Under A Burning Sun

by SuperPinkBrony12

Rating: everyone
Tags: Human, Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Sad, Other, Drama, Equestria Girls
Length: 11146

(Story idea requested by ObeliskX on FanFiction.net.) Sunset Shimmer returns from the human world and takes over Equestria as sole ruler. But eventually even she begins to resent her rule, and struggles to find a way to end it.

(Story idea requested by ObeliskX on FanFiction.net.)

Twilight Sparkle's quest to travel to the world beyond the mirror and retrieve her crown ended in failure, Sunset Shimmer managed to harness the power within said crown to defeat Twilight and conquer Equestria. She now rules over it with an iron hoof, controlling the sun and the moon.

But Sunset has begun to resent the way she is seen by others, especially when she has to also grapple with the constant strain of maintaining the illusion of harmony in Equestria. Desperately, she begins to search for a way to restore Equestria to its former, peaceful state.

Meanwhile, having narrowly survived her encounter with Sunset Shimmer's demon form, Twilight Sparkle faces her own struggles with getting back to Equestria. And even then she must grapple with the fact that it will not be as it was when she left.

Published 2020-06-23 04:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-06-29 04:18:18 UTC

An Unexpected Reunion

When Sunset Shimmer put on the very same crown she had stolen from Equestria just a few days prior, she knew that her original plans had been thwarted. Now forced to take extreme measures, she was transforming in front of everyone into a literal demon. Her entire body looked like some otherworldly creature, complete with wings and hair that actually looked like fire.

"Spoiler alert!" Sunset declared as her voice took on a low, sinister tone. She was dropping all pretenses of being nice. "I was bluffing when I said I would destroy the portal. Because without it, none of what I'm about to do would be possible. And the best part is, there's nothing you can do to stop me, Twilight Sparkle." The last part of her speech was delivered with noticeable malice.

Twilight stood her ground, refusing to budge. She had the support of five high school girls who were the counterparts of her friends back in Equestria. And she could tell that the bonds she had forged with these five girls was just as special as the bonds she had with their pony selves. The magic of friendship would prevail, as it always did.

Yet as Twilight stood silent, staring down the one who had stolen her crown and forced her to journey to this world to get it back, she could see that Sunset was not alone. Magic from the crown was spilling over, appearing to take hold of everyone within Canterlot High.

"Thanks to your crown, I now have an army. An army I'm going to use to invade Equestria!" Sunset boasted as she flew closer to Twilight. "I didn't wanna have to do it personally, but you forced my hand."

Twilight just glared back at Sunset. "Your plan will never work, Sunset. Princess Celestia is on the other side of the portal, waiting for you. She'll stop you if I don't stop you first."

Sunset scoffed at the suggestion. "Please, don't insult my intelligence! You forget, I was Princess Celestia's student long before you were. I know her even better than you do. And I know she's too soft! As soon as I come through the portal I'll be sure to reveal that my army is really just a bunch of innocent teenagers from another world," A devilish grin broke out across her face. "She won't have the guts to risk harming innocent creatures. And with an army like this I have plenty of shields to protect me. I'll make her pay, pay for holding me back and denying me what was rightfully mine!" Then she turned her attention to Twilight. "As soon as I deal with you! You've been a thorn in my side for long enough! You must be destroyed!"

Everything seemed to happen at once! Sunset's hands began to glow with dark green energy that started to concentrate itself into the shape of a ball. Twilight refused to budge, and neither did her new friends who all stood by her.

"Twilight, what are you doing?!" Spike nervously commented, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to talk where others could hear him. "You have to get out of there! Sunset's gone crazy!"

"She has to be stopped, Spike! And the magic of friendship is the only thing that can do it," Twilight replied to the dog. "I've survived everything Sunset's thrown at me, and I wouldn't be much of a princess if I turned tail and ran away now," Glaring at the she-demon she cried out. "Do your worst, Sunset Shimmer! I will not let you invade Equestria if I can help it!"

Sunset just replied. "Very well, then be destroyed. But I'll tell Princess Celestia you put up a fight." She then hurled the ball of dark energy at the only thing that stood in her way!

There was a blinding flash as Twilight and the five girls dove for cover! A thick cloud of smoke blocked everyone's view of the ground just in front of the statue at the front of Canterlot High.

The smoke eventually cleared, and to Spike's horror he saw no sign of Twilight or the girls! Where they had previously been standing there was only a crater, the ground seared and charred black all around it! "No!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and promptly ran off with tears in his eyes. There was no way Twilight could've survived the blast.

Sunset Shimmer just grinned as she hovered over the blast area and smirked with triumph. "So much for the magic of friendship. But in the end, all that matters is that I get what I deserve," She then turned her attention to the statue in front of her. "Speaking of which..."

In the Crystal Empire in the magical land of Equestria, five anxious mares and three mighty alicorn princesses kept a silent watch over the enchanted mirror in front of them. They knew only that it was a gateway to another world, and that the portal would soon close. Once it did it would not reopen again for a considerable period of time, and if Twilight Sparkle did not return with her crown before then Equestria would be left defenseless.

Suddenly, the mirror started to shimmer! Something or someone was coming through it! The ponies all stood up, ready and waiting to greet what they were sure was Twilight Sparkle returning triumphantly from her adventure!

But their hopes were dashed and turned to despair quite quickly as the first figure to emerge from the portal was a tall, slender alicorn mare whose coat was a fiery red in color, with dark red on her hooves. Her eyes were a sickly dark green in color and full of malice. And her mane and tail looked like they were actually fire due to their bright red and yellow colors. Her midriff had a dark red color surrounded by what looked like yellow flames. But her cutie mark depicting a burning sun was still visible.

Only Princess Celestia seemed to know who this mysterious visitor was. "Sunset Shimmer?!" She let out a gasp!

The fiery alicorn cackled with glee. "Oh, so you do remember me. You sure didn't show it when you decided to replace me with Twilight Sparkle, your... puppet. But your prized protege is no more!"

Everypony in the room gasped, except for Sunset! Celestia stomped a hoof down as she struggled to hold back the tears. "What did you do to her, Sunset?! Where is Twilight Sparkle?!"

"She simply paid the ultimate price for standing in my way," Sunset coldly explained. "Though I am impressed that she was able to foil so many of my other schemes," Then she cleared her throat. "But I didn't come here just to crush your spirits. I came here to deliver a message."

