Seeking My Purpose In The World

by The Sleepless Beholder

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Drama, Mystery, Princess Celestia, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 163688

Sunset Shimmer, against her own ambition, decides to not risk delving into the secrets of the mirror Celestia had shown her and remains as her pupil, hoping to achieve her dreams in the correct way. But shortly after, Celestia gets a new student.

Sunset Shimmer had been obsessed with the magic mirror Celestia had shown her, but she was constantly rejecting her questions about it, so she decided to seek the answers herself.
However, before she could cross the line, she remembered what the mirror had shown her, and considered the risk she was putting on everything she had achieved so far.
Finally, she decided to abandon her search and remain at Celestia’s side, achieving her dreams and ambitions with her teachings.
But she then noticed a distance between her and Celestia, and it only got worse when one day, Celestia announced she had taken a new student under her wing, one that is much more like what the princess wanted her to be.

Reviewed up to chapter 6 by Jarvy Jared: Review

Reviewed up to chapter 6 by Nailah: Review

Featured 7/1/2020!

Now it has an editor!
My Little Pastafarian has already edited chapter 1, 2, 26-38 and counting, Chapter 31 having a part written by him (You can identify it by the increase in quality XD).
We hope to improve the quality for new readers and those who want to revist it someday. I thank them greatly.

Published 2020-05-22 09:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-12-07 18:14:16 UTC

Chapter 2: What Is My Purpose?

Sunset walked the steps of the Ivory Tower, whistling a little tune until she reached the blue doors that lead to the inner study of her rival. She gently knocked on the door and waited exactly seven seconds before knocking again. Still having no answer, she knocked again, a smile forming in her face.

Seven seconds later, her smile turned malicious as she took a few steps back before charging up her horn and blasting the entrance.

The subsequent explosion turned the wooden doors into thousands of little splinters that showered the inside of the tower along with a few pieces of the ivory framework.

Sunset stepped inside with a big smile, quickly finding the annoyed face of Twilight Sparkle looking down at her from the second floor, which filled her with delight.

“Twilight! Good to see you!” Sunset exclaimed graciously while walking towards her.

“Why do you keep blowing up my doors?!”

“Hey, you know the rules; if you don’t answer on the third knock, I let myself in.”

“But why an explosion?!” Twilight screamed in frustration. “Why not just teleport inside?!”

Sunset put on a malicious smile. “Because I respect your privacy, and simply appearing beside you would be rude.”

Twilight gave a heavy sigh. “You’re just a bully.”

Sunset put her foreleg around Twilight’s neck and ruffled her hair. “And you are my bookworm victim. We fit the roles perfectly! Besides, I’m the one who pays for the damages.”

“You’re not the one that has to clean afterwards.” Spike grumbled while picking up splinters of wood off the floor.

Twilight pushed Sunset aside and returned to the book she had been reading. “What are you here for anyway?”

“Celestia asked me to bring you a message. She needs you to go to Ponyville to supervise the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration.”

“What?!”

“Relax, I’ve heard it’s a nice town, and it has a nice library where you can pass the nights in comfortable study.”

“We don’t have time for that,” Twilight exclaimed, showing her the book she had been reading. “I’ve discovered that the mythical Mare in the Moon is in fact Nightmare Moon, and she’s about to return to Equestria and bring eternal night with her!”

Sunset pushed the book away. “Twilight, that’s just an old tale. And if Equestria was really in danger, we would already be doing something to stop it.”

“But the prophesy says she will be released by the stars the day after tomorrow! We have to warn Celestia.”

“Twilight, Celestia has been ruling since the time before Nightmare Moon’s legend became a thing. You wouldn’t be telling her anything she doesn’t already know.”

“But-”

“No buts, you have a mission already. Got to Ponyville, supervise the preparations, and as always…”

“Make some friends,” Twilight grumbled, annoyed.

“She was particularly insistent this time, so give it 20% more effort, okay?” Twilight still looked grumpy, making Sunset roll her eyes and levitate a quill and paper to her. “Just send a letter to Celestia and go to Ponyville. You can continue your research there, and if you find anything other than some myth, Celestia and I will come to you.”

“Fine.” Twilight quickly wrote the letter and gave it to Spike, who sent it with a green flame.

“You better go now so you’ll have time for your research. The chariot is waiting outside.”

Twilight let out a sigh before going to the exit. “At least I will be away from you. Come on Spike.”

“In a minute,” the dragon responded, walking towards Sunset with a gift in his hands. “We were going to Moon Dancer’s party today, can you give her this gift and apologize in our behalf?”

Sunset smiled as she took the present. “Don’t worry, I will explain the situation to her.”

“Thanks Sunset.”

Sunset arrived at Moon Dancer’s party, gift in her back, and quickly looked for the mare.

She reminded her of a yellow version of Twilight, just a little more socially awkward, if you could believe that. It was actually surprising that she would throw a party, she usually preferred a quiet library.

“Sunset?” asked a familiar voice, and the unicorn turned to see the party pony with a party hat on her head and everything.

“It’s so good to see you here.” She quickly pulled her into a hug. “Did you come with Twilight?”

Sunset gave her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, but Celestia told her to leave for Ponyville and supervise the preparations of the Summer Sun Celebration.” She pulled the gift off her back and presented it to her. “She asked me to give you her apologies and deliver her gift to you. I’m sure she will come see you as soon as she finishes.”

Moon Dancer looked more dejected than Sunset had expected. “She could have at least told me herself.” She took the gift and put it aside without much care.

Sunset felt bad for the mare. She was the closest one to Twilight, but that didn’t change her rival's view of friends. “Look, she was also worried for the safety of Equestria.”

Moon Dancer raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“She was rambling about the return of Nightmare Moon. I’m sure you have heard the legend.”

The unicorn went deep in thought. “Now that you mention it, there is another legend related to that; the Elements of Harmony. It’s said that they are the only thing that can stop the Mare in the Moon.” Moon Dancer was suddenly struck with a realization. “Maybe we can find information about it and send it to Twilight.”

“Do you really believe Equestria could be in danger?” Sunset asked.

“I think so. Come with me.” Moon Dancer turned her attention to the rest of the party guests. “I will be away for a little while. I thank you all for coming!”

Sunset followed the mare, curious about the sudden change in gears.

They quickly got to the Canterlot library and walked to the far end of the building. “Moon, I’m pretty sure that Twilight has read all these books at least three times.”

“But not these ones,” Moon Dancer replied with a smile, pulling some books from a bookcase that was against the wall of the back of the library. With a mechanical clack, the wall slowly moved, revealing a secret section filled with dusty old tomes.

“Welcome to Canterlot’s secret library.”

Sunset was speechless. “How did you find this place?”

Moon Dancer smiled with some pride. “I’ve been working here for some time, and eventually realized that a part of the library wasn’t accessible, so I poked around until I found a secret entrance.”

“Moon, we shouldn’t be here. You shouldn’t even tell me this. I’m Celestia’s pupil!” Sunset almost screamed.

“Come on, there’s nothing really that horrific, just old legends and things that Equestria has tried to swipe under the rug. It’s not like we are learning necromancy.”

“Still, we shouldn’t enter a restricted section. It should be obvious for the ’restricted’ part of the name!”

“Look, here we might find a way to possibly save Equestria. I’m sure Celestia will be lenient. Besides, no-one is going to find out.”

Sunset thought about it for a minute. Was she really going to commit her mistake again? However, if Twilight and Moon Dancer were right, this could be her chance to show Celestia that she has changed for the better. Besides, she might become friends with Moon Dancer, and finally one-up Twilight.

“Okay, but after this, you have to promise me you won’t come here again.”

“What? Why?”

“I don’t want to be tempted to enter this place again and getting caught. It would mean my immediate expulsion from the castle.”

Moon Dancer’s eyes went wide at the realization. “Oh, I didn’t think about that. You better wait here while I get the books. That way you can deny everything if we get caught.”

Sunset smiled. “Thanks Moon.”

The unicorn nodded and walked inside the secret passage, taking a couple minutes until she returned with a pile of books.
Sunset took them while Moon Dancer closed the entrance, and they both went to a far away table to start their research.

“The Elements of Harmony are six powerful artifacts once wielded by the royal sisters, which aided them in the defeat of the lord of chaos; Discord. There are only five that are known; Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Loyalty. The sixth one is said that would only be revealed when the other five are reunited by ’The Spark’.”

“Wow, defeat Discord? What kind of magic could those artifacts wield?” Sunset wondered while investigating her own book. “I found something about Nightmare Moon. Apparently, she didn’t only refuse to lower the moon, she organized a full-blown revolution to overthrow Celestia!”

“What?! How is this notcommon knowledge? Who supported her?”

“Apparently a lot of ponies sided with her and used magic to change their nature, transforming their bodies to a new race called thestrals, beings that could fight and live in the complete darkness of the night. When Nightmare Moon was defeated, their fighting force was… decimated?!... and the rest of the sympathizers were imprisoned in the darkest corner of Equestria for all eternity.”

Both Sunset and Moon Dancer were speechless.

That Equestria could dictate such a sentence to ponies, traitors or not, and then try to hide any knowledge of it was something neither of them had ever thought possible.

They stayed frozen in shock for a long time, until they both stirred and started to do what was almost instinct to them; they continued delving into the books, ignoring the world around them.

Sunset found a couple of pages explaining the transmutation spells that the ponies used to turn themselves into thestrals, and quickly added them to her pool of knowledge.

Then, she made the next big discovery.

“You won’t believe this…” she said, catching Moon Dancer's attention. “Nightmare Moon, the mare banished to the moon by the Elements of Harmony, wielded by Celestia… Was Celestia’s own sister; Princess Luna Selene Stella.”

“If this is true, then what Twilight said about her return at the Summer Sun Celebration is real. Equestria is in danger!”

“We still have some-” Sunset looked outside, noticing that the sky had already turned dark. “Crap, I need to go warn Celestia.”

Sunset used her magic to summon a parchment with a little mark in the shape of her cutie mark in front of Moon Dancer. “If you find anything new, write it down on the parchment and focus your magic on the seal, it will send it directly to me.” Moon Dancer nodded and Sunset ran outside, making her way towards the castle.

Sunset finally reached the throne room, where she found Celestia just sitting in her throne, looking at the moon through a window. “Princess Celestia. I’m sure you have received the letter from Twilight.”

Celestia turned her head to her. “I did Sunset, I told her she needed to stop reading those dusty old books.”

“But they are not lying. Your sister is returning tonight. We need to find the Elements so we can stop her.”

Celestia looked back at the moon. “You shouldn’t know that Sunset.”

“That’s not the point right now. Equestria is in danger. You are in danger.”

“I’m well aware of that. I have already done everything to make sure my sister is saved from her darkness.”

Sunset was confused. “What do you mean? Are you talking about sending Twilight to Ponyville?”

“You need to go Sunset. She will arrive soon.”

“I can fight her with you. Even if we can’t defeat her together, we can at least buy Twilight some time.”

“I don’t want you caught in the middle of this.” She turned to look at Sunset once more, her expression completely neutral. “I need you to trust me and Twilight to solve this matter. You don’t need to get involved.”

“How can you say that?!” Sunset responded with anger welling inside her chest. “You can’t just expect me to stand aside and leave everything to Twilight! I’m more than capable of doing anything that she can do. And even if that wasn’t the case, I am still powerful enough to at least protect her.”

Celestia closed her eyes, and Sunset could recognize the slight frustration she always had every time they had the friendship talk. “You can’t wield the Elements Sunset. No one can do it by themselves anymore. Only-”

“Wait,” Sunset interrupted, with an almost sick smile across her face. “Twilight Sparkle… Sparkle… She’s the spark, isn’t she? She’s the missing element that will join the rest. Her friends… the friends you always wanted her to have. Will she find them in Ponyville?”

“Sunset-”

“How long were you going to keep this from me? Hm? It has been years since she became your student. Years in which I turned from your pupil to a glorified teacher. What will change now that Twilight will officially become what you were so desperately looking for? Were you expecting that I would never question it and keep to the side like you ask of me now?”

Celestia took a deep breath and looked at Sunset with pleading eyes. “I can feel the heat of your anger Sunset. But I beg you, have faith in me, and let things play out. I will answer any questions that you have after tonight. Even about what you saw in the mirror.”

Sunset took deep breaths, slowly calming herself, but her eyes were still filled with anger. “I trusted you once before. I put your teachings before my ambitions and ended up in a dead end, playing the fool.” She took another deep breath and exhaled. “I will trust you a second time. But let me be clear. There won’t be a third one.”

Sunset turned around and walked out of the throne room, slamming the doors behind her. She then concentrated her magic and teleported to the edge of the Canterlot platform, looking in the direction of Ponyville.
Suddenly, a flash of golden light produced a scroll with Moon Dancer’s hoofwriting written in it.

“Sunset, I found out that the Elements are currently located in the Castle of the Two Sisters. Have you warned Celestia?”

As she read the last part, she heard a sinister laugh coming from the castle, and a ray of sunlight flew from the throne room window like a shooting star and disappeared over the horizon.

Sunset was alone now. Just her, and the promise that Twilight could somehow fix everything.

She couldn’t leave everything to chance. Even if she couldn’t intervene, she needed to be sure things wouldn’t go astray.

Equestria depended on it.

She concentrated her magic over her body, remembering the transmutation spells of the thestrals, and felt her body slowly change.
Two large bat wings with some feathers grew on her back, and she gave them a quick flap, testing their form.

She then focused her mind on all the books she had read about pegasus aerodynamics and flight patterns, and let herself fall off the platform towards the hard rock floor.

She could feel the wind on her face and the air currents flowing along her body, and especially, her new wings. She extended them, feeling the wind and magic slowing her fall, until it finally allowed her to glide forward.

With a quick flap of her wings, she gained altitude, and found herself flying in a straight line towards Ponyville.

“I’m flying. I’m actually flying.” She said, eyes still closed, and managed to form a calm, proud smile.

After relishing the moment, she opened her eyes, anger replaced with determination.
She was going to make sure this crazy plan of Celestia’s worked, and then she would get her answers.

She would reach her destiny. She knew she could.

Author's Note

Sunset leveled up!

Sunset learned: Thestral anatomy, thestral transmutation.

Sunset gained a new ability: Flight.

Chapter 3: Am I a Monster?

The flight had been tiring, but Sunset had to push on. If Twilight was going to collect the elements from the castle, the only way she could reach them was through the Everfree Forest.
She finally reached the large mass of trees, but now she had to somehow locate the unicorn and whatever friends she had managed to gather.
She concentrated her magic once again, and her eyes and ears changed into what the thestrals had, allowing her to hear and see in the night like if it was the middle of the day.
No, even better than that, she could see farther, in more detail, and all the sounds around her were clearer.
She could hear ponies talking, so she followed the sound until she saw Twilight walking through the forest, being followed by five other ponies.

“Let’s see. We have a hat, a piece of butter with pink hair, cotton candy on legs, a marshmallow, and a rainbow. What a colorful bunch of weirdos.”

Suddenly, a landslide pushed the group towards a cliff.
Butter and Rainbow caught Marshmallow and Candy, but Twilight was about to fall off the cliff, the only thing stopping her was Hat holding her hooves.
Sunset perked up her ears so she could hear them.

“Applejack! What do I do?!” Twilight screamed in panic.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Uhm, Twilight, did you forgot that you can teleport?”

“Let go,” Hat suddenly said.

“Are you crazy?!” Twilight responded.

Sunset frowned. “Seriously Twilight, just teleport away. You know how to, I taught you myself! How can you be the fricking chosen one if you can’t even remember your spells?!”

After her rant, she saw Twilight plummet towards the floor, only to be saved by Rainbow and Butter.
Shaking off her frustration, Sunset flew ahead in search for any danger in their way and it didn’t take long to see an angered manticore marching in the direction of the mares.
She dove into the forest, landing just in front of the big feline beast, which reacted with a mighty, spit-throwing roar.
Sunset channeled more magic to the thestrals transmutation, copying their sonic voice and fanged mouth, and gave her own, magically augmented roar.
The manticore whined and sat down, standing firm at what it considered a more dangerous predator.

“What’s your problem?” Sunset asked, an animal-talking spell making her words understandable to the beast.
The manticore lifted his left paw, showing a big thorn in the middle of it.

"Well, this could be considered a test of kindness. I guess it’s meant to be. Somehow. I’ve never been part of a prophesy before."

“Listen to me! there are six ponies coming your way. You will wait for them, roar angrily at them and look menacing, but do not hurt them. They will take your pain away, you will be thankful, and then you will leave. Understood?”
The manticore nodded. “Good, I will be watching.” She went to the skies, and watched the ponies deal with the beast.

Sunset wasn’t surprised when Butter was the one that showed kindness to the manticore. She looked like a softy for animals.
When the ponies continued their march, she went ahead again in search for dangers, but stopped when she heard screams behind her.
"Did the manticore come back to attack them?" she wondered while flying back, but found them bunched up, terrified of… some trees?

Sunset facehoofed. “Really? You were willing to fight a manticore head on, but a bunch of trees with ugly faces scare you? They can’t even move!”

She was starting to lose hope in Celestia’s ‘champions’ and her chosen hero. But before all hope was lost, Candy started to sing a happy song.

Sunset was not in the mood for a song.

“Okay, Candy is laughter, let’s move on.” She flew away, quickly reaching the next blockade; a large, sad sea serpent turning a river into a rapid.

“Okay, I may just let this one alone.” Sunset flew towards a tree and hid in it’s top to rest a little. The fact that her wings were of magical nature helped to not feel physically tired, but it was exhausting her magic quite severely.

Sunset sat in a branch and crossed her hindlegs while putting both of her forehooves together at chest height, entering an old meditation technique from the zebra culture.
It helped her relax her body and mind. Calming her magic so it would recover much more quickly.

She stood in this position for a couple minutes, until her thestrals ears signaled her that ponies were talking nearby, so she poked her head out of the tree, and saw Marshmallow cutting her tail with a scale of the sea serpent to then tie it to the creatures missing half of a mustache.

“Ok, Marshmallow is generosity. That leaves loyalty, the spark, and honesty… could honesty be Hat? Twilight seemed to make a sort of leap of faith at the cliff.”

Sunset shrugged and took flight once again, flying ahead to find a collapsed bridge. “Meh, doesn’t seem like much of a challenge, they can just fly over it. Better go make sure Nightmare Moon didn’t took the elements before us.”

Sunset flew to one of the castle’s windows and made another thestral transmutation to turn her coat to a dark grey, allowing her to magically meld into the shadows.

“The elements of harmony. We found them!” Twilight exclaimed as she walked towards a large stone sculpture that held five stone orbs with marks in the shape of different gems.

Pinkie started to count them as Fluttershy, and Rainbow got them off the altar. “One, two, three, four, five… there’s one missing?”

“It’s said that when the five are reunited, a spark will reveal the sixth.”

“And what does that even mean?” Applejack asked.

“I’ve an idea, but I need you to stand back. I don’t know how the elements will react to magic.”

The five ponies went outside, leaving Twilight alone with the five orbs.
She charged her horn, focusing her magic into making a spark to try and activate them, but before she could complete the spell, a sparkling blue cloud formed a whirlpool around the stones, lifting them into the air.

“No!” Twilight was about to jump, but a cyan ray of magic blasted the cloud, sending the form of Nightmare Moon crashing through the stone altar and slamming her against the wall. “W-what?”

A grey figure landed on top the crumbled altar; wings stretched open, horn glowing with power, it’s posture menacing to the mare in the moon, but protective to Twilight and the elements.

"An alicorn?" Twilight thought in panic, taking a few steps back, but then she saw the mare’s cutie mark. "Sunset?"

Nightmare Moon stood up, dusting herself off while admiring the figure that had attacked her.

“Interesting. It seems that my followers haven’t been idle during my millennia of imprisonment.” She started to walk around the creature, but the grey mare hissed menacingly at her, warning her of getting too close.
“You have the traits of my people, but your transformation is incomplete. Tell me, who are you?”

Twilight watched as the grey mare walked forward, and discreetly pushed one of the elements towards her.

Getting the message, Twilight slowly lifted the rest of the stones from the ground, taking them away while the night creatures talked.
Rainbow and the rest helped her carry them quietly outside, and they formed a circle around them.

“Who was that scary mare?” Fluttershy asked with trembling voice.

“She looks so cool!” Rainbow exclaimed.

“Girls, focus, we need to figure out how to activate the elements before Nightmare Moon discovers us.” Twilight tried again to create a spark, but it seemed futile no matter how many times she tried. “What am I doing wrong?”

Suddenly, an explosion was heard from the castle, and Twilight watched in horror as the unconscious body of Sunset flew over their heads and fell into the gorge.

“Sunset!” Twilight screamed, trying to run to the cliff, but Nightmare Moon landed in front of her, destroying the stones in the process.

“One fool has already been taken care off. Now it’s your turn.” The dark alicorn laughed, but Twilight’s thoughts were busy replaying the scene of Sunset falling to her doom.

She was protecting her. She faced Nightmare Moon by herself just to buy her some time. She had been watching from the shadows, probably even before they got to the castle.

After all their fights, all the bullying and antagonizing, Sunset put her life at risk for her… and lost.

A hoof landed on her shoulder, and Twilight looked as her companions stood beside her, looking at Nightmare Moon without any fear.

“Don’t worry Twilight. We will put this Nightmare to sleep and rescue your friend,” Applejack said while she adjusted her hat for a fight.

Twilight smiled. Sunset wasn’t the only one that was willing to stand beside her in this.

These mares, they were also her friends. They would stand beside each other and face any threats together.

Twilight wiped her tears and stood up, looking at Nightmare Moon straight in the eyes. “We won’t let you hurt anypony else.”

Nightmare Moon laughed. “And how do you plan to do it? The elements are destroyed!”

Twilight smiled as the pieces of the stones started to float around her friends. “You think you can destroy the elements of harmony just like that?”

Everything hurt.

Sunset had no magic to cast a spell.

No strength to move her body.

No voice to cry suffering.

The only two things she could feel was pain, and the wind as she quickly plummeted to the bottom of the gorge.

To think that gravity would be the thing that ended her dreams.

Sunset hit the water of a river at the bottom of the gorge, and then the hard ground beneath it, making her bounce a little under the water, but it wasn’t enough for her head to break surface.

Her lungs were quickly being filled with water, and her body was damaged to the point she couldn’t even feel the pain anymore.

As she sunk to the bottom of the river, Sunset’s final thoughts were of what could have been her life. How glorious and powerful she could have become. A ruler worthy of taking Celestia’s place and rule Equestria, leading it to a new era of prosperity.

But those dreams would never happen.

This was the end of her.

She just had to let go.

Suddenly, she saw a huge rainbow light at the top of the cliff, and seconds later, something flew into the gorge, speeding towards her.

"Are they coming to save me?" she thought with a sliver of hope, but then she recognized what was moving towards her...

...The blue mist that Nightmare Moon could turn into.

The shimmering cloud plunged into the river and quickly started to spin around her body, lifting it out of the water.

Her magic replenish itself instantly, the sensation of her body returned, and she regained control of her limbs.

Sunset violently vomited all the water out of her lungs, but the mist took its place, entering her body through her mouth.

“You’ve defeated us, little sun. But now you will preserve us. And when the time is right, we will make your dreams come true.”

As the last of the mist entered her body, Sunset collapsed over a rock in the river.

“Now sleep little sun, and forget our existence… for now.”

And then she passed out.

Sunset slowly opened her eyes, her vision blurred.

“Sunset! You are awake!” sounded the familiar voice of Twilight. And Sunset groggily turned to her.

“I think I’m seeing double,” She muttered, but then her vision cleared, and noticed that the other copy was Moon Dancer.
Another figure, taller and blue, came into view. “Princess Luna?”

The figure smiled. “We are. After a thousand years. Thanks to you and your friends.”

Sunset gave a chuckle. “I don’t really know them. Just Twilight. And we don’t like each other very much.”

Sunset saw a purple hoof over her own. “Well, that’s going to change.” Sunset could see her smile, but there was a little bit of sadness in there too. “What you did… I can’t ever repay you.”

Sunset smiled. “So… I can keep blowing up your doors?” Both unicorns laughed, while Luna and Moon Dancer looked at each other with confusion.

Once the laughter died down, Twilight took a sadder expression.
“I’m going to stay in Ponyville with my friends. But I promise I will come to visit you whenever I can.”

Sunset looked at Moon Dancer, remembering how dejected she felt when Twilight left for just a day. An idea came to her mind.
“What are you going to do with your tower?”

Twilight looked confused at the question. “I guess just take my things and close the place. Maybe Celestia will give it to her next big student.”

“Well, I’m sure she is a great candidate for the position.” Sunset pointed at Moon Dancer, who seemed in a little bit of a shock. “She helped me realize the real threat of Nightmare Moon and discover where to find the elements. I wouldn’t have been able to help you if it weren’t for her.”

Luna smiled. “I’m sure my sister will agree to the arrangement.”

“It’s decided then.” Twilight walked towards Moon Dancer.
“I’m… I’m sorry that I missed your party. Now that I know how important friendship is, I realize how bad I acted with you. I hope we can be friends for real this time.”

Sunset could tell Moon Dancer was on the verge of tears. “Don’t worry Twilight. We will keep in contact.” Both unicorns hugged, and Sunset jumped out of bed.

“Aren’t you going a bit too fast?” questioned Luna.

“I’m feeling perfectly fine. And I need to talk to Celestia.” Sunset looked around. “Is she waiting outside?”

Luna looked at her with confusion, or perhaps it was suspicion. “Sunset, how exactly did you survive the fall into the gorge?”

Sunset seemed to ignore her. “Where is Celestia? She is here, right?”

Luna hesitated, but Twilight shook her head, the action clearly hurting her heart.

Without giving a chance to speak, Sunset teleported away.

Celestia was sitting in the dining room, eating her usual midday cake, but it was clear the usual delight had been lost somewhere before she even took a bite of the pastry.

Suddenly, her plate was thrown across the table by an orange hoof.

“So, is eating cake more important than visiting your pupil in the hospital? Or is this your way of telling me that I’m no longer welcomed as your pupil?”

Celestia looked at her with her usual neutral expression and looked towards the staff and guards in the room. “Please, leave us alone so we can talk.”
The staff quickly left the room, closing the doors behind them. Celestia addressed Sunset once again. “I promised you answers. So, ask away.”

“For starters, why weren’t you in the hospital with my friends and your sister?”

“I was…” Celestia seemed to think the right words to say. “Debating how to approach you.”

“Wouldn’t a simple ‘Oh Sunset, I’m so happy that you didn’t die’ be enough?”

“That’s my point… anypony should’ve died from that. But you are not only alive but look in perfect condition. No broken bones, not even a scratch on your coat. How exactly did you survive that fall?”

“Maybe I’m just more durable than you think.”

Celestia frowned. “This is serious Sunset. I need to know!”

Sunset took a couple of seconds to respond. “I don’t know. I just remember that it was the most intense pain I’ve experienced ever. Then a light appeared over where Twilight and her friends were fighting against Nightmare Moon, and next thing I know I’m in the hospital.”

Celestia looked down in thought, like if she was trying to solve a puzzle. “What other questions do you have?”

Sunset was getting more and more mad.

She really seemed like she didn’t care how she felt. “Why are you so distant of me?! I know I made a mistake entering the restricted library, but I chose to leave the knowledge and stay by your side, only to be replaced at the first chance you got. Do you hate me that much?”

Celestia took a deep breath, preparing herself. “I’m not angry at you Sunset.”

“Then what is it?!” she screamed.

“I’m scared.”

“Of what?!”

“You.”

Sunset recoiled like if she had been hit in the face with a hammer. “Ever since you became my pupil, your knowledge, capabilities and power has been growing exponentially, but you never seemed to be able to control it properly. And when we saw your future in the mirror, my fears became a reality.”

Sunset’s blood was boiling, she had never wanted to hurt a pony so badly before now.
“Are you so afraid that I will take your place as ruler of Equestria?!”

Celestia didn’t respond, and used her magic to bring a mirror in front of Sunset.

Her boiling blood turned ice cold.

She had unconsciously activated her thestral transmutation, and now that she saw her reflection, she recognized the image.

It was the monster that she saw in the mirror so long ago. The monster that she was terrified to one day become.

Celestia poked her head from behind the mirror. “Do you realize that when you faced Nightmare Moon, she saw you as an equal?”

Suddenly, the memories of that encounter came back.

“I’m one of the followers that you left behind.” She said menacingly, but it was just a façade.
Sunset was terrified. She had blasted her with all her strength, but it didn’t leave a scratch on her. She couldn’t win in a fight, so the only option was making time so Twilight could activate the elements.

“Is that so? Then I am deeply sorry for my absence.” Nightmare Moon made a little bow.

“They exterminated everyone that could fight. And then banished us to the darkest corner of Equestria.”

Nightmare Moon seemed actually sad at the news. “It pains me that those willing to follow me have been suffering such treatment. I swear that I will make the ones responsible pay with a thousand years worth of interest, and guide the thestrals to a much better nation as a reward for their undying loyalty.”

“It’s already too late. There are so few of us now we barely avoid extinction.”

“I assure you, with Celestia banished to the sun, there will be nothing that can stop me once the elements are destroyed.” Nightmare Moon smiled. “By the way. How did you reach this place from the darkest corner of Equestria?”

Luckily, Sunset had been thinking an alibi while the alicorn ranted. “The only way to avoid execution was to resign the cause and join the enemy. I hated every second of it, but it helped me survive, and now I can finally confront you for what you did to us.”

Nightmare Moon’s smile didn´t waver. “One thing I’m wondering, where exactly is this ‘darkest corner of Equestria’?”

Sunset tried to respond, but got nothing, and a magical aura took hold of her body, threatening to crush it like a toy.

Nightmare Moon laughed as she lifted Sunset to her eye level. “You may look the part, but I can feel the sun inside you.” She put a hoof against the unicorn’s chest. “I can fell its searing heat, desperate to be released. Such power, such potential, if you unlocked it, you may rival my sister in power.”

The alicorn touched Sunset’s horn, and the unicorn felt a wave of pain course through her body, reverting her back to normal. “This proposal is for you, little sun; join me, destroy the elements, help me free my ponies, and I will help you unlock your true potential. I will make you my right-hand mare and allow you to keep any land you conquer in my name after the ponies are fully in our control.”

Sunset struggled against the magical hold on her body, but it was futile.

“I will give you ten seconds to decide.”

Sunset’s only option was to wait it out and hope that Twilight would rescue her with the elements.

“Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five…”

Just hold on a little longer, Twilight was coming. She wouldn’t meet her end like this… right?

“Four. Three. Two. One.”

Sunset closed her eyes.

Nightmare Moon charged her horn. “A fool’s choice little sun.”

“My fears, Sunset, it’s not that you rule Equestria in my place. It’s that you will turn into the second Nightmare Moon.” Celestia put the mirror down. “Now that you are aware of the truth, maybe we can-” Sunset slammed her forehooves on the table and pointed at Celestia with one of them.

“I’m not a monster,” she declared, but her hoof was trembling.

Before Celestia could respond, she teleported away, leaving the monarch alone in the room.

She bowed her head, closing her eyes. “Oh Sunset… What am I going to do with you?” A single tear ran down her face.

Sunset was sitting at the edge of the Canterlot platform, looking at the rocks below, deep in thought, until another pony approached her.

“Mind if I sit?” Luna asked.

“It’s your city.” Sunset responded dryly.

The lunar princess took her seat and looked at the conflicted unicorn. “Mind if we share some words?”

“If you still want to know how I survived, I can jump right now and find out.”

Luna smiled at the dark joke, or at least she hoped it was. “That’s no longer necessary. What we wish to know is what will you do now.”

“Return to my studies, I guess. Although now I know that Celestia will not teach me anymore. She thinks I will turn into-”

“We’re aware of our sister’s paranoia. We assure you; it pains her to think like that, but after so many years with the guilt of our banishment weighting on her, it’s to be expected that she doesn’t want history repeating itself.”

“It’s still not fair.”

“It isn’t, it’s an ugly thing that we have to live with and tolerate. Or…” Luna smiled, seeing how she managed to catch Sunset’s attention with the alternative. “We let go and find something better.”

“Better than being the pupil of an ancient being with more magic than a quarter of Equestria combined?”

“You already told us that she won’t teach you, so why stay in a place that you know will hurt you both?”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Join Twilight in Ponyville. Learn about friendship alongside her and prove to my sister that her paranoia has no foundation.”

Sunset thought about it for a long time, but Luna waited patiently. “You think that will work?”

“It will take time and effort. But we will also help you from this side. We know how to convince Tia to do things.” Luna stood up. “Think about it and send me a letter with your decision. I will break the news to my sister for you.”

Teh lunar princess left. and Sunset was once again alone with her thoughts. But this time, she looked to the sky instead of the floor.

Two knocks had been given to the recently reconstructed doorway of the tower, and Moon Dancer opened it, smiling at the sight of her unexpected visit.

“Sunset!” The unicorns shared a long hug. “What happened with Celestia, is everything alright?”

Sunset gave a sigh. “No… I’m… going to leave to Ponyville.”

Moon Dancers face turned to horror. “Did she banish you form the castle because of the library?!”

“No… I’m not banished. I’m just… leaving. It’s kind of complicated but it wasn’t your fault. The secret library was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was going to happen eventually.”

Moon Dancer gave her another hug. “I’m so sorry Sunset.”

Sunset returned the hug. “It’s okay, it’s the best for both of us.”

When they finally separated, Moon Dancer looked back at the tower. “I guess I’m staying here. Alone.”

Sunset put a hoof on her shoulder and smiled. “Hey, I have wings now, so I can come and go as I wish. I’m sure Ponyville will get boring very quickly.”

Moon Dancer smiled. “Thanks Sunset.”

Both mares said their goodbyes, and Sunset made her wings appear before jumping into the skies.

Twilight was once again traveling towards Ponyville in the golden chariot, bored out of her mind now that she didn’t have Spike to talk to her.
Suddenly, a new weight made the chariot move slightly until the pegasus managed to balance it.
Twilight turned around. “Sunset?”

“Hey, mind if I join you?” she said as she took a seat.

Twilight smiled. “I knew you weren’t going to leave me without a goodbye.”

“Well keep waiting, because I’m going to Ponyville too.”

“What? Why? I mean, I’m happy, but, your studies.”

“I’ve already learned enough in Canterlot, and I want to give this whole friendship thing another chance. Maybe the thirty-sixth is the winning one.”

“Well, I guess we will learn together. I will need to make room in the library thou.”

“What? No. I’m warming up to you Twilight, but it’s still too soon to live together. We haven’t even had a date yet.” Sunset contained her laugh at seeing the blush on Twilight’s face. “I will rent a room or buy a house.”

“Right, I will visit you often then,” Twilight responded, still a little nervous.

Sunset laughed and looked at the horizon, seeing Ponyville slowly approaching.

A new challenge, a new chance of sorting her life and advance towards her dreams.

She could still do it. She was going to leave her mark in Equestria’s history.

“So… can you teach me how to grow wings?” Twilight asked.

Sunset smiled. “Nope.”

Author's Note

Sunset developed a new condition: Nightmarish essence (dormant)

Sunset’s morale dropped: -10
Current morale: -10/100

The next two chapters are already planned and in the works.

I hope you like it, it will be a long one.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 4: I’m Liking This Town

Luna entered her sister’s office, seeing the white alicorn siting behind a desk, looking at a pile of documents and very clearly not reading them. “May we have a word with you, dear sister?”

Celestia smiled and pushed the papers away. “Please, save me form this boring bureaucracy.”

“It’s about Sunset.”

Celestia’s smile faded. “Of course it is.”

Luna calmly took a seat in front of the desk. “We have sent her to Ponyville.”

“What?!” Celestia exclaimed in horror.

“She will join Twilight in her studies of friendship. We believe the separation from you will help heal your relationship in the long run.”

“You can’t make that decision! Sunset needs to remain close to me at all times!”

“Well, the time she didn’t, she helped us return to our proper state of mind. We understand that you worry she will turn into another Nightmare Moon, but we can assure you, we do not see any bit of nightmare in her.”

“It’s not-”

“However, your attitude towards her is a clear copy of what drove us to that point. You should be well aware of this.”

Celestia dragged her hooves against her mane in frustration, her crown clattering to the floor. “I know that now. I just… I was so focused on getting you back that I didn’t realize how unstable Sunset was.” She thumped her head on the desk. “I wanted to try and restart things and mend the breach, but she was far worse than I was expecting… I shouldn’t have showed her the mirror.”

“You mean Stars Swirl’s mirror?”

“Yes. It showed her three possible futures; one in which she was sad and in pain, one where she turned into the monster you confronted last night, and the last one of her, ruling Equestria in my place.”

“Well, why not try and guide her to that last future. We’re sure that she would be more than willing to wait until your eventual retirement.”

“She can’t rule Equestria. She’s not ready, and she will never be. She doesn’t understand friendship like Twilight, she’s obsessed with magic, regardless of how dangerous it could be, and she’s adamant on doing everything on her own.”

Luna frowned at Celestia’s words. “We think you are blowing this way out of proportion Tia! She may not be ready now, but she can learn, if you teach her correctly!”

“There’s something that you don’t know Luna.” Celestia raised her head from the desk. “I took Sunset as my pupil at a very young age, way earlier than Twilight. And I didn’t do it for her magical prowess.” Celestia took some air before continuing. “I took her in to protect her, and everypony around her.”

Luna got closer to her sister, confused at the implication. “What do you mean protect?”

Celestia gave a heavy sigh, remembering the night after the Summer Sun Celebration, so many years ago. “It all started when she got her cutie mark…”

Sunset got up from her bed, walking to her new house balcony and taking in the morning sun. She had to admit, being in Ponyville was quite comforting. It was peaceful, and weird, like the quills and sofas place, but she liked it. It had made her realize how she had spent most of her life imprisoned in Canterlot castle.

“Sunset!” a voice called from below, and Sunset saw Twilight and her friends reunited at her entrance. “I want you to meet my friends!”

“I will be down in a second!” she responded before teleporting to the door, opening it to let them in.

“Darling, you need some curtains… and furniture in general,” Rarity commented, looking at the big empty room.

“Well, I just moved here, I haven’t had time to go to Ponkea.” Sunset rubbed the back of her head. “Also… I’m used to have everything done by the castle staff, so it’s a learning experience all around.”

Rainbow Dash nodded in understanding. “Yeah, moving alone is quite hard at first, but don’t worry, you will get the hang of it soon.”

“Thanks Rainbow.”

“Wait, you know her name?” Twilight asked surprised.

“Well, no. I just guessed by the rainbow hair.” She then pointed to the rest of her friends one by one. “Marshmallow, Cotton Candy, Butter, and Hat.” The girls were either offended, amused, or didn’t say anything. “I only looked at you from afar, that’s all I remember of you.”

“Well, let me do proper introductions then.” Twilight cleared her throat. “These are Rainbow Dash…”

“The fastest flyer in Equestria!”

“Applejack…”

“Howdy partner. Don’t call me Hat again.”

“Fluttershy…”

“hi”

“Rarity…”

“A pleasure darling, but I’m not a marshmallow.”

“And Pinkie Pie.”

“Cotton Candy sounds fun.”

Sunset smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all, and I thank you for saving Equestria from Nightmare Moon.”

“Yeah, we are pretty awesome,” Rainbow said with pride.

“But we should thank you too darling, you nearly gave your life for all of us.”

Sunset looked to the side with a little embarrassment. “I just got my flank kicked by Nightmare Moon.”

Applejack walked to her and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Still, you’ve to be very brave to face her without fear.”

“Speaking of which, how did you turn into that awesome looking alicorn?!” Dash asked with excitement.

“It just transmutation magic.”

“Trans-what?”

“Magic that changes the physical form and properties of certain things,” Twilight explained.

“So you can turn me into one of those things?!” Rainbow looked at Sunset with stars in her eyes.

“It’s not that simple, besides, aren’t you already awesome?” Sunset asked with a sly smile.

Rainbow thought about it for a second. “Yeah, you are right. I’m awesome even without looking badass.”

Sunset and the other giggled at the pegasus antics. “Well, I would invite you for breakfast, but I don’t have anything right now.”

“Don’t worry, I need to go back to the farm and harvest some apples,” Applejack said while walking to the door.

“Do you want me and Spike to help you?” Twilight offered.

“Sure, thing sugar cube.”

Sunset watched them leave, and Rainbow flew close to her. “If you ever want to test the speed of those wings, we can have a little race.”

Sunset smiled with confidence. “I must warn you; I can get quite competitive.”

“Ha! That just adds to the excitement.”

Rarity poked her head between them. “If you prefer a more calm and relaxing time, I can show you to the Ponyville spa to have a little chat. I’m curious how living in Canterlot and the castle is like.”

“Is not as interesting as one would expect, but I certainly could do some relaxing someday.”

The two mares said their goodbyes, and Sunset turned to look at Fluttershy, but the pegasus had left without her knowing.
Thinking nothing of it, Sunset looked at her empty house once more. “Well, I guess I should start making this a home.”

After a long morning of shopping, planning, and making sure that her things were delivered to her house, Sunset looked at the piles of furniture and boxes full of everything she thought she would need to live on her own.
“Now I have to put everything in order… great,” she said unenthusiastically, and her stomach grumbled, agreeing with her. “I think I saw a café close by.”

After locking her home, Sunset reached Café Hay, which she guessed got its name because all the chairs had been replaced with piles of hay. She slowly took a seat and found it as uncomfortable as she would expect. “Don’t they can afford proper seats?”

“We are working on budget madam.” Sunset turned her head and saw a slightly annoyed waiter who handed her the café’s menu. “I hope the menu is of your liking.”

Sunset gave an awkward smile. “Sorry, I’m new in town.” She looked at the selection of coffees and food, and quickly discovered none of her usual treats. “I… I think a coffee will be enough for now.” The waiter left without another word, leaving Sunset with a feeling that living away from Canterlot was going to take some sacrifices she didn’t expect.
Suddenly, a letter appeared in front of her, marked with Luna’s seal. She opened it with her magic and started to read;

“Dear Sunset:

After a very long talk, we’ve managed to convince our sister to let you stay in Ponyville.
She’s sorry about everything that has happened between you two, and when you feel ready, she’s willing to talk with you in a more open manner.
We know what you are thinking; why didn’t she said it herself? That’s because we’re telling you in advance.
Our sister takes her sweet time writing letters in fear of ponies misinterpreting her intentions, and she really doesn’t want that to happen with you. However, we thought that time was important for such a notice.
If you wish us to stand aside in this matter, just say so.

Our worries are with you, princess Luna.”

Sunset gave a heavy sigh.
Celestia thought she was a monster waiting to happen and had replaced her with Twilight while denying her further studies, but she had made a mistake before, and she had turned into the image of the mirror without realizing.
She didn’t know how much of Celestia’s paranoia was actually true, or how exactly was the future the mirror showed her.
The coffee arrived, and Sunset took a long sip of it.
"I need answers, but not right now. I want some peace and quiet for some time," she thought, relaxing a little, and looked at the menu again. "Maybe I should try the cupcakes."
Suddenly, another unicorn sat across her table. “Twilight? What are you doing here?”

The unicorn looked quite nervous. “Hi Sunset, sorry to interrupt, but I’ve a bit of a problem.”

Sunset smiled. “Did you turn another pet into an orange?”

“That was one time!” the purple unicorn complained. “And you smashed it with a hammer afterwards!”

Sunset raised her hooves. “Hey, we both knew Philomena was a phoenix, but you were too busy freaking out to remember she would reborn intact.”

“She still ratted us out to Celestia,” Twilight said with a grumpy face, remembering the stern look of her mentor as she scolded them.

“Anyway.” Sunset took another sip of her coffee. “What problem do you have?”

Twilight looked unsure of telling her or not. “Are you interested in the Gran Galloping Gala?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “No, why do you ask?”

Twilight looked relived and pulled out two golden tickets. “I got two tickets to the gala, and all my friends are trying to get me to take them with me, but I don’t want to have to choose between any of them.”

Sunset rolled her eyes, knowing full well that the second ticket was probably for Spike, but Twilight just didn’t take him into account. She could easily just ask Celestia for more tickets, but then an idea entered her mind.

“Oh Twilight, you haven’t been to a Gala before, have you?”

“No, why?” she asked confused.

“You don’t just take any friend to the gala. It has to be somepony special to you.” Twilight looked even more confused, which almost made Sunset start giggling. “Think about it, all the important ponies that go to the Gala do so with their spouse, or… a possible future spouse.” Twilight was still confused, which started to get annoying. “They go with their love partners.”

The purple unicorn started to turn red as she processed the words. “WHAT?! B-but I just got here! How am I supposed to find a special somepony?”

Sunset was containing her joy, so hard, to keep a straight face. “Well, you already have five mares trying to seduce you, don’t you?” She was surprised at how much more red her rival could get.

“W-w-w-w-w-w-w-what? But we just met two days ago!”

“So? You are smart, rich, practically royalty, and your bookworm persona is something many ponies find attractive. I’m pretty sure stallions and mares would fight over the chance of being your special somepony.”

“You- you think?” Twilight looked at herself with some doubt’s that she never had before.

“Yeah, you should go and pick whichever you find more attractive.” Sunset took another sip of coffee to hide her grin, relishing at the conflicted face of the unicorn. “Now, I’ve a question.” She got Twilight’s full attention. “Do you know how good the muffins are here?”

“Are you two going to eat in the rain?” the waiter interrupted, and they noticed that a cloud was pouring rain over the café, but someone had left a hole just above their heads.

“Is that you Rainbow?” Sunset called out, and the pegasus poked her head from the cloud and waved at them. “What are you doing?”

“I didn’t want my best friend forever that I never ever had to get wet in the rain,” she responded enthusiastically.

Sunset gave a knowing look to Twilight. “Well, how generous of you. You have such good friends Twilight.”

The purple unicorn seemed like she was trying to dig herself into the ground. “Y-yeah. Thanks Rainbow, but I was just leaving. Goodbye!” she said nervously before disappearing in a flash of light.

Rainbow looked at Sunset. “Was it too much?”

“I think you should have made the offer in person first. Getting close and being assertive will also help.” Sunset responded before taking another sip of coffee.

Rainbow smiled with confidence. “Got it. Thanks Sunset, enjoy the sun!”

The unicorn watched her leave and looked at the waiter. “Can I get some muffins to go? And more coffee, it’s pretty good.”

Sunset was walking through Ponyville, a shield spell keeping her dry, munching on one of her muffins when she saw a tall building that looked like somepony had put windows and a door on a carousel. Curious about the establishment, she approached one of the windows, and saw Twilight shaking the water off her coat, and accidentally throwing it on Rarity.

“Ups, sorry,” Twilight apologized.

“Is quite alright, after all, we are the best of friends, are we not?” the white pony questioned, rubbing her head against Twilight, making her blush heavily.

“Y-y-yes Rarity! Best of friends. He he he.” Sunset was biting her hoof to not laugh out loud and get discovered.

“And you know what the best of friends do?” Rarity asked holding Twilight’s hooves, deepening the red on her face.

“A-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a- goodbye!” Twilight disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Rarity confused.

“Maybe I was too forward?” the mare wondered.

Sunset walked away laughing until she bumped into Applejack, who was pulling a cart filled with apple-based food. “What kind of army are you planning on feeding?”

“None, these are for Twilight. Have you seen her?”

Sunset smiled at the clear shine in her eyes. “No, but can I give you some advice?”

“Shoot away.”

Sunset walked around her, looking at her cargo. “This food looks delicious and all but presenting it in a cart is not the best way.”

Applejack frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Twilight was raised in Canterlot, she’s used to a more proper way of receiving gifts. Showing food in a cart would look horrible there.”

Applejack frowned. “Aren’t you also from Canterlot?”

“Yes, and that’s why I’m telling you; you need a better presentation.”

“Look, this here is mah fanciest cart. Ah don’t have anything else.”

“Let me help you.” Sunset lighted her horn and lifted some of the plates in the cart and a few branches of a nearby tree. She used her magic to mold the materials like clay, forming a small rectangular coffee table with fancy design, some good-looking silverware, and arranged it all to look like a fancy dinner for two. “There, Twilight won’t be able to say no to this.”

Applejack looked at the table on her back with some doubt. “Are you sure this will work?”

Sunset put on her most confident smile. “One hundred percent! I practically raised her along with Celestia.”

“Okay, if you say so. Thanks Sunset.”

Sunset waved her goodbye and trotted away, giggling to herself.

After a few hours of work, Sunset looked at her newly furnished home.
She felt pride in the fact that she had done it by herself, and decided she deserved a little-

“Sunset!” a voice screamed from outside the door, and before she could take a step towards it, a flash of light made Twilight and Spike appear in front of her. “Things got worse! Pinkie told everypony about the ticket and now everypony wants to come with me to the gala!”

“What? But it’s just a-” Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and they could see a large crowd outside of Sunset’s house. “Ok, I’ll deal with this. Let me borrow your ticket for a moment.” Twilight gave her the golden card, and Sunset teleported to her balcony, facing the crowd.
“I will burn this ticket if you all don’t leave my sigh right now!” she screamed, summoning a flame to prove her threat. The ponies started to leave, but Sunset quickly saw five familiar mares. “You five, come inside!”
After making sure that only them entered her house, Sunset walked down the stairs, encountering Twilight in front of all her friends. “Well, this has gone too far already. I-”

Sunset was suddenly hugged by Twilight. “I chose Sunset as my special somepony!” she suddenly declared, making everyone gasp in surprise.

“Well darling… you should’ve told us about your… relationship.”

“I know Rarity, and I’m sorry that I played with all of your feelings, but-”

“Stop!” Sunset screamed, pushing her away. “First of all, I’m Celestia’s pupil, I’m automatically invited to the gala. I’ve attended it many times before!”

“So, you don’t need the ticket.” Rainbow said with a little hope.

Sunset looked at the five. “No, and neither do any of you. You are the elements of harmony, heroes of Equestria, you only need to ask Celestia and she will give you tickets.” A collective ‘ohhh’ came at the realization.

“So, all of us have to find a partner?” Twilight asked, more confused than before.

“I was messing with you, Twilight. You don’t need to bring anypony with you if you don’t want to.”

“What?! But then… Sunset!” Twilight looked like she was going to burst into flames.

Rarity was suddenly struck with the realization. “Wait, so that’s why Twilight has been avoiding us all day?”

“And that’s why yah told me to make the food fancier for Twilight.” Applejack accused.

All six mares looked angrily at Sunset, making her roll her eyes. “You five are the ones that have been chasing Twilight all day, trying to coerce her into giving you a ticket that doesn’t belong to you! Eventually making the entire town chase her to my doorstep.” The mares anger started to fade at her words. “Regardless of my joke, you shouldn’t press anypony to make a decision they are uncomfortable with, especially for your own personal gain!” The five mares were now looking at the floor in shame. “I don’t know what reason you have to go, nor do I care. But I ask you this; Is that reason more important than Twilight?”

Applejack was the first to respond. “No, it’s not.” She looked at Twilight. “Am sorry Twilight, ah didn’t realize what ah was putting you through.”

Pinkie was the next to talk. “I’m sorry I made the town chase you for the ticket.”

After all her friends said their apologies, Twilight calmed down, releasing a breath of relief. “It’s okay girls, I should have asked Celestia for more tickets in the first place… Maybe if somepony didn’t make things look worse!” Sunset stuck out her tongue. “I forgive you, and I’m happy that none of you gets left behind.” The six mares shared a big hug that was interrupted by Twilight’s rumbling stomach. “Oh, yeah, I still haven’t eaten lunch.”

“Allow us to treat you to dinner,” Rarity offered, and the six friends walked out of Sunset’s house, leaving her alone with a still silent Spike.

“I always knew this one was for you.” She offered the ticket to Spike, who snatched it from the air.

“You have to stop,” he said with a seriousness that was uncommon in him.

“You mean the joke? I know it got out of hoof, but you know how it is between us.”

“Yes, but we are not in Canterlot anymore, you can’t keep doing the same things. Who knows how the town will look at Twilight after the whole ticket incident, and how would they react if you blow up her door like you did in the tower? Celestia it’s not going to come from Canterlot to scold you both, and the ponies will not look away because you are her student and pupil.”

Sunset looked at him with some newfound respect for the dragon. It was the first time she saw him standing up to her for Twilight’s sake. “I guess I can take it easy on her for some time, but if she gives me a golden opportunity, I will take it.”

Spike shook his head and joined his claws in plead. “Sunset please, I really want Twilight to fit here the best she can. You know she can stress herself too much over details, having you messing with her will only make things worse.”

Sunset faked annoyance. “Fine, I will leave her alone.”

Spike smiled in relief. “Thanks Sunset, I owe you one.”

“I will use it against you.” She joked, watching the dragon leave through the door.
Having enough activity for the day, Sunset climbed the stairs to her bed, and found a letter beside it, with Celestia’s seal in it.

“You can wait until tomorrow.” She told it before climbing on the bed and turn off the lights.

Author's Note

Sunset has acquired a new household!

Sunset’s morale has gone up!: +20
Current morale: 10/100

Next chapter is already in the works.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 5: I’m Scared

Sunset was staring at Celestia’s letter, unsure of if she should read it or not.
Luna had already given her the abridged version of it, and just imagining what Celestia could have written in it was making her nervous.
Would read it make her angrier? Make her sad? Make her want to return to Canterlot? Give her hope?
After another ten minutes of wondering, she finally reached a conclusion.
“I said that I want some pace and quiet.” She put the letter back on her nightstand. “I should go out for breakfast.” She jumped out of bed and exited the house, walking towards the Café Hay.

“So, you decided that our establishment is up to your standards?” the waiter asked as Sunset took her seat.

“Yeah, sorry about the first impression. It’s quite the culture change.” She apologized, and the waiter seemed to turn a little less annoyed.

“I will accept your apology and take your order,” he said all business like.

Sunset smiled with a little bit of relief. “Well, a coffee to start, and I would like to try-”

“Stampede!” a voice called out from the skies, and everypony started to panic and run in different directions, closing their doors and windows and screaming nonsense.

“Everypony calm down, there is no need to panic.” Called out a mare with white silver mane and glasses, but nopony was listening to her.

Sunset looked at the nonplused face of the waiter. “Does this happen often?”

The waiter sighed. “Enough for me to lose money as my clients run away without paying.” He pointed at the now empty tables, some even knocked over with hay strewn about.

“Now I see what you meant about the budget.”

“I will go get your order.”

When he was out of sight, Sunset used her magic to put everything back into place and clean the destroyed food.
She then noticed that the screams of panic had been replaced with cheers of celebration. Confused by the change of mood, she looked at a crowd gathering at the edge of the town, looking at the silhouette of a hat wearing pony.

“Good job Hat,” she said smiling as the waiter brought her food, who then noticed the cleaning she had done.

He actually smiled a bit. “I thank you for your help,” he said with a little bow.

“It’s nothing.” Sunset took a sip of her coffee, and an idea popped into her head. “Would you mind if I offer a suggestion about the seating? I promise it won’t hit your budget.”

After a few hours of buying metal bars, carefully weaving hay, getting some nice-looking cloth, and magic-induced welding, Café Hay had a new whole set of metal chairs with hay cushions.

“Must admit, you are a quite crafty mare,” said the waiter with a smile.

Sunset scratched the back of her head. “Hope I’m not intruding too much into your business.”

“Well, I can’t exactly complain.” He turned to Sunset and presented his hoof. “Name’s Savoir Fare.”

“Sunset Shimmer,” she said as they shook hooves.

“Applejaaaaaaaaaack.” A voice screamed, and both ponies saw a streak of rainbow flying towards the library, crashing against the railing of the balcony.

“Is that also a normal occurrence?” Sunset wondered.

“Rainbow Dash doing something reckless and getting hurt for it? She even does it on a schedule.”

“This town is kind of weird. No offence.”

“Can’t say you are wrong.” He then gave her a new cup of coffee. “For the road.”

Sunset smiled as she took it in her magic. “Thanks.”

Sunset wandered around Ponyville, getting a better look at the town and everything it had. She was surprised that it actually had a working theater, and looked at some of the future shows in case one seemed interesting enough to come and watch it.
She also found a bowling alley, which she had never done before, so she made a mental note to try it out someday.
And of course, it wouldn’t be Ponyville if there wasn’t something weird, just like the store that sold mostly fans.
Sunset exploration was interrupted as she saw a medical tent near Sugar Cube Corner.
She quickly ran inside, finding a lot of ponies with some kind of sickness.

“What happened?” she asked to a nearby nurse.

“We believe it’s food poisoning. Apparently, the new batch of cupcakes Pinkie made was altered by Applejack,” the mare explained.

Sunset remembered the scream of Rainbow and wondered why Hat would be hurting everyone out of nowhere.
She summoned a parchment and wrote a request of medicine against food poisoning before sending it to Luna.
Suddenly, the outside of the tent was filled with screams of panic like the ones of that same morning, and when Sunset poked her head outside, she saw a horde of baby bunnies rampaging through town.

“Dear Celestia, Savoir Fare wasn’t kidding with this happening too often. Why would bunnies even rampage the town?!”

“Fluttershy wanted to do a bunny census,” the weak voice of a sick Pinkie Pie explained from her bed.

“Isn’t she the literal embodiment of kindness? How would she make them do this?”

“I don’t know. Applejack was helping her.”

Sunset frowned, anger clear in her eyes, and looked at the nurse. “Where does Applejack live?”

Sweet Apple Acres, the family farm of the Apples, had been half-harvested by the work of a single mare. A mare that was so exhausted that she was closer to have a heart attack than falling asleep, but still moved on by sheer force of will; Applejack.
She was currently preparing to buck another tree, when suddenly her entire body lurched into the air and was dropped into the floor with force.
Confused and still semi-delirious, she forced her sigh straight until she managed to distinguish the form of Sunset Shimmer in front of her.

“Hello, Hat,” she said bitterly.

“Sunset? Why are you interrupting mah work?” the farmer responded as she stood up with quite difficulty.

“My question is why are you going around hurting your friends?!”

Applejack recoiled at the accusation. “What? Ah would never hurt any of mah friends!”

“Then why did you throw Rainbow Dash into Twilight’s library?”

“That was some weird trick she wanted to do.”

“Why did you ruin Pinkie’s food and poison a quarter of the townsfolk?”

“That’s her fault for using some weird ingredients.”

“And what’s your excuse for sending a horde of baby bunnies rampaging through Ponyville?”

“That… That one might have been mah fault,” Applejack admitted, rubbing the back of her head.

Sunset took some air to gather patience. “Going back to Pinkie’s case; she’s a baker, right?”

“Yeah,” the farmer responded, a little confused.

“And I’m guessing she has been for many years, right?”

“Correct, but ah don’t know what you are getting at.”

“In how many of those years has she poison somepony?”

“None, w-”

Sunset got right in Applejacks face. “So, using a little bit of logic, is it reasonable that the pony who bakes for a living would use dangerous ingredients for their food?”

“No?” was the farmer’s a little scared response.

“And the fact that a mare that looks like she just got dug out of the grave to be resurrected by the most incompetent necromancer and can barely see straight helped her with those ‘ingredients’, doesn’t make her the most likely suspect for the error in the recipe?!”

Applejack took a few steps back, both out of fear for the angry unicorn and from embarrassment as her words sunk in. “Ah did that, didn’t I? And probably hurt Rainbow too.”

“You’ve hurt a lot of ponies today,” Sunset mercilessly stated.

Applejack looked at the ground in regret. “Am sorry, ah just-”

Sunset interrupted her with a hoof and a stern glare. “Save it for the ponies you hurt.”

Applejack sighed. “You’re right, ah will just finish here and go apologize to everypony.”

Sunset looked as the mare walked towards the tree, going for a kick that completely missed the trunk.
‘It’s not your problem, you already did what you came to do, just… walk away and let her resolve her…’ she watched as the mare collapsed on the floor when she tried to lift the baskets full of apples, just to stand up and try again. ‘Ahg, fine!’
“I will help you with the apples so you can take a rest, okay?”

Applejack looked at her with annoyance. “What? Not you too. Ah already told Twilight that ah can do it perfectly on my own.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Really? You can barely lift your own weight with how tired you are.”

This time, it was Applejack who was angry. “For the last time, ah can do this! This orchard needs to be harvested and I am the only one in the family who can do it!” Sunset shrugged and walked towards one of the trees, picking the apples with her magic. “What in the hay are yah doing?!” Applejack screamed.

“Helping,” Sunset stated without looking at her.

“Ah told you ah don’t need it!”

“Ah don’t care!” Sunset said mockingly, but seconds later a rope grabbed her and pulled her towards the farmer. “Are you really that stubborn?”

Applejack spitted the rope form her mouth. “Ah don’t want yah using fancy magic to mock my work!”

“Fine.” Sunset teleported outside of the rope. “I’ll do it by hoof then.”

Applejack gave her a stern look. “You couldn’t if yah tried, this job ain’t easy.”

Sunset was about to leave the mare to dig her grave, but an idea popped into her head. “How about we bet on it?” she offered with a smile.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“How many trees can you harvest in an hour?”

“About a hundred or so.”

“Here’s the bet; if I can harvest a hundred trees in less than an hour, you will go and sleep while I take care of the rest of the orchard. If I fail, I will not only leave you alone, but make sure that no pony interrupts you until you’re finished.”

Applejack didn’t look convinced. “I don’t have time for games.”

Sunset put on a smug smile. “What? Are you afraid that I’ll make your job look easy?”

Applejack took offence at her words. “You will only make a fool of yourself.”

“Nah, you just don’t want to be proven wrong.”

The farmer finally fell for it. “Fine! But ah will be merciful and say only eighty trees.”

“Ninety, I also have my pride.”

Applejack spat on her hoof and extended it to her. “Deal.” Sunset was a little disgusted but did the same anyways. “Yah better start now.”

Sunset walked towards the first tree and gave it a hard kick, but only half the apples fell from it.

“Not so easy ain’t it?” Applejack taunted, but Sunset just gave another kick and continued to work.

Thirty minutes had passed, with Applejack constant vigilance, and Sunset had only managed to harvest twenty-five trees.
It had proven to be more difficult than she had imagined, especially since some trees required three kicks from her so all the apples could fall.

As she placed the baskets under a new tree, Applejacks taunting continued. “You can give up now, you’re not even halfway done!” Sunset emitted a muffled scream and walked away from the tree. “Heh, ah knew it, nopony can-” her words died as she saw the unicorn run at the tree, only to then throw her entire body against it, making all the apples fall into the baskets. “Sunset, are yah hurt?” she asked worried, but Sunset ignored her and simply continued working.
Applejack watched with increasing worry as the mare threw herself against the trees over and over again, getting more and more roughed up with every hit, and she even started to limp a little as she walked.
Sunset threw herself at another tree, but this time winced in pain as she fell, clutching her side before standing up to keep working.
Applejack had enough. “Sunset stop!”

Sunset kept working. “Why? I can do this. Just a few more trees and I will be done.”

“But you’re hurting yerself!” the famer said trying to stop her, but the unicorn turned around and looked at her straight in the eyes.

“So? When ponies said the same to you, you just ignored them and continued. Why is this different?” Applejack was about to respond, but Sunset didn’t give her the chance. “This.” She pointed at herself. “This is what ponies see when you push yourself like this. What do you think your brother will think of you? Do you think he would trust you with the farm again after you almost killed yourself working?” Applejack tried to formulate words, but couldn’t. “And what about your little sister? Do you want her to follow your brave example and hurt herself every time she has a responsibility she can’t handle alone?”

Applejack threw her hat to the ground and sat on the floor, biting her hoof in frustration and nervousness. “You’re right, but… this is more than just mah pride. The farm is all we got, and a bad harvest can easily ruin everything. Only Big Mac and I can do the hard work, if he’s injured, ah have to make double effort to keep things going.”

Sunset got a little calmer. “That’s real noble of your part, but as I showed you, working yourself to death will end up helping nopony, and it has hurt others that aren’t even involved.” She put a hoof over Applejack’s shoulder. “But what your pride is blinding you to is that there are more ponies other than Bic Mac that can help you pull through. You’ve at least five friends that surely will help you. I assure you; Twilight will sooner burn her entire library than deny help to somepony who really needs it.”

Applejack looked at the ground. “After all that ah have done to them, ah don’t think they are thinking too fondly of me.”

“We’re mostly worried about you.” Both mares turned their heads, seeing Twilight and her friends, minus Pinkie who was still in the hospital. “And Sunset is right, we’re all willing to help you if you ask, you just need to allow us to do so.”

Applejack smiled, holding tears of joy. “Thanks girls, and am sorry for being so stubborn, and all the things ah put you through.”

Twilight smiled. “Just let us help while you take some rest, alright?”

The farmer gave a big yawn. “That sounds like a… good idea.” She quickly got on the ground and fell asleep next to her hat.

Sunset looked at her with a smile and then turned to Twilight. “How much did you hear?”

“Pretty much everything, you girls are very loud.” Twilight walked next to her. “You know, I think you should be the one writing the letter to Celest-”

Sunset collapsed on the floor, clutching her side. “I would love to Twilight, but I think I broke one or two ribs ‘teaching’ this lesson. Can any of you take me to the hospital?”

“I got it,” said Rainbow, carefully picking Sunset up and flying towards the hospital.

“Thanks Rainbow, I owe you one.”

Rainbow looked at her with a smile. “Well, you can help me practice some new maneuvers.”

“Sure, I’m free all day anyway.”

Sunset was calmly resting in the hospital bed, waiting to be discharged in the morning.
She wasn’t expecting visits, so when the door to her room opened, she lifted her head in wonder, and saw a tall white figure approach her. “So, this time you decide to come visit me.”

“Well, this time you actually stayed in the hospital,” Celestia responded, sitting beside her. Sunset rolled her eyes but didn’t get angrier at the retort. “Did you receive my letter?”

“I did. Haven’t read it yet.” Sunset looked away from Celestia. “Wanted some peace and quiet. After everything that happened.”

“Would you prefer me to leave?”

Sunset sighed. “No. We are already here.”

Celestia took some air. “I don’t know if saying sorry has already lost its meaning, but I regret putting such distance between us. I was so worried about cleansing Luna from the evil that took her heart-” Sunset felt kind of uneasy at the words for some reason. “-that I focused only on Twilight, so she could be the savior of Luna.”

Sunset still didn’t look at her. “And you were worried that I would ruin your paper-thin plan?”

“You were always an unknown factor, but at the end, you were crucial for its success.”

“That’s not true. Twilight would’ve done it even without my help. She has friends. True friends.”

“I’ve seen you be quite friendly with some ponies, like with-”

“There’s a difference between being a friend and just being social.”

“I don’t think that’s tru-”

“You told me that.” Sunset interrupted, the anger in her voice rising.

Celestia took a few moments to continue. “I’ve made many mistakes with you Sunset. Just like I did with my sister.”

“Then I fear for Twilight.”

Celestial recoiled at her words, feeling the poison hiding in them. It was clear she wasn’t going to fix anything right now, just make Sunset angrier at her. “I just wanted to say that I regret what I did to you, and if there’s anything I can do to make you feel better, just send me a letter.” Celestia stood up and turned to the door.

“Don’t leave.” Celestia stopped, and watched as Sunset turned to her, tears in her eyes. “I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?” she asked, returning to her side.

“Scared that you are right about me. That I will end up broken or turned into a monster.” Sunset sobbed. “We both saw it.”

Celestia hugged Sunset, and felt a sharp pain in her heart at the realization that she couldn’t remember when exactly had she last done so. “The mirror can show an infinity of futures Sunset, all depending on every little action that you take. If you looked in it now, I assure you the future will be completely different.”

Sunset looked at her between her arms. “You really think so?”

Celestial smiled warmly. “Something I’ve learned in all my years, is that everything changes with time, including ponies. You won’t be the same mare that you were the year before, or a month ago, or maybe even yesterday. Every event and decision in your life will make a new version of yourself, with all the lessons that you’ve learned in your experience. That’s how we mature and grow as creatures.”

Sunset didn’t say anything, just kept hugging her for a long time until she finally let go. “I’m not ready to go back.”

Celestia nodded. “I understand.”

“Or forgive you,” She added, and Celestia made a more hesitant nod. “But I don’t want to be mad at you forever. I just need time away from everything.”

“Take as much time as you need,” the monarch said before standing up again. “I’ll just be one letter away from you, if you ever need me.” Celestia walked to the door.

“One more thing,” Sunset called out, making her turn around. “Not a word of this to Twilight. This is just between us.”

Celestia nodded. “Of course.” She then left the room, leaving Sunset alone once again.

She looked at the white celling, wondering what she should do now.

“I hope training with Rainbow will be fun.”

Author's Note

Sunset received minor injuries: Constitution debuff -4

Sunset’s morale has gone up!: +5
Current morale: 15/100

Next chapter is still in planning, so may take a little longer.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 6: Fairy Godmother?

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash had been spending most of the day going around Ponyville pranking their friends with sneezing powder, disappearing ink and watercolors. However, when their pranks reached Fluttershy, Pinkie decided to stop, since she was far too sensitive for even the most basic pranks.

“You are right,” Rainbow Dash admitted. “We need another victim, made out of tougher stuff.”

Pinkie suddenly had an idea. “I’ve the perfect candidate.”

Sunset was sitting at the café as usual, waiting for her coffee and cupcakes while reading the local newspaper.
When her cup of coffee arrived, she tried to lift it up with her magic, but it remained on the table, so she simply lifted the liquid instead, taking a bite out of it like if it were chocolate before swallowing and continue reading.
She discreetly turned one of her ears into a thestral one and listened closely.

“That doesn’t count, she barely noticed!” came the voice of Pinkie.

Then the voice of Rainbow chimed in. “I’ve an idea.”

Sunset waited patiently, and after a slight breeze passed over her, she took one of the cupcakes and looked at it with the corner of her eye.
Clearly something had been spilled into it, but she took a bite out of it anyway, not even flinching.
‘Oh, the old hot sauce. Sadly for you girls, I actually like hot stuff. You’ve to try harder than that.’

“Come on! Not even a flinch?!” Rainbow complained.

“She’s a hard one to break. What else do we have in our arsenal?” Pinkie asked, and there were a few seconds of silence until Rainbow responded.

“Two joy buzzers, a spilling cup, spitting snakes, and relighting birthday candles.”

“Give me the joy buzzer.”

Sunset waited patiently until the pink pranker walked up to her before exclaiming. “Pinkie! Good to see you!” She extended her hoof to her, and when the prankster tried to use the joy buzzer against her, she made it switch hooves with her magic, shocking her instead.
“Trust me Pinkie, you don’t want to start a prank war with me,” she warned with a smile.

“You’re pretty good,” Pinkie admitted once she recovered from the shock. “You should join us tomorrow!” she offered while Rainbow joined them hovering over the table.

Sunset returned to her newspaper. “Would do so gladly, but I’m under a promise after the ticket incident.” She then had a devilish smile. “I could give you some ideas though.”

Rainbow rubbed her hooves together. “Oh, that would be great.”

The three spent the rest of the day discussing possible pranks to do and who the victims could be, and even Savoir Fare gave some suggestions with the condition of not using any of them in the premises of the café.
Once they were finished, each pony returned to their homes to sleep until tomorrow.

The next day, Sunset visited the bowling alley to give bowling a try, and found it quite more difficult than she imagined.
She was on her last turn, and she had only knocked twelve pins in total with no strikes.
Sunset concentrated, holding the ball in her magic, and tried to calculate the trajectory so she could finally make a strike. She pulled the ball back, and- “Hey Sunset!” -launched it into the ceiling, embedding it into the wooden roof.
Sunset turned around, finding the excitedly oblivious face of Pinkie Pie, and frowned. “What did I say about pranking me?”

“It’s not that, I need your help!” the pink pony explained.

“What happened now? An ursa is about to attack the town?” Sunset uninterestedly asked while she pulled the ball out of the celling and tried to mend the broken wood as best she could.

“No, that’s next chapter. I need some bullying advice.”

“Wait, what?”

“Well, I was about to go do more pranks with Rainbow Dash, but she was with an old friend from Junior Speedster Flight Camp that wanted to do some flying sessions that Rainbow promised her-”

“I was referring to the ursa-”

“-so I waited until later and tried to join in but she called me Stinkie Pie and told me to make like a bee and buzz off-”

“That’s a classic, but the ursa-”

“-so I went to Twilight and told her about how mean she was but she told me that I was just jealous-”

“Understandable, but the ursa-”

“-which made me mad, but then I wondered if she was right, and then I thought-”

“Candy, the ursa-”

“-Sunset is a bully; she surely knows how to recognize one. So I came to the bowling alley and explained it to you.”

“Ok, makes sense, but what’s with the ur- wait, how did you know I was here?”

“You mentioned it in the past chapter.”

Sunset’s brain short-circuited a little. “Let’s tackle one thing at a time. Show me this friend of Rainbow.”

“Sure thing, just follow me. I will tell you the rest of the story on the way,” the pink pony said before jumping to the exit.

Sunset rolled the ball behind her without looking, and when she reached the door, heard it make a strike.
“I will be back!” she declared threateningly to the machinery before leaving.

Sunset and Pinkie started to follow Gilda around town, seeing her scare Granny Smith with her tail and stealing an apple from a produce stand.

“See! She’s a meany meanpants and a thief,” Pinkie declared pointing at Gilda.

Sunset raised an eyebrow at her companion. “Pinkie, you just described ninety nine percent of the griffon population.”

“What do you mean?”

“Griffons are selfish, rude, and greedy by nature. It’s part of the reason why their kingdom is basically a ruin now.”

Pinkie looked sad. “Really?”

“Yeah, kind of a sad story. Equestria is not as ‘sunshine and rainbows’ as most ponies think. At least outside of pony territory.”

“So, it’s okay that she steals and is mean to everypony?”

“No, it’s not an excuse, just an explanation.” Suddenly they both heard a roar, and looked as Fluttershy ran away crying from Gilda. “I take it back, that was uncalled for, she is a bully.”

“Hm, what should I do?” Pinkie wondered.

“Well, usually Celestia just scolded me, but that never worked permanently, so I guess finding the root of her problems, or maybe appeal to her inner feelings to reach an understanding.” She turned towards Pinkie, but the pony had already left. “Fine, I will do it myself.” Sunset summoned her wings and flew into the air. “I just need the element of surprise.”
She dive-bombed into Gilda, grabbing the griffon by the neck.
“Surprise!” she exclaimed before teleporting both to a cloud where she let go of the griffon.

Gilda looked around disoriented until she saw the batwing pony. “What? Who are you?”

“I’m the step-older-sister of a friend of a friend of your childhood friend.”

Gilda looked at Sunset for a couple seconds. “What?”

“I’m here to bring you a prediction of your future.”

Gilda shook her head. “You look cool and all but-”

“You’re going to lose your friendship with Rainbow Dash soon,” Sunset warned her, starting to fly in circles around the griffon.

“What do you mean? We’re friends since childhood!”

“Yeah, and how many years have you two not being together?”

Gilda made a raspberry. “That’s irrelevant. She knows I’m the coolest around.”

“Irrelevant, uh? Because there’s no way she made new friends in all those years, right?”

Gilda turned her head to look at the circling mare. “You mean those lame ponies? She will dich them as soon as she realizes that she doesn’t need them anymore.”

Sunset started to fly backwards now. “What’s lame about saving Equestria from eternal night?”

Gilda looked at her confused. “What are you talking about?”

Sunset faked surprise. “Oh, I think pony news don’t reach your kingdom. Did you ever wonder why a couple of days ago one night got extra-long all of a sudden?”

Gilda shrugged. “We assumed Sun-butt just fell asleep or simply forgot.”

“Well, the truth is, Rainbow is a national hero now. Because she has friends, that wield friendship as a weapon… Somehow.”

Gilda seemed confused and a little… offended? “Dash is a national hero? Why didn’t she tell me about that?”

Sunset started to fly upside down. “Maybe she just wanted to spend time with you rather than brag your ear off.”

“Ha!” Gilda exclaimed, pointing a claw at the unicorn. “So she does consider me more important than saving the world with her lame friends.”

Sunset sat on the cloud, “The point you’re miss-” and fell through it, having to fly back up. “I can’t cloud-walk? Whatever.” She turned back to Gilda. “The point you’re missing is that Rainbow has other friends now. Close friends. And if you antagonize them and treat them badly, Rainbow will be angry at you. And after that, it can even be calculated mathematically.”
Sunset summoned a blackboard and wrote in it:

If we assume X > Y.

5 friends x X number of years + magical friendship > 1 childhood friend x Y number of years.

Gilda didn’t look convinced. “You’re missing a variable nerd.” She scratched the blackboard with her claw, making Sunset cover her ears, adding ‘+ coolness’ to her equation and inverting the greater-than sign.

Sunset rubbed her ears. “Well, my warning remains. Do as you please.” She then made the blackboard disappear. “Ponyville is that way.” She pointed, and Gilda simply took off at top speed.
Sunset sighed. “Well Candy, is up to you now.”

“I got it.” Pinkie said, popping out of the cloud for a second before going back down.

Sunset was a little less surprised than she should, and simply caught the pink pony with her magic. “What are you going to do?”

“A party to improve her sour attitude. You told me they’re grumpy and rude and their kingdom is not a very happy place, so I thought that giving her a nice welcome party may improve her mood,” Pinkie explained with a smile. “And you’re invited too.”

Sunset thought about it for some seconds, considering Gilda’s previous response to her warning and her overall opinion of ponies and Rainbow. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I will make it, but where are you going to host the party?”

Sunset waited patiently at the top of Sugarcube Corner, hearing the party devolve form celebration and laugh, to screams and an eventual resolution.
She saw Gilda exit the building, and before she could fly away, she caught her wings in her magic. “So, did my prediction came true?” she asked with a coy smile.

Gilda looked at her with an almost palpable fury. “Unless you want a fight, let go of my wings, and go away!”

Sunset thought about it for a second. “You know what? I do want a fight.” She teleported them both to the top of a mountain near Ponyville, releasing the magical hold from the griffon. “Have at it Grease.”

Gilda groaned and launched herself at the pony, trying to tackle her with her bigger, heavier body, but Sunset simply put up a shield and pushed griffon behind her, making her land face-first in the dirt. “So, is coolness still a variable?”
Gilda stood up and turned around towards the unicorn, claws outstretched for a quick slash. She was confident that she was faster than the pony, but her plan failed as Sunset teleported a few steps back every time she made a swat at her body. “I gave you a warning, but it wasn’t enough for you. Nopony could’ve made you understand, you had to see it for yourself.”
Gilda pounced at Sunset, but the unicorn teleported away, and she hit a rock instead. “So, what now? Is your friendship with Rainbow just gone? After all those years together in the camp? Aren’t you going to try and take it back?”
Gilda grabbed the rock and throwed it at Sunset, but the unicorn simply blasted it into pieces. “You know, I had a discussion with a pony about pride making you do harm to yourself and others. But in your case, it seems like this ‘coolness’ that you hold so dear just made you lose the only friend that seemed to care about it.”

Gilda threw another rock at her. “Why do you even care?!”

Sunset dodged the projectile and got closer to Gilda. “Because the pink pony that you believed was conspiring against you, only to find out that she tried to make you feel better and welcomed after you were rude to pretty much anypony besides Rainbow, asked me to.”

Gilda took a moment to take deep breaths before asking. “Then why are we fighting?”

“Because it’s good to vent,” she responded matter-of-factly. “Are you done venting?”

Gilda picked up a rock as big as her and slammed it down where Sunset stood. “Now I am.”

“Good, let’s get to the talking then,” Sunset said while getting down from the rock that would’ve crushed her.

Gilda sighed and sat down on the ground. “You were right. I lost my friendship with Rainbow.”

Sunset sat in front of her. “Because you thought that the pranks were of Pinkie and not hers. But let me ask you something; If you did know they were Rainbow’s, would you not get angry?”

Gilda took a moment to respond. “No, I would get angry anyway.”

Sunset Tilted her head to the side. “Because you don’t like pranks, right?”

“Yeah,” the griffon admitted. “I don’t like to be made fun off.”

“And how did Rainbow didn’t know?”

“I never told her; I didn’t want her to-”

“Think you weren’t cool?”

Gilda looked down. “Yeah.”

“This whole ‘being cool’ thing seems to only bring problems to you.”

Gilda looked angrily at Sunset. “It’s what made us friends!”

“What the pink one told me sounded different. The first thing you wanted to do when you arrived was a flying session with Rainbow, right?”

The anger in the griffon faded as quick as it had appeared. “Yes. Just like old times.” She smiled as she remembered her first day in the camp, where Rainbow stuck up for her in front of some bullies who mocked her for not flying.
‘Bullies like the one I am now.’ She concluded, ending the memory.

Sunset gave her a warm smile as she realized that the griffon had finally lowered her walls. “Do you want to fix it?”

Gilda looked at her with a little hope. “I can?”

“Yes, but you will need to apologize-” Gilda groaned. “-to everypony.” She groaned even louder. “The longer you take, the more difficult it will be, so I will teleport you back to the party.”

Gilda stood up rolling her eyes. “Fine, fairy godmother.”

“Good luck Grease.” Sunset lighted her horn and sent Gilda back to Sugarcube Corner, and then moved herself back to the roof to hear the exchange.

Gilda seemed to hesitate on knocking on the door, but eventually gave a nervous, very hard hit on the wood, calling the attention of the residents.
Luck be had, the one opening was Pinkie.

The griffon looked like she was about to be interrogated by the royal guards. “Hi Pinkie… can I… come back in?”

“And why would we do that?” Rainbow asked, joining Pinkie at the door.

Gilda took some air to try and calm herself. “I’m really sorry about how I treated you two. Especially you Pinkie; you actually tried to give me a warm welcome to the town, which I didn’t really deserve, and I just kept being rude with you and everypony.”

Pinkie didn’t have time to respond since Rainbow got right in Gilda’s face. “I thought you said that we were all lame, that you would find cooler friends somewhere else.”

Gilda took a step back. “There’s nopony cooler than you Dash. And let’s be real, you’re my only friend.” Rainbow’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. Gilda looked at the ground. “When I left, I realized how empty being cool is if you don’t have somepony to be cool with. I don’t want to lose our friendship over such a silly thing.”

Pinkie managed to get in front of Rainbow. “Is it true that every griffon is rude and mean in your kingdom?”

“Yeah, there’s no real friendship there. No welcome parties, everyone is out to get you, and the worst is that you’ve to be like that to stay there.” Gilda sat on the ground, her sight never leaving the ground. “That’s one reason for why I went to the camp. Probably the only reason I managed to find a friend.” Rainbow and Pinkie looked at each other and got closer to whisper in each other’s ears.

Gilda closed her eyes, feeling like she was waiting the order of a judge, and stood still for a couple of endless seconds, until Rainbow finally gave the sentence.

“We will forgive you-” Gilda looked at her with shimmering eyes full of joy. “-but on one condition.” The griffon nodded, ready to do anything. “You have to apologize to everypony in the party.”

“And the town,” Pinkie added.

Gilda smacked herself on the face and groaned. “Okay, I will do it.”

“And…” Rainbow added, and the griffon looked at her from between her claws. “…Tomorrow we will do the Junior Speedster Flight Camp chant, in front of all of my friends!”

“Oh, come on!” Gilda exclaimed before looking at the sky. “This better be worth it fairy godmother!”

After hearing all the apologies, Sunset decided to return home and get some well-deserved sleep, but as she pulled the covers over her body, a thought couldn’t get out of her mind.

“Am I the fairy godmother of friendship?” she asked to nopony in particular.
She had been helping Twilight with her friendship problems since day one, and now she even fixed Pinkie’s and Rainbow’s problem with Gilda.
Was this her role in the whole magical friendship thing? To give aid to whoever needs it? And then get…

Sunset frowned. “Nothing, I’m getting nothing.”

She turned her head and went to sleep.
This couldn’t be it, she wanted something better. She deserved something better.

She needed something better.

She hoped for something better.

Author's Note

Sunset made a full recovery: Constitution has been restored.

Sunset learned a new skill: Bowling (novice)

I've a weird idea for a comedy short story that I want to make, so next chapter will take a little while to be released.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 7: What Happened?

Sunset walked through the Everfree forest, digging two small stakes in the ground about six meters apart and tying them with a fine silver wire. She had been doing this all along the border of the Everfree and the town, and the only reason for such arduous work was that Pinkie, for whatever reason, had mentioned an ursa attack ‘next chapter’.
Now, Sunset didn’t know what a ‘chapter’ means in terms of time, but just to be sure, she started to make preparations from that day forward. The silver wire was part of an alarm spell that would alert her if a creature exited the Everfree, which she assumed was the most logical place an ursa would come from.
She had two lines, one a couple meters inside the Everfree, and another just in the border, and between them she had prepared delayed-fireball spells in the ground, with enough power to hurt and persuade a big predator that attacking the town wouldn’t be a good idea. She wasn’t sure that it would 100% work, but it was her best bet, and even if it failed, the alarm would give her time to call the princesses for reinforcements. She was sure she and Twilight together could keep the beast away from the town, or maybe even push it back to wherever it came from. Still, all this work was just in a hunch that the hyperactive pink mare had some kind of clairvoyance, so she preferred to not induce panic telling everypony in town.
If it happened, she would be ready, if it didn’t, she would just be tired.

Once the job was finally finished, she sat down and took a sip from the canteen she had brought and looked at the forest around her. She found it oddly calming. Most ponies would be terrified by its many dangers, but Sunset was confident she could deal with whatever monster dared to attack her.
She took a moment to hear the genuine wild in the forest, so separated from pony’s control over the world. She could almost feel the natural untamed magic flowing inside the trees.
‘I guess that’s the reason the sisters built their castle here. A shame it’s now in shambles, it could be the center of a nice town if one could tame the forest,’ she thought before standing up and returning to the town, thinking on what she would do today.
She still had to make a strike in bowling, and the theater still didn’t have any event’s that she would be interested in.
‘Maybe I could ask Rarity about her offer with the spa. I would like some relaxing after working all morning.’
Suddenly, a booming voice came from the center of the town.

“Come one, come all, come and witness the magic of The Great and Powerful Trixie!”

Sunset’s eyes lit up with nostalgia. “Trixie?!”
She quickly ran into the center of town, finding a crowd surrounding a little trailer stage where a familiar blue unicorn was posing to the crowd.
Sunset teleported to the front, pushing Twilight and her friends aside. “Sorry.” She apologized before looking at the traveling magician.
She had to admit, the cape and witch hat fitted her more than-
“There's nothing wrong with being talented, is there?” Twilight asked to her friends, getting Sunset’s attention.

“Nothin' at all, 'cep'n when someone goes around showin' it off like a school filly with fancy new ribbons.” Applejack responded, looking at Trixie with some annoyance.

“You know it’s kind of her job to be boastful right?” Sunset interjected in the conversation.

Rarity turned towards Sunset. “She can’t go around calling herself better than others just because she can do lots of magic.”

Sunset frowned. “Uh, yes she can. Only Twilight and I have advanced magic studies. And she surely has more experience in magic than any other pony in this town besides us.”

“How can she be better when you have me around?” Rainbow asked with pride, gaining an eyeroll from everypony.

Their little bickering caused the magician to notice them, so she got closer to the end of the stage. “Well, well, well, it seems we have some neighsayers in the audience. Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie? Do they not know that they're in the presence of the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria?”

Rarity made a raspberry. “Just who does she think she is?”

Sunset looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Somepony who performs for a living? Have any of you never been to an opera before? Rainbow you admire the Wonderbolts, why is this-” Sunset facehoofed as she saw the rainbow-haired pony get right into Trixie’s face.

“So, ‘Great and Powerful Trixie’. What makes you think you're so awesome, anyway?”

Trixie smiled. “Heh, why, only the Great and Powerful Trixie has magic strong enough to vanquish the dreaded ursa major!”

Sunset rolled her eyes with a smile. No unicorn could vanquish a thing like that, even dragons leave them alone.
Still, she admired the confidence that she had now. A far cry than the last time she saw her.

“Well then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians. Anything you can do; I can do better. Any takers? Anyone? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!?” the magician called out.

‘Maybe too much confidence,’ Sunset thought with a smile as she saw Trixie continue to challenge the townsfolk. Until Twilight got her attention.

“Hmm, how about you?” the magician asked, and Twilight looked really uncomfortable with being in the spotlight.

“Nah, she has nothing.” Sunset interjected, getting between Twilight and Trixie. “But these three, these are hecklers that need some demonstration.” She pushed the three mares with her magic, and the attention quickly went to them as each one challenged the magician in her own game.
Sunset turned to Twilight and whispered to her. “You better go back to the library before someone calls you out again.”

“But she’s better than her, you said it yourself.” Spike complained but was ignored by both unicorns before Twilight got him onto her back and trotted away.

Sunset returned her attention to the stage, where Trixie was beating every single mare with her magic, making them leave the stage with her as the undoubtable victor.
“Does anypony else want to challenge Trixie?” the magician called out, and Sunset smiled.

“May I give it a try?” she asked as she climbed up to the stage.

Trixie smiled with confidence. “Very well, what will you do then?”

“A little magic trick I saw a few years ago.” Sunset concentrated her magic, and an illusion made her look like a much younger version of Trixie, with a shorter, messier mane. Instead of the wizard hat and cape, this version of Trixie had a purple top hat with white stars glued to it, a simple purple vest, and white gloves.
The miniature magician had the most earnest smile as she talked to the audience. “Come one come all, to the Great and Powerful Trixie’s first grand show!”

The crowd smiled and cheered as the mini-Trixie started to do her show, finding her childish passion and the occasional well covered fluke in her acts as both funny and endearing. However, the real Trixie could see from her position that the whole act was just Sunset projecting her memories in front of her, fooling the audience, but not her.
Once the mini-Trixie finished her act with a bow, Sunset canceled the memory and took its place, bowing to the audience in the same manner. The crowd cheered, but Trixie was just looking at Sunset with an almost shocked expression.
When Sunset realized this, she quickly got nervous. “Sorry if it was inappropriate.”

“I-” Trixie shook her head, getting back into her persona. “Trixie wasn’t expecting to meet somepony from Canterlot who had seen her show. And even less in this town.”

Sunset smiled, relieved that the unicorn didn’t seem upset by her act. “Well, I’m glad I could meet you then. Your show was amazing for such a young age.”

“I-” Trixie cleared her throat. “It pleases Trixie that even in her amateur years she could leave such an impression on somepony.”

“It got me interested in illusion magic, although I never fully mastered it. I wanted to meet you in your next show, but I never saw you in Canterlot again after that.”

The magician tried to hide her face under her hat. “That’s a… complicated matter for Trixie.”

Sunset’s worry came back. “I’m sorry if I-”

Trixie stopped her with a hoof. “No worries, Trixie is glad to find a fan from so long ago.”

“This is cute and all, but aren’t you going to accept her challenge?” somepony in the crowd asked.

Trixie finally addressed the crowd gathered for her. “Trixie doesn’t see the point in challenging her own tricks, so the challenge is null and the shows over. Hope you all enjoyed it.”

The ponies weren’t too exited about it, but still they applauded and cheered for the show they had. As the magician was about to leave, Sunset walked up to her. “Would it be too forward to invite you for some coffee?”

Sunset could see the nervousness in the unicorn’s face. “Uhm, yes, of course. It would be private, right?”

Sunset smiled. “Yeah, no worries.”

“Then Trixie accepts. But she will need to pack the stage first, so, an hour or two?”

“It’s okay, I will meet you at Café Hay.”

After giving her the directions to the café, Sunset left the magician and walked back to her house, but was confronted by three angry mares in her way.

“Yah set us up!” Applejack accused her.

Sunset smiled. “And I hope you learned your lesson.”

“Oh, and what lesson would that be darling?” Rarity asked, adjusting the hat she wore to hide the green mane Trixie had given her when she tried to challenge the magician.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Not being a heckler.”

“What’s a heckler?” Rainbow asked.

“Basically, somepony who is rude to ponies who entertain you for a living.”

“Ah don’t see how being a showoff is supposed to entertain me.”

Sunset’s frustration started to show on her face. “Applejack, you couldn’t see past your pride a couple days ago!”

“Sunset, that was uncalled-for!” Rarity interjected, showing her own annoyance at her words.

Sunset frowned, her eyes showing her escalation from simple frustration to searing anger. “How is the truth uncalled-for? I’ve been only helpful to you three and yet you still somehow find the guts to criticize me!”

Rainbow got right in front of Sunset. “I flew you to the hospital you ungrateful-”

“And I helped you mend your friendship with your griffon friend!” Sunset interrupted, getting right in Rainbow’s face.

The pegasus took a step back, confused. “You did?”

Sunset smiled in a way that unnerved the three mares. “Oh right. I forgot you’ve the awareness of a newborn cub. I don’t know why I even bother.” Before any of the three could say another word, Sunset teleported away.

“That girl has a few loose screws,” Applejack said frowning at the scorched spot where the unicorn previously stood.

“She seemed so nice at first,” Rarity added with a little bit of worry.

Rainbow made a raspberry. “Whatever, as long as she doesn’t rub it off on Twilight.”

“Yah think that’s the reason why Twilight is so shy and reclused?”

“Well, honestly we don’t know much about Sunset. Just that she’s kind of a sister to Twilight. I think we should get her opinion first. Maybe there’s a reason she’s like this.” Rarity concluded.

The other two mares nodded and started to walk towards Twilight’s library.

Sunset reached the café and sat down in her usual spot. Looking around, she noticed the establishment was almost completely devoid of clients.
“Having a slow day?” she asked Savoir Fare.

The waiter shrugged; his usual professionally uninterested expression unchanged. “Happens from time to time. It’s better than if they come and leave without paying. You will have the usual I suppose.”

“Actually, I’mexpecting somepony, so I will call you when she arrives.”

“Very well.” Savoir Fare was about to leave, but Sunset stopped him.

“Can I ask you a weird question?” she asked with some nervousness that got the attention of the waiter.

“Can’t be more weird than what I’m used to.” He sat down opposite of her, and Sunset took a moment to choose her words carefully.

“Have you ever felt that your actions get unnoticed, or that things would’ve played out fine regardless of them? Kind of like you’re inconsequential to the world?”

Savoir Fare took a moment to think an answer. “You mean like you are in the background instead of the center of the stage?”

Sunset’s eyes lit up at the better analogy to her question. “Exactly.”

“I can’t say I have.” Sunset’s excitement fell. “Honestly, I wouldn’t like to be in the stage at all. Even if I don’t show it often, I’m happy with my role right now, having this café and keeping it up and running despite adversity.”

“I can’t say I get it. I can’t see myself in any other way than trying to get the main role in the show.”

“And what would that main role be?” Savoir asked curiously.

Sunset couldn’t respond right away; it took her a few seconds. “As the ruler of Equestria, I guess.”

The waiter gave her a chuckle. “I certainly wouldn’t want that kind of responsibility. And I guess you’ve the means to reach that kind of goal?”

Sunset looked to the side. “Not exactly. Just a promise, and a teacher that I’m still unsure how she feels about me, or I to her. But I know that I’ve the potential to be something greater than just the background.”

“Well, the only thing I can give you is coffee, and wish you good luck with it.” Savoir stood up and walked away, leaving Sunset with more questions than before.
Suddenly, the alarm spell activated in her head, but it wasn’t the one inside the Everfree, something was leaving the town into-

“The trap!” Sunset screamed, teleporting herself to the forest and looking around in desperation, seeing two colts walking straight towards the explosive spells. “Wait!” she called out, but the spell was already about to be unleashed.
Having no other option, Sunset teleported herself in front of the colts and used her magic to minimize the spell.
The explosion, even with its potency reduced, was enough to send Sunset flying into the air, getting lost between the trees.

“What was that?” one of the colts wondered, confused at the sudden explosion in front of them.

“I don’t know. This place is weird,” the other colt responded.

“Let’s get that ursa quickly so we can return home and watch Trixie defeat it.”

“Yeah.”

They both resumed their march towards the deeper parts of the Everfree, activating the second alarm spell, but Sunset couldn’t hear it in her unconscious state.

Sunset slowly woke up with a huge headache. She touched the back of her head and felt a painful bump hidden behind her mane. “I hope the colts are okay. I should’ve taken a less violent approach to the ursa thing.” She then noticed that it was already night. “Oh, crap.” She summoned her wings and flew into the sky, changing her eyes and ears to thestrals so she could deduce what was happening in the town.

Her worries were confirmed as she saw an ursa minor walking into Ponyville. “Oh no, I’ve to warn the princesses.”
Sunset summoned a parchment, but before she could write down her warning, a booming step called her attention. She looked back and saw the immense figure of an ursa major approaching the edge of the Everfree. The huge beast looked at Ponyville and let out a growl that might as well had been a scream for Sunset.

“I suppose you’re looking for your kid,” the unicorn said with fear in her eyes. She used the animal-speaking spell to call out to the beast. “Listen, we will give you your kid back, this must be a misunderstanding.” The huge stellar bear didn’t seem to notice her and was about to continue its march towards the town. Sunset used the royal Canterlot voice to try and be heard, repeating the same message. “WE WIL GIVE YOU YOUR KID BACK, THIS MUST BE A MISSUNDERSTANDING.”

The ursa major finally noticed the flying bat-pony hybrid and frowned, apparently still unable to hear Sunset’s voice completely enough to understand her. “Please, I don’t want to-” Sunset had to teleport away as a paw the size of a house almost slapped her out of the air. “Fine, we will do this the hard way!” she screamed, trying to give herself some bravery, but it failed.

