Sunspot sat outside the hospital room, watching his daughter sleep with her head in her hooves on the floor across the hall. She had been asleep for almost a full hour while they waited. Stellar Flare, Sunspot’s wife, had been in labor for nine hours now. He had left the delivery room two hours ago when Sunset had been dropped off at the hospital by her Grandmother. As they waited for the new foal to be born, Sunspot was beginning to get antsy. He looked down to the five year old, who was now awake and blinking up at him.
“How much longer?” she asked, bored. Sunspot sighed.
“I don’t know, Sunset. We just need to be patient.”
“I thought mom was the patient?” The filly was confused.
“Not patient like somepony being taken care of, patient as in patience.” Sunspot smiled at his daughter.
“Oh,” she said.
Sunset stood up, walking over to him and jumping up onto the bench he was sitting on. She laid down again, resting her muzzle against his leg.
Suddenly, the delivery room door opened and a nurse walked out.
“You may come in and meet your new foal now,” she said. Sunset jumped up, prancing into the room with a proud smile on her face. For the past five months, she had been over the moon about getting to be a big sister, and now she finally got to meet her little sibling.
“Can I see them? Can I see them?!” Sunset jumped up onto the hospital bed with her front hooves. Stellar flare smiled down at her daughter, leaning forward so Sunset could see the foal wrapped up in a blue blanket she was holding in her front hooves.
Sunset gasped, smiling at the foal.
“Sunset Shimmer, meet your new little brother, Sunburst.” Stellar said tiredly. Sunspot walked over, looking down at his new son.
Sunset’s turquoise eyes were wide with curiosity and excitement as she stared at the baby.
“Can I hold him?” she asked, cocking her head to the side, looking up at her mother with pleading eyes. She smiled.
“Let Daddy hold him first,” Stellar Flare said, a nurse coming over to help pass young Sunburst into Sunspot’s hooves. Sunset followed them over to the cushioned bench across from the hospital bed, sitting down next to him and her little brother.
He was asleep, and Sunset thought she had never seen something so adorable. She wasn’t a filly with many friends, but some of the foals in her Magic Kindergarten class had younger siblings that attended family events. Sunset thought that her little brother was way cuter than any of the babies she had seen at school.
Sunspot had never seen his daughter so serene in her short life. She always either was focused on a book or angry at something. To see her so proud as well as happy was touching.
“Lay down and hold out your hooves,” he told her. Sunset jumped at the sound of his voice, quickly rearranging herself so she was laying on her stomach and could hold the foal safely. Sunspot lowered Sunburst into her front hooves.
Sunset smiled down at her brother. She gently nuzzled the top of his head, giggling against the tufts of hair on top of his head.
“I’m your big sister Sunset, and I’m always gonna protect you. I promise.”
Sunset’s smile widened as Sunburst smiled in his sleep.
...
Sunset was seven years old when her magic started to get stronger. Most unicorns her age could only turn a page or two, maybe open a door with magic, but Sunset was starting to levitate objects.
The apple was sitting on the dining room table. Sunset was glaring at it, as if staring it into oblivion would help it levitate.
Her concentration was broken by the sound of hooves landing on the table beside her. Sunset Shimmer jumped, turning to see her little brother next to her. He was holding a purple mug in his mouth.
“Lehmmm- thguh,” he said.
Sunset laughed.
“Le-” Sunburst dropped the mug to the table. “-levitate this.”
“Oh, okay. I’ll try.”
Sunset focused on the cup, a teal aura enveloping it. She struggled, trying to pour all her magic into lifting the cup. Slowly, the cup began to shake.
Sunburst watched eagerly as Sunset tried to levitate the object. As it lifted off the table, Sunburst smiled, a look of wonderment on his face.
“Woah,” he marveled. Sunset smiled down at him, trying not to break her concentration.
Slowly, she lifted the apple too, pulling it up to the same height as the cup. Sunburst’s jaw dropped.
“You’re doing it! You’re doing it!” he cheered. Sunset smiled even wider.
“I’m doing it!” She laughed. Sunset slowly dropped the cup and apple back down onto the table.
“You’re the most awesomest big sister in the world! I wanna be just as powerful as you someday.” Sunburst smiled.
“Aw, thanks buddy.” Sunset lifted a hoof to ruffle up Sunburst’s mane,
“Hey!” Sunburst tried to swat her away, but Sunset just came closer.
Using her magic, Sunset began to tickle Sunburst, backing him into a corner of the kitchen.
