The Sun and the Star

by General Alduin

Rating: teen
Tags: Drama, Firelight, Starlight Glimmer, Romance, Equestria Girls, Sunset Shimmer, Profanity, Alternate Universe, Human
Length: 3032

The human world’s Starlight flaked on Sunset and her friends, still reeling from the guilt of what she did. Sunset, being the element of empathy, confronts Starlight to learn why.

Starlight Glimmer (or at least the human Starlight Glimmer) was defeated and offered a second chance the same way her counterpart was. But just like her counterpart, Starlight is reeling from the regret of everything she did, made even worse since she’s a teenage girl still recovering from the highs magical corruption brought her to.

After Starlight flakes on meeting up with Sunset and her friends one day, Sunset makes her way to Starlights home and forces a talk between the two of them to figure what’s going on with her, talk things out, and perhaps... becoming something more?

My entry for Reactceptions Unseen Villains shipping contest.

Published 2022-11-09 16:50:00 UTC
Last updated 2022-11-09 16:50:00 UTC

A talk between stars

Sunset sighed as she pulled up in a driveway, shutting her car off and climbing out, making her way to a house. She knocked on the door and was greeted by Firelight. “Oh! Sunset, what a surprise.” He said with a friendly smile. “Are you here for Starlight?”

“I am. She was supposed to meet up with me and my friends later but totally bailed.” Sunset said with an annoyed tone. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“Of course not! Please, come in.” Firelight moved back and gestured for Sunset to come inside.

“Thank you.” She nodded politely as she walked in, Firelight closing the door behind them. “How’s She been since… you know.”

“You mean the whole ‘go mad with power and try to install communism around the world’ thing?” Firelight guessed. “She’s doing… better, I suppose. She can walk normally again, but she still has nightmares.”

“I can relate.” Sunset huffed. “Same thing happened to me after I went mad with power, it took me a while to get over it.” Sunset sat on the couch. “You sure you don’t want me to bring her counterpart over? She did something similar, I’m sure the two of them can talk things out.”

“The last thing Starlight needs right now is to have her pony counterpart talk with her.” Firelight half joked. “Maybe some other time.”

“Then I guess there’s no choice.” Sunset sighed. “I’m gonna talk to her.” She stood up and made her way to Starlight's room.

“Sunset.” Sunset stopped and looked at Firelight. “Be gentle with her, she’s very fragile right now. I’m sure there’s a reason she flaked on you and your friends.”

“Don’t worry, I’m a master at talking to people who went crazy after coming into contact with magic.” She said with a small smirk before continuing to walk forward. “It’s kinda my thing now.”

She stopped in front of Starlight's door and gently knocked. “Go away dad, I want to be alone right now.”

“Actually it’s me, Sunset.”

There was a long pause from the other side of the door. “Then go away Sunset, I want to be alone right now.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening. You promised you’d hang out with me and the girls, then you didn’t show up without even bothering to text me an excuse.” No response. “... I’m not leaving till we talk.”

Nothing happened for a long moment, until finally there was shuffling from inside the room and the door opened, revealing a disheveled Starlight standing in the doorframe. She gestured for Sunset to come in and walked back to her bed.

Sunset walked in and gently closed the door behind her, walking over and sitting next to Starlight. “... What’s up with you?”

“Nothings up with me.” Starlight waved dismissively. “I just… I just didn’t feel like hanging out. I don’t know your friends too well, it’d be weird.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Sunset frowned. “That’s how you get to know people better, you hang out with them. And don’t say you got busy, because you’re just moping around.”

“I’m not moping!”

“Please.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “I’ve moped long enough to know the signs, and all this-” She gestured around the room, bringing attention to its disheveled state and bare walls. “-is moping.” She stood up and marched to Starlight's wastebasket, pulling out a crumpled poster of a yellow hammer and sickle on a red background. “You thought I wouldn’t notice you threw out all your communism stuff?”

“So? I just educated myself a bit. Do you know how many people have died under Communism? It’s a lot.”