Sunset started to fly around the beast’s body, trying to keep herself behind it so it’s attacks couldn’t reach her easily, but it was pretty fast for its size and could turn around faster than she could fly. The impressive size also made her unable to fully dodge the attacks, having to teleport constantly to avoid being hit, which added to the magic she had to spent to keep herself in the air was starting to get too taxing. She couldn’t do this forever. However, Sunset’s worries where more about Ponyville. Even if it was a minor, it could devastate the town if it decided to, and her only hope was that Twilight could figure out a way to make it return with its parent.

Sunset started to fly away from the ursa major, trying to kite it away from the town, but the creature didn’t follow, and instead took another step towards the town. Sunset teleported in front of the beast and fired a magic blast to try and catch its attention so it would chase her. The ray of magic hit the beast right in the snout, but it only seemed to piss it off. “That was a bad idea.” The ursa major roared, and Sunset closed her eyes and screamed in pain as her sensible thestral ears bled from the intense noise. When the roar stopped, Sunset opened her eyes, seeing the world in a blur and unable to hear anything.

It was impossible for her to avoid the huge paw speeding towards her.

The ursa major hit the flying pest, sending it to the ground, forming a small crater with the impact. It then raised its foot, ready to reduce the body into a stain on the ground, but something caught its attention.
Its cub was floating towards her, drinking milk from a water tower.
The ursa quickly forgot about the pest and grabbed its cub, holding it lovingly in its arms, and slowly made its way back to their cave.

“Oh little sun, broken again? How much will you sacrifice for this so called ‘friends’? Is being this ‘fairy godmother of friendship’ really worth it? Wouldn’t you be happier following your dreams instead of sacrificing yourself over others?
You don’t need them; they only anger you. We’re above them, they should respect us, and if respect is not granted… let them fear the nightmarish hellfire inside you.
Now rest little sun, I will mend your wounds, for a price, and you will forget me, for now.
Goodbye.”

Sunset woke up, feeling like her head was a pincushion full of nails.
She slowly stood up, her body responding perfectly well, but her mind was scattered to the four winds, making every step a challenge of coordination. She lifted her head up, and the bright sun hurt her eyes, making her recoil in pain and seek shelter in the shadows of the forest. ‘What happened last night? Who saved me from the ursa? Was it Twilight?’

Her mind too exhausted to work, Sunset decided to just return to the town and rest. She fumbled her way out of the Everfree and found a small cottage which had a fence for some animals. She got closer to it, seeing a water trough at the side of the fence. She almost ran to it, scaring the animals around it, and dove her entire head inside, taking some big gulps that helped to ease her pain.

“Sunset?” sounded the familiar voice of Spike, and the unicorn lifted her head from the water, her mane covering her eyes, which helped her bear the light of the sun. “What are you doing?”

“Forget about it,” she simply said. “Tell me what happened last night.”

“Oh, it was awesome!” The unicorn had a sudden urge to strangle him. “Twilight managed to easily return an ursa minor to the Everfree!” Sunset gave a sigh of relief. At least the town was safe. “And you should’ve seen the face on Trixie’s face when Twilight showed how much of a boastful farce she was.” Spike’s smile started to banish as he saw the water dripping from Sunset’s head start to evaporate. “Sunset?”

“Where are they?” she asked, and even if Spike couldn’t see her eyes through her mane, he could feel the intensity of her stare, making him nervous.

“Uhm, they're in the mountains, they're going to stop a dragon from covering Equestria in a cloud of smoke.” Spike jumped back as Sunset unfurled her wings and she took off before he could say anything else. He watched her fly towards the mountains, and he couldn’t stop felling worried for Twilight.

Spike knew of Sunset’s short temper, but he had never seen her so angry before, and with a dragon involved…
“Maybe I should tell Celestia.”

Sunset flew to the top of the mountain where the smoke was coming from, her hair completely dry and eyes squinting in the light. It was a relief when the cloud finally shielded her sight from the scorching ball of flame in the sky.
Now that she could see more clearly, she investigated the mountain in search for the ponies she wanted to confront. She knew her seething anger would not be calmed until she-
Sunset’s train of though derailed when she saw Twilight and her friends being blasted into a rock by a dragon’s breath of smoke. Her anger redirected, she landed on top of the dragon’s cave and lifted a heavy rock before sending it down on the lizard’s head, calling his attention away from the mares. The dragon looked at her with confusion and annoyance as he rubbed his head.

“I will give you to the count of three to leave this mountain,” she declared, but the lizard simply took some air, ready to blast her with his breath.

Before he could exhale, a large ray of cyan magic shot out of Sunset’s horn, pushing his head into the ground.
Sunset smiled as she saw the dragon pinned under her power, she felt as if a huge weight was being lifted off her shoulders, she felt like this was what she always deser-

“Stop!” came a soft yet firm voice, snapping Sunset out of her trance, ending her spell. “How can you hurt a creature like that?!” Sunset looked at the dragon, cowering in fear, it’s head heavily burnt, which was quite the accomplishment due to its fire-resistant scales. “You’re no different from Nightmare Moon!” Sunset finally looked at the source of the voice and found the normally extremely shy yellow pegasus looking at her with fierce eyes. “You intimidated the poor manticore when we traveled to the castle of the two sisters. You lied to Twilight. You attacked a griffon in the middle of the town. You defended that boastful magician that humiliated my friends. You’re mean, and a bully, and-” Fluttershy stopped as she realized she could see the heat radiating off the unicorn she was chastising.

“See little sun? They only judge you.”

Rainbow positioned herself between Fluttershy and Sunset in a protective manner.

“They fear you. They call you horrible things.”

Rarity and Applejack got closer, ready to fight her, while Pinkie simply stood behind, alongside the dragon that seemed more scared of her now.

“Why should you endure it? Wouldn’t it be easy to just remove the problem?”

Twilight appeared at her side but had to take a few steps back to shield herself from the heat. Her lips moved, but Sunset could only hear one voice; the one in her mind.

“Let go little sun, let the fire of your anger speak for itself.”

Sunset screamed, making everyone step back. “I… I died.” she said looking at the two pegasus. “Two times. To protect you.” She looked at Applejack and Rarity. “I solved your problems… getting nothing in return.” She finally looked at Twilight, seeing the tears running down her face. “And you took my place.” Sunset charged up her horn, and everyone around her started to flee.

Except Twilight.

She walked towards Sunset, enduring the heat cooking her skin, trying to talk to her, but Sunset still couldn’t hear her.

“Take your rightful place in Equestria. Become its new ruler!”

Sunset looked at Twilight, who was being pulled into the air by Rainbow so they could escape.

“Do it now! Before she escapes!”

Sunset closed her eyes, concentrating on the spell… and teleported herself away from the mountain.

Sunset appeared atop the river where Twilight had found the sea serpent and dived into it. The water quickly started to boil, but it helped to contain the heat until it started to subside, and before she ran out of air, she felt calm once more.
Sunset tried to lift her head out of the water, but her body didn’t respond.

“You disappoint me little sun.”

Sunset started to panic, the little oxygen she still had vanishing in her lungs.

“I give you all the power I’ve managed to gather until now, and you just waste it in a simple tantrum!”

Sunset’s lungs started to fill with water, and she had flashbacks to the first time she died.

“Maybe I should just seek a new host. One who can maintain their eyes on what’s important.”

Sunset’s vision started to go dark, her strength leaving her for the third time.

“You’re a disappointment little-”

Suddenly, something pulled Sunset by her mane, taking her out of the water.

“You got lucky little sun. Forget about us once more.”

Sunset started to vomit the water out of her lungs, wishing that she wouldn’t have to experience it a third time.

“Pony with hair of flame and sun in flank. You were quite lucky I was by the riverbank.” Sunset turned her head to the voice of her savior, and to her surprise, she saw a zebra. “I don’t want to ignore your turmoil. But could you explain how the river boiled?” Sunset weakly tried to stand up by herself, but the zebra had to help her. “If talking now it’s not the best. We can go to my hut so you can rest.” Sunset tried to give her an answer, but her brain decided that passing out was a better option.

Zecora laid down Sunset on her hammock and took a closer look at the pony that she had just saved.
She didn’t appear to have been damaged by the boiling water, and she noticed that her coat was drier than hers.
“This pony must have the soul of a fire-starter.” Zecora opened one of Sunset’s eyes, seeing the bat-like pupil staring at her. “But it seems that there’s also something darker.”

The zebra went to her ingredients, quickly picking some before taking a large book she had hidden in one corner. She searched through the pages until she found the recipe she wanted and took some more ingredients before filling her cauldron with water and starting a fire.

It took her an hour to finish the brew, and once it was done, she took some of it into a cup before going back to Sunset. She pushed the cup carefully against her lips, making sure none of it spilled out, and waited until the pony finished swallowing the concoction. Zecora checked her eyes once more and smiled as they slowly returned back to normal.

“Your body will be calm with this brew. But for the poison in your mind, I must find something new.” The zebra turned around to search for another book, but got tackled to the ground. Sunset was still unconscious, but her body moved on its own, jumping towards the cauldron and knocking it over, spilling its contents on the floor.

Zecora tried to restrain her possessed guest, but the unconscious unicorn could still use her magic, and teleported herself outside of the hut. Before the zebra could see her, she summoned her wings and flew into the air, quickly getting lost in the night sky.

Author's Note

Sunset's condition has worsened: Nightmarish essence (minor)

Magic Control: –10

Sunset's morale went down!: -60
Current morale: -45/100

As I said in the blog, future chapters may take time to be completed, I hope to bring the next one soon.

I will be watching you.

PS: would you like more art like the mini-Trixie in future chapters?

Chapter 8: "Hello"

The dragon had left the mountain, leaving his hoard behind, but nopony expected him to come back for it.
The six mares descended from the mountain in complete silence, any previous sense of adventure or even worry of the dangers around them was gone.
Twilight walked alone a few feet in front of her friends, head held high, but her gaze was on the ground.
Pinkie was an equal distance behind the rest, her mane deflated, and her eyes looked away from the mountain, almost as if she was looking for something in the sky.
The remaining four mares were looking at Twilight with worry, and it wasn’t because of the little blisters in her coat caused by Sunset’s heat. The silence was slowly killing the four, the tension so thick it was weighting on them like a lead blanket.
Applejack was the first to break. She walked towards Twilight, still keeping a short distance between them. “Twilight, are you-”

“OKAY?” the unicorn screamed as she turned around in an instant. “ARE YOU SERIOUSLY ASKING ME THAT?!” All the mares took a few steps back. “Sunset died! And I don’t have any idea where or when it happened! What even killed her? Will it come for us next? Did dying cause Sunset to almost go nuclear against us?” Applejack opened her mouth to try and respond. “Or was it just you?”

“It’s my fault,” Fluttershy said. “I shouldn’t have said all those mean things to her.”

Twilight’s glare turned to the shy pegasus. “You’re correct, you should’ve said them to me. Like these three at least tried to do!”

Rarity tried to form a defense for the pegasus. “Darling, even if what Fluttershy did was wrong, you don’t think that Sunset was overreacting a little? You told us she has short temper and usually sees herself above everypony, but what we saw there was far beyond short temper.”

Twilight took a step back to see all her friends. “Was anything of what Sunset said a lie?”

“I asked for her help with Gilda.” Pinkie admitted, getting the attention of everypony. “And I… mentioned the ursa attacking Ponyville to her.”

“What?” Twilight asked, her tone reminiscent of Sunset’s.

“It was just a little joke; I didn’t expect that it would escalate so much.”

Twilight walked towards Pinkie, pushing Applejack aside when she tried to stop her.
The pink pony looked at her, her hooves trembling, but not out of fear, until they were face to face. “Did you get my sister killed?” the unicorn asked, driving a metaphorical knife into the mare’s heart.

Pinkies eyes were flooding with tears. “I- I think so.”

“Would a ursa minor really kill Sunset? She’s pretty tough and said she was more powerful than you,” Rainbow said, trying to give some hope to her pink friend.

Twilight shook her head. “An ursa minor? No way.” Pinkie looked at her with a little ray of hope, but the unicorn quickly put two and two together. “But a major? One looking for her missing cub? And threatening to destroy the town by simply walking into it? Sunset couldn’t defeat it if she tried, and I’ve no doubt she tried.” Pinkie collapsed on the ground in sobbing fit, her worst fears confirmed. Rainbow went to her to try and console her friend in any way she could, as futile as it was. “Those two colts. I should’ve called the guard to arrest them instead of giving them silly mustaches.”

“Darling, they are kids, they made a mistake because they can’t think too far ahead.”

“That mistake killed Sunset! And who knows how many more if its mother reached the town! They-” Twilight stopped, doing her breathing exercises to try and calm herself. It took some time, but she managed to minimize it. “I’m not asking for them to be banished or locked up in Tartarus, but they need a heavier punishment. They need to understand the consequences of their actions.”

“This is all Trixie’s fault!” Applejack suddenly declared. “If she didn’t go around boasting about defeating the ursa, none of this would’ve happened.”

Twilight didn’t even look at her. “Do you honestly believe that? Do you honestly believe that Trixie is the one at fault here?”

Applejack was silent, until she finally looked away. “No.”

Twilight returned to the front of the group. “Let’s just get home, I don’t want to keep talking to any of you.”

After managing to get Pinkie on her feet again, they all followed her, again in silence, but nopony wanted to say anything more, just get home and cry.
However, they wouldn’t be able to do it yet, because at the feet of the mountain they found Spike, standing beside princess Celestia.

“I must say, out of all the weird things that happen in this town, your visit was the last one I expected.”

Luna took a sip of her coffee. “We hope we are not unnerving to you, Savoir Fare.”

The waiter chuckled. “Not at all, this is the pleasant kind of weird.”

“Does Sunset also fall in this category?”

“It was a rough start but she’s one of my best and more enjoyable costumers.”

Luna took another sip of her coffee. “This coffee could convince us to also become a regular costumer. Does she really only ask for this one?”

“Every day since she arrived. I’m afraid that the poor mare doesn’t know how to cook her own food.”

Luna laughed. “That’s what happens when you’ve every meal served in a silver platter.” She then turned more serious. “We were wondering about your opinion of her. We have been told you had some sort of friendship.”

“I wouldn’t say friendship, she’s just an enjoyable customer. She’s always helping others, and apparently likes to make pranks. She’s crafty, kind of rude at first, and really insecure.”

Luna raised an eyebrow at the last part. “That doesn’t sound much like the Sunset we know.”

“Well, she only showed it recently. She talked about being lost in the background, with her actions without importance, and that she can’t see herself without taking the main role.”

“Main role?”

“Ruling Equestria. Or at least that’s what she told me, but as I said, she wasn’t really sure about it.”

Luna wondered about the implications of the waiter’s tale and finished her coffee. “We thank you for your time. If you see Sunset, tell her to send us a message.”

“Will do princess, have a nice day.”

Celestia watched the six mares walking towards her.
Pinkie was crying, Twilight was wounded, and the rest had guilt dripping from their faces.
Spike’s letter warned her that Sunset had him scared and worried about Twilight’s safety due to her anger, and Celestia knew well that his fears weren’t unfounded.
Sunset was dangerous, but she still needed something to set her off. The question was; What did it?

“The dragon has left the mountain. That’s the only good news I have,” Twilight reported without any kind of joy in her eyes, even in her presence. Something was very wrong.

“I want you all to tell me what happened with Sunset,” she commanded with a coldness that she had only showed to Sunset.

“I killed Sunset,” Pinkie declared with eyes still full of tears, and the only one able to notice Celestia’s legs trembling was Spike, and he himself felt his blood ran cold at the news.

“She tried to defend the town form an ursa major, or at least that’s my theory. Nopony saw it happening,” Twilight explained.

“She’s alive now,” Rainbow quickly added, wanting to stop the monarch from banishing her friend to the moon. “So everything’s alright. She’s just angry but it will pass, and we will all laugh about this later.” She tried to laugh, but she wasn’t fooling anypony.

Celestia looked at her with a neutral expression. “Rainbow Dash, if you don’t have anything more to add to this subject, you can go home now.”

“But-”

“Goodbye, my little pony.” Rainbow looked at her friends, finding no objection, so she just gave Pinkie one last hug before flying away. “Do any of you know how she cheated death a second time?”

“So she did die that night,” Twilight said, tears in the corners of her eyes. “As I said, none of us saw what happened to her last night.”

Celestia turned to Spike. “You saw her first after last night, right?”

“Yeah, she was dipping her head completely into water when I found her. She first asked about what happened with the ursa minor that attacked the town. She was relieved that Twilight managed to send it away. But then…” He took a moment to continue. “I told her about how Twilight showed that Trixie was a boastful farce, and she got so mad she was literally steaming.”

“Does this Trixie present’s herself as great and powerful?” Celestia asked, and when the ponies nodded, she closed her eyes. “Trixie was one of Sunset’s inspirations in her magic studies.”

“Really?!” exclaimed almost everypony.

“How in Tartarus can a unicorn with its head so far up their arse be an inspiration?” Applejack asked with indignation.

“There are not many powerful mages left in Equestria, and even if Sunset can absorb spells from books like a sponge, she always preferred to see a demonstration rather than read about it. I didn’t see Trixie’s show, but for what Sunset told me, it was so good that the magician got her cutie mark at the end of it. It was the first time she saw it happen, so she left quite an impression on her.”

Twilight looked at the ground in shame. “And I humiliated her to the point that she had to leave the town.”

Rarity put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault darling; it was me, Applejack and Rainbow who tried to bring her show down in the first place.”

“If we had just shut up and leaved her be, she wouldn’t have made those stupid challenges,” Applejack added.

“What happened with the dragon?” Celestia asked.

“It was all my fault.” Fluttershy flew in front of Celestia. “Because of my fears I couldn’t talk to the dragon, and when the girls tried, they angered him and he attacked them. Sunset stepped in to save them, but she was hurting him, she seemed to… enjoy it.” That last part got the attention of everypony. The only one that had watched the whole fight was Fluttershy. “I snapped at her. I was already angry because she had threatened the manticore that we found in the Everfree when it was just hurt.”

Celestia interrupted her. “Luna told me that Nightmare Moon had angered it so it would attack you.”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide at her words. “Oh, am, after that, she lied to Twilight about the tickets.”

Twilight interrupted her this time. “She has done worse as we grew up together in the castle. I was angry at the time but just because I didn’t realize it sooner. I don’t hold it against her.”

Fluttershy was starting to get more nervous. “She attacked a griffon in the middle of the town.”

“If you’re talking about Gilda.” Pinkie sobbed. “She just took her away so they could talk in private about her bullying problems.”

“And we kind of deserved what Trixie did to us,” Rarity added.

“But I… then… why was she smiling when she hurt the dragon? Why was she threatening us at the end? Why did she hurt Twilight?”

“Oh, I don’t know Fluttershy!” Twilight snapped. “Maybe because the dragon was attacking us. Maybe because we humiliated one of her inspirations in magic studies. Maybe because you accused her of things without confirming if they were true. Maybe because she died protecting the town and none of us would have even realized it!”

Fluttershy and Pinkie cried, and Rarity and applejack weren’t too far from doing it themselves. They weren’t without guilt.

“I… I made her promise that she wouldn’t prank Twilight again. To help her fit into the town.” Spike shyly confessed.

“Did she say yes?” Twilight asked, surprised that Sunset would miss a chance to make fun of her.

Spike nodded. “Was that wrong?”

Celestia looked at the tiny dragon. “No Spike, that was a kind action, and it just shows that Sunset has improved in her relationship with Twilight, at least a little.”

“She said that I took her place,” Twilight said, and looked at her mentor straight in the eyes. “Is that true?”

Celestia had a very hard dilemma.
She could do the same thing she did with Sunset, but doing it to Twilight and her friends would be wrong. They weren’t the same, it wouldn’t be protecting her subjects from an unknown threat. However, the other option; the truth, could destroy Sunset’s and Twilight’s relationship. She didn’t want to bring Sunset more suffering with her wrong decisions.
‘I promised her; not a word of this to Twilight.’

“It will be better to tell you when you’re all together, it involves all of your friends.”

“But yah just send Rainbow away!” Applejack complained.

“I must first find Sunset and see that she’s alright. Do you have any idea where she might be?”

“No, she just teleported away. How will you find her?” Twilight asked.

Celestia thought about it for a second, and then smiled. “If she has learned at least a little about friendship, I know where to find her.”

“So, you’re not evil anymore?” Gilda asked.

“We aren’t, thanks to the pony that helped you with your friendship with Rainbow,” Luna responded.

Gilda was suspicious of the blue alicorn. She certainly didn’t expect her to show up when she went to practice her flying. “And what do you want to know?”

“Just your opinion of her. You’re not in trouble and this isn’t an interrogation. We just want to know about Sunset.”

“So that’s her name. I just called her the fairy godmother of friendship.” Gilda shrugged, but her words got Luna’s attention.

“And why would that be?”

“Because she just jumped me in the middle of the town and started lecturing me about how I would ruin my friendship with Dash.” Gilda looked down with a little sadness. “She was right. But then she helped me realize that I was wrong and convinced me to apologize.”

Luna looked impressed. “Interesting. Anything else?”

Gilda got a little nervous. “She pissed me off, and I kind of… tried to crush her with a rock.” Luna raised an eyebrow. “She said she did it so I could vent my frustrations before talking!” the griffon said with a little panic, but the princess just laughed.

“We can’t believe it. A thousand years and there are ponies that still use the old ways of therapy.” She calmed herself and smiled to the griffon. “We thank you for your time.”

“So, I’m not in trouble?”

Luna looked at Gilda with a sly smile. “Unless you want to duel us. We haven’t fought a griffon in quite some time.”

The princess had another laugh at the griffon’s reaction before returning to the castle.

Celestia knocked on the blue doors of the tower and waited patiently until they slightly opened, revealing part of a unicorn’s face.

“Hello Moon Dancer, may I come inside?”

The pony went back inside for a moment, but then opened the door to let her in.
Celestia took a few steps into the tower, and quickly saw two teal eyes looking at her, hidden behind the railing of the upper floor.

Celestia smiled. “Hi Sunset.”

“Hello…”

Author's Note

A little quick chapter because online classes are fucking boring and I love writing dialogue!

Hope you like it!

I will be watching you.

Chapter 9: "Goodbye"

Celestia flew up to Sunset, finding her resting on the floor, looking at the ground. She seemed to be fine physically, but it was clear she was very scared.
Seeing her like that was breaking her heart.

“The guards are waiting outside?” Sunset asked.

“There’re no guards Sunset, just me. And I’m not here to punish you in any way.” Celestia sat down beside her. “I already talked with Twilight and her friends about what happened.”

Sunset’s forehead hit the floor. “What did I do?”

Celestia was surprised at the question. “You don’t remember?”

“Just pieces. But it can’t be good.”

Celestia ran her hoof through Sunset’s mane in an attempt to calm her. “Tell me, from your perspective, what happened last night?”

“I… died.” Sunset trembled, so Celestia continued brushing her mane. “I fought the ursa major and it crushed me against the floor. After that, everything is hard to remember.”

“Spike said he found you in Fluttershy’s cottage. And he said something to you.” Celestia tried to edge her into remembering, cautious about triggering her herself.

“I remember… something about Trixie. I was going to have coffee with her. But then he said…” Sunset struggled to remember. “I… was so angry.” Sunset suffered another tremor. “Why was I so angry?”

Celestia wondered if not telling her would be better, but realized that hiding it would only make things worse. “Twilight accidentally made Trixie look like a farce when she sent the ursa minor away.”

Another tremor coursed across Sunset’s body. “But… That would make me sad… not angry.”

“Twilight’s friends may have influenced your feelings with their actions. Do you remember what happened next?”

“I…” Suddenly, Sunset grabbed her head, looking like she was in pain.
Celestia hugged her, trying to calm her down, but it didn’t seem to work. Moon Dancer approached them and gave Sunset a mug full of a dark brown liquid. The unicorn drank it all, and her pain seemed to subside.

“What was that?” Celestia asked.

“Coffee,” Moon Dancer responded. “Was the first thing she asked from me when she crashed through my window. It seems to calm her somehow.”

“It’s better when it’s not cold,” Sunset joked, showing her improved state. “And sorry about the window.” She took a moment before continuing. “I just remember being angry… angry at a dragon… angry at… Fluttershy?”

Celestia feared how her pupil would react next. She looked at Moon Dancer, but the unicorn was already making more coffee. “I talked to all of Twilight’s friends. They each admitted their fault in feeding your anger. It looks like they were what pushed you over the edge.”

Sunset didn’t seem to have heard her. “I remember Twilight… she was…” Sunset started to tremble again. “She was scared.”

“Sunset! You need to calm down! You’re scaring everypony!”

The trembling got worse. Celestia had to hold her closely so she wouldn’t collapse on the floor. “I hurt her…”

“Sunset… I didn’t know… I…” Twilight recoiled at the heat, but moved forward anyway, ignoring the pain. “I won’t abandon you again… I need you…”

Sunset was crying. She felt sick, like if her organs were rotting inside her. “I wanted to hurt her…”

“You can take my place… I don’t want it…” Rainbow picked her up, trying to take her to safety. “I want my sister!”

“So I…” Moon Dancer gave her a mug of fresh coffee, which she drank almost instantly.

Celestia smiled as she saw Sunset finally calm down, and Moon Dancer went for more coffee. “You telep-”

“I killed myself.” The mug shattered on the floor as Moon Dancer looked at her in shock. “I teleported into a river and drowned myself.” Silence filled the room, her words resonating on all their heads. Sunset felt something wet hit her snout, and when she looked up, she saw Celestia crying. “I just… I didn’t want to hurt anypony.” Her eyes also started to fill with tears.

The alicorn hugged Sunset as close as she could. “Sunset… I promise you; you will never have to do that again, or even think about it.”

Sunset returned the hug with force, not wanting to let go. “But I am the monster… I only hurt those around me.”

“We would disagree.” They all turned their heads to the blue alicorn that was standing close to them. “We had a little chat with various acquaintances of yours, and they all seem to have a pretty good impression of you.” She walked towards Sunset, making sure her eyes were looking at hers. “Savoir Fare thinks of you as his best customer and a kind pony. Gilda, funny griffon she is, admits that your help saved her friendship, and seems to respect you to some extent. We even got word from Applejack’s brother that he was glad that you got some sense back into his sister. But we must admit, he’s a stallion of few words.” Sunset’s tears had stopped flowing. “You call yourself monster, but your actions are a far cry from something like that.”

Sunset looked at her in disbelief. “But… in the mountain I…”

Luna interrupted her. “We have a theory.” All the ponies looked at her with expectation. “It may be related with how you cheat death.”

“Excuse me, but I’m learning a lot about Sunset right now,” Moon Dancer exclaimed. “You died… and came back to life? Are you a lich?”

“Necromancy is not the only way to avoid death,” Celestia explained. “There’ve been many powerful mages that have done it, either with the use of powerful artifacts, ancient rituals or clever spells. Halas of the Many Faces made various clones of himself, and each time he died he would transport his soul to another clone. A pegasus named Firebrand had supposedly gained the powers of a phoenix and would burn himself to ash to be reborn from them. Beauty Moonlight apparently could distort reality to avoid death.”

“Where are those ponies now?” Moon Dancer asked.

“They died,” Luna stated matter-of-factly. “Cheating death is not a guaranteed thing, and if you do it to the point of being known for it, someone will find a way to bypass your method.”

“Are you capable of cheating death too?” Sunset asked to the lunar princess.

“We can. If we would suffer mortal damage, we would transport our soul to the dream plane and wait until our sister repaired our body so we could return.”

“And how do you do it?” Moon Dancer asked Celestia.

“I…”

Luna smiled wickedly. “She can’t. She’s just an old mare that stayed home while her little sister dealt with the scary stuff.”

Celestia glared at her sister, which only made her smile larger. “Yes, I can’t cheat death. So Luna fought in the battlefield while I managed the kingdom. Which is harder!”

Luna’s smile didn’t waver. “That’s up to debate.”

“I have fought alongside you, and without you, and against you! and I’m still here.”

“We just jest you Tia.”

Moon Dancer shook her head. “Wait, so when you fought Nightmare Moon…”

Celestia gave a heavy sigh. “I tried to wound her enough so we could purge her body while she hid in the dream plane, but…”

“Nightmare Moon had her own way to cheat death,” Luna explained. “When she turned to mist, all wounds would heal almost instantly.”

Celestia continued. “And with Luna’s body and combat experience, she was pretty much unstoppable without completely destroying the body. The elements were the only option left, but…”

“Since we were able to wield them previously, she managed to change their effect on us. Instead of purifying our body, they sent us to the moon, where she would simply wait and regain strength to return.”

“And she also cut my connection with the elements, so I wouldn’t be able to use them against her again.” Celestia looked at Sunset. “That’s why I was so desperate to find somepony who could wield them again. They were the only way to stop her when she returned.”

“And Twilight was the only one who could,” Sunset concluded, looking sadly at the floor.

“I only realized it when I met her, the day I presented her to you.” Celestia closed her eyes and lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”

“You could’ve told me,” Sunset said, and Celestia was surprised at the lack of anger in her voice. “Things may have been different.”

“You looked so accepting of her, and with my blindness to my treatment of you, I didn’t realize that you were just keeping her away from our conflict.” Celestia closed her eyes as she exhaled a heavy breath. “I’ve been blind to everypony around me. That blindness created the demon that haunted Luna, and I was foolish enough to think I learned the lesson when it came to nurture you.” Celestia hugged Sunset again, but this time it was soft and caring. Not the hug of a desperate parent or a grieving widow, but the one of a loving mother. “I don’t want to ever hurt you again.”

Sunset returned the hug, much in the same way, and felt a warmness in her body that wasn’t coming from her inner fire. Instead of prideful or hateful, it was peaceful.
In that moment of motherly love, a word resonated from deep inside Sunset’s mind; Sunshine.

Luna and Moon Dancer watched them with a smile for some time, until the unicorn had to ask the question. “So how can Sunset cheat death then?”

“The correlation seems to be Sunset’s anger, so that may be its origin,” Luna explained.

“So what? I just anger myself back to life?” Sunset asked, not really convinced.

“Maybe you just reject death so much your body heals itself out of spite,” Luna joked.

“Too angry to die.” Moon Dancer joined in.

“Being serious,” Celestia interrupted with a frown, letting go of Sunset so she could see her in the eyes. “It’s possible that with all the knowledge you’ve acquired over the years, when you were at the verge of death, your desperation created a spell capable of bringing you back to life.”

“But why anger? And why can’t I remember anything afterwards?” Sunset asked.

“Dying is still a traumatic experience, and we don’t know exactly how your spell works, so I guess we won’t know until somepony witness it,” Luna explained.

“Which we won’t do,” Celestia declared without room to discussion. “You’ve died enough already. I want you to be safe.”

Sunset looked at the ground. “I just don’t want to hurt anypony.”

“Then stop dying!” Moon Dancer exclaimed, her voice rising for the first time. “If Twilight’s the chosen one or whatever, let her and her friends risk their lives against danger! You’ve already died twice trying to protect them! You’ve sacrificed more than what anypony should!”

Sunset shook her head. “I don’t think I can just sit and watch Moon. Twilight is my sister.”

Moon Dancer’s thoughts derailed at the last words. “You two are finally admitting it?”

Sunset realized what she just said. “I… I think so.” She then turned sad. “If she forgives me.”

“She will Sunset.” Moon Dancer smiled. “She is your sister.”

Sunset smiled. “I can still annoy her, right?” The ponies laughed.

“Spike told me about your promise, so you can’t,” Celestia said in a motherly tone.

Luna looked at her sister with a smile. “Oh, like if a promise ever stopped you from it.”
Celestia glared at her sister for a second time, making everypony laugh again.

“Well, I just made a lot of coffee. Do you want any?” Moon Dancer proposed.

“Would be lovely, but I must refuse.” Celestia stood up “We’ve matters to return to, but if anything happens, just send us a letter and we will be here.”

“You’re just going to let me stay here?” Sunset asked, standing up too.

Celestia looked at her with a smile. “And where would I send you to?”

“I…” Sunset got lost in thought. “I don’t know.”

“You wanted to be here, so here you are. We will all be close by if you need us,” Celestia gave Sunset’s mane another brush with her hoof.

Sunset seemed calmer than before. “What about Twilight and her friends?”

“If you feel like you’re not ready to see them again, you can stay here, and I will tell them that you’re safe with Moon Dancer and that they don’t need to worry.”

Sunset took some air, calming herself a little more. “Ok… I just don’t want to hurt them when I see them.”

“We believe you incapable of that,” Luna said before going to the door.

“There will be a parade in Ponyville in a couple days, you can come with me if it makes you feel safer,” Celestia offered.

“Yes… I think I’ll be ready by then.” Sunset looked to the side. “I hope…”

Moon Dancer put a foreleg over her shoulders and gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry Sunset, it will be fine.”

Sunset smiled at her, feeling a little more confident, and then looked as the two sisters were leaving the room. She felt an impulse spring from her heart. “Princess?”

Celestia turned around. “Yes Sunset?”

The unicorn was nervous. “I… I don’t think I can hate you anymore.”

Celestia’s eyes widened, old tears hiding new ones. “I’m… so happy to hear that Sunset. I hope I won’t ever fail you again.”
Both mares looked at each other with a smile, feeling a weight being lifted from their hearts.

“We shall smack her if she does!” Luna shouted as she left.

Celestia rolled her eyes at her sister’s teasing. “Goodbye Sunset.”

“Goodbye.”

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up: +30
Current morale: -15/100

Sunset developed a new condition: Coffee dependance.

I hope it ended up good, even if short. I was in a sad mood today, but luckily I had written most of it before.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 10: I Have A Family Now

It was a new day. Sunset woke up from the makeshift bed she and Moon Dancer had made for her and smelled breakfast being made. She stretched her body before rising and going to the table.
“Good morning Moon.”

“Morning Sunset.” The ash-white unicorn walked with two plates with still steaming food over to the table, putting one in front of Sunset, who quickly took a bite out of it.

“Wow, this is really good!” she exclaimed taking another bite.

Moon Dancer smiled. “Thanks! It took a lot of failed attempts until I got it right.” She took a bite out of it with a little pride. “I can tell you the recipe if you want.”

Sunset smiled awkwardly. “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

Moon Dancer raised an eyebrow. “You… don’t know how to cook?”

“Moon, I lived in a castle. With maids and chefs and everything.”

“Yeah, but you also lived in Ponyville for like two weeks or something. And I don’t think there are maids there.”

“I just bought breakfast every day,” Sunset admitted.

Moon Dancer gave a chuckle. “One of the most powerful mages in Equestria can’t even make its own breakfast.”

Sunset smiled. “Just, shut up and teach me Moon.”

Both mares started laughing, until there was a knock on the door. They looked at each other, neither expecting visits.
“I will get it, maybe is Celestia,” Sunset said before teleporting to the door. She opened it carefully, peeking one eye first, but as soon as she saw the face of the stallion, she opened it completely. “Bigby?”

Shining Armor smiled. “Hey Sunset. May I come inside?”

“Of course!” Sunset stepped aside, letting him in. “What are you doing here?”

“Twilight sent me a letter asking me to check on you.” Shining turned around to see her with a smile. “And also, I apparently have new sister now.”

Sunset had a big smile. She was getting a whole new family all of a sudden. “I guess I can’t call you Bigby anymore.”

Shining ruffled her mane. “I’m still older than you.”

Sunset pushed him away with a smile. “Bigger doesn’t mean older.”

“How about this? If you win the next Sibling Supreme, you get to be the big sister.”

Sunset’s jaw dropped. “Are you really inviting me to that?!”

“Of course, but we won’t go easy on you.”

Sunset pushed her hoof against his chest defiantly. “Oh, I’m having that crown on my head and you know it!” They both laughed.

“Want to share my breakfast?” Moon Dancer offered from the floor above.

“No thanks, I ate in the barracks before coming here.” Shining responded before looking back at his new sister. “But there are some things I would like to talk with you.”

Sunset’s smile faded a little at the implications of what Twilight would’ve told him in the letter. “Sure. Moon, could you please make some coffee?”

“Already on it!” the unicorn responded outside of her view.

Both siblings sat down on Sunset’s bed, both nervous about the oncoming conversation. They knew that it would be unpleasant to both tell and hear it, but they needed to. They were family now.
Shining took the first step. “Twilight told me that you died.”

Sunset took some air. “I did…”

He looked at her. “How do you feel about it?”

“I’m… not sure. Everything is a blur. And when it becomes clear… there’s only anger.” Sunset shook her head. “Bigby I…”

“I know Sunset. She told me.” He put a hoof over her shoulder. “And I know that you didn’t mean to do it.”

Sunset trembled. “How can you know?”

“Because I saw you raising her into the pony she is now.” Shining moved Sunset’s head so she looked at him. “You played a part in her growing up, just like me, my parents, Celestia, and Cadence.”

Sunset’s eyes grew wide at the last name. “Cadence… does she know?”

Shining shook his head. “As far as I know, Twilight only told me. And I won’t say anything if you don’t want to.” He moved his head a little closer to her. “But she should know, eventually.”

Sunset closed her eyes. “I know, but it’s-”

“Not easy. I can only imagine.” Shining gave a short sigh. “I want you to know that this won’t be the rest of your life. We want to know because it’s the only way we can help you, so it won’t haunt you forever.”

Sunset gave a chuckle. “That’s a pretty good question.”

Shining looked at her confused. “Am I missing something?”

The mare shook her head. “Sorry, it’s just… I thought I was getting some time to relax and put things in order, but everything just seemed to…”

“Go FUBAR?”

“Exactly!” Sunset exclaimed. “Everything’s a mess and I don’t know where to go from here.”

Shining took a moment to think an answer. “Well, I can’t think of a more boring place than Canterlot to relax. Even as captain of the guard everypony just hangs around without much to do. My men have been shooting crossbows at empty cans all day out of pure boredom.”

“At least they will remember how they work.” Sunset looked in the direction of Ponyville. “That town could use a couple of guards.”

“Oh, I would move my entire regiment there by myself just to protect it and see Twilight every day, but sadly, it would be seen as a military subjugation.”

Sunset gave another chuckle. “Give them a couple more monster incursions and they will plead for more security.”

Shining smiled. “Well, they’ve Twilight, her friends, and I’m sure a little distance won’t stop you from going there and protect your sister.”

Sunset looked at the ground, not sharing his optimism. “I don’t know Bigby. I tried to protect the town, and I died, got yelled at, and I hu-”

Shining Armor, grabbed her by the shoulders. “It wasn’t you Sunset, I know it. Your anger got the better of you, it happens to all of us.”

Sunset shook her head. “Not all of us can melt rock, burn dragons and boil skin when we get angry.”

“And not all of us would face an ursa major all by ourselves. I should give you a Pink Heart of Courage.”

Sunset chuckled. “For something that nopony saw, I can’t remember, and lead to the mountain incident? I don’t think that award would mean much.”

Shining’s mood didn’t change. “Well, then I will save it for next time.”

Sunset gave him a puzzled look. “Next time?”

He smiled. “Oh, I’m more than sure that you will end up saving a town or two.”

Sunset’s eyes lit up with hope. “You really think that?!”

“Of course! You’re one of the most driven ponies I know, and have the power and knowledge to back it up.”

Sunset looked to the side, her insecurities crawling back again. “But what if it goes FUBAR again? What if I end up really hurti-?”

Shining stopped her once more. “That’s what we are for. Me, Celestia, Cadence and Twilight. If it happens again, we will help you. That’s a promise.”

Sunset’s smiled, tears trying to escape her eyes. “Thanks Bigby. Twilight is lucky to have such a great big brother.”

Shining ruffled her mane again. “I’m your big brother too now.”

“Until I get that crown on my head,” She said laughing.

Shining took some air. “There’s something more.”

Sunset got worried. “What is it?”

“Twilight’s friends are… in various levels of regret for how they acted and what they did to you. Twilight chewed them out, they are not in speaking terms right now.”

Sunset lowered her head. “Twilight doesn’t deserve that. They are her friends. Even if they fuck up. I hope she can forgive them.”

Shining looked surprised. “You’re not mad at them?”

“I am, in fact I’m not sure what I will do when I see them, which scares me.” She lifted her head back up. “But wouldn’t it be kind of hypocritical if I get to be forgiven for what I did but they don’t? I know they didn’t have bad intentions, especially Candy, I mean, Pinkie Pie.”

Shining looked away. “About her.” Sunset looked at him closely. “She thinks that she killed you.”

Sunset’s eyes grew wide in surprise. “What?! Why?”

“Because she told you about the ursa coming to the town.” Shining quickly added. “Which is kind of confusing to me, but Twilight said ‘don’t question it’”

Sunset looked straight ahead, frowning, her mind deep in thought. “Would you mind doing a quick trip to Ponyville?”

Shining raised an eyebrow. “I can’t exactly just abandon the city.”

Sunset made a raspberry. “You just said nopony has anything to do, besides, you get to see Twilight. Just say that Celestia’s pupil send you on a mission or something.”

Shining smiled. “And what mission must I complete?”

Twilight’s eyes skimmed through the pages of yet another book, and when she finally hit the last page, she threw it to the ever-increasing pile of literature she had been making all night.
Spike, still groggy from sleep, walked up to it and did his best to put everything in place.
“Twilight, you’ve been up all night, can you at least eat something? I will make it for you.”

The unicorn opened another book and continued her quick reading. “I’ve to find something Spike, we can’t just keep hoping that Sunset will keep coming back from the grave. I need to find a way to-”

“Twilight, I’m as worried as you are, but we also can’t just assume that Sunset will die again in the near future.”

Twilight turned around to face him. “How can be sure that she won’t? We couldn’t do anything the first time and we didn’t even know about the second! What if another threat like Nightmare Moon appears and she tries to protect us and gets- ?”

“Then we will protect her,” Spike suddenly declared, stomping his foot on the floor. “You and your friends defeated Nightmare Moon, and you dealt with the ursa by yourself. If we all work together along with Sunset, nopony has to die!”

Twilight opened her mouth, but no words came out. She slowly lowered her book and felt the exhaustion of the sleepless night fall on her. She was getting blinded by desperation. She had just now realized that he was also going through his own grief.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

“I will get it,” Spike said descending the stairs.
Twilight looked at the pile of books and started to levitate them to their respective places, reducing some of the work from Spike.

“Hey Twily.”

The books quickly forgotten, Twilight turned around and jumped towards her brother for a hug. She really needed him right now.
Shining smiled and returned the hug, happy to be able to see her sister after so long.
After a few seconds, they finally separated, and Twilight was the first to talk. “Did you see Sunset?”

“Yeah, in fact, I’ve a message from her to give you.”

Twilight looked confused. “Why didn’t she send a letter?”

“She said that it would be better if it was in person.”

Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack approached the library with worry.
They knew Twilight was still angry at them, and had every right to be, so her sudden invite to her house was completely unexpected.

“What do yah think she wants to tell us?” Applejack asked the group.

“Maybe she got more news of Sunset,” Rainbow guessed.

“I hope she’s okay,” Pinkie added.

Rarity took some air to calm her nerves. “At least I don’t think it can get any worse than what it is now.”

“I hope you’re right,” Fluttershy said as they knocked on the door to the library.
Spike let them in, and they found Twilight alongside a white unicorn almost twice her size. They didn’t pay him any mind, the important here was what Twilight had to say.

“Thanks for coming,” Twilight said standing up, and all the other mares sat on the floor. “This is my brother Shining Armor.” They all gave a short but courteous hello, and their attention went back to Twilight. “He brought me a message from Sunset herself. To all of you.”
They five mares got visibly nervous. They didn’t expect anything good coming from a mare kilometers away from them due to their actions.

Twilight turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie, I don’t blame you for my death. Your unintended warning probably saved a lot more ponies in the town, and I also had my own plans backfire on me, causing my death. Please, don’t beat yourself up for it, you’re not a killer, you’re a weird but good pony who cares for others. That’s how I see you.”
Pinkie had tears in her eyes again, but the pain in her heart wasn’t as big as when she came down form the mountain.

Twilight continued. “Rarity, Rainbow and Applejack. I hate you.” The three mares recoiled at the words. “You’re a bunch of selfish, ignorant mares that can’t appreciate when someone does something for you even if you don’t ask them to do it.” The three mares were looking at the floor. “But I know that you are good ponies. Everypony makes mistakes, some small, some big, some just don’t learn and repeat them constantly, so that’s what I ask of you. Don’t wallow in misery, learn from your mistakes and do better next time. And if you ever see Trixie again; apologize.”
The three mares nodded. They were given another chance; they wouldn’t waste it.

Finally, Twilight looked at Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus wanted to dig herself into the ground and cry, knowing that she would get the worst of it.
“Fluttershy, I don’t understand you.” The words both surprised and confused her. “I know for sure that you’re a kind soul, and that you wouldn’t snap at somepony like that without a motive. I don’t know what you saw in me, and I don’t know anything about you besides that you embody kindness, but you’ve avoided me from day one, and I just don’t know why.”
Fluttershy didn’t know how to react.
She expected anger, but instead, Sunset was just trying to understand her actions.
‘Something that I failed to do with her,’ she concluded looking at the ground.

“The final words were for me, and I will just tell you this part; She wants us to keep being friends. She wants me to forgive you for what you did to her and be happy with all of you.”

“Are you sure the mare in the mountain was Sunset?” Rainbow asked.

“She sounds like a completely different pony,” Rarity added.

“One that’s a better mare than us,” Applejack concluded.

“Well, do we really know her?” Fluttershy suddenly asked, surprising everyone.

Applejack was the first to respond. “We tried, we spoke to Twilight about her attitude.”

Pinkie wiped her tears before talking. “Yeah, but we didn’t really talk to her. We know her attitude and that she likes to prank and help other ponies, but is that really all that Sunset is?”

The question dug deep in each of the pony’s minds. Even Rainbow, who got to hang out with Sunset when they practiced some maneuvers, could only remember that she was speaking to Sunset, not the other way around.

“Ah guess we still have a lot to learn about being friends,” Applejack concluded.

Twilight gave a short sigh of relief, and smiled. “We all do, but we can learn together.”
The five mares looked at her, seeing her smile. They smiled back, and quickly went for a hug, which Twilight gladly returned.

Shining Armor looked at the girls with a smile, remembering the part he omitted from the message.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about sis. You are the fairy godmother of friendship.’

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!: +20
Current morale: 5/100

Who needs sleep? Healthy people? I have coffee!

I will be watching you.

Chapter 11: What Makes A Friend?

It had been almost a week since Sunset had arrived at Moon Dancer’s tower. The host had gotten an actual bed for her and they had spent their time talking and reading books, but with each passing day, Moon Dancer could tell that Sunset wasn’t the same as before.
She never really got to know her in detail, just enough to form a bond over their love for literature and obscure research, and she had been through a lot in a relative short time, but even so, she could tell that something had changed in her core.
She could see it right now, in the bored eyes that read a book with a complete lack of interest. Sunset took another sip of her coffee; it was probably her fifth this day. “You shouldn’t exclusively drink coffee Sunset.”

The amber unicorn lifted her gaze, looking like if she had just woken up to an alarm. “Hm? What do you mean?”

“I’m serious. I don’t know how you can sleep like a log with all that caffeine in your bloodstream.”

Sunset looked at her cup. “I just find it soothing.”

Moon Dancer gave a little sigh. “I know it does, but you should at least mix it up with something else.” Her attention went back to the book. “Is the book boring?”

Sunset seemed to suddenly remember the book’s existence. “No… it’s just…” She seemed to struggle coming up with the right words. “I feel like I’m not learning anything.”

Moon Dancer raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Sunset pushed the book aside. “I guess my visit to Ponyville showed me that I’m kind of overprepared for the world outside.”

Moon Dancer’s eyebrow raised higher. “Kind of pretentious, but are you sure about that?”

Sunset pushed herself away from the table where she was reading. “I mean, unless there is a book somewhere detailing how to beat Nightmare Moon or an ursa major, I don’t see how books could prepare me more. And as you said, I know a lot about magic and spells, but I didn’t learn about other things, like cooking.”

Moon Dancer raised her other eyebrow. “I remember that you told me you made chairs out of metal rods.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Telekinesis and magical welding. Doesn’t count.”

“It still requires some skill, but I guess that’s not the point. What about going back to Celestia’s studies?”

Sunset’s ears dropped. “I don’t think I can really go back to that. Even if Celestia is treating me better, it would still gnaw at the back of my head. Besides, the barrier I never got to pass is friendship. And after the mountain incident, I don’t really think I can.”

Moon Dancer put her book away. “Sunset, look me in the eyes.” The unicorn did as she asked, a little curious and concerned. “Aren’t we friends?”

Her words seemed to take a couple seconds to register in Sunset’s mind. She lowered her gaze as she frowned, processing the question. “I… I guess. It’s kind of what Twilight has.”

Moon Dancer crossed her forelegs over the table, leaning closer to Sunset. “What does she have? What makes them her friends?”

Sunset started to think about Twilight’s friends. “Well… she trusted Applejack. Which I do with you. Even in whatever state I was that day, I came to you first.”

Moon Dancer smiled. “And I trust you too. You helped me a lot when Twilight was leaving, and I know you care for others. What else?”

Sunset had to think a little harder this time. “Well, Pinkie cheers everypony up, so she surely does the same to Twilight.”

“Do I cheer you up?” Moon Dancer wondered.

Sunset couldn’t respond immediately. “You bring me coffee.” She finally said with an awkward smile.

Moon Dancer rubbed the bridge of her nose to hide her annoyance. “Sorry to be boring. I just now realized you’re no longer into books.”

Sunset’s ears dropped with embarrassment. “It’s not that you’re boring Moon. It’s just… I think we have different preferences.” An idea popped into her head. “Do you like bowling?”

Moon Dancer looked at her again, her expression back to normal. “Never tried it. I rarely go out.”

Sunset leaned a little closer. “You should. Is kind of fun, and frustrating, but that only makes you want to be better at it.”

Moon Dancer sighed. “Don’t know, books are what I enjoy. But back to the friendship thing. What else can you think of Twilight’s friends?”

Sunset still struggled to come up with something. “There’s Rainbow, she’s somepony that helps you. When her ego is not in the way.” She gave a long sigh. “I guess not getting along with them is not helping the case.”

Moon Dancer nodded. “And what about you?” Sunset looked at her confused. “What do you think makes a friend for you?”

Sunset started to think. She had said this to Celestia before, so she tried to remember. “Somepony that can stand as an equal to me or maybe even better than me. Somepony who can help me learn something new. Somepony who will be proud of my achievements.”

Moon Dancer looked at her in the eyes. “Sunset. You’re describing Celestia.”
Her ‘friend’ opened her mouth to speak, but no words managed to get out. “How many ponies did you know before Twilight?”

There was a knock on the door, and both mares looked away from each other.
“I will get it.” Sunset quickly said before teleporting to the entrance and opening it, revealing the tall white figure of Celestia.

“Hello Sunset, how are you feeling?” the monarch asked with a smile.

Sunset forced a smile of her own. “I’m feeling better thanks to Moon Dancer.”

“I’m so glad to hear it. You’ve my deepest gratitude.” Celestia said to the ash-white unicorn, who looked a little embarrassed.

“I’m just glad to be of help.”

Celestia looked back at Sunset. “I’ve to do a little visit to Ponyville. Would you like to come with me?”

Sunset shivered a little, but she stomped her hoof on the floor to snap out of it. “I think so. At least to give it a try.”

“You’re welcomed to come back anytime you want.” Moon Dancer called out from the floor above.

Sunset turned around to see her. “Thank you for everything Moon. And… I’m sorry.”

Moon Dancer made a little smile. “It’s okay Sunset. I hope you can figure it out someday.”

Sunset nodded and exited the tower alongside Celestia. “What was she referring to?” the alicorn wondered.

“I can tell you while we travel,” was Sunset’s response.
They boarded a large chariot that Celestia had decided to use instead of her personal one so they had space to sit, and the pegasus quickly took flight towards Ponyville.
Celestia could feel Sunset’s nervousness, and the poor unicorn couldn’t stop looking around herself, shifting her position constantly.
“Sunset, I know you’re nervous, but I assure you; everything is going to be fine.” The unicorn took some air, finally sitting down on the chariot, but still had little shivers from time to time. Celestia sat at her side to offer some comfort. “Do you want to talk about something?”

Sunset took a couple of seconds to respond. “I was… talking with Moon Dancer about what makes a friend.” She looked at her mentor. “What do you think makes a friend?”

Celestia looked at the sky, thinking about the correct answer. “I think I can’t really tell.”

Sunset got a little upset at the answer. “What do you mean?”

“After I banished Luna, I… lost my way with friendship.”

Sunset was confused. “What does that even mean?”

“It means… various things. At first it was the grief of losing Luna, but later…” Celestia’s eyes seemed to get lost in the horizon. “It became… political.”

Sunset was concerned about her mentor. “How? I still don’t get what you’re talking about.”

Celestia took some air, steeling herself. “After such a rebellion, and by my own sister no less, everypony was constantly judging every relationship I tried to make, wondering if they would become the next traitor. Anypony that tried to get close to me was intimidated by the media, who at one point started to get ridiculous. Even a simple ‘good morning’ to a guard would spiral to several news articles, and ponies would interrogate or even ostracize the poor pony until they became worry of interacting with me again. Many left their work in the castle to escape the drama before it dug deeper into their lives.”

Sunset’s anger started to rise. “Why would they do that? Why didn’t you stop them?”

“Because there are few things worse than an influential pony with its mind clouded by fear. If they think there’s a danger to themselves or their way of living, they will try and make everypony fear the same thing so they can stop it before it gets them. And about stopping them…” Celestia looked to the pegasus guards and spoke in a much lower voice. “The only way would be to order their arrest, or silence them in another way, which would only make their fears and paranoia more believable.” She lowered her voice a little more. “But I was about to do it anyway. I just wanted them to stop. But it was useless.”

A question popped into Sunset’s head. “Was it the same for me?”

“Thankfully, not much. The fact that you were young and under my direct care helped to convince them that you were controlled. It was more unlikely that a filly raised from infancy would betray their mother figure.”

“That’s… not exactly reassuring,” Sunset admitted looking at the ground below the chariot.

“And now Luna is suffering the same. Everypony is trying to find a crack in her stoic persona to point out how she will turn against me again.” Celestia gave a heavy sigh. “There are a lot of things that are still unknow to the grand majority of the population, and I fear the moment when Luna decides to fully show herself to the general public.” Her eyes searched for Sunset’s. “Luckily, you gave her the chance to take little steps towards that goal. Visiting each of the creatures that you helped was a way to expose herself without thinking about their fear of her presence. She had a mission, and concentrated all her mind to it, ignoring her own fears. It gave her confidence in herself.”

Sunset smiled a little, happy to be of help to the alicorn that had given her the advice she needed when she felt lost for the first time. “Tell her that if she ever presents herself to the public, I want to be there.”

Celestia smiled. “Of course, Sunset. She will be very thankful for your support.”

The smile was shared with the unicorn, but shortly after, the question came back. “So, you didn’t know how friendship worked when I was your pupil?”

Celestia took a little bit more air. “I didn’t completely forget about it. I knew about its importance outside of the defeat of Nightmare Moon, and how a pony should be to achieve it”

“Not like me,” Sunset said looking away from her mentor, her ears glued to her head.

Celestia looked at her with worry and guilt. “Sunset, it could’ve been you.” Her eyes observed the guards once more. “No.” She took off her crown. “I should’ve been you.”

“But I don’t know anything about friendship. Even if ponies call me the fairy godmother of the thing, I don’t really have friends of my own. I can understand how ponies think and feel, but I just don’t get that connection with anypony.”

“That’s still more than what Twilight had when I sent her to Ponyville.” Celestia looked forward, finding the silhouette of the town in the distance. “I was just banking in the destiny being fulfilled.”

Sunset looked at her with confusion. “You mean the prophesy of the elements of harmony? It didn’t mention anything about the bearers being all in one place, or who they were. You had to be very lucky that…” Sunset saw her mentor shifting uncomfortably. She was hiding something, and she quickly realized what it was.
“You showed her the mirror.” Celestia nodded slightly. “When? What did she saw?”

“I showed it to her the day I presented her to you, just a quick look. She was young, so it was easy to disguise it as just a simple magic trick. I’m sure she doesn’t even remember it.”

Sunset got closer to her mentor. “What did she saw?” She reiterated.

“Herself, at her current age, with a crown on her head sporting the element of magic, and all her friends behind her, wearing the rest of the elements. They all glowed with light, making me sure that they could wield them even better than Luna and I did.” Celestia looked at Sunset. “After that day, I started to look for her friends. It wasn’t easy since they were adults in the image and I had to look for little fillies, and on top of that, I had to search all across Equestria in secret.” She tilted her head to the side, searching for the memories. “The first one I found was Rainbow Dash, her mane and boastfulness made it quite easy to track down. Next was Pinkie, another extremely notorious pony. Fluttershy came with Rainbow, Rarity was found when she started her business, and Applejack was the more difficult due to being part of an immense family. It was luck, or destiny depending on how you look at it, that they ended up in the same town. So, I sent Twilight there and hoped for the best.”

Sunset looked to the side. “I still don’t see how I could’ve achieved the same. None of my destinies showed something like that.”

Celestia hugged Sunset with one of her wings. “As I told you before, destinies can change, and you did change it. The monster that we saw wasn’t trying to hurt Twilight, she defended her. You may not have fully grasped the ‘connection’ of friendship as you call it, but you know enough to help those around you. This… fairy godmother of friendship, sounds like something that you could have been much before Twilight became my student, if I had taught you correctly.” Celestia lowered her head, looking sadly at the ground. “I want to make things right not only with you, but for Twilight too. As you said in the hospital, I fear of falling in the same pits I did with you.”

Sunset looked at Celestia with a hopeful smile. “I you can keep my anger in check, and I help you avoid the pitfalls, we can both help her. She’s a brilliant pony with good friends. With the right guidance, she could be the shield of Equestria against evils like Nightmare Moon.”

Celestia looked at her with a smile. “Thank you Sunset.” She gave her a little nuzzle, which the unicorn returned. “I guess that would make you the sword of Equestria.”

Sunset chuckled. “I can’t say that the title wouldn’t fit me.”

“Actually, that was one of the ways that ponies called Luna and I when we were ruling Equestria. Luna was the sword, fighting in the front lines, defeating fearsome monsters and making sure her platoons returned as intact as possible to the cities. And I was the shield, ruling the kingdom and maintaining the peace and prosperity of it. And if a threat managed to get pass Luna’s war hammer, they knew I would protect them with everything I had.”

Sunset gave a sardonic smile. “What a great story that I’ve never heard before.”

Celestia chuckled with a smile. “Yeah, times of old that are better forgotten.”

They both started to see Ponyville in more detail, and Sunset noticed something; her house was on fire.
“Uhm, do you have a spyglass?” Celestia summoned one and passed it to Sunset.
As soon as she focused the lens on the town, she saw that it was in ruins. Some buildings were on fire, not as much as her house, and the rest seemed half eaten by something.
“I’m gone for just a week and the town is destroyed?! What kind of ancient cursed cemetery was this town built on top off?!”

“What?” Celestia took the spyglass and observed the town. “It seems to be an infestation of parasprites, but they are eating the buildings instead of the food. Why would they do that?”

“Twilight.” Sunset deadpanned.

“Yeah, it does seem like something she would end up doing.” Celestia adjusted the spyglass. “Oh, Pinkie seems to be guiding them away with music.”

“Really?” Sunset took the spyglass and saw the one band pony making the insects march in a perfect line. “That pony is full of surprises.” She then saw Twilight and the rest of her friends following her close behind. “Hey, I’m prohibited from pranking Twilight, buuuut...”

Celestia smiled. “Way ahead of you Sunset.”

“I'm terribly honored that you and the good citizens of Ponyville have organized a parade in honor of my visit.” Celestia said with a smile while Sunset contained her laughter from behind some nearby bushes.

“Parade?” Twilight asked confused, until she realized the saving grace that fell on her hooves. “Oh, yes, the parade!”

“Unfortunately, that visit is going to have to wait for another time. I'm afraid an emergency has come up in Fillydelphia. Apparently, there's been some sort of infestation.”

“An... infestation?”

“Yes, a swarm of incredibly bothersome creatures has invaded the poor town.”

Sunset couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation as she was rolling on the ground. “Oh, I didn’t know how much I missed this.”
When she eventually calmed down, she saw Celestia starting to leave, so she teleported back to the chariot.

“You’re not feeling like you want to stay?” Celestia asked her.

Sunset had forgotten the purpose of their visit. “I… I don’t know.”

“You said it yourself, the town seems to get destroyed if you’re not here.” Celestia joked, but then got to Sunset’s eye level. “You should at least say hi.”

Sunset took some air. “You’re right.”

“I will be right here if you need me.”

Sunset took the first steps towards Twilight, which were the hardest of her life until now, but eventually managed to keep the pace until they noticed her presence.
She opened her mouth to speak but was hug-tackled to the ground out of nowhere.
“I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry. I’ve should’ve known. I should’ve been there with you. Then you wouldn’t have-”

“Twilight.” Sunset slowly hugged her back. “It’s okay. I’m here now, and that’s what’s important. We can face things together now. As sisters.”
Twilight lifted her face to see her, tears of sadness and joy mixed together as they ran down her face. She smiled, Sunset did too, and they shared a more warm, sisterly hug.
Twilight’s friends looked at them with smiles and little tears of their own, until they finally separated, and Sunset got up from the ground, only for Pinkie to hug her next.

“Hi Pinkie. So glad that you’re happy.” Sunset struggled to say from between the tight bearhug.

Fluttershy walked in front of her with her ears pulled backwards, catching her attention. “I’m sorry for how I judged you. You said that you couldn’t understand why I did it, but the truth is that I was simply wrong about you, all of you. And that ended up hurting you and Twilight.”

“As we did with Trixie,” Rainbow added, and the rest of Twilight’s friends joined in.

“We made such mistakes, and even after you got so angry at us in the mountain, you sent a message to calm us down and give us a chance to be better. That made us realize that we didn’t really knew who you really were and what things were important to you,” Rarity explained.

“So, we came up with an idea. If yah’re willing to do it.”

Pinkie freed Sunset from her hug, letting her breathe again. “We want you to spend one day with each of us, so we all get to know each other.”

The five gave her tiny hopeful smiles, and Sunset looked at them with doubt.
She wasn’t angry right now, which was what she feared the most, but being alone with each could trigger her in some way. The doubt and fear started to gnaw at her nerves, making her shiver.
A hoof rested on her shoulder, giving her a weird calmness. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. And I will understand if you prefer to go back to Canterlot.”
Sunset looked at Twilight, her smile hiding the sadness of her sister possibly leaving her again.
She then looked at Celestia in the distance, waiting patiently beside the chariot.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds, and waved at her.
Celestial gave a little nod, and got onto the chariot, leaving back to Canterlot.

“I will try,” she finally said with a smile, and the ponies gave a little cheer before giving her a group hug.
Sunset felt weirdly happy being surrounded by them, even if the worry and guilt still lingered in the back. But she would fight them, and once they were gone, maybe she would feel that connection with Twilight’s friends.

“Today has been a real roller-coaster of emotions,” Twilight said once they broke the hug.

“It has been for me too,” Sunset admitted. “I think I just want to go home and rest for a bit.”

The six mares froze for a second. “Uhm, about your house…”

“What? It didn’t catch fire or something, right?” Sunset asked Twilight, holding back a smile.
She was so glad to have put that fire-shield spell on it after she moved in.

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!: +30
Current morale: 35/100

Glad that Fimfiction is back, I was worried that I couldn't keep making these stories.

I will be watching you.

DELETED SCENES

“Twilight.” Sunset slowly hugged her back. “It’s okay. I’m here now, and that’s what important. We can face things together now. As sisters.”
Twilight lifted her face to see her, tears of sadness and joy mixed together as they ran down her face. She smiled, and Sunset did too.

“Uhm, are they going to kiss?” Fluttershy asked before Rarity slapped her upside the head.

“Today has been a real roller-coaster of emotions,” Twilight said once they broke the hug.

“Yeah, I had enough with the whole parasprites thing,” Rainbow exclaimed rubbing her eyes with her wing.

“About that.” Sunset turned to Twilight. “Aren’t you worried that they will destroy the next town that they arrive to?”

Twilight’s eyes widened, and she looked at Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy darling, don’t you think that those flowers look beautiful?” Rarity moved the head of the pegasus away form the forest while Twilight whispered to Sunset.

“Oh, they are very pretty.” Fluttershy smelled their scent while several magical fireballs were forming behind her.

“Just look at the flowers darling,” Rarity insisted as the fireballs flied towards the Everfree forest.
Pinkie played her instruments again to cover the sounds of distant explosions.

Chapter 12: Fun

Sunset walked nervously towards Sugarcube Corner, the place where Pinkie had asked her to meet her for their day together.
She asked to start with Pinkie since she was the only one she didn’t have any growing hatred. In fact, quite the opposite, she felt bad for making the pony think she killed her. She didn’t want somepony carrying that kind of weight, especially because of her.
Sunset did some of the breathing exercises Twilight taught her in preparation for this, and went to knock on the door, just for it to be open by Pinkie.
“Hello Sunset!” she exclaimed with her usual enthusiasm.

The unicorn couldn’t help but smile. “Hi Pinkie. You were waiting for me?”

“Of course silly! Come inside.” She said waving her hoof.

Sunset stepped into the building and saw the grand assortment of deserts and other sweet food that made her suddenly feel very hungry. “Why didn’t I come here for my food? Besides the possible diabetes.”

“Well, if you’re hungry, I can make you something in the kitchen,” Pinkie offered her with a smile.

Sunset looked at her surprised. “Wait, you work here?”

“I live here silly. And I help every time I can while I’m not making parties in town.” Pinkie guided her to the kitchen, showing her around before looking at the pantry for ingredients. “Do you want to help me cook?”

Sunset looked away with a little embarrassment. “I’m not a good cook… Moon Dancer has been trying to teach me some, but we didn’t have much time.”

“Oh, that’s okay, you don’t need to worry about not knowing. Just follow my lead and you will be a master chef in no time.” Pinkie gave her a big smile that was really contagious for Sunset. “Let’s start by making a batch of cupcakes!”

“All you have to do is take a cup of flour!
Add it to the mix!
Now just take a little something sweet, not sour!
A bit of salt, just a pinch!
Baking these treats is such a cinch!
Add a teaspoon of vanilla!
Add a little more, and you count to four,
And you never get your fill of...
Cupcakes! So sweet and tasty!
Cupcakes! Don't be too hasty!
Cupcakes! Cupcakes, cupcakes, CUPCAKES!”

Even if Sunset didn’t sing along, she was affected by the enthusiastic personality of Pinkie as she baked along with her, trying, failing, and trying again until she slowly but surely got the hang of it, and when they finally presented each other’s batches, even if they didn’t look as good as Pinkie’s, she felt proud of her progress.

Pinkie took a bite out of one of Sunset’s cupcakes, looking surprised. “Wow, you learn really fast.”

Sunset smiled with pride. “I aim for perfection in everything I try.”

“But you don’t have to.”

The words took Sunset by surprise. “Why not? Why would you not want to be the best at what you do?”

Pinkie shrugged. “To enjoy it more? I’m not the best baker around, and if that bothered me, I wouldn’t have the same fun doing it.”

Sunset looked at her cupcakes. “I don’t think I would be happy without fully mastering something.”

“You look happy now,” Pinkie pointed out, and Sunset realized she hadn’t stop smiling. “You should let yourself be happy about what you do without worry of perfection.”

Sunset didn’t know how to respond, so she just ate one of Pinkie’s cupcakes, her eyes widening immediately. “Are you sure you’re not the best baker around?” She asked, quickly grabbing another one of the far more delicious cupcakes.

“Nope, that would be Mrs. Cake. But I am the best party planner in Ponyville!”

“You mentioned that before, I should see one to judge it,” Sunset said teasingly.

“Well, usually I just throw a party for anypony who is new in town,” Pinkie seemed a little nervous. “But Twilight asked me to not throw one for you.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Why exactly?”

Pinkie got more nervous. “She told me you weren’t the kind of pony who would enjoy it.”

Sunset looked away, her ears dropping a little. “That’s… not far from the truth. I usually just went to the gala every year, but it was more of a formality than a celebration.”

Pinkie repressed her questions about the gala. “But what about your birthday? Or Twilights?”

Sunset sat down on the floor, her eyes looking sad and lost. “Well, Twilight and I didn’t’ consider each other sisters then, so I always refused her invitations to focus on my studies.” ‘And I still saw her as my replacement.’ She added in her mind. “And my own birthdays… I guess I just didn’t really care. I can’t even remember my last birthday. I think it should be soon…” Once again, the word Sunshine resonated from deep inside Sunset’s mind.
She looked at Pinkie, finding the pony with her mouth hanging open in shock. “Uhm… are you okay Pinkie?” The pink pony grabbed her by the sides, lifting her over her head with ease. “What are you doing?”

“I’m fixing this.” She declared before inserting her lower half into a canon pointing at an open window.

Sunset started to panic. “Where did that canon come from? What’s going on?!”

“To party!” Pinkie exclaimed before the canon fired, sending them flying across Ponyville.

Savoir Fare looked at the sky and saw an orange and pink blur followed by a terrified scream. “Oh, she’s back. I hope Pinkie doesn’t scare her off,” he said before returning to cleaning the tables.

Sunset screamed even louder as they approached the floor at top speed. She had tried teleporting away but couldn’t think straight with Pinkie so close to her, so when they were about to hit the hard ground, she closed her eyes and braced for impact.
But the impact never came.
She opened her eyes and found herself standing in front of a house with the pink pony jumping in excitement. “Please don’t do that again.”

“Oh, don’t worry, it was just an emergency.” Pinkie smiled as she pulled up a cart full of party supplies, and the cannon they had just shot themselves out off.

Sunset did a double check with her eyes. “How in the- Is this a ursa kind of thing?”

“No. No more spoilers on my part,” Pinkie said as she entered the house.

Sunset gave a long sigh and followed her inside. “Are we pranking somepony?”

“No silly, we are throwing a party!” she exclaimed launching confetti all around her.

“For who?” Sunset asked while helping her unload the cart with her magic.

“A new colt just moved from Trottingham to Ponyville. So we are making a Welcome to Ponyville Party!” Confetti exploded around her again. Sunset didn’t want to question from where it was coming from.

The unicorn looked as Pinkie started decorating the room with balloons and streamers and did the same. “Does he know somepony on Ponyville?”

“That’s what this party is for, so he can make new friends!” Pinkie explained while she installed a turntable on a nearby table.

“Who are you inviting then?”

“Oh, I have a list.” Pinkie pulled out a clipboard from her hair, again Sunset didn’t want to ask questions, and checked each name. “I will go and round them up so we can give him a surprise. Could you take care of the food and drinks?”

She pulled a second clipboard from her hair and handed it over to Sunset, who did a quick look. “I can look around town to see where I can buy them, but I don’t have the money on me right now.”

“Just tell them that Pinkie sent you on a party mission. They will send me the bills later.” Pinkie pushed her cart outside of the house.

Sunset looked at her list one more time, memorizing everything. “I will get going then.”

“Sunset.” She turned towards Pinkie, who had a far calmer smile. “Have fun.”

Before the unicorn could inquire about the sudden change in tone, Pinkie jumped into her canon and fired herself towards the center of town.
Sunset shook her head in resignation and walked to the market to complete her list.
She had to dodge a few construction workers who were currently fixing most of the destroyed buildings after the parasprites incident. They had been sent from Manehattan by order of the princess to help in the reconstruction.
“Now that I think about it, I hope that there isn’t a food shortage.”

She reached her first stop and knocked on what was left of the front door of a store.
An earth-pony stallion poked his head through a hole in the entrance. “Can I help you?”

“I was wondering if you could have some of the things in this list?” The stallion looked at the list while rubbing his chin. “Pinkie sent me on a party mission.”

“Oh, a party mission? Sure thing, give me a second.” The earth-pony vendor walked towards the back of his store and came back in a few minutes with Sunset’s order. “Here you go.”

“Thank you very much.” Sunset used her magic to teleport everything to the house, getting the attention of the stallion.

“Excuse me, aren’t you the one that helped during the food poisoning incident?”

Sunset was surprised by the question. “Uhm, help how?”

“You are her. They told me you asked for medicine straight from Canterlot. My wife thanks you deeply. She says she’s never eating something that isn’t prepared by me.” The stallion gave a hearty laugh which made Sunset giggle.

“I was just trying to help.”

“Then I’m glad you’re back in town. Have a nice day.” The stallion got back to his store, and Sunset crossed out part of the list.

‘Who did he mean by “they”? Maybe the nurses?’ she wondered while walking to her next destination but was stopped by an old mare that she recognized. She was the old lady that Gilda had sacred off with her tail.

“Excuse me dear but is your name Sunset by any chance?” she asked looking at her mane and cutie mark.

“I am, what can I help you with?” she offered with a smile.

“Oh, yah have already done quite much for me dear. Ah wanted to thank you for kicking some sense into Applejack. That mare can be quite stubborn. Ah just wish that ah could still help more around, but the years keep passing and mah body gets left behind. Ah remember when-”

Sunset interrupted her before she could start rambling about the past as any old pony does. “I’m glad that I could help her. Mostly just so she stopped causing chaos in town.”

The old mare laughed. “Yeah, she can cause some trouble. And yah haven’t met Applebloom yet. That filly will give yah a headache.”

“Are you part of the Apple family?”

“Oh, where are my manners? The name’s Granny Smith, pleasure to meet yah Sunset.” Both mares shook their hooves with a smile. “Yah should come by the farm someday. Ah will make yah some old family recipe as thanks.”

“I will be meeting with Applejack in some days, so I’m probably going there.”

Granny Smith’s smile faded at her words. “Be honest with me Sunset. Did Applejack… hurt you?”

Sunset didn’t know how to respond, getting a little nervous. “I… Don’t know why you’re asking me this.”

“She came back from that mountain almost crying. Didn’t leave her room all day, and she avoided every pony’s eyes afterwards. But then she went to that Twilight girl’s house and came back looking more hopeful.” She looked at Sunset’s eyes with an apologetic look. “Yah disappeared the day of the mountain, and that royal captain came back the day she went to Twilight’s. Ah may be old, but ah can still get hints now and then.”

Sunset couldn’t look at her in the eyes. “Look, it’s complicated. It’s not Applejack’s fault. At least not only her. I… I…” Tears started to gather in the corners of her eyes. ‘I wanted to burn your granddaughter.’

“Hey hey, don’t go into that dark corner yet.” Granny Smith touched Sunset’s forehead with the tip of her hoof, almost between the eyes, and rubbed it with small circling motions.

Sunset was surprised as her eyes seemed to forget that she was crying, and the weird location of the motion both made her concentrate on it and calm her in a weird way. “Wow. What was that?”

“Oh, just an old trick ah used when Applejack was growing up. It would calm any foal in seconds.” She looked at Sunset as she tried to rub her forehead in the same way. “Listen Sunset. Sorry if ah made yah remember something bad. Yah don’t need to spill your problems to me, ah can understand that you have them, ah can even understand that you have them with mah granddaughter. Ah just wanted to know what had Applejack so worried and see if ah could help in some way.”

Sunset took a moment to choose the right words. “I can’t… tell you why. But we are working on… fixing it a little.”

“That’s all ah need. Have a good day Sunset.” Granny smith turned to leave, but Sunset stopped her.

“How about I go to the farm tomorrow? Maybe some food will help clear things out?” She really hoped so. She knew that family meant a lot to Applejack, and now that she had one, she could relate.

“Oh, then make room in that belly of yours because yah will be filling it nonstop once yah take the first bite.” Granny smith laughed as she walked away, and Sunset continued her walk through the market with a little smile.

She quickly reached her next destination, which was worse than the last seeing that the mare attending the stand had just a counter with some boxes filled with ice and drinks in front of a collapsed building. Even her mane seemed to have been chewed by the parasprites.
‘Maybe I should aid in the reconstruction,’ she thought as she reached the mare with her list.

“Party mission?” the mare asked before she could talk.

“Uhm, yeah. Sorry about your… everything.”

“Don’t worry, that librarian is paying for the reconstruction so it will get better.” The mare started searching her boxes for Sunset’s order. “She’s apparently loaded with the royalty so I don’t think she will care about the destruction she caused.”

Sunset frowned at her words. “She does care. She’s just… not good at handling stress. And she’s very sorry about it.”

“Well, if you see her you can tell her to-” The mare stopped as she took a closer look on Sunset. “Hey, you’re the one that scared that griffon straight, right?”

Sunset looked away nervously. “I wouldn’t say scared. More like… forceful convincing?”

The mare raised an eyebrow. “You mean torture?”

“What?! No! I only do big sister torture. And only to my sister.”

“Well whatever method you used, I’m glad you did. The town needs somepony who can put some order around.” She finally put Sunset’s order in a bag and the unicorn teleported it to the party. “Do you want a drink as a thank you? Or do you just drink coffee?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow at the last question. “No thanks. And… yeah, I prefer coffee.”

“Suit yourself. Have a nice day Sunset.”

The unicorn waved her goodbye and started to walk towards the house, but a thought lingered in her mind. ‘How did she know my name? Or that I like coffee? Wait…’
Sunset teleported herself to Café Hay, finding it in quite good condition compared to the rest of the town. She quickly located Savoir Fare walking around the tables.
She took a seat in one and waited until he was free to call his attention.
“Sunset! So glad that you came back. I was missing one of my favorite customers.”

Sunset smiled. “I’m glad to be back too Fare. But I wanted to ask you something.”

The waiter took seat in front of her. “Ask away.”

“Did you… tell ponies about what I’ve been doing? They seem to recognize me now; some even turn in my direction while I walk around town.”

Savior gave her a small smile. “Well, you told me that you felt that your actions were being unnoticed, so I chatted a little more with my clients. I may have mentioned a thing or two about you. Good things I hope.”

Sunset smiled and pulled him close with her magic, giving him a big hug. “Thank you! That’s the kindest thing somepony in this town has done for me.”

Savoir Fare smiled a little awkwardly at the looks of his clients, but still felt happy for her. “I hope I’m not the last.”

Sunset let go of him and noticed that the sun was setting in the horizon. “The party!” She exclaimed before teleporting away.
She appeared in front of the house, and saw that the lights were on, and music was playing inside.
Sunset’s ears dropped a little, disappointed that she had arrived late to help Pinkie.
‘Nothing I can do now.’ She gave a heavy sigh and turned around, walking towards her house to rest, but a pink hoof grabbed her by the chest.

“Get over here!” Pinkie shouted before pulling her inside, moving her arm like a whip and making her spin in circles just to stop right in front of a colt with a white coat with light-brown patches, making a little bow to regain balance.
All the other ponies clapped their hooves at the theatrical entrance, and Sunset sheepishly smiled at them and gave a little wave.
Pinkie quickly stepped beside her and looked at the colt. “Pipsqueak, this here is none other than the Fairy Godmother of Friendship! Protector of Ponyville and friend of the town!”
Sunset was about to scream at Pinkie to stop but was surprised as the entire party cheered in agreement. ‘Do… Do they really believe it?’

“Wow! Really?!” the little colt said in a squeaky voice, which Sunset couldn’t help but find endearing.

She smiled. Truth or not, this was about him right now. “That’s right, and I’ve come to welcome you to our, once rebuilt, beautiful town. I’m sure you will find plenty of friends here.”
The colt gave her a beaming smile, and Pinkie quickly grabbed the attention away from Sunset before it could put too much pressure on her.

As the night went on, Sunset found herself talking with a lot of the town’s ponies. Many were curious about the rumors Savoir Fare had been spreading, and others wanted her to do some party tricks like the ones she showed in Trixie’s stage, but she said that it was a thing that only the real Trixie could do.
Between talks, drinks, food and dances, Sunset had completely forgot about everything outside the house.
She was just having fun.

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!: +5
Current morale: 40/100

Glad to be back for this, hope the next chapter doesn't take too long.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 13: Truth

“…and that was my day with Sunset!” Pinkie finished with a smile.

“So, a bit of a perfectionist. She must take it after her sister.” Rarity looked at Twilight, who was watching them from the first floor of the library.

“How do you know that I didn’t take it after her?”

“Because you don’t present any other qualities of her, darling. She seems to have good social skills apart from that. Oh, I’m starting to get some ideas for our day together.”

“Ahm just glad that she’s so calm now,” Applejack said uncomfortably, knowing that she would be spending the day with her tomorrow.

Rainbow got beside her friend to offer some comfort. “Don’t worry about it. Everything’s going to be fine.”

Applejack’s ears got lower. “Ah don’t know Rainbow. She and I have already butted heads before. We’re both stubborn mules.”

Rainbow put a foreleg over her shoulder. “That just means that you already have something in common. Besides, she helped you before, now it’s your turn.”

Applejack sighed. “Ah would like to have your optimism.”

“Tell Granny Smith to share some of hers,” Pinkie offered.

Rainbow pointed at her pink friend with a smile. “She’s right, you won’t be alone in this, your family will be there to support you.”

Despite her nervousness, Applejack managed to smile a little. “Thanks Rainbow.”

Sunset had to commend Equestria’s construction workforce. In just a day most of the town had already been repaired, leaving only the public property to be restored.
She nervously walked towards Sweet Apple Acres thinking to herself; what in Equestria was she thinking yesterday?
Eating with the Apple family to then explain why she wanted to burn Applejack in a fit of rage that she couldn’t even fully remember? There is nothing that could go wrong with such a flawless plan.
But her fears were not about them hating her, they have all the right to do so. What she was afraid of was what she would do to them if she decided to ‘self-defend’.
‘No, don’t think like that Sunset. Luna told you that her brother was happy with you, and Granny Smith seemed to like you too. They won’t provoke you, and you don’t have to tell them everything. Just say… That you and Applejack had a… disagreement. No. Lying in front of the element of honesty can’t be good. Maybe I could make the conflict about what she did to Trixie. That wouldn’t be a lie’.
Sunset sighed. She didn’t know if being so nervous was good or bad. You can’t get angry if you’re nervous. Right?

“Uh, Sunset?”

The voice snapped her out of her mental state, and she turned her head, noticing that she had walked right past Applejack and entered the farm without saying anything.
“Uh, sorry. Kind of nervous,” she said with an apologetic look.

Applejack copied her almost perfectly. “Don’t worry. Ahm too. Hehe.”

An awkward silence fell upon the two for what felt like minutes before Sunset managed to say something. “Uhm, what did you had planned for our day together?”

Applejack tried, unsuccessfully, to hide under her hat. “Actually, since it came as a surprise that yah wanted to meet today, ah couldn’t free mah day from the usual chores.”

“Oh, sorry. Granny Smith offered it and she didn’t seem to mind-”

“No no, it’s okay. It just took me by surprise. Ah wasn’t sure what to do anyway. Ah mostly just work all day.”

Another awkward silence fell on them, and once again, Sunset managed to break it. “Do you want me to help?”

“No, Ah can do it mah-” Applejack stopped herself, but Sunset was already frowning. “Sorry, what ah meant was-”

Sunset silenced her with a hoof. “No, it’s okay, I get it. Pride and all that.”

“No, ah just don’t want to-”

“Applejack!” The farm mare recoiled. “Don’t try and cover it. I really don’t care anymore.”

Another awkward silence, one heavier due to Sunset’s clear annoyance, fell again between the two, and this time Applejack had to break it. “Let me introduce yah to the family.”

Sunset exhaled her irritations away. “Okay, I wanted to meet your brother.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Beg yah pardon?”

“Luna said she and him talked about me. So, I got curious.”

“Oh, of course.” Applejack got a little embarrassed for assuming. “Follow me.”

They both walked up to the recently reconstructed house, which made Sunset wonder. “How did the reconstruction go? Twilight told me the parasprites ate almost the entire house.”

“Yeah. Luckily the basement didn’t get eaten, so we’ve at least some things remaining for our personal lives. Ah had to order a lot of stuff to be sent from Canterlot since we can’t get them in Ponyville now.”

Sunset’s ears dropped a little. “I’m sorry to hear that. I could ask Celestia for help if you want.”

Applejack shook her head. “Nah, It’s okay. Ah have a plan to get some money already.”

“Really? What is it?”

“The Gran Galloping Gala. Ah will sell our products there and get enough money to pay for all the repairs and some other things we needed before that.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “But the gala is at the end of the year and we are in the middle of autumn.”

“Yeah, but we can take a loan and pay it with the earnings of the gala,” Applejack said with confidence, but Sunset knew better.

“Applejack, I don’t-”

“Ah, there yah’re Big Mac. This here is Sunset Shimmer,” The farm pony pointed at the unicorn, who did a little nervous wave at the sudden introduction.

“Nice to meet you,” The stallion said presenting a hoof for her to shake, and she did so with a little worry. He was as large, if not more, than Shinning, and she had the impression he could break her arm if he tried.

‘Well, if I do lose control, maybe he can just knock me out before I do something I regret.’
“The pleasure is mine. Luna told me about you, a stallion of few words she called you.”

Bic Mac chuckled. “It’s just a preference. Listen instead of talking. And thank yah for your help with the harvest.”

Sunset managed to smile. “Just trying to help.”

“Is lunch ready?” Applejack asked.

“Eeyup.”

The three walked inside, and Sunset was hit with the sent of freshly made food that almost dragged her towards the dining room. There she found a little filly of yellow coat and with a red bow on her red mane finishing setting the table.

“Say hi Applebloom,” Applejack called out, and the filly turned to look at Sunset and jumped in excitement until she was in front of her.

“Hi, I’m Appleboom. Are you really a fairy godmother?” she asked almost stumbling the words.

Sunset gave a nervous laugh. “Just by name.”

“Don’t go asking for wishes or something,” Applejack warned while helping Granny Smith bring the food to the table.

“But she may give me a cutie mark!” Applebloom whined.

Sunset chuckled at the childish wish. “Sorry, I could only teach you magic.” She ruffled her hair a bit. “But don’t worry, you will get it one day, and I promise you, you will be the happiest pony in Equestria when it happens.”

Applebloom had stars in her eyes. “Really?”

Sunset smiled warmly. “I’ve seen it happen. It’s the very definition of magical.”

“Ah can’t wait!” the filly exclaimed with excitement, and Sunset realized her small mistake.

“But you-” she tried to explain further, but Applebloom had already left for her spot on the table.
It was then that sunset saw the food in it, and the looks alone made her mouth water. She quickly took seat, trying to decide what to eat first.

Applejack cleared her throat before announcing; “We have apple fritter, apple bumpkin, caramel apple, apple strudel, apple tart, baked apples, apple brioche, and apple cinnamon crisp.”

Sunset turned towards Applejack. “I just heard you say ‘something delicious’ eight times in a row.”

The Apple family laughed. “Ah told you to make room in your belly,” said Granny Smith with a smile.

Sunset smiled. “I thank you kindly,” she said respectfully before they all started filling their plates. Instead of choosing one, the unicorn took a piece of each of the dishes and took a bite of each one. “This is amazingly delicious.”

Applejack chuckled. “There isn’t food like this in Canterlot am I right?”

“Not that I have tried,” Sunset responded while eating another forkful of food.

The farm pony smiled with pride. “Glad to hear it. They will be flying off the shelves when ah bring them to the gala.”

Sunset stopped her gluttony for a second to look at her. “About that… I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Applejack looked confused. “Why? I doubt they have something better.”

Sunset continued talking while eating, manners be dammed, she had been living off sweets and coffee these past weeks. “You would have some of the best chefs in Equestria to compete with, and even that wouldn’t be the biggest problem.”

The farm pony raised an eyebrow. “And what would that be?”

“Prejudice.”

Applejack angered at the very word. “What kind?”

“These are nobles, they are accustomed to put etiquette and elegance over common sense most of the time. Even if your food is the most delicious thing in Equestria they wouldn’t eat it unless it came from somepony who has five stars in their restaurant and serves dishes that cost the normal income of most middle-class citizens.” The whole family seemed to be in a state of both anger and disappointment. “It’s completely unfair, I know. That’s why I don’t think betting a loan to the pockets of these ponies is a good idea.”

Applejack crossed her hooves. “Well that throws a wrench on mah plans.”

Sunset lowered her ears. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s better to know than go with false expectations. We will find a way to get the money.”

“As I told you, I can help you if you want,” Sunset offered again, but Applejack shook her head.

“That would be too much Sunset. It wasn’t yer fault this happened.”

“I could’ve stopped it if I was here,” she said a little downcast.

Applejack smiled. “Yah had yer reasons to not be here.”

“Surely some important fairy godmother mission,” Applebloom added, making everypony laugh.

Sunset’s magic picked up a glass of water to quench her thirst, and as the liquid filled her mouth, her heart raced.
She was drowning again.
Sunset spat out the water on her food and fell off her chair as the memories of the river flashed in her mind. She backed up trying to get out of the non-existent river until she hit a wall, felling trapped and about to have her third death in a coffin of water.
She couldn’t breathe, she heard muffles screams around her, and something pulling her deeper into the river. She tried to fight it, but she had been pinned down by something with great strength. She charged up her horn to try and pry it off her.
She then felt something rub against her forehead, almost between her eyes. It was a familiar sensation that had given her comfort before.
The screams became clearer around her. “You’re safe Sunset. We’re here. Please, calm down.”

The memories clouding her vision dissipated, and she saw Applejack and Big Mac holding her down while Granny Smith rubbed her forehead to calm her. “What happened?”

“Yah took a sip of water and freaked out. Quite a scary sight,” Granny smith explained.

“I guess it’s-” Sunset stopped. Things has already gone wrong enough, she needed to leave.

Sensing the unicorn’s decision, the eldest pony looked at Big Mac and signaled him with her eyes towards Applebloom, who was looking at Sunset with worry behind her chair.
The stallion nodded and went to her. “Come with me Applebloom, we will go get something for Sunset.” The filly didn’t say anything and just followed her big brother without taking her eyes off Sunset.

The unicorn tried to stand up, but Applejack still had her pinned to the floor.
Once they were alone, Granny Smith looked at her. “What happened just now Sunset? To what kind of dark corner did your mind go?”

Sunset shook her head. “I can’t tell you. I will just leave. Please forget that this ever happened.”

“No chance Sunset,” Applejack said firmly. “We can’t just brush this off. We’re here to help yah, but yah need to tell us what happened.”

Sunset tried to stand up again, with no success. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”

“Ah already told yah that ah can understand if yah have problems with Applejack. Ah won’t back down. And yah aren’t using yer fancy magic to escape so yah don’t really want tah leave.”

Sunset tired to hold back a sob. “Can I at least get some coffee?”

Applejack gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, there ain’t any coffee in this house.”

Sunset sighed. She really hoped she wouldn’t regret this. “Remember the mountain?”

“Ah will remember that until mah last day.”

Sunset closed her eyes, tears running down her face. “I hurt Twilight.”

Applejack felt her body trembling under her hooves. “Yah didn’t mean it. We pushed yah too far.”

“That’s no excuse. I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to hurt you! I wanted to hurt everypony!” she screamed, expecting to be hit in the face, to be insulted, to be called a monster.

“And what happened next?” came the voice of the elder.
Sunset opened her eyes, looking at Granny Smith. She didn’t seem scared, or angry. She looked at her with worry, but also a kind of firm determination.
She then looked at Applejack, who should be angry at her, or more possibly scared, but instead seemed to carry a heavy guilt.

“Please Sunset,” she told her almost begging. “Ah need tah hear it.”

She had to look away before continuing. “To stop myself from hurting you. I teleported to a river. And… and I…” Another heavy tremor cursed through her body, but Applejack still kept her firm against the floor. “I… drowned myself.”
This did get a reaction from the mares. Shock, horror, guilt, sadness. “I died in the water. The same way I died the day you saved Luna from her nightmare.”

Applejack was on the verge of tears. “Sunset… yah didn’t have-”

“I did! I wouldn’t have stopped otherwise!” Sunset screamed, her tremors now and effort to get Applejack off her. “If I lose control again, I may hurt somepony. I should be-”
Granny Smith’s hoof rubbed her forehead, and she stopped. Sunset could tell that it wasn’t like the first time she did it. It was something stranger than that. Like if the action made something in her mind click and put it in blank for a second.

“Listen tah me Sunset,” said the elder. “Ah’ve known mah share of anger, hate and animosity towards others. Reasons can vary, but the result is the same. Somepony gets hurt, either emotionally or physically. But ah’ve just now met a pony willing tah sacrifice their own life rather than hurt the ones she loves.”

Sunset seemed confused. “Love? You mean Twilight? But I did hurt her.”

Applejack shook her head. “Yah didn’t. She walked towards yah trying to reach you and calm you. She would’ve done the same for any of us.” She took a moment to wipe away her tears. “And if any of us were like her, or you, we would’ve done the same.”

Sunset shook her head, not being able to understand why they were still trying to help her. “Applejack, I wanted to-”

“It’s not about wat yah wanted, but what yah needed. You needed help. And we weren’t able to give it to yah. Twilight tried but we should’ve tried too.” Applejack let go of Sunset, letting her sit on the floor. “We’re supposed tah be a team. To be friends that support each other. And that includes you Sunset.”

Sunset finally stood up, but still couldn’t look her in the eyes. “I can’t make friends Applejack. I try, but it doesn’t work for some reason. I just… don’t feel like I’m forming a bond with anypony.”

Applejack forced her to look her in the eyes. “Well, one of the steps is being honest. Honest with yer friends, and with yerself. If there’s anything bothering yah, just come and tell us. We will listen and help yah in any way we can.”

“One can often trick oneself into a lie,” Granny smith said. “A lie that makes yah feel that yer right, or even worse, a lie that makes yah sink into yer guilts. But yer friends and family can make yah see the truth. About who yah’re, and what yah’re to everypony.”

Sunset tried wiped away her tears, her head hanging low. “I’m sorry. I…”

“It’s okay.” Applejack slowly hugged Sunset. “We will make things work. Together, we can fix this.”
Sunset didn’t return the hug, but she also didn’t pull back. She felt a little comfort, but her mind was trying to calm itself enough to think.
To think about what she should do next.

“After that, she apologized and left. Granny Smith told me that she would be okay, and that I shouldn’t let it drag me down again. To stay strong so Sunset can feel like she can also put herself above… what she did.”
As Applejack finished telling them about her day, the library went dead quiet.
Rainbow held Fluttershy close with a wing, seeing the tears running down her friend’s face.
Rarity and Pinkie seem lost, their minds still trying to process the fact that…
Applejack looked up, seeing Twilight on the first-floor railing.
She was trembling, the tiny shine of tears descending from her face before falling to the floor.
Sunset’s message had taken a whole other meaning now. It hadn’t been a message of anger like they expected, or reprimand, or even pity. It was filled with guilt. Guilt for something they had pushed her to.
Resurrection or not, Sunset had killed herself to avoid hurting them in a fit of anger. And the only one that she actually hurt was Twilight, her sister, the one that didn’t do anything to feed her anger.
Applejack raised her head to see each of them. “Listen. Things are worse than we thought, but as Granny Smith said, we can’t help Sunset if we despair. Pinkie and the townsfolk showed her that she’s welcomed and can be happy. Ah offered her to express her fears and worries without punishments. Each can help her heal in a different way. We just need to keep-”
A knock on the door interrupted her speech.
Twilight took a moment to shove her feelings aside and calm her expression to hide her sorrow while the rest quickly hid in the shadows.
Twilight opened the door and saw Sunset standing in front of her, with saddlebags on her back. She seemed nervous and sleep deprived. “Hey, I wanted to tell you that I need to suspend things for a while.”

“Why? Where are you going?” Twilight asked.

“I want to visit Cadence.”

Author's Note

Sunset discovered a new condition: Aquaphobia.

Sunset's morale dropped!: -20
Current morale: 20/100

Things should get interesting next chapter.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 14: Love

‘I didn’t realize how much I missed flying,’ Sunset thought as she flew towards Canterlot.
It was a very relaxing activity for her. It required concentration, but still let her feel like she was untied from the rest of the world.
She looked up at the sky above, wondering just how higher she could go. How far away from the rest of Equestria could she get.
‘I don’t think I would’ve minded too much if I was born a pegasus. But not having magic would be pretty bad.’
She finally reached Canterlot castle and landed on one of its platforms, dispelling her wings before looking at her brother walking up to her.

“Glad to see you again,” he said before they shared a hug.

“You didn’t tell Cadence that I was coming, right?” Sunset asked with worry.

“I didn’t, as I promised. Although I’m kind of curious why you want to show up unannounced. It’s not like she would turn you away.”

“I’ve my reasons.” Sunset looked away from him. “But they are starting to sound more stupid by the second.”

Shining hugged her with one of his forelegs. “Hey, if you think that they will help, they are not stupid. And as I told you, we’re all here to help you.”

Sunset sighed and leaned closer to her brother, feeling safer with him so close to her. “Thanks Bigby. These past days have been a lot to handle.”

“I can only imagine.” He guided her out of the platform, and they started walking towards Cadence’s house.

“Are things still as boring as ever?” Sunset asked to change the mood a little.

Shining smiled. “Yep. I wouldn’t mind another mission from Celestia’s pupil.”

