“Sunset! Over here!” Pinkie called out, and the redhead followed the voice to find her friend’s table at the cafeteria. Smiling, she quickly took her place between Rainbow Dash and the most recent addition to her quite large group.
“How’s everything doing?” Sunset asked her, and Wallflower looked up from her food with a sigh.
“I think I flunked the math exam. I asked a couple of classmates and our answers didn’t match.”
“If you need to retake the test, I can help you with what you’re struggling with,” Twilight offered, and Wallflower got nervous.
“No no, it’s okay. I– I can study on my own,” she stammered, trying to make herself invisible.
Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Twilight has already helped all of us with exams before. She wants to help you.”
Wallflower visibly relaxed and nodded. “Okay. Thank you for the help.”
Twilight smiled. “My pleasure. Now, what is giving you trouble?”
Suddenly, the speaker in the cafeteria briefly came to life with Celestia’s voice. “Sunset Shimmer, your mother is waiting for you in the entrance.”
The entire cafeteria went dead silent, every student turning to look at the redhead currently frozen in shock with wide eyes.
“My… mother?” Sunset said in a whisper, her hands trembling.
“You don’t have a mother?” Wallflower asked, and the question seemed to snap the redhead out of her trance.
Sunset stood up, and without saying anything, walked as fast as she could towards the exit of the cafeteria.
“Sunset wait!” Rainbow shouted, but she was already gone.
“This can’t be happening. She can’t be here,” Sunset said to herself as she started sprinting to the entrance, her mind racing with all the possible explanations of how she could be here.
She almost smashed through the glass door when she arrived at the entrance, looking frantically for her mother, until she was suddenly lifted off the ground by a strong hug.
“Hello Sunset.”
“That voice,” Sunset thought.
She recognized that voice.
It was her voice.
The woman released Sunset, and she turned around to confirm her suspicions.
It was her.
A taller, more mature version of Sunset, wearing a black business suit with a red shirt underneath. Howevere, there was one noticiable difference; This Sunset's hair was completly red.
“You’re not my mother nor I your daughter,” Sunset said, getting defensive.
“Why did she lure me here? What does she want? Why call herself my mother?”
The woman smiled. “And you’re not a human nor I a teenager.”
Hearing her own voice coming from another person was upsetting Sunset, making her more nervous. “How do you know about me?”
The woman chuckled. “I used this ancient source of all knowledge called–” She quickly pulled out a cellphone from one of her pockets with one hand. “–Wikipedia.” Her thumb swiped the screen, showing a wiki page talking about Sunset Shimmer.
The redhead snatched the phone from her hand. “Who wrote all of this?” she asked as she saw how long and detailed it was.
The woman answered sarcastically. “Newsflash Sherclop, magical transformations and anomalies get a lot of attention. You're lucky people believe it to be just flashy propaganda for your band.”
Sunset cringed at the use of Equestrian diction by her not-self. “Why're you so calm about this?”
“Oh, I totally freaked out when I first saw a younger version of myself wearing adorable pony ears and a long ponytail. But I eventually calmed down and followed you for two months before deciding to make my dramatic appearance.”
“Two months?!”
“That’s what I said. Oh! Before I forget, can you turn into the one with the wings and dress? I think they call it Daydream Sunset. I need to see it in person,” the woman said with stars in her eyes.
Sunset shook her head. “Wait, so you are this world’s Sunset?”
The woman moved her head from side to side. “Yes and no.” She extended her hand towards her in greeting. “My name is Sunshine Shimmer.”
“Sunshine?” Sunset asked confused, not taking her hand.
The woman shrugged. “My guess is that our parents gave us different names.”
“Our parents…”
Sunshine’s carefree attitude vanished as she noticed the sadness that suddenly took hold of her younger not-self’s eyes.
“Who… who are they?” Sunset asked in a broken voice, her hands shaking.
Sunshine put a hand on her shoulder, and spoke in a soft, motherly voice. “How about I tell you over some milkshakes? Sugarcube Corner?”
Sunset sniffed, trying to hide some tears. “Okay. Do you have a car?”
“Yes, Steer is waiting for us near the statue.”
Sunset wiped her face with her arm. “Who’s Steer?”
Sunshine smiled. “My driver.”
Sunset watched through the tinted window of Sunshine’s expensive red SUV, trying to put some order in the myriad of questions she had running in her mind, eventually deciding to start with the easier ones.
