Author's Note

As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, I am currently going through Writer's block so it's kind of hard for me to write at the moment. Also, as much as I like writing this story, which proves an outlet for me, I have also run out of ideas. So if anyone has any ideas for the story that they would like to share with me, please tell me because I am really desperate over here.

I hope everyone is liking the story so far and hopefully I can continue it until it is completed...Whenever that may be.

To dream of a Princess

Sunset entered Luna and Celestia's house after a long day. Sunset had to stay two hours past the school day as part of her punishment. She had to help rebuild the entrance of the school (Mostly just placing bricks and laying down mortar) with also counted as her detention for after school as part of her punishment for becoming the she-demon that almost killed everyone.

All things considered, Sunset got off pretty easily.

Her body hurt all over as Celestia and Luna headed to the kitchen, bickering to each other about their day as Sunset trudged up the staircase, into her new bedroom, and flopped on the bed with a groan of exhaustion. She felt sleep coming towards her like a train heading towards its final destination. Her eyes dropped as she didn't even try to stop herself from entering her hellish nightmares.

Her eyes fluttered up to see the darkened hall of the throne room. The only light came from explosions of fireballs and burning buildings outside. She saw her former mentor sitting in front of one of the shattered windows. Celestia calmly watched the destruction of her ponies. That left Sunset more unsettled than she thought.

She opened her mouth to ask the Princess what was going on. But she had a feeling she already knew what fate had befallen the capital city. Tears sprang to her eyes as guilt hit her in waves. There was nothing she could say that would make the situation better but Celestia needed to know Sunset wasn't completely heartless.

"I-I am sorry." Sunset said in an unsteady voice as the castle shook from an explosion. Celestia's sad eyes filled with regret didn't move from the pack of ponies she watched being burned alive in the streets below. She simply stared.

"Saying sorry won't bring them back." Her former teacher replied with a cold tone. "Saying sorry won't stop the demon."

Sunset slowly looked out the window to see her demon form flying through the city, followed by the demon versions of Snips and Snails. Burning everyone and everything in their path with sick delight. Celestia took a sharp inhale of breath as a lavender Alicorn flew into the air to confront the demon.

Twilight's eyes were red and green, the signs that she was using dark magic. Sunset looked over to Celestia in desperation.

"Why is she using dark magic?" She said softly despite her overwhelming fear. "Why is she so angry?"

Celestia let out a dry chuckle and for the first time since Sunset appeared, she looked towards her former student with a frown.

"You killed her friends of course. She has no reason not to use it anymore. But...Like the ponies before her, she will fail."

On cue, Twilight was flung across the sky after her brief struggle with the demon, she crashed through the throne room window and slammed into a pillar. The pillar cracked but did not break as Twilight's broken body fell to the dirty marble floor lifeless.

Celestia didn't move.

Sunset, on the other hoof, galloped over to the fallen Alicorn. Twilight's horn was broken, parts of her body were burned and her chest had a large bloody hole. Sunset started panicking as Twilight's blood pooled on the floor and found itself attached to Sunset's hoofs.

Sunset looked over to Celestia, who was still watching the battle below.

"DO SOMETHING!" She screamed in desperation. Celestia didn't move. She didn't react. "Please! You must!"

"Why?" Celestia said as if she didn't have a care in the world. "What's the point? We are all doomed anyway."

Sunset gritted her teeth in rage. She was angry at herself and Celestia. Why wasn't she doing anything!? Sunset started to slowly approach the Princess of the Sun, who seemed to have lost all hope and was a bit too comfortable to watch everything and everyone go up in ablaze.

"Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset paused. She heard a female voice she had never heard before but...Wait...It...Sounded...No. No, that wasn't possible. She turned slowly to see Princess Luna staring back at her with concern dancing in her eyes. She had never seen Princess Luna before, why was she here? Was she going to help? Luna took a hesitant step forward as the castle shook.

"Sunset Shimmer," She repeated slowly. "You are in a dream."

Sunset did a slow blink of confusion.

"W-What?"

"You are in a dream," Luna repeated as she got closer. "I am Princess Luna of the night. I guard ponies against their nightmares, nightmares such as this."

"How are you here?" Sunset asked. Not quite believing the dark Alicorn before her. Luna's horn lit up and Sunset soon found herself in a void of darkness. She floated in the nothingness before looking back at the only pony who was with her, Luna.

