Hopes and Dreams at Canterlot High

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Journal 1
Chapter 7
Chapter 4

Chapter 1 Author's Note

Hello all~! The idea for this story, a companion to Asriel Dreemurr, Prince of the Night came to me a few days after I hit the half way point for chapter 4 of the aforementioned story. I only just started working on this today (5/5/22) and already I have chapter 1 ready and raring to go~!

6/2 Update: I decided to go ahead and put this up while working on the 4th chapter for it. Once chapter 4 is done and dealt with, I'll be adding it in and then getting to more work on chapter 5 of Asriel Dreemurr, Prince of the Night~!

Folks might notice a glaring time difference here in this first chapter that might make you go "Wait, this is happening at the same time as my other story? HOW?" and the answer I'm going with is timey whimey whibbly nonsense and weird portal mechanics. To distract you from further questions, have a slice of cake!
*inserts pic of Portal cake*

Chapter 1

The sun shone high in the sky, with nary a cloud in sight to hide its light or warmth. The sound of birds singing and bugs chittering was overshadowed by the sounds of kids at play, enjoying yet another delightful summer day to the fullest extent they could.

With that was, at least one exception.

Frisk sat in the swing, alone and isolated as they watched the other children, big and small, running amok about the park. They were all playing in groups with one another, having the time of their lives, which should have made Frisk happy.

But there was a crucial detail that hung over the fun, something that for Frisk at least, only added to the weight they felt upon their shoulders.

One group of children was Human. The other consisted of various Monsters. And while they were playing, they were doing so separately. Kept apart by both a local police officer, and a few older children and parents who kept a wary eye on the Monsters. Nearby, a familiar bunny Monster from Snowdin watched the children with a sad smile while casting wary glances over at the humans as she took sips from a big jug of water.

It was a scene Frisk had seen several times in the last year, ever since the Barrier had been broken and the Monsters freed. One that Frisk had tried to change, countless times, to no real avail.

Frisk sighed, giving themselves a half-hearted push in the swing, their feet dangling and kicking a bit at the air as they muttered unkind words for their hometown. Frisk had, like so many of the Monsters, such high hopes when they’d all descended down the mountain. Growing up in the isolated, rural city, Frisk had always felt like it was a friendly and welcoming place. They had been so full of excitement at getting to show the Monsters around town. To share so many new experiences with them, and to help them make so many new friends.

They’d gotten to do two of those things. Sort of. It’d only taken the better part of two months to get permission for small groups to wander about the city.

Sadly, no new friends were made. And as it turned out, Frisk had lost the handful of Human friends they’d had before they fell into the Underground.

Ebott, it turned out, was very much not fond of Monsters. Something Frisk found to be increasingly frustrating and depressing as each week and month dragged on, with no progress for getting the Monsters settled into the city.

Which was why they were here at the park. Their mother, Toriel, had been growing a bit worried about them, and so gave them the day off from their studies. She recommended a trip to the park with Sans, while she attended another meeting with Asgore to try and make some headway with the City Council and Mayor.

“Try to enjoy yourself, get some fresh air and sunshine, and enjoy the good weather!” Toriel had told them after another wonderful, hearty breakfast. And like a good child who always strived to make their parent happy, Frisk had tried.

Sadly, reality had been intent on reminding Frisk of the very things bothering them.

“hey kiddo, wanna a push?”

Frisk perked up a bit, smiling a bit as they glanced to their left. The swing next to them was now occupied by one of their best friends from the whole Underground.

“Nah I’m good Sans. Thanks for the offer though.”

Sans shrugged. “suit yourself, figured ya just might need a little help to swing outta the funk you’re in.”

Frisk giggled at the bad pun, their spirits lifting, if only by a bit. “Think it’ll take a fair bit more than a friendly push to do that.”

Sans glanced off towards the Humans, many of whom seemed more on edge with him present. Most of the Human children didn’t pay him too much mind, but they did move a bit further away from the side of the playground the two were in.

“too right about that. not much this ol bag o bones can do to help on that front.” He remarked, only for his ever present grin to widen.

“but something tells me the text message you’re about to get might do the trick.”

Frisk quirked an eyebrow at that, only to squeak as their phone let out a pleasant ding. They shot Sans a look, then pulled it out and pulled up the message in question. It was from Toriel, and as they read, their eyes grew wide.

‘Frisk! You won’t believe the good news we just got! Well, it's sort of good news but also sad, but better news than you might have expected! A different city has offered all of the Monsters a place to settle, to call home!’

‘I’ll share all the details when Sans brings ya back home, but we’re finally being given a chance Frisk~! It may not have been here in your hometown like you wanted, but soon all the Monsters will get a chance to integrate into Human society!’

Frisk stared at the text for a moment before they blinked a few times. Then they let out a whoop and a holler, hopping off the swing and doing a little dance of joy. Frisk didn’t care that it caused the other Humans to shoot them confused looks, they were too happy.

“guess my hunch was a homerun eh?.” Sans said with his own chortle, slumping out of his swing and stuffing his hands in his pockets. Frisk stuck their tongue out at him, then stepped closer as they said,

“Are you kidding? After a whole year of no luck? This is wonderful news! I’d already started to give up on Ebott, so I don’t mind moving somewhere else. In fact, I’m excited for it!” Frisk let out a little squeal, before putting their hand on Sans shoulder. “I’m ready to head on back whenever ya are.”

“heh, that’s the spirit kiddo. now, hang on, i know a shortcut.” He replied, smirking as he reciprocated. Frisk braced themselves as everything spun about, tumbled around, and did a twist that always left them feeling a little squished and stretched out. But when it was done, the park was gone, and instead, they were standing next to a large purple tent, a little flag of the Kingdom of Monsters flapping in the wind beside it.

Giving Frisk’s shoulder a light pat, Sans said, “i already got the short version of it, so you go ahead and walk on in kid. i’ve got to go share it with papyrus, undyne, and the dogs so they can help spread the word. king fluffybuns is gonna do a big announcement for it in a bit.”

“Alright. See ya later Sans!” Frisk replied, happily darting into the tent and calling out “Mom! Mom! Is it true? Is it really, really true?”

Toriel, who had been cooking something on the portable stove the tent had, turned and opened her arms as Frisk rushed over. She scooped the young Human up, giving them a light spin before setting Frisk on the stool nearby.

“Yes, it really is true.” Toriel said, her own eyes gleaming brightly. “Asgore and I finished talking with the Mayor of Canterlot just a short time ago. She was very sincere, and apologetic about the treatment we’ve gotten thus far since leaving the Underground.”

“Canterlot? Haven’t heard of it.” Frisk remarked, finding the name a bit strange but not the strangest they’d heard of. “She does know its not her fault the adults here in Ebott are being bigoted asses right?”

“Frisk! Language!” Toriel chided, even as she muttered, “Even if you’re not wrong.” Frisk snickered a bit, as Toriel answered, “It is a couple hours north of Ebott, in a neighboring state. The Mayor said she’ll be happy to help provide transport for everyone, though we’ll likely have to go in small groups a day at a time.”

Toriel gave the pot on her stove a quick check, then picked up a laptop that Alphys had loaned her and passed it over to Frisk. On the screen was a website for the city in question, showing off the various sights and attractions, pictures and details about the two incredible schools it boasted. A bar on the side showed statements from residents, tourists, and people passing through, all talking about how friendly, inclusive, and inviting the city and its residents were.

The most interesting detail was a section talking about a huge expansion the city was working on, with a Blog for the city noting that the city was working hard to attract new residents and businesses to come settle down and build roots in places old and new alike.

“Well, it certainly looks like a nice place. Then again, I thought Ebott was a nice place too.” Frisk spoke rather frankly, looking over to her mother and asking, “Are we sure this is all on the up and up?”

“While I understand your wariness, we are quite sure.” Toriel remarked. “We’ve been in discussion with her for two weeks. That little trip out of town that Asgore and I had last week was a tour of Canterlot and a meeting with their City Council. The reception and reaction folks had there was the complete opposite of what we got here.” She paused then, and added, “Well, except for one girl who leapt into the air, gasped, then dashed off. While mid-air.”

That got a quirk of a brow from Frisk, but Toriel just chuckled and waved it off. “I have quite a bit of faith and hope that this will go over well, and that everyone will be able to find a place to call their own.”

“And the catch?” Frisk asked, earning a bit of a pause from Toriel, who moved over to a small table nearby and picked up some papers. She handed them over to Frisk, swapping them for the laptop as Frisk began giving them a once over.

“I don’t know if I’d quite call them catches, given we’re getting boons in exchange. But for a start, part of the deal involves the Kingdom of Monsters investing between twenty-five and fifty percent of the gold we have in various projects across the city in the first year of our residing there.” That caused Frisk’s head to shoot up, but Toriel smiled and continued.

“What we invest it in is up to us, so it isn't like we’re being forced to put our wealth into something specific. In exchange for it, all the Monsters don’t have to worry too much about rent, as the City will subsidize them. Also, Canterlot would like to partner with our scientists to explore more ways to combine Magic and technology, and conduct further studies in Magic generally.”

Frisk bit their bottom lip a bit in thought at that. “That’s it?” At Toriel’s nod, Frisk simply said, “Huh… well, that’s… a much better deal than I was expecting.”

Toriel offered a sad smile. “Ebott’s stonewalling and nigh impossible terms have certainly lowered the bar for our expectations. There are some other minor details, but they’re things we’re more than happy to do. It’s a big reason why the King and I both think Mayor Mare is being sincere.”

It was Toriel’s turn to quirk a brow when Frisk snorted at the Mayor’s name. Frisk chortled a bit, explaining, “Mayor Mare, of Canterlot… fitting. And if I read the bit about the school, they’re sports teams are called Wondercolts. Quite an equestrian city, aren’t they?”

“Well, when you say it like that… does fit a bit of a pattern mhmhm.” Toriel chuckled, soon grinning as her eyes lit up. “Oh my, if that’s the case, I’d better brush up on my horse puns with Sans. It’ll be a great way to pass the time on the trip there.”

Frisk groaned, hiding their head in their hands for a moment, which only made Toriel giggle and snort some more.

“You’ll both need to pace yourselves with them. Otherwise it’ll be like beating a dead horse.”

Toriel smirked. “It just means we’ll need to pony up and be on our A-game with them~”

They shared a laugh over that for about a minute, Toriel having to stop to check the soup she was making. As she lowered the heat and gave it a few stirs, Frisk asked, “So then, when are we moving?”

“Tomorrow morning, as a matter of fact.” Toriel replied. “Tis one reason why I had Sans go ahead and bring you right over.” She dipped a finger into the pot and gave the soup a taste, smiling as she went ahead and swapped it for a pan while pulling out some bread and cheese. “I figured after a late lunch, you could help me start packing. We’ll be part of the first group headed over.”

“Perfect!” Frisk declared, hurrying over and grabbing a bowl and plate for them both. “Never thought I’d say this, but I’ll be so glad to leave this city far behind and never look back.”

“Now Frisk.” Toriel began, “This is still your hometown. You have good memories here. And your Uncle’s grave is here.”

Frisk had the good sense to dip their head at that as they set the table. “Yeah well, Sans can always shortcut me to the cemetery here if I want to say hi to Uncle Toby. And well, after this last year… the place leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

Toriel tried to say something in response to that, but found that she couldn’t come up with a good argument. So with a sad nod, she simply pursed her lips and focused on grilling their sandwiches.

-*-

The rest of that day was spent packing, not that they had a great deal to pack. But they did have to help their friends a bit, chiefly Alphys since she had some equipment she’d brought up from her lab she was taking in the first wave.

At the announcement Asgore gave, Frisk learned that Ebott was actually going to be ‘helping’ in providing a bit of additional transportation. Asgore didn’t have to say why, since the City Councilman who’d come to affirm such made it plain enough when he said the city was more than happy to help get rid of ‘freaks’.

Frisk didn’t like the idea of fighting. They didn’t enjoy the thought of hurting someone, even by accident. But boy, did they really want to run up there and kick that man between the legs.

That evening, they had trouble sleeping, excited beyond belief at the prospect of moving to a new city. Frisk had never really gotten to go anywhere outside of Ebott, so this was in many ways like a brand new adventure to them. What sleep they did get was a bit restless and fitful, but they did eventually manage some.

A cup of Golden Flower tea from Asgore was enough to help perk Frisk up as they stood with a group of about five hundred other Monsters and watched the numerous buses pull up. Asgore and Toriel both blinked in surprise as a woman in a suit and gray hair stepped on off the lead bus, Frisk giving Toriel a curious tilt of their head. They didn’t get a proper chance to inquire though, as the woman strolled over to them and shook each of their hands.

“Morning everyone! Hope you’re all as excited as the rest of us to be taking you to your new home in Canterlot!” The woman said enthusiastically. “I’ll be your Mayor, though for the next few hours for some of you, I’ll be your driver. Figured for such wonderful folks as yourselves, was only fair I go the extra mile to make you all feel welcome!”