“So, you're rich?” she asked the woman sitting at her side.
“The average citizen would consider me so.” Sunshine pulled out a small black card from one of her pockets and handed it to Sunset.
The teenager’s eyes opened wide as she read the golden writing on the plastic rectangle. “You work for Sunward Destiny?!”
“I own Sunward Destiny,” Sunshine said with a smug smile.
“Wha– You have to be lying. Rarity has bought me some of your designs! It’s impossible that she hasn’t at least heard about the owner of a fashion brand!”
“I take good care of my privacy,” Sunshine said while pointing at the tinted glass of the SUV.
“Okay, I have to introduce you to Rarity. Her reaction will be priceless!” Sunset exclaimed with a big grin on her face.
Sunshine joined in her excitement. “Oh, will she squee? I love it when they squee.”
“Oh, I hope she does before she faints.”
They both shared a hearty laugh, the ambient in the vehicle becoming far less tense.
“Can I ask you one question?” Sunshine asked.
Sunset chuckled. “Sounds fair, shoot.”
“Why are you, or at least look like, a teenager?”
Sunset looked at herself. “Oh, yeah, I just kind of accepted it with time. I was like this when I passed through the mirror.”
“Do you age?”
“Yes, I’ve grown a few centimeters since I started living here. Twilight is much younger than me and she also appeared in this world like a teenager. The same thing happened with the sirens, but they managed to remain young with their magic until we defeated them.”
“So, you’re an adult trapped in the body of a teenager?”
“I guess. I also feel like a teenager. Probably due to hormones and things like that.”
“Interesting. And I thought that wiki page had covered everything.”
“About that.” Sunset pulled out the phone from her pocket and looked at the page. “I need to get rid of this somehow.”
“I can take care of it for you, along with some other things,” Sunshine offered with a smile as she took back her phone.
Sunset sighed. “I guess my next question would be–”
Suddenly, the driver called out to them. “We have arrived.”
Putting the conversation on pause, Sunshine smiled. “Thank you Steer. You don’t need to wait for us, I will call you when we need you,” she said as the doors of the SUV opened for her and Sunset.
“I will go get some coffee then,” he shouted as the two women got out of the car and entered the small café.
They took the table farthest from the entrance, which was hidden in a small corner that gave them some extra privacy.
“So, you want to know why I went to your school saying that I was your mother?” Sunshine asked as they sat down.
“Yeah. Why didn’t you just visit my apartment? Or at least not say that we are related?”
Sunshine put her hands together. “Well, as I said, I wanted to make a dramatic appearance.”
Sunset chuckled. “Was it really necessary?”
“I don’t know if this happens regularly in Equestria, but suddenly having a younger clone of yourself is kind of a fairytale here. If I ever get a biography, I want it to be interesting and dramatic.”
“I’m sensing a bit of my old narcissism in you,” Sunset said with a grin.
Sunshine rested her head on one of her hands. “Are you implying that you moved past that?”
“Totally.”
Sunshine grinned maliciously. “Then how do you feel about seeing a more beautiful and successful version of yourself?”
“I–” Sunset words got stuck in her throat as she contemplated her adult not-self. She did look like she had achieved as much success as one could in this world. And she couldn’t deny that she was much better looking than herself.
“Careful there. If I do make myself pass as your mother, you can’t get the hots for me,” Sunshine teased with a grin, and Sunset started to blush.
“Since you mention it, you still haven’t explained why you want to be my mother,” she said trying to move the conversation along.
Sunshine took a moment to look more serious as she talked. “I don’t want to literally be your mother, but having me as a relative anchoring you to this world will give you a lot of help for your future. I don’t know how you’ve been dodging legal matters until now, but getting a real job that requires to know about your origins will be a nightmare for you. I have money, we look enough alike to make the claim believable, and I have a friend that can make us all the necessary paperwork to fool anyone who starts asking questions.”
Sunset had to take a moment to process all of that, so Sunshine clarified. “It is an offer. You can say no, and I will keep my distance and still help you deal with any legal troubles you may find in your future.”
Sunset sighed. “Before I give you an answer, I feel the need to ask you why you’re doing this.”
Sunshine chuckled. “Do I really need a reason to help basically myself?” She then added in a more serious tone; “Besides, I wouldn’t like to leave you dealing with such a complicated problem by yourself if I’ve the perfect way to solve it.”
