Chapters Where no Sunset has been before
Sunset Shimmer opens her eyes and sees she was in what looks like a bedroom, she brings her hand to her face and rubs her eyes while tries to remember how she ended here and where here is.
"I see you are awake. That is a grateful surprise."
She then jumps off the bed and quickly looks to where that voice was coming and sees a white alicorn, with a fire-like mane at the door.
"Princess Celestia?"
"Oh no, I'm not her. I'm not Daybreaker neither."
'This voice...' Sunset knows that voice for sure, but she can't remember where she had listened, and the fact that her head was spinning because she jumped off the bed wasn't helping.
"And who are you, then?"
"Who we are, Sunset?
"What you mean by 'who we are?', I'm Sunset Shimmer."
"So as I"
The alicorn point to her left flank with a wing and Sunset sees her cutie mark.
"You are me?"
"Yes, but not quite. Yes, I am a Sunset Shimmer just like you, but we are from different timelines, realities, universes, or whatever you like to call it."
Sunset Shimmer (the human one) makes circles on her temples with her index fingers.
"Okay, everything at their time. Where I am and how I arrived here?"
"First, you are on the citadel, a safe place where no one wants to harm you. Second, we found you on an escape pod of a spaceship that crashed not far from here."
"A spaceship?"
A torrent of images and memories flow on Sunset's head: Her friends not remembering of Equestria, the shipbuilding, her mission..."
"I was... searching for Equestria" she then suddenly turns and puts her hands on the alicorn shoulders, with concern on her eyes.
"Wheres Dawn? please say that she's safe."
The alicorn lowers her eyes and Sunset knows that's something wrong.
"Come with me." she said walking in direction of the door.
Sunset follows the alicorn and less than two minutes later they arrive in another room.
Alicorn Sunset opens the door and inside the room, there are four ponies around the bed, three of them Sunset recognized immediately, a filly Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer, and a unicorn Twilight Sparkle. What Sunset saw in the bed made her mouth agape: a young human girl, both their legs and left arm are missing, her thorax and abdomen skin was almost entirely burned along with the left side of her face.
"Hours ago, we heard a loud crashing sound, like something big was falling on the ground from the sky. When we arrived there, she was at your escape pod side."
Sunset touches the girl's face and kisses her forehead.
"She was unconscious, we brought her to the citadel and cleaned her injuries, unfortunately, we aren't prepared to treat a human, so will take a long time to grow her limbs again."
Sunset walks in the door room direction without saying anything, once in the corridor, she tries focusing to teleport but is worthless as she doesn't know where she is and where her ship is.
"Hum, excuse-me."
She looks to her right side and sees a little unicorn.
"Hi, little one," she then knells and starts to play with the unicorn's mane, "you are Sunset Shimmer too, I suppose."
"Yes, but you can call me Sunrise. Daydream send me to see if you want anything."
"Daydream, hum? Well, considering that exists more than one Sunset here, makes sense you guys pick different names."
Sunset so realizes the strangeness in this situation, she is kind of petting herself or almost that.
"Sorry," she said lifting "You are so cute that I couldn't help and started to pet you like a puppy. Sorry."
"Don't worry, It's nice to be petted sometimes. See, no harm is done."
"So, Sunrise, say to Daydream that I'm fine, I just go to where my spaceship crashed and will be back in no time."
"I don't recommend that."
Sunset turns her head and sees an earth pony leaving Dawn's room.
"I know everypony in that room, except for you."
"My name is Crystal Quartz, is always a pleasure to meet you Sunset."
"Crystal was the one who builds this place."
"Nice to meet you Crystal, but I'm out of time and I have to save my daughter, so if you would be kind to lead me to where my ship is, I'll be grateful."
"Sunset, you aren't in the condition to go outside, not yet. Dawn is stable and in a few days, maybe even tomorrow, you will be recovered enough to goes to your ship crashing site, so just for now I pledge, go back to your room."
"My daughter is unconscious in that room, with her legs and an arm missing, I don't give a fuck about how bad is my condition, I'll go to that damn ship, get medical supplies and heal her, and if any of you dare to stop me, will see how hard I can punch your faces."
Crystal shakes her head slowly and Sunset sees a smile on her face.
"Damn Sunset, not even the multiverse can change your attitude, you are as stubborn as the other Sunsets. I think I like it, some Constance in our chaotic multiverse. Sunrise?"
"Yes, Crystal?"
"Please escort Sunset to her ship, take Nova and Starlight with you."
"As you wish, Crystal."
The filly goes to Dawn's room, leaving Sunset and Crystal in the hall.
"So, what exactly is this place? I recall setting the ship coordinates to Equus Prime."
"Well, technically we are on what you called 'Equus Prime', but we aren't either."
"What are you saying?"
"We are ready, Crystal."
Sunset and Crystal turn their heads and Sunrise, Nova and Starlight are behind them."
"I think our conversation will have to wait. See you later, Sunset."
Crystal goes back to Dawn's room and the others start to moving and Sunset followed them.
"Your name is Nova, right?"
"Yes, but you probably know me, or at least some version of me, by Twilight. Nice to meet you Sunset."
"Sort of. One of the Twilights I know is an alicorn and the other is a unicorn, like you."
"So there's an alicorn Twilight out there, interesting."
"I don't want to be rude, but what are you, exactly?"
Sunset look back and saw a confused expression on Starlight's face.
"I guess you never crossed the mirror, right?"
"What mirror?"
"Nevermind, I explain later. Answering your question, Starlight, I'm a human. I was born a unicorn but spent most of my life in this form."
"Okay, I guess."
They step outside the building and Sunset gets a view of where she was. the sky is blue, with occasional clouds, the building wave two floors, and is set in the middle of a grass field with a lake and a lot of trees that form little orchards. Looking around, she notices two things: one, there's no one out there, and two, there's a fence approximately one mile ahead.
They walk for some minutes, enjoying the warmness of the sun. This weather makes Sunset think about the spring days on Applejack's farm, when she and her friends helped the Apples with the harvest or just sat there, talking about the future.
"This place is... so peaceful."
"It is. unfortunately, out of the gates, the world is different."
Sunset felt sadness in Nova's voice.
"What you mean?"
"You will discover soon."
Where no Sunset has been before
Everything stays, but still changes
Back in the citadel, Sunset installs the crib on Dawn's room, and Nova gently put the girl inside the machine. The cover closes and a series of lights run over Dawn's body while all her injuries are listed on the crib's panel.
Scan complete. Initializing repairs. Estimated time remain: 21:00 hours.
"We have almost one day. If you don't mind, I will have some sleep, and" she looks to her watch and sees that is past 11 pm "we can talk in maybe six hours?"
"All right, girls," said Daydream "Let's allow our guest to have some rest. See you in the morning, Sunset."
The next morning, Sunset walks into the building cafeteria and Nova and the others are sad on a table, waiting for her.
So which one of you will tell your story first?
Daydream was the first to speak "I'll, if none of you mind."
Sunrise, Nova, and Starlight nod and she continues.
"I guess your and my story have somethings in common. I was princess Celestia's prized pupil once, but it wasn't enough for me, I thought that was my right to be a princess at her side, and when she said that I wasn't ready, that I had a lot to learn before she could think of making me a princess. I ran away, came to another world, made everyone life's miserable until one day the portal opened again and I stole Twilight's crown. She and her friends defeated me, I apologized to all school and started a new life. Sometime later, I finally meet princess Celestia to say that I was sorry and beg her to pardon, she forgive-me and tells me that she was my mother..."
"Wait a minute, you are princess Celestia's daughter?"
"I suppose in your universe, we aren't related, right?"
"No, I never meet my parents, she was more like a surrogate mother to me. But continue, I want to hear the rest of your story."
"We had a little fight, but in the end I forgave her, and we stay close for two wonderful years."
Sunset noticed sadness on Daydream's voice "Why only two years? What happened?"
"King Sombra happened. He returned with an umbrum army and declared war against Equestria. I fought along with my equestrian friends and her, but when she thought Sombra will surrender, he stuck a crystal blade in her heart, and without the crystal heart magic she quickly died. I was angry, so much angry that I absorbed an absurd amount of the Sun's energy that the ground around me melted and lightenings start to grow from my body. I'm not proud of it but I killed him, burning him until not even ashes remained. After that, aunt Luna and my sister tried to make me the next sun princess, they said that was my right as Celestia's daughter, but I said no, Equestria was not my home anymore, and I don't deserve to be a princess, not after letting my mother die."
A few tears forms on Daydream's eyes and she wipes before continue.
"I returned home, and for the next decades, I lived a happy life with Pinkie and our kids, Celestia and Igneous. I was almost forty years old when we noticed that I wasn't aging, probably because I was half alicorn and even without living in Equestria, it stills affected me and I would outlive my friends. In the March of 2091, Pinkie passed away, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Rarity, and Twilight was passed away some years before, leaving just me and AJ in the end. Was spring of 2094 and I was there when her eyes closed for the last time. In October of 2111, my son Igneous died at age of 86 years, and my daughter Celestia dies two years later, at age of 87 years. Only my grandkids remain, but I couldn't see my loved ones die again while I stay behind, unable to meet them again in the afterlife. I tried but I couldn't die, so I go back to Equestria, to live with the only person or pony that could know how I felt, my sister."
"I wrote a letter and crossed the portal one last time, but instead of the castle, the portal took me to a completely different place: was like a room with no walls, completely white, so a voice that I don't hear in more than a century talks to me, was my mother, she waited for me and give me her final gift before goes to the afterlife: I became an alicorn! After that, I and Twilight ruled Equestria together for almost seven hundred years but one day I was in the throne room with her and felt strange energy, is like was trying to separate all my being, my vision goes dark and I passed out. I don't know how much time passed, minutes, hours, days, but when I wake up there was just debris where the Canterlot castle used to stay, I fly for all Equestria searching for some clue, somepony, but found nothing, was like everything was erased but me. When I landed in Ponyville, I saw a rock gate and felt like it was calling me, so I crossed and I was on the citadel."
When she finished, Daydream's eyes are full of tears and Sunset felt really sorry for her and give her a hug, she never imagined Daydream had suffered that much.
"Is my turn, I guess." Nova take a breath and began to talk. "I was princess Celestia prized pupil, but like you and Daydream, that wasn't enough to me. One day, she takes me to a room in her personal library and showed me a mirror, and asked what I was seeing, I said 'a beautiful pony, that has not but power and potential.', I saw myself as an alicorn, be a princess was my future but then, she never talks about the mirror with me again, always saying that I wasn't ready yet."
"One night, I sneaky entered her library to learn about the mirror but she caught me and the guards were escorting me out of the castle when I take them down and run through the mirror. thirty moons later, I was back to Equestria and heard that the princess had a new pupil: Sunset Shimmer and that she and her friends were the guardians of harmony, bearer of the elements. She was in the castle for her coronation and I saw a perfect chance to my revenge. I knew the Canterlot Castle as the back of my hoof so was easy to get in Sunset's room and stole her crown, but I stomped on the tail of her dragon assistant, and the crown falls off my saddlebag. I run and jump in the mirror and Sunset came after me."