“Earth politics are weird, but you’re entitled to believe whatever you-”

“So I can do what, hm?” Starlight challenged, standing up to meet Sunset. “Use a magical artifact I barely understand, try to take revenge on Twilight, and nearly collapse the timeline?”

“You weren’t going to-”

“I was going back in time! How do you know it wouldn’t have collapsed time and space!?”

“Your counterpart did the same thing.” Sunset huffed. “She didn’t collapse anything, she just changed the future.”

“She… she did?” Starlight was taken aback by Sunset's response, staring at her quietly. “... Guess every version of myself is just predisposed to trying and ruin time.”

“You really need to stop beating yourself up over what happened.” Sunset sighed in annoyance. “Yeah, what you did was wrong, but you were intoxicated by magic and you did stop yourself in time. I didn’t even manage to do that much.”

“You didn’t mean to become a demon. At least, from what you told me.” Starlight sat back down. “And yeah you were a bully for a few years, but I was a cult leader. Even if I wasn’t poisoning people with Kool Aid, I still had aspects of cult leaders. Give me a few more years and I very well might’ve poisoned everyone with Kool Aid. Then after Twilight turns my followers against me, I try to fuck with time. That's worse than being a narcissistic bully or turning into a demon.”

“Well it’s not a contest…” Sunset murmured. “Look, I know this whole forgiveness thing is weird and you feel you don’t deserve it, but you do.”

“How do you know how I feel?”

“You’re kidding right?” Sunset sat next to Starlight and gently grabbed her hand. “I’ve been where you are. I’ve gone mad with power, tried to hurt Twilight (or at least, my Twilight), got defeated, felt worthless, and felt that I didn’t deserve the second chance I was given. Here’s the thing though: nobody really deserves a second chance.” Starlight looked towards Sunset curiously. “That’s the beauty of it. I didn’t deserve one and you don’t deserve one. Second chances are a gift, and I hear it’s kinda rude to refuse a gift.”

“... Usually when people try to mess with the timeline in movies and shows, they’re punished for it.”

“Well, find a different genre then, because that’s just not how it works with us. If someone shows genuine remorse, tries to better themselves, and isn’t an unforgivable monster, they’re forgiven and given a second chance.” Sunset gently squeezed Starlight's hand. “You fucked up and you’re going to feel like shit for a long time, I out of anyone can attest to that. But moping around, stewing in self hate, and blowing off people who want to help you isn’t going to help anyone and wastes what we gave you.”

Starlight was quiet for a long time. “I don’t think I can embrace communism again, it was what led me down such a dark path.”

“If you think that’ll make you a better person, then be my guest. You can unironically worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster and I’ll support you if you think it’ll make you a better person.”

Starlight chuckled despite herself. “... Why do you care so much?”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I said-” Starlight turns to look at Sunset. “-why do you care so much? I mean, I know your friends care about me and are trying to help me, but you’ve been putting the most effort in.”

“Well, it’s not that complicated.” Sunset shrugged. “My Twilight is the leader of the Elements of Harmony back home, and I’m the leader of the Elements of Harmony here. Twilight’s helping your counterpart so I’m helping you, and leaders have to lead by example. The girls know what we need to do because I’m helping to show them, that’s the bare minimum of what a leader has to do.”

“I guess, but I talked to Wall Flower and Juniper Montage, and you didn’t do nearly as much with them.” Starlight tilted her head.

”Neither of them needed as much help. One was a painfully shy girl who messed with people’s memories and another was a narcissist who turned into a monster after messing with a magic mirror. Once we took the artifact away, they cleaned up their act and didn’t have any prior baggage from their past.”

Starlight was quiet as she thought over Sunset's words. “That’s bullshit.”

“It is not bullshit.” Sunset said in an offended tone. “They just didn’t need-”

“-Yeah, all that’s true.” Starlight interrupted. “As you’ve kept your ability to mess with people from your bullying days, so have I kept my talent at reading people from my cult leader days.”

