary

I woke up with my mother's words echoing in my ears. It was still some time in the night, but not overly late. I laid there for a while, letting the memories of my mother's embrace wash over me. Then images of Twilight crying rose back to the surface.

I sat there and pondered what had happened to make her cry. It seemed so different than the Twilight I had come to know over the last year. I looked over and saw the bag I had brought with me, and focused my magic on it, causing my geode pendant to float over to me. I held it for a moment, hoping that maybe the red gemstone would hold some sort of answer. Sadly, though, it merely glinted in the light filtering in from Luna's moon. No answers would come from this quarter.

Sighing, I got up and padded down the hall to the Princess’ room, knocking gently. The door opened promptly, showing the Alicorn sitting on a cushion reading.

"It's a little late, Sunset," she said, setting her book to the side. "What's the matter?"

"I had a meeting with Princess Luna," I said, not meeting her gaze. "I'm not exactly in a huge hurry to go back to sleep. What are you reading?"

"One of A.K. Yearling's older Daring Do books," she smiled as she looked at the book, running a hoof across its cover softly. "There's supposed to be an amazing meteor shower later tonight, so I'm just passing the time until then."

"I'm surprised she even made it as an author," I said. "The first book didn't do too well."

"Maybe not, but the second made up for it," Twilight said, wings ruffling slightly as she shifted. "Your dream, what was it about?"

I looked down, tears welling in my eyes. "I'd rather not talk about it, if that's ok, Twilight," I whispered. "Some of it is still just a bit raw."

"Your mother was in it, wasn't she?"

I nodded. "After breaking up the nightmare itself, Luna let me have a few words with Mom," I felt my throat close up a little on the sadness. "I didn't even know she could do that. I saw Mom's last moments, got to talk to her, hear her say that she..." I didn't make it any further in the sentence before I lost any hold I had on my emotions. Tears flooded down my face and sobs wracked my chest.

Twilight climbed up and wrapped a wing around me. She stayed quiet, letting me pass through my grief on my own.

"Six years," I cried. "I've been gone six years and never once did it occur to me to even let her know I was ok." I had turned so that my head was pressed into her shoulder. "I could have asked you to forward a message, I could have come back sooner, I could have..."

Twilight shushed me as my voice gave out again. "You couldn't have known this was going to happen," she whispered. "You at least got to see her again, dream or not." She glanced out the window. "It's late, and you have a big day tomorrow. You should get some rest."

I nodded, wiping the tears from my muzzle. "You're right," I said sullenly. "Big day." I saw her look of concern crease further as I left her room.

I looked towards the room that Sunshine had been given and thought momentarily about apologizing for being flippant earlier, but I couldn't bring myself to walk those few yards. I instead wound up on the balcony between our rooms, staring out blankly at the starscape, the constellations and star names vaguely flitting through my mind as I tried to keep my mind on anything other than my grief.

I couldn't, though. I kept seeing memories from foalhood, the party from when I got accepted to the School for Gifted Unicorns, my cute-ceañera, the party she had put together when I told her I had been chosen to be the Princess' private student. A few sobs slipped free, tears building again. Didn't a pony have a limit on tears? I just put my head on my hooves, the tears falling silently.

"Sunset?" a quiet voice said behind me. "Are you ok?"

Horseapples, I thought. I didn't have the energy to face another Twilight, especially one that I had somehow hurt earlier tonight.

"I'd like to be alone right now, Twilight," I said, hoping the sound of my voice didn't betray the tears. "I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"Sunset," she said softly, sounding closer. "Look at me, please?"

I raised my head but didn't look back. "Please, Twilight," I whispered. "Just for tonight, let me have this time."

"You're not ok," she said, almost like confirming a hypothesis. "I'm here, and you can talk to me. Don't try and bear this alone."

"Sure?" I whispered. "After all, I managed to hurt you earlier and I'm not even sure how."

"Sunset," she said, her voice going stern, like it had been back at the portal. "That is not even important right now. Now, are you ok?"

I turned, letting her see the matted hair on my muzzle where tears had run before. I was sure that my eyes had gotten about as puffy and red as they could be and I suddenly felt exhausted. I got ready to make a sarcastic remark, but only a choked sob managed to make its way out.

Seeing that, Twilight rushed forward, her glasses falling off in her haste. She wrapped me up in a hug, tighter than the Princess' had been.

"I miss her, Twilight," I whispered. "I miss her so much."

I don't remember when or how I wound up in bed, but when my old mentor raised the sun, I was tucked in, a tissue still tucked in the frog of my hoof.

I sat up and saw the dress Rarity had made sitting draped over a clothes stand.

No more avoiding it, it was time to say goodbye.

Chapter Ten - Saying Goodbye: Always

Portraits of my mother lined the hall as we all filed in and an ornate urn stood on the raised stage at the end of the hall. I spotted Glory and Dew near the front, their coats covered in the same dark attire as I was wearing, though Glory had a dark veil on. We swapped hugs all around, tears glimmering. I looked at Dew.

“Hue couldn’t make it?” I asked.

“He’s up front, holding some seats for us.” She indicated a pony with a dark green coat conversing with a few other gentlecolts quietly. Even through the crowd I could tell his mane was mussed, but not in an unattractive way. “I’ll introduce you later.”

“Fair enough,” I said. “I wish that it was under happier circumstances.”

We made our way to the front of the room as the officiant climbed onto the stage and began the service. I found myself drifting through my memories of my mother as he spoke about her in a general sense. Her trilling laugh and easy smile, both of which never failed to make me smile even through the grief. Her care over skinned knees and aching tummies, making sure to top things off with a kiss and a horn surge.

I looked up as Dew took the stage.

“I’m not big on long speeches,” she said, pausing to wipe a tear from her cheek. “But at the same time, there is so much I want to say about my mom.”

She smiled and glanced at the urn, closing her eyes for a moment.

“Mom may be known to most of you as an accomplished painter,” she began. “But to my sisters and I, she was the chef, the doctor, the chaser of monsters, and the storyteller. She exposed us to brand new places, either taking us on trips or painting landscapes that showed us places we couldn’t imagine. Without that, I doubt I would have been drawn to painting like I have. I feel like a little bit of her is with me when I work on things.”

She glanced down at us. “I know that my sisters would each have their own personal favorite memories,” she said. “But my favorite memory is not long after our first trip to Manehatten. There was a gallery that had just opened a showcase of avant garde paintings. I didn’t understand the point of it, being as young as I was. I remember saying that they were bad paintings becuase they didn’t look like the actual things they were supposed to be.

“Mom pulled me aside and told me something,” she continued. “In that soft and slightly amused way that she had, she told me something that I’ve always remembered. ‘Even if you don’t understand it yourself, it means something to the pony that made it. Sometimes you have to step into their horseshoes and try to see it from their place.’”

She chuckled a little. “I didn’t really get it that night, but as I got older it started making more sense,” She looked down at the urn again. “And it’s something that can apply to life in general. Probably the biggest lesson she ever taught me.”

She stepped down and rejoined us. I smiled and leaned into her as the officiant lead us through the final devotional before we all stood and began to walk by, picking up a white or red lilly to deposit in the shallow trough that the urn was rested on. As I walked by, dropping a white lily I saw a red lily drop in a little shaky in an azure aura. I glanced back, and my jaw dropped. Standing there, her horn pulsing with her fading aura, was Sunshine.

She glanced down, a shy smile on her face, one that I returned. We moved along the procession and when we were able to slip out of line, I turned to her.

“When did you get here?” I asked quietly. “I wasn’t sure you’d want to come after…well, after.”

“I told you I’d come with you,” she said quietly. “And not using the dress Rarity made seemed like a disrespectful waste.”