Princess Luna stepped forward with narrowed eyes and a sparking horn. "And why would we listen to a word you have to say?! You show up here as an invader, having brought about the demise of one of our own, and you expect us to hear you out? Guards, seize this intruder and throw her in the dungeon!"

But Sunset waved a hoof. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, princess..." As she spoke several earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns all emerged through the portal and surrounded her.

"Is that supposed to scare us?"? Rainbow Dash remarked in an unconcerned tone of voice. "It doesn't matter how many ponies you've duped into coming with you, we'll take them all down!"

"Whoever said they were ponies?" Sunset said with a grin. "You see, the world beyond that mirror isn't like the world you ponies know. In that world everyone is a human being. And I should mention that the ponies you see before you are but innocent high school teenagers in that other world. So if you want to do anything to me you'll have to get past them first, because I've instructed them to protect me at all costs."

Although Rainbow Dash and a couple of the other mares wanted to fight, Princess Celestia threw up a hoof and silenced them. "We cannot risk harming innocent creatures," And she reluctantly sighed. "You have won, Sunset Shimmer, much as it pains me to say it. This was not the reunion I had hoped for."

"Well it was every bit the reunion I wanted," Sunset grinned. "Now, let's discuss your terms of surrender to me. Don't try to be clever, Princess Celestia, because I'll know."

Author's Note

A request from a user on FanFiction.net.

Rest assured that Twilight isn't dead.

The Heavy Headed Ruler

Sunset could only keep on smiling as she watched all who would oppose her stand down and kneel before her. All her dreams were coming true!

"Now then," The fiery alicorn spoke at length. "How should I deal with you all? Why don't I start with you, ex-Princess Celestia? After all, it was you who denied me the power that rightfully mine and then replaced me with Twilight Sparkle."

"I did not replace you, Sunset!" Celestia snarled and glared at her disgruntled former student. "You chose to run away after going behind my back. I always held out hope you would return one day, but not like this."

Sunset only coldly hissed in reply. "Yet it seems you got everything you wanted anyways. You got a new student who would never question your authority, and it seems you've been reunited with your sister. I had no one to help me in that other world, but I survived and now I'm stronger than you," It was then that she got an idea. "You know what, I seem to recall you telling me the story of how you and Princess Luna once overpowered Discord, turning him to stone."

At that Celestia let out a gasp! "You wouldn't dare! I don't know what happened to you in that other world, Sunset, but it's clear to me that you are lost!" She started to light up her horn, causing it to spark quite ominously.

But Sunset effortlessly lit up her own horn and overpowered the alicorn she had once looked up to. "Another mistake like that, and being turned to stone will be the least of your worries," She hissed. "Speaking of which, where are the rest of the Elements of Harmony?! I know they have to exist somewhere."

"You'll never get your hooves on the elements, you monster!" Rainbow Dash shouted as she flew right up towards Sunset's face. "They're safely in Ponyville and..." But she trailed off as the brash speedster realized her mistake.

"Ooh, how very interesting," Sunset snickered. "Take me to this 'Ponyville' you speak of. I want the Elements of Harmony!"

Applejack stomped a hoof down and snorted. "Absolutely not! You want the Elements of Harmony, you'll have to get through the lot of us first!"

However, Celestia rose to her hooves and protested. "Please, there's no need for violence. I hate to admit it, but Sunset holds all the cards. There is little we can do to stop her, especially not so long as she continues to have that army at her beck and call."

The fiery alicorn grinned anew. "A wise decision, Celestia. But then you always were soft."

Reluctantly, Celestia and Luna along with Twilight's friends left the Crystal Empire and traveled to Ponyville (Sunset left some of her brainwashed humans turned ponies behind to ensure Princess Cadence and Shining Armor wouldn't try anything). They led Sunset straight to the Golden Oak Library where the Elements of Harmony rested behind a glass display case.

Using her magic, Sunset effortlessly melted the glass and then took all of the elements into the grasp of her horn. "Oh yes, I can feel the power flowing through me. Power beyond that of even you, Celestia."

"Do your worst, Sunset, if you can," Celestia defiantly declared in a tone of voice that sounded noticeably cold and detached. "But I hope you're aware that without me the sun shall never rise again. And without the sun, Equestria will perish."

"You needn't worry about that, I will take over raising the sun every day. It didn't always need you to be raised after all." Sunset grinned.

But Pinkie Pie pointed out. "Well you're never gonna get the chance to find out, meanie pants! The Elements of Harmony don't belong to you! They belong to us, and we'll never use our elements against the princess!"

"For once, Pinkie makes a fine point," Rarity commented with narrowed eyes. "You are nothing like Princess Celestia or Princess Luna. You cannot possibly wield all six elements on your own."

Sunset Shimmer just smirked as her horn began to light up. "I guess we'll find out, won't we?" To the surprise of everyone in the room, she was able to pull the remaining Elements of Harmony away from their respective bearers and bring them all to her. They circled around her not unlike a protective shield or force field.

Then, without even bothering to wait for a reply or any last words, Sunset unleashed a devastating beam of rainbow colored energy upon Celestia! Everypony watched in horror as the majestic alicorn and kind ruler slowly began to be turned to stone!

Against her better judgement, Luna rushed forward and screamed at the top of her lungs! "Celestia, no!" She began to light up her horn, only to immediately be enveloped by the rainbow beam and slowly turn to stone as well! Her magic proved powerless against the Elements of Harmony!

There was a blinding flash, and when it had faded there stood the royal sisters: Petrified with looks of horror and hopelessness frozen upon them! To make matters worse, the elements themselves turned to stone and fell to the ground in front of the statue. Just like that, Equestria had lost both its rulers and its last line of defense.

"Oh Luna," Sunset remarked in an only slightly concerned tone of voice. "You didn't have to jump in and be the hero. I was going to spare you. I only wanted Celestia gone, I could care less about you," Then she turned her attention to the five ponies who reminded her of the five girls from the other world that Twilight had convinced to stand against Sunset. "As for the rest of you..."

Fluttershy whimpered and shrank as her friends all huddled around her, trying to varying degrees to be brave. "P-please, we don't want any trouble. We don't want to fight you."

The fiery alicorn flashed a sincere smile as she approached the five mares. "A wise decision on your part. You five are of little concern to me now that the Elements of Harmony are no longer usable. So I'll let you go, on one condition."

"And that would be?" Applejack questioned with a quirked brow.