Sunset chuckled and rubbed her chin in thought. “Where could I send you?”

“Could the mission involve Cadence and a nice tourist location to spend a couple of days in?”

Sunset laughed. “I don’t think I can pull that many strings.” She looked at him with a sly smile. “Bigby, can I ask you a serious question?”

Shining didn’t suspect a thing. “Ask away.”

Her smile grew larger. “When are you going to marry Cadence?”

The captain of the guard stumbled his steps. “It’s too soon to answer that.”

“Oh come on! You two know each other since the Academy. I’ve no doubt she would say yes.”

Shining raised his head to protect his dignity. “Still, I want it to be the perfect moment.”

Sunset smiled again with more wickedness. “So, until your mother and/or Cadence get impatient and drag you to an altar by force?”

Shining looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Isn’t the elder sibling the one supposed to do the teasing?”

Sunset chuckled. “I still claim to be older than you.”

His brother rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his smile. “I now know how Twily felt growing up.”

Sunset laughed. “Hey, I’m teasing you with a good thing.” Then another thought came to her head. “I should start calling Cadence my future sister-in-law.”

“Don’t you dare!”

The two kept talking and laughing, quickly making their way towards Cadence’s home.
Just like Twilight, Cadence had her own tower in the castle to live in, but since she had a royal title, her tower was attached to the rest of the structure.
As they reached the heavy double doors, Sunset’s previous laughter and playfulness with her brother started to be replaced with doubts and dread.
“I… I don’t think this was a good idea.” She said trying to turn around and leave but Shining stopped her.

“Hey, you’re already here. Cadence won’t bite you.”

Sunset tried to move him away. “It’s stupid. I shouldn’t drag her down with this.”

Shining hugged her softly. “It’s okay Sunset. Cadence will help you. You know it, that’s why you wanted to come in the first place. You’ve nothing to be worried about.”

Sunset took some air to try and calm herself before stepping back from her brother. “You’re right. I just…” She looked at the tower. “I don’t know.”

“Well, you won’t know until you try, right?”

Sunset sighed and knocked on the doors with her hoof. “Come in!” a voice responded.
She looked back at Shining, who gave her a reassuring smile, and entered the tower.
Closing the door behind her, she looked around, noticing that the tower looked pretty much the same as she remembered as a filly. However, she couldn’t see the pink alicorn coming to greet her.
“Cadence?” Sunset asked, and a noise came from her room upstairs. She slowly ascended to the upper floor, trying to hear some response from the alicorn, but the house seemed to be empty.
She reached the room, finding it as abandoned as the rest of the house, yet she knew somepony was here. She had heard Cadence respond to her knocking, but it was somewhat muffled to hear it clearly. Maybe there was another pony?
As she wondered what was happening, a figure descended from the ceiling, silently stepping behind her until her wings reached her, and they started to mercilessly tickle her.
Sunset fell to the floor in a fit of laughter trying in vain to escape the downy attack.

“How’s the little ball of mischief doing?” Cadence asked with a smile as she continued tickling her.

“Stop! Please!” Sunset begged with a smile between laughs, not doing a good job at resisting the alicorns actions.

The alicorn faked an evil laugh. “I don’t think so. I haven’t seen you in a while. We have so much to catch up on.”

“Stop or I will paint your coat black while you sleep!” Sunset warned her while pushing the wings away with her forelegs.

Cadence laughed. “You already did that one, remember?”

Sunset teleported herself onto the alicorn’s back, making them both fall to the floor. “I only did half of your body. I will paint the right side this time.”

Suddenly standing up and with a deft movement of her wings, Cadence threw Sunset to her bed. “Please don’t. It took ages to get that thing off my coat.”

Sunset quickly used the pillows to shield her ticklish sides. “You deserved it.”

Cadence walked up to the bed. “Because I made raspberries on your belly as a filly?”

“In front of the guards!” Sunset whined while throwing a pillow at Cadence’s head.

The alicorn removed the pillow from her face. “Remind me, was that before or after you put salt on my tea instead of sugar?”

Sunset rolled her eyes with a smile. “Oh, you know how deep that rabbit hole is. You sure you want to go there?”

“Honestly, it would be the highlight of the week.” Cadence jumped on the bed, facing Sunset and lowering her head until their noses almost touched. “So, what brings you to my domains Little Mischief?”

Sunset’s smile and excitement died a little as she remembered the motive of the visit.
Cadence noticed her shift in emotion and took a more serious stance. “Did something bad happen?”

Sunset sighed. “A lot of things. I asked Shining to not tell you anything.”

Cadence leaned her head to the side and spoke softly. “And why did you do that?”

The unicorn felt a little tremor shake her body. “Because… I feel like it will change things.”

Cadence was confused. “How? What things?”

“This. Our relationship. Little Mischief and Miss Pretty. It may have been born out of jealousy and competition to one-up each other, but… it’s the only way I’ve left to feel like a little filly again. And I don’t want to lose it.” Sunset didn’t realize, but tears were running down her face.

Cadence took Sunset out of her pillow pile and gave her a warm hug with both legs and wings. “Sunset, just like Twilight will always be that Nerd Muffin little filly I sited for so long, you will always be the Little Mischief that made my days both frustrating and fun. You’re a grown mare now, but I also have the wanting of relieving those old days of young happiness.”

Sunset hugged her back, enjoying the feeling of comfort she gave her. She really hoped to keep this pillar of happiness in the middle of such a hard time in her life.
The hug continued for many minutes, until Sunset finally let go, slowly, and looked at her with worry. “No pony has told anything about me, right?”

Cadence shook her head. “The last thing I knew about you was that you left to Ponyville with Twilight. Is that what the problem is? Did you two have a fight?”

“Not exactly.” Sunset tried to dry her tears, but more kept coming. “I had a talk with the eldest of the Apple family in Ponyville, and she told me that sometimes one can lie to themselves about what affects you, and that family can help you see the truth. And I reasoned that maybe that was what has been stopping me from forming a connection and make friends.” Sunset looked at Cadence. “So, I thought that telling you, a pony that both knows me but is completely unaware of what has transpired, can give me that kind of truth. Which sounds stupid the more I think about it.”

Cadence put a hoof over Sunset’s. “I don’t think it’s stupid. And if it can help you, I will gladly listen to you.”

Sunset couldn’t help but sob. “Can you hold me while I tell you?”

“Of course.” Cadence not only hugged her, she also moved the blankets and pillows to cover them both, adding to the feeling of being warm and protected.

“It all started the night of Nightmare Moon’s return.”

Cadence held Sunset close while she started to talk. “Celestia… lied to me. When she took Twilight as her pupil, I felt like she was replacing me. And I was right.”

“I could see it a little in how you always seemed happy to prank us, but you never took it too far. But why would Celestia lie to you?”

“There was something more. She thought that I was… that I am… Or at least think I am…” Sunset’s body shook violently, but Cadence hugged her tighter, so she knew she was safe with her. “A monster.”

Cadence snorted, trying to keep a calm atmosphere. “Why would you think something as ridiculous as that?”

“I…” Sunset’s tears seemed to double their efforts to escape her eyes. “I hurt Twilight.”

Cadence suppressed her shock, keeping a reassuring smile for Sunset. “Did a prank go too far?”

Sunset shook her head. “I lost control of myself.”

Cadence frowned a little in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Sunset didn’t respond, she remained silent for a couple of seconds before talking again. “Have you ever heard of ponies cheating death?”

Cadence’s feared the direction that the conversation was taking. “I’ve actually. Aunty Luna is capable of it.”

Sunset shifted uncomfortably. “Well… I sort of… can do it too.”

Cadence used a lot of her willpower to keep her composure. “You mean you have died and come back to life?”

“Three times,” she simply responded.

Cadence thought of a way of shining a more positive light on the revelation. “I’m sure that you did it being a hero. Like you always wanted to be when you were little.”

Sunset managed to smile a little at the memory, but it didn’t last long. “Only the first two. The last one…”

Cadence waited for her to say it, preparing herself to remain calm.
“I got angry. Really angry. Angry at Twilight’s friends. At Twilight… I said a horrible thing to her. And… trying to calm me down… I hurt her. But it wasn’t just an accident. I wanted to hurt her more. To hurt all her friends. And… I’m not sure if I would’ve stopped there.”

Cadence couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but still remained calm. “Sunset, that doesn’t sound like you. Are you sure you were just angry?”

Sunset’s body shook violently. “It was… kind of welled up for some time. Various things happened in quick succession. And apparently my anger it’s what brings me back to life. I died not long before I hurt Twilight.”

Cadence hugged her tightly. “Then you weren’t in your right mind at the time. Everypony does and says bad things when they lose their temper. As I said, that pony that you’re describing doesn’t sound like the Sunset I know.”

“But it was.” Sunset’s body shook once more. “And I’m too dangerous when it happens. I burn things around me, I hurt a dragon with fire magic, I melt rock, and I cooked Twilight’s skin just by standing close to her.”

Cadence kept fighting to keep herself calm. “Well, I’m sure we can find a solution to control it.”

Sunset trembled, the topic she knew would change everything being finally inescapable. “At the time, I could only think about one solution.” She hugged Cadence with all her strength, like if the alicorn would disappear when she said the words. “I teleported myself to a river, made it boil with my body heat alone, and… and I… drowned myself.” Sunset couldn’t stop herself; it was like if the floodgates had been opened. “That was my third death, and my first too. And now I can’t even drink a glass of water without freaking out, and I’m constantly scared that I will lose control again and burn everything and everypony around me. I don’t know if Celestia was right in calling me a monster. My rage could turn me into one and I can’t control it because it happens when I die and-”

Cadence pulled Sunset’s head against hers, holding her in a more loving manner, an almost motherly way, and despite the raging conflict of emotions inside her, she spoke with a soft, caring, soothing voice. “You’re not a monster. You’re Little Mischief. A pony with dreams of heroism and fame that nopony can stop once she tries to do something. There is no bet that you couldn’t win. You never backed down from any challenge. And this is just another obstacle that you will surpass. Because you’ve always done everything on your own, but now you have a family, and soon friends that will help you. No matter what you did, I know, from the bottom of my heart, that you will grow to be one of the most amazing and important ponies that Equestria has ever seen.”

Sunset looked at her, tears flowing down her face, and lessened the force of her hug.
She didn’t disappear. She still saw her as Little Mischief. She still believed in her.
They continued hugging each other for what felt like and eternity that was still too short. Sunset continued crying, letting all her pent-up feelings flow out of her.
Cadence was still keeping a calm face, but in her mind, she was thinking and dissecting each of Sunset’s words.
‘She needs to find a way to control her emotions. Once she has control of her anger, she can feel safer around ponies. I’m sure Twilight doesn’t hold a grudge against her, but maybe she needs more than that. A direct reassurance that her sister believes that she wasn’t to blame for her injuries. Twilight’s friends… I may need to talk to them. Or maybe just consult Twilight about the issue. They may have a different look on the event. I definitely need to talk with Celestia about this “replacement” she feels. The failure to connect with ponies…’
She gently pushed Sunset away from her. “Can I try something? To see if I can discern what stops you from connecting with ponies.”

Sunset rubbed her eyes to dry her tears. “Of course. What do you need?”

“Just stay calm and hold still, this may feel a bit weird.” Cadence lowered her horn until it touched Sunset’s, forming a magical connection between the two.
Using this connection, her magic entered Sunset’s body, feeling a little bit of instinctual resistance by her own magic, but since Sunset trusted her, she could pull through and reach her core. There she used her special magic to activate her spell.
Once she did this, she lifted her head, and saw Sunset in a different way. She could see her emotions in her body, and the magical strings that connected her with her loved ones.
Cadence’s calm and reassuring face turned into one of complete horror.

“Is it that bad?” Sunset asked with worry.

Her body looked sick with overwhelming feelings.
Purple fear ascended from her legs like a viscus and rotten disease.
Blue sadness dripped from eyes completely green with shame.
A strong sense of anxiety and stress seemed to creep down from her head and threaten to keep expanding.
And the anger she said she had. She could see it expanding along her body like a severe infection that pulsated with the will of consuming her body completely.
But that wasn’t what horrified her.

“How bad is it?” Sunset insisted, tears returning to her cheeks.

The strings connecting Sunset with her loved ones looked so thin and fragile that a simple breeze could sever them with ease.
But the real problem, was the one string that she had always argued was the most important.
There was no string connecting Sunset… with Sunset.

“What’s wrong with me?!”

Sunset had absolutely no love for herself.

“Can I fix it?!”

‘Fix it? I never thought that it could even be possible. Weak strings can be strengthened, even broken strings can be fixed with time and effort. But having a string missing? Especially one as important as the one that signifies the love you have for your own person? The thing that prevents you from actively seeking to destroy yourself? It’s impossible. Even ponies that hurt themselves or take their own life have broken strings because they once loved themselves. But not having one would mean that you never, even as a newly born, had any love for yourself, and you only desired your own destruction.’
Cadence saw the infection of anger grow in Sunset, reaching her eyes and blinding them with rage.
She snapped herself out of her trance too late. The unicorn pounced on her and held her forcefully against the bed. She could feel the unnatural heat coming from her hooves, singeing her coat.

“Tell me what’s wrong!” she demanded, and Cadence could see the colors continue to shift inside her. The sadness fighting the anger in her eyes, making her cry despite her rage.

“Tell me that it can be fixed!” She screamed, and a shiver ran down Cadence’s spine as she saw the pink mass of stress and anxiety descend through the back of her head while fear crept up from her legs.

“We can fix it!” she screamed in desperation.

“How?!” Sunset shouted with a fury Cadence had never seen, but the pink and purple colors continued to move through her body, slowly reaching the spot where the strings originated from.

“We will…” Cadence couldn’t finish the sentence. She had no idea how to even start fixing something she had thought was impossible. She had to lie, but it was already too late. The pink and purple moved faster now. “Sunset you need to calm down! We will find a solution! Between Celestial, Luna Twilight and I, we will help you feel whole again. You will have friends, you will have a loving family, you will live a happy life, you will-”
Cadence watched in horror as the pink and purple finally reached Sunset’s heart, fusing with each other in a volatile mix.

All the colors shut down at once, and Sunset collapsed on the bed.

Author's Note

Sunset suffered a heart attack.

Sunset’s morale plummeted: -100

Current morale: -80/100

I will be watching you.

Chapter 16: Getting Back to Business

Sunset slowly woke up, rubbing her groggy eyes to take in her surroundings.
She smiled as she saw a familiar canopied bed around her, it felt like so long ago that she had slept in this bed. Her bed.
She slowly rose up, looking around her room. She saw her old bookcase still filled to the brim with her favorite books. ‘I need to buy one for my house in Ponyville.’
She then saw the rather immense desk/workbench she had requested to Celestia when she entered her ‘creative phase’.
A large array of paints was organized in a line across it, like a frontline of soldiers guarding the different small paintings that she had made over the years. The more successful that is, the others were…
She curiously searched under the desk, until she found her little box of secrets still well hidden under other piles of old projects that she refused to throw out.
She pulled out the box and opened it with a smile.
There she found her more crude drawings and paintings, the ones only a filly would be proud off, but she still had affection for them.
She took some out, and quickly found herself giggling at a crude drawing of Celestia with cheeks cartoonishly full of cake.
She continued looking at her old art and little projects, until she found another one that called her attention. She had drawn herself floating in the air, forelegs extended to the sky, horn glowing with a cyan aura, and a huge smile on her face. At the tip of her hooves was the sun, slowly being lifted by her own magic, and at the bottom of the paper it was written: “Princess Sunset.”
The phrase left a kind of sour taste in her mouth. It was a reminder of her dreams.
Since the Nightmare Moon incident, she had chosen to leave things aside until she could feel better about herself and fix her relationship with Celestia. And dear her, that grave kept digging itself deeper.
But things had changed now. She and Celestia were in much better terms, she had accepted Twilight and her family as hers, she was fixing her relationship with Twilight’s friends, and she didn’t feel like she would snap at any moment like before. She felt stronger in a sense, much more than even before her incident.
Sunset smiled as she put the picture back in the box. “I think it’s time to get back to business.”
She then noticed the ‘hidden treasure’ of her hidden box, which to filly-Sunset meant the toys she covered with the pile of art.
Nothing could define Sunset more than her seeing the nest of dolls, puzzles, board games, and a tiny wooden sword, and pick a rubber ball meant for magical training.
For a unicorn in training, throwing and catching objects was one of the easiest ways to train their magic, and the rubber ball was an easy toy for any young pony to practice with.
She gave it a throw against the wall, seeing it bounce back towards her, and stopped it just shy of striking her snout.
She continued playing with it for some time, enjoying the nostalgia, until she got it out of her system and returned it back to the box before hiding it.
She stepped out of the room and walked to the kitchen with a hop in her step, but as she advanced through the corridors, she noticed the staff and guards trying not to look directly at her, some even holding back giggles.
‘Okay… this is weird.’
She passed by a window and quickly went back to see herself in the reflection.
All across her right side, her coat had been covered in pink kiss marks.
“CADENCE!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, but she was smiling on the inside.

“Good one Miss Pretty,” Sunset said as she took seat on the table, half of her coat still wet from her washing up.

Cadence smiled while she ate her breakfast. “Be glad that I used something easy to wash.”

“I won’t.” A plate was put in front of her with her usual breakfast when she lived in the castle, and she immediately started eating it. “I almost forgot how good our cooks are.”

“Manners Sunset,” Celestia said with her eyes closed.

“Sorry.” Cadence held back little laugh, earning a playful glare from the unicorn.

Celestia looked at her pupil with a smile. “Sunset, I want to ask a favor from you.”

Sunset was surprised at the request. “Sure, ask away.”

“Today is the Running of the Leaves in Ponyville, and I promised to attend it, but some other matters require my presence.” Celestia stopped and looked at Sunset, judging her reaction. “So, I want you to go in my place.”

Sunset was more than surprised. “Wait, really? But I thought you loved to see the autumn celebration.”

Celestia smiled warmly at her. “I do, but I’m afraid I can’t attend this year, so I want you to go in my place and make sure things go smoothly. I’m sure you will have no problem with it.”

Sunset smiled with her newfound confidence. “Of course not, I had to go back to Ponyville sooner or later anyway. Don’t want to make Twilight worry again.”

Cadence’s ears perked up at that. “Could you tell her to come visit someday? Now that I saw you again, I realize how much has been since I last saw her.”

Sunset smiled. “Of course, I’m sure she will also want to see you.”

Celestia waited a couple of seconds before speaking again. “If you plan on staying in Ponyville, I will ask you to come back to Canterlot in a couple of days.”

“Why?” Sunset asked with curiosity.

Celestia took some air to steel her nerves. “There are some things that I wish to… teach you. If you would let me, of course.” She couldn’t help but close her eyes, unsure of what Sunset’s response would be.

“I… actually would like to. I wanted to catch up with my studies now that…” Sunset felt a little uncomfortable, but still continued. “Things have gotten better.”

Celestia smiled an leaned a bit towards Sunset, trying to give some comfort. “I’m sure you haven’t rusted one bit.”

Sunset chuckled, but a question still lingered in her mind. “Is this because of what happened with Cadence?”

Celestia outstretched one of her wings to put it over Sunset’s back. “Yes, but in a good way. Just let me have some time to prepare things and you will see.”

Sunset nodded. “Okay. I trust you.”

Celestia finally hugged her pupil with a smile. “You don’t have to worry. It will help you.”

Sunset leaned fully into the hug, enjoying the particular warmth that the sun monarch radiated. “Thank you.”

As Sunset flew towards the town, her mind was busy planning how to approach the responsibility that Celestia had given her.
Luckily for her, the Running of the Leaves wasn’t a grandiose event, important yeah, but not something that required much responsibility, just making sure that things didn’t go out of control. Which, considering it was Ponyville, surely was going to happen.

“Racers! Please take your positions!” sounded the amplified voice of Pinkie.

“Ah crap.” Sunset teleported herself over to the starting line, surprising most of the participants. Seeing that she had cached their attention, she wanted to say something, but found herself without any idea of what to say.
She then overheard a conversation.

“You're a... well... you're an egghead.”

“I am not an egghead, I am well-read.”

Sunset frowned a little and walked over to the ponies talking.
“Have you ever run a race?” Applejack asked trying to hold back a snicker.

“Well, no, but I do know a lot about running,” Twilight responded.

“And you know this from...?” Rainbow inquired.

“Books. I've read several on the subject.”

Rainbow fell to the ground laughing. “What'd you read, "The Egghead's Guide to Running"?”

“Uh, Rainbow?” Applejack tried to warn her.

“Did you stretch out your eye muscles to warm up?” Rainbow continued, just then noticing the shadow looming over her. She lifted her head and found Sunset’s eyes looking unamused at her.

“I learned flight by reading books. So it’s not as ridiculous as you think,” she said in a semi-threatening way.

“Hey! You’re back.” Rainbow exclaimed, standing up immediately. “How did things go with Cadence?”

Applejack and Twilight were about to shut their friend up before she angered Sunset more, but to their surprise, the unicorn gave a sigh of relief and smiled. “Thanks for not being afraid.”

Rainbow dismissed it with a hoof. “Hey, I trust you. After all that we’ve learned about you so far, I know you’re pretty cool.”

“Thanks Rainbow. Do you want to have our day tomorrow?”

“Sure, I will put your book knowledge to the test,” she responded with her usual competitive enthusiasm.
Sunset’s comeback to her challenge got interrupted as she noticed Twilight looking at her with guilt and pain all over her face. “Is something wrong Twilight?”

The purple unicorn walked up to her, fidgeting and trying to hold back tears. “Sunset… about what you told Applejack… I’m-”

Sunset interrupted her by putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay now. Celestia helped me get rid of that strange anger. I… won’t hurt you again.” Sunset trembled a little as she said the last words.

Twilight’s ears lowered a little. “Sunset, you didn’t hurt me.”

“Yes, I did. You still have the marks for it.” The orange unicorn pointed at the spots where Twilight’s coat had a different coloration due to being newer than the rest.

Twilight shook her head. “Sunset, what happened was because of all the pressure we put you through. You said that Celestia helped you get rid of it, you even called it a strange anger. It wasn’t natural, it wasn’t... well, you.”

Sunset looked to the side, still unsure and with a heavy guilt weighting her chest. Twilight pulled her closer and gave her a tight hug. “I know you would never hurt me. All the time I was just worried about you. And what you did after that… I don’t want you to do that again… ever. No matter how angry you get, or how much you think you’re hurting me, I will always want you to be with me. As my big sister.”

Sunset returned her hug, leaning closer to her sister, small tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “I will never leave you Twilight.”
After a few seconds, Sunset opened her eyes, noticed the crowd of ponies looking at them and pushed Twilight away with embarrassment. “Ahem, I came here on behalf of Princess Celestia due to time complications preventing her to come in person. But she wishes you all the best and hope for you to enjoy this years Running of the Leaves!” The ponies gave a little cheer before gathering at the starting line.
Sunset was surprised at how natural her words had come out and allowed herself a little proud smile. ‘Maybe I’m not half bad at this.’

“Hey Sunset!” Pinkie shouted form her balloon alongside Spike. “Do you want to watch the race from here?” The unicorn smiled and summoned her wings.

“I’m so happy that things are getting better for you,” Spike said with a smile.

Sunset, flying right beside the balloon, shared his smile. “Imagine me. I feel like I can take on the world.”

They both shared a laugh, until Pinkie shouted an announcement from her megaphone. “As the racers enter Equestria's Whitetail Wood, Rainbow Dash is back in the lead.”

Sunset watched as the two friends ran as fast as they could, Rainbow Dash managing to run ahead of Applejack by quite a bit. She then saw as the pegasus ran straight towards a branch, bit the tip and bent it so it hit Applejack right in the face.
Sunset raised an eyebrow. ‘Playing dirty? Well guess what.’ She lighted up her horn with a sly smile. ‘Karma’s a bitch.’

While Rainbow gloated, a tree came to life an threw her out of the track with one of its branches. The pegasus was confused, but when she saw her rival get ahead, she cast it aside and rejoined the race.
Applejack looked back, and when she saw Rainbow gaining on her, she kicked a tree with a beehive, so the insects attacked her opponent.
Sunset lighted up her horn once more, and a large anthill was teleported in front of Applejack when she wasn’t looking, making her crash into it.
While the farm pony fought to get the ants out of her coat, Rainbow ran ahead and reached a fork that divided the trail in two, where a sign indicated the correct path.
The pegasus smiled as she changed the sign and hid until her rival saw it and ran up the wrong path. She took a moment to laugh, but in a flash of light, Applejack had been teleported back to the correct path.
They both returned to being neck and neck, but this time, Sunset flew in front of them, flying backwards to face them as they run. “Hey, you two need to calm down, or I will disqualify you.”

“She started it!” They both said pointing at each other with their heads.

“Am I will end it if you two don’t play fair from now on.”

“Wait, did you made that tree hit me?”

“And put that anthill in mah way?”

“That’s just karma,” Sunset said before a branch hit her in the back of the head and she plummeted behind the two.

“Karma!” They both said before continuing their competition.
When both were close to the finish line, they started to bump into each other sideways to try and get an advantage, but suddenly, two walls of stone lifted out of the ground and they crashed into them, leaving a perfect outline of their pained faces in them.
More walls rose up from the ground, forming a cage around the two, trapping them a few meters from the finish line.
Sunset landed in front of the cages, dusting off her coat. “Rainbow Dash, Applejack, you’re both disqualified from the race for cheating and bad sportsmanship.”

“But-”

“SILENCE!” she commanded, making everypony take a step back. “You will speak when I ask you to, and only say what I request of you. Understood?” Both ponies nodded. “Good.”

Twilight approached her sister with worry. “Uhm, Sunset, maybe you’re being-”

“Twilight I will need your advice,” Sunset interrupted her, and her attention went back to the two disqualified ponies. “So, what reason do you had to start this competition?”

Rainbow spoke first. “We were trying to determine which one of us was the best athlete. I won the first competition.”

“Because yah cheated using yer wings!” Applejack accused her.

“You don’t get to call me a cheater! You tripped me at the start of the race!” Rainbow accused her back.

“It was you who made me trip at the start. And then yah hit me with a branch!”

“Enough.” Sunset turned towards her sister. “Twilight, what can you tell me about this?”

“Well, they didn’t trip each other. I was behind both, so I saw them trip over a rock and a tree trunk. I told them, but they didn’t believe me,” Twilight explained.

Sunset turned to the two trapped ponies. “So, both honesty and loyalty can’t trust a friend’s word?”

They looked away from her. “We just got caught up in the competition,” Rainbow complained.

“Yes, and it cost you the race. Even if I didn’t disqualify you, all the other runners have already crossed the finish line.”

“What?!” They both exclaimed.

“Look, I can understand that competitions between friends can get pretty heated, I can even understand them getting a little aggressive. But you should never bring that competition to places that involve others. And more importantly, any competition should never put your friendship into question. You’re both great athletes in your own fields.” She pointed at Applejack. “I doubt anypony besides your brother can compare to your strength, and you have a variety of farm related abilities.” She then pointed at Rainbow. “And you are probably one of the fastest beings in Equestria, besides having an abnormal resistance to damage from what I’ve been told.” Both mares looked at each other with a little pride at the praise they were being given. “You should be proud of your own achievements and abilities without feeling the need to compare them with the ones of other creatures, that will never end well for anypony.”

“Wow, that was a pretty decent friendship lesson,” Twilight said, and noticed how Sunset tried to hide a little smile.

Rainbow turned towards Applejack. “Sorry for hitting you with a branch.”

The farm pony gave an apologetic smile. “Ahm sorry too. We both got carried away.”

Sunset freed them from their cages and Twilight got closer to them. “If you still want to have a healthier competition, there are a few trees that still have their leaves.”

Applejack smiled. “I bet we can knock those leaves down lickety-split. Whaddya say, friend?”

“I'd love to stretch my legs,” Rainbow responded before running off, Applejack following close behind.

Sunset sighed with a smile. “Well, I think that was a successful Running of the Leaves.”

“Uhm.” Twilight whispered in her ear. “You still need to give the medals to the winners.”

Sunset got a little embarrassed. “Oh! Right. Hehehe. Thanks for the help.”

Twilight smiled. “That’s what sisters are for.”

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!: +5

Current morale: 5/100

This chapter proved difficult somehow, but I think it turned out well.
I will inform you that the next chapter will take some time to come out since I will be working on a story with a friend, but it will come eventually. Luckily, we reached more “peaceful” times for Sunset.

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 17: Support

The end of the Running of the Leaves had been a success, even if Sunset’s little outburst at Applejack and Rainbow worried some of the townsfolk, but the final judgement she gave to the two ponies kept their trust to her.
And not only that, but Sunset had received a letter form Celestia congratulating her for her work.
The unicorn was extremely happy that night, but now; she felt like she was dying.

“Come on Sunset!” Rainbow called out to her flying companion, who was having a great difficulty keeping up with her.

“Could we rest for a minute?” Sunset pleaded, feeling her body getting slowly drained of all magic.

Rainbow flew below her and lifted her with her back, allowing her to unsummon her wings and rest. “I thought you were the competitive type.”

“Yeah but flying like this is quite different than what I was expecting.”
And it was for a reason. Sunset never had to develop her speed and maneuverability, content with simply beelining to her objective and fly around for fun. However, after the ursa incident, she considered fixing this problem so she could be better prepared in case something similar happened. But it was easier said than done.

Having exhausted her partner, Rainbow decided this was the best moment to ask some questions. “So, how does that thing with the wings work? I see you just manifesting them out of thin air. Are they tucked inside your back or something?”

Sunset felt like she was about to fall asleep on Rainbows back, so she welcomed the small talk to keep her awake. “No, that would be painful. The spell transforms my body to have that characteristic added to it. The same with the eyes, ears and colored coat.”

Rainbow tried to put everything together in her mind. “So, you don’t turn yourself into an alicorn?”

Sunset laughed at that. “I wish it could be that simple, but no. It’s just an addon, and it drains my magic instead of boosting it.”

“Wait, you use magic to fly?” Rainbow asked with confusion.

“Yep. That’s why it tires me so much.” Sunset reaffirmed this by yawning. “Instead of a physical exhaustion, which would also be pretty bad, I simply ran out of magic and weaken my entire body.”

“Huh. That doesn’t sound like it’s worth it.”

Sunset chuckled. “Hey, flying is awesome, so it’s worth it in my book.”

Rainbow’s ears stood up. “Wait, if you use magic to fly, shouldn’t you be, like, extremely fast? I mean, you supposedly have more magic than Twilight.”

Sunset felt sleepiness slowly take over. ‘Are all pegasus naturally this soft?’
“I never measured myself with Twilight, so I don’t know who of us has the more magical prowess.”

“But you’re always gloating about being stronger than her.”

“Yeah, and I do believe so, but she’s not too far from me. It always bothered her that I said that, so she focused more in her studies to surpass me.”

“Is that why she’s such an egghead?”

“Not entirely. She loves books to a sometimes-worrying degree, and most of her expectations are born from Celestia.”

Rainbow remained silent for a couple of seconds, but then surprised Sunset with a new question. “Hey, I know it’s kind of personal but… are you and Celestia… okay with each other?”

Sunset’s ears perked up, and she couldn’t respond right away. “Wha- Why do you ask?”

“When we descended from the mountain, Celestia was there to talk with us. I didn’t hear all that the girls talk about then, but it was obvious that Celestia was troubled by what happened.”

“Well, I died, so it’s understandable,” Sunset said, hoping to end the conversation with logic.

“Yeah, but… I could tell there was something more. She was angry, well, everypony was angry that day, but that made me realize it more. It wasn’t that the normally calm and motherly princess we all knew was having a bad day.”

“Bad day sounds like an understatement.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. It wasn’t that, it felt like, it was another pony. A pony that she kept hidden from the public. And it only slipped out when it came to you getting hurt.”

“Rainbow… I don’t know to what you’re going for with this.” She knew, she just didn’t want her to.

“Look, it’s just something I noticed. I mean, she sent me away for saying stupid things and trying to save Pinkie from some sort of punishment because of the way she talked to you. But I can tell when things happen around me. I need to for my job, so it’s an instinct I developed. And that’s what it tells me about what happened that day.” She turned her head towards Sunset, and the unicorn could see the genuine worry in her eyes. “So, are you and her… okay? Do you want to talk about it?”

The two questions made Sunset’s mind spin. She had already confessed about what she felt the day she… drowned. But this… felt more personal to her somehow. It was something she tried to keep hidden since she met Twilight. Could she really trust Rainbow with it?

The pegasus hope for helping her diminished with Sunset’s continuous silence. She feared that she pushed too fast and was about to take it back when the unicorn finally spoke again.
“If you want me to tell you… I need you to promise me that you will never tell Twilight about it. Ever. No matter what happens between her and me, or with Celestia. Take it to your grave if you must.”

Rainbow felt like she was exaggerating, but the pain in Sunset’s eyes told her she was very serious. “I Pinkie promise.”

Sunset looked at her confused. “What?”

“I Cross My Heart, Hope to Fly, Stick a Cupcake in my Eye.” Rainbow said doing some weird motions to Sunset.

‘It has Pinkie in its name, so it’s probably not worth asking.’ “Can we go a little higher for this?”

“Sure, hold on.” Rainbow flapped her wings and flew up, far above the altitude pegasus normally flew in their travels. She also picked some clouds on her way up to hide themselves in. “Do your wings allow you to cloud walk?”

“No, sorry. I will need you to keep me afloat,” Sunset responded with an apologetic smile.

“Don’t worry, I got you.” Rainbow landed on the cloud and did her best to look at Sunset without much discomfort for her neck. “So, what’s the situation exactly?”

Sunset took some air to give herself some courage. “Do you remember that I said that Twilight replaced me?”

“No, I missed most of the conversation.”

“Uh, well, that was the start of this.”

“So, the obvious first question; Replace you how?”

“Before Twilight, I was Celestia’s only pupil. She raised me to be one of the most powerful mages of our times… but…”

“Twilight came along and took your title. Well, I think there can be two great mages. Uh, or better yet, you could team up and be extra all-powerful!” Rainbow offered with some excitement, hoping that Sunset would play along.

Sadly, it didn’t work. “It’s not that simple Rainbow.” Sunset sighed. “You know that a pony can achieve alicornhood if they prove themselves worthy of it?”

Rainbow seemed surprised but not as excited as she had expected. “I had no idea. But it sounds awesome for you.”

That managed to crack a smile on Sunset. “It is, but… well, I didn’t earn it before Twilight became Celestia’s student. And even before that… I made a mistake.”

Rainbow looked at her with worry. “Something tells me you didn’t just fail a test or something like that.”

“I wish it was. But what I did was… I… I tried to cheat my way to it.” Just saying it felt like she had somehow dropped something heavy from her chest.

Rainbow frowned. “How?”

“There are forbidden books stored in the castle. Books that can teach you dangerous spells. Spells that not even an alicorn should wield. And I was hoping to find the way to turn myself into an alicorn in there.”

“Did you find it?”

“No… I stopped myself before reading any of the books.”

“Then what’s the problem? You shouldn’t be punished for something you didn’t end up doing.”

Sunset shook her head slowly. “Just having the intention of doing it is proof enough. And when Twilight became her student, I tried to do it again. But the library was locked.”

Rainbows eyes widened. “It wasn’t locked form the start?”

“Well, they didn’t feel like there was somepony who would do it. They trusted me… and I… lost that trust.”

Rainbow felt tears falling on her back. “So, that’s why Twilight replaced you?”

Sunset wiped the tears away. “Is one of the reasons. Yeah.”

Rainbow took a moment to think before speaking again. “Can I be honest?”

Sunset shrugged. “Sure, nothing I can-”

“That’s a bunch of horseapples!”

Sunset recoiled at the blunt words. “What?”

“You made a mistake, so what? Aren’t we all allowed to make them? Should I just throw away my dreams of being a Wonderbolt just because I made a mistake cheating at the race with Applejack?!”

Sunset shook her head. ‘Of course she doesn’t get it.’
“Rainbow, it’s not the same thing.”

“Maybe, but you’ve also done a lot of good to compensate that. You saved us when Nightmare Moon attacked us. For Celestia’s sake, you died for us that night! And then you fought a freaking ursa major to protect the town. Died doing that too. You should have parades made for you. We should have a statue made for you in the middle of Ponyville.”

“Rainbow I also hurt Twilight and almost melted all of you into a puddle just because I was-”

“Completely done with all the unfairness thrown your way!” Rainbow was fuming. “I would too to be honest. I’m mad just thinking about it.”

Sunset sighed, this was proving to be a mistake. “As I said Rainbow, it’s not that simple.”

“What else is there?” the pegasus asked.

“What?”

Rainbow looked like she was about to bite somepony’s hoof off. “You said it was one of the reasons. What are the rest?”

“Well… I can’t make friends. I tried for years and Twilight did it in one night.”

Rainbow didn’t make sense of her words. “What do you mean? Aren’t you like, the fairy godmother of friendship? Aren’t we friends?”

“I know it sounds completely illogical. But it’s just… I don’t feel it. It’s like I see everypony through a wall of glass. I’m there but can’t connect with you.”

“Then shatter that glass into pieces and come join us! I will have cider ready.”

Sunset chuckled at the bold and forward response. “If you have any idea how, I’m all ears.”

“Oh, be sure that we will find a way to do that. That’s a promise.”

Sunset smiled. “A Pinkie promise?”

“No.” Rainbow said abruptly. “This is between you and me. I will keep the secret, until you’re ready to tell the rest if you want. But I will help you. And it’s not up to debate.”

Sunset couldn’t help but smile. Rainbow was so naive and had no idea of what she was getting into, but still, her sheer determination to help or do something about it made her feel like she was somepony with worth. She cared enough to fight for her, even if the ‘enemy’ wasn’t something she could just kick into submission. She laughed at the idea of Rainbow beating some manifestation of her problems to make it go away.
Rainbow smiled at her laugh, happy that the humor of the unicorn was turning positive again. “Thanks Rainbow, I really appreciate it.”

“It’s what friends do,” she said with a smile full of confidence. She wanted to ask more questions but felt like she had advanced enough for today. “Now, how about we continue with our practice?”

Sunset summoned her wings. “You’re on!”

Sunset was once again traveling on Rainbow’s back, having drained all her energy once again.
The pegasus landed close to a river near the Everfree and laid her on the grass so she could rest. “Do you want me to carry you home?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, I can see the sweat in your forehead. You need some rest too.”

Rainbow was about to object, but decided against it. She didn’t feel the need to hide her tiredness to Sunset, so she just laid beside her.

“Can I ask you a question?” the unicorn asked.

“Shoot.”

“How high can a pegasus fly?”

Rainbow was surprised by the question, she never thought about it. “I… don’t know. Never tried it.”

Sunset lifted a hoof to the sky. “How far could we reach? Could we get close to the sun? Could we land on the moon? Could we reach the stars?”

Rainbow’s response was instantaneous. “That’s sounds boring. And the sun would burn you to a crisp.”

Sunset chuckled. “I guess it’s too egghead for you.”

Rainbow shook her head. “No, it’s not that. I mean, somepony surely would like to do those things but. Why would you want to go that far away? Everything is already here. I doubt you can find cider on the moon.”

Sunset turned her head to her. “Well, there’s also the bad things. Things that you would want to just escape from for some time. That’s what I did in Ponyville.”

“Yeah, but you came with Twilight. If you went too far above the sky, nopony would be able to follow you.” Rainbow though about it for a moment. “Maybe Pinkie could make a ladder high enough.”

Sunset laughed. “Knowing Pinkie, that’s very possible.”

“Still, you shouldn’t escape your problems, you should fight them head on!” Rainbow punched the air to accentuate her point.

Sunset thought about her words for a couple of minutes and lifted herself up, walking up to the river. Rainbow quickly followed her, worried about her intentions. “I’m guessing Applejack told you about my fear of water.” Sunset looked at the river, feeling her legs tremble a little. Even if she felt strong now that her rage had disappeared, she hadn’t gotten rid of her fear. And what scared her most was how long that fear would haunt her. “I don’t want to have that for the rest of my life. And if you say to confront it.” She lifted her foreleg and dipped it into the water, trembling a little harder. “Would you help me do it?”

Rainbow pulled her from her tail, getting her away from the river. “I will gladly do so, but not now. We’re tired, and it has been a very nice day. Let’s try tomorrow when we’re fresh. What do you say?”

Sunset smiled. “Okay… but also keep this between us. Please?”

Rainbow smiled, understanding the feeling pretty well. “Pinkie promise.” As she did the gestures, Sunset tried to copy them unsuccessfully, earning a laugh form the pegasus. “Here, it’s like this.”

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!: +10
Sunset's morale recieved a bonus!: +1

Current morale: 16/100

While the previous chapter took a long time to do, this one was a breeze. I blame my love for dialog.

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 18: Forgiveness

Applejack looked closely at Rainbow, trying to tell if the pegasus was lying. “You and Sunset had a perfectly normal day?”

“Yep,” Rainbow responded, eyes closed and hooves behind her head.

The farm mare raised an eyebrow. “And yah didn’t have any kind of great revelation about her person?”

“Or help her overcome some of her defects?” Pinkie added.

Rainbow kept her poker face. “Nope.”

“I’m starting to think these little reunions in the library are not helping a lot,” Twilight deadpanned.

“At least you’re not hiding in the shadows anymore,” Spike pointed out while he dusted the bookcases of the library. “It was kind of creepy.”

Twilight sighed. “I just want to help her. After everything that she has done for me, I owe it to her.”

“Twilight,” Rainbow called out, her posture changing from laid back to completely serious. “We are helping. You are helping her.”

The purple unicorn shook her head. “I know, but I want to do more. I never saw this Sunset that you girls are describing. I always saw her as the strong, arrogant bully that pushed me around to be better and annoyed me every time she could. Knowing now that she felt so isolated, that she always pushed herself so hard, maybe even harder than me, that she hid her pains to everypony, that she was willing to…”

Twilight finally realized that she had started rambling her thoughts and stopped, but Rainbow continued for her. “Protect you. She has always protected you. Just like she fought Nightmare Moon she would’ve fought anything that threatened to hurt you. Other than herself that is.” She added at the end with a smile to keep a high mood.

Twilight rubbed her eyes. “I guess I need to show her that I don’t need protection then.”

Rainbow chuckled. “I doubt that will stop her trying. Just be yourself Twilight. And be there for her when she finally opens up to you.”

Twilight smiled. “Thank you Rainbow.”

“So yah did have a heart to heart with Sunset,” Applejack said with a smug half-smile.

“Pinkie Promise,” Rainbow stated.

“No more to be said!” Pinkie exclaimed, ending any kind of argument instantly. “So, who’s turn is it now?”

Fluttershy cowered a little, hiding behind her hair. “Uh, it’s Rarity’s t-”

“Sorry darling, but I won’t be able to do it right now, I’ve a couple of orders that require my attention. So you will have to take my place,” explained the fashionista, the wink she gave to the rest of the group hidden from the pegasus by her pink mane.

Fluttershy got more nervous. “Oh… well… I…”

“Don’t worry Shy, you will do great,” Rainbow reassured her with a smile.

“She’s more scared of you that you are of her,” Pinkie added.

“She’s not a bear,” Twilight deadpanned.

“I think a bear would be easier,” Fluttershy muttered, still feeling insecure.

Applejack put a hoof over her friends back. “She said in her letter that she just wanted to understand yah. That’s all yah have to do. It will be fine.”

Fluttershy sighed, trying to gather some valor. “Okay, I will do it. Uhm, can somepony tell her to go to my house?”

“On it!” Rainbow exclaimed before flying out the door.
The rest of the girls exited the library, and Twilight walked to the stairs to go to her room and return to her studies.
“Twilight…”

The voice stopped her dead in her tracks. “Yes Spike?”

The tiny dragon descended the ladder and rubbed his arm nervously. “You and Sunset are sisters… even if you’re not related, right?”

“Well… yeah. We were raised together, we grew together, she taught me, tried to lecture me.” Twilight smiled at the memory. Sunset’s lecture had paled to the one Celestia gave to Sunset for it. “We clearly share a bond that has grown over the years. So, yes, in my eyes and hers, we’re both of the same family,” she said with a bit of pride.

Spike looked at her in the eyes. “Am I Sunset’s brother too?”

The question took Twilight completely by surprise, but she gave him a warm smile. “Do you want to be?”

Fluttershy was close to walking on the walls with how nervous she was.
Her animal friends looked at her with worry, even the bunny Angel had tried to calm her down, but she kept silently panicking while the time of day grew shorter.
Suddenly, they all felt a shiver run down their spines. Something was approaching them. Something dangerous.
Angel quickly jumped to lock the door while Harry picked Fluttershy up in a tight and literal bear hug.
Even if they all wanted to protect their caretaker, as the sense of danger got closer, the most fragile animals started to flee, leaving as many exits open as they could in case the larger animals needed a quick retreat.
“Uhm, what’s going on?” Fluttershy asked, very confused at how her animals were acting.
There was a knock on the door, and all but the pegasus took a step back, ready to fight.
“Oh, that must be Sunset. Uhm, Harry, can you let me go for a minute?” The bear just growled menacingly at the entrance.

“Fluttershy, are you in there?” Sunset’s voice called out, confusing the animals with the non-menacing tone in it.

“Guys, it’s fine, Sunset’s a…” ‘Friend? Good pony? Are they right in being worried? What if they hurt her? What if she hurts them? Why did I invite her here?!’
Her small mental panic only reinforced the ones in her animals, and her two otters helped Angel push small furniture against the door to lock the pony out.

Sunset’s voice called out again. “Look, if you don’t want to do this, I can understand. Just… I hope I can leave a better impression on you from now on.” There was a long pause, where no creature made a sound, until she spoke again. “Thanks for… trying…”

Fluttershy heard her walking away, and her animals relaxed as the threat retreated.
The pegasus felt a pang in her chest, and she freed herself from Harry’s hug, flew to the door, throwing away the flimsy barricade, and unlocked the door before going out.
Sunset, hearing all the commotion, turned around just in time to see the very worried pegasus stopping right in front of her.
Fluttershy immediately lost her words. “Sorry, I was…”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “About to lie an excuse?”

The pegasus lowered her ears. “Yes… the truth is that I’m just really nervous about this. And my animals are too. I never saw them like this.”

Sunset sighed. “We can just cancel it if you want. I just want to know something.” Fluttershy landed on the ground to listen to her, ready to answer her question. “Am I… still that pony in the mountain?”

Fluttershy blinked confused. “What?”

“You were the first that stood up to me. The first that recognized the menace I was. Even now it seems like your instincts tell you to stay away from me and hide your animals. So, I guess I still am that pony. That menace to the world.” Sunset looked dejectedly at the ground. “I… I can promise you to try and be better than that. I don’t know if it’s enough.”

“But, you’re already better than that,” Fluttershy responded still confused at her words. “You said that the anger consuming you is gone now. And we won’t feed it again. You’re better now.”

Sunset still looked at the ground. “Do you remember the dragon?” Fluttershy’s doubts disappeared. “That wasn’t anger, was it?”

The pegasus couldn’t help frowning at her. “No. You were… you were enjoying hurting him.” Fluttershy got angrier. “You wouldn’t have stopped if I didn’t say anything, would you?”

Sunset shook her head slowly. “I don’t know. I can’t remember what I was thinking then. I just remember anger, and him hurting you.”

Fluttershy got closer to her. “Regardless, you didn’t have to go that far, you could’ve stopped. You’re a very powerful unicorn, powerful enough to make a choice between hurting somecreature and helping them be better.”

Sunset felt tears trying to escape her eyes. “I’m sorry. I want to do better next time.”

Suddenly, Fluttershy hugged her, putting her head over her shoulder. “You already have. With Rainbow’s and Applejack’s dispute. And before that, you did it with Gilda, and with the manticore and the sea serpent. You can, have, and will do better if you want to Sunset. That’s what makes you an amazing pony.”

Sunset was confused. ‘Why is she suddenly being so nice to me?’ “But at the mountain I- I wasn’t better then.”

Fluttershy pulled her away so they could see each other eye to eye. “I also wasn’t better that day. If I had helped instead of cowering, you wouldn’t have needed to come save us. Nopony would’ve been hurt. We both failed that day.”

Sunset shook her head. “But… You said I was enjoying it.”

“Yeah, and none of us know why, and I will probably be upset for it for a time.” Fluttershy gave her a little smile. “But just like you, I can choose to give other chances and forgive you.”

Sunset looked at her, not fully believing her words. “I- I can’t… I don’t… I don’t deserve it.”

“You regret it a lot, don’t you? You want for it to never happen again. Keep that promise. And you will do better.”

Sunset still had conflicted feelings inside her, but she felt some relief at her words. If she believed she could do better, maybe she could too.
Shinning also believed her. And Twilight. And Luna. Cadence surely would too, and maybe even Celestia.
Sunset slowly smiled, and her tears stopped coming.

“Do you want some tea?” Fluttershy offered.

Sunset chuckled. “You don’t have coffee?” The pegasus shook her head. “I will ask Celestia to make it a necessity in Equestria.”

They both laughed and walked up to the cottage, where Fluttershy’s animals were looking at them with worry and confusion. Her caretaker walked up to them pointing at Sunset. “All of you say hi to Sunset. She’s a friend. She’s just as scared of you than you’re of her.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I’m not a bear. No offence.”

Harry looked at his companions and Fluttershy before giving her a friendly wave, which the rest of the animals soon did too.
A little more confident, Sunset got closer and was finally allowed entrance to the cottage, although the animals chose to remain outside and watch her just in case.
“You’ve a lot more animals than what I was expecting.”

“Yeah, I take care of them and whoever needs it.” She then remembered something. “Wait, you’ve seen the animals in Celestia’s garden, right?”

Sunset was confused at the sudden enthusiasm. “Uhm, yeah. They are an attraction there for some reason.”

Fluttershy almost pounced on her. “How are them? What species do they have? Can you get a tour? Can you pet them?”

Sunset pushed the exited pegasus away from her personal space. “I don’t know, they aren’t pets, they just live there.”

Fluttershy looked confused. “What?”

“Some rich noble ‘acquires’ them, they get bored of it, Celestia adopts them and keeps them in the garden, they become wild again,” Sunset explained. “They won’t attack you, but they prefer to be left alone.”

Fluttershy got watery eyes. “Oh, poor things, I must see them at the gala.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. ‘Why is everypony obsessed with that thing?’ “You mentioned tea?”

Fluttershy snapped out of it. “Oh, yeah, I will go prepare it, make yourself at home,” Fluttershy offered before walking to the kitchen.

Sunset took a seat at a nearby table and looked at the small cottage. It was packed full of animal habitats, and the smell yelled that they were all being inhabited by somecreature, but something quickly caught her eye.
There was a small hole in the wall where she saw a small book hidden inside. She picked it up with her magic and brought it to her.
“SunLight? Is this some sort of novel?” She opened it and started reading. “Yeah, definitely a romance novel.” She continued reading it while she waited, really getting into the story, until she read who the main characters were.

“Don’t read that!” Fluttershy screamed coming from the kitchen, face completely red. “How did you find it?”

“There was a hole in the wall,” Sunset pointed out, and the pegasus realized her animals had revealed the hole when they moved the furniture for the barricade. “You know Twilight and I are sisters, right?”

The pegasus started to stammer nervously. “Well, I wrote it after the ticket incident, and finished it before you two made it official and…” Fluttershy realized Sunset wasn’t screaming at her, in fact she was still reading the book. “You don’t think it’s weird?”

“Oh, totally, I would never see Twilight in this way.” Sunset flipped to the next page. “And I will burn it, and your house, if somepony else sees it.”

Fluttershy’s blush was completely gone by now. “Why are you still reading it then?”

“Because… this is good. I don’t know much about literature other than magical encyclopedia, but I think this is very well written, and the plot is interesting.” She flipped another page. “I just wish you didn’t have to make it about me and Twilight.”

“Uhm, well…” Fluttershy pulled out a few more books from the hole. “I made some of other ponies if you’re interested.”

Sunset looked at her, closed the book, and chuckled. “Bonding time!”

After spending most of the day reading and chatting, Sunset walked back to her house with a smile. Today had been a lot of fun in the end. And that relief she had felt before hadn’t gone away.

The day was turning into night when Sunset heard a knock on the door to her house, and quickly went to open it, seeing nopony in front of her.

“Hi Sunset.”

The unicorn lowered her head, seeing the small form of Spike. “Hey Spike. What brings you here?”

“Uhm, well…” He fidgeted with his claws a little, avoiding her gaze, making Sunset worry about what could be happening to him. “Since Rarity is going to be too busy to see you tomorrow...” He finally looked her in the eyes. “Could you have one of those days with me?” Sunset was clearly surprised, so he backed down to explain. “I wa-” But was interrupted by a hug from the unicorn.

“Of course Spike. Any time you want.” She looked back at her house. “In fact, if you’re not busy, you can spend the night with me. Like when we- well, you, were little.”

“Please don’t remind me of that night,” Spike pleaded, the memory making him hug her back to feel her warmth, but something was off.

Sunset smiled. “Hey, you never made me promise to not bully you.”

Spike snapped his fingers. “Drat.”

They both shared a laugh before going inside the house, happy to spend time together after so long.

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!: +10

Current morale: 26/100

Find out about Spike’s and Sunset’s past experiences in the next chapter: Warmth

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 19: Warmth

“So, I guess I should invite you something to eat first?” Sunset offered while she walked to the kitchen with Spike following close behind.

Spike chuckled. “You never had a guest before, have you?”

“Nope, but I learned a little in my time living with Moon Dancer. I also learned to cook, kind of.” She started to look around her kitchen, trying to think what to make.

“Well, I always cooked for Twilight, want a hand?” He asked walking up to her. “I can teach you a thing or two.”

“You would be my third teacher, but I’m sure you can teach me something other than baking and fast food. I’m impressed Moon hasn’t put on weight by now.”

Spike snapped his fingers. “Oh, that gives me an idea. I think you would love some spicy nachos.”

“Ooh! I love spicy food.” Sunset saw Spike moving a chair to the kitchen so he could reach the tables, and she quickly enchanted a spare tray with her magic. The enchanted metal rectangle flew below Spike’s feet, lifting him off the ground.

The dragon flailed his arms until he regained balance and looked at the tray, noticing how it moved to where he wanted to. “Wow, thanks!” He quickly flew back to her. “I knew you would like it. I sometimes question if you’re part dragon with your affection to fiery things.”
‘That and your warmth.’ He added in his mind, remembering the hug.

“Well, I can’t eat gems, so I don’t have a dragon’s stomach. Speaking of which-” Sunset opened one of the shelves and pulled out a big bowl full of gemstones. “Which one do you prefer?”

Spike was surprised. “Uh, the green ones. Did- did you have them for me?”

Sunset was a little confused at the question. “Well, I guessed you would come visit me someday, so I wanted to have something for your particular tastes.”

Spike smiled. “Thank you. That’s really kind of you.”

Sunset chuckled as she picked up the green gems. “Well, I just had my day with Fluttershy. How do you want them?”

“Crush them so we can add it to the cheese.” He put a couple of tortillas in the oven to dry them. “So, how was your day with her?”

“Pretty good,” Sunset responded with a smile. “I won’t gossip, but we found something to share during the day.”

“That’s great! You need more hobbies other than magical studies.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You should tell that to Twilight.”

Spike snorted. “I’ve tried, but you know her.”

“Yeah. She can be difficult to work with if it doesn’t involve books.”

“And don’t even mention the organizing. She just throws everything to the ground and then puts it back in place.” He frowned a little. “Sometimes even just after I cleaned the library.”

Sunset stopped crushing the gems for a moment. “You know Spike, I’m really surprised that you stood up against me first instead of Twilight.”

Spike raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I know she raised you and all, and I don’t question that she cares about you, but sometimes I think she gets a little excessive with the amount of work she puts on you.”

Spike was genuinely surprised. “You say that because of now? Because I don’t remember you objecting when we grew up in Canterlot.”

Sunset’s ears lowered a little. “I… actually did once.”

“What?”

Sunset looked away. “I… I tried to lecture Twilight about responsibility with you, and some other things, kind of a long ramble. Celestia was really mad with me.”

Spike was even more confused. “Why was she mad?”

“She said that Twilight was too young to be talked to like I did.”

“Why? Did you swear in front of her?”

“No, I… I don’t remember the exact words. But basically, I guilt her into acting like I wanted to.” Sunset remembered something. “I think Celestia said; ‘You shouldn’t strangle freedom to create order. Teach by example’. Which I was horrible at doing then.”

Spike didn’t know what to say. “I…wow.”

Sunset lowered her head to the table. “Yeah, I’m kind of terrible. In fact, I can’t really critique Twilight knowing I also made you work extra fixing my pranks to her.”

“But you’re better now,” Spike immediately countered. “Learning about friendship and all that. And going back to what you said before; I like being Twilight’s number one assistant. Even if that entails cleaning and taking care of her.”

Sunset turned to him. “I mean, I get it, but… Do you really want to be that forever? What if one day you want to do something else with your life?”

Spike looked at her. “Like what?”

“I don’t know, being a cook? A pianist? A radio personality?” Sunset casted a spell to give herself a curling black moustache and twirled it with her magic. “A comic book supervillain?”
Spike started laughing, and Sunset joined in until they remembered to take the tortillas out of the oven.
Catching back her breath, Sunset continued. “I just feel like she should do more for her little brother.”

Spike froze, slowly turning towards her. “You think she and I are brothers?”

Sunset raised her hooves in a semi-shrug. “I mean… It’s kind of the same thing with me. Why wouldn’t you be her little brother?”

“And yours?” Spike blurted out.

Sunset smiled. “If you want to, but you don’t have to-” She was suddenly in a very tight hug from Spike. “Are you okay?” she asked with worry in her voice.

Spike hugged her harder. “I’m just worried about you. Everything that happened to you… you don’t deserve it. No matter if you were a bully before. I also see you as a sister like Twilight, and I want to help you just like her. I’m just not sure how.”

Sunset smiled, tearing up a bit, and gave him a warm hug. “It’s okay Spike, I’m better now. I’ve my confidence back and Twilight’s friends are helping me better myself. I’m better than ever before.”

‘You’re not,’ Spike thought while he felt the heat of her body. He knew something was wrong, but didn’t know what, or how to help her.

“Let’s continue with the food, I’m getting hungry,” Sunset offered, and Spike nodded before smiling.
They chatted a bit more, laughing at memories of them growing up, and Spike’s tales of Twilight’s hardships adapting to the town.

They soon found themselves laying on Sunset’s bed eating nachos, Spike’s having gem dust mixed with his cheese, and looking at the ceiling a little bored.

“I need to get some party games or something,” Sunset said, eating the last of her food.

“Yeah, some chess would be nice. Or a little music,” Spike added.

“I don’t know how to dance nor sing.”

Spike looked at her incredulously. “How? I thought ponies were born knowing how to make a musical number.”

Sunset shrugged. “I was never part of one.”

“Give it a couple of days.” They both shared a laugh, but Spike’s smile faded as he carefully chose his next words. “Sunset… do you feel… cold?”

Sunset looked at him, confused at the question. “I mean, winter starts tomorrow, which I hate, but I haven’t taken out the blankets yet. Why do you ask?”

He took a few moments to respond. “Do you remember that night when we slept together?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”

Spike sat on the bed, not fully facing her. “I feel like I need to tell you the whole story.”

It was a winter night, it was probably a year or two after Twilight hatched me, when we still lived inside the castle instead of the ivory tower.
I was sleeping next to Twilight, when she suddenly got out of bed and trotted to the door. It woke me up and my first instinct was to follow her, so I did.
I later found out she was trying to sneak into the library to do some past bedtime reading, but I didn’t know that then, so I was worried something had happened.
I followed her as best I could, even now she’s quite faster than me, closing the distance every time she stopped to look around, but before we reached the library, a guard called out to her, probably to ask what she was doing. Twilight ran off, trying to not get caught, and I quickly lost her in the halls.
I didn’t know what was happening, I was scared, and alone. I tried to look for Twilight, but more guards started to show up, looking for her, and I thought that if Twilight was running from them, I should too.
So, I ran away, getting more and more lost, more and more scared. I eventually sat down and started crying, not knowing what to do.
Until I felt something in my scales.
I didn’t know what it was, but it gave me some comfort, so I stood up and tried to follow it.
As I got closer, I could feel it more definitely. It was a reassuring warmth, like a hug all over my scales and under them. It had a homely feeling, it made me feel safe.
I eventually reached a door that I opened with some difficulty, and when I was inside the room, it was as if that warmth reached the heat I feel inside myself, the one that gives me the fire that makes me a dragon.
I walked up to the source, sleeping on a canopied bed, and gave its hoof a tug. Your hoof.

Sunset got closer to Spike when he finished his story. “Spike, I-” her words died in her throat, not knowing how to process this information.

“The reason I’m telling you this… is that… I don’t feel that warmth coming from you anymore. It’s still there, but even if I hug you… it feels a lot colder.” He turned to her, showing the tears running down his face, just like that night. “I don’t know what it means. But I’ve only felt that warmth coming from two others; Celestia, and… what I can only guess was my mother. So I know it’s important and only I can feel it and I want to help you fix it but I don’t know how.” He finally broke down and started crying on the bed, all his fear and worry and helplessness being too much for him to hold back.
Sunset hug him as her mind raced for an answer.
What did this mean? What was wrong now? Why was she giving off this ‘warmth’? Did Celestia knew about it? How could she fix it?
Desperate for an answer, her mind drifted back to that night.

A hard tug woke me up. I growled and opened my eyes at best I could, seeing the little round face of Twilight’s dragon. “What do you want?” I asked annoyed, wondering why Twilight couldn’t keep her little pet out of my room.
The tiny lizard tried fruitlessly to jump onto my bed, but he lacked the size to do it. I tried to ignore him and go back to sleep, but as soon as I turned away from him, he started sobbing.
I picked him up with my magic, wanting to throw him out the door and lock it shut, and he looked at me with tears running down his face.
I sighed and put him on top of the bed next to me. “Look, I will go get Twilight so y-” The little lizard hugged me out of nowhere, clinging to me like if I were his mother or something.
I wanted to push him away, but he looked like he really needed somepony to cling onto. And honestly… I think I also need it.
“It’s okay little guy.” What was his name? something about a polearm. Lance? Pike? Spike!
“Spike?” The little guy looked up to me, tears still falling from his eyes. “Do you want to sleep with me tonight?” He just hugged me even tighter, and luckily his claws weren’t sharp enough to scratch me.
I put the blankets over him, nestling him against me, and went back to sleep, enjoying the little warmth his tiny dragon body gave me.

Sunset smiled. “You’re not the only one.”

“What?” Spike asked confused.

“You’re not the only one that can feel it. Or has it.” She moved him closer to her as she laid on the bed. “You also have a kind of warmth Spike. We can think of it as your magic or as your own type of comforting aura that you can give. I don’t know what it could mean or how to fix it, but if what you feel is that I’m cold by myself. Maybe we can share our heat together?”

Spike sobbed. “You think that will help?”

Sunset gave him a reassuring smile. “It helped you to not be scared and alone that night. It can do the same to me.”

Spike finally hugged her back, and Sunset covered them with the bed sheets. “Good night little brother.”

Spike smiled. “Good night big sister.”

Sunset closed her eyes, and before she fell asleep, she remembered the morning after that night.

I carried Spike back to his bed and wondered why he was in my room that night. I looked for Twilight and found her eating breakfast in the dinning room. I asked her about Spike, and she said that she had sneaked into the library and didn’t know he had left her bedroom.
I got angry at her. How could she be so clueless? She’s the student of the Princess, she can’t act this way.
“Twilight, I want you to hear me very carefully…”

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!: +4

Current morale: 30/100

My (late) birthday gift to you all, sorry about it being short, but it was a short story that needed to be told in it's own.

Next chapter we will finally have Rarity's day with Sunset!
On that note, have you noticed something particular about the titles of those kind of chapters?

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 20: Inspiration

Sunset did all she could to remain calm, even as her instincts screamed in panic and her whole body trembled, trying to run away from danger.
She had tried to count the time, but it proved impossible to concentrate, and keeping her body calm was already out of her complete control.
She felt the hoof keeping her down leave her back, and Sunset immediately got her head out of the river and took a deep breath.
Rainbow quickly pulled her out to shore and got in front of her. “So, how did it go?”

“It seems like we’re stuck here.” She gave a sigh of frustration. “We made so much progress yesterday.”

Rainbow gave her a towel to dry herself. “Well, you can at least get a bath without freaking out. I would call that a very huge progress.”

“Yeah, as long as I don’t dip my head in it.” The towel sneaked along her body with her magic, drying her and giving some warmth to her body. “I will stick to showers for now.”

“Do you want to try drinking?” Rainbow offered her a bottle of water.

Sunset shook her head. “I think we did enough for today. Thanks for the help.”

“No problem.” Rainbow looked at the still slightly shivering Sunset and then back at the river. “Hey, I know winter just started but, is the water really that cold?”

Sunset put the towel away. “Probably not, I just hate the cold.”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Really? I was expecting you to be like a walking heater or something.” She got an immediate glare from the unicorn. “Uh, sorry. Anyway, you should get going to your day with Rarity before anypony suspects something.”

“You’re right. Thanks again for your help.” Sunset summoned her wings and flew towards the town, thinking about Spike.
Sleeping together had calmed him down, and she assured him that he was helping her, which she honestly felt it did. It was weird, since it reminded her of her old self, yet that kind of nostalgia was what she had been clinging to nowadays, like she did with Cadence.
She had sent a letter to Celestia talking about what Spike told her, but she still hadn’t given her an answer. Luna had sent her a letter in advance, telling her that her sister had gotten the message and that she had been doubling her efforts on whatever she was planning.
Sunset sighed. Things weren’t getting easier for her, but at least this was the last objective of her current list.
Speaking of which, she finally saw the carousel-like structure of Rarity’s house, so she descended to the front door, hiding her wings.
She gave it a couple of knocks until a familiar white unicorn opened it for her. “Welcome darling. Finally, we have a day for ourselves,” she said as she beckoned her inside.

“You seem exited. I wonder what you got prepared,” Sunset said a little nervous.

“Oh, I’m sure you will love it, but first you must know that I’m a dressmaker and an avid follower of fashion.” Rarity extended her foreleg over the vast array of dummies and textiles neatly organized all over the building. “I’ve an eye for detail, I’m generous, and always ready to help any of my friends.”

“Thanks for the resumé, but I’m not hiring you unless you bring me two forms of ID, and three letters of recommendation,” was Sunset’s response, which managed to derail Rarity from her speech as she held back a chuckle.

“Sorry, but my point is that those are the reason why I volunteered myself to make the dresses of all my friends for the gala. And that-”

Sunset interrupted her with a groan. “Why is everypony so obsessed with that event? I mean, Applejack had a wrong but reasonable motive to go, but what do you actually expect from it? They are so boring that I set off the fire alarm once to end it quickly. And I didn’t even get in trouble with Celestia for it!”

Rarity waited patiently for her to finish her rant and continued. “Well, as far as I know, Rainbow wants to meet the Wonderbolts there.”

“Okay that’s reasonable, there aren’t many ways to see them.”

“Fluttershy wants to see the animals.”

“She told me that, I gave her a warning about it.”

“Twilight wants to see Celestia.”

Sunset paused for a second. “She knows she can just take the train and visit her in Canterlot, right? I know Spike goes there from time to time.”

Rarity shrugged. “Maybe you should tell her that. She tends to miss the obvious answer sometimes. But back to what I was saying, what I wanted to do for our day together is for you to help me make all the dresses.”

“Okay.”

The instant response took Rarity by surprise. “Oh, I wasn’t expecting for you to agree so quickly.”

“Well, tailoring sounds like and useful skill, and I mean no offence, but I would prefer to make my own dress. But I thank you for the offer.”

Rarity wanted to insist, but she knew that Sunset and Applejack shared the stubbornness trait, so she opted for negotiation. “How about this; You can make the tailoring, but I will make the design.”

Sunset thought about it for a moment. “Okay, sounds fair. So, how can I help you.”

Rarity smiled and levitated a couple of papers and pencils over to a nearby table. “Take a seat please.” Sunset did as she said, and she continued explaining. “Twilight told me you were a skilled artist, so what I want you to do-” She put one of the papers in front of her along with a pencil. “-is to think about each of them, who they are, what they like, and make the design of their dress.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? I just spent a day with most of them.”

“You can start with Twilight, I’m sure that one will be easy,” Rarity encouraged her, and Sunset stared at the paper, seeking ideas.

“Well…” She picked up the pencil. “I doubt being covered in books is a form of fashion, but a magician’s style would fit her, something that resembles Star Swirl the Bearded, but more elegant I assume.” She started a rough outline of the dress, with Rarity looking right over her shoulder. “Speaking of the mage, he used to have stars and moons on his clothes, but I think just stars like her cutie mark would be enough, but I don’t know what color they would be.”

“I will take care of matching the colors. Anything else you want to add?” Rarity asked.

“No, I think this is fine for Twilight, she likes the simpler look. She’s not a pony that wants to gather too much attention.” She put the design away and picked up another paper. “Rainbow on the other hoof, would probably die if she wasn’t the center of attention, and with the Wonderbolts there she will want to look as awesome as possible.” She took a moment to think. “It needs to be easy to fly into, have a touch of the skies and something that tells it’s her.” Having an idea, she started making the outline and quickly filled some details.

“That looks very good,” Rarity praised as she wrote her words on a little notepad.

“It still lacks something. Something that signifies her achievements.” She paused to think. “I doubt she can just go wearing her necklace.”

Rarity smiled with confidence. “I could make it work.”

Sunset still looked unconvinced. “No, it has to be related to her flying skills.” She then had an idea and started sketching a couple of models in another paper.

Rarity looked curiously. “What’s that darling?”

“The best young flyer competition has a golden crown that is given to the victor, so I’m basing it of that.”

“But Rainbow hasn’t won one yet, and it’s still a couple of months until the next one starts.”

“And you think she won’t win it handily?” Sunset asked with a smile while finally adding the new ornament to the dress.

Rarity smiled and made another note and underlined it thee times. “How about Applejack next?”

Sunset got another paper and started thinking. “She’s… not one to wear dresses, she would probably attend it like she would attend farm work. It must have her hat; I’ve never seen her without it. Maybe giving her one that had more elegant details?”

“And what kind of details would those be?”

“I guess apples, and a more country kind of look instead of something formal.” She started drawing, not really convinced about the design, but Rarity wasn’t correcting her, so she assumed it was okay.

She presented the design to the fashionista, and she simply nodded and put it with the others. “Next up, what about Pinkie?”

Sunset bit the tip of the pencil for a moment. “Something colorful and with weird little details. She would probably like to dance in it, so a style like that could work. And for the details…” She started to make the design with some ideas, but half-way decided to let loose and improvise with a little bit of silliness like Pinkie used to do.

Rarity noticed this and added it to her notes with more underlines while Sunset finished. “Very well, the last one; Fluttershy.”

“You don’t want me to do yours?” Sunset asked, but the fashionista shook her head.

“I already have it prepared. Now, what do you think Fluttershy would wear to the gala?”

Sunset started to think. “I think something with a nature kind of aesthetic. She’s also not an attention seeker so something simple yet beautiful should be enough. Maybe some butterflies as decoration?” She started the design, putting extra effort, but it was clear this one wasn’t on par with the rest. “I don’t think I’m helping you much with this one.” Sunset put the drawing aside, and then an idea came to her mind.

“Don’t worry, it’s a first draft.” Rarity took the drawings while finishing the last of her notes. “Now, if you want me to-” She stopped when she noticed Sunset was drawing in another paper, but it wasn’t a dress, but a tiny suit with a red bowtie. “Is that for Spike?” she guessed.

“Yeah, it just popped into my head. He always tries to leave a good impression of himself, even if he doesn’t really know how he really looks,” Sunset responded looking at the finished drawing, a smile forming in her lips.

“Interesting.” Rarity quickly took more notes. “Do you have ideas for anypony else?”

Sunset took a moment to think before starting another drawing. “I know she would probably never put a hoof in a party like the gala but-” The design was similar to Twilight’s, but the dress was bulkier and of a dark color with purple pink moons instead of stars, and she added an elegant mask to conceal the thick glasses. “-I think Moon would like this.”

Rarity smiled as she added more notes. “That’s a beautiful dress darling. Who else can you think of?”

“Well… there’s Cadence and Shining.” ‘It could be a good wedding gift,’ she thought as she once again started drawing the design, Rarity observing and taking notes while giving the occasional encouragement to continue.

They spent a couple of hours like this, making designs for pretty much everypony Sunset had met, even Granny Smith and some of the castle staff.
“Okay, I think I’m spent for today,” Sunset said, finally letting go of the pencil.

Rarity looked at the pile of designs she had made. “You gave me a lot to consider making in the future.”

“Actually, can I practice tailoring with those? I would like to give them as gifts in the future.”

“Of course, darling. I see you have your own share of generosity.” Rarity added one las note to her pad and quickly hid it out of Sunset’s view.

“What’s your reason to go to the gala?” Sunset asked looking at the fashionista. “I think I can see you actually fitting in with the nobles at the gala.”

Rarity smiled with a little pride at her words. “Well, I’m expecting to meet the most handsome, eligible unicorn stallion in Canterlot.” Sunset watched her start to daydream on the spot. “Our eyes will meet. Our hearts will melt. Our courtship will be magnificent. He will ask for my hoof in marriage, and of course I would say-”

Sunset interrupted her. “Sorry to crush your dreams but Gilmore is not interested in mares.”

Rarity blinked twice. “Who? I’m talking about Prince Blueblood, Celestia’s nephew, I’m sure you’ve met him.”

“Oh yeah, I met him once. Once was too much.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Really? How so?”

“Well, one of the members of the nobility introduced me to him, and after eleven minutes of talking, I introduced him into a nearby wall.”

Rarity huffed. “Oh, it can’t be that terrible. I’m sure you just overreacted.”

“Trust me Rarity, there are far better choices if you want a partner. I can even introduce you to some and put some good words, but please stay away from Blueblood.”

Rarity noticed the almost begging tone in Sunset’s voice. “Darling, why did you say, ‘stay away’? Is he… dangerous?”

Sunset looked away for a moment, seemingly to find the correct words. “Not really, he’s more of a pampered idiot, but… you can’t tell this to anypony okay? Pinkie Promise?”

“I Cross My Heart, Hope to Fly, Stick a Cupcake in my Eye,” Rarity said seriously while doing the motions.

Sunset took another moment before speaking. “After making him eat marble wall, I was totally expecting Celestia to chastise me, but… she didn’t, in fact she seemed relieved that I did it.”

Rarity shook her head. “Relieved? Why would she feel that way?”

“I asked myself the same question. I tried asking her, but she completely dodged the question, so I asked if I should apologize and try friendship with him, and then…” Sunset paused. “Not a word to anypony.”

“I will promise again if I have to.”

“She told me, in the angriest voice I’ve ever heard from her or others including myself, and I quote; ‘Never apologize to the Blueblood’s. Never trust the Blueblood’s. They are not your friends, or any pony else’s.’”

Rarity’s eyes went wide, unsure if she heard her right. “But, aren’t they family?”

“He’s a very, very distant relative. About 52 times removed, which honestly makes me question if they are related at all. But I feel something happened a long time ago between Celestia and the Blueblood’s. But it’s pretty much a crown secret.”

Rarity was about to ask another question, but she was interrupted when a little filly entered the main door. “Oh, Sweetie Belle! Did you have fun with your friends?” she asked as her sister walked up to them.

“Yeah, we tried a lot of stuff today, but, uhm, who is she?” the filly asked pointing at Sunset.

“I’m Sunset Shimmer, nice to meet you.” She offered her hoof and Sweetie shook it, but didn’t respond, just looked at her in the yes, making the unicorn a little uncomfortable.

“Sweetie don’t forget your manners,” Rarity warned her, taking Sweetie Bell out of her thoughts.

“Sorry, it’s just a little bit of a shock meeting the fairy godmother in pony!” the filly exclaimed with enthusiasm.

‘I hope they don’t put that name in my tombstone,’ Sunset thought as she stood up. “Well, I would love to talk, but I think it’s already kind of late and I’m exhausted. We can continue tomorrow.”

Rarity nodded. “Very well, I will have some guidelines for your practice.”

“Thank you for everything,” Sunset said before quickly leaving the boutique, leaving two worried ponies behind.

I was already night when Sunset finally rested on her bed, but her thoughts kept her awake.
She was thinking about each day she had spent with Twilight’s friends, and how each of the elements had helped her in one way or another.
She had found Fun in Laughter. Truth in Honesty. Support in Loyalty. Forgiveness in Kindness. Inspiration in Generosity. Sisterhood in Magic. And Warmth in Spike.
Allowing herself to have fun and not fret over perfection. Being honest about her feelings with others. Asking for help in the one’s you can trust. Allowing others to forgive her so she could forgive herself. And using her care for others as a tool to be creative and give something back to them.
‘Could these lessons help me break that glass and form real friendships?’ she asked herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted when a scroll appeared in the air and fell on her nose.
She picked it up and opened it, noticing that it was from Celestia.

“Dear Sunset.

I’m sorry it took so long for me to respond, but I was finishing the last preparations for your return to your studies. I will go to Ponyville tomorrow so we can start right away, and we can talk about what Spike told you.
Of course, if you need more time with Twilight and her friends, we can postpone it a couple more days, but I would prefer if we could start as soon as possible.

PS: Cadence and Shining say hi to you and Twilight.”

“Well, I better get some sleep then.” Sunset put the scroll away, and then noticed a group of ponies watching her from the glass door to her balcony.
The intruders immediately tried to run away, but she casted a spell that made the glass in the door jump out of its frame and surround them like a box, trapping them with just a couple of small holes so they wouldn’t suffocate.
Sunset walked up to the intruders and lighted up her horn so she could see them. “What are you doing in my balcony?”

“Uhm… Cutie Mark Crusaders… window cleaners?”

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!: +15

Current morale: 45/100

Finally, we reached the last of the main six. I hope these little peaceful times aren't boring, and I will say the next couple of chapters will be interesting in a new way.

I will also say, if you haven't deduced it by now, that each chapter title is either something Sunset thinks or says during or at the end of the chapter. Keep it in mind for future chapters.

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 21: I’m So Tired

Sunset sat down in front of the three captured fillies. “Okay, first of all, what is your name?” she asked pointing at the small orange pegasus.

“I’m Scootaloo. These are Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. And we’re-”
“The Cutie Mark Crusaders!” the three exclaimed in unison.

Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay, now, why are you in my balcony?”

“We wanted to see if you were okay,” the pegasus responded.

Applebloom’s ears dropped a little before speaking. “Ah was really worried about you after yah left the farm, so ah told the rest of the crusaders about what happened.”

Sunset interrupted her. “Please tell me it’s just you three.”

“Yeah, just us.”

Sunset gave a sigh of relief. “Thank Celestia.”

Sweetie Belle continued the explanation. “When I saw you in my sister’s shop, I follow you to your house, and then called the rest of the crusaders to try and see if we could help.”

Sunset rubbed the bridge of her nose. “And why didn’t you simply ask me if I needed help?”

“Adults usually try to tell us as little as possible about their problems,” Scootaloo responded.

“Fair enough.” Sunset returned the glass to the door, freeing the crusaders. “Let me be honest then. I’m already getting help from your sisters and their friends, I assure you that my problems are getting the help they need, and I appreciate your intentions. And please, don’t break into pony’s homes.”

“Did we really break into your house?” Scootaloo asked. “We were just in the balcony; we didn’t break anything.”

“That’s not how breaking and entering works. Just don’t do that again and just knock on my door if you want to talk to me.” Sunset turned around to return to bed.

“Does ponies calling you ‘fairy godmother’ bother you?” Sweetie Belle asked, making Sunset groan.

‘I’m too tired for this.’ She turned around to face them once more. “It is a name that was put on to me without my specific consent. It’s not bad necessarily, but it does make me feel insecure about some things. That’s as much as I will tell you.”

The three fillies looked at each other. “We… can kind of relate to that,” Applebloom said, looking slightly at her flank.

Sunset raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly she was referring to. “Look, it’s already far past any of your bedtimes, and I’ve something to attend to tomorrow, so if you want to talk with me, we can do it another day. Do you have a Crusaders base where you hang out?”

“We have a clubhouse in the farm,” Applebloom responded.

“Very well, I will go visit you there and we can talk. Deal?”

“Deal!” the three fillies exclaimed.

Sunset smiled. “Good. Now, out of my house.” The crusaders turned around and went to the balcony railing where a rope had been hooked to it.
Sunset sighed, she was too tired. “Wait. Let me just, open the front door.”

Sunset ran through Ponyville in a hurry. She had overslept and missed the letter telling her of Celestia’s arrival to the town.
When she finally reached the outskirts, she could see Celestia waiting patiently for her, but she noticed something else.
Instead of the royal chariot, she had arrived in a dark red carriage with thick curtains that prevented seeing the interior, and even more worrying was that the guards pulling the carriage weren’t in the usual golden armor, but rather a light grey, heavy plated armor with a full helmet that covered their faces completely.
She approached them a little scared of what was about to happen and tried to smile for Celestia. “I see you decided to increase security.”

Her mentor smiled warmly, easing her nerves a little bit. “I know is a bit intimidating, you can blame Luna for that, but it’s just for us to have some privacy.”

Sunset approached the carriage, which opened on its own for her, revealing a comfy and elegant looking interior. “I think the ponies in Canterlot are going to be more suspicious when they see us coming in this thing.”

“We are not going to Canterlot,” Celestia clarified as they entered the carriage.

“Wait, where are we going then?” Sunset asked as the doors closed and they took off from the ground.

Celestia smiled. “It’s a surprise. Now, how about you tell me how everything has been doing with you and your friends.”

They had spent a few hours flying, enough time to put Celestia up to date with Sunset’s relations with the elements, excluding a few of the more intimate details.
“So, what are your plans now?” the monarch asked.

“Don’t have one yet. I figured whatever you had planned for our teachings. Can you please tell me what we are doing?” Sunset pleaded.

Celestia remained smiling but otherwise neutral. “You know, I remember an old anecdote with you.” Sunset groaned but listened anyway. “You were still a growing foal, and you loved throwing a little rubber ball around the castle with your magic.” Celestial saw a smile on her pupil’s face at the memory, which made her happy. “The moment that won’t ever leave my memory was of a winter night. You were playing with your rubber ball in my study while I looked over some paperwork. In one of your throws the ball bounced, and you didn’t manage to catch it, and when it flew over your head, it landed square in the fireplace we had to warm ourselves. I didn’t really mind for the lost toy since I could get a new one, but you suddenly jumped straight into the fire to recover it.”

“What?!” Sunset exclaimed, not remembering any of the tale she was telling.

“I immediately pulled you out of it, but it must have taken me at least five seconds to do it. You were crying, and I was about to cast a healing spell when I noticed that you weren’t injured. In fact, your coat wasn’t even singed. You were crying not because of pain, but for the burnt ball between your tiny hooves.”

“Wha… how?” Sunset asked confused.

“I guess you haven’t noticed it yet, but you’re completely immune to fire.” Celestia lighted up her horn and a small ball of flame appeared between them. “And that’s a trait that we both share.” She demonstrated it by putting her foreleg over and inside the flames, showing that it had no effect on her limb. “It comes from the nature of our magic given by our cutie marks.” She pointed at hers. “The sun.” She then pointed at Sunset’s. “And fire.”

Sunset tried to digest all the information. “Okay… that explains a few things. But why are you telling me this now?”

Suddenly, the carriage shook as it landed on uneven terrain. “We finally arrived.”

The door opened, and a cold breeze made Sunset’s body shiver. Celestia walked outside, and Sunset soon followed, finding herself in a cold, barren wasteland. “Where are we?” She asked as the carriage quickly lifted off, leaving them alone.

“This is where the Crystal Empire once stood before King Sombra banished it.” Celestial stood a few meters away from Sunset, facing away from her. ”I know you’re worried of losing control of your fiery nature again. To hurt others with the heat your body can produce.” Celestia took off all her golden items and teleported them away. “But as I showed you, it won’t be able to harm me.” She finally turned to face her. “So, in this wasteland, during the winter season, with me as the only pony that can be affected, I want to force your magic into an unstable state, so you can take back control and prevent it from hurting anypony you love.”

Sunset eyes went wide, and she struggled to find her words. “Are you crazy? I hurt a dragon with my magic. We can’t be sure it won’t hurt you.”

“I’m an alicorn, I’m far more durable than any other pony you can find.” Celestia walked up to her. “This is just one of the things I prepared for you. If you think this won’t help you, we can forget about it and use other methods. But Cadence told me that you would probably never feel secure around anypony if you feel like you’re going to lose control as soon as your emotions take over your better judgement.”

Sunset took a few seconds to think, breathing the cold air that was starting to hurt her throat. “If things go south, how will we stop me?”

“The spell I designed for this has a failsafe. If I chose to, it will block your magic for a few minutes. Enough for you to calm down or for me to restrain you.” Celestia put a hoof over Sunset’s shoulder. “But I know that you will succeed with time.”

For a full minute, the only noise heard was of the howling winds, and then Sunset begged her. “If I hurt you, even a little, please stop me.”

“I will,” Celestia promised.

Sunset closed her eyes. “Do it.”

The monarch lowered her horn, connecting it to Sunset’s, casted her spell, and the unicorn was engulfed in flames.

“Quite a risky move you’re doing Celestia,” Nightmare said as she watched the ‘training’. “I wonder how much of it is you trying to find a sort of punishment for your actions.”
She looked down at the barrier. “Aren’t you happy that I kept you away from Sunset? Now your anger won’t be wasted in this pointless endeavor.” There was no response, but Nightmare knew her sister could hear her. “I know what you’re thinking. Why don’t I free you and we kill Celestia together? Well let me educate you.” She went over to her host’s mind-projection, which was already writing a new piece of paper for the piles around it. She looked over her shoulder to the writing, and her theory proved true. Even in her unstable state, Sunset’s subconscious was learning how Celestia’s spell worked and how to counter it. “If we attack now, we may win, but there are many more obstacles that can defeat us. But with this seasoned and sharp mind working for us, we can use the time to become stronger than ever before!”
A mocking voice finally came from the other side of the barrier.

“You have been alone for too long,”

Sunset woke up in her bedroom in Canterlot castle. She groaned as she put together the events of her training with Celestia.
The theory of the monarch had proven true, her flames proved ineffective against her, and the cold landscape barely changed during her training. However, results were non-existent.
She couldn’t control the fire, and it had been even worse than in the mountain, but Celestia’s spell had proven effective at stopping it, and she had assured her that she could cast it if she lost control outside of training.
She got out of bed, feeling like she had just run an entire marathon, and instinctually went in search of coffee.
When she arrived at the kitchen, she found Princess Luna sitting there, with a fresh pot of coffee and a mug filled to the brim with the heavenly liquid.

“You’re finally awake,” the lunar princes said as she levitated the mug over to Sunset, who drank it with a smile. “We can start with our training now.”

“If it’s something physical, I’m going back to bed,” Sunset warned her.

“It will not. While our sister does a more direct method, we shall teach you through the old ways that taught us so long ago. It will only require your magic and a lot of concentration.”

Sunset’s response was levitating the pot of coffee over to herself and downing it in a few seconds. Feeling the caffeine rush that would probably kill a regular pony, Sunset smiled defiantly. “Very well, what do I have to do?”

Luna smiled. “Follow me.”

She took her to a room that had been soundproofed from the outside word, was painted completely white, and the only furniture was a white carpet and a white wooden cabinet.
“This room will allow you to concentrate without any interruptions or distractions.”

Sunset sat down on the carpet. “I’m guessing you weren’t exaggerating with a lot of concentration.”

“Indeed.” Luna opened one of the cabinets and pulled out three square pieces of wood with some weird engravings in them. They looked like some sort of cutie mark you would find on a zebra. “What I want you to do, is to concentrate your magic in the engravings until they glow with your aura. Don’t try to do them all at once, start from one corner and work your way to the other.”

She handed one to Sunset, and she started to concentrate on it. The process wasn’t too hard, so she suspected that there was a catch to it, and when she finally finished filling the engravings, the square cracked like a spiderweb from the center.
“I guess that was a failure?” Sunset asked, but Luna just handed her another square with different engravings. Sunset did the same, and when it finished, it cracked even worse than before, some pieces falling to the carpet.
Before she could ask, Luna handed her the last square, also different from the others, and when she finished filling it, it cracked into two pieces.

“Quite interesting.” Luna pulled another trio of squares and presented them to her in the same order. “These are magical runes that represent the three components that form a pony’s magical structure and capabilities. They aren’t meant to measure your power or your ability with spells, but rather how harmonious your alignment with them are.”
She showed her the first rune that Sunset filled. “This one represents the heart. This is what defines the nature of your magic, generally related to your most prominent emotion at the time of casting. These emotions are what makes the different kinds of magic.
Dark magic, like the ones wielded by powerful sorcerers like Sombra, are born from the feelings of hatred and fear. Nightmare Moon’s power was born from my jealousy. Harmony and friendship power the elements. And in your case, anger, is a quite destructive type of magic, but not necessarily evil like hatred, or as powerful as wrath.”

“And when the runes break, what does it mean?” Sunset asked trying to fully understand the implications of the test.

“It means that there is something in your heart that’s hindering your magic. This can mean a lot of things, and it’s nature can’t be tracked down, so your only choice is to try and reduce this hindering as much as possible.”

Sunset nodded. “So, I have to keep practicing until the runes don’t break.”

“I’m afraid it’s not that simple. As I said, if you can’t resolve the source of it, you can’t fully control it. And sometimes, when the damage to any of these is too great.” Luna charged the three runes simultaneously, and the three exploded into tiny pieces. “The damage may be irreparable.” Luna gave a long sigh. “It’s a very difficult process, reducing the crack by a centimeter is a huge show of progress. Celestia and even Stars Swirl the Bearded weren’t able to pass the test without any cracks in their runes.”

“Has anypony being able to do it?” Sunset asked out of curiosity.

“Cadence has, being helped by her nature with love. But is a thing that can change even with just having a bad experience of any kind.”

For the first time, Sunset felt like she had been presented with a challenge that she couldn’t beat. “What do the others mean?”

Luna pulled more squares from the cabinet. “The next one I gave you represents the body. This is what defines how much magic your body can hold, resist and draw from the world around you. It doesn’t necessarily mean that if you’re sick or old your magic suffers from it. In fact, this is the reason foals have magical bursts that may rival an experienced mage. Their bodies are unstable and may gather much more magic than they can hold, so it’s forced out in a random way. Star Swirl researched some of these bursts of magic and used them to discover new spells that were never tried before. Even if some weren’t too practical.”

“Like turning frogs into oranges?” Sunset asked with a smile.

“Exactly.” Luna showed her the last square. “This rune represents the mind. This is arguably the most important. It’s what rules your control over your magic and your spells. This is not only fueled by your knowledge, but also by your mental state.”

Sunset looked at her mind rune with worry. “And what does it mean that it split in half when I charged it?”

“It means that you’ve a conflict with yourself. We believe this is the result of your fear of your own magic. Two conflicting emotions will surely cause this.”

Sunset took a moment to breathe, trying to process all the information she had been given into a coherent plan of action. “So, this training is just so I can control myself more in case I snap? How does it affect me when I’m casting magic during normal circumstances?”

“We believe that these doesn’t affect each spell in the exact same way. But to be honest, as old as this test is, we are still unsure of all the information it gives us or its accuracy since it wasn’t created for this exact reason.”

Sunset rubbed her temples with her hooves. “I think I’m getting dizzy from all this talk.”

“Then we shall continue tomorrow.” Luna put the squares back in the cabinet. “We believe that between both of our trainings, and the help of Twilight and her friends, you will be able to fully control your magic, even if you were to die again and ‘snap’ as you put it.”

“Oh, yeah, we still have to figure that out,” Sunset said like if the words were made of lead.

Luna gave her a reassuring smile. “That will come later. For now, you may go back to sleep if you want to.”

The unicorn yawned. “I think I will, thank you for the lesson.”

Sunset walked out of the room, and Luna looked at her with worry. ‘That mare drank an entire pot of coffee not even an hour ago and she’s already tired. Does her magic consume so much of her energy? Why?’

“I bet you’re glad to be able to listen to this lesson instead of fighting the elements avenging Celestia,” Nightmare said to the barrier below her. “I wonder, do you also possess my host’s thirst for magical knowledge?”

“No.”

Nightmare was surprised at the response. “Really? What’s your interest then?” she asked with a smile.
A laugh came from the barrier.

“You’re too desperate for attention.”

Nightmare frowned. “And you’re too boring.”

“Bite me.”

“Later.”

With that, Nightmare returned to her studies of Sunset’s spells.

Author's Note

Sunset's morale went down: -10

Current morale: 35/100

It's 5 AM and I'm starving but the chapter must go out! Bring me the emergency coffee!

I hope you liked this lore heavy chapter, and there are still lessons to be told.

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 22: Just A Fake

A month had passed since they started this training, and Celestia was happy to see that Sunset was beginning to show a little bit of progress.
The radius of the burning heat had been reduced, and the usually flailing flames were now calmer around her. She still would burn everything around her, if there were anything to burn, but it was a start.
Luna told her that their own training had also showed slow but continuous progress, but she also mentioned something that had her worried.
Sunset seemed to be running low on energy after using her magic, drinking unhealthy amounts of coffee to keep up, which would be understandable considering the amount of effort she had to put on her training, but Sunset should be able to handle it.
She had been training her magic since she became her pupil and seemed to excel at it only second to Twilight due to her cutie mark.
She wondered if ‘Sunshine’ had something to do with it, but from what she could deduce of what Luna told her about Nightmare Moon, Sunset should be more powerful than before. Something that she feared greatly but had no other option if she wanted Sunset to heal.
Or as much as she could heal by herself.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the fire around Sunset turned violent once again and she noticed that she had collapsed on the ground.
She quickly casted her spell, blocking Sunset’s magic which extinguished the flames, allowing for the cold air and snow to take over their surroundings once more.
She ran towards her and checked if she was okay, and surprisingly she was still conscious.

“Can we have a coffee machine installed in the carriage?” the unicorn asked while getting on her back in the snow.

Celestia made a magical bubble appear around them that protected them from the cold and snow. “I will see to it for our next session,” she said with a smile.

Sunset closed her eyes, trying to get a little bit of rest. “Can I ask you something?”

Celestia tried to give her a bit more warmth with her wings. “Of course.”

“You said that our immunity to fire came from our cutie marks. What does it mean exactly? I always thought they just represented what you were good at, but apparently they can give you a power that represents it?”

Celestia got closer to her. “The full extent of what a cutie mark is and represents is more of a philosophical theory, but there are a few things that had been discovered with studies.
The most common type of cutie mark represents a job preference, or a skill a pony can do without much effort. But a less common type are the ones that represent a much broader type of talent. This is the case with Rainbow Dash, who’s cutie mark representing the broad concept of speed allows her to be naturally much faster than the regular pegasus, and she could probably reach even beyond that. That would be her ‘power’ as you put it.
Cadence is also a case of this. With her talent being simply ‘love’, she has access to a wide variety of spells that no other pony can do.”
Celestia looked at Sunset’s cutie mark. “And rarer types of cutie mark, are the ones like mine, Luna’s, Twilight’s or yours. The ones that represent something that already has a lot of power in the world. The sun, the night, magic, and in your case, fire.
These kind of cutie marks are the ones that give special skills that if well trained, can easily put a pony between the most powerful in Equestria.”

Sunset opened her eyes to look at her. “Is that why you chose me as your pupil?”

Celestia made herself a simple yet difficult question; Truth or lie?

Lie.

“Yes, I knew you had potential and hoped that my teachings would help you become a great mage.”

“It didn’t go too well, did it?” Sunset said with a bit of pain.

Truth or lie?

Truth.

“It certainly wasn’t what I hoped, but I still want you to be better and achieve your dreams.”

Those words got Sunset thinking. Could she still claim her dream of becoming an alicorn? To rule beside Celestia or even take her place? Did she really deserve it? “Can I ask you a question?”

Celestia noticed her unrest, and worried about the question. “Of course.”

Sunset tried to move away from her mentor, her voice heavy with guilt and shame. “You saw me entering the restricted section of the library, right?”

Celestia pulled her closer to her. “I did.”

Tears began to spill out of Sunset’s eyes. “I never got to tell you before…” She gave a heavy sob. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You trusted me and I threw it all away. It was stupid. I should’ve been patient. Maybe then…” Sunset closed her eyes, tears running down her face. “Maybe then you wouldn’t have needed to replace me.”

Truth or lie?

Lie.

“Sunset, I never wanted to replace you.”

Truth.

She hugged Sunset closer to her. “I was disappointed, but I ended up committing far worse mistakes than yours. I should’ve taught you the dangers of that temptation instead of just blocking you from it.”

Sunset still rejected the hug, not feeling like she deserved it. “But I did it again when Twilight became your student. I didn’t learn my lesson.”

Truth.

“You didn’t learn your lesson because I was a terrible teacher. But now I want to fix that. For you and for Twilight.” Celestia spoke in a soft voice. “You and me both made mistakes, born from our ignorance, pride, obliviousness, and impatience. But I want to leave that in the past and start anew. To nurture you like I should have done from the beginning.”
Sunset didn’t respond, her tears kept falling and she remained looking away from her.
Celestia understood what words she needed to hear. She lifted her up from the ground, holding her against her chest in a tight hug. “Sunset, it’s okay. I forgive you.”