Frisk blinked in surprise along with Asgore and Toriel, but was the first to recover as they said, “Well, as the Ambassador for the Monsters, I can certainly say after the treatment we’ve gotten this last year, this does wonders to make me feel like you really want us in your city.”

Mayor Mare smirked. “Given what I’ve heard, I can understand that fully. Honestly, some people…” She shook her head in disgust before perking back up. “Regardless! We’ve got a bit of a trip before us, so if you’ll all file on the buses of your choice, we’ll be ready to hit the road!”

With a bit of help from a few other volunteers, it took only an hour to get the trucks with the few possessions many Monsters were bringing along with them situated, and less time for the Monsters and Frisk to clamber aboard the long buses.

Frisk and Toriel made a point of sitting up near the front. Asgore took a spot in the middle, letting him converse with Alphys and Sans as Papyrus and Undyne talked animatedly over some comics they’d brought along for the ride. Frisk was practically bouncing in their seat, leaning forward and gazing out the wide front windows as Mayor Mare climbed back in and slid into the driver's seat.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road!” Mayor Mare said, to cheers and shouts of excitement and jubilation across the bus. With a pull of a lever and a flick of a switch, the bus roared to life and they were soon rolling down the highway.

True to their word, Frisk didn’t once look back as they left their hometown behind them. Frisk could only look ahead, to new horizons and new experiences, and hopefully, many, many more friends.

Chapter 2

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 3 Author's Note

And this chapter was finished just a few days ago, Sunday the 5/29 I believe. I'm working on Chapter 4 now, and once Chapter 4 is finished, I'll be getting to work on Chapter 5 of Asriel Dreemurr, Prince of the Night!

Also, I want to make it clear- I'm going to be going with a bit of a different Sunset Shimmer here. Sunset's still going to start off as arrogant and rather over confident, but there's going to be some differences.

This chapter's a bit longer, hope ya'll enjoy!

Chapter 3

The practice went on for another hour and a half, before some students started heading home on their own or with their parents. Frisk got to know quite a few of them making a few new friends alongside that of Applejack and Rainbow Dash, whom they were helping put away the soccer gear they’d been making use of.

Frisk had made a pretty good impression on all of them, they felt. They’d done tolerably enough in the various positions, though where they seemed to shine was as goalie. Still, they’d been able to keep up with most of the other players, and had had a blast getting to play a sport they’d not played in a while.

Of course, there was something that Frisk knew was going to come up before too long. If not today, some other day when they were hanging out with these two or any of her new friends. That being…

“Hey uh, Frisk? Can I ask a uh, personal question?” Applejack began as they placed the last of the gear back inside the athletics shed. Frisk couldn’t help but smirk a bit, having a very good idea of just what the cowgirl was about to ask.

“By all means, go right ahead AJ.”

“Thank ya kindly.” Applejack replied, then just launched on into it. “So uh, I noticed that some of the others referred to ya as a boy, or a girl, and uh, you didn’t bat an eye at either.”

Rainbow Dash perked up. “Oh yeah, I noticed that too. Ya seemed pretty chill about it. Made me kind of wonder but eh, not really my business.”

“W-Well I uh, don’t wanna be rude and use the wrong word and all… So uh, I guess what I’m trying to ask is-” Applejack began, only for Frisk to turn and face them both, raising their hands up with a smirk on their face.

“If you’re trying to ask if I’ve got dangly bits between my legs, the answer is yes.”

Applejack’s face went as red as an apple, and her mouth just flapped open and shut a few times. Rainbow Dash in the meantime let out a whoop and a holler, having to brace herself against the door as she started laughing her ass off. Frisk could only contain their own mirth for a couple more seconds before they started chortling as well.

“Always love answering it like that.” Frisk said as they walked over and gave Applejack a soft shake to the shoulder. She managed to clamp her jaw shut at that as Frisk explained a bit further.

“Born a guy, but I’ve always liked girly stuff. My Uncle, before he passed, used to describe me as more of a tomboy than anything. And plenty of folks have called me a girl before.” Frisk shrugged their shoulders as they said, “I really don’t mind either way. Guy, Girl, he, she, they… whatever someone is most comfortable with is what I usually say.”

“Ah, I uh, gotcha. I uh, I think I’ll just use they then.” Applejack mumbled, tipping her hat down to cover her blushing as Rainbow Dash continued to giggle and chuckle.

“Hooo man… You’ve sure got attitude, Frisk. Just full of surprises. You’re gonna fit in real well here.” She said, wiping some tears from her eyes as she managed to collect herself.

“Hehe, glad you think so.” Frisk said, then rubbed the back of their head sheepishly as they said, “And uh, if ya both could do me a huge favor and not tell my Mom I described it like that? She’s uh, not all that happy when I talk about things in such a crude manner.”

Rainbow Dash made a zipping motion over her lips. “She won’t hear a thing from me.”

“I think I’d be too embarrassed to repeat it.” Applejack mumbled, the blush on her cheeks finally starting to settle down as she just shook her head, leading the way back over to Principal Celestia. However, she and Rainbow Dash both stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who the Principal was speaking with.

Frisk however, smiled and dashed forward, throwing their arms out and practically glomping the tall Boss Monster as they exclaimed, “Mom~! How’d the interview go~? Did it go well? Are you going to be a teacher here?”

Toriel chuckled, scooping Frisk up in a tight embrace of her own, then set the eager teen down as she said, “Relax my child. Yes, it went well, and as the Principal here was just telling me, it's quite likely I’ll at least be a faculty member of some sort.”

Celestia nodded. “There are several qualified individuals who’ve applied before Toriel here had expressed interest. However, Luna and I both think having her working with the school in some capacity would be of value to all of our students.”

“Principal Celestia was suggesting perhaps a role as Guidance Counselor, or a Human-Monster Relations officer.” Toriel remarked, earning a quirk of an eyebrow from Frisk.

“Isn’t that my job as Ambassador for the Monster Kingdom?”

Toriel nodded. “Yes, but while the King has given such a role to you, it doesn’t really have any official power or influence outside of the Monster community, at least right now. To many, it is likely you’d just be seen as another student. Whereas if I’m a member of the School faculty…”

Frisk had already dipped their head as they considered such. “You’d have administrative backing and legitimacy.” They grinned as they turned their gaze back up to Toriel. “That makes sense, and sounds like a good idea!”

“They’re quite quick to catch onto these things, aren’t they?” Celestia asked with a chuckle. Toriel just beamed and gave Frisk a squeeze as she pulled her to her side, patting their head.

“Frisk is quite the smart and wise child. Sometimes I forget they are as young as they are.”

Crossing their arms, Frisk pouted and said, “Hey, I’m not that young. I’m 14.”

“Even by Human standards, that is still young.” Toriel remarked with a chuckle, before glancing to the slowly approaching forms of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Their expressions were both colored with some surprise, but Rainbow Dash seemed more excited. Especially as she wrapped an arm around Frisk and gave them a noogie and a poke to the chest.

“I knew I’d seen and heard of ya before! I just couldn’t put my finger on it!” Rainbow Dash said before letting go. “You’re the kid that helped free all those Monsters from that magical prison under a mountain a year ago!”

“Doesn’t that sort of make them a hero of sorts?” Applejack asked, which caused Frisk to blush and dip their head sheepishly… Though only for a moment as memories of the last year bubbled up.

“Not if you ask most folks back in Ebott.” They replied through gritted teeth, earning winces from Rainbow Dash and Applejack alike. Toriel gently rubbed at their head, which helped Frisk push such feelings away.

“Yer not exactly what I’d think of when someone says ‘Monster’.” Applejack remarked, tilting their head this way and that a bit. “Ya look a bit more like a goat or a cow to me.”

Toriel chuckled at that. “You are not the first to say that. And I doubt you will be the last. Still, it is what I am. There are others like me, but many Monsters are quite varied in shape and form. Which you will see in time as more of us get settled here in this lovely city.” Her gaze grew a bit firm as she added,

“Just remember, no matter what any of us may look like, we’re just people wanting to enjoy and live out our lives in peace.” She smiled, as did Frisk, as both girls gave nods of affirmation.

“We’ll remember.” They both said, then Rainbow Dash squirmed about a bit, drawing curious looks from the others. It took a moment more of shy, almost embarrassed squirming before Rainbow Dash spoke up.

“This might be a bit of a weird question… but uh… Can I give you a hug?” She blushed at the look of surprise from AJ and bemusement from Celestia and stammered out, “W-What?! I-It’s just… I-I wanna see how soft her fur is! C-C’mon, she looks like she could easily be a soft life size plushie!”

Toriel and Frisk couldn’t keep themselves from giggling and chortling at that, respectively. Thankfully for Rainbow Dash, she didn’t have to deal with their amusement for long as Toriel went ahead and pulled RD into a gentle hug. Which she nearly melted into even as her cheeks turned brighter and she closed her eyes, returning it and nuzzling into Toriel’s middle.

“It is alright child. I quite enjoy giving out hugs to those who want them, young and old alike.”

Applejack looked at the rather content look on Rainbow Dash’s face, rubbed her arm a bit, then chuckled a bit as she came over and joined it with an “Ah heck, might as well.”

Frisk happily joined in, chuckling as they nuzzled into Toriel’s side as Toriel gave the three of them a squeeze, nuzzling each of their heads. “Super fluffy and huggable, isn’t she~?”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash’s responses were muffled, as they were both snuggling into her middle. Frisk and Toriel both shared a look, Toriel beaming as she said, “Just like the first time you gave me a hug, my child.”

Frisk smiled and nodded, smirking as they saw the tinge of pink come to their friends faces as they reluctantly pulled away. It was good timing for such as well, as a pair of voices called out from the sidewalk, drawing everyone’s attention. An older lady and a middle aged man with rainbow hair were waving towards the group, curiosity in their eyes as they spotted Toriel.

“Hehe, guess it's time we skedaddled.” Applejack said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of her head briefly as Rainbow Dash waved to what Frisk could only assume was her father. “We’ll see ya’ll around, alright Frisk?”

“Sure thing! Oh, but first!” Frisk replied, quickly pulling out their cell phone as they tapped a few buttons. They then showed their number to RD and AJ as they said, “Why don’t we exchange numbers, that way we can get together again before school starts.”

“Hehe, not a bad idea. I definitely wanna hear more about all ya did in the Underground~! It sounds like it was a crazy awesome adventure!” Rainbow Dash said, hastily spitting out her number before bidding a “See ya~!” as she dashed over to her dad.

Applejack just shook her head, and happily supplied RD’s number alongside her own before heading off to her grandmother. Leaving Toriel and Frisk by themselves with Principal Celestia.

“Probably a good time for the two of you to head on home, since not much else is going on right now here. My Sister and I will be heading home soon ourselves.” Celestia remarked, earning a nod from Toriel. “One of us will get in touch once we know whether we’ll be taking you on as a teacher or just a member of the faculty.”

“Of course. There is no rush.” Toriel remarked, before looking at Frisk as she asked, “Shall we head home then, or did you want to look around the neighborhood some more.”

Frisk looked at the time on their phone. “It’s nearly six o’clock, should probably head home so we can get dinner going. We have to wake up early tomorrow, so we can help as more Monsters arrive to get settled in.”

“That we do.” Toriel said, giving Celestia a nod and a bow. “Be seeing you around Principal Celestia.”

“Take care!” She said with a nod, heading back into the school as Toriel took Frisk’s hand and they made their way back home. All along the way, Frisk told Toriel about the many new friends they’d made during the practice, and even before they got home, Frisk was already getting texts from Applejack and Rainbow Dash wanting to try and meet up later this coming week.

“I’m so happy to know you’re already making so many friends.” Toriel said as they arrived home and walked into the kitchen. “I shouldn’t be surprised, given how easily you made friends in the Underground, but after the last year…”

Frisk waved such off. “That’s just because of all those rude parents in Ebott. Had a few folks back there try to stay friends with me, but well…” Frisk shrugged, but grinned. “After a day here though, I’ve got a great feeling about this city.”

“As do I. Let us keep our hopes high that such feelings bear out over the next year.” Toriel remarked as she opened the fridge. “Now then, on a different note, why don’t you come help this old lady figure out what we’re eating tonight?”

“As long as it’s not snails, I think I can do that.” Frisk said with a laugh, chortling at the mock pout their mother gave them before joining in their mirth as Frisk hurried on over to take a peek with her.

-*-

The next two and a half weeks went by very much in a busy blur for Frisk. There wasn’t a single day where Frisk wasn’t doing something, be it at home, around the neighborhood, or anywhere else in Canterlot.