I smiled. “Thanks, Sunshine,” I said as I hugged her, the nickname flowing from my mouth out of habit from the last couple days. “I really appreciate it.”

She smiled, then shrank down a little as I felt a presence approach from behind me.

“So,” Glory said into my ear. “Who is this?”

“Glory,” I groaned. “Not today, please?”

“Oh, come on,” my sister said. “You two hugged a little bit different from just acquaintances.”

I facehoofed. Trust my sister to sniff out gossip no matter where she was.

“Morning Glory,” I said, gesturing towards Sunshine. “This is a friend of mine, Sunshine. Sunshine, this is my older sister, Morning Glory. My other sister is over there, Dawning Dew.”

Sunshine nodded her head slightly, her face still slightly blushed. “Nice to meet you.”

Glory smiled in that way that made people wonder about her intentions. “A pleasure,” she purred, then winked at me. “I hope to see you at the reception.”

As we walked, Sunshine leaned in and whispered to me.

“She’s a little scary,” she whispered.

“Imagine what she’d be like growing up with her,” I returned.

She shivered, adjusting her glasses with her magic a little shakily.

I glanced back, seeing a photo of Mom through the door, her soft smile seeming meant just for me.

I love you, Mom, I thought.

Always.

Chapter Eleven - Saying Goodbye: Ashes

My sisters and I took turns carrying the urn that held Mom's ashes as we climbed the path that led to one of the peaks that overlooked Canterlot. The day was warm for the late autumn, with a bright sun and few clouds. It was a day Mom would have loved to have painted. That thought alone made it hard to enjoy the day.

"You doing ok?" Dew asked, her jade aura keeping the urn aloft. The puffiness around her eyes had gone down, but you could still see the red from her tears.

I sniffed and nodded. "I think I'll do ok," I said, taking the urn in my amber aura. "I think it'll be a while before the tears totally stop, though."

My sister nodded, not meeting my eyes. She seemed like she wanted to ask me something but was waiting for the right moment. As we turned a corner on the path, she looked at me, her eyes intense.

"Will you be able to stay long?" she asked quietly.

"Not really," I said. "A few more days maybe. I've got some responsibilities that I have to keep up on."

"Responsibilities?"

"Given to me by the Princess of Friendship," I said. It was true, after all, being her student in friendship and friend in general. "She's asked me to look after some things in her stead.

"Royal request does take precedence, I suppose," she murmured as she looked back at the trail. I knew she wanted to know more and I wanted to tell her, but the whole other world thing was something Twilight wanted to keep to as small a group as possible, and it was already up to nearly twenty if you counted Flash.

I felt lonely at that moment as I isolated a part of my life from my family. Twilight was right, I did need a friend beside the Princess. Even my family was held a little distant because of the secret I need to keep from them.

Glory came to a stop ahead of us and raised her veil, showing the running makeup from her crying. "We're here," she sniffed.

I looked out at the landscape, large grassy plains with a river snaking along until it was lost in the White Tail Woods. It was serene, picturesque even.

The perfect place. I raised the urn up and saw the amber mix with jade and lilac.

"Goodbye, Mom," I whispered.

"Until we see each other again," Dew said.

"We love you, Momma," whimpered Glory as tears started leaking down her cheeks again.

As we pulled the lid from the urn and cast the ashes to the wind, I heard her voice in the back of my head.

Always

As I reentered the castle, I saw Twilight practicing with Sunshine on her telekinesis. They were doing what looked like slow motion juggling of a handful of books. While Sunshine looked a little fatigued, her grip was much more sure and her horn glowed with a steady azure light.

"Good," Twilight said as she sent the books back to the side table and giving me a quick smile of greeting. "That was much better. It seems like you have a basic grasp of levitation already and just needed to figure out Unicorn magic."

Sunshine nodded. "When we got our geodes at Camp Everfree," she said, aura staying lit to adjust her glasses. "I got telekinesis from mine. It seems like the same process, just a different muscle, so to speak."

"Telekineses?" Twilight mused. "Interesting. And what did you get, Sunset?"

"I can apparently see the surface thoughts and emotions of anypony I touch while wearing my geode," I said. "I don't know why I got that when everyone else got something similar to their pony counterpart's abilities."

"Except Pinkie," Sunshine said with a wince.

I glanced around, waiting for the burst of confetti that heralded her arrival. Twilight looked at me with an odd glance.

"Pinkie went to visit her family for the weekend," she said, knowing my reason for caution. "It's her parent's anniversary. What did Pinkie get across the mirror?"

"You don't want to know," I said. "Trust me, you'll sleep better."

Sunshine came over. "Did everything go alright?" she whispered.

I nodded. "Her ashes are spread across the western plain," I said quietly. "And I owe you an apology. You were right, I didn't realize how disconnected I'd feel even from my own family, mostly because of where I live now." I gave her a brief hug. "Thanks for coming."

She hugged me back a little hesitantly as if shocked by the motion. Twilight spoke up as we separated.

"Well," she said in that leading way of hers. "If you want to take care of that, tomorrow is our regular critter picnic. I have to be in Canterlot for a conference and Rarity was called away for a friendship mission. You're more than welcome to take our places and get to know the other girls."

I blinked. "I don't know if you noticed, Twilight," I said not unkindly. "We both seem to be one pet short."

"It's not a requirement," she said, waving a hoof. "Dash came for a few weeks before she got Tank. And I know it will mean a lot to the girls. They really wanted to go with me the times I crossed through the mirror for both the Fall Formal and the Battle of the Bands."

I thought about it for a few moments, glancing at Sunshine. "What do you think?" I asked.

She hesitated, shifting from hoof to hoof.

"Oh, and Cadence and Shining Armor are due to arrive later tomorrow night!" Twilight started pacing in excitement. "I haven't seen them in a while, I've been so busy! Oh, I can't wait!"

"Shining Armor?" whispered Sunshine. She glanced at me and I recognized the look of curiosity in her eyes.

"I guess we're staying, Twilight," I said. I lit my horn and loosened some of the ties that held my dress on. "I'm going to go change and get some rest. It's been a trying day."

I laid in my bed and stared at the ceiling. Despite the hole in my heart, I felt ok. I had gotten to say goodbye and apologize for missing so much time with her. I got to see my sisters again, and we were going to meet one more time to go over what to do with the house. All I could bring to mind were happy memories of foalhood.

And the broad smile of my mother was with me as I fell asleep.

Chapter Twelve - Picnic Interlude

I woke up in the late morning to the sound of a cry of surprise and a crashing sound. I bolted out of bed with a shield enchantment instantly flaring up, babbling sleepily.

A second later the door to my room opened with a lavender aura as Twilight walked in, a sheepish look on her face. Behind her, rubbing the end of her nose, was Sunshine, her cheeks bright red in embarrassment. She was just placing her glasses back on her nose as she walked in.

"Morning, Sunset," Twilight said. "How did you sleep?"

I blinked some of the sleep from my eyes and tried to shake some of the fog from my mind. "What just happened?"

Sunshine ducked her head, the bangs of her mane hiding her eyes as her face flushed again as Twilight giggled.

"My newest pupil just tried to teleport," she said, smiling and draping a wing over her alternate dimension counterpart. "She does need a teeny bit of work on her trajectory and landings."

I blinked for a few moments, my mind still trying to process what the Alicorn had said.

"She tried to teleport into my room?" I asked.

"No!" Sunshine cried suddenly. "I wouldn't..."

A wingtip curled around and covered her mouth. "She was trying to teleport across the library and overshot a bit," Twilight said with a nervous giggle. "Nothing to be concerned over."

The fog lifted from my mind and I looked at the dark coated Unicorn. "Can you give us a moment, please?" I asked.