“What do you-”

“-There’s something else, something you’re not telling me.” Starlight said suspiciously. “Everything you told me was an excuse, and while I’m sure it’s the main reason, there’s something you’re keeping to yourself. Probably haven’t even told your friends.” Sunset looked away nervously. “... What’s up with you?”

Sunset was quiet for a full minute. “Everyone I know doesn’t… have a past like me.” Sunset cleared her throat awkwardly. “Yeah, Juniper, Wall Flower, and even Twilight have been consumed by magic and needed help after the fact, but none of them… none of them were like me. They don’t have a past of being… well, a bad person. Not to the same extent anyway. I was an awful bully who hurt my family and turned into a demon-”

“-And I was a cult leader who hurt people who trusted me and tried to change the past…” Starlight said mostly to herself, Sunset nodding.

“I can relate to you in a way I can’t with anyone else. The closest I have is Twilight, but she was just a shy nerd that didn’t know what she was dealing with. She doesn’t have the same kind of baggage that I do. And I don’t know, I just…” Sunset shrugged. “I just know what it’s like to be in your position. I just feel a special connection because we have such similar circumstances and I can’t… I-I can’t help but like you. Like, like like you.”

Starlight was quiet for a moment.“You… you like me? Like you have the hots for me?”

“Mhm.” Sunset nodded, fidgeting anxiously.

“Do you like my counterpart?”

“No.” Sunset shook her head. “She’s a wonderful friend, but it’s just not the same with her. I know that seems completely backwards, but maybe it’s because I’m helping you and Twilight is helping her that I didn’t develop a crush on her.”

Neither girl said anything for a long moment, Sunset awaiting Starlight's response. “You know, I kinda like like you too.”

Sunset snapped her head towards Starlight. “Really?”

“Well, I mean, I don’t have a lot of experience with romance or anything, but whenever you’re around, whenever you talk to me, whenever you’re trying to help me out… I get a feeling in my chest that I can’t explain. It’s mushy as hell, but I get butterflies in my stomach when I’m around you, and I think it’s precisely because you’ve been helping me so much, I’ve never had someone care so much for me. Even if I’m not the easiest person in the world for you to help.”

“I’m… I’m surprised. I thought you had a crush on Sunburst.”

“Sunburst was my best friend, but I never liked him that way. Kinda hard when you’re not into dudes.” Starlight smirked at Sunsets' surprised look. “I don’t know exactly when I figured it out, but I told my parents when I was fourteen. Ironically the same year I started getting into communism, so kind of a mixed year.”

Sunset nodded. “So… what do we do now?”

Starlight didn’t answer, merely scooching closer so she could cup Sunsets face, leaned in, and brought her into a kiss. Sunset was initially taken aback but quickly relaxed, leaning in and returning the kiss with her own.

The two kissed for a good two minutes before they pulled away, their hearts beating quickly. “... You’re pregnant now.”

Starlight tensed and her eyes widened in shock. “What!?”

“Oh my go- I’m fucking with you.” Sunset shook her head, suppressing a laugh. “You really think I can get someone pregnant with a kiss?”

“You’re a unicorn from another dimension who can wield magic, I don’t know what you can do.” Starlight huffed and scooched away. “That was... nice. Before you totally ruined it.”

“Hey, adding comedy to a situation never ruins it.”

“What about a funeral?”

“There’s ‘fun’ in funeral isn’t there?”

“You’re not invited to my funeral.”

“Whatever.” Sunset said dismissively as she stood up, holding out her hand to help Starlight off the bed. “You still need to hang out with me and my friends.”

“Still?” Starlight grabbed Sunset's hand and stood up, looking a little nervous. “Even though I’m your girlfriend now?” She offered hopefully.

“Are you my girlfriend? All we did was kiss, we didn’t confirm anything.”

“Keep that up and I won’t.” Starlight teased as she followed after Sunset. “Are we going to tell them?”

“Of course! I want to rub it in that I'm the second person in the group to get into a relationship. I’m sure to get it right this time.”