Much of the first week was taken up assisting with the resettlement of Monsters from Ebott. Even with the help and friendliness of the city, after the treatment from Ebott quite a few Monsters needed reassuring at times. Something Frisk was more than happy to help with, alongside helping a fair few get their things moved in.

When they weren’t helping with that, Frisk was exploring the city, often with the assistance of Sans or Papyrus who were working to get the lay of the town themselves. Sans, unsurprisingly, seemed to already know quite a bit of where everything was, much to Papyrus’s annoyance. Frisk just chalked it up as another thing of “Sans being Sans” and carried on as they were.

During the second week, Frisk got more of an opportunity to meet and hang out with their two newest friends, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and to introduce them to their many friends they had made in the Underground. They got along rather well with everyone, with Rainbow Dash and Undyne getting along exceptionally well.

It was then that the two told Frisk that they both had some mutual friends they’d love to bring over, allowing Frisk and company a chance to meet three other girls that would be among Frisk’s many classmates in the coming school year.

There was Rarity, a girl obsessed with fashion and design but also with a rather generous spirit. And Fluttershy, a meek and timid girl who was quite a bit startled at first when meeting the others, especially the boisterous Papyrus. But she had quite a kind heart, and the pet rabbit she had with her seemed to take a liking to Sans, much to her surprise.

Then there was, well… Pinkie Pie. With her name being used by the other four as the best descriptor that could be given. She got along great with everyone, but seemed to enjoy the company of the skele-bros above all else.

She was rather eccentric, as much as Sans could be, and from what the others told Frisk, she absolutely loved throwing parties. And pranks, jokes, gags, capers and japes. Oh, and much to the joy of Sans and Toriel (and the annoyance of Papyrus) she was also a lover of puns.

As happy as they were to make more friends, things were still quite busy. Even with the reluctant help from Ebott, there were still more Monsters needing to resettle. And if Alphys’s count was right, it wouldn’t be until the middle of the next month or so that all of them had made it over.

Fortunately, all five of them turned out to be more than willing to volunteer to help Frisk out with giving tours of the city and doing what they could to make the Monsters of the Underground as welcome as they could.

Their interest, eagerness, and compassion was well received, and Frisk found themselves already growing rather fond of them. They were a bit of an odd group, not the sort you would have expected to form such a circle of friends, but they all just seemed to sort of… click together.

Much as Frisk had with the Monsters, now that they thought about it. Maybe it was one of those whims of fate sort of things their Uncle had liked to talk about.

Regardless, by the end of the second week, it was time to focus on something different. Specifically, getting enrolled at Canterlot High, something which Frisk was rather looking forward to. Especially once Toriel shared with them that she would in fact get to be the new literature teacher, as the former teacher quit after eloping and skipping town with an old college flame.

The school was bustling with activity as Frisk and Toriel arrived, many students of all ages and years talking excitedly with one another. Some went quiet as they saw them both, but many became even more animated. Quite a few girls, and even some guys, rushed over to ask all sorts of questions… the biggest two of which were, unsurprisingly, if they could feel Toriel’s fur or give her a hug.

Bemused, the pair slowly made their way into the school and headed towards the gymnasium where enrollment was taking place. The lines for each year were full of students and parents alike. Frisk and Toriel quickly found the line for the freshmen year and joined it, with Frisk smiling as they saw Applejack and her older brother, Big Mac, in the line with their grandmother.

As soon as Applejack spotted them, she waved and murmured something to Granny Smith, who just nodded and gave her a pat on the head. Applejack quickly hurried over, beaming at them both and giving each a quick hug.

“Heya you two~! Heard word on the grapevine that you’re gonna be one of the new teachers this year.” She said to Toriel, who quirked her eyes before smiling as realization dawned on her.

“Doubtless heard such from your grandmother.” At Applejack’s nod, Toriel gave a nod. “You’ve heard right. I do trust you’re not going to expect preferential treatment since you are one of our friends.”

Applejack snickered at that. “I ain’t the sort to have such expectations ma’am. I always aim to do my best in every class honestly. Rainbow Dash on the other hand.. Well, she might have slightly different expectations.”

“I heard that!” RD said as she strolled over, a duffle bag slung over one shoulder. “You know me AJ, I never cheat at anything.”

“Yeah, ya just bend the rules a bit sometimes is all!” Quipped Pinkie Pie as she hopped on over, a plethora of pony headbands, tails, and other school spirit items bursting from a box she was balancing rather precariously on her head. Rainbow Dash glared at her a bit, while Fluttershy and Rarity walked on over to join them.

“A-Are you excited about starting school here Frisk?” Fluttershy asked softly, to which Frisk gave a firm nod.

“Of course they are darling~!” Rarity said with flair, draping an arm over Frisk’s shoulder as she added, “Especially once they see the set of outfits I’ve started working on for them.”

Frisk blushed and rubbed the back of their head sheepishly. “Rarity, I told you you don’t have to do that for me…”

Rarity smirked. “Yes, but I want to. Besides, your wardrobe needs a bit of variety to it.”

“Nothing wrong with wanting to keep outfits simple.” Applejack chimed in, earning a snort of amusement from the fashionista.

“I can agree with that to a point. But even you have more variety than Frisk does. Heck, Rainbow Dash has more variety than they do. Even if she rarely shows such.”

RD snickered a bit at that as she rubbed her own head sheepishly, while Frisk could only blush more, shifting a bit into Toriel’s side as their mother just smiled and ruffled their hair.

“Relax my child. A few new outfits won’t do any harm.”

“I know… just used to what I prefer is all.” Frisk replied, earning a soft smile from Rarity.

“You’ll be pleased to know I’ve kept your preferred colors in mind. I’m even including some flexibility in how you want to wear them too~” Rarity replied as she and the others moved along with them as the line shifted forward.

“Hey uh, you do know ya don’t have to stand in line with your Mom for enrollment right?” Rainbow Dash asked, earning a nod from Frisk.

“I already talked over the electives and stuff, but I want to go over it all the same. Why’d ya ask?”

Pinkie Pie sprung forward, pulling Frisk into a tight hug as she said, “Because we were thinking we could give you our own special tour of the school! And the sooner we do, the sooner we can get to the party~!”

“Party?” Frisk asked, looking at the other girls. Fluttershy was the first to respond.

“I-It’s b-become a sort of tradition for the senior class to host a party during enrollment. To c-celebrate their final year and to welcome the new students becoming freshmen.”

Applejack nodded. “We couldn’t go last year because it’s for freshmen and up, but Pinkie here, being the party girl she is, knows all about it and has been itching to check it out.”

Frisk couldn’t help but smile at that, looking up to Toriel as they asked, “Think it’d be okay if I joined them?”

Toriel, who had been listening to the exchange with one ear as she gave her cell phone a quick check, nodded. “Of course my child. Though I would like to ask them to be patient and wait til we’ve finished your enrollment. After that, I need to attend a meeting with some of the other faculty, so I’ll likely be preoccupied for a time anyways.”

The girls and Frisk nodded their heads at that, with Rarity saying they’d be waiting out in the hallway for Frisk when they were done. Frisk turned their attention to the line, soon getting a bit antsy as it seemed like it was taking forever for their line to inch forward.

But soon enough, they were at the table and Frisk was going over the form and filling everything out with Toriel’s rare bit of help. There weren’t a lot of electives available for freshmen, but Frisk had decided they wanted to try their hand at the Art and Drama classes.

With that sorted and situated, Frisk gave Toriel a hug as they left the gym, then made their way over to their waiting friends as they asked, “So, this tour gonna be the same as the one some of the teachers and principal are giving, or…?”

Pinkie popped up besides Frisk with a wide grin that should have been practically impossible. “Nope, we’re gonna show ya all our favorite hangout spots too~! And swap some stories about our life along the way!”

“Hehe, sounds fun. Alright girls, lead on!” Frisk said, pointing a finger forward as they just chuckled in turn, AJ and RD soon taking the lead alongside Pinkie Pie as Rarity and Fluttershy walked alongside them.

Together, they went through the school, the girls pointing out all the classrooms and giving commentary on the subjects they did and didn’t like. Along the way, they shared stories of some of the hijinks they’d gotten into over the years since leaving Elementary School.

They shared some low points as well, such as a time when Rarity was getting ‘gently’ nudged towards trying to be more athletic and sporty by her dad.

Frisk went ahead and told them some of their own stories from their time in school. They’d been the sort that nearly everyone was friends with, at least before they came back down Mt. Ebott when the Monsters had been freed.

When they mentioned that the last year had been one where they were mostly homeschooled by their mom, which led to all the girls asking a bit more about Toriel herself. Most of it seemed to be trying to gauge what to expect when they were in her class, but Pinkie Pie and Rarity seemed more inclined to learn a bit more about her as a person.

As for the hangout spots, they had quite a few. The two most popular ones were the bleachers by the soccer field, and one of the rooms reserved for music practice. It was then that Frisk learned that all of them were at least somewhat musically inclined, the five of them knowing how to play at least one instrument.

Frisk wasn’t exactly sure what to make of the short, impromptu music number that followed this revelation. Or the fact that even they joined in a little bit. The fact none of them seemed all that fazed about it left Frisk to assume it was a common enough occurrence between them, so best to just go with the flow and not think about it.

The tour took only about an hour, and ended with Pinkie taking the lead out to the party going on. Though well, with the booths and stuff set up all over the football field, Frisk was more inclined to call it a festival. Still, whatever it was called, plenty of folks were having lots of fun.

“Folks really seem to like this school, don’t they?” Frisk asked the others as Pinkie Pie quickly vanished into the crowd, dragging Rainbow Dash along with her.

“Eyup!” AJ remarked with a grin, looping an arm around Frisk as she added, “Course, it is still school, so it's not all fun and games, but Principal Celestia works hard to try and encourage students and teachers alike to make school as enjoyable as possible for everyone.”

Frisk could only nod, tagging along after the others. Though not for long as it would turn out. A soft ‘ding-a-ling’ from their phone drew their attention. Pulling it out, they found a text from their mother waiting for them.

‘Meeting finished, and just finished a call with Asgore. There’s a big dinner the Mayor is hosting tonight to celebrate how smoothly the resettlement is going, and we’ve both been invited. It’s not for another few hours, but I figure heading home now will ensure we have plenty of time to be ready.’

Frisk quickly typed out an affirmative and a ‘be out front soon’ right back as they turned back to AJ and the others.

“Sorry girls, looks like I have to skip out a bit early. Mom and I have been invited to a formal dinner with the Mayor, and she wants to head home now.”

“Oh my, that sounds absolutely lovely.” Rarity said, a hint of envy in her voice as Frisk just shrugged.

“I’ve only been to a few. Things like this are usually boring. But well, I am the Ambassador to the Monster Kingdom… and even divorced, Mom’s still the Queen, so I have to get used to this sort of thing. “ They smiled though, giving the three of them a quick hug as they said, “I’ll be sure to share anything interesting that happens with all of ya tonight!”

They happily returned the hugs and bid them farewell, Frisk turning and heading back inside the school. They’d thought about going around the school, since Toriel had parked on the sidewalk, but decided going through would be faster.

As Frisk reached the courtyard, they spotted Toriel standing off by the car. She gave an expectant nod as Frisk moved to hurry over…

Only to stop as they heard a strange, rippling sound from behind them. Followed almost immediately by a feminine yelp and a thud, as well as a sound like tinkling glass. Toriel had heard it as well, and was hurrying over even as Frisk turned around to look for the source.

Wait… where’d it even come from? No one was out here…

At first, they didn’t spot anyone or anything. Then they saw what looked like a decent sized gemstone of a bright, vibrant green hue roll from the back of the statue occupying the center of the courtyard. They also heard a groan, and so Frisk hurried around and found…

A girl, on her side. There was a bump already forming on her head where her face had met the walkway, and next to her was a bag that had spilled some of its contents open.

Contents which were now strewn about a bit over the ground nearby, and which only aroused more curiosity from Frisk. Gemstones, two books with writing she didn’t recognize… and gold coins that looked rather like the kind the Monsters used.

As confused as they were, Frisk recognized someone in need of some help and hurried over. They helped gather the things and put them back in the bag, then as the girl started to push herself up, Frisk smiled as they reached a hand out.

“Hey, you alright?”

The girl’s eyes instantly shot open. Surprise and confusion was clear on her face as she took Frisk in, and Frisk got the intense suspicion that they weren’t what the girl had expected to see. The girl’s confusion only seemed to grow as she looked herself over, bringing her hand before her and looking at it as if she was seeing it for the first time in her life.

“I’m uh… fine.” She offered in a moment, adding, “I just tripped is all.” Somehow, Frisk didn’t quite buy that, but didn’t contest it as she tried to get up again on her own. When she nearly fell flat on her face again, she hesitantly looked to Frisk’s outstretched hand and moved to take it.

“T-Thanks, I uh, guess.” She said as Frisk helped her up, reaching for her bag back when Frisk held it out to her. Then her eyes went wide as Toriel came around the corner, concern on her face as she asked,

“Is everything alright my child?”