Sunshine blinked for a moment, then backed out of the room slowly. I eased the doors closed and surreptitiously put a silence spell on the door. Twilight frowned. "What's the matter?"

I locked eyes with my friend. "You and I both know that teleportation end points can be influenced by a lack of focus," I said. "If she wound up outside my door instead of the end of the library, then something made her think of me." I narrowed my eyes. "You know something."

"No I don't," she said, waving a hoof in dismissal quickly.

I smiled a predatory grin. "I have spent the last year with somepony that acts exactly like you, Twilight," I purred. "I may be a better pony than when we met, but I didn't lose the practice in reading somepony's reactions. You're also a rather poor liar."

She blushed, sitting and fidgeting with her hooves.

I smiled. "So, what happened to make her exit point different than her intended one?"

She kept fidgeting. "We talked last night and something slipped out when she was answering a question." She ducked her head and glanced at me sideways. "She made me promise I wouldn't tell anypony, though."

I frowned for a moment but filed it away for later. "Alright," I sighed. "Just, if you try to work with her on teleportation again, could you stress the importance of focus? We don't need her winding up halfway through a door or wall."

Twilight shuddered for a moment at the thought.

I dropped the silence spell and opened the door, seeing a nervously pacing Sunshine.

"It's ok, Sunshine," I said. "You can come back in now."

The Unicorn walked in, head low and tail tucked between her legs slightly. She glanced at Twilight with a worried look.

"About what I said," she started, her voice starting to speed up as her worry grew. "I was just rambling, it didn't mean anything, really. I didn't realize what I had said until it was out in the open and I thought Twilight said that..."

I rolled my eyes and reached out, booping her on the nose. She scrunched up her face, her worried rant cutting off mid sentence. "What..."

"She didn't tell me anything," I said. "She kept your secret. I was just worried about you not landing where you should have." I gave her a warm smile. "We've got to a busy day today, so why don't we get ready for it?"

She rubbed the back of her head, her cheeks coloring again. "Ok."

One bath and a couple of hours later, Sunshine and I trotted into the foyer of the castle, both of us bearing a pack with parts of lunches in them. Sunshine still looked nervous, but it was a nervousness brought on by excitement. We were due to meet Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, and Fluttershy on the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres for a lunch with everyone’s pet. I glanced around, getting my bearings.

"So, Applejack has an orchard here just like back home?" Sunshine asked, looking back and forth as we passed from the main bulk of Ponyville.

Home. The word plucked a little bit at my heart. Home was now a bit ambiguous, especially now that I had a place of welcome in Equestria again.

Where did I belong, then?

"Sunset?"

I blinked and realized that we were entering the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres. I had a few tears on my cheeks.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I just got lost in thought for a moment. It looks like we're just about there."

“This is so beautiful,” she said, gazing around the outermost orchards of the Apple family land. “Not even AJ’s farm on the other side is this green and vibrant.”

“Part of Earth pony magic,” I looked around, looking for the turnoff to the field Applejack had specified. "Earth ponies have a magic that connects them to the land, making them stronger and the crops they grow more hardy and resilient. It also helps them with stamina and energy. I'm sure you've noticed how Pinkie never seems tired."

"I thought that was just Pinkie being Pinkie," she murmured.

"Well, there is that," I agreed. "She does seem to exceed every expectation of normalcy." I glanced up at the trees starting to shade the path. "Looks like these trees are starting to get close to picking."

"How do you know?" She looked up as well. "They don't look like they're very big."

I smiled. "Our Applejack gave me a job on her farm just before you transferred," I told her. "You learn pretty quick what apples are ready for harvesting and which ones aren't."

“But how does she harvest all these apples?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "I don't see any ladders or anything like that."

“It’s called apple bucking, sugar cube,” came the warm drawl from just ahead. Applejack stepped out from around a tree, leaning against it and adjusting her ever-present hat. “I can show you later if you have a hankering for it.” She slammed one of her back hooves onto the tree she was leaning against and a single apple fell, landing on her outstretched forehoof.

“Maybe later,” I said, trotting up. “We’re not running late, are we?”

“Nah, I just wanted to meet you here as sometimes the lower forty can be confusing, especially the first time out.” She turned and gestured for us to follow. “Right this way.”

She led us down a twisting path that opened up into a large clearing dotted with wildflowers. A large blanket was already spread out and so far Fluttershy and Pinkie were already chatting as they unpacked their treats. The pink pony bouncing in place in her excitement, a small alligator perched on her curly mane. Rainbow was giving a tortoise’s shell a buffing with a cloth while a dog ran up to Applejack and started darting around the three of us.

“Settle down, Winona,” the farmer said with a smile. “We’re all here now so go sit down.”

The collie gave a bark and dashed back to the picnic blanket, sitting obediently off to one side. I trotted up and levitated my pack off and brought out my contribution to the picnic, some berry cobblers made earlier in the morning. Twilight produced a sealed pitcher of tea and some clay cups.

“Oh, dear,” Fluttershy whispered, seeing the cups. “I didn’t know you were bringing tea too, Sunshine.” She glanced down at the container she had just pulled from her bag to set next to a basket of daisies.

“Don’t worry about it, Fluttershy,” the mare replied. “You can never have too much tea.”

“So, I hear you two might be sticking around for another couple of days,” Rainbow Dash said, dropping down and snatching up a sandwich. “You have any awesome plans?” she asked with a leading tone to her voice.

“I have to help settle the disposition of my mother's house, but the appraiser can't make it till the end of the week.” I speared her with a look. "I have a feeling you have a suggestion for plans?" I deadpanned.

“Only one of the most awesome shows on this side of Canterlot!” She started drifting up as her wings flapped in her excitement. “The Wonderbolts are doing a charity event in Ponyville the day after tomorrow!”

“Did you find out if you were going to be in the show too, Rainbow?” asked Fluttershy.

“Nah, just the main roster. Us Reservists are going to be handling the donations and making sure everything gets set up.” She dropped back to the ground, training her gaze on myself and Sunshine. “You two should totally stop by.”

“I don’t know,” Sunshine said with a straight face. “I mean, catching an event in the same town that we’re staying in seems like it might be a tough task.”

Rainbow blinked before cracking a smile. “Great!”

I took a bite out of a cucumber sandwich, chewing quickly. “So, what else can we do while in the interim? I’m a bit out of touch with the local entertainment scene.”

“Well, RaRa is performing for the Wonderbolt show, so that’s a bonus,” Applejack said. “Anything new on that, Pinkie?”

“Nope! Everything is set up and all she asked for was some of your apples in the dressing room.” The party pony shook her mane and sighed in contentment, the alligator seeming to hang onto her mane without any effort on her part. “So much easier without that nasty-pants manager.”

I sensed a story but decided to cut to the chase. “RaRa?”

“The Countess Coloratura,” Pinkie said, rearing up and striking a regal pose. “She’s a mega-popular singer that Applejack went to summer camp with when they were fillies and she came to do a concert to support the school and reconnected with AJ and she’s totally awesome and totally tough to get scheduled.”

I frowned, mentally adding commas and separating the sentences. Pinkie always tended to speak in run-ons when excited. I saw Sunshine tilt her head and chew on her lip thoughtfully out of the corner of my eye.

“Bit for your thoughts?” I whispered to her as Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie a question about the concert.

“I was thinking it might be nice to see a concert here,” she said shyly. “But I don't have any of this world's currency.”

“I brought a few bits with me,” I said, give her a steady look. “I think it's enough to cover a couple of tickets.”

She glanced down briefly, a flush coming up her face. "You shouldn't have to spend your money on me," she said. "But I do want to go. This is a once in a lifetime event and who knows if there will be another chance." Something in her tone made me wonder if she was referring to the show or not.