"In just two days, Sunset united all the school again and was crowned as the princess of spring ball. We fight, I stole her crown again, turned myself into a raging she-demon, almost killed her, but she and her friends awakened the magic of the elements of harmony and I was hit with a rainbow laser and could see every mistake that I make, I felt like every cell of my body was being incinerated and I passed out with the pain. When I wake up, I was on a bed in the school infirmary, I tried to move but couldn't feel my legs or arms, so I rolled out and fall hitting the ground with my face, I stayed there for some minutes crying until she and nurse Redheart come back, when I see her, I was terrified and began to craw far from her. She so stayed on her knees and slowly approached me and when I reach the wall, she embraced me and said: 'I'm so sorry, Was never my intention to hurt you, I'm sorry.' I cried for some moments more before was able to say anything and she continued hugging me. When I recomposed myself, I apologized for all that I did wrong and she forgave-me wiped my tears and looking into my eyes said: 'You can come back to Equestria with me, or you can stay here and try to make things right, whatever choice you do, I'll stay at your side, supporting you.' I..."
Before Nova could finish her story, there was a flash and she, Daydream, and Sunrise was hurled against one of the cafeteria walls and pinned there with magic.
"Where are my mother? What you did to her?"
Dawn was in the cafeteria center and they could see a greenish halo around her, and where her left hand was supposed to be was something that resembled a cannon with a bright red light pulsating.
"You have three seconds to respond."
"I'm here, Dawn, lower your hands"
She looks to her right and sees Sunset walking in her direction. The ponies fall to the ground and Dawn embraces Sunset.
"I wake inside the crib and couldn't feel you, I felt two energies similar to yours and teleported to here.
"It's ok. See? I'm alive, just a little weak, that's why you couldn't sense me."
"I'm so happy, you're alive, I don't fail." Dawn smiles and then passes out.
View Online
Where no Sunset has been before
A pony enters a bar at the end of the multiverse...
Dawn opened her eyes and sees that she was on the bed and her mother was sat on a chair at the bed's side.
"Mom?"
"Yes, sweetie?" Said Sunset standing up and sitting near Dawn on the bed.
"Where we are?"
"We crashed on Equus prime's surface. Now we are on the citadel, the only place remaining of Equestria."
Dawn sit pushes the covers and looks at her legs and left arm.
"We almost die."
"Yes, you were really close to death when the girls found you outside the citadel limits. Fortunately, they could stabilize you and helped me get the crib to heal you."
"My mind is confused, I can't remember all that happened, just some flashes."
"It's fine, I can't remember all neither. I guess HAL is coming in a few hours and he can show you what happened before we crashed. Now, how about we have some lunch? the cafeteria isn't far from here."
"Yeah, I'm really hungry."
They left the room and two minutes later arrive in the cafeteria. Looking around, Dawn sees a couple of ponies, but only two catch her attention: a unicorn that probably looks like her mother in her pony form and what appears to be a metallic pony. The two grab their plates and began putting her food when Dawn points to the table.
"Who are they?"
"The purple one is Nova, the Lavender one is Starlight, that adorable little yellow unicorn is Sunrise, that gray mare is Crystal, and I don't know that metallic one."
"His name is Steve. He helps me since even before the citadel was built."
"Dawn, meet Crystal."
"Is good to see you awake, Dawn."
"Nice to meet you, Crystal."
They walk and sit along with the others.
"So, Crystal, what and where the citadel really is?" Asked Sunset.
"The citadel is all that remains of my original universe. Eons ago, I was just a pony, a witch to be more precise, and one night I began to have nightmares about the world ending. That time I was specializing in interdimensional travel, sure, all was purely hypothetical and my colleagues don't really think that I will have any success, but I felt that making a place outside the continuum time-space, a place that could exist across the realities even if the world disappears was the only way to save my loved ones so I started to work."
"It took almost 20 years of work and research but I finally was able to build this place. I activated all the spells and was about to show the citadel to my friends when felt some kind of energy hitting me, my vision goes blurry and the last thing I can remember is Steve carrying me across the gates. I woke two days later and couldn't open the gates so I go to the citadel's hub to investigate the surroundings and discovered that nothing more existed outside the citadel. My world, my family, my friends disappeared, was like the entire universe has never existed."
"For centuries, was just me and Steve until one day an alarm sounded, the citadel found and make contact with another world. Steve and I made the preparations to cross the gates and explore that new world, but when I stepped out of the citadel, the barrier, the extasis field that separates the citadel from the multiverse started to pulling me so hard that I felt like my body is being torn apart. When I saw that I couldn't go outside but Steve could easily cross the gates anytime he wants, I understood that I was a prisoner here."
"Wait, you said that for centuries was just you and Steve. How old are you?"
"I'm 4,391 years old, Dawn. I mean, counting by years here. Outside the citadel, time flows at a different pace, so I certainly am older than any of your universes."
"But it is impossible, you are not..."
"I am not an alicorn? No, I'm not, they don't exist in my universe but yes, I'm that old, Dawn, wherever for some reason, I simply can't die. I guess you know that feeling, Sunset."
"What? How do you know?"
"I felt sadness in you, the same kind of sadness that I felt when realize that I lost everything. Everypony here lost something, most of us lost her world but some of us lost something different."
"After realizing that I never would be able to get out, Steve and I decided that he would go through the gates from time to time to collect samples of soil and some specimens of plants and animals. We did it every time the citadel made contact with a new world."
"So, this place is basically a multiversal ark?" asked Sunset.
"Basically, yes. But one day something new happened. About three years ago, Steve and I are walking to the gardens when we spot something not far from the gates."
"Was me." Said Daydream.
"Yes. We saw a pony laying on the grass, that never happened before, no pony has ever crossed the gates, we thought that only Steve could go in and out the gates."
"I woke a day later and saw Crystal sat near my bed. I told her my story and we agreed that this couldn't be a mere coincidence. The day after, I and Steve go outside the gates and I was back to what remained of my world. We explored and Steve confirmed that this world isn't documented yet. After we returned, Crystal and I discuss all the information that she reunited, and then she showed me the citadel's hub, and I must say, was the most impressive thing I ever saw. The hub acts as a center of command to the citadel, allowing Crystal to see any of the worlds that the citadel once made contact with. Somehow, when my world was destroyed, the citadel sensed and found me, giving me a safe place to stay."
"One question, Crystal."
"Yes, Sunset?"
"The citadel, it goes wherever you set or it goes wherever she wants?"
"Usually we can move to wherever place we go, but sometimes, like in Daydream's case, the citadel moves itself."
"It's a TARDIS or almost that." said Sunset in conclusion.
"Let me get this straight, this 'citadel' exists outside the universe, is it?"
"Yes, Dawn."
"But also exists in any possible Equestria."
"Yes, again."
"Mom, I think is like more that cartoon we used to watch on earth, about an old man and his grandson who travel across dimensions."
"I have no idea about what are you two talking about, but, yes? I guess." answered Crystal clearly confused.
"All of us come here the same way. I get here about one year after Daydream." said Nova.
"Two weeks after Daydream." Said Starlight.
"I came five weeks ago." said Sunrise, "but unlike any of you, I remember nothing about my life before I was here. All I can recall is that my name is Sunset Shimmer."
"Wait, you have no memories of your life?" Asked Sunset
"No. One day I just appeared inside the citadel and the girls adopted me. They tried to find my world but all the citadel's analysis was inconclusive and every time I cross the gates alone I simply appear back on the citadel while the others go to their original world."
"Sunrise is a mystery, she can cross the gates but can't go home, is like the citadel was her homeworld. And different from any of the girls, you and Dawn included, the citadel has not connected with any world before Sunrise arrived, so we have no clue about where she came from." Crystal explained.
Before they could go any further in Sunrise's story, an alarm sounded.
"I don't recognize this alarm."
"I don't expect you do, Daydream. The citadel is under attack." Said Crystal worried.
View Online
Where no Sunset has been before
Your drill is the drill that will pierce the Heavens!
"Attacked?" asked Daydream worried, "how is that possible? We are out of the continuum time-space, out of the universe!"
They go to the citadel hub to try to see who is attacking, but before they could reach the hub, an ethereal voice sounded.
"Invasion into the citadel's perimeter. Invasion into the citadel's perimeter."
Crystal looked to Sunset.
"Down the corridor, third door on the left there's a bunker. Take Dawn and Sunrise with you. I and the girls will get this."
"You can't be serious." Said, Dawn.
"Capitan, are you hearing me?" Said a voice coming out of Sunset's watch.
"It's HAL." she touches her watch, "Loud and clear, HAL, proceed."
"The ship's repairs are done, I tracked your signal to a stone gate that appears to be a portal to somewhere outside Equus prime."
"Keep position, we will be there in a minute."
Leaving the citadel's building, they see the gate open, with some type of energy surrounding it. Getting closer they could see a figure standing outside the gate that Sunset and Dawn recognized as one of the Harmony One exo suits.
"HAL presenting to service, captain."
"Is nice to see you HAL, but why are you in one of the exos?"
"I tracked your signal to this location, but your residual signature somehow disappeared near that gate, so I loaded myself in this exosuit to investigate."
"You could have sent the drones."
"Yes, but they don't have countermeasures of combat, so I thought that having a body would help if you or Dawn was hurt."
"This thing is your ship?"
"Yes, Starlight, is the good and old HAL."
They walk and meet HAL near the gate.
"Why in Celestia's name you attacked us?"
HAL looks at the mare, her frame is similar to the alicorn images he has in his memories, and she is somewhere familiar but he has no idea who she is.
"I beg pardon, I think we don't know each other."
"Her name is Daydream, she's a Sunset Shimmer from an alternate universe."
"And I thought you were unique across the multiverse, captain."
"You didn't answer the question, why you attacked us?" Daydream asked lighting her horn.
"I wasn't attacking, was more like forcing the door."
"You tore a hole in the reality, this is completely different from just forcing the door."
"If I remember, your name is Starlight, right? Well, as you can recall, the captain ordered me to follow her signal as soon as the Harmony One is able to fly again, and so I did, but her signal disappeared near that gate so I used the Harmony One sensors to search and found a weak trace of her signal coming from here."
"So you started to hammer the gate."
"Sort of. I reconfigured the Harmony One warp drive to act as an interdimensional drill, and guided by the sensors, opened a way to find captain Sunset."
"How in Equestria this is even possible? Warp drivers were just theoretical when I left earth."
"I can explain, Nova." Sunset began to talk "As you know, the equations that rule the warp drive already existed, so was just a matter to build a computer powerful enough to understand how to navigate in a five-dimensional space and project the motors. I along with Twilight and a group of scientists projected a quantic computer equipped with an AI to build the motors and guide the spaceship."
"And that was me, HAL 9000"
"Oh, boy."
"I know what are you thinking, Nova, but you don't need to worry, HAL is harmless. Mom just thought that would be funny if she named the Harmony One's AI like that killer computer from a space odyssey."
"Now that I know you and Dawn are fine, what are your orders, captain?"