"To put it simply, it took a great deal of effort but I was able to connect my magic with your magic dispite you being in a different world, Sunset Shimmer," Luna said. "My sister was concerned for your wellbeing after your last conversation in the book."

"No," Sunset said with a shake of her head. "Princess Celestia wouldn't...She hates me. I betrayed her in the worst possible way."

"How so?"

The scene changed to one of the hallways in Canterlot Castle years ago. The pair watched as the pony form of Sunset Shimmer ran down the corridor with a black cloak. She turned around the bend, heading towards the room at the end of the corridor. The guards lit up their horns at her approach.

"Stop!" One of them ordered. Sunset gritted her teeth. She wasn't about to be swayed from her goal just because someone ordered her to stop. She slammed her magic into the guard's chest, making him hit the wall hard, effectively knocking him out.

The other guard looked from his friend to Sunset in slight fear but moved to block her path anyway. He fired at Sunset, Sunset blocked the spell with a shield and fired back at the guard who was hit in the head. Throwing him back into the door. The door opened from the impact enough for Sunset to see her final goal.

The mirror. The portal.

She galloped faster towards the room.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, as bright as the sun. Sunset gasped and came to a stop to shield her eyes. She slowly opened them to see Princess Celestia standing at the entrance of the room with a furious expression with two more guards pointing spears at her.

"Get out of my way." Sunset barked with hostility. Celestia took a step forward, igniting her horn in case of an attack.

"No. I banned you from the castle. You are not allowed here. Get out." Celestia snapped back.

"Get out of my way or I will have to use force." Sunset threatened. The guards gave an uneasy glance to Celestia as Celestia gestured them towards Sunset.

"Arrest Sunset Shimmer."

The guards, no matter their personal feelings or emotions, galloped towards the intruder. Sunset dodged one of the guards as she levitated the other one up and slammed them against the wall before kicking the one in the head that charged towards her. She stumbled to the middle of the corridor again, taking in deep breathes as she looked back up at her former teacher with hatred.

"This is all your felt!" Sunset yelled. Celestia flinched but didn't move. "I told you I wanted to know more but you had to be selfish about it! You didn't want me surpassing you! You knew I can be more powerful than you will ever be. It's pathetic. Truly pathetic."

"Sunset, stop." Celestia pleaded. "You used-"

"Shut up!" Sunset yelled. "Just shut up. I don't want to hear any more of your fucking excuses. I will kill you if I need to. So get out of my way."

Celestia gritted her teeth but stood strong.

"I can not do that." She said. "You know I can't."

Sunset leaped forward, throwing her most powerful spell at Celestia, Celestia brought up a shield to counter it as Sunset used it against her. Celestia was distracted with countering the first spell so Sunset leaped into the air, bring one down over the shield.

The spell hit Celestia in the chest, shattering her jewelry and burning the fur underneath. She cried out in pain and stumbled back into the dark room. Sunset fired multiple spells at her former teacher, Celestia used her wing to block the attacks, burning some parts of her wings of course.

"Sunset, this isn't you. You aren't evil."

Sunset tackled the alicorn to the ground, using her front hoofs to slam the Princess down on her back.

"You don't know me at all!" She screamed. "You never cared about me! You wanted to use me as a weapon and when you realized I was becoming too powerful for you to control, you tossed me aside!"

Sunset jumped off Celestia's body and galloped towards the mirror as fast as she could. Her hoofs went through the mirror as she felt Celestia's magic start to grab out to her. She passed through effortlessly, it was over.

Sunset Shimmer was gone.

Sunset was soon returned to the void with Luna staring down at her. Sunset sobbed and covered her face with her hoofs.

"I am an awful pony for what I did. I deserve everything awful that I get."

Luna gave her a sad smile and brought her closer using her wing.

"Everypony has darkness in them, Sunset Shimmer. But that doesn't mean they are awful." Luna pointed out. "I have done awful things, just like you. But I am trying to be a better pony. Based on what Twilight Sparkle has told me about you, you were going to try the same thing when she left."

Sunset nodded.

"Everypony deserves a second chance."

Sunset woke up with a gasp at the abrupt end of her dream. She groaned and rubbed her eyes as she heard a soft knocking on her door.

"Come." She mumbled with a yawn before Celestia opened the door. Making Sunset feel guilty as the memories she saw in her dream were still fresh.

"Dinner is ready. Do you want to join Luna and I downstairs?" Celestia asked. Sunset nodded with a small smile.

"Um, yeah. That would be nice. Thanks."

---End of Chapter Sixteen---