“Hey! Stop it! MOM! Sunset’s tickling me!” Both siblings laughed as Sunburst tried to jab at Sunset with his hooves, Sunset jumping back before he could reach her.
“You’re the worst Sunset Shimmer!” Sunburst giggled as Sunset let him out of her magic hold.
“I love you too, Sunburst.” Sunset coyly smiled at him.
Sunburst just glared at his older sister with she had a smile on her face.
…
Sunset and Sunburst were outside their home in Canterlot, playing on the swingset in their front yard.
The eight year old and the three year old were taking turns pushing each other on the swing.
“Sunny, faster!” Sunburst cried as Sunset pushed him. Sunset gave a slightly harder push and went back to the spell she was practicing.
She was focusing on a bush, trying to make it sprout flowers. Since figuring out to levitate objects, Sunset had become hellbent on learning all she could about magic. She spent days and nights studying, and had even stumbled on the restricted section at the Canterlot Library, resulting in Sunset spending the night in Juvie.
Sunburst stopped swinging, turning around to watch Sunset.
“Hold on, I’ve almost got this.” Sunset looked from her book and back up to the bush. She focused her magic as she closed her eyes.
Sunburst watched, waiting for the flowers to bloom on the bush.
“You can do it Sunset!” He cheered quietly.
“Quiet!” Sunset barked.
Sunburst shut his mouth, instead just watching Sunset once again.
Sunset strained, a drop of sweat falling down the side of her face and sticking to her fur. Sunset could feel the magic tingling inside of her. She was brought out of her concentration by Sunburst’s screaming.
“Sunset!” He cried, jumping off the swing and running out into the middle of the yard.
Sunset opened her eyes, her pupils dilating as she stared at the sight in front of her.
“Get the hose!” Sunburst called, jumping up and down on the porch. The bush at the edge of the yard where Sunset had been trying out her magic had gone up in flames. Sunset had set the bush on fire. Stellar Flare and Sunspot weren’t home and now a bush was on fire.
Sunset raced around to the side of the house, galloping as fast as she could. She grabbed the hose with her mouth, turning on the water with her magic and racing back towards the front yard. She spit out the hose and took it up in her magic, spraying the bush until the flames were put out three times over. Water flowed down into the gutter, running down the street.
Sunset dropped the hose, panting. She turned back to Sunburst.
“You okay?!” She yelled, trotting up to the porch.
“Yeah. Are you?” He looked up at Sunset as she blew a piece of her mane out of her face.
“Uh-huh.” Sunset plopped down onto the concrete, resting her head in her hooves.
“Sunny! Look!” Sunburst pointed a hoof at Sunset’s flank. Sunset whipped around, finding a beautiful red and yellow sun mark on her fur.
“Your cutie mark…” Sunburst marveled. Sunset smiled.
“And that, little brother, is how you get a cutie mark.” Sunset winked at him.
“You’re a pyromaniac…” Sunburst looked at Sunset, dead serious. Sunset began to laugh. They both smiled before dissolving into giggles on the front porch, the bush beside the curb still smoking.
…
Sunburst was playing with Starlight in the living room when a taller figure galloped into the room. Starlight tossed a foam block between them, trying to levitate it with her magic occasionally. At four years old, her magic still wasn’t strong enough. She could hardly get it to move across the floor, much less levitate it in the air.
“Sunburst! Look!” Sunset’s cries were happier than Sunburst had heard her in years. And she was a happy mare. Sunset levitated the parchment down to his and Starlight’s level.
“You got into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns?!” Sunburst exclaimed, reading over the letter four times. Starlight just sat there with a shocked look on her face.
Sunset began to jump around in circles holding her acceptance letter in her magic.
“I did it! I did it!”
Normally, you had to be at least 10 to even apply for the magic school. But after weeks of trying, they had finally allowed the nine year old to take the entrance exam. And she passed on the first try!
“And guess what?! Guess what!” Sunset jumped up and down in one spot now, her teal eyes shining.
“What?!” Sunburst and Starlight asked at the same time.
“Princess Celestia said that my magic was very advanced for my age! She asked me to be her personal protege!” Sunset twirled in a circle, stomping her hooves.
“Wait? Does that mean you’re going to live in the castle?” Sunburst asked, both with wide eyes and terrified realization.
“Oh. Yeah. I guess it does.” Sunset plopped down onto the floor, letting the parchment drop to the floor. Sunburst looked sad.