“Well I-” Frisk began, only to watch as the girl’s eye twitched. She let out a sound that sounded distinctly… equine. Then promptly crumpled to the ground as she went clean unconscious.

“I think I’ll take that as a no?” Toriel offered, looking now just as confused as the girl had. Frisk however looked at the bag they were holding, then at the area around where they’d found the girl. Who very much had not been there when they’d passed by it.

They gave the statue base nearby a frown. Something about it seemed rather… off. It almost looked like it was shimmering slightly, the way some stone would when the sun hit it just right.

Except right now, it was in the shade. So it shouldn’t be shimmering. Something didn’t add up. And the only one who could give any immediate answers was conked out on the sidewalk before them.

A determined glint appeared in their eye as they glanced over to Toriel and said, “Slight change of plans Mom. We’re not going straight home… We’re swinging by Alphys’s place. I need to ask her a few things.”

Handing Toriel the girl’s bag, they moved over and with a grunt, hefted the young lass up.

“And she’s coming with us.”

Chapter 5

Sunset was many things. She was a fully grown mare, one of the best spellcasters in all of Equestria, outclassed perhaps only by her former teacher the Princess herself. She was practiced in combat and had even on a few occasions faced off against powerful creatures to test her abilities.

She was also someone who had grown up with stories of zombie ponies and the undead being used as it sometimes was for many young foals- to encourage them to be good and go to bed when they were told. Adding on top of that, she was without much of her magic and in an unfamiliar world in a body whose abilities she didn’t quite know…

The shrill, terrified scream she let out was thus a rather natural and understandable reaction. As was her trying to make a run for it through the door on the other side of the room that the skeleton wasn’t standing in front of. She heard the skeleton say something, but her brain didn’t register it. Her focus was on getting away as fast as possible!

She managed to get through the door and made it about a dozen steps through a hallway, before suddenly she was confronted by a pair of… dogs? Only they were taller than her, and wearing long black cloaks. She paid them only a glance before she spotted stairs down and bolted for them.

“Hey wait!” One shouted, the other barked something that sounded like it might have been words, but was too gruff and guttural for her to be sure. Didn’t matter though, she needed to get away from the skeleton, and for all she knew, these two were friends of theirs.

“O-Outta my way!” she shouted as she rushed the stairs, only to lose her footing and yelp as she started to tumble down them. For a split second, she was suddenly worried her haste to get away to keep from being hurt, eaten, or who knew what else, was going to be done in by her cracking her head on the ground again.

Only, instead of crashing her head into anything, or smacking hard into the ground, Sunset felt something grip onto her. Or rather, it gripped onto the very essence of her being. Suddenly, she was no longer tumbling, and instead, was floating (and flailing) in the air as adrenaline and fear continued to reign supreme.

“ya know, ya outta relax. get any jumpier, and ya might leap right outta your skin.” A deep baritone of a voice called out, causing Sunset to jerk her head up, the source of it coming into view and making her eyes shrink yet again.

Another skeleton. Only this one was shorter. And her brain managed to catch that he was wearing a shirt, jacket of some kind, shorts and…

Are those bunny slippers?!

The incredulousness of a skeleton wearing such a thing managed to side track her fear long enough for her brain to catch up and approach things more rationally. Which allowed her to recall the rather… strange outfit that the other skeleton had been wearing. And that, while loud and boisterous, all he’d done was comment on her cursing and say hello.

Stories of skele-ponies had often painted them as out to feast on the dead, or rip the bones right out of someone to add to their numbers. Neither of which had occurred to her and which they would have had ample time while she was knocked out.

And the giant dogs, while strange and surprising and semi-ominous in those black cloaks, weren’t actually holding any weapons. If they were Diamond Dogs, or similar, then at worst they’d try to enslave her. And even without magic, she was confident she could get out of that kind of situation.

All of which led to her glancing down, eyes going wide as she saw what looked like a glowing heart shaped object hovering just above her chest, its hue currently colored a bright blue color.

“Ah, there you are!” the first skeleton called out from behind her. She didn’t look back, too confused by what she was seeing and feeling as the academic part of her mind wondering what the light was, and what was making her defy gravity.

Especially since this was supposed to be a world without magic!

Slowly, she was lowered to the ground as he brought his outstretched hand down. Her eyes caught a tell-tale blue glow around them, which faded once her feet were on the floor. They then shifted to that of the skeleton itself, their gazes locking for just a moment.

Sunset couldn’t help but shiver. For a split instance, she felt something ripple over her very being. Like her essence, her past, her very life was being reviewed and considered. The feeling didn’t last, and if not for the goosebumps, she’d have thought she imagined the whole thing.

The skeleton simply hummed, before the smile on his face seemed to stretch just a bit. Which should have been impossible. It gave her a long look, before remarking,

“i just bet you’re bursting with questions. or maybe you aren’t, but i can guarantee that we’ve got more than a few for you. as do our friends who found you and that portal you came through.”

“Y-You know about the Portal?” Sunset found herself blurting out, mouth moving before her brain could fully engage. “No one on this side is supposed to know about it! At least, according to Starswirl’s book they shouldn’t…” She then clammed up, closing her eyes and mentally smacking herself.

Before the skeleton in front of her could say or ask anything else, she felt a bony, glove covered hand clasp onto her shoulder and yelped as the taller skeleton remarked, rather loudly and enthusiastically,

“There’ll be time for us to play 20 questions later! Our guest is awake and I am sure that having spent much of the day unconscious they will have worked up quite the appetite!”

The skeleton wasn’t wrong. Her stomach let out a rather loud rumble at that. The enthusiastic skeleton of course used that to say,

“See! And it would be ever so impolite to keep them hungry while we wait for the others to return. So let us adjourn to the kitchen, where I shall whip something up for everyone to sink their teeth into! And we can get around to introductions!”

Probably referring to that biped creature… and the minotaur. Sunset thought to herself as she did her best to keep her worries in check. Panicking wasn’t going to be of any help here. She was outnumbered, and at least one of these… creatures? People? Whatever, one of them at least could use magic.

“I get the feeling I don’t have much choice in this, do I?” Sunset asked after a moment as the shorter skeleton closed its eyes. Which was… disconcerting to say the least.

“kid, there’s always choices. some are just better than others.” The shorter skeleton supplied in a cryptic tone that made her tense up just a bit. But then the skeleton cracked open an eye and chuckled as it said,

“like the choice of me taking care of the cooking, rather than my boneheaded brother. kinda hard to ask questions or get answers if you’re busy losing your lunch to the trash.”

The brief spike of tension was gone like that, akin to a needle giving a balloon the tiniest of pokes. A single teasing comment set the two skeletons (males to her further confusion) bickering as she was forcibly marched into a nearby dining area. Where she was offered a seat and then almost forgotten about.

Almost, being the key word, as the two black cloaked dogs had followed after and were keeping an eye on her as well. That and chiming into the conversation between the other two every so often.

A part of her was tempted to tune out of it all and focus on trying to figure out how to get out of his situation. Her plan… what there was of it now that she had thought about it, had involved laying low and getting a lay of the land. How was she going to do that captured as she was?

But another part of her held her back. For though this wasn’t what she had expected… she could still work with this. They had questions for her, and she had plenty for them. She might need to be careful what she shared, but she was positive she could manage. She had gotten plenty of chances to observe the games the nobility got up to amongst themselves after all.

Yeah, she was confused. She was lost. And what shreds of a plan she had right now was going to rely entirely on her winging it and hoping things worked out. But she was Sunset Shimmer. She wasn’t going to let anything stop her from learning and achieving what she desired.

Not even this setback would keep her away from her dream.

Yet as her stomach rumbled again, that little kernel of doubt she’d felt when she woke up couldn’t help but quiver, even if only a little.

-*-

Stretching and groaning in relief as they walked back to the car, Frisk declared,

“Thank fucking heaven we’re on the way home!”

“Frisk!” Toriel exclaimed, giving them a firm frown. “Language!”

Normally, Frisk would have been a bit chided by such. But this time, they simply shrugged and stuck their tongue out.

“I heard you using some rather choice language yourself Mom. I think in this instance, I can be forgiven.”

Toriel continued to frown at that, but she didn’t say anything else. There wasn’t much else to say after all.

The dinner had been… well boring, as Frisk had expected. However, there had been a brief moment of excitement. If one could consider a protestor coming in and making a scene about the presence of “Devilish creatures” and their “Witchcraft” infecting the city to be exciting.

Sure, it had been handled quickly. And Mayor Mare had apologized profusely, as had a few of the security personnel. But it had still put a damper on the rest of the evening, one that even talk of the success integration here had been so far hadn’t done much to fix.

Frisk sighed as they looked at their phone. Since the incident, they’d distracted themselves by texting their friends. Whom had managed to wrangle out of them what had them down.

“Every place has a few bad apples. Don’t let’em get ya down.” Applejack had sent. And she was right, but it was hard to do when the treatment they’d gotten in Ebott still left a bad taste in their mouth.

Frisk was about to stuff their phone back into their pants pocket, but several chimes from it stopped them. They flicked up the messages, then hurried up to Toriel as her mother was just about to get into the car door.

“Mom, that strange girl woke up.” They said, showing the texts. Sans and Papyrus were keeping an eye on her, and had sent the Dogs home after Sans determined they’d be fine between the two of them. Toriel hummed, then glanced at the time.

“School hasn’t started yet, and even I am quite curious now so… very well my child, we’ll head over right away.”

“Awesome! Thanks Mom!” Frisk exclaimed, giving Toriel a tight hug before hurriedly getting into the car. As they made their way through traffic, Frisk exchanged a flurry of texts with Sans and Alphys, who was quickly brought into a group chat to relay information.

Sans and Papyrus had made an attempt to learn what they could, but the girl, who was named Sunset Shimmer, had mostly clammed up. The most they’d been able to get from her was that she was from a different world, and that she hadn’t expected anyone to be able to figure out about the portal she’d come through.

Seemed she wasn’t inclined to talk more until Frisk showed up. Which was, and wasn’t, surprising. They had tried to help her out when they first saw her, and given the reactions she’d had thus far with everyone else…

On the other hand, it was because of Frisk’s decision that the girl in question was, after a fashion, being held captive by her friends. But maybe they’d told this Sunset Shimmer such and she’d decided they were the nicest of the bunch thus far.

Which, frankly, is more true for Papyrus. He’s the nicest person in the world. Frisk thought to themself. Though they knew Papyrus, and all their friends really, would contest that.

Sans had also sent them a separate text, giving them insight from the Judgement spell of his. Sunset’s LOVE was a 3, but she didn’t have any EXP. From what Sans had explained, LOVE was not always something gained from EXP, but could in fact be a sliding scale based on a person’s innate ability to harm others. So the mysterious girl’s LOVE being 3 meant she was at least slightly willing to use violence, more willing than Frisk at least. But with that being said, she had never killed anyone.

Still, it didn’t exactly sit well with Frisk knowing the girl was like that. But it did explain some of why they had felt there was more to the girl than met the eye.

When they pulled up to Alphys’s place, Alphys and Undyne were already waiting for them by the door. Alphys looked a bit nervous, while Undyne had an air of anticipation to her. No surprise there really, she got like that anytime the chance for something exciting came up that could lead to a chance for her to show off her fighting abilities.

Toriel, having been filled in, was more the opposite. But while her eyes carried an air of worry to them, she bore a resigned smile. She knew well enough how stubborn Frisk could be.

Walking on in with the three of them forming a half circle around them, Frisk strode in and made for the living room. They could already hear Papyrus asking all kinds of questions, not that their ‘guest’ was answering any as she sat on the couch with her arms folded across her chest and bored, if slightly bemused expression on her face. Sans was watching from nearby, his gaze on Sunset and keeping a very careful eye on her.

“Alright Papyrus, I’ll take it over from here.” Frisk called out, the enthusiastic skeleton giving a nod and a ‘nyehehe’ as he took a few steps back. Frisk meanwhile, moved to sit on the couch. They made a point of giving the girl some space as they both proceeded to size each other up.

Frisk took a special note of how the girl seemed to be holding herself. Most folks would assume she was relaxed, unconcerned or even disinterested in the situation. But Frisk could pick up small hints that she was tense and wary, though strangely, once Sunset took in Frisk’s eyes the wariness was replaced with an intense curiosity.

They weren’t exactly sure why. Sure, Frisk knew red eyes were exceedingly rare, especially if you weren’t also someone who had albinism.

Still, Sunset didn’t say anything at all. Leaving Frisk to be the one to break the ice. Glancing up to where the bump on her head had been, Frisk asked,

“Does your head still hurt at all?”

Sunset shook her head. “No. I assume one of your friends used some magic earlier to heal it, and the excitable skeleton here,”

“Papyrus.” Frisk remarked, while Papyrus naturally added, “The Great Papyrus!”