"You make sure to tell everypony you know that Equestria is under new leadership: Mine!" Sunset declared. "I will control the sun and the moon, and all will worship me and me alone. Anypony foolish enough to resist will answer to me. I'll probably throw them in the dungeons, or if their crimes are really bad I might just banish them to the moon, or even the sun. And trust me when I say that if it's banishment to the sun, a really bad sunburn will be the least of anypony's troubles. So spread the word and make sure to tell me if anypony decides they wanna rebel. As long as you do that, I won't hurt you."

Reluctantly, the five mares agreed to the terms offered. Just like that, the age of Celestia was over and the reign of Sunset Shimmer was about to begin!

(Several weeks later)

At first Sunset had enjoyed every minute of being ruler. She wasn't even bothered by the fact that she remained in her fiery demon appearance and did not return to how she had been originally (or even like the image of herself she had seen in that mirror). Even raising and lowering the sun and the moon every day and night didn't bother her, despite how much of a drain on her magic the two planetary objects inflicted.

There were a few impromptu rebellions here and there. It was to be expected considering so many ponies were so used to Celestia's leadership and could never have imagined it ending so abruptly. Most of the rebels themselves were easily put down without force, only the leaders ever truly warranted severe punishment.

But as time went by and things slowly settled into a routine of sorts, Sunset Shimmer started to find herself developing a feeling she would never have imagined herself feeling: Regret.

Now Sunset didn't regret what she'd done to Twilight Sparkle for daring to interfere with her plans, it served that pesky pony right for getting in the way and messing with things beyond her comprehension. And neither did Sunset regret her decision to invade Equestria and take over. Maybe it hadn't gone exactly the way she'd imagined it being, but she still got everything she'd wanted out of it.

What Sunset did regret was just discarding the royal sisters without much fanfare, turning them both to stone and allowing the Elements of Harmony to become useless once again. "Perhaps I should've worked out some other way to force them to stand aside, a way to make Celestia acknowledge that she was wrong to ever turn her back on me," She thought to herself. "All I wanted was what I believed she was holding me back from achieving."

Yet time travel was out of the question. The young alicorn didn't know how far time travel spells had come in her many years of absence from Equestria, but even assuming they had been perfected she highly doubted anypony who knew of them would tell her. So now here she was, stuck as Equestria's solo ruler. And while she still had fear to rule over her subjects, that was about all she had.

Still, Sunset Shimmer went to great lengths to hide this regret from others. She couldn't afford to show any signs of weakness or other ponies would be sure to pick up on it. So she went about her royal duties as she always did, settling into a routine that became tolerable but not enjoyable.

Another boring day of court came and went with little fanfare for Equestria's new ruler. The most exciting thing about it was when the royal guards entered the throne room, carrying with them a noblepony who was shaking and trembling all about. "Your majesty," One of the guards spoke up. "We caught this stallion passing out flyers denouncing your rule."

"I didn't mean it!" The noblepony insisted even though his entire body betrayed his statement. "I simply meant to point out how... 'different' your rule is from Pr.... I mean the pony who preceded you."

Sunset Shimmer just groaned as she rose from her throne and approached the captive noblepony. "How many times do I have to repeat myself before you ponies learn? I don't tolerate those who speak ill of me in any fashion. Though I suppose I should commend you for correcting what would've been a very unfortunate slip of the tongue. You know the law, you're to never mention that former ruler at all in my presence!"

The noblepony only whimpered and tried to shrink from Sunset's gaze. "Please, your majesty, I beg of you. You can throw me in the dungeon if you want, just don't banish me to the moon or the sun. I won't survive!"

"And now you've been reduced to begging like a commoner, how pathetic," Sunset scoffed. "But I guess I can spare you, only on account of the fact that the dungeons are all full and I'm feeling a tad bit 'generous' today. Make no mistake though, if you cause any trouble for me ever again I won't show you mercy. So if I were you I'd keep that big mouth of yours shut, understand?"

"Y-yes, your majesty. You have my word, I'll never speak ill of you ever again so long as I live!" The noblepony insisted as he reluctantly waddled away, his whole body still shaking.

As for Sunset, she simply declared, "Court is adjourned for the day." and then trotted away. "There's got to be some way to undo that petrifaction spell," She thought to herself. "And I'll bet the answers are somewhere in the Canterlot Archives. Probably the Starswirl the Bearded wing, because why else would Princess Celestia have it under constant protection?" The alicorn was grateful that her royal status would allow her access to said wing without question.

Being royalty did have its advantages after all.

Author's Note

This is in accordance with ObeliskX's wishes. But just because Sunset wants to find a way to undo her mistake doesn't mean she's going to make it easy for her rule to be challenged.

Twilight Sparkle Returns!

Back in the human world little attention had been given to the portal that lay behind the statue at Canterlot High. Sunset Shimmer had not re-emerged from it except for when she had briefly returned her brainwashed army after it had served its purpose.

But none would dare even think of crossing through the portal now that they knew it existed. All feared the possibility of Sunset rigging it or using it as part of an early warning system. Whatever she had done in that world she was apparently originally from, none knew and none wanted to find out.

So it was that two mysterious figures, one human like and one dog like, were approaching the mirror one night when no one was around. No one was there to stop them.

"Are you sure we should do this, Twilight?" The dog asked. "There's no telling what Sunset's done to Equestria since we saw her last, especially since she still thinks you're dead."

The human whispered back. "We were never supposed to stay here, Spike. Whatever's become of Equestria under Sunset Shimmer, we must go back and put a stop to it. I only hope my observations are correct and the portal is working. If I've missed our window of opportunity, it could be several weeks before we'll next get our chance." She then reached her hand out to the mirror at the base of the statue. Her hand passed right through it, enveloped in a magical aura.

"This is it, Spike!" The human declared with a smile! "We're finally going home!"

"Spike" fought back a gulp. "Still think it's a good idea for us to do this alone? Those five girls that look like our friends could've been a big help."

"Twilight" shook her head. "It's too dangerous to drag them into our fight any more. It's because I got them involved that they were almost killed alongside me. If not for my crown refusing to give Sunset that much power, that's what would've happened. Besides, we don't know yet what happens if the two versions of the same individual meet. Now come on, we don't have much time! Let's get back to Equestria, and then we'll figure out what our next course of action will be."

The two figures then stepped through the portal and felt the strong force of the magic as it transformed them back to their original selves. They emerged from the other side of the portal as an alicorn and a small dragon.

"It's great to be home," Twilight thought to herself. "But what has changed? How long have we been gone?"