"We still recovering from our 'forced landing', so we will stay here for a while. Some days, maybe."
"If you don't mind, I gonna stay with you. I'm still adapting to this new body, and I want to analyze this place."
"So, girls, HAL can stay here with us?"
"As long he closes the gate, I see no problem." Said Crystal.
"As you wish, ma'am"
With a flash, the gate closed again.
While they walk back to the citadel's center, a question doesn't leave Sunrise's mind.
"Hum, Dawn?"
"Yes, Sunrise?"
"How you changed your arm on that thing yesterday?"
"I would ask you the same, but you know, HAL happened." Said Nova.
"Yeah, I remember setting the crib to reconstruct your lost limbs, not upgrade them."
Dawn stops and looks at her left arm, which looks like a totally normal arm now.
"I dunno, but even before I woke, I felt a need to protect you, mom, and when I came to my senses, I was on the cafeteria point that cannon to the girls."
"When a serious injury is detected, the nanobots from the crib try to repair all the damage. I'm just supposing that you had some brain damage caused by the accident, Dawn, so my guess is: When the nanobots repaired your brain, you were able to communicate with them in a deep and unconscious level, so to respond to your need to protect, they adapted their programming to make you able to control them."
The girls look to HAL, and Sunset bites her left thumb's nail thinking.
"It makes a lot of sense, HAL, even if I haven't programmed the crib that way. They are supposed to only rebuild organic tissues, like muscles, nerves, and so go on."
"And I thought I was already weird enough."
Dawn points her left arm to the ground and it turns into a cannon again, and back to a normal arm.
"But I have to admit, this is really cool."
Sunset saw a mischievous smile on her daughter's face "I know this face, and no, you can't practice your aim."
"But mom, now I have a cannon arm, with makes me even badass than you. And you owe me, you know, I left my life on earth to follow you to space. Not to mention I saved your life."
Sunset takes a deep breath "Dawn, honey, the sun of my days, we are guests here..."
"But mommy."
Dawn make her best puppy eyes, and Sunset knew that she lost that battle.
"I'll think about it, ok. Now can we please go inside, I need a triple-triple expresso."
A little later, HAL is on the citadel's lake border, feeding the fish when hears a voice.
"Excuse me, Mr. HAL."
“Hello, Sunrise. How can I help you?"
"I am confused. Sunset said that you were the ship's computer, but the ship is outside the gate and you are here, how is that possible? ”
Hal throws the rest of the food into the lake and pats his hands lightly to remove the remaining crumbs. He gets up and starts walking, "Come, let's sit under that tree and I'll explain everything," he says, pointing to an oak tree a few meters away.
"Do you know what a computer is, Sunrise?"
"No, or at least I don't know if I know."
“I figured you didn't know. Well, a computer is basically a machine that you can program to do some kind of function, such as solving mathematical problems, however, classic computers are stupid, so to speak, since they cannot answer something that they have not been taught. "
“In my case, I am the next evolutionary step, an artificial intelligence, built to think and consequently find solutions without having to be programmed with every possible answer to every question imaginable. I, like many others of my kind, was created with the ability to learn."
Hal notices the confusion in Sunrise's gaze and thinks that he may not be making himself understood.
"So you are just like Steve, Crystal's assistant?"
"Steve?"
“Yes, he is a mechanical unicorn that Crystal built to help her look after this place. I always thought that only real unicorns could use magic, but she explained to me it was built to channel the magical energy present in the world. ”
“This Steve seems very interesting to me, I would like to talk to him anytime. Well, from what you said to me, yes, I am somewhat like Steve, the difference is that he was made with magic, while I am the result of technology. ”
“You still haven't explained how you can be on the ship and be here with this body that has a shape similar to Sunset and Dawn. Steve cannot change his shape. ”
"Right. Think of me as a thought, a ghost. I don't have a physical body, I mean, technically the Harmony One is my body, but we can exist separately. What I did to be able to walk among you, since my other body wouldn't pass through the gate, was to enter another smaller one, most appropriate."
"So who's on the ship?"
“I, or rather, a copy of myself. The fact that I don't have a physical body allows me to be in more than one place at the same time. ”
"Hello Sunrise, HAL isn't bothering you, is he?"
Sunrise and HAL turn towards the voice and see Sunset and Dawn approaches.
"No Sunset, in fact, he is explaining to me how he can be the ship and be here at the same time."
"Interesting. And what that tin head has told you so far?” said Dawn as she sat next to Hal and pushed him with a slight smile.
"He told me to think of him as a ghost, something that can be in more than one body at the same time."
"You have no way with children at all" commented Dawn
"HAL has never interacted with any children before, Sunrise, I apologize if he underestimated your intelligence."
"I would never underestimate Sunrise's intelligence, she's a really clever filly. Even with almost no information, she was able to understand what I'm."
"Mr. HAL said that he is like Steve, an artificial being."
"I'm not artificial, I'm alive."
They look to the sound source and sees Steve approaching.
"Hi Steve, is nice to finally talk with you."
"Is nice to talk with you too, Sunset Shimmer. Lunch is ready."
He turns and walks to the Grayvale building (earlier that morning, Sunset discovered that Crystal named that building after her lost city), followed by Sunset and the others.
After lunch, they are sat when Sunrise asks.
"So, what is your story, Sunset?"
"Yeah, we already tell you ours, so it's your turn." completed Starlight
"Alright. Everything began thirty years ago..."
Where no Sunset has been before
Earth, canterlot City, thirty years ago.
Sunset woke and saw that she was on what she supposed to be a hospital bed. The last thing she remembers is that she was walking through the school corridors when felt suddenly dizzy and her vision goes blurry. She sits and saw Trixie sleeping on a chair in one of the room's corners.
"Hey, Trix? Trixie?"
Trixie rubbed her eyes
"Hey, you're awake."
"Yeah. How that hell I got here?"
"You passed out on the school, and when nurse Redheart can't wake you, principal Luna called an ambulance."
"I'm better to go back, I don't wanna worry anyone."
Sunset saw a worried look on Trixie's face.
"What's wrong? How long I'm here?"
"Is Sunday, Sunset. You were unconscious for almost three days."
"What? three days!!!"
"Yes. After they bring you here, the doctors examined you and said that your vitals are normal, but you didn't respond to stimulus, so, I, the principals, and the girls are taking turns to be with you since Thursday. Principal Celestia left some hours ago."
"Why on earth I was unconscious for three days?"
"We don't know, but I'm so glad that you finally woke!" Trixie wasn't even trying to hide her excitement when started to run out the door.
"Stay here, I'll call the doctor to see you."
"Don't worry, I can barely feel my legs, so I won't run away. And, Trix?"
"Yes?"
"Could you please call the girls and say that I woke?"
"Sure, Sunset."
Trixie leaves the room, and in the meantime, Sunset's body started to wake as well. She sits and move her legs
"Hey guys, you finally woke."
Less than five minutes later, Trixie returned with the doctor and they find Sunset standing next to the window
"Miss Shimmer, you are supposed to stay on the bed."
"Sup, doc! Don't worry, I'm feeling pretty well."
"Well, I have to ask you to sit on your bed, so I could exam you."
Minutes later, the doctor finishes examining Sunset and makes some notes in her chart.
"Apparently, you are totally fine, miss Shimmer. But we can't find what caused you to pass out, so I'll put you in observation for the rest of the day and if you stay stable, I'll let you leave the hospital in the morning."
"Thanks, doc."
"I'll call principal Celestia and let her know that you're awake."
The next morning, Sunset is in principal Celestia's car, on her way home.
"Thanks again."
"You don't have to thank me, Sunset is my duty assures that you're fine. I just wanna know what caused you to pass out. Are you following the diet that the nutritionist gave to you? are you sleeping well?"
"Yeah, 'mommy', I'm doing everything right."
"I see that your sense of humor is intact, so I guess you are fully recovered."
"I guess so."
"Anyway, since we don't know what happened, I'll spend some days with you."
"You have to be kidding."
"Sunset, no one passes out without a reason."
"I'm totally fine"
"You were unconscious for three days, have you any idea about how worried I was?"
"Yeah, but I'm fine now, I don't need a babysitter."
"I care about you, Sunset..."
"I know, but you heard the doctor, I'm fine now."
"You didn't respond to any stimulation..."
"I'm fine..."
"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, SUNSET!"
Sunset stopped talking, the director had never cursed or yelled at her, not even when she was still the old Sunset. She looked at Celestia and saw the princess yelling at her just before she crossed the portal. For the first time, she felt afraid of the principal, something that she thought Celestia would never make her feel.
Celestia stopped the car and looked at Sunset, her daughter in all but blood, a girl that she loves more than herself, the same lost girl that less than two years ago she promised to protect, and saw a scared look in their eyes, which makes Celestia felt like the worst person in the world.
"I'm sorry, Sunset, I'm so sorry for shouting at you. You hadn't done anything wrong, and even so, I shouted at you and I beg your pardon for this. I was so worried about you, I thought that I will lose you, that you would never wake."
Sunset doesn't need her geode to read Celestia's emotions, the principal was scared too, even more than her. She gently grabbed Celestia's hand between hers and smiled.
"I'm fine, mom. Sorry for making you worry."
Celestia opened her seatbelt and so did Sunset and they hugged.
"I was so scared, I thought that I would lose you."
"I'm here, and I'll never leave you."
In Sunset's apartment, Celestia goes to the kitchen to make something for lunch, while Sunset goes to her room. She grabs her journal and sees that there were no new messages from princess Twilight, she stranges a bit, but having no messages from her friend isn't something new, so she changed her clothes and goes to the living room to play Tirek's Revenge.
After lunch, Celestia goes to the market, leaving Sunset alone for some hours, she then turns on the tv and was about to click the AV button on the remote when a report on TV showing images of a familiar van catches her attention.
... the girls, who were unconscious for the last days after the accident at the intersection of 7th Avenue and the Cristal Highway, woked today and according to the PR from Crystal Bay's Hospital, could go home tomorrow...
"The Dazzlings?"
She quickly grabs her phone and searches their names, finding a report at Canterlot Press, of the day before.
Last Thursday, a van lost control and hit a street lamp at the intersection of 7th Avenue and the Cristal Highway. The occupants of the vehicle, identified as Aria Blaze, Sonata Dusk, and Adagio Dazzle, suffered no major injuries, however, they remain unconscious since the accident...
"This can't be a coincidence. I guess Equestrian magic caused the sirens and I to pass out without reason."
The next morning, she goes to the Crystal Bay Hospital, to try to talk with the Dazzlings, but before she could enter, she saw they sat not far from the main entrance.
"Hey"
She waved to them but Adagio stand up and began to walk, followed by Aria and Sonata. She ran and the girls hearing someone running looked back and stop.
"What do you want, Shimmer?" Asked Adagio with a sour voice.
"I just wanna talk with you, guys. Only that."
"And who said we wanna talk with you?"
"Aria is right. What gives you the idea that we have anything to talk with you?"
"Actually, I wanna talk with her."
"Agh, shut up, Sonata."