“But don’t worry! I’ll come back and visit all the time. And I’ll always be your big sis, no matter what.” Sunset winked at him, giving a reassuring smile.
“Yeah Sunburst, and you always have me to keep you company!” Starlight said,passing the block back and forth between her front hooves. Sunburst just smiled at her.
“Sure Starlight.”
Sunset picked back up the parchment in her magic.
“Have you shown Mother and Father?” Sunburst asked, cocking his head to the side.
“Oh! No! I couldn’t find them downstairs! They must be in the lounge upstairs. I gotta go!” Sunset hopped up, galloping away to find their parents. Sunburst sighed once she was out of earshot.
“What’s wrong Sunburst? Now that Sunset’s moving out we get to spend all the time in the world together. Doesn’t that sound fun?” Starlight nudged Sunburst’s leg with the foam block. Sunburst lifted his head to look at her.
“I’m still going to miss her. But I know this has been her dream for a long time, so I’m happy for her.”
Starlight nodded. Upstairs, they could hear Sunset gushing to her parents about getting into school.
Sunburst sighed again, hoping Sunset would still make time for him.
…
Sunset came home every Hearths’ Warming to spend the holiday with her family. She spent a whole week in her childhood bedroom, mostly keeping to her books and away from her family.
Sunburst repeatedly tried to talk to her. He wanted to play with his big sister like they used to, but now the twelve year old was only giving him the cold shoulder.
As it turned out, Sunburst had a knack for magic too, much to young Starlight’s dismay. She was always jealous of how he could levitate things and perform rudimentary spells, while she was still so far behind.
He tried to get Sunset to pay attention to him by bringing her things with magic, levitating an apple or a mug of tea to her desk. Sunset hardly acknowledged him.
Until the letter arrived in the mail. It was from CSGU, telling him that when he got his cutie mark, they had a place at the magic school set aside for him. Sunburst was shocked.
“Sunset?” No response.
“Sunset Shimmer?” Still nothing.
“Sis?”
“What is it?” Sunset asked, lowering her book to look at her little brother.
“Why does this letter say that when I get my cutie mark I can go to CSGU? I haven’t taken the entrance exam…” Sunburst levitated the letter over to him. Sunset smiled sadly.
“Well, I had some connections, being the Princess’s personal student and all. So, I showed the school some of the spells you had done, and I was going to give you the acceptance letter for Hearths’ Warming.” Sunset set her book down.
“Oh my Celestia you are the best big sister in the world!” Sunburst jumped up onto the bed, wrapping his hooves around Sunset. Sunset smiled.
“I try, buddy, I try.”
…
Sunburst was so excited.
He had finally mastered the spell that Sunset had accidentally cast when trying to make flowers bloom, the spell that resulted in her getting her cutie mark.
Since getting into Celestia’s School, he had been working his tail off to prove to his big sister that he was just as good at magic as she was. Despite how much she loved him, she could still be pretty self-absorbed at times. She didn’t like the idea of anypony being better than her. But Sunburst thought that if he at least showed her that he could match her power, she would consider him as equal and would be proud of him.
So he had spent days trying to master the spell. It was a tough one, especially for a pony that wasn’t as naturally skilled at pyromancy as his sister was.
As he ran up the front steps to the house, he spotted Starlight playing down the street. They had drifted apart since Sunburst had gotten into Celestia’s school and he briefly considered going over to join her. But Sunset was only home for a few hours while her suite at the castle was being cleaned and she had nothing better to do! He had to catch her before she left again!
He ran inside, searching for his sister.
“Mother! Where’s Sunny?!” He asked, jumping up to the counter and placing his front hooves on it. She smiled at him.
“In the backyard. She was just about to go back to the castle, hurry to catch her before she leave,” Stellar Flare said. Sunburst jumped down and ran off.
“Sunset! Sunny!” He called, leaping into the backyard. Sunset was laying on a slab of concrete out in the yard where they would make fire pits to roast marshmallows. Or at least, where they used to.
She seemed to be catching the last rays of sun before Princess Celestia lowered it for the day and raised the moon. She didn’t respond.
“Sunset?” he tried again, getting closer to her. He stepped up onto the concrete slab.
She still didn’t say anything.
“Sunset… Shimmer?”
He heard her growl under her breath. Suddenly, she sprang up and used her magic to put on her saddle bag, which had been sitting next to her.
“Sunny…” Sunburst stood behind her. His voice was filled with hurt as his big sister ignored her.
She began walking towards the back of the yard where the gate was.