“Right, he used a spell to finish the job after I had something to eat.”

Frisk gave a nod at that, “Good, I’m glad to hear that. It looked like it might have been a doozy after all.” Sunset merely raised an eyebrow at that term, but Frisk quickly moved to the next thing. A proper introduction.

“My friend Sans already told me your name. Did he share mine or my other friends?”

Sunset shook her head no, and Frisk pointed to the others.

“Well then, this here is Alphys and Undyne, friends of mine. And this is my mother, Toriel Dreemurr.” Frisk noted how Sunset seemed to carefully eye, all three of them, though she paid more attention to Undyne and Toriel.

She’s got an eye for sizing folks up, gauging how much of a threat they are. Frisk found themselves thinking. Though they weren’t sure exactly why they’d see Toriel as one, unless she was somehow able to sense that Toriel was a Boss Monster.

At any rate, Frisk concluded with, “And I’m Frisk Dreemurr. A pleasure to meet you, Sunset Shimmer.”

They stuck their hand out, and while it took a moment, Sunset reluctantly reached out and took it and gave a shake.

“Not quite what I am used to.” Sunset noted when she let go, which served as a good opportunity for Frisk to ask the two biggest questions.

“So, Miss Shimmer…” They began, but Sunset cut them off.

“Just Sunset will do.”

Frisk inclined their head, then continued. “Would you be so kind as to tell us where you are from? And why did you come here?”

The ghost of a smirk came to Sunset’s lips. “Very direct and to the point. I can respect that.” She sounded sincere, though she still let out a sigh as she remarked,

“Since ya already know the portal exists, not much reason for me to try and fake my way through this. But I expect answers to the questions I have as well. Is that a fair trade?”

Frisk looked at all the others. All save Sans seemed fine with such, but Frisk had long since learned Sans could be more cautious and guarded than he let on. For their part, Frisk didn’t see any reason to say no, even with what little knowledge they had.

“That sounds fine to me.” Frisk said, and Sunset gave them a nod before sighing and getting a contemplative look. Then she launched into her story. Explaining that she was a Unicorn from a world known as Equinica, specifically the country of Equestria. How she was the personal student of the Princess, who ruled the kingdom. And that she was sent through the portal as both a test of her abilities, and to learn more about the world in question.

The entire time, Frisk was keeping a close eye on her as she spoke, just as Sans was doing. Though they were being less… overt about it. Alphys in the meantime was taking notes, with Undyne managing to keep the scientist from rushing over and asking dozens of questions a minute.

They couldn’t blame Alphys though. Frisk had a horde of questions themselves, given the fact that his Equestria she came from was ruled over by a Princess Celestia. Who resided in a city also called Canterlot. They briefly wondered if the girl was trying to pull one over on them, but that wouldn’t explain the portal nor the fact she and all her things were made up of more magic than anything here should be.

Something to figure out later… Frisk thought to themselves.

When Sunset had finished, she returned her focus to Frisk and said, “Now, it’s your turn. And the first things I’d like to know are… what exactly are your friends here? And how do you know about magic?”

“They’re Monsters.” Frisk said readily enough, earning a surprised, worried, and even questioning look from the mare turned girl as she tensed up. Frisk just smirked and added, “It's what they call themselves. And you can relax, they’re all good folks.”

As for magic… well, given Sunset had mentioned the last Equestrian to observe and study this world had been centuries ago…

Frisk explained, in a much more short and simple fashion than usual, the history of Monsters and Humans, and their recent liberation from their prison. Alphys happily chipped in, noting that magic was beginning to spread back out and over the world now that the barrier wasn’t keeping them locked away.

Sunset now had a rather inquisitive glint in her eyes, and her hand was twitching in a fashion that reminded Frisk of Alphys. Otherwise though, she kept that neutral, otherwise disinterested look she’d been maintaining thus far.

“Well, there’s more I’d love to ask, but I suppose right now, the most important question is… what happens now?” She looked at each of them, her nervousness only showing when her gaze met Sans’s for a moment. “As I said, I was sent to learn and observe, but I was supposed to lay low until or if I felt it was safe to make myself and Equestria known. Kind of difficult to do that now.”

Undyne snorted at the exact same time as Frisk. “It’d have been difficult no matter what, kiddo.” Frisk couldn’t help but get a bit of a smirk at the glare Sunset sent Undyne at being called such, but if Undyne noticed, she didn’t care.

“Ya might be an adult back home, but here I’d wager you’re at best just a bit older than Frisk. Someone would have noticed ya and reported ya once school starts. And a random kid with no ID would have ran into numerous issues.”

Frisk nodded. “Without you being able to use magic from the get go, you’d be in all sorts of trouble. Either your teacher thinks rather highly of your abilities, or she was throwing you to the wolves.”

For the briefest of moments, anger flashed across Sunset’s face. It was the most expressive she’d been thus far. She looked ready to snarl something out… but seemed to think better of it after a moment. Still, it took a few seconds of breathing before Sunset managed to steady herself as she curtly replied,

“Princess Celestia isn’t the sort of teacher to risk her students like that.”

Touchy subject. Frisk thought, making a mental note of such. They then glanced at each of their friends for a moment, then asked, “Meeting in the adjoining room?”

They all nodded, and made for the door. Frisk looked to Sunset and asked, “We might be able and up for helping ya out, but we gotta talk it over. You’ll be fine in here by yourself for a little bit, right?”

Sunset just shrugged. “I don’t exactly have anywhere to go, do I? Except back home. And…” She got a distant look in her eyes briefly, before steely resolve flashed in them as she shook her head. “That’s not an option.”

Frisk nodded, then followed the others out. They spotted a soft glow coming from Sans hands once they closed the living room door, and could already hear Toriel sighing as she asked,

“Is such really necessary?”

Sans shrugged. “no idea. but i can tell ya one thing- that girl isn’t being entirely truthful with us.”

“And that’s not accounting for the fact she’s got a LOVE of 3.” Frisk added, drawing gasps from Toriel, Papyrus, and Alphys. Frisk jerked a thumb towards Sans as they noted, “Sans told me she doesn’t have any EXP, which means she hasn’t killed anyone. But the fact her LOVE isn’t a 1 with that isn’t a good sign in itself.”

Undyne glanced to the door, conjuring a spear in her hand as she asked, “Ya sure one of us shouldn’t be in there keeping an eye on her then?”

“my magic has the doors and windows sealed. unless she wants to try breaking through a wall, without magic i’ll note, she’s stuck in there til we go back in.” Sans noted.

“She doesn’t seem like a mean girl…” Toriel remarked, Papyrus nodding as Alphys looked between Sans and Frisk. After a moment, the scientist inquired,

“Frisk, what about her story do you think is a lie? I-I mean, it all sounded rather sincere to me. I-I know I’m n-not the best at spotting such things, but well…”

Frisk sighed, and took a few seconds to go over it. They brought a hand up and ticked them off as they noted, “She’s definitely telling the truth about being from another world. Though I can’t help but wonder a bit about said world…”

“Yeah, that was… weird.” Undyne remarked, rubbing the back of her head. “Made it sound like it’s a magical pony filled version of this place.”

Frisk gave a nod, and continued. "But her story that she was sent here by her teacher?” Frisk shook their head. “I don’t really buy it. When she was speaking about Princess Celestia, it was hard to pick up on, but there was an edge to it.”

And after another moment of thought… “When I mentioned her teacher there at the end, I think she got upset at me suggesting her teacher thought highly of her abilities.”

Toriel hummed at that, giving a slight nod. “I do think if she’d wished to defend her teacher, it wouldn’t have taken as long for her to give a response.”

“I don’t exactly know the dynamic there, but at the very least, I think she’s lying about being sent here by her teacher to learn and observe.” Frisk said, shaking their head. “Beyond that though… I can’t say. Maybe she chose to come here of her own accord, maybe she was tossed here by her teacher…”

“Still, that leaves the question of what to do with her.” Toriel concluded, Frisk nodding as they glanced towards the door.

“if we wanna take her back through, we’ve only got two days to do so before that portal closes back up for, what was it she said, thirty moons? that’s almost three years.” Sans said, though as he looked at Frisk, he sighed and asked, “we aren’t gonna do that though, are we?”

“Just because I think she’s not telling us the full truth, doesn’t mean I think she’s a threat. Sides, I don’t think she wants to go back home anyways. Not yet at least.” Frisk said, then rubbed the back of their head a bit sheepishly.

“Though, it's not really just my choice.” They looked to Toriel, whose brow quirked up curiously. It took only another second for Toriel to catch on.

“You want us to take her in.” At Frisk’s nod, she hummed. A slight smirk came to her mother’s muzzle as she asked, “Is this just you wanting to learn more about magic, my child?”

Frisk’s cheeks tinged a bit pink, but only a bit. “Hey, this is a chance to learn a whole bunch of stuff about a new, or perhaps even parallel world. And it could be fun showing her what this one is like too.” Their tone softened a bit as they added,

“Besides, we don’t know why her LOVE is what it is. Maybe she’s been put in situations where she had no choice… or at least, didn’t have any good options.”

“Y-You did say you didn’t get any F-Flowey type vibes from her…” Alphys noted, and Undyne just smirked and added,

“If she tried anything, she’d have no chance. Not with Frisk around. Magic or no magic, Frisk’s way too Determined to let anything happen.”

Frisk chuckled nervously at that, rubbing the back of their head even more as they shared a glance with Sans. Their good friend just sighed and shrugged as his hand glowed blue and he waved it over the door.

“if the queen and frisk are fine with it, i guess i can be. ‘sides, i’m sure we’d all be making sure to keep an eye on her. worst comes to worst… frisk or i can deal with it.”

Toriel considered it for a moment, then nodded to Frisk. “There’ll be rules she’ll be expected to follow, so if she isn’t up for dealing with those…”

Frisk gave a nod. “I mean, if she isn’t up for boarding with us, we can still at least help her out and keep an eye on her either way. Less likely to cause trouble either way.”

There wasn’t much to go over then. Figuring out ground rules for either case wouldn’t be the hard part. Getting the girl sorted and situated would. But that would come after they got an answer. And as they all headed back into the living room and presented the options, it at first seemed that Sunset might take the offer of getting her own place…

But then she shared a long gaze with Frisk again, and for whatever reason, that seemed to decide it. Sunset didn’t seem all that bothered by the idea of ground rules, though the thought of them keeping an eye on her did have her giving them curious looks.

“Just take it from us kiddo,” Undyne had responded, “Sans and Frisk are very, very good judges of character.” That wasn’t quite enough to mollify Sunset, but a look at Sans certainly made her reconsider pushing the question further.

With that sorted, Frisk and Toriel led Sunset out to their car. Sans… did as he did and took a shortcut home. Papyrus saw them off alongside Alphys and Undyne, deciding to take the invitation to stay over and watch a new anime Alphys had found.

Frisk enjoyed the ride home, having quietly asked Toriel if they could take a bit of circuitous, scenic route back. It was fun watching Sunset as she observed everything she could as they drove through the city. It was clear she had a thousand more questions she wanted to ask, but as they were pulling into the driveway, it wasn’t just Frisk or Toriel letting out yawns.

“Mhm, I think we’ll all be heading to bed soon…” Toriel remarked as they walked in, Frisk stretching and letting out a satisfied sigh as a few pops followed.

“Probably a good idea. Especially since tomorrow’s going to be very busy.” They said with a glance towards Sunset. Toriel gave a nod.

“Indeed. I’ll need to make some calls before I head to bed, but why don’t you show our new guest her room and then head to bed?”

“Sure thing Mom!” Frisk said, grinning as they turned and offered their hand to Sunset. The girl from another gave it and Frisk an uncertain glance, but after a moment, hesitantly took it as Frisk led her upstairs.

Chapter 6

Sunset Shimmer hadn’t been entirely sure what to expect when she had accepted the offer of help from Frisk. Just from what little she had seen and heard, she had suspected that getting acquainted with things here in this new world would take some adjusting. But her teachers, even… the Princess… had always said Sunset was a quick study.

That didn’t however prevent her from being rather exhausted and tuckered out within her first two weeks of living in the Dreemurr home.

Both Toriel and Frisk were firm taskmasters when it came to helping her learn what she’d need to be able to ‘blend in’ and not arouse too much suspicion or curiosity. They weren’t harsh, but they didn’t hold back and piled on quite a bit. About two thirds of each day was spent learning common knowledge of the country and world they were in, while Frisk focused on getting them used to the rather fantastical technology this world boasted.

If Sunset hadn’t been the speed reader she was, and in possession of a fantastic ability to absorb and retain new information… she’d have been a nervous wreck. As it was, the speed crash course was still draining and a test of endurance and mental acuity alike.