"Hey, this was mean! Why do you have to be so mean to me, Aria?"
"We are evil! how could you forget that!"
"Yeah, but it doesn't mean that you have to be mean with me all the time."
"If you aren't so stupid, maybe I could be nice to you"
"You are the stupidest!"
"Girls, could you please, SHUT YOUR MOUTHS!"
They both stop arguing.
“Sorry, Dagi.” Said Sonata looking to the ground and pulling her jacket’s left sleeve.
Adagio takes a breath and exhales.
“It’s ok, I’m not mad with you Sonata. Just be quiet for a while, okay?”
“kay.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Said Aria pulling out her phone.
“So, Sunset, what do you wanna talk about? We don’t have all day.”
"Your accident. I heard that you three were unconscious for some days after that."
"And..." said Adagio gesturing with her hand to Sunset continue
"Have you passed out before the accident?"
"I was driving when suddenly my vision goes blurry and my head started spinning. The next thing I remember was waking in the hospital. But why are you asking?"
"And you girls, the same happened to you too?"
"I was on Adagio's side when everything goes black all of sudden." replied Aria without getting her eyes out the phone.
"I was playing on my DS and the last thing I recall is that I felt dizzy and then, we were in hospital yesterday."
"It can't be a coincidence. About the same time as your accident, I passed out on the school, and stayed unconscious for almost three days."
"What are you trying to say, Shimmer?"
"Adagio, I think that whatever happened to us was caused by Equestrian magic."
"And that is our problem, because...?" said Aria annoyed
"Only us, former creatures of Equestria, were affected Aria. I'm afraid that somewhat this world is reacting to us, to our magic."
"Ha, very funny Sunset, but have you forgotten that you and your stupid friends crashed our gems? Maybe you don't know, but without them, we don't have our magic anymore! Thank you, miss Sunshine!"
"Aria is right. We are just ordinary girls thanks to you Sunset."
"And we don't have our car now, too." pointed Sonata
"Could I ask you a personal question?"
"Could you just go fuck yourself and leave us alone, Sunset?"
Sunset decided to ignore Aria's comment.
"Are you living on that van since the battle of the bands?"
"Why are you so interested now, Sunset? Why you don't just go and leave us alone? Yes, we are homeless, are you happy now?"
"I'm sorry."
"You what?"
Aria stepped forwards Adagio, grabbed Sunset's jacket, pulled the former unicorn closer, and raised her right fist.
"Listen here, Sunset, we don't need your pity. We were perfectly good before you appeared, before you and your friends take away everything for us. Even back in Equestria It always was just us three against the world, we don't need you to pretend that you give a shit about us after what you did."
"I'm really sorry, Aria. If punching my face will make you feel a little better, go on, I won't resist."
Aria hesitates, and before she could decide, she felt a hand around her wrist.
"It's, enough." Adagio gently lowers Aria's right hand.
"Whatever, it wouldn't be fun if she didn't fight back." replied Aria, releasing Sunset and sitting on the sidewalk.
"So... what are you propose, Sunset? Buy a new van for us? Or maybe an apartment?"
"You can stay with me, at least until you are able to find your own place."
"Hum, living under the same roof that my enemy. Sounds delightful." pondered Adagio biting the tip of her right index finger with a mischievous smile on the lips
"You can't be serious Adagio, are you really considering it?"
"Have you a better idea? No? That was what I taught. See for this angle: What better way to make her pay for all that we lost than being her roommates?"
"I would like to have a bed again." completed Sonata
"See, we have two yes and one no, so we will live with Sunset. You just don't love democracy?"
"Fine, I go too. But just to you know, Sunset, I still hate you."
"Fair enough."
"Mom, I'm home"
"Wait, you live with your mom?" Aria asked shocked.
"Actually, she is living with me for a while."
"Let me guess, you took this world Sunset's place and was living her life, lying to her mother. Wow, you're really rotten to the core, Sunset."
"There's no this world's Sunset, Adagio, just me." she replied rolling her eyes
"So, who is your mother?"
"Principal Celestia."
Before they could continue to talk, Sunset's phone buzzed.
"Hey, Twi. What's up? Yeah, I'm home already, sorry for not calling you girls yesterday. What? You all are coming here? No, no, there's no problem at all, I should have known that Pinkie would do something like this. See ya, bye."
"So..." asked Aria
"Sounds like we will have a party."
"I wasn't asking about your stupid friends"
"What Aria is trying to say is: How on earth you ended like Celestia's daughter?" clarified Adagio.
"Well, to put that short, she adopted me after realizing that I was alone in this world."
"You didn't even have to brainwash her?"
"No, Sonata, after the fall formal fiasco, we had a hearty conversation and she asked if I wanna live with her, and some months later, I was her daughter."
A knock on Sunset's door announced that her friends had arrived.
"I know you hate my friends and me, but could you girls, please let me explain to them why you three are in my apartment? I promise that this time none rainbow laser will be involved."
Aria looks to Adagio, who answers with a nod while Sonata simply smiles.
"Don't worry, little Sunset. The girls and I won't bite your friends."
Sonata and Aria sit on the couch, while Adagio goes to the fridge and Sunset opens the door.
Opening the door, she was about to welcome her friends when saw a frozen look on their faces.
"What these two are doing here?" Pointed Rainbow to Aria and Sonata with an angry look on her face.
"Oh, welcome, rainbooms." Said Adagio waving to them.
"Girls, I can explain."
"You better does, sugar cube."
The rainbooms along with Trixie enter Sunset's apartment and Pinkie whispers in Sunset's ear.
"Why do you invite these meanies to your house?"
Sunset put a hand on Pinkie's shoulder.
"I'll explain everything in a minute."
With the dazzlings sitting on the couch and her friends standing, Sunset take a breath and began to talk.
"The dazzlings are living on their van since the battle of the bands, which was destroyed on an accident days ago, so I offered my house to their stay for a while."
"Are you sure they don't are manipulating you?"
"Yes, Trixie. They don't have any magic left since they lost their pendants, so..."
"What kind of magic they could have? I thought they are singers, not magicians."
"What are you saying, Rarity? Have you forgotten how they turned the CHS musical showcase on a battle of bands?"
"I surely remember how they spread gossip and lies around the school to make us fight against each other so they could win the battle of the bands."
"You really don't remember they trying to steal our magic? None of you?"
"Silly Sunset, we don't have any magic, not even Trixie."
"Hey, this was mean!"
"Sorry" replied Pinkie handing a muffin to Trixie.
"You're lucky that Trixie likes your blueberry muffins." said Trixie taking the muffin and giving a bite.
Adagio sits on the couch and Aria points to the rainbooms.
"You think that all this is some kind of prank? How they could forget about the battle of the bands?"
"I don't think is a prank, Aria. I mean Rainbow or Pinkie surely seems capable of this level of prank, but I guess the others, especially the farmer girl or that shy one, wouldn't play along."
"Not to mention that they probably wouldn't do this kind of prank with Sunset."
"So, you and Sonata really think that they forgot about all the magic stuff that happened in CHS?"
"Maybe. Let's hear what they have to say to Sunset."
The three girls keep quiet to listen.
"Ah Sorry Sunset, but we don't have any idea about what are you talking about."
"I'm with AJ. These girls are evil, sure, but I don't think they are some kind of evil witch."
"How could you don't remember? We ponied up and blasted them with the magic of friendship." asked Sunset frustrated.
"Pony what? This is not a thing from that cartoon, you know, Pretty Pony Princess?"
"And you said that you don't watch that thing." said Dash poking Rarity's arm.
"Well, Rainbow, is not my fault that Sweetie Belle and her friends like that show. But I have to admit that they spread a nice message about love and tolerance."
"Girls, focus! Fluttershy, do you remember something? Please say you do."
"I'm sorry Sunset, but I have no idea what are you talking about."
"Twilight, you remember the friendship games, how we fight and you almost destroyed both worlds?"
"I remember that you shouted at me and that later we discover that Cynch was making the Crystal Prep students cheat."
"This can't be true, I'm having a nightmare?"
Before Sunset could think any longer about it, she felt a pinch on her cheek.
"Ouch. It hurt, Pinkie!"
"Well, it means you're awake."
She then grabbed Pinkie's hand and began to head the girl's memory. She promised herself and her friends that she won't read their minds without consent, but this time was really necessary. She went through Pinkie's memories since the Fall formal and find that the memories were altered, any trace of anything that resembled magic was replaced and the memories were rewritten, wiping any mention about Equestria.
Seconds later, she came back and saw Pinkie with a frightened expression on her face.
"... Sunny, please, you're hurting me, I already said that I'm sorry for pinching your cheek."
She releases her friend's arm and takes two steps back, confused.
"Pinkie, I'm... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have grabbed your arm with so much strength. I don't mean to hurt you. Could you forgive me?"
Before she could think, she was embraced so tight that was hard to breathe.
"I'm can't be mad at you Sunny. You are my favorite Sunset after all."
"Thanks, but if you hug me any tighter, you will have to plan my funeral." she said patting Pinkie's side.
Pinkies release her and she is catching her breath when Twilight asks.
"What was all that talking about magic?"
Sunset was still processing what she saw in Pinkie's mind and thought that even if she tried to read any of her friend's minds, she probably would find that their memories were altered too. "keep calm Sunset, just play along for while, and later you try to find what happened."
She doesn't like to lie to her friends, but she also doesn't need them to worry about her, so she put a genuinely confused but still fake smile while replying to Twilight's question.
"Eh, never mind, I guess I'm still a little confuse after that accident, just that."
"Right. So back to the white elephant in the room..."
"I guess they are talking about us. You know we are sirens, not elephants, right?"
"Sonata, please, let Sunset deal with this."
"Sure, Dagi."
"What Twilight here is trying to say is: Are you sure is a good idea to have these three living with you, darling?"
"Rarity, girls. Not long ago, I was the biggest meanie in CHS, but after the fall formal fiasco, you girls give me a chance to be a better person, and I really think that the Dazzlings could be good persons too. So all I ask you is to have a little faith in me one more time."
Applejack walked closer to her, put a hand on her shoulder, and looking Sunset on eyes, answered.
"I trust you, sugar cube. And if you say these three could be good, I'll stand at ya side. "
All the girls, but Trixie, who stayed silent, agree with AJ.
"Have ya something to say, Trixie?"
"I sure have something to say, Applejack. I say that they owe an apology to the great and Powerful Trixie!"
"Come on, Trixie. If they had to say sorry for everyone at the school, it will take an eternity. No offense."
"Not taken, Rainbow. You're right, Trixie, the girls and I are sorry for all the problems that we caused you. Right, girls?"
Aria was taken by surprise with Adagio's behavior, but with a quick look on the elder siren's eyes, she nodded.
"Yeah, we are sorry."
"I'm sorry too." completed Sonata.
"So... this party will happen or not?" asked Adagio
Before she could say something more, Adagio saw a pinkish blur in her peripheral vision, and turning her head, she saw a banner hanging on one of the walls.
WELCOME BACK FROM YOUR COMA, SUNSET.
AND WELCOME TO SUNSET'S HOUSE, DAZZLINGS!