As luck would have it the Crystal Empire was still relatively light on security detail. About the only noticeable presence in the castle hallways was a familiar looking pegasus guard with a light orange coat. "Hm, so that's what the other Flash's occupation is," Twilight whispered to herself as she watched him from afar. "I wonder if Sunset was ever romantically involved with him like she was with the human Flash."

"We can worry about that later, Twilight!" Spike tried not to roll his eyes at the statement. "For right now we need to get out of here! We need to go somewhere where we can lay low until we figure out what Sunset's up to and how to stop her."

Twilight shook her head to clear her thoughts. "You're right, Spike. Don't know what came over me. What's most important right now is figuring out what's changed in our absence. It doesn't look like she got to the princesses though, the moon is out when it should be."

The two then quietly made their way through the halls of the crystal castle, taking great care to avoid detection by the few royal guards who were on patrol. They weren't sure who the guards worked for or who they would deliver the intruders to, so avoidance was the best policy.

At last, pony and dragon were safely out of the castle and sneaking their way to the train station. There was no train currently on the platform, and asking for tickets would be a surefire way to draw unwanted attention. Reluctantly, the two were forced to wait a ways back, staying out of sight while they waited for the next arrival. Wherever that train was headed they would have to go as well.

The next train didn't arrive for hours, but as luck would have it was headed for a place very familiar to the stowaways: Ponyville. Their friends were hopefully still there and would be able to provide some much needed answers. At least, that's what Twilight and Spike hoped. They didn't want to think of the alternatives.

When Ponyville came into view it did indeed seem to have not changed much. Aside from the increased security presence at the train station (in the form of royal guards that wore unusual suits of armor that were dark red in color), there was nothing to suggest the town itself was at all different from how it had been when Twilight and Spike had left it. To think that all this trouble had started with a royal summit in the Crystal Empire.

Not wanting to attract attention to themselves and figuring that the most reliable source of information would be Applejack, Twilight and Spike covertly made their way to Sweet Apple Acres. They had no idea if Sunset Shimmer was in town or if she had any informants.

As they made their way along the two noticed how the transition from night to day with the rising of the sun was hardly smooth. It seemed like whoever was in charge was not used to the weight of the sun and was having difficulty moving it properly. Never in all her years had Twilight known Celestia to have any trouble raising the sun. Heck, she had known Princess Celestia long enough to know that the princess had moved the sun and the moon for a thousand years without trouble.

"Something must've happened to Princess Celestia!" Twilight thought to herself and nearly felt tempted to say this out loud, but she didn't. The display told her the most likely scenario was that Sunset had taken Celestia's powers somehow, and the same was probably true for Princess Luna. Princess Cadence's whereabouts were unknown, but she was likely still holed up in the Crystal Empire and Sunset had probably seen to it that the last remaining alicorn was not a threat to her plans.

The sun was just starting to bathe all of Ponyville in its warm light as the familiar red barn of Sweet Apple Acres came into view.

And there was Applejack, already rushing out the door of the nearby farmhouse to no doubt get a head start on the day's chores. It was remarkable how it seemed like little had changed in Twilight's absence. But there was always the possibility of it being an act or an illusion.

After glancing around to ensure that there was nopony else in sight, Twilight and Spike removed their cloaks and quietly approached Applejack as she started work.

Applejack only became aware of the presence of another when she felt a hoof touch her on the back. Startled, the farm mare spun around as her sap green eyes nearly widened in surprise! "Gah!" She screamed, a bit louder than her visitors would've liked as one of them moved to immediately shush her.

"Not so loud!" A familiar male voice protested. "We're still trying to figure out just what the hay's become of Equestria in our absence."

The earth pony mare blinked as she took a step back. Standing before her was a very familiar alicorn with a purple coat, and a mane and tail defined by that reddish-violet skunk like stripe that ran down the center. And standing beside the alicorn was a familiar light purple coated dragon with green scales from the tip of his head down to his tail.

"No, it's not possible! I'm goin' mad, I've finally cracked from all that time in the sun!" Applejack insisted as her whole body began to shake. "I'm seein' ghosts!"

"Applejack, it's me, Twilight. I'm not a ghost. And neither is Spike." Twilight firmly insisted as she tried to calm her friend down.

"But... but... but that can't be! You're dead, Sunset told us so!" Applejack protested as she continued to back up. "She came marchin' right in with that army of hers and your crown atop her head. There ain't any possible way you could've been alive this whole time!"

Twilight let out a sigh. "Well I survived, just barely. I underestimated just how determined Sunset Shimmer was, and how underhanded she can be."

Applejack's shock turned to confusion. "Beg pardon, sugarcube, but what the heck's a hand? Don't you mean a hoof?"

"It's kind of a long story," Twilight admitted as she put a hoof behind her back. "To sum it up, there's an entirely different world beyond that magic mirror. In that world creatures known as humans exist, and strangely enough many of them have the same name and a similar appearance to you and I. Apparently, Sunset was ruling over this alternative world, or at least a high school close to the portal in that other world."

The earth pony nodded. "Figured about that much from what Sunset Shimmer kept babblin' on about. And that's how she brought Princess Celestia to her knees, made it clear that this army of ponies she had protectin' her were just high school teenagers. So this whole time, you and Spike were alive and you've just been in hiddin'?" She shot up a quirked brow as her eyes narrowed. "We sure could've used you here after everythin' Sunset did."

The young alicorn sighed anew as she confessed. "Hiding was only part of it, Applejack. For a while I had to spend time recovering from serious injuries Sunset inflicted on me. And after that I had to wait and observe the portal, because I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to go back after the three day time period was up," Then she asked her friend. "What exactly has Sunset done? I think it's safe to assume she's the ruler of Equestria, but what happened to the other princesses? And what about the Elements of Harmony?"

Applejack frowned and draped her hat across her chest. "Twilight, I don't know how to break this to you, but the princesses... Celestia and Luna at least... Sunset turned 'em to stone."

Twilight's eyes widened as she stumbled back in disbelief! "What?! Impossible!"

"Saw it with my own two eyes, and so did all our friends I'm afraid," Applejack went on explaining. "She only wanted to turn Celestia to stone, but Luna ended up jumpin' in and got the same fate. Afterwards, the Elements of Harmony all turned to stone in front of Sunset and became useless. She then told the five of us to serve as her eyes and ears, makin' sure we told everypony not to rebel against her unless they wanted to be thrown in the dungeons, or even banished to the moon or the sun."

"So there's no royal sisters, no Elements of Harmony, and Sunset's a tyrannical ruler who thinks we're dead," Spike concluded. "And our friends do too."