Then there was the dealing with bureaucracy she’d had to undergo. She couldn’t get registered for school without some of it, and there’d be other issues as well the longer she remained in this world. So a fair bit of three separate days had been involved helping to get identification and papers sorted for her.

And some folks back home think the government has too much paperwork. She snorted at that, thinking some back home would love to learn how the government here functioned. Others would groan when they learned how much more they’d need to deal with.

Such was also a nice way to distract herself from the memory of how she’d responded when she met Mayor Mare… as well as the administrators of the school. Trying to unpack the possibility that this world was in some way a parallel of her own was a bit much for her right now.

So for now, she just chalked it up as some sort of weird, freaky coincidence. She had enough on her plate as it was.

Like trying to figure out how to use her magic. Aside from blending in and not letting slip to anyone who didn’t need to know that she was from another world, that was a top priority of hers. Considering how intrinsic magic was to her identity and being, not being able to make use of it was leaving her anxious and a bit irritable.

As soon as school starts and I’ve got my own free time… figure out my magic. If it came down to it, she’d start from scratch and build her way back up. As frustrating as that would be.

Still, as tired as Sunset was, she at least felt like she was doing alright. She had to give Toriel credit where credit was due- unless a teacher asked her something obscure, she doubted she’d have any trouble when it came to classwork itself.

And on the cultural and tech front, Frisk and their friends had done all they could. There was still some stuff she wasn’t entirely sure of, but she shouldn’t wind up making an ass of herself anytime soon.

Dealing with people in general on the other hand…

Meh. That was something you did only when you had to. Sunset was more than capable of ignoring people she didn’t need to interact with. And she’d always been able to handle things on her own before. Though Frisk and their friends were a bit harder to ignore, persistent as they were to try and get her to be social.

There were other things to get used to as well of course. Adjusting to a different diet, a more meat based one in particular, had been a bit jarring. Even for someone studying under the Princess and getting to interact with foreign diplomats and experience other cultures.

Fortunately, the Dreemurr’s had worked with her on that and she’d been pleased to learn there were plenty of more vegetarian options around. She’d get used to it, and while she wouldn’t yet admit it, she already found herself really enjoying the taste of beef…

With all this though, Sunset would be lying if she wasn’t feeling at least a little bit anxious the night before school started. Which was rather unlike her. Being nervous about going to school? She hadn’t felt such in a long time… and even when she’d been picked by the Princess, she’d felt more than enough pride to outweigh the jitters she’d had. The fact that Toriel and Frisk could both pick up on such, and had made efforts to reassure her, only left her more irritated and confused.

It led Sunset to spending quite a bit of time tossing and turning, rather than sleeping. So when her alarm went off, she groaned and smacked it off the shelf as she sluggishly pulled herself up and out of bed. She glared at the sunlight that streamed into her room, almost feeling like it and her former mentor were taunting her.

At least a quick shower left her feeling better… and the sight of stacks of freshly made waffles as she entered the kitchen was enough to make her forget the dread she felt for the first day of school.

“Morning Sunny!” Frisk happily said as they glanced over from their seat, though their expression quickly grew concerned as they saw the bags under Sunset’s eyes. “Trouble sleeping?”

Sunset’s first instinct was to ignore the question. Her second one was to lie. However, if there was one thing she had learned about Frisk above all else, it was that they were stubborn. Or as their friends liked to say… Determined.

Still, it didn't mean Sunset had to share much. She just gave a nod, slid into a seat, and started stacking her plate full of food. A good and solid breakfast would do her wonders, and if she was lucky, be enough to keep exhaustion at bay.

“Would you like some coffee, Sunset?” Toriel asked as she came over with a pitcher of milk and set it down amongst the rest of the food.

“Yes.” Sunset answered curtly, then, almost as an afterthought, added, “Please.” If Toriel was bothered by such, she gave no sign. Frisk didn’t seem to mind either. If anything, they gave Sunset an understanding nod as they dug in just as eagerly as Sunset was. Though unlike Frisk, she remained quiet, simply listening to Frisk and Toriel’s conversation.

It was here that Sunset learned, much to her annoyance, they would not be riding with Toriel to the school. Sunset had hoped that since Toriel was going to be a teacher there that they’d get to avoid riding the bus. While what she’d heard from Frisk and their friends didn’t give her the impression it was a horrible experience, it did involve socializing and Sunset had nearly zero interest in such.

Sure, they could walk, but Toriel had recommended the bus so Sunset could get used to being on one. They’d likely need to ride one when the weather was bad after all.

It did mean they both had a little over half an hour before they’d be heading off to school. Frisk busied themselves cleaning up as Toriel left, while Sunset decided to settle herself down in the living room and make another attempt to utilize her magic.

After about ten minutes of increasing frustration, Sunset had confirmed that which she’d been rather worried about. She was going to have to start practically from scratch.

At least her efforts had given her some good news- her hands could indeed be used to focus and gather magic. It was just going to be horribly inefficient until she could train and build up her thaumic pathways. Unlike Unicorns who were born with a natural and powerful focus in the form of their horn, humans didn’t seem to have anything comparable to such.

It’ll be harder to do, since this world doesn’t have anywhere near as much ambient magic. If I’m not careful, I could easily give myself magical burnout. And with how little magic there was here, it’d take her weeks to restore her mana pool.

Still, this was something that she was determined to work on. With her having to (practically) begin from the beginning though, there wasn’t much she was going to be able to do with about twenty minutes to make use of. But she could meditate and try to get a feel for how magic flowed through her. It was an exercise Celestia had taught her early on, as it was useful both for taking care of one’s thaumic network and for training it to be stronger and more robust. It was something most Unicorns never learned and even some of those who did so didn’t bother to practice it much.

Sunset wasn’t such a Unicorn. She was a prodigy, and more than that, she wanted to be the best. More than that even, so much more. She would not, could not, settle for being just a bit more powerful and capable then her peers.

Her desire to be the best was still there. She desired to be the best of the best, the pinnacle of everything someone in Equestria could achieve, and to go beyond that.

She might not be in Equestria anymore, and wouldn’t be able to return for some time. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t follow such an ambition here. The book had still said there was great potential and secrets to be unlocked here, and much to learn. Sunset would learn all she could, train as much as she needed to achieve her dream.

“Hey Sunny, whatcha up to?”

Though she was starting to wonder if this world, and those in it, might wind up being more trying than her mentor had been. Albeit, in a somewhat different fashion. Cracking an eye open, she gave Frisk a flat look before closing it again and looking inwards.

“Meditating. What else does it look like?”

“Oh, I figured that bit out.” Frisk replied, which left Sunset dearly wanting to ask why they had asked then, but Frisk answered that as they added, “It’s just that I could feel magic coming off you, so I figured maybe you were doing something more.”

That caused Sunset to stop, her eyes opening as she asked, “You could sense my magic?”

Frisk gave a nod. “It’s a gift I’ve had for as long as I can remember, it’s one reason I was drawn to Mt. Ebott.” Frisk did rub their head a bit as they added, “Sometimes it’s not all that specific or consistent, probably why I didn’t pick up that the school statue was a magic portal.”

Sunset shook her head at that. “Tis more likely it was due to it being closed and inactive. Unless someone knew what to look for… or got very unlucky when leaning against it at the right time and in the right place…”

That aside though, Sunset was quite surprised to learn Frisk had such an ability. The impression Sunset had been getting was that humans hadn’t been able to use real magic for a very long time. Though Monsters had been able to since time immemorial.

That actually reminds me… “Aside from sensing magic, do you happen to know any yourself?” Sunset did recall overhearing once mentions of magic lessons, but with all the rapid learning she was needing to do to try and blend in, she hadn’t had a chance to actually make any sort of inquiries.

Frisk sadly shook their head. Then tilted it for a moment before saying, “Well, I do know one spell, but that’s because I got to experience it so much it’s become rather easy to pull it off.”

“From your time in the Underground, I imagine.” Sunset said, and earned a nod. The story of such, or rather a cliff notes version, had been shared with her. But little else, and not enough for her to be able to figure out just what spell Frisk might know. “Could you show me? It might help me better figure out how to adjust using my magic here if I have some kind of baseline to compare to.”

“Sure, though be prepared. Unless your magic is really different, this’ll get a reaction out of you.” Frisk replied, to which Sunset could only give her a confused tilt of her head at. What kind of spell could Frisk know that’d interact with Sunset’s own? Though, as she thought about it, her mind flashed back to what had happened as she’d tried to escape Alphys’s home on her first day here in this world…

She didn’t have much time to ponder it though as she watched Frisk place their hands in front of their chest, eyes closed as they took in several relaxing breathes. Then, with a pulse of magic…

A glowing form of red light appeared. It was in the shape of a heart, and there was an aura of power that radiated from it. But that was the least of the things Sunset was thinking about. For as soon as she had felt that pulse of magic, she felt something tugging at her and-

She stared, transfixed, at the shape of light that was now floating in front of her. She was feeling something, but it was hard to describe exactly as she stared at it. It felt like it was a part of her, no, more than that. It felt like it was the core of her very being. And that feeling intensified as it seemed to take the shape of her cutie mark, glowing a brilliant crimson and gold.

“Huh… well, I guess there’s nothing that says a SOUL has to be heart shaped.” Frisk remarked, which made Sunset’s eyes go wide, her pupils shrinking to near pinpricks as she looked at the human in near horror, a touch of awe mixed in as she squeaked.

“E-Excuse me?!”

Frisk’s gaze was a sympathetic one, but one that was a bit… surreal to look at. Their eyes had a glow to them that hadn’t been there before, and it gave them a mystical quality that spoke of unsurpassed potential… for good or ill.

“This is called a SOUL Call. It draws out one’s Soul. Dr. Alphys refers to it as the Source Of Universal Love.” Frisk explained with a soft smile. “For Monsters, it doesn’t tend to do this since their entire being is in essence an extension of their soul, but they can make it visible like this as well if they so choose. For humans though, and it seems folks from your world, it draws the Soul out.”

“M-My… S-Soul…” Sunset stammered out, mind racing a mile a minute with questions, theories, and implications of something like this.

“Yeah. It's rather startling the first time it happens. I nearly freaked out myself.” Frisk replied with a snort. “Anytime Monsters meet someone new, they do it so they can get a… feeling for who they’re meeting. It’s not as informative with humans though, because we don’t wear it on our sleeves, and someone who doesn’t want to share who they are can keep from learning anything even if they know nothing about magic.”

“But, it can tell you at least one key thing about a human. What trait dominates the entirety of their being.” Frisk continued, humming a bit as they looked at Sunset’s own Soul, head tilted slightly.

“For humans, and Monsters too, the Soul appears in the shape of a heart. Though Monster Souls are an inverted heart when visible. They also have a color that corresponds to the trait which dominates their Soul as well. All Monster Souls are white, as the dominant trait of their Soul is Compassion.”

Before Sunset could ask, still practically speechless, Frisk went ahead and described the list of traits and their corresponding colors that they knew of. Sunset did not miss the fact that such corresponded in essence to the colors of the rainbow, which made her think of the ancient and lost Elements of Harmony from Equestria’s early days.

Once Frisk finished, Frisk ended the spell and both of their Souls returned to their bodies. It took Sunset a moment to regain her composure. Only after she had done so did Frisk decide to ask something that’d been on their mind since first seeing their Soul take shape.

“That was what you’re Cutie Mark was, back in your world, right?”

Sunset nodded. “Y-Yes. It’s the same emblem I had on the shirt I was given by the portal when I arrived here too. As I told you, it represents a core part of each Equestrian’s identity, something that makes them unique compared to any other pony.” Still, she shook her head as she said,

“A-A bit more warning next time please? Back in my world, Soul based magic is… I wouldn’t say taboo, but it’s something most folks don’t mess around with. It’s seen as risky at best, and dangerous at most.”

Sure some of the most powerful artifacts in Equestria, and probably the world, were likely created with such, but not all of those are exactly nice or user friendly. The Elements of Harmony being an exception to the norm. Sunset thought silently to herself.

Frisk laughed a bit sheepishly at that. “Yeah, I probably could have told you what it’d do, but I wasn’t sure if you’d believe me or not. Some of the media folks from outside Ebott didn’t believe it, even when the Monsters were standing in front of the camera’s. That though…”

Sunset could understand that, but still wasn’t happy about it. However, knowing that it seemed magic here was linked to the Soul…

That can’t be quite the case. There’s some ambient magic here. Sure, it’s so little that it’d be considered a magical desert or wasteland by most Equestrian mages, but it is here. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been able to have her mana stores slowly replenish.

Perhaps the Soul acted as a focus then? Or maybe as something to draw magic in? She’d have to ask about that later, as she briefly glanced at the clock and sighed. Frisk understood that well enough and snickered.

“C’mon, riding the bus won’t be that bad. And after the first week, you can choose whether or not you want to walk.” Frisk said as they got up, hurrying off to the door to grab their bag. Sunset just grumbled briefly before getting up and following after.