The next thing she saw was Pinkie's eyes centimeters from her face.
"Listen here, Adagio Dazzle. Never, ever, suggest again that I'll plan a party and not throw it. Also, don't even think about hurting my Sunny, or I'll have to take care of you."
Even with Pinkie's bubbly attitude, Adagio felt like the girl was looking through her soul, and for the first time in a long time, she felt insecure, scared, and that feeling send a shiver through her spine. For some reason, all her siren instincts warned her that messing with Pinkie should be a really, really bad idea.
"Yeah, I got it." she replied pushing Pinkie far from her face.
"I'm glad that you understood." said Pinkie still wearing a serious face, who suddenly changed to a joyful smile "Want a piece of cake?"
She then takes the cake that Pinkie pulled out of nowhere.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome"
Pinkie then ran to Sunset's sound system and put on some music.
"Is it me or that girl just threatens you now?"
"Sounded like a threaten, for me." affirmed Sonata before pinking another piece of her cake with a fork.
"It was a threaten, for sure." Adagio looked at the piece of cake that Pinkie gave to her and back to Sunset and her friends. "For now, let's play along until we find what is happening here."
After putting briefly their differences aside, the Dazzlings could get along well enough with Sunset's friends, and after some hours they ended up being not-so-enemies anymore, and as Sunset had thought, Sonata was the easiest to deal with, which made her offer to help Fluttershy in the animal shelter.
Adagio and Aria, on another hand, surely would be a bit more problematic, but nothing that she couldn't deal with.
After the party ended, the Dazzlings plus Sunset are sat on the couch, watching Pretty Pony Princess - The movie. The girls wanted to watch an action movie, but was Sonata's turn to choose the movie, so... and while they won't tell anyone, Aria and Sunset are really enjoying the movie.
About thirty minutes after they started to watch the movie, the apartment door has opened.
"I'm back, Sunset."
Sunset left the couch and hugs Celestia.
"I thought that you decided to leave me alone."
"Not in this life," Celestia replied bopping Sunset's nose after breaking the hug. "I guess you didn't saw my message. Pinkie called me saying that they are planning a welcome party for you, so I stayed with Luna to not interrupt, and when she said that the party was over, I came back."
Celestia noted three girls on the couch and raised an eyebrow.
"I thought the girls already left. Are some of you having a sleepover?"
"I think you could say that." said Sunset rubbing her left arm.
"What you did this time, my trouble little girl?" asked Celestia crossing her arms
Sunset saw a sly smile on her mother's lips, she was not really mad, just curious, but Sunset knew that Celestia could be a bit mad when she tells her who was on the couch.
"Mom, before I tell you, I need to say that I love you and I know you love me and that I always try to make you feel proud of me for being a nice person."
"I sure love you, Sunset, but could you please go right to the point? Because I'm starting to worry that you will say that you accidentally killed someone."
Sunset took a deep breath before looking into Celestia's eyes to respond.
"I brought the Dazzlings to live with me."
Celestia blinked a few times, and so walked closer to the couch and saw that the Dazzlings are indeed, cozily sat on it and that Sonata and Adagio are sleeping.
Aria looked at her but quickly turned her attention back to the movie.
"Your room, now." Said Celestia to Sunset.
The two sit on Sunset's bed.
"I guess you have a good explanation about this."
"They are living in their van since the battle of the bands, and last week, suffered an accident and the car was destroyed, so I said that they could stay with me for a while."
"Why do you think this is a good idea? Don't forget what they did to CHS at the battle of the bands."
"I know they acted like bitches..."
"Language, Sunset."
"Sorry, mom. I know they were mean to us, but I really think that they deserve a chance to try to be good. You didn't turn your back on me when I was trying to make up for my mistakes, trying to be a better person, so I thought that was my time to be a helping hand to someone in need."
Celestia sighed and embraced Sunset.
"I always know that you had a heart of gold, and I'm proud of you. They can stay, this is your house, after all."
"About that..."
"Yes?"
"I need to borrow one of your guest room's beds."
"Sure. I'll send it to you in the morning."
Celestia stands up and began to walk downstairs, followed by Sunset. She waves to Aria while passing through the living room, receiving a middle finger in response.
"Well, seems that you don't have room for me anymore."
"Yeah, sorry about that."
"Nah, it's fine. So my little sunshine needs something more?"
"What about a hug and goodnight kiss?"
"Aren't you a little old for this?" Asked Aria from the couch.
"Could you kindly shut your fucking mouth, Aria? I'm talking with my mom!" Sunset turned to Celestia again. "Sorry, mom, but they get on my nerves."
"Come, here."
Celestia warps her arms around Sunset, and the girl takes the opportunity to touch her mother and read her memories.
Just like with Pinkie, she saw that Celestia's memories were altered and all mentions about Equestria or magic were erased, leaving just ordinary events in the place of all the magical shenanigans that really happened. She felt a kiss on her forehead and opened her eyes.
"You are dismissed from the rest of the week at school. So stay home and be a good host to your guests."
"I'll do my best."
Author's Note
Well, this chapter ended being the longest from the story, at least for now, and I haven't told all Sunset's story, so I opted to do a two-part chapter, nothing really much original, I guess, but I think is a little better than make you, dear reader, read a 7000 or more words chapter (which is basically would be a fanfic inside a fanfic, fanfiception¹, maybe?), or even make you go to another story just to be able to understand why Sunset's EqG friends don't remember about Equestria.
I hope you enjoy it.
¹ - I'm pretty sure that this word doesn't exist.
Where no Sunset has been before
After Celestia leaves, Sunset sits on the ground, resting her back on the door and closing her eyes. Seconds later, she felt a light kick on her left leg and opening her eyes saw Aria standing.
"So, what happened?"
"Mom doesn't have any memory about Equestria or magic too." Aria noted the sadness in Sunset's voice.
"And how do you know? I didn't hear you asking her anything about it."
"With this," said Sunset lifting her pendant "this gem allows me to read minds and feelings."
Aria sits at her side and Sunset puts her pendant on the siren's hand.
"So, are you saying that this thing is a magical gem?"
"An element of harmony, to be more precise."
"And you put in my hand?"
"I never thought that you are so dumb, Sunset."
Sunset and Aria lift their heads and saw Adagio just a few feet from them."
"Giving your magical gem to Aria? What if she tries to kill you with this?"
"Nah, you won't let this happen."
"And what makes you think that I would stop her?"
"It's simple, you won't let her kill me because you wanna do it and never would forgive yourself if you let someone else have this pleasure. You aren't so different from my old me."
"Well, Adagio, I guess our miss sunshine here lost her mind. She really believes that you would stop me from killing her."
"No, no, she's right."
"What?"
"Come on, Aria, you really think that I will lose the opportunity to feel her dying in my hands and see life leaving her eyes?"
"Anyway. What do you think happened?" asked Aria looking to Sunset.
"I dunno, but I'll discover. If you don't mind, I'll try to sleep. You two can have the bed, I'll share the couch with Sonata."
She extended her hand and Aria handed Sunset's pendant.
The next morning, Sunset is in front of the CHS statue pedestal, she hesitantly touches it and feels nothing but the coldness of marble. She closes her eyes to concentrate and try to read or feel marble's memory but was nothing there, not even a minimal hint of magic.
"So?" Adagio asked.
"There's nothing. It's just a marble block."
"You mean that all magic, except yours, simply disappeared?"
"It's what seems, Aria."
"Your friends don't have pendants like this one that you are using?"
They all look to Sonata.
"What? I saw on their necks yesterday."
Sunset ran and hugged Sonata.
"You are a genius, Sonata. Thank you."
"She is?"
"Aria, like I said yesterday, this gem is an element of harmony, and so are my friends' pendants. so if I can activate them, probably their memories would return."
Sunset puls her phone and texted her friends to meet her after school on CHS statue.
In the afternoon, she and the sirens returned to CHS and saw her friends waiting.
"Girls!"
"Howdy, Sunset."
"How about a group hug?" said Sunset activating her geode.
Sunset and her friends hugged and she could feel something, was like the magic of friendship, but weaker, she opened her eyes and saw the girls' geodes pulsing with light, and then six rays of light were absorbed by her pendant.
They broke the hug and Pinkie asked.
"It's not like I don't like you hugging me, but why this so sudden, Sunny?
"It's nothing, Pinkie. I just am really happy being friends with you girls." Sunset replied with a fake smile. "So who is ready for a movie?"
All the girls cheers and they go to Canterlot Mall.
Back at Sunset's house, she throws herself on the couch, face down.
"It's don't worked." Said Sonata
"Yeah, and now I have no idea how what's going on."
"Your friends seemed pretty happy not knowing about magic."
"Yeah, Aria, I guess they were this way before magic come to this world, what they would be without magic."
Adagio slapped Sunset's butt, who immediately sit.
"Hey, why do you do this?"
"To you move your fat ass and find an answer to this question. And is not that funny having my revenge on you if you aren't at my level."
"And the fact that you were hoping to touch her butt since we met for the first time isn't anything to do with which."
"Shut up, Aria. But you right, I can't deny that you have a nice booty, Sunset."
"Okay, now I don't know if you want to kill or fuck me. I almost prefer the first option."
"Are you sure you don't prefer the last? I assure you that once you try me, you won't regret" said Adagio touching Sunset's lips.
"Pretty sure." replied Sunset pushing Adagio's hand off her face
"So, what are you planning to do? It's not like you can go to Equestria to find out what happened."
"Maybe I can, Sonata. Maybe I have one more chance."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Adagio, you don't come to this world via CHS portal, I suppose."
"We were thrown out a portal in an alley."
"As you see, there's more than one way to reach this world. Some months ago, the girls and I find a portal to Equestria on an island"
"And why do we still sit here?"
"Well, Aria, I don't know exactly where that island is located, I only know that is somewhere around 317 miles from the coast."
"So this is your plan, go to that island and try to reach Equestria from there?"
"I never said that was a good plan. And in the meantime, I will live my life with the girls as normal as possible."
"But, what if you never could go back to Equestria?"
"Well, Sonata, it would be a shame, but I would have to move on, eventually."
"This plan sucks, Sunset. But I have nothing better to do for a while, so let's do this" Said Aria sitting on the couch and turning on the TV
"I'm with Aria. After all, if you can go back to Equestria, we can take this opportunity to have our revenge against Starswril."
"Well, to your luck, he and the pillars are back after a thousand years on the limbo."
"What?"
"Yeah, I forgot to mention that your banishment happened around a millennium ago."
"A thousand years ago?"
"Thousand and ninety-nine eight years, to be exact, Adagio."
"Whatever, what matters is that I can punch that weirdo bearded when we came back to Equestria."
Author's Note
Well, I ended deciding to write a smaller chapter to finish this part of the story, sure I want to write all of Sunset's story (and there are at least three decades before the first chapter of this fic), but I still have to write all the others survivors stories (which I really don't mind to, but takes a bit of my time), so for now, I'll stop focusing on this particular Sunset story and develops the citadel's story, which is what really matters on the present fic, since will be where the question: 'what happened to Equestrias across the multiverse?' will be answered.