"Sunshine," Rainbow spoke up. "Quit worrying. I get a few tickets for free as a Reservist. I can put them in your names at the admissions stand."

"Oh, thank you, Rainbow!" she cried. "Thanks so nice of you."

I smiled. For a moment, I could almost see the human Dash superimposed over the hovering Pegasi. Then I realized that Sunshine had been talking still, questions boiling out of her faster than any of the other assembled ponies could answer.

"Sunshine," I said.

"Yeah?" She turned to face me.

I booped her nose again.

"Let's enjoy the picnic first, huh?"

She blushed. "Sorry," she squeaked. Then she smiled slyly.

"Maybe you'd like to take me there as a date?" she purred.

I froze for a moment, my heart pounding. "What?" I stammered.

"Why not make it a date?"

I felt my jaw hanging open, completely surprised. It didn't help when Sunshine burst out giggling, joined in soon by the rest of the girls.

"Oh, the look on your face," Dash giggled. "That was pretty good, Sunshine!"

AJ shook her head. "A little mean spirited if you ask me," she said, frowning.

"A prank?" I murmured. "You just...pulled a prank?"

The dark blue Unicorn turned a smirk on me.

"Since when were you snarky?" I asked with a smile.

“You are a bad influence on me,” she replied, turning towards Pinkie as the pony offered out a plate of cupcakes. Two of them levitated out in her azure aura.

I laughed, taking the proffered cupcake.

Chapter Thirteen - House and Home

I looked at the door, remembering where every little nick and dimple had come from.

Except for that one by the doorknob. I don't remember that one, looks rather fresh, too.

Glory walked up, a pile of sheets in her aura and she leaned against the door while she fumbled with some keys on a ring, missing the keyhole on the first try and managing to have the ring slide right into the impression on the door.

There's one mystery solved, I thought as I walked in and looked around. The furniture was different from the last time I had been here and slightly moved around. There were still books on the bookshelves and dishes in the cabinets. A lot more than I had in my little loft apartment back in Canterlot City.

Glory threw a sheet over the bookshelves, glancing at me as she did.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

I nodded, settling a sheet over one of the couches. "I'm sure," I said. "I'm not going to be here long enough to settle in, but I also don't have the time to wait for a realtor to show and sell the house. I'll just hold onto it until I have the time to deal with it." I didn't mention that I didn't want to think about selling the one place that was still full of memories that helped me continue past the grief. I smiled as I saw a picture of me as a little blank-flanked filly being tossed up in the air by Mom's magic, my eyes squeezed shut in laughter as Dew and Glory capered around her.

I traced a hoof across the outline of Mom's face, seeing a tear well up in my reflections' eye.

"Well, the appraiser said that the place was worth about a hundred thousand," Glory said as she tied down the last sheet over the coffee table. "If you should decide to sell, it would be a nice little nest egg for you when you do decide to come home." She smiled at me. "Dew and I would love to see you more often, you know. We missed you, Sunny."

I smiled and nuzzled my sister. "I've missed the both of you too," I said. "Just, one thing after another and time got away from me. I'm sure you know how that is."

She nodded. "I do," she mused. "My desk is a mess right now with trying to schedule restorations and time to spend with Soarin and now with Hearth's Warming coming up, it's just a jumble."

I smirked. "I remember your desk. It's always a mess."

She held her nose up and sniffed haughtily. "It is not!" she huffed. "It's organized chaos."

We both broke out in laughter at that. We both had bad desktop organization skills. I had to throw a sheet over mine whenever the girls stayed at my place just so Twilight wouldn't have an organizational seizure.

"Sunny," she said, her voice going uncharacteristically solemn for her. "You are coming back, right? I mean, you won't disappear again like last time, will you?"

I looked at her in surprise. "Why?" I couldn't voice the rest of my thoughts, I was so shocked by how vulnerable she sounded.

"It's just that..." she hesitated. "With Momma gone, it's just us three now. And Dew is marrying Hue in the near future, and you're off helping the Princess with things, i just...I don't want to be left behind."

"Hey," I said, rubbing a hoof across her shoulders. "You're not alone! If you need me, just get a message to Princess Twilight and she'll forward it to me as soon as she can. Plus, you've got a Wonderbolt that seems to be a little hung up on you from what I hear. You won't ever be alone, Glory. I promise you." I hugged her as tightly as I could, feeling her tight press back against me.

"Thank you," she whispered. As we separated, she looked at me sheepishly. "Maybe you want to come back for Hearth's Warming? We could do the usual; snacks, cocoa, and the story."

I smiled, feeling a little warmth bubble up inside. "I'd love that, actually," I said. "I haven't had a Hearth's Warming at home since I left." The words were a little strange in my mouth. Home.

Once upon a time, this house was home. Then it was my quarters in the palace while studying under Celestia. Now, it conjured images of a little studio apartment with a storage loft in Canterlot City, mixed with the occasional glimpse of the band room at CHS.

"They weren't the same without you," Glory said, seemingly not noticing my silent contemplation. "There always seemed to be a hole in the carols and too much food at the table."

We climbed the stairs and started draping the furniture upstairs. I smiled as I threw the shroud over the beds that I had shared with my sisters years ago, seeming so much smaller than I remembered them.

"Well," my sister's voice said down the hall. "That's the last of them, I think. Can I see you to the train station?"

I nodded. "I'd be offended if you didn't, Glory," I said. "You might miss out on some salacious gossip on the way."

Her eyes sparkled for a moment. "You have some gossip? I find that hard to believe."

I kept up my stoic face for a moment, then we both laughed.

It felt good, laughing with my sister again. It was almost enough to cover the pain in my heart. It was almost enough to make me feel like I was home again, after all those years.

Chapter Fourteen - My Walls Fall First

"They're here! They're here!" Twilight fairly shrieked as she flew hurriedly to the foyer of the castle. I glanced at Sunshine and we followed suit.

The royal delegation was smaller than I thought it would be. Several guards had been in residence for several days now, before Sunshine and I had arrived from the mirror world. I thought there would be maybe another few to rotate out the current staff, but not the numbers that came.

There were only eight that preceded Cadence and Shining Armor into the library, but just as I noticed Cadence’s horn was lit up a small stroller was hovered into view. I saw Sunshine’s slack-jawed surprise at the sight as the Princess of Friendship almost ran up to the pair in excitement.

“Cadence, Shining! So glad you made the trip.” She glanced into the stroller. “Look how big she’s getting!” Twilight cooed at the giggling filly within.

I cleared my throat, reaching over and pushing Sunshine’s jaw shut.

“Oh! Right!” the princess turned to her brother and sister-in-law and whispered something to them.

Cadence looked surprised but turned to her guards. “Go see that Starlight and Sunburst are situated and that we are not disturbed.” Her royal presence was eerily similar to Celestia’s, though it was a little less intimidating. Once the guards had left and the doors pulled shut, she gazed over at us.

I stepped aside as she walked up to us and gazed at Sunshine. The unicorn next to me stared down at her hooves in uncertainty. Cadence tossed her mane back and smiled.

“Sunshine! Sunshine! Ladybugs Awake!” she singsonged as she crouched and covered her eyes. “Clap your hooves,”

Sunshine’s head popped up. “And do a little shake!” she said, a smile blossoming. The two mares giggled as I looked on in confusion.

Twilight trotted up, smiling. “See? No better way to set her at ease.”

Shining Armor shook his head with a smirk. “Only you would think that a greeting from foalhood would set somepony at ease meeting a Princess.”

“Oh, hush you two!” Cadence said, turning to me. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Sunset Shimmer.” She smiled at me warmly. Despite the change in her demeanor, I still bowed before her, seeing Sunshine do the same.