“Sunset please! I want to show you the new spell I learned!” Sunburst chased after Sunset.
“Sunburst! Leave me alone! I don’t care about your stupid spells! We may have been close when we were young, but we are not anymore!” Sunset turned around to scream at him. His eyes filled with tears, the look of betrayal on his face. He took a step back.
“Sunset…” He didn’t know how to continue.
“Save it. I don’t care.” Sunset spat, turning around and running away and out the gate. Sunburst watched her leave. The tears began to flow as he turned and ran back towards the house, Sunset running in the opposite direction.
…
Sunburst walked in Canterlot Castle, his head hanging.
Walking behind his mother and father, he felt empty. The princess had called the three of them to the castle to discuss Sunset. He had no idea what was going to be said, but he felt like a piece of him was missing.
They were being escorted by a royal guard, who was leading the trio into the throne room. Before them sat Princess Celestia, high on her throne. As they reached the bottom of the steps leading up to it, Sunspot, Stellar Flare, and Sunburst bowed.
“I bring you Sunset Shimmer’s father, mother, and brother, your majesty,” the guard said to the Princess. She nodded, expression stoic.
“Yes. Thank you. You may leave now.” She dismissed the guard and slowly descended the throne. Sunburst tried to read her face, but found nothing related to how she was feeling. She didn’t look very happy, but the Princess almost never visually expressed joy. Sunburst held onto hope.
“Follow me,” The Princess said, walking towards a room off to the side of the throne room. She lead them inside and over to a rug in the center of the room. She sat down and gestured with her head for them to all do the same.
“I have gathered you here today to discuss your daughter and sister’s whereabouts,” she started. Sunburst sunk in on himself. This couldn’t be good.
“Yesterday morning Sunset was found missing from her room. The guards searched the entire palace and surrounding areas and Sunset wasn’t found anywhere on castle grounds or roaming the streets of Canterlot.”
Tears began to flood his mother’s eyes and Sunspot hugged Stellar Flare in his front hooves tightly.
“She will be reported missing this afternoon if a final search comes up empty. I am deeply sorry to bring you this message, and it pains me as much as it pains you.”
Sunburst jumped up and ran out of the room, trying to hold back his tears. To hear that his sister was gone, that she most likely had run away, it was terrible. The last thing she had said to him was that she didn’t love him anymore, essentially. And now he might never get to see her again.
…
Sunburst was running through the crowds of the Canterlot Garden. Galloping as fast as he could.
He pushed through the crowd, trying to get up to the table where a mare was talking with some friends. Just as he had almost reached her, she pushed her way out of the crowd.
“I’m going to take a breather, cover for me,” he heard her whisper to a pink pony at the edge of the crowd. The pony with an overdone poofy mane nodded before prancing over to where the orange mare had been moments before.
He ran even faster to catch up with her.
“Hey Sunset.” He tried to sound nonchalant but it was hard as he struggled to catch his breath from all the running. Her eyes widened and she stopped, jumping to the side. Her blue and red dress shifted and she tripped, her wings flaring out as she tried to catch herself in her fall.
Sunburst was a quick thinker and used his magic to catch her, helping her stand upright on her four hooves again.
“Or should I call you ‘Princess Sunset’ now?” His tone was teasing as he raised his eyebrows up and down at the mare. She blushed.
“Sunset is fine. You would never need to be so formal with you big sis, Sunburst.” She smiled. She looked side to side before running off behind a hedge. Sunburst followed. As soon as they were both out of sight, she tackled him in a hug.
“Oh I missed you so much! You were the one person- er pony-that I never got to say sorry too!” She hugged him for a few seconds longer before pulling away.
“I’m sorry too. I made you mad and then you ran away, it was all my fault…” Sunburst look at the ground.
“No. No no no no. I ran away because I was bitter and angry and couldn’t get what I wanted. Not because of you. I pushed you away and was mean to you when I shouldn’t have been. You just wanted to show me a new spell. It wasn’t your fault. That was one of the things I had the hardest time getting over in this past year and a half, because I couldn’t apologize for all the hurt I had caused you. From the bottom of my heart, I’m truly sorry for how I treated you.” Sunset hung her head dejectedly, running a hoof back and forth in a line along the grass.
Sunburst smiled.
“Want to just put all that behind us? Start over as brother and sister again?” He held out a hoof to her. Sunset beamed, reaching out to take it. They shook hooves then dissolved into giggles.