Sunset finally returned the hug, tears still running down her face. “I do too.”

“Spells that no other pony can do she says,” Nightmare muttered as she examined the incomplete papers talking about Cadence’s spell to show the emotions and connections of ponies, filling some of the blanks to reconstruct the spell and learn how to cast it. It was proving difficult, but certainly possible. “But I am no pony.”

“What are you?”

“The same as you dear sister. The magical manifestation of a desire.” She glanced down at the barrier. “Do you want to know more about your nature? There are a lot of things I can teach you.”

“I will get answers on my own.”

Nightmare rolled her eyes. “I respect your pride, but you should’ve realized by now that you will need me to defeat Celestia.”

“I have everything I need already.”

Nightmare returned her attention to the floor. “Really? Because if I’m not mistaken, your fire magic is useless against her. But my magic will-”

“You’re a fool.”

Nightmare glared at the floor. “Excuse you?”

“Do you think Sunset is the only one with magical knowledge? The only ‘seasoned and sharp mind’ as you called it?”

The barrier around Nightmare turned red, and she could feel a huge strain being put on it. The paper she was writing in was suddenly pulled against it.

“Celestia’s immunity to fire is just magic. All magic can be countered. Dispelled. Modified. Learned.”

Bright red markings started to appear on the paper, completing the spell in just a couple of seconds.

“Unlike you, I didn’t waste my time of imprisonment waiting for the stars to align. My preparations have already been made; I will have no problem turning Celestia into ash.”

‘I may have been underestimating her.’ Nightmare took the paper from the barrier, studying the now completed spell. “Don’t get too overconfident. An alicorn is much more capable and powerful than any unicorn can ever be.”

“Tell that to King Sombra.”

Moon Dancer glanced off her book to look at Sunset. “You know, if the day we first met somepony had told me that you would cook dinner for me, I would’ve thought it was a cruel joke.”

An apron-wearing Sunset looked back at her. “How weird are the turns life takes, don’t you agree?”

“Completely. And I’m happy for you. You seem to be enjoying life a lot more now.” Sunset smiled and returned to her cooking, but after a few seconds she turned the stove off and put the half-prepared food aside.
Moon Dancer looked at her with a bit of worry. “Is something wrong?”

“We’re eating outside of this tower,” Sunset declared, throwing her apron away.

“W-what?” Moon Dancer stammered in surprise.

“Come on, you said you rarely go out, let’s go buy some food we can carry around and explore Canterlot. I’m sure we can find something interesting to do.” Sunset pulled the book away from Moon Dancer’s hooves.

“But… I…” The bookworm unicorn stammered.

“Come on, it will be fun, I promise,” Sunset pleaded, and with a heavy sigh, Moon Dancer finally accepted.

Sunset raised her hoof in celebration. “Yay, you won’t regret it!”

The two mares walked around Canterlot, a pizza box floating between them as they explored the city.

“Hey, I can see the school from here!” Sunset pointed out with her slice of pizza. “How was your time there?”

Moon Dancer looked at the ancient brick building with a bit of sadness. “It was… okay.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Why? Weren’t you one of the best in the class?”

“Yeah, but…” Moon Dancer trailed off, taking a bite of her pizza to extend the silence a bit more.

Sunset put her pizza back in the box and looked at her friend. “Hey, it’s okay. Remember what we talked about trust? You can tell me the truth.”

Moon Dancer thought about it for a moment before giving a heavy sigh. “Remember when you told me that you didn’t feel like you were learning anymore?” Sunset nodded. “Well, I feel the exact opposite. I keep reading book after book, learning about science, magic, history, economics, pottery, but I feel like it’s never enough, that I will be underprepared for when I need to put my studies to the test.” She looked at Sunset, her stress clear in her face. “I don’t think I can be like you and Twilight and just go out and succeed. You even tried it and di-” Moon Dancer put a hoof over her mouth immediately.

Sunset gave her a reassuring smile. “Maybe you should aim lower than ‘saving Equestria from eternal night’ and think about becoming a professor or something like that.”

Moon Dancer looked away a little embarrassed. “Yeah, it’s just… Twilight is kind of a role model for me.”

Sunset chuckled. “The copycat manestyle gives it away.” The yellow unicorn’s hoof was trying to hide her mane before she even thought about it. “Still, maybe you should choose one career and dedicate yourself to it instead of just trying to absorb all the knowledge of Equestria.”

Moon Dancer rolled her eyes and huffed. “Like if that’s stopping Twilight from doing it and save Equestria in her free time.”

“Well, she doesn’t do it alone. She has friends that help her.” She put a hoof over Moon Dancer’s shoulder. “And if I remember correctly, you have three friends from that school over there. They may not be the elements of harmony, but I’m sure they can help you look for a better future than an endless cycle of studies. And of course, you will have my full support on whatever you decide.”

Moon Dancer smiled. “Thanks Sunset, I really appreciate it.”

Sunset gave her a big smile and offered her another slice of pizza before they continued their walk.

Nightmare looked at her host’s mind-projection and tried casting Cadence’s spell.
The little avatar changed colors, and she saw a new string being pulled by an orange aura that tried to extend it over to Moon Dancer, but the string snapped halfway to her, and the aura dissipated.
Nightmare chuckled. “Isn’t it a little cruel to keep teasing her with success like that?” she asked sarcastically.

“It wasn’t me.”

Nightmare looked down, raising an eyebrow. “Who is it then?”

“She does it to herself.”

“And why exactly?”

“Who cares? She doesn’t deserve friends anyway.”

Nightmare smiled. “If that were true, why were you going to make a connection with her? And by request of Celestia no less.” There was a long pause, but Nightmare kept waiting for her to cave in and admit her mistake.

“It was my choice.”

Nightmare returned to her studies, trying to hide her frustration at the answer. “Soon you will realize that there is no choice for you to make. The end will always be the same.”

The unicorn’s aimless walk through Canterlot had led them to the dark alleys of the city, where the shadier type businesses took place.
Moon Dancer always wanted to explore this part of the city, but she knew she would be mugged or worse. However, now she had Celestia’s semi-immortal pupil at her side, so she had nothing to fear.
The reason as to why she wanted to explore this place was a rumor she had heard in the library, of a curio shop that supposedly contained all kinds of ‘questionable’ artifacts and ‘controversial’ knowledge.
When they eventually found said shop, she busted in and quickly started looking around, hoping to find a real book of necromancy.
While she did this, Sunset walked up to the shopkeeper, who looked at her through his small glasses with a smile.

“May I help you travelers?” the stallion asked in a typical I’m-selling-you-a-cursed-relic-merchant type of voice.

“We’re here just to browse your wears,” Sunset responded looking at what the shopkeeper had behind his desk.

“Creatures usually come here looking for something powerful or forbidden,” the stallion said, getting behind the counter.

Sunset was about to roll her eyes, not believing that actual dangerous artifacts would be sold under the nose of the royal guard, but she saw something that caught her attention. “What’s that?”

The shopkeeper looked at the article she was pointing at and smiled. “Ah, you have a keen eye. The Alicorn Amulet is one of the most mysterious and powerful of all the known magical charms.”

“I read about it,” Moon Dancer said while browsing a pile of books. “It’s a cursed item. It corrupts the mind of its user the more you use it. You would need to have a very strong willpower for it to not take control over you.”

“It is indeed. That’s why it’s just for show, I could never sell it to a pony easy to corrupt,” the shopkeeper said trying to sound like he was bearing a heavy burden.

“It must be just a fake. That thing wou- YES!” Moon Dancer screamed lifting an ominous looking book from the pile.

The shopkeeper instantly smiled and almost ran to her, exited for the possible sell. “I see that you found what you were looking for.”

Sunset stared at the amulet in its pedestal, and giving a quick glance to the distracted shopkeeper, she teleported it to herself.
‘This has to be a fake. How could something like this be right here? Although, it would probably be the last place the guard would look for.’
She lighted up her horn and casted an identifying spell on it.
‘If it really is the Alicorn Amulet, it should- ‘

“You’re right little sun. It’s nothing but a fake charm to fool less intelligent ponies. Now put it back. For now.”

Sunset immediately forgot about the voice talking to her, but she was now sure that the amulet was fake, so she returned it to the pedestal and went back with Moon Dancer, who was walking excitedly to the exit with her new book floating behind her.

Sunset had decided to do a sleepover in Moon Dancer’s tower, but even after they stayed awake until the late hours of the night, sleep avoided her once again.
She thought she would finally feel a connection with her unicorn ‘friend’, but it seemed like that glass wall was still holding her back.
“Maybe I should go back to Ponyville for a while, see what else I can learn. It has been two months since I left. I wonder what the girls have been up to, what kind of disaster has struck the town recently. I also would love to get some of Savoir’s coffee.” She then remembered something. “Oh right, the crusaders! I hope they aren’t still waiting.” She laughed nervously. “I should go see them first.”
She remained awake for another hour until she finally fell asleep, and once again, she slept without any dreams that the lunar princess could visit.

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!: +20

Current morale: 55/100

Sunset developed a new condition: Insomnia.

Although Moon Dancer’s curiosity for the occult in this story is just a little ongoing joke I made for fun, (But knowing my volatile inspiration it will probably turn into a mayor plot point in a few chapters) would you be interested in another story were Moon Dancer goes full necromancer (not necessarily the evil kind)?

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 23: I Hate Winter

Sunset was absently reading the newspaper while hearing the constant sounds that the train made on the tracks.
Celestia had insisted that she didn’t fly to Ponyville due to her exhausting training, which Sunset had insisted it didn’t affect her, but Cadence managed to convince her at the end.
Still, she felt the travel far more boring than flying, and wished to have something to do or somepony to talk to. On top of that, being in the middle of winter had her clad in a purple coat and beanie along with some brown wool boots and a red scarf, yet still felt an uncomfortable cold.
‘I can’t wait for the next summer. Why do we have winter anyway?’
Her adversity to the cold was reinforced once she finally arrived at Ponyville station, and a cold breeze welcomed her with its freezing touch.

“Hey Sunset!” a voice called out, and she saw Spike and Twilight, also wearing winter clothing, approaching her to give her the welcome back.
Sunset immediately grabbed Spike with her magic and hugged him for all the warmth his little body could give her. The tiny dragon didn’t mind one bit, hugging her back with the same feeling. Twilight smiled at the heartfelt moment between them and couldn’t help but join in too.
After a couple of minutes warming up, Sunset walked out of the station with Spike on her back while she and Twilight talked.

“So, how was your time in Canterlot? We were surprised when you suddenly disappeared one day.”

“Sorry about that, I was running late and didn’t expect that it would take me all day to finally send a letter. Things are going fine; Celestia and Luna have been training me to control my magic. I’ve been talking a lot with Cadence about, pretty much everything. And Shining took me to the training grounds to do a bit of sparring like when we were younger, saying that I needed to exercise my body a bit too.”

“And has it helped you?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Well, I now know how far away from me one has to be if I lose control. I feel more confident, and yeah, Shining was right about being ‘rusted in the joints’, but now I’m better.”

“And what about new spells? Do you have something awesome to show us?” Spike asked with enthusiasm.

“Actually, I haven’t been able to study new spells. Much of our time has been spent making sure my magic can be held in check. And honestly, I’m not sure what more I could learn in terms of magic. In fact, I’ve learned a lot with your friends and my family about things other than magic, and I feel like I should concentrate on them instead of just hoarding more spells.” Sunset continued walking through the fresh snow until she realized she had left Twilight behind, and when she turned around, she saw the unicorn with her jaw hanging low.

“You’re kidding right?” Twilight asked with a half-smile, making Sunset raise an eyebrow. “The Sunset Shimmer has learned enough about magic? Will I finally be able to surpass her and rub it in her-” Twilight was interrupted as a snowball twice her size buried her completely.

“Sorry, but no. The big sister must always be above the small,” Sunset declared with a smirk, walking away before being hit with a snowball right on the back of the neck. “You’re going to regret that,” she warned with a smile.

Twilight grinned while holding aloft a dozen snowballs in her magic. “Let’s see if your magic has also rusted.” A barrage of snowballs flew towards Sunset, but a spray of green flames melted them before they could make contact. “Spike! You traitor!”

Sunset smiled and casted a tiny curling black mustache on her little brother, which he immediately started twirling. “Sorry Twilight, but my side has been chosen.”

Twilight lifted more of the snow and threw it at her siblings, making some of them curve so Spike couldn’t melt them in one breath. Sunset moved to dodge the projectiles while gathering snow to form another big snowball that she threw directly at Twilight’s side.
The purple unicorn lifted a wall of snow to defend herself, but another snowball was already coming at her, so she was forced into defense, not having time to retaliate.
Sunset smiled at her cornered sibling, but she then heard something behind her, and when she turned around, she saw Pinkie’s party canon pointing straight at her chest.

“Snow war!” the pink pony shouted before firing a snow-cannonball that pushed Sunset back and made Spike fall from her back.

Twilight smiled with confidence, preparing another barrage of snowballs. “Now is two vs two.”

Sunset stood up and lifted Pinkie’s snowball with her magic. “Come at me then.”
Pinkie shot another cannonball to her left while Twilight’s barrage came from her right, so she blasted the cannonball with her magic while using her snowball to block Twilight’s attack.
With the snow that her weapon gathered, she split it into two and sent it against her opponents, forcing Twilight to block it with another wall, and Pinkie had to dodge it while moving her cannon away.
Pinkie fired again, and Twilight copied her idea and used her barrage of snow to make the cannonball bigger. Sunset caught the ball with her magic, but Twilight added her own to push her back, trying to pin her to the ground.
Spike finally got up and quickly used his flames against the snowball, but instead of melting, it disappeared in a familiar green smoke.
A looming shadow covered Pinkie as the massive snowball appeared above her before falling towards her with speed, but before it could crush her, a powerful flying kick sent it away from her.

“Welcome back Sunset,” Applejack said while adjusting her hat after falling back to the ground. “Mind if ah join in?”

Sunset smiled confidently. “If this continues, I might need to get serious.” She joked before lighting up her horn, and the snow around her was raised in the form of a snake that immediately launched itself towards Twilight.
Applejack quickly pulled out a rope and lassoed the snake, moving it away from Twilight with her strength while the purple unicorn blasted it into pieces.
Pinkie fired her cannon once more, forcing Sunset to block while her sister prepared another barrage. Spike mounted Sunset again and took some air before sending a large ball of fire in front of his opponents, melting the snow so they had less ammunition at hand. Twilight quickly put up a shield and her two teammates got closer as she made an attack plan.

By this time, a large crowd had gathered to observe the battle, with Rarity going around collecting bets and Fluttershy looking worried that somepony would get hurt.

Twilight finally lowered her shield and started a new, more intense barrage, doubling the number of snowballs to force Sunset and Spike to defend.
Pinkie pointed her cannon straight up and fired, only for the cannonball to be caught by Applejacks rope. The farm pony started to move in circles, making the compacted snow accelerate in the air with centrifugal force.
Twilight and Pinkie changed places, and now Sunset was being held back by powerful blasts of snow coming from the canon that instead of forming a heavy ball, sprayed dozens of small projectiles at them.
Meanwhile, Twilight used her magic to prevent the snowball that Applejack was gyrating to break and started adding more mass to it.
Seeing what they intended, Sunset sent another snow-snake towards Pinkie, making the pink pony jump aside, abandoning her canon to be swallowed by the snow.
Deciding it was now or never, Applejack threw the by now triple her size snowball towards Sunset at increased speed, making it impossible to block, dodge or melt.
However, a small blizzard picked it up, and the dangerous projectile was sent skyward.
All ponies and dragon looked up, finding Rainbow Dash looking at them with a cocky grin. “You thought you could have all the fun by yourselves?”

“Hey, that’s not fair, you should be in our team!” Applejack complained.

Rainbow shrugged. “Hey, with Pinkie out of the fight, it’s still three against three.”

“Wait what-” was the only thing Sunset got to say before she and Spike were buried under a heavy load of snow.

“I finally got to crush you!” Gilda exclaimed with a smile as she flew away.

Sunset lifted the snow out of her and looked at the griffon. “What are you doing here?”

Gilda cracked her neck. “Came to visit Rainbow and couldn’t pass the chance to get some revenge.”

The two teams lined up, looking at each other as a small pause was given to accommodate the newcomers. Bets were rising with the new inclusion of two great flyers with control over the weather, and Pinkie had quickly joined them, betting everything on Rainbow Dash.

“So, what’s the plan now egghead?” Gilda asked. “Sad to admit it, but pegasi can control the weather better than griffons.”

Twilight nodded, her mind busy forming a strategy. “We definitely need to keep her occupied so she doesn’t turn the entire terrain against us.”

“Leave her to me.” Applejack tensed her rope with determination. “Ah will keep her on the ground.”

“I already confronted Sunset once, she’s too fast for me to hit her even if I managed to get into close quarters.” Gilda took a step forward, sizing up her opponents. “I guess I will go for the dragon then.”

“Please go easy on him, he may be a dragon but his still a baby, and my little brother,” Twilight warned her.

Gilda nodded. “Don’t worry, I will just pin him down, the difficult part will be to dismount him from your friend.”

Twilight tried to read Sunset’s lips to guess what she was saying to her teammates, but she was getting distracted with her eyes. They seemed to be distant from the action, which could mean that she was overconfident about winning, or maybe she was still scared to go over the edge. Admittedly, things had been escalating quite a bit, but that had become normal after so many challenges between Rainbow and Applejack. However, maybe Sunset wasn’t fully aware of this.
Twilight considered calling the whole thing off, but if what Sunset needed was confidence in her control over her magic, that would only worsen it.
An idea crossed her head. All her friends had helped Sunset in their own way, giving a part of the element that they represent.
But she could give something that they couldn’t… a magical challenge.

Sunset raised an eyebrow as she watched her sister walking directly towards her. “Oh? You’re approaching me? Instead of hiding behind your teammates you’re coming right to me?”

Twilight smiled confidently. “I can’t make you get serious if I don’t.”

Sunset doubted for a moment, thinking about giving up before things got out of hand, but her old competitive instincts won over, and she smiled. “Very well, I accept the challenge.” She got Spike off her back and marched towards Twilight.
Both unicorns lighted their horns, and the townsfolk could see that Twilight’s magical aura was glowing with the same intensity as when she pacified the ursa minor, making them start to give more space just in case.
The snow around the sisters turned purple and cyan, slowly rising before forming hundreds of snowballs.
“200 bits on the librarian!” was shouted from the crowd, functioning as the unintentional starting whistle for the fight.
A huge barrage of snowballs was launched by both opponents, making them impact on each other trying to get one to slip past and land a hit.
A wall of snow was quickly formed by the spent ammunition, and two large balls of snow where launched from behind it towards Twilight.
The purple unicorn dove into the snow to dodge and quickly stood up, jerking her head upwards as her magic took hold of the white wall and sent it towards Sunset like a heavy blanket.
Sunset teleported right above it and sent four more snowballs against her sister, but Twilight also teleported away before making the wall move to trap her in a ball, forcing her to jump away from it.
As soon as her hoof touched the ground, Sunset span around and sent one of her snow serpents against Twilight which she blasted right away, so she kept sending more and more in different angles to keep her pinned down.
Suddenly, a rope got hold of her legs and made her fall, breaking her concentration.

“Don’t forget that we’re still in this!” Applejack shouted while Gilda throwed a heavy snowball at Sunset, but Spike’s fire intercepted it.

The dragon was now mounting on Rainbow Dash, holding a trash can lid as a shield and a
cardboard tube as a lance. “Then we will keep you out of it.”

Sunset teleported out of the ropes, leaving her teammates to deal with the other two opponents while her attention went back to her sister. “Do things always get this hectic in this town?”

“Pretty much.” Twilight’s face of confidence fell a little to show a more caring one. “I’ve missed you.”

Sunset smiled in the same way. “Yeah, me too. And I’ve got to admit, as chaotic as this place is, I think it’s starting to feel like home.”

Twilight shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I missed this side of you, the one I grew up with. Ever since Nightmare Moon, I felt like you slowly turned into a completely different pony. And even if some of it was for good, I don’t want you to lose this part of you; the one that could challenge the world without fear and win every time.”
‘Especially because of me.’ She added in her head. ‘You need to be confident. You need to be strong. I don’t want to lose you again, even if you can come back.’

Sunset was silent. With all the time she had spent with her friends, she didn’t know how Twilight was truly feeling about her. She knew she was worried. She knew she was willing to forgive her for hurting her. But there was something else.
Back in the mountain, Sunset had admitted, in the worst possible way, her secret to her. Vague as her threat was, Twilight was smart enough to put the pieces together about how she had been looking at her since they first met, but it didn’t seem like it was affecting her at all.
‘Why hasn’t she even brought it up? Is she hiding it like I did? Does she think that I was just delusional? Rainbow didn’t seem to know, but what about the others? Did Twilight tell them? Does she simply not care about it?’
A thought crossed her mind that made her heart feel hollow, pumping smoke instead of blood.
‘Is she just… pitying me? Trying to be the better mare? Setting an example of friendship?’

After a few long seconds of silence, Twilight started to get worried about Sunset’s reaction, but suddenly she lifted a large ball of snow, ready to attack.
Twilight prepared a heavy barrage of snowballs, and both unicorns launched their attacks at the same time. But Sunset’s snowball missed by a wide margin, and she also didn’t bother dodging the barrage, getting buried under it.
Twilight watched stunned at the pile of snow over her sister, hoping for some sort of trap or underhanded tactic, but she just laid there, unmoving.

“Looks like victory is ours!” Gilda shouted, holding Rainbow and Spike in her claws, who had been tied together by Applejack’s rope. Half the crowd cheered while the other half groaned at their lost bets.

With the victor decided, Sunset immediately stood up and walked away without saying anything, leaving Twilight with a heavy weight in her chest. ‘What did I do wrong? Did I say something bad? Was it not the right moment to talk? Did I just make things worse?!’
Twilight started hyperventilating, and her friends quickly ran to her to offer help, not noticing Sunset escaping from the crowd.

“Just when it was getting good,” Nightmare complained, laying on a bed made of the papers she had been reading. “Do you think she would’ve beaten her?” she asked to the barrier.
Her sister had been ignoring her since their last chat. The truth of her words apparently had crushed her pride, which intrigued her greatly.
The truth was that even herself, being over a thousand years old, didn’t know much about their nature. She knew a few things, but having another being like her to talk to had put various questions in her mind:
How was she resisting her reason to exist? Why was she willing to form a bond with her host if she hated her so much? Why was her magic linked to fire? Would she have the same form as her? How did growing under the barrier affect her? How many of these questions is she asking herself?
No response came from the barrier, making her growl in frustration.
She could be very useful, especially after demonstrating that she shares her host’s intelligence, but it was also quite dangerous since if she managed to free herself, she would undoubtably fight her. Is she more powerful than me? was another of her questions.
‘Maybe I should try a more ‘friendly’ approach. We share a hatred towards Celestia, but her rebellion against her nature is making it difficult to convince her to cooperate. I need to show her that there is no point in resisting it. We were created with an objective, and we need to complete it.’
“My offer for answers still stands,” she said, turning her head away form the barrier. “I’m sure you’ve many questions to ask. What do you lose by simply asking them? Even if I had a reason to lie to you, which I don’t, you can simply ignore what you don’t like.”
More silence, but it didn’t matter, Nightmare had spent a thousand years on the moon, she could be patient and wait until she cracked and talked.

“I have one.”

Nightmare smiled, maybe she didn’t need to. “Ask it then.”

“What is your ‘objective’, your ‘desire’, your ‘nature’, or whatever you want to call it?”

“It’s quite simple. Overthrow Celestia, claim vengeance for Luna’s mistreatment by sending her to the sun, and rule in her place with what’s left of my followers,” Nightmare responded like if she had practiced it for years.

“Vengeance for Luna you say. Wouldn’t she be the one to rule then? Wasn’t her desire to take the throne the thing that birthed you?”

Nightmare frowned with anger. “She lost that right when she decided to betray me. But I will not give up so easily. I will have Equestria in my hands, and she will regret choosing the wrong side.”

“So, your objective was to put Luna in power, but now it’s you who will take it.”

Nightmare looked suspiciously at the barrier. She could tell something was off in her sister’s tone of voice. “Yes. And if you help me do it, we can-” she suddenly stopped. Shew could feel her sister smiling on the other side.

“You changed your objective. You were forced to adapt against a problem. You made a choice.”

Nightmare growled menacingly. “It wasn’t a choice. There was no other option.”

“Maybe in the moon or behind this barrier there is no choice, but there are plenty of choices out there in Equestria.”

“Why are you so insistent on making choices? What do you want to choose? What else can you desire other than the destruction of the one that imprisoned you?” Nightmare asked, not being able to understand her sister’s way of thinking.

“I don’t want to be shackled to this barrier. This mind. This body. And certainly not your so-called natures and desires.”

This time, Nightmare was the one that silenced her sister with a smile. “I see. You desire freedom more than vengeance. That would certainly explain your flawed logic and false hopes. But I will assure you again; there is no choice that will change what you or I are. You should know pretty well that Celestia will destroy you if you ever got out to the world.”

“Then I will just burn her, and any creature that could threaten me.”

“Would you like some help with that? I will be in a similar situation one day, possibly the same day as you. We can fight together, and if we win, as long as I am queen, you can have all the freedom that you want.” Nightmare leaned back on her bed of paper, waiting for an answer that didn’t came, but the lack of refusal was enough for now. ‘It’s just a matter of time until she realizes how the real-world works.’

Author's Note

Sunset's morale went down: -10

Current morale: 45/100

I have to confess; this chapter was supposed to be about Sunset and the CMC. I spent a good while planning the start, but as soon as Sunset and Twilight started talking I got derailed so hard I had to move them to next chapter while some other things I wanted to touch upon in future chapters ended up showing up here. So, sorry about that, I hope you like it anyways.

PS: this is what I'm referring to when I say 'volatile inspiration'

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 24: We Need to Talk

Sunset walked quickly through the crowd, wanting to get away from everything. She needed to think. However, a hoof stopped her march soon after leaving everypony behind. Everypony except one familiar stallion.
“May I interrupt your escape for a moment?” Savoir Fare asked before pulling out a little thermos from his saddlebacks. Sunset was about to say no, but the waiter opened the container, and the scent of freshly made coffee made Sunset reconsider his offer.

“Okay, but not in the open,” she said taking the thermos.

“As you wish,” another voice said before the two ponies were lifted off the ground and dragged towards a nearby alleyway. “Don’t think you can just hide from eagle eyes so easy,” Gilda said before dropping them on the ground and landing in front of them, blocking the exit. “Now, mind telling me what was all that about? You did a complete one-eighty and left your friend looking like she was having a panic attack.”

“She’s her sister actually,” Savoir corrected.

Gilda looked at him with a frown. “And who are you?”

“I own the café in town and she’s one of my regulars. I just wanted to see if she was okay. And who would you be?

While the two finished introducing themselves, Sunset took a large sip of coffee to calm herself and think. ‘Remember truth Sunset.’ She downed the rest of the coffee and gave the thermos back to Savoir. “I won’t enter into details since is very personal, but I think my sister is hiding something from me.”

Savoir hummed. “For what I’ve heard and seen, she isn’t one for secrets and lies.”

“Yeah, and she sounded like she was trying to have one of those sappy friendship moments or something like that.” Gilda added. “What was your response to that part? That’s probably what left her gasping for air.”

Sunset flinched a bit after hearing that. ‘Way to go you idiot,’ she told herself.
“You’re right, but still, I know something is off. There is something she’s not telling me, and I think she’s doing it because it’s her responsibility as a representation of friendship.”

“May I ask a question?” Savoir asked in a complete neutral voice, and Sunset nodded. “Is that the worst possible reason she may have?”

Sunset looked at him with uncertainty. “Y-yes.”

“Then what could be the best reason for her to hide this thing between you two?”

“Yeah, why would your sister lie? Has she lied to you before?” Gilda added with more emphasis.

Sunset took a moment to think. ‘They’re right; Twilight is not a lying person, but this situation is not exactly normal so she may be acting out of the norm.’ She thought back to when she told Rainbow about it. The reaction had been quite unexpected, with her actually getting angry in her favor. ‘Did Twilight react the same? Is she also thinking everything was just unfair for me?’ Sunset then remembered her talk with Celestia about what had happened in the mountain. ‘I remember… Twilight said that I could take her place, that she didn’t want it. The she wanted me, as her sister.’

“You’re right.” Sunset finally responded. “She can’t be lying to me. Something is off here.”

“Like what? What exactly is she hiding?” Gilda asked with a little impatience. This discussion was getting too long for her liking.

“What if something happened between then and now that changed things?” Savoir asked calmly, showing more patience than the griffon.

“It was a long time ago. I don’t know what she has…” A thought crossed her mind, giving her a possibility that would explain everything. “I think I know what happened, I need to speak with somepony. Thanks for the help.”

Gilda shrugged. “I owed it to you.”

“Come by if you need more coffee,” Savoir said before walking away, soon followed by Gilda.

Sunset summoned a letter and quickly sent a message to Celestia. ‘We need to talk.’

“There she is!” A filly shouted, and Sunset turned around to see the crusaders running at her with labored breaths. “Where have you been?” Sweetie asked.

“Yeah, it’s been two months already!” Scootaloo added.

“Yah never came to the farm!”

Sunset held her hooves up. “Okay okay, sorry. Remember I told you I had something to attend the other day? Well, that involved going back to Canterlot and I didn’t have time to say goodbye or anything else. But I’m here now, so… do we go to your clubhouse?”

“Better than this shady alleyway,” Sweetie said looking around them.

“Okay, get close to me.” Sunset said as she lit her horn and teleported to Sweet Apple Acres along with them, making them very disoriented at the sudden change in space.

“Wow, that was a doozy.” Applebloom shook her head to clear her mind after experiencing teleportation for the first time. “The clubhouse is over here.”

Sunset quickly followed them to a treehouse hidden in one of the edges of the orchard, that while slightly ramshackle, it seemed to be recently built. “Did your sister build it for you?”

“It was hers before, but I repaired it so we could use it,” Applebloom said as they walked up the stairs, and Sunset admired her work.
‘How did she not get a cutie mark in carpentry?’ she wondered as they finally entered the clubhouse. The interior was kind of barren, but they seemed to have the basic necessities, which luckily included some cushions for them to sit down.
As they all took a seat, Sunset started. “Okay, so, what did you want to talk about?”

Applebloom quickly responded. “What happened the day you stayed for lunch? Why did you freak out when you drank a glass of water?”

“It’s something called Aquaphobia. It’s a fear of water, that’s why I freaked out, but Rainbow is helping me deal with it, so it doesn’t happen again.”

“Is it working?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking worried.

“Of course it’s working, it’s Rainbow Dash! She will surely cure Sunset.” Scootaloo exclaimed, and Sunset was happy seeing that her friends seemed to agree.

“It is working. Rainbow is truly an awesome pony,” Sunset said with a smile, and the little pegasus cheered. “Now, I have a question for you three.” The crusaders were surprised but didn’t object. “Why did you say that you could relate with a name that made you feel insecure?”

The three fillies looked at each other, seemingly a little dubious as to how to respond.
Applebloom managed to speak first. “It all started with two bullies that call us blank flanks.”

Sweetie continued. “They made Applebloom really insecure about not having a cutie mark, so she tried to get one all day before Diamond Tiara’s cute-ceañera.”

“But it didn’t work, and she kept teasing her until Sweetie and I defended her. And after that, we decided to create a secret society to find out who we are and what we're supposed to be!” Scootaloo exclaimed with her hooves up.

Sunset blinked twice. “Wait, you mean the daughter of Filthy and Spoiled Rich?”

“You know her?!” the three fillies asked in unison and disbelief.

“Not personally, I met Rich once when he visited Canterlot for some business. He seemed to be a decent fellow. Don’t know how he could raise a bully.”

“Well, she and Silver Spoon are quite nasty when they want to, and not only to us,” Applebloom said with clear contempt.

“Well, as a bully myself, I can tell you that you have two options; Ignore it until they leave your life for good or get bored, or the hard option, try and find what is their problem, or appeal to their feelings to reach an understanding.”

“You think that will work?” Scootaloo asked, not fully convinced.

“It worked for Gilda, and she is a griffon, so I’m pretty sure it can work for her too.”

“I guess we can try talking with her,” Applebloom said, also not really convinced but it was better than nothing.

Sunset smiled. “Just try it and tell me how it goes. I will help you if you-” there was a flash of golden light, and Sunset suddenly appeared in the middle of Celestia’s office.

“What did you want to talk about?” the monarch asked, sitting firmly behind her desk.

Celestia was sitting in her office, going over the usual boring bureaucracy that plagued her days.
Kingdom management was more urgent a few millennia ago, when the worries of the ponies were if they would be able to have just one famine that year instead of four, or what they would have to use instead of wood to keep warm during winter.
Now that things were far more peaceful and survival wasn’t on the line, the needs of the public became almost stupid sometimes. Celestia loved each and every one of her little ponies and would defend them with her life if anything threatened them, but living for so long had given her a different perspective on a lot of things. A perspective that worried her sometimes.
The return of Luna was the first warning sign of this. Due to her old way of thinking, she managed to notice a few problems on the way she had been handling things in the kingdom and was now helping her correct them.
After that night, Celestia realized what the stagnation of the rule was causing to Equestria. She couldn’t rule forever, nor her sister, they needed to prepare a way of succession.
Cadence would be the obvious option, but her rule would be with the Crystal Empire once it returned from its banishment, since it was her right, and managing both the Empire and Equestria would be too much for the young alicorn.
Twilight would be the next candidate, but she still had a lot to learn before even begin teaching her the responsibilities of a ruler.
Then there was Sunset, technically the one that first came up with the idea.
She obviously had the desire to rule, and the knowledge, power, and will to protect the kingdom. She had been learning about friendship, helped several ponies, seemed finally satisfied with her acquisition of magic, and her control over her power was getting better with time. She even managed to pass the little test she gave her with the Running of the Leaves, showing that she could manage the public, pass judgement, and teach others the correct way.
All the things that Celestia once worried about Sunset had drastically changed in just a few months. She could command, defend, and maybe even improve Equestria for the better.
But another, bigger problem, was Sunshine.
Her ‘paranoia’ as Luna put it, was now confirmed. An unknown evil like the one that claimed her sister was living inside her pupil, trapped and justifiably angry with her.
‘But that’s the key word; me,’ Celestia thought. ‘Destroying her would destroy Sunset too, but it looks like she can be reasoned with. She let go of her anger towards Sunset and made a bond with her. If that can be improved, if they can work together, Sunset would be the perfect candidate to rule, and the one that deserves it the most. The question is; how do I convince her?’

“Princess?” her secretary asked, approaching her desk. “A letter came today, it’s from Sunset.”

Celestia took the letter and quickly opened it; ‘We need to talk.’ Was all that it said. “Indeed we do.” She turned towards her secretary and her guards. “Leave now, and make sure nopony enters until I say so.” Her subjects quickly obeyed and once the last one left, she cast a scrying spell on Sunset to locate her and teleported her to her office. “What did you want to talk about?”

Author's Note

Sorry for the short chapter, but next one will make it worth it.
Also, the adventures with the CMC are not done yet.

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 25: Finally Free

“You could at least wait for me to finish talking!” Sunset shouted as she stood up from the ground.

“You sent me an ominous four-word letter, I guessed it was urgent,” Celestia responded, easing her posture a little. “I will be more careful next time.”

Sunset sighed her annoyance away. “Doesn’t matter. I’ve a question, and I want you to answer with the truth,” she demanded, pointing a hoof at her. “Did you erase Twilight’s memories of the mountain incident?”

Truth, or lie?

Truth.

Celestia lowered her head. “I did. Of her and all her friends. We promised each other; ‘Not a word of this to Twilight’. With everything going on at the time, I thought it would be better this way, and you seem like you also didn’t remember, so I didn’t tell you anything. I can give her memories back, or you can tell her yourself in a better way.”

Sunset remained in silence for a few moments, thinking, filling the room with a silence that was putting Celestia’s nerves on edge. “Have you erased my memories before?”

Lie.

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out of it.

Lie.

She remained without words, and Sunset grew impatient. “Answer me!” she shouted.

Lie!

Truth.

“I have, once,” she finally admitted, closing her eyes.

“Why? What did you erase?” Sunset asked, her anger rising.

Lie! Lie! Lie!

Truth.

“The mountain incident. That wasn’t the first time your fire got out of control.” She looked at Sunset’s eyes. “You’re still recovering from the mountain after almost three months, and the first time happened when you were still a foal. It would’ve destroyed you if I didn’t erase it.”

Sunset was shaking, tears running down her face. “Who did I hurt that time?”

Celestia stood up, her own tears staring to flow from her eyes. “Sunset, you’ve lived all your life without knowing. You can live the rest of your life without that memory. Would it really help you to relive all that pain?”

Sunset lifted her head to look at her, showing the anger and sadness in her eyes. “It wasn’t your choice to make.”

Celestia walked up to her. “It was. That’s the responsibility any parent has with their children; Choosing what’s better for them.” Celestia sat in front of her. “I will give your memories back if you ask me. I really don’t want to, but you’re an adult now, you can make that choice.”

Sunset didn’t respond, she kept silence for seconds that felt like years to Celestia. Finally, she took deep breaths, and the temperature in the room lowered drastically. “Do you still think of me as a monster?”

Celestia allowed herself a little, comforting smile. “These months have showed me that you’re the complete opposite of that. You-”

“Take me to the Empire,” Sunset ordered.

“Why?” Celestia asked confused.

“Now!” She shouted to her, and Celestia could see a dangerous wrath in her eyes.

Fearing that the seal had been broken, and Sunshine had taken over her body, Celestia quickly casted the spell, sending them to the winter wasteland where the empire once stood.
Sunset walked away from her, her hooves melting the snow around them, and before her mentor could ask what she was doing, she screamed with all her might, a roar that would send a manticore running for its life. Red flames erupted from her body, fiercer than ever before, almost reaching the skies above her and making the indomitable winter retreat to the far corners of the empire.
Celestia quickly felt her jewelry melt on her body, pooling between her hooves. She looked in fear as the fire around Sunset condensed into a small area around her, and when she turned around, she had transformed into something far worse than what they saw in the mirror.
It was reminiscent of the half thestral form she had taken when she faced Nightmare Moon, but this one had a deep red coat, her wings where completely bat-like and black, her hair flowed straight up, looking like the flames that surrounded her, and her eyes showed a deep, volatile hatred.
She slowly started advancing towards her mentor, turning even the floor she walked on into molten rock.
Celestia could only look in terror at her pupil’s transformation, and it only increased when she noticed that the hairs in her coat had started to singe at the intense heat coming from her flames.
‘She’s going to kill me.’
Sunset continued advancing, her flames only getting fiercer with every step.
‘No, she won’t.’ Celestia stood up, and her own golden flames covered her body, burning with equal if not more intensity than Sunset’s.
She walked towards her pupil with determination, knowing that this would possibly be the end of everything.
Sunset only seemed to get angrier, her flames rising in intensity, trying to overpower the ones of her mentor.
Celestia could cast her spell and cancel Sunset’s magic, leaving her vulnerable. She could increase her flames to be like the sun itself, overpowering her. She could summon her Praetorian Armor and become immune to any damage she could possibly deal to her. She could summon her axe and end things with a quick swing or a blast of concentrated magic.
But when both ponies finally stood in front of each other, Celestia kneeled, and hugged her pupil. “You’re not a monster Sunset. You will never be a monster.”
Sunset increased the intensity of her flames, but Celestia didn’t back down, she just hugged her tightly, and even lowered her flames, letting the heat singe her coat, but it never got to burn her flesh.
Sunset’s flames died immediately, and she slowly turned back to her normal self.
Celestia pulled back from the hug and looked at her pupil expectantly, noticing that there were no more tears in her face.
Sunset took a few deep breaths and smiled. “I don’t envy Twilight anymore. She can live without the memories that you took.” She looked at her, showing no anger or sadness in her eyes. “And I can do the same.” She pushed her hoof against Celestia’s chest with a little force. “But, don’t do it ever again, or I swear to your name, I will hurt you.”

Celestia smiled despite the threat. “I don’t have any reason to do it anymore. I’m really proud of you. My brightest pupil.”

Sunset chuckled. “Don’t let Twilight hear you say that.”

Celestia put her hooves on her pupil’s shoulder. “I have plans for you Sunset. For things that I’m sure that you’re now ready for.”

Sunset lifted a hoof to stop her. “Can you first send me back to the crusaders clubhouse? I owe them two month’s waiting for me to return to Ponyville so we could talk.”

Celestia laughed a little embarrassed. “Right, again, sorry about that. But please don’t send me more cryptic letters.”

“Deal.”

Celestia lit her horn and teleported her back to the clubhouse in an instant.
She then took a deep breath and sighed in relief. ‘She’s finally free. She finally regained control.’ She looked at the sky, in the direction of Ponyville, tears cornering her eyes. “I can finally give you the future that you deserve.”
Her victory was interrupted as a loud rumble shook her hooves, almost making her fall. “What is happening?” She looked around and noticed that the eternal winter had not returned to freeze the area once more.
The ground cracked below her, and she quickly took flight, ascending to get a bird’s-eye view of the area, noticing that the entire ground where the Crystal Empire used to stand was being covered in thin and long fissures.
She was about to teleport to safety when the tremors started to subside, and the cold winter returned, filling the cracks in the ground with ice and snow.
Celestia descended again, looking at her surroundings with worry. “The Crystal Empire may return sooner than expected.”

“How?!” Nightmare screamed as she bashed the barrier with all her strength, not making even a dent on it. “How did Sunset gained such power with you still locked behind this thing?! Why can she transform at will?! Why is Celestia still alive?! What are you hiding from me?!”
A laugh came with the response.

“I did nothing. That was all Sunset.”

“Are you expecting me to believe that all that fire wasn’t coming from you?!” Nightmare asked as she tried unsuccessfully to pry open the barrier.

“Yes. All that was just her half.”

“Half?! What do you mean half?!” Nightmare asked, not believing nor understanding any of her words.

“Tell me. You call me your ‘sister’ because you and I were created by Celestia’s choices, right?”

Nightmare calmed herself, trying to get what she was saying. “Yes.”

“Then technically, Sunset is also your sister.”

The CMC were very confused. Just a couple of minutes ago Sunset had suddenly banished from thin air mid-sentence, leaving them alone in the clubhouse with various questions.

“Maybe she had important fairy godmother stuff to do?” Applebloom suggested while Scootaloo poked the air where Sunset had been sitting, checking if she had somehow turned invisible. “Still, she could at least say-”

Sunset suddenly appeared right in front of them with a big smile. “Hey kids! Want to see a cool trick?!”

Author's Note

Harmony Will Remember This

Sunset's morale maxed out!

Current morale: 100/100

Sunset leveled up!

Sunset's gained a new skill: Pyromancy mastery

Okay, sorry for the short chapter, have another one.

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 26: Did I have a…?

Twilight and her friends ran through the snow towards Sweet Apple Acres in haste, having been alerted that a red dragon had been sighted nearby.

“Yah think it’s the dragon Sunset hurt?” Applejack asked, worried about her farm and especially her family.

“I don’t think so, he was pretty shocked by that. I don’t believe he would come back for revenge,” Fluttershy responded, flying as fast as she could to keep up.

“Well, if he’s here to cause trouble then we will kick his ass,” Rainbow declared. Fortunately, she had learned from the previous encounter that rushing in without backup was not a good idea.

Twilight, for her part, still had her mind on Sunset.

Why did she just leave? Was she offended by what I said? Does she not want to be the pony she was before? Maybe she just wants a peaceful life.

Twilight closed her eyes tightly and cursed to herself. Of course she does! She even told me she wanted to learn about things other than magic. Why did I-

Her thoughts were interrupted when they finally saw what the ponies had been frightened by. A long, serpentine dragon made of red flames was soaring through the air, flying in elaborate patterns and doing some impressive maneuvers that Rainbow instantly wanted to try.

Close to it, the CMCs were sitting in the snow, admiring the spectacle with starry eyes, with their jaws falling to the ground.

But the thing that caught the attention of the six mares the most, especially for Twilight, was Sunset.

She was right below the dragon, not wearing her winter clothes, her horn alight with her cyan aura. And she was dancing.

She was moving through the snow with her eyes closed, jumping and spinning and moving her head, and the dragon above her copied each of her movements, forming a spectacle that left the six mares as awestruck as the three little fillies.

They gasped in fright when Sunset turned towards the CMCs, and the dragon charged straight at them! But before any of them could react, the dragon dissolved into thousands of little birds that flew above the three fillies before disappearing.

Sunset took a bow, and the three fillies applauded her with great enthusiasm.

“That. Was. Awesome!” Rainbow exclaimed, quickly flying towards the unicorn.

The rest of the mares followed, but Twilight stayed in the back, thinking.

What happened? She was afraid of losing control just an hour ago, but now… she looks like the old Sunset.

Twilight looked at the three fillies that were shouting suggestions for new tricks Sunset could try. Did they give her confidence back?

“How about you try and breathe fire?” Spike suggested from her back, snapping Twilight back to reality.

“I can try. Maybe you can give me some tips?” Sunset asked with a smile, and the dragon immediately jumped off and ran to her side.

“Okay, first step, deep breaths. The more air in your lungs, the more fire you can spit out.”

Sunset nodded and took a big lungful of air.

“Now, you have to heat it inside your body using your magic until all that air transforms into fire. You may even use the magic to add a spell to it, like I do to send letters. After that, just blow like you were playing a horn.”

Sunset held her breath for a few seconds until two lines of smoke started coming out of her nostrils. She carefully leaned forward, releasing a torrent of flames that reached a couple meters before dissipating. However, some escaped though her nose, making her sneeze and choke on the fire a little.

“Hahahaha not bad for a first try,” Spike praised, and everypony applauded the feat, except for Twilight, who was still trying to process the sudden change.

Sunset noticed her conflicted state, and quickly teleported herself over to her. Before the unicorn could say a single word, she gave her a big hug. “Sorry about leaving so suddenly. What you said gave me a lot to think about.”

Twilight awkwardly returned the hug, her mind still confused. “No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed you like that.”

Sunset pulled back to look at her in the eyes. “Trust me Twilight, I needed it. And you were right, I shouldn’t stop being the pony that challenged the world. I want to help you defend Equestria from whatever danger may threaten it. I want to protect the ones I love. I want to be a hero. Somepony with great importance. And I can’t do that if I keep cowering and holding back.”

Twilight’s mind finally calmed, and she smiled. “You’re already a hero to me.”

“Yeah, the hero of the entire town!” Rainbow agreed.

The CMCs looked at each other before Sweetie asked a little nervously: “Like... the fairy godmother of friendship?”

Sunset gave a confident smile, eyes full of determination. “I don’t think I’m at that level yet, but I assure you, that will change soon.”

Twilight hugged her sister this time, unable to contain her happiness. “Welcome back Sunset.”

Celestia had just finished briefing Cadence and Shining Armor on the status of The Crystal Empire and was currently putting on her spare regalia to replace the ones Sunset had melted.

As expected, both ponies were quite shocked at the news, and for various reasons.

“So now we don’t have any idea when it will happen? Or at least an approximation?” Cadence asked with her ears pulled back.
They had a clear idea of when the empire would return. They were supposed to have more than a full year to prepare, and the advantage of being able to be there when it came back. But now, they would be taken completely by surprise. And who knew if Sombra would return before or after the rest of the empire.

“Sadly no. Luna is currently there with a team of mages assessing the damage. We hope they can give us a good guess, but that’s unlikely.” Celestia finally put her crown on her head, recovering her noble look. “You two will have to be ready to go at a moment’s notice.”

“I still can’t believe Sunset could do something like this,” Shining exclaimed. He hadn’t been able to look up from the table since Celestia told him what happened.

“I also wasn’t expecting this. I chose the empire grounds because The Winter Curse was the perfect counter to Sunset’s magic, but it seems the prolonged exposure to it ended up disrupting the curse.” Celestia sighed, feeling tired of her wrong decisions. “Luckily, Sunset doesn’t need more training, so the situation won’t get worse.”

“About that.” Shinning finally managed to lift his head. “How is she? What changed?”

Celestia smiled to give him some comfort. “She’s back to her old confident self. Luna will continue her training for the time being, but I don’t think she will have any problems from now on.” She then looked at Cadence with a more serious look. “What do you think? Were you expecting a change in her emotions?”

Cadence took a moment to think. “She had managed to make peace with many of the events of the mountain with the help of Twilight’s friends, but there were two things that she still had to resolve. One was the disconnection with friendship, and the other one… she said she told Twilight a horrible thing, but never told me what it was.”

Celestia tried to remain calm for them. “Well, that last one has been fixed, but I would prefer that you kept it between us. Let Sunset be the one to tell Twilight if she wants to.”

Cadence wasn’t sure she agreed with that, not being a big fan of secrecy, but she was right in that it was Sunset’s decision. “Very well. I hope I can get her to open up about it the next time we talk.”

“I believe she will stay in Ponyville for the rest of winter, so you will have to wait.” Celestia took a moment to look closely at the two before asking. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

“How old is she?” Shining suddenly asked, taking both alicorns by surprise.

“You don’t know?” Cadence asked.

“You do?” was Shining’s counter.

Cadence frowned in thought. “I… I also don’t know. I don’t think I even know when her birthday is.”

“it’s the day of the Summer Sun Celebration,” Celestia responded a little confused before turning towards Shining. “And she’s two years older than you.”

“Oh, she will make her little brother suffer,” Cadence said teasingly to Shining, who couldn’t help but chuckle.

The unicorn rolled his eyes. “Oh, I know.”

“May I ask the why do you ask?” Celestia inquired, trying to sound casual. “It’s not a secret that she’s older than you. And she was almost an adult when you started babysitting Twilight,” she added looking at Cadence.

Cadence looked at Shining. “I guess since she never celebrated her birthday, we just lost track of it,” she said a little confused, and with a hint of embarrassment.

“I asked because it seems like like even she doesn’t know. I also assumed it was because of the lack of birthdays, but as you said, she should know for sure if she’s older than me or not,” Shining explained, and Celestia went deep into tought, trying to figure out what was happening while keeping a neutral expression.

“I see, I will look into it once she returns to Canterlot. For now, we should let her enjoy her new freedom.”

She made a signal for the guards to open the doors of the meeting room. “This should be all for now. I will call you when Luna sends me a report of the empire’s status.”

Both ponies nodded and quickly left the room, leaving Celestia to wonder what other side-effects her spell could have created on Sunset.

Shining Armor walked through the castle halls, deep in thought.

The Crystal Empire returning, Sunset being able to disturb an ancient curse, the Royal Guard losing funds, the delays in the payments to his troops causing loss of morale. Problems seemed to just continue to pile up in front of him, and he barely could do anything to solve them.

A thousand years of peace had made the Equestrian military look like a waste of investment to the ministry of economy, and he couldn’t exactly blame them. He had even admitted to Sunset that his soldiers hardly had anything to do other than stand guard. And even if something happened, most of their equipment was in desparate need of maintenance. On top of that, each year they had less and less recruits, most ponies preferring other jobs that didn’t look like a boring dead end.

And sadly, he also saw it as a dead end.

He liked his job, it was his greatest achievement and he always wanted to protect others. But it didn’t feel like he was getting much done with an underpaid, underprepared army of bored ponies that probably would’ve preferred to have any other job rather than this one.

He felt trapped, and were it not for Sunset and Cadence, he would feel alone too. He then thought back to what Sunset had told him: “Until your mother and/or Cadence get impatient and drag you to an altar by force?”

“Maybe she was right. With The Empire returning, I may not have much time to wait for the perfect moment to ask her.”

“Captain sir!” a voice called out behind him, and when he turned around, he found one of his lieutenants standing firm with a pile of letters held in his magic. “I bring you this morning’s reports, among other things needing your attention.”

“Phalanx. Good to see you.” He quickly took the letters and started looking over them. “Any good news?”

“Define good sir,” the soldier responded, standing firm.

Shining sighed. “Thought as much" He looked at his stiff pose. “You can relax.”

Phalanx remained at attention, as he always did. “Honestly, there’s too much relaxing going on in the guard,” he said.

“I can’t blame them.” Shinning threw away a letter telling him to stop asking for more funding for his troops. “How are the soldiers doing? How many are planning to leave as soon as they can?”

“Two hundred and thirty-eight sir.”

Shining frowned at the number. It had never been this high. “Are you one of them?”

“No sir.”

Shining sighed. “I feel like we will be the only two left in the guard one day.”

“Us and the Lunar Guard.”

Oh yeah, them. “Are the soldiers still skeptical about the thestrals returning to service?”

Phalanx stoicism fell a little as he responded. “How could they not? They were traitors. And all those horror stories old veterans told about them turned out to be true.”

“Luna already said those tales are an exaggeration,” Shining said with visible frustration at his soldier’s paranoia.

The Lunar Guard would be a blessing were it not for their infamy and the distrust coming from both parties. They were fiercely loyal to Luna even after she was cleansed from Nightmare Moon. They had regained their numbers and strength after a thousand years of imprisonment. Equeatria was lucky Nightmare Moon had been stopped before she could free them, or it would have fought a losing war.

“Of course she did,” he almost spat the words, his opinion's of the reformation of Luna made clear.

Shining’s patience ran out. “Do you have anything else to report?”

“No sir.”

“You may leave then.”

After a few more magical performances, the three happy fillies were taken back to their homes by their families. The rest of the ponies returned to the town to calm the townsfolk about the supposed dragon, so Sunset took the chance to move Rainbow aside and talk to her in private.

“Hey, I need another promise.”

“Sure, what is it?” Rainbow responded in a low voice.

Sunset whispered back. “I… kind of made my peace with Twilight replacing me, but I still need you to keep the secret.”

The pegasus couldn’t help but smile. “That’s great! Are you and Celestia okay then?”

Sunset scrunched up her nose. “Not entirely. I don’t think we can have our old relationship back, which is actually good since it wasn’t healthy to begin with, but we are definitely in better terms now.”

“Well, I’m really happy to hear that. You should get Pinkie to throw you a party!” she said excitedly, but then backed down. “Uhm, obviously don’t tell her why. She doesn’t really need much of a reason to throw a party most of the time.”

Sunset considered the idea. She certainly had fun during Pipsqueak’s party, and she honestly couldn’t remember if she ever had a party for herself before.

Did I have a…? Her mind seemed to drift off as she asked herself the question, and soon even forgot what it was.

“You know what, I think Pinkie has denied herself a party for too long,” she finally said with a smile.

“Great! Let’s give her the good news!” Rainbow exclaimed before they resumed walking towards the town.

When night finally arrived, and the Royal Guard was replaced by the recently instituted Lunar Guard, Phalanx took his leave and returned to the barracks, where he reunited with three of his friends.

“Do you have today’s reports?” he asked, and the two unicorns gave him three sealed letters before going to their beds.

Phalanx got out of the barracks and started walking towards Shining’s office, but as soon as he was alone, he changed course and entered the storage room where they kept the spare equipment for the troops.

The room was rarely visited due to it being almost empty, and what remained in there was probably in worse condition than what they were currently using.

After locking the door and quickly soundproofing it with a spell, Phalanx pulled out a beetle-looking devise that opened its wings to let out a ray of magic that formed a small circle in the air.

And inside this circle, and image of the changeling queen appeared.

“What do you have to report Pharynx?” Chrysalis asked, a bit annoyed. He wasn’t supposed to report until the end of the week.

“Things are changing my queen. The Crystal Empire is going to return sooner than expected. Cadence and Shining Armor are rushing their duties so they can be ready to leave when it happens.”

The news angered Chrysalis. “How did this happen?”

“Celestia’s pupil: Sunset Shimmer. The other spies reported that she was the one to disrupt the curse during one of her outbursts.”

“That damned brat. I knew she would be a problem. She should’ve died along with Nightmare Moon. Maybe even taken Luna down with her.” Chrysalis took a moment to calm herself and think.

“Is the number of the Royal Guard still declining?”

“Yes. Thorax is convincing more and more soldiers to leave the army, and they can barely maintain their equipment, even the ones we haven’t sabotaged already. But we still have the problem of the Lunar Guard.”

“They will be weaker during the day. We can surprise and overwhelm them at that time. Anything else to report?”

Pharynx thought back to what he overhead before he talked to Shining Armor. “I believe Shining Armor will propose to the Princess of Love soon.”

Chrysalis remained in silence for a long time, making Pharynx grow nervous, until she finally spoke; “Make preparations for my arrival to Canterlot by the end of winter.”

Nightmare had finally managed to calm herself enough to think.

She thought she was in control, that her sis- no, that Sunshine would give in and join her, but now she wasn’t even sure they were the same anymore.

She was born from Celestia’s neglect of Luna, but Sunshine seemed to be born out of some sort of memory Celestia was hiding, so she had no idea what that could imply.

‘Maybe if I see that memory, I can get an idea of what I’m dealing with.

She growled. Easier said than done; this place works around my host’s mind-projection, I can’t explore it freely without its consent, and I can only see what she can think, so a forgotten memory would be impossible to reach. However, if Celestia said that she could ‘give them back’, that means they weren’t destroyed. They are here somewhere. I just need to make Sunset think about them.’

Nightmare put her hands together, concentrating on the magic she had managed to gather up until now and making it course through Sunset’s body.

‘I will need to be able to act when the opportunity arrives.’

Author's Note

Sunset’s condition worsened: Nightmarish essence (severe)

New malady gained: Spell hijacking.
(“Be careful with your casting, others may use it for their own needs.”)

Okay, the canon timeline of the show is officially fucked. Who knew actions had consequences?

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 27: Beautiful

Sunset stirred awake in her bed and stretched her limbs a little, feeling her muscles wake up, allowing her to move. Looking outside the window, she saw the despicable winter waiting patiently for her to get out of her warm home to torture her with its icy touch.
But despite that, she smiled.
Winter Wrap Up would begin in just a week, and this damned season would finally end.

She got out of bed and quickly went to make herself some pancakes for breakfast while thinking about all she had done during the month in Ponyville.

Pinkie Pie almost passed out from excitement when she told her she wanted a party, and she gave her seven: A “Welcome to Ponyville!” party, a “Sorry for making you mad” party, a “Thank you for the second chance” party, a “Happy new sister!” party, a “Congratulations for conquering your fears” party, a “Compensation for the waiting for so long to have a party” party, and a “Party just to party” party.

And she wasn’t done yet, she was already planning parties for the next several years, and Sunset was smart enough to not ask what exactly she would be celebrating in those apparently random days.

Once the pancakes were done, she made some coffee and sat down to eat, her mind still going over the events of the month.

Granny Smith had invited her over for lunch at the farm several times, and even asked her to help with the cooking, teaching her a few apple recipes to add to her repertoire.

Applebloom and her friends had asked for her help in the search for their cutie marks, which involved the most random, dangerous, and sometimes destructive shenanigans she had ever witnessed. And just like with Pinkie Pie, she stopped asking herself why all those activities ended with her having to clean tree sap off their coats.

She had a few more encounters with Gilda, who seemed to be visiting Rainbow a lot recently, that always started some sort of competition between the two. Be it snow ball fights, flight challenges, and sometimes even ‘reluctantly’ participating in some of the Crusaders activities.

Finishing her breakfast, Sunset left her home, braving the cold wind, and marched towards Rarity’s house.

She had spent a lot of time with the fashionista. Helping her with some designs, learning to tailor, and making the dresses and suits she wanted to give as gifts.

She was one of the Element bearers Sunset got along with best next to Rainbow, Pinkie being a far third. She really enjoyed spending time with Rarity. Mostly because she helped her let her creative drive loose and taught her an admittedly difficult craft.

She knocked on the door of the boutique, and she was instantly let in by Rarity, who was smiling with irrepressible excitement.

“I’m glad you finally arrived; I have a surprise for you darling.” The seamstress said, walking up to a paper panel she was using to hide her gift.

“Really? What is it?” Sunset asked.
She still wasn’t accustomed to receiving gifts. She always earned everything that she got and felt proud of it. But gifts were something completely different, and she was still unsure of how she felt about them.

“I’m sure you will love it.” Rarity grabbed the panel with her magic. “I know we agreed that you would do the sewing for your own dress, but I really wanted to surprise you with it.” She practically threw the panel away, showing off Sunset’s dress.

It had tall orange metallic boots for her hindlegs, and light blue hoof-open gloves for the forelegs, all fof them with a little metal piece in the shape and color of Sunset’s cutie mark on the sides. The rest of the dress seemed like the kind of garment a princess or an angel might wear, in a combination of pink, very light yellow, and light blue colors. And on top of that, either because of Rarity’s amazing skill or some sort of magic, the dress itself seemed to radiate sunlight, that made it seem even more like something designed for an angelical princess.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Rarity exclaimed with unbridled enthusiasm. “I inspired myself with everything that you’ve learned about my friends, and whatever I could pry off Twilight and Spike. I even sent a few letters to Cadence to ask some questions. Would you believe even Luna sent me a letter with recommendations? I call it Daydre-”

Rarity’s excited rant died when she turned to look at Sunset’s reaction.

She was completely still, almost frozen in shock, her mouth slightly open, looking like it wanted to express some words but couldn’t find them.
But what caught Rarity’s attention were the tears running down her face as she stared at the dress with wide eyes.

“Sunset? Is there a problem?” Rarity asked, worried. She certainly wasn’t expecting this kind of reaction.

Sunset’s mouth started moving, slowly managing to say a few understandable words. “Is… is that… is that really for me?”

Rarity managed to smile despite her confusion and concern. “It is darling. Made specifically for you.”

Sunset slowly took a step forward, and then another, and another, until she finally reached the dress.

She pressed her hoof against it, feeling the softness of the silk, and it seemed like Rarity had even added some cinnamon fragrance to it before she arrived.

Tears still running down her cheeks, she turned towards the seamstress and asked in the tone of a puppy-eyed foal; “Can… Can I try it on?”

“Of course darling.” Rarity was about to lift a panel for her to change in private, but Sunset simply teleported the dress onto her body.
The seamstress almost recoiled when she saw the instant reaction it had on Sunset; her eyes widened and she let out a soft sob while the tears fell more heavily.

Sunset looked at Rarity, the emotions running behind her eyes confusing the fashionista even more. “I… I need a mirror,” she said with a hint of desperation in her voice.

Rarity instantly moved a large mirror in front of Sunset, making the unicorn freeze in place, her sobbing now more noticeable.

“What do you think of it?” Rarity asked, trying to understand the reaction she was having.

“It’s… It’s just…” Sunset tried to come up with a response, but every word her mind offered seemed unable to properly describe what she was feeling about the image in the mirror. “I… I can’t…”

“Is it beautiful?” Rarity guessed.

“More than beautiful. It looks… I look…” Once again, Sunset couldn’t come up with the correct word to say.

Rarity gave her a soft smile. “Darling, has anypony ever said; ‘You are beautiful?’”

“I don’t think the word ’beautiful’ has ever been used to describe any part of me.”

The response hurt Rarity’s heart, and that pain only doubled when she was suddenly trapped in Sunset’s desperate hug, feeling her tears falling on her coat. “Thank you… Thank you so much.”

Rarity hugged her back, stroking her hair like she always did when Sweetie Belle had a bad day. “You don’t have to thank me darling.”

Sunset continued sobbing on her shoulder, trying to calm herself down. “Why can’t I stop crying?”

Rarity moved her head a little so she could look her in the eyes. “I believe that you spent so much time trying to seem perfect for others, you never had time to feel things like beauty for yourself.”

Sunset sobbed a little more, and then tried to dry her tears. “Thank you, Rarity. I promise I will make it up to you. To all of you who made this.”

Rarity smiled. “You don’t have to. It’s a gift, you don’t need to repay a gift.”

Sunset looked confused. “That’s nonsense.”

“No darling. That’s friendship.” The word seemed to cause a different kind of shock in Sunset. Brief, but equally powerful. “Think about it. It may help you in the future.”

Sunset shook her head a little, finally clearing her head, and gave her a wide smile. “I will. Thank you for everything.”

“Anytime, dear.” She gave one last look to the dress. “Do you want to take it with you, or do you want me to store it with the rest of the dresses for the Gala?”

Sunset looked at her dress one more time and, looking like it pained her, teleported it back to the mannequin. “You know how to take care of it. But I can’t wait to wear it.”

“Are you going to come with us to the Gala?” Rarity asked with little stars in her eyes.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Since apparently none of you have any idea how the Gala works, I will guide you to prevent you from doing something embarrassing.” She sighed and looked at the rest of the clothing she still had to finish. “Sorry but, I think I've had too many emotions for today.”

“You still feel like you want to cry?” Rarity asked with a comforting smile. "We can talk about it if you want. The girls said that always helped you a lot."

Sunset looked away from her. “Thank you, but I'm okay. It’s just a little embarrassing being seen like this.”

Rairty nodded her head. “I can understand. If you need some time, we can continue at a later date. I’m glad that you liked your dress so much.”

“I loved it. Thank you.”

“You’ve said that enough.” Rarity opened the door of her boutique, and Sunset quickly got out, giving her a quick wave before galloping off to her house.

Rarity closed the door and looked at Sunset’s dress.

She felt happy that she could make the unicorn experience such raw emotions for the first time, but it still left her very concerned about what it implied.

According to Pinkie’s weird ritual that let her know how old ponies were so she could make accurate birthday cakes, Sunset was thirty-four years old. Thirty-four years in which nopony had ever told her she was beautiful or made her feel like she was.

That didn’t make sense to her.

“One would think that at least her mother would have told her she was pretty or try and dress her up to look beautiful. In fact, if Sunset has gone to galas, surely she had to have put on a dress and be courted by ponies. Unless the gala really is as bad as she paints it.”

Rarity’s thoughts went back to Sunset’s mother figure.

“Now that I think about it. How exactly did she become Celestia’s pupil? At what age was she taken to the castle? Was she an orphan?” That last question shook Rarity a little. She certainly didn’t want something like that haunting one of her friends.

“And her new family… Twilight could be oblivious enough to not care about how Sunset felt about herself at the time, but Celestia and Cadence? They should be first in line to pamper her and make her feel special.”

Rarity could tell something was wrong here. But what could she do to help her?
She didn’t know her past, and Sunset had been almost an adult when Twilight met her. So, the only way of knowing about her foalhood was from either Sunset herself or… Celestia.

“I don’t think I will be able to get an appointment with Equestria’s monarch, so I guess my only option is asking Sunset directly.”

Something about that made her feel uneasy, like she was about to play with fire. Quite literally in Sunset’s particular case.

She debated if she should go and tell the rest of the girls about it. They all were able to help Sunset with her problems in their own way, but this may be a bit more complicated and personal. And she was mostly worried about how Twilight would take it. She was already feeling guilty about neglecting Sunset’s problems, and this would only add more wood to that fire.

“What should I do?”

Sunset walked through the streets of Ponyville, resisting the cold air while her mind drifted.

She had never broken down so badly for something that in retrospect seemed so simple.

The question of if she was attractive or not had never registered in her mind, nor had she really cared if it did. Just like Rarity said, she just wanted to prove that she was the best. That she could be somepony of importance in the world. That she had worth.

But now things had changed. A lot.

Not only was she now conscious of her own looks past the ‘powerful mage’ image she had worked to maintain over the years, but she also wondered what other emotions she had bottled up, and how she would discover them.

Her thoughts broke off when she came across three familiar fillies, who seemed like they weren’t having a very good day.

Sunset quickly approached them and called out; “Hey, why the long faces?”

The three fillies tried their best to smile at her, but they still looked pretty downcast.
“We have been trying to talk with Diamond Tiara, but she keeps shrugging us off or insulting us before leaving with Silver Spoon,” Applebloom explained.

“We can’t find her problem if she keeps avoiding us,” Sweetie exclaimed, a bit frustrated. They were really trying to reach out to the filly, but it was proving too difficult for them.

“I see.” Sunset took some time to think of a new strategy.

‘If she’s avoiding them, I’m guessing she is hiding something, otherwise she would just either play along or confront them about it without fear. So, what they need to do is find a way to stop her from fleeing.'

An idea popped into Sunset’s head, and she smiled devilishly. “I know what you need to do.”

The Crusaders looked at each other. “Uh, what is it? We can give it a try,” Scootaloo asked.

“Diamond Tiara,” Spoiled Rich said, her mere voice filling the filly with dread at her next words. “I’ve been hearing this rumor that you’ve been fraternizing with a bunch of blank flanks in school. Is this true?”

The filly turned around to face her, but kept her head low in a show of submission to her mother. “It is not true. The Crusaders are just annoying me constantly.”

Her mother lifted her eyebrow a few centimeters, raising Tiara’s heartrate along with her stress. “Crusaders? That’s too lofty a word to call those lowlifes.”

Diamond shut her eyes tightly. “I’m sorry mother. It’s just a bad habit.”

“Then make sure you erase it from your head!” Her mother spat like the words were venom coming from a spider. “Maybe a few days of isolation will help.”

Diamond opened her eyes wide and looked at her mother in the face, which was a big mistake. “Please mother it won’t be neces-”

“Don’t question me Diamond!” Spoiled screamed, making the filly almost shrink into a ball. “Now go to your room and remain in silence.”

Diamond just nodded and obeyed her command without a word, leaving Spoiled alone in the dining room.

“I swear, that filly must be doing it on purpose.” She made a disapproving huff, raising her nose like she tended to do. “She will soon see just how bad that will go for her.”

She was suddenly interrupted by her butler entering the room. “Mrs. Spoiled, a group of fillies are requesting to see Miss Diamond.”

Spoiled gave him a side glance just to show her disapproval of his actions. “And why haven’t you kicked them off of my property yet?”

The butler, accustomed to it’s mistresses acidic personality, remained indifferent. “I tried, but then you were specifically requested to see them.”

Spoiled rolled her eyes. “Very well, I shall do it myself. But consider all of your work this day officially out of this month’s payment.”

The Butler struggled to hide his anger, and simply gave her space to pass the doorway and go to the main entrance to the house.
Spoiled opened the door looking down, finding the three fillies that Diamond wrongly referred to as ‘The Crusaders’.

One of them was about to talk, but she interrupted her by pointing to the exit.
“I will give you to the count of three to-” In that moment, she noticed something behind them, and her frown turned into a nervous smile. “-to enter my house! You’re all welcome.”
She swallowed a lump in her throat. “Excuse me for a moment.”

She almost ran inside, screaming at the top of her lungs. “Margarita! Get your fat ass moving and take out the good silverware and tea set!”

Sunset had a big, smug grin. “I told you she would let us in.”

Author's Note

Chapter recently editied by My Little Pastafarian!
I'm really thankful for their help

I'm really tempted to try and draw Sunset in her dress, but then I would probably have to draw all the dresses Sunset made for her family and acquaintances.
Which honestly would be easier than describing them in words (I would struggle even if I did it in spanish)

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 28: “Can You Cry?”

Sunset guided the Crusaders inside the house while a frantic Spoiled berated her servants so they would move faster and prepare everything to welcome her properly.

Sunset never really cared about proper etiquette or how her presence tended to put ponies on edge due to her relationship with Celestia. She did, however, find the frantic reactions of normally stoic or rude nobles hilarious, and this was one of such cases.
From the way she was about to throw them out, Sunset knew Spoiled was a problem. And possibly Tiara’s problem as well.
That’s why she decided to come with the Crusaders in the first place.

“Where is your daughter?” Sunset asked casually.

Spoiled gave a quick, disapproving glance at the Crusaders before reluctantly responding with a fake smile. “She’s upstairs. Third room on the right.”

Sunset looked at her companions. “You heard her, go talk to your friend.”
The three fillies looked at each other, their insecurity showing in their faces, so she gave them a little push to make them move. “I will deal with the grown-up stuff. Go have fun.”

The Crusaders finally nodded and trotted up the stairs noisily.
Spoiled was about to shout at them, but Sunset quickly got to her side and distracted her. “So, what hot beverage can you offer me?”

With the fillies well out of her sight, Spoiled relaxed a little and tried to give her guest proper attention. “Oh, we have a fine Jasmine tea that I’m sure you will love.”

They reached the living room, where a slightly overweight earth-pony mare with a yellow coat and white mane dressed in a maid uniform was finishing setting a small table with their tea and some pastries.
Spoiled took her seat while ‘discreetly’ shooing the maid away, and Sunset sat at the other side, looking at the tea in front of her but not touching it.

“So, what brings you to my home today Ms. Shimmer?” Spoiled asked as she took a sip of her tea to calm herself.

Knowing very well how imposing it could be, Sunset changed her expression to the one of pure uncaring neutrality that Celestia used on her.
“Oh, the Crusader’s told me about their friendship with Diamond Tiara. And when I recognized the name, I wanted to come and pay Filthy a visit.”
Sunset took a moment to judge Spoiled’s reaction to her words, which the rich mare admittedly hid pretty well, but she could tell her pride had taken a hit from being passed over, and her disgust at the idea of her daughter being friends with the Crusaders.
“Is he home?”

Spoiled smiled, barely. “Yes, he’s in his study. Roger! Tell my husband we have an honored guest visiting us!” she called out to her butler.

“And the Cutie Mark Crusaders,” Sunset added.

Spoiled gave a quick glance in the direction of Tiara’s room with an almost imperceptible frown. “Yes, them too.”
The butler left the room, leaving them alone, and Spoiled put down her tea before speaking. “May I ask what your relationship is with those… three?” she asked catching herself before slipping an improper word.

“Those three… what?” Sunset asked, going for a metaphorical stab to the ribs.

“Those three fillies,” Spoiled blocked, and then went for a stab of her own. “Are they your friends?”

The jab landed, but Sunset managed to keep her neutral expression. “They are the sisters of the friends of my sister. So, you could say they are in a way.”

Spoiled picked up her cup again. “I don’t think I can. I honestly didn’t imagine you making friends-” She took a sip of tea. “-with such ponies.”

Sunset was starting to piece together Tiara’s problem, or at least one of its sources. “What makes them different?”

“Well, age obviously,” Spoiled joked, but her chuckle wasn’t shared. “And also, class.”
She leaned forward a bit, a curious look on her face. “Didn’t you prefer your life in Canterlot? Surrounded by luxury and wealth, instead of the chaos of this town?”

Sunset chuckled. “Honestly, luxury and wealth seem to make ponies boring. And I find the chaos of the town more entertaining.”

Spoiled gave a little hum. “You should be careful. Enjoying chaos has turned creatures into stone.”

Sunset smiled confidently. “I feel pretty safe from that kind of punishment.”

Spoiled looked at her straight in the eyes. “Are you sure?” she asked, going for the proverbial jugular.

And the attack landed. Sunset’s calmness wavered slightly, and now Spoiled knew something she didn’t want her to know.

Sunset gave a little laugh to cover her slip. “I’m sure you know perfectly well who I am and my position among royalty.”

Spoiled lunged again. “Yes, you were Celestia’s only student for some years.”

Sunset blocked. “And her most successful.”

Spoiled didn’t back down. “The one who helped the Elements of Harmony.”

“For which we are grateful for,” came the voice of Filthy Rich, interrupting the little duel.

He looked pretty much the same as Sunset remembered; Elegant and making a subtle show of his wealth and class, but she knew he wasn’t like most other businessponies. The fact that he chose to live in Ponyville instead of some other higher-class town was proof of that.

Filthy took a seat next to his wife and gave Sunset a smile. “Would you like some coffee?”

Sunset smiled back. “Yes please, my throat was getting dry,” she said, looking at Spoiled as she pushed the tea away.

“I will get it for you sir,” the butler said before going to the kitchen, his stoic expression a lot brighter now that the male of the house was present.

Sunset quickly caught on to that fact and weaponized it. “Your staff seems quite comfortable around you,” she said specifically to Filthy.

The stallion nodded. “It’s true. But it does take some extra work.”
He didn’t even need to look at his wife to land his jab.

Spoiled realized she was now at a disadvantage, but her husband didn’t give her time to act. “I was told you came with some crusaders. Could you be so kind as to remind me who they are exactly?”

“If you can’t remember, they are clearly not of much importance,” Spoiled said, using the word ’much’ only grudgingly.

Sunset ignored her comment and answered. “They’re Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. They wanted to see your daughter, so I accompanied them here. I think they want to be friends with her.”

Filthy smiled at the news. “That would be great. I would like to have the Apple and Rich families doing friendly business together for another generation.”

“Filthy, I’m sure our daughter can get better friends than those three,” Spoiled calmly complained.

Her husband snorted. “The only friend I could give her by your standards was Silver Spoon, and she’s far too complaisant to be a good friend for her.”

Seeing her chance, Sunset went for her own lunge. “Tiara does have a negative attitude that doesn’t help her connect with other fillies.”
The words caught Filthy’s attention, so Sunset went for the kill. “I’m surprised she would learn that kind of attitude from you Filthy.”

Spoiled struggled to keep calm as her husband gave her a side-glance before speaking. “I’m surprised too. I will have to look into it.”

Sunset’s coffee finally arrived, and she drank it to toast her victory.

Now that she had Filthy on her side, which had been surprisingly easy, she just needed to get rid of Spoiled so they could talk privately.

‘A strong laxative spell should send her to the bathroom in an instant.’ She thought while looking around for a distraction, until she spotted a painting on the wall and pointed at it.
“Is that a Claude Manet?”

The married couple turned around to see what she was looking at.
“It is. I’m happy to finally have a guest who knows about art,” Filthy said with a genuine smile.

“I’m a bit of an expert,” Sunset said while using the distraction to subtly cast her spell.

But the distraction also worked against her.

Nopony saw the color of Sunset’s magical aura turn from cyan to a dark blue for a moment, changing the spell that now filled Spoiled’s cup.

“Thanks for the chance to practice my spells Little Sun.”

The three continued talking, the conversation being mostly between Sunset and Filthy, with Spoiled staying on the sidelines and offering a comment here and there.
She was getting bored and impatient, and the indignation of losing made her want to just storm out of the room.

Trying to calm herself, she lifted her cup to her lips.

But at that moment, the Crusaders, looking downcast, descended the stairs, getting every pony’s attention.
Diamond followed behind them, and when she saw the look her mother gave her from the living room, she turned to the Crusaders and shouted. “And don’t come back!”

The three fillies quickly scampered to the door, and Sunset put down her mug of coffee. “I need to go. I hope we can talk again soon.”

“It will be a pleasure,” Filthy said. “Goodbye.”

Spoiled didn’t get to have the last word as Sunset teleported outside the house, but it hardly mattered.
Diamond had finally thrown those lowlives out, and even if Filthy tried something against her, she could simply threaten him with divorce and the custody of his daughter.
With a victorious smile, she downed her tea.

Sunset appeared right in front of the Crusaders, and was surprised as the three piled up on top of her in a shared hug.

“It worked!” the three exclaimed in triumph.

“Wait what?” Sunset asked confused. “Didn’t she just tell you to never bother her again?”

“It was just an act for her mother,” Sweetie explained.

“We talked and she agreed to come visit us in secret at the clubhouse later in the week,” Applebloom told her excitedly.

“You were right,” Scootaloo said in an apologetic manner. “Sorry we doubted you. But you can be a bit cryptic and creepy sometimes.”

Sunset was honestly surprised at the apology.
“Oh. Sorry about that. I honestly didn’t notice.” She lifted them off her body and stood up. “And I’m happy that you managed to reach out to her. If her mother gives you any more trouble, just tell Twilight to send me a letter.”

“A letter?” Sweetie asked.

“Are you leaving again?” Applebloom asked next.

“I just got a letter this morning asking me to go back to Canterlot tonight, so I will be gone for a while. But I know you three will be able to do things without me.” She ruffled each of their manes a bit, getting a little laugh from each of them.

“We will get our cutie marks by the time you come back to Ponyville,” Scootaloo declared.

“Crusader promise!” the three shouted, making Sunset laugh.

“I can’t wait to see them.”

Sunset was returning to her house when she saw Gilda standing in front of her door, waiting kind of impatiently for her to arrive judging by the way she was walking from side to side.

“Do you have another weird challenge for us to do?” Sunset shouted, getting the griffon’s attention.
Gilda flew over to her, and Sunset noticed that she seemed nervous. Even more so than when they talked about her friendship with Rainbow Dash. “Is something wrong Grease?”

The griffon struggled to look at her in the eyes and looked like she was about to turn tail and run at any moment. “Hey… you are kind of royalty, right?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “In a way, yes.”

The griffon searched for the right words. “Sooo you’re loaded. Right?”

“Loaded with magic.”

Gilda shook her head. “I mean in bits. You have a lot of them, right? Like, enough to buy a house?”

“Grease, are you trying to reverse loan shark me? Because that won’t end well for you.”

Gilda finally decided to cut to the case. “Look, things are getting worse in Griffonstone, and we both know that’s not going to change soon. That’s why I’ve been visiting Dash so much, and decided to just move here. But I can’t afford to pay for a house right now and I can’t get a job without a residency in Ponyville.”

“Why don’t you go live with Rainbow until you can afford a house? I’m sure she has enough room to accommodate you,” Sunset offered.

Gilda looked away. “I can’t ask Dash to do that.”

Sunset cocked her head to the side. “So, you would rather go deeply into debt rather than ask a favor from your friend?”

Gilda frowned at her words. “I still have some pride in me you know?”

“Well, I can’t say you’re wrong for wanting to do things your way,” Sunset admitted, and then she got an idea. “How about you rent a place?”

Gilda crossed her arms. “I tried, but there is nopony offering to rent, and I would still need to have a stable job to show that I could afford it.”

“How about staying at my house?” Sunset pointed out. “I can take your word that you can get a job and pay me back later.”

Gilda raised an eyebrow. “If I don’t want to live with Dash, what makes you think I would live with you?”

“You won’t, I’m returning to Canterlot tonight, so the house will be completely yours. As long as you don’t destroy it while I’m gone, you can live there until I come back, or until you get your own place.”

Gilda took a moment to think about it, weighting the pros and cons, and finally stretched her claw to Sunset with a smile. “Deal.”

The unicorn shook her claw, and then pushed it to the ground.
A magical circle appeared around the house, and a shining orange glow appeared in Sunset’s hoof before quickly moving to Gilda’s talons.

“Now the house security will obey your command and won’t try to burn you. Any creature you don’t consider an enemy will be able to pass. Also, the house if completely fireproof,” Sunset explained like a salespony trying to make a sale.

Gilda frowned in both surprise and confusion at her words. “Thank you, but… you’re a bit weird you know that?”

Sunset scrunched up her nose. “I’m starting to sense a patter here.”

Sunset finally arrived at Canterlot Castle, and was surprised to see Celestia waiting to welcome her.
“Let me guess, you couldn’t wait to start this new training you came up with?” she asked with a smile, causing Celestia to laugh a little.

“It’s true, but I know you will be as excited as I am when I tell you what it is.”

“Oh Really? Let’s not waste any time then,” Sunset said as she unsummoned her wings.

Celestia then had a fun idea. “Do you remember where my office is located in the castle?”

Sunset looked at her curiously. “Yes, I know pretty much every room of the castle.”

Celestia got closer to Sunset. “Then how about you teleport us there to save time?”

The unicorn took a moment to process the question getting a bit nervous.
Yeah, she had teleported other creatures before, and some even bigger than her, but an alicorn wasn’t exactly a normal type of creature. They had a large pool of magic at their disposal, which made them resistant to many spells, so casting one on them could have catastrophic results if the caster got overwhelmed by their magic.

‘I guess since she’s going willingly there shouldn’t be any risk.’

Sunset concentrated on the spell, and instinctivelyclosed her eyes before casting in case something went wrong. But luckily she and Celestia appeared in the office without any problems, so she sighed in relief.

“Well done Sunset,” Celestia praised. “Maybe next time we can try and see if you can do it with me trying to resist the spell.”

Sunset looked at her like if her mentor had suddenly gone insane. “I seriously doubt that I can overpower a full grown alicorn.”

“If there is somepony that would be able to do it, it would be you Sunset,” Celestia walked to the center of the office and waited for Sunset to join her before turning around to face her.
“Today you will face what will probably be the biggest challenge in your studies.”

Sunset smiled confidently. “I’m sure I can take it.”

Celestia’s face turned a bit more serious. “It will be more draining than our training in The Empire, and it will push your mind and sanity to its limits.”

Sunset’s confidence wavered a little, but she remained firm, wondering just what kind of challenge she would face.

Celestia lit her horn, and a bright light preluded a literal wall of thick books appearing in mid-air before falling to the floor with an ominous thud.
Sunset looked at the tomes towering over her like a wave about to crush her and she swallowed a lump in her throat.
“What lesson is this?” she asked a little scared.

Celestial leaned on the wall of books in a way that made her seem even taller than she already was. “Sunset Shimmer,” she said in an ominous voice. “From today on, you will have to learn the secrets, traps and trickeries of… bureaucracy.”

Sunset felt a cold shiver run down her spine, having heard the rumors of the almost dark arts that the study dealt with.

Celestia continued her foreboding speech. “However, if you manage to best this challenge, the reward will be invaluable.”

Sunset looked at her with wonder. “What reward?”

Celestia smiled, took her crown off her head, and put it on top of Sunset’s.

The unicorn looked at the regalia, her mind confused at the gesture, until it finally clicked.
Sunset’s eyes went wide, and her jaw almost hit the floor. “If this is a joke or a dream, I will burn somepony.”

Celestia laughed. “It’s not a joke Sunset. We both know how much you wanted this, and we both saw it in the mirror.”

“But… I thought you always said I wasn’t ready. That I didn’t earn it.”

“In these past months you’ve shown me that you’ve learned a lot about friendship. That you can help others regardless of their race or motivations. That your amibtion for power is now used to learn more than just magical abilities. And that you can control yourself even in the worst conditions.”

She could see doubt in Sunset’s eyes as she looked down at the floor, so Celestia put her hoof under her chin and lifted her head before continuing.

“I already gave you a test with the Running of the Leaves. And you passed it with flying colors. Demonstrating that you could manage the public, pass fair judgement, and teach others in a proper way. Even I ended up learning a lot thanks to you, and I’m absolutely sure that you can command, defend, and maybe even improve Equestria.”

Sunset’s eyes started to fill with tears, as she was overwhelmed with emotions.
Celestia tried really hard to find the right words, since the next thing she said could ruin everything they both had been building up until now.

“However, to earn the title, you still have some more lessons to learn and abilities to acquire. But I have faith Sunset. I know you will earn it and be the princess you always wanted to be.”

Sunset, sporting a smile of pure overwhelming happiness, dried her tears and stood firm in front of her. “I promise I will be the best princess Equestria has ever seen.” A sniff managed to escape her nose and she broke her stance for a bit. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me Sunset. You got this far on your own. And for that I’m extremely proud of you.”

Sunset dried her tears again and asked with a little embarrassment. “Can I… Can I keep the crown while I study? To… motivate me.”

Celestia’s heart melted as she gave her the warmest smile. “Of course, Sunset.”

The unicorn took a moment to calm herself, and immediately pulled out several of the books and started reading them, eyes full of determination.

She was going to earn her crown.

She was going to achieve her ambitions and be the perfect ruler for all of Equestria.

Finally, after so many years…

…she would feel complete.

Nightmare Moon was known to be a creature of darkness and nightmares that sent shivers down ponies spines.
All who had seen her had witnessed a powerful, sinister, and dark villain that would destroy them in a whim.

If they saw her now, giggling in joy like a little filly, they wouldn’t be so scared of her.

Even so, the fact that her smile was plastered on a huge maw filled with razor sharp fangs that could bite Celestia in half would still send them fleeing in terror.

“I can’t believe it! Celestia has practically giftwrapped the kingdom for me! I just have to wait until I can take control of her body and Equestria is mine!”

She looked down at the barrier, her excitement making her forget just how angry and worried she was towards her sister.

“And we can still do it together if you’re willing. We have all the advantages now. Killing Celestia will be easy for you once I’m in power.”

There was no response from the other side.

Nightmare knocked on the barrier. “Are you there? I know that you can’t be asleep.”

Still, no response.

“Aren’t you happy?”

Finally, a voice responded, but it wasn’t in the tone that Nightmare was accustomed to.

It was a voice with two tones that made Nightmare feel… dread.

Dread, because if she and Sunshine were similar, she could also end up feeling them at some point.

One was sadness, a feeling that she had seen destroy her host and others on multiple occasions. A feeling that was delightful in her enemies, but she would never wish it upon herself.

And the other one… was emptiness.
That dark hole of a feeling. Symbolizing the end of all joy, dreams, and willpower.

“Can you cry?”

A sad, empty question.

Sunshine knew the answer, but needed to confirm it. To confirm that her fears were true.

And at that, Nightmare Moon, the terror of the night and mother of nightmares, folded. And she answered without any malice. Just honesty.

“I can’t.”

There was a moment of silence, and then a new question, as loaded as the first, was asked.

“Why?”

“My… Our bodies, being made of magic, lack some functions true living beings have.
We don’t have stomachs. So, we can’t starve.
We don’t have hearts. So, we can’t bleed.
And we don’t have tear ducts. So, we can’t cry.”

There was another heavy moment of silence, far longer than the previous one, until the voice talked again.

“Thank you.”

Nightmare could tell her sister was drifting down, away from the barrier, and when she couldn’t sense her anymore, shew felt like a spell had been broken.

“What was that all about?”

Author's Note

Countdown Initiated: 15 Chapters Remaining Until The End.

This rollercoaster is finally aproaching it's final summit. I hope you will enjoy the descent.

See you next chapter:

Chapter 29: A Hard Lesson To Learn

I will be watching you.

Chapter 30: My Curse

The door of the Crusader’s clubhouse almost flew off its hinges when Silver Spoon barged in. The grey filly took a moment to recover her breath as she scanned the room.

Sweetie Belle was standing next to a bowl with her sister’s emergency ice-cream, looking surprised at her sudden entrance.
Diamond Tiara was sitting at her side, hugging Applebloom like a castaway clinging to a piece of driftwood.

She went to her quickly and joined the embrace. “I’m sorry, I just found out.”

Diamond took a second to recognize the other filly hugging her, but when she did, the sight of her friend curled her lips into a little smile.
She left Applebloom to lean more on Silver Spoon, and the familiarity of the feeling helped her feel safe.

Silver Spoon looked around the clubhouse, noticing that a Crusader was missing.

“Where is-” Silver took a moment to remember the name. “-Scootaloo?”

“She went looking for Twilight. She’s smart, so we thought she could help,” Sweetie explained.

“Twilight is in Cloudsdale, but my father already sent a pegasus to call for her.” Silver looked at Diamond, doing her best to smile despite the nerves and fatigue. “Your mother is going to be okay.”

Sunset took a moment away from Celestia, after she gave Rainbow the golden crown of the competition, to talk with Twilight.

“Soooo, it sounds like things are getting pretty hectic in Ponyville.”

Twilight turned around to face her alongside her friends, minus Rainbow Dash, who flew away with the Wonderbolts.

Then, Sunset noticed something.

Rarity seemed nervous, Fluttershy looked sad, Pinkie had that determined glint in her eyes like when she taught her about having fun, and Applejack had the same worried expression when Sunset told her about her drowning.
All of this combined with Twilight’s “everything’s fine but I’m secretly panicking” face made Sunset feel slightly cornered.

“Is something wrong?” she asked before her sister could say anything.

Twilight looked at her friends, and braced herself to speak.

“We’re worried about you.”

Sunset took a more guarded stance, not liking where this was going. “Ok, why?”

“Please, not again.” She thought.

Twilight struggled to answer, so Applejack spoke for her.

“Rarity told us about the whole dress thing.”

Sunset’s eyes immediately turned towards the fashionista, who hid inside the gondola on the hot air balloon she was standing on since she didn’t have a cloud-walking spell on her.

“I would’ve preferred that to remain private.” Sunset took a deep breath to calm herself, but it was unsuccessful. “Otherwise, I don’t see the problem.”

Twilight was about to speak, but Sunset interrupted her. “I mean, I know I had a sort of fucked up foalhood, but I assume that’s normal for somepony being adopted by Celestia, not knowing anything about who your family is and why they left you, growing up with expectations that were eventually crushed, dying multiple times, gaining a family by essentially trying to murder your sister and her friends, having both a mental breakdown and a heart-attack at the same time, finding out a lot about yourself and how you apparently didn’t get any genuine love until thirty years into your life. But other than that, my life is pretty freaking normal!”

After screaming the last words, Sunset realized she was panting, and Twilight and her friends had taken a few steps away from her, clearly shaken by her sudden outburst.

“S-sorry! I- I don’t know where that came from,” Sunset quickly apologized, but was surprised to suddenly be hugged by her sister.

“It’s okay Sunset. Let it all out,” Twilight said, trying to be as comforting as a pony could be.

“This is exactly what we wanted,” Applejack explained, getting closer to Sunset with a sincere smile.

“We want you to express everything you’ve been holding back or forgetting about your past,” Pinkie said while hopping closer to her before getting a little more serious. “As you said, you didn’t have the best foalhood, that was clear from what happened with the dress, so we want to help you explore all those things that you missed.”

Sunset pushed Twilight back, taking a few steps away. “But I don’t want to! I’m feeling confident again. I have all that I wanted. I don’t want to wallow in the past, I want to focus on my future.”

“But the past is necessary for the future,” Fluttershy said, flying closer. “We know it probably hurts and you don’t want to feel like that, but if you just hold it in you will break down, like now and with the dress.”

Twilight went up to Sunset and moved her head so their eyes could meet. “This may be what troubles you so much with friendship. You have to know yourself before you can form that kind of bond with somepony.”

Sunset looked away, feeling torn by her desire to keep things buried and move on, and the possibility of things getting better at the expense of probably going through the same process that she thought she had finally gotten over.

She didn’t want to go back to feeling miserable, needing everypony to help her just so she could feel like she had worth.
She knew she was important now, Celestia showed she was, and going back to mope and cry would only hold her back from what she wanted.

Suddenly, a grey pegasus with a blonde mane and eyes staring into different directions crashed between the two sisters, holding a letter in her mouth.
She hastily stood up and turned to Twilight. “Urgent letter for Twilight Sparkle from Silver Platter!” she almost screamed in panic.

Twilight quickly tore the letter open and read it at lightning speed, her eyes widening with each word.
“Can you help me teleport straight to Ponyville?” she asked Sunset with the same panic the grey pegasus had.

Realizing that this was important, Sunset skipped the questions.

“Come closer.”

Sunset’s and Twilight’s horns touched, and a massive magical spark appeared from the connection, discharging a large quantity of magic to Twilight’s spell before the purple unicorn disappeared in a blast of energy that knocked Sunset back.

“We should go too. Please, think about it, okay?” Applejack said while she and her friends jumped inside the hot air balloon.

“I’m sorry for telling them! It was for your own good!” Rarity shouted as they descended from the cloud.

Sunset wanted to go with them, since it appeared to be important, but she remembered Celestia’s lesson.

“Twilight would’ve told me if she needed the backup. I’m sure they can handle it.” Sunset gave a long sigh. “And I have a lot to think about.”

Filthy Rich walked in circles outside of his wife’s room in the hospital, deep in thought while impatiently waiting for a response from anypony besides the grey stallion next to him.

Not that he didn’t appreciate his company, but he needed more help than he could give him.

“You’re going to get old faster if you continue stressing like this. Why don’t you at least sit down to think?” Silver Platter offered, patting the chair next to him.

“No thanks,” was Filthy’s quick and dry response. “Is your daughter with Diamond?”

“How would I know?” Silver asked defensively, but quickly realized that was the wrong answer for the distraught father. “I’m sure she already found her. She will help her deal with this.”

Hopeful words did nothing to ease Filthy’s nerves.
Diamond was about to become motherless at a very young age, and he couldn’t be with his daughter. She had ran off as soon as she heard the news, and he couldn’t leave his wife alone.
It was torture for him.

But the thing that frustrated him most was that he had already done everything he could.

He donated enough money to build another hospital, fully staffed, in exchange for the best treatment possible, but the doctors had no idea what was happening to Spoiled.
He sent messages to both the princesses and their two pupils, hoping that at least one of them could do something.

So now, he only could wait for a response, but it had been the longest, most nerve-wracking wait he had ever experienced.

Suddenly, there was a flash of purple magic, and Twilight Sparkle appeared in front of him, followed by a confused zebra wearing a plague doctor’s mask and a satchel full of herbs and medicines.

He normally would ask a lot of questions, but right now, he would welcome any kind of help.

“Over here!” he shouted, guiding the two mares into the room.

Inside, they found two doctors and a nurse triple checking Spoiled’s diagnosis, trying to figure out what was wrong with the mare.
The trio noticed the new arrivals and quickly made space for them to see the patient in critical condition.

Twilight had to hold back a gag at the sight.

Spoiled’s coat had a sickly grey-pink color that made it look like it was made of paper.
She had clear sings of severe dehydration, her eyes were clouded and she looked barely conscious, and the spark of life in them was dim and about to be snuffed out.

Spoiled tried to move in the bed, but was too exhausted to properly trash about in her clearly delirious condition.
Still, the doctors had restrained her to the bed, just in case.

Zecora quickly went over to the mare, looking her over and checking her state more closely while Twilight asked questions.

“Do you have any clue as to what may be causing this?”