“No need for that, we’re in private.” The elder princess looked to the host, then at her mirror world counterpart. “I assume you have figured out how to separate which Twilight we’re speaking to at the moment?”

Twilight nodded. “She asked to be called Sunshine while here. It’s made it a lot easier.”

Cadence glanced over at Twilight, a sly grin spreading. "I see," she said softly as a blush spread across the lavender Alicorn's face. "You always did like it when she called you that when you were younger."

She gestured to the stallion behind her. "Formal introductions, of course," she grinned. "You obviously know who I am now. This is my husband, Shining Armor. In the stroller is our daughter, Princess Flurry Heart."

Sunshine's jaw dropped again as Shining pushed the stroller forward so we could see the small foal within, her face splitting into a grin.

"Aw," I said, smiling gently. "She's adorable."

Flurry Heart started gurgling and I felt a surge of magic in the room. Cadence glanced back at the stroller and her husband chuckled.

“Oh, no you don’t, little one,” he said, horn lighting up. “No magic rampages while we’re here.”

“Has she been trying to break from the Fledgling’s Forbearance spell?” Twilight asked.

“Not actively, but as she gets older it gets to be a bit harder to keep it renewed,” Cadence said. “On the bad days, we both have to renew it together.”

I frowned. “Why would you have a forbearance spell on a foal?”

Sunshine frowned. “What’s a forbearance spell?” she asked a split second behind my question.

Shining Armor brought the stroller closer to his side, reaching in and adjusting the blanket covering his child. “Two good questions with one answer,” he said. “Flurry Heart was born an Alicorn, so her magic power is already higher than normal,” he stated.

Cadence smiled in a way that I recognized from my memories of my mother, bringing tiny aches up for a moment. “She managed to not only destroy several books at the library in the Crystal Empire but shattered the Crystal Heart.” She leaned down and nuzzled the foals cheek. “The forbearance spell keeps her magic contained until she can be shown how to use it properly and responsibly. Maybe by her Auntie Twilight?”

Twilight’s eyes lit up at either the prospect of being a teacher or at the term Auntie, I wasn’t sure which. I was awestruck at the off-the-cuff way they talked about the destruction of a major magical artifact.

“Shattered the Heart?” I asked, my incredulity obvious in my voice. “How could a foal, even an Alicorn destroy an artifact of that much power?”

“Oh, we repaired it, so it wasn’t irreparable,” Twilight said. “But it was likely an amplification of her magic,”

“Creating a resonant harmonic within the crystalline matrix of this Crystal Heart?” Sunshine said. “That is theoretically possible, but for an infant to strike such a pitch with enough intensity is statistically improbable!”

"Well, we think that it was part the pitch and part her magic," Twilight said. "According to some theories, the concordant properties of emotionally powered magics are shown to have quite an impact on the power levels of the diverse spells."

Shining glanced at his wife. “That’s Twilight, all right. Big words and all.”

I laughed along with Shining and Cadence, much to the consternation of both Twilights.

“I don’t always use big words,” they both said in almost perfect unison.

The laughter was only renewed.

Later that night, I slid up next to Sunshine as she looked out over Ponyville as the moon glowed down softly. “Can’t sleep?”

She shook her head. “Thinking. Here, my brother is a father and I’m an aunt! I never thought about the possibility of that at all,” she turned to me, a strange look on her face, one of wonder and wistfulness. “I don’t really talk to him or Cadence since transferring to CHS. Could they have started dating, or have they been dating and I was just too wrapped up in trying to get into the independent study program to notice? Or missed that they're getting married? What if I'm already an aunt?”

I put a hoof on her shoulder and she calmed down. “I think they might have told you if they were getting married, Twi.” I matched the direction of her gaze briefly. “I know that you can get drawn into things sometimes, but the important things will make sure you take note. Even if we have to steal the book out of your hands.”

She gave a soft laugh. “I’m going to turn in early, I think,” she said, turning away from the balcony. “I don’t want to miss seeing a Wonderbolt show just because I’m sleepy.” She gave me a shy smile as she disappeared.

I sighed and turned to look out at the sky. "I don't get that mare," I said to myself as I watched the canvas before me.

"Why not?" a voice came from behind me.

I jumped in surprise, then turned and bowed as Cadence slid onto the balcony with me.

"Princess," I said. "I didn't know you were..."

"Hush," she said with laughter in her voice. "And stand up. I only like one pony bowing to me in private." Her face showed amusement at her private little joke. "What is it that you don't understand?"

"I don't know," I said. "I mean, she's not from here and yet she insisted on coming. One night I tried talking to her like I always do but somehow I hurt her feelings, but the next day she showed up at my mother's funeral like nothing had happened." I sighed. "This isn't like the Twilight I know. It's almost like she's trying too hard to be supportive."

"So what if she is?" Cadence asked as she moved to the rail herself. "We often overreact when those we love are concerned. You should have seen some of the mishaps Shiny had when courting me."

My mind broke. "Love?" I stammered stupidly.

"That is what I said, yes," Cadence said. "Twilight told me about what had transpired between her and her twin during her little magic training sessions. She apparently let it slip that she loves you, Sunset Shimmer."

My brain was still a little cracked around the edges. "But, me? I..." and down went functionality again.

"You seem to have quite a bit of trouble wrapping your mind around this," she said with concern. "Is it really so hard to understand? All the signs are there." She sat down. "Why is it difficult for you?"

I sat as well. "I...well..." I raked a hoof through my mane. "I don't have anything to offer her. And we're from two different worlds, two different species. It just wouldn't work."

"And you spend ninety-eight percent of your time in that world where you are the same species as she is, so your last two points are invalid," Cadence smirked. "So that means you're deflecting. Next excuse?"

I worked my jaw, trying to think of rational reasons as to why it couldn't work, but nothing came up. The Princess of Love lowered her head a little to whisper conspiratorially.

"Just between me and you," she said. "She's not sure of things herself. She's been trying not to let on while you're dealing with your mothers funeral. But as much as she wants to tell you, she's also afraid."

"Afraid?" Memories of that unusual flash of fear I had felt the other night rose to the surface.

"Afraid of how you'd react, of pushing too hard or too fast," Cadence said. "Or of you not feeling the same way, or at least, not to her."

I sat quietly, mind replaying the events of the last few months, from the time she and Timber had broken up to now.

"Twilight mentioned to me some sort of pendant," the Alicorn's voice broke into my thoughts. "Something that allowed you to see surface thoughts and feelings?"

I nodded. "But I haven't been wearing it."

"You sound unsure."

I scrunched up my face in thought. "The other night, I had a flash of fear," I said. "But it wasn't mine. I couldn't understand it at the time."

"Could it have been Sunshine's fear?" she asked softly.

"Looking back, it could have been," I admitted. "But how would I have been able to feel it? I can't sense anything without wearing the pendant."

"They say that those in love feel each other's pain, you know," Cadence smiled. "Just an old pony tail, but maybe with your circumstances, it might be true."

I sighed, trying to gather my thoughts. “There's a connection of some sort, I'll admit that. I thought it was just a resonance between us. That Twilight had gained access to magic by siphoning it from me and my friends by accident with a tracking device she had built. Then with my mother passing away, and the trip here, seeing family again and Celestia and all the ramifications of that to deal with, my thoughts and heart have been all over the place.”

“I understand,” Cadence said. “But now, in this moment, how do you feel about her?”

I looked inside, sorting through the memories and the emotions associated with them, especially with this new information added to the mix.

“I care about her,” I said. “But it's Twilight, and she’s still getting used to the whole idea of friends, not to mention having just come out of what was probably her first serious relationship. You probably know better than I do how your Twilight acted at that stage of her growth.”

“Our Twilight defeated Nightmare Moon and took control of the Elements of Harmony,” Cadence said softly. “She’s stronger than you think. And you’re deflecting. Again.”