Sunset put a hand on her forehead as her older not-self ordered the milkshakes, trying to finish processing all that was happening and the offer she had been given.
She would be lying if the prospect of a future career being denied due to her ties to Equestria hadn’t been a concern she had from time to time. And having a backup in case things went bad and she couldn’t afford her, for now, slightly not unstable way of living. She almost had a panic attack the first time she couldn’t pay the rent of her apartment and thought she would be kicked out to the streets. Something that she never shared with any of her friends in fear that they would also freak out about her situation.
“And her being rich is not a bad extra.” Sunset let out a heavy sigh. “Still, I’m not sure how comfortable having a ‘mother’ would be.” She looked at her older not-self, a cold feeling seizing her hearth. “I guess is time to ask about them.”
Sensing Sunset’s distress, Sunshine pulled up a hand. “There is one more question I would like to ask you.”
Sunset sighed. “Ok, what is it?”
Sunshine smiled with malice. “Besides me, what girl in your school do you find attractive?”
Sunset’s face immediately went completely red. “What?!”
“Is it Wallflower? The scientific Twilight? Rainbow? Please tell me is Rainbow.”
Sunset crossed her arms but couldn’t hide a small smile as she looked away. “I’m not answering that.”
Sunshine hit the table with her hand. “Come on girl! I’ve good money on this.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Really? And who would claim that price?”
Sunshine did a wave motion with her hand. “Just a trusted friend.”
Sunset put her hands together in front of her mouth to hide her grin. “A friend who you can make bets about your younger interdimensional clone? How close are you two?”
Sunshine smiled at Sunset’s wit. “Cheeky devil.”
“Say’s the one making bets about my love life. I don’t think you will be a good influence on me,” Sunset said jokingly.
“You’re already a rebel biker.”
“Can’t blame me for looking good in leather.”
“I actually came up with some designs based on your style. I would love to have you try them.”
Seeing Sunset laugh and be more relaxed, Sunshine decided to lessen her burden and answer the obvious question.
“My mother was the one that founded Sunward Destiny. I inherited it when I was mature enough to handle it, and survived my mother’s training.” Sunshine let out a puff of air. “She can be quite difficult to manage when it comes to influencing my future.”
“Sounds… rough…” Sunset said, not sure of how to act right now, with her feelings conflicted about if she should be happy or sad about what she was learning. “And dad?”
Sunshine raised a finger. “Robotic engineer and programmer, but his work never took off like mom’s did. She controlled basically all family matters and he just followed along and worked on his passion.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “They didn’t get along?”
Sunshine dismissed the notion with her hand. “Nah, they rarely argued, or at least they never did it in front of me. And hey, they are still married after almost fifty years.”
“Wait, they are alive?!” Sunset exclaimed, almost jumping out of her seat. “Where are they?”
Sunshine raised her hands. “Hey, calm down. They moved overseas after I took over the company.”
“And why aren’t you with them? How do you see each other?” Sunset asked almost accusatorily.
“They were the ones who wanted to move away. And…” Sunshine looked away, a bit of shame showing in her eyes. “I… kind of lost contact with them. We don’t speak to each other unless it’s some holiday or anniversary, and I haven’t visited them in some years.”
“How can you do that?! What if something happened to them and you didn’t know? Don’t you care about them?!” Sunset screamed furiously, inadvertently getting the attention of everyone in the café.
Sunshine stared a Sunset straight in the eyes. “I do care for them. But I have my own life to take care of. One can’t stay with their parents forever.”
Realizing she had angered her, Sunset sat back down. “I’m sorry, it’s just…” she put her hands over her face. “I don’t know.”
Sunshine’s glare softened. “Sunset, did your parents die in Equestria?”
“I was an orphan,” she confessed, putting her hands down. “I was adopted by the ruler of my… nation. I basically grew up as what you would consider medieval royalty. And then… well, I guess that wiki page already told you the story.”
Sunshine sighed. “I’m sorry for what happened to you. I shouldn’t have called myself your mother.”
Sunset shook her head. “No, I’m not mad about that. It’s just…” She struggled to find the words she wanted to say. “I… I never had a real family. Even with Celestia, I was just her pupil. I don’t know how it feels to have one.”
Sunset felt a lump rising in her throat. “I've only seen it from the outside with Applejack’s family or Pinkie’s.” She grabbed her hand tightly to hide that it was shaking. “I sometimes feel… envy. They just look so happy together. And even if I have my friends to support me, I know it feels different.”