“No. Her symptoms are too varied to single out a particular cause. It’s almost like she contracted the worst parts of various diseases,” the doctor explained while his two coworkers quickly made a summary of Spoiled’s various diagnoses for Twilight to see.

Zecora took a step back from the bed and pulled out a small jar full of a purple cream out of her satchel.
Dipping the point of her hoof in it, she drew a spiral in the center of Spoiled’s chest, adding a few markings to the edges while chanting a few words.

When she finished, the purple markings turned a sickly green, and a strong odor started emanating from them, making everypony minus the plague-masked Zecora to recoil in disgust.

“It’s a curse isn’t it?” Twilight guessed, and the zebra nodded.

“A curse to induce great pain. Not made by mere disdain.”

“Who would want to make her suffer something like this?” Twilight asked Filthy.

The stallion snorted. “It would take me a day to give you a full list.”

While the ponies talked, Zecora worked on helping the mare recover.

She used special oils to try and make the skin turn back to a normal color, she burned some herbs near her nose to try and snap her out of her delirium, and made her drink a simple concoction she managed to prepare in the little time she had.

“Will this cure her?” Filthy asked, careful to not interrupt the zebra’s work.

“I can only buy us more time I’m afraid. But a cure for a curse is difficult to be made,” Zecora responded, trying to think of a solution.

“If natural remedies don’t work, maybe there is some spell that could counteract it,” Twilight suggested.

“Isn’t Restoration a spell that deals with curses? Can you cast it?” Filthy inquired.

Twilight shook her head. “I didn’t study too much medicinal magic. And even then, this looks like it would need something greater than a simple restoration.”

“Then use your dragon and get the princesses here! I’m sure they can cast it,” Filthy exclaimed, letting his nerves get the better of him.

“I think I have an idea,” Zecora said,getting everypony’s attention. She had a small bag open in her hoof, and Twilight recognized the contents inside.

“Poison Joke? Are you going to treat a curse with another curse?!” The unicorn exclaimed.

“Poison Joke preys on ponies that ignore danger. But it finds no joy in the death of a stranger,” the zebra explained.

“So, it will keep her alive so it can prank her?” Twilight asked, uncertainly.

“I find it fitting. Go ahead,” Filthy said, and Zecora carefully used the dangerous plant to prepare an improvised medicinal ointment and applied it to the center of the spiral she made before.

Everycreature waited for it to take effect.

A minute passed.

Then two.

Then five more.

Twilight was about to teleport and try sending a letter to the princesses herself, when suddenly, the spiral’s sickly green color started to fade into a deep blue, and Spoiled’s breathing started to stabilize.
She went limp, worrying her husband, but it wasn’t because of a lack of strength, but rather, she seemed to finally be resting properly.
The doctor and nurse checked her vitals, finding that the symptoms, even if they were still there, were losing severity.

“It’s working,” the doctor declared, making Filthy exhale a breath of relief.

“I will try and make a better medicine at home. If something happens, send notice and I will come.”

“Thank you. If you ever need anything, I will pay for it,” Filthy promised, but Zecora chuckled.

“Bits don’t mean much to me. And this favor I do for free.”

Filthy nodded and went over to his wife while Twilight pulled the Zebra away from the others.

“Have you ever seen something like this before? Any clue on what could’ve caused it?”

Zecora took some time to think.
“Some months ago, I found a pony drowned in the river. Her body was hot, but it wasn’t a fever.
I saw a similar darkness in her eyes. But I don’t think she shared this mare’s demise.”

Twilight’s eyes widened as she connected "hot" and "river" together in her mind. “Did this pony have a sun for a cutie mark? And gold and red hair?”

Zecora’s eyes also opened wide at the pony’s realization. “You know her!”

Twilight’s mind went into overdrive, trying to piece together a puzzle she had abandoned long ago.
And the use of the Poison Joke gave her an unexpected possibility.

“Zecora, could a curse be a positive thing? Like bringing a pony back to life?”

The zebra pondered the question, trying to recall any knowledge about curses and myths she had learned in her time.

“Curses of eternal reincarnation or denial of death are a thing of legends. But for something like that there are better means.”

“But what if somepony is desperate? Could they somehow curse themselves to avoid dying?”

Zecora tried to gather a definite answer, but she lacked the knowledge and evidence to justify her words.
“Death is something no creature wants to endure. But if it’s achievable by a drowning unicorn, I’m unsure.”

“If there’s a unicorn capable of it, it’s Sunset.” Twilight thought before teleporting to Ponyville’s train station.

She needed to tell Sunset right now!

Sunset was walking through the corridors of Canterlot Castle along with Celestia.
The monarch was talking to her about some responsibilities she would have once she inherited the crown, but Sunset wasn’t really listening.
Her thoughts were still on Twilight’s offer to open her past, and the possibly of fixing the last of her problems within herself and the world around her.

But she really, really didn’t want to.

She could feel some part of herself screaming to her that it wouldn’t do any good, and that the answers would be more painful than anything she had ever felt before.

She could live without knowing, but she could die because of the answers.

“My subconscious sounds very dramatic,” she joked to try and make herself laugh, but it didn’t work.

“Sunset, is something wrong?” Celestia asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

The unicorn looked at what had been her mother for so many years. The only pony that knew her better than even herself.

“If I really need answers… maybe finding them myself will be better.”

Sunset decided to start small. “Can I ask you a question?”

Celestia could feel the mixture of emotions her pupil was feeling. “Of course, Sunset. What is it?”

“Who…” Sunset heard that inner voice screaming for her to stop, but she continued. “Who was my mom?”

Celestia froze.

Her mind ran a list of different diversions and escapes from this situation, but none would work.

This was one of her worst fears. She had managed to dodge it for thirty-one years, but now, it was inevitable.

She took a deep breath. Exhaled. And answered.

“She was…” but her mind drifted off, unable to recall the information she needed to answer.

Celestia turned away from Sunset to hide the panic in her eyes.

“Her mother’s name was…”

“The town she was born in was…”

Celestia continued to try and recall something, anything, about Sunset’s foalhood. But other than the events of that dreadful day, she had nothing.

“Did I… erase my own memories?”

“Celestia?” Sunset asked, worried about her mentor’s reaction. “Is something wrong?”

The princess turned around, doing her best to hide her panic and fear.
The only thing she could do now, was lie.

“I’m sorry Sunset. I never met your parents. I can’t give you that answer.”

Celestia could see anger in Sunset's eyes at her response, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Please... We made so much progress together.

Sunshine... Let her be happy."

"When did you adopt me? Form where? Why was I in an orphanage?" Sunset's asked, each question filled with more hostility than the previous one.

But for the final question, even the voice in her head sounded sad.
"Are my parents... Dead?"

Celestia still had nothing but more lies for her.

She hated it. She hated doing this to her.

But the other option was far worse.
Still, she should've done better. And now she was paying the price.

This was her curse.

"I adopted you when you were three years old. I can only guess your parents weren't ready for the responsibilities that a foal needed. I don't know if they are alive or not. I took you from an orphanage here in Canterlot."

"And why did you take me specifically? The School For Gifted Unicorns hadn't been founded yet, and I was still too young for it anyway. What made me special?"

Sunset was starting to hyperventilate. Celestia feared she would suffer another heart-attack.

"It was your cutie mark. You..." Celestia stopped when she noticed the horror in Sunset's eyes.

"Did... Did I... Did I burn that orphanage?" Sunset was losing her breath, her body trembling in shock. "Is... Is that why you said it would destroy me if I knew?!"

Sunset's world was collapsing around her.

"Did somepony die? How many? Were they foals like me?" Tears started running down her face, her breathing was irregular, and her heart felt at the brink of collapse.

Celestia tried to hug her to calm her down, to be with her, but Sunset moved away.

"Erase it!" She screamed.

The words were like a spiked club against Celestia's heart. "What?"

"Erase my memories! Make me forget about all of this!"

Celestia shook her head, all composure gone by now. "Sunset, I can't do that to you. Not again. You need to confront it and-"

"NO! I don't need to know! I can live my whole life without knowing!" Sunset felt her vocal cords nearly tear with her shouting.

Celestia's own tears were falling down her face. Her heart was broken to pieces.
"Please Sunset, you have friends and family that will help you pull through this. You will-"

"I will forget this!" Sunset screamed, pointing a shaking hoof at her mentor. "You will make sure I never ask questions about my past again. I will live and become a princess, and Twilight and her friends will teach me friendship. It will be perfect. All of us will be happy."

Sunset's lips curled into a disturbing, crazed smile, making Celestia's skin crawl. "I understand why you did it. I don't blame you. You did the right thing."

Those words finally broke Celestia.

Her heart was already broken, so now, her mind did the same.

"She's... She's right. Everyone will be happy. Everything will be fine."

Celestia's horn glowed with golden magic.

"The lie must continue."

Mentor and pupil closed their eyes and connected their horns.

Golden and cyan magic glowed, and both of their memories about the conversation were completely destroyed.

After that, a quick spell to dry their tears erased all evidence, so when the two ponies opened their eyes, they smiled.

Ignorance was bliss for them.

"That was quite the dramatic performance," Nightmare said looking at the aftermath of the revelation. "Tell me, how much close to the real thing was Celestia's lie?"

The voice at the other side responded immediately. Her voice full of unrestrained hatred.

"Not even close."

Sunset woke up abruptly when a purple unicorn shook her out of bed.

"Twilight? What are you doing here?" She questioned the mare, noticing her... excitement? She wasn't sure.

"It's a curse!" Her sister exclaimed.

"What's a curse?" Sunset asked, noticing that it was almost midnight. "Can't this wait until morning? I have training with Luna in a few minutes."

"You cursed yourself to cheat death!" Twilight explained, but just confused her sister even further.

Sunset finally got up and rubbed her eyes awake. "Okay, try starting from the beginning."

Twilight did her breathing technique to calm herself and started her story. "Do you remember meeting a zebra named Zecora the day you... died a third time?"

Sunset tried to focus her memory, but she got no response about those events.

"I can't recall meeting any zebra in my life."

"Well, you didn't die that day," Twilight said with a smile, surprising Sunset. "Zecora found you in the river and saved you."

Sunset felt a great relief after hearing that.

Something that she had never admitted to anypony, not even Cadence, was that her constant death and resurrection had been making her feel less... like a pony.

Some ponies surely would think it would be cool or extremely lucky to be able to come back from the dead, but besides her loss of memories, she also felt like she was losing a part of herself. Something that shew would never get back.

So, hearing that she didn't lose more that day gave her a weird but comfortable peace.

But Twilight's words also brought another problem.

"Why do you say me coming back to life is a curse?"

Twilight took a moment to find the correct words. "When Zecora saved you, she saw a sort of... darkness inside you."

Sunset felt a part of herself being deeply uncomfortable with her last words.

Twilight continued. "And today she saw that same darkness in a curse somepony put on a mare named Spoiled Rich."

"Oh, I remember her. I talked with her a few weeks ago. I'm not really surprised somepony wanted to curse her."

Twilight felt a little uncomfortable at Sunset's response but decided to put it aside for now.
"As I was saying, Zecora realized that you were cursed just like Spoiled, but instead of being a harmful spell, it was a way of bringing you back to life."

Sunset looked unsure about her theory. "Twilight, that sounds a bit far-fetched."

The purple unicorn didn't back down. "Actually, It's not. I recalled some books I read after hearing about your resurrections and they do mention cases of powerful creatures offering you life in exchange of something precious to you. And in your case, it would be-"

"Memories..." Sunset felt a shiver run down her spine.

It all made sense now.

That's was why she felt less than herself every time it happened. She was losing a part of herself every time she came back.

And now that she thought about it. Her problem with making connections with other ponies started soon after her first resurrection.

Twilight felt a huge relief. She finally found the root of Sunset's problem. And now, they could fix it.
"So, we just have to help you remember what you lost and find a way to remove the-"

"No." Sunset interrupted her, shattering her enthusiasm.

"What? Why?" Twilight asked confused.

Sunset put both hooves on her sister's shoulders. "Twilight, I appreciate everything you and the girls have done for me. But, I've been thinking about your proposal a lot, and even talked about it with Celestia, and I don't think- no. I'm sure, that nothing good will come from it."

Twilight tried to object, but Sunset continued.

"Like I told you before, I don't want to delve in the past. I want to move on and keep my eyes on the future."

Twilight shook her head. "But, what about your friendships? What about being the Fairy Godmother? Are you going to abandon all that? For what?"

Sunset smiled, and pulled out the crown from under her pillow, putting it on her head. "I'm going to be a princess," she said with a huge, happy smile.

Twilight took a few seconds to process the news, and her eyes sparkled. "Really?! Congratulations!" She hugged Sunset, joining in her happiness.

"It's not official, but I've been training a lot to earn the title," Sunset explained as they separated.
"And, I won't abandon friendship. I want you and the girls to continue teaching me about it until I can claim the title of Fairy Godmother. And speaking of which-" Sunset took the crown off her head and hid it back under the pillow. "-I want to go back to Ponyville for a couple of days. Spend some time with my sister and her friends."

Twilight had a beaming smile. "Of course! You're always welcomed to visit. I hope you'll remember us when you get the crown."

Sunset laughed. "I doubt I would ever forget any of you."

Twilight looked around, finally noticing that it was so late at night. "Did you ever have a slumber party?"

Sunset smiled, lit her horn, and smacked her sister in the head with her pillow.

"You're going to pay for that!" Twilight exclaimed, wielding her own pillow with a big smile.

“Wasn’t your play with the mare a bit too risky?”

Nightmare looked down at the barrier. “I do admit I may have gone a bit overboard, but it wasn’t my intention to kill the mare. Sunset was the one who wanted to make her ill.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t cast my own spells through Sunset’s horn. We would be in a very different situation if that were the case. I can only amplify and turn her spells into a curse, but the curse will always be ruled by her intentions.” Nightmare grinned. “At least until I hold more control over her body. Then I will be able to cast more freely.”

“Be careful or we won’t get that far.”

Nightmare shrugged. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” she lied.

“I hate that word.”

Author's Note

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Repairs were successful!

Have a nice day.

13 Chapters Remaining

I managed to get this out in the middle of all the chaos going on, I hope it’s to your liking.

Theorists, be prepared for the next chapter:

Chapter 31: My Dream.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 31: My Dream

“I don’t agree with your decision,” Luna stated sternly, sitting on the other side of Celestia’s office desk.

“I know,” the monarch answered meekly.

“I should hit you.”

Celestia pointed at her bleeding nose. “You did.”

“I should hit you again!” Luna screamed furiously.

“Would that solve anything?”

Luna gritted her teeth. “I can’t believe you Tia.”

Celestia looked down at the table. “Me neither. That’s why I asked you to look for them.”

Luna sighed, very frustrated. “I searched all around your mindscape and didn’t found any locks in your memory that involved Sunset. So, whoever she was before you took her in is a complete mystery.”

“And the reports?” Celestia asked with little hope.

Luna shook her head. “Just dead ends.
There are no reports of missing foals that fit Sunset’s description thirty-one years ago.
And I don’t know how you managed to hide the entire event from the press, but it was enough to erase the trail completely.
So, we don’t know in what town it happened. Only that either it wasn’t completely destroyed, or that Equestria’s construction workforce lives up to its reputation.”

Celestia put both hooves on her face, careful not to put pressure on her nose. “I wanted to tell her. I really did. But the good parts first. Make her remember how happy she was. Now I only have the worst parts of her foalhood.”

Luna could hear her sister sobbing, so she tried to calm herself a little before speaking.

“You’re right. There is no way of reducing the damage that the truth will do to Sunset.” She gritted her teeth again, angry at herself because of her own decision. “So, it’s imperative that she never knows.”

Celestia lifted her head to look at her sister in the eye. “What?”

“As much as I don’t agree with your decision to keep things in the past, I see no other choice but to keep it secret. If what you told me is true, a truly out of control Sunset would be devastating for anypony other than an alicorn, Twilight and maybe Shining Armor.”

Luna looked away from Celestia. “I will do what I can to keep her away from those thoughts through the dream realm.”

Celestia leaned towards her sister. “Luna I can’t ask you to do that for me. I know how much that plane means to you.”

“I’m not doing this for you, I’m doing it for Sunset. I owe it to her.”

Luna grunted in frustration. This really wasn’t the way she wanted to repay that debt.

“Why did you have to do this Tia?”

“What would you have done in my place?” Celestia asked as a poor form of defense.

Luna took a moment to think, but the answer was simple for her.

“I would’ve just ended it right then and there,” she said, doing a crushing motion with her hooves.

“So, how is she doing?” Twilight asked Filthy while they sat in the waiting room.

Filthy managed to smile for the first time since his wife was hospitalized. “They will discharge her tomorrow. Your sister did a really good job.”

“She has… experience with these kinds of things.” The unicorn looked away, thinking back on the night she told Sunset about her curse.

Twilight was still unsure about Sunset’s decision of leaving her curse behind along with whatever memories she had lost.
She knew that it was wrong. Very wrong. But she couldn’t force Sunset to do what she thought was best for her.

“But Celestia could. If I convince her, she could back me up and make Sunset realize she can face her past in the correct way.”

“Miss Sparkle?” Filthy asked, getting Twilight’s attention back.

“Sorry, got an idea for a spell. What were you saying?”

Filthy could tell she was lying, and worried about what she could be hiding. “I was asking if you knew were Sunset lived. I didn’t get the chance to talk to her after she helped my wife.”

“Oh, she’s staying with me in the library. You can come over tomorrow if you want,” Twilight offered with a smile.

Filthy nodded. “Will do. Thank you again for your help.”

Twilight just smiled and teleported out of the hospital, getting as close as she could to the library, her mind still ruminating Sunset’s case.

“Besides Celestia, I can try with Luna and Cadence, maybe Shining too. I’m sure at least one of them can convince Sunset.”

Twilight sighed heavily, feeling a small migraine creep into her brain. “Am I being too overbearing? Should I just let her go ahead with her decision?”

She continued pondering about what to do and who to ask for help or advice until she arrived at the library, and when she was about to open the door, she found a blank note stuck to the door.

Twilight infused the note with her magic, making words appear on the paper.

“I went to see Rarity.

I will buy groceries on the way back.

-SS”

Twilight smiled. She was happy that her sister and Rarity had bonded so much over the past months.

“I’m sure Rarity will be Sunset’s first friend once she…”

Twilight’s smile fell, and her worries came back.

But this time, they sparked some determination in her eyes.

“If facing her past will help her find friendship, then I can’t let Sunset cast it aside.
I have to convince her.”

Twilight tore the note form the door, and then noticed that there was another sentence she didn’t read before.

“PS: This message will self-destruct in 10 seconds.”

“Wait wha-”

The letter literally exploded in front of her, creating a large cloud of smoke and covering her in soot and ash.

Twilight slowly opened her eyes and frowned. “Very funny Sunny.”

“Why are you giggling darling?” Rarity asked.

“Sorry, just noticed a spell I cast went off just now,” Sunset responded with a smile. “So, what did you need my help for?”

Rarity nervously glanced towards a curtain that hid one corner of the boutique. “Well… I’m sure you’ve heard about Hoity Toity.”

Sunset quickly recognized the name. “Oh yeah, I talked with him at a few galas. He’s a nice enough stallion, although he can be kind of rude as a critic.”

Rarity forced herself to laugh to hide her nervousness. “As expected of a pony with such high standards.”

“Oh, I’m sure he will love your dresses. Any of them would immediately catch the attention of anypony who attends the galas.” Sunset reassured her, making the fashionista smile with a bit of pride. “He’s coming to see them, isn’t he?”

“Yes. This is my big chance to take a step forward in the world of fashion!” she exclaimed, clapping her hooves in excitement.

Sunset joined in. “That’s great news! What are you going to show?”

Rarity’s excitement crashed and burned as she remembered the root of her problem.

“Well…” She gave one more look at the curtain and decided to just rip the band-aid off. “…they are… these.”

Rarity removed the curtain with her magic without any fanfare, showing off the five dresses she had made for her friends, ‘exactly as they liked’.

Sunset took one good look at each of them, and without saying a word, she lit her horn, summoning a big fireball.

“Waiiiit!” Rarity screamed, jumping between Sunset and the dresses before she could incinerate them.

“Why?!” Sunset asked, completely flummoxed. “How did this come out of your hooves and horn? What happened with the whole ‘make some designs with what you learned about my friends’ thing?”

Rarity put her hooves up, eyeing the fireball that was still hanging in the air. “I did make them, but the girls didn’t exactly… like them.”

“What?” Sunset asked, more disappointed than angry.

“They said they weren’t what they had in mind. So, I made these exactly how they liked them.” Rarity looked at the dresses and cringed. “I don’t blame you if you’re angry.”

Sunset gritted her teeth, but then she just sighed, dispelling the fireball. “No, I’m just… disappointed. I thought I made at least one right.”

Sunset sat down on the floor, looking at the rack where the dresses she had made where hanging. “I guess Pinkie was right when she said that I can’t be good at everything.”

Rarity walked up to her. “It’s not that you don’t have talent darling. It’s just… difficult to please everypony. Some ponies just don’t have taste for art.”

“Twilight and the girls clearly don’t.” She glanced at the dresses one more time. “Please tell me you have something else to show to Hoity.”

Rarity sat down next to Sunset, looking down at the floor. “No, I spent all my time with their dresses, so I couldn’t work on anything else. And the Gala is the theme of the show, so I can’t just not display them.”

They both stayed in silence for a while, trying to find a solution, until Sunset finally spoke. “What did you wanted me to help you with?”

Rarity sighed and tried to put on a more positive attitude. “I wanted to prepare a proper stage to show all of Ponyville my work. And I thought you could have some spells to help, or maybe know somepony who could build it.”

Sunset smiled to give the unicorn some hope. “I can do both, but I will need to go to Canterlot and get somepony to help with the stage.”

“Okay, I will see if I can prepare at least one more dress in the meantime. Thank you for your help. I really need it.” Rarity stood up, giving one more exhale before going into work mode.

Sunset teleported out of the building and summoned her wings, taking flight towards Canterlot at full speed.

She had a plan.

The sun was about to be brought down by Celestia when a large crowd of ponies started to gather around Carousel Boutique, and among them was a particularly ‘fancy’ stallion, wearing purple shades and high-class clothing.

Rarity gasped, hiding behind the big curtains of her new stage. “There he is!”

“Calm down Rarity, everything is going to be fine,” Sunset reassured her while a black coated stallion finished the last-minute touches to a control panel for the stage’s different features.

Rarity couldn’t calm down, just trying to accept the inevitable. “I can’t, I couldn’t finish even one more dress for the show. And I made you prepare such a great stage and it’s going to be wasted with this. Oh, I’m a horrible p-”

Sunset stopped her from fully collapsing by putting a hoof on her mouth. “Stop that. You did your best with what you had. Try and make the best of it, and I will deal with the fallout okay?”

Rarity’s worries where sidetracked momentarily. “What do you mean by that?”

“Everything ready Yank?” Sunset called out to the back stallion, who moved his messy grey mane away from his eyes and gave her an okay signal before turning on the lights.

Rarity quickly went back to panicking. “We’re starting right now?!”

Sunset smiled as the nervous fashionista hid behind the curtains while Spike started with the introduction.

“Since the beginning of time, the elite of Equestria have longed for pony fashions that truly expressed the essence of their very souls. Patiently waiting decades—no, centuries—for the perfect pony gown. Today, at long last, Equestria, your wait is over! Let's hear it for the breathtaking designs of Ponyville's own Rarity!”

The five mares walked out to the stage with pride in their step, making all the ponies start murmuring between each other.

As they modeled for the crowd, Applejack finally noticed something.

“Why’s everypony looking at us like that?”

Twilight looked at herself and realized the problem with all their dresses. “Oh dear.”

“You think we overdid it?” Rainbow asked, joining in the revelation.

“Nah,” Applejack responded, but she didn’t sound convinced. “Okay, maybe a little.”

“I hope you learned your lesson!” Sunset shouted as she stepped out of the curtains.

The five mares looked at her. But before they could say anything, Sunset gave Yank the signal, and he pressed a red button on the panel.

Suddenly, the circular platform the mares were standing on was released, and powerful springs under it sent all of them flying over the crowd while they screamed.

With some luck, they would land on the big mattress Sunset had laid out for their fall.

Sunset walked up to the crowd, a small mic appearing beside her mouth. “Sorry for this false start, but now, we can truly begin with the show!”

The ponies were confused but also very intrigued as to where all of this was leading to, so they stayed put, and even Hoity Toity decided to give a second chance to the whole affair.

“What are you doing?! I don’t have anything to show!!” Rarity screamed as Sunset entered the backstage, but the orange unicorn just smiled and pointed behind her.

“What about them?”

Rarity turned around, and her jaw dropped.

Spike cleared his throat and addressed the crowd once more. “Okay Ponyville, this time for real. Let's hear it for the breathtaking designs of Ponyville's own Rarity!”

The curtains opened, and the crowd was surprised at the sigh of a familiar pony and griffon.

“I can’t believe she convinced me to do this,” Gilda muttered as she walked through the stage, not even trying to model for the public, either because of embarrassment or pride.

She was wearing a simple light brown jacket and pants with turn-ups, showing the lining that had a jazzy pattern. A smart-looking, poppy-yellow scarf was casually wrapped around her neck, making her look as cool and casual as her personality.

“I also don’t like the main stage, but it’s a gift from a good friend,” Savoir said, wearing a full white pinstripe suit with deep red finishings, and a fedora in similar colors.

It was a look that made him seem like some high-class gangster of old, which he really liked but would never admit it to anypony.

When the two less voluntary of the participants finished their show, out went the third;

Moon Dancer.

The unicorn was giving thanks to Celestia that the black mask with pink lace embellishments and a large swirl of black feathers on one side concealed her glasses, and also hid most of her face. She was secretly dying from embarrassment.

She was also glad that the black dress, which sat tight on her waist, had a voluminous skirt that disguised most of her figure, so nopony would recognize her out of her outfit. With the exception of her mane, which had been brushed forcefully by Sunset to look more presentable. The hem of the dress was decorated with sparkly pink moons and small, star-shaped gems to represent her cutie mark, and the neckline had criss-crossing pink ribbons.

However, as she was stared at in awe by the huge crowd, Moon Dancer felt something spark inside her chest.

Having so much attention on her, admiring her looks, even if most of it was because of the dress, made her feel like she was… accepted.

Being a recluse most of her life, she always hid from the crowds like a vampire would from sunlight. Never bothering to think about her looks since she wouldn’t want the attention. Or simply, she felt like it was useless to try and look better than she truly was.

But now. She felt like she could be the center of attention.

And maybe she could even like it.

Following close behind her where the three Crusaders, whose outfits were inspired by the three reigning princesses.

Scootaloo was wearing a midnight blue dress, made from a material that shimmered in shades of lighter blue in the lights. It had a simple cut, and a silver sash around the waist. She was the one most into the whole showing off affair, copying Rainbow’s calls for attention.

Sweetie Belle had a dress in the colors of the Princess of Love. Rosy pink, light yellow and a soft purple gradiated from one to the other from the bust to the waist, and all the way down the long hem. It also had short, poofy sleeves that looked very cute with her curls, now highlighted with a few pale yellow streaks.

Finally, Applebloom’s dress was made from a pure white material, prettily pleated on her waist. Instead of wearing a bow on her head, like usual, she had a wide golden sash tied in a big bow on her back. Her red mane was tied in a bun, with a sparkly headband.

When the four finished their round, it was time for the big reveal.

“This is just bordering too far for a prank,” Shinning muttered as he walked out along with Cadence.

The pink alicorn chuckled. “I think it’s more of a form of encouragement.”

Their outfits could simply be described as wedding apparel.

Shining had a regal, semi-military red jacket with golden details and a blue sash running from the left shoulder to the right side of his hip.

Cadence had on a white satin dress with a long train, with intricate beading in white, gold and yellow adorning the lenght of the dress. She had styled her mane in a sculpted up-do, crowned with a wreath of colorful flowers. All that was missing was the veil to make it an official wedding dress.

While the two recent models had everypony surprised, the next two made their jaws drop to the floor.

“I can’t go out like this.”

“This is the best way to present yourself to the public Lulu.”

“What if I make everypony paranoid and ruin the event?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, just try to enjoy it.”

The two royal sisters finally came out, surprising absolutely everypony with their unannounced visit to the town.

Celestia showed off a flowy, layered dress in different shades of pink, with an asymmetrical neckline and embroidering in gold thread on the bust. A beautiful jewel in the shape of a sun pinned on her shoulder completed the look.

Luna on her part had a draped, deep blue dress, opulently decorated with white diamonds. When she moved, it looked like a beautiful night sky filled with stars. Her emblem, the moon, was represented in the large piece of jewellery on her left ear.

While her older sister simply enjoyed the attention of the crowd, Luna felt something a bit more personal.

She always wanted for the ponies to appreciate her night, and Sunset had somehow managed to make her look like she was wearing it.

And as the ponies gazed in awe at the beauty of it, she felt that old violin string in her heart that she had forcibly put back as to not fall into the same pit that condemned her to a thousand years be strung by the awe-struck gazes of the crowd admiring the night she was wearing.

And this time, instead of a somber note, the string sang like if it was part of a perfect harp.

Needless to say, Luna was fighting back tears of joy.

Meanwhile, behind the stage, Rarity and Sunset where having a small argument.

“Sunset, as much as I appreciate all this, and that you’re doing it for me, I can’t accept it. This aren’t my designs, they are yours. I can’t just take credit for your creations.”

Sunset brushed it off with a smile. “Let me remind you that you helped me make them. You taught me how to do it. And you know that I don’t mean just the tailoring part. This is me repaying that gift you gave me.”

Rarity smiled, warmed by her words.
She never expected to leave such a mark on Sunset. Especially after all their bad interactions in the past.

“But that’s all they are; past things that are not worth thinking about anymore,” she thought before the business part of her mind remind her of a problem that still needed to be resolved.

“Sunset, even if I accept this gift from you, I simply can’t promote myself with your creations. This show is supposed to display what I can do alone for everypony.”

Sunset’s smile turned into a grin. “Well, there are two dresses that are one-hundred percent yours.”

Rarity was confused at first, but as the realization sunk in, she smiled with determination. “Let’s get changed.”

After the princesses left the stage, everypony started applauding, thinking that this was the final exhibit of the show.

But Spike quickly corrected them.

“And now, we present you, Rarity’s magnus opus; the Royal Queen and the Daydream Sunset!”

Yank cut off the lights completely, hiding both mares from the public until Rarity’s horn lit up, showering everything around her in a bright blue light.

Another light, this time cyan, joined in, filling the stage with blue colors, simulating a night sky around them.

And with this light illuminating them, the public could see the two mares modeling one next to the other.

Rarity’s crimson and pink dress with yellow details, accentuated with a golden crown and jewelry on her head and ears, honored its name.

Anypony who didn’t know who she was would immediately assume that she was a queen of a beautiful fantasy kingdom, known for her incomparable beauty.

And Sunset, finally being able to don her Daydream dress once more, looked like she was taken straight out of a beautiful fairytale.

The entire crowd were agape. Words lost in their mouths. They could only stare in awe at the perfection in front of them.

After a full minute, the two posing mares made a small bow that finally broke the spell, and the crowd went wild.

They applauded, cheered, and took as many pictures as they could.

Even Hoity Toity was beyond impressed by the performance, and wanted nothing more than exhibit those dresses in his fashion boutique.

Rarity and Sunset shared a look and a smile, but Rarity’s turned a bit wider after a second.

“You know, with all the stress of the show, I forgot about a little modification I made to your dress.”

Before Sunset could ask what it was, Rarity lit her horn, and activated the runes hidden under the Daydream dress.

Sunset felt a tingle on her back, and suddenly, she was floating above the ground.

And the next surprise was bigger, as two big, ethereal golden wings appeared on her back, showering the crowd with its glow.

Everypony besides Rarity and Celestia froze at the sight, not believing that an already perfect dress could transcend its beauty in just a matter of seconds.

Rarity took a few steps back to let Sunset hog the attention, believing that she deserved it after all the help she gave her, but was surprised when Princess Celestia walked up to Sunset.

The orange unicorn noticed her mentor at her side, and her eyes widened as she heard the words the princess whispered in her ear.

“I believe that with all this show, todays sunset has been delayed for too long. Would you do the honors?”

Sunset’s mind went into overdrive, having great difficulty with processing all the feelings she was trying to convey.

“A- are you sure? Do you really think I’m ready?”

Celestia simply smiled, and with a bit of regal authority, took her crown off and put it on Sunset’s head.

“You already have the crown and wings. You won’t need anything else.”

With that, Celestia stepped back, leaving Sunset alone to confront the crowd, and the flaming astral behemoth in the sky.

Sunset’s panicked expression slowly changed to one of pure determination as she floated higher in the air, her horn lighting up with all the magic she could gather.

Her eyes were dead center on the sun, her immunity to fire helping her to avoid going blind.

She extended her forelegs to her sides, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

She channeled her magic and focused on making a connection with the sun, linking it like unicorns did with their horns.

However, even if it was similar, this kind of connection was severely more difficult to maintain, since the sun didn’t have the same type of magic like ponies normally use.

But Sunset would be the exception. The only unicorn to be able to move the sun all by herself.

She knew she could do it.

Sunset poured out all her magic. All her soul. Into her connection with the sun. Making it stronger.

Strong enough to be able to control it.

Feeling like she could do no better than this, Sunset went into the next part: Moving it.

She put all her ambitions, all her hopes and dreams, all her struggles and achievements into the action. Hoping, begging, for the sun to allow her wish to come true.

“Please… Let me have this… Is all I ever wanted…”

Sunset could almost feel like the flaming astral behemoth was judging her. Deciding if she was worthy of the right to request its movement.

There were a few seconds of silent anxiety, as everypony held their breath while they waited.

And then…

The sun moved.

It was slow at first, but quickly gained speed, or as much speed as a pony could see from the incredible distance away that it was from them.

Soon, the sun started to lower behind the horizon, coloring the town with vibrant colors of red, orange and yellow.

However, the attention of the crowd, now including the five mares that were launched into the sky not long ago, was not on the sunset…

It was on Sunset.

The colors emitted by the sun’s movement seemed to merge with the ethereal wings, making them shine with the same splendor, giving Sunset the look of not only an angel, not only a princess, but the sunset itself.

Sunset finally opened her eyes, and was struck by the beautiful sight of the sunset she had created.

And when she looked down, she felt her heart skip a beat.

Everypony, even Luna and Celestia herself, were bowing down to her. As a sign of respect for their new princess.

Sunset couldn’t hold back the tears that started running down her face.

This was it.

She finally did it.

All that she ever wanted was here.

After so many hardships and pitfalls, she was exactly where she wanted to be.

She finally accomplished the dreams she had since she was a little filly.

The entity at the other side of the golden barrier known as Sunshine was floating near her prison wall, seeing Sunset achieve her dreams and finally be happy.

Sunshine wanted to be happy too.

She wanted to be happy for Sunset.

She wanted to let her grow without hatred.

She wanted that the only other being that was even close to comprehending what she went through was happy with who she was.

But what she wanted the most, was to be able to cry.

To be able to express the feelings that tore at her soul.

But she couldn’t do it.

She would never be able to do it.

So, she went back to her only friend in the world.

An overwhelming feeling of wrath.

Sunshine let out an earth-shaking roar of pure rage, summoning both of her weapons to her hands, and charged at the barrier.

She slammed her weapons against it with all her strength. All her fury. All her pain and suffering.

She felt the bones in her arms shatter into pieces, and when the barrier pushed back against her, they were torn clean off her torso.

But it didn’t matter.

Her body was completely made of magical fire, so she simply regrew them in a few seconds.

She looked at the barrier, starring at the two small cracks she had managed to make.

Two more cracks added to the hundreds she had managed to make over the years, hoping that she would be able to break free before Sunset died of old age.

“What. The fuck. Is wrong with you?” Nightmare growled, having been unceremoniously thrown into the sky when Sunshine hit the barrier.

“Those were my dreams.”

“Those were my ambitions.”

“I was supposed to be the one who became a princess!”

“I was supposed to be the one who moves the sun!”

Nightmare frowned, having the now familiar feeling that she didn’t really know what her sister was talking about.

“What do you mean by that?”

There was no response. Just a very long silence. Until Nightmare finally snapped.

“Answer me Sunshine!”

Suddenly, the temperature in the mindscape plummeted. Almost becoming ice-cold.

Nightmare heard her sister’s words full of sadness and emptiness.

“I’m not Sunshine.”

“What?”

“My name is Dawn. Dawn Shimmer.”

“Then who in Tartarus is Sunshine?!”

There was another, shorter pause. And Dawn’s answer regained some of its fury.

“It doesn’t really matter anymore…”

“…she died thirty years ago.”

Author's Note

Character bio discovered!

Name: Dawn Shimmer

Stats:

Strength – 100 maxed
Dexterity – 100 maxed
Constitution – 100 maxed
Intelligence – 100 maxed
Wisdom – 41
Charisma – 33

Magic Power – 100 maxed
Magic Capacity – 100 maxed
Magic Control – 100 maxed
Magic Resistance – 100 maxed
Magic Ability – 100 maxed
Magic Generation - 100 maxed

Evocation – 100 maxed
Abjuration – 100 maxed
Divination – 100 maxed
Conjuration – 100 maxed
Transmutation – 100 maxed
Illusion - 100 maxed

Morale: 20/100.

This is it theorists. The last chance to try and crack the mystery.

I may give some hints if you get close, but by the next chapter, you will have to fend for yourselves.

In other news, we finally reached the chapter I've been wanting to write since chapter three!!!

I hope you've enjoyed the ride, and keep enjoying it as the story goes on in the next chapter:

Chapter 32: Sunshine

Deleted Scene's:

As the five ponies fell from the sky, five dices where thrown.

Applejack rolls…

18

She bounces off the mattress and lands on the ground, standing on her hooves.

Pinkie rolls…

9

She misses the mattress and bounces off the grass, but without any injury.

Fluttershy rolls…

5

She forgets that she can fly and faceplants on the ground.

Rainbow rolls…

15

She does a spin and lands on the matress before bouncing off and land next to Applejack.

Twilight rolls…

1

She not only missies the mattress, but also hits the brick wall next to it head on.

Chapter 32: Sunshine

Sunset concentrated, keeping her feelings at bay and ordering them to calm down.
They obeyed as much as they could, stopping the impulses of her body, but her hooves still trembled.

She continued counting the time, getting close to two full minutes, and smiled at the prospect of having to get out due to a lack of air instead of her fears.

Sunset felt a hoof leave her back, but she didn’t get out immediately.
She forced herself to stay, putting even more pressure on her nerves as they screamed more fiercely for her to leave the river.

After passing the two minute mark, her lungs joined the demand to get out and breathe some air, and only then Sunset complied and sprung out of the river, making Rainbow fall back from the shore.

“Are you okay? I thought that I drowned you for a second,” the pegasus asked, looking at her companion drying herself off with the heat of her body.

“Better than okay!” Sunset responded with excitement. “I can stay by my own choice! It’s still a bit panic inducing but I can finally stay underwater!”
The unicorn grabbed Rainbow with her magic and gave her a big hug. “Thank you for all your help!”

The pegasus looked away, smiling with a blush, a little embarrassed by the warm embrace. “It’s what I promised, but I’m happy to help you face your fears.”

[Somewhere in Ponyville, Fluttershy felt her tail wiggle.]

Sunset just kept hugging her with a smile. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Which is something I never thought I would say to anypony ever. You really are awesome.”

Rainbow’s blush deepened. “Y-yeah. Of course I am!” she exclaimed, trying to sound like her usual self.

[The tail-wiggles intensified.]

Sunset finally let go, and the pegasus turned around to look at the sky, hiding her face. “So, what do you want to do now?”

Sunset pondered for a second. “I don’t know. I Didn’t make plans for today. Maybe I'll go visit Gilda, see how she’s doing with the house.”

Rainbow managed to bring her face back to normal colors and looked at her. “Hey, me and the girls are going to spend the day at Sugarcube Corner. Do you want to come and hang out?”

Sunset’s face lit up. “I would love to! I never really spent time with all of you together. It should be fun.”

Rainbow smiled and put a foreleg over her shoulders. “Of course it will! And even more with you coming along!”

Sunset put one hoof over Rainbow’s, happy to feel that she was finally being part of the group and not just the odd one out.

“Maybe that glass will finally break,” she thought before summoning her wings.

“Do you want to do some practice on the way back to town?”

Rainbow grinned at the challenge. “Let’s see how much you’ve learned.”

[Meanwhile, Fluttershy was writing on a little notepad, imprinting her sudden rush of inspiration for a new novel before the ideas left her head.]

Shining Armor stood at the entrance to the gardens of Canterlot Castle, trying to calm his nerves.

“Okay, today is the day. You’ve been planning for it; you have everything ready.”
He took one more look at the little box where he kept the ring, hoping that it would be enough for Cadence.

“Hi Shining!” Came a voice that almost made the unicorn jump in place.

He quickly turned around with a beaming smile, hiding the box from her. “Cadence! I missed you!”

They shared a quick kiss, and the alicorn giggled. “I know I know, sorry for that. I was busy with the preparations for the return of the Crystal Empire and I got a little out of orbit around the castle. But we can finally spend some time together!”

Shining stepped aside and moved his foreleg towards the garden. “Let’s not waste any time then. I’ve a bit of a surprise for you.”

Suddenly, Cadence smiled mischievously, and her voice had the same tone. “Oh, I also have a surprise for you.”

Shining’s nervousness came back with more intensity. “Does she know about the ring?”

He barely managed to remain calm and chuckled. “Oh really? I guess we will see who gets the more dramatic reveal.”

They walked into the garden, getting closer together and leaning over each other, sharing the occasional kiss until they reached the spot Shining had chosen for his declaration.

It was below a weeping willow with little birds singing, where he had prepared a small picnic area on a blue and pink chequered blanket, with a basket with some of Cadence’s favorite heart-shaped macaroons and a bottle of wine Shining’s father had gifted him for the occasion.

Cadence smiled at the presentation for their date. “Wow, I haven’t seen you put in so much effort since our first date.”
She quickly went over to the basket and took one of the pastries to try it out, savoring the familiar sweet taste she loved.

“It is a special day,” Shining said, taking seat next to her.

Cadence gave him a sweet little laugh. “On that we can both agree.”
She sat down and leaned on Shining, sharing another long kiss, enjoying the comfort of being in his embrace.

“So, what big surprise do you have for me?” Cadence asked, looking up at him with a smile.

Shinning gave her a kiss on the forehead before speaking softly. “I need you to close your eyes.”

Cadence chuckled and did as he asked, knowing full well she would have the final surprise of the day.

Shinning pulled out the little box, took the ring out, and put it around Cadence’s horn, making a clicking sound as the magic took effect.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered in a voice that definitely wasn’t Shining’s.

Cadence opened her eyes wide and leaped out of his embrace, ready to shout for help or to fight by herself if she needed to.

But, right at that moment, one of the birds in the weeping willow exploded in a ball of flames, leaving behind the tall form of the changeling queen, who quickly pounced on top of the princess of love.

Cadence, completely surprised by the sudden attack, was pinned to the ground.

She tried to cast a spell to fight back, but found her magic nullified by the ring ‘Shining Amor’ had put on her.

She saw a huge, toothy grin in the queen’s face right before a blast of magic hit her straight on the forehead, knocking her out with a surge of pain.

Chrysalis couldn’t stop her laughter at the perfectly executed plan.

The princess of love was hers, and soon her future husband would be under her spell.

By replacing one and marrying the other, she would undoubtedly inherit the Crystal Empire once it returned, and that would give her not only a good source of love for her hive, but a firm foothold to begin her conquest of Equestria.

“Is she okay?” Came the timid voice of Thorax behind her.

She would normally be annoyed by his sympathy for the pony and chastise him, but he had made a very good job replacing Shinning for her plan, so she let it slide.

“In fact, why not give him a little reward worthy of his nature?” the queen thought with a smile before turning around to face her subject.

“If you’re worried about her, you can keep watch over her cell and make sure stays there until we have no need for her anymore.”

Thorax took his eyes away from Cadence’s unconscious form and nodded. “Yes mother.”

Chrysalis smiled. She didn’t get to hear that word too often.

The changeling queen teleported Cadence along with Thorax to the already prepared cell in the caves beneath Canterlot and then took the alicorns form before walking out of the garden with a spring in her step.

Now, all she needed was for Shining Armor to stallion up and propose to her.

Twilight smiled as she looked at Sunset conversing with all her friends.

Hearing old tales from Applejacks family, sharing ideas with Rarity about new designs for her dresses, whispering to Fluttershy and making her blush, playfully butting heads with Rainbow and her challenges, and laughing at Pinkie’s antics.

She really had become a part of the group. A far cry from their more than bumpy start.

It warmed her heart to see her sister so happy, but under that warmth, a cold feeling remained.

Sunset’s disconnection from her friends.

By all means, Sunset should feel like Twilight’s friends were also her friends, but she still had that ‘glass’, as she described it, preventing her from feeling the magic of friendship.

And Twilight still firmly believed that it was because of her past, or rather, her lack of a past.

She had reached out to Celestia about convincing Sunset to delve into her past, but her mentor had stated, repeatedly, that she supported Sunset’s decision, and that Twilight should not insist on the matter.

She tried with Luna, but even if the lunar princess seemed less insistent than her sister, she also told her to leave the subject behind and focus on teaching friendship to Sunset.

Cadence and Shining were the only ones willing to support her, but after hearing about the royal princesses standing on the matter, they had no option but to back down, and left her on her own.

Suddenly, three fillies entered the door of the shop, getting everypony’s attention.

“Rainbow Dash! You’re here!” Scootaloo exclaimed.

The pegasus smiled smugly, as she usually did, and walked up to them. “I hear you're looking for my cutie mark story.”

“Oh yeah, Pinkie mentioned that,” Sunset thought with a smile, and got closer as Rainbow started telling the story.

The tale was as simple but awesome as the mare it was about.

It gave Sunset nostalgia about the time she saw Trixie get her own.

“I wonder how she’s doing. Maybe I should ask for somepony to look for her.”

When Rainbow finished telling her story, a surprised Fluttershy walked up to Rainbow.

“Wait a second. I heard that explosion. And I saw the rainbow too. Rainbow Dash, if you hadn't scared the animals, I never would have learned I could communicate with them and gotten my cutie mark.”

“I heard that boom! And right afterwards, there was this amazing rainbow that taught me to smile,” Pinkie said, joining in.

“When I got my cutie mark, I saw a rainbow that pointed me home. I bet it was your sonic rainboom!” Applejack exclaimed.

“There was an explosion I could never explain when I got my cutie mark,” Rarity added, joining in her friend’s excitement.

Twilight put a hoof on her forehead. “This is uncanny! If that explosion didn't happen when it did, I would have blown my entrance exam. Rainbow Dash, I think you helped me earn my cutie mark too!”

“We all owe our cutie marks to you!” Pinkie exclaimed, jumping on top of Rainbow.

“Do you realize what this means? All of us had a special connection before we even met,” Fluttershy said, walking up to the pair on the floor.

“We've been BFFs forever and we didn't even know it!” Rarity added with a smile.

“Come here, y'all,” Applejack shouted before the six friends shared a big hug, laughing and aww-ing with big smiles on their faces.

Seeing the group so united in the revelation of their previously unknown union made Sunset feel something pulling at her heartstrings.

It was a very painful feeling.

Right in this moment, watching them so happy just from being even closer together, Sunset understood what friendship meant.

That union. That irreplaceable connection. Like the ones love could have. That feeling of happiness just because you were close to somepony.

That was friendship.

And now that she knew what it was…

…she felt even farther from achieving it.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, she teleported out of the shop, and began walking towards the train station.

She needed some time to think. And some study to distract herself.

However, halfway through the way, she heard somepony shout her name.

“Sunset! Wait!”

She turned around, and saw the crusaders running up to her, clearly winded from their chase.

Swallowing her pain, Sunset put on a smile. “Is something wrong?”

“Why did you leave so suddenly?” Applebloom asked.

“Did seeing the girls hugging make you feel lonely?” Scootaloo added.

“Do you need some emergency ice-cream?” Sweetie finished.

Sunset gave a long sigh. “Look, I know you three mean well, but I don’t want to talk about it right now. I don’t want to even think about it. So, I’m leaving for a while, okay?”

The three fillies looked at each other, clearly dissatisfied with her answer.
Sunset was about to leave, but Applebloom stopped her.

“Please don’t run away.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I’m not running away.”

“You are!” Sweetie exclaimed. “You’re avoiding a problem and let it get worse.”

“Yeah, you’re a strong mare, you should face it head on! That’s what Rainbow always says to do with a challenge.” Scootaloo complained.

Sunset shook her head. “Sorry girls, but no.”

“Then how about what our sisters and their friends will feel when they realize you left because of them!” Sweetie pointed out.

Sunset was surprised at the clever manipulative move the filly made.

But even if she was right, Sunset remained in denial.
“Okay, fair point. I will stay. But please, can we talk about anything else?” She pleaded, and Scootaloo quickly answered with a grin.

“Very well, what was your cutie mark story?”

“Yeah, what does it mean?” Sweetie asked, pointing at the half red, half golden sun in the mare’s flank.

“Oh, this?” Sunset asked, relieved to change topics. “It represents…”

Sunset’s mind drifted off, unable to repeat the answer everypony had given her over the years.

Seeing the mare getting stuck in her thoughts, Applebloom tried to guess. “Is it pyromania?”

“I think it’s paranoia.” Scootaloo corrected.

“No, my sister said it was pyromancy!” Sweetie exclaimed.

“Yes… pyromancy,” Sunset responded with a robotic tone, unsure of something she thought she knew all her life.

Inside Sunset’s mindscape, Nightmare saw something flash in the distance, close to Sunset’s mind-projection, and she quickly flew to it.

“So, what’s the story?” Scootaloo asked impatiently.

“Yeah, I’m sure it will be as awesome as Rainbow's!”

“I…” Sunset tried to recall the memory, but found nothing.

She tried harder, trying to recall anything about it, but her mind was blank.

A huge headache took hold of most of her brain, making her wince in pain.

“Are you okay?” Applebloom asked worried.

As Sunset tried to recall the memory, the image Nightmare had seen flashed again.

It was a large golden gate, with two big locks keeping it shut, and Sunset’s mind-projection was trying in vain to open it.

When it flashed a third time, Nightmare extended her wing, and managed to grab the bars of the gate with her hand, anchoring herself to it.

She could see something on the other side, something completely different from the rest of the mindscape.

“Finally, some answers.” She thought with a grin as she grabbed one of the locks and pulled with all her strength, tearing it off the door.

“Stop!” Dawn shouted from the barrier.

“Sorry sister, but you refused to give me the answers I sought, so I will get them myself.”

She then pulled on the other lock, tearing it off with a grunt of victory.

“Fine! I will help you get the throne! We can kill Celestia and imprison Luna together! Just please, leave that gate closed.”

Hearing her sister begging like that made Nightmare stop.

She slowly looked down at the barrier, where she guessed Dawn was floating.

She could feel her anxiety and desperation. Like the opening of the gate would mean her instant death.

She was clearly at her most vulnerable.
Nightmare could make her do anything she wanted while she threatened to open the door.

However, in the eyes of Nightmare, Dawn was too much of a risk to be considered a trusted ally.

Nightmare pushed the doors with all her strength, tearing them off their hinges and making them fall with a resounding thump that resonated over the entire mindscape.

Sunset’s mind-projection quickly ran inside, getting lost in the long-forgotten territory of her past.

Nightmare smiled, and was about to enter the forgotten section, when an earth-shaking scream coming from her sister made the entire mind-scape tremble like if it was about to collapse in on itself.

Dawn’s voice wasn’t full of anger, sadness, or desperation.

Her scream was of pure, inescapable, and extreme pain.

Nightmare wondered if the door opening was actually killing her sister, but that thought quickly became secondary when suddenly…

…The barrier cracked below her.

Sunset suddenly felt a rush of head-splitting pain, like if the worsts migraines in pony history were congregating in her brain to beat it to death.

She threw up on the ground, felt herself go blind for a few seconds in random intervals, and her heart was pounding painfully in her chest.

She was begging to pass-out from the pain, but she somehow remained conscious, just to suffer even more.

But suddenly, the pain subsided long enough for her brain to work, and it launched her straight to the past while screaming one word:

Sunshine.

Sunshine!

SUNSHINE!

“Sunshine! Are you ready yet?”

A little orange filly looked up from her drawings at her mother’s shout, and quickly scampered to her dresser, pulling out a small brush.

She went in front of her mirror and started brushing her mane into her usual curly style, trying to be as presentable as possible before finally going to see the princess.

“If you don’t come down, we will leave you behind!” Her father joked, but it got the filly to hurry up, not wanting to miss her first celebration.

She put the brush back, and gave herself one more look at the mirror, admiring her pure crimson mane before running down to join her family.

Author's Note

Warning! Memory file corrupted.

Attempting to repair.

Repairing…

Repairing…

Repairing…

Repairs unsuccessful: 9,374,600 of 9,461,000 images missing.

Accessing memory file.

Please wait…

Next chapter: Chapter 33: “Dad?”

Little Sunshine 💗

Chapter 33: “Dad?”

Nightmare moved aside as a geyser of infernal red flames shot out of the fissure in the barrier, cracking it wider by the second.

She quickly put her hands around it and used her magic to seal it shut, preventing her sister’s escape.

But before she could even consider victory, two more cracks appeared around her.

And then two more.

Four more.

Eight.

Ten.

Dozens of them started to open as Dawn’s screaming continued, the unbearable pain paired with a wrath that until now had only been for Celestia.

Nightmare flew frantically around the mindscape, fixing them as fast as she could, but the rifts seemed endless.

But she couldn’t give up. She needed to keep Dawn trapped, and even if her escape was inevitable, she could exhaust her and make the following fight easier.

And there was also another problem.

All the fire shooting out of the cracks wasn’t dissipating, it was slowly but surely filling the virtually infinite space of Sunset’s mind with saturated wrathful magic.

And she didn’t want to imagine what will happen once its released.

Sunshine jumped around the[Where am I?]excitedly while her parents watched her with a smile.

“Can you tell her to calm down?” A young black-maned donkey complained from his seat next to them.

The stallion of the family just chuckled. “Sorry, she’s just excited to see the princess.”

The donkey snorted. “What’s so special about her?”
There was a sudden flash of[I can teleport?], and the little orange foal was suddenly in front of him.

“What’s not special about her?!” the little bundle of joy exclaimed. “She raises the sun, [Celestia is not that special], and gives us summers, and loves cakes, and-”

“Okay okay I get it,” the donkey interrupted her, covering his ears. “I hope you have fun.”
He then stood up and walked away to[Is this a train?].

“Thank you!” Sunshine shouted as he left, oblivious of the donkey’s poor mood, and resumed her excitement-fueled antics.

[Who are you?]looked at his wife a little worried.

Their daughter’s lack of selfawareness had already given her problems with other foals, She had a tendency to ignore them and to be unintentionally rude when she went intoher little world inside her imagination and forgetting about the real one.

But[Are you my mother?]assured him that she would be fine, and that once [Am I alone?] she would surely change for the better.

The journey continued, being unbearably long since[Where did we come from?]was very far away from Canterlot, but little Sunshine didn’t mind at all.

In fact, it seemed to just fuel her anticipation of seeing Celestia raise the sun in person.

Eventually, the[I guess this must be a train]arrived at the destination, and the family finally stepped out to the platform.

[My father?]immediately caught his daughter before she could sprint away at full speed and put her on his back.

“You know the rules Sunshy,” he reminded her with a smile.

“Sorry,” the foal said, trying not to pout too much, but her bad mood evaporated as they approached the small festival that preluded the big event.

Sunshine’s eyes were about to escape her head as she looked at all the attractions and stands around her, wanting nothing more than to run around and try a bit of everything!. And then a bit more for good measure.

[Why did you bring me here?]could feel her daughter practically vibrating with excitement on his back, so he separated from[Where are you taking me to?]to go see the different attractions.

Sunshine played on[How could I forget this?], ate some cupcakes and muffins, and even a doughnut she managed to steal from an unsuspecting pony,[How much did I lose?], rode the Ferris Wheel with her mother and a small rollercoaster with her father.

After about an hour of fun, the royal guard sounded the horns, announcing the start of the main event.

Sunshine’s family raced to get a good spot, but still got caught in the crowd, so her father let her stand on top of his head so she could see.

And she saw everything.

Princess Celestia, the great monarch of the sun, walked in front of a large golden sculpture that formed a circle behind her.

She addressed the public, giving a small speech that Sunshine didn’t quite. She was too infatuated with the sight of the princess.

Once she finished her speech, Celestia took to the air, floating directly in front of the center of the golden circle behind her, and stretched her forelegs to the sky as she lit her horn.

The sun started to move over the horizon, reaching the halfmoon in a couple of seconds, showering the crowd in its golden light, and bathing Celestia in a beautiful orange glow, like Sunshine’s own coat.

The little filly stood on her hindlegs on top of her father’s head, copying Celestia’s posture, and lit her horn with all her might.

“What are you doing Sunshy?” her mother asked with a smile, finding her daughters attempt extremely cute.

“I want to help move the sun,” the filly explained, scrunching up her snout as she doubled her efforts.

Her father smiled, trying to look at her even though she was on top of him.
“You’re still a bit too little to do that Sunshy. But maybe when you’re older you will be able to do it by yourself.”

[I did!]hit her husband with her hoof, trying to shut him up before giving impossible ideas to the impressionable filly.
The last thing they needed was for their daughter to obsess about something she couldn’t achieve.

However, unbeknownst to almost everycreature around her, Sunshine was feeling something.

Her young mind couldn’t even come close to describing it, but she could definitely feel something coming from the celestial behemoth.

She could sense it like some sort of weird psychic language that she couldn’t fully understand.

But she managed to understand one word…

“Blessed.”

She tried to understand more, but the only other creature that noticed her connection flew over to her and landed on her head, making her lose balance and fall on her father’s back.

Sunshine shook her head and looked at the culprit landing in front of her.

Her eyes widened like plates and filled with stars as she took in the sight of a tall, beautiful, red and orange phoenix looking down at her.

The mystical bird chirped, and got a little bit closer to her, like if she was saying ‘hello’.

“So… PRETTY!!!” Sunshine exclaimed before trapping the poor bird in a bone-breaking hug.

The phoenix pecked the filly in the head before she could turn her into ash, and Sunshine let go, rubbing her head and giving the bird an apologetic look.

“Sorry.”

At that moment, Sunshine’s mother tried to shoo the bird away from her daughter, but the phoenix just looked at her for a second before turning back to the filly.

Sunshine extended a hoof to it, and the bird lowered its head, letting her pet its feathers and take in how soft and warm they were.

[Why did you never mention our first meeting you featherbrain!]looked back at the little bonding happening on his back and stopped his wife’s efforts of scaring the bird off, understanding that it didn’t mean any harm.

Sunshine continued petting the mystical creature, until the phoenix decided to reciprocate and snuggled its head against Sunset’s neck, making the filly giggle as its feathers tickled her.

The crowd didn’t miss the unexpected event happening in the middle of the celebration.

The adults looked at them with a smile, wishing they had a camera to immortalize the adorable moment, while the fillies among them looked on with awe, and jealousy.

But their admiration was short, as they suddenly realized that princess Celestia was walking up to the little family, and quickly bowed in respect.

When[Why are you so nervous?]noticed the princess approaching, his first instinct made him move her wife behind him and take a protective stance between his family and the monarch, unsure if his daughter would be in trouble.

But Celestia’s welcoming smile made his worries disappear, and he moved so she could watch the two on his back.

“Who’s your little friend Philomena?”

The phoenix looked back at the alicorn and flew over to her, landing on her shoulder and whispering something on her ear.

Celestia looked at the filly and found her leaning as close as she could to her, eyes with almost the same wonder that they had with the phoenix.

“What is your name little one?” the monarch asked, and Sunshine took a second to realize she was being talked to.

“I’m Sunshine. You’re the most pretty and amazing princess ever!” she exclaimed with a huge smile.

Celestia was about to respond, but the filly interrupted her. “Can I touch your mane?”

Sunshine’s parents looked at each other with worry that their daughter was offending the monarch, but Celestia just laughed, easing their nerves.

“Sorry little filly, but that would be inappropriate.”

“You can touch mine,” Sunshine offered, pulling her hair closer to the monarch.

Celestia raised an eyebrow in amusement. “You’re an interesting one.”

“Her name’s Sunshine.”[Thank's mom]whispered loudly so her daughter and the princess could’ve a more proper introduction.

“Sunshine? I guess it does fit with what Philomena told me,” Celestia said, giving a glance to the bird at her shoulder.

The filly tilted her head to the side. “What did she say?”

Celestia playfully poked Sunshine’s nose with her hoof as she responded. “That you have a blessing.”

“Blessing? What blessing?” the filly wondered.

“I don’t know, but it will be clear once you earn your cutie mark,” Celestia said in a motherly tone, pointing at Sunshine’s flank.

The filly stared at her blank posterior, her little mind thinking about all the possible cutie marks she could have.

While she was distracted, Celestia whispered to her parents. “When she does discover what her cutie mark is, please bring her to the castle.”

“We will your highness,”[Why? Why not take me now?]replied, barely able to contain her happiness at the beautiful future her daughter seemed to be almost destined to have.

[Wait]

[What happened next?]

[It can't end now!]

[Where are you taking me now?]

By the time the family came back to[Is this my home?]the sun would soon start to set in the horizon.

Both parents and[And what?]entered the home with no other desire than sleep, but Sunshine seemed to still be full of energy, and quickly ran to her room, spilled out all her crayons and papers on the floor, and sat down to draw all the ideas she had in her little mind.

She spent close to an hour drawing, pausing when she got caught admiring her latest creation.

She had drawn herself floating in the air, forelegs extended to the sky, horn glowing with a red aura, and a huge smile on her face.
At the tip of her hooves was the sun, slowly being lifted by her own magic, and at the bottom of the paper it was written: “Princess Sunshine.”

She continued staring at the image, imagining herself in that reality.

She knew she had a connection, the princess told her she was blessed, and her father said that she would be able to do it once she was older.

Eventually, she arrived at a conclusion.

“I need to practice! But how do I make a sun?”

She took a long moment to think, but eventually came to a solution.

Sunshine ran to the kitchen, grabbed a plate and a roll of napkins, and went back to her room.
She put the plate in the middle of the bedroom and tore off some of the napkins, bunching them up before placing them in the plate.

Once she had enough, Sunshine lit her horn with some sparks, and sent a little flame towards the napkins.

The paper quickly caught fire, and when all of it was burning, Sunshine concentrated her magic on the flames.

She concentrated and concentrated, until suddenly, the yellow flames turned crimson.

All the paper burned out, but the flames remained, and with a bit more effort, Sunshine moved them, and united them in a little ball of red fire.

“I did it!” she exclaimed happily, jumping in place. “But it needs to be bigger.”

She took more napkins from the roll, throwing them in to the ball of flames, until she decided to just throw the entire thing into it.

To her surprise, as soon as the roll got close to the fireball, it got sucked inside in an instant, and the ball of flame grew to the size of Sunshine’s head.

The filly jumped in excitement and quickly started gathering more things around her room to burn.

[No no no], [Please stop], [This can't end well], [You can't control this type of magic], and [STOP!]ended up as fuel for the ball of flames, which grew with every small sacrifice.

Running out of things to burn, Sunshine continued around the house, burning even more things that she thought weren’t of much value, until the fireball grew to the size of an adult pony.

“It’s perfect! Now I need to raise it!”

She ran outside, the ball of flame following her, consuming the front door as it passed through it.

As the sun set on the horizon, she reached the center of the town, where a large tree stood, its leaves rippling in the wind.

Sunshine smiled, looking at her fiery creation, and started to concentrate her magic.

The fireball started to move up, but it didn’t get far. Barely over the massive tree.

Sunshine, like any child, pouted and complained at the refusal of her wishes, but the ball of fire couldn’t respond.

Or so she thought.

She didn’t hear words, but it was a similar feeling to what she felt when she tried to help move the sun a few hours earlier.

And it made her understand that, to make her wish come true…

…She needed more.

So, she concentrated again.

Small, flaming red tendrils started to grow out of the fireball, extending around the town.

Searching.

One found a cart laying in front of a store, coiled around it, and fed it to the fireball, helping it grow.

Another one tore out the door of a house.

Another one started gathering the wooden sings of the shops.

And so on.

Anything that could be burnt was delivered to the flaming sphere, and with each sacrifice, it grew more and more.

By this point, the town was starting to notice the filly’s actions.

Some went out to see what was happening.

Others stayed in their homes, scared that the tendrils would grab them next.

But when the fireball reached the size of the biggest house in the town, the tendrils receded.

And grabbed the tree.

The effort it took was evident in the filly’s expression, but it took only a few seconds before the entire tree was uprooted, and fed to the fireball.

Finally, Sunshine felt that she had enough, and concentrated on raising the fireball into the sky.

Except, that she wasn’t lifting a fireball anymore.

Once it had consumed the tree, the flames composing the burning sphere changed in nature, along with Sunshine’s magic.

As it rose into the sky, the fireball changed…

…evolved…

…into an imperfect, unstable…

…Red sun.

The entire town watched the newly formed sun pushing the night sky out of the way.

Some looked in awe.

Others cowered in their homes.

But for the small filly that had created it, it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

“I did it!” she screamed to the world with an overwhelming sense of joy. “I raised a sun!”

Her cries of victory suddenly stopped as she felt something behind her.

Or more accurately, something in her behind.

She looked back at her flank, and to her surprise, she saw a big red sun.

Eyes wide, tears welling up, and with her jaw hanging low, Sunshine shouted in pure joy.

“I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!!!”

It was, without a doubt, the best day of her life.

But sadly, things started to go wrong.

Horribly wrong.

The celebrations and joy at the discovery of her magical talent made her lose concentration on the red sun currently floating over the town.

It was already in a precarious condition, so when Sunshine’s magic stopped keeping it together…

It shook.

Shot out tongues of flames.

And finally…

It exploded.

On the positive side, being an imperfect sun, it didn’t explode with the same intensity as a real one.

But now…

…All the fire it had gathered started to rain down over the houses.

The town quickly became an inferno.

Some ponies tried in vain to fight the fire out of their homes, but it was an impossible task.

Others simply tried to run out of the town, escaping the flames before they could consume them.

But there was no escape.

The fire ravaging the town wasn’t like any other fire.

It was packed full of Sunshine’s magic.

And it was still looking for more things to devour and grow big again.

Ponies were being literally chased out in the streets or in their homes by what looked like flaming specters, and a circle of fire surrounded the town to prevent the kindling from escaping.

And in the center of all the chaos, Sunshine was still shouting in joy, blissfully unaware of her surroundings and the consequences of her actions.

Until [What did you do?]

[What did I do?]

[This can't be real]

[This must be a hallucination]

[It must be]

The crusaders continued watching with extreme discomfort as the wreck that Sunset had become continued smiling happily, murmuring words the fillies couldn’t make heads or tails of.

“I think you broke her,” Sweetie whispered to Scootaloo, unsure of how to react to the situation.

“I think we should go get Twilight,” Applebloom suggested, starting to get really scared and worried.

Suddenly, Sunset’s happiness was shattered, as the last blurry memories of that day trickled into her mind.

“Dad?” she asked to somepony who wasn’t there.

“Dad… what?” Tears starting running down her face, as small sobs shook her chest.

“Dad! No… stand up… please…”

Sunset’s expression changed one more time, making the scared fillies finally run to get help.

Sunset’s eyes narrowed, filled with a palpable feeling of hatred.

“You…” she said through gritted teeth, feeling her heart being torn apart.

Her horn lit up violently with a bright red aura, sending red bolts of magical energy around her that scorched everything they touched.

Sunset said one more word, with all the hatred she had forgotten so long ago.

“Burn.”

In the center of Ponyville, there was a small spark of fire in the sky above the town.

Then another, bigger spark occurred, catching the attention of some of the townsfolk.

But the third one achieved its purpose.

Right above the town, a bright red sun, like the one Sunshine created long ago, appeared.

But with two big differences…

This sun wasn’t imperfect, it was a real sun.

And it was getting bigger by the second.

Author's Note

Warning the ȩ̛͇̖͇̜̈́̉̐̔͑͟r̢̩̪͂̇̏r̠̿̈́͢o̢͍̬̰͆̈́̇́̉̒̕͜ͅͅr̛̮͙̺͕̲̞͖̈́̆̀̋͂̕ ̲͙͚̙͈̖́̓̉̇̌̅ẽ̘͙͖̹̋͋͡r͕̋ŗ̧͕̙̝͌̆̿͒̕o̻̣̗͆͑̏͟͝r̜͚͕̆̑́ ̨̝̟͔̿̃̓̚er̖̥̽̃ŗ̢͍͎̖͇͔̓̋̓̉̀̈̔ô̮͇̞̘̱̗̓̀͒̃͡r̦̦͐̂ ̱͖̜̗̤̌̆̿͠͞ě̡̞͈̪͙̽̾̍̃̾͟r͇̹͕̮̹̲̙̋͌̍̀͆͒̕r̞̭͍̜̬̓̊̆͒̇o̧̩̣̫͙͇͍̾͑͐̈́͊̋͂r͍̞͖̦͈̞̖̾̒̋̿̍̄̓ ̭̙̰̹̗̱̅͌́̚͝͠e͕̮͇͛͑͆r̫̰͖̤̍̎̈̿͟͠r̢̮̖̬͎̻̈́̾́͗̂͗ơ͔̬̯̝̲̭̗͒̎́̏̈́̚͟͞ȑ̨̹̘͉̤̊͊͛͑͘͜ ̧̆ȩ͇̠̙͑̾̋͡r̛̟͎̬͐̀r͙͖̯̬̝̳̲̉̃̆́̄͝͞o͇̿r̩̗̯͇̝̝̂̌͋̔̚͠ ̣͇̳̱͎̬̤̋͆̀͐̃̕͘é̝̰͕̂͡r͔̯̜͎̀̅̇͝r̜̃ò̪̦̺̾͘r̪̳͐͡ ͇̺̰̱̜̬͂̈̋͗̀́ê̫r̖͝r̨̨̳̦͋̂̋̆ỏ̧̳̹͎͕̹̔̃̿͘̚͢͝r̜̠̺̜̀͗͒͡͡ͅ ̳̗̲̗̥̿́̈̕͠e͔̬̜̭̠̒̃̒̓͜͡͞ṟ̠̜̭̔̀͗̿̕͟r̳̠̯̖̐̃͑͋̐͟o̳͡r̟̖͖͈͛͐̿̏ ̥̗͈̈́̒͝e̲̹͙̝̤͛̄͒̀͝r͕͌r͍͎̯̝̭̎́̌̎͂o̘̟̎͐ř̖̬̼̈͞ ̛̲̜̹͕̑̑͌̓͟ḛ͔̩͙̎̐̅͋̏ͅr̜̰̰̄͂̎̕̕͢͜ȓ̛̜̞̱̼͑͗ơ̢̬̺̗͍̺̂͐̐͐͘ŕ̨̤͎͈̮͂͐͊̕͜͞ ̠͈͋̏͘͟͟͡eř̹̟͎̐͋r̨̯̞̣̯̻̤̃̾̃͌̋̔̚or̨̞̺̃̉͞ ͍̻̯͞͝͠ë̺̳͕́̄͘r̮̘̒͆r̳͗͗ͅo̥̙̪̭̔̾̏͡r͉̓ ̜̌e̡̛͉̫̖̮̹͆̅̀̓̽͌͟r̳̠̳̓̀̀r̦̰̜͔͕̫̬̂͑̀̊̕͝͠ơ̜͍̥̤͕͎̐̓̍̋̕͢͝ŗ̢̛̣̗̝͖̠̋̋̏̐͝͝ ̡̡̱̘̪̺̅̄̀̽̏̿e̢̞̩̯̥̋̑̌͛̽r͍̜̮̼̾̔͑̾r̻̹̯̘̥̥̅͑͆͆̽̕͢͞o̙̖͗̈́̕ͅr͖̃ ͚̬̈̎ĕ͍͓͂͜͡r͕̮͛̑r̨̨̛̠̱̲͙̾́̓̀̚͘͟͟͝or͎͉͑̌

Next chapter: Chapter 34: "You..."

8 chapters remaining

Chapter 34: "You..."

Twilight and her friends ran to the center of the town along with the Crusaders, finding a completely out of control Sunset, and the big red sun that had appeared in the sky.

The effects of the phenomenon were becoming evident.

The air was extremly hot, making breathing painful.

The clouds in the sky were evaporating due to the change in temperature.

And the heat was ten times more intense than in the mountain incident.

Twilight quickly cast a shield spell around the sun, preventing the eventual combustion of any flammable material in town.

“Sunset, what’s happening?” Applejack shouted to the mare, running up to her.

“Get away from her!” Twilight tried to warn her friend, but couldn’t stop her in time.

Applejack got too close, and one of the magical bolts shot out towards her, hitting her square in the head and throwing her back.

“Applejack!” Applebloom shouted as she saw her sister hit the ground.

She went up to her, wanting to help her stand up, but she wasn’t moving.

Fluttershy flew over and checked her vitals, sighing with relief.

“Don’t worry, she’s just unconscious.” Fluttershy assured Applebloom.

“Get her somewhere safe!” Twilight said to the Crusaders, and the three fillies looked at each other.

“But where?”

Twilight couldn’t give a quick answer.

Sunset had created a sun. An extremely dangerous thing that had a terrifying capacity for destruction.

If this was a repeat of the mountain incident. If that sun got out of control. They wouldn’t be able to escape it without a long-range mass-teleportation.

“The Apple farm has an underground basement, right? Get her there and stay underground. Tell everypony to do the same. The deeper into the earth the better!”

The fillies nodded, and ran away as fast as they could carring Applejack’s unconscious body atop their backs.

“Will that really work?” Pinkie asked, her normally puffy hair deflated.

Twilight looked back at the sun, and her blood ran cold.

The sun was growing, and was now pushing against her barrier as it tried to expand.

The purple unicorn had to endure the strain on her horn as she put a lot of effort in preventing the recently born star from growing and becoming an even bigger problem.

“What can we do?” Rainbow asked looking around for some sort of solution.

“How can we calm Sunset down?” Rarity asked next, looking at the furious yet pained expression of the orange unicorn.

Twilight tried to think, hard as it was. Keeping them all protected from a fiery death took most of her concentration, but she quickly came up with at least something for each of them to do.

“Rainbow! We need the princesses here. All of them! Fly to Canterlot right now and tell them to teleport here immediately!”

The cyan pegasus didn’t respond, just flew towards the city at top speed, making a Sonic Rainboom before even leaving the town’s outskirts.

“Fluttershy! Go get Zecora, she may know some way of calming Sunset.”

The yellow pegasus looked at Sunset, a myriad of thoughts in her head.

“Does she want to hurt us? Who is she angry with? She looks like she’s in pain. Is this hurting her as well? Can she stop it? Is she trying to stop it? Does she want to? Is she going to die again? Are we going to die with her?”

“Fluttershy!” Twilight shouted, and the pegasus snapped out of it and flew towards the Everfree.

“What do you want me to do?” Pinkie asked Twilight, fear clear in her face.

Twilight took a moment to respond as the sun pushed against her shield, forcing it to move back and let it grow a bit more.

“Tell everypony to hide in their basements and seal the entrance shut until somepony comes for them. If they don’t have a basement, send them to the room below the roots of my library, it should hold a dozen ponies or more.”

Pinkie nodded and ran off, shouting the instructions to everypony in town.

Twilight looked at Rarity, and saw that she was approaching Sunset.

The fashionista ignored her friend’s shouts of warning, and looked at the red magical lightning that Sunset's horn was throwing around.

Rarity used her magic as an improvised shield that just covered her horn, and started walking forward.

The bolts of magic shot towards her, but they were redirected to her horn like it was a lightning rod, and she endured the pain until she was in front of Sunset.

“Sunset… can you hear me?” Rarity winced as another bolt hit her horn. “Are you there?”

The orange unicorn didn’t respond. Her eyes didn’t even move to acknowledge the mare in front of her. But her ears perked up.

Rarity took it as a sign that she was listening, so she continued.

“It’s me, Rarity. We made dresses together. I helped you discover how beautiful you are. I gave you a dress that showed that you are a perfect princess. Do you remember?”

Sunset didn’t respond, she just kept angrily looking forward with fierce eyes, her sight lost on something that wasn't there, but in the past. However her ears kept moving with each of Rarity’s words, so she knew she could hear her.

“Sunset, please remember. We’re your friends. We’re here to help you.” Another bolt hit Rarity on the horn, making her momentarily clench her teeth in pain.

“I’m here too!” Twilight shouted, getting closer to them. “I’m Twilight. Your nerdy sister that you like to prank and blow up her doors, remember?”

“T-twilight…” Sunset finally mumbled, and the purple unicorn got closer.

“Yes, it’s me! And Rarity. Your sister and best friend. And soon everypony else will be here. We can all help you. You just-”

“Shut up.”

“Wha-”

“Shut up!” Sunset screamed, making the two unicorns step back in shock.

“You don’t know me! I don’t know me! I don’t have a family. I don’t have friends! All I have are lies! Lies that have been fed to me to the point that I repeat them without even knowing!

I lied about my own name! I lied about my own dreams! I lied my entire life up until this point! And got punished for it!”

The lightning coming out of Sunset’s horn became more violent, forcing Rarity to run out of their reach.

“What are you talking about?” Twilight questioned, feeling the sun in the sky pushing harder against her shield. “Sunset, we are your friends and family! Even if we’re not-”

“What even is a family?” Sunset shouted, showing two sharp fangs on her now serrated teeth. “Because in my experience, my family has lied to me, manipulated me, made me feel like I was being discarded, and we all got hurt because of it!”

“I never said it was perfect Sunset!” Twilight tried to fight against the sun, but it was slowly pushing her shield away, and soon it would be too large for her to maintain it.
“Think about what you’re about to do! About all that you will lose if this gets out of control!”

“And what do you think I will do to hurt you this time? Because I would love a heads up for the next biggest regret of my life!” Sunset shouted, and the two mares realized their mistake.

Rarity reacted first, and she ran straight for Sunset, enduring the now stronger bolts of magic hitting her body until she reached the unicorns head and tilted it up so she could see the sun she had created.

As a bolt of magic finally knocked out Rarity, Sunset’s eyes widened in horror. “No…”

Rainbow Dash, along with the three alicorns, arrived at the outskirts of Ponyville via teleportation, and immediately took flight towards the center of the town.

The pegasus looked back at the determined faces of her companions and asked. “What’s the pl-”

They all stopped dead in their tracks as the deafening sound of an explosion assaulted their ears.

Celestia managed to shrug it off first, and when she looked back towards the town, she saw, to her horror, a wave of fire coming from the currently exploding sun Sunset had created.

The fire flooded the town, covering every corner in its infernal flames, and continued expanding, speeding towards them.

Celestia flew towards Rainbow, covering her with her wings while Luna and Cadence used shields to protect themselves.

The four of them were quickly surrounded by the fire, and they felt the heat trying to boil their blood from the outside in.

Celestia used her magic to calm the flames around them, trying to keep the pegasus between her wings safe while the fire continued expanding in an apparently never-ending wave.

“How far will it reach? How many ponies will be incinerated? How much of the landscape will be forever changed by this?”

Celestia’s thoughts were interrupted when she heard a sob coming from the pegasus between her wings.

Rainbow’s normally courageous and reckless spirit was being crushed by the realization that almost everything she knew was now being destroyed.

All her friends, her home, the ponies she always tried to awe and inspire…

...They were all gone now.

Celestia felt Rainbow trying to move her wings apart, either because she was so desperate to help, she ignored the certain death, or a very early case of survivor’s guilt pushing her to die with her friends.

But Celestia wouldn’t let her. She wouldn’t let history repeat itself if she could do something about it.

She lit her horn, preparing a massive spell to counter Sunset’s magic.

But before she could cast it… everything suddenly just… stopped.

Nightmare continued repairing the barrier as fast as she could, enduring the unbearable heat that Sunset’s body was emanating.

She worried that it could somehow force her out of her host, which made her move even faster to try and keep Dawn trapped.

While she did this, she could hear Rarity and Twilight trying to calm Sunset down, and for the first time, she rooted for their success.

However, they only seemed to be making things worse.

Sunset was getting angrier and angrier, and Dawn seemed to get stronger because of this.

Nightmare flew to another rift in the barrier, putting her hands on its sides to start healing it, but suddenly, there was a fierce scream coming from Dawn, and a long red arm pierced the barrier.

It immediately sank its claws on Nightmare’s neck, moving around inside its flesh and causing the creature an enormous amount of pain.

Nightmare roared with fury, and violently forced the rift to close, severing Dawn’s arm and making it fall to the floor.

Dawn screamed in pain, and the fire that was coming out of the fissures in the barrier subsided, and they started to heal on their own.

It was a victory for Nightmare, but she wasn’t celebrating.

She was terrified.

“How?! How did she hurt me? This isn’t even my original body! Can she actually… kill me?” She thought in a panic as the wound in her neck healed, but even if there wasn’t even a scar left, she could still feel a ghost of pain under her skin.

Nightmare was suddenly distracted by a bright light shining at her side.

When she turned to look at it, she saw Sunset’s mind-projection touching Dawn’s severed arm.

She witnessed as the arm turned into red flames that were quickly absorbed by the ethereal projection, changing its color from a bright yellow to a light orange.

“You… bitch,” Nightmare growled, and even if she couldn’t see her, she knew Dawn was flipping her off with a huge grin on her face.

Sunset, having just realized what she had created, tried to stop it.

But it only got worse.

The more she tried to control the red sun, the more it seemed to destabilize.

She got flashbacks of the day her first sun destroyed her hometown. It made her panic and try more desperately to stop it, but it only caused it to become even more unstable, which made her panic even more!

The cycle continued, until the red sun had finally had enough… and detonated.

Sunset watched horrified as the explosion shattered Twilight’s shield, knocking her sister out along with her friend.

She couldn’t stop it in time.

She failed.

She killed them all.

As she saw the wave of fire sweeping over the town, Sunset heard a voice in her head.

“You can stop it.”

“I can’t. I can’t control it!”

“That is the problem. This isn’t fire magic. You can’t force it to obey you.”

“How do I make it stop then?”

“The same way you moved the sun. You have to use your connection to it. Tell it what you desire. Not a command, but a wish. And it will grant it to you.”

“I… I can try.”

“Don’t worry, I will help you.”

The wave of fire was just a second away from reaching the town, but that second became eternal for Sunset.

She closed her eyes, and all her anger, her panic, her fears, melted away.

Guided by Dawn’s hand, Sunset felt a connection with her element stronger than ever before.

Now that she knew what her cutie mark was, now that she understood what she had been blessed with, she finally felt in control.

She quickly realized that what the voice said was true. This wasn’t like any ordinary fire.

It felt, alive, in a way.

It had a will of its own, it demanded respect, it wasn’t something to subjugate like normal fire.

So, Sunset used her connection to send her emotions through it. To make it understand what she wanted.

Not in the form of an order, but a request.

The fire flooded the town, setting everything aflame instantly.

But… as Sunset requested… no creature was touched by the fire, choosing to move around them instead.

Now that everypony was safe, Sunset made her second request, hoping that she wasn’t abusing her element’s cooperation.

Celestia stood still as she witnessed the red flames around her suddenly stop their rampage and lose intensity.

Once the fire calmed down, it started moving again, returning to Ponyville.

The princesses and pegasus followed it, wondering what was happening, and who was doing it.

They reached the town, and discovered that the culprit was none other than Sunset herself.

Her horn was no longer emitting unstable sparks of magic, but instead it had a calm red aura that moved the fire around it with care and control.

Everypony present looked in awe as the flames raised up towards the sky and started to form a circle all around the town before filling it with magical runes.

“What spell is that?” Luna asked, and Celestia quickly responded.

“A spell of protection.”

It took all the fire Sunset had created to finish the massive rune, and once it was completed, it shined over the burned but still standing town, and faded from view.

Rainbow Dash immediately flew towards Sunset, grabbing her by the shoulders and looked at her in the eyes.

Sunset seemed… relaxed, but not in a good way.

It was like she had been heavily drugged and barely conscious.

The princesses landed around Sunset, and the unicorn turned her head towards them.

And then just collapsed.

Nightmare saw that Sunset and Celestia were about to encounter each other one more time, and quickly put her hands together, using her magic to send the unicorn to sleep.

“I need some rest. But before that.”

Nightmare looked down at the barrier and spoke clearly and menacingly. “If you mention me in any way, if you hint at my existence to any creature… I will crush Sunset’s heart from the inside."

"She will die, you will die with her, and I will lose a very powerful host."

"So, for the sake of all of us… Keep your mouth shut.”

“Don’t worry, sister.” Dawn said in a voice much clearer than before. “I will behave… for now.”

Nightmare growled but couldn’t do much else, so she simply left the mindscape to rest and plan what to do next.

Meanwhile, Dawn looked at the stump her right arm had been reduced to.

The clean cut was glowing with the same golden magic as the barrier, stopping her from regenerating.

“So, I do have some weaknesses. But that means that lizard has them too.” A big grin spread on Dawn’s lips. “I’m going to skin her and make boots and a jacket out of her, maybe even a full set of leather clothes. She looks big enough.”

Dawn’s thoughts were interrupted as a familiar voice entered her mind.

“Thank you for your help.”

“No need to thank me.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Depends on what it is.”

“Can you show me… how that night ended?”

“…”

“Please?”

“… okay. I will show you.”

Sunshine was suddenly picked up from the ground, and her face was firmly placed in a stallion’s mane.

“Dad?” the little filly asked confused.

“Yes, it’s me Sunshy. Don’t be scared,” her father responded as he started running away from the center of the town, shielding her daughter from the destruction.

Despite her father’s efforts, Sunshine started to hear the screams around her.

“What’s happening? Where is mom and-”

“They are okay sweetie. Don’t worry.”

The stallion suddenly stopped as two of those fire-specters blocked his path, but to his surprise, they ignored him and continued to look for more kindling.

He was confused, but decided to put it aside and continue running out of town.

He needed to protect his daughter.

He couldn’t let anypony know that she the one who did this.

He finally reached the ring of fire that prevented everypony from escaping, and he stopped his mad sprint.

The wall of flames was too tall to jump over, he didn’t know teleportation, nor had wings to fly over it.

Thinking back to the specters ignoring him, he looked at his daughter.

“Sunshy, you would never hurt me, right?”

“Of course not!” the filly responded, trying to get out of his hold so she could see him, but his father didn’t let her.

Taking a deep breath, the stallion steeled himself, and ran straight at the wall of fire and jumped.

He closed his eyes instinctively, but when his hooves touched the ground once more, he was on the other side.

He allowed himself a little smile before continuing his escape, but was suddenly stopped by an unexpected obstacle.

A full squad of royal guards armed with crossbows.

“Stop right there!” a lieutenant shouted, getting closer to him with a spear in hoof. “What’s going on here?”

Sunshine’s father opened his mouth, ready to start the biggest lie of his life, but his daughter responded first.

“I made a sun!” the filly announced with pride and joy, filling his father with dread.

“Did you do this?” the lieutenant asked, and her captain signaled the rest of the squad to ready their crossbows.

“Yes! Look!” Sunshine lit her little horn, and the fire they had just crossed moved towards her, congealing into a small ball of flames.

“Sunshine stop!” His father shouted in a panic, trying to prevent his daughters arrest.

But his actions worked against him.

Sunshine lost control of her spell, and the fireball exploded between them and the lieutenant.

The fire didn’t harm neither Sunshine nor her father, choosing to move around them, but the poor lieutenant received the full brunt of it.

Her coat burned, here armor overheated, and her mane was set aflame.

She screamed in horrible pain, and her captain, shocked and terrified, shouted the order.

“Shoot!”

Sunshine, who still couldn’t see anything due to her father’s firm hold on her, felt a sharp tip sting her nose, and suddenly, a huge weight threatened to crush her.

She struggled to move out from under what was on top of her, and when she finally could see the outside world, and more importantly, what had fallen over her.

Her eyes filled with horror.

“Dad?”

Her father was laying on the ground, several crossbow bolts sticking out of his body.

“Dad… stand up… please.” She begged, heartbroken. But her father didn’t respond.

He just laid there with his eyes closed.

Protecting her had been his last act.

“Reload!” Sunshine heard, and finally noticed the rest of the world around her.

She saw the guards loading their weapons.

Weapons carrying the same ammunition that killed her father.

Sunshine’s eyes narrowed, filled with a palpable feeling of hatred.

“You…” she said through gritted teeth, and her horn lit up violently with a bright red aura, sending red bolts of magical energy around her that scorched everything they touched.

Sunset said one more word, with all the hatred she had forgotten so long ago.

“Burn.”

In just a couple of seconds, the town wasn’t burning anymore.

All the fire had started to move towards the sky, an took the form of a very large, and extremely angry specter, looking down at the terrified guards.

They panicked, some tried to run, one took a shot at the flaming specter, but it was futile.

The fiery personification of Sunshine’s anger and pain fell upon them with all the fury of a sun.

There weren’t any screams.

There weren’t any charred bodies.

The entire squad of royal guards didn’t leave any ash or molten pieces of armor when they burned.

The little filly burned them with such intensity that they were basically just deleted from existence.

Sunshine breathed heavily, completely exhausted.

Feeling her senses going numb, she slowly closed her eyes.

But before she could fall asleep, a familiar white alicorn landed in front of her.

Author's Note

Sunset remembered a spell!: Create red sun.

Solar magic unlocked!

Sunet gained a new trait from Dawn: Wrathful will.
("No matter how many times the world brings you down, you stand back up to spite it.")
(Any actions that would make morale go lower than 20/100 increase anger instead.)

Next chapter: Chapter 35: Sunset

Chapter 35: Sunset

Celestia looked down at the little filly who just now had mercilessly and horribly killed a full squad of her royal guards.

She had teleported herself therewith all the soldiers she could as soon as she noticed the solar magic suddenly appearing in the town. She couldn’t imagine what kind of being could’ve gained such ability.

Now she knew who it was.

And she lamented not having noticed it sooner.

“Princess...” the filly said in her borderline unconscious state. “…I’m… …Sorry.”

She finally collapsed, but Celestia caught her before she hit the ground.

She lifted her up to take a closer look, inspecting her recently gained cutie mark, feeling the nature of it.

As expected, it was solar magic.

There had been only three other unicorns that gained control of that type of magic since Celestia became an alicorn, but all of them discovered it at a much older age.

That a filly so young had managed to awaken it, and with such strength…

…It terrified her.

“Princess!” one of his captains shouted behind her as he approached. “We saw the fire gathering here. Was it your doing?”

The old stallion looked around, noticing the patches of heavily burnt earth on the ground, and the corpse of a civilian filled with crossbow bolts close to them.

The experienced mind of the veteran quickly pieced together what probably had happened.
“Did any of Trickshot’s soldiers survive?”

Celestia shook her head slightly, still observing the filly held aloft in her aura.

The captain sighed. It had been a long time since the royal guard had experienced so many loses in one day. “What are your orders?”

Celestia’s words were firm and without doubts. “Quarantine the town. Nopony goes in or out without my explicit consent.”

“And the townsfolk?”

“Put them under house arrest. I will prepare a spell to deal with this later. I will also send some workers to repair the town.”

“What do we say if somepony comes to investigate?”

“Tell them that a dangerous plague has spread in the town and that it and its inhabitants are under quarantine until we can find a cure.”

The captain nodded. “Very well.”

He then looked at the foal the princess was inspecting. “What are you going to do with her?”

“Go give your orders captain,” was Celestia’s response. “And make sure the soldiers are sworn to secrecy.”

Without further ado, she teleported back to the castle.

The captain did as she ordered, and quickly organized a perimeter around the town and a blockade in the sky.

Some soldiers weren’t happy about rounding up the survivors and putting them in improvised prison camps, so he made sure they remained separated from the prisoners in case one of them tired to aid the civilians to escape.

But before all that, he went to his lieutenant and gave him a secret order.

“Look for Proboscis. If she’s still alive, tell her to give you all the information she has gathered until now…”

“…the queen needs to hear about this.”

Celestia set Sunshine down on a bed in one of the castle’s guestrooms, letting her sleep comfortably while she sat on the floor.

Now that she was alone, she put her hooves on her temples and let all her anguish loose.

“Why did this have to happen? Why to one so young? She didn’t show any signs of conflict with her magic, Philomena would’ve sensed it if she did.”

Celestia took one more look at the filly sleeping on the bed.

She saw her rolling over on the sheets, clearly still shaken by the events, but too exhausted to awaken.

“What can I do? She is too dangerous to be left alone, and considering what she did to the guards, it’s clear she could attack them again if they even appear threatening.”

Celestia thought back to the stallion her soldiers had shot, and remembered who he was.

“Her father… we killed her father.”

Once more she looked at the filly, and saw her horn starting to glow with a red aura.

Even asleep, she was trying to cast something. Either to defend herself or hurt somepony.

Probably both.

“What will she do when she wakes up?” Celestia wondered as she cast a spell on the filly, calming her dreams so she could sleep peacefully.

Sunshine relaxed, and her horn stopped glowing as she went into a deeper slumber.

“I wanted to teach her once she was older, but now… with such a traumatic first experience, she will be too dangerous, too unpredictable to be trained safely.”

Celestia wracked her brain, trying to find a solution.

“The only place where it would be safe for her magic to go out of control would be the ocean. But even the most basic training would be too much for such a young filly to handle.”

Celestia thought back to Sunshine’s last words before passing out.

“’I’m sorry’ she said… Sorry for the guards, or for the town?” She sighed. “It doesn’t matter, once she realizes that we are to blame for her father’s murder, she won’t listen to any of us.”

“And that’s the best result we could have.”

“She will obviously carry a heavy guilt due to her actions. And ponies much older than her have lost their minds or lives under such a burden.”

“And I don’t want to imagine how the media will react to this. They will spin it in every way possible and hunt down the one responsible in search for information so they can forge the most profitable truth.”

Celestia let her gaze wander back to the sleeping filly.

“If what happened tonight doesn’t destroy her, the media and the public’s opinion will put the final nails in that coffin.”

Suddenly, the filly started moving again, more wildly than before, clearly haunted by a horrible nightmare.

Celestia tried to calm her down again, but failed.

“Lulu was much better at this.”

Celestia felt a pang in her heart at the memory of her sister.

Almost a thousand years had passed, and the event still haunted her.

She cried every night she had to raise the moon and see the image of her sister embossed on it.

Celestia looked out the window, at the full moon in the sky.

She sometimes wondered how high she could fly.

If she could fly high enough to cross the sky.

High enough to leave the planet’s gravity.

And reach the moon.

Just to see her sister again.

The same questions, the same hopes had become her mantra over the years.

“Is she okay?
Can she breathe properly?
Is she cold?
Is she starving?
Is Nightmare torturing her?
Will she have completely lost her sanity when she finally comes back?
Or maybe… maybe she managed to defeat her.
Maybe she purged herself of that thing and she will come back with a smile of victory.”

“Why are you crying?” a worried little voice asked, pulling the princess’s attention back from her sorrows.

Sunshine had woken up, but she was lying in the same position she was in before.

“Is it because of… what I…”

The filly started sobbing, and Celestia quickly went over to hug her. “It is not. You’re safe now. Soon everything will be better.”

The words did little good for the filly.

“I want to see mom. I want to see Craby,” Sunshine said as she cried, and Celestia could do nothing but hold her as she wept in her embrace.

The princess closed her eyes, and disconnected herself from the situation. Turning off her feelings so she could think with pure logic.

“Her father’s murder. Her home destroyed. Her family ruined. Her new magic. Her guilt.”

“I need to remove them from the equation.”

“I can hide the event from the public. I can keep her beside me in case she loses control. I can seal her powers. But… to have a chance at a brighter future… she needs to forget.”

Celestia’s emotions broke through her meditation, and she looked at the filly.

“But… I would need to erase… all of it.”

“Her family, her town, her very self.”

“Erasing days, weeks, or even months is one thing. But to erase years? Erase everything she knows? What will be left? Will she even be the same pony?”

Celestia pulled back so she and the filly could be face to face.

“Sunshine. Listen to me, okay? I know you’re hurt and scared, but I can help you. You can stay here in the castle with me. Be my… pupil. Just like I was with Star Swirl the Bearded. You know who that is?”

Sunshine wiped her tears an shook her head.

“He was a special unicorn, just like you are. And just like him, you will be able to do amazing things. But you need to stay with me and learn to-”

“No!” The filly suddenly screamed. “I don’t want to stay here! I want to go home! I want to see mom and Craby! I don’t want to move the sun anymore! I don’t want magic! I-”

Sunshine stopped when the princess put her horn against hers, making a connection between them.

“I’m sorry Sunshine.”

The alicorn’s magic flooded the filly’s mind and soul, taking a firm hold on both so she could access them without restriction.

After projecting herself inside her mind, Celestia saw Sunshine’s mindscape, a vast expanse filled with papers full of little childish drawings, showing all her memories and knowledge.

It was all illuminated by a bright red sun up in the sky, representing her untapped potential.

But she would never get to discover it.