“I know, it’s just confusing.” I turned and sat down facing away her. “I am so thankful she came along - I probably would have had things worse if she hadn't. I didn't realize how different the girls here are from the ones I'm friends with, and how little I can tell my sisters on top of that. And...and I enjoy the time we’re spending together. We both understand things that the rest of our friends can not possibly, nor would I wish for them to.”

“The magic transforming you both, I assume?”

I looked at her in surprise. She shrugged.

“I said I had heard about you, and I don’t just mean from Twilight’s first trip through the mirror, either.” She gave me a warm smile.

I nodded. “I’m just not sure if that's love or a deeper understanding, and if I'm going to be feeling Twilight’s emotions from time to time, that makes it harder to keep things clear.”

“That, at least, I have a theory on,” the Princess of Love said. "You said that she siphoned magic from you. There may have been a connection formed there, something linking you two together. It is possible that the only way you are picking up on emotions from your Twilight is when they mirror your own and resonate off each other. Otherwise, you’d be picking up on everypony’s emotions randomly.”

“I’m glad I’m not,” I said laughing without meaning to. “One trip inside Pinkie’s head was enough.”

Cadence laughed along with me. “Try something. The next time you’re alone with her, listen to your heart and let it guide you. Something I’ve noticed about you prodigies, sometimes your head gets in the way of your feelings.”

She rose and left me.

I thought about what she said. Twilight had siphoned my magic through the magic of the portal as well. Maybe it had a different effect on the drain? But more importantly, how did I feel about her, for pony sake?

After a lot of reflection, I stood and ducked into my room, draping my pendant over my neck and heading to Sunshine's room.

“Come in,” came the voice after I knocked. I pushed through and walked up to the unicorn that was wrapping her mane up in a braided bun for sleep. It wasn't exactly perfectly done, but for somepony that had only been using magic for a few days, that was pretty good.

“Sunset?” she said, but I swept up to her before she could say anything else and pushed my head into her shoulder.

“Hush,” I said, listening to her heartbeat.

And the magic triggered, sending a torrent of information into my brain. First and foremost I felt her brain trying to rationally figure out what was happening. Under that was the thought that her heart had just stopped. Then the wave crested, showing me her memories of me at the games, a nimbus of light surrounding me with my hand held out. Memories of the camp, sneaking glances my way. On her few dates with Timber, not really paying attention.

Under all of that was a feeling of what I could only define as a hesitant love that battled with a firmly set self-depreciation. I now understood why what I had meant as a joking remark at Rarity's expense had cut her so. She thought that she didn't measure up to this world's Twilight, mentally comparing herself as a meek bookworm to a regal princess, not realizing that in reality, Twilight was just as much a bookworm as she was.

As the magic faded, I became aware of her quickened breathing. And I understood something about myself, as well.

I did feel something for this mare, after all. It was just buried underneath concerns about Mom, and that she hadn't shown any signs that I could pick up on as far as interest went. I just got in my own way, it seemed.

I sighed, unhooking my pendant and letting it float to the side, just enjoying the feel of her heartbeat. “I just need to be honest.”

“I know you have trouble opening up, Sunny,” she said, a slight quiver in her voice. “You don’t have to force yourself…”

“I’m probably creating most of that trouble,” I said, interrupting her and standing up straight. “There's been a lot on my mind lately, and it kept me from looking closer at things. It's going to be a little while yet before I'm fully healed up, but I want you to know that I'm willing to try if you can be patient. I don’t want to miss out on something good just because I’m afraid it won't work out. I've got a few things that I still need to work on, personally speaking.”

I looked at her face, seeing a mixture of disbelief and hope in her eyes. I smiled.

"So, if you're willing to be patient with me," I whispered, suddenly shy. "I'm ready to try."

I had expected some words of encouragement, possibly a nuzzle or horn touch. What I got instead was a surge of emotions, swelling up inside as she stepped forward and hugged me tightly.

Indecision fought with determination, with fear and uncertainty providing cold undercurrents to the tidal wave of feelings, each of them indelibly my own along with a hint of Twilight’s own color.

Then she kissed me. It wasn't a hard kiss, filled with passion and love. It was meek, shy, and almost completely Twilight in every sense of the word.

The shock I felt was almost immediately swept away by a welling of bliss, relief, and excitement from Twilight, copying my own feelings now that I knew what they were. And under it all, from both my heart and hers, a powerful fire blazed into being, blasting down any walls I may have built over the years.

Especially those around my heart.

Chapter Fifteen - My Greatest Surprise

I hooted as the Pegasi stunt team flew low over the crowd, performing tight spiraling loops and crisscrossing flight paths. I hadn’t had this much fun at an event since the dance at the summer camp. Ponies on all sides of me echoed my enthusiasm, none more so than an azure-coated unicorn.

“This is amazing!” she called into my ear to be heard over the crowd. “I had no idea that pegasi could perform such complex formations!”

“Of course we can!” crowed Rainbow Dash as she lounged back in her seat. “It's tough, but nothing that a few hard practice sessions can’t handle.”

I smiled as the team climbed into a high arc, then reversing their course and passing each other with a burst of fireworks. “Which one is Soarin?” I asked.

“Soarin? He’s that one there, I think,” Sunshine said, pointing after glancing through her program.

I looked at the Pegasus indicated as they landed, raising an eyebrow. “So that’s who my sister has been seeing, hmm?” He looked impressive in his flight suit but otherwise looked like a regular pony.

The show broke for a short time while they set up the stage for the Countess to perform shortly and we milled about, some going to grab snacks or stretch their legs. Sunshine could hardly contain her excitement, practically prancing as we went out and grabbed a pair of funnel cakes provided by an unusually professional Pinkie who was manning a stand for the Cakes.

“What do you know about the Countess?” she asked. “This is going to be the first real experience of Equestrian music I’ll see and I’m not sure what to expect!” She looked at me with eyes wide in excitement as we returned to our seats."I don't usually go to concerts...well, pop concerts, really. I got to see the Manehattan Pops once, but I was too young to appreciate it."

“I don't know much, actually,” I said as I took a napkin and wiped some powdered sugar off my muzzle. “She’s about our age, and only really came to popularity recently.” I glanced at the stage, its curtain pulled closed and a few lights being checked by some unicorns before dying back to the relative darkness of the falling night. “So this is going to be a first for me, too. But I've never been much for pop. It's too commercial for my tastes.”

She grinned and nodded, sidling a little closer and adjusted her glasses, horn lighting up and moving them with ease now. She had picked it up a lot faster than either I or Princess Twilight had anticipated, though ever since her teleporting misstep, she hadn't tried again. I glanced over at the higher seats, ringed by gleaming gold armor. Two of the youngest princesses of Equestria sat together with Shining Armor. They leaned over to each other to whisper some unknown secret before laughing, Twilight covering her mouth with a hoof.

“We’re going to have to leave soon,” Sunshine said in a quiet voice, glancing down. “Aren’t we?”

“We should probably head back before the rest of the gang decides to rush through the portal to join us,” I agreed. “But, we’re going to be coming back for my sister’s wedding, after all. And don’t forget we were invited to Hearth’s Warming at Twilight’s castle in two months.” I touched horns with her. “It’s not like we won’t ever visit again.”

I glanced around, smiling. “Besides, it’s been a nice trip, despite what caused it. I’m going to miss Mom,” I stopped as my voice hitched and paused to blink away a stray tear. “But seeing everypony again, even Celestia, was a good experience.” I then gave her a playful push with my shoulder. “And I got to spend time with somepony special.”