Where no Sunset has been before
"... and after that, I've tried everything to discover what happened, to understand why only former equestrians would know or remember Equestria."
"So, you never had an answer from your Twilight."
"Unfortunately no, Nova. But leaving aside that they don't have memories about Equestria, my life was pretty happy with the girls."
"But, if you were happy there, why you left your world?"
"Well, Sunrise, even being happy, I still need answers. Equestria could not be my home anymore but was the place where I born and I had so many friends living there that wouldn't be right if I only pretend that it never existed."
"So, you continued your search." asked Starlight
"Yes. The Dazzlings and I made some trips around the world seeking for another portal to Equestria but was worthless. One day I was home when remembered that on my last birthday before the portal closes, princess Twilight gives me a stellar catalog, I was beginning to forget how Equestria's night sky looks like, so I decided to read that book and noticed that the stars were differently placed at the sky compared to Earth."
"And it was what gives you the idea for search for Equestria outside the Earth."
"Yes, Starlight. Astronomy wasn't one of my favorites topics when I lived on Equestria, so I never paid much attention, but when I saw that the stars were completely wrong from my Earth perspective, I thought that a parallel world did not necessarily have to exist in an alternate universe, could be just a faraway place in the same universe."
"Um, never came to my attention that our stars were differently placed."
"I guess is because we're some kind of alternative version of each other, Nova, so we share some behaviors and perspectives."
"Maybe you are right, I never understand what my Sunset saw so interesting about contemplating stars."
"I've tried to track down where Equestria or Equuos prime would be, but it would take eons to be made. Twilight and I were at the same college at the time, so I knew that she was thinking of work at the aerospace industry, so along with my medical college I subscribed to any classes about astronomy that I could find."
"Wait, you have a medical degree?" asked Nova.
"And one in astrobiology, and another in spacial engineering. That's why I'm Harmony One's medical officer."
"You said that your Twilight was thinking about work in the aerospace industry. Why she isn't aboard of Harmony One?"
Nova saw a sad look in Sunset's eyes at her question.
"When she was twenty-two, she developed Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, so she never would be able to go on a mission. Even if she used an Exosuit all the time, who would compensate for her disability, we have no idea how her body would react to the journey on the deep space."
"I'm sorry. I hope she had a good life."
"Twilight was one of the strongest persons I ever met. She fights for twelve-three years and was the first one to pilot the Harmony One on a test trip to the moon, with nothing but an exosuit and her determination."
"Your friend seems amazing, Sunset. It's a shame that we never will have the opportunity to meet her."
"Thanks, Sunrise. I guess she would have loved to meet all of you. I almost can hear her squee about finding not only extraterrestrial life but the evidence that the multiverse is real."
"Have you found any clue about what happened?" asked Starlight to change the topic.
"Not really. I only found a weak magical signature who seems to sprawl equally through the universe, but here? This planet seems like a pillar of light sparkling on the darkness."
"This planet seems to be the point zero of a magical purge in the universe. Something happened that erases all the magic." Completed Dawn
"Um, so whatever happened started in one parallel Equestria." said Crystal wondering about what Sunset and Dawn said.
"This raises more questions than answers." Said Starlight flatly.
"Crystal?"
"Yes, HAL?"
"The citadel has recorded all the worlds that you visited, right?"
"Yes."
"Would you allow me to analyze these data?"
"Sure. I wanna know what happened to my world."
Entering the citadel's hub, HAL was surprised with what he found, he sure wasn't expecting to find a computer in a world that runs by magic, but somehow the citadel hub wasn't so far from Harmony One computers.
"This is incredible. When did you say that the citadel was built?"
"It's hard to say because we are out of the time continuum, but counting by citadel years, she was built around 4,050 years ago."
HAL looked at the controls, they were strange but familiar at the same time. He touched the white quartz surface and at first, couldn't understand that language.
"This language it's quite similar to old ponish, but I still can't understand exactly what is."
"It's my mother language. The writing is a little different from the old ponish that you know."
"Fascinating. Say, Crystal, does the citadel have a neural interface? It would be the fastest way to get all the information that I need."
"I don't know what it means, but I suppose that is similar to a mental connection, that allows you to operate using your thoughts, right?"
"Yes."
"So, yes, the citadel has one. Just put your hands, is that the word? in the panel, relax and close your eyes."
HAL did as Crystal instructed and could feel a warmness filling her body.
"It's impressive. Even I'm not being a biological being, the citadel can interact with my neural networks, and I can see her data. I never saw anything like this, all these records are stored in some kind of fractal crystal, it's simply beautiful."
"I'm glad that you aren't a 'biological being' HAL, the last thing I wanna see is my navigation officer having a boner."
"Sorry captain, guess I carried away a little too much."
Seconds later, HAL takes her hands off the quartz panel and looks to Sunset.
"The citadel registered a peak of magic before all of your appearances. Would you do the honors?"
"As you wish, HAL."
The monitors on the wall show data from all of theirs appearances, and all the room could see that the same energy was detected around three days before Nova, Starlight, and Daydream appeared on the citadel.
"As you can see, the same energy was involved in your appearances, and the same signature could be found in Crystal and Sunset, even they coming here for different ways."
"And about me, Mr. HAL?"
"Well Sunrise, there are no data about you, the citadel only registered you appearing out of nowhere, but your energetic signature seems wrong, like was rewritten."
"What does it mean?"
"Let me explain, Starlight" said the citadel with her ethereal voice. "Each one of your Equestrias was erased from existence, only leaving you and your world behind, like a corpse, but Sunrise is different, we suppose that her universe still exists, even if we not being able to track it down. I suppose something happened that erased her from existence, but somehow she, or a little fragment of what she once was, was pulled inside me and her physical form was rebuilt using matter from here. I guess this is the answer about why she can't cross the gates alone, she's part of me."
"Aw shucks. I was really wishing that we would find something about my past."
Sunset kneeled and put a hand on Sunrise's shoulder.
"Well, we will continue to search until find where you are from and who you really are, I promise."
"And even if we can't, you can go aboard the Harmony One and explore the universe with us." Said Dawn messing with Sunrise's mane "I guess would be fun to have a little sis. If you want to, of course."
"For real? I can be an astronaut like you?"
"Yes. HAL can even make a spacesuit for you. Right, HAL?"
"Sure, won't be that hard to rebuild one of the Harmony One exosuits to fit on you, Sunrise."
"Captain?"
"Yes, HAL."
"I already have all data about the worlds the Citadel visited. I'll go back to Harmony One to run some simulations if you excuse me."
"Sure, dismissed, HAL."
Before leaving the hall, HAL briefly touched the quartz panel again.
"See you later."
"It's just me or HAL was flirting with the citadel?" Asked Starlight after he left.
"We are just friends," said the ethereal voice of the citadel "it's nice to know that is someone like me out there."
Author's Note
I was planning to end this chapter with a joke where the citadel (or simply, Del, as HAL calls her) says that he's too big to fit in her, but I can't think in something that was at least passable, so I thought that is better not do it.
Sorry for the lack of updates, sometimes I have an idea but amn't able to put it in text or find a way to insert it on the story, but most of the time I just don't feel in the mood for writing.
Where no Sunset has been before
On the next morning, Sunset is watching Sunrise play on the citadel's lake, thinking what could be the filly story, how she ended here when HAL's voice sounded on her watch.
"Captain?"
"Yes, HAL?"
"I have some news."
HAL's voice sounded apprehensive, so Sunset supposed that isn't good news.
"Meet us in ten minutes."
Ten minutes later, they all are on the citadel's hub and even HAL not having a real face, Crystal and the other sensed that something wasn't right.
"I was running a series of simulations on Harmony One, and I think I have an answer to you all"
HAL opened her hand and put a small holocube on the ground, which started to show a series of equations and simulations.
"As we saw yesterday, the same energy was found in all of your incidents. I used the Citadel's data and my own to find some correlation."
"And I suppose you don't have good news."
"Yes and not, Starlight. I didn't discover yet what caused the end of parallel Equestrias, but I think that I found a way to sort of restoring your worlds."
"This doesn't seem bad."
"But is, Nova. We can restore your realities by sending a huge harmonical blast across the multiverse blowing up its nexus point. This way harmony would fix everything and you will not even remember that your worlds ceased from existing."
"But this isn't the bad part, right?"
"Unfortunately no, Crystal. According to my calculations, we have to blow up with the citadel, since she is the contact point from all multiverse."
The holocube showed the citadel exploding and the explosion multiplying several times, meaning that was being replicated through the multiverse.
"And since you and Sunrise are part of the citadel, both of you will die, and even if one or both of you somehow survive, will be dragged to a non-existent universe, a void between realities, without a chance to rescue, since you would be erased from existence in all realities, universes, and timelines."
The room sat in silence.
"I'm sorry, I hope I have better news."
Sunset walked and put a hand on HAL's shoulder.
"It's ok, HAL, at least now we know what to not do."
Sunset is closer to the citadel's gate when Crystal finds her.
"Are you leaving yet?"
"Don't think you will be free of me too soon, Crystal. I just had an idea and I need the Harmony One computer to test it."
"So, you aren't ready to blow up me and Sunrise to save your Equestria?"
"If this is the cost to bring my friends back, I prefer to not do."
Sunset lets out a burst of laughter.
"Twilight and the princess would punch my face if they knew that I choose them instead of you and an innocent filly."
"Mom?"
"Yo, Dawn. I'm going to Harmony One for a while. Wanna come?"
"You aren't considering accepting HAL's solution, are you?" asked Dawn concerned.
"Not even for a second. Your mom would never forgive me if I did it"
"Yeah," Dawn said letting a relieved breathe escape her mouth.
"We will find another way, I promise." said Sunset putting a hand on Dawn's shoulder.
"Hey, where is HAL?"
"He is on the citadel's hub discussing possible solutions with Steve and the Citadel."
"Good. Well, I gotta go. Call me if you need something."
Sunset crossed the portal and saw the Harmony One landed less than 20 feet from the gate.
"I can't say that is a surprise see you here, captain." HAL's voice sounded from Sunset's watch while the landing ramp of Harmony One was opening.
"You know me, HAL, I don't give up so easy."
"Yeah, you wouldn't be the Sunset I know if I gave up on the first hurdle."
Sunset entered and touched the walls of her ship.
"You did an amazing job, HAL, the ship is good as new."
"Thanks, captain, but I can't take all the credit, great part of the success is thanks to admiral Twilight's wonderful engineering."
"Yeah, she is, was amazing." said Sunset feeling her heart tightens.
"HAL?"
"I'm ready, captain."
Sunset enters Harmony One's tech lab and sees that data are being projected on all the walls.
"Let's do it."
About five hours and a lot of simulations later, Sunset thought that she finally had something.
"Ok, what if we enhance the energy input by 7.52 percent, and reconfigure the secondary shield in minus 38.71 hertz?"
"Even so, we will not have enough thaumatical energy."
"How much we need?"
"More 1,21 gigawatts of thaumatical energy."
"Okay."