The wait at the stop wasn’t long, and fortunate for her, Frisk didn’t try to get Sunset to join in the conversation they had with the two other teenagers waiting with them. Once on the bus though, Sunset was met with a low cacophony of noisy chatter amongst nearly three dozen other students, ranging from pre-teens to those on the cusp of adulthood as it was defined here in this world.

Two of whom Sunset recognized as Frisk’s new friends. Fluttershy and Applejack if she remembered their names correctly. And they were waving them both to an empty seat nearby that hadn’t yet been claimed. Sunset was disappointed to find as she scanned the bus there wasn’t really a place where she could sit and be ‘by herself’ to some degree.

So with a resigned sigh, she simply followed along behind Frisk as they took their seats and did her best to let the chatter fade into the background as she closed her eyes and mentally reviewed everything she’d learned.

This is nothing. You can do this. Bet before the end of their first term you’ll be one of the top students in the entire school. She told herself as she felt the bus start to move. It took a few tries, which was strangely unlike her, but she was able to settle her nerves within the very short trip from the Dreemurr household to Canterlot High. And before long, Sunset and Frisk were disgorged alongside many other students to the front lawn of the school.

Some milled about, chatting with friends and catching up. Others were already discussing plans for what they’d do after school or on the first weekend as they made their way towards the doors. A few, whether eager to start school or eager to get the day over with, zipped through the throngs of young humans and into the school proper.

A loudspeaker blared from one corner of the school. “Welcome everyone! Please head to your assigned homeroom for attendance! An assembly will be held in the gym!”

“I’ll see ya in the gym, alright Sunset?” Frisk remarked, and Sunset replied with just a slight nod. She was already focusing on trying to navigate through the crowd as they made their way inside, though she couldn’t help but notice how… strange it felt to not have Frisk be around as she made her way to her locker to drop her things off.

Shrugging it off, she made her way to her homeroom… and nearly collided with another girl. “Hey, watch where you’re going!” The girl said, pushing her way past Sunset as she double checked her silvery hair with a pocket mirror that had a wand and a crescent moon on it. Sunset thought about pointing out that she had been doing so and it was the girl who hadn’t, but decided it wasn’t worth it right now.

It took a few minutes for everyone else to filter in. When they had done so, the teacher introduced herself and then it was time for roll call. Sunset made an effort to memorize the name of her fellow students. Even if she had absolutely no desire to get to know any of them, proper manners and etiquette had been drilled into her by Celestia. It was considered rude to forget the names of those one was studying or working with, and was an easy way to create minor difficulties for oneself.

Although after hearing the name of the rude girl, a Trixie Lulamoon, Sunset found herself hoping she didn’t have to deal with her much in her time here.

Once that was done though, it was back up and heading to the gymnasium. As much as Sunset knew that she wasn’t about to see her mentor when she got there, each step felt just a bit heavier as they drew closer.

Her anxiety started reaching its peak as they were all filing in… until she happened to catch sight of Frisk. Who gave her a strangely understanding smile, and mouthed, ‘you’ll be alright.’

Somehow, and Sunset wouldn’t be able to puzzle out why for quite a while, she actually believed them. And felt just a bit of the weight lifting off her.

But only a bit. She squared her shoulders and readied herself as she stepped in and followed the others, taking her seat reluctantly as she gazed down to a platform that had been set up for the occasion.

Well, one way or another, this would certainly be an experience.

-*-

The assembly wasn’t actually as bad as Sunset would have expected. While they were similar, Principal Celestia was not Princess Celestia. Their way of speaking was rather close to one another, and they both spoke with conviction. But the Principal’s came from her time being an educator, and wasn’t anywhere near as deep as that of the Princess.

And unlike the Princess, the warm and welcoming aura she possessed seemed much more… sincere. Sunset didn’t get the feeling like she sometimes got from the Princess that the Principal was wearing a mask, one of many she’d long since grown used to switching around with ease.

Then again, the worst this Celestia had to ever deal with was troublesome parents. Or frustrating city officials. So that would doubtless be a fair bit less than the weight of ruling an entire nation. And she had someone who was an equal, after a fashion, in the form of her sister.

Thinking about that had, briefly, made a pang of sympathy run through Sunset for her mentor. But then she remembered how their last meeting had gone and squashed it.

It had been interesting observing everyone though. Particularly at the introduction of Toriel to the entire school as the new Literature teacher. As well as the three Monsters who were also going to be starting the year there, with the Vice Principal noting that if anyone had any questions, Mx. Frisk Dreemurr would be happy to help.

Most of the student body was excited and seemed quite enthusiastic about this development. However, Sunset didn’t miss that there were a handful of students who seemed less tepid about it. Out of a school of what Sunset estimated near about seven hundred students, it was maybe two dozen or so.

She doubted it would lead to any problems, but it was something to make note of. Knowledge was power, and half way through the speeches Sunset had already decided she would to put her lessons in politics and subterfuge she’d learned under Celestia to the test here. She doubted the social hierarchy of a school full of teens and pre-teens would be a challenge to her… not that she had any real desire to be popular.

Popularity was such a fickle thing… but it’d do well to try and not make enemies that could cause her trouble. What Sunset desired was respect… and to be acknowledged as the one above all others.

Sadly, while the assembly had been bearable, the rest of the school day was not. No real academic work was done, with each class following a rather basic formula. Introductions, a brief run down of what they’d be going over this term, and then they were broken up into groups to get to know each other.

Socializing. Ugh. Was this really necessary? She didn’t remember her schooling before Celestia’s School for gifted unicorns having this much of it. Then again, after her first year, she’d wound up the Princess’s student. So she’d had quite a bit more to do…

At least it gave her a chance to practice the cover story they’d come up with her. A foster kid who the Dreemurr’s had offered to take in after the family she’d been with previously had to move to the other side of the country. Though she was quite tired of reciting it by lunch.

The meal period at least offered her a chance to unwind. With the only brief disruption to such being when Frisk and their friends came over and offered to join her so she wouldn’t be alone. “I am perfectly happy eating by myself right now, thank you.” She had said, doing her best to keep her exasperation out of her voice.

From the look she got from Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, she didn't succeed as much as she’d have liked. But Frisk didn’t seem bothered, and Fluttershy gave her an understanding smile. Pinkie Pie looked disappointed for all of a second before bouncing off to where the rest were headed off to.

Still, she’d enjoyed the (relative) peace and quiet. And it had been interesting picking out the various cliques that existed in the school, with a few sticking within their grade while others stretched across them. Sunset also found herself glancing towards two middle schoolers who stood out… they seemed to be practically glued to each other, and gave her the vibe of misfits. Yet they seemed to go by… largely unnoticed.

Even when one of them wound up accidentally squeezing a ketchup packet so hard it popped and got all over them, it elicited some chuckles but then was promptly forgotten.

The school fools perhaps? Strange that they get ignored though… maybe they’re just so used to them? She’d have to try asking about such later on. There were possibilities, to say the least, with folks who could go by so seemingly unseen. Or at least those so easily forgotten about.

Once lunch was done though, it was back to dealing with enforced socializing. By the time the bell rang to signal the end of the school day, Sunset was among those that seemed to be in a rush to get out of there. So much so that Frisk nearly missed her as she made for the exit.

“Woah, slow down Sunny, no need to rush.” Frisk said as they gently caught her arm. Sunset glared at her but Frisk just took it in stride. “Wanted to ask if you were interested in coming to the park with me and the girls after school.”

“I’m rather sure you know what my answer to that would be.” Sunset stated rather bluntly. Frisk just shrugged and replied,

“Ya never know if ya don’t ask. Besides, I asked earlier, but ya never replied to my text. So I figured I’d try now.”

“Oh.” Sunset said, pulling her phone out and seeing that she had indeed received a text from Frisk about such. And one from Toriel hoping she’d have a good first day. How had she not heard the thing go off?

Ah, right. She’d set it to vibrate. She must have missed it buzzing as she had to put up with all the required chit-chatting.

“Sorry. Still not used to having one of these.” She replied, which wasn’t a total lie. As amazing as the device was, she at times did forget she had it on her person. “Anyways, I’m not interested. You go ahead and have fun with your friends.”

Frisk frowned a bit, crossing their arms as she said, “It’s not gonna hurt to go and be friendly with folks. You know that, right?”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “I’ve had more than enough socializing for one day. I’d even say I’ve filled my quota for the week.” Still, Frisk had that look about them, and Sunset sighed and said,

“Next week I’ll join you on one of these outings. If nothing else, maybe it’ll get you to leave me alone about it.”

“You don’t have to if you really don’t want to, Sunny.” Frisk replied as they let go of her arm. “Not everyone is super social after all.”

Sunset could only raise an eyebrow at that. “Yet you seem rather determined to try and make me be so. How curious.”

Frisk had the decency to look sheepish at that, rubbing their own arm a bit. “Well, it’s because you seem like someone who could use some friends. You don’t actually strike me as a shy introvert… or the type to be a reclusive hermit. So I guess I just find it weird you don’t seem interested in making any.”

“Starting to sound like the Princess…” Sunset muttered under her breath, before shrugging and giving a confident smirk as she declared, “I can make friends if I really want to. I just don’t see a need to. If that ever changes, you’ll be the first to hear about it.”

With that said, Sunset hefted her bag back up and said, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some magic practice to do at the house. Need to make sure this day doesn’t turn into a complete waste of time.” She saw Frisk just nod out of the corner of her eyes as she walked past and started making her way down the sidewalk. She didn’t look back, yet she couldn’t stop a small part of herself from dwelling on the look of… disappointment that had formed on Frisk’s face. It reminded her so much of…

Princess…

Sunset shook her head, pushing such thoughts and memories aside. She needed to get back to the house. She was determined to make some kind of progress with her magic today, even if it took all night.

Journal 1

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Chapter 7

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Chapter 4

It wasn’t exactly easy convincing Toriel that they should take the strange girl to Alphys’s place. But when Frisk was determined to do something, they generally managed to overcome whatever obstacle was in their way.

Frisk had to make a strong point that before they’d heard the sound, the courtyard had been completely empty save for them. On top of that, the strange contents of the girls bag drew their own questions, though Toriel hadn’t been all that happy with Frisk rifling through the girl’s belongings.

What had mostly done it was the strange shimmering and rippling that seemed to be coming from the statue base. A quick check by Toriel had confirmed that some sort of magic was present. And given that until the Monsters had been freed, most humans believed magic to be nothing more than make-believe and fantasy…

“Alright, I suppose this does warrant a trip to Alphys.”

Toriel had helped Frisk bring the girl into the car, setting her gently in the backseat. Then they were heading off into the city core, with Frisk shooting Alphys and Sans a series of texts explaining the situation. Alphys to let her know they were on their way with the strange girl, and Sans to try and see if he could check out the statue.

Alphys replied readily enough just three minutes after Frisk sent a text. She was confused, but more than happy to help however she could. Sans simply sent a bony thumbs up emoji.

Every so often, Frisk would glance back to take a look and check on their strange guest. She remained rather out of it, the soft jostling of the car not seeming to rouse her in the slightest. Though every so often Frisk could have sworn they heard her muttering something in a language she didn’t understand.

Fortunately, by the time they had reached Alphys’s place, the girl hadn’t woken up. As they pulled into the garage, they found Undyne waiting for them in her police academy uniform.

“This the girl?” Undyne asked as she opened the door and hefted her over her shoulder with ease. Frisk nodded, carrying the girl’s bag with them.

“We’re heading up to Alphys’s study. That’s where she’s set up her equipment.”

The pair nodded, following the former Captain of the Royal Guard as they headed upstairs. Frisk couldn’t help but smile, seeing just how swiftly and deeply both Undyne and Alphys had already left their mark on their new home.

Arriving in the study, Undyne went ahead and set the strange girl in a cozy recliner situated in the room, while Frisk walked on over to a table nearby and let the contents of the bag spill out. They then got to work organizing them as Alphys walked in from another room, a magical scanner in hand.

“A-Are you sure this is necessary, Frisk?” Alphys asked, even as she approached, giving the objects and the girl a once over. “S-She looks like any other human to me…”

“She appeared out of nowhere, Alphys. One second there was no one else outside the front of the school except Toriel and myself. Next moment, I heard her crying out as she stumbled. And it looked like she came from the statue.” Frisk replied, glancing to Toriel as they added, “Toriel and I both saw that there was something weird and magical going on with the statue.”

“Frisk speaks the truth. There is some form of magic present in the statue that wasn’t there before.” Toriel said, looking to the girl with concern and confusion in equal measure.

“Well, I-I uh suppose checking her and her things out with this couldn’t hurt…” Alphys mumbled as she walked over with the scanner. She flicked it on and started running it over the girl, her eyes growing wide almost instantly as she started to mutter something to herself.