“So, nopony ever told me, where did you go when you ran away?” Sunburst asked, cocking his head to the side. Sunset giggled.
“Oh just a parallel universe filled with creatures that walk on two legs and don’t use magic where I tormented an entire school of people for three years before I came back to steal Princess Twilight’s crown and was overwhelmed with magic that I didn’t have the power to control and instead turned into a raging she-demon and tried to make an entire school my mind slaves to take over Equestria.” She smiled with a look on her face that was all too cheerful for the story she had just told.
Sunburst’s jaw dropped. Sunset giggled at his reaction.
“I know. Sounds crazy, but it’s all true.”
“Wow. That’s… Wow.” Sunburst responded, shell-shocked.
“You can ask Starlight about it. She’s been there. You are still friends, right?” Sunset leaned forwards. Sunburst blushed.
“Uh, yeah…” he mumbled, blushing harder.
“Aww, does my little bro have a crush?” Sunset asked in a mocking, cooing voice. Sunburst sputtered.
“N-no! We’re just friends!” Sunset raised an eyebrow.
“L-look at you! You’re a princess!” Sunburst pointed out, diverting the conversation. Sunset let it slide, laughing.
He looked up at the glittering crown on her head. It was golden, shaped like the old crown that had held the element of magic before Twilight had become a princess. The emblem of a red and yellow sun was attached to the top, an orange gem in the center. Celestia had converted the Empathy Gem into Sunset’s new crown, and even enchanted it so that when she went between the two worlds, it would change to be either a necklace or a crown.
“Yeah, I guess I am. The one thing I wanted so badly and stole, bullied, and hurt people and ponies to try and get, and all I had to do to get there was be nice. Well, and save two worlds a few times, but mostly just be nice.” Sunset raised a hoof to rub at the back of her neck. She pushed her fancy mane-do out of her face.
“Wow. I bet you have a lot of stories to tell from that world.”
“Yeah, I definitely do. Oh there’s so much I want to tell you! Ooh, you should meet my girlfriend! She’s here tonight. Are Mother and Father here? I really want to talk to them…” Sunset trailed off, trying to think of other ponies she needed to apologize to. “And I still need to really make it up to you! I have no idea how to help you forgive me, I hurt you so badly…”
“Woah woah woah, go back. You have a marefriend!” Sunburst jumped, his overly expensive suit wrinkling slightly. She nodded.
“Well, in my world we call them girlfriends, but yeah.” She smiled just thinking about her.
“Okay, um, I need to meet her asap. Yes Mother and Father are here, they were talking with some of their ‘important friends’ when I left to find you. And well, I think I know how you could really make it up to me.” Sunburst cocked a smirk at his older sister. She looked confused.
“How?” She asked eagerly.
“Let me show you the spell I wanted to so badly the day you pushed me away,” he said. Sunset cringed at how harsh his words sounded, but they really were the best description for the events.
“Okay, go for it. I’m watching.” she smiled, watching as he turned to the hedge beside them and focusing his magic on the leaves.
Sunset’s eyes widened and she smiled brighter as beautiful flowers began to bloom from the hedge.
When he finished, Sunburst stepped away and looked to Sunset, a coy smile on his face.
“Hey! That’s the spell I messed up the day I got my cutie mark!” Sunset jumped up and down a few times, memories flooding back to her.
“Sure is.” Sunburst winked at her.
She smiled sadly.
“I missed so much… I never got to see you get your cutie mark…” she looked back down at the ground.
Sunburst turned so she could see his flank.
“Well, better late than never?” he asked. She looked up, a huge smile crossing her face at seeing the bright sun and stars plastered across his fur.
“I love you, Sunbud.”
He blushed at the nickname.
“I love you too, Sunny.”
And the two siblings hugged, finally family once again.
Author's Note
So I was going to write a longer final scene that ended with Sunset hugging her parents after going to seek them out at the after party to her coronation (that's what the party was, if it was unclear), but halfway through I decided that Sunburst showing her the spell would be a better way to bring closure to their relationship.
For the record, the 'girlfriend' they speak of could be any one of the six EQG girls that you ship Sunset with, personally, I wrote it to be Sci-Twi, but it could be anyone. I like to think that all the girls came to support her, maybe switching places with their ponies counterparts, save for Sci-Twi, who they maybe put a spell on to change her appearance as to not cause a panic. I think she might look like this pony created by @meplushyou
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA-3WlsBS1w/
Thanks to 'Doodle-Mark' for making this awesome art (the cover art for this story) that inspired me to write this!