Sunset inputted new parameters at their equations.
"Run simulation 271-a"
"My first directive is to protect Harmony One's crew, I can't run this simulation, captain."
"I'm sorry, HAL. Requesting access level omega. Identification: Admiral Sunset S. Pie. password: pinkamena."
"Request of access level omega accepted."
"Run simulation 271-a, ignore the primary directive."
"The simulation shows 99,17% of success with the new parameters."
"Start conversion of primary warp drive."
"As you wish, admiral Pie."
"You already modified Harmony One's warp engine to act as an interdimensional drill, so with some alterations, we probably will be able to send the energy through the multiverse." Said Dawn
"Makes sense." agreed HAL "We only will need a harmony energy source"
"So, where we can find one?" asked Steve.
"Well, that's the problem. As you probably know, in every Equestria that the citadel made contact, the elements along with the harmony magic are completely gone."
"So, there's no chance to save Crystal and Sunrise, it's it, HAL?"
"And you, Citadel, but no, still there's a chance to save you all." Said Dawn
"Sunset." said Nova "Your mother is the source, isn't Dawn?"
Dawn lowers her head and clenches her fists.
"She absorbed the elements from our world, so she's the only know source of harmony's magic"
"I see we came to the same conclusion" said Sunset entering the room, while HAL feels a little dizzy and shakes slightly her head.
"HAL is already modifying one of Harmony One's engines, so maybe tomorrow we will be ready."
"You can't be serious! How in Celestia's name you could even consider this an alternative?"
"Starlight, don't you want to see all your friends again?"
"Of course I want! But not if it costs your life!"
"The 'bomb' will only drain all my magical essence, so I will not die. Probably."
"Admiral, your chances of surviving is only 7.03 percent."
"Yeah, HAL, you already said that. But the chances of success of this plan are above 99 percent. come on, girls, have a little faith"
"Sorry, Sunset, but we can't take this risk."
"Starlight is right. We will not sacrifice someone to save our world. We do not even know what caused that event."
Sunset felt something grabbing her leg and looking down saw Sunrise hugging her.
"Please, don't do this. I don't want to lose you."
Looking at Sunrise's face, Sunset saw something, that little girl, she would prefer not to know her story then lost a friend, which makes Sunset remember the memory stone incident. She then kneeled down and holding Sunrise's head with both hands, planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Don't worry, I will not do anything stupid, we will find another way."
Where no Sunset has been before
Going home, the long way round.
After a night of sleep (not that they had slept at all) the crew is at the citadel's cafeteria trying to find a way to restore their words when Dawn realizes something.
"You doesn't tell your story to us, Starlight."
"Yeah" agreed Sunset, "how did you end here?"
"I didn't was hit by a magical surge like you, I was trapped inside some kind of magical vortex."
"Cozy Glow"
All eyes turned to Daydream.
"She happened in my timeline too."
"Yeah," continued Starlight "this girl set up a plan to drain all Equestria's magic, using some magical artifacts."
Sunset reclined on her chair and crossed her arms.
"Twilight told me about her. In my universe, she had no success in this plan, but I guess she succeeded in yours."
"The last thing I remember is being dragged to a vortex that I suppose led to a void between dimensions, after that, I woke here on the citadel."
The room stays silent for some moments until Sunset spoke.
"Equestria was made of magic, all sentient beings had some kind of magic in them, so I'm supposing that when Cozy had success in her plan to drain all Equestria's magic to the void, it unstabilized, sending a blast of anti-magic over the world, which erased all that has some magic."
"And, since the void was a non-space between dimensions, it'd possible that the blast of non-magic may have spread across infinity realities, erasing all the parallels Equestrias, I suppose" concluded Dawn.
"But, why do we survive? we still have magic."
"That's a good question, Nova." said Daydream "This reminds me of a talk that I had with aunt Luna, eons ago. She said that couldn't see me in the dream realm, and after pondering for some time, we concluded that when the rainbow blast hit me, I was not only purified from all corrupted magic but somehow my entire being was rewritten, so magically speaking, I wasn't equestrian anymore, so because of that, I cannot go to the equestrian dream realm. So, since we aren't equestrian creatures anymore, we were spared from the magical purge."
"I guess this makes a lot of sense. Why wouldn't come to this conclusion earlier?"
"Our data was incomplete, Starlight. If wasn't for Hal's magic tracking algorithm, maybe would take some more years for us to find this answer." answered Crystal.
"Right, now that we know what probably caused all this fuss, so how do we fix this?" asked Nova
"The time spell. In your universe, you mastered Starswirl's time travel spell, right, Starlight?" asked Sunset
"Yeah, I used it to try to stop the girls from getting their cutie marks. But I already tried to go back in time and I was simply sent back to the present, it's like there's some kind of time travel lock, to prevent me from changing the past."
"Great, another dead-end."
"I guess not, Nova."
"What do you mean, Steve?"
"You still have the time coordinates in your mind, right, Starlight?"
"Yeah, but as I said, I can't go back."
"It's because you are locked outside from this point of the time, but what if you or none of us have to go to that coordinates? We can just go back to your world, in the present, place the harmony device there and then send it back to when you disappeared using your time coordinates."
"And since that moment is the point zero nexus, the explosion will spread to all realities, this could work." concluded Daydream with a smile.
"But we still have a problem, mom is the only harmony magic source available."
"Your pendant," said Daydream, "you still have it, Sunset?"
"Sure, but..." and something clicked on Sunset's mind "of course! I can have most of the harmony's magic, but my geode still has some too. And once we will use Starlight's coordinates to go to the exact moment when magic ceased from existing, we need only a little dash of magic to revert Cozy's spell effects. It's perfect!"
"When the harmony device will be ready?"
"Later today I guess, Crystal. Soon all of you will be with your friends again and will not even remember that all that happened."
"It won't work as you think"
All eyes turned to HAL.
"Care to explain why?" asked Sunset.
"Each of you came from a different timeline, and the event that happened on Starlight's one was the common nexus event from all of them. As you may know now, time isn't a straight line, is more like a yarn ball, with past, present, and future happening simultaneously, so if we try to change the past, we most likely will end up creating a new timeline not fixing the exiting ones."
"So, you are suggesting that we simply sit here, accepting that all our friends no longer exist? It is it?"
"Not really, Nova."
"So..."
"I think, Starlight, that we need to activate the harmony device in your timeline, right now, on the present, and once the harmony one's warp drive can drill across dimensions, we can hit all your timelines simultaneously, rebuilding your realities. For all the ones who disappeared, will be like nothing had happened, I suppose. No one, except us, will remember that the world once ended."
Sunset's watch beeps, and HAL (the ship one) speaks.
"Admiral Pie, the conversion of harmony one's warp drive is done."
"Thanks, HAL. Please, restore my default access level."
"Done. Your current access level is gamma, captain."
"It's the time of truth. Let's see if your theories will work." said Nova
"It will work."
"But, what if not?" asked Starlight to Daydream.
"So, what else we have left to lose?" answered Daydream with a tear in her eye.
The citadel's gate opens, and Harmony one drones carry the harmony device, placing it near the gate.
"Thanks, guys"
"At your service, captain." replied the drones in a chorus before leaving the citadel.
"All right, it's up to us now. Starlight, lead the way."
Starlight, Nova, Daydream, and Dawn cross the gate, arriving on Starlight's world.
"Right. I set up a 10-minute timer, it will give us enough time to put everypony on their world." Said, Dawn.
"Why can we just wait inside the citadel?"
"Well, Nova, you see." Said Daydream putting a wing over the unicorn's shoulder.
"Crystal, Sunset, and I were discussing some last-minute adjustments and concluded that our better shot would be having each one of us in their respective worlds, so when the magical blast created from her geode spreads across the multiverse, we will act as seeds. Our magic, combined with the explosion, will restart our worlds."
"Makes sense, I guess."
"Nine minutes, girls" shouted Dawn.
Starlight walked and hugged Nova.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Nova. I will never forget you. Now go, you have a world to save."
After waving her goodbyes to Starlight, they cross the gate again, and Nova and Daydream go back to their worlds.
"It's our time, Dawn. Ready to know my homeland?"
Before Dawn could respond, Sunrise stepped in front of them.
"Can I go with you? I have no world to go back."
"And who said that I would leave my little sister behind?" Said Dawn lifting Sunrise from the ground.
"Crystal..."
"Don't say nothing." said Crystal lifting a hoof and Sunset stop talking. "Just go, your friends wait for you, just as mine are waiting for me."
"It's not a goodbye, just a see you soon."
"Just get out my lawn" Said Crystal with a smile on her face.
Sunset, Dawn, and Sunrise cross the gates, for what they think is be the last time, and get onboard Harmony One.
"Welcome captain. Three minutes until the activation."
"Thank you, HAL. Begin takeoff procedures."
"As you wish, captain."
Sunset starts to walk down the landing ramp.
"Where are you going, mom?"
"I have to stay on the ground. HAL will take you and Sunrise over Ponyville. Don't worry, I'll be ok"
Dawn stays silent for some seconds.
"Fine, but if this plan goes wrong and you die, I will kill you."
"Awn, I love you too, honeybun."
Once on the ground, Sunset looks to her watch.
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, three, two, one, zero."
She feels warmth on her chest and sees that she is glowing. Soon, the ground around her starts to glow too and Sunset can seem like time is rolling back, debris turning buildings again, voices can be heard and ponies began to appear out of thin air.
Feeling her magic at full strength again, she levitates from the ground, seeing that the plan it's working. Seconds later, Equestria, at least until she can see, is back, like nothing ever happened.
After a short flight, she lands in front of friendship castle doors and knocks.
"Coming"
That voice filled her with joy. "Spike" she whispered.
"Sunset? What are you doing here, and in human form?"
She grabs and hugs him tightly.
"I've missed you, your scaly dragon."
"Spike, who's at the door?"
Twilight stops for some moments trying to process the scene.
"Sunset? What are you doing here? Not that isn't nice to see you, but..."
"Ah, shut up, Sparkle, and hug me."
Sunset grabs Twilight with her magic and hugs her.
"You have no idea how I've missed you"
"What? You visited me last week!"
Before Twilight could ask any further, a ship landed on the right side of the castle, and a human girl, a pony Sunset (?), and a robot are standing on the castle stairs.
"Did I miss something?" asked Twilight with not the slightest idea of what is happening.
"It's a long, story. How about some tea while I tell you everything?"
Where no Sunset has been before
"I'm sorry, Sunset, but what are you saying it's impossible. I had tea with Fluttershy just yesterday."
"Your 'yesterday', happened about thirty years ago, Twilight. Why I would lie to you about it, about anything?"
Twilight stays silent for some seconds thinking about the story Sunset told her. She looks to Dawn, the pony Sunset that Sunset said it's called Sunrise, and Hal, the robot, who also is the spaceship computer.
"I'll be honest, Sunset, it's hard to me to believe that all that you told me happened, but I have no reason to think that you are lying to me so... yeah, I believe you, even all this being the most unbelievable thing that I ever heard."
"Thanks."
"But..."
