Rakuraizer: Grand Revival

“And now welcoming to the royal court, her ladyship, Sunset Shimmer!”

For what was no doubt the umpteenth time today, the grand double doors to Celestia’s throne room swung inwards. Her radiant sunlight, glowing and cheery and nourishing and life-giving, heralding the Goddess as well as any flag, poured outwards, illuminating the form of a small red and yellow pony in the gloomy corridor beyond.

The light was provided by two rows of extravagantly detailed stained glass windows, each one lavishly depicting a singular moment in pony history, such that anypony trotting up that red carpeted path to the throne would end their trip thoroughly informed of every great event that had hitherto let to this moment. As always, Shimmer found herself inspired.

To an unknowing onlooker, it might be difficult to reconcile the lazy-looking white alicorn seated atop the royal red throne with the figure of legend depicted in those murals. But to any pony possessing even a shred of magical power, she appeared to radiate infinite amounts of energy, enough to change the nature of the world on a whim. After all, in the absence of her sister, this was a Goddess who controlled the cycle of not just the sun, but the moon as well.

And yet she didn’t buy into the formality of the announcement one bit. By the time Sunset reached her throne and came to rest before the royal, Celestia was stifling a grin at her number one student’s expense.

“Come now, there’s no need for all that rot,” laughed Celestia. Sunset immediately exhaled, swishing her tail.

“Glad we’re on the same page there,” she shot back.

Celestia nodded. “Yes, I already do more than my share of that courtly airs business amongst the nobility... I shan’t repeat it with my dearest, most beloved student, mm?”

Sunset snorted. “Uhuh. Yeah. That.”

“So, how have you been, dear? It seems like you’re about the castle less and less these days... That spirit of adventure of yours really is like no other.”

“Hm? Miss me?” replied Sunset.

It was not often the princess had cause to look embarrassed, but she paused after that. She looked down at her hooves, choosing her next words carefully. “Well... Ahhh... Sunset, I...”

And normally this would have been the point where the flame-haired pony might cut in with some choice remark to lighten the mood. But Sunset just wrinkled her nose slightly, gauging the mood as best she could. Something was off about Celestia, that much was obvious to her.

“What is it? Hey, we don’t keep secrets from each other, right?”

Celestia nodded. “Well... Ahh... As you know, sometimes it is the role of the Equestrian ruler to dabble in divination, yes? Ever since my battle with my sister Luna, bless her, I’ve had to carry this entire kingdom on my own shoulders. It wears one down.”

“It might shock you to hear it, but I cast stones with an old zebra seer, hoping to gain some insight into the future. And I saw something frightfully disquieting there in the smoke.”

Sunset shrugged, placing her hoof on the first step leading up to the throne. “Subtlety isn’t your strong point, teach. Just spit it out.”

Despite the ache in her voice, Celestia laughed. “Yes, yes, how right you are. The nobles would have your head on a platter for talking to me so brusquely, you know?”

Sunset tossed her mane. She didn’t keep up her end of the conversation. Eventually, Celestia was forced to.

“Yes, well... I saw a rift, forming between us. I saw... unpleasant things.”

Sunset sat down on the steps. “Come on. That won’t happen. Why would I do something like that?”

Celestia was moving as well, hopping down from her throne to pace the room. “Have I... restrained you too much, my student? Do you seek to grow your power - learn magic - faster than I have permitted you to?”

Sunset just shrugged again. Her conversations with Celestia had a habit of sometimes taking a turn for the serious, but this was uncharacteristic even by those measures. She just cocked an eyebrow. She didn’t particularly feel like outright stating it sounded like the hysteria of a mare many, many years Celestia’s junior. “Well, sure, anyone would. But so what? You’re the teacher, I’m the student.”

She injected some levity into her tone, but it didn’t seem to settle the worriwart’s fears down one bit. “I don’t mind just shutting up and doing as I’m told, it’s gotten me this far. Why should you, suddenly?”

But something in those words seemed to bother Celestia even more. “Sunset... I’ve been thinking... I think I’d like to send you away.”

“No way. What? You’re banishing me?”

Celestia hopped closer, wings a-flutter. She clopped a hoof, aghast at the very idea. “No, no! It’s not like that, I swear.”

Sunset looked crabby, one of her all-too-frequent sullen moods overtaking her. But she fought down the urge to say anything before Celestia was done explaining, as much as the urge to rebel was taking hold of her. “Then what is it?”

Celestia conjured a portal, through which Sunset saw another world revolving peacefully in space. She immediately felt disinterested, and it must have shown on her face because Celestia almost banished the projection right away. But she kept it up, imploring Sunset to look.

“It’s not banishment. In truth, it’s perhaps the greatest responsibility I could give you. I’ve been in contact with the Celestia of this world, and she has made it very clear they are all in great danger. Alien forces threaten to engulf the entire planet.”

Sunset took a peek, looking it over. “Hm. Well, with a bit more training, I could...”

Celestia thought back to the vision she’d been granted, of a future where Sunset cast her teachings aside. Where she stole artifacts for power.

“In truth, this world is without pony magic. But the opportunity for learning new skills there is endless. I’d ask you to serve with their government, and pilot one of the weapons they have created against the alien invaders.”

Sunset stared at Celestia with newly-widened eyes, as if struggling to process what she’d just heard. “A... weapon? You want me to win their war for them or something?”

“You won’t fight alone. But, in a manner of speaking, yes. It’s certainly the strangest thing I’ve ever asked one of my students to do, I suppose.”

Sunset looked back to the planet, then at Celestia again. “And if I do it, you’ll teach me everything I want to know when I come back, right?”

Celestia gulped. She really wasn’t sure about that, but she’d sworn she’d do whatever it took to keep her student falling to temptation. Some time in the other world should teach Sunset there was more to being strong than simply amassing power.

Or at least she hoped it would. She couldn’t lose another friend, not after abandoning Luna to her fate.

“Yes. We can discuss that when you come back.”

Sunset shrugged. “Alright, it’s a deal. I just need to pilot this...”

“G-Corona.”

“... G-Corona and beat up some aliens, right?”

“In a manner of speaking. And your body, ahh... The people on that world look a bit different...”

But Sunset was already waving it off. “Whatever, not like I’ll be there forever. Why don’t we just get started and I’ll be back before you know it!”

“Very well...”

In agreeing to take on the mission to save Earth, Sunset Shimmer became the pilot of the G-Corona armoured warrior unit, operating out of the Japanese Government’s Mighty Guard unit. This path would see her eventually united with the man Kenta Tadashii, forming a relationship with him... but that day was still far off from now.