"Not for much longer!" Twilight firmly concluded. "Sunset's reign is going to come to an early end! Once the rest of our friends know we're still alive, Spike, we're going on a trip to the Canterlot Archives. We'll need to figure out some way to bring down Sunset Shimmer. Once we have my crown we can work on restoring the Elements of Harmony. And while we're at it we can try to find something that can undo a stone statue spell. Then we'll make Sunset tell us where she put Celestia and Luna."

Spike gulped. "And you think she'll just let us do all of that?"

"Of course not, Spike," Twilight shook her head in reply. "But we didn't thwart her plans in that other world because we backed down from a challenge. We stood up to her once and we'll do it again. And this time I will be ready for her! No way am I getting burned again."

Author's Note

For those wondering, the crown's magic refused to grant Sunset lethal force against Twilight since it was powered by the element of magic. But to quote The Genie from Aladdin: Return of Jafar "You'd be surprised what you can live through."

Sunset v.s. Twilight: The Rematch

To say that the rest of Twilight's friends were shocked to learn that she had survived would be the understatement of the year, maybe the century. But it was true.

And on the way to Canterlot (which had to be done under cover of darkness so as not to attract unwanted attention) Twilight explained to all who wanted to know how she had escaped the clutches of certain death.

In the human world, when Sunset had used her fiery demon powers to attack Twilight, the crown that housed the element of magic did indeed spare its rightful host. But only just barely.

Twilight felt a searing, red hot pain begin to take hold of every part of her body! It took all her willpower not to scream at the top of her lungs, she was too focused on the pain to think of much else. And it seemed like the same was true for the five girls she had recruited to help her defeat Sunset Shimmer. Yet Twilight found the will power to work through the pain just enough to grab hold of the other girls, and under cover of the blinding flash crawled to safety with them.

No one saw the escape unfold, and Twilight had been careful not to make any sounds to give herself away. She and the five teenage girls were lucky to escape with their lives, and it was clear to Twilight that if they didn't get help soon they might not survive their injuries. But the pain from the burns was too great. Before any plans could be made all the girls passed out behind the school!

Twilight would open her eyes sometime later to find herself laying on the floor of Canterlot High's nurse's office. A familiar pale faced young woman with light pink locks was watching over her. It took Twilight but a moment to figure out who this human reminded her of. "N-Nurse... Red... Heart?" She weakly called out.

The young woman nodded as her locks swished about and her gentle blue eyes indicated the face of someone who had seen unspeakable horrors. "Don't talk, you need to rest," She insisted. "You were lucky that Flash Sentry found you and the other girls when he did. If just a few more minutes had passed your burn wounds would've been fatal."

But Twilight spoke up anyways. "H-how... long have... we been out?"

"At least a day, probably longer," Nurse Redheart explained. "I still can't figure out how it is you survived, let alone how your burn wounds appear to be slowly healing already. Everyone at the school assumed you six had perished at the hands of Sunset Shimmer."

"Where is she?" Twilight asked even though it was a forgone conclusion in her mind.

Nurse Redheart hung her head as she somberly declared. "The last anyone saw of her, she was heading through some kind of portal at the base of the statue. She hasn't come back since. It's just as mysterious as her arrival into this world so long ago. No one knew where she came from."

"She's gone back to Equestria!" Twilight thought to herself as the horrific realization settled in! "She won! The magic of friendship wasn't enough! I failed!" Then her thoughts turned to something just as troubling, the lack of a certain someone by her side. "Spike? Where's Spike?" She asked out loud as her wandering eyes noticed no sign of the dragon turned dog.

"He ran off when he thought you'd been killed, no one has seen him since, " Nurse Redheart explained to Twilight. "And I'm afraid you and your friends are in no condition to be going anywhere. Magic or not it will take weeks before you'll be anywhere close to normal again."

Those weeks passed agonizingly slow for Twilight. She feared greatly for Spike in this strange world that she still didn't fully understand. And she could only imagine what kind of horrors Sunset Shimmer was bringing to Equestria. She wanted so badly to go back through the portal and confront the disgruntled ex-student turned raging she-demon, but until her wounds healed there was little the girl could do.

It was by a stroke of luck that Twilight found Spike once she had recovered enough to walk. As it turned out Spike hadn't wandered far. He'd been picked up on the streets as a stray and taken to the local shelter that the human world's Fluttershy frequently volunteered at.

Spike was overjoyed to be reunited with Twilight! He leapt at her and clung tightly to her chest as he wept and wailed audibly. "Oh Twilight, I thought I'd never see you again! Please don't EVER scare me like that again! Please!"

Twilight had replied by stroking Spike gently on the forehead, a trick that always helped to calm him down. "I'm sorry I made you worry, Spike. But I'm here for you now and I promise I won't leave your side again. Together, we will defeat Sunset Shimmer and put an end to all of this."

"But how are we gonna do that? We missed our chance to go home, who knows when the portal will open again?" Spike pondered as he was brought out of the shelter. With no place to call home in the human world and not wanting to draw attention, Twilight had reluctantly moved in with Applejack's family. It now served as an unofficial headquarters for Twilight as the unintentionally exiled princess began planning.

"We'll just have to keep watching and waiting, Spike," Twilight explained to him. "The portal will open up again eventually. Once we can figure out the timetable for it we can start preparing for our return trip to Equestria. Then we'll need to figure out whatever it is that Sunset's done and put a stop to it. And if she gets in the way again, she's gonna be sorry!"

Yet it would not be for a few more weeks Twilight and Spike would get their opportunity to go home. The portal was actually opened far more often than initially theorized, though whether this was because of something Sunset had done to the mirror the two didn't know. Still, it was a gift horse they were quite content to not look in the mouth.

"Wow, sounds like we missed out on quite the adventure!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as Twilight finished her story in the present.

"So Sunset turned into an actual demon when she put on your crown?" Rarity couldn't help but comment. "No wonder she looked so hideous and so odious! I just have to wonder why she hasn't tried to change her appearance to something more presentable. If I'm being perfectly honest she doesn't look scary or intimidating, she just looks weird."

Twilight paused in contemplation, and it took her several minutes to give an answer. "She's probably stuck like that. Perhaps as a curse or punishment for using an Element of Harmony for nefarious purposes."

Pinkie Pie then pointed out. "Speaking of which, how exactly are we supposed to stop Sunset Shimmer if we don't have the elements to blast the baddie with?! It's not like we can just pick up their stone forms and throw them at Sunset until she stops being bad. I don't think even Applejack's that strong!"