Frisk, Toriel, and Undyne all quirked their eyebrows as Alphys’s fingers started to rapidly move across various dials and switches on her scanner. After about a minute, she started shaking her head as she said,

“T-This is, or well, as f-far as I know, should be impossible!”

Alphys quickly moved over to the items from the girl’s bag, shaking her head in disbelief as the three of them looked at each other. After a moment, Undyne was the one that spoke up.

“Care to share what’s so impossible, Alphys?”

Alphys jumped a bit, then rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “O-Oh, uh well… so, well, you all know how Humans, and basically everything up here on the surface, is made up almost entirely of physical matter right?” After getting nods from all of them, Alphys looked towards the girl and her belongings.

“W-Well, for this girl and her things… that’s not the case.”

All their eyes went wide, before Frisk frowned and cocked their head to the side. “So wait, is she a Monster?”

“O-Oh no, n-not at all. She’s definitely not a Monster. T-Though what she is… I-I can’t say exactly.” She looks back over to the girl, who is still out of it, and begins to explain.

“Humans have almost no Magic making up their form. On the area of like, ninety-nine percent being nothing but physical matter. But this girl… a solid quarter of her body is made up of magic. The remaining seventy-five percent is physical matter.”

Alphys turns towards the objects that had been in her bag. “The same applies more or less to all of these. Their composition is at least a quarter magic, three quarters matter. Some of those g-gemstones are a bit more varied, but the books and those coins are the same.”

Frisk and the others frowned, now all turning their gazes to the strange girl. Undyne was the first to speak up.

“Think she's a threat of some kind?”

“I got slightly weird vibes from her before she konked out after seeing Toriel, but didn’t get anything truly… bad from her.” Frisk remarked, quickly adding, “Nothing on par with like, Flowey at least.”

All save Frisk shivered at the mention of him, though Alphys quickly spoke up.

“E-Even if she was, I-I don’t think she’d be much trouble right now.” She ran the scanner over the girl again. “Her magical energy is rather drained. I don’t know what magic she’d be able to do right now. And it’ll probably have left her tired physically too.”

At that point, there was a soft sound from behind Frisk, and they turned to see Sans standing there. His face was still spread in the usual grin it trended towards, but there was a firm, serious air to the lights in his sockets.

“alphys, i need to borrow some equipment, just to double check some things.”

“What’d ya find Sans?” Frisk asked, while Alphys replied,

“S-Sure, b-borrow whatever you need to.”

Sans gave a thankful look to Alphys, then glanced at Frisk and shrugged as he said, “not entirely sure kiddo. got some ideas and theories, but i need to check them first.” He strode on by them into a neighboring room, then Frisk heard the strange sound as he made use of one of his shortcuts.

“What action should we take Dr. Alphys?” Toriel asked after a moment, now giving the young lady an uncertain look. Alphys herself hemmed and hawwed a bit at that before giving an answer.

“S-Since she’s not really a danger at the moment… I-I’d just say we could keep an eye on her until she wakes up?” She wrung her hands together a bit as she glanced to the floor. “T-Though that might not work, w-we have the formal dinner tonight, a-and it could be a while before she wakes up, o-or it could be in the next hour or two.”

They all seemed to ponder that, with Frisk snapping their fingers as they said, “What about Papyruis? I don’t think he’s got anything going on right now. He should be able to keep an eye on her.”

“T-That could work. A-And if needed, Sans could take over o-once he finishes checking that statue out.” Alphys remarked, earning a nod from Frisk and Undyne.

“I feel a bit wary just leaving Papyrus alone with some strange girl from who knows where that we don’t know much about…” Undyne admitted as she rubbed the back of her head. “I might see if one of the Dogs can come over as backup as well, at least til Sans is finished.”

Frisk had already pulled their phone out and was shooting some messages Papyrus’s way. “He’ll be over as fast as he can. He’s asked if he’ll be allowed to try and set up puzzles and japes to befuddle her should the need arise.”

This drew chuckles from all of them, even as Alphys shook her head. “S-Sorry, but no. I still don’t want to see any puzzle that isn’t just a jigsaw puzzle for quite a while yet.” Frisk simply nodded at that, typing out a quick reply as Toriel reached down and ruffled their hair.

“With Papyrus, Sans, and some of the Royal Guard keeping an eye on her, there should be nothing to worry about for the time being, perhaps we should head home and get ready for the dinner.”

Frisk gave a nod. “Yeah, though hopefully she doesn’t wake up til we’re done. Especially if she is some kind of trouble.”

“Sans will be able to tell us. Assuming he doesn’t slack off.” Undyne remarks with a snort as she rolls her eye. She then looks to Alphys and smirks as she says, “On a different note, you gonna be wearing that new dress I got ya for tonight?”

Alphys’s only response was a squeak and some sputtering as she went bright red, toppling to the side after a few seconds. Frisk could have sworn they heard a soft, sheep-like noise come from her as it happened, but chalked it up to their imagination.

Undyne let out a roar of laughter, then pat Toriel on the shoulder as she said, “Go on ahead, I’ll keep an eye on Mystery Girl here while we wait for Papyrus.”

Frisk and Toriel both nodded, heading back out to the car. As they climbed in and drove off, Frisk couldn’t help but glance back towards Alphys’s home as they pondered the strange girl and her strange arrival. They couldn’t help but have a feeling of trepidation, something that Toriel was able to pick up on rather quickly.

“Do not worry my child. We’ll learn the answers to our questions in time. Just be patient.” She reached over and ruffled Frisk’s head, helping to distract the young teen’s thoughts, if only for a moment.

“Yeah, you’re right. Worrying about that won’t get me anywhere at all. Besides, I should worry about whether or not the formal dinner will be boring or not.”

That drew a mixture of chortles and giggles out of Toriel, which Frisk was happy to join in. Still, as the two of them got home and started readying for the dinner, Frisk couldn’t help but ponder the strange feeling they’d gotten from the girl.

-*-

A rush of anger. Fury at being denied. A surge of adrenaline as she took desperate action to take what was being denied to her. A brief pulse of magic stunned one blocking her path, a wave of fire sent another reeling back. A quick stop by her own quarters and she was ready.

She’d done her research. Knew that there was a world on the other side of the mirror. That it was a world where she could find the power to become what she desired most. The books had spoken of untapped potential, of secrets waiting to be unlocked. There had been a warning to be prepared, for it was a world seemingly lacking, or devoid of magic. And that the only intelligent race was one of two legged bipeds.

She had not considered these facts much. She was the prodigy of the Princess of the Sun, the best in the entire School for Gifted Unicorns. She was destined for greatness, she could see it, feel it. She would not be barred or held back.

That had been the thought, at least, before stepping through the Mirror and being whisked away.

The process had been strange and tumultuous. She’d felt her magic, her body, being tugged at and strained to its limits as she went spiraling through a seemingly endless tunnel of ever shifting colors and hues. It felt like she was being stretched and remolded, her body like clay as it tumbled over and over through the chromatic channel linking her world to this other one.

Then, finally, it had ended and she had come spinning out. And landed rather unceremoniously on a hard surface that took her by surprise as her body worked to adjust to all that had just happened. Her head hurt, a throbbing sensation from where it had met the ground but a second ago as she could already feel the beginning of a bump forming on it.

It took a moment for her to get back up, her thoughts sluggish as she found everything feeling familiar, yet not at the same time. A sensation she very much could have done without.

She also could have done with a bit more time before seeing someone of this world, as she wasn’t prepared for it… or for the changes the portal had made to her own form. The form she now possessed, and the one the figure before her had, was not one that she recognized beyond that it was bipedal.

But she was Sunset Shimmer, a phenomenal magician and sorceress who was destined for greatness. A little change in form wasn’t going to trip her up.

… Though after her head nearly collided with the ground beneath her again, she had accepted the help from the person who had appeared. She couldn’t discern much from the individual at a glance… not yet enough information to do so, but she could see the concern on the person’s face, even as a glimmer of wary curiosity shone in their eyes.

She saw that the person had her bag in hand and was offering it to her. She took it without a second thought, hands feeling it to make sure everything was still inside. Good, nothing was missing. At least this person had the decency to-

Then another person came around the corner. Only, they were different, yet familiar to her. The figure may have been coated in white fur, and her horns may have been on her head, but instantly Sunset tensed as she saw what she could only describe as a minotaur.

Minotaurs were renown for being aggressive, violent, physically strong and hardy, and above all, resistant to magic. And as Sunset reached into her mana pool, she made a horrible discovery.

She was almost completely drained of magic. She’d be lucky if she could do a basic levitation spell.

Sunset was not like many mages. She knew that being physically fit helped with using ones magic and improving it. But she was still, at the end of the day, a mage. Fighting close quarters was not her forte, while for Minotaurs, it most certainly was.

Perhaps if she’d been steadier, and didn’t have a throbbing headache, she might have been better able to see that the Minotaur’s posture was gentle and motherly. That there was only concern on her face, no hint or sign of malice.

But Sunset noticed none of that. She only felt fear surge through her, and let loose a frightened whinny as she fell to the ground. Terror and magical exhaustion worked hand in hand, and soon she was utterly unconscious.

The world around her went dark, and for quite a bit of time, she floated in an black void. She could feel her magic slowly restoring, but it was taking far, far longer than it should have done. When she finally had enough that she could regain consciousness and open her eyes, she was not where she had been. The room was dark, save for silvery light streaming in from a window nearby that revealed night had fallen at some point.

Her mind raced, as quickly as it could as the magical exhaustion still left her feeling sluggish and tired. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness and began to make use of the moonlight, she quickly deduced she was in some kind of study, laid out on a couch of some sort. There was no sign of the strange person or the Minotaur, but that didn’t mean anything. Her bag and its contents was lying nearby on a table, right next to some strange device.

“Ugh… where, where am I?” She muttered aloud as she sat up. The throbbing in her head was less intense than before, and as she reached up, she found that the bump that had been there had shrunk. Which, provided she hadn’t been out of it for too long, seemed a bit odd.

Alright, I’m in a strange place, different world. My magic is still drained, enough that anything beyond the most basic of cantrips would be too demanding. Cautiously and slowly, she focused on her magic to try and conjure an orb of light, to better see the room around her. She could feel the magic gathering in her and…

Nothing. No orb of light. Not even a glow from somewhere to signify her spell had done anything.

Her brow furrowed at that. She felt her forehead, and shuddered as she found there was no sign of her horn. Nightmare spit, without my horn… damnations, I have my magic, but without my horn, how do I channel it?

She glanced at her hands with uncertainty. She knew from her studies there were some races in Equinica that could use their hands to channel magic. But it took quite a bit of time and effort. The horn of a unicorn meanwhile, was a natural conduit for magic usage.

She went ahead and tried the spell again, routing her magic to her hands. All she got for her trouble was a brief tingle in her hands, and the barest hint of a glimmer of her arcane aura.

For the first time in a very long time, Sunset Shimmer found herself feeling… doubt. Being the student of the Princess meant she received education in a wide variety of fields, and she had her own interest in some outside of magic. But magic was her greatest talent. It was what had earned her her Cutie Mark, and made it possible for her to become the personal student of sole ruler of Equestria.

Without her magic, or at least, without the ability to cast and use it with ease, she was at a disadvantage. It would be so much harder for her to claim her destiny.

I’ve never backed down from a challenge. She thought to herself. But this… I… I might have acted hastily.

She pushed that thought aside though. Right now, she needed to try and learn more about this place, learn more about her form. There were already things that were either wrong, or hadn’t been described clearly from the research she had been doing. If she was going to be here and accomplish her goal, she needed knowledge.

Something she wasn’t going to get just sitting around on a couch in the dark.

Standing up, Sunset wobbled a bit on her legs, but using a nearby bookshelf as support, she began to make her way around the room. She stopped by the window, getting a glance outside and whistling a bit as she saw the lights of the core of a city nearby, alongside those of this part of town.

Has to run on electricity… since there’s not much magic here. She thought to herself, reminded of a trip to Manehatten she’d taken with the Princess. She quickly pushed such memories aside. She didn’t want to think about Celestia right now.

By her third lap around the room, Sunset had managed to walk with some degree of confidence, and had noticed the strange switch by the door. It hadn’t taken much guesswork for her to figure out the switch's purpose. Though the bright light from the ceiling of the room did leave her briefly blinded and she swore quite a bit.

As she tried to blink and let her vision clear, a door on the opposite end of the room opened up and a rather cheerful voice called out,

“I must say, those are quite novel and creative swears young miss. Though I’ll have you know that we try to keep the use of such naughty language to a minimum around here!”

As the spots in her vision cleared, Sunset turned around and found herself caught off guard once again, the color draining from her face just a bit as she stared at the skeletal figure that was smiling at her.

“Greetings! I, the Great Papyrus, welcome you back to the realm of the waking!”