“Well, from what I heard about you and Flash, I say there’s no way left to go but up.” Sunset lightly punched Starlights arm as they made their way to Sunset's car, continuing to go back and forth even as Sunset turned the car on and drove off.

Author's Note

Hello everybody! Thank you for taking the time to read my entry for a contest.

Context: human Starlight was a charismatic political activist that preached an extremely collectivist form of communism. She had gathered a group of followers consisting of teenagers and young adults and basically started a secular cult that severely limited her followers individuality.
Like all cult leaders, she was a bit of a hypocrite who preyed on her followers and took their money to enrich herself/didn’t spend it the way she said she was.
Eventually, before the events of the Friendship Games, Sci-Twi came across Starlights content online and began poking holes in Starlights ideology. Starlight felt threatened and challenged Sci-Twi to a debate in front of her whole group, hoping that her followers might scare Sci-Twi from further arguing with her.
It went horribly for Starlight, and her followers turned on her, especially when Starlight couldn’t produce proof of how she was spending the money the way she promised.
Just like her counterpart, Starlight was bitterly resentful of Twilight, but didn’t have any way of enacting any kind of revenge.
That is until she came across a magical artifact from Equestria, one that gave the wielder magical power and allowed them to go back in time.
To make a long story short, Sunset realized what was going on, she was unable to contact Twilight, Starlight figured out who was responsible and the two went to confront human Starlight, human Starlight very nearly broke time trying to install her form of communism worldwide, and she was eventually talked down and gave up the artifact, fixing the timeline.
I’ll probably make a proper fic about this, but not today (it would also be a different continuity from this story).

I’m a pretty hardcore StarBurst shipper and I’ve never been a huge fan of ShimGlim, but I wanted to participate in the contest and I felt I owed it to Reactception for being an avid reader of one of my stories (I also thought it was funny because he’s the most vocal for a SunJack ship and here I am submitting a ShimGlim fic instead. The irony).
But the contest was explicitly for unseen villains, but all of the unseen villains would probably be adults who are then dating a teenager, which is kinda weird to me.
Starlight is similar in age, we never saw human Starlight in EG, Reactception told another commenter it was an approved ship for the contest, and I feel like Starlights counterpart would’ve been antagonistic in some way.

I left it ambiguous whether or not Sunset is Sunbursts sister, as I felt it may have been weird for the two to be dating if that was the case but I like the idea of Sunset being Sunbursts sister.

This would be like the 3rd time Sunset talked to someone after they went mad after using magic.
It really is her thing!

Starlight being into communism is really the only way to have her collectivist ideology transfer between MLP and EG (going by the interpretation that EG takes place on an Earth identical to our own but with humanized ponies, which is my favorite interpretation).

Believe it or not, cults don’t necessarily need to be religious in nature, they just need to have a group of people showing excess admiration to something and often times have a charismatic figure.
So Starlight running a communist cult isn’t too far fetched.

I also felt that Sunset and both Starlights would get along swimmingly since they both have pasts they’re not proud of and are Twilights friend/apprentice. I just feel they’d connect in ways they couldn’t with the rest of their friends.

I actually kind of liked the ‘no one really deserves a second chance ’, it’s kinda true if you think about it. Like yeah people deserve second chances (depending on who they were and what they did), but second chances are ultimately a gift and no ones really entitled to a gift. Idk, what did you all think of it? Too pretentious?

I also loved how Starlight turned the ‘What’s up with you?’ Around on Sunset.
I like to think that Starlight is good at reading people and that Sunsets has a teasing personality.

Now, I really do like StarBurst and I felt like the only way it couldn’t happen is if Starlight was gay. So she’s gay in this continuity even though I feel she’s straight in canon.

Sunset claiming Starlight is pregnant is somewhat inspired by the Netflix Trollhunter movie where this exact thing happens to one of the characters.

So while not the most romantic of stories, I mostly wanted to build the foundations of their relationship, show why they like eachother/have a close bond, and have the two confess before sharing a kiss.
I feel that’s enough romance.

Anyway, thanks for reading my fic!