"Hopefully we won't need them," Twilight answered. "But I suspect it's not unlike when the Elements of Harmony first passed to us. When Nightmare Moon shattered the stones I thought for sure that was it, all was lost. But I realized that the elements reacted to the presence of ponies who embodied their virtues. So long as their source of power isn't gone and so long as the one using them hasn't been corrupted, they should still work."

"And do you think it's possible to reverse the stoning spell on Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?" Fluttershy hopefully asked. "Nothing will go back to normal if we can't free them."

Applejack firmly replied with narrowed eyes. "If we can't free the princesses ourselves we'll make Sunset free 'em after we wipe the floor with her! Far as I'm concerned she ain't any different from the half a dozen or so other evil forces that have threatened Equestria in our time!"

"I think it's more than that, Applejack," Twilight commented. "From what little I could gather on Sunset while in the human world she seemed to be very... bitter. It's clear to me that she harbors resentment towards Princess Celestia for discontinuing her lessons under the princess, and to me for supposedly taking away what Sunset believes was meant to be hers."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Great, so she's crazy and got an ego to boot. But I guess she'd have to be those things in order to pull all this off."

Sunset Shimmer was unaware of the approaching threat. And even if she knew she might not have cared. She was nose deep in the books and scrolls contained within the Starswirl the Bearded wing of the Canterlot Archives. The fiery, demon-like alicorn was desperately searching for something... anything really that could free the royal sisters from their stony prison.

A massive pile of discarded books and scrolls soon built up behind the mare as she let out a growl! "Ugh! Why are you betraying me, library?!" She roared and slammed her down on a desk! "The one time I actually need something you won't give it to me! You never held back on me before! It was because of your supposed 'Forbidden' knowledge that Princess Celestia said I couldn't be her student anymore!"

The only source of light in the wing came from the small bulb of light that Sunset was projecting from her horn. Candles were too risky: Not only could they easily ignite the entire archives but they would also be a dead giveaway to anyone who might wish the alicorn harm. She wanted nopony to know what she was doing, she couldn't afford to show signs of regret or hesitation. The one thing Sunset wanted more than anything else was respect, and for her respect meant power. "Princess Celestia was respected because she had power," She thought to herself. "So why hasn't the same proven true for me?"

Suddenly, there came a loud crash followed by the sound of frantic hoofsteps and the sparking of a horn (or a pair of horns) to life! Sunset immediately rose from her desk, grunting under the pressure as she made her horn glow more fiercely, bathing the entire area surrounding her in light! "Show yourselves!" She roared to the darkness just outside her vision. "Step into the light so that I may know the face of those foolish enough to defy me!"

Sunset's demand was soon met as five very familiar mares stepped forward with scowls and somber expressions upon their faces. And then a very recognizable alicorn with a violet-red skunk like stripe running down her mane and tail, and a dragon with light purple scales and green spines stepped forward as well, prompting Sunset to stumble back in disbelief (nearly tripping over her pile of books and scrolls in the process). "This can't be! You're not Twilight Sparkle! Twilight Sparkle is dead! I saw to her demise with my own hands!"

But Twilight smirked. "You're wrong, Sunset Shimmer. An Element of Harmony could never kill its rightful bearer, no matter who might be wielding it. Why do you think Princess Celestia could only banish Princess Luna to the moon on that fateful night over a thousand years ago?"

The fiery, demon-like alicorn snarled and grit her teeth. "She couldn't bring herself to kill her only sister. That softness made her weak! Unlike her, I have no such hang-ups!" But the way she carried herself was far from convincing, a fact that did not go unnoticed.

"Your emotions betray you, they chip away at the mask you've tried to hide behind," Twilight declared as she stepped forward, her friends doing the same in unison. "You're not getting away this time! The choice is yours, Sunset Shimmer. We can end this peacefully or violently. Stand down and tell us where you've hidden the princesses, and maybe your sentence here will be reduced. Resist, and you will be broken."

Sunset Shimmer just snapped as her horn sparked and crackled with raw magical energy. "No! I won't let you take this away from me! I've come too far to lose it all to a goody two horseshoes like you! I'll never give up the throne, and I'll never tell you where I've hidden the princesses! You can't make me talk!"

Twilight only shook her head and frowned. "Then may the forces of harmony have mercy on you, because I will show you none! And neither shall my friends! This time, the magic of friendship will prevail!"

Just like that, there came a great, white light and six magical stones suddenly appeared! The stones broke open as six familiar gems floated to the ponies who had rightfully wielded them several times before, forming a set of necklaces and in the case of Twilight a familiar crown.

Horror and realization flashed in Sunset's eyes! Her carefully crafted facade crumbled to pieces! "No! This can't be happening! Not to me!" She whimpered even though she knew she was powerless against this sort of magic. Her fears were realized as every spell she could fire off was effortlessly deflected by a barrier. "It wasn't supposed to end like this."

"When you stole my crown and tried to subjugate an entire world, in your heart you knew this was the only outcome," Twilight declared to Sunset as her voice began to echo. "Those who try to abuse the power of harmony pay a steep price for it. You will never threaten anyone or anything ever again!"

A frightened Sunset tried to do the only thing she could think of to avoid her fate, she bolted and made a desperate run for it! She knew it was in vain when she felt a series of six colored beams make contact with her before she had galloped far.

"Oh wow, a bad guy who tries to run. Never seen that before." Rainbow sarcastically remarked.

"This is payback for turning the princesses to stone, you meanie pants!" Pinkie Pie shouted at the top of her lungs! "Let her have it, girls!"

The beams promptly enveloped the fiery alicorn, creating a whirlwind of energy that shook the entire Canterlot Archives! Heck, the whole city of Canterlot and many cities and towns within ready access of it stumbled awake to the shaking ground and a blinding flash of light!

The flash faded as quickly as it had arrived, the Elements of Harmony continued to remain with their rightful bearers as the six mares again touched the ground.

Sunset Shimmer lay upon the ground as fragments of her fiery demon appearance lay all around her. She was an alicorn no longer, now she was just a plain old unicorn with a coat of brilliant amber and a mane and tail a very light red with light apple green stripes loosely hanging at the sides, not to mention a cutie mark depicting a red and yellow shimmering sun. Her eyes had returned to their moderate cyan state.

Spike cheered loudly as he rushed to Twilight's side! "That was sweet! You girls are just as awesome as your human counterparts!"

"Uh, what's a... 'human', sugarcube?" Applejack questioned with a puzzled expression upon her face.