She blushed, looking down. “Stop that,” she said in a voice that said that she didn’t really want me to. She was about to continue when the stage lights went up and the Countess came out, wearing a simple if elegant dress. She stepped up to the microphone and was hit by a spotlight.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts,” she started. “I would like to thank you all for coming to this benefit. All the proceeds will go to fund schools and libraries both here and in the Crystal Empire. I would like to thank Princess Cadence and Princess Twilight for their help in organizing this fundraising tour.” She tossed her mane back over her shoulder and glanced back at the shadows of the stage and nodded. “But you aren’t here for talk,” she said with a wide grin as a drum and bass started playing and lights came up.

“You came for a show,” she continued, striking a pose as a few fireworks went off. I saw a pony off to one side of the stage dressed in a pointed blue hat and cloak grinning in satisfaction. The rest of the band kicked off as the sparks died down.

I loved the show. It was very heartfelt pop, with a good beat and it got even me - an avowed hater of most things pop - tapping my hoof. Sunshine, of course, was eating it up, not content to just enjoy the music. She applauded just as loudly as everypony else and even joined in collected cheers. I smiled at her as the Countess took a seat behind a piano that was wheeled out onto the stage during a brief intermission.

“What?” the Unicorn asked when she saw me grinning.

“Didn’t think you'd love this as much as you are,” I said giving her a quick nuzzle. “Maybe we should try and catch one when we get back.”

She smiled. “I think that would be nice,” she said, leaning into me as the next song suddenly made me glance up.

For you, I’ll give the world.
Through the wind and rain
Snows and floods
Cannot keep my promise to you

To you, I’ll never be cold.
Though the night may fall
And clouds roll over the sun
I will always stand by you

For you, I have no words
That can truly express to you
Just how great a surprise you were

You are a salve to my tears that fall
Though they don’t flow as much
As they did before I found you

And you’re the greatest treasure of all.

I had expected another introspective song when she had gone to the piano again, something like her “Magic Inside” tune. But this song, it sparked something inside me.

As the strings took up an interlude, I leaned into Sunshine. She rested her head against my shoulder, and I turned my head slightly to brush my cheek against her face. I felt more than heard her sigh in contentment, and I draped a foreleg over her shoulders. I could feel her feelings in my chest like I had just swallowed a warm mug of some of Applejack’s cider.

After the concert, as we trotted back to the castle for our final night’s stay, I stopped as we crested the last hill to look over Ponyville. I sat down, memories whirling through my mind as a breeze blew over the hillock I was on. I felt Sunshine’s presence next to me, touching but not intruding on my reflection.

“There are times I really miss this place, you know,” I said without preamble. “This was home for most of my life. But the last year or so, you and the girls, they’ve made the campus at CHS feel just as much like home. Maybe even more so. Just before the Games, I was wrestling with a lot of homesickness. I might have gone back through the portal if not for the way the Games turned out."

I glanced around before turning and looking Sunshine in the eyes. “But I also think now, that wherever I am, as long as I have friends and somepony - somebody - like you, then I think it doesn’t matter where I stay.”

She smiled and touched our horns together. And channeled happiness and contentment through the connection, making me smile and return the feelings. She was the first to pull away, a question in her eyes.

“So can we return when we want to?” she asked. “There’s so much to see here and I’d like to see it on a more festive time.”

“We’ll have to check with Twilight, but I’d be fine with that.” I leaned forward and gave her a kiss grinning at the blush it caused. “Come on, it’s getting a little cold out here and I’m sure you wouldn’t mind a chance to play with Flurry Heart a bit before Cadence puts her to bed.”

Her eyes lit up and with a giggle, we both started trotting back to the castle.

Me and my greatest surprise of all.

Chapter Sixteen - Homecoming

I smiled as Sunshine and Twilight played with Flurry Heart. I was nice to see the simple interaction between niece and Aunt, or even Aunts, depending on how you looked at it. It also twanged a chord in my heart as I remembered playing similarly with mom and my sisters as a filly. I sniffled but only two tears leaked out this time. The words Mom had said before slipping away in the dream were with me still, reminding me that she loved me.

I'm not sure what I believe as far as the afterlife is concerned. I hadn't ever considered it before, so maybe that hadn't just been a remnant of her consciousness. Maybe a piece of her soul had held on to see me one last time.

Cadence saw my smile and leaned over. "If you wanted to, you could join the fun," she whispered.

I waved it off. "I don't want to get in between the two Twilights and their Peek-a-boo war with Flurry."

Twilight teleported again when Flurry Heart covered her eyes with her tiny hooves. When she opened them, she looked around to find the missing pony who was hovering above her.

"That's cheating," Sunshine pouted as Flurry looked up and starting a gurgling giggle.

"Is not," came the retort. "It's how a lot of parents play with their foals."

"Not all parents have wings and magic, Twily," Shining Armor said as he came back in from receiving the morning guard reports. "So it may be a bit unfair."

Twilight settled back on the ground and gave the foal a small nuzzle as she let out a huge yawn, pulling her blanket over to her with a burst of magic that I still found surprising.

"I can't believe she can already levitate objects," I said. Sunshine murmured an agreement as I walked over and patted the sleepy foal on the head before lifting her to place her in my place on the couch. "I think I was three before I could even spark, let alone use my horn fully."

"She is a wonder," said the Princess of Love as she smiled down at the sleeping foal. "Especially when she behaves like this. But I think it is time for bedtime with her, I'll be back in a moment." With the child settled gently between her wings, she rose and left.

Sunshine leaned against me, eyes glancing down. "Part of me doesn't want to leave," she said almost to herself."

I turned my head and rested in on top of hers behind her horn. "I know the feeling," I said. This was almost like a homecoming to me, and as much as I miss Mom, I'm glad that I was able to make it at all."

Twilight sat down near us and smiled. "And there's no reason you can't visit again," she said. "After all, you have roots here with your sisters and all of us. It would be a shame to let them wither. Why don't you come during Hearth's Warming? I'm sure you haven't had one since you left all those years ago."

I considered it. While I had managed to get the hang of Christmas on the other side, it was so much later in the month and was full of traditions that I still didn't understand even after six years. "That sounds great, Twilight," I said. "I might just do that."

"Could I come too?" Sunshine asked. "I'd love to see the differences in an Equestrian holiday compared to those I grew up with."

I shook my head in amusement. "I don't have a problem with it, as long as you don't treat it as an experiment. Twilight?"

The Princess of Friendship grinned. "Of course" she replied. "I'd be glad to sit down and talk with you about it when the time comes! You can stay here again if you like."

My smile blossomed again. "I think we may stay at my Mom's house - I guess my house, that is - in Canterlot," I said. "I haven't decided if I'm going to keep it or sell it yet, but that can wait until the end of the year, I suppose."

"Well, just let me know when you know," Twilight said, rising. "I know it's a little late, but I could use a snack. You two want anything?"

I shook my head. "I think I'm going to avail myself of your balcony and watch the night sky for a moment," I said. "But you two go ahead, I'll catch up."

As they left, I walked out onto the platform and stared up at the twinkling stars as they wheeled slowly in the night sky.

"Thank you, Princess Luna, for the gift you gave me," I whispered before turning and walking back in.

The next morning, all of the bearers of the Elements and siblings had gathered for breakfast and a going away party Pinkie had planned, though Cadence and Shining Armor had already left before I woke up. I was inundated by the sight of the table piled high with cupcakes, muffins, fruit, and stacks of pancakes between pots of tea and coffee. Sunshine plodded in a few minutes later, her muzzle held high as though sleepily following the smell of food or, more possibly, the coffee.

"Coffee," she mumbled as she entered.

"Someone's a sleepy filly," Pinkie giggled as she popped up next to the Unicorn with a mug already held out. "Two sugars and a cream."

Sunshine took it in her aura with a look of confusion. "How..."