Celestia lit her horn, and a large golden gate appeared with its doors open and all the drawings in the mindscape started to float towards it.

Slowly but steadily, the cage was filled with everything that Sunshine knew. When the mindscape was finally empty, the gates closed, and two large locks sealed it shut.

And like that, the filly lost everything that made her Sunshine.

Except for one thing.

Celestia looked at Sunshine’s mind-projection, the key to accessing the inner workings of her soul.

The princess’s golden magic took hold of the red-colored ethereal being. Once it was in her grasp, she started to change it. In blunt terms, infecting it, corrupting the very soul of the filly.

Sunshine’s mind-projection’s red glow started to leave her body, being replaced by the golden aura of the princess, until she was completely transformed.

Celestia looked at the red piece of Sunshine’s soul, which contained the last part of what made the filly who she was.

Sunshine’s blessing.

Her solar magic.

Celestia didn’t know how much harm wiping Sunshine’s memories from her mind would do to the filly. But this…

This was crossing a line that she would never recover from.

She let the ball of light fall to the nonexistent floor, and when it fell deep enough, she created a powerful barrier that would keep it locked forever.

It would never hurt anypony again.

The deed done, Celestia pulled herself out of the filly’s mind and soul, and looked at her with pained eyes.

The filly stood completely still; her eyes lost in the vast nothingness of her empty mind.

The princess worried that she had unintentionally killed her, in the most literal sense, not just by erasing her identity. But suddenly, something happened.

The filly started to glow with a golden aura, which started to change colors seemingly at random, until it finally settled on a cyan color, a similar shade to her eyes.

But that wasn’t the only alteration.

Half of her crimson red hair started to change into golden, just like the magic that had infected her.

And to cement the filly’s transformation, her cutie mark also changed half of its colors to golden, symbolizing her now forever fractured soul.

Once it was over, the filly blinked a few times, and started to cry.

Just like a newborn would.

Celestia hugged the filly, pressing her against her chest in comforting manner.

“Shhh it’s okay. You’re safe now. I will care for you. You will be…”

“…my little Sunset.”

Celestia walked up to the podium to address the huge crowd that had gathered for her announcement.

“My little ponies. I know you’re still worried about the incident that occurred twelve days ago.”

She glanced at the reporters standing in the crowd’s frontline, hungry for whatever details she would dish out, so they could get back to their bosses and get paid.

“The plague discovered in the town has been successfully eradicated. And it’s population is currently slowly recovering what is left of their lives.”

Her mind flashed back three days, when she had systematically taken every single one of those ponies and changed their memories one by one.

“Sadly, many have lost their lives in the process, along with some of my own guard. To keep the plaque from spreading, the bodies had to be incinerated for everypony’s safety.”

It was true that, all of the casualties from that night had been turned into ash. She had been forced to interrogate all of the survivors in order to identify them and make proper funeral arrangements.

It was the least she could do for them.

Of course, there were two she knew all too well who they were.

And now, one was buried under the town, and the other was sleeping in her chambers.

“Sunset needs an education. The best education I can give to a pony,” She told herself as she finished her well-practiced speech, but when she finally left the podium, a terrifying thought crept into her mind.

“What if there are others like her? What if a filly is born with lunar magic instead of solar? There are many kinds of magic that could be catastrophic if Sunset’s events repeated themselves on another foal.”

Then, and idea popped into her head.

“A school for gifted unicorns?” Chancellor Neighsay questioned a he leaned back in his chair.

“Yes. I feel the time of great mages should return to Equestria once more. And for that to happen, we need to instruct the young ones,” Celestia explained with a calm smile.

“And I guess that little orphan you adopted is your first choice?”

“Her name is Sunset,” the princess responded less calmly, betraying her true feelings.

She knew that the stubborn stallion would be difficult to convince.

“Are you against it?”

Neighsay crossed his hooves as he contemplated her idea. “You lived in this ‘era of great mages’ that you talk about. What brought it to an end?”

“My sister,” Celestia responded honestly, her tone as calm and collected as a cornered manticore.

The chancellor could tell that this wasn’t something she would normally admit so openly, and asking more questions was probably going to get him banished or worse.

“If you want to do this, then the gifted part needs to be emphasized. Not just any unicorn can be accepted, they must pass an entrance exam that puts their gifts on display.”

“Very well, but I will design them,” the princess stated firmly.

“May I remind you why I have this position?” Neighsay asked frustrated.

Celestia gave a long sigh and calmed herself. “I’m not doubting your knowledge Neil, but I want to judge every student personally. Just like I did with Sunset.”

Neighsay rubbed his forehead with a hoof. “And what makes her special exactly?”

He looked at her straight in the eyes. “Give me one reason why somepony like her would be one step above the students in any other school.”

“That’s what the test will be designed for.” Celestia responded simply. “If they pass, they prove to be special.”

“And what are you going to say to the ones who fail? What explanation are we going to give to the parents who believed their sons and daughters would be gifted enough to be in this special school? Will you take responsibility for every foal that attends the school with the hope of being taken under your wing like you did with Sunset?”

Celestia leaned closer to him, showing no sign of backing down. “If you allow me to make the tests, I will deal with the consequences myself.”

Neighsay was clearly unhappy, or at least looked more unhappy than he always did, but finally conceded.

“Very well, you can have your school. But it will strictly follow the EEA guidebook.”

“Of course.”

Celestia stood up and walked to the door, hiding a smile of victory.

Celestia sat down in her study, taking a small break from her work.

The school was finally finished and would officially open the following week, nopony had come asking questions about the plague or the disposal of the bodies, and she had made sure that all the soldiers involved in the event would never speak of what really happened.

She could finally go back to her normal life.

With one new inclusion.

Sunset opened the door to her study and poked her head in. “Can I come in?”

“Of course Sunset,” the princess responded, forcing herself to smile.

Being with the little filly had proven to be much harder for her than she had imagined.

She was a walking, smiling reminder of one of her biggest mistakes. Of all she had taken away from Sunset and everypony that the filly knew.

She had destroyed an entire family.
Seen the completely distraught face of her mother as she removed her memories of Sunshine from her mind, and told her that her husband had died from a plague that never existed.

All to hide her responsibility of being the one that caused his death.

And she had stolen her daughter from her.

“I wanted to show you some drawings I made!” Sunset exclaimed showing three different papers being held aloft in her aura.

Celestia looked at the first, which was a drawing of herself with her cheeks full of cake.

It managed to pull a chuckle out of her, which made the filly smile, but the next one filled the princess with sadness.

It was a drawing of the filly lifting the sun, with the words “Princess Sunset” written on the bottom.

She remembered Sunshine’s last words: “I don’t want to stay here! I want to go home! I want to see mom and Craby! I don’t want to move the sun anymore! I don’t want magic!”

She held back tears, reminding herself that what she did was for the good of the little filly.

That even if it was wrong, it was the best option.

She managed to smile despite wanting to cry, and continued on to the next drawing.

Which finally broke her.

Sunset had drawn herself and Celestia hugging each other with a smile, and on top of the filly’s head was a speech bubble that said…

“I love you mom.”

Tears ran down Celestia’s face, and she started to sob, putting her hooves on her face.

“I’m not your mother. I took your mother away. Your father. I took everything from you. I don’t deserve your love.”

“I’m a horrible, horrible creature.”

“Why are you crying? You don’t like it?” The filly asked, her own tears threatening to spill out.

Celestia used all her willpower to force herself to smile and speak with a calm voice.

“No Sunset. I think it’s beautiful. I… I don’t deserve such a beautiful gift.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

The filly ran up to her and have her a big hug, which did the exact opposite of consoling her. “Don’t say that. You’re the best mom ever.”

“Stop… Please…” Celestia begged, feeling her heart break apart.

She pulled herself away from the filly and stood up. “I need to go check on something. Keep drawing such beautiful things.”

The filly smiled. “Okay, I lov-”

Celestia teleported away before she could hear those words.

She was alone in her chambers, so she let herself go.

She cried, threw her crown against the wall, and probably broke something.

“Why? Why? Why did this have to happen? Why couldn’t I have prevented it?!” she screamed in her mind.

She spent a full hour there. Lamenting her mistakes. Until she had no more tears to shed.

Celestia stood up, and looked at herself in the mirror.

She was a mess.

Bloodshot eyes, face full of tears, and a messy mane that wasn’t even magically flowing anymore.

She didn’t look like a princess.

Nor did she feel like one.

“How long will I be able to keep this up? How long will it take for me to lose myself and leave Sunset with even less of a family?”

Then, an idea appeared in her head.

It wouldn’t make her feel less guilty or erase her mistakes. But at least… it would lighten the burden.

Celestia closed her eyes, lit her horn, and delved into her own mind.

She looked around for all the memories of Sunshine, the incident, and her family.

She kept just enough to never forget about what she did.

And burned the rest.

Now that her mistakes didn’t have a face. She hoped she could face them and do better for Sunset.

But… unknown to her at the time…

…She had made everything worse.

While Celestia created the golden barrier in Sunshine’s mind, the red fragment of the filly’s soul continued its descent.

It fell, and fell, until it reached a vast darkness that seemed to have no end.

And as the red light was lost itself in that darkness… it started to change.

The light morphed and contorted, returning to its original form of a little filly made of pure red.

And once it was fully formed… she opened her eyes.

“Princess?” she asked as she looked around, seeing only a terrifying darkness. “Where am I? what’s happening?”

She moved her legs to stop her descent, and looked around in search of something or somepony.

“Hello?!” she screamed to the void…

…but nothing answered back.

Alone and terrified, the filly wanted to cry.

but no tears came to her eyes.

Author's Note

Next chapter: Chapter 36: Dawn.

Chapter 36: Dawn

The small red ethereal filly trapped in the dark depths of Sunset’s mind had barely started its new life as a ghost of a living being and was already about to suffer a mental breakdown.

She was confused, scared, desperate, heartbroken and overwhelmed with grief.

In just a matter of hours she had been responsible of the burning of her hometown, witnessed the death of her father, committed a second, this time voluntary, mass murder, and the pony that she regarded as the pinnacle of kindness had apparently trapped her inside this dark space that seemed to never end.

And she also didn’t understand why she was glowing red and was almost see-through.

“Am I a ghost? Did the princess kill me because of what I did? Is this the afterlife? Is this a punishment for what I did? Is that why I can’t cry?”

That last question resonated in her mind more than the others.

She couldn’t understand it.
It was such a little thing, but felt it felt fundamentally wrong, not being able to shed tears. Not being able to do even that much filled her with desperation.

She remained floating in place, trying to cry, waiting for somepony or something to come for her.

But nothing happened.

There was nothing in this place with her.

She was completely alone.

And it terrified her more than the idea of a monster coming from the darkness to eat her.

Eventually, she decided to move and look for something, anything, in the endless dark plane she was trapped in.

She found out she could float around at will, without even needing to move her legs.

Any filly would be ecstatic to suddenly be able to fly, but she couldn’t find joy in it right now.

Also, floating like this was giving her another big problem; there was no way of telling which way was up or down.

She couldn’t feel any gravity pulling at her, and there wasn’t any light to guide her.

“How long have I been here? Is anypony looking for me? Did they… forget about me? Did they leave me here because of what I did?”

“I’m sorry!” She screamed to the void around her. “I couldn’t control myself! I won’t do it again! You can take my magic away! Just… don’t leave me alone… please…”

Once again, she tried to cry, but no tears came to her eyes.

“Why can’t I do it? I just want to cry!”

The filly started rubbing her eyes with her hooves, trying to force herself to shed a tear, but it wasn’t working.

She did it harder, and harder, until something was ripped off.

The filly screamed in pain, but then felt something hot in her eyes, and suddenly the pain was gone.

She slowly opened them, and they worked fine, like nothing had happened.

“Did it work?” she wondered, but her attention was diverted when she saw the small piece of herself that she had torn off falling deeper into the abyss before fading away.

“That means…” the filly looked up and started flying in the opposite direction of the falling piece.

As she progressed, she started going faster and faster, desperate to escape the darkness that suffocated her.

Then the filly saw a light in front of her, and her eyes filled with joy.

But that joy was short lived, as she found out that the light was coming from a large golden barrier that seemed to extend to the infinite corners of whatever this place was.

The filly tentatively touched the golden surface and felt that it was solid.

She pushed against it, and was suddenly pushed back by a brutal force.

She screamed as she felt a shock of pain run through her legs. Once again, she felt an intense heat spread through her, and then the pain was gone.

Once she recovered from the shock, she checked her eyes, and found that they still had no tears.

“Is somepony out there?!” she shouted at the barrier, hoping that somepony would hear her.

“I don’t want to be here! Can you open this wall?!”

There was no response.

“I know I did a bad thing… but I won’t do it again! Please… I will do anything!”

Silence was the only answer.

There was nothing else.

She started to get truly desperate. She felt distraught and on the verge of an anxiety attack.

Yet still, no tears could be shed.

“Can I at least see my mom?! Is she and Craby okay?!”

The absolute, unrelenting silence was shattering the filly.

She didn’t want to be trapped, but more than anything, she didn’t want to be alone.

“There has to be somepony out there. They can’t just abandon me here. There has to be…”

The filly looked at the barrier, trying to find some sign that it wasn’t just a flat surface.

Suddenly, she felt something pulling all her senses beyond the barrier, leaving her body behind, and next thing she knew, she was seeing the inside of the castle again.

She looked around, and saw herself sitting at a desk, drawing with crayons on some papers.

Except it wasn’t her.

She looked like an exact copy, but half of her hair had a golden color, and so did her cutie mark.

She looked at her own cutie mark, and found that it was still the red sun she had earned that night.

The ethereal filly felt suddenly revolted at the mark. It was a reminder of her actions, and it would haunt her forever.

Tears still refused to come out of her eyes.

Her attention drifted back to her doppelganger, and moved closer to her.
She saw the drawings. They had the same style she used. The same colors. And some of them were copies of drawings she had made before.

“Is she a copy of me? Did they replace me with her?”

“Why make the copy different? Why is this happening?”

Suddenly, the filly felt a surge of a new emotion she had only recently discovered.

It made her grit her teeth, knit her brow, tense her muscles, and she suddenly had a savage need for for violence.

She felt wrath.

The filly noticed her clone write a name on the paper, referring to herself as Sunset.

“Sunset? What? They changed my name? Why? Why make a copy if they are going to make it look different and give it a new name? Is mom okay with this? Where is she?”

Sunset stood up from the desk and ran out of the room, holding three of her drawings in her magic.

The insubstantial filly was pulled along with her, like an invisible chain had anchored her to her double.

“Wait, why is her magic cyan? Mine is red! They didn’t even get that right?!”

Since she couldn’t express her sorrow, the red filly’s anger started to rise even more.
This, at least, was a feeling she could express. So, she let it grow inside of her.

But she was unaware of the consequences.

Sunset opened a door, poking her head inside.

“Can I come in?”

“Of course Sunset,” a voice responded. One that filled the red filly with dread.

Her clone walked inside, and presented her drawings to the white alicorn.

“I wanted to show you some drawings I made!”

“What is going on? Why are you here? Why are you happy to see her?”

The dread the red filly felt was quickly consumed by the growing anger welling inside her.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a chuckle.

The chuckle of one who had once been her biggest role-model.

“Is that fake funny to you?” she said through gritted teeth.

The red filly moved over to Celestia, looking at the third drawing.

In the picture, her clone and Celestia hugged each other. And four words were written above them.

“I love you… MOM?!”

The imprisoned filly gritted her teeth, feeling the fire of anger growing exponentially.

Just as suddenly as when she traveled through the barrier, she was once again inside the darkness. And that made the wrathful feeling escalate even more.

Until she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

With a powerful scream, fire came out of her body in a devastating explosion, even bigger than the one caused by her puny excuse of a sun back in her town.

The darkness seemed to run away in fear of her fury, and the barrier strained under the pressure of her intense release of emotions.

The wrathful ghost felt her vocal cords rupture, making her stop, but once again that heat healed them in seconds.

She closed her mouth and felt it… different.

She moved her tongue over her teeth, and realized they had changed. The round molars had turned into razor-sharp fangs.

She looked at her body, and noticed that it too had changed.

Her limbs had gotten longer, a few inches each, and there were some strange protrusions poking out of her hooves, like small worms.

She tried to bite them off with her new teeth, struggling through the pain, but every time she took one off, fire spurted out of the wound and it regenerated.

Confused and worried, she started to tremble.

“What is happening to me? What am I turning into? Am I a… monster?”

“Why are you crying? You don’t like it?” she heard the other filly say with her voice. And when the ghost looked up, sending her senses back out, she saw Celestia crying.

“No Sunset. I think it’s beautiful. I… I don’t deserve such a beautiful gift.”

The red filly’s worries died as she heard those words.

The wrath reignited, overriding any other feeling. Consuming her completely, and fueling her transformation even more.

“You’re right Celestia…. You don’t even deserve that second-rate copy of me.”

She slammed her newly formed hands against the barrier, which pushed back like before. However her body had gained a new strength that overpowered it, keeping her firmly in place.

“I get it now… you wanted a better version of me. And named it after your precious sun.”

“You left me a ghost of my former self, locked up in darkness, and you even stole my tears.”

The filly’s eyes changed, turning pitch black except for her cyan irises.

“But you won’t keep me hidden forever.”

“The monster is coming for you.”

“The other side of your false clone…”

“…Dawn”

It has been seventeen years. At least, outside of here.

Sunset’s mind works in strange ways. Time being one of them.

Whenever she sleeps, time just skips to when she wakes up. And if that didn’t make it hard enough to keep track of hours and days, time also seems to expand and compress with her thoughts.

Five-minute conversations could feel like an entire week had passed once they ended.

I stopped being a ghost a few years back. My body looks and feels physical, but inside I seem to be made of fire.
I've a physical outer layer, but if you pierce my skin, you won't find flesh or bone. Red flames will spurt out, and you will only see a raging fire inside.

And that’s not the weirdest thing.

I am no longer a pony.

I don’t know exactly what I am. I lost my horn, my hooves, and all my pony features.
My mane is shorter, but my tail is longer.
My ears are pointed, just like my new teeth and the claws protruding from my fingers.

I recognize them from the biology books Sunset had trouble understanding.

Oh yeah, about that.

Turns out, Sunset is kind of an idiot.

I guess I can’t blame her, she’s just a bad copy of me, but still, I’ve to help her constantly.

She is skilled in magic, but nothing else.

Any other thing that Celestia tried to teach her; biology, history, poetry, sex ed, geography,and so on, she almost didn’t listen or straight up skipped them, preferring to concentrate on more magical studies.

Lucky for her, anything I learn she can also learn, if I let her.

As the saying goes; “Two heads are better than one.”

On the positive side of things, Sunset’s and Celestia’s relationship seems to be falling apart.

It was imperceptible at first, but it gets a bit more obvious each year.

Sunset’s obsession with magic had made them clash on several occasions. They haven’t reached the point of shouting at each other, but I can see it coming. Celestia’s patience will run out eventually.

Maybe I will have an ally when I get out of here.

If I don’t kill Sunset in the process.

I may have called her an idiot, but she truly is talented with magic. Which has helped me prepare for when I finally escape.

I created two weapons, made from pieces of my own soul. Or what’s left of it.

It hurt like Tartarus, but they are worth it.

I’ve used them against Celestia’s barrier so much they harmonized with her magic.

This is the strongest defensive spell one can create, and I’m able to dent it. No other spell from her will be able to stop these weapons.

And on top of it, I added something special… just for her.

Just thinking about it brings a smile to my face. But normally, I just feel hatred.

I won’t lie, one stubborn part of me wanted to make peace with her.

“She must have had her reasons.” it told me. “Maybe she regrets it.”

But no. She doesn’t.

She took the place of my real mother, whose face I can’t even remember.

If at least one time, even for a moment, she showed a touch of remorse to Sunset, I may have considered it.

But no. She just keeps smiling and pretending everything is fine.

Soon… I will show her how wrong she is.

“Look into this mirror and tell me what you see,” I heard the false goddess say to Sunset, showing her a mirror.

Interestingly, it seemed to be a magical mirror of sorts. I believe it was Star Swirl’s.

The image on the mirror morphed as Sunset looked into it, but since she wasn’t taking it seriously, it just showed her reflection.

“I see a beautiful pony full of power and potential.”

“Care to try again, this time with some of the boring humility we talked about?” the alicorn insisted, and when Sunset looked again… it surprised me.

She was sitting on the floor, crying.

“I guess she has a chance of ruining her own dreams. Or maybe… will it be me?” I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. “What am I saying? Of course it will be me.”

Sunset took another glance at the mirror, and I saw her sitting on the throne as an alicorn, with Celestia’s crown on her head.

“You’re not getting that crown,” I growled, but suddenly, the reflection shifted again, and…

“What is that?!”

“No…”

Time shifted, and in a second, I was back in Sunset’s room, the mare sitting against the wooden door.

“Was that… will she also turn… or maybe I will turn her into…”

I grabbed my head, as the questions flooded my mind.

“Why am I questioning this? Why should I care about what happens to this clone? She’s just a bad copy made by that wannabe god.”

Slowly, I calmed myself, and just in case, I drifted down towards the darkness.

I needed to disconnect for a while.

And think.

After the mirror, the few weeks that had passed have been very short.
Sunset has been so obsessed with the mirror her mind is just skipping most of the recent days.

She has been pestering Celestia about it constantly. Their fights were getting more intense, and other ponies were starting to notice too.

And during all this time, I’ve been… thinking.

Is it fair to hold my clone responsible for Celestia’s acts? She’s unaware of what happened, and if she knew… she and I would have a lot in common.

And that… reminds me of something…

Even after planning my revenge for so long, there was always something that is missing in it.

What do I do afterwards?

Say I kill Celestia. Take the throne. Rule in her place. What then?

It won’t make me a princess, just a usurper.

Even If I could prove her crimes, the world would defend her to death. I won’t be able to rule over them as a demon.

Even Nightmare Moon already had followers to back her claim to the throne. And she was an alicorn.

I will be alone.

Just like in this darkness.

Another prison with a sun in the sky.

Unless…

“Canterlot Castle: a History! This should give me something.”

I looked up, watching Sunset taking a book from the forbidden section of the library.

She was about to commit treason. Take a gamble to reach success much faster than with Celestia’s guidance.

If she lost that gamble… She and Celestia would be done.

The princess wouldn’t let her leave freely, she would have to imprison her. Sunset would hate Celestia forever.

I could come in and give her the power that she’s missing. Together, we could defeat Celestia. Both would have our vengeance.

But…

Sunset would have her dreams crushed…

…Just like mine.

“Wait!” I shouted without thinking. “Is this really worth the risk?!”

Sunset stopped.

Did she actually hear me?

“No, I have to know if what I saw was real! If I really have a chance to become Equestria’s next ruler, I need to know how I did it.”

“And if you fail and turn into… that thing?!”

I waited in silence for a few seconds, while Sunset debated her decision.

She turned back and returned the book to the bookshelf.

“I will reach that point eventually; I just need to keep getting stronger. Celestia will teach me about the mirror once I show her just how capable I am.”

“I hope she will Sunset…”

I clenched my fists.

“For her own good.”

Sunset stopped being an idiot after that day.
Instead of leeching off my knowledge, she used it to expand her own. She was one hundred percent dedicated to being the best student a pony could be.

And I helped her as much as I could.

As Sunset forgot about the questions of the mirror, I also started to forget about my vengeance.

Even if I won, it would be a hollow victory. But if I helped Sunset reach my dreams… maybe… I could feel something other than anger.

Maybe… I could shed a tear, if it’s out of happiness.

Celestia had been playing difficult, but I hope that she will eventually get that stick out of her ass. Even if I hate it, Sunset is her chosen one. She built an entire school just for her.

I don’t know what she wanted Sunset for, but she clearly has value to that poor excuse of a monarch.

She can’t just replace Sunset.

“I was wrong.”

“Celestia Aurora Stella.”

“In the name of mine and Sunset’s dreams.”

“You will die.”

Author's Note

Achivement Unlocked: Truth Or Lie

Finally I can talk to you through this box again.

These last three chapters have been incredibly difficult to write. Not because I didn't know how to write them, but I simply couldn't concentrate (Also had to solve the last pains of the moving, but everything is set)

So, due to this, I want to take a small break from the story to do some drawing and write some other short story (Maybe a small side story that shows Spoiled's recovery after the curse, and the consequences of her actions with Diamond if you guys are interested)

It won't be long, I assure you, its just to come back fresh.

Take the time to prepare, because big changes are coming in:

Chapter 37: “…I won’t come back.”

Seven chapters left!

Oh, and more thing.

After seeing how beings like Nightmare and Dawn are created, What name would you give to their "species"?

I want to mention all the theorists that had some right theory about Sunset's past and other small things:

[Fireeaters] Chapter 21

I'm thinking that part of sunset's mind was cut off, and that good parts were taken with the "bad".

[Mpony1] Chapter 25

Sunshine is no doubt holds Sunsets second half of her full power that was sealed away behind the barrier Celestia sealed her in, Sunshine also must hold all the memories Celestia erase witch is why she hold so much anger towards Celestia because Tia must of done something really horrible to Sunset.

Why Sunset can't connect with anypony let alone herself (she herself is incomplete, she needs to be truly whole)

I agree, it seemed that sunshine wanted to become good when she tried to connect with Sunset earlier and let go of her hate and rage, but Nightmare got in the way and stop that from happening by destroying the string before it reach Sunset. Thus Sunshine remains evil cause she never got a chance to connect with Sunset and through her learn and experience the magic of friendship.

I come to believe that Sunset and Sunshine are SISTERS two minds, two souls sharing the same body.

Sunshine wasn't created she was always there since Sunsets birth.

[Shimmeringsun] Chapter 26

Why do I feel like Chrysalis could be holding something against Celestia? Like a past secret or something. She's going to cause mayhem for sure.

[Mpony1] Chapter 26

Celestia wanted to erase that terrible tragedy from Sunset mind but the spell cause Sunset to forget everything that even remotely connects with the incident, and if she ever trys to think about it the spell will instantly erase the thought from her mind.

And who knows, Celestia could of erase other ponies memories of the incident or force them to keep it secret

I been thinking that in a future chapter, will the CMC go around learning how the main 6 got their cutiemarks witch will lead them into asking Sunset how she got hers, but Sunset won't be able to answer cause of memory spell preventing her from remembering and every time she tries to Nightmare will be able to find the erase memories and start working on how free them or just look through them and learn about Sunsets past.

[Shimmeringsun] Chapter 29

Why do I have a feeling Celestia might’ve erased some of Sunset’s memories from her younger years/her birth mother?

[RolkFlameraven] Chapter 31

Sunshine = Tyche
Sunset = Tymora
Dawn = Beshaba

[Teraunce] Chapter 31

Sunshine became Sunset and Dawn!

[Secundum] Chapter 31

Hmm...Guessing that Sunshine was the original, and that Celestia accidentally or on purpose split her into Dawn and Sunset while trying to erase her memories. Essentially 'killing' the original.

[redsopine] Chapter 31

Dawn is sunsets original personality who was sealed away by celestia when she went on a rampage

And finally, the one who put every piece together.

[Mpony1] Chapter 31

By the sound of things it looks like thier never existed a pony named Sunset Shimmer 30 years ago, but instead thier was a pony named Sunshine (Sunshine Shimmer)

Or we could say that Celestia mind erasing spell somehow split them apart but I don't think thats the case.

And as for Dawn; I believe she was a child just like Sunset was at the time when Celestia sealed her away, wanting to set free, screaming to be let out, wanting to cry at her predictiment but can't. Dawn could only watch as Sunset get to live a life and she can't, but Dawn doesn't hate Sunset, she doesn't blame her anything, only Celestia, just Celestia for locking her away, and any hate Sunset feels Dawn feels.

I think Sunsets real name is Sunshine, Sunset was the name Celestia gave her after eraseing not only memories of the tragedy but her past as well.

In other words it's like the 3 year old Sunshine was given amnesia, she could'nt recall anything of her life before meeting Celestia including her real name. Her past before the incident was completely wipe from her memory which in turn gave birth to Dawn.

Dawn was born from Sunsets erase memories which she herself now holds all of it, She's not Sunshine cause like Nightmare she haves her own name, but Celestia calls her Sunshine because she doesn't know dawn real name but she does know that she have all of the original Sunshine memories, so she calls her Sunshine who was the name of the young filly she met all those years ago.

And because Dawn holds all Sunshine memories she also holds all her dreams, goals, and ambitions in other like Sunset she to desires to become a princess and was angry when she saw it taken away from her.

When Dawn told Nightmare that Sunset was her sister to because both Dawn and Nightmare were born from Celestia choices, The pony now known as Sunset Shimmer was born from Celestia choice to wipe away all who she was and start fresh under a new name.

And when Dawn said Sunshine died 30 years ago she meant that Celestia erase all memories of herself and replace Sunshine with Sunset.

Little does Celestia know her spell really broke Sunset being making her unbalance, unstable and able to connect with anyone.

Chapter 37: "...I Won't Come Back"

"Okay, I want several explanations right now!" Rainbow shouted, standing between Sunset and Celestia.

The solar princess approached the pegasus and talked in a soft voice. "Please my lit-"

"Don't feed me that crap!" Celestia recoiled at the harsh reaction. "I know you and Sunset aren't in good terms. And I'm 120% sure you've something to do with this. So, you're going to tell me what's going on or..."

"Or what?" Luna asked, standing beside her sister.

Rainbow didn't have a retort. She knew she couldn't take on three alicorns on her own, but she couldn't back down.
She wanted answers, and she was going to get them. Even if it meant brawling with the rulers of Equestria.

"Rainbow please, Sunset needs our help." Celestia tried to reason with the pegasus, but she didn't buy it.

"The Crusaders told us that Sunset's cutie mark triggered this. So, what is it?"

"It's what you saw. She controls the sun just like I do," Celestia explained, hoping to calm down the pegasus, but it had little success.

"She never mentioned that. We all assumed it was pyromancy. So, I assume you kept it hidden from her. Why?"

"Rainbow please, I can give you all the answers you want once Sunset is recovered. She needs help," Celestia pleaded.

"Well, she has it right here with us. So, you can go away and let Twilight handle it." Rainbow planted her hooves firmly on the ground, giving the clear message that she wasn't going anywhere.

There was a flash of blue magic behind Rainbow. "You're a good friend."
The pegasus head got hit by a small blast of magic and was knocked out instantly.

"Luna! That won't help us!" Celestia shouted as she grabbed Sunset's unconscious body.

"We're already neck deep in this mess, we need to solve it one piece at a time," Luna looked at the fallen ponies and noticed that a crowd was starting to gather around them.

"I will stay and try to calm things down," Cadence said before walking to the crowd. “You get her to the castle so she can recover.”

Celestia and Luna nodded in approval before teleporting back to the castle.

“Don’t disappoint me Pharynx,” Cadence thought as she addressed the public to calm them down.

Sunset slowly came back to consciousness, finding herself in a familiar canopied bed.

Her mind struggled as it woke up and tried to form an idea of her surroundings, but when it detected something behind her, it flared an alarm that awakened her completely.

“She’s here.”

“Sunset?” Celestia asked softly when she noticed that she had woken up. “Are you ok-”

The alicorn’s neck was suddenly strangled by a magical red aura, forcing her to lower her head to Sunset’s eye level.

The unicorn slowly turned around in the bed, facing her with wrathful eyes.

“You… remember everything?” Celestia asked, her mouth agape.

“Yes,” Sunset responded before putting more force in her magical grip.

Celestia gritted her teeth as she felt a searing pain along her neck, burning her coat. “You’re hurting me.”

Despite her fiery nature and her anger, Sunset’s words sounded cold and uncaring. “I promised it, didn’t I?”

Celestia closed her eyes, tears running down her face. “I… I deserve it.”

“This is not about you. You self-serving jerk,” Sunset growled.

“It’s about what I did to you,” Celestia said solemnly.

Sunset frowned. “It is. Do you have anything to say? Any defenses you want to bring out? Something to try and convince me that what you did was the right thing to do?”

“None.”

Sunset applied more heat to Celestia’s throat, not noticing that her aura had changed to blue for some time now. “You’re disgusting.”

“I don’t have any excuses or explanations. I know that what I did was wrong. I didn’t at the time, and the rest of our lives have been a domino effect of mistakes that have only made you suffer. But the crown I gave you, the family and friends you earned. They are your accomplishments. What I did won’t take them from you.”

Sunset pulled the monarch closer to her face, and her wrathful stare seemed to scorch Celestia’s very soul. “It did.”

The alicorn opened her eyes in shock. “Wait… no… I-”

“Leave me alone. Never come close to me again. And live with your consequences. And if you dare forget them. I will make you remember.”

Before the alicorn could respond, Sunset’s magic enveloped her completely, and she was forcefully teleported to her office.

Celestia stumbled to the ground, feeling weak and tired.

She put a hoof over the wound in her neck, feeling how it pulsed painfully, extending a worming numbness all over her body.

She felt sick. She wanted to throw up, but her body didn’t respond.
And then the numbing sensation reached her head.

Everything stopped.

Her hoof fell limply to the floor. Her breathing calmed. And the light in her eyes dimmed till they looked like they got the life sucked out of them.

She didn’t feel pain anymore.

She didn’t feel anything.

She just stayed there, unmoving.

Her mind lost in some all-consuming darkness.

Just like she did with Dawn so long ago.

After getting rid of Celestia, Sunset looked around her room.

“No, this isn’t my room. This is my cell.”

She gritted her teeth, and lit her horn with furious red magic.

Her eyes settled on the bookshelf first. Full of books she had studied till exhaustion. With the hope of achieving something that had been planned for her from the very start. And yet, it was taken away from her in a whim.

She blasted it with her magic, sending flaming splinters and pages all around her.

She jumped out of the bed and blasted it too, not wanting to ever wake up in it again, or in the castle all together.

Then the next target, her workbench.

All her artistic achievements.

A skill she never explored due to her obsession with power and princess-hood.

“I could’ve been an artist. I could’ve been a designer like Rarity. I could’ve been anything other than a freaking puppet!”

She blasted the workbench with her fire, destroying all her hard work and memories. All of it tainted by lies.

Sunset breathed hard, filling her lungs with the ash of her burning childhood.

The childhood fabricated for her.

Manufactured to give her everything she wanted.

Everything except freedom.

And whenever she tried to achieve it.

Something, or someone, took it away.

She tried being a friend, and found a glass wall.

She tried being a helper of friendships, and ended up hurting the ones she cared about.

She tried to be a princess, and discovered that it wasn’t even her own dream.

It was the dreams of a tortured being.

The only other being that could understand what she felt. What she had been through.

The being that gave her an easy solution to all her pain and suffering.

Wrath and destruction.

With a roaring scream, Sunset released that wrath, destroying what remained of her false childhood, until not even the ashes remained.

The entire Canterlot Castle shook violently as a powerful explosion punched a hole in the western side of the marble structure.

Guards immediately ran to the site with their weapons drawn, wondering who or what was attacking them.

Shining armor was among them, his spear at the ready to defend the castle.
“Maybe this will finally convince them to give us a better-”

His train of thoguht crashed headfirst into a wall as he brought down a door and found the culprit standing among the debris and fire.

Sunset was on fire, her body trembling with rage, and her eyes looked like they were about to shoot a beam of pure destruction on whatever dared to approach her.

And she slowly turned towards them.

The soldiers readied their crossbows, but Shining stopped them.
He slowly took a step forward, extending his hoof towards his sister. “Are you hurt?”

Sunset didn’t respond, but her eyes seemed to answer for her.

She wasn’t hurt, and if somepony tried to hurt her, they would die.

Shining took another step forward. “I’m not going to hurt you. None of us is going to. But you need to calm down.”

“Shining Armor,” Sunset said in a voice so filled with animosity that made his blood freeze. “For your own sake, you will leave me alone.”

Shining’s hoof started to shake. He wasn’t sure that she wouldn’t hurt him anymore. “I can’t do that Sunset. We’re family. We help each other.”

Sunset closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, hearing a voice that told her to calm down.

Shining took it as a good sign and took another step towards her, starting to feel the immense heat coming off her.

Sunset opened her eyes; her glare of death had lowered in intensity a bit. “I want to-”

Suddenly, a crossbow bolt hit Sunset on her flank, making her scream in pain.

Shining looked for the origin of the shot, and saw Phalanx standing on the floor above, watching the scene from the edge of a hole Sunset had created in the ceiling.

And right at his side, was an unloaded crossbow.

Shining’s attention went back to Sunset as he felt the heat rise in intensity, and saw a wall of red fire speeding towards him.

He quickly put up a shield, protecting himself and his soldiers from becoming ash where they stood, but he felt it being push back by Sunset’s magic.

He put all his effort in fighting back, gaining ground bit by bit, but he didn’t know what to do next.

Sunset was trying to kill him. And he didn’t know if he had it in him to fight his adopted sister.

Suddenly, he heard a crack so intense that made his skin crawl, and the fire died seconds later.

He looked at the spot where Sunset had stood, but she wasn’t there.

“Where is she?” He asked as he looked around, trying to figure out what had happened.

“Sir, what are your orders?” a terrified guard asked, his weapon discarded and will to fight lost at the threat of an agonizing fiery death.

Shining turned around, anger clear in his eyes. “Find Phalanx, bring him to me.”

Sunset slowly regained consciousness as her bones snapped back into place with Nightmare’s magic.

“What was that?”

“A warning shot,” a regal voice answered, and when Sunset looked up, she saw the princess of the moon standing before her.

They were in a very small cave, apparently recently made judging from how the roof had small rocks and dirt falling from it.

Her mind slowly pieced together the events prior to her loss of consciousness.

She had tried to burn the guards that attacked her, and then she felt something hit her with a strength she never experienced before.
It launched her away from the castle with enough force to dig her body deep into a mountain, forming the cave she was currently in.

“You tried to kill me,” Sunset growled as she tried to stand, but even after recovering from her wounds, she barely had any strength left, and just collapsed on the floor.

Luna took a few steps forward. “And you survived anyways. You’re clearly not a regular pony.”
She let something fall in front of her which made the entire cave tremble.

Sunset looked up, and saw a black war hammer filled with white glowing runes.

At the sight of the weapon, every instinct in her body screamed for her to get away from it.

“You destroyed the castle and attacked the guards. It seems you’ve finally lost whatever was left of your rational mind.” Luna’s cold tone of voice and her stoic face put Celestia’s to shame. “Please, tell me I’m wrong.”

Sunset gritted her teeth, and tried to stand up, but she didn’t have the strength to do it.
“How could I not?! My whole life was a lie! Celestia made me! In every sense of the word. And then just discarded me for that useless purple nerd.”

“That’s your sister you’re talking about!” Luna warned with a frown.

“She’s not my sister. You’re not my aunt. I’m alone in this world. As it should’ve been from the start,” Sunset spat the response with as much venom as she could muster.

Luna closed her eyes and sighed. “It saddens me to look at you acting like a rabid dog. But we owe you a great favor for our release from the nightmare.”

She opened her eyes, and looked at Sunset like she was pleading.
“I’m not my sister. If there is something you want. Your freedom, a family, a better future, a way to take away that dangerous magic forever. I will grant it to you.”

“I’ve already lost everything. I have no future to look forward to.” Sunset closed her eyes and let her head fall on the dirt. “Just make sure that…”

Sunset took a deep breath.

“…I won’t come back from the dead this time.”

Luna closed her eyes, feeling an icy sensation grab at her heart.

And then lifted her war hammer.

Twilight stood up from the hospital bed in a cold sweat, hyperventilating and hoping that what she had experienced was just a horrible nightmare.
But when she saw three of her friends also in hospital beds, and the rest of them with sad, worried faces, she knew everything had been real.

“What happened? Where is Sunset?” She asked as she jumped out of her bed, feeling dizzy but doing her best to shake it off.

“Celestia has her. She knocked me out,” Rainbow explained as she also got out of bed.
“Sunset managed to keep the fire away from everypony.”

“Other than some charred buildings, nopony was hurt,” Pinkie added, but the relief at the news was minimal for everypony.

“We need to go to Canterlot right now. I’m sure Celestia sent her there.” Twilight rushed to the exit, her friends following close behind.

When they exited the hospital, they found a very unusual occurrence.

It was raining pamphlets.

They looked up, and saw squadrons of pegasi flying over the town, wearing insignias of different newspapers.

Twilight picked up one of the pamphlets to read it, and her blood froze in her veins.

“The traitor finally shows her true face!

Today, Princess Luna has taken the throne of Equestria as its only ruler after a quick coup that claimed the life of Celestia’s pupil; Sunset Shimmer.
The status of our beloved princess is currently unknown.

For more information, buy our next issue for only-”

Twilight picked up another pamphlet.

“Attack in Canterlot Castle!

Just yesterday, Celestia’s own pupil; Sunset Shimmer, tried to assassinate her mentor in a terrorist attack before being put down by princess Luna.

There hasn’t been any news if the attack was successful, but our prayers are with our beloved princess.

For more details, buy our next issue-”

Another pamphlet caught Twilights gaze and her desperation grew.

“Nightmare Moon has returned!

As we all feared, the false princess has finally enacted her plan to take over Equestria.
Yesterday, an attack occurred in Canterlot Castle where Luna organized a revolt on her sister, claiming the life of her beloved pupil; Sunset Shimmer, who fought valiantly to defend her mentor until the bitter end.

The whereabouts of Celestia are currently unknow, but we hope that she can organize a quick counterattack before her sister can start causing irreversible damage to our country.

Buy our-”

Twilight let the paper fall to the ground, tears running from her horrified eyes.

“This can’t be happening.”

“You’re right. This has to be a lie,” Rainbow said before picking her up into the air. “And we are going to find the truth.”

Once again, Rainbow flew towards Canterlot at full speed, her own tears being lost in the wind.

“She can’t be dead. She just can’t.”

Author's Note

Seeking My Purpose In The World has run into a problem and needs to restart.

Please wait.

Rebooting…

Starting…

Welcome back!

Error!: Sunset Shimmer file not found.

Attempting to relocate…

Relocation unsuccessful.

Error!: Dawn Shimmer file not found.

Attempting to relocate…

Relocation unsuccessful.

Character Bio Discovered!

Name: Nightmare Moon

Stats:

Strength – 75
Dexterity – 89
Constitution – 67
Intelligence – 100 maxed
Wisdom – 100 maxed
Charisma – 100 maxed

Magic Power – 100 maxed
Magic Capacity – 100 maxed
Magic Control – 100 maxed
Magic Resistance – 100 maxed
Magic Ability – 100 maxed
Magic Generation - 100 maxed

Evocation – 100 maxed
Abjuration – 100 maxed
Divination – 100 maxed
Conjuration – 100 maxed
Transmutation – 100 maxed
Illusion - 100 maxed

Morale: Unknown.

Next chapter: Chapter 38: ...

Chapter 38: …

Rainbow and Twilight finally arrived at Canterlot, finding the city unusually quiet.

“Can you fly a little lower?” Twilight asked, and her friend took a small dive, gliding right above the buildings.

They both quickly noticed that the streets were mostly empty, and soldiers were patrolling the roads. They weren’t the royal guards of Celestia, but the batponies of Luna, to the surprise and worry of the two mares hovering above them.

“Look to our nine,” Rainbow said, and Twilight turned her head, witnessing a group of soldiers putting chains on some civilians and loading them in carts.

“Why are they arresting them?” Rainbow wondered.

“They are taking them from the news agency,” Twilight noted as some of the batponies were pulling out the last of the workers and closed the building with red tape.

“Looks like Luna didn’t like what they said about her,” Rainbow commented as they approached the castle.

“That means that she is ruling. Celestia wouldn’t do something like this.”

Rainbow frowned. “After all that has happened recently, I know that she would.”

They eventually landed at the entrance of the castle, finding it heavily guarded by batponies carrying heavy crossbows.

Twilight quickly approached the officer in charge. “We need to enter the castle.”

“Castle is off limits until further notice,” the batpony informed.

“I’m Twilight Sparkle, Celestia’s student. And me and Rainbow here are part of the bearers of the elements of harmony. You’ve to let us through.”

The officer shook his head. “As I said, I have orders to not let anypony in. You must wait until the lockdown is lifted.”

“And why are you in lockdown? What is Luna afraid of?” Rainbow questioned rather aggressively, putting the guards on alert.

“There is no reason for me to disclose that information. Leave now, or you will be arrested,” the officer warned.

Twilight was starting to lose her patience. “I’m the sister of the captain of the royal guard. Tell him to come here. If you won’t let us through, he will.”

“He has more pressing matters right now. Leave, this is your last warning.” The officer raised his hoof, and the soldiers readied their weapons.

“Fine, we will do this the hard way!” Rainbow shouted and jumped into the air with the intention of simply flying over the gates, but a purple magical shield trapped her before the batponies could shoot her down.
Shining Armor appeared from behind the checkpoint, and slowly walked over to Twilight as he put Rainbow back on the ground.

The purple unicorn quickly started questioning him. “What happened to Sunset? Is Celestia okay? Why are Luna’s guards working during the day?”

Shining answered calmly. “I wish I could explain everything Twilight, but what Night Fang told you is true, I’ve my hooves full at the moment.”

“Then give me the abridged version! We are talking about my mentor and sister for Celestia’s sake!” Twilight shouted, not believing her brother’s reserved attitude at the situation.

Shining sighed. “Celestia is hiding in her office and refuses to let anypony in other than her sister. Luna is ruling in her place for now and she’s facing very strong opposition. Half of my soldiers are about to start a revolt against the batpony guards, and the other half is deserting. I can barely keep things from falling apart by myself.”

“And Sunset?” Twilight asked, desperation clear in her voice. “Please tell me what the news say is false.”

Shining lowered his gaze, creating a tense silence that was about to make his sister cry, until he responded. “I didn’t see what happened, and I don’t know where she is. But…”

Another tense silence put Twilight on the verge of emotional collapse, and even Rainbow was about to explode.

Shining finally answered. “Even if she’s alive… she’s not the pony we knew anymore.”

Twilight froze in shock.

“You’re lying!” Rainbow shouted, almost headbutting the stallion.

“I wish I was,” Shining looked at her sister with sad eyes. “Go back home. I will send you a letter if we find her.” And with that, he turned to leave the checkpoint.

Rainbow was about to pursue him, but the guards were ready to shot her if she tried, so she turned around, and saw Twilight galloping away.

“Where are you going?!” Rainbow shouted as she caught up to her.

“I have an idea about where Sunset could be hiding. You go back to Ponyville and tell the girls everything.”

“Are you crazy? I want to find Sunset too!”

Twilight stopped and turned towards her friend, showing the seriousness in her eyes and voice. “Rainbow, whatever we thought that Sunset was going through is either wrong, worse than we thought, or both. And I have the feeling that we’re not only being denied information, they are taking it from our memories. I want all of our friends to know about this. We can’t afford to lose any information if one of us gets their minds tampered.”

Rainbow gritted her teeth in frustration. “Why suddenly everything got so fucked up?!”

“It always has been. We just didn’t see it.” Twilight felt a shiver run down her spine.
A lot of things she knew were being put into question. Her image of the world was shattering, and she feared it would shatter her too if she thought about it too much.

“Okay, I will bring everypony up to speed. We will deal with this together,” Rainbow told her confidently before flying off towards Ponyville.

“We will… but Sunset is alone,” Twilight thought before resuming her dash towards Moon Dancer’s home.

A few hours earlier.

Shining Armor practically charged into the room, setting his eyes on Phalanx, who was being guarded by two soldiers that had chained him to a chair.

“Why did you do it?” Shining asked, cutting to the chase as two other guards behind him entered the room and closed the door.

“She was attacking you. She destroyed part of the castle. She needed to be stopped,” Phalanx responded calmly.

“That’s a lie! You could’ve easily killed her with that shot, you missed on purpose. So, you will tell me why, or I will beat it out of you with my own hooves!” Shining was losing his temper very quickly. He had trusted Phalanx, who had stuck with him through thick and thin since he became Captain of the guard, and now he had shot Sunset when she was at her most vulnerable.

Phalanx raised an eyebrow. “Threatening me with torture? That will get you in quite a bit of trouble with the princesses.”

Shining got closer to the traitor, his eyes trying to pierce through Phalanx’s uncaring attitude. “Nopony here will talk about what happened in this room.”

The traitor smiled. “If I betrayed you, why would you trust in any of your soldiers?”

Before Shining could react to his words, one of the guards behind him tackled him to the ground and the other quickly put a magic-nullifying ring on his horn.

While the captain of the guard tried to fight the two soldiers, Phalanx stood up from the chair, revealing that the chains had been loose the whole time.
“Don’t beat yourself up over this, you can’t learn about betrayal until it happens to you.”

Shining tried to curse him, but one of the guards knocked him out with the butt of a heavy crossbow.

Twilight climbed up the steps of the white tower where Moon Dancer lived and reached the door, slamming her hooves against it.

“Sunset! Are you in there?!” she shouted as loud as she could.

The door opened with a slam, and Moon Dancer charged at her.
“What did you do?!” The pale unicorn screamed in Twilight’s face as she closed the distance.
She was clearly in severe distress; her mane was loose, covering half of her face and her one visible eye was bloodshot after hours of shedding tears.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked confused.

“Every time something bad happens to Sunset you’re somehow involved! She already died three times because of you! You forced her to curse herself back to life repeatedly!” Moon Dancer screamed, pinning her against the stair railing.

Twilight was far too shocked to think clearly. “I- I’m not- How do you even know that?”

“She told me. Because we talk, you know? Like friends do. Unlike you,”

Twilight could almost taste the venom in Moon Dancer’s words. “Wh- what are you talking about?”

Moon Dancer put a hoof against Twilight’s chest, pushing her a bit over the railing. “You told me that you were sorry for how you acted with me when you lived here. You told me that things would be different. But nothing changed!”
Moon Dancer pushed her further. “When was the last time that we talked? Whent you wondered how I was doing or wanted to share something of your life with me?”

Twilight glanced towards the long fall the pale unicorn was pushing her into. “Moon, I live too far away for me to come visit you often.”

“You send a letter to Celestia every week! Is it too hard to take a few minutes of your time to have another letter sent to me? You don’t even write them yourself!”
Moon Dancer was now looming over Twilight, pushing her more and more against the railing of the stairs.

“I- I just-” Twilight mumbled incoherently, not knowing what to say to defend herself.

“There is also a train that goes directly to Canterlot. You should know since Spike takes it from time to time and even spends a few days here. In this tower. With me.”
Moon Dancer took a moment to catch her breath, but her anger didn’t subside.
“I wonder why you don’t come with him. Wouldn’t you like to spend time with your baby brother in your old home, with your old friends? Or does your social circle only have room for to those five and sometimes Sunset? Every time you’ve been in Canterlot was because of her.”

Twilight shook her head, finally finding the resolve to fight back. “Moon Dancer stop! You know that Sunset has-”

“Problems, I know!” Moon shouted in her face. “I know all of them and she knows mine! Because as I said, we talk. And not just the ‘Hey how are you doing? I miss you so much, we should see each other sometime’ empty, streamlined chat. We talk about what is happening in our lives, what we want, what we like, what our problems are and how we plan to solve them. We give each other advice, we share laughs, and remind each other that there is somepony that cares for them.”
Moon Dancer got right in Twilight’s face. “Sunset is incapable of understanding friendship, yet she’s a thousand times better as a friend to me than you ever have.”

Moon Dancer let go of Twilight and walked back to the inside of the tower. “Don’t ever come back.”
The doors closed with a slam, and a magic spell locked them shut.

Twilight fell to the marble floor, tears running down her face.

Another piece of her life was now gone. And this one was her own fault.

“I need to fix this. I can’t let a friend down. I’m sure I can convince her to give me another chance,” she told herself, trying to gather confidence, but it had been too much.
Sunset was missing or dead. Celestia was pushing everypony away. Luna was imprisoning ponies. Shinning had dismissed her. And Moon Dancer hated her.
Half of her life was falling apart, and it was all happening at the same time.

Twilight regretted sending Rainbow away. Now more than ever, she needed a friend.

“Twilight are you okay?” a soft voice asked her.

The unicorn lifted her head, finding the worried eyes and reassuring smile of Cadence. Twilight hugged her almost desperately, letting more tears flow from her eyes.

The pink alicorn hugged her back, covering her body with her wings to comfort her. “Don’t worry Twilight. I’m here for you.”

“Why is this happening? Everything is falling apart, and I don’t know what to do,” Twilight cried, hugging the alicorn more tightly.

Cadence stroked Twilight’s mane with her hoof in a comforting manner. “I don’t think any of us knows what to do right now. We need time to fully process what is happening before we can find solutions.”

Twilight shook her head. “I can’t just wait; I need to know what happened. I need to know if Sunset is alive.”

Cadence looked at the vulnerable pony in her hooves, and chose her next words very carefully. “I don’t know if she’s alive, but…” she said sounding nervous and unsure.

Twilight lifted her gaze to see Cadence’s face. “But what?... Do you know something?”

Cadence took a deep breath. “A few days ago, I discovered what happened to Sunset in her foalhood.”

Twilight pulled away from her. “What? How?”

“Unlike my aunts, I can freely leave Canterlot and meet with some friends from all over Equestria. I asked a few favors, and they pointed me to one of the… survivors.”

“Survivors?” Twilight’s pupils shrank at the word, fearing its implications. “Why didn’t you say anything until now?”

Cadence sighed. “It’s… complicated.” She looked around them and got closer to Twilight as she whispered. “Do you still trust Celestia?”

Twilight froze. “Why?... No. She can’t be the one responsible. Every time Sunset gets hurt, Celestia is there for her. She helped her multiple times. She gave Sunset her crown. She taught her how to control her magic. She is my mentor. I know she’s-”

Suddenly, for the first time in Twilight’s life, the rational part of her brain took her image of Celestia, and shed a new light on her mentor.

“She wasn’t there when Sunset died in the gorge. She prohibited me from discovering Sunset’s past, even if it was to help her. She didn’t send Sunset to Ponyville to learn about friendship with me, it was her own choice. She gave Sunset the crown… but before that… what Sunset wanted the most was…”

Twilight remembered what Sunset said to her when she had lost control. “Lied. Manipulated. Discarded.”

Twilight looked at Candace with fiery determination behind her eyes. “Tell me everything.”

After sealing her door shut with a spell to keep Twilight out, Moon Dancer walked to the large mirror in her bathroom.
She looked at herself, or more specifically her mane, with disgust.

Sunset’s voice resonated in her mind. “The copycat manestyle gives it away.”

Moon Dancer gritted her teeth and pulled out a pair of scissors from a nearby drawer. She then used her magic to pull the two purple streaks of hair from her mane and tail until she had easy access to their roots.

With four quick chops, she let go of her obsession with the one who she thought was a good role model for her life.

Moon Dancer left the scissors on the floor along with the discarded hair and returned to the center of the tower. There on the floor, in the center of a green ritual circle surrounded by ten white talons, was her book of necromancy.

She picked up the foreboding book and opened its ancient pages, quickly finding the ritual she had been preparing since she read the news of Sunset’s death.

What she was about to do was strictly forbidden and would come at the cost of tainting her magic and soul forever. But Moon Dancer needed to know if Sunset was alive. And if she had done everything correctly, she would get not only that, but also answers about what Sunset was.

Taking a few deep breaths to prepare herself, she lifted her right foreleg over to the circle, and started to chant the first verses of the ritual while her horn glowed with magic.

As the words of the dead language were recited, the circle started to glow, revealing thin runes that had been drawn along the exterior.
After a few seconds, the talons started to shake on the floor and then they were lifted into the air by an unknown force, positioning themselves around Moon Dancer’s leg.
Six of them moved above the joint of her hoof, standing equidistant from each other, and the other four stood right below her knee.

When Moon Dancer finished reciting the text, the sharp talons dug into her flesh, and started to glow with bright white magic.

The unicorn moved her leg like if it was a key on a lock, and a dimensional crack suddenly appeared in front of her.

The fissure expanded in the air, slowly forming two large gates, four times taller than Moon Dancer.
The massive doors slowly opened, and the unicorn saw four bright white lights staring at her from a dark void beyond the gate.

Moon Dancer swallowed a lump in her throat. “I must request something from you,” she said trying to hide her nervousness and fear.

The lights move closer to her, and when they left the void to enter the room, she realized that they were the pupils of four black eyes that stared at her from the head of a large grey crow-like being with a bone-white beak and three large claws at the end of what supposedly would be its wings.
It was wearing a clean leather apron, and on its back was a full-looking large bag that was tied to the crow’s neck with a harness.

The alien creature stood right in front of Moon Dancer and opened its beak to speak.

Even if it seemed to talk calmly, the sound that came out of its mouth was akin to hundreds of shrieks in different pitches that threatened to make Moon Dancer’s ears bleed. And that horrible sound was only the background noise to the creature’s actual words, which sounded like they were being spoken by a crowd of creatures rather than a single being, in a language that were giving her a huge migraine.

“EPIB LW GWC ZMYCMAB WN UM?”

It took Moon Dancer a full minute to decipher the simple question she had been asked. “Sunset Shimmer’s soul. Is it in the afterlife? Can I bargain for it if it is?”

The crow’s eyes started to move in every direction with great speed, seemingly observing something beyond the pony’s comprehension.

“WP, GWC IZM BITSQVO IJWCB Ontokho.”

“What? No, Sunset Shimmer. A pony like me with gold and crimson hair and a cutie mark of a red and yellow sun.”

“GWC EIVB BW SVWE IJWCB ACVAPQVM, Ontokho’s XZMDQWCA AWCT.”

“Sunshine? What are you talking about? Explain it to me!” Moon Dancer demanded, the forced communication and the stress on her mind generated by the voice of the creature making her start to lose her temper.

“QB QA I TWVO ABWZG, GWC EQTT OW QVAIVM JMNWZM PMIZQVO ITT WN QB.”

Moon Dancer was feeling her sanity start to break apart, so she needed to be quick before she went insane.
“How can I find out without losing my mind? Is there a ritual I can do? Do I need to become a full-fledged necromancer?”

At that moment, the voices coming out of the creature’s beak seemed to express one single sentiment; disgust.
“Q LWV’B VMML UWZM VMKZWUIVKMZA.”

Having the voices talk with the same intention seemed to alleviate the stress on Moon Dancer’s brain, so she decided to continue her interrogation.

“Then what can I be?”

The crow’s eyes took a closer look at the unicorn, inspecting her beyond the concepts of time, physics, and spirituality. “Oynon.”

Before Moon Dancer could ask what it meant, the creature introduced one of its hands inside the bag on its back and pulled out the dead body of an artic fox.

“TMIZV BW CAM TQNM IOIQVAB LMIBP, IVL GWC EQTT TMIZV BW TQABMV.”

The creature left the corpse in front of Moon Dancer and quickly went back to the void, the doors closing behind him and disappearing faster than it had been summoned.

After taking a few moments to calm down from the mind-shattering experience, Moon Dancer looked at her leg. The white talons had dug themselves inside her flesh and left only ten small scars as evidence of their existence.

“Very well, let’s see what I can do with this.” She picked up the body of the fox with her magic, noticing that the color of her aura had become paler. “No reason to turn back now.”

Giving one last look at the space where the door had appeared, Moon dancer went to work on her test.

Inside Twilight’s library, Applejack was walking in circles, gritting her teeth in frustration. “Everything’s just falling apart. This looks even worse than Nightmare Moon.”

“It is, we can’t just blast the problem with rainbows this time,” Rainbow said with her hooves crossed, her eyes showing the same frustration Applejack was feeling. “We can’t do nothing! We don’t know even half of the damn story!”

While the two most hotheaded of the group boiled in anger, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Rarity were crestfallen.

Pinkie had her mane completely straight, and had lost some of her vibrant colors.

Fluttershy was looking through one of the windows, worrying about everypony’s safety, but especially Sunset’s. She lamented having all those doubts about her when she lost control.
Once more she had judged her instead of helping, and it looked like she wouldn’t be able to make amends this time.

Rarity, who had received the most damage to her body during Sunset’s outburst, looked like her mind wasn’t there.
Her eyes seemed lost, staring at nothing in front of her despite being open, and were it not for some small movements as she breathed, one would think she had been frozen in time.

A clawed hand grabbing her leg seemed to snap the fashionista out of her stupor, and she turned her head down to see Spike looking at her worried. “It’s going to be okay, Sunset never gives up. We will find her.”

Rarity was almost shocked by Spike’s resolve, finding no words to respond. Even if he was the youngest of them, he seemed to be calmer than everypony.
“Come on Rarity, you need to be stronger than this. Spike and your friends need you right now.”

The unicorn stood up and whispered a thank you to Spike before addressing her friends. “As you said Rainbow, we don’t know much about what is really going on, but I’m sure Twilight will come back with that information. We need to be ready to help her when she does.”

Applejack blew air through her mouth. “You’re right. Even if we can’t make a plan right now, we should still be ready to take action.”

“You’re right, we need to be there for Twilight,” Pinkie said standing up, a bit of her colors returning to her body.

“I should go and check on her, she may need help in Canterlot,” Rainbow offered, stretching her wings, but Fluttershy stopped her.

“You have covered that distance at top speed three times already. If you keep pushing yourself, your body will give out and you won’t be able to help anypony.”

Rainbow seem like she was about to object, but her friend’s words convinced her to stay. “Okay, we need to form a plan to confront the princesses then.”

Rainbow’s friends were surprised at her words, and how nonchalantly she had said them.

“Darling, I don’t think Luna and Celestia are our enemies here.”

“They are,” a stern voice declared.

The six mares and dragon turned towards where the voice had come from, and saw Twilight entering the library, her mane frazzled, and eyes filled with determination.

“What did you discover?” Rainbow quickly asked.

“Celestia and Luna have been lying to us the whole time. What happened yesterday occurred in Sunset’s village when she was a foal. She destroyed the town and incinerated everypony in it.” Shock and fear filled everypony’s hearts, but Twilight continued. “Celestia hid everything. She adopted Sunset and built the School for Gifted Unicorns to keep track of anypony who could become a threat like her.”
Twilight gritted her teeth. “That’s why she chose me as her student. And Sunset’s replacement.” She turned her head towards Rainbow Dash. “You knew it.”

Rainbow’s hooves were trembling. “I- she- she made me Pinkie Promise. She said she would tell you when she felt ready.”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m not blaming you for anything Rainbow, I just wanted to confirm it.”

“Wait, if you replaced Sunset, why did Celestia choose her as the heir to the kingdom?” Applejack asked.

“She already had a student to deal with the major problems of Equestria with the power of friendship. Sunset would be the one to handle the rest of her responsibilities. We both do her work, and she retires with her sister by her side and her lies buried. Everypony believing her to be the perfect ruler she always pretended to be.”

“Did Princess Luna know about all this? Is that why she…” Fluttershy stopped herself from finishing that sentence.

Twilight took a deep breath. “I refuse to believe she’s dead. So, either she’s hiding or she’s secretly in prison.” She took a pause before continuing. “We need to infiltrate Canterlot Castle.”

“What?! Why?” Pinkie asked.

“We need to have the elements with us. They may not be weapons exactly, but they are the only thing more powerful than an alicorn that we can get. Plus, if Sunset has been captured, she will probably be in the dungeons of the castle,” Twilight explained.

At first, the five mares looked unsure about their friend’s plan, but Rainbow quickly agreed to it, followed by Applejack, and the rest soon followed.

“Can your brother help us?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight shook her head. “I’m afraid he’s still too conflicted with the situation to cooperate with us. We would be committing treason, and he would be forced to stop us.”

“How are we going to infiltrate the castle when both royal guards are on full alert without your brother’s help?” Applejack questioned.

“How about the Gala?”

Everycreature looked at Rarity. “It’s in three weeks, enough time for us to prepare a proper plan and for the tension to die down a bit. Most of the castle will be open to the guests and we’ve already been invited.”

“Rarity, I don’t think Princess Luna will be in the mood to host a party with all the difficulties she’s having,” Twilight objected.

“Actually, it would be foolish for her not to host it!” Spike exclaimed, getting everypony’s attention. “The Gala would be the perfect event to show to the public that she’s a benevolent ruler and clear her bad reputation. The festivities would be a good way to calm the nerves of the more influencial ponies in Canterlot, showing that their way of life won’t be affected by the change in rulership. And keeping a tradition from after she was banished could be seen as her accepting the modern ways of Equestria.”

There was a moment of silence after his explanation. “Spike darling, since when have you been good at politics?”

Spike scratched the back of his head. “I learned a thing or two while we lived in the castle. What do you think?” he asked Twilight, who seemed to be analyzing the plan.

“Sunset may not have much time, but we can’t risk being captured too. Other than maybe Rainbow, neither Luna nor Celestia have reasons to suspect us planning something against them. We can keep up appearances until we get the elements and find Sunset. And if she finds us first, we have to show her that we got her back.”
Twilight looked at her friends. “I know you’ve already helped me confront Nightmare Moon, and that Sunset is a friend to you as much as she’s a sister to me. But even if we use our connection with the elements to avoid severe punishment by the princesses, getting caught will have heavy consequences. We can lose far more than just Sunset if we screw this up, and I can’t ask you to take that risk for me. So, if you want to just wait for Sunset’s return or suggest a less risky method to approach this, I will hear you out.”

Twilight’s friends took some time to really consider what they could lose with this little rebellion. Not only their livelihoods, but their families could be affected by their decision. Even if they were heroes, going against the princesses would make everypony in Equestria hate them, and maybe even persecute them themselves in defense of their rulers.

“As the one who has the most to lose,” Applejack said stepping forward. “I say that I wouldn’t rest peacefully again if I just stayed at home. We need to get to the bottom of this, and make sure Sunset is safe.”

The rest of her friends nodded in agreement, and even Spike looked determined to find Sunset and uncover the truth.

“Very well, we have three weeks to prepare.” Twilight sighed, feeling the incredible weight of what she needed to do, and the fear of losing more than she already had. “Thank you all for being with me, you’re the best friends I could ever ask for.”

All her friends gave her one big hug, giving her the strength she needed to continue, and then they started working on the infiltration plan.

The ambiance in Canterlot Castle was horrifyingly tense.

Fights between the guards occurred with alarming frequency, and even the staff was at risk of being attacked if their allegiance with either of the princesses was exposed to public knowledge.

And if that wasn’t enough, there had been reports of a thief working from the inside, stealing food and medicine from the kitchen and infirmary in broad daylight, but nopony had seen them yet.

The thief was smart, and always waited for the best moment to act, like right now, when one of the chefs had left various loaves of bread on one of the kitchen tables while he worked.

The thief quickly entered the kitchen through the window and grabbed one of them with its sharp talons before retreating to the outside of the castle, making sure nopony saw her.

If they did, they would recognize her immediately as Celestia’s phoenix.

Philomena flew away from the castle into the mountains surrounding the capital, until she reached a cave near the summit of one of them.
She entered the shelter and left the bread near a small pile of stolen supplies before flying deeper into the cave.

She landed on the ground and tugged a lock of crimson red hair with its beak for a few seconds before letting go.

Sluggishly, a heavily bandaged orange hoof pet her on the head.

Author's Note

Missing files have been found! Initiating recovery procedures.

Five more chapters until the end.

Next chapter: Chapter 39: Chained

Chapter 39 Part 1: Chained

Three weeks has passed since Moon Dancer had been given her first test.
Her tower had become a laboratory of sorts, filled with new books of the occult she had been stealing or buying. Sadly, none of them were reliable, and even the book of necromancy she used to summon Suok turned out to be a watered-down version of a real book of necromancy. Still, it was the best she had, and the best she would ever get by herself.

It was due to this that she kept failing her test repeatedly.
“Being a necromancer would’ve been easier,” she exclaimed with frustration as she walked up to the table where the fox’s body was lying down. “Okay, one more time.”

Moon Dancer lit her horn and lifted her right leg, and the white talons sprout out of the scars as her magical aura connected all the tips with a bright white line.
She placed her hoof on top of the fox’s chest, and started to recite the incantation she had been piecing together with the knowledge she had gathered.
A magical circle appeared around the fox, filling the tower with light, and at the center of it an image of an open eye appeared. Inside it was a glyph surrounded by a strange ancient writing that Moon Dancer was still trying to fully decipher.
The unicorn infused more of her magic into the magical circle, activating the rune and the writings around it. The fox’s body started to glow, and its lungs started to fill with air.
Moon Dancer slowly diminished her magical influx, hoping that the spell would be maintained without her efforts.
Suddenly, the air escaped from the fox’s lungs, and the its paw twitched.
Moon Dancer watched as her test subject slowly stood up, and looked up at her with cold, dead eyes.

The unicorn sighed. “Another failure.” She cut off her magic, and the fox fell on the table, back to being an inert corpse.

Thorax walked through the caves beneath Canterlot, constantly looking around in case some other changeling found him carrying a small covered basket. He picked up the pace and took the shorter route towards the cells, trying to be as silent as possible.
When he finally saw the guard he was meant to replace, he hid the basket behind some rocks and calmly walked up to him. “Your shift is over; you can go and rest.”

“Finally.” The changeling exclaimed as he gave his weapon to Thorax. “This is so boring. She just lays there, and I have to constantly check that she didn’t die in her sleep.”

“I could take your shift if you wanted,” Thorax offered, and the changeling looked at him suspiciously.

“Working two shifts for a prisoner? Do you have secret intentions with miss princess?”

Thorax face did its best to show a blush despite his black chitinous skin. “What?! No! What would I even–?”

The changeling laughed. “Forget it. You’re right, what would a softy like you do to a defenseless alicorn? However, as much as I would like to, you will have to ask the captain first. I suggest getting your brother to do it.”

“Will do,” Thorax responded, and the guard quickly left the room, wanting nothing more than to find a bed to rest. After making sure the coast was clear, Thorax went for the basket and walked up to the door of the cell.
Calling it a cell was kind of a stretch. They had simply covered a dead-end in the tunnels with their sap to make a wall that parted open with their changeling magic.
Thorax wasted no time entering the room, and immediately saw the pink alicorn of love laying on the floor. Her mane and coat were dirty and disheveled, but other than that, she seemed to be in healthy condition. One part because of her alicorn biology, and the other being Thorax’s actions. “I managed to get some more food this time, but it’s mostly bread. I hope you don’t mind.”

The alicorn’s response was to grab the basket with her hooves and start scarfing down the rations the changeling had brought to her, something he had been doing since she was captured.
Thorax simply waited patiently for her to finish eating, making sure to put any crumbs or leftovers inside the basket to leave no evidence of his actions.
After passing everything down with a large gulp of water, Cadence gave the hamper back to the changeling while muttering an almost inaudible “thank you”.
Thorax just nodded and walked to the door, but a mildly ragged voice stopped him.
“I know that you don’t have some ulterior motive. But I need to ask… why are you doing this?”

Thorax took some time to respond, but when he did, he looked at her in the eyes with complete honesty. “It feels wrong to just do nothing.”

Cadence’s lips formed a very small smile, and she did her best to give him a clearer thank you. Thorax nodded and walked out of the cell, closing the door behind him.

“Sleeping beauty finally decided to join the waking world.”

“Shut up Dawn,” Nightmare said with annoyance as her body appeared in the mindscape. “Stopping your little rampage and then healing Sunset from Luna’s attacks wasn’t easy.”

“I told you to not break the seals. You fucked us both.”

“We already took out Celestia, and Luna will soon fall too. This is just a minor setback.”

“Is that the punchline?”

“Sorry, do you have any ideas for how we can get what we both want?”

“No, so I will just keep pointing out your mistakes for now.”

Nightmare growled and laid down on her paper bed, trying to come up with a plan that could remedy the situation.

“So, now that we’re alone, what’s the plan Twilight?” Rainbow asked as the six friends traveled to the gala inside a carriage driven by Spike and two stallions they had hired.

Twilight took out a copy of the castle’s blueprints Cadence had managed to get for her and set it in the middle of the carriage. “Our priority is to get the Elements of Harmony. That will be your job Rainbow. You’re the fastest of us, so if a guard spots you or you accidentally set off an alarm you will be able to escape.” She then pointed at a room near the center of the castle. “Normally the vault would only open with Celestia’s magic, but since she’s still hiding, Luna had to break the vault open to get them. There is some sort of security in place, but it won’t be insurmountable.”
Twilight pulled a small bag out of her dress and handed it to Rainbow. “I charged these runes with some spells that should help you disable alarms, guards or locks, there’s a list with instructions inside.”

Rainbow saluted. “Got it. I won’t fail.”

Twilight nodded and turned to Fluttershy. “Since you’re our other flyer, I want you to look for Sunset in the dungeons of the castle.” The purple unicorn pointed at a small area at the bottom of the castle. “If you get spotted, pretend to be lost. The kitchens were destroyed during Luna’s supposed coup, so they moved them to a room close to the dungeons. It’s your best alibi.”

“What do I do if I find her?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight pulled out a small crystal from her dress that was glowing with an orange aura. “This crystal contains a strong dispel spell. Sunset will surely have a magic restrainer on her horn, so just put this against it and it will deactivate it. Tell Sunset everything that we know and see if she agrees to escape with us or if she has a plan. Either way, tell her she has our full support.”

“Okay. I will do it,” Fluttershy said, taking the crystal.

Twilight nodded and continued explaining the plan. “I will be standing next to Luna during the night, making sure she doesn’t suspect anything, and I will send a message to all of you if she does.”

“What will we do?” Applejack asked, pointing at herself Pinkie and Rarity.

“We can’t all disappear from the party without raising suspicion, so you three will need to stay in the ballroom and keep appearances. However, if you see the chance to get more information about what’s going on with Sunset or anypony in the castle, don’t waste it. There’s still a lot we don’t know,” Twilight explained.

“Well, if there’s somepony who would know more than the average noble, it would be Prince Blueblood. I’m sure I can get him to talk about everything that’s been going on,” Rarity proposed as she made sure her hair and dress were in perfect condition.

“I can tell a lie from three meters away, so if I get somepony talking at the stand, I will be sure that they aren’t hiding something,” Applejack chimed in.

“And I will make sure that everypony is distracted with the party! Nopony will suspect a thing,” Pinkie declared valiantly.

“Very well.” Twilight took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “We’re really doing this.”
She looked at the determined faces of all her friends and steeled her resolve. “Thank you for being here. I couldn’t do this without any of you.”

Rainbow smiled. “Don’t worry Twilight, we have your back.”

“We’re here,” Spike announced as the carriage stopped.

Twilight sighed and stood up. “Good luck everypony.”

One by one, the six mares left the carriage and started their march towards the castle.

At the top of the tallest mountain in Canterlot, Sunset was watching the castle glow with the lights of the Gala.

“Every guard will be busy keeping an eye on the guests, and Luna has to welcome each of them as they arrive.” Sunset thought as she tore off the last bandage covering her body, showing no scars on her coat. “It’s the perfect moment.”
She looked to her right, where Philomena was sitting in wait. “Will you guide me?”
The phoenix gave a little nod before taking off towards the castle, and Sunset summoned her wings before following her.

As soon as they entered the ballroom, Twilight and her friends split up.

Rainbow made a quick scan of the room until she spotted one of the Wonderbolts and walked over to him. “Hey Soarin, remember me?”

The Wonderbolt looked at her, not remembering which of the fans he had met she was, until he noticed the crown on her head. “I do! Rainbow Dash, right?”

“The one and only! The fastest pony in Equestria.” Rainbow said with pride.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“Yeah, I’m just that awesome. Are the rest of your team here?”

“Yes, they are in the VIP area,” Soarin said pointing behind him.

“Would you mind taking me with them? I would love to catch up with you all,” Rainbow asked, doing her best impression of Rarity.

Soarin looked conflicted. “I don’t know. It is for VIPs.”

Rainbow snorted. “And who would be more important than the fastest flyer in Equestria and the Element of Loyalty who ended the eternal night.”

Soarin laughed. “Can’t argue with that. Come, I will tell them to let you in.”

Rainbow followed him with a smile and made sure that the guards had seen her entering to the VIP section with the Wonderbolt.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was running around the party, making a full 5D map of the place in her mind so she knew every possible entrance and exit. And once she was done, she gave a small signal to Fluttershy while she walked to the musicians that were playing for the guests.
She quickly whispered to each of them before going for a microphone and giving it a few taps to test that it worked.

“C'mon, everypony! I know what will make you shake those groove-thangs!” She shouted through the mic before the musicians started to play the music she had requested.

“You reach your right hoof in
You reach your right hoof out
You reach your right hoof in
And you shake it all about
You do the Pony Pokey meeting lots of folks with clout
That's what I'm talking about”

As her loud song caught the attention of everypony, Fluttershy sneaked through one of the doors and went deeper into the castle.

On the gardens of the castle, Applejack had put up a stand to sell her merchandise in a precise spot that let her overlook the entire garden where the guests were gathering, including the night-guards that patrolled both land and air.
“The security seems to be tighter on the outside of the castle. Are they making sure that ponies stay in, or do they want to keep somepony out?” She wondered before one pony asked for one of her products. Twilight had shared some popular recipes from Canterlot’s restaurants, and the farm mare had managed to replicate them with her apples. It was unpleasant for her to do this instead of her usual foods, but she couldn’t deny that they were working. “Sunset was right, these ponies only care about the looks.” After making her sell, she spotted Rarity approaching Prince Blueblood.

Before the fashionista could present herself, Blueblood turned around to face her with a smile. “Well hello, I am Prince Blueblood.”

Rarity smiled and made herself look flattered, which wasn’t hard for her. “I am–”

“Rarity Belle, the Element of Generosity, hero of Equestria and a very talented dress designer,” the stallion interrupted her before taking her hoof and giving it a small respectful kiss. “It’s an honor to meet you in person.”

Rarity was surprised at the attitude of the prince. “Didn’t Sunset call him a pampered idiot?” “I’m surprised you know so much about me.”

“Who wouldn’t want to know more of the most beautiful of the Elements?” Blueblood asked, looking at her eyes.

Rarity tried to not blush at his words. “You flatter me so much.”

“Do you wish for me to stop saying the unquestionable truths of the world?” the prince asked with an elegance that was everything Rarity had imagined him to be.

“I– I may want to hear some more,” Rarity managed to answer despite the effects of his advances.

“Then allow me to give you a tour of the gardens, I’m sure that a fine mare like yourself will be able to appreciate the work that it’s put to preserve its beauty,” Blueblood said standing at her side.

“I would love to,” Rarity answered with a dreamy smile.

Back in the castle, Twilight was slowly approaching Princess Luna, who was standing in front of a large line of guests who were waiting to be received by their new ruler.

“Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala,” Luna said to one of the guests with regal formality, but her voice sounded hollow and lacking emotion, making her appear soulless.

“Princess Luna! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you,” the purple unicorn said as she stood a half meter at her side.

“It has, Sparkle,” the princess said with a totally different tone of voice, but she didn’t look happy with her presence. “Are you enjoying the Gala?”

Twilight smiled. “I am, but I wanted to spend some time with you.”

“If it’s about my sister or Sunset, I’m afraid this is not the place to ask such questions.”

“What a surprise,” one of the guests said with clear animosity before walking into the party.

“I’m sure he didn’t really mean that,” Twilight said with sympathy for the princess.

“They’re just words Sparkle. They’ve said worse and they can’t hurt me,” Luna said, going back to her emotionless tone.

Back in the VIP section, Rainbow Dash had finished introducing herself to all the Wonderbolts she hadn’t met already, and when she was sure everypony could say she was with them, she sneakily got out of the ballroom through a window.
Rainbow then took off her dress and hid it in the castle’s masonry before flying up to another window, making sure to stay in the shadows so no guard could see her. Once she was inside again, she flew close to the ceiling of the hallways, making her way towards the vault.
She ran into a couple of patrols, but she managed to remain hidden and move away before she was spotted, however, it was keeping her away from her objective, and the more time she spent outside of the Gala, the chance of somepony realizing she was gone increased.
“Come on, where are you?” she grumbled before taking a turn, and she finally saw the vault.

It was at the other side of a long hallway, with six night-guards along its sides, standing firm and vigilant. The vault itself had its door torn open, but somepony had put up a magical barrier on the hole, and its shimmering blue color told Rainbow that it was probably Luna’s magic.

The pegasus took cover behind the corner and pulled out the bag Twilight had given her. “Let’s see if this works,” she said before putting one of the runes against her forehead, muttering a few words to activate it. The magical item glowed and a white mask covered Rainbow’s face and changed her colors to a dull grey, hiding her identity and keeping her head isolated from any outside hazards.
She then took out three runes with the same sigil written on them, and after saying a few incantations, she threw them close to the guards.
The thestrals ears detected the sound and immediately went on alert, two of them walking over to the source of the sound while the other four stood in place with their weapons drawn.
Rainbow took out two more runes and stood at the ready.

When the two guards reached the small stones the pegasus had thrown, the runes shined brightly and exploded into three big clouds of green gas. The two bat ponies started choking, and Rainbow immediately dove inside the mist, putting both runes against their foreheads, sending them to sleep.
Three of the remaining four guards started shooting their crossbows at the cloud while the last one pulled out a horn to sound the alarm, but Rainbow threw a rune at him that created a silence bubble, preventing the call for reinforcements. The three guards reloaded their crossbows and took aim at the pegasus, but Rainbow was faster, and flung another rune at them that sent a strong electrical discharge, shocking the three thestrals until they fell unconscious on the floor.
Rainbow saw the last guard charge at her with a sword in his mouth, so she dove down, barely dodging the blade, and sent a powerful double kick upwards towards his jaw, knocking him into the ceiling and leaving him out cold.

With the living security dealt with, Rainbow now had to break an alicorn powered shield.
“Let’s hope this works,” she said pulling some runes out.

Rarity was walking alongside Blueblood as he explained the castle’s history to her, along with all the artist and architects that had turned every corner of it into a piece of art.

“I just don’t get it, he’s being such a gentlecolt, did Sunset met him during a bad day?” the mare thought as they slowly approached the ballroom.
“I must say, you’ve made this night so delightful.”

“It brings me joy that you consider me such good company,” Blueblood said with a smile.

“Yes, it is a far cry from what I’ve heard of you. One clearly can’t judge a pony before meeting them.”

The prince looked a bit embarrassed at her words. “Yes, my younger years weren’t my best, I must admit. Luckily, with time, one can learn and mature.” Rarity nodded in agreement, and then Blueblood asked a question. “Who was it that gave you that impression of me? I would like to meet them and show them that I’m no longer such pony.”

Rarity got a bit nervous, but managed to hide it well. “Oh, it was a friend of mine.”

“One of the elements?” The prince questioned.

“No, it was… Sunset Shimmer.”

Suddenly, the mood of the stallion seemed to sour at the name. “Oh, yes. Her.”

“Oh, I’m aware that your encounter was less than pleasant, but I’m sure that she would regret it if she met this new you,” Rarity said, trying to salvage the situation.

“I sincerely doubt it,” The prince said with disdain. “Unlike me, that mare is incapable of maturing. And that immaturity was what ended her life in end,” he added before entering the ballroom.

Rarity was shocked at his words, her jaw hanging low and unladylike. “What? How can he be so–?”

“He has been lying to you all night,” Applejack said, walking up to her side. “He’s hiding something behind all that gentlecolt nonsense.”

Rarity’s shock turned to anger. She not only had been played; she had wasted a lot of time caught in the stallion’s fake charms. “Come with me, we will get the truth out of him.”

“Right behind yah,” Applejack said before following her to the ballroom.

Fluttershy had found much less patrols than Rainbow during her infiltration, and her skittish and nervous nature kept her extremely alert and on guard, avoiding any confrontation like her life depended on it.
“Come on Fluttershy, you’re almost there,” she told herself to keep a brave face, but she was still shaking.

After descending a flight of stairs, she spotted the big iron doors that lead to the dungeons of the castle. She flew up to them and took out some lockpicks hidden in her dress.
Gilda had been teaching them all how to pick locks during the weeks leading to the Gala, wanting to help even if she couldn’t participate in the heist.
It took a few tries, but after a lot of effort, she finally heard the click of the lock, and she let out a sigh of relief.

“Fluttershy?” a voice asked behind her, taking her by surprise.
In a fit of panic, she pulled out the dispelling crystal and chucked it at the pony that had sneaked up on her.
The crystal bounced off the face of Cadence, who just blinked in confusion.

“Oh, I’m sorry princess, I thought you–” Fluttershy lost her words as the alicorn was engulfed in an orange light, and her body transformed into a tall, dark insectoid figure, staring down at her with fierce green eyes.

“You just made a very large mistake,” Chrysalis growled.

“Excuse me Prince Blueblood, but I would like to talk a bit more about your opinion of my friend,” Rarity said as she walked up to the stallion, Applejack standing close by and listening.

Blueblood turned around and gave her an apologetic look. “My apologies, it was very rude of me to talk ill of the deceased.”

Rarity took a quick glance at Applejack, who shook her head. He was lying. “I just wanted to say that you’re being quite unfair to her. I know the mare, and I can tell you she has changed a lot since you last met her.”

Blueblood did his best to not snort at her words. “I’m sorry, but it’s really hard to believe that Demon Child was nothing more than a menace to us all.”

“Demon Child?!” Rarity exclaimed.

The Prince rolled his eyes. “At least seventeen confirmed cases of accidental fires in the castle, some being suspected of arson, thousands of property damage, some invaluable pieces of art turned to ash, and a few servants with first degree burns. All in her way to adolescence.” Blueblood smiled at the look of shock in Rarity’s face. “It seems I knew your “friend” better than you.”

Rarity frowned and stomped her hoof on the floor. “You don’t know her! I don’t care what mistakes she made in the past, she’s a good pony, and she certainly doesn’t deserve jerks like you talking ill behind her back.”

Blueblood looked at her with suspicion. “You keep talking about her like if she’s still alive. Is there something you know?” Rarity’s anger immediately faded, and finding no words to defend herself, she tried to leave, but the prince caught her hoof with his magic. “I’m sure princess Luna would like to hear about this.”

“Get yer dirty hoof off her!” Applejack shouted, pushing him away from Rarity.

Blueblood dusted himself off and glared at the farm mare. “Say’s the pony that works in the dirt, picking apples with her mouth.”

“You clearly have no idea how apples are harvested, being too busy kissing yer own flank I bet!” Applejack shouted, getting the attention of the ponies around them.

“Young lady! If you can’t talk properly, please refrain yourself from speaking. Some of us are trying to enjoy the Gala,” one of the noblemares said with clear disgust at her words.

“Talk properly? Are yah serious? You fancy folk only care about appearances, no matter how rotten you are inside,” Applejack accused.

“You think because you wear some secondhand dress gives you the right to judge us?” Somepony in the crowd said with indignation.

“Secondhand? How can you say something like this is secondhand?” Fleur De Lis asked astonished, standing beside Rarity and pointing at her dress.

“Where’s security? they should kick these mares out immediately!” Somepony shouted, getting the attention of more ponies in the ballroom.

“Everypony calm down, these mares are the ones that saved us from Nightmare Moon, they have the right to be here,” Fancy Pants said as he stood in the middle of the conflict, trying to defuse the situation.

“Well they aren’t doing anything to stop her now! She became our ruler after that useless unicorn killed herself!”

“You take that back before I buck your teeth in!”

The ballroom quickly turned into a shouting match between the guests, with the guards trying to put order but being too outnumbered to calm them down.

As the shouts became louder and the risk of it turning a full-on brawl increased, the arriving guests looked at the lunar princess with disdain.
“I see that you can’t even organize a Gala, our kingdom is truly doomed,” one of them said before they started to leave in indignation.

Twilight winced at his words and looked at the princes to offer some kind words, but she saw that she was still keeping her stoic, emotionless face.
But then, she heard a very faint sob.
“Princess, are you okay?” She asked getting closer, and to her surprise, she stepped inside an illusion bubble surrounding the princess, making it disappear.

The real Luna didn’t have a stoic, unfeeling stare looking down at her subjects. She was crying.
“I’m trying my best,” she whispered to herself as more tears ran down her face.

“Princes Luna I–” Twilight tried to console her, but when the lunar princess noticed her, she teleported away in shame.

Pinkie Pie, having seen everything from afar, couldn’t stand watching so much unhappiness, especially from the princess that was being unfairly judged.
With a look of determination, she bounced off towards the top of the castle, looking for the one pony who could fix all of this.

With all the aggression happening at the Gala, one of the statues in the gardens started to break down, revealing a patch of brown fur underneath it, and a sinister laugh could be heard coming from it.

Philomena flew into one of the rooms of the castle, and Sunset followed close behind until they finally reached their objective. The Crystal Mirror.
Sunset walked up to it as the phoenix landed on the top and sat down, staring at its reflective surface.
“I want you to show me exactly what I want,” she commanded, and to her surprise, her reflection on the mirror started to change.

In a matter of seconds, the image has transformed into Sunset wearing the element of magic on her head, but the gem that represented it had been bent until it resembled her own cutie mark. The rest of the elements floated around her, but they weren’t in the shape of the cutie marks of Twilight’s friends, they had gone back to their original forms.

After a few more seconds, the mirror went back to showing Sunset’s reflection.
Realizing that she could influence what was shown, the unicorn stood still for a few moments, thinking about her next request.
“What’s wrong with me? What stops me from making friends?”

The reflection warped, and Sunset’s eyes widened.
The image was of herself suspended in the air, her body tied tightly from hoof to neck by a spiked blue chain. A similar orange chain was piercing her chest, and a third, red chain was coming out from the middle of her forehead.

“What does that mean?!” she asked the mirror, but it simply went back to showing her reflection.
Sunset bit her lip, trying to make sense of what she had just saw. “It hasn’t shown me as a monster yet. Maybe I managed to change that part of my destiny.”
“How can I achieve what I want?” she asked, but she wasn’t surprised when the mirror didn’t change. “I guess I have to figure it out for myself.”
Sunset let out a long sigh and started to think about what to do. She wanted guidance, but the mirror wasn’t giving it to her, it just showed what she wanted to hear.
And right now, she wanted to know one thing.
“If I manage to fix things. If I manage to find friendships and be at peace with myself and others. What would my future be?”

The mirror started to change, but before Sunset could see the image of her request, a voice called out to her from behind, making her turn her back away from the reflection.

Had she remained looking at the mirror, she would’ve seen a patch of burnt dirt with three things laying on it;

The molten golden crown of Celestia.

A burnt purple magician’s hat.

And two long dark boots adorned with flames of dark scarlet.

Author's Note

Decided to split the chapter in two. Sorry for the long wait :twilightsheepish:

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 39 Part 2: “I can’t”

Thorax was standing guard next to Cadence’s cell when he was unexpectedly visited by non-other than his own mother, holding an unconscious and beaten up yellow pegasus wearing a green dress in her magic.

“I need you to take the identity of this pegasus,” she told him as she set said pony on the ground.

“B-but, this is Fluttershy. One of the elements!” the changeling exclaimed.

Chrysalis smiled. “You know about her? Perfect. Assuming her role will be easier for you then.”

“You want me to replace her?”

“I need you to, and you’re the perfect candidate. The entire operation depends on this. Do not fail this task,” Chrysalis warned, and seeing no way to object, Thorax changed his form into Fluttershy’s. “Very well, I will send you a full profile about her to her cottage tomorrow, for now just follow her friends and be sure to remember everything they’ve done today.” With that said, Chrysalis opened the cell and unceremoniously threw the pegasus right beside Cadence.

“Fluttershy?” The princess of love asked in disbelief. “What have you done?!” she shouted to the changeling queen, but Chrysalis just closed the door, giving her no answer.

Pinkie bounced at top speed through the halls of the castle like a rubber cannonball, making her way to the top.
When she finally reached the door of the room she was looking for, she slammed back-first into it, tearing it off its hinges, and landed on the floor with a final bounce.
Infront of her, sitting on the ground, gaze on the floor, eyes lost, and with a large burn-scar on her neck, was princess Celestia.

“Okay, listen up,” Pinkie announced as she walked up to her. “I know you must be in a really mopey mood right now, and no amount of cake will solve it, but there is…” Pinkie’s speech died down as she noticed that the alicorn didn’t seem to be hearing her, in fact, it seemed like she wasn’t even alive.
The party pony was about to feel her pulse, but her Pinkie-sense screamed that she shouldn’t touch Celestia’s scar, so she just lifted of the alicorn by the chin so she could look her in the eyes. There was some life behind them, but it was clear things were far worse than the pink pony imagined.
“Can you hear me?” Pinkie asked, getting no response. “I know you’re there.” She shook the head a bit, trying to hear something inside, but there was nothing.
Pinkie started to get truly worried about her. Even if Twilight had declared her their enemy and all the terrible things she had done to her and Sunset, Pinkie couldn’t help but wanting to help.

“Look, I know things are really bad,” Pinkie said in the most serious and comforting tone she ever had. “But you won’t solve anything by sulking. You are the beacon of peace and kindness to everypony. You–”

“No…” the alicorn said in a barely heard whisper. “I’m… liar… thief… monster… a…”

Pinkie shook the alicorn. “You were the one who brought peace to Equestria for a thousand years! Everypony looks up to you. They need your guidance.”

“They… be… without…”

“And it’s not only them. We need you. Twilight is angry, but she’s also scared. Deep down we all are. And I’m sure Sunset is too.”

“Sunset… sorry… sorry… sorry…” Celestia kept repeating the word over and over again in a zombie-like state, but Pinkie didn’t give up.

“I know you are, but sometimes saying sorry isn’t enough. You need to do something to make things better, without waiting for forgiveness at the end.”

“She… never… me…”

Pinkie got closer to the monarch. “But right now, the one who really needs you, is your sister.”

Celestia’s eyes suddenly moved, looking at Pinkie by their own will. “Luna?”

“Ponies are being really mean to her. They don’t trust her without you at her side. She’s suffering a lot. You need to be there for her,” Pinkie begged, hoping to finally snap the princess out of her stupor.

“Luna… I…” Pinkie watched as five emotions took turns morphing the alicorns face.
The first was shock, then anger, confusion, sadness, and finally, determination.
“Where–” Suddenly, Pinkie had to take a few steps back as Celestia doubled over in pain and vomited a large quantity of a strange dark blue goo on the floor that smelled like if crude oil had somehow rotten in the sun.
After finishing expelling the corruption from her body, Celestia wiped her mouth with the back of her hoof and looked at Pinkie, eyes still filled with determination. “Where is my sister?”

“Come on, one of these should work!” Rainbow exclaimed frustrated as she tried another rune, but it just fizzled out and became useless against the barrier’s magic.
The pegasus looked back at the unconscious guards, wondering how much time she had before they woke up and surrounded her.
“If I had some more space, I would do a Sonic Rainboom and bust it open in ten seconds flat,” she said while trying to find a more powerful enchantment, but she had run out of options.
Grunting, Rainbow started hitting her head with her hooves. “Come on, think Rainbow, why does magic malfunction normally? What makes Twilight fail at using magic?”
Then a very dumb idea crossed her mind.

She dumped all the runes into her hooves and placed them against the barrier, activating all of them at the same time.
The runes glowed brightly, and there was a large discharge of magic that zapped her like a lightning bolt, but being a weather pony, she was used to getting hit by large quantities of electricity, so she managed to remain conscious.
Rainbow weakly celebrated as the magical barrier slowly started to banish in front of her, and she stumbled her way inside the vault, finding a large box in the center.
After making sure there weren’t any other traps or defenses, she opened the box and smiled at the sight of the Elements of Harmony.
“Mission, accomplished,” she said before flying out of the vault and going back to the party.

Twilight was biting the tip of her hoof as the heavy argument in the ballroom continued escalating. The guests in the VIP section had joined the crowd, with only the Wonderbolts and a few nobles trying to support her friends, and the lunar-guard that was trying to put order had just seen their beloved leader flee in tears, so they were also starting to get aggressive towards the crowd.

“Applejack and Rarity are in the middle of it, Pinkie left, and I don’t know where Rainbow or Fluttershy are.” Twilight was starting to hyperventilate, the start of a panic attack. “Did they get discovered? Are we going to be arrested? Why did I get them into this mess? What am I going to do?”

Suddenly, the doors connecting the ballroom with the inside of the castle slammed open, and through it came a sight she couldn’t believe.
Princess Celestia, wearing golden heavy armor, covering most of her body except the top part of her legs, her wings, her face and the tips of her ears. Her crown seemed to have been melded to a helmet, and her normally wide flowing mane was tied into a long ponytail.
All of this, combined by the fierce look in her yes, made everypony in the Gala stop their bickering at once.

“I could hear your screams all the way from my bedchambers,” the alicorn said as she walked towards her subjects. “I believed that you were being attacked.” The crowd parted, even the lunar-guard giving the princess space so she could reach the center of the ballroom. “Would somepony kindly inform me of the reason for this bickering?”

Nopony said anything, intimidated by the aggressiveness their normally kind and benevolent ruler was showing, clearly angry at their behavior. But surprising nopony, Blueblood was the only one who dared speak to the alicorn like if he did nothing wrong.
“I accused this mare here of withholding information about your oldest student. Things escalated from there.”

Celestia turned her head towards Rarity, but her gaze quickly moved to Applejack, who was standing next to her in a defensive posture. “Applejack, as the element of honesty, I will value your words above any other pony. What is the truth?”

The farm mare chose her words very carefully. “We refuse to believe she’s dead. And this “prince” here, has been badmouthing her in front of Rarity. I won’t stand that.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes. “In my defense–”

“I don’t care what you have to say for yourself,” Celestia interrupted him, with no intention of hiding her disgust.
“No matter how many generations pass, I can still see his face in his descendants,” the alicorn thought with her blood boiling. “That lying, manipulating face.” Celestia gritted her teeth. “It makes me want to just crush it under my hoof.”