"But?"
"What about Sunrise?" If what you told is true, she was supposed to return to her universe once the harmony device was activated."
"About it, miss Sparkle" Dawn began to talk, "our theory it's that something happened to her that caused Sunrise to be erased from existence. So even if her universe has been restored, she doesn't belong there anymore, probably. That is the reason why she stays here with us."
"Mm," Twilight puts her left hoof on the chin and thought for some seconds.
"Starlight and I have discussed sometimes the nature of space-time and reality, you know, because of all that different worlds that we saw when she tried to stop the sonic rainboom. Are they real? Did we destroy these worlds while going back in time, or did we just jump through timelines and all these realities still exist in the multiverse, unaffected by our actions? If what you are telling me it's true, so the multiverse it's real and these worlds can be reached."
"I thought that we already had established that the multiverse is real. You even told me about that time when you and the girls helped Celestia deal with the mirror world evil Celestia and Luna."
"Yeah, but that was different. The mirrors have to be set with precise multiversal coordinates, and Starswirl only knows a dozen or a little more. But your ship, Sunset, seems to be able to reach any imaginable world, Twilight really did an amazing job building Harmony one, I have to congrats her."
"It would be a bit difficult."
"What do you mean?" asked Twilight seeing a sad smile on Sunset's face.
"She died almost seven years ago."
Twilight stays silent, trying to process. From her point of view, she and Twilight have talked just a couple of days ago, and now she knows that her friend is dead for seven years. After a minute or so, she talks again.
"She was happy in the end? Did she suffer?" Asked Twilight looking to the table, unable to meet Sunset's eyes.
When her eyes began to water, she felt Sunset hugging her
"She was smiling at the end. She said: It's not a goodbye, just a see you later."
"Sunset?"
"Yes?"
"The portal is probably working, so I'd like to go with you, to say my farewells to her."
"Sounds good. The girls probably will like to see you again, too. HAL"
"Harmony One it's ready for launching right now and can reach Earth in ten days."
"Good. Dawn, Sunrise, Twilight, and I will go through the mirror."
They go to the portal room, and meanwhile, outside the castle, the Harmony One began to fly and disappeared into the sky.
Once they are in front of the mirror, Sunset kneels and touches Sunrise's shoulder "You will feel a little weird, but don't worry, Auntie Twi and I will be here." she said using her right hand to fix Sunrise's hair.
"Auntie Twi?" asked Twilight raising an eyebrow.
"I'll explain later" replied Sunset with a dismissive hand
As expected, after they cross the portal, Sunrise took a human form, she now looks like a nine to ten years old Sunset. She tries to stand on all fours but Sunset takes her hand and makes her stand.
"It will take some time to you will get used to walks on two feet. For now, hold my hand."
Turning her head to look at Twilight, Sunset noticed that she still appears to be a girl in her twenties.
"Well, seems that the portal didn't notice the time missing too, you and Dawn seem to have the same age."
"I guess so" Said Twilight looking briefly at her body and clothes.
With Dawn and Sunset holding Sunrise's hands they started to walk.
"So, you still live in the same house?"
"No, it's Dawn's apartment now."
"And where are you living now?"
"Pinkie and I bought a two-story house about thirty minutes walking from the school."
"You and Pinkie? Wow, I never knew that you are that close"
"Yeah, a lot of things happen in thirty years"
"Speaking on her, where she is? I was expecting that she would pop out of nowhere and greet us."
Sunset stopped and Twilight knew something was wrong. Before she could ask something Dawn began to talk.
"Mom and my brother Igneous died three years ago in a car accident."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
Sunset puts a hand on Twilight's shoulder.
"It's ok, you didn't have how to know it."
Twilight sits on the sidewalk and wipes some tears from her eyes with her right hand.
"It isn't fair, I've lost two friends and couldn't even say goodbye."
"Twilight, it's that ya?"
The group turns their heads and saw Applejack leaving her truck. The farmer pulls Twilight closer and hugs her tightly.
"Ah can't believe that you're after all these years!"
"It's good to be back" Twilight said hugging back and whipping her tears.
Applejack looks to Sunset.
"I guess you are behind this, right?"
"Yeah. Why don't call the others and we meet on the Sugar Cube corner?"
About half an hour later, Twilight sees Fluttershy and Rarity entering.
"It's really you, darling?"
"Yes. where is Rainbow?"
"About that," Fluttershy began to speak, "she's on Vanhoover with the basketball team, but when I said that you're back, she said that will take the first flight possible to here, but probably she will only arrive tomorrow morning"
"Care to explain how we could forget about Twilight?" asked Rarity.
"And weren't you two on a mission in space, Sunset?" Fluttershy asked
"Yeah, Applejack already asked me this, but I prefer to talk with all of you together."
Sunrise pulls Dawn's sleeve and whispers something in her big sister's ear.
"I'll take her to the restroom" said Down leaving the table with Sunrise.
"Oh, ok", replied Sunset.
"Why don't you begin explaining who is this little girl, who looks a lot like you." said Applejack after Dawn and Sunrise left.
"Well, it's a quite long story..."
Sunset tells her friends all that happened since she and Dawn go on a mission with the Harmony One, and after she finishes, the table stays silent for some seconds.
"I'll be honest with ya, Sunset, that was the strangest thing that you ever told us."
"I know how you feel, Applejack, I didn't believe too when Sunset first told me this."
"Oh, but I do believe her, Twi."
"You do?" Twilight asked surprised.
"Mm." Said Fluttershy.
"Yes, darling, we believe Sunset, she never lied to us."
"And that was not the first unbelievable thing that ever happened with us." Said Fluttershy
"Look, Twi, we know Sunset for more than thirty years, so we have no reason to think that she would lie to us now, especially about something so important." Applejack said
"Yeah, I guess you are right girls. It's that is hard for me to believe that I lost three decades of your lives, heck I couldn't even say goodbye to Twilight and Pinkie."
"If you want, Twi, I can drive you there."
"Thanks, Applejack."
"I'll go too and say hi to mom," said Dawn returning from the restroom with Sunrise "I have to tell her that we came back safe, and almost whole."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" asked Rarity.
View Online
Where no Sunset has been before
If this the best of the worlds, where are the others? (It's a working title!)
Devastation, that was the first-word Sunset's brain was able to form after they stepped out the citadel gates. It was cold, not a single tree or creature to see, just debris of older buildings and the only sound she heard was the wind. She looks back to the gate and the citadel isn't there, only the black basalt arc that they crossed seconds ago remains.
"Where we are?"
Nova walks some steps and starts to talk. "The castle of friendship used to be right here. Over there where Sugarcube Corner used to exist, and I think you know how Ponyville used to be."
"This is... Equestria? It couldn't be true." Sunset sat on the ground feeling weak and Starlight sit at her side.
"But is. This probably was your Equestria, and I'm sorry for it."
"What happened?"
"We don't know. Each of us has different stories, but one thing is constant: One day Equestria will suddenly cease to exist and only one of us will remain."
They stay in silence for some minutes, while Sunset tries to process that her old world and probably all friends that she had there are now dead. Tears began to flow from her eyes, but she wipes them with her arm and starts to walk.
"Where are you going?" asked Sunrise worried.
"We came here to get on my ship and take medical supplies to heal Down. Once we're done this, you will tell me all that happened, so I can try to find a way to bring my friends back."
Fifteen minutes later, they see the spaceship crashing site. The ship's body was shattered, which means that they don't explode on the reentrance, but most probably during the landing procedure. The sun was setting on the horizon so Sunset looks to her watch and notice that is only 3 pm.
"Without somepony to control the night and day cycle, the day is a total mess, we only have something between 3 or 5 hours of daylight, sometimes we won't see the sun for weeks." Answered Nova to Sunset's unspoken question.
"And I thought that couldn't be worse. Look, the largest part of my ship's body is over there."
They walk four more minutes and when reach the ship front part is night already, Sunset closes her eyes lift her left hand and so a light sphere appears and floats around her, she then takes two steps back and almost falls.
"Gotcha" said Nova, "I didn't know that you could do magic in this form."
"Yeah, it's not a big thing." she said standing up again "I hope that medical section wasn't destroyed."
Sunset tries to open the docking bay from the outside, but there's no response. 'energy is completely off, I guess.' she thought.
"Girls, could you lift me to that broken window?" she said pointing upright.
Nova grabs Sunset in her magic, with Starlight doing the same with Sunrise and they float to the cockpit's inside.
"Watch your steps girls, I don't wanna you get a hoof injured."
Walking past a corridor, they reach the medical unit door and Sunset starts to type in some kind of equipment that Sunrise and Starlight don't recognize.
Starlight stands on her rear legs and looks inside "So, what's this?"
"An automatic medical treatment unit. It performs the majority of surgeries without human interference."
"I thought that it exists only in fiction" Said Nova approaching the machine.
"The first of it kind was finished ten years ago, that one is a 3.2 version."
The light suddenly turns on.
"Reinitiation complete. Running diagnostics."
"I'm glad that you are on-line again, HAL."
"It's nice to hear your voice again, captain."
Sunset notices confused looks on Starlight and Sunrise faces.
The young unicorn was the first to speak. "Where that voice is coming out? What it says?"
"What? You don't understand?" a click occurs on Sunset's mind, she and HAL are speaking English, not ponish!
"Don't worry girls, it's just HAL, an official of navigation and A.I. of the HARMONY ONE."
"HAL?"
"Yes, captain?"
"Change language to modern ponish."
"Language changed to modern ponish."
"Nice to meet you, captain's friends. Diagnostic complete."
"HAL, report."
"All the engines are offline. First reactor core: safe. Secondary reactor core: safe. Drones 2, 4, and 5 are operational. Drones 1 and 3 are offline. Unable to contact escape pod #1. Data loss of the last 16 hours, loading backup. Vital support with 73% of capacity. Dorm rooms 3 and 4 destroyed. Botanics: operational. Farm: operational. Kitchen: Not found."
"Aw man, I had an entire quesadilla on the fridge!"
Nova felt a shiver on her spine.
"Ok, HAL, why we crashed?"
A series of images are shown on the wall. Sunset and Down on the cockpit with fear in their faces. They run and reach the docking bay, they argue, Down punches Sunset's jaw and throw her in an escape pod. She punches a pannel, grabs the pod, and then disappears with a flash."
"Where's Dawn, Sunset?" HAL interrupts the silence and Nova and Starlight note sadness on its voice.
"She's alive, in a citadel a couple of miles west. We will put her in this crib and she will be totally ok. HAL?"
"Yes, captain?"
"I need a toolbox #3, and a portable power unit."
A rectangular aperture appears on the right wall and two boxes slide next to Sunset's feet.
"Come on girls, we have to take this crib to the citadel."
The girls loosen all screws from the crib's base and in less than five minutes, Nova and Starlight are levitating it.
"When Harmony one will be able to fly again?"
"About 36 hours, captain."
"Right. when you're done, track my signal and meet me in the citadel."
"As you with, Sunset."
"And, HAL."
"Yes, Sunset?"
"I swear to my life she will be fine, I promise.