Twilight lifted a mug in her lilac aura. "Because that's how I take mine when I have it," she giggled.

Despite the difference in topics and faces, this meal could have been held at the lunch table at CHS for how similar it was to those simple conversations. AJ and Bloom talked about the farm, Rarity told us about her new shop and told us that we 'Simply must come by soon'. Dash and Scootaloo were split between talking about the show last night and the new direction the CMCs were taking now that they had finally gained their cutie marks. I leaned back after finishing my breakfast and sighed contentedly.

"This is the best send-off I've ever had, Pinkie," I said. "Thank you so much."

The pink pony giggled and waved a hoof in the air. "No biggie," she said. "After all, it's not every day we have a pony from here that went over to another world come back with an alternate version of Twilight. I thought you'd enjoy one big meal before you had to leave."

I smiled. "I do," I whispered, nodding. "I do."

Twilight set her mug down. "When do you plan on leaving?" she asked.

"I wanted to see my sisters one last time and let them know about the house and about being back for Hearth's Warming," I said. "And also maybe tell them about Sunshine and I."

Sunshine blushed furiously. "Let's wait," she said almost as quietly as Fluttershy.

"Fair enough," Twilight said. "Why don't you invite them to tea? I'd be glad to meet them."

I blinked. "Don't you have some sort of Princess thing to do?"

She shrugged, her wings ruffling. "Tea is at four, and all I have to do is attend the ribbon cutting for the new Town Hall at noon."

Fluttershy leaned forward. "Am I still keeping Muffins occupied?"

"Please," came the near unison reply from all the assembled ponies and Spike.

"I don't get it," Sunshine said.

"You know Muffins," I said. "But you may have heard her called Derpy at the school.

"Oooooh," she said, nodding.

"I'll make the invitations," I said. "Think they'll get there in time?"

Spike puffed up his chest. "I can get them to them as soon as you're done writing them."

Twilight reached over and pulled the dragon into a hug. "Number one assistant, just like always," she said.

Tea had been an interesting encounter. Glory hadn't been able to speak most of the visit out of shock of being invited to tea with one of the Princesses, let alone that I was counted as one of her friends. Dew had taken it much more in stride, even going so far as to verify what I had told her about handling some things in Twilight's stead. I had fortunately warned the Princess beforehoof.

As they left, I smiled, waving. "See you all at Hearth's Warming," I called.

Twilight smiled as she shut the doors. "They seem nice," she said.

I laughed. "Wait till Glory's mouth starts working again," I warned her. "She's an incurable gossip hound. She'd get along with Rarity, I'm sure."

She laughed. "I'm sure," she agreed. "Anything else you want to do before you leave?"

I paused.

"There is one thing,"

Twilight, Sunshine, Starlight, and I were milling about in the library that night, sharing in the awkward small talk that always seems to occur prior to departures, where you don't want to start something important lest you be unable to finish the tale. Spike saved us when he returned from the errand I had sent him on earlier, a package and a comic clutched in his claws.

“Here they are, Sunset,” he said, setting the package on the table.

Twilight levitated it up to look at the framed photo of her, the girls, Sunshine, and I. We had gotten it taken earlier and I had offered him the change to run out and grab it when it was done. I eyed the comic he also had.

"Surely the cover price hasn't gone up that much," I said, a faux glare forming.

He shuffled nervously. "I also got an Alexandrite sundae," he confessed.

I laughed. "It's ok, kiddo," I said. "I did let you have the change, after all."

Twilight lifted the other photos from the package, a small snapshot of each of the girls at work; AJ in mid-buck while Bloom stood with a basket on her head, Rarity using Sweetie Belle as a sewing test subject, Pinkie at Sugar Cube Corner, Dash directing some cloud motion, Fluttershy binding a bird's wing and Twilight, Spike, and Starlight reshelving books.

“A nice idea, Sunset,” she said as she put them all back in the box. “I’m still curious as to why you wanted them, though.”

“Well, while I may stay across the mirror, I don’t want to forget where I came from and the friends that I have here.” I nodded at the package before lifting it with my telekinesis and setting it next to my bag sitting by the mirror. “A remembrance and a reminder, if you please.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” she agreed as we rejoined the main group.

Sunshine came up and stood next to me, having just stepped away from Applejack, a small case of Sweet Apple Acres Cider held firmly in her improved telekinetic grip. We had thought to test it against our Applejacks version to see if there was much difference.

“Well, we had a blast girls,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. Out of the corner of my eye and through the bond I could tell Sunshine was also feeling a little choked up. “Try not to get into too much trouble without us.”

“Like that’ll be hard,” Rainbow Dash said, hovering in the background and making a show of not looking at us.

“We do have our fair share of difficulties, I’m afraid,” Rarity hedged.

“We have had a few ourselves,” Sunshine said, leaning into me slightly.

Behind me Princess Twilight levitated the message book into the cradle over the mirror, it’s magic powering up the portal again.

I moved towards the mirror after a final round of hugs. I waited till Sunshine was done with her round before whispering to her.

“You may want to rear up a bit this time. It helps.”

She nodded, and after grabbing our packages with our magic stepped through the portal.

Once my equilibrium had settled, I looked over at Twilight as she resettled her glasses and tugged at the sleeves of her hoodie.

“Feels strange to be wearing clothes again,” she said, standing and wobbling slightly.

“It’ll wear off in a moment.” I picked up the picture and stood as well. She balanced the case of ale on her hip and looked up at the sky.

“Seems like it’s just past sundown,” she said. “We should let the girls know we’re back.”

“We’ll call them from my place, but I don’t think we should be in a hurry,” I said as I reached out and laced my fingers into hers. “I think we should enjoy a night just by ourselves. Pizza and a movie?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” she said, a flush coming to her cheeks and a feeling of contentment bubbling up through our bond.

I stopped for a moment, glancing back at the statue containing the portal. Twilight glanced at me.

“Something wrong?”

“No, not at all,” I said with a smile. “It’s just good to be home.”

“It certainly is,” she said.

I squeezed her hand slightly. “Come on, Sunshine,” I said with a teasing tone. “We’ve got a dinner date to make.” She squeezed my hand back.

“And we wouldn't want to be late, would we,” she said, turning and giving me a quick kiss.

“Ooooh!” I heard as she leaned back. Spinning around, I spotted Rainbow Dash up on the other side of the statue along with the rest of the gang. I felt Twilight’s embarrassment fire up along with mine.

“Welcome back, you two!” Applejack said, a flush of embarrassment on her face as well, my journal in her hands. “We thought we’d welcome ya back but Ah think maybe that can wait till tomorrow.” She held out the book to me, looking me in the eye. "How you holding up?"

"Well enough, I think," I said. "And we have something to tell you."

"Ah can tell," she said with a serious look before she and Fluttershy started shooing Rainbow away while Rarity came up to us, giving us each a hug.

“Took you two long enough,” she whispered in my ear.

I smiled. “Someone else had said that recently as well, I recall.” I hugged her back. “I have some photos to show you all tomorrow.”

She smiled at me and headed off herself. Pinkie popped up and handed us a basket of cookies with a big wink and hop-skipped off without saying a word.

“Is she always that weird?” asked Twilight.

“As far as I know,” I replied. “But I think that was the best homecoming we could have asked for.”

I took her hand again and we left, heading for my place and the promise of a quiet night.

Author's Note

And that's the end of this story! I will say, though, I kind of enjoyed writing this bit of SunLight. I'll likely return at some point and continue on or explore other characters of my little universe here and I definitely will be behind Sunset's eyes again.. I hope you all enjoyed it, and here's to all of you great readers. :twilightsmile:

Also, I pop in from time to time to fix mistakes or to re-word for better flow, so don't be afraid to say something if you spot an error!