"It's a long story, and that'll have to wait for another time and place," Twilight Sparkle declared as she approached her defeated enemy. "For now we have more important issues to tend to."

The defeated Sunset slowly stumbled to her hooves. It seemed the Elements of Harmony had not inflicted serious bodily harm to her, and had merely taken away her demon form. "Are you happy now, Twilight?" She defiantly hissed. "It wasn't enough for you to become an alicorn princess, you had to crush my dreams and take away the only thing I ever wanted... power."

"Power you abused and lacked the ability to properly control," Twilight shook her head. "You fail to understand the magic of friendship, and that is why you've lost," Then she glared at the unicorn. "Now where have you hidden Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, and how can we free them?! I know you know!"

Yet the unicorn coldly protested. "As if I'd tell you. Even I don't know how to undo what I did. That's why I came here. I was in the process of researching a counter spell when you and your friends so rudely interrupted me!"

"At least tell us where they are!" Twilight insisted with a glare that could give even Fluttershy's patented stare a run for its money. "Please, Sunset! I doubt your current state has the ability to wield the powers of the sun and the moon. If you don't transfer the power back to the princesses, it will destroy you from within!"

Sure enough, a pang of pain shot through Sunset's body as her horn started to spark and surge, shooting off sparks at an alarming rate! "A-alright... alright... I'll talk!" She reluctantly insisted. "I never really wanted to rule Equestria the same way I ruled Canterlot High. All I wanted was to be made a princess and be equal to you, to Celestia. But when she refused to grant it to me, I had little choice but to get her out of the way. At the time, turning her to stone was the only thing that made sense."

"Where is she?! And what about Luna?! You hid them somewhere, didn't you?!" Twilight demanded! "We don't have all night, Sunset. Sooner or later the sun must rise, and when it does if the powers have not been transferred to a more capable body, you will not survive."

"Try... the castle dungeons," Sunset weakly answered. "There was... one cell that I never used. Unless one of the castle staff went behind my back, that's where I hid the statue of the princesses. It was the only way I could ensure nopony would ever find them."

Rarity of all ponies shot Sunset a stern glare as she warned. "They'd better be there for your sake, you ruffian." And Sunset gulped quite audibly.

Author's Note

There's still a bit of Sunset's personal feelings to explore, plus the whole process of undoing the damage she's done.

And rest assured that Princess Celestia will not be happy.

Setting Things Right

An inspection of the aforementioned dungeon turned up exactly what Sunset had promised: The petrified, immobile forms of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Their looks of horror remained transfixed for all to see.

It took a great deal of effort (and several royal guards) to haul the huge block of stone out of its hiding place and out to the royal gardens overlooking the palace. The setting's symbolic nature did not go unnoticed by the six mares as they prepared to activate the Elements of Harmony to free the royal sisters.

It was a risk to be sure, but if the Elements of Harmony could undo Discord's stone imprisonment after twice imposing it upon them Twilight was hopeful that the same could hold true for the mighty alicorns. She made sure to keep a close eye on the defeated Sunset Shimmer too, not wanting to let the now de-demonized mare out of her sight.

The elements began to glow one by one, forming a trail of rainbow energy that flowed to the tip of Twilight's crown and then shot out at the statue! There was another blinding flash, and the statue began to crack bit by bit! When the light faded, there stood the royal sisters in all their glory. They even still had their crowns and royal horseshoes.

Celestia was the first of the two to speak up. "Sunset Shimmer? Have you finally come to your senses and..." She began in a stern tone of voice, but it was cut off when she saw six very recognizable faces standing before, including a face she thought she'd never see again! "Twilight!" She exclaimed as she shed her usual stoic composure, rushing over and hugging the young alicorn tightly. She didn't even care that tears were streaming down her cheeks! "Oh Twilight! This has to be a dream! I thought you were..."

Twilight shook her head as she returned the hug and shed tears of her own. "I survived, barely. I'm SO happy to see you again!"

But Princess Luna coughed into a hoof as she glared. "Not that I mean to interrupt this touching moment, but what is the meaning behind our release?" Her glare turned to the one who had imprisoned her and her sister. "And why is Sunset Shimmer now just a plain old unicorn? Whatever happened to her original appearance?"

Sunset gulped and shrank under the stern gaze, even while she was trying hard not to laugh. She only knew of Luna's voice through Vice Principal Luna, and she knew that Vice Principal Luna could never be this scary if she tried. "This is my original appearance, Princess Luna. I assume you are a princess in this world."

"Indeed I am, no doubt my sister told you about me when you were her student," Luna declared as she kept up her harsh glare. "But why is it that you lied to us about Twilight? And why have you now allowed for my sister and I to be set free?"

"Sunset Shimmer thought she'd killed me, but she was wrong. My friends and I were able to defeat her and take away most of her powers," Twilight explained to the royal sisters. "Everything can be explained in due time, but you need to hurry up and take back your abilities to control the sun and the moon. Sunset's unicorn body won't be able to contain such powerful magic, it'll destroy her from within!"

At that Luna flashed an unusual smile. "A chance to take back power that was never meant to be wielded by a power hungry ex-student of my sister's? How could I refuse?"

Celestia was quick to add as she ended her hug with Twilight. "Sunset Shimmer, know that although my sister and I are taking this action to save you, you are not off the hook. You must still face punishment for the crimes you've committed."

"Please, just hurry!" Sunset pleaded as she bowed before the princesses! "The sun will need to be up soon! I'll face whatever punishment you think is best, I promise."

So it was that Celestia and Luna placed their horns to Sunset's forehead. Everyone else stepped back as the horns glowed and surged ominously with dazzling yellow energy for Celestia, and cool blue energy for Luna. At last the glowing stopped, and an exhausted Sunset Shimmer collapsed as her mane and tail fell into a frazzled, disheveled state of appearance. Just like that it was all over. She was now back to where she had been on that fateful day long ago when she had fled through that magic mirror.

After lowering the moon and raising the sun as they had done so many times before, the royal sisters immediately turned their attention to the unicorn they had just saved. Celestia was quick to give the order. "Guards, take Sunset Shimmer into custody and bring her to the throne room. There are some things that must be addressed."

Luna added. "And Twilight Sparkle, if you and your friends would be so kind as to join us in the throne room, that would be most appreciated. I think everypony would like to know just where you and Spike ended up, and what lies beyond that mirror."

So the recently reunited group of friends followed the captive Sunset Shimmer and the royal guards escorting her as they all adjourned to the throne room within the castle. Celestia and Luna took their respective seats at their thrones, staring down and casting daggers at Sunset as she remained within the custody of the royal guards.