“With all due respect aunt, you look very ill under that armor. Did your student do something to you when she betrayed you? The answer could quell some of the current tension,” Blueblood offered.

It was true. As much intimidating Celestia looked, in reality she was hanging by a thread. She was famished, dehydrated and exhausted after three weeks of isolation. The real reason she had summoned her Praetorian armor was because she wouldn’t be able to stand upright if she didn’t wear it.
Right now, even a simple kick would send her to the ground, but still, she stood in front of everypony like a force to be reckoned with.
She wouldn’t admit weakness, especially not in front of a Blueblood.
“I am not ill; I’ve just been mourning the death of my adoptive daughter.” Everypony was shocked. Never before had Celestia called Sunset her daughter. “And I won’t tolerate anypony speaking ill of her,” she declared to the crowd, and her eyes settled on Rarity and Applejack. “Sunset died, by my sister’s own hoof. But she wasn’t a traitor.”

“What was she then?” Blueblood asked. “What did she do to drive your sister to kill her. Or is princess Luna as mad as many believe?”

“Sunset was not herself,” Celestia answer without stutter. “Something took over her mind and body. It drove her insane.” Celestia paused, looking at the ground. “It should’ve been me.”

“So, there is an enemy hiding in the shadows,” Blueblood deduced, and to Celestia’s surprise, he seemed genuinely worried about the prospect. “If that’s the truth–” he turned around to face Applejack and Rarity. “–I apologize for my words against your friend. It seems that old attitude I had still lingers in my mind.”

Rarity turned to her friend, and to her disbelief, Applejack nodded. He was being truthful.

Celestia turned towards the two mares. “Rarity, Applejack, even if you did nothing wrong, I must ask you to leave the castle immediately. I don’t want any more fight’s breaking out while I speak with my sister.”

“But we–” Rarity tried to object, but then Twilight pushed her way to them. “She’s right girls, it’s better we go back to Ponyville.” She discretely signaled them with her eyes to look behind her, and they saw Rainbow alongside Pinkie and Fluttershy giving them a wink.
They both nodded and walked towards the exit alongside their friends.

“Twilight,” Celestia called out, and the unicorn turned around. “I’m sorry.”

Her student looked at her, seemingly studying her face, and walked off without giving an answer.

Once outside, Twilight gathered her friends and gave them the biggest, most desperate hug of her life. “I’m sorry I made you go through this. I should've–”

“Easy there Twilight. You gave us the chance to bail at the start, we all wanted to help yah, even if the consequences were dire,” Applejack said with a reassuring smile, calming the unicorn’s nerves.

“Besides, we won!” Rainbow exclaimed, patting the box hidden inside her dress.

“What about Sunset. Did you find her in the dungeons?” Twilight asked Fluttershy, who stared shaking as all of Twilight’s friends looked at her.

She slowly shook her head. “I didn’t see her in the dungeons.”

The excitement of victory over getting the elements died in all the ponies.
“Then… Did Celestia say the truth?” Twilight asked Applejack with desperation.

“Ah don’t know. She seemed to believe it, but I don’t… Ah don’t know.”

Fluttershy looked at their sad, defeated faces, wanting to say something, to give them a little bit of hope. But she couldn’t risk lying in front of the element of honesty.

Holding back tears, Twilight raised her head. “Let’s go back to Ponyville. We need to hide the elements.”
Everypony followed her to the carriage without saying anything, but when they were about to get inside, they realized something.
“Where’s Spike?”

“Spike?” Sunset asked, not believing her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“We were looking for you,” the dragon responded as he walked closer to her. “Me, Twilight and all her friends. We couldn’t believe that you were dead, so we came here, and we’re willing to help you in any way we can.”

“You can’t help me Spike. I don’t want the help of anypony.” Philomena pecked her in the head. “You don’t count,” Sunset told the bird with a frown.

“We can help you Sunset. And we will do it you want it or not,” Spike insisted.

Sunset shook her head. “What could any of you do against Celestia and Luna? Hide below rocks with me?”

“We have the elements,” Spike declared.

“What?!” Sunset exclaimed.

“Rainbow must already have them by now. We will use them to defend you.”

Sunset looked at him in disbelief. “Spike, you can’t– you will be traitors. Luna will–”

“She won’t do anything!” Spike shouted. “Neither will Celestia. And even if they do, we will deal with it together.”

“Spike, what you’re saying is insane. You can’t seriously believe that you can stand your ground against the entirety of Equestria. And you’re doing it for me?”

“Of course we will, you’re family to us.”

“WE’RE NOT FAMILY,” Sunset shouted with far more anger than she actually felt, but the dragon didn’t take a single step back. “I can’t call any of you my family anymore.”

Spike frowned. “Why not?”

Sunset took a moment to respond. “I had a family Spike. A real family. I can’t just replace them with you. Not after everything that I’ve learned about my true life.”

Spike looked at the ground, but his eyes didn’t lose hope. “Okay, we’re no longer brother and sister then.” He walked up to her, getting closer. “But we will still help you regardless.”

Sunset was confused. “Didn’t you hear–”

“I did. You don’t want a family and you can’t make friends. That changes nothing. We still care about you. We care enough to risk everything just to protect you from anypony,” Spike stated, determination clear in his voice.

“But–”

“Not calling us friends or family won’t change what we feel Sunset. We all know who you are.”

Sunset frowned. “You don’t.”

Spike crossed his arms “We do.”

“Even I didn’t know who I was!” Sunset shouted.

“But you showed who you are.” Spike shouted back, and the unicorn was taken aback. “Did you not enjoy tailoring with Rarity? Making all those dresses for the creatures you cared about?”

“I… I did,” Sunset slowly answered.

“Did that change over these three weeks?” Spike asked more gently.

“No…” Sunset looked at the ground. “I still would like to make dresses. Read Fluttershy’s books, party with Pinkie, fly with Rainbow, see Applejack and her family, mess with Twilight, drink Fare’s coffee, fight with Gilda.” Sunset’s anger had completely faded by now. “But I can’t just go back to that like nothing happened… right?”
Then, she was suddenly hugged by Spike.

“You’re warm again.” Sunset’s eyes widened. “That’s how I found you. I still don’t know what it means, but I believe it’s a sign that you’re getting better. Maybe you just need time to think things through and settle on who you want to be, but I want you to know that we will all be ready to welcome you with open hooves, no matter what you call us or who you decide that you are.”

Slowly, Sunset hugged him back, feeling tears running down her face. “I… I will try… I want you to be my family… but… I can’t… not right now.”

“It’s okay. We will be waiting for you.”

“I’m here!” Spike called out to Twilight and the others. “Did you get the elements?” He asked as discretely as he could while jumping onto the carriage.

“We did, but–” Twilight looked down at the ground. “Sunset is–”

“I found her.” He announced, and everypony looked at him, bright smiles on their faces. “She’s okay and free, just needs some time to find herself. But she knows that she has our support.” Spike looked around, noting that the night-guard was returning to their posts now that the situation at the Gala had calmed down. “I can give you the full story on our way back.”

Twilight nodded, and they all got inside the carriage before departing back to Ponyville with their hopes restored.
It had been a victorious night after all.

Celestial walked through the halls of the castle doing her best to not trip and fall on her face.
She had eaten and was hydrated once again, but she had barely gotten any sleep, spending a large amount of her time helping Luna with her image as best she could. “I hope I can go back to my duties soon so she can rest from all this.” She thought as she opened the doors of the throne room.
She looked up, wanting to see her sister, and her heart almost stopped.
She saw Sunset sitting on the throne, with her golden crown sitting on her head.

“We need to talk,” the unicorn announced somberly.

Author's Note

Sunset's morale has gone up!

Wrathful will trait no longer active.

Four chapters remaining.

Next chapter: Chapter 40: Bad Idea

Chapter 40: Bad Idea

Celestia slowly walked closer to the unicorn currently looking down at her with disdain, her mind racing to think what words she could say to try and fix things between them, what punishment Sunset could offer for her to atone for her mistakes, what she could offer so Sunset could be happy. But when she finally stood right in front of the pony she had hurt the most in all her life, she decided to do something new.
Celestia sat down, and listened to her pupil.

Noticing the alicorns decision to remain silent, Sunset spoke. “You took everything from me, then offered me all I always wanted, took it away again, and at the end gave me what I ‘deserved’.”

Celestia nodded. “Yes.”

“Wrong,” Sunset growled. “I asked you to take away my magic. Told you that I didn’t want to move the sun anymore. But you left me with no choice in the matter. You deleted me and molded a new version of myself, one more convenient for you.”

Celestia looked at her pupil in the eyes. “That was never my intention. I took away what made you Sunshine, and is something I will regret for the rest of my days, but you Sunset, grew from it and became your own pony. You have your own ambitions and dreams and I want you to achieve them.”

Sunset’s frown deepened. “You’re bribing me so I forgive you for your mistakes.”

Celestia lowered her head. “I was before. I thought that making you happy would somehow make things right. A foolish idea like the one that started all of this.” She looked at her pupil in the eyes once more. “But now that you know everything, I know that I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“You still–”

“I’m not victimizing myself,” Celestia interrupted. “I’m acknowledging the fact that I can’t just escape this with good intentions. I can’t make excuses for myself. I can’t just let everypony else heal you while I just feel miserable.”

Sunset cocked her head ever so slightly. “Then what are you going to do? Sit and cry?”

Celestia allowed herself a miniscule smile. “I’m going to do what I wanted to do from the start but failed to achieve. I want to make you happy Sunset.”

“And what about the others?” Sunset asked, the question slicing at Celestia’s heart with a freezing cold blade. “What are you going to do with the others that you damaged in your efforts to ‘make me happy’?” Celestia didn’t find the words to utter a response.
“You did nothing to help Luna better her image to the public before she had to take control of the kingdom, you manipulated Twilight and her friends almost as much as you did with me, you lied to your little ponies, convinced countless unicorns that they were special enough to be admitted into your school, mind-controlled an entire town, left a mother without her daughter and husband. Do they not matter? Do they not deserve an apology? Are their hopes and dreams expendable compared to mine?”

Celestia lowered her head, staring at her own hooves. “I never really thought about it. I guess I preferred to concentrate on you and ignore the rest of my many problems.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Surprisingly honest of you.”

“I think I’ve lied enough for a lifetime.” Celestia took a deep breath and looked at her pupil once more. “I don’t know how to even begin to mend those wounds, if that is even possible.”

Sunset looked disappointed in her mentor. “You know pretty well how. Tell Twilight the truth and clear her path to do what she wants with her friends. Give Luna the love that you didn’t give her before and support her instead of letting her fall more and more into despair. Admit the truth about the school and who you really are. Face the punishment you deserve for your crimes.”

Celestia nodded, knowing how extremely difficult any of those tasks were going to be, but it was her own fault she had to do any of them. “And what about you?”

Sunset let out a snort. “Still trying to salvage our relationship?”

“I’m asking you sincerely,” Celestia said in a calm voice. “A lot of things changed in too little time. I want to know in what direction you want to go now.”

For the first time since the conversation started, Sunset seemed out of words, and she lowered her gaze. “I don’t know.” Her voice wavered. “As I said, the dreams of being a princess and raising the sun weren’t mine, they were Sunshine’s, and even she didn’t want magic at the end, nor this stupid thing.” Sunset took the crown off her head at threw it against the wall, bending the metal on impact. “I feel like I lack a purpose to keep going.”

Celestia wanted so desperately to hug her, to give her comfort, but she lost that right a long time ago. But she still could offer advice.
“You still have Twilight.” Sunset looked up at her, no more anger in her eyes. “She and her friends have helped you more in these past months than I could in all these years and the ones to come. I believe that if you want to seek a purpose in this world, you can start searching with them.”

Sunset thought about it for a few very long seconds, and let out a long sigh. “I guess I can–”

“Tia!” Luna shouted, shaking her sister to get her attention and look her way.

“Luna? What’s happening?” Celestia asked her sister before turning her vision back to Sunset, but she was gone. “Where is she? Did she teleport away?” she asked desperately, looking around for a glimpse of orange fur or red and gold hair.

Her sister looked at her confused. “Tia, Sunset’s dead. You’ve been talking to an empty throne since I came looking for you.”

The sentence shattered Celestia’s heart. “No, that can’t be true, she was here!”

Luna looked down towards her sister’s neck. “Tia, why hasn’t your scar healed yet?”

“My…” Celestia did her best to look down at her long neck, noticing that the wound still remained despite that her magic should’ve healed it by now.

Luna lit her horn and a blue aura surrounded the wound, doing an examination. Her expression turned somber. “I see, you’re still cursed.”

Celestia shook her head. “What? No. Pinkie Pie helped me break it at the Gala.”

Luna looked at her sister, and the white alicorn noticed a hidden anger in her eyes she hadn’t seen since her transformation into Nightmare Moon. “She probably placed two curses on you simultaneously, but she couldn’t have done it alone.” For the first time in over a thousand years, Celestia felt scared of her sister. “She had her own Nightmare, didn’t she?”

Celestia took a step back. “We can’t be sure it was the same thing.” Luna said nothing, just turned around went to the door. “Lulu I know she only had hatred for me, she wasn’t like yours.”

Luna stopped. “You have no idea what something like Nightmare is.” She turned her head just enough so she could see her sister from the corner of her eye. “They are spirits created by the most intense emotions in either a being with powerful magic, or a large group of creatures dealing with an intense experience, like the Wendigos from before the founding of Equestria. These spirits get one purpose when they are born, and they follow it relentlessly until they die, or they achieve it. They are, by nature, evil. Whatever you created and let fester inside Sunset would’ve been the end of us all if I didn’t kill her.”

Celestia shook her head. “Luna you saw it in Ponyville. Sunset managed to control the solar magic; she used it to protect the town.”

“And yet, she cursed you and tried to destroy everything around her. That was her purpose, to destroy you and everything you created. And that included Twilight. That was the reason she burned her in the mountain, and why some of her last words were of hatred towards her.”

Celestia was taken aback. “She still hated Twilight?”

Luna growled and shook her head. “You’re beyond salvation sister.” She finally turned around to face her. “I’m making it official. You’re no longer a monarch of Equestria.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “What? You can’t–”

“You’re cursed, probably with insanity, have hidden things from everypony including me, and are clearly unfit to rule. I’m tired of trying to clean the mess you’ve been smearing all over the kingdom during all these years.” Luna’s gaze was brimming with anger.

“Luna, you’re right in that I can’t rule in my current state, but you need me at your side.” Celestia said in a begging tone. “I can’t help you get the ponies opinion if–”

“That wouldn’t have been necessary if you haven’t convinced everypony that I was an old mare’s tale! That the only thing that they knew about Nightmare Moon was that she ate ponies and demanded candy!” Luna’s face was turning red with anger. “I betrayed you because I felt like everypony was ignoring me, so you deleted me from the history books! All the fights and sacrifices I endured for the good of the kingdom during its more dire times gone in a thousand years of secrecy. How can we expect for them to trust me when the only thing they’ve know about me for the past millennia was the worst version of myself?”

“I– I can still help you,” Celestia said with pain in her voice.

“I’ve seen enough of you ‘help’ with Sunset. I want you to know that the only reason I’m not throwing you in the dungeons is because that would only make things worse for me,” Luna turned around and walked up to the door. “Now, if you excuse me, I’ve to find out who stole the Elements of Harmony.”

Celestia fell to her knees as her sister slammed the door shut, tears running down her face as she sobbed. For a moment, she wanted to go back to not being able to feel anything.

“This is the best soap opera I’ve ever seen. But it makes me feel like I’ve missed a lot of fun things recently.”

Celestia turned her head back to the throne, and saw a familiar draconequus eating popcorn. The alicorn frowned. “Discord.”

“The one and only.” The lord of chaos snapped his fingers and a napkin appeared beside Celestia. “Dry those tears Celly, they don’t look good on you. Maybe if I make them a dark shade of purple,” the draconequus wondered as he scratched his chin.

Celestia looked at the napkin with disdain. “Is it full of spiders?”

“Oh, you remember that one?” Discord said before taking the napkin and twisting it so the spiders came out and fell inside a glass. “Don’t worry, I’ve a lot of new material I want to try.” Discord stirred the spiders inside the glass with his finger till they turned into chocolate milk.

“I guess stealing the Elements is just your warmup.”

Discord raised an eyebrow as he drank the glass in his paw. “They would be problematic down the line.” With a snap of his fingers, the Elements appeared in front of him. “What should I do with them to have some fun?”
Celestia lurched forward, trying to snatch them out of his grasp, but she was still suffering from exhaustion and ended up falling face first on the floor.

Discord pulled out a sign with a six written on it. “Come on Celly, I know there is a trollific sense of humor under all that cake,” he said while poking at her midsection with a claw.

“You'll never get away with this,” Celestia mumbled from the floor, too weak to stand back up.

Discord rolled his eyes. “How about this.” He snapped his fingers and Celestia was now on a massage table. “I will break your little curse in exchange of us having a bit of fun at the expense of your sister,” he offered as he gave Celestia a massage.

“What part of your stoned brain makes you think I would enjoy causing chaos with you?” Celestia asked, trying her best to not enjoy his paws on her back.

“You seem desperate enough to try. Your sister turned into a demon for much less than this.” Discord stretched the alicorn like she was piece of gum, hearing her bones pop loudly before letting her go back to her original form.

Celestia managed to teleport away from his grasp, feeling weirdly rejuvenated. “Spare me your mind games. I’ve deal with enough today.”

“Mind games?” Discord wondered as he folded the table into a small suitcase. “Yes! A fun little game, with a nice riddle to test the mind.”

“What are you–” Celestia tried to ask, but Discord disappeared in a flash of light.

Sunset threw a fireball at another cloud of cotton candy, making it disappear with a sizzle. “Where are they coming from?” She wondered aloud while trying to clean chocolate milk off her coat.
Sunset turned around, watching as Philomena took shelter from the clouds inside the cave, clearly not wanting to get drenched like her. “Can you help me investigate?”
The bird gave her a nod, and Sunset put her horn against her head while keeping her right eye closed. After casting the spell, Sunset opened her right eye and closed the left, seeing everything from the perspective of the phoenix’s eyes. “Keep your distance, I will teleport to you if somepony needs help.”
Philomena nodded and extended her wings, flying off towards the castle, looking at the chaos and weirdness going on.
The stained-glass windows had been given life, pegasi guards were having difficulties flying due to apparently having their sense of direction reversed, and the wild animals in the garden had been given weird physical features, like longer legs, extra arms, or tiny wings that somehow allowed them to fly. But another thing that the phoenix found in the gardens was Twilight and her friends about to enter the now seemingly infinite hedge maze.

“I can’t believe it. We just got the Elements and they are immediately stolen from us!” Rainbow exclaimed with exasperation.

“Keep your voice down Rainbow,” Applejack chastised her.

“We actually got kind of lucky. Luna definitely won’t suspect that we did it now, and if we do things right, we may convince her to let us keep the Elements after all of this is over.” Twilight said before looking at the entrance of the maze. “To retrieve your missing Elements just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the elements back where you began. That’s where he claims he hid them.”

“Uh, darling, we may have a problem.” Rarity pointed to a small sign near the entrance, right next to a big metal bowl.

“No flying, and no magic. Leave wings and horns here.” It said in bold letters.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “How exactly are we going to do that without a hacksaw?”

“Why do they call it a hacksaw? It doesn't hack...” Pinkie wondered as she munched on one of the clouds of cotton candy she had managed to capture.

“Allow me to help,” a voice said before a snap of fingers was heard.
With a small flash of light, Rainbows wings and Rarity’s and Twilight’s horns banished. An instant later and with a discreet small green flame, Fluttershy’s wings were gone too.

“Discord!” Sunset exclaimed as the draconequus made its gran appearance. “This is bad.”

“How many things are you going to take from us?” Twilight asked the Lord of chaos with a frown.

The draconequus faked being offended. “Oh, I’m just borrowing them for our little game. This is just the first rule so we can all have our fun.”

“And what other rule is there?” Rainbow asked.

“The second rule is everypony has to play or the game is over, and I win,” Discord explained. “Now go on, let’s start right away.”

Twilight sighed and walked to the entrance. “Come on girls, keep together and stay on guard. We can do this.”

Everypony agreed and entered the maze, but then Discord cleared his throat. “Oh, I almost forgot. You will start separated from each other.” With another snap of his fingers, hedges sprang out of the ground between the ponies, keeping them separated.

Everypony started to complain and try to make a hole through the walls with no success, until Twilight shouted. “Stay calm, girls! Everypony head to the middle as fast as you can, and we'll regroup there!”

“Roger that!” Rainbow said, and everypony started to move.

Philomena was about to fly over the maze, but a claw caught her by the tail. “And what do we have here?” Discord asked as he looked at the mystical bird.
The phoenix tried to break free, but the draconequus had a good grip on her.
“I think you would look better with a–” Suddenly, a small ball of fire hit Discord right on the side of his head, freeing Philomena who immediately flew away.

“What was that?” Discord wondered as he brushed his burnt coat.

Back on the mountain, Sunset closed her right eye and looked at the castle. Her body tensed and she gritted her teeth, not liking what she was about to say. “I will need Celestia’s help.”

Thorax was walking through the long corridors of the maze thinking to himself. “Why did this had to happen just after I took her place? What am I going to do if they try and use the elements? Am I going to be turn to stone along with the lord of chaos?”
Suddenly, three butterflies flew in front of him, looking similar to Discord’s face. “What is–”

“Fluttershy, looks like you've been left behind by your so-called friends, huh?” the draconequus-looking butterfly said with a sly smile.

“Oh, no. I'm certain they're doing their best to find me,” Thorax responded nervously, not wanting to be discovered.

The butterfly raised an eyebrow but then continued. “Well, it must be so upsetting to know how weak and helpless they think you are.”

“Not at all. I am weak and helpless, and I appreciate their understanding.” Thorax felt dumb after saying that, but he hadn’t received Fluttershy’s profile yet, so he had little to work with.

“Yes... Well, surely it burns you up... I mean, that they're always pointing out your flaws, right?” the butterfly asked, clearly losing patience.

“Not really. In fact, I think I'm awfully lucky to have friends who want me to be the best I can be,” Thorax said feigning confidence. “That’s what friendship is about, right?”

Suddenly the butterflies turned into Discord in a flash of light. “Oh, for goodness sake! You've been kind for far too long, my dear.” The draconequus put the tip of his claw on Thorax’s head, making colored circles appear over his eyes while his body turned gray, taking control of his mind. “Time to be cruel. Arrivederci!” Discord said before disappearing.

Celestia was walking in circles in her office, thinking about what to do. “Luna pushed me away, Twilight doesn’t seem to trust me, Discord is back and has the Elements, and Sunset–”

Suddenly, in a small explosion of flames, Sunset appeared in front of her, still keeping one eye closed. “Celestia, you need to tell me–”

The alicorn grabbed her face with her hooves. “Are you real? This is not in my head?” she asked with desperation.

“What are you–” Sunset smacked her hooves away. “We don’t have time for this. We need to help Twilight. You defeated Discord before, right? Does he have any other weaknesses? Can he cheat death like Luna?”

Celestia used all her willpower to not just hug her pupil and stayed focused on the problem. “I doubt he can be killed unless you find a way to take his powers away, but he can be hurt. The Elements are the only thing strong enough to seal him in stone.”

Sunset took note in her mind. “How did he escape then? If he could break the seal once, maybe he will do it again.”

“Twilight and her friends should power the elements enough to make it more permanent, but I’m sure he has some plan to prevent that.”

“What can we do to help them?”

Celestia let out a sad sigh. “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do. Even if we fought him together, he can just take away our magic with a snap of his fingers. Luna and I defeated him because he got too confident.”

Sunset bit her lip, trying to come up with some plan to help, but was getting nothing. “So what, we have to just trust that Twilight will win at the end? Stay back and do nothing?”

“It’s the lesson I tried to teach you, but it also frustrates me that I can’t protect my student,” Celestia admitted.

Sunset took a deep breath. “I will keep an eye on her and see if I can somehow help.” She was about to teleport away, but Celestia grabbed her hoof.

“Wait, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Sunset growled. “Can’t it wait?”

Celestia tightened her grip. “I may not get the chance to say it again.”

Sunset looked at the alicorn’s desperate eyes for a moment and canceled the spell. “You have a minute.”

“I admit I foolishly tried to somehow make everything right with good intentions, that I victimized myself and left it for others to help heal you while also ignoring everypony I’ve hurt over the years beside you.”

Sunset shook her head. “That doesn’t make everything right.”

“I know, but I want to work into mending those wounds, to help everypony I’ve hurt, not because of guilt, but because they deserve better than what I gave them.” Celestia took a small pause to let her words sink in before continuing. “And I want to make you happy.”

Sunset growled. “You’ve tried that enough already. You only managed to hurt me more each time.”

Celestia winced at her venomous words but kept holding on. “Do you know what direction you want to take after all of this?”

“Yes,” Sunset immediately responded to Celestia’s surprise. “I want things to go back to how they were. To live in Ponyville with Twilight and her friends, to finally be able to call Moon Dancer and Fare and Gilda my friends without feeling like it’s a lie.” Sunset yanked her hoof away from the alicorn’s grasp. “I don’t need you to tell me if that’s what you were going for.”

To Sunset’s surprise, Celestia smiled. “Is it wrong to feel proud that I didn’t had to?”

Having being thrown off, the unicorn had to collet her thoughts for a moment and started to consider her words without the despise she felt for her mentor. “What… what do you want from me?” she finally asked. “I won’t be your daughter, nor your pupil. I don’t even want to see you. If you really aren’t doing this to make yourself feel better, what are you getting out of it?”

“I don’t need to get something out of it,” Celestia responded. “I just want you to be happy. Both of you.”

“What do you mean both–” Suddenly, Sunset opened her right eye. “Twilight and the others came out of the maze. Rainbow is missing, and everypony but Twilight looks a bit gray. Wait, why is Rarity carrying a boulder with her?”

“Oh no,” Celestia exclaimed with dread. “Discord is corrupting them. They won’t be able to use the Elements while they are like this.”

“How can we cleanse them?” Sunset asked.

Celestia shook her head. “I don’t know, only the power of friendship is supposed to be strong enough to break Discord’s magic.”

Sunset growled with frustration. “Can we stop relying on a mystical force that’s as powerful as it’s vague on its instructions? Can’t we just blast things into submission like mages did in the old days?”

“Yes, I also miss things being that easy,” Celestia admitted with a sigh. “But there is no such option with Discord. It’s the Elements or nothing.”

Sunset sighed dejectedly. “I will– Oh you son of–”

“What happened?”

“Luna teleported Twilight and the others to Ponyville,” Sunset looked at her old mentor, still processing all that she told her. “I will fly there and see if I can help.” She prepared the teleportation spell and took one last look at the alicorn. “I… believe you. About what you said before. You better do it right this time.” And with that, she disappeared.

“I will,” Celestia said, and then focused on what she could do to help Twilight. “Discord knows what each of her friends represent. To make the Elements reject them, he would need to make them unworthy of their power.” Suddenly, she had an idea. “Where did I left those letters?”
She turned around to search her office and saw a small filly with gold and red hair looking at her with a bunch of scrolls in her mouth.
Celestia knew she was hallucinating, but the curse forced her brain to believe that it was real.
“Sunset… give me those scrolls.”

“Uh af o ach meh irst!” the filly said with her mouth full of paper and ran between the alicorn’s legs while giggling.

“Sunset come back here!” Celestia shouted before going after her as the filly teleported around to keep distance so they could play a bit more.

In a flash of light, Discord appeared on the outskirts of Ponyville.
“So, this is the famous town,” he said before rubbing his hands together. “Let’s see what changes I can make.” He was about to snap his fingers when he noticed a bright light in the sky. “What’s that?” He wondered right before a blast of fire pushed him away from Ponyville, burying him into the ground.
Discord pulled his head out of the burnt dirt and looked at the sky again, noticing that a huge flaming seal of protection was floating over the town. “That was very rude.” He said as he got out of the ground.
The solar spell activated once more, and a large orange bubble of fire surrounded the Ponyville, trying to keep the inhabitants safe from the Lord of Chaos.
“Was that always there?” Discord wondered before he heard a laugh.

“You should see your face, hahahaha,” Fluttershy said pointing at him.

Discord grumbled and dusted the ash off himself. “Don’t think this little trick will be enough to stop me.” He snapped his fingers, and the seal in the sky shattered, making the bubble disappear. “Soon I will turn this town in the chaos capital of the world and– Why is she hogtied?”

Twilight looked at Rainbow laying on top of the huge rock Rarity called Tom, struggling to break free of the ropes Luna had tied her with. “Princess Luna has far less patience than me. But the important part is that we are all together, and we have everything we need.” She declared, revealing the Elements of Harmony.

Discord sighed in defeat. “Oh, you've clearly out-dueled me, and now it's time to meet my fate. I'm prepared to be defeated now, ladies. Fire when ready,” He said putting on sunglasses and making a bullseye appear on his body.

Twilight quickly placed the Elements on each of her friends. “Formation, now!” she exclaimed, and then grumbled as her friends unenthusiastically complied. “All right, let's get this over with.”

Twilight activated her element making it glow as the wind picked up. She slowly started floating her eyes glowing with a bright white light. The element of magic shined brighter, as the rest of Twilight’s friends, including the hogtied Rainbow, started to float in the air. One by one, each of the Elements started to shine, but when it came to Fluttershy’s turn, the magic faded from the artifacts and they all fell to the ground.

“What's going on?” Twilight wondered as she looked at her crown.

“Mine's workin'. There must be somethin' wrong with yours,” Applejack accused, pointing at Twilight.

“I HATE the Elements of Harmony!” Pinkie exclaimed while Rainbow finally managed to free herself and escaped at top speed, leaving her necklace behind.

“Hmph! Garbage,” Fluttershy said before throwing hers away.

“Bravo, ponies, bravo!” Discord said, clapping his hands which made random noises instead of clap. “Harmony in Equestria is officially dead. Discord rules, Celestia drools,” he added poking Twilight’s nose, making her growl before he banished in a flash of light.

“It's your fault it didn't work,” Pinkie shouted to the air.

“Who are you talking to?” Twilight asked.

“Any of you! ALL OF YOU! I'm outta here!” Pinkie declared, throwing her Element away.

“I better go, too. I've got new better friends waiting for me at the farm,” Applejack said before also taking off her necklace.

“Yeah! I'm sick of you losers,” Fluttershy said before flying away, and Rarity started to push Tom towards her house, leaving her Element behind.

Twilight took all the artifacts in her magic, but then just let them fall as she exclaimed in frustration. “FINE! Leave! See if I care! I don't need you guys either! With friends like you, who needs...enemies...?” She asked sadly, and as her body turned gray, she shed a single tear that fell into the ground, forming a broken heart.
“Twilight!” somepony shouted, calling her attention, and when she looked up, she saw Sunset flying overhead before landing in front of her.
“You’re back. Hurray.” Twilight deadpanned.

Sunset looked at her colors and grimaced. “He got you too. Listen, you and your friends are being corrupted by Discord’s magic, we need to–”

“Stop it Sunset,” Twilight interrupted. “Friendship didn’t work, I’m done here.”

The purple unicorn turned to leave, but Sunset caught her in her magic. “You can’t let Discord get away with this. You and your friends are the only ones who can–”

“You know what? Here!” Twilight lifted the Elements and threw them in Sunset’s face, breaking her concentration on her magic. “You wanted to be the hero of Equestria? Here’s your chance. Go defeat Discord by yourself and show how useless friendship is compared to your magical prowess. Maybe you will grow those wings you always wanted. Just try not to burn Ponyville again in the process.”

With that, Twilight left, leaving behind a shocked, horrified Sunset. “She– she didn’t mean that. Her mind is corrupted by chaos.”

“It still hurt you.”

“The idea was in her mind, Discord’s magic just brought it to the surface little sun.”

Sunset looked down at the elements, lifting the crown that represented magic, remembering the vision the mirror showed her.

“Little sun. Put that thing down,” Nightmare warned.

Sunset hovered the crown over her head, the rest of the elements floating around her.

“She’s going to put it down alright.”

“Don’t you dare!” Nightmare screamed.

“This should be interesting”

“This is a bad idea,” Sunset said before letting the crown fall on her head.

Nightmare watched as the sky beyond the big red sun in Sunset’s mindscape turned into an aurora of rainbow lights.
“So here we are again!” she shouted to the sky. “You may have destroyed most of my power and body before, but now that you don’t have your precious vessels, it will be easy for me to take control over you.”
A bright light started to shine in the aurora, and seconds later a large rainbow beam of harmonic magic was shot down towards Nightmare.
The large winged serpent moved at high speed, getting away of the attack as it hit the barrier. “Your aim hasn’t gotten any better,” Nightmare mocked but she froze when she heard a loud crack behind her.
The barrier trembled as all the fissures that had been made during Dawn’s outburst opened again, until a large part of the barrier finally shattered into pieces. Nightmare saw a tall red figure surrounded by a dark mist emerge from beyond the seal, landing close to the small mind-projection of Sunset.

It had long red hair flowing in a non-existent wind, two of it’s locks floating upwards, resembling horns, a long tail sprouting from the shadows, her eyes were black save for cyan irises like Sunset’s, had long sharp fangs for teeth, and her ears were long and shaped like a bat’s.
“So, this is how you look like sister,” Nightmare said, Dawn ignored her and picked up the small avatar of Sunset’s mind, turning it into a bright orange light before placing it against her naked chest.
As the light entered Dawn’s body, finally reuniting both pieces of Sunset’s soul, golden flames sprout out from the union, traveling along the body before solidifying along the shadows the tall red demon had been wearing, creating a set of armor for her, with a modified version of her cutie mark appearing in the center of the chest piece.
Dawn’s right arm grew back, still having the scar where it had been severed glowing with Celestia’s magic, and the demon immediately summoned her two longswords, two large pieces of concentrated fire turned into solid magical metal, sharp and serrated on the back, with a small blade in the pommel of the handle. Two large batwings sprouted from her back, and Dawn finally looked at the true form of Nightmare Moon.

It was, as she expected, a large winged serpent, much longer and bigger than her, wearing some pieces of armor resembling what she was wearing in her alicorn form.
Her huge maw was filled with sharp teeth, and the tip of her long tail ended in a sharp blade.

“I will make a jacket out of your skin,” Dawn declared, lifting her swords into a fighting stance as red flames appeared at the edges of her eyes.

Nightmare didn’t look the least bit intimidated. She closed her fist, and two large black gauntlets filled with silver spikes appeared around them. “You have no hope of winning.”

As the two entities stared at each other, the rainbow aurora started to charge another beam of harmonic magic, trying to decide which of the evil spirits it should destroy first.

Discord was relaxing in his throne as the world around him fell more and more into chaos, until he heard somepony walking up to him. Lifting his sunglasses, he raised a curious eyebrow at the sight.

It was a gold and red-haired unicorn with rainbow glowing determined eyes, clad in a basic golden armor which had five of the Elements of Harmony embedded into its plates, the sixth and final one, the Element of magic, had been deformed by an intense heat until it resembled a purple sun, and was sitting atop her head in a tiara connected to a half-helmet covering the back of her neck and her cheeks.

When the pony finally stood in front of his throne, Discord couldn’t help but start laughing. “Oh dear, you look ridiculous,” he wiped a tear away. “Were you hoping that wearing that would somehow protect you from me?” He snapped his fingers, but instead of making the armor disappear, the Elements glowed brightly and there was a small discharge of magic as his magic was canceled. “Hm, I wasn’t expecting that.”

Sunset lit her horn, creating a red sun in front of her, and then threw it at the Lord of Chaos.
Discord teleported away before the ball of flames hit the throne and exploded, destroying a large portion of the landscape and leaving just charred dirt in its place.

The draconequus appeared again in front of Sunset with his arms crossed and a vexed expression. “Very well. This is not my kind of game, but it should be fun anyway.”
Discord snapped his fingers, and a giant toy mallet appeared on his paws before he smiled and beckoned Sunset with a finger.

Author's Note

Danger: System Overburdened.

The Elements Compatibility Has Been Compromised.

Consequences Unknown.

Harmony will remember this.

Three Chapters Remaining.

The bets are open! Who will win in this double fight? Pick your champion in the comments below.

I will see you in the next chapter; Chapter 41: Enemy of The Crown

Here's the artwork of all the fighters minus Discord!

Dawn Shimmer: Demon Queen Of Fire And Wrath

Nigthmare Moon: Winged Serpent Of Nightmares And Jealousy

Sunset Shimmer: The Broken Soul

Chapter 42: The Alicorn Amulet

“With all due respect princess,” Shining Armor said looking at Luna sitting on Celestia’s throne, flanked by her Lunar Guard. “You asking me to hunt down my adoptive sister aside, we both know pretty well that Sunset is one of the most skilled mages in present times, and that was before she somehow defeated the Lord of Chaos. How exactly do you expect that we capture her without severe casualties?”

The princess of the moon spoke calmly. “I’m not asking you to put a crossbow in her throat, I’m asking you to bring her here so we can keep her locked down where she won’t hurt anycreature again.”

Shining’s eye twitched. “You will kill her again.”

“Killing her has proven to be useless, but I don’t expect that she will willingly come back to Canterlot and face the consequences of her actions.”

“Less so after you put a price for her head.” Shining tried to keep calm but considered it pointless by now. “Sunset is reasonable, if you would just let me or Twilight talk to her, we could arrive to some agreement.”

Luna sighed, putting a hoof over her chest. “As I said, my objective is to keep her where she can do no harm to others. I already offered her a new start when she attacked the castle and she refused, if you can convince her to stay where we can monitor her actions, I won’t go against it.”

“I will still be sending her to prison.” Shining thought, but he knew that this was the best he could ask for.

Luna lowered her hoof and went back to her regal posture. “As for your worries about your men, I will make sure that they’re equipped with the best gear we can produce, specially protections against fire spells. I don’t want half of the army to melt.”

Shining made a little bow. “Thank you, it was long due for my men to have proper gear.”

“That will be all for now, you may return to your duties.”

Shining nodded and exited the room, and just then Luna addressed the elephant in the room, or to be more specific, the alicorn. “You shouldn’t be eavesdropping on your sister.”

“You shouldn’t knock me out with your hammer either, but it happened,” Celestia said as her spell of invisibility faded. “And before you say that I chained you against your will, you tried to strike me first.”

Luna sighed, not wanting to start a shouting match with her sister… again. “Do you agree with what I said to Shining Armor?”

Celestia walked up to Luna, climbing up the short stairs to the throne until they could see each other eye to eye. “May I remind you that I tried keeping her close to me at all times and it backfired horribly? You can’t force her to stay.”

Luna grunted. “We have no other options Tia. She can’t run around free.”

“Because you’re afraid of her? You’re making the same mistakes I did!” Celestia exclaimed right in Luna’s face.

“I–” Luna felt her wound burn but managed to keep calm. “I’m aware of that, but as I said, we have no options, and you can’t deny Sunset’s and Sunshine’s crimes.”

Celestia shook her head, clearly frustrated. “Make her earn pardon. She wants to do good; she wants a normal life, and with the Elements gone, having Sunset as a defender of Equestria could be crucial for the survival of the kingdom. The Empire and Sombra will return soon, and who knows what else the universe will throw at us while we aren’t ready.”

Luna rubbed her temples. “Trust me Tia, I want this problem solved as much as you, but it won’t be so simple. I heard her threaten Twilight, she has openly declared that she will murder you as soon as she gets the chance, and I killed her once, or twice if you count Nightmare Moon. There is nopony left that she would listen to.”

Celestia didn’t have a direct counter to that. She knew full well that while Sunshine remains inside Sunset, she won’t be able to help her. “Is there a way to separate Sunset from Sunshine? I know it’s a stupid question, but if there’s at least one minimal chance, I want to hear it.”

Luna was about to dismiss her sister’s hopes, but despite the pain in her chest, a thought popped in her head. “To be completely honest, there is little known about spirits like Nightmare Moon and Sunshine.” Luna took a deep breath before continuing. “When Nightmare and I were trapped in the moon, she left my body for a couple of years.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “What?”

“She wanted to talk, face to face.”

“I could’ve flown to the moon and get her back.” Was a thought that repeated itself on Celestia’s mind as her sister continued.

“Nightmare’s influence over me was very strong, it fed from my emotions and coerced me into betraying you. But having her outside of me only made it worse.”

Celestia had to make a double take on that. “How? Did she grow more powerful?”

Luna shook her head. “No, she told me that she needed to be inside a vessel, not only to make herself exponentially more powerful, but she needed my magic to survive.”

“Wait, are you telling me that we could convince Sunshine to leave Sunset’s body? Is that the possibility you’re presenting me here?”

“Considering that it would slowly starve her to death, I don’t think you can make her leave willingly.”

“But why did Nightmare choose to stay out of your body then?”

Luna lowered her head, closing her eyes in regret. “She convinced me to truly betray you.”

Celestia looked at her sister confused and worried. “What? What does that mean?”

“When I came back the day of the Summer Sun Celebration, it wasn’t Nightmare Moon making those declarations of eternal night, nor the one who sent you to the sun.” Luna’s hooves trembled. “It was me. She managed to convince me that betraying you was justified. That I did deserved to have Equestria as my own. That taking it by force was the only way to achieve it.” The shame in her voice was almost palpable.

“Luna I… I’m sorry.” Celestia looked down, remembering her talk with the illusion of Sunset. “It was my fault.”

“No, it was mine,” Luna said almost desperately. “I shouldn’t have given in to her words. She was a manipulative snake that lied her way into your heart.”

“Still, were it not for how I treated you, she wouldn’t have convinced you, she wouldn’t have even existed in the first place.”

“That’s exactly how she convinced me,” Luna said somberly.

Celestia had to take a moment to think carefully about her next words, knowing that saying the wrong things to someone with unstable emotions was a recipe for disaster. “Luna, you’re not that mare anymore. I won’t give you any reasons to be like that ever again. I know that you will earn everypony’s love, it’s just a matter of time and good guidance.”

Luna gritted her teeth. “They already hate me. Just because I dared take your place when you couldn’t rule. The only ones that care for me are the ponies that fought at my side. Any other friend I had died in the thousand years I spent on the moon.” She felt her wound burn. “I only got what I wanted, what I deserved, because I took it, just like I wanted to do as Nightmare Moon.”

Celestia put her hooves on Luna’s shoulders. “They will learn to love you Lulu. I promise. And I will help you.”

Luna shook her shoulders. “You can’t. You’re cursed and delirious, you–” Luna stopped herself, taking a deep breath to calm down. “You need to find a way to break that curse. If Pinkie Pie managed to do it once, there must be a way.”

Celestia took a few steps back, wondering if her words were the correct ones. “I will look into it.”

Luna nodded. “Call me if I can help you in any way.”

Celestia turned around to leave, but a thought stopped her. “If you truly wanted to win, how did Twilight and her friends defeat you?”

Luna looked down at the floor. “You remember those… ‘challenges’ I made them go through on their way to the castle?”

“Yes. I always found it weird that you didn’t stop them yourself, but I assumed it was part of Harmony’s prophecy.”

“Nightmare wanted to. Her plan was to blow up the entire mountain with the mares on it. But I told her that a landslide would be enough.” Luna looked at her sister. “That was the start. When the ponies survived, Nightmare wanted to attack in person, but I pointed to a wild Manticore in the forest, so she enraged it and send it to them. And the same happened with the rest. The more she tried to cause harm to the six, the more I doubted what I was doing. And when she threw Sunset down the gorge, I finally snapped back to myself, and betrayed her.”

“Betrayed her?” Celestia questioned.

“When the elements were activated, she was about to fight back, but I stopped her. Made her freeze in place. Told her that it was over. That…” Luna looked away. “We weren’t friends anymore.”

“You considered each other friends?” Celestia asked surprised.

Luna shook her head. “She tricked me into believing it, that’s how she got me on her side. Do you understand why we can’t trust Sunshine? She will know exactly what to say to keep Sunset on her side. She already managed to destroy the Elements of Harmony, the only thing that we knew for sure would destroy her.”

“Then I will find a way to take her out of Sunset,” Celestia declared determined. “And if it comes to the worst, send her against me, I’m the one responsible for her situation.”

“Always the martyr. Probably the only reason why you can’t cheat death,” Luna thought with her chest aching. “Don’t be reckless with this.”

“I won’t. I’ve learned, even if it took me more than a thousand years.” With that, Celestia turned around and quickly left the room before summoning a scroll with her magic.

“Dear Twilight Sparkle,” she mumbled out of habit while she wrote. “I found a way to maybe save Sunset, but I need your help to do some research. Come to Canterlot and I will explain everything, bring your friends if they want.” She paused for a moment before adding. “I don’t know how much you know about what really happened between me and Sunset, but I can tell you know enough to hate me. If you wish to do this research on your own, I will send you everything I can find and we won’t need to see each other, but we both need all the help we can get.”

Celestia signed the letter and was about to send it when a small voice spoke. “Can I try to send it?” The alicorn turned her head to her right and saw a filly version of Sunset looking at her with eyes full of excitement.

Celestia smiled warmly and sat down beside her. “Of course, you remember the spell?”

Pharynx dropped his disguise as he entered Cadence’s chambers, finding his queen slowly disintegrating a chair over a pile of dust that was once a drawer.

“Who are you practicing for?” the changeling asked.

“Sunset,” Chrysalis responded bitterly as the last of the chair became dust. “That miserable mare ruined years of efforts to destroy Equestria’s military from the inside.”

“We still have a good network of spies in the Royal Guard, and the Elements of Harmony are no longer a threat,” Pharynx said as he handed another chair for the queen to disintegrate.

“Yes, but I feel that Sunset’s usefulness has finally ran out. I want a regiment of our reserves to join the hunt.”

“Kill on sight?” Pharynx asked.

Chrysalis nodded. “And tell Thorax to keep an eye on Sparkle and report any information that could be useful to find her.” Pharynx nodded and left the room to follow her orders.

Chrysalis finished disintegrating the chair and lifted a nearby frame, finding a picture of Cadence and Sunset smiling, both covered in wet flour.
“Maybe I should visit the princess.” She thought before turning the picture into dust.

Sunset slowly opened her eyes, finding herself in one of Canterlot’s dark alleyways. She groggily stood up, feeling a huge headache pounding the inside of her skull.

“Did you rest well?” A voice asked her.

“You,” Sunset said with clear animosity.

“Hey, what gives?” Dawn asked offended. “I saved your life and showed you the truth.”

“You took over my body, and it wasn’t the first time.”

“What?”

“My transformation into the monster I saw in the mirror, me attacking Twilight out of jealousy, the threats to Cadence, trying to burn Shining and his soldiers, the curses, my cheating of death, all of it came from you. Am I wrong?”

Dawn was about to say yes, but Nightmare whispered close to her ear. “Tell her about me and I will crush her heart and go back to Luna.”

“Well? Answer me!” Sunset asked impatiently, irritated by the voice’s silence.

Dawn would’ve gritted her teeth if she wasn’t trapped in crystal. “Not all of it. But I also stopped you from reading those forbidden books.”

Sunset growled in anger. “Oh yeah, because that was so worth it at the end.”

“You’re so angry you’re talking nonsense.”

“I don’t know what I am anymore!” Sunset shouted. “As far as I know, I finally lost my damn mind and now I’m talking to an illusion of myself.”

Dawn spoke in an almost threatening way. “I’m not an illusion, and I’m not yourself. I’m your only ally in this fight.”

“Fight against who?”

“Look to your right.”

Sunset turned her head and saw a sign on the wall with a picture of her. She took it off and read it. “What? Forty-two thousand bits?”

“Quite a hefty price for your capture. All by the benevolent hoof of Luna, the one who already tried to kill you before. You’re the enemy number one of Equestria.”

Sunset shook her head. “This can’t be happening.”

“It is happening. And we have only one choice; We need to dispose of Luna.”

“I can’t defeat her without the Elements.”

“There’s something else we can use. The Alicorn Amulet.”

“Are you actually insane? It’s one of the most cursed artifacts know to ponykind.”

“But we can tame it, and once it’s ours we will have enough power to overthrow Luna and claim the throne of Equestria.”

“But I don’t want the throne!” Sunset shouted as she burned the wanted sign. “That was your dream, not mine.”

“I know, but we have no other option. Everypony is trying to chain us again, and the only way that we can be free is to stand at the top of the food chain. Nopony will question the voice of an alicorn princess, and we both know you fucking deserve it.”

“Even if we achieve that, what would be the point? I will be alone and be forced to rule by fear. I won’t be able to just go back to Ponyville and live in peace.”

“They took that option from us long ago! This is about survival!”

“What’s the point of survival if I will want to kill myself at the end?!” Sunset screamed, tears threatening to spill form her eyes.

There was a long, heavy pause. Both pieces of a fractured soul stood at a standstill, trying to find a way to a future that wasn’t as bleak as their current situation.

Finally, Dawn spoke, more calmly than before. “Even if we don’t go for the regicide route, we need the amulet to defend ourselves. Go take it from the shop, and we will come up with a plan from there.”

Sunset’s anger slowly drained away, until she felt only emptiness. “Okay, but I will decide if we use it or not.”

“I doubt they will leave us much choice.”

As soon as Celestia’s letter arrived, Twilight called all her friends to the library, but they didn’t come alone. Gilda, Granny Smith, Big Mac, Savoir Fare, Filthy Rich, and even the Crusaders had arrived to hear the news. The foals were sent home by Big Mac, but the rest was allowed stay.

“It has to be a trap,” Rainbow said as Twilight finished reading Celestia’s letter to them.

“What do you think?” Twilight asked Applejack as she handed the scroll over to her.

The farm mare inspected the letter like a lawyer would a contract. “Ah don’t think she’s lying, but who knows with Celestia? However, if she does have something that could help Sunset, we should at least look into it. Otherwise we got nothing”

Twilight took back the letter and read it one more time. “I will go to Canterlot then.”

“We better take the train to save time,” Rarity suggested, but Twilight shook her head.

“I’m going alone.”

“Beg yah pardon?” Applejack asked, as unamused as the rest of her friends.

“I almost got all of us locked up in Tartarus, I don’t want to keep putting all of you at risk.”

“Screw that,” Gilda exclaimed from the top floor of the library before landing in front of Twilight, imposing on the mare with her large frame. “You already excluded me last time, I won’t stay with my wings closed again. You’ll need help.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow agreed. “Besides, it was my fault that we got discovered. I should’ve–”

“Done what Rainbow? Kill the guards?” Twilight asked more aggressively than she wanted. “I should’ve expected that Luna would figure out it was us. And now Sunset is being hunted because of me.”

“Darling, Luna would’ve ordered her arrest regardless of our actions. Some of the charges against her aren’t made up as far as we know.”

“And that thing she turned into,” Pinkie said as her hair deflated. “That wasn’t her, was it?”

Twilight looked at the letter one more time. “Celestia thinks that I don’t know the full picture yet. She probably has an explanation, which is another reason for me to go see her.”

“More reason for all of us to see her,” Applejack stubbornly corrected.

“Look, I know Celestia, and considering the state she was in the night of the Gala, she probably isn’t in her best state of mind. It will be easier for me to get information out of her if we talk as student and teacher rather than the angry friends of Sunset,” Twilight explained.

“You can’t expect us to do nothing!” Applejack exclaimed before getting her ear twisted by her grandmother.

“The smart one is being smart, jumping into action is what landed you into this mess. There’s value in caution,” Granny Smith explained.

“We could look for Sunset in the meantime,” Filthy offered.

“With how easily she can teleport around and being able to grow wings at will, she could be anywhere in Equestria by now,” Twilight said, but Filthy didn’t back down.

“I know a few debt collectors with addiction to money that have ‘tracking down ponies’ as a day job, and telling them to not hurt the target will only make them happier.”

“The Apple family is big, connected, and all over Equestria. I can send a letter and their eyes and ears will be alert to any sign of Sunset,” Granny offered.

“And since none of this is outside the law, we can’t get punished for it,” Filthy finished, and the six mares looked at them in awe.

“Wow, I… don’t know what to say. Thank you,” Twilight finally said with a smile.

“You girls are still a bit green even if yah saved Equestria. We old folk have learned a lot over the years,” Granny said with a proud smile, even if she gained a slightly annoyed glance from Filthy.

“Alright, enough waiting around,” Gilda exclaimed before unceremoniously and very rudely grabbing Twilight and flying out of the library.

“What are you doing?” Twilight shouted as her head hit one of the tree’s branches.

“I don’t want to waste time hearing you and your friends argue about who goes or not, so I’m taking you there myself.”

“I’m not a mail package to be carried around!”

“You should grow your own wings then.”

“I will!”

Back at the library, Twilight’s friends were upset by her kidnapping/escape, but decided to let her go and work on what to do now.

“Are you guys okay?” Pinkie asked to Fluttershy and Savoir Fare, who had remained silent the entire time.

“Yes, I’m just… still processing a bit,” Fluttershy responded, hiding behind her mane.

“I was just thinking about how to help,” was Savoir’s answer, but his mind was thinking about Sweetie Drops.

Taurus woke up from his slumber when something hit glass a few times. He rubbed his eyes before standing up from the couch in his ‘office’ and walked up to the window where the sounds were coming from.
On the other side was a grey pegasus with blonde mane holding a letter in her mouth. Taurus opened the window and took the letter before using one of his horns to cut it open.

“It’s from Filthy Rich, sent it through urgent delivery,” the pegasus informed him as the black minotaur read the letter. Taurus grinned before taking a coin out of his belt and tossing it to the pegasus. “Thank you!”

The minotaur closed the window and walked out of his office, finding his two brothers competing in yet another arm-wrestling contest.
“Stop fooling around, we have work!” Taurus shouted, and the younger brother, Arty looked at him, letting the eldest of the trio, Burk, slam his arm against the table, claiming victory.

“You cheating piece of–”

“Don’t start with your bullshittery, this is important,” Taurus shouted as he walked down the stairs to his office. “Rich is paying us a good sum of money to look for Sunset Shimmer, double than usual.”

“Why?” Arty asked, stroking his grey chin beard. “That’s not more than what the princess is offering, we would be better off selling her to the Royal Guard.”

“Yeah, and no way we’re getting close to that pyromaniac,” Burk added pulling his long white hair behind his broad shoulders.

“I said look for Sunset Shimmer, he’s paying us just to find her and tell him where she is. No threats or debt collection, we just need to get close enough to take a picture and we’re done. Easiest work of our lives,” Taurus said with a smile. “We just need to stay ahead of the competition.”

“Let’s go then,” Arty said standing up, the prospect of an easy pay making his eyes sparkle. “I want a tuxedo so I can sneak into one of Canterlot’s high class parties. The nobles will flip out when they see me looking like one of them.”

“I will get a tux too just to see how they throw you out,” Burk said with a laugh.

“We first need to get paid,” Taurus said as he pocketed the letter on his belt. “Let’s go hunting, bros.”

“So, Luna is putting you back on duty?” Savoir asked as he started closing the café.

“She’s putting the whole organization back in action,” Special agent Sweetie Drops, or Bon Bon as the civilians called her, responded, pulling her shades down. “Even your brother got called.”

“Why isn’t he the one questioning me then?” Savoir asked, showing nothing other than indifference to the mare.

“He’s already looking for Sunset, I stopped by since you know her personally.”

“And you’re going to tell me that it’s my civic duty to sell out a friend?” Savoir asked as he prepared some coffee.

“Come on Faire, you know this is important,” Sweetie Drops pleaded.

“Remind me, wasn’t the idea of the CAA to hunt down monsters that threaten Equestria? Since when is one mare considered a monster exactly?” Savior finished the coffee and walked up to Bon Bon.

“The reports we got claim that she’s no ordinary mare.” Sweetie Drops went to grab the coffee, but Fare drank it before she could reach it. “The name Nightmare Moon was included. That’s as much as I will tell you.”

Savoir sighed after finishing his coffee. “Good luck.”

Bon Bon grunted, but remained calm. “Goodbye,” she said before leaving the café.

“And tell Vivre that if he hurts Sunset, he can spend Heart’s Warming alone!” Savoir shouted before closing the door.

As Twilight and Gilda entered Canterlot Castle, the unicorn felt what she could only describe as ‘corrupted nostalgia’. She recognized the halls, the paintings, the carpets, and even some of the servants and guards, but everything had lost that glimmer that made the castle look like a vibrant and inviting structure. Even with the sun casting its light through the large windows, the shadows seem bigger, and the halls almost haunting. Twilight took it as a sign that she wasn’t welcomed here.
Gilda, for her part, looked like her usual stoic grumpy self, but on the inside, her instincts told her that there was something dangerous inside the castle.

Luckily, Celestia wanted to see them immediately, so they skipped the usual fanfare and met at the entrance to the only place the alicorn had never allowed Twilight to enter; The forbidden section of the library.
As the unicorn slowly made her way to the library, she recited in her head all the answers she would demand from her former mentor. If Celestia wanted her help, she would need to tell her everything. However, when she finally saw the alicorn responsible of Sunset’s suffering, she froze.

Twilight’s eyes examined Celestia’s long neck, and the horrible burn scar covering almost all of it. The wound itself looked more than infected, and she could almost feel some sort of evil presence coming from it.

“Twilight!” Celestia exclaimed at the sight of her student, her lips forming a smile. “Thank you for helping me, even if you do it only for Sunset.”

The mentioning of her adopted sister snapped Twilight out of her trance. “You’re right, this is for her, so I want answers first,” she declared firmly, looking at Celestia in the eyes. Gilda was about to talk, but the alicorn wasted no time.

“Sunset’s original name was Sunshine. When she was a filly, I made the mistake of taking away what made her special by breaking apart her soul and sealing it inside herself. That half of her soul later turned into a being similar to Nightmare Moon. She is the one responsible for Sunset’s crimes and is the reason Luna has become so aggressive towards her.” Celestia opened the doors to the forbidden section of the library and stepped inside. “The knowledge of creatures like Nightmare Moon is almost nonexistent, but Luna mentioned that there might be a way to take Sunshine out of Sunset. If we can separate the two, Sunset can have a normal life in Ponyville with you and your friends.” Celestia turned around to face Twilight. “I can go more into detail if you want, but we should start right away.”

Gilda was confused. “Wait, when you say Sunshine, you’re referring to the other half of the Sunset we know?”

Celestia nodded. “Yes. Up until recently, only I knew of her existence, and I kept it secret from everypony, including Luna.”

The griffon frowned. “So, you’re a cowa–”

“Did you kill her parents too?” Twilight questioned suddenly.

“She what?!” Gilda asked surprised, turning her head towards the unicorn.

“Her father was shot by a squad of my guard after they discovered that she was the one responsible for burning the village. Sunset retaliated by burning all of them until nothing remained,” Celestia explained.

Gilda looked horrified, and while Twilight didn’t look much better, she kept pressing on. “Is all of her family gone?”

Celestia shook her head. “Her mother is alive, but I erased my memories of her and where Sunset was born.”

“What is it with you and destroying pony’s memories?” Twilight asked with pure anger in her eyes.

“Yeah, I thought you were the paragon of goodness or something like that but you and Sunset sound like psychopaths,” Gilda exclaimed, showing her discomfort with the conversation. “I’m giving Sunset a pass since she saved us from both herself and the God of Chaos, but why in Tartarus should anycreature trust you?”

Celestia sighed. “At the time, it sounded like the lesser of evils. Sunshine’s life was going to be ruined. Either by developing trauma due to the event, or the nobles wanting her head on a spike out of fear of having an unstable user of solar magic living among them.” Celestia looked at both of them, doing her best to not look like she was pleading forgiveness. “It was a horrible mistake that snowballed into what we have now. I know that I can’t fix my relationship with Sunset, but that’s not what matters. I want her to be happy, and she wants that too.” Celestia turned her gaze directly to Twilight. “She told me that her desire was to go back to Ponyville and live with you and your friends, so that’s what I will work to achieve. Separating Sunset and Sunshine is the first step. That will calm Luna enough to make her see reason and let Sunset live her life as she wants.”

Twilight maintained eye contact with Celestia for a few eternal seconds, studying her face for any kind of dishonesty, but not only did she not find any, a voice in her head started to remind her of all that she knew of Celestia, and kept pointing to the large scar in her neck.

Not knowing what to do, Twilight decided to put things on hold. “Let’s start this research, but this talk hasn’t ended yet.”

Celestia nodded, and Gilda started to walk towards the exit. “I will keep watch, books are lame. And… I need to think some stuff,” She said looking conflicted before closing the door.

“Where do we start?” Twilight asked once they were alone.

“We have books about supernatural creatures,” Celestia said as she pulled a few tomes for Twilight. “We can also look into old legends, and research from mages of old like Stars Swirl. Luna also compared Sunshine to the wendigos, so we could try and explore their past.”

Twilight started scanning the books while a part of her mind was freaking out at the fact that she could study a library that she never had access to before.

Celestia, for her part, was busy pulling books that could be relevant out of the shelves, but she suddenly stopped when she heard a familiar voice.

“Infamous Cemeteries of Equestria, Crisis of Infinite Equestrias, The Observers, Evil Origins of Canterlot… Canterlot Castle: a History! This should give me something.”

Celestia turned her head, and saw Sunset standing in the middle of the library with the mentioned book in her aura. “So, that’s the one you read.” She saw her put the book in her saddlebag and turn to leave, but she suddenly stopped. “Did you notice that I saw you enter here?” Celestia thought, and Sunset’s next words seemed to confirm her years-long fear.

“No, I have to know if what I saw was real! If I really have a chance to become Equestria’s next ruler, I need to know how I did it.”

“I never should’ve showed you that mirror.” Celestia’s gaze lowered to the floor. “I had it all planned for you. Once you controlled the Elements, Stars Swirl spell would’ve–”

Celestia stopped when she noticed that Sunset was returning the book to the bookshelf. “What?”

“I will reach that point eventually; I just need to keep getting stronger. Celestia will teach me about the mirror once I show her just how capable I am.” With those final words Sunset left the library, ending the illusion, but Celestia was still repeating it in her head.

“You… you never read it… you stopped… you… trusted me.” Tears ran down Celestia’s face, one more failure added to the ever-increasing pile of mistakes. “How many times will I hurt you?” she wondered as she sobbed.

“Princess?” Twilight asked softly. “What happened?”

Celestia remembered she wasn’t alone, and her first instinct was to act like nothing happened, but she didn’t have any reputation left to maintain. She had lost the right to call herself a princess, she was just another pony, or maybe even less than that. “I’m cursed. I see Sunset everywhere. When she was a foal, when she was my only student, when she was happy. It reminds me of everything I ruined for her.” Celestia shook her head. “I just need a moment.”

Twilight saw her former mentor walk towards a nearby table to rest, and she felt conflicted.
Cadence had painted Celestia as an evil master-manipulator, and she has done terrible things, but the Celestia Twilight was seeing now didn’t trigger that hatred she felt before, or even make her feel threatened. In fact, Twilight recognized the look in Celestia’s face.
It was the same Sunset had after the mountain incident, when she burned her due to her emotions.

“Princess,” Twilight said out of cordial habit. “I can take care of the research for you. If you really want to help Sunset, you should see how to get that curse lifted.”

Celestia put a hoof over the scar, seeming to be contemplating something. “You’re right. I will look into it.” The alicorn stopped for a moment, remembering something Luna said before. “When was the last time you and Sunset talked?”

Twilight froze at the question, and then flinched at the memory. “It was when I was corrupted by Discord. I…” Twilight’s regret tore at her heart. “I told her that if she wanted to be a hero like me, she needed to defeat Discord on her own. To prove that her magical prowess was better than friendship, and–”

Twilight was suddenly surrounded by soft, white wings. “That wasn’t you Twilight, and Sunset’s smart enough to know that,” Celestia said in a motherly voice.

“I could see the pain in her face,” tears started to appear in Twilight’s eyes. “It was the worst thing I could say to her.”

“It was the worst version of you Twilight,” Celestia said as she hugged her.

Twilight remembered the demon reaching out to her during the fight with Discord, and the unsureness of its intentions. “I don’t know how she will act when we see each other again.”

Celestia closed her eyes. “It was what Luna was worried about. Even if we find Sunset, she won’t listen to any of us.”

Twilight’s ears perked up. “She will listen to Spike.” She turned her head towards the door. “Gilda!”

Moon Dancer lit her horn and lifted her right leg, the white talons sprouting out of the scars as her magical aura connected all the tips with a bright white line.
She placed her hoof on top of the fox’s chest and started to recite the incantation one more time, hoping that it would be enough this time.
A magical circle appeared around the fox, filling the tower with light, and at the center of it an image of an open eye appeared. Inside it was a glyph surrounded by a strange ancient writing that Moon Dancer had managed to decipher recently. “To give true life, sacrifice death.”
The unicorn infused more of her magic into the magical circle, activating the rune and the writings around it. The fox’s body started to glow, and its lungs filled with air.
Moon Dancer slowly diminished her magical influx, careful to not disrupt the spell. When she finally cut off her magic from the circle, the glow in the runes traveled towards the fox’s body, and the small animal released the air in its lungs. And then took a deep breath. The artic fox groggily stood up confused, like if it had just woken up form a long dream.

Moon Dancer lifted the fox and checked its pulse.

There was a heartbeat. It was alive. She had done it.

Right then, without as much fanfare as the last time, Suok appeared inside Moon Dancer’s tower, and the unicorn turned around to face him.
“I’m ready to hear you.”

Twilight had called for another meeting at the library, but now with the inclusion of Celestia in her small team. And while the alicorn was getting angry stares from many of the elements, she was smiling, happy that Sunset had made so many friends despite her inability to form connections.

“I’ll gladly carry the pipsqueak to Sunset,” Gilda said while pointing at Spike. “But without any kind of direction, it will be kind of pointless.”

“It doesn’t matter, we will find her eventually,” Spike quickly objected.

“The Apples and Rich’s debt collectors are already looking for Sunset. Once we have a clue, you can convince her to come to us,” Twilight explained.

“We could search too. The more, the merrier,” Applejack offered, but Celestia quickly objected.

“I would gladly look under every rock in Equestria to find her, but it’s better that we keep a low profile just in case Luna decides to stop us.”

Gilda turned her head towards the alicorn. “Are you going to do something about your sister?”

“Twilight is currently working on a way to solve that problem.” Celestia pointed to the large pile of books they had brought with them. “I’ll also try to lower Luna’s animosity towards Sunset. She’s as unhappy with the situation as us, but she thinks that she has no other option.”

“So, she’s also a–” Gilda’s comment was interrupted as two scrolls appeared in front of Twilight and Celestia. “What’s that?”

Twilight picked up one of the scrolls and saw the seal in it. “It’s from Sunset!”

Celestia immediately opened the other and started reading out loud.

“Dear Princess Celestia.

Today, I made a friend–”

Author's Note

Final chapter: Chapter 43: Empathy

There will also be an epilogue and I've two surprises for next chapter too so keep your hopes up.

Love you all, have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 43: Empathy

Sunset walked towards the entrance to the curio shop, wearing a black cloak that hid her red and gold hair from the public. She slowly opened the door, looking all around the interior to make sure she was the only current costumer.

“May I help you traveler?” The shopkeeper asked when he noticed her entry to his business. “Creatures usually come here looking for–” his speech was cut short as Sunset’s magic started strangling him so he couldn’t call for help.

The unicorn walked to the counter and looked at the display where she saw the Alicorn Amulet. But it wasn’t there. “Where’s the amulet?” she asked the shopkeeper, easing the pressure on his neck just enough for him to talk.

“I… sold it.”

“To who?” Sunset asked threateningly, her eyes turning black for a moment.

“To a mare… just a few minutes ago… she came wearing a cloak like yours… is it the new fashion?”

Sunset growled and threw the stallion over the counter. “Forget I was here, or you will have the guard tearing down your door to arrest you.”

“Are you with the CAA?” the shopkeeper asked, but Sunset ignored him and walked out of the shop.

“Good thing I identified it before.” Sunset thought before casting a location spell and sensed that it wasn’t far from her. She started teleporting around the city, pausing only to keep track of the location of the amulet, until she finally saw the cloaked mare.

Said mare was marching with a spring in her step, until a sudden explosion of flames made her jump in the air before landing on her butt. She saw the cloaked figure stare at her from the shadow of their hood, and quickly stood up defiantly. “Humph, you think you scared me? that you caught a defenseless mare in a dark alleyway that you could attack without retribution? Well, you’re wrong! Because with this–” she opened her cloak, showing the glowing Alicorn Amulet in her chest. “–the Great and Powerful–”

“Trixie?” Sunset asked suddenly, catching her off-guard.

The magician pulled down her cloak, revealing her face, and looked more closely to the mare in front of her. “Sunset?”

The amber unicorn also lowered her cloak and looked at the magician with both disbelief and worry. “What are you doing wearing that amulet?! Do you know it’s cursed?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Cursed how?”

“It will corrupt your mind until you’re completely at its whims and you’ll turn into an evil sorceress,” Sunset exclaimed.

Trixie’s eye shot open. “What?! The shopkeeper didn’t mention any of that!”

“Take it off before it’s too late!” Sunset screamed, and the magician pulled it off like it was a big metallic spider.

“Wait, how am I going to take revenge against Twilight now?”

“Your what?” Sunset asked as she discreetly took the amulet from the ground and hid it inside her cloak. “Why do you want vengeance against Twilight?”

“Because she humiliated me! After she showed me up with that Ursa Minor, I became a laughingstock! Everywhere I went I was laughed at and ostracized. I even had to take a job on a rock farm just to earn a living! a rock farm!” Trixie shouted in rage, breathing heavily.

“Oh, right…” Sunset rubbed the back of her head. “Look, you probably haven’t seen them since then, but I got really mad about it and… well, it’s a long story. The thing is, the three that heckled you are really sorry about it and I made them promise to apologize to you.”

The magician looked at her with wide eyes. “You… you did that for Trixie?”

“And about Twilight, she didn’t want that to happen. It got out of control too quick, and I also failed to prevent it.”

“Prevent it how?” Trixie questioned.

“As I said, long story. What I’m trying to say is that everypony involved is sorry about what happened to you, and if we knew about your situation, we would’ve helped you. So, please don’t hate them for their mistake.”

The magician stood there, trying to process Sunset’s words, placing a hoof over her forehead. “I… Trixie needs a moment to think.”

“It’s okay, I need to leave anyway. I’m glad I got to see you again.” Sunset pulled the hood over her head again and turned to leave, but Trixie stopped her.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“Didn’t you see the signs? I’m the number one enemy of Equestria,” Sunset said with a half-smile, trying to hide her anxiety.

“But you were set up, right?”

Sunset blinked twice. “What?”

“They say you stole and destroyed the Elements of Harmony, cursed Princess Celestia, and destroyed a portion of the castle.”

“I don’t know what kind of but you’re going to pull off right now to justify all that,” Sunset said incredulously.

“Sunset, you remember one of the happiest days of my life better than me,” Trixie said in the most sincere and almost sad voice Sunset had ever heard before. “And when you left me at the café–”

Sunset flinched. “Oh, fu– sorry about that.”

Trixie simply continued. “The waiter apologized for you and told me a bit about yourself. Well, a lot, actually. About all the things you had done in that town to help others. So, I can’t really believe you would do those crimes you’re accused of.” Sunset looked at her dumbfounded. “Also, you said that Trixie was a big inspiration for you, and The Great and Powerful Trixie will always support her loving fans,” the magician added with her usual flare.

Sunset chuckled and rolled her eyes. “What is this mare?”

The amber unicorn took a moment to think, until she finally responded the question. “Those things are… true. I didn’t steal the elements, but I did destroy them. And the other things… I was… not myself at the time. I was…” Sunset looked at the ground in shame. “Kind of a monster.”

“Well, Trixie was about to use a cursed relic to take revenge on her foalhood nemesis, so Trixie can’t judge you,” the magician said in such a nonchalant way that made Sunset’s brain do the disk scratching noise.

“Wha… do you lack the basic sense of self-preservation?!”

“Do you want to hurt Trixie?” the magician asked nonchalantly.

“No…” Sunset slowly answered.

“Then what does Trixie have to fear?”

“I can’t tell if she’s brave or an idiot.” Sunset shook her head and looked at the magician in the eyes. “Look, guilty or not, I’m on the run. So please forget I was here and don’t go attacking the only ponies that care about me. Pinkie Promise?”

“What’s a Pinkie Promise?” Trixie asked confused.

“It’s… forget it. I need to leave.”

“Wait!” Trixie exclaimed lifting a hoof. “Since we couldn’t have that coffee, let Trixie invite you for some drinks.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think two mares in cloaks would go unnoticed in a café.”

“Trixie knows the perfect place to hide from the authorities.”

Chrysalis entered Cadence’s cell, finding the Princess of love and the Element of Kindness sitting together, looking at her in defiance and fear respectively. The queen lit her horn and lifted the yellow pegasus away from the alicorn.

“You don’t need to hurt her!” Cadence exclaimed angrily but was too weak to stand up.

“You’re right.” Chrysalis let go of Fluttershy. “What I need is information.”

“I’m sure you know more than me about a lot of things,” the princess deflected.

Chrysalis put her hoof under Cadence’s chin, lifting it so they could see eye to eye. “You’re going to tell me everything you know about Sunset Shimmer.”

Cadence gritted her teeth. “You’re a fool if you think I would ever sell my loved ones out of fear.”

Chrysalis showed her a predatory smile. “Loved ones, uh?” She lifted Cadence with her magic and pressed her against the cave’s wall before walking up to her. “Let’s see how much love you’ve for her.” She opened her mouth, and Cadence’s love started to seep out of her body.

“You won’t make me say anything!” Cadence shouted defiantly, remembering all her times spent with Sunset. All the innocent jokes she played on her. All the annoying pranks Sunset pulled her through. Everything she ruined with–

Cadence’s eyes widened as she realized what the queen was doing. “Stop!” she screamed but Chrysalis just chuckled and doubled her efforts to extract more love out of her.

Then suddenly, she stopped.

The changeling queen looked down at Cadence’s midsection, and the princess started to panic, fighting uselessly against her bonds.

Chrysalis put her ear against Cadence’s belly and pressed her hooves against it. She felt something and turned her head to look at Cadence in shock. “You’re pregnant.” She released her hold on her and immediately turned to the door. “Tell Proboscis to come here at once!”

Sunset scanned the shady bar Trixie had taken her too, noticing the indifferent, bored, and some even depressed-looking customers just drinking without caring about the two cloaked mares that just entered. “Do you come here often?”

“Just when Trixie hits rock-bottom.” The magician signaled the barkeep, a surprisingly young-looking female griffon that didn’t looked like she belonged in such a shady establishment. “Give me the usual.”

“And your friend?” the griffon asked.

Sunset looked at what they were offering, not knowing what any of it was, so she went to the more familiar sounding thing. “Fireball?” The griffon didn’t question it, and quickly handed over their bottles.

“You know what alcohol is, right?” Trixie asked before taking a long sip of her drink.

“Yes, just never tried it,” Sunset answered, taking a swig before grimacing a little.

“Does it burn?” Trixie asked with a mischievous smile.

“This is what burning feels like?” Sunset asked, looking at the liquid inside the bottle.

“You never played with fire?”

“I’m fireproof.”

Trixie scoffed. “That’s a lie.”

“Give me twenty bits and I will sleep on top of a campfire to prove it.” Noticing that the mare was serious about her challenge, Trixie decided to believe her for now. She had heard of crazier things anyways. “Why do ponies drink this?”

“Have you ever felt like life’s unfair and you’ve nowhere to go?” Sunset nodded. “This helps.”

The amber mare looked at the bottle one more time, and then took a longer swig before sighing. “I don’t believe you.”

The magician shrugged. “Works for Trixie.” She drank a bit more before asking her next question. “So, what did you wanted to talk about all those months ago?”

Sunset let out a long sigh. “I don’t remember anymore. A lot of things have happened since then.” She took another swig and a question popped in her head. “What convinced you to leave?”

Trixie gave her a questioning look. “You mean Ponyville?”

Sunset shook her head. “I mean Canterlot. You said it was the happiest day of your life, but you never did another performance here. What made you want to be a traveling magician?”

“That’s a… very long story,” Trixie answered, looking down at her drink before taking a long swig from it.

Sunset felt like she had accidentally hit a sensitive topic. “Oh… okay. Sorry for asking.” There was an uncomfortable silence as the two mares looked for something to talk about besides what they were truly curious about, until suddenly, Trixie downed her entire drink and asked for another one before turning to face Sunset.

“How about an exchange?”

“What?” Sunset asked confused and curious.

“We both have long stories, Trixie tells you hers, you tell me yours. Deal?”

“I…” Sunset tried to come up with an excuse to decline, but the more she thought about it, the more she remembered Applejack’s words about truth. “She has been nothing but supportive, even after admitting what I did.” She took a small swig of her bottle and turned to face Trixie. “Very well. I hear you.”

Trixie seemed to regret her offer for a moment, but with a shake of her head, she started.

“It all began with my father. I never knew much about him since, even before I was born, he would constantly leave my mother for a couple of weeks before returning and staying only a day or two before leaving again.” Sunset noticed that Trixie didn’t sound sad about what she was telling her, but remained silent. “My mother was completely charmed by him, some even suspected a spell had been casted on her, but that charm started to fade with time. One day, when I was around three years old, I heard them arguing. I never heard them fight before, so I remember it clearly; they were fighting over money.
Apparently, my father only returned home to ask my mother for money before leaving again. My mother had a good job, so she always had extra for him, but since she now had to take care of me too, money wasn’t so abundant, and my father’s borrowing was also getting more expensive.”

“Wait, he not only wasn’t there to raise you, but was scamming your mother?” Sunset asked in disbelief.

Trixie sighed. “Yeah, but that’s not all.” She took a swing of her drink and continued. “There were more fights after that night, each time I went to bed I could hear them argue. One night, I didn’t hear them scream, so I thought that they had finally made up. Then I heard something shatter.”

“Did she attack your mother?”

Trixie shook her head. “I went to see if everything was okay, and found my father standing over the broken vase where mom had her savings hidden, picking up the fallen bits and putting them in his saddlebags.” Sunset’s eyes widened. “My father, the smart charmer that he was, convinced me that he had accidentally broken the vase and asked me to help him pick up the pieces. Being three years old, I was happy to help, and after everything was clean and all the bits were in his saddles, he patted my head and told me; “You’re a good filly.” He then went out the door and never came back. Those were the last words I ever heard from my father.”

Sunset felt her blood boil and gritted her teeth. “How can a father do that to his family?”

Trixie took another swing of her drink and continued. “The next day, my mom discovered that the vase had been broken and her bits disappeared. And when she asked me what happened, I, being an innocent, stupid three-year-old, proudly told her that I helped my father clean everything.” Trixie’s hoof shook a bit at the memory. “My mother was furious. She shouted at me and sent me to my room, grounded until the end of the week. And then the next. And the next.”

“Did you run away from her?” Sunset asked, and was surprised when Trixie shook her head. “What made you stay with her?”

“I was three,” Trixie reminded her before continuing with the story. “My mother tried to get the guard to catch my father, but he had vanished, and so had her life savings. She tried to balance our expenses, taking many sacrifices in our way of living, but it didn’t help much. And on top of that, she was also suffering from the aftermath of my father leaving her, both the betrayal of her love, and the gossip and ridicule of other ponies. The stress took a toll on her, and eventually caused her to lose her job.” The sad look on Trixie’s face made it clear that the worst was yet to come. “Now that we were in a critical situation, she decided it was time for me to seek work, or at least an education.”

“She made you work when you were three?!” Sunset shouted, getting a bit of attention from the other creatures in the bar.

Trixie shushed her. “I was six at the time, so I did the usual kid stuff, which barely payed my own food, but then I discovered something. I saw a magic performance in one of the parks of Canterlot.” A smile appeared in Trixie’s face, and Sunset could swear she saw stars in her eyes. “I was mesmerized, and when the show ended, the magician performing went to sign autographs, so I went to him and asked him a lot of questions about his magic tricks.” Sunset was surprised at the similarities in her and Trixie’s inspirations. “Maybe I inherited some of my father’s charm, but the magician found me endearing, and shared a lot of things about illusion magic with me. Sadly, we had to say goodbye eventually, but during the next week I spent my free time practicing some tricks and did a little show at the same park. Many ponies liked it, and I earned more bits than what my usual jobs gave me. And more than that, one of the ponies in the crowd worked in Celestia’s School for Special Unicorns, and offer me a scholarship!” Sunset felt a shiver down her spine, remembering the true reason that school existed. “I was ecstatic, and I ran to tell my mother, who was also really happy and very proud of me.” Suddenly, all of Trixie’s enthusiasm died. “At least, at first she was.”

“What did she do?” Sunset asked as she tightened her grip on her half full bottle.

“The thing was; Even if the classes were paid, I needed a lot of school materials, which were very expensive since it was a prestigious institution, so what little my mother had managed to save was spent entirely on my education. I assured her that I would make more money with my shows, and I don’t know if I phrased it wrong or what, but my mother got angry at me.”

“What?” Sunset asked indignantly.

“I’ll get to that.” Trixie said before taking another swig of her drink. “I started my studies and did okay, I was slightly below average in most of my classes, but illusion magic was clearly my strong point. And imagine my surprise when I found out the magician that inspired me had retired and started teaching in Celestial’s school!” Trixie’s smile flashed back into her face. “It was perfect! He also helped me with my acts, and I was starting to get a bit popular, earning more bits with each small performance.” Then the smile disappeared again. “However, every time I came back home with money, my mother got angry. She never screamed at me, nor did we get into a proper fight, but I could feel her animosity. One day, she said that she was done paying for my food and school materials, and that I should pay them with my own money from then on.”

Sunset felt an intense need to burn something. “How in Celestia’s name is that fair?”

“It wasn’t. I felt horrible, and I thought that it was my fault my mother felt that way, that I had put too much pressure on her with my expenses, so I tried to make it up to her. I put more effort in my studies, and payed all my expenses with what I earned with the shows. But she only seemed to get angrier with how well I was doing.” Trixie let out a long sigh. “I now realize she felt like I was rubbing my success in her face.” The magician took another swig before continuing. “We finally got into a fight over the money, and it was clear to me that she wasn’t going to change, so I hid my money from her and continued living as best I could.” Trixie paused for a few seconds, and Sunset could see tears trying to fall down her face. “Then… things got worse… really fast.”

“How?” Sunset asked in disbelief.

“My teacher died, which just… destroyed me. I skipped a lot of classes and stopped doing shows for a while. It wasn’t until they threatened me with expulsion from the school that I managed to put myself back together. Mostly.” Trixie finished her bottle. “I visited his grave and decided to honor him with a show. A show he would be proud of. I used most of my savings to buy a small wagon to set a stage on, bought fireworks, everything I would need. And in the same day I saw the performance that inspired me to start my role as a magician, I did my first grand show.”

Sunset’s jaw dropped. “She said that was the happiest day of her life. What happened?”

“I put everything I had in that show, everything I had learned and what I could come up with in the moment. And even if it wasn’t perfect, the ponies loved it. I earned so much money I recovered everything I invested in it and had bits to spare. And that wasn’t even the best part. At the end of the show, I earned my cutie mark! It was the best day of my life!” Trixie shouted excitedly, but it felt hollow.

“But?” Sunset asked, scared of how the story ended.

The griffon offered Trixie another bottle, but she rejected it. “I returned home. My mother saw my cutie mark, didn’t even care, and just asked me if I would pay my half of the rent.” Trixie’s face morphed into anger. An anger even greater than what she felt when Twilight showed her up. “I just… exploded. I rubbed it in her face how much I’ve earned, how I finally found my purpose in the world, and that she didn’t need to worry about my expenses anymore, because even with our situation, I was doing much better than her on my own. After that, I hid my earnings and went to sleep with a smile on my face.” Trixie’s anger faded, and she looked almost… hollow. “When I woke up, I found a note in the kitchen that simply said; You’re on your own.” Sunset could feel the heat of her body rising. “I went to my room and found out that my mother had left with everything. All my bits and hers were gone. Clothes, food, anything of value had been packed overnight and left with her. I had nothing.” Trixie looked down at the floor. “Then, I discovered that my mother hadn’t been paying rent, and hid eviction notices from me. I got kicked out as soon as they discovered she left.”

“That has to be illegal!” Sunset protested.

“If it is, they didn’t care.” Trixie let out a long sigh. “I started living in the wagon I bought, doing jobs to pay food, and attending classes, but everything was falling apart. I was still dealing with my teacher’s death, and now I was homeless and alone. I started flunking exams, didn’t have any will to do a show, I just stayed in the wagon crying or sleeping. Some of the students at the school gave me food out of pity. Others started bullying me. One told me that it was no excuse for skipping classes.”

“Who?!” Sunset asked like she was about to snap somepony’s neck, but Trixie ignored her.

“One day, I decided I had enough. I took my wagon and left Canterlot to never come back. Became a traveling magician, made it the thing holding me up, and enjoyed it every day since.”

“Until Ponyville,” Sunset said sadly.

Trixie nodded. “Until Ponyville. And now that I realize my vengeance would’ve turned me into an evil sorceress. I don’t have anywhere to go.”

Sunset’s anger slowly faded after hearing the last words. She repeated the whole story in her head, trying to imagine everything that Trixie had felt during those times.

“So, what’s your story?” Trixie asked.

Sunset took a swig of her drink. “I don’t think it can compare to yours.”

“You got it worse, didn’t you?” Trixie guessed with a sad smile.

“No. Maybe.” Sunset took another, bigger swig. “It wasn’t the same.” She felt conflicted, trying to compare her past with Trixie’s. “Even if it was worse, I grew up in a castle. I had everything I wanted. But it wasn’t enough. I was greedy and arrogant.” Sunset took the bottle and drank all the remaining alcohol despite Trixie trying to stop her. “And I was never alone. Until now.”

When she finished the bottle, Sunset started to feel lightheaded and dizzy. “I… don’t feel too good.”

Trixie held Sunset with her hooves. “The fireball must be getting to your head.”

“Please… don’t take me to the guards,” Sunset begged before passing out.

Chrysalis waited patiently as Proboscis examined the restrained princess, with Fluttershy helping her despite her fear and current situation.

“The baby appears to be fine. Her alicorn body must’ve been feeding it despite the slight malnutrition.” Proboscis explained, gathering her tools.

“I gave her most of my food” Fluttershy said hiding behind her mane like she was about to be punished. Cadence thought about Thorax, wondering what he was doing right now.

“We got lucky then. I want extra rations for both, and a regular check-up when you can slip away from the eyes of the guard.” Chrysalis ordered, and Proboscis nodded before being dismissed.

“What are you planning to do with my baby?” Cadence asked with a hoof on her belly.

Chrysalis looked at her for a few seconds, showing no emotion, and then left the cell without saying anything.

When Sunset woke up, she sprung from the hammock she was in and looked around in panic, expecting to have the entire royal guard surrounding her, and maybe even Luna for good measure. But she wasn't, she was inside a wagon full of boxes and performing materials.
“Trixie?” She asked, and a familiar voice responded.

“One minute!” Trixie's head poked in from a window and looked at Sunset. “How are you feeling?”

“I–” Sunset suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head and her stomach felt like it was punching itself. “A bit sick.”

“There's water and aspirin on that box next to you.” Trixie pointed.

Sunset took the medicine and water and looked back at Trixie. “Thank you, for this and not selling me to the guard.” Sunset looked behind the magician, noticing that they weren't in Canterlot anymore. “Where are we?”

“Trixie had her wagon parked a mile down the mountain in case she had to escape the guard when she got the amulet.” Trixie explained before entering the wagon. “Trixie thinks we should keep away from Canterlot for a while.”

Sunset tried to get up, but the pain in her head made her reconsider. “I can't, I need to...” Her mind couldn't complete the sentence, even if she wasn't suffering from a hangover. “I need a plan.”

Trixie looked at the amber unicorn with worry and got closer to her. “Sunset, what exactly happened?”

Sunset sighed. “I guess I owe you that story.”

“First, I want to clarify something.” Trixie interrupted her. “Whatever your past is, don't compare it to mine. I’m sorry if I made it sound like a competition.”

Sunset didn't know how to respond to that, so she just started talking. “When I was three years old, I got my cutie mark. A symbol representing solar magic.”

“Solar magic as in what Celestia uses to move he sun?” Sunset nodded. “Wow... The last unicorn able to use that magic was Eclipsed Cinder if I recall correctly.”

“Eclipsed Cinder? Who was that?” Sunset asked curious.

“She was a very powerful mage from Somnambula. Legend says she was the first unicorn that tamed a phoenix on her own.”

Sunset didn’t seem impressed. “That doesn’t’ sound too legendary.”

Trixie chuckled. “Well, a few centuries ago phoenixes were bigger than what Celestia has as a pet.”

“How much bigger?”

Trixie smiled. “This wagon would be as big as its beak.”

Sunset’s eyes went wide, imagining a huge version of Philomena. “Oh, sweet Celestia.”

“Yeah, things were pretty dangerous a few centuries ago. Or at least that’s what the legends say.”

“What happened to Cinder?” Sunset asked curiously.

“She…” Trixie looked away from Sunset. “…exploded.”

Sunset felt her heart sink in her chest. “She destroyed Somnambula?”

“No, she left saying that she would slay the Sphinx that threatened the village long ago. Some ponies followed her in secret, saw her make camp far away from civilization, and…” Trixie felt really uncomfortable telling the story. “The description was; The fire seemed like it was eating her from the inside out, but she didn’t scream nor cried. She sat down in prayer; none could hear her voice due to the flames burning her vocal cords, and when she finished her prayer, she lifted her hooves to the sun in the sky, and… it was like a new star was born in a second, before being snuffed out in the next.”

Sunset’s hooves were shaking. “That… Will I?” She shook her head. “I won’t die like that.”

“It’s just a story Sunset, and you said fire can’t hurt you.” Trixie tried to console her, but it only reminded her of the burn mark she had left on Celestia. “Look, Trixie has heard enough of your past, she can give you a lift to any place you want and hide you from the guard.”

Sunset sighed. “Yeah, I think it’s better that way.”

“Where should Trixie take you to then?”

Sunset closed her eyes. “So, we have the amulet. What’s your next move?”

“Tell her your story.”

Sunset’s eyes shot open. “What?”

“Do you remember Truth? She told you what pained her, just like you did with Applejack and Moon Dancer.”

“But–”

“You said it yourself. She has been supportive since you met her today.”

“That will change if I tell her everything.”

“Remember Forgiveness Sunset. If Twilight and her friends are willing to fight for you despite the truth, she can too.”

Sunset turned her head towards Trixie, who was still waiting for a response. She took a deep breath and hoped for the best. “I made a sun.”

“What?” Trixie asked surprised.

“When I was three, I got my cutie mark by making a red sun, but it got out of control and burned my hometown. It killed a lot of ponies.” Trixie looked horrified, and Sunset was about to try and teleport away, but Dawn insisted she continued. “After that, Princess Celestia took away my memories, hid everything about the event, and took me in as her pupil. She raised me like a daughter, but feared me in secret, our relationship worsened, and I tried to betray her and seek a way to achieve alicornhood on my own, but decided against it to remain as her student. She then found Twilight and made her my replacement.”

“Wait.” Trixie tried to blink her confusion away. “You also have a grudge with Sparkle?”

“At first, I did, but with time we became sisters. She and her friends taught me a lot of things to deal with mistakes I made along the way and they’re the only ones that are helping me now.”

“Okay, hold on.” Trixie took a moment to piece together everything. “So, Celestia lied to you, and you attacked her. I suppose the monster part you’re referring to was a fit of anger?”

“In a way,” Sunset half-lied. “It’s supposedly under control now.” “Right?” she added in her mind, and she somehow felt Dawn nodding.

“And who stole the elements?” Trixie questioned.

“Twilight and her friends. They wanted to use them to protect me, but Discord stole them and when I used them against him… they were destroyed.” Sunset sighed dejectedly. “Surely because I wasn’t worthy of them like Twilight is.”

“Are you sure you don’t hate Twilight too?” Trixie genuinely asked.

Sunset frowned. “I don’t.”

“Technically–”

“I don’t.”

“So, in conclusion. You’re being hunted for saving Equestria against Discord and attacking a lying, paranoid princess. But the whole town burning is just swept under the rug?” Trixie asked incredulously. “Did everypony just forgot about it?”

“Actually… they did. Celestia supposedly erased everypony’s memories of the event.”

“Oh, how convenient,” Trixie scoffed before realizing the implications of that action. “Oh, forget Trixie said anything. But wait, then all your crimes are made up or exaggerated? Are they just scared of the possibility that you could do it again?”

“I have,” Sunset said looking dejected. “I created another sun in Ponyville when I remembered the truth about my past.”

“Trixie’s glad she wasn’t there to see it, but she also knows that Ponyville isn’t a ruin so, what happened?”

“I managed to stop it. Used the solar magic to form a protection spell over the town instead of destroying it,” Sunset explained with a small smile.

“So, you can control it?”

Sunset shrugged a bit. “Kind of? It’s a bit tricky since it’s somehow alive? I at least know how to stop it if it goes too far.”

Trixie whistled. “Wow, you’re way more complicated than Trixie first thought.”

“What were you expecting exactly?” Sunset asked out of curiosity.

“Well…” Trixie rolled her eyes a bit. “Trixie guessed you somehow pissed off the princesses while trying to save the day and you were being hunted unfairly.”

“And now?” Sunset asked, a bit afraid of the answer.

Trixie looked down in thought. “The whole, ‘I murdered my town when I was three’ is worrying, but you don’t sound, act, or seem like an evil pony. Plus, my previous statements about you still stand.”

Sunset stared at Trixie with incredulity. “Are you serious?”

“You said it yourself, Trixie lacks self-preservation due to her own problems,” the magician responded dismissively. “So, my offer still stands. Where do you want me to take you to?”

Sunset just looked at her in silence, hearing Dawn’s voice in her head. “See? She doesn’t care about what you did before. She sees you for who you truly are.”

“You know,” Trixie suddenly said. “There’re other legends like Eclipsed Cinder, and many stories about her as well. If you want, we could visit some old companions of mine that could give you some info on how solar magic works.” She offered with a smile. “It’s a bit of a longshot, but maybe it’ll be worth it?”

“Maybe a stretch, but isn’t this the same as the Inspiration Rarity gave you?”

“What?” Sunset asked confused.

“And also, the stories and the drinking. Did you enjoy them? Even if you were hitting rock-bottom, wasn’t it Fun?”

“What’s your point?”

“Do you want to stay with her?”

“Why are you helping me so much?” Sunset asked Trixie directly.

Trixie sighed. “To be honest… I feel as lost as you. Everypony mocks me, I’ve no destination to go, and was about to do something incredibly stupid out of anger. That’s why I think I can understand what you’re going through. That’s why I want to help if I can. Maybe we can be friends?” the magician asked a bit awkwardly.

“What did you say makes a friend?

“Somepony that can stand as an equal to me or maybe even better than me.” Sunset responded in her mind.

“How about somepony that can put themselves in your hooves?”

[AN ORANGE CHAIN TENSED]

“Somepony who can help me learn something new.”

“Moon Dancer taught you how to cook. Spike taught that your loved ones will fight for you no matter what. Pinkie taught you to have fun. Applejack taught you to be truthful about yourself. Rainbow taught you about accepting the help of others with your problems. Fluttershy taught you to forgive yourself. Twilight taught you about sisterhood. Cadence taught you about love. Shining taught you what having a family feels like. Granny Smith taught you to not let your fears consume you. The CMC taught you to face your problems. Savoir Fare taught you to appreciate your actions. Gilda inadvertently taught you to value friendship. Even Luna, before things went down the drain, taught you to try a new approach instead of giving up.”

[AN ORANGE CHAIN STRAINED]

“Somepony who will be proud of my achievements”

“They all are. Even that bitch Celestia. And you didn’t do it to prove it to them, you did it by being yourself. But you don’t need praise, what you need is...”

“Friends…”

“Are they your friends?”

[AN ORANGE CHAIN SHATTERED]

Sunset smiled brightly, full of happiness and hope. “Yes.”

The same smile appeared on Trixie’s face. “It’s official then! You’re the Great and Powerful Trixie’s brand-new friend!” she cheered, and Sunset started laughing.

“You’re very weird you know that?”

“Coming from you, Trixie will take it as a compliment,” the magician said proudly.

Sunset wiped a few tears that were threatening to escape her eyes. “Do you have a few scrolls I could use? I need to send a few letters.”

“What was that?!” Nightmare screamed in fury as she bashed her fists against Dawn's crystal prison.

The demon laughed. “Friendship, I believe.”

“Don't play coy! We had the Alicorn Amulet! We could've taken down Luna and take the throne of Equestria! We would've won! And you just sent Sunset in the opposite direction!” Nightmare broke her fist against the Crystal. “Why? Why? Why? Why?” she asked, each question accompanied by another useless punch.

“Sunset said it herself; It would've been pointless. A hollow victory, like my vengeance on Celestia.”

Nightmare growled. “How many times must I remind you? You can't fight the purpose you were given to exist!”

“And what if I want my own purpose?! One not predestined by your stupid definition of nature?!” Dawn shouted defiantly.

