Alpinisms

“So. I see you have wings.”

Sunset really wasn’t sure how to respond. The look on Twilights’ face described an emotion she couldn’t quite place. If she had to name it, it was somewhere between concern, jealousy, and suspicion.

“Yeah, I guess I do. I didn’t like… ask for them, or anything. I just woke up and they were there.” Her wings unfurled from where they were resting, as if responding to the conversation.

Twilight looked forlornly at Princess Luna, the look in her eyes pleading for some sort of guidance. Luna remained silent, except for this:

“Twilight Sparkle has mentioned a vision you received. Tell me, Sunset Shimmer, about that vision.”

“Oh, yeah, of course. It was… I was walking with Twilight, right. Then something supersedes my surroundings and I’m somewhere I’ve never been before. There’s this fiery figure walking next to me. I guess it’s me? And she talks, about who I am. Who I’m meant to be. I think she kind of killed me? In a way?”

“Killed you? How so?” Sunset wasn’t sure she had ever seen a more active listener. Lunas’ focus was on her entirely.

“Well… She touched me and I fell apart. Metaphorically. I just felt myself disintegrate. One moment I was Sunset Shimmer and the next I wasn’t. As quickly as that happened I became myself again? Except I was that figure walking beside me, seeing myself through the eyes of my non-alicorn self? I don’t know, it felt like I was two ponies at once. More than two ponies, really. It felt like I was everypony I could’ve ever been simultaneously. It was weird. Really weird.”

“Hmmm… It sounds much like the visions I had when I was younger. Much, much younger. I was just learning to walk in the dreaming world and you’d be amazed at the echoes of yourself you might find when every unconscious mind in Equestria is open to you. You felt like you were without a self, would that be correct?”

“Yeah, that’s exactly it. Like I wasn’t. Anything at all. I was nothing, but I was?” She clutched her hooves over her head. She wasn’t unintelligent by any standards but this dream magic still eluded her.

Luna placed a hoof on Sunsets’ shoulder. She felt compassionate understanding wash over her, permeating her very soul. “It’s alright, my student. It will become clearer in time.”

“S-student? But I thought- I mean... “

“Just for now. Celestia wasn’t able to make it and it sounds like the trials that stand before you wait not in the waking world but in the world of dreams.”

“... I see. I’m sorry if I sound unsure of myself, this is all just so sudden!”

“Yes, it is. We had quite a bit more time to prepare for Twilights’ alicorn journey, admittedly, but this is no less exciting. More challenging certainly but I relish a challenge.” The triumphant smile on Lunas’ face helped steel Sunsets’ nerves for now, at least. If the Princess of the Moon believed in her, then she couldn’t she believe in herself!? “Now I must leave the two of you to your task. I have work of my own to complete.”

“Of course, princess. Thank you for stopping by. I’ll let you know if we need anything else.” With a sharp crack Luna was gone, a faint jasmine scent hanging in the air where she previously stood. Twilight turned her attention back to Sunset again.

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“Twilight, can we talk?”

“Absolutely, Sunset! Let’s do it outside this time. It’s too nice of a day to waste.”

“I agree! Race you down?”

“You’re on.”

Moments later they arrived in front of Twilights’ castle, having both decided to forgo the concept of walking, instead choosing to teleport. When they saw what happened, they broke out into a fit of giggles.

“Twilight, I can’t believe you’d just cheat like that!”

“Oh believe me, when it’s life or death you worry less about the rules.”

This got them both giggling again until Sunset made an idle observation.

“Teleporting was… really easy. I feel so strong.”

“I know, right? But hey, let’s not get carried away. You said you wanted to talk to me?”

“Yeah. I wanted to thank you, actually.”

“Thank me? For what?”

“For everything! I tried to destroy you and you could’ve done so much, you could’ve really hurt me but you didn’t. I owe a lot to you, Twilight.”

“Jeez. I mean, I really appreciate you saying that but it’s not like I did anything out of the ordinary.”

“Oh, you have no idea how out of the ordinary it was. Do you know how long I was in the human world before you came?”

Twilight tilted her head, curious. “No. How long?”

“Two years. I spent two years there, building my…. Power base, I guess. Getting ready for whoever was going to come out of that portal after me. Looking back at it I was just torturing myself. I was being punished for my own reckless ambition. When you showed up, I thought I had you in the bag.”

“For a while there you kind of did. You were pretty serious about keeping that crown, weren’t you?”

“I was beyond serious, Twilight. Anyways, you showed me what friendship really felt like. I learned more along the way with the help of the girls and then…”

“And then…?”

“I fought you again, actually. Except it was like, real human you. Not pony to human. And you know what? Saving you, back in that universe, saved me. I wouldn’t be who I was if you weren’t there. Either time. I owe you a lot more than you could know, Twilight.”

By now Sunset had her vision trained on the ground. If there was one thing she hated more than depending on somepony it was owing them something. Admitting all of that hurt, actually. She knew more than anypony else there wasn’t growth without pain so she endured it, waiting for Twilights’ response.

“That’s…. I suppose that’s true, isn’t it. It’s how I feel about Celestia. It’s how I feel about Rainbow and Pinkie and Applejack and Rarity and Fluttershy and Spike and… Just about everypony I’ve ever met, really! I would quite literally not be who I am today if it wasn’t for them and you know what? That’s fine! I’m glad that I have others to depend on, ponies who can carry the weight if I can’t. It’s made me a better pony.”

If there weren’t tears in her eyes before there certainly were now. Sunset wiped them away before embracing Twilight with everything she had. The startled release of air from her dear friend told her that everything she had was quite a lot. After a moment she let her go, allowing the princess to catch her breath.

“Thank you, Twilight. I don’t know what the future holds for me but I know whatever it is, I can face it so long as I have my friends.”