Twilight took the liberty of explaining her journey to everyone in the throne room a moment later. "What I tell you is true, as hard it may be to believe. Beyond that mirror lies a world so similar to ours in many ways, yet so different in many others. In that world there exist creatures known as humans, and most of them attend a high school named after this city. It was this high school that Sunset Shimmer ruled over with an iron first."

"No wonder she was able to amass such a powerful army so quickly." Princess Luna remarked even as her tone of voice did not change.

"All this time, I never knew. I thought my former student had been lost to me," Princess Celestia commented and turned to look at Sunset Shimmer. The majestic alicorn had tears in her eyes again, but it was clear to all that these were not tears of happiness. These were tears of frustration and anguish. "Why, Sunset? Why didn't you ever come back until now? Why did you run away and turn to the dark side? You were my most promising pupil, you were destined for so much more."

At that Sunset stomped a hoof down and snorted. "Was I really?! That mirror showed me what I could be, but you were always holding me back! I saw then and there that I could've been a princess just like you! I could've been worshipped, admired, respected and most of all adored! Admit it, you were afraid of me. You feared that I would become a more powerful alicorn princess than you and would eclipse you as you did your sister."

The sun princess only shook her head in dismay. "I showed you that image in the mirror in the hopes that you would come to understand how important friendship was. You repeatedly doubted yourself even when I told you that you could be far more than the struggling unicorn that you were when I first met you. I tried not to get too attached, but you became like a daughter to me. Losing you after you went behind my back stung just as much as when I had to banish my sister to the moon."

"Lies! How long did you wait before you replaced me?!" Sunset demanded as her eyes narrowed. "A week?! A month?! It seems like you got everything you wanted when you took Twilight under your wing. You didn't have to say a word, I got the message the first time I came back to Equestria. You no longer wanted me, you'd regarded me as a failure. Then and there I made up my mind. I was going to prove you wrong! I was going to make you realize how powerful I could truly be! I would make you bow down before me and acknowledge me as better than you," She then let out a sigh. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. I didn't want to replace you like you did me. I only wanted you to realize your mistake."

Princess Celestia sighed anew as she struggled to wipe away the tears. "It's really too bad you became a power hungry monster, Sunset. Before all of this I held out hope that you would find your way. That Twilight would be able to get through to you in a way that I never could and make you understand the importance of friendship," And she turned her head away from the unicorn. "But after all you've done I can no longer be justified in showing you leniency. Your crimes are too great and too numerous to truly count."

"Then go ahead, do your worst!" Sunset roared in defiance as she managed to break free of the royal guards' hold on her! "Do to me what I did to you! I can't simply run away and hide in the other world again, I'll be wanted for crimes in that world too and you'll just send Twilight to hunt me down. I know what fate awaits those who betray Equestria. Banish me to the moon or the sun if you so care. Imprison me within either for a thousand years, or perhaps even longer. Just get it over with!"

Celestia was silent for several minutes as she continued to have her head turned away from Sunset. No one else dared to say even a word.

No one that is, except Twilight. She boldly stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Princess Celestia, you must understand that Sunset Shimmer allowed us to defeat her. I can tell that her heart was not into our last fight, she wanted to lose."

Sunset growled and hissed. "How do you know that?! How could you possibly know I wasn't just exhausted or otherwise unprepared?"

"Because if you had truly wanted to continue your rule indefinitely you most certainly wouldn't have been looking up spells on how to undo a petrification spell," Twilight explained to the unicorn. "And you would've tried to burn me completely like you did in the human world. Your mere actions gave you away without you needing to say a word," Then she continued with her plea. "I know Sunset did a lot of terrible things, Princess Celestia. I know that you feel hurt by the way you parted terms and betrayed by the way she returned. But banishment is not the answer, it won't heal the wounds she's inflicted."

"Then what would you have us do, Twilight Sparkle?" Luna questioned as her eyebrows arched upward ever so slightly. "The fact remains that she is a traitor in this world, and apparently quite the monster in that other world as well."

Surprisingly, before Twilight had a chance to make any sort of proposal, Sunset Shimmer herself trotted forward and bowed her head. "At least let me return to Canterlot High so that I can make amends with everybody I hurt in my pursuit of power. I imagine it'll be a long time before anyone there is even remotely willing to trust me again, especially a certain someone whose love for me I took for granted. And maybe someday... I'll come back to Equestria, truly ready to leave behind my power hungry ways of old and start anew."

"Well, sister, what do you say to such a suggestion?" Luna turned to her sister. "After all, we don't know for sure how the justice system in the human world works. It might not hurt to let them deal with Sunset Shimmer for a while, as a way to ensure they won't try to come after us to get to Sunset."

Yet Celestia remained silent. She said nothing for the longest period of time.

Bowing her head, Sunset trotted back to the guards. "Just throw me in the dungeon with everypony I've imprisoned while you decide my fate. That shouldn't be too much for you."

Only once the unicorn began to leave (preparing to see herself out with the royal guards continuing to watch and surround her) did the silence in the room break.

Celestia turned back to her former student and now wept openly. "I can't bring myself to forgive you, Sunset Shimmer, even though I want to more than anything. For your own safety I shall accept your proposal. Your return to the human world shall be framed as a self-imposed exile. I will leave it up to the ones in charge in your world to decide how long it should last. Maybe someday it'll be possible for us to reconcile."

"I.... hope that someday comes, for both our sakes," Sunset wept in reply. "I'm sorry I ever thought to oppose you. All it did was burn us both, along with so many others who didn't deserve to be dragged into all of this."

"Well then, shall we be on our way?" Twilight asked the unicorn. "I'm not sure how long the portal will stay open, and we don't want to miss our window," To Princess Celestia she added. "Don't worry, I'll make sure this whole thing is left in good hands."

Twilight expected the princess to ask what a hand was, but she didn't. It was clear to her and to everyone that the wounds from Sunset's return and betrayal cut deep.

And all Sunset Shimmer could do, was lament to herself at how she cost herself the chance to have the closest she could remember to a mother. Now she was stuck without a friend in the world in either Equestria or the human world.

Author's Note

I didn't want Sunset Shimmer to be let off the hook after all of that, even if she was looking for a way out when Twilight stopped her.

Sunset's backstory is loosely based on what was depicted in the 2013 IDW Comics annual covering Equestria Girls. The first part of it was devoted to explaining how Sunset came to the human world.