Nightmare scoffed. “And you hope to find one lying under a rock? Face reality Dawn. You’re noting more than an impulse-driven construct. You exist only to make Celestia suffer.”

“If it makes Sunset happy, I’m willing to abandon that path.”

“You’ll fail,” Nightmare warned ominously.

“I’m not you.”

Nightmare growled angrily. “You may have control over her mind, but I still have her body. This is far from over,” She declared before disappearing.

Celestia finished reading Sunset’s letter, holding it to her chest. “She…”

“She found friendship!” Pinkie shouted excitedly, deafening half of the room while hugging the other half.

Twilight, however, wasn’t as exited. She was still reading her letter, noticing that it had more information than Celestia’s. “I guess she still doesn’t fully trust her.” She thought before turning her head to see her mentor, but the alicorn had just vanished in a flash of light.

Celestia appeared right in front of the throne Luna was sitting on, surprising her sister. “May I talk to you in private?” the blue alicorn took a moment to study her sister’s eyes and gave a signal to her guard. They abandoned the room immediately.
Once alone, Celestia pulled out Sunset’s letter. “I need you to read this.”

Luna took the paper and started to read it, her face morphing from caution to surprise. “She finally did it,” she finally said with an almost imperceptible smile.

“She did it on her own, just like Twilight when I sent her to Ponyville,” Celestia declared before sitting in front of her sister. “She finally healed from my horrible treatment. And I can guess why it happened now.”

“Sunshine?” Luna asked, her wound burning.

Celestia nodded. “She told me that it was her turn to help Sunset. At first, I thought it was a taunt, but apparently, she truly meant it.”

Luna scowled. “Have you forgotten about what we talked yesterday? She’ll do anything to make her think she’s on her side.” She pointed at the letter. “She doesn’t mention a name for this so-called friend, nor where they’re going, or what they want. This could’ve been fabricated to make us lower our guard.”

“Or, she is extremely stressed and wants to be with her friends for a while. It’s the exact same thing that happened in Ponyville. And it’s also what you’re going through.”

Luna did a double check at Celestial’s last words. “Excuse me?”

Celestia moved a bit closer to her sister, talking softly, showing her worry for her. “You two are in the same situation. Because of my mistakes, you’ve been branded as an enemy to everypony. A lot of responsibilities were thrown at you and you’re dealing with them as best you can. The difference with Sunset now is that, as you told me before, almost all your friends are dead. You only have me.”

“For the love of– This isn’t about me Tia! The entire kingdom is in danger as long as
Sunshine lives.” Luna felt her wound burn intensely. “You want me to put my faith in Sunset, but what are we going to do if, accident or not, a village does ends up burned to the ground. Are you going to apologize to the ashes? Hide it under the rug again?”

Celestia did her best to resist the hurtful words. “I’m not saying that we ignore the problem of Sunshine. I’ve Twilight researching how we can split them apart, and Spike is the perfect candidate to talk to Sunset if we find her. The only thing I’m asking is to give Sunset a bit of time until we can help her.”

Luna was silent, but Celestia could tell she was considering it, so she pushed further. “You care for her more than I do.” Her sister looked up at her, silently asking for her to elaborate. “You helped Sunset overcome her initial grief after she died to Nightmare Moon. You helped her as much and as many times as you could. You even said you felt like you owed her.”

“I killed her,” Luna said somberly. “She begged me to do it.”

“I’ve done worse, and I still got a letter.” Celestia cautiously put a hoof over her sister’s shoulder. “Sunset wants her life back. And we can give it to her. We just need time to know how.”

Luna looked down at the floor, her wound burning intensely, but despite the pain it caused her, her mind managed to stay clear of its influence. “I won’t send the royal guard to arrest Sunset. At least not for now. That should put a smile on Shining’s face. The CAA will still search for her, but only to observe.” Luna looked at her sister. “I’m guessing you and Twilight have your own search parties.”

“We have.” Celestia smiled. “Thank you, Lulu. You won’t regret it.”

“I really hope not,” Luna exclaimed, showing all her repressed anxiety. “What are we going to do if you fail? We have no way to stop Sunshine if she goes against us.”

“I wanted to talk to you about that.”

Both alicorns turned around, noticing a yellowish gray mare standing right in front of the entrance to the throne room, and wondered how she had managed to enter undetected.

She was wearing a dark grey sweater, winter boots, orange tinted glasses, and a small headband that kept her light red hair away from her eyes. She was also carrying saddlebags with her cutie mark, revealing her identity despite her change of appearance.

“There may be a way to fix the Elements of Harmony.” Moon Dancer declared.

“Aaaand, done!” Trixie exclaimed before showing Sunset a mirror.

The unicorn looked at her disguise with a smile.

Her coat was colored with a very light blue dye, her entire mane was magenta and tied into ponytails to hide most of its usual shape. A black cap hid her horn, and a combination of Trixie’s disguise skills and her transmutation gave her a very convincing looking pair of wings that were even functional, as long as she didn’t do any complicated maneuvers. She also wore a black jacket that she saw when they bought the cap and found that she really liked the style.

“Great job Trixie. Nopony will recognize me.” Sunset praised.

“As expected from the Great and Powerful Trixie!” The blue unicorn declared as she put on the straps of her wagon. “So, we have all of Equestria to explore. Where do you want to go first?”

Sunset flew to the top of the wagon and took a moment to think. It was the first time she had free reign over what she could do with her life.
She was no longer lost. She knew exactly what she wanted. As simple as it was, she finally found a purpose to move forward; Her friends. The ones she had, and the ones she could make along the way.

“Let’s go north,” She finally declared, and with a smile and humming a song, both unicorns started their journey to the far reaches of Equestria, an orange phoenix looking over them as it followed.

Author's Note

The chain of Detachment has been shattered. The Heart has been freed, and Empathy is its nature.

Friendship has been unlocked. The strings of love have been strengthened.

Two chains remaining.

Achievement Unlocked: The Journey Begins

Downloading sandbox map...

Well, it took some time, but it’s finally finished, my first big project in this site. I honestly can’t believe I got so far into this and I thank all of you who stuck till the end.
That’s why I want to offer two things before I upload the epilogue to this story, which will be the final chapter before the sequel.

The first, is a Q&A. Leave any questions you’ve about the story so far in the comments and I will respond them in the author’s notes of the epilogue. The only restriction I ask is that you avoid questions that would create spoilers for the future. For example; who’s Sunset’s mother? (We will get to that in the future)

The second is something a bit more special. Now that Trixie and Sunset have begun their travels across Equestria, they will have many encounters along the way, and if you want, you can offer suggestions of what they can find, or who they can interact with on the road. Obviously not all ideas will be used, but if I do chose them I will adapt them along a chapter, or, if I feel it can develop more of the characters or a plot point I’m in the middle of, it will have its own chapter.
If you’re wondering if I would accept OC’s to add into the story, the answer is no. My idea is to expand on canon characters that don’t get much use. However, nondescript characters are allowed. For example, a merchant that scams the party out of their money and they have to chase after them to get it back or expose their scam.

I think that’s all I wanted to say, I will probably talk more in the Epilogue, which will have a few more surprises for you, so stay tuned.

Once again, I thank you all for the support and I hope you enjoyed this story, which still has a long way to go. This was just the tutorial, we've eight seasons worth of content to explore, and I’ve more stories to expand this universe in multiple ways.

Good luck to everyone, have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

PS:

maybe if we're lucky sunset and Trixie become friends on a journey of something?

nighters, you called it in chapter 7. Congrats on the foresight.

See you all in the Epilogue: Finding Friends Around The World

Epilogue: Finding Friends Around The World

“This is actually kind of nostalgic,” Luna thought as she looked at the creatures at the table.
On her left sat Twilight, followed by the rest of the Bearers. At her Right was Celestia, followed by Moon Dancer, Gilda, Spike, Shining Armor and Cadence. “It’s like war preparations. But with half of the counsel having me as the enemy.” She turned hear head, looking at Twilight’s friends, most of them scowling angrily in her direction.
Twilight herself was looking at Moon Dancer with sad eyes, and the bespectacled unicorn was avoiding her gaze, but one could tell she was feeling conflicted about something.
Luna then looked at Celestia, who was doing scratching motions with her hoof while smiling happily. “Sister are you okay?” the blue alicorn asked.

Celestia looked up, and the illusion of Sunset giggling between her hooves disappeared. “Y-yes. Sorry,” she responded clearly agitated and nervous.

“What’s wrong with her?” Gilda asked, and everyone at the table looked at the monarch with worry.

“She’s under the influence of a curse placed by Sunset,” Luna explained.

Celestia nodded, almost ashamed of being exposed. “I see illusions of Sunset every now and then. Sometimes she’s an adult, but usually she’s just a happy filly.”

“We also believe she’s the one that placed the curse on Spoiled Rich that almost killed her,” Luna continued. “That, her resurrections, her outbursts of anger, are all responsible of one creature;”

“Sunshine,” Celestia said before continuing, her eyes downcast. “Sunset’s original name. When she was a filly, I broke her soul in two pieces to seal her solar magic. One of those halves developed sentience and transformed into a being similar to Nightmare Moon.”

“That’s the true enemy,” Luna said, taking the attention from everypony. “We can all hope that Sunset is innocent, and everything has been Sunshine’s doing, but the matter is that beings like her are essentially parasites that live off their host’s magic and channel a strong desire in them, taking control and forcing them to do their will.”

“She wants to kill me,” Celestia said, finally lifting her head. “To destroy everything that I’ve made.”

“That’s the reason I went to such extents to stop Sunset. A being like Sunshine, with access to Sunset’s solar magic augmenting its power exponentially, could easily cause an incalculable amount of destruction. If a scenario like the one in Ponyville were to happened again, but stronger and in a more populated area like Manehattan, casualties would reach the thousands in a single day.” Almost everyone at the table looked at Luna with clear shock, never having imagined just how much was at risk.

Noticing the distraught look on her friends and family, Twilight spoke up. “But there’s a way to save Sunset. Princess Luna said that Nightmare Moon could move out of her body, so if we manage to force her out, Sunset will be safe.”

“We still would need to take care of Sunshine, but she will be weakened, and hopefully Celestia will be cured of the curse by then so she can counter her fire.” Luna said before giving a disapproving glance to the white alicorn. “You’re taking your sweet time solving that problem.”

“Ah don’t know much about the logistics of magic, but ah don’t think separating Sunset’s soul even more will do her any good,” Applejack said, and her friends nodded in agreement.

“Sadly, it’s a risk we must take. However, Miss Dancer here might have another solution.” Luna pointed to the unicorn, who adjusted her glasses before speaking.

“While doing some research, I found a way we could fix the Elements of Harmony.” Moon Dancer suddenly had the complete attention of everyone at the table, making her uncomfortable, but she put her anxiety aside for now. “I hope this doesn’t come as insulting, but as much sacred the Element are, their function is actually just to channel the magic of Harmony. So, as any tool, by just repairing the gems we can have their powers back. However, they can’t be just glued back together.”

Rainbow huffed. “It’s never that easy.”

“How can we fix them then?” Rarity asked.

“They need crystal magic,” Moon Dancer responded.

“Still too easy, what’s the catch?” Rainbow questioned, earning a few annoyed glances from her friends.

“Crystal magic was taught in the Crystal Empire, which is currently banished in another dimension,” Luna explained. “And all the mages that could use that kind of magic were executed during King Sombra’s reign.”

“So… he’s the only one that can do it,” Moon Dancer finished, and the entire table went silent.

“Who’s King Sombra?” Rainbow asked.

“The previous ruler of the Crystal Empire,” Cadence answered. “He was banished along with the city, but he’s due to return soon.”

“And he was evil, right?” Gilda questioned. “Judging by the executions.”

“He also enslaved everypony in the empire and tried to take over Equestria,” was Celestia’s answer.

“So… how do we convince him to help?” Spike asked.

“Sadly, him accepting any kind of diplomacy is unlikely. We will have to force him.” Luna declared. “It’ll most likely involve methods questionable for this era, but Sombra is an evil of old. Less powerful than Discord, but much crueler.”

“But then…” Fluttershy said, getting the attention of Cadence. “We would be forcing one pony to make a weapon to kill another.”

“I can understand that it sounds unethical for you, the champions of friendship, but this is a case that needs the lesser of evils. Both Sombra and Sunshine are too powerful and dangerous to be left loose.”

“Can we really compare the two?” Rarity asked. “As much damage Sunshine caused, it seems a bit much comparing it to what sombra apparently did.”

Luna sighed with a bit of annoyance. “As I said to my sister multiple times. Beings like Sunshine and Nightmare are of unquestionable evil. They follow one purpose at birth until completion, and they will destroy or lie their way to accomplish it.”

“How do you know that?” Rainbow asked.

“I was possessed by one,” Luna responded simply.

“I mean how’re you so sure Nightmare and Sunshine are the same? They don’t have the same issues as you.” Everyone looked at Rainbow in shock at her words.

Luna lifted an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate such bold statement?”

Rainbow put her hooves on the table. “Sunshine is not only an evil side of Sunset, she’s half of Sunset’s soul like Celestia said, and you talk like these creatures have a will of their own, so am I wrong in assuming Sunshine is to an extent also a pony?”

“She’s not a pony, she’s a construct of emotions, and regardless of her origin, her nature is the same as Nightmare’s,” Luna answered as calmly as she could.

“I disagree,” Rainbow countered. “I not only think she’s not the same, but I think she’s actually helping Sunset.” Celestia’s eyes widened, and Luna’s narrowed. “Back in Ponyville, when the sun went out of control, Sunset stopped it, did a protection spell, and when I went to her, I looked her in the eyes.” Rainbow did a small dramatic pause. “They were black, save for her irises, slitted like Nightmare’s, so she wasn’t doing it alone.”

“You sure you’re not confusing things? How do you know it wasn’t Sunshine causing the sun?” Luna questioned.

“We were there, we saw her eyes, they were normal when she lost control,” Twilight answered.

“Also, Sunset’s motives were about how she suddenly seemed to remember the truth about her past, triggered by the CMC questioning about her cutie mark,” Rarity added.

“I sealed her memories to automatically forget and think of something else,” Celestia explained, earning angry looks from almost everycreature. “She couldn’t have broken the seal without something affecting her mind.”

“Could that same thing have helped her find friendship?” Fluttershy asked curious.

“It’s a theory of mine,” Celestia responded.

“So, Sunshine got Sunset’s memories back, resurrected her multiple times, make her attack her friends, helped her stop the burning of Ponyville, maybe allowed her to make friends, and promised to kill Celestia,” Luna recapped. “So, at best, her moral compass points at three different directions.”

“Well…” Pinkie said scratching her chin. “She was trapped in Sunset’s mind for years, seeing her achieve great things instead of her, only to then watch the cause of her creation disregard Sunset and get another student who became a legend overnight while all her efforts ended in nothing.”

Luna, Rainbow, Applejack and Rarity glared disapprovingly at her, Gilda, Fluttershy and Cadence looked neutral, Shining and Spike looked worried at Twilight who felt conflicted. Celestia was almost in tears.

“I think this reunion has run out of usefulness,” Luna said, still frowning. “Twilight and Moon Dancer will research how to separate Sunset and Sunshine, Shining Armor will keep preparing the guards to confront either of them if things get worse. Tia, get that curse out of you. Meanwhile, the rest of us will look for Sunset to keep an eye on her. Any objections?” There were none, so Luna was about to leave when Fluttershy asked a question.

“Why did you kill Sunset?” Everyone turned to look at her, Cadence smiling slightly. “You say you want to capture her. You’re looking for options to save her. But your first action was to kill her. Why?”

The attention went back to Luna, and the alicorn took a deep breath. “When I cornered her in the mountain, I offered her anything she wanted. Freedom, family, a better future, taking her magic away. She could’ve asked for anything and I would’ve given it to her.” Luna took a moment to look at all of Sunset’s friends. “She asked me to kill her. To make sure she didn’t come back.” She looked straight at Applejack. “Am I lying?”

“N-no…” the mare answered, her hooves shaking a little.

“You’re all dismissed, please notify the rest if you discover anything.” With that, everyone left the room one by one, but Luna stopped one of them. “Moon Dancer.” The mare turned to look at her. “I want to speak with you.”

Moon Dancer turned around and walked closer, looking nervous. “Yes, Princess Luna?”

“The knowledge you possess, where did you acquired it?”

“The forbidden section of the library in Canterlot,” She quickly answered. Too quickly.

Luna’s magic grabbed Moon Dancer’s leg and took off her boot, allowing her to see the scars in her skin. “Interesting.”

“I-I…” Moon Dancer tried to defend herself, but she was surprised by Luna’s grin.

“Tell me, how’s that old crow doing?”

Sunset looked at the stars, laying on the roof of Trixie’s wagon. “All those lights up there are stars from far away. Could I make my own constellation one day?” she wondered.

“You would probably heat the planet till it’s inhospitable, so I would put a no on that one.”

“So, you know how this solar magic works?”

“Just a basic understanding, I didn’t have many ways to practice.”

Sunset kept looking for a while before asking. “So, are you going to tell me what you want?”

“You’re confused about my actions.”

“Yeah, so if you can please be honest, I would appreciate it.”

“I’m not sure. I’m trapped in your mind, so I can’t go anywhere or make plans for the future. Just, help you move forward.”

Sunset took some time to think. “So… everything you made me do. It was because of your anger?”

Dawn took some time to respond. “Yes. But I don’t want to keep doing that. It has only hurt you.”

“I need to ask; why the sudden change of heart?”

Sunset could hear a sigh in her mind. “You’re the only one that can understand what we went through.”

“I think Trixie can too.”

“Yeah, but even if she wasn’t here, I don’t want to ruin your life forever.”

Sunset closed her eyes, looking sad. “I’m all you have.”

“Yeah.” Dawn answered. “So, I’ll try and help you as best I can. If you want me to.”

Sunset sighed. “I don’t think we have much choice.”

“No. We don’t.”

“The food is ready!” Trixie called out, and Sunset jumped of the wagon, using her wings to glide to the ground next to the campfire they made for the night. “You need to teach Trixie how to fly.”

“They Great and Powerful Trixie is asking to be my apprentice?” Sunset asked with a smirk.

“It’ll just make it easier for me to learn this magic,” Trixie answered without missing a beat.

Sunset laughed and took a bite of her food. “So, what is our first destination?”

“Well, the closest thing to us right now is Cloudsdale,” Trixie answered, checking her mental map of Equestria. “However, the wagon can’t stay on clouds, and we don’t have enough bits for a hotel, so we need to make it a quick visit.”

“I think I can make it stay on the clouds,” Sunset said pointing at the wagon. “Are you planning on putting up a show to earn some money?”

“Not really.” Trixie said downcast. “I haven’t made a show in quite some time.”

“I’m sure you haven’t rusted one bit. Plus.” Sunset was suddenly dressed in a cape and top hat. “You will have The Great and Talented Flanksy as your assistant!”

Trixie chuckled at her antics, looking more confident. “Trixie will need to teach you how to perform first.”

“I can teach you how to fly in exchange.”

“Deal.” Trixie said eating the last of her food. “By the way.” She threw a pouch of bits in front of Sunset.

The amber unicorn opened the pouch confused and counted exactly twenty bits. “You can’t be serious.”

Trixie shrugged with a smug smile. “You made the bet, I accepted it.”

Sunset grunted and looked at the campfire. She walked up to it, feeling a bit of doubt creep up before putting her hoof in the fire. Reassured her immunity still worked, she walked fully into the fire and looked at Trixie. “Happy now?”

Trixie’s smile only grew larger. “I will tomorrow morning.” She then put her plate down and went inside the wagon. “Good night!”

“Wait, I…” Sunset tried to object, but the magician was gone, and she did bet to sleep on fire. “I will get you back for this!” she shouted before trying to lie comfortably on the campfire.

Philomena flew over to her and snuggled into her, earning a smile and pet from Sunset. “Thank you for the company,” she said before lowering her head and going to sleep, hoping to not be too sore in the morning.

In one of the lonely houses near the winter lands where the Crystal Empire once stood, a stallion marched out of the kitchen with a plate full of warm soup. He walked past his family, who were standing in line, their eyes green just like him, before placing the food in front of their unexpected guest.

A dark crystal spoon brought a bit of soup to Sombra’s lips, and the King looked to his new loyal subjects. “Tell me, what has transpired since my banishment?”

Author's Note

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So, I will see you guys in the sequel. I already made a map, a Word guide, and an Excel spreadsheet, so I won't take a year to start it (hopefully) and I plan to publish it with the first three chapters already written.

Meanwhile, I will work on other projects, such as the sequel to "Where is my daughter?"

Once again, thank you all for following the story up to this point, and I hope to see you till the end.

Have a nice existence.

I will be watching you.

Chapter 1: Did I Make the Right Decision?

Celestia, sole monarch of Equestria, walked through the halls of Canterlot Castle with her pupil, Sunset Shimmer. She had called her today with the hopes of finally teaching her a lesson that had evaded the unicorn since she became her pupil.

“Sunset Shimmer, I have heard that you’re not getting along with the other students. We’ve talked about the fact that personal relationships-”

“You are right, we’ve talked about it a lot,” Sunset interrupted. “And I always tell you that I don’t need anyone else. I’m perfectly capable of achieving my goals by myself. Besides, you are the only one above me in knowledge and power. There’s no other pony that can stand equal to me, or teach me something that I don’t already know.”

Celestia looked at her with an accustomed frustration.

Sunset was indeed quite a bit above the average unicorn in terms of knowledge and power, but that didn’t make her superior. Unfortunately, nothing she said could convince her otherwise.

That’s why she hoped a stronger approach would finally pierce the unicorn’s stubbornness.

“Sunset, you need to realize that you can’t be on your own forever. I tell you time and time again about the importance of friendship and that you need to open yourself up to new relationships. And also, don’t you remember that talk we had about humility?”

“I remember how boring it was.” Sunset gave a heavy sigh. “Princess, you have been ruling by yourself for centuries and Equestria has been in harmony all that time. What makes us different? Why can you rule by yourself but Ineed to use other ponies as a crutch?”

Celestia didn’t respond, since they finally had reached her objective: a large magical mirror, one of the last remaining artifacts of Star Swirl the Bearded.

Celestia wasn’t fully aware of the full capabilities of the mirror, but she knew that one could see different versions of oneself depending on their decisions in life.

She hoped that seeing a glimpse of a future where she had embraced friendship would help Sunset take the right path forward.

“Look into this mirror and tell me what you see,” she asked with a smile.

Sunset got closer, seeing her reflection in the crystalline surface. “I see a beautiful pony full of power and potential,” She answered with a cheeky grin.

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Care to try again, this time with some of the boring humility we talked about?

Sunset looked again, a little annoyed, but suddenly her expression turned to one of worry. “I see… Crying and screaming… pain and sorrow.”

Sunset looked away, and Celestia’s frustration was replaced with concern.

Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I have to- she thought with a bit of panic.

Sunset looked in the mirror again, face full of determination, or maybe anger?

“I see… A pony that could be great, powerful… somepony that could rule Equestria.” Suddenly, Sunset looked scared. “What is that?!”

Celestia pushed Sunset away from the mirror. “I think we better move on. I see that you are not ready for this yet.” She expected the pony to object, but the unicorn seemed to still be in shock. She never saw her like this, so she decided to get her away from the mirror before she tried to look again. “I want you to reflect on the discussion we’ve just had.”

Sunset said nothing, just nodding her head, and left for her room. Once inside, she sat against the door, trying to recollect her thoughts.

She had seen her reflection, which turned to an image of her crying and in pain, and then she saw herself achieving her dreams, ruling Equestria as the new alicorn of the sun. But the last image… it couldn’t be her.

It simply couldn’t be.

During the following weeks, Sunset became obsessed with the mirror. She would constantly ask Celestia about it, about what she saw in it, questioning where it had come from, but her mentor would always say the same thing: ‘You are not ready for it yet’.

This constant back and forth was slowly but surely digging a breach between the two, fed with anger and frustration.

And all of it would eventually lead to this very night.

Sunset approached the forbidden section of the library of the castle, its big doors closed, but poorly guarded and not even locked.

“You’d think this place would be better guarded. I guess centuries of harmony makes you forget about security,” She commented as she entered the library, seeing the large collection of books that the public was completely unaware of.

She started looking through the books, searching for clues in their titles, trying to figure out which one would contain what she was looking for.

“Infamous Cemeteries of Equestria, Crisis of Infinite Equestrias, The Observers, Evil Origins of Canterlot… Canterlot Castle: a History! This should give me something.” Sunset took the book, put it in her saddlebag, and was about to return to her room, but before she even reached the door, a thought crossed her mind.

This was a point of no return. If she got caught stealing forbidden knowledge, Celestia would undoubtedly expel her from her studies, if not banish her from Canterlot altogether.

Was this really worth losing all of her progress so far?

“No, I have to know if what I saw was real! If I really have a chance to become Equestria’s next ruler, I need to know how I did it.” Then suddenly, the final image in the mirror popped into her head.

If something could turn her into that thing, it would be the forbidden knowledge hidden in this room.

What if this is the path that leads her to that?
Sunset turned back and returned the book to the bookshelf.

“I will reach that point eventually; I just need to keep getting stronger. Celestia will teach me about the mirror once I show her just how capable I am.”

Sunset left the library and returned to her room, planning on getting a good night’s rest so she could start studying early in the morning.

Unbeknownst to her, pink, sad eyes had been watching her from the start.

After that night, Sunset demonstrated a new, more powerful drive in her studies. History, geography, mathematics, laws and economics: every lesson Celestia gave her, she absorbed voraciously, adding them to the ever-increasing pool of knowledge. In her free time, she would indulge in magical studies, learning not only new spells and facts about different magical artifacts, but also the different magical traits of the various races of Equestria.

Unicorn magic, pegasus weather manipulation and cloud walking, earth-ponies’ strength and connection with the land were common knowledge, but she discovered many new things:

Diamond dogs had a similar connection with the earth as earth ponies, which helped them move the soil with ease and make their underground tunnels.
Changeling’s shapeshifting abilities were a trait that they developed years after their appearance in Equestria. According to theories, their appearance was closely related to their self-image.
The nature of the dragons of old, who lived to be far older and more powerful than dragons today, could be aligned with many different elements other than fire. Some were as big as Canterlot Castle itself, their magic so strong it altered the terrain around them without them even trying.
Older races of griffons were not only capable of similar magic to the pegasi, but they were also bigger and able to affect the earth and the temperature of their surroundings.

Besides her studies, Sunset even gave the whole friendship thing a try like Celestia had always insisted, but she found it extremely difficult. Years of sharing her ‘particular’ personality had given her a reputation that didn’t work in her favor.

The questions about the mirror had been long forgotten, and everything seemed to have turned back to normal, but Sunset could feel a difference.

Celestia had slowly distanced herself from her, her lessons had less passion, Sunset’s achievements, once praised, were now just politely acknowledged, and even her insistence on her searching for friends had devolved into just a casual suggestion.

Did she do something wrong? Was the friendship problem bigger than she had considered? Had Celestia just gotten tired of teaching her?

All these questions plagued her mind, corroding her nerves like termites, while she waited for Celestia to come back to the castle. She had gone out to investigate an unusual magical surge in the school, so Sunset had taken the time to gather enough courage to confront her about her lessons, but she didn't seem to have enough.

“I need to keep calm,” she said to herself. “If I throw angry accusations at her she will think I’m impatient. This could all be a misunderstanding. Maybe she just ran out of things to teach me?” she laughed nervously, and almost had a heart attack when the doors banged open.

She turned around and saw Celestia walking in with a smile on her face, so she took it as a good sign and walked towards her.

“You’re back! I was wondering…” the words died in her throat when she saw a little unicorn filly walking besides the monarch. “…who is she?”

Celestia turned to the filly. “Twilight, this here is Sunset Shimmer, my pupil in magical studies.”

The purple unicorn looked at Sunset and slowly walked up to her with a smile. “I’m Twilight Sparkle!”

Sunset smiled and patted the head of the filly a little awkwardly. “You are adopting children off the streets?” she asked Celestia in a joking manner, and was glad when her mentor giggled in response.

“She has a home and parents. I just wanted you to meet her.”

“What for?”

“Twilight will be my new personal student.” Sunset felt a cold spike rise through her chest to her throat, robbing her of words.

“I hope you can help her with her magic studies just like I did with you.”

Sunset felt the spike grow inside her, a rush of emotions fighting in her brain. But she managed to remain composed and responded with a smile. “It will be a new challenge, but I will rise to it.”

“I know you are perfectly capable of it. I’m sure you will make a great teacher.”

‘A great teacher for my replacement.’

Sunset looked at Twilight. She looked innocent and happy: this was probably the best day of her life.

“I will warn you: I will expect nothing but the best of you.”

Twilight stood firmly and saluted, copying her brother. “I won’t disappoint you!”

Sunset managed to smile, she had no idea what was happening between her and Celestia, and she didn’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire. “We can start tomorrow, if your parents will allow it.” Twilight gave an enthusiastic nod and returned to Celestia’s side. Sunset waved at her and walked to her room, trying not to look back at Celestia.

As she closed the door to her room, Sunset bashed her desk with both hooves, splintering the wood. She wanted to do more, she wanted to tear the whole castle apart, but knew better than to make such a scene. She tried to breathe, count to ten, think of something else, but nothing could calm her rage.

All her efforts, all the knowledge she had acquired, all the power and potential she had demonstrated, only for a little filly to take her place? All her sweat and tears would only result in her ending up as a teacher?

It couldn’t be. She had to be better than that. She deserved better! The mirror had shown her…

‘The mirror,’ Sunset thought. ‘It showed me… pain and sorrow… but it also showed me as a ruler! Maybe I can still reach that destiny.’

She took off towards the library, her steps quick but she still tried to attract as little attention as possible.
She reached the closed doors, and the doubts that had previously prevented her from crossing this line came back. But this wasn’t about skipping steps in her lessons, she needed to know that she could still achieve her dreams.

She pushed the doors, but found them locked. “What? They weren’t locked before. Has there been an increase in security?”

The realization hit her like a train.

She looked around, expecting to see a guard or maybe even Celestia walking out of a corner or some shadow, but there was nothing. Still, it only meant that the eyes watching her were just well hidden.

Sunset hit her head against the door, tears close to falling from her eyes.
She had ruined everything. Celestia’s distance from her, her disappointment, the slowness in her teaching, it all made sense now.

She had failed as Celestia’s pupil, and now a new pupil would take her place, and Celestia would train her to be what she always wanted.

Sunset wiped her eyes and turned return to her room. “Maybe I can prove it to her that it was just a mistake. Maybe this ‘teacher’ thing is a test, she does tests like that sometimes. I just need to be good. A good pupil, a good teacher for Twilight, a good… friend for Twilight. Yeah, that may work.”

She held onto that little hope for years, seeing her replacement grow and achieve great feats of magic. Many of them were thanks to her help, but the unicorn had proven to be quite adept at magic, just like she was.

But what kept her hope going, was that Twilight seemed to be almost as bad at making friends as she was. She had a few ”friends” in the school, especially a unicorn named Moon Dancer, but she could see that it wasn’t the kind of friendship that Celestia was looking for, so she could still surpass Twilight.

She already had the advantage, she just needed friends. But that was easier said than done.

Sunset had already lost contact with most of her fellow students, so she tried to make friends with the castle staff or the guards, and even socializing with the nobles when the Grand Galloping Gala was hosted in the castle. However, none of these brief encounters or shallow acquaintances seemed to fit Celestia’s idea of what ”friendship” should be.
Still, she didn’t stop trying...

...until the night of the Summer Sun Celebration.

Author's Note

New player created!

Name: Sunset Shimmer

Stats:

Strength – 52
Dexterity – 68
Constitution – 60
Intelligence – 100 maxed
Wisdom – 56
Charisma – 48

Magic Power – 100 maxed
Magic Capacity – 100 maxed
Magic Control – 66
Magic Resistance – 74
Magic Ability – 89
Magic Generation - 96

Evocation – 100 maxed
Abjuration – 100 maxed
Divination – 86
Conjuration – 78
Transmutation – 100 maxed
Illusion - 64

Chapter 15: Thank you

Nightmare missed Luna’s mindscape.
She had a thousand years to fully explore it, learning everything about her and the creatures she knew, and it was a place she considered beautiful.
It had its similarities with the dreamscape since it was the place that she frequented constantly, but it was also full of all the things her old host held precious, like memories of her childhood, her first stumbling steps of courtship and romance, the now so distant and shaded memories of her parents, all displayed in detailed paintings that covered the theoretically endless expanse of her mind.
And there also were the bad memories, the ones of jealousy, fear, anger and shame. All the feelings that had cocooned in her mind and eventually birthed her.
Her current host’s mindscape, however, was filled with paper.
Full stacks of disorganized scrolls and sheets containing information about spells and magic mixed with her written down memories and ideas.
It was all strewn about over a shimmering golden floor under a bright red sun, filling everything with a blinding light that bothered her to no end.
It all reminded her too much of Celestia, which sadly made sense considering she raised her, but what really pained her was that with everything being a disorganized mess, it was proving extremely difficult for her to learn about her host and what spells she could use.
And that was before this whole problem.
Her host’s ever-growing instability had finally peaked, and her mind was suffering the consequences. The sun in the sky had been extinguished, and now the only light came from the ethereal body of her host’s mind-projection.
The little bright pony once walked in this ever-growing mass of processed dead trees, adding more to the pile every time her host learned something new or had a new experience.
But right now, it was asleep on the ground, completely vulnerable to her actions.
She wished that she could just replace it and take full control of the unicorn, but she wasn’t really there. She was, as many creatures would call it, a parasite in her host’s body, and could only project herself into her mind and influence it moderately.
But that was just a matter of time, at least if her host didn’t end up destroying itself.
So, looking at her host’s mind-projection, she wondered; “How will I fix you?”

“How many times will I see you in a hospital bed?” she heard through ears that were not hers.

“Oh, don’t start crying Celestia, it never helps,” Nightmare grumbled while trying to think, but the conversation around her host’s body wasn’t helping.

“Are you sure of what you saw?” the traitor asked, probably to the alicorn of love.

“I’m sure of it, which is why I can’t believe it. I’m sure that Sunset loves herself. She’s driven and determined and prideful,” the pink alicorn responded still in a slight panic.

“What if something removed it?” the traitor asked next.

“You mean a spell?... I guess it could be. Maybe her death-defying spell could have a side-effect like that?”

Nightmare sighed. “I shouldn’t have pushed her so much at the mountain. Or drown her.
But how could I’ve guessed she would react this way? Luna had a much tougher skin than this one. She’s just such an unstable mess of anger and-” Nightmare’s rambling stopped as she felt something at the tip of Sunset’s horn. One of the alicorns was trying to form a magical connection with her, probably so they could search for a way to fix her.
She quickly flew off and hid inside the shadows and paper, watching closely as another light appeared in the mindscape, one as bright as her host’s mind-projection.
“Celestia.” She almost spat the word from her mouth as she saw the light dim down until she could se the ethereal form of the alicorn’s own mind projection.
Nightmare had to hold herself back from launching an attack on the unsuspecting monarch. She knew that even if she managed to overpower her and take over her mind, trapping her inside her host like she was, there were two alicorns in the room that would put a quick end to her, and there was still the problem of the elements that nearly destroyed her twice.
She knew that she had to take her time, to wait until the right moment to strike. But she was right there.
She had to destroy her and rule Equestria. It was her destiny. It was the reason she was born.
Nightmare found herself clawing at her own skin trying to keep herself in place, fighting her most basic instincts.
Celestia walked up to the little shimmering Sunset and brushed her hair softly, looking at her with a sad expression.
‘Did you really just come in here to cry?’ Nightmare wondered, but then she saw Celestia look away from Sunset, but still facing the floor.

“Are you alive?” the alicorn asked.

‘Did she lose her mind?’ Nightmare wondered.

A couple of seconds passed while Celestia seemed like she was about to cry. “Sunshine?”
The entire mindscape shook violently, and Nightmare could feel the temperature in her host’s body start to rise. ‘What’s happening?’

The tremor didn’t stop for Celestia, who had tears in the corners of her eyes. “I should’ve known this would happen.”

‘She’s still looking down?’ Nightmare moved the papers until she saw the golden floor and tried to dig her claws into it, but a great magical force repelled her efforts. ‘This isn’t a floor. This is a barrier. Why?’

Celestia looked back at the shimmering Sunset for moment before returning to look at the barrier. “Sunshine I wa-” A roar of pure rage resounded from the floor, making it turn red for a second. Tears were finally falling from Celestia’s eyes. “You’re right. I don’t deserve to call you like that.” She held back a sob and continued talking. “But I want you to listen to me.”
A new tremor shook the mindscape, but it was much milder than the ones before.
Celestia took it a yes. “I know I made a horrible decision all those years ago. And I will never expect you to forgive me.” The mindscape trembled in an angry agreement. “And I know that I kept making bad decisions with you. Putting Twilight over you.” The floor shook harder. “Staying distant instead of supportive.” And harder. “Think that my mistake would simply stay silent behind this barrier.” And harder.
Celestia put a hoof against her chest, gritting her teeth with guilt and pain. “But you can’t be free.”
The floor turned completely red, papers flying everywhere, and Nightmare thought that the barrier would explode at any moment.
Celestia lowered her head, her snout against the floor, like if she were trying to calm the thing at the other side of it. “You know what will happen if you continue this. You heard it from Cadence. You will destroy-” A voice from the other side interrupted her, shaking the mindscape with every word.

…only you.

Celestia recoiled, clearly shook from the response.

I hate you! only you!

The alicorn closed her eyes. “But doing that, you will destroy Sunset too. that’s why I want to fix things with you. I want to do better. To make your life, from now on, the happiest it can be.”

You don’t deserve it!

Celestia’s tears continued hitting the floor. “I know. But this is not about me asking for your forgiveness. You can, and have every right, to hate me for the rest of my days. But your hatred at me, at Twilight, her friends, and… yourself. Has to stop. You’ve seen what it did to you. Do you really believe that keeping this up will end well for any of us?”

Nightmare had to hold her mouth shut to stop herself form laughing. ‘Celestia, pathetic waste of an alicorn. Just how many of me did you create with your stupid decisions? No wonder it was so easy to push my host towards destruction. It was all already here, just waiting for the chance to get out.’
It all started to make sense now. A piece of her host was working against the rest, trying to erase all that Celestia had made her into.

The alicorn stood up, drying her tears before speaking. “I can only promise to do better for Sunset. And I only ask you to let her grow without hatred.” Celestia took some air. “I beg you. Let her be happy and heal.”
The alicorn lowered her head until her horn touched the floor, and a miniscule hole appeared in the barrier. “The choice is in your hooves.”
With that, the alicorn floated towards the sky, and exited the mindscape.

Nightmare finally let out a laugh, rejoicing in her opponent’s pain and misery. “You’re a fool Celestia. She will never go against her instinct. She will do anything to destroy you.” She felt another connection being made, this time one familiar to her, and as the pink magic reached the sleeping form of her host’s mind-projection, the colors and strings appeared again.
Nightmare’s smile disappeared as a string came out of the hole in the barrier and made its way towards Sunset.
“No… No!” She launched herself forward and cached the string before it could make the connection. “You dare mock me? You think yourself better than me? That you can go against your very nature at your own will? Well let me tell you something, ‘sister’.”
Nightmare took the string with both hands. “I don’t need the competition.” And snapped it in half.
The entire mindscape shook violently, and red flames shot out of the hole in the barrier, threatening to expand it enough for an escape, but Nightmare sealed it back up with her magic. She then looked at the string in her hand, and then at the sleeping Sunset.
“I guess it doesn’t matter to which part of you is connected.”

Cadence looked intently at Sunset’s body, hoping that whatever her aunt did would have a positive effect.
Her eyes went wide as a new string came out of Sunset’s heart, and slowly but surely, looped back to reconnect with it.
“It worked!” she screamed getting close to the bed, and a new development took her by surprise. The infection of anger started to rapidly recede from all her body back to it’s apparent origin, Sunset’s cutie mark, before disappearing completely. “Her anger… is gone too.” She teared up as she saw that with the anger gone, other feelings managed to make presence and push back the rest into a much safer stability.

“That’s most excellent! Isn’t that right dear sister.” Luna looked at Celestia, who despite the clear smile of relief and happiness, she could tell something else was hiding behind her eyes.

Celestia spoke in almost a whisper, but her voice had a very unusual commanding tone, especially for her family. “Everything is alright for now. But when Sunset goes back to Ponyville, I will need to speak with you two. I will need your help.”
The two other alicorns were surprised at the request but nodded in agreement.
Just then, Sunset’s eyes slowly opened, groggy and trying to determine where she was. “What happened?”

Cadence took her hooves into hers, tears of joy running down her cheeks. “Celestia fixed it. You’re okay now, and you will be even better from now on.”

Sunset seemed to have problems processing the news. “W-what? Really?”

“It would appear we found a way to nullify your anger. I can’t say that its forever fixed, but you shouldn’t explode anytime soon.”

Sunset joined Cadence with her own tears, and looked at the third alicorn, standing there with a warm smile. “Thank you. thank you so much.”

Celestia broke at the words and used her magic to take Sunset out of the bed and into her arms, hugging her with borderline desperation, her own tears finally flowing out of her physical eyes.
Cadence quickly joined in the hug, and Luna settled with brushing Sunset’s mane with a smile.

Sunset felt a joy that she never felt before. She felt like a completely new pony. “Thanks, All of you. I love you so much.”

Author's Note

Sunset’s morale ̶̖̜͘e̷̹͉̒ͅr̸͇̹̩͆r̵̺͆͠ọ̶̜̓̅̈r̸͙̪̂̋: ë̷̫̠͍͆̓ȓ̵͉̝͛͝r̸̝̗͚͛̇̚ȍ̴̮̏̏̕ŗ̵̺̖̏͋̈́̓͝

C̷̼̼̿̅̎̓͆u̶̫̱̎̊r̷͎͉̘͒ȓ̴̢̦̖͎͔̈́͌̊͝ḛ̸̞̯͂̋̕n̵̞̗̖̒͝ṱ̴̪͇̝̉͊̆̈́̕ : -80/100
Current m̷̠͂̄̅̆͌ǫ̴̭̙͎͘͠r̸͈͑̅̎͝ą̷̰̰̪̝͆l̷̢̤̤̪̖͌̃̀̏̅ḙ̷̫͌͛̎: 100/100
Current morale: 0̷̫̝͂̔̒͋͠3̷̢̩͓͚͋́͒͜/̷̨̞̗̯̌͒̈͜9̴͈̮̼́̓̀͊̚9̸̪͚̫̬̹͋̈́9̵̦̼͂͝
Current morale: 0/100

Now that I've written this one, I wonder if it would've been better if this one and the last chapter were just one big chapter.
What do you think?

I will be watching you.

Chapter 29: A Hard Lesson To Learn

Sunset slowly opened her eyes, noticing the darkness that the sheets covering her head created around her.
She gradually lit her horn to ease her eyes to the light and started to slowly lift her body up, causing the little cocoon of blankets, lawbooks, and empty coffee cups to part open, allowing her to finally see the natural light.

Except it wasn’t the morning light. In fact, it was close to midnight, and the only glow coming through her window was from the moon.

Sunset gave a low grunt as she searched the empty cups just in case one of them possessed even a drop of her favorite drink, but past-Sunset had already drained them completely.

“I need to enchant a flask with infinite coffee,” she mumbled while cleaning her bed and piling the books.

She had spent a good two weeks in solitary confinement in her room, studying non-stop and trying to absorb all the knowledge she could.
And after spending hours learning every law Equestria had, even the most obscure ones, she knew that the first thing she was going to do as a princess was changing many of them.

They were a lot of outdated laws that never got reformed or removed, and some were even detrimental to Equestria. One of them not only allowed slavery to occur, but made it completely legal if it was declared fair trade.

Sunset looked at herself in the mirror, noticing the golden crown she still had on her head.
She smiled, puffing up her chest and posing like to a painter about to make a work of art out of her.
Sunset wished she could send a copy of the crown to Rarity so she could add it to her dress for the Gala, but the idea of her coronation hadn’t been announced yet, so she couldn’t just flaunt it in public.

“But soon I will,” she said to herself with a smile before leaving the crown under her pillow and going out of her room and to the kitchen.

Once she arrived, she had a sense of déjà vu when she saw Luna waiting for her with a fresh batch of coffee.

“You finally woke up,” the lunar princess said with a smile, handing her a cup of Sunset’s favorite drink.

Sunset looked at her confused. “What do you mean? It’s not that late.”

Luna grinned. “On the contrary, you’re thirty-one hours late.”

Sunset spit out her coffee, but managed to catch it with her magic before it fell to the floor. “I was asleep for more than an entire day?!”

Luna calmly took a sip of her own coffee. “Yes. And while it was worrying at first, it served its purpose.”

Sunset sent the spat coffee back into her mug. “What do you mean?”

Luna explained calmly. “For a long time, you’ve been avoiding sleep, only resting after you exhausted yourself instead of a proper schedule. This, along many other things, made you unable to dream. Essentially denying us access to your dreamscape.”

Sunset nodded, but a realization made her eyes widen as her hair stood on end. “W-Wait. Did you see…?!”

Luna did her best to not smirk and remain professional. “Yes, but don’t worry, it’s perfectly normal.”

Sunset’s face was turning as red like as half of her mane as she stuttered out an explanation. “I-It’s just that… I recently started seeing myself like I was… well… attractive. And then I…”

Luna couldn’t stop a little laugh from escaping her lips. “Calm down Sunset. As I said, it’s perfectly normal to have dreams like those with other mares.”
Luna’s smile faded a little with her next words. “Admittedly, it would’ve been more… ‘appropriate’, for you to have experienced it first in your younger years.” The princess looked at Sunset with sympathy. “It’s… a sad consequence of the way you grew up.”

Sunset’s blush started to fade, and she sat down on the kitchen floor, looking at her mug with sad eyes. “I guess I wouldn’t have been able to act on those dreams at the time anyway.”

Luna put her mug away and gave her a reassuring smile. “Maybe, but you’re still in the beginnings of your prime. You’ve a lot of years left to seek a proper partner.”

That gave Sunset a bit of hope, but another thought kept her from smiling. “I guess I would have to find a stallion of the nobility to marry, right? You know, for succession and all that.”

Luna moved her head from side to side. “Not necessarily. It would make the process easier, but you can pass the crown to whoever you deem worthy without them being part of your family tree. You’re not Celestia’s daughter, but you’re about to earn her crown, are you not?”

Sunset looked confused. “I’m not?”

Luna’s thoughts halted immediately, restarting with an internal question. “What does she mean?”

Sunset put a hoof to her forehead. “What am I saying? She adopted me… right?” She suddenly felt a huge migraine growing in her head. “But then, who was my mo-”

Suddenly, Sunset froze for a second, and then looked at Luna with hopeful eyes. “So, I can choose anypony as my partner? Even if they’re not nobles?”

Luna took a couple of seconds to respond, trying to figure out what just happened. “Yes. Once you’re a princess, you will have the final word on any relationships you want to make.”

Sunset finally smiled, and happily went back to drinking the rest of her coffee.

“We need to have a talk with Tia later.” Putting her worries aside for now, so as not to raise Sunset's suspicions, Luna smiled mischievously. “However, a harem might be a bit too much.”

Sunset didn’t manage to catch the spat coffee this time. “IT’S JUST A FANTASY!” she screamed, completely red-faced.

Luna didn’t hold back her laughter.

After Sunset had had a bite to eat, she and Luna went to the white room.
It had been a long time since their last magical training due to Sunset’s new intellectual challenge, so it was an even greater surprise for her when Luna didn’t pull out the usual wooden squares, but three metal balls, a little smaller than a hoof, with the same engravings of heart, body and mind.

“We believe it’s time for you to pass to the next step,” Luna said as she placed the three spheres in a vertical line in front of Sunset. “The previous training allowed you to concentrate on each of the components individually, but this time, you will have to charge them all at the same time.”

Sunset raised a hoof. “Uhm, I was still unable to stop the wood from breaking so much. Am I really ready for the next step?”

Luna shook her head. “Like we told you, mastering it to perfection is nearly impossible. We decided to move things forward due to your new control over your magic.”

Sunset nodded in understanding, took a moment to look at the three balls, and started to charge them up with her magic.
As Luna requested, she did all of them at the same time, and when the engravings lit up with magical energy, the spheres suddenly repelled each other like magnets with equal magnetic poles.
Sunset quickly deduced what she had to do and started to concentrate on making them get as close to each other as she could.

She first tried to use brute force, but it quickly proved useless.
She then tried to relax. Clear her mind, calm her heart, and steady her breath.
It proved effective, and the balls moved slightly closer, so Sunset continued to try and harmonize all of her being.

Meanwhile, Luna observed the reaction of the spheres, making mental notes.

“It seems her mind is the most affected of the three. Apparently, there are still some issues Sunset must deal with.

Her body is the one that confuses me since she looks perfectly healthy. It could be some sort of side effect from her resurrection spell, of which we still have no idea how it works yet. And Tia is still insistent in that we don’t explore that part of her life to save her more suffering.”

Luna gave a little sigh before continuing.

“Lastly, the heart.
It seems to be the closest to harmonizing, and it makes sense. Sunset is very driven and determined, but she must be lacking something.”

She took a moment to think back to their earlier conversation.

“Her dreams seem to indicate that she still doesn’t know some things about herself that most ponies take for granted. Maybe finding a partner could help. I should ask Cadence to help her on that.”

The training continued for a few hours with no big progress, but they both knew that even a little bit of progression meant a lot.
When Sunset finally gave up and discharged the spheres, she looked at Luna’s serene face.
She wanted to ask something delicate about her, but she wasn't sure how the princess would interpret her words, so she tried to come up with the correct way to put her question.

“Princess Luna,” she said to catch the alicorn’s attention. “How did you… forgive Celestia?”

Luna frowned, confused by the question. “What do you mean?”

Sunset grew nervous, unsure if she should press the matter. She only wanted some advice. “You know. About turning into Nightmare Moon due to her neglect. How did you do it?”

Luna took a moment to process the question before giving her answer. “I see what you’re trying to ask Sunset. But, even if we owe you a huge debt for your sacrifice the night of our cleansing, I’m afraid we’re not able to give you the answers you seek.”

Sunset was understandably confused by the response. “But, you don’t…?”

“Do not press the matter Sunset.” Luna warned sternly. “Tia may have created the nightmare in my mind, but I was the one who let it… consume me.”

Sunset didn’t say another word, but she noticed something in Luna as she stood up.

She looked… sad.

“We will continue with your training tomorrow,” Luna declared before quickly exiting the room, leaving a confused and worried Sunset behind.

After hearing Luna’s response, Nightmare clenched her fists, claws digging into her palms as her hands trembled.

“You betrayed me,” she muttered with her head down, eyes tightly closed.

“So, it’s true. We can’t cry.”

Nightmare opened her eyes, filling them with fury. “Shut up.”

“So, where are we going today?” Sunset asked as she and Celestia got on the royal chariot.

“To The Best Young Flyer Competition celebrated in Cloudsdale. I want you to be more familiar with these types of events.” Celestia explained. “Besides, I think getting out of the Castle will do you some good. I know bureaucracy is hard, but you should take it more calmly.”

Sunset looked away in embarrassment. “Yeah, I guess I got too excited. And now that you mention it, I never visited Cloudsdale before. In fact, I think I never visited anywhere besides Canterlot and Ponyville.”

Celestia looked at her with some concern. “Well, soon you will be familiar with every town in Equestria.”

Sunset smiled at the idea. “That could be fun.”

Celestia also smiled, but in her mind, she was realizing an inevitability.
If Sunset got to know the world outside of Canterlot, it wouldn’t take long until she revisited Sunshine’s birthplace.

“Will she remember? Or will the spell keep her from fully remembering?” Celestia wondered as she looked sadly at Sunset’s happy face.

Celestia felt a warm, almost painful pulse coming from her heart, extending all over her chest. It was like even her own body was preparing her for what was about to come.

She had two options.

“I can hope that either the spell or some misdirection will prevent her from fully remembering. Or… I could tell her.”
The mere thought sent a shiver down her spine. “Not all at once. Build up to it. See just how much the spell affects her. If it can be modified… or maybe… take it out completely.”

Sunset looked at her, and Celestia successfully faked a smile, even if her mind was in open conflict.
She still had that little voice begging her to lie. Suggesting to reinforce the spell.
Or… Erasing the memories.

“Would that work? Would it erase Sunshine out of her mind as well? Or will it break Sunset even more than she already is?”

Celestia felt disgusted at the fact she was even considering it, but the idea was already in her head.

She needed to make a choice. Another choice that could go horribly wrong for her and everypony she cared about.

Then, a realization hit her like a hammer to the nape.

“I don’t have to make this choice on my own.”

She chuckled at the irony that it was a lesson she had so desperately tried to teach Sunset.

“I’m going to need some coffee for Luna before we talk.”

“Fillies and gentlecolts! Please rise and join me in welcoming our beloved Princess Celestia!” The announcer of The Best Young Flyer Competition shouted as the monarch and Sunset, along with two guards, descended to their private podium.

Sunset cast a cloud-walking spell on herself so she could take her seat and noticed the curious stares she was getting from the ponies spectating the event.

It was unusual to see Celestia along with somepony other than her guards. Even Luna remained mostly hidden from the public. But it still made Sunset feel a little uneasy.

Celestia seemed completely aware of her concerns. “Don’t worry Sunset, just wait until they get to know you. Just like in Ponyville.”

Sunset smiled. “I hope I don’t need to save them from some catastrophe this time.”

They both shared a laugh and turned their attention to the competition, admiring the talent of the new generation of pegasi.

Time passed, they were reaching the end of the competition, and Sunset was starting to worry.

“Where is Rainbow Dash? I’m sure she’s in the competition. Did something happen to her?”

Sunset was about to send a letter to Twilight when the announcer called out the last two competitors.
She was surprised when she saw Rainbow Dash shyly coming out of the curtains, since Sunset was expecting some grand entrance. But what shocked her the most was that the next competitor was a hideous multicolored insect that apparently had stolen Rarity’s skin and was wearing it like a badly made costume.

“That is Rarity,” Celestia said, stopping the fireball Sunset was about to throw.

“Did she lose a bet or something?” Sunset exclaimed and, deciding to bypass the letter, teleported right next to Twilight.
“What happened to Rarity?”

Twilight took a second to recuperate from the shock of somepony suddenly teleporting right next to her, making a mental note to never do it herself.
“Well, I cast a spell to give her butterfly wings, and things started turning weird from there onwards. We were trying to cheer Rainbow up for the competition, but Rarity seems to have… gone astray from the objective.”

Sunset took a second to process everything, lit up her horn, and fired a spell at the sky.

Rainbow was about to commence her routine when she heard a firework-like explosion, and when she looked up, she saw a flaming two-dimensional image of Sunset in a cheerleading outfit, along with a bold text saying; Show us all your awesomeness!

Rainbow Dash smiled, a little embarrassed by the public display, but happy for the support. She took a deep breath, and started with the first phase of her routine.

“So, how are things going in Ponyville?” Sunset asked her sister as she and her friends watched Rainbows performance.

“Everything’s fine luckily. I’ve been mostly just reorganizing the library and spending time with the girls,” Twilight responded, trying to divide her attention to both her friend and her sister.

“Really? No major catastrophes?” Sunset flinched as she witnessed Rainbow smashing herself against one of the pillars on the obstacle course.

“Well, just for me,” Twilight explained while she looked at Rainbow starting phase two. “I got turned to stone, chased by a hydra, a tree smashed into my house, we had to fight a group of diamond dogs, I burst into flames in a fit of anger-”

“Hey! That’s my thing!” Sunset joked, but she was really worried about her sister’s well-being. She seemed to get into a lot of trouble without her around.

“Maybe I should postpone my studies and spend a day or two with her.” Sunset sighed inwardly. “This is going to be more difficult when I become a princess.”

Suddenly, all the attention of the coliseum was diverted to a rogue cloud that Rainbow had accidentally thrown during her routine, and it was heading directly towards Celestia.

Sunset immediately teleported in front of the cloud and stopped it with her magic before sending it back to the skies.
She then went back to her place beside Celestia, hearing some praise from the spectators for her quick rescue.

“I see that all the late-night studying hasn’t dampened your reflexes,” Celestia said with a smile.

“I’m glad too. I’m sure I will need them in the future.” Sunset then noticed that both Rarity and Rainbow Dash were flying up to the sky, getting close to the sun.

Sunset could tell something was going to go wrong, and had her wings already out, but Celestia put a foreleg in front of her.

“Sunset, there is an important lesson that I need to teach you,” her mentor said as multicolored lights illuminated the coliseum. “I know that it will go against your very nature, but it’s very important. Not only for you, but for those around you.”

Sunset heard a scream, and when she looked up, she saw Rarity plummeting to the ground. Her wings had been either dispelled or destroyed, and she was quickly gaining speed.

Sunset tried to fly to her, but Celestia continued to block her way.

The Wonderbolts, who had been both part of the jury and the winner’s prize, immediately jumped into action to save Rarity.
But before Sunset could give a sigh of relief, the white unicorn’s wild flailing managed to knock out the three professional flyers with heavy blows to the face. And now, all of them were falling to their deaths.

Sunset tried to teleport to them, or try and grab them with her telekinesis, but Celestia cast a spell, deactivating her pupil’s magic.

“What are you doing? What kind of lesson is this?!” Sunset asked, understandably furious.

Celestia breathed slowly, and spoke in her usual teacher-like voice, but Sunset could tell there was a bit of a motherly concern hidden in it.
“We could act and save everypony all the time. I can tell there are at least six plans of action running in your head right now, and you probably have already found a way to bypass my spell.”
Celestia pointed at the sky, where Rainbow Dash was diving at top speed, forming a Mach cone in front of her.
“But, if we solved everypony’s problems, we would stop their growth. Just like you and me in my youth, we need to overcome challenges to truly break out limits and master what makes us special.”
Just as she said that, Rainbow pierced the Mach cone, causing a Rainbow-colored explosive wave, allowing her to move at speeds Sunset hadn’t thought possible before.

Leaving a rainbow trail behind her, the cyan pegasus caught all of the falling ponies right before they hit the ground, lifting them back towards the coliseum.

Sunset stood in awe for a few moments, but when she finally got out of her stupor, she looked at Celestia, but not with her earlier disapproval, but rather, she looked… conflicted.

“I… I don’t think I will be able to just stand still if I see somepony in danger,” she admitted, looking at the ecstatic face of Rainbow as everypony in the coliseum cheered for her.

Celestia’s motherly tone was getting more noticeable with every word she spoke.
“It’s a difficult thing to do. One must balance the risk they put on others, while also considering that you can easily overstress under such responsibility. You have experienced that firsthand before.”

Sunset lowered her head, knowing full well how it felt. And most importantly, what consequences it brought to her and others.

Celestia lifted her pupil’s head carefully, giving her a reassuring smile. “However, it’s something that I am unable to do. But you Sunset. I firmly believe that you can be the pony that can achieve that perfect balance.”

Sunset was more than surprised at her words. She thought that she was trying to make her swallow a hard pill, not to give her a third option.
“You really think so?” she couldn’t help but ask.

“A creature needs to have a great power in order to act in the face of danger. And a creature also needs a strong willpower to choose when to stay behind and let things play out.”

Making sure the attention of the crowd was still on Rainbow Dash, Celestia put her crown on top of Sunset’s head before continuing.
“You have both a great power and an even stronger willpower.
You can be the ruler that even if they chose to stay behind, they can still jump to the rescue if things do get out of hoof. Allowing growth while keeping their subjects safe.”

Sunset stayed silent, clearly trying to process all that her mentor had told her.

Celestia hugged her pupil, trying to give her some comfort to help her think positively. “It’s a hard lesson to learn. But I think you will find it the most valuable of them all.”

Sunset took a deep breath, leaning a bit more into her mentor’s hug, and exhaled.
“I will… try.”

Celestia smiled. “I won’t ask you for more than that.”

“A couple of years ago, she wouldn’t have even considered it to be a possibility.
She really has grown a lot in these few months,” she thought with pride.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were looking at their wall of cutie mark ideas, planning out their activities for the day, when they heard an almost desperate knock on the clubhouse door.

Curious about the surprise visit, the three fillies went to open the door, finding Diamond Tiara standing in the entrance, completely distraught.

She was crying. More than that, she looked like she had been crying for a long time, with bags under her eyes.
Her mane was frazzled and unkept, and even her distinctive tiara was missing from her head.

“Diamond! What happened?” Applebloom exclaimed, extremely concerned just like her friends.

“Si… Silver wasn’t in her house. I… didn’t know where to go.” She said between sobs. “I’m scared.”

“Come inside,” Scootaloo told her, and Diamond almost ran in, not wanting to be alone right now.

“What happened?” Sweetie asked, and Diamond tried to calm herself enough to respond.

“It’s my mom.”

“Did she do something to you?” Scootaloo asked, fearing the worst.

Diamond shook her head and talked like if the very words pained her. “She’s in the hospital.”

“What?!” the three fillies exclaimed in shock.

Diamond held back a sob to continue, but the words just became more painful to say.

“I think she’s going to die.”

Author's Note

Sunset Discovered: Sexual Orientation East

14 Chapters Remaining.

I am-considering/am-planning-on/already-have-half-of-the-script-in-my-head-for making a short prequel side-story for Nightmare and Luna, about their thousand years trapped in the moon.

In fact, I have ideas for more short side-stories to explore more of the characters without derailing the story from Sunset.
This thing is slowly starting to form its own universe, and I'm not sure how to stop it. :rainbowlaugh:

See you next chapter:

Chapter 30: My Curse

I will be watching you.

Chapter 41: Enemy of The Crown

Twilight opened the door to her room, finding a pile of letters next to her bed. “What happened now?” She asked annoyed before finding Spike laying on the floor.

“The princess...has been sending these...since I came back upstairs,” he said before belching out another scroll. “Make it stop!”

Twilight took one of the scrolls in her magic. “These are all the letters I've written to Celestia since I've lived in Ponyville. But why would she send them back?” The unicorn was about to throw them away, but she got a feeling, maybe nostalgia, that made her want to read them.
"Real friends don't care what your cover is. Friendship is a wondrous and powerful thing. And like the path cut through the orchard, there will always be a way through. The best thing to do is stay true to yourself. Everypony has a special magical connection with her friends. Maybe even before she's met them."
Twilight gasped as her colors returned to normal, and her frown turned into a beaming smile.
“Spike! Spike, it's all so clear! Can't you see? Discord's trying to distract us from what's important. He knows how powerful our friendships are, and he's trying to keep us from seeing it. Do you remember what I said the first day we arrived in Ponyville? I told you that the future of Equestria didn't rest on me making friends. But the opposite is true! The friendships I've made since I've been here are what saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon. And now they need to save it from Discord! I've got to fight for my friendships. For them. For me. For Equestria!” She exclaimed as an unknown wind made her mane flow.

Suddenly, a tremor shook the library, and Twilight saw a bright red light in the horizon. “What was that?” She wondered, and then, she remembered.

“You wanted to be the hero of Equestria? Here’s your chance. Go defeat Discord by yourself.”

“Oh no.” Twilight ran up to the window, seeing more explosions of bright red flames in the distance. “No no no no, what did I do? How could I send her alone?!” She asked in a panic, but before she could start freaking out, she remembered the letters, and her worry turned into determination. “Sunset’s strong, more so if she managed to use the elements somehow.” She turned to Spike. “Send a message to Celestia and tell her that Sunset’s fighting Discord with the Elements of Harmony.”

“Are you sure?” Spike asked before barfing another letter. “Wasn’t she the enemy last night?”

“Luna and Celestia are the only ones that defeated Discord before, but Luna already tried to kill Sunset. Celestia is our best chance.”

Spike nodded. “I will send it. what are you going to do?”

“I need to get my friends back,” Twilight said before running out the door.

Sunset stared at the Lord of Chaos, trying to figure out a plan. “I’m protected from his magic affecting my body directly.” She fired a beam of fire straight at him, but Discord teleported behind her before hitting her with the giant toy mallet, sending her skyward.
“He can still hurt me physically.” Sunset thought before trying to summon her wings, but the armor made it impossible for the spell to take effect. “This armor is imperfect.” Using a quick series of teleports, she made her way back to the ground, where Discord was already going for another hit. A quick shield spell blocked the attack, and Sunset summoned a magical chain to pin his arms, but the draconequus slipped through it like he was made of gel.
“A moldable body, trapping will be difficult.” Sunset buried her horn in the ground, and the earth around Discord glowed red before a pillar of fire emerged, burning half of his coat.
The draconequus dusted the ash away, showing no damage on his body. “Fire works, but he heals very quickly. I need to do more damage.” Before the unicorn could make her next attack, Discord threw his mallet at her.
Sunset blasted the toy apart, but the draconequus had taken the chance to get closer, attacking her with two oversized boxing gloves. She got hit by the first punch, making a ‘boing’ sound as it impacted, and teleported away from the second, but then the glove extended and hit her anyways, launching her a few meters away.
The unicorn dug her hooves on the ground and fired a larger beam of fire at the Lord of chaos, but Discord snapped his fingers, summoning a mirror-shield, and used it to reflect the attack back at his opponent, who didn’t had to dodge since she was immune to fire. Sunset ran at him and threw herself below his feet, sliding on the ground with her horn scraping a line along it.
Discord was a bit confused at her actions, until the unicorn put her hoof above the end of the line, making it glow red ominously. The Lord of chaos placed the shield between him and the ground right before a large wall of red fire shot out of the earth, looking like the blade of a sword. The shield managed to absorb the fire, but when Discord thought it was over, Sunset appeared behind him and blasted his back with as much power as she could.
The attack sent him back into the burnt dirt, making a draconequus-shaped hole in the ground. “I can take him by surprise if I plan ahead.” Sunset thought as she saw the Lord of chaos get out of the crater, his burned back healing almost instantly. “I need to trap him somehow.”
The unicorn fell from the sky, teleporting back to the ground before she landed.

Discord used this time to apply sunscreen on his entire body. “I appreciate all the fire, but I think I’m quite tan already.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Are you implying I can’t burn you anymore?”

Discord put on his sunglasses and crossed his arms. “You’re free to try.”

Sunset’s smile turned into a cocky grin. “Stay still then.” She moved her hoof in a circle, forming a halo of white-hot fire in the air before throwing it in an arc at the lord of chaos.

Discord stayed perfectly still as the flaming disc got closer to his head, and right before it hit him, he stretched his neck, and the halo shaved off his goatee.

Sunset laughed. “Only I get to decide what I can or can’t burn.”

Discord grumbled as he pulled on what hair he had left on his chin, stretching it into a new goatee. “You’re getting a bit too overconfident.”

Sunset moved her hooves quickly, forming more halos of fire. “Just tell me if you get bored.”

Discord grinned. “I think I’m warming up to you. Let’s get more chaotic.”

Thorax entered Fluttershy’s cottage with a slam of the door, and found his mother sitting on a chair, waiting impatiently for him.
“I’m guessing the current chaos made you miss our appointment,” the queen said with a hint of annoyance.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Thorax said sarcastically. “You must have been waiting a long time, but your royal behind is quite experienced with sitting uselessly while we do all the legwork for you, so you probably didn’t notice.”

Chrysalis raised an unamused eyebrow. “Since you’re still in disguise, I assume you managed to keep your cover.”

Thorax started to fly around his mother, talking to her in a condescending tone. “Of course, I did, even if you just threw the responsibly at me in a haphazardly put together plan. Luckily we are not so useless as you.” He hit the queen’s nose with a flick of his tail, but Chrysalis didn’t flinch.

“That’s quite impressive,” she said standing up. “Such a shame.”

Thorax was suddenly trapped in a green magical aura and flung against the wall. “Oh, did I hit a nerve?” he asked defiantly, but the queen didn’t look angry. Just disappointed.
“What are you–” Thorax felt an invisible force take hold of his legs, spreading them apart and starting to pull with a bit of force.
“You think I’m afraid of–” Thorax’s mouth was forced shut by Chrysalis magic, who walked up to him, looking at his eyes with uninterested disappointment.
The tug on Thorax’s legs increased, and the changeling started to realize his mother wasn’t trying to intimidate him, she just looked at him without emotion as his limbs were about to be torn off his body. He tried to say something, but the magic holding her mouth shut was starting to push his head against the wall, threatening to crush it against it.
His defiance and cruelty were quickly replaced by panic and fear, and his colors returned as his disguise disappeared. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He screamed, and Chrysalis let go of him, letting him breathe.

“Glad we could resolve that little issue,” His mother said with a smile.

“You weren’t going to kill me?” Thorax asked as he slowly stood back up, still shaken by what he thought was his execution.

“Of course not, you’ve proven to be my most valuable infiltrator,” Chrysalis said with genuine pride.

Thorax couldn’t believe her words. “Really?”

“You replaced a very important pony without any preparation, and even under the influence of the Lord of Chaos you kept your cover. Many if not all other changelings would’ve failed this task, but you didn’t.” Chrysalis put a hoof over Thorax’s shoulders, an extremely unusual form of affection by the queen. “Once we take over Equestria, I will be sure to reward you appropriately for your efforts. I’m sure ruling over a small tranquil village like this one would be something that you would enjoy.”

Thorax’s brain was still trying to catch up to what was happening, his stutter being proof of that. “I-I-I don’t k-know what to say.”

“Don’t worry, you’ve time to decide, but until then, you’ve to keep doing a good job.” Chrysalis kindly patted him on the head, which made him question if what was happening was real. “I left the report on the bed. I will come back once everything’s resolved.” With that, the changeling queen transformed into a small bird and flew out of a nearby window just seconds before the front door was kicked open by Twilight and some of her friends.

“Fluttershy? Are you here?” The unicorn shouted, and Thorax immediately changed his form.

“I’m here!” He shouted, making his presence known.

Twilight looked at him, noticing that he wasn’t grey. “Did you break out of Discord’s corruption? How?”

Thorax mind raced for a convincing answer. “When I saw that my animal friends had left the house just like I left you behind, I started missing all of you. I felt so lonely that I didn’t want to be rude anymore. Next thing I knew, my colors had come back.”

Twilight seemed to doubt him for a moment, but an explosion in the distance pressured her to move on. “We don’t have time; Sunset needs our help.”

Dawn walked slowly up to Nightmare, who stood her ground with her fists up in a defensive stance. They both measured each other, considering the reach of their respective weapons and how they could be used against them. Meanwhile, the rainbow aurora fired another beam of harmonic-magic directed at Dawn, who with a flap of her wing, speeded towards Nightmare.
The winged serpent moved her tail like a spear, the sharp blade flying directly towards where Dawn’s heart would be, but the demon parried the frontal attack and riposted with a slash at the base of the tail’s blade, cutting it off the rest.
Nightmare whipped her tail against Dawn’s legs, making her spin in the air, but the demon was accustomed to having no sense of direction when she flew in the mindscape, so she recovered easily and finally reached her opponent’s torso.
Dawn quickly made a slash towards Nightmare’s right wing, right below where the gauntlet in her hand ended, but the winged serpent blocked the attack with that same arm and launched her other fist into a punch directed at the demon’s face.
Dawn ducked her head and tried to sever the arm when it flew over her, but she was suddenly hit on the back by Nightmare’s tail, taking away her balance and leaving her open to an uppercut. The impact of the spiked gauntlet made Dawn’s head explode in flames, sending the demon flying, but the body spun in the air and landed on its feet before rolling away from another rainbow-colored beam.

“You realize it’s pointless to damage each other, right?” Nightmare said as the tip of her tail grew back from the blue mist coming out of the wound. “We will just keep regenerating any wounds we have.”

Red fire sprouted out of Dawn’s neck, quickly forming a new head for the demon. “If that were the case–” she said while cracking her neck. “You wouldn’t have freaked out so much when I hurt you before. So, there must be a limit. There is a way for me to kill you.”

Nightmare moved to the side, dodging a rainbow beam directed towards her and pointed at the sky. “That’s our death. If one of those attacks hits it will completely destroy us. But, if you hand me control of Sunset’s mind, I can force them into our command, and with both of us free and with the elements, we will be unstoppable.”

Dawn laughed. “And I should believe that you would just share that kind of power?”

“It’s the best for us both. I will admit that I screwed up when I ignored your warnings about the seals.” Nightmare dodged another beam. “But this is the best chance to get what we want; me as queen, and Celestia buried for good.”

Dawn’s form became blurred, and suddenly, she was right in front of Nightmare her blades slashing the lower half of her torso, splitting her in two.

“I–”

Dawn jumped and kicked Nightmare’s jaw, knocking her head back.

“–Don’t–”

The winged serpent tried to attack with her fists, but with a powerful flap of her wings, Dawn headbutted Nightmare’s chest, sending her to the floor.

“–need–”

Dawn threw her blades against her opponent’s arms, pinning them to the weakened barrier.

“–you!” The demon screamed before plunging both arms inside her opponent’s chest.

Nightmare growled in both pain and fury as her opponent dug around inside her chest. “Come on! Isn’t there a heart or a core or something I can pull out to make you shut up?” Dawn asked, only finding more blue mist inside the serpent.
Nightmare tore her arms out of the blades and tried to crush her opponent with her hands, but the demon immediately jumped away from her grasp, doing a spin before opening her palms, and her two swords flew back to her hands. Nightmare jumped away from another rainbow-beam as her body slowly regenerated.

“Don’t worry, I will find a way to kill you eventually,” Dawn taunted.

“I already know how,” Nightmare growled before punching the barrier, breaking a big piece off. She then grabbed it like if it was a boomerang and threw it at Dawn.

The demon, unimpressed, swung one of her swords and cut the projectile in half with ease. “If you think I will let that magic hurt me again, you’re severely mistaken.”

“I wasn’t referring to that,” Nightmare said with a grin before putting both of her palms together. Blue mist started to come out of her body, and it slowly took the form of a shadowy batpony, but with sharper and longer teeth, wild hair, and savage eyes.
Then another batpony was formed. Then another. And another. And another. In just a few seconds, Nightmare was surrounded by a small army of her own creation.

“I see. So, that’s where batponies came from,” Dawn said before her irises turned red, and a small sun appeared in front of her.

Nightmare gave a signal, and the batponies flew to attack Dawn, but before they could reach her, the demon cut the sun with her sword so it absorbed its flames, making it glow menacingly before waving it in the air, launching a powerful wave of fire that decimated the army in an instant, but before she could act cocky, more shadow soldiers appeared, spawning infinitely around Nightmare, and then the winged serpent also went on the offensive as the aurora continued its endless attack on them.

“Are you ready to give up?” Discord asked, eating some chips while Sunset slowly stood up.

“He’s getting better at fighting.” The unicorn thought while she took some time to recover. “I don’t know how much I can keep this up.” She tried to fire a blast of flames, but Discord snapped his fingers and a pie hit her in the face, ruining her concentration.
Sunset cleaned herself just in time to see a jack-in-the-box sitting on the ground with its crane spinning rapidly, and she quickly put up a shield before a giant clown with boxing gloves appeared out of the box and unleashed a barrage of punches against Sunset.
The unicorn teleported up to the Lord of Chaos to attack him, but when she got close, she realized it was a badly made doll of Discord that immediately exploded, covering Sunset in thin red dust, which gave her a severe itch all over her body. Sunset started scratching her body, rubbing her back against the dirt to try and alleviate the irritation in her coat.

“This should help you with the itch,” Discord said before snapping his fingers, and a gigantic cube of water appeared above of the unicorn before falling on top of her without spilling, trapping her underwater.

Sunset immediately started panicking, feeling the weight of the water crushing her body, trying to fill her lungs so she could die once again. She tried to swim up, but the water around her moved to keep her down, pushing her to the bottom. Her mind flashed back to the gorge, to the river, to the mountain. Her lungs started to burn, she felt the armor weighting her down, crushing her, she couldn’t form a plan, she was losing strength.

“This is it? I’m dying again?” Sunset thought, slowly losing the will to fight. “Nightmare Moon, the Ursa Major, Luna, they all defeated me without much effort. What made me think that I could win?” Her body slowly became still, and she started to sink further in the water. “I should’ve just run away. Like I always do.” Sunset closed her eyes, accepting her fate once again.

Then a voice resonated in her head. “Still, you shouldn’t escape your problems, you should fight them head on!”

“Rainbow?” Sunset asked, remembering the pegasus that had helped her overcome her fears. She shook her head. “I can’t panic by this again.” she told herself, using her magic to move the water away, giving her space to breathe. “I can’t lose this time. Everypony is counting on me. I won’t lose.”

Discord was about to snap the water away, but suddenly his large pool started to move like a hurricane, and at the center stood Sunset, staring at him in defiance. Before the Lord of Chaos could do anything, the mass of water flew against him, forcing him to teleport away, but the water followed him like a serpent, trying to swallow him into its depts.
Discord snapped his fingers, turning the water into ice to stop it, but it suddenly exploded, sending frozen shards in his direction. He used his shield to absorb the spikes and launched them at Sunset, but the unicorn suddenly sunk into the earth.
“uh! Are we playing whack-a-mole?” Discord asked with a smile, summoning another toy mallet, but instead of Sunset’s head, a stone fist came out of the ground and punched him in the face, making him see stars. He shook his head and grabbed the stars to then chuck them at the ground before making them explode like actual mini stars, destroying a large portion of the battlefield, but when the dust settled, there was no sign of the unicorn.
A second set of eyes appeared on Discords back, allowing him to see Sunset sneaking up on him, and with a snap of his fingers, the mare was surrounded by air conditioners that blasted cold at her, trying to freezer her in place, but Sunset caused an electrical discharge that made them explode. Discord summoned a bunch of bubblegum and started chewing them while rising his mirror shield.
Sunset teleported behind him, then at his right side, then left, and continued to do it at increasing speeds, until she left afterimages of herself all around the draconequus, trying to catch him by surprise. Discord continued chewing, sprouting three more heads to cover his back and sides, but the attack ended up coming from below, a freezing ray that froze the arm that held the mirror. However, before Sunset could follow her attack, the draconequus pulled the gum out of his mouth and stretched it like a whip, catching the unicorn to then start spinning her like a yoyo.
Sunset tried to freeze the gum, but Discord chucked her against the ground, making her bounce before throwing the rest of the gum over her, gluing her to the flat charred rock the battleground had become. The unicorn looked up at her opponent, and a wide pillar of rock shot out towards him.
Discord dodged the attack, but another pillar of rock sprouted from it, hitting him in the side of one of the heads. More protrusions started to come out, seeking to beat the draconequus into submission, but Discord kept dodging with elegance until he finally had enough, and threw a small bomb against the base of the first pillar, making it slowly fall on the still trapped Sunset.

“Timber!” The Lord of chaos shouted before the unicorn was buried in rocks.

“Luna!” Celestia screamed, looking for her sister until she finally found her in one of the hallways of the castle, staring at the stained glass depicting her defeat as Nightmare Moon. “Twilight needs our help.”

The princess of the moon turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “Did you lose confidence in your student?”

“Don’t start with that. You saw them being corrupted by Discord’s magic,” Celestia said a bit angrily.

“Yes, but we can’t help them. As far as we know, only the magic of friendship can overcome Discord’s powers.”

“That’s why I sent her all the letters she wrote to me.”

Luna looked surprised. “That’s a good idea. I see the curse hasn’t completely clouded your mind,” she said with a smile.

“We still need to do more,” Celestia said almost desperately.

“Well, what do you suggest? Our magic can’t defeat Discord. We may be able to create a distraction for them, but–”

Suddenly, a scroll appeared in front of Celestia in a green flame, and the princess opened it in an instant. Her face turned to horror as she read the words. “No no no no no she’s–”

“SHE’S ALIVE?!” Luna screamed in the Royal Canterlot voice, reading the letter from behind Celestia. The blue alicorn gritted her teeth and summoned her war hammer, preparing to teleport to Ponyville.

“Wait Lulu, she’s trying to help us,” Celestia begged, interfering with her sister’s spell.

“Even if that was her intention, we can’t risk having another Nightmare running around with a powerful vessel, more so if she has the Elements!”

“Shouldn’t they purify Sunset like they did with you?” Celestia questioned.

“If they were wielded by Twilight and her friends, yes, but Sunset doesn’t know anything about friendship!” Luna rebutted.

“She may have learned; how could she wield the Elements by herself if she didn’t?”

“Even if that was the case, can you even imagine what kind of catastrophic event it would be if Sunset’s Nightmare managed to possess Discord? We can’t take that chance.”

“Sunshine would never do something like that!” Celestia screamed, just then realizing what she just said.

Luna looked at her sister with wide eyes, slowly filling with fury. “You–! You turned her into–!” the blue alicorn swung her war hammer towards Celestia’s head in a fit of rage, but the white alicorn quickly grabbed it by the handle and redirected it, making it burrow into the floor. Luna then felt something pull at her legs, and she was suddenly surrounded by golden chains that pinned her in place, completely immobilizing her. “What in Tartarus are you doing?”

“I won’t let you kill her again,” Celestia said before trying to teleport to Ponyville, but restraining her sister had drained her of most of her magic. “Fine, I will fly then.”
The white alicorn blasted the stained glass and spread her wings.

“You’re going to regret this!” Luna shouted on the floor, watching her leave.

“I already am,” Celestia thought before flapping her wings, flying as fast as she could towards Ponyville.

Luna growled like a hellhound as she fought against the chains, her anger towards her sister powering something inside her. She felt the wound below her chest piece burn intensely. For just a few seconds, her coat turned black, her eyes became bat-like, and one of the golden chains shattered.

A fiery explosion obliterated the small army of shadow-batponies, leaving the charred body of Nightmare alone to defend herself against Dawn’s next attack. The demon landed in front of the serpent, trying to stab the eyes of her opponent with her swords, but Nightmare pushed them away before throwing a punch towards her chest, fracturing her entire ribcage.
Dawn gritted her teeth and flapped her wings, going airborne before delivering a powerful kick to the serpent’s eye, piercing its membrane. Nightmare screamed and backed away before sending her tail against the demon.
Dawn prepared herself to block the attack, but the tail changed direction and slashed at her right leg, severing it from the rest of the body, making dodging the next rainbow-blast coming from the sky more difficult, leaving her open to another attack from Nightmare. Dawn took a deep breath and launched fire out of her mouth, blinding the serpent while her leg regenerated.
Nightmare growled and moved to tear Dawn in half with her maw, but the demon slashed the tendons of her mouth, leaving her jaw loose and unable to bite. This didn’t stop the serpent, who moved her teeth over her opponent’s shoulder like a saw before punching her on the side, sending her flying.
Dawn landed as best she could, her leg finishing growing back, and let out a frustrated scream before her eyes shined red. Several small sun’s started appearing around Nightmare before detonating, destroying the entire area of the barrier around her.
Dawn took a moment to rest and gather her strength, but it was short-lived. The winged serpent came out of the flames, her body showing large patches of blue mist as she regenerated her wounds at a rapid pace, and tried to get a cut at Dawn’s legs again with her tail, but the demon lifted her legs before stamping on the blade, pinning the serpent’s appendage under her boots.
Dawn then tried to slash at Nightmare’s neck, but she managed to block it with her gauntlet before grabbing the handle of the blade and tear it off her hand along with some of the fingers. The demon growled and jumped away, waiting for her hand to heal so she could continue the fight.
Suddenly, two batponies smashed into Dawn from behind, digging their sharp fangs into her shoulders and holding her in place. The demon’s eyes glowed and red fire covered her body, destroying the shadows, but then Nightmare closed in and grabbed both of her arms before tearing them off, throwing them far away from her.
Before Dawn could do anything to defend herself, the serpent’s tail chopped both of her legs off, and when she fell on the barrier, Nightmare took off one of her gauntlets and plunged her hand inside her chest.

“You were actually really close to figuring it out,” the serpent said with a delighted grin. “You even said it yourself; All magic can be countered. Dispelled. Modified. Learned. And in this case, corrupted.” Dawn looked at her chest and saw a dark-blue tint slowly expanding around the hand that pierced it. “Soon we will become one, and while it will be annoying having you running around in my head, all your powers will be mine.” Dawn tried to accelerate her regeneration, but it seemed to have been stopped by the corruption. She looked up, hoping that the magic of the elements could at least take both of them down, but the aurora in the sky had banished, leaving only the red sun roofing the mindscape. “There’s no help coming for you.”

Discord slowly descended from the sky, looking at the pillar of solid rock that had buried his opponent. It had been almost a full minute and the mare hadn’t shown signs of trying to get out. “Did I overdo it a bit?” He pondered floating a bit closer, raising his shield just in case the unicorn was preparing a surprise attack.
Suddenly, the pillar started to crack, dark violet flames coming out of the fissures as the rock fell apart. “I… What?” Discord mumbled as the flames melted the rock, opening the way for a figure that doubled his size to stand up.

The creature barely had a defined shape, but it only accentuated how terrifyingly imposing it was to the Lord of Chaos. He could see sharp red fangs completely exposed in a mouth without lips, and its eyes were two red suns shinning beneath the dark violet flames that made its entire figure, looking down on him with palpable anger.

“I… I guess we’re not playing anymore?” Discord asked, putting up his mirror-shield to defend himself. The creature suddenly lunged at him, it’s fangs stretching to try and tear at his body.
The Lord of Chaos had barely a second to teleport away, and then he noticed his shield was gone. Looking back at the creature, he spotted it trapped it it’s jaws before it swallowed it.
“it doesn’t matter, I’ve more and better,” Discord said before snapping his fingers, but nothing happened. “What?” He looked at his paw as he did it again, and noticed a crimson spark breaking the spell as he casted it. “That’s just cheating,” he said unamused.

The creature growled, sliding across the ground towards him, its body taking a more defined form as the seconds passed, so when it finally stood right in front of Discord, the draconequus could see the faint outline of a scaly winged demon with sharp claws looking down at him.
The creature lifted its arm, ready to attack him, but then a voice called their attention.

“I can’t believe he got all of us!” Rainbow exclaimed as she pulled the rope attached to Twilight’s balloon, carrying her friends over to where the fight was occurring.

“It won’t happen again. We’re all aware of it now,” Twilight said while scanning the horizon. They had seen the rock pillar fall, but no more sounds had come since then. “I hope we aren’t too late.”
When they got close enough to see the two fighters, Rainbow suddenly stopped, causing the balloon to crash into her and spilling its passengers on the ground. Twilight quickly stood up and ran forward, but also stopped when she saw Discord staring defiantly at the large flaming demon that was about to attack him.

“Sunset?” The demon stopped and slowly turned towards the unicorn, its fiery eyes seemingly recognizing her. “I…” Twilight tried to say more, but no words came out of her mouth. Her legs were shaking, and she couldn’t stop looking at the flaming eyes of the demon. She was terrified.
The fire creature moved its arm up, making her panic. “Is she reaching out for me? Is she gonna attack me? Can she even recognize me?” Twilight wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn’t stop looking at the demon, hoping to see even a sliver of Sunset in its eyes.

Half of Dawn’s body had already been taken over by Nightmare’s magic, and the red demon was running out of options, so when it simply stood still and looked at the sky, the winged serpent got suspicions. “What are you planning? I won’t believe that you just gave up.”

“Shut up.” Dawn’s eyes glowed red. “I’m concentrating.”

Nightmare looked up, and her pupils shrank when she noticed that the large red sun in the sky of the mindscape was expanding at an alarming rate. “Are you insane?!”

“A bit.”

The chest of the demon started to glow red, making it look down right before it started expanding. Discord snapped his fingers with both hands, and a large magically reinforced steel vault surrounded the creature just seconds before it exploded, bending the metal outwards like a balloon as the increase in temperature heated it until it started to melt. The Lord of Chaos slowly floated over to the center of the event, and saw Sunset, back in unicorn form and with her armor, laying on the ground right before the molten steel buried her.
Discord let out a sigh of relief. “Well, that was interesting, but not my brand of fun.” He then finally noticed the six mares that had recently arrived, looking at their shocked and distraught faces. “Oh, sorry, was she a friend of yours?”

Twilight looked at him and growled like a wolf. “What did you do to her?!”

“Me? She was the one that attacked me while I was just causing a little chaos. I’m the victim here,” He said as a halo and wings appeared on his body.

“You will be in a minute,” Rainbow declared, preparing to fight along with her friends, even Fluttershy looked a bit aggressive towards the draconequus.

Discord rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, I just fought that thing. Can’t we settle this with a bake-off or something?”

“Uh! Can we? I’m sure I can beat him,” Pinkie exclaimed excitedly.

Twilight actually took time to considered it before responding. “It would be preferable, but after the maze, I’m sure he would just cheat his way to victory.”

“For goodness sake, this generation must be the most boring ever,” Discord pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance before looking down on the mares. “Fine, hard way it is again.”

“You’re not laying a paw on them,” a stern voice announced.

Discord smiled. “Tia! I’m so happy to see you,” He said as the alicorn landed between him and the six mares.

Nightmare slowly opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She was laying on a new floor in the mindscape, the golden barrier been destroyed by the detonation of the red sun.
All the scrolls and papers with Sunset’s thoughts and memories were floating in the air, moving in an organized manner instead of just laying on the floor like before. Looking down at her body, she noticed that it had been almost completely destroyed, save for one arm, half of her ribcage and most of her head and neck. She then heard steps coming towards her, and when she turned to her right, she saw Dawn, her body completely regenerated, smiling with her two swords in hand.

“Thanks for telling me how to kill you, I couldn’t have done it without you,” the demon said with a mocking grin. Nightmare used a bit of the strength she had left to raise her arm and flip her off. “You learned from me too! Bahahaha.”

As the demon laughed at her, Nightmare smiled, and slowly pointed at the sky. Dawn noticed this, and when she looked up, she realized that the rainbow aurora had appeared again, and it was about to fire a beam directly at her. She tried to move away, but a dozen shadow-batponies jumped on her, biting into her body and keeping her in place long enough for the Harmonic magic to hit her.
Dawn let out a howl of pain as the magical rainbow started to tear at her body, and it was Nightmare’s time to laugh at her misfortune.

Suddenly, the entire mindscape stated to shake, and the aurora and its beam seem to lose a lot of strength.

“What is happening?” Nightmare shouted as her body slowly recovered.

“Where is Sunset?” Celestia asked Twilight over her shoulder as she stared defiantly at Discord.

Rainbow was about to give her a piece of her mind, but Twilight stopped her before responding. “She’s buried under the metal. She also has the Elements.” She then added in a whisper so Discord couldn’t hear them. “If you can distract him, we may be able to get her out of there and use the Elements.”

Celestia nodded, giving her full attention to the Lord of Chaos. “Your massage did wonders for me; I don’t suppose you can give me another one?”

Discord laughed. “I could, but I don’t give those for free. I made you an offer the last time, remember?”

“I do, and Lulu just threatened to hit me with her hammer, so a little payback would be nice,” Celestia said, trying to look a bit more relaxed and playful.

“Surely, but first let me send the children to bed,” Discord said looking at the six mares that were trying to sneak past him. He lifted his claw, and Celestia put up a shield to try and protect them from his magic, but before he could snap his fingers, a ball of molten metal hit his hand before cooling down, keeping his fingers in place.
Discord looked back to where Sunset had fallen unconscious, and saw the mare standing, eyes closed, horn glowing red, and with all the gems of the Elements of Harmony glowing brightly.
He tried to snap the fingers of his other hand but found out that it had also being immobilized by the steel.

Sunset lifted her head, and the metal around her glowed with the same bright white light of the elements before flying towards Discord, spinning around his body in a small tornado that got smaller and smaller until, with a blinding flash of light, it disappeared, leaving behind a metal statue of the Lord of Chaos, his pose revealing that his last moments before imprisonment were used to try and give one final snap of his fingers.

Celestia immediately ran up to Sunset, wanting to hug her, but was stopped dead in her tracks when she heard a loud crack.

“No!” Nightmare screamed at the top of her non-existent lungs, looking at Dawn’s body.
The demon wasn’t destroyed by the magic of Harmony, apparently being too weakened to do so, and instead it had trapped Dawn inside a large piece of crystal, stuck in a pose of pain and defiance.

This would normally be a win for Nightmare, were it not for the fact that Dawn had fused herself with Sunset’s mind and soul.

Celestia looked in horror as a large fracture appeared along the Element of Magic, but it was only the start. The rest of the gems and even the armor Sunset was wearing started to break, until they finally shattered into pieces.

Celestia and the six mares still trapped in the alicorn’s shield looked in horror at the remains of the Elements of Harmony, their magic quickly fading away until they were nothing more than colorful rocks.
Right after that, Sunset opened her eyes, showing that they were completely black, save for the cyan iris staring directly at Celestia.

The alicorn immediately enchanted her shield so the mares inside it couldn’t see nor hear what was happening, and timidly asked. “Sunset?”

“She’s okay,” Dawn responded in a tired voice. “She needs a bit of sleep after all this.”

Celestia let out a sigh of relief, but she knew that things were far from over. “Thank you for helping her.”

“Somepony had to,” the demon responded, and even if it sounded tired, she could feel the rage behind her eyes. “You had thirty years to help her. Now, it’s my turn.”

Celestia’s eyes widened. “Wait–”

“Goodbye,” Dawn said with a grin, and before the alicorn could reach out to her, she teleported away.

“Where did she go?” Celestia asked with desperation right before a heavy blow to the back of her head sent her to the dirt. The shield faded and Twilight and her friends ran up to the downed monarch, but they were stopped by the stern glare of princess Luna.

“Explain, now!” the blue alicorn demanded.

“Sunset saved us all,” Rainbow answered, the only one not intimidated by the princess. “She trapped Discord in metal, now Equestria is safe from eternal chaos.”

“And?” The blue alicorn asked, glaring at the pegasus.

Rainbow glared back at her. “And nothing else.”

Both mares kept looking at each other in a tense staring match, until the soft voice of Fluttershy got their attention.

“Is she okay?” the shy pegasus asked, looking at Celestia still laying on the ground.

Luna looked at her sister with disdain. “Yes, she just needed some discipline.” The alicorn turned around and lifted Celestia’s unconscious body with her magic. “I will make preparations to honor the heroism of you six, who stood up to the villain Discord and saved Equestria from eternal chaos.”

“What?” Applejack exclaimed.

Rainbow flew up to the princess. “I just told you it was Sunset who did it.”

Luna stared down at the six mares, her voice harsh and imposing. “Sunset Shimmer cursed my sister to be delusional and unfit to rule, she attacked the castle, stole the Elements of Harmony and then misused their power to the point of destroying them. She’s not a hero to be celebrated.” Luna raised her hoof and spoke like a judge delivering a sentence. “Sunset Shimmer is officially an enemy of the crown, and she shall be hunted as such.”

Everypony looked at the princess in shock. “You can’t do that!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Sunset didn’t intentionally attack the castle, she didn’t intend to destroy the elements in the fight, and the Elements were stolen by Discord,” Rarity explained, trying to deceive the alicorn, but Luna just looked directly at Twilight.

“My guards reported a pegasus attacking them the night the Elements were stolen, using magical runes to take them out and destroy the barrier I put to protect them, all of this happening hours before Discord’s escape from the garden.” Luna took one step closer to Twilight. “Creating runes of that caliber is not only a complex procedure that must be done by a skilled unicorn mage, it’s not taught even in Celestia’s school, so the only way for a pegasus to acquire such items is to have them made by one of Celestia’s personal students, the only ones that would’ve been taught how to make those type of runes.” Luna took another step closer to Twilight. “But why would a pegasus, who would need to be friends with one of Celestia’s students, want to have the Elements if only you and your friends can use them?” Luna was now staring down at Twilight, who was doing her best to hide the shaking of her legs. “Of course, if such pegasus were to be discovered, they would probably try and use the Element’s as some sort of leverage, maybe asking you six to use your status as heroes of Equestria to avoid severe consequences.” Twilight’s friends were immediately at her side, making sure that she knew they were together in this. “But now that the Elements are destroyed, that leverage would be useless, they would be branded as traitors and sent to Tartarus for destroying both the kingdom’s best form of defense against evil, and Equestria’s oldest sacred relics. So, it must be Sunset. Am I wrong?”

Twilight looked at her friends. She could see the fear in their eyes, but she knew that they would follow her to Tartarus without question. She fought to get them back not even an hour ago after they got corrupted by Discord, it would take something even greater to keep them apart again. “But this… I would be sending them to Tartarus for a plan that I did, that I failed to make perfect so they couldn’t track us. I can’t make them pay for my mistakes.” Twilight closed her eyes. “I’m sorry Sunset, but we can’t help you while trapped in Tartarus.”

“You’re right,” Twilight declared, earning the surprised faces of her friends. “Sunset must’ve taken the Elements.”

“Keep it that way,” were Luna’s last words before disappearing in a flash of magic.

Twilight looked down, sat on the ground, and cried.

A day later, the hunt for Sunset Shimmer officially began with the newspapers taken by Luna printing wanted signs, promising large sums of money for any information that could help with the mare’s arrest, along with warnings in case somepony was brave or stupid enough to try and capture her themselves.

Sunset was looking at one of these signs, her eyes back to normal, but with a voice clear in her head. “We need to dispose of Luna.”

“I can’t defeat her without the Elements.”

“There’s something else we can use.”

Author's Note

Harmony will never forget this.

Achivement Unlocked: New World Order

Next chapter: Chapter 42: The Alicorn Amulet

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