Sunshine looked at Sunset struggling with her emotions, feeling how the empty space where family love should be was pulling at her heartstrings painfully.
She looked at the pendant hanging from Sunset’s neck, and had an idea.
“Would you like to know how it feels?” Sunshine asked, offering her hand to her younger not-self.
It took Sunset a few seconds to realize what her older not-self was offering, and felt her heart sink in her chest.
“Can I really…? Should I…?” she questioned herself as her hand slowly moved towards the open palm. “They are not really… but even if it’s just… I want to.”
She gripped Sunshine’s hand with desperation, her eyes turning white as she delved into the older woman’s mind before eventually letting go.
For Sunshine, it just took a few seconds.
For Sunset, it lasted years.
Years of family memories.
Of her mother teaching her to read, and her father kissing her wounds better when she got hurt.
She heard her mother singing to her with a beautiful voice when she felt sad, and her father’s advice when she started dating, including his support when she told him she was interested in girls.
She saw the silly fights they had when she started her rebellious phase, and heard the laughs they shared when they went on vacations together.
She rolled her eyes at her father’s horrible jokes, and at her mother’s worries when she went to college.
She saw the pride her mother felt for her when she finally inherited the company, and her father’s amazement each time she made a painting in her spare time.
And she also felt the heartbreak Sunshine experienced when they left, and felt horrible for questioning her love for them.
Because now she knew what having a family was.
“They love you,” Sunset said, tears running down her eyes. “They truly love you.”
Sunshine went over to give her a hug, and the teenager cried on her shoulder, sobbing and shaking.
“It’s okay Sunset. I’m sure that your parents loved you just as much,” the woman said as she stroked Sunset’s hair to calm her down.
“But why did they leave me behind? Would they be disappointed of what I did in Equestria? Disgusted of how I treated everyone in CHS? Would they be scared of me after what I turned into when I took the crown?” Sunset asked, her grip on Sunshine tightening as she cried and fell into despair.
“They would be fucking proud of you!” someone exclaimed behind them.
Sunset turned around and saw all of her friends standing in the center of the café, with Rainbow Dash at the front. “You’re a god damn hero Sunset, and they would be blind if they didn’t see it.”
Applejack took a step forward before talking. “You made mistakes, big and small, like we all do, but you earned everyone’s forgiveness. And you did it with your own will and efforts.”
“And you didn’t stop there,” Pinkie added, looking at Twilight and Wallflower.
The purple girl grabbed one of her arms tightly as she spoke. “Even if I wasn’t really myself at the time, you stopped me from committing an irreversible mistake. You saved me, and gave me a place with your friends so I could heal and feel better about myself.”
Wallflower couldn’t look at Sunset in the eyes, so her gaze turned towards the floor. “When I took everything from you, and then tried to erase your friend’s memories. You had every right to hate me… But you didn’t do that. I hurt you more than any other before, and you still wanted to be my friend. To make me feel better about myself. Even if I feel like I don’t deserve it, you keep trying to make me smile. Because that’s just who you are.”
Wallflower finally looked at her in the eyes. “A wonderful person that does amazing things for others.”
Sunset looked at each of her friends through her tears, and at that moment, those same feelings of caring that Sunshine’s family gave her where being shown in each of their eyes.
“You know,” the woman said with a smile. “I may have parents, but you have more friends than I ever had in all my life. You may not have realized it until now, but these girls are your family.” Sunshine gave Sunset a gentle push, making her stand up from the seat and take a few steps towards her friends.
Fluttershy caught her in a warm hug, and one by one, all her friends joined in, giving her all the love she had missed growing up.
Sunset continued crying, but now she knew that as long as her friends were around, she would always be cared for.
Sunshine stood up, sending Steer a message to pick her up. “You can think about my proposal and give me an answer when you feel ready,” she said before walking towards the door, grabbing her milkshake from the waitress that had been standing behind the girls to not interrupt.
“Sunset, may I ask you who that woman was?” Rarity asked as they saw her leave with a smile, as confused as the rest of her friends.
Sunset dried some of her tears and pulled out a black card from her pocket before handing it to her. “She is the owner of a little business.”
Rarity looked at the golden words in the card.
Her pupils shrank, she let out a high pitch